After Dark (software) explained

After Dark
Author:Jack Eastman[1]
Patrick Beard
Developer:Berkeley Systems
Latest Release Version:4.0
Programming Language:assembly language, C
Operating System:Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, DOS[2]
Genre:screensaver

After Dark is a series of computer screensaver software introduced by Berkeley Systems in 1989 for the Apple Macintosh, and in 1991 for Microsoft Windows.[3] [4]

Following the original, additional editions included More After Dark, Before Dark, and editions themed around licensed properties such as Star Trek, The Simpsons, Looney Tunes, Marvel, and Disney characters.[4]

On top of the included animated screensavers, the program allowed for the development and use of third-party modules, many hundreds of which were created at the height of its popularity.[5]

Flying Toasters

thumb|left|200px|An After Dark CD-ROMThe most famous of the included screensaver modules is the iconic Flying Toasters, which featured 1940s-style chrome toasters sporting bird-like wings, flying across the screen with pieces of toast. Engineer Jack Eastman claims he came up with the display after seeing a toaster in the kitchen during a late-night programming session and imagining the addition of wings, although the winged toasters bear a strong resemblance to those on the cover of Jefferson Airplane’s 1973 album Thirty Seconds Over Winterland.[6] A slider in the Flying Toasters module enabled users to adjust the toast's darkness, and an updated Flying Toasters Pro module added a choice of music—Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries or a flying toaster anthem with optional karaoke lyrics.[7] Yet another version called Flying Toasters! added bagels and pastries, baby toasters, and more elaborate toaster animation. The Flying Toasters were one of the key reasons that After Dark became popular, and Berkeley began to produce other merchandising products such as T-shirts with the Flying Toaster image and slogans such as "The 51st Flying Toaster Squadron: On a mission to save your screen!"

The toasters were the subject of two lawsuits, the first in 1993, Berkeley Systems vs Delrina Corporation, over a module of Delrina's Opus 'N Bill screensaver in which Opus the penguin shoots down the toasters.[8] After a U.S. District judge ruled that Delrina's "Death Toasters" was infringing, Delrina later changed the wings of the toasters to propellers. The second case was brought in 1994 by 1960s rock group Jefferson Airplane who claimed that the toasters were a copy of the winged toasters featured on the cover of their 1973 album Thirty Seconds Over Winterland.[9] The case was dismissed because the cover art had not been registered as a trademark by the group prior to Berkeley Systems' release of the screensaver.[6]

A 3D version of the toasters featuring swarms of toasters with airplane wings, rather than bird wings, is available for XScreenSaver.

History

In 1997, Berkeley Systems was acquired by the Sierra On-Line division of CUC International.[10] Joan Blades and Wes Boyd, the founders of Berkeley Systems, went on to create MoveOn.org. Ed Fries, co-developer of the popular Fish! screensaver, became vice president of game publishing at Microsoft.

The Bad Dog (TV series) based on the "Bad Dog" screensaver[11] was produced by CinéGroupe and Saban Entertainment for the Teletoon and Fox Family Channel networks that first aired on Teletoon on March 1, 1999.

An official version of After Dark was released for Mac OS X running on PowerPC by Infinisys, Ltd. of Japan in May 2003.[12] For Apple silicon and Intel Macs, remakes of three popular modules — Flying Toasters, Mowing Man and Boris — are being sold as standalone screensavers.[13]

Sierra released a Flying Toaster video game for cell phones in 2006.[14]

Sierra Entertainment was eventually acquired by Vivendi Games, which in turn was merged with Activision to form Activision Blizzard, and later acquired by Microsoft.

After Dark Games

Sierra Attractions and Berkeley Systems released After Dark Games in 1998 for the Macintosh and Windows platforms, which contained several games modeled after their previously released screensavers.[15] [16] These games included Mowin' Maniac (a Pac-Man clone based on the Mowin' Man and Mowin' Boris modules); Roof Rats (similar to SameGame and variants); Solitaire (After Dark themed); Toaster Run (an isometric Glider clone featuring several After Dark characters, including a Flying Toaster and Super Guy); Zapper (a trivia game); Hula Girl (an endless 2D platforming game based on the Hula Twins module from After Dark 4.0); two word scramble games — Bad Dog 911 (based on the Bad Dog modules) and Fish Shtick (based on the Fish modules, mainly Fish World); Foggy Boxes (a dots and boxes game based on the Messages 4.0 module); MooShu Tiles (a Mahjong-like game featuring many After Dark characters throughout the years); and Rodger Dodger (a Raimais clone that originated as an in-module game).[17]

