Iconic 1977 Apple pillow at PAX East

March 25th, 2019 10:31 AM
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Last fall, I contributed to Roberto Hoyos’ Kickstarter for "The Iconic Pillow Collection", which would deliver soft, plush pillows modeled after classic Apple products. Mine arrived about a month ago and is everything it was advertised to be.

It’s also a great complement for my handmade, one-of-a-kind floppy pillow — though clearly there’s a discrepancy in scale between the two.

A floppy disk pillow next to the Apple II pillow.

Objects in pillow may be larger than they appear.

The Apple II pillow is now on sale in the Throwboy store for $39.99. But the best outcome of this Kickstarter is still to be realized.

Every year, I attend PAX East, a massive video game convention in Boston, Massachusetts whose attendance is roughly 600 times that of KansasFest. I do my best to represent the Apple II at PAX, whether by hosting panels about classic game genres or bringing an actual Apple II to PAX.

This year, I was assembling a panel of artists who make crafts inspired by classic gaming hardware and software. It didn’t take me long to realize I had just backed such an artist on Kickstarter! I reached out to Roberto Hoyos, CEO of Throwboy and co-host of the podcast That Thing You Made, and he enthusiastically answered my call.

Our collaboration will be "The Art of Craft: Inspiring Game Creations", being held Sunday, March 31, 1:30–2:30 PM in Arachnid Theatre.

Slide with panel details

Video games are art — and art imitates video games. The characters, colors, and aesthetics of our favorite digital worlds have spawned an industry of apparel and crafts that keep us warm and add a flair of the fantastic to ourselves and our homes. We’ll hear from amateur, hobbyist, and professional artists and creators about the inspirations and tools they use to create, enjoy, and sell their custom clothes, jewelry, furniture, paintings, and more.

Featuring:

Follow along with the #paxcraft hashtag on Twitter, and expect Apple II pillows on display in force!!

Throwboy’s 1977 pillow on Kickstarter

September 10th, 2018 10:20 AM
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The Apple II is a great discussion piece: when people see it somewhere they weren’t expecting it, it often halts all other conversation and immediately begins a new one. "Wow, what is that?!" "I remember those!" "Does it still work?"

But it’s not always feasible to have the Apple II on display where others will see it. Such real estate is often reserved for something more applicable to one’s daily life and which can be more easily and broadly enjoyed, even by those without arcane technical knowledge.

But what if you still have that conversation piece but on the form of something small, useful — and soft? Something like… a pillow?

Introducing "The Iconic Pillow Collection", a Kickstarter from Throwboy that is a "cuddly tribute to the tech that changed our lives."

This five-piece collection offers throw pillows based on five landmark Apple products: the Apple IIe, the Macintosh, the iMac, the iPod, and the iPhone. Its creator chose these five computers for the milestones they represent:

  • • 1977 shook up the industry
  • • 1984 started a revolution
  • • 1998 was the ultimate comeback
  • • 2001 ignited a musical odyssey
  • • 2007 changed everything

I’d argue that Throwboy got those two descriptors backward — but it hasn’t stopped the campaign’s growth: seeking a minimum of $10,000, it’s so far accrued nearly $70,000 in pledges, guaranteeing its success when it closes this Friday, September 14, 2018. A single pillow can be preordered for $39 including shipping, a 35% savings off the $60 retail value when it actually ships in February 2019. Happy Mac and rainbow pinwheel pillows are also available for $20 each.

1977 Apple II Throwboy pillow

Hug it. Play it. Nap on it. Just like a real Apple II.

The Apple II pillow not only looks soft and cuddly, but also detailed, from the rubber feet on the bottom to the ports on the back.

I’ve already preordered my Apple II pillow. It’ll be a great counterpart to my handmade, one-of-a-kind floppy pillow:

Floppy disk pillow case

(Hat tip to David Pierini)