8/1997 iCE Pack
2. As you probably have noticed by now, this pack is an EXTRA SPECIAL iCEPACK! This pack, August 1997, marks the 60th edition of the iCEPACK. The iCEPACK has been released consistantly every month around the first of the month for 60 months straight, dating all the way back to five years ago with the August 1992 pack. iCE has existed for longer than five years, of course, but we did not start releasing packs until 08/92, following the lead of the first group to release packs, MiRAGE, with the MiRAGE compendium (MiRAGE later merged into iCE, in December 1992).
2a. This pack is a record breaking pack in a couple of respects. First off, and most importantly, iCE is the first group to celebrate the release of a 60th pack. While MiRAGE, and then ACiD, released packs before us, MiRAGE merged into iCE in 12/92 and ACiD has missed several packs over the years. Secondly, there never has been a pack of this sheer volume. We have well over six megabytes of artwork, with an almost unheard of range of styles (ANSI/VGA, plus animations too!).
3. This pack features a couple of special sections that are part of our 5th Anniversary Pack celebration. First, the group has rallied to bridge old and new by taking a few selected ANSIs from the August 1992 iCEPACK and re-mixing them. Re-mixing creates a joint-release that spans time itself. Look for some of your favorite iCE ANSIs from the past re-mixed by some of your favorite iCE artists of today!
3b. Secondly, we have invited several of our inactive iCE members to take part in the celebrations by dusting off their copies of TheDraw or VGA programs and create a brand new release for this pack! The "oldskool" section includes work this month from Liquid Image, P-Chan, Tempus Thales, Sober, and Iodine (aka Posyden). But we plan to feature more "oldskool" artwork in the remaining 1997 packs as we continue to celebrate the 1992-7 5th Anniversary. Expect works in the future from the above artists and others like.. well.. it'll just have to be a surprise! Enjoy the works.
4. The propoganda department conned several wayward artists into thinking that iCE is a free-love nudist colony and signed them up this month. The ANSI team welcomes back The Green Hornet to the group, and the VGA department opens its doors to Night Daemon. The Members department yanked in Roland before he could escape, as well. Welcome to all!
5. Promotion! VGA artist and turd connoisseur extraordinaire Vesalius has been promoted to the vacant VGA Coordinator position! He's already getting his feet wet by rallying the troops with his self portrait this month,ve-turds.jpg! Congrats, Ves!
6. Nobody played pocket pool in study hall, vanished into thin air, got 'plungered', went postal, spontaneously combusted, conversed with a tuna sandwich, checked out, skipped town, hit ESC, traded naked pictures of Barbara Bush, seceded from Canada, started a militia group, noticed a chancre, kicked the bucket, bought land on Mars, ate tainted beef or left the group this month.
7. Not really caring at all what Lickbert has to say, the group collectively reports that the information systems department is going quite well, with a major hardware upgrade that will improve the ice.org main server speed by well over 200% planned for September 1997. Also, IRC.ICE.ORG is back online again and has joined up with X-Net, a new IRC network with the support of many release and trading groups. iCE is the first art group to support the network. We invite everyone in the art scene or interested in the art scene to make the switch to the new, fast network. Frozen Delivery is still available on the web page, a successful new pack distribution method unveiled last month. And finally, work on the NEW version of iCE's webpages has shifted into high gear. Whew! That was a mouthful, eh Lickbert? "Mmmnff."
8. The iCE Master Memberlist has been revised and updated and is included in ANSI format in this pack. This list an approximately 80% accurate listing of all of iCE's members past and present. Unfortunately, before the pack era, consistent records were not kept. Many thanks to BoA, iCE Advisory Council member, for putting the time and effort into creating and maintaining this list, and for doing research to include members from before the pack era. It is 100% accurate from 8/92 and on. Take a peek! If you're a former iCE artist who was not included in this listing, please contact us at [email protected].
9. Sanctuary(tm), the venerable iCE World Headquarters in the BBS world, is now even more accessible! That's right, Snatch is now available 24/7 via a high speed T1 connection to the internet. Another ice.org feature, simply telnet to sanctuary.ice.org with an 8bit/ANSI-capable telnet program. A more general scene artpacks archive may be placed on this system in the near future as well. If you're a senior member of another art group and would like to have your group represented on an iCE Scene Artpack archive on Sanctuary, just drop us an e-mail at [email protected].
10. Former iCE Senior Staffer and current iCE scumlord Midnight Sorrow has resurrected the world's most famous elite underground network, CyberCrime. He is excited about the opportunities this presents for the remaining BBSes in the scene. But even cooler, you don't even have to run a board to be a part of the network! Contact him at [email protected] for more information about being a part of the CyberCrime International world domination network.. again! Even cooler, CyberCrime will soon be available in several different distribution mediums, some of which will be hosted by the ice.org network. Get in touch and catch the wave.
11. Because it simply would not be possible to release an NFO file in a pack with something completely off the wall ;), iCE's Media Department has released this special, breaking news: SpaceDev went off to college late this month and found himself immersed in a world of wonder and opportunity. He quickly ascertained that his calling was to find "Juggs", as he called them in his broken english, but alas, none were to be found. Therefore he enlisted iCE plastic surgeons Syntax Error and Vesalius to kidnap someone (preferably someone he knew) and give them the "Juggs" he was in such desparate need of. Syntie and Vesalius scoured the campus of the University of Florida, patiently waiting for someone Dev knew to happen by. Finally the moment came, and they swiftly captured the unsuspecting individual, knocked them out, and gave them "Juggs" Jewel would envy. Unfortunately, this story had an unhappy ending when SpaceDev, when presented with his prize exclaimed "DAD?!" Hey, to err is human!
11a. Hi Parasite! I'd like to thank YOU to rip Slum's font! (Oldskool ref.)
12. A SPECTACULAR month. The celebrations don't completely end here, but this was the pack we've all been waiting for. And it was _WELL_ worth the wait! Another top-quality pack from the group that you've come to know as synonymous with quality: Insane Creators Enterprise.
