FINALLY, AN ATARI 2600 ARTIST GETS RETRIBUTION.

The Atari 2600 hit toy store shelves in October of 1977. Back then the 1st generation of games were nothing more than blocky stick figures and shapes that did two things – move slowly and shoot (or hit) tiny primary colored pellets.

It was because of these graphic limitations that Atari game producers needed to rely on another trick of the toy trade to make sales – snazzy packaging. Specifically when it came to the game box cover art. This imagery had to be exciting, action-packed and full of fantasy. Pretty much everything you wouldn’t find in the game once you popped it in the console. One of the original artists called on for this task was Steve Hendricks. He had an illustrative style that borrowed from the likes of Leroy Neiman and Norman Rockwell. Perfect for this gig.

Unfortunately, over the years most of Steve’s work wound up being destroyed or stolen. Thankfully, Sundance Creative managed to acquire a limited number of his original pieces. And now they are finally releasing quality copy prints for purchase at Atariart.com. The price / size breakdown is the same for all the art being sold:

5"x7" ($25) / 8"x10" ($ 75) / 18"x24" ($ 175)

DEFENDER (Williams Electronics Inc., 1982)

WARLORDS (Atari, 1981)

CHECKERS (Activision, 1981)

POLE POSITION (Namco Limited, 1983)

TENNIS (Activision, 1981)