Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 3, 2026

Aces of ANSI Art

Aces of ANSI Art was the first group of artists specifically organized for the purposes of creating and distributing ANSI art. The group was founded and operated by two BBS enthusiasts from California, "Zyphril" and "Chips Ahoy", from 1989 through 1991.

Last revised
Jul 3, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
501 w
Citations
8
Source
Aces of ANSI Art
Formation1989
Dissolved1991
PurposeArtscene
Location
Origin
San Jose, California
Founders
Zyphril
