The Punisher!!!

I started cracking and training games on the BBC computer back in 1984. I then moved onto the C64 in 1987 until 1995. I joined my first group, The Culprits, in 1989. I did a few cracks for them before joining Xentrix. From memory, I joined Xentrix after contacting a swapper from a magazine. I was with Xentrix for about a year before joining Genesis Project. Antichrist contacted one the Xentrix swappers saying they wanted to interview me for Sex 'n' Crime. So I got a call one night from Antichrist and Goblin. They told me they wanted me to join Genesis Project and it wasn't about an interview. To be honest, this was like a dream come true, I knew who they were and to be asked to join Genesis Project was a great honor. I'm still in contact with both members. After about 2 years I left Genesis Project to start my own cracking group Genetix. I continued to release cracks for Genetix up until 1995 and briefly returned to Genesis Project for 1 final crack 'Reactor 2' before retiring from the C64 scene.

I went to school with David Clarke & Jonathan Symth (now Jonathan Temples). They were responsible for games like CJ's Elephant Antics, Spike In Transavania to name a few. They're cousins and both lived 2 streets away from me, so we spent a lot of time together. It was clear from the start that David was a great programmer and Jonathan a fantastic graphic artist. Jonathan worked on many games for the C64, especially for Code Masters. However, I was more into cracking and training games. I designed the disk protection for their Gold Medal game 'Nobby the Aardvark'. But Thalamus thought as the C64 market was dying there was no longer a need to protect their disk games, so it was never used. But if you look in the 'Credits' screen of the game you'll see I was credited with a 'Thanks To Genetix'... I contacted Ocean Software, and sent them a demo disk with the same protection which included a music & graphic's demo that I and Jonathan had done together. I was contacted back by Paul Hughes (who designed the Oceans loaders). He was impressed for 2 reasons, he couldn't copy the disk I'd sent him, plus he was very impressed with Jonathan's 'Aliens' picture that was part of the demo. Unfortunately the Ocean journey ended there...

After my C64 days, I did stuff on the PSX (Playstation One) and then the PC under the Genetix group name up until 2005 before quitting the computer scene for good.

Interesting Facts:

1 - David & Jonathan released their games under the production name 'Genesis Software'. The reason they picked that name was that I was a member of Genesis Project at the time ;)

2 - I own the only Gold copy of the game Armalyte by Thalamus, only 4 were ever made. Retro Gamer interviewed me in Issue 36 , Page 76 - 'Keep your eye on the prize section' about the game - web Link: https://archive.org/details/RetroGamerIssue036-040/page/n75/mode/2up

3 - I ran Radio6581 from 2006 to 2011, under my alias name Wizball, with help from Goblin. It was similar to SlayRadio, however playing C64 SID's and C64 Remixes with weekly live guest shows. I did some joint shows with SlayRadio and SceneSat at the time. Over the years I've been lucky enough to have met some of C64 music legends like Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway, Fred Grey, the late Ben Daglish, Dave Whittaker, and also the late Richard Joseph. After Radio 6581 I decided to move into commercial music. I currently run a successful Trance radio station with guest artists like Paul Van Dyk, Alex M.O.R.P.H. and A State Of Trance to name a few.

I owe the best times of my life to the C64. I'll never forget it and I'll always be a part of me, always...

Full Interview here - http://www.c64.com/scene_display_interview.php?interview=273