8-bit Kingdom

Welcome to 8-bit Kingdom!

​​Medieval tales of computer technology by Joe Lacey

A 90 page story book you can color!  Illustrated in  classic 8bit pixel art.

The modern-day computer world is brought to life in the medieval origin tales of 8-bit Kingdom. In this land of magic and science the modern computer age is born. Because we all know without the use of magic, there would be no science.

Journey to a wondrous land of computers and dragons
Illustrated in classic 8-bit pixel art!

• Wizards use computer programming to cast spells and fight evil!
• King Octavious the Eighth ushers in the modern computer age -
over 1,200 years ago in the year 800 P.C. (Post Computers)!
• The Malware Monarch and his army of hideous ogres, storm worms, and hackers maliciously attack all that is good!
• Fantastic creatures fill the skies, seas, and cosmos!
• Ancient artifacts reveal the origins of computer technology!

8-bit Kingdom is not a coloring book, but rather a book you can color. Think of it as bedtime stories for the computer programmer and the video game geek. After all, everyone loves timeless tales of good vs evil.

If you are a self-professed “computer nerd,” a fan of role-playing adventures, a retro fantasy video game enthusiast, or just plain love stories of dragons, dungeons, and wizards, 8-bit Kingdom is the book for you!

Written and illustrated by
Joe Lacey
Forward by
Pinchus Pixelton
Professor Emeritus
​Centralis Processui Universitas / C.P.U.

Joe Lacey reads from his book "8-bit Kingdom".

Princess Dos and the silver disks of destiny.

The "Tekncal Sea Port" of 8-bit Kingdom.

A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR

I made this book because of my love of classic arcade games of the 80s. There is something joyful in those little jagged edges and square circles moving around the screen. They have an innocence and are loaded with personality and often humor. When writing and illustrating 8-bit Kingdom, I strove to bring this personality and humor to each page – with pixels!

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I made the art board 160 x 160 pixels in order to preserve that classic arcade feel. It’s impressive just how much character and emotion can be expressed in even the smallest pixel art image. A great amount of information can be delivered just a few pixels. Thirty pixels can depict a heroic fighter or cowardly person. It all depends upon the exact placement of the pixels. A pixel placed high - the character is happy, a pixel placed low - the character is angry. The idea of simple pixel art is actually an oxymoron. It can can be quite a challenge placing the correct pixel in the correct location to achieve the correct effect.

So, welcome to 8-bit Kingdom! A collection of tales that blend retro gaming, personal computing, and fantasy role-playing all fully illustrated in classic 8-bit pixel art! I hope you enjoy reading it (and maybe even coloring it) as much as I enjoyed writing and illustrating it.

​Purchase 8-bit Kingdom HERE.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joe Lacey, author & illustrator

For ten years, Joe Lacey worked as a pixel artist and animator. His work can be seen in the Fisher-Price game cartridges for Pixter, which include Monster Shop and Dino Draw. He also created the art and animation for a number of casino-styled online video games and interactive educational apps.

In addition to digital games, Joe creates art for toys and books. Some of his publications include Famous Illustrators of the Golden Age Coloring Portfolio (Diner Mighty) and Lyrics by Lennon & McCartney Coloring Songbook (Crayola). He co-authored the award-nominated The Musical Touch of Leonard Nimoy with his wife Darlene.

Joe currently lives in Los Angeles, California and prefers movies without CGI. His favorite video game is Joust.