GARETH HALFACREE’S
Hobby tech
The latest tips, tricks and news in the world of computer hobbyism,
from Raspberry Pi, Arduino and Android to retro computing
S
am Dyer’s Bitmap Books launched
onto the scene in 2014, with a
crowdfunding campaign for
Commodore 64: A Visual Commpendium –
the spelling of the last word was a deliberate
pun, as Dyer explained in an interview
published in Issue 136.
It launched amid a collection of similar
nostalgia-fuelled publications, many of
which fell by the wayside, but half a decade
later, the business has only grown.
‘We now have 15 published books, which
include visual compendiums on the ZX
Spectrum, Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES) and Super Nintendo (SNES), as well as
a fully licensed Sega Master System visual
compendium, two official SNK books on the
Neo Geo and Metal Slug, a Point-and-Click
art book and a book all about Computer
Role Playing Games (CRPGs) [reviewed in
Issue 192 ],’ Dyer explains. ‘We’ve worked
really hard to keep producing innovative and
exciting books, and we’ve continued to build
our reputation in the retro book publishing
space. Quite a lot has happened!’Bitmap Books has succeeded where a
number of competitors have failed, and Dyer
credits the care and attention that goes into
each book. ‘It’s not just the page design,’ he
explains, ‘but the thought that goes into thewhole book, such as paper stocks, special
inks, slipcases and little touches. I think that
when people receive our books, they feel
special, and they see that a lot of love has
gone into the creation. We’ve never wantedINTERVIEW
Bitmap Books
CUSTOMISATION / HOBBY TECH
Sam Dyer’s Bitmap Books has made
a name for itself with high-quality,
nostalgia-fuelled coffee table books