The Magisterial Debut of an Andy Hoyos print from KQ5

Andy Hoyos - Wizard's Island - from Sierra's King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder (1990)

They don't make games like they used to. VGA gallery was established with the idea of sharing the unforgettable images of gaming with fans and the art world and to bring them from behind computer and TV screens and out into the world. Perhaps the most indelible images seared upon my mind from gaming of yesteryear are the classic works of Sierra from the late eighties to the mid nineties. Spearheading the look of many of these games -- such as King's Quest v, Quest for Glory III: Wages of War, Phantasmagoria -- was master illustrator Andy Hoyos. Sierra tapped Hoyos' talents when a new crop of PCs could boast rich 256 color glory after an era of EGA 16 color gaming and the new graphics hardware required the hand and vision of a top artist to make the most of this new medium. Hoyos helped elevate Sierra to one of the most successful game companies of the time and moved a generation with interactive storytelling. A dissertation could be written on Hoyos' work, his contributions to gaming, and subsequent generations of game designers he's influenced but we will save that for another day. For now, it is with unreserved excitement we are proud to debut one of the most signature moments of perhaps the most iconic game from this period: environment art from King's Quest V from the moment where King Graham sails to rescue his imprisoned family from the evil wizard Mordack at his island castle home. While anyone who beat the game vividly remembers this moment, the uninitiated can view Hoyos' work in action from the below video at 59:14, Enjoy! Learn more about the print and buy it here.

Hoyos work appears in game form at 59:14.