Marc William Ericksen

Developer BIO

Marc followed High School graduation with 6 years of active duty in the U.S. Army, 2 in Vietnam, leaving the service as a paratrooper, with The Combat Infantryman's Badge, The Air medal, and a Bronze Star, and the rank of Captain at age 25. He was then, based on a sketch portfolio from his time in Asia, offered advanced placement and a scholarship to study design and Illustration at the highly regarded Art Center College of design, in L.A. CA. He graduated with a BFA in Illustration, with honors, and wound up in the San Francisco Bay area just in time for the development of the high tech sector in Silicon Valley.

In addition to doing a great deal of highly technical Illustration work for the likes of Varian, Intel, Coherent Technologies, and many others, as well as art for the Sharks, Giants, Raiders, he was sought out by fledgling gaming companies like Broderbund and Mediagenic for the development and execution of video game cover illustrations.

Early meetings with folks like the Doug Carlston and his brother Gary, of Broderbund fame, working out of a quonset hut on 4th Street, San Rafael, took on a very open feel, where sketching, watching gameplay, developing characters on the fly, and generally enjoying the creative environment led to some memorable collaborations and illustrations for the very early Broderbund products: 'David's Midnight Magic', 'Track Attack', 'Choplifter', 'Drol', 'Spare Change', 'Stellar Shuttle', and 'Sky Blazer' among others. This relationship garnered Marc an early entre into the heated and creative world of gaming cover art.

Marc was called to the halls of Atari to work on an Indy car race game, and would suggest the over the driver's shoulder cockpit view (Mt Fuji in the background) for 'Pole Position', and to Sega's Hayward location for ideas on 'G-Loc', and 'Thunder Force II', rapidly sketching aircraft twisting in aerial combat. He was also invited in for the beginning of a wonderful run with SNK, on Sobrante Way in Sunnyvale, for sketches and final art on 'P.O.W.: Prisoner of War', 'Guerrilla War', and 'Ikari III the Rescue'.

It was in these sorts of illustrations that his combat experiences began to come into play in a very visceral way. They led to an exciting relationship with Keith Zabalaouie, and Ed Rains, at 360 Pacific. The first launch he worked with them on was the very tense and exciting 'Das Boot', where Marc envisioned a fleeing U-Boat slicing through curtains of refracted sunlight under the waves, being attacked with numerous exploding depth charges, while in the dim depths behind them their target plunges in a column of escaping oxygen to it's watery grave. It was at 360 that the ideas flew free form as Marc sketched diverging enemies in combat, each thrusting outward from the center, forming a reflection of the V for Victory, and framed the series of illustrations that became 'V for Victory' series: 'Utah Beach', 'Velikye Luki', 'Market Garden', and 'Gold Juno Sword'. Marc also designed and executed the 'V for Victory' logo. There was also an illustration for 'V for Victory Pacific Campaign' that was never used, as 360 Pacific struggled. This team also worked on the Old Dog series based on Dale Brown's novels.

Marc became involved in early educational series from The Learning Company, right off the Eastern end of the San Mateo Bridge. In titles like TLC's 'Operation Neptune', and HESware Education's 'Turtle Toyland Junior', he used his cartooning skills, developing character studies based on the gameplay.

As Mediagenic morphed into Activision, Marc soon found himself working on titles like Karate International's U.S. release 'Chop 'N Drop', and an epic naval battle scene for their 'Ocean Ranger'. Calls began to come in from the folks at Electronic Arts, where he enjoyed doing 'Delta Patrol', 'Harley's Humongous Adventure', and others. Tengen joined the queue for Marc's services. 'Vindicators' and 'Blasteroids', and 'Afterburner' followed. SST was soon calling with assignments for titles Like 'First Over Germany', 'Overrun!' and 'Storm Across Europe'.

The years between 1982 and 1997 saw Marc engaged in the execution of a total 80 video game covers, and a series of covers and interior illustrations for magazines like PC Games, and Gamepro, (actually doing the art for the very first inaugural issue of GamePro), in addition to his other illustrations that were called for throughout san Francisco, the Bay Area, and nationally. There were many toy product illustrations from Galoob Toys, Marvel Toys, and the Original San Francisco Toy Company. He continued to do many tech cutaway pieces, cartoon pieces, and editorial work, including a piece for the Baltimore Sun Times on the relevance of the novel 'Catch 22', given the wars in the Middle East.