J.C. Herz of The New York Times wrote that the "sheer simplicity" of these games helped make them as "engaging and addictive as the mega-selling 40-hour sagas with souped-up 3-D sound and state-of-the-art computer graphics."[18] A review in Computer Gaming World stated that, "If nothing else, it makes for a good time-killer."[19]

Modules

Module NameDescription
Starry NightThe original After Dark screen saver, featuring a pixelated city skyline under a night sky
ArtistA digital artist applies artistic touches to images in a slow manner so one can see the artist's work
Bad DogPopular module featuring a white dog with a black ring around one of his eyes, causing trouble on the desktop (the animated series Bad Dog was inspired by the eponymous screensaver)[20]
Bad Dog!A sequel to Bad Dog with new animations and sequences
BogglinsGreen slime creatures are formed and make obnoxious noises
BorisThe opposite of Bad Dog, a good cat plays on the desktop and chases butterflies
Bouncing BallA ball bounces around the screen, including bouncing off the edges
BugsDigital bugs crawl across the screen
BulgeExpands portions of the screen, making the screen appear to have a "bulge"
Bungee RouletteVarious characters bungee-jump from the top of the screen, but occasionally the bungee cord breaks
Can of Worms"Worms" emerge from the screen, crawl around, and "eat" the screen content
ChameleonChameleons walk across the screen, changing colors and eating icons
ClocksDifferent objects appear as a clock and move around
Coming Soon!A salesperson pitches fictitious "products"
Confetti FactoryConfetti falls from the top of the screen and onto conveyor belts below
Daredevil DanA daredevil motorcyclist attempts dangerous jumps over school buses, flames, and piranha tanks
DominoesA game of dominoes is played on the screen
DoodlesDraws doodle-like images
DOS ShellA mock DOS shell is run on the screen, reliving earlier days of computing
DotsA game of "dots" is played on the screen
Down the DrainThe desktop appears to spiral down a drain
EinsteinComplex mathematical and scientific equations are performed on the screen
Fade AwayThe desktop fades away in different ways
Fish! (Aquatic Realm)Underwater world of fish with a black background
Fish ProAn updated version of Fish!
Fish WorldThe third iteration of Fish! with prerendered 3D models
Floating SunsDisplays the Phoenix Suns basketball team's logos floating around the screen
FlocksDisplays flocks of various creatures on the screen
Flying ToastersClassic module featuring flying toasters
Flying Toasters ProUpdated version that allows one to select more than flying toasters and also has music
Flying Toasters!4.0 iteration of the flying toasters with updated graphics and music — introduces baby toasters
Flying ToiletsParody of Flying Toasters with toilets replacing the toasters
Fractal ForestA forest of trees is generated on the screen
FrankenScreenA digital Frankenstein creates creatures out of various parts
Frost and FireProduces patterns similar to splattering paint on paper
GeoBounceA geometrical figure bounces around the screen
GlobeTakes an image and wraps it around a sphere, then spins like a globe
GraphStatDraws scientific and mathematical graphs on the screen
GravityCircles bounce around the screen
GutsGravity simulation
Hall of Fame10th-anniversary module featuring anime-style recreations of various After Dark characters
Hall of MirrorsReflects parts of the screen in an infinite mirror style
HallucinationsThe computer "hallucinates"
Hard RainRain falls onto the desktop
Hula TwinsDisplays two animated figures who walk around and twirl hula hoops
LasersLasers create patterns on the screen
LissajousDisplays Lissajous designs
LogoUser-supplied image moves randomly on the screen
Lunatic FringeA playable space shooter game within a module
MagicCreates soothing patterns
MandelbrotGenerates a mathematically created Mandelbrot set
MarblesMarbles bounce around the screen
MeadowA computer-generated meadow
Message MayhemA figure on the screen scrawls out a message
MessagesDisplays a crawling marquee message on the screen with selectable font and text colors
Mike's So-called LifeFeatures a man named Mike, living in his apartment and doing nothing exciting
Mime HuntA playable module that features a mime and cross-hairs
Modern ArtModern Art displayed on the screen
