John Wood - Sally Dark Ride

John Wood - Sally Dark Ride

Author: Karl Kuras June 30, 2025 Duration: 1:18:26

Mechanical amusements have long been a mainstay of theme parks and travelling fairs.  In the 1980s, this technology entered the realm of the arcade, most notably through Chuck E. Cheese and since then, has merged with the traditional dark ride to become the interactive dark ride, a mixture of animatronics, motion, lightguns and video games.  
Our guest today, John Wood is the head of Sally Corporation, a pioneer of animatronic entertainment and especially the interactive darkride.  John tells us how this industry leader got its start

Recorded: September 2024

Video version:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/jeff-johannigman-125624209

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Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Corporation
https://www.sallydarkrides.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathkit_H8
https://youtu.be/jjNca1L6CUk?si=tAux1b9ri9ZJ_mdm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_of_Amusement_Parks_and_Attractions
https://www.sallydarkrides.com/post/remembering-jan-sherman-sally-dark-rides-memorializes-long-time-co-worker-and-friend


Recommended Links:

The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/
Gaming Alexandria: https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/
They Create Worlds: https://tcwpodcast.podbean.com/
Digital Antiquarian: https://www.filfre.net/
The Arcade Blogger: https://arcadeblogger.com/
Retro Asylum: http://retroasylum.com/category/all-posts/
Retro Game Squad: http://retrogamesquad.libsyn.com/
Playthrough Podcast: https://playthroughpod.com/
Retromags.com: https://www.retromags.com/
Games That Weren't - https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/

Copyright Karl Kuras


Ever wonder what gamers were actually talking about decades ago, before online forums and endless hot takes? Each month, Video Game Newsroom Time Machine hosted by Karl Kuras does exactly that, dusting off the headlines and magazine pages from the past. This isn't just a nostalgia trip; it's a grounded look at the industry's turning points as they happened. You'll hear about the surprising announcements, the forgotten controversies, and the hardware launches that had everyone buzzing-from arcade trends in Japan to home computer wars in Europe and North America. The podcast specifically revisits news from exactly 30, 40, and 50 years prior, creating a unique layered perspective on how video game culture evolved. It’s like sitting in a newsroom from a different era, piecing together the stories that shaped the games we remember today. Tune in for a monthly dose of context, where the past conversations about pixels and processors feel surprisingly fresh and directly connected to the present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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