Marc continues to free lance today from his home studio in Orinda, California, storyboarding for major agencies, doing presentation art for clients like Academy studios for The Chicago Field Museum, The Ford Aviation Museum in Dearborn Michigan, The Evergreen Aviation Museum, and The California Academy of Sciences as well as finished illustrations for clients like Clorox, Hidden Valley Ranch, Kingsford Charcoal and many others. He is also gathering material to produce a line of prints based on his experiences producing game covers, allowing fans of vintage gaming a chance to see the original art, free of the titles and obstructions, combined with the insets of the sketch and photo processes involved.

Also Known As

• Marc W. Ericksen
• Mark Erickson
• Marc Ericksen

Websites

• Marc Ericksen Illustration -- A full sampling of Marc Ericksen's illustration commissions.
• Vintage Video Game Art -- A listing and display of video game packaging art Marc Ericksen executed between 1982, and 2003. Eventually over 70 separate pieces of art will be reprised, and offered for sale as high quality prints.

Games Credited

• 1503 A.D.: The New World (2002), Electronic Arts, Inc.
• Full Tilt! Pinball (1996), Maxis Software Inc.
• Tempo Jr. (1995), SEGA Enterprises Ltd.
• World at War: Stalingrad (1995), The Avalon Hill Game Company
• Aerobiz Supersonic (1994), KOEI Corporation
• Harley's Humongous Adventure (1994), Electronic Arts, Inc., Hi-Tech Expressions, Inc.
• Operation Crusader (1994), The Avalon Hill Game Company
• Racing Aces (1993), SEGA of America, Inc.
• Super Baseball 2020 (1993), Electronic Arts, Inc.
• V for Victory: Gold-Juno-Sword (1993), Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
• V for Victory: Market-Garden (1993), Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
• Atomic Runner (1992), Data East USA, Inc.
• Hockey (1992), Atari Corporation
• Hydra (1992), Atari Corporation
• Megafortress (1992), Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
• The Steel Empire (1992), Flying Edge, Inc.
• Steel Talons (1992), Tengen Inc.
• Strike Gunner S.T.G. (1992), Athena Co., Ltd.
• V for Victory: Velikiye Luki (1992), Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
• G-Loc Air Battle (1991), SEGA Enterprises Ltd.
• James Pond 2: Codename: RoboCod (1991), Electronic Arts, Inc.
• Space Harrier (1991), SEGA Enterprises Ltd.
• V for Victory: D-Day Utah Beach (1991), Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
• Xybots (1991), Atari Corporation
• Das Boot: German U-Boat Simulation (1990), Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
• Ikari III: The Rescue (1990), SNK Corporation of America
• Lock n' Chase (1990), Data East Corporation
• Overrun! (1990), Strategic Simulations, Inc.
• Vindicators (1990), Domark Software, Inc.
• After Burner (1989), Tengen Inc.
• Blasteroids (1989), Image Works
• Heavy Barrel (1989), Data East USA, Inc.
• Herzog Zwei (1989), Technosoft Co., Ltd.
• P.O.W.: Prisoners of War (1989), K. Amusement Leasing Co.
• Red Lightning (1989), Strategic Simulations, Inc.
• Thunder Force II (1989), SEGA of America, Inc.
• Vigilante (1989), U.S. Gold Ltd.
• First Over Germany (1988), Strategic Simulations, Inc.
• Guerrilla War (1988), SNK Corporation
• Ocean Ranger (1988), Activision, Inc.
• Tetris (1988), Tengen Inc.
• Typhoon of Steel (1988), Strategic Simulations, Inc.
• Chop N' Drop (1987), System 3 Software Ltd.
• Galaga (1987), Atari Corporation
• Pole Position II (1987), Atari Corporation
• Operation Whirlwind (1984), Brøderbund Software, Inc.
• Crash Dive (1983), Fox Video Games, Inc.
• Deadly Skies (1983), Tronix Publishing, Inc.
• Drol (1983), Brøderbund Software, Inc.
• Gold Fever (1983), Tronix Publishing, Inc.
• Juice! (1983), Tronix Publishing, Inc.
• Kid Grid (1983), Tronix Publishing, Inc.
• Scorpion (1983), Tronix Publishing, Inc.
• Spare Change (1983), Brøderbund Software, Inc.
• Bermuda Triangle (1982), Data Age, Inc.
• Choplifter! (1982), Brøderbund Software, Inc.
• David's Midnight Magic (1982), Brøderbund Software, Inc.
• Protector (1982), Hesware
• Seafox (1982), Brøderbund Software, Inc.
• Shark Trap (1982), Romik Software Ltd
• Space Phreeks (1982), Interesting Software
• Stellar Shuttle (1982), Brøderbund Software, Inc.
• Swarm! (1982), Tronix Publishing, Inc.
• Track Attack! (1982), Brøderbund Software, Inc.