MondrianInverts parts of the screen
MosaicCreates a mosaic of the screen
MountainsGenerates 3-D mountains
Movies 'Til DawnPlays QuickTime movies
Mowin' BorisMowin' Man mows a field with Boris the cat around. When Mowin' Man runs over Boris, blood and guts, appear
Mowin' ManA man mows a constantly growing field
MultiModuleDisplays a user-selected combination of After Dark modules with the modules all displayed simultaneously and optionally overlaid over each other
NightLines
NirvanaGenerates colorful textures
NocturnesShows the eyes of various nocturnal creatures, such as bats
NonsenseNonsensical phrases are displayed on the screen
Om AppliancesVarious appliances do weird things on the screen
OrigamiComputer-generated origami appears on the screen
Out and AboutA musician walks out with a chair and an instrument, sits down and begins to play while other people slowly appear and begin milling around while kids play
PatternAnimated patterns appear on the screen
PearlAn optical effect featuring squares
PenrosePenrose tiling effect
Phlegm BoyAn obnoxious slimy creature is disgusting and displays bad habits
PhotonComputer-generated particles of light are emitted from the darkness
PICS PlayerPlays an animated sequence from a PICS file on the Mac platform
PlasmaPlasma-like image generated
Punch OutRound holes appear to be punched out of the desktop
PuzzleThe desktop becomes a sliding puzzle
RainColorful raindrops fall on the desktop
RainstormLike the Rain module, but with wind and lightning
Rainy DayRain drops on the screen. Users can select how fast they fall and how strong the wind is.
RandomizerRandomly displays modules chosen from a user-generated list of modules
Rat RaceA race featuring three rats with names, mindlessly wandering around the track until there is a winner
ReboundBalls rebound around the screen
RoseMathematical pattern based on trigonometry
SatoriColor animated light show
Say What?Displays humorous phrases
Scrubbing BubblesDisplays multiple Scrubbing Bubbles (Dow Brands) floating around the screen
Scrubbing Bubbles IIDisplays multiple Scrubbing Bubbles (Dow Brands) "scrubbing" the screen and going down the drain
ShapesFills the screen with colorful, geometric shapes
Shock ClocksScary creatures are turned into clocks
Shooting SpreeThe desktop appears to be shot up by a gun. Users can select which gun to use.
SinkholeThe desktop appears to fall into sinkholes
Slide ShowA basic slide show of user-supplied images
SnakeA pixelated snake tries to find its way through a maze
SpheresA number of spheres fill the screen
Spin BrushSmears points on the screen like wet paper
Spiral GyroVector module that twists lines
SpotlightThe desktop becomes black, and parts are "illuminated" by a randomly moving light spot
SquigwigGenerates mathematical circles
Stained GlassProduces quilt-like patterns
Steam Rollin'Displays a guy driving around squishing toys, snakes and babies (a take-off on the Mowin' Man module)
Stormy NightRandom lightning bolts with thunderclap sounds
Strange AttractorComputer-generated color image
String TheoryMoire patterns
SunburstColor pattern that appears to come from the Sun
SupernovaDisplays an exploding supernova
Swan LakeSwans swim around the desktop
This Ol' HouseSomeone appears to be working on the desktop from the other side with power saws
Toaster 2K10th anniversary module featuring futuristic and mecha versions of the flying toasters
Toxic SwampParody of Fish!, but in a toxic, polluted swamp with mutated fish and a mob boss
TunnelMakes the screen appear to be a tunnel
Use Your Own!Displays multiple images of the users choice moving around the screen
VertigoColorful rainbow spirals drawn on the screen
Virex-DAn implementation of the Virex anti-virus utility. Scans for viruses and displays icons in 3D form[21] [22]
VoyeurOne appears to be spying on an apartment complex with a big city skyline in the background
WarpOne appears to be travelling among stars at high speed
Window BlindsDesktop is separated into columns, and then each one turns like a window blind
Wrap AroundDraws three-dimensional loops
Wrecking BallA wrecking ball appears to demolish the desktop
You Bet Your HeadPlayable quiz game featuring three colored "heads" that are smashed by a hammer if one supplies the wrong answer to a question
Zoom!Creates colorful triangular tubes
ZotAttempts to generate lightning

