Iam8bit
Encyclopedia
iam8bit is a production company, creative think tank and art exhibition based in Los Angeles, California
. The company works in many entertainment industries including video games, film, fashion and music. They have produced many projects including exclusive taste-maker mailers, large scale community events and short films. In 2011, iam8bit rebranded their identity to be more broadly focused, launching with a new logo and website.
in the summer of 2004. Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight in Los Angeles served as the show's venue for three years, but even after the first opening, it was obvious that iam8bit needed a more spacious home. Nearly 1,500 people attended the opening night reception on April 19, 2005, with thousands frequenting the show during its month-long run. "To see that kind of stretch along sidewalks, weaving in and out of back alleys, leaning into traffic," Gibson told Kotaku
in July 2010. "It was so fucking cool."
However, the company has since expanded its focus, delving into both gaming and non-gaming arenas, but always with a slant towards artistry, design and innovation.
. "And now I have three partners and we're all equal, and we're all taking charge." The four partners are:
published an official collection of pieces from the inaugural show in April 2006 entitled, iam8bit: Art Inspired by Classic Videogames of the '80s, and was promptly carried in stores like Urban Outfitters
, Barnes and Nobles, Giant Robot
, and many other museum and boutique shops. It is one of the best-selling videogame-themed books of all time. A sequel to the book, called SUPER i am 8-bit: More Art Inspired by Classic Videogames of the '80s is to be published by Insight Editions in June 2010.
An alliance with Blik, a manufacturer of vinyl wall decals
, was formed in 2005 after the company created a custom, large-scale window installation for the iam8bit. The result was a series of high-end, removable Space Invader-style wall stickers that, after several years, have been a consistent seller for Blik.
In 2007, iam8bit formed another partnership with Couch Guitar Straps
, a vegan-friendly manufacturer of designer guitar straps, to create an exclusive line of straps created for use with Guitar Hero
and Rock Band
. Each strap was handmade/sewn in downtown Los Angeles (sweatshop free) and numbered. The straps themselves are also cut slightly shorter than normal guitar straps to more comfortably fit the gaming peripherals.
For New Line's 2008 DVD release of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
, iam8bit produced numerous supplemental features, including the "iam8bit Music & Gallery," which featured Donkey Kong-inspired art from the first three years of the show, as well as an accompanying soundtrack by renowned micro-musicians like 8 Bit Weapon
, ComputeHer, and several others. Director Gabe Swarr and writer/producer Jon M. Gibson
also created an original, one-minute animated short entitled, A Really, Really Brief History of Donkey Kong, which received both critical and fan praise and also featured music by 8 Bit Weapon
. Gibson, along with IGN Entertainment Editorial Director Chris Carle, also provided a full-length commentary track recounting the cultural and historical significance of the 80's arcade scene.
, Radiohead
, Capcom Entertainment, Inc., Electronic Arts
, New Line Cinema
, Nickelodeon
, Nintendo of America, Universal Interactive, ngmoco
, Spike Digital Entertainment, Walt Disney Consumer Products and many others. Two of the studio's most notable projects are A Really, Really Brief History of Donkey Kong, featured on the The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
DVD, as well as a one-minute Radiohead music video for "Bodysnatchers" created in conjunction with the band to inspire animators to enter a "Create Your Own Radiohead Video" contest on Aniboom.com, an animation community website. Both videos were directed by Gabe Swarr and produced by Jon M. Gibson
.
, Capcom
hired iam8bit to produce a series of underground community-targeted events called Street Fighter Club themed around their legendary player vs. player franchise. In conjunction with PR firm fortyseven communications, the events received a tremendous amount of mainstream media coverage, including Sports Illustrated for Kids, AOL, G4, Spike, Entertainment Weekly, and many more.
, a sequel to the best-selling videogame franchise. The painting by Gerald de Jesus (part of the iam8bit artist collective) is reminiscent of the European boxart for the original Mega Man
game. According to Chris Kramer, Senior Director, Communications and Community at Capcom Entertainment, the marketing group felt that if they were going to release a game that looked like it came from 1987, it would be best to have the marketing campaign reflect that.
