Was this how you all envisioned After Dark and any future versions?īill: You’re right, After Dark 1.0 and 2.0 had a clear artistic point of view which conveyed the idea of “After Dark”. Tommy: In my mind, After Dark 2.0 had a “darkness”, a sense of the modules actually portraying the idea of “After Dark”, through many of the modules such as Nocturns, Zot, Starry Night, and others.

Patrick Beard and Nick Rush were significant contributors to early software design, visual look, and marketing. There were many developers and artists who did excellent work. His really cool experiment turned into After Dark 1.0 for Macintosh, and ours turned into After Dark 1.0 for Windows. While this was going on, Jack Eastman created an experimental screen saver for himself on the Macintosh so he could write programs to assist his grad studies in physics. It took off like wildfire, and I knew at that moment we could sell millions with a commercially marketed version. We concentrated on the screen saver as a full time gig and resolved every technical issue while adding effects and features and formalizing how people could pay us. It’s hard to describe how nice it is to be paid for something you offer freely. A lot of people thought it was so cool that they sent us money without us even asking.

Ian MacDonald and I created a software experiment that we felt like sharing with the world on the primitive 1988 Internet. Tommy: What and who were the creative forces behind After Dark?īill: Primarily, Jack Eastman, Ian MacDonald, and myself. By the 2.0 version of each, they were dual blockbusters. We took it as our personal mission to make it the best possible experience for users.Īfter Dark for Macintosh had a slow start, but the Windows version took off like a rocket as soon as it was released.

The graphics, the interface, the attention to detail. When you love your product, it’s completely different than working to spec. Only when the creators truly satisfy their own yearnings can a really great product be made. George Lucas made Star Wars for himself, and fortunately his sense of story, mythos, and visual design resonated with millions of people. How did After Dark see the light of day?īill: After Dark came into being because some people made some experiments for themselves, showed them to other people, and correctly observed the incredible wave of positive reaction. Tommy: It’s quite a pleasure to talk with you. Although After Dark got its start on the Macintosh, this wonderful screen saver also found its way to the Windows side through the help of two equally talented, artistic souls, Bill Stewart and Ian MacDonald.

Original after dark screen saver mac