TRON Radio Contest of 1982

Sorry you have been derezzed. Let's take another call.

When I was writing about the TRON Video Game Tournament of 1982 last week, I kept finding mentions of another contest that was taking place that summer, the TRON Radio Contest. I have tried searching for details about the contest and was able to find some stations where it was run. Outside of this and descriptions of how the contest would be run, I cannot find much else. The reason I would like to know more is because this wasn’t some standard contest, this involved computers and gaming on the radio.

Around the time of TRON’s release, local TV stations were doing an interesting tie-in with video games. They had programming where people would call in and engage with a video game using their voice. A simple word would cause the “fire button” to be pressed on whatever game was playing and you would score points for every hit. In my area, this programming ran on local station WPIX and was called, TV PIXXX.

This paradigm makes sense for television where you can see the action. So you can imagine my surprise when I was reading about the release of TRON and spotted this in the Muncie Evening Press,

Radio listeners around the country have also had a chance to compete via a unique “Tron” radio game. I don’t know all the details, but listeners would call the station and play over the phone - a “Tron” game complete with “sound effects from the film mixed with laser blasts and explosions,” according to a Disney press release.

So how was this played? I can’t see it being an action game, so maybe it was some sort of audio journey where you can interact with the Master Control Program and navigate the grid, but too many wrong moves and you are derezzed?

I have tried looking around for any hint of the game, but beside passing mentions? Nothing. I would think this would have been run in a major market like New York City, near where I lived, but no local press is talking about it. So this is a new wonderful mystery and I can only hope one day the audio and the script see the light of day. In my mind, a lot of the calls played out like Adventure Call.

(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)

ONE COOL VIDEO

Disney was spending up a storm on marketing and they had some great partnerships for TRON. Scott Paper Towels got in on the action with the Scott TRON Sweepstakes. What seems really interesting is the Iron-On you could get when you bought two Scott products.

TEN THINGS RETRO

😂 Pranks - Did you ever wonder about those pranks you could send away for in the back of comic books? What did they look like? How did they work? Philip David Treece did and he started a website dedicated to them called Old Jokes. He is also interviewed in the newest Ironic Sans.

🐉 Dungeons & Dragons - Some of the older Dungeons & Dragons books are getting pricey, so I am really glad that some people are out there sharing and discussing the art from often overlooked supplements like the Monster & Treasure Assortment.

🎞️ Movies - On the Back to the Future Blu-Ray, they have a too short segment showing auditions for actors who tried out for the film. Each of them is a wonderful what-if glimpse at an alternative film.

📺 Technology - Sony might have not have invented High-Definition video, but with their high-end products and global reach they certainly helped to shape how the world would use it.

🎮 Consoles - Mail Order Catalogs used to be big business. While they still linger, they do not have the reach they did in their peak just a few decades ago. The lure of these catalogs was hard to resist and for many people it was how we made some pretty big buying decision. For example, what video games or consoles we might pick up.

🎨 Art - Jeff Easley is a celebrated fantasy painter. His art has graced some of the most well know fantasy properties out there. He is now running a Kickstarter for a book featuring curated selection from his impressive body of work.

🎸 Music - Here is a great clip from the 4K remastered version of the 1968 Jean-Luc Godard film, Sympathy for the Devil. In it we see some very young members of The Rolling Stones recording the title song

🕹️ Video Games - Super Nintendo Consoles, which are getting long in the tooth, are very slowly getting faster as they age. People are of course trying to figure out exactly why.

🐰 Cakes - Easter is coming and if you are looking for a fun cake to serve this time of year, you could can easily take your Bugs Bunny Wilton Cake pan and turn ol’ Bugs into the Easter Bunny.

🐻 Toys - Are you a fan of ShowBiz Pizza’s Rock-A-Fire Explosion? Did you know you can get your very own Billy Bob 16" fully plush doll? He ain’t cheap, but he is very cuddly and still as handsome as ever.

FEATURED RETRO COUPON

They don’t make the Dandy Bar anymore. It was another bar that I think they tried to pass off as a healthier alternative to candy. I can tell you this, it tasted a lot like a candy bar and I loved it.

SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATION

Do you ever look at current trends and wonder how they connect to the past? The backstory for Andor? How Godzilla got his roar? Pop Culture Precursor is a newsletter that traces the origin stories of the these and many other modern trends.

FROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE

Let's take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist's past. I have been at this a long time.

One Year Ago…

🥪 The Rise and Fall of the Burger King Meatloaf Sandwich

Five Years Ago…

⛵ The LeisureWave Aesthetic

Ten Years Ago…

🎵 Remembering Joe Dolce’s “Shaddap You Face”

Fifteen Years Ago…

🕹️ Up ‘n Down for the Atari 2600

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