Saddleback Graphics

In business from (overwhelmingly likely) 1988 to 1994. For it’s founding, the earliest trace of the company is a copyright from 1988 for the original release of My Paint. As for it’s folding, I doubt it was immediately after they published the Sega CD My Paint, so I’d pin it at 94-95-onward. UPDATE: they were likely still around at least early 1994.

Also I’ve found a few other things on the company: I’ve found the actual office address, and then I found a second one. The first address is 3621 W MacArthur Blvd #119, Santa Ana, CA 92704; 714-540-4062. The second address is 12812 Garden Grove Blvd #P, Garden Grove, CA 92643; (714) 741-7093.

The first address is an earlier one (and possibly it’s original?) in use until at least mid 1992, and the second is a later one. Given the later one’s printing on this 1993 manual (https://www.apple.asimov.net/documentation/applications/misc/My_Paint-Reference_Card.pdf), I really doubt they moved to a third office after this, especially in the area they would have been renting in (this is expensive socal, with tight real estate availability, and in 1994 especially this would have been even tighter).

AND ANOTHER thing I found: The company actually did video game contract work! Check out this credit on Vengeance of Excalibur for the Amiga! (https://www.stompyrr.co.uk/post/158583414628/vengeance-of-excalibur) This lines up with the Amiga-oriented focus of Saddleback. Even better, we actually have a list of some/most/all of their office equipment here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=973fiFaSXqw)

Found them on the prior game too: https://www.mobygames.com/game/amiga/spirit-of-excalibur/credits. I wonder if Vengeance’s credit is maybe from reused art? I haven’t played either. Curiously, in both cases there’s a Curt Toumanian from Saddleback credit (https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,81/)

More stuff: https://www.jeffbruette.com/about Jeff Bruette, main(?)/co(?) designer of My Paint. He founded Prism Multimedia/Prism Computer Graphics (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffbruette), which had copyright on (and produced) the instructional videos. Could he be the company’s founder?

UPDATE: Found an early 1994 reference https://github.com/yrochat/Decadrages/blob/master/Computer%20Gaming%20World/cgw_115.txt And more staff? https://www.worldcat.org/title/dpaint-animation-techniques/oclc/26450613 Also there’s this running thing with their games where they have a psychologist of some kind contribute to the game’s development somehow? Probably just “here’s how to best educate kids” or something but might be notable.

And I just realized there’s a Grateful Dead member performing on the soundtrack. Wow this game was buried. CartridgeCulture (talk) 08:07, 24 March 2021 (EDT)