Infocomics

In the late 1980's Tom Snyder Productions and Infocom teamed up to produce a short-lived series of animated computerized comic books with a clever gimmick: at certain points in the story, readers could switch perspectives from one character to another, lending a unique sort of interactivity to a normally-passive activity.

Unfortunately, wanting to make Infocomics available on multiple platforms without modification, the graphics and sound were designed for the lowest common denominator -- the IBM PCjr with CGA graphics and an internal speaker. Both critical response and sales were poor. While reviewers praised the concept, they criticized the poor writing, which was aimed mostly at young readers (despite having pixelated nudity), and the painfully outdated graphics and sound, which were poor even by late 80s standards. In his June 1988 column for BYTE magazine, Science fiction writer and columnist Jerry Pournelle even went so far as to quip about Lane Mastodon, "Infocom has come up with the answer to software piracy: a story so dumb that no one in their right mind would want to steal it." Many more Infocomics reviews are archived in the InvisiClues.org library.

Although additional Infocomics were planned, including some aimed at more mature audiences, and graphics and sound would surely have improved with time, ultimately the project was cancelled after only four titles, selling fewer than 50,000 copies across all titles and platforms.

Now, you can experience Infocomics in all their original glory, but without the disk-swapping! Choose your story below.