The Curse of Monkey Island
by Jonathan Ackley, Co-Project Leader

November 25, 1997

It is the last days of The Curse of Monkey Island. Even now, in the dark cellars of the building, burning goddesses Wendy Kaplan and Kellie Walker etch the final tracks of our game onto the disc. And as I watch the last monkey on the LucasArts payroll leave the building (his name is Edgar, and he fixed us tropical drinks for the duration of the project), I cannot help but reminisce about the last two years on the project.

It seems only yesterday that my co-project leader, Larry Ahern, and I slipped a half a cup of ground espresso beans into programmer Chris Purvis' Jolt cola. In my mind, I can still see the poignant sight of young Chris in the parking lot slamming into cars, trying to claw out his own eyes. When I'm older, I will remember these as the good old days.

And I can remember when animator Anson Jew drew a scene of our villain LeChuck that was so scary, when I played it in our office, Larry's pet lovebird "Chirpy" had a heart attack and dropped stone-cold dead on the floor of his cage. Oh, I had a good laugh at that one! I laughed and laughed. I think Larry thought it was funny too, but just didn't want to let on.

There were some tough times, too. I remember when our sound editors, Khris Brown, Coya Elliot, and Cindy Wong edited all the 8,357 lines of dialogue in the game flawlessly and in record time. Offhandedly, I stated that the game might need 10,000 to 15,000 more lines just to give it that little extra added "oomph."

Later that week I had the quiet time I needed to reflect on that idea. I took the advice of my intensive-care-unit nurse, Mildred Cornhoople, and wisely decided to stay with the original number of dialogue lines.

I loved working on The Curse of Monkey Island, but after working on a pirate game fer...uh...for two years, I'll be glad ta...er...I'm glad to say that I...I...AAAAAARGH! I still be the same scurvy dog what's I were at the beginnin' o' this voyage! And now I be meanin' ta KILL YOU ALL! Aaargh! And what be more, I plans ta...Eh? What be ye doin'? GET THEE YER FILTHY HANDS OFFER ME! NO! LEMME GO! I'M A MIGHTY PIRATE! DO YE HEAR! A MIGHTY PIRATE! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[LARRY AHERN'S NOTE] Jonathan Ackley is resting comfortably at the Happydale Home for Deranged Project Leaders. Feel free to send cards, but please take care not to mention treasure maps, flintlock pistols, or ill-gotten swag

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