BASIC Computer Games and Understanding Mathematics and Logic Using BASIC Computer Games by David H. Ahl
David H. Ahl’s BASIC Computer Games—also known as 101 BASIC Computer Games—was published from 1973 and into the 1980s, and marked the first million-selling computer book. Ahl’s work influenced a generation of users new to computers. The book contained a plethora of different games and simulations that could be typed into a computer and used or played. David H. Ahl worked at minicomputer manufacturer Digital Equipment Corporation, and his first efforts in this direction were published by DEC and intended to be used with their time-sharing computer systems. The cover shown is from these early printings, and Bob Barner’s illustration faithfully (if loosely) reproduces Marvin, the popular Letraset typeface.
Later, Ahl left to join the personal computer revolution and this book was reprinted by Creative Computing in new editions with different cover art Ahl remains best known as the publisher of Creative Computing magazine, a role he held for many years after leaving DEC.
Also shown is a short (and short-lived) companion volume titled Understanding Mathematics and Logic Using BASIC Computer Games (Nov. 1973) which also uses a hand-drawn Marvin for its title.
3 Comments on “BASIC Computer Games and Understanding Mathematics and Logic Using BASIC Computer Games by David H. Ahl”
Any ID on the reversed out letters of the “digital” wordmark, is it Helvetica?
With the untailed a and the longish t ascender, I tend to say (some form of) Akzidenz-Grotesk. Among digital fonts, Bitstream’s Gothic 725 comes close.
Some history of the Digital corporate wordmark is available on vt100.net.
It seems the the company used hand drawn lettering for the purpose, more likely inspired by Akzidenz than Helvetica (which barely existed at the time the logo was created).