A "limited edition" press kit using that cover art was then created by iam8bit. Being as faithful to the original 1987 release as possible, the i am 8-bit crew disassembled hundreds of vintage NES cartridges, magnetized them, and inserted mini "asset" CDs inside, featuring an array of screenshots, character art, etc. originally intended for members of the media, but later sold to fans via the online Capcom Store. That was then packaged in a custom-created, classic-looking NES box, complete with shrink-wrap and bargain bin price tags (i.e. SALE $9.99). The fanfare for the press kit resulted in eBay listings of upwards of $1,200, making it one of the most sought-after promotional items in videogame history.
on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in March 2009. Sent to select members of the videogame/technology media, and sold in limited quantities to consumers via the Capcom Store, the kit was designed to look like an off-the-shelf pregnancy kit. The box lacks all Capcom company branding, focusing only on the fictional corporation of Tricell from within Resident Evil 5
.
Inside, Tricell-branded protective nitrile gloves, surgical mask, hand sanitizer, and bio-hazard bag are provided, as well as a two DVD "Detection" and "Suppression" kit. Inserting the DVDs into your console provides for a convincing corporate presentation, complete with the voice of a soothing female narrator. The DVDs "analyze" your system, detecting various levels of infection with the Progenitor virus.
Much like the Mega Man 9 press kit, also produced for Capcom
, the Tricell Progenitor Virus Detection Kit was critically lauded by the videogame press.
, James Jean
, Tim Biskup
, Greg "Craola" Simkins, Amanda Visell, Seen, Michelle Valigura, Luke Chueh
, Joe Ledbetter
, Bob Dob, Jorge R. Gutierrez
, Gabe Swarr, Jose Emroca Flores, Amy Sol
, Brandon Bird
, Mike Mitchell
, and hundreds of others.
In 2006, developer Harmonix created an exclusive version of Guitar Hero just for the second annual iam8bit show, which included playable tracks like the Mega Man and Ikari Warriors theme songs.
Renowned comic book artist Seth Fisher
created the promotional poster for the 2006 exhibition. Due to his untimely and unexpected death in January 2006, the unfinished piece, thought to be his last published work, was printed as a tribute piece, with all proceeds benefiting his survived wife and child.
In 2007, artist Jason Torchinsky designed a massive, interactive sculpture in the form of a 6-foot-tall, 200-plus-pound Atari 2600
controller. It was totally functional, requiring the player to mount the base of the controller, stepping on the button while leaning their body weight against the control stick. Atari
founder Nolan Bushnell
attended the opening event, finding the over-sized controller a fascinating evolution of his original creation.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The company works in many entertainment industries including video games, film, fashion and music. They have produced many projects including exclusive taste-maker mailers, large scale community events and short films. In 2011, iam8bit rebranded their identity to be more broadly focused, launching with a new logo and website.
History
iam8bit was originally conceived by videogame/tech journalist Jon M. GibsonJon M. Gibson
Jonathan Michael Gibson is an American writer and director whose work often focuses on pop culture...
in the summer of 2004. Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight in Los Angeles served as the show's venue for three years, but even after the first opening, it was obvious that iam8bit needed a more spacious home. Nearly 1,500 people attended the opening night reception on April 19, 2005, with thousands frequenting the show during its month-long run. "To see that kind of stretch along sidewalks, weaving in and out of back alleys, leaning into traffic," Gibson told Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
in July 2010. "It was so fucking cool."
However, the company has since expanded its focus, delving into both gaming and non-gaming arenas, but always with a slant towards artistry, design and innovation.
Partners
Since expanding its focus from the inaugural group art show, iam8bit has matured as a company, becoming a full-on artist collective with the addition of several partners, all of whom own an equal stake in the organization. "It was just me before, by my lonesome for so many years," Gibson said to JoystiqJoystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
. "And now I have three partners and we're all equal, and we're all taking charge." The four partners are:
- Jon M. GibsonJon M. GibsonJonathan Michael Gibson is an American writer and director whose work often focuses on pop culture...
is the Founder of iam8bit, with a focus on writing and directing the collective's various commercial and in-house projects, including the live-action/animation hybrid trailer for Capcom's Mega Man UniverseMega Man Universewas an upcoming 2.5D action platformer game in the Mega Man series being developed by Capcom for Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network, and has since been cancelled. Mainly based on Mega Man 2, the game would have allowed players to create their own levels and customize characters...
