Editing RaD Man

{{Short description|American computer artist and historian}}
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<!--[[Image:Radinterviewcrop.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Christian Wirth during an [[interview]] by [[Jason Scott]] ([[textfiles.com]]) for the ''[[BBS: The Documentary]]'' [[film]] [[DVD]].]]-->
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:RaD Man notaconradio 2005 x768.jpg|thumb|250px|right|RaD Man doing an interview for Notacon radio during the 2005 event.]] -->
'''Christian Wirth''' (born in the 1970s), better known by the [[pseudonym]] '''RaD Man''', is an American computer [[artist]] and [[historian]].  He works in the field of [[ANSI art]], a method of creating art using a limited set of [[Code page 437|text character]]s and [[color]] [[ANSI escape code|escape codes]] based loosely on the relevant [[American National Standards Institute|ANSI]] standard ([[ANSI escape code|X3.64]]: [[Escape sequence|Control Sequences]] for [[Computer terminal|Video Terminal]]s and [[Peripheral]]s).

RaD Man was initially involved with the [[Aces of ANSI Art]] (AAA), an organization which created ANSI artwork for a number of computer [[bulletin board system]]s from 1989 to 1991.  With others, he created the "ANSI Creators in Demand" group (also known as [[ACiD Productions|ACiD]]).<ref name="BBSDoc">{{Cite video|people = Jason Scott| title = "BBS: The Documentary"| medium = DVD|publisher = Bovine Ignition Systems|location = Boston, Massachusetts| date = 2005}}</ref>

Starting in 1990, ACiD released artwork on an ''ad hoc'' network of BBSes, updating a collection of art known as the ''ACiD Acquisition'' by sending a [[data compression|compressed]] file of all the completed work up to that time.  By 1992, the increasing file size made this process impractical, and this led to the development of the [[artpack]], where groups of artists (including ACiD) would upload monthly update packages instead.<ref name="citylights">Hargadon, Michael A. "[http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/7341/ Like City Lights, Receding: ANSi Artwork and the Digital Underground, 1985-2000]." ''Concordia University'', March 18, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.</ref>  In early 2004, RaD Man directed and produced ACiD Acquisition Update #100, colloquially known as "ACiD-100, the final artpack released by ACiD as a group.<ref name="tsifra">{{cite news|last=Jashiin |title=Exclusive interview with RaD Man (Russian and English) |url=http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-2004-tsifra-jashiin-combined.html |newspaper=Tsifra Magazine |date=August 2004 |access-date=March 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017003223/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-2004-tsifra-jashiin-combined.html |archive-date=October 17, 2008 }}</ref>

In 1996, RaD Man founded the ACiD Artpacks Archive to collect the artpacks created by the [http://artscene.textfiles.com/artpacks/ hundreds of groups] that followed in ACiD's footsteps.  This collection eventually was transferred to [[DVD]] as ''Dark Domain: the artpacks.acid.org collection'' in 2004.<ref>[http://cd.textfiles.com/darkdomain/whatisit.html dark+domain: the artpacks.acid.org collection<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.defacto2.net/commercial/dark-domain Dark Domain – Defacto2<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/70198786 Dark + domain : the artpacks.acid.org collection (Computer file, 2004) [WorldCat.org&#93;<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref name="darkdomain">{{cite book |title=Dark Domain: the artpacks.acid.org collection |year=2003 |publisher=ACiD Productions |location= San Jose, California|isbn=0-9746537-0-5}}</ref>

Since 2002, RaD Man has worked as a historian and [[spokesperson]] for the [[computer art scene|artscene]], collecting information and [[interview]]s with the artists involved, and creating reports and presentations on the [[history|lineage]] of computer art.  Some of this work includes ''The ARTS'', a [[talk radio]] show which discusses the many different facets of the creative [[computer art scene|computer underground]] scenes <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060507155100/http://www.acid.org/radio/ The ARTS :: Artscene Radio Talk Show<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and the [[Pilgrimage (demoparty)|Pilgrimage]] 2004 [[Demoscene#Parties|demoparty]].<ref name="3dluvr">{{cite news|last=Caballero |first=Enrique |title=Pilgrimage Inc Interview - Pilgrimage Demo Party 2004 |url=http://www.acid.org/images/pilgrimage04/interview/interview-pilgrimage-2004-3dluvr-ccrat.html |newspaper=3DLUVR |date=August 29, 2004 |access-date=March 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204063640/http://www.acid.org/images/pilgrimage04/interview/interview-pilgrimage-2004-3dluvr-ccrat.html |archive-date=February 4, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Pilgrimage, Inc. |url=http://pilgrimage.scene.org |title=Pilgrimage website |access-date=2013-03-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050305191933/http://pilgrimage.scene.org/ |archive-date=March 5, 2005 }}</ref>

