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The Pioneering Game Journalist Bill "The Game Doctor" Kunkel Has Died
Some of our younger readers might not be familiar with the man and his work, so I'll put it this way: If not for the life and work of Bill Kunkel (pictured above right with his partners Arnie Katz and Joyce Worley), you would not be reading Game Informer -- or any other video game magazine or website. Sadly, the pioneering game journalist died yesterday at 61, leaving behind a long and colorful legacy in the game industry.
Kunkel (and his partner Arnie Katz) essentially began game journalism as we know it in 1978 with "Arcade Alley," a video game review column in Video magazine. In 1981, Kunkel, Katz, and Joyce Worley formed Electronic Games -- the first consumer magazine dedicated to video games. Make no mistake: EGM, Nintendo Power, GamePro, Game Informer, and any other video game magazine you care to mention owes a great debt to Electronic Games.
After a falling out at Electronic Games, Kunkel went on to write about games for a variety of publications, including his popular column "The Game Doctor," which appeared in EGM and Computer Gaming World. During his career, Kunkel also wrote for the New York Times and served as the editor in chief of Tips & Tricks in this decade until the publication folded in 2007.
In addition to his career in game journalism, Kunkel taught classes at the University of Las Vegas, and worked in game design. Some of his game credits include Batman Returns, Bart's Nightmare, and The Omicron Conspiracy. Kunkel also wrote game guides for Prima Publishing, and worked with Running With Scissors on tie-in products to its infamous Postal franchise.
Most recently, Kunkel had worked at Platinum Studios, a multimedia company that had a hand in bringing Cowboys & Aliens to the big screen as well as the Men In Black animated series.Kunkel's memoir, Confessions of the Game Doctor, is an amazing account of an important (and much wilder) time in video game journalism. It's highly recommended.
He will be missed.
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