Release history

Licensed Products

The Screen Saver - 1992[30]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: '90s Tech Icons: Where Are They Now? . Lammle . Bob . . March 16, 2012 . October 15, 2016.
  2. DOS user Need No Longer Covet After Dark for Windows . . 7 Dec 1993 . 59 . 12 . 21.
  3. Web site: Flying Toasters - A look back at After Dark for Windows 1.0. Greg Shultz. April 14, 2011. TechRepublic.
  4. Web site: Aggressively Stupid: The Story Behind After Dark . Lowendmac.com . 2010-03-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20100211150233/http://lowendmac.com/thomas/07/0209.html. 11 February 2010 . live.
  5. Web site: On Mighty Toaster Wings: More After Dark History . Lowendmac.com . 2010-03-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20100211150058/http://lowendmac.com/thomas/07/0212.html. 11 February 2010 . live.
  6. Think Retro: Bring back the Flying Toasters . Phin, Christopher . . 2015-02-03 . 2016-03-02 .
  7. Web site: AfterDark Deluxe — Review . https://web.archive.org/web/20100107035003/http://www.mymac.com/showarticle.php?id=1363. 2010-01-07 . Mymac.com . 2010-03-18.
  8. News: 1993-10-11 . Software Parody Is Toast After Court Ruling . Bloomberg Business News . 2016-03-03 . Los Angeles Times.
  9. Another Poppin' Fresh Lawsuit . 1994-10-01 . Rose, Lance . . 2016-03-03.
  10. Berkeley Systems Acquired by CUC . Kaitlin . Quistgaard . 1 April 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/20100615052153/http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/1997/04/2902 . June 15, 2010. Wired.com . dead.
  11. Book: Perlmutter . David . The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows . 2018 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-1538103739 . 57–58.
  12. Web site: Press Release : Infinisys Releases After Dark X+Fish for Mac OS X . Infinysys . 2010-03-18.
  13. Web site: After Dark Screensavers : Classic Set (Macintosh). Infinysys. 2014-08-05.
  14. Web site: GameSpot. Vivendi Universal Games Mobile Announces Six New Titles . https://archive.today/20130124004522/http://www.gamespot.com/news/vivendi-universal-games-mobile-announces-six-new-titles-6151587 . dead . 2013-01-24 . Gamespot.com . 2006-05-19 . 2010-03-18.
  15. Web site: After Dark Games . Berkeley Systems . 1998 . Internet Archive.
  16. Web site: Advertisement Video:After Dark Games . Sierra Entertainment . 1998 . Internet Archive.
  17. Web site: After Dark Games . MobyGames.
  18. News: Herz . J. C. . GAME THEORY; Flying Toasters That You Can Play With . 15 March 2020 . The New York Times . 29 April 1999 . limited.
  19. Baker II . Samuel . After Dark Games . . April 1999 . 177 . 217 . Golden Empires Publication.
  20. Web site: Kidscreen » Archive » Bonneau names that toon . Virginia . Robertson . May 1, 1999.
  21. Web site: [//tidbits.com/static/html/TidBITS-076.html#lnk2 TidBITS#76/12-Aug-91 ]. . TidBITS Electronic Publishing . 76 . 1991-08-12 . 2015-10-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151222020315/http://tidbits.com/static/html/TidBITS-076.html#lnk2 . 2015-12-22 . dead .
  22. Web site: The Highlights. 12 August 1991. TidBITS. Mark H. Anbinder . 3 November 2021.
  23. First Looks: Windows Screen Blanders: Blanking Your Screen Is Only the Beginning . Barry . Simon . . 48 . 10 . 9 . 14 May 1991 .
  24. Announced . . 14 . 7 . 0199-6649 . 17 Feb 1992 . 18 . ...After Dark 2.0 for Windows will add digitized sound and the capability to turn any After Dark display into wallpaper. Berkeley Systems Inc.'s screen-saver utility is due to ship this month for $49.95... .
  25. Swans! Mirrors! More Fish! . 11 . 10 . . 26 May 1992 . 64 . ...Berkeley Systems, maker of the popular screen saver After Dark for Windows, is now shipping a new ...Version 2.0. .
  26. Review/Test Drives: Screen Saver: After Dark joins rat race . Patrick . Marshall . . 16 . 36 . 0199-6649 . 5 Sep 1994 . 95 .
  27. Web site: After Dark 3.0 . Berkeley Systems . 1994 . Internet Archive.
  28. Web site: After Dark 3.2 . Berkeley Systems . 1995 . Internet Archive.
  29. Web site: After Dark 4.0 Deluxe . Berkeley Systems . 1996 . Internet Archive.
  30. Web site: After Dark: Star Trek - Macintosh Garden . macintoshgarden.org.
  31. After Hours: Windows Screen Savers: giving your PC a touch of panache . Melissa J. . Perenson . PC Magazine . 17 May 1994 . 13 . 9 . 416–417.
  32. Web site: After Dark: X-Men Screen Saver - Macintosh Garden. macintoshgarden.org.
  33. Web site: Afterdark Screen Savers. sites.google.com. September 11, 2019. October 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201021124803/https://sites.google.com/site/afterdarkscreensavers/. dead.
  34. Web site: After Dark - Star Trek: The Next Generation - Macintosh Garden. macintoshgarden.org.
  35. https://archive.org/details/berkeley_systems_looney_tunes Berkeley Systems After Dark Looney Tunes Screen Saver
  36. Web site: After Dark Looney Tunes Collection . Berkeley Systems . Internet Archive.
  37. Web site: After Dark - Toy Story - Macintosh Garden. macintoshgarden.org.
  38. Web site: After Dark: Myst Screen Saver - Macintosh Garden. macintoshgarden.org.
  39. Web site: Chex Quest Screen Saver - Macintosh Garden. macintoshgarden.org.