In 2006, RaD Man became a member of [[Cult of the Dead Cow|cDc's]] [[Cult of the Dead Cow#Ninja Strike Force|Ninja Strike Force]].<ref>[http://w3.cultdeadcow.com/cms/2006/06/brand-new-nsf-1.html CULT OF THE DEAD COW: Brand New NSFer & HAWT NEW musical release!!!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

In 2007, he co-founded Blockparty with [[Jason Scott Sadofsky|Jason Scott]], a North American [[Demoscene#Parties|demoparty]].<ref name="hugi33">{{cite news|last=Polaris|title=Interview with Jason Scott and RaD Man|url=http://hugi.scene.org/online/hugi33/hugi%2033%20-%20demoscene%20interviews%20polaris%20jason%20scott%20and%20rad%20man%20of%20block%20party%20organizing.htm|newspaper=Hugi Magazine Issue 33|date=April 2007|access-date=March 31, 2013}}</ref>  The event was produced in cooperation with [[Notacon]] and took place annually in [[Cleveland]], Ohio, from 2007 to 2010.

In November 2009, ANSI art group Blocktronics paid tribute to RaD Man and his contributions to the ANSI art scene by releasing an artpack titled "Codename Chris Wirth".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blocktronics.net/gallery/blocktronics-codename-chris-wirth/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022091854/http://blocktronics.net/gallery/blocktronics-codename-chris-wirth/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-10-22 |title=Blocktronics website |publisher=Blocktronics |access-date=2013-03-31 }}</ref>

==External links==
===Interviews===
* 1992 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20040907031933/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-ian_davis-1992-product1_emag-radman.txt RaD Man interviews Ian Davis, author of TheDraw ANSI editor]
* 1992 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20041207172509/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-1992-not_emag-mind_bomb.txt NOT! magazine interview with RaD Man]
* 1994 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20040907032038/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-1994-corruption_emag-eternal_lie.txt Corruption magazine interview with RaD Man]
* 1994 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20040907031940/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-1994-distorted_emag-deeply_disturbed.txt Distorted magazine interview with RaD Man]
* 1995 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20041207173237/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-1995-jonas_emag-mogel.txt Jonas magazine interview with RaD Man]
* 1996 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20040907032309/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-1996-beyond_the_horizon-shivan_bastard.txt Beyond the Horizon interview with RaD Man]
* 1997 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20040907031907/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-1997-acrylic_reprint-whodini.html Acrylic magazine interview with RaD Man (reprint)] [https://web.archive.org/web/20040907032137/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-1997-acrylic_weekly-whodini.ans .ANS version (original)]
* 1998 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20041207174025/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-1998-woezine-diadem.txt Woezine magazine interview with RaD Man]
* 1999 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20040907031924/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-1999-acheron-dangermouse.html Acheron.org interview with RaD Man]
* 2002 - [http://www.bbsdocumentary.com/photos/051radman/index.html Interview with RaD Man] for the independent documentary film, ''[[BBS: The Documentary]]''
* 2003 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20041207174201/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-2003-ice-slothy.html iCE.org interview with RaD Man]
* 2004 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20081017003223/http://www.acid.org/radman/interviews/interview-radman-2004-tsifra-jashiin-combined.html Tsifra magazine interview with RaD Man] (translated in both [[English language|English]] and [[Russian language|Russian]])
* 2004 - [http://www.3dluvr.com/content/article/144 3dluvr.com interview with RaD Man and Legalize] concerning Pilgrimage 2004 and the state of the scene
* 2007 - [http://www.hugimag.co.uk/online/hugi33/hugi%2033%20-%20demoscene%20interviews%20polaris%20jason%20scott%20and%20rad%20man%20of%20block%20party%20organizing.htm Hugi Magazine interview with RaD Man and Jason Scott] concerning Blockparty 2007

===Speeches===
* 2004 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20041012222106/http://www.assembly.org/seminars/speakers/others "The Art of Textmode"] at [[Assembly demo party|Assembly 2004]], August 5, 2004 - August 8, 2004
* 2004 - [https://archive.org/audio/audio-details-db.php?collectionid=notacon-artscene-2004-04-24&collection=textfiles_audio Jason Scott and RaD Man (ACiD) - 100 Years of the Computer Art Scene] Presented at [[Notacon]] 1,  April, 2004
* 2005 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20050410031933/http://www.notacon.org/speakers.html#wirth Steering an Art Collective] at [[Notacon]]
* 2005 - [https://web.archive.org/web/20060103041712/http://www.deviantartsummit.com/news/32/ Beyond ASCII the Art of Textmode] at the [[DeviantArt#deviantART Summit|DeviantArt Summit]]
* 2007 - [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3533339596291562602&hl=en T506 - Self Publishing in the Underground] at '''[[DefCon]] 15''', August 4, 2007

===Miscellaneous===
* {{IMDb name|id=1932774|name=Christian Wirth}}
* [http://radman1.deviantart.com Official page] on DeviantArt

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rad Man}}
<!-- Categories -->
[[Category:1970s births]]
[[Category:Artscene]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Artists from California]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]