When the first Harry Potter movie was released to overwhelming success, everyone was anxiously anticipating the next installment. I believe it was around the time the second movie would be released when I was contracted by the now defunct Meredith Corporation to quickly create a maze activity for a proposed Harry Potter Magazine. Meredith published Better Homes & Gardens and Crayola Kids Magazine, the latter for whom I contributed many illustrated children's activities over the years, so it made sense that they asked me to design the game, even though I had never seen the movie.

My sketch was to be just one small part of a sales pitch to the Harry Potter people in charge of the franchise. I was given a rough description of what was needed and the basics of the staircase as it was seen in the movie. I think I knocked this rough draft out in a day and half. It was never meant to be a fully-working game, just a concept of what could be done. I FedEx'd the large two-page pencil sketch to the art director and waited.

When Meredith asked the Harry Potter people how much they would pay to have a magazine made of their franchise, they replied with something like..."Pay you? How much are you going to pay us?" The magazine was over before it ever began. It wasn't the first project I've worked on that never saw the light of day, and I'm sure won't be the last, but it would have been a fun magazine to work on. To quote Mr. Ollivander from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, “The wand chooses the wizard.”

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​Get ready for an adventure beyond your wildest imagination!
You have questions. Outer space has the answers! Modern-day social media and AI technology are brought to life in the Sci-Fi tales of 8-bit Cosmos. For we all know, without fiction, there would be no science.

Transport yourself to a mind-blowing universe of cosmic computers and amazing aliens!
Illustrated in classic 8-bit pixel art!

• Cheer for Captain J. Peg as he defends the 8-bit Cosmos with his Galactic Interstellar Fleet!
•  Cringe in terror as the evil robotic zombie Botnet seeks to destroy the 8-bit Cosmos!
•  Relax at the Space Bar, groove to the wild wavy sounds of the Funkisites, and party with a dancing banana!
•  Journey to alien worlds to see the future of social media, crypto banking, AI art, and chatbots!

With 90 pages of amazing B&W pixel illustrations and imaginative stories, 8-bit Cosmos is a must-read for anyone who loves science fiction and the unbelievable history of computers.

Written and illustrated by
Joe Lacey
Forward by
Demetrius P. Idle, PNG/UFO
 (Planetary Nebula Guide / United Future Oddballs)

I made my first book, 8-bit Kingdom: Medieval tales of computer technology  because of my love of classic arcade games of the 80s and my interest in mythology and folklore. When I completed the book, I knew I wanted to do another that would take place in outer space. Two years later, 8-bit Cosmos: Sci-Fi tales of computer technology was completed!  This book explores more deeply our modern-day social media and technological advancements (or setbacks depending on how you look at them.) It's also quite sarcastic and funny. If you've spent any time on social media, or interacted with an AI chatbot,  I think you'll enjoy this book. Believe it or not, I drew all the art by hand using a computer, but without the use any AI technology. Amazing, I know.

There's 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 Cosmos, I strove to bring this personality and humor to each page.

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, zoom into the 8-bit Cosmos! A collection of tales that blend retro gaming, personal computing, and social media all illustrated in classic 8-bit b&w pixel art!