. - Amanda White (producer)Amanda White (producer)Amanda White is a Canadian producer. She is a partner in iam8bit, a production company, marketing boutique and artist collective, along with Jon M. Gibson, Taylor Harrington and Nick Ahrens.- Career:...
is iam8bit's in-house producer, hailing from the movie industry, having produced the Joaquin Phoenix mockumentary, I'm Still HereI'm Still HereI'm Still Here may refer to:* I'm Still Here , an album by Mindy McCready* I'm Still Here , a 2010 mockumentary film directed by Casey Affleck...
, as well as the executive producing the documentary Long Gone about six tramps hopping trains across America. - Taylor HarringtonTaylor HarringtonTaylor Harrington is an American editor and motion graphics artist. He is a partner in iam8bit, a production company, marketing boutique and artist collective, along with Jon M...
presides over iam8bit's post-production department, with specialities in motion graphics and editing, including the short film "My Barista". - Nick AhrensNick AhrensNick Ahrens is an American designer and art director. He is a partner in iam8bit, a production company, marketing boutique and artist collective, along with Jon M. Gibson, Amanda White and Taylor Harrington.-Career:...
is iam8bit's resident design guru, having previously spent six years at Game InformerGame InformerGame Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
Magazine, where he helped oversee the reinvention of the publication's digital presence, which won a "People's Voice Award" Webby Award in 2010. Ahrens also served as the magazine's Media Editor, where he wrote and curated the monthly "Gear" section, as well as writing regular videogame reviews and previews.
iam8bit Brand
Since its inception as an art event, iam8bit has become a full-fledged lifestyle brand, focused on the artistic side of gaming—whether it's old-school or not. It began with a collection of "limited edition" t-shirts (printed in no larger quantities than 500), adorned with popular images from the exhibition, but quickly branched off from there. Chronicle BooksChronicle Books
Chronicle Books is a San Francisco-based American publisher of books for adults and children.The company was established in 1968 by Phelps Dewey, an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, then-publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1999 it was bought by Nion McEvoy, great-grandson of...
published an official collection of pieces from the inaugural show in April 2006 entitled, iam8bit: Art Inspired by Classic Videogames of the '80s, and was promptly carried in stores like Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters, Inc. is a publicly traded American company that owns and operates five retail brands: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN....
, Barnes and Nobles, Giant Robot
Giant Robot (magazine)
Giant Robot is a bi-monthly magazine of Asian and Asian American popular culture founded in 1994. It was initially created as a small, punk-minded magazine that featured Asian pop culture and Asian American alternative culture, including such varied subject matter as history, art, music, film,...
, and many other museum and boutique shops. It is one of the best-selling videogame-themed books of all time. A sequel to the book, called SUPER i am 8-bit: More Art Inspired by Classic Videogames of the '80s is to be published by Insight Editions in June 2010.
An alliance with Blik, a manufacturer of vinyl wall decals
Wall decals
A wall decal, also known as a wall sticker, wall tattoo, or wall vinyl, is a vinyl sticker that is affixed to a wall or other smooth surface for decoration and informational purposes. Wall decals are cut with vinyl cutting machines...
, was formed in 2005 after the company created a custom, large-scale window installation for the iam8bit. The result was a series of high-end, removable Space Invader-style wall stickers that, after several years, have been a consistent seller for Blik.
In 2007, iam8bit formed another partnership with Couch Guitar Straps
Couch Guitar Straps
Couch Guitar Straps is a vertically integrated design, manufacture, and web store located in Signal Hill, California. The company was founded by owner Daniel Perkins in his Long Beach apartment and later garage in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At the time, he couldn't otherwise find a guitar...
, a vegan-friendly manufacturer of designer guitar straps, to create an exclusive line of straps created for use with Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
and Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. Each strap was handmade/sewn in downtown Los Angeles (sweatshop free) and numbered. The straps themselves are also cut slightly shorter than normal guitar straps to more comfortably fit the gaming peripherals.
