COMPUTE!’s Gazette – Volume 1 – Issue 1 – July, 2025
Chad Essley
For many, the 8-bit and 16-bit eras were about gaming. But for others, they were the birth of a creative passion that would shape a lifetime. In this month’s “Pixels & Passion,” CINE award-winning animation director Chad Essley shares a deeply personal story of how his journey with Commodore computers—from a humble C64 to a powerful Amiga—led directly to a successful career in animation, including work on the iconic children’s show Sesame Street.
From a Glowing Green Screen to a Koala Pad
Essley’s journey began like many others in the 8-bit era: with a wonky Commodore PET in elementary school. The magic truly took hold when he finally got a Commodore 64. It was with a Koala Pad and a stylus that he first experienced the thrill of drawing in color on a TV screen. Soon after, he discovered a “not-quite-legit” copy of Electronic Arts’ Animation Construction Set and created his first digital animation, saving it to a VHS tape. A career was unknowingly born.
The Amiga Revelation
Everything changed around 1987. In a local shop, Essley witnessed a mind-blowing demo on an Amiga 2000: the legendary “Juggler.” The animated, full-color, 3D graphics were so superior to anything he had seen that he nearly levitated. While the C64 was for gaming and BBS’ing, the Amiga was positioned as a creative, artist’s computer, and he knew he had to have one.
Armed with an Amiga and a copy of DeluxePaint, he was sure his digital art would lead him straight to Disney. He even applied to Cal Arts, the famed animation school, thinking his portfolio on 3.5″ floppies would blow them away. Instead, he was gently rejected.
A Career-Making Phone Call
Years later, while working a graveyard shift at a copy shop, a chance encounter led him to the phone number of an established animation director. Essley called him, and when the director asked about his computer experience, he mentioned he only experimented on his Commodore Amiga.
“Oh really!” the director replied. “What software? I’m using an Amiga right now.”
“Mostly Deluxe Paint,” Essley said.
“Me too,” the director responded. “Come show me your work.”
The rest is history. That connection launched Essley’s professional career. He went on to work on animated commercials, a music video, and six shorts for Sesame Street, all created using Deluxe Paint and Brilliance on Amiga computers.
The Enduring Legacy
Though Commodore eventually went bankrupt and Essley reluctantly moved to PCs, the Amiga’s influence never faded. He still uses TVPaint, a groundbreaking animation software that began its life on the Amiga. Today, thanks to a vibrant retro community, Essley is back to using real Amiga hardware, enhanced with modern accelerators like the PiStorm.
“Honestly,” Essley writes, “my animation career and passion for computing/digital art wouldn’t exist without Commodore’s engineers and the dedicated community carrying their torch. Without the Amiga’s influence and those honoring its legacy, I might never have found my creative path.”
Read the full story and discover more about the world of retro computing in the first issue of COMPUTE!’s Gazette in 35 years!
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