Smithsonian Videohistory Collection

Background

An informal confederation of computer software designers, known as "The Brotherhood," formed during the late 1970s. The group began as a result of the members' mutual interest in microcomputer software development and their geographic proximity along the West Coast of the United States. Their contribution to computer graphics and games was significant in the development of more advanced systems.

Jon Eklund, curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (NMAH), interviewed six members of "The Brotherhood" at Brøderbund Software, Inc., in San Rafael, California on July 31, 1987. The group discussed the creating, publishing, marketing, distributing, and reporting of microcomputing software in the late 1970s. They also reflected on how software houses survived the leveling off of the personal computer market in 1984 and 1985, and suggested strategies for remaining competitive in the marketplace. In addition, group members demonstrated early computer games.

Participants

Interviewees were Douglas Carlston, Ken and Roberta Williams, Margot Comstock, Jerry Jewell, and Dave Albert. Douglas Carlston wrote Software People in 1985 to document the role of "the Brotherhood" in the microcomputer industry. Carlston, a lawyer, was "bitten by the computer bug" in 1979 and began writing programs as a hobbyist. After the commercial success of his first two games, Galactic Empire and Galactic Trader, Carlston quit his practice and co-founded Brøderbund Software, Inc., with his brother Gary in 1980.

Ken and Roberta Williams founded On-Line Systems in 1980 and achieved success with their creation of the first adventure/mystery games with graphics, Mystery House and later The Wizard and the Princess. In 1982, they became known as Sierra On-Line and continued to focus on games and educational software for the Apple Computer.

Margot Comstock began the journal Softalk with Al Tommervik in Los Angeles on September 12, 1980. Comstock had been hired by a small software publisher "Softape" to publish their in-house newsletter, when she transformed it into a national full-scale magazine for Apple owners. The magazine reviewed software, tracked industry news and listed the monthly top thirty best-selling computer programs.

In 1980, Jerry Jewell was working as a Computerland store manager in Sacramento, California. Less than a year later, he and partner Terry Bradley were in charge of the multimillion-dollar Sirius Software Company founded on the games of programmer Nasir Gebelli. Sirius Software was noted for its meteoric rise and fall in the games market bonanza of the early 1980s. Dave Albert, a journalism major from the University of Iowa, worked as an editor for Softside magazine. The magazine prompted its original editor, Mark Pelczarski, to form the Penguin Software Company in DeKalb, Illinois, in 1981. Albert joined Penguin as a software publisher for the Apple II-inspired graphics and animation tools and games which the company produced. Albert later moved to Electronic Arts, an educational and game software house.

Video Sessions

This collection consists of one interview session, and one supplementary session, totalling approximately 3:20 hours of recordings, and 59 pages of transcript. There are three generations of tape for each session: originals, dubbing masters, and reference copies. In total, this collection is comprised of 11 original videotapes (10 Beta videotapes, which includes 5 Beta tapes taken by Camera A, and 5 Beta tapes taken by Camera B, and one VHS videotape), 5 dubbing master videotapes (5 U-Matic videotapes, which includes 2 U-Matic tapes taken by Camera A, and 2 U-Matic tapes taken by Camera B), and 3 reference copy videotapes (3 VHS videotapes, which includes 1 VHS tape taken by Camera A, and 1 VHS tape taken by Camera B).

Please note that this session is comprised of dual sets of tape from two cameras positioned at different angles.

Session One (July 31, 1987), in the office area of Brøderbund Software, San Rafael, California, reviewed the activities of "the Brotherhood," concerning the development, publication, and marketing of microcomputer software and trade publications from 1975-1987, including:

• excitement of the early days in the industry;
• in-house versus out-of-house software development;
• evolution of microcomputer software editing, publishing, and marketing techniques;
• transitions from garage operations to large-scale businesses;
• growth and subsequent failure of the Softalk magazine as an indicator of the rise and decline of the industry;
• transmission and borrowing of ideas for software products;
• problems of software piracy and associated litigation;
• social activities of "the Brotherhood";
• computer demonstrations of early software.

Original Masters: Camera A: 5 Beta videotapes, (1:40)
Camera B: 5 Beta videotapes, (1:40)
Dubbing Masters: Camera A: 2 U-Matic videotapes, (1:40)
Camera B: 2 U-Matic videotapes, (1:40)
Reference Copies: Camera A: 1 VHS videotape, (2:00)
Camera B: 1 VHS videotape, (2:00)
Transcript: 59 pages

Special Note:

A supplemental recording, labeled "computer," was made with a direct feed from the microcomputer used to demonstrate computer games.

Original Masters: 1 VHS videotape, (1:40)
Dubbing Masters: 1 U-Matic videotape, (00:37)
Reference Copies: 1 VHS videotape, (1:00)