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Iconic video game cover artist Bob Wakelin dies

His often psychedelic work populated the covers of video games throughout the '80s and '90s

Bob Wakelin, the man responsible for some of the most most iconic video game box art of the '80s and '90s, has died.

Even if you don't recognise the name, the artwork is instantly recognisable to anyone who remembers browsing the shelves of video game stores in the 8 and 16-bit era.

Although Wakelin worked on many big name IPs such as Batman and Star Wars, his most notable work was for the now defunct UK publisher Ocean.

From Wizball and The New Zealand Story, to Renegade and Operation Wolf, the often psychedelic art of Wakelin left an imprint in gaming culture greater perhaps than many of the actual games.

So good was Wakelin's work, he once admitted that Ocean looked to his art as a means of boosting sales for lower quality games.

"A couple of times, the guys at Ocean said to me, 'Look, Bob, this game really isn't very good so we need an extra special cover.' I suppose I should feel guilty for it," he said.

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Ivy Taylor avatar

Ivy Taylor

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Ivy joined GamesIndustry.biz in 2017 having previously worked as a regional journalist, and a political campaigns manager before that. They are also one of the UK's foremost Sonic the Hedgehog apologists.

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