Bill Kunkel (journalist)

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Bill Kunkel
Born(1950-07-21)July 21, 1950
United States
DiedSeptember 4, 2011(2011-09-04) (aged 61)
United States
Other namesThe Game Doctor; Potshot
Occupation(s)Editor, writer
SpouseCharlene Kunkel[1]

Bill Kunkel (July 21, 1950 – September 4, 2011) was a graphic novelist as well as pioneering

Tips & Tricks
magazine, writing columns and comics for several magazines and game sites. He often wrote under nicknames, the most common of which were "The Game Doctor" (for video game topics), and "Potshot" (for professional wrestling topics).

Graphic novels and zines

Coming from a professional music background in the 1960s, Kunkel met and became friends with

Richie Rich comics.[1]

Professional wrestling journalism

Alongside his work with comics, Kunkel also worked during the 1970s in the niche field of professional wrestling journalism and became known as a ground-breaking wrestling journalist. Working in collaboration with Arnie Katz, Joyce Worley, and his wife Charlene,[1] Kunkel edited, published, and served as photographer for Main Event magazine[3][4] and hosted weekly broadcasts of The Main Event Radio Show from New York.[5] Main Event was mimeographed in the apartment of Katz and Worley, and sold through WWWF concession stands at prominent East Coast venues including Madison Square Garden and The Philly Spectrum.[3][6] Kunkel soon became a "must-read" columnist and played a key part during the early days of Pro Wrestling Torch in turning the small newsletter into a wrestling newsletter powerhouse. Adopting the moniker, "Potshot", Kunkel later moved to Wrestling Perspective as a featured columnist and cartoonist. Along with the Phantom of the Ring, Kunkel's work for Wrestling Perspective attracted respect and prestige to the publication.

During the late 1980s, Kunkel co-designed the first professional WWF-based wrestling video game, MicroLeague Wrestling (C64, Subway Software), and in 1989 he co-hosted a local Las Vegas professional wrestling radio show with Ric "Hotline" Carter.[3]

Video game journalism

Discovering common interests in the then-nascent video game industry, Kunkel, Katz and Worley approached

Arcade Alley" was launched that Spring,[7] with Katz writing under the pseudonym "Frank T. Laney II".[8]

Although Video publisher, Jay Rosenfield (of Reese Publishing Co.) had initial concerns over whether there was sufficient reader interest to justify Arcade Alley, the column proved to be of significant interest to readers. Working in direct consultation with game designers, Kunkel, Katz (who began writing under his real name starting in April 1982[8]), and Worley popularized the new "sport" of "electronic gamesmanship",[9] and by 1981 they had secured the blessing of Rosenfield to launch a new magazine under Reese Publishing that would be entirely dedicated to video games. The first issue of Electronic Games, and first dedicated video game magazine published in the United States, was released in October 1981.[10]

Bill Kunkel was the executive editor of

HappyPuppy.com
, PostalNation.net and J2Games.com).

Kunkel remained active in the industry until his death, having served as editor-in-chief of Tips & Tricks during its final year of publication (2007). He continued to be active as a member of Running With Scissors and

Joyce Worley-Katz
. The trio revived the Electronic Games title for several years in the early 1990s for Sendai/Decker.

Dubbed "The Grandfather of

Kunkel Awards.[13]

Video game design

In the mid-80s, subsequent to their departure from Reese Publications, Kunkel formed Subway Software with Arnie Katz and Joyce Worley and provided design for over 15 video games.[4][14]

Expert witness

Kunkel's credentials as an expert in the field of video games was recognized in three US court cases from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, where Kunkel served as an expert witness in three seminal video game copyright cases:[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Williams, Carl. "The Game Doctor Is In...". RetroMags.com. 31 May 2009.
  2. ^ Bill Kunkel at the Grand Comics Database
  3. ^
    ISBN 157840990X
    .
  4. ^
    Wired
    . 6 September 2011
  5. Archive.org here
    ).
  6. Gamasutra
    . 28 December 2009.
  7. ^ Federico, Chris. "A Lifetime to Master - An Interview with Bill Kunkel". Orphaned Computer & Game Systems. 14 June 2002.
  8. ^
    ISSN 0147-8907
    .
  9. ISSN 0730-6687
  10. ^ Plunkett, Luke. "A Little Background On The World's First Ever Video Game Magazine". Kotaku. 29 December 2009.
  11. ^ Blackman, Mark L. (September 6, 2011). "Fan/writer/magazine creator Bill Kunkel dies". SFScope.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  12. ^ Fulton, Steve. "The Game Doctor Confesses to GamerDad". GamerDad.com. 1 January 2006. (reprinted at 8BitRocket.com and at Gamasutra).
  13. ^ SPJ.org
  14. ^ Slotnik, Daniel E. "Technology: Bill Kunkel, an Early Chronicler of Video Games, Dies at 61". The New York Times. 9 September 2011.
  15. ^ Thomasson, Michael. "Interview: Bill Kunkel". GoodDealGames.com. Accessed 24 April 2015.

External links

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