For New Line's 2008 DVD release of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a 2007 American documentary film that follows Steve Wiebe as he tries to take the world high score for the arcade game Donkey Kong from reigning champion Billy Mitchell...
, iam8bit produced numerous supplemental features, including the "iam8bit Music & Gallery," which featured Donkey Kong-inspired art from the first three years of the show, as well as an accompanying soundtrack by renowned micro-musicians like 8 Bit Weapon
8 Bit Weapon
8 Bit Weapon is a chiptune music band created by Seth Sternberger. The instrument set of 8 Bit Weapon consists primarily of old 8-bit and 16-bit computers such as the Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Commodore Amiga 500, and the Apple II, as well as game consoles such as the Nintendo...
, ComputeHer, and several others. Director Gabe Swarr and writer/producer Jon M. Gibson
Jon M. Gibson
Jonathan Michael Gibson is an American writer and director whose work often focuses on pop culture...
also created an original, one-minute animated short entitled, A Really, Really Brief History of Donkey Kong, which received both critical and fan praise and also featured music by 8 Bit Weapon
8 Bit Weapon
8 Bit Weapon is a chiptune music band created by Seth Sternberger. The instrument set of 8 Bit Weapon consists primarily of old 8-bit and 16-bit computers such as the Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Commodore Amiga 500, and the Apple II, as well as game consoles such as the Nintendo...
. Gibson, along with IGN Entertainment Editorial Director Chris Carle, also provided a full-length commentary track recounting the cultural and historical significance of the 80's arcade scene.
iam8bit Productions
iam8bit is a full-service production company, event house, and boutique marketing firm having created marketing and promotional materials, live events, commercial, television and film projects for a wide range of companies, including 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Capcom Entertainment, Inc., Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
, Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
, Nintendo of America, Universal Interactive, ngmoco
Ngmoco
ngmoco, Inc. is an American-based publisher of video games for the iOS and Android platforms, and a subsidiary of DeNA. The company was founded by former Electronic Arts executive Neil Young in July 2008. Since its founding, ngmoco has had more than seven million combined game installs...
, Spike Digital Entertainment, Walt Disney Consumer Products and many others. Two of the studio's most notable projects are A Really, Really Brief History of Donkey Kong, featured on the The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a 2007 American documentary film that follows Steve Wiebe as he tries to take the world high score for the arcade game Donkey Kong from reigning champion Billy Mitchell...
DVD, as well as a one-minute Radiohead music video for "Bodysnatchers" created in conjunction with the band to inspire animators to enter a "Create Your Own Radiohead Video" contest on Aniboom.com, an animation community website. Both videos were directed by Gabe Swarr and produced by Jon M. Gibson
Jon M. Gibson
Jonathan Michael Gibson is an American writer and director whose work often focuses on pop culture...
.
Street Fighter Club (2008)
In July 2008, over nine months from planned release of Street Fighter IVStreet Fighter IV
is a fighting game produced by Capcom. It is the first numbered Street Fighter game released by Capcom since . The coin-operated arcade game was released in Japan on July 18, 2008, with North American arcades importing the machines by August...
, Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
hired iam8bit to produce a series of underground community-targeted events called Street Fighter Club themed around their legendary player vs. player franchise. In conjunction with PR firm fortyseven communications, the events received a tremendous amount of mainstream media coverage, including Sports Illustrated for Kids, AOL, G4, Spike, Entertainment Weekly, and many more.
Mega Man 9 Press Kit (2008)
In the summer of 2008, iam8bit was hired by Capcom Entertainment to create the cover artwork for Mega Man 9Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series. Mega Man 9 is the first, new home console game in the original Mega Man series since Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass, which were released at least one...
, a sequel to the best-selling videogame franchise. The painting by Gerald de Jesus (part of the iam8bit artist collective) is reminiscent of the European boxart for the original Mega Man
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
game. According to Chris Kramer, Senior Director, Communications and Community at Capcom Entertainment, the marketing group felt that if they were going to release a game that looked like it came from 1987, it would be best to have the marketing campaign reflect that.
A "limited edition" press kit using that cover art was then created by iam8bit. Being as faithful to the original 1987 release as possible, the i am 8-bit crew disassembled hundreds of vintage NES cartridges, magnetized them, and inserted mini "asset" CDs inside, featuring an array of screenshots, character art, etc. originally intended for members of the media, but later sold to fans via the online Capcom Store. That was then packaged in a custom-created, classic-looking NES box, complete with shrink-wrap and bargain bin price tags (i.e. SALE $9.99). The fanfare for the press kit resulted in eBay listings of upwards of $1,200, making it one of the most sought-after promotional items in videogame history.
Tricell Progenitor Virus Detection Kit (2009)
Following iam8bits usual directive of expanding the mythos of the IP, the Tricell Progenitor Virus Detection Kit was devised to hype the release of Resident Evil 5Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the seventh installment in the Resident Evil survival horror series, and was released on March 5, 2009 in Japan and on March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe...
on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in March 2009. Sent to select members of the videogame/technology media, and sold in limited quantities to consumers via the Capcom Store, the kit was designed to look like an off-the-shelf pregnancy kit. The box lacks all Capcom company branding, focusing only on the fictional corporation of Tricell from within Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the seventh installment in the Resident Evil survival horror series, and was released on March 5, 2009 in Japan and on March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe...
.
Inside, Tricell-branded protective nitrile gloves, surgical mask, hand sanitizer, and bio-hazard bag are provided, as well as a two DVD "Detection" and "Suppression" kit. Inserting the DVDs into your console provides for a convincing corporate presentation, complete with the voice of a soothing female narrator. The DVDs "analyze" your system, detecting various levels of infection with the Progenitor virus.
Much like the Mega Man 9 press kit, also produced for Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
, the Tricell Progenitor Virus Detection Kit was critically lauded by the videogame press.
I'm With Coco (2010)
In January 2010, in collaboration with artist Mike Mitchell, iam8bit was integral to the propagation of the viral sensation that was "I'm With Coco" (the original image was created by Mitchell). Contrary to popular belief, "I'm with Coco" was a self-started and financed initiative showing support for talk show host Conan O'Brien following his falling out with NBC executives over "The Tonight Show" throne; it was not instigated by Conan's camp. Mitchell first contributed to the iam8bit art show in 2008, and frequently collaborates on iam8bit projects. In July 2010, Mitchell told videogame blog Kotaku: "I think 'iam8bit' is one of the most exciting, popular and most talked about art shows in the world. Why wouldn't companies want these guys helping them reinvent the way they do marketing, make commercials, videos games, etc.?"Tron Evolution Vinyl (2010)
In promotion for the release of "Tron Evolution," the companion videogame to the film "Tron Legacy," iam8bit Productions produced a custom vinyl picture disc that was sent out to an exclusive list of journalists. Only 200 were reportedly printed, featuring some of the game's soundtrack by renowned DJ Sascha and visual design by famed artist Jim Rugg.Marvel VS Capcom 3 Fight Club LA (2011)
Days before the launch of Capcom's "Marvel VS Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds," iam8bit threw another in their seminal "Fight Club" series. The event played host to over 1,500 fans from 8pm to 11pm and featured an almost complete version of the game. It was also the first public demo location to play Nintendo's 3DS console, featuring Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. Community members started lining up for the event at 1AM, 19 hours before doors opened.Astro Gaming Alliance (2011)
On August 11, 2011, iam8bit and Astro Gaming announced a seasonal design collaboration initiative, calling to action fans and artists to submit graphics via Facebook for Astro's trademark replaceable speaker tag system for their A30 and A40 audio headsets. The ASTRO Prize Pack includes a Scout Backpack, an ASTRO Headset Stand and 3 sets of speaker tags with the winning design.The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Hyrule Room (2011)
To further commemorate The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary, Nintendo of America decided to create a Zelda style room in Redwood City. The company enlisted the help of Iam8bit.Exhibitions
iam8bit is produced annually and held in Los Angeles. Featured artists include Gary BasemanGary Baseman
Gary Baseman is a contemporary artist who works in various creative fields, including illustration, fine art, toy design, and animation. He is the creator of the Emmy-winning ABC/Disney cartoon series, Teacher’s Pet, and the artistic designer of Cranium, a popular board game...
, James Jean
James Jean
James Jean is a Taiwanese-American visual artist, known for both his commercial work and fine art gallery work. He is known in the American comics industry as a cover artist for various books published by DC Comics, as well as for his work for Prada, ESPN and Atlantic Records...
, Tim Biskup
Tim Biskup
Tim Biskup is an American artist generally considered to be a part of the group that has been dubbed "lowbrow" or pop surrealism...
, Greg "Craola" Simkins, Amanda Visell, Seen, Michelle Valigura, Luke Chueh
Luke Chueh
Luke Chueh is an artist, and is generally considered to be a member of the lowbrow, or pop surrealism, art movement, though he has disdain for the term. He is a painter and graphic designer active in the artist community in Los Angeles. Originally from Philadelphia, he grew up in the Central...
, Joe Ledbetter
Joe Ledbetter
Joe Ledbetter is an American artist and art toy designer from Los Angeles. Influenced by classic animation, graphic design, and daily life, he often combines cute and cuddly creatures with unfortunate — albeit humorous — situations...
, Bob Dob, Jorge R. Gutierrez
Jorge R. Gutierrez
Jorge R. Gutierrez is a Mexican animator, painter, writer & director who created the multiple Annie & Emmy award winning animated television series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera for Nickelodeon.-Biography:...
, Gabe Swarr, Jose Emroca Flores, Amy Sol
Amy Sol
Amy Sol is an American artist of Korean ancestry, who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a member in good standing of a loose knit community of artists practicing Pop Surreal, Lowbrow, or, as Robert Williams defines it, "cartoon-tainted abstract surrealism." She typically paints upon treated wooden...
, Brandon Bird
Brandon Bird
Brandon Bird is an artist. He was born in 1980 in Carmichael, California, a suburb of Sacramento. He attended University of California, Santa Cruz and was an artist-in-residence from 2004-2006 at Risley Residential College at Cornell University...
, Mike Mitchell
Mike Mitchell (artist)
Mike Mitchell is an American artist known for his pop surrealism and for leading the online grassroots movement in supporting Conan O'Brien during the 2010 Tonight Show conflict. He designed the "I'm with Coco" poster, which was based on a photo, that went viral on the internet in January 2010...
, and hundreds of others.
| Year | Show Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | April 18 - May 19 | Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight |
| 2006 | April 18 - May 19 | Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight |
| 2007 | April 17 - May 12 | Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight |
| 2008 | August 14 - September 7 | World of Wonder Storefront Gallery |
| 2011 | August 11 - September 10 | 2147 Sunset Blvd (iam8bit Headquarters) |
iam8bit Exclusives
Throughout the years, iam8bit has attracted a wide variety of artists and developers to its unique synergy of videogames and art.In 2006, developer Harmonix created an exclusive version of Guitar Hero just for the second annual iam8bit show, which included playable tracks like the Mega Man and Ikari Warriors theme songs.
Renowned comic book artist Seth Fisher
Seth Fisher
Seth Fisher was an American comic book artist and penciller.-Career:Seth Fisher first gained attention for his work on DC Comics' Green Lantern: Willworld, and was nominated for an Eisner Award for "Best Penciller/Inker" for Flash: Time Flies and Vertigo Pop! Tokyo.In 2005, Fisher pencilled the...
created the promotional poster for the 2006 exhibition. Due to his untimely and unexpected death in January 2006, the unfinished piece, thought to be his last published work, was printed as a tribute piece, with all proceeds benefiting his survived wife and child.
In 2007, artist Jason Torchinsky designed a massive, interactive sculpture in the form of a 6-foot-tall, 200-plus-pound Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
controller. It was totally functional, requiring the player to mount the base of the controller, stepping on the button while leaning their body weight against the control stick. Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
founder Nolan Bushnell
Nolan Bushnell
Nolan K. Bushnell is an American engineer and entrepreneur who founded both Atari, Inc and the Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza-Time Theaters chain...
attended the opening event, finding the over-sized controller a fascinating evolution of his original creation.