Summary
- ToeJam & Earl creator Greg Johnson, who drew inspiration from Hawaii for the game series, has lost his home in the devastating Maui wildfires.
- The original ToeJam & Earl game gained rave reviews and commercial success, becoming a cult classic and spawning several sequels.
- The Maui wildfires have caused significant destruction, with over 2,200 structures destroyed and thousands of people displaced. Support is pouring in to assist victims, including a generous donation from Pokemon for Hawaii Wildfire Relief.
Greg Johnson, the designer of the popular ToeJam & Earl video game series has unfortunately lost his home due to the devastating Maui wildfires. ToeJam & Earl was inspired by the Hawaiian islands, and Johnson has been vocal in the past about his love and admiration for Hawaii.
The original Toejam & Earl title that brought Greg Johnson his fame first arrived on the Sega Genesis back in 1991. The game focused on two funky over-the-top aliens who crash-landed their spaceship on Earth and had to explore several islands in order to pick up the fragments from their spaceship's debris to return to their planet. ToeJam & Earl also featured a two-player cooperative mode and was among the first roguelike titles, as the islands were randomly generated. The positive reviews earned from critics, as well as its impressive commercial success (350,000 copies sold), transformed ToeJam & Earl into a cult classic and paved the way for numerous sequels.
Unfortunately, ToeJam & Earl creator Greg Johnson and his wife Sirena were among the many impacted by the Maui wildfires. The pair reportedly lost their home, possessions, and even their office in the natural disaster. The couple were residents of Lahaina, the Maui community most affected by the recent fires. Johnson and his wife moved to the area after Johnson’s career as a game developer took off, a career that was partly inspired by the relaxing island atmosphere found in Hawaii. Joel Nelson has set up a GoFundMe page dedicated to helping the couple rebuild their lives, with the campaign already managing to raise $30,483 out of the $50,000 goal.
The Maui wildfires have been burning since August 8, 2023, and have been cited as some of the worst US wildfires in over 100 years. Hawaii governor Josh Green has said that 110 people have lost their lives in the inferno at the time of writing, with thousands more being displaced. In addition to the home lost by Greg Johnson and his family, it is estimated that over 2,200 structures have been destroyed with 86% of the buildings being residential dwellings. With fires far from being contained, support from around the country has been rolling in to help assist victims of the blaze, as even Pokemon made a huge donation for the Hawaii Wildfire Relief.
In other news, the popularity of ToeJam & Earl has earned the franchise an unexpected film adaptation. Announced at the end of 2022, the ToeJam & Earl movie is currently still in its early stages of development.
ToeJam & Earl is currently available on Sega Genesis, PC, PS3, and Wii.
Source: GOFUNDME