Space Quest Series
Sierra, 'The Two Guys from Andromeda', and Janitor Roger Wilco
Created in 1986 by Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy at Sierra On-Line, Space Quest satirized mainstream sci-fi through starship janitor Roger Wilco, slapstick sudden deaths, and inventive text-parser puzzle craft.
The Galaxy's Unlikeliest Hero: Janitor Roger Wilco
Weary of high-fantasy seriousness, programmers Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy banded together as the self-styled 'Two Guys from Andromeda'. Escaping the massacre of the scientific starship Arcada solely because he was asleep inside a broom closet, bumbling janitor Roger Wilco foiled galactic plots using plungers, floor waxers, and sheer catastrophic luck, establishing Sierra's trademark creative death screens.
Time Travelers and Gary Owens' Golden Narration
In 1991, Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers pioneered multimedia comedy by hurling Roger through non-existent sequels—from the dystopian 256-color Space Quest XII to the pixelated 16-color wasteland of Space Quest I. Narrated with velvety sardonic deadpan by veteran broadcaster Gary Owens, it stands as a zenith of 1990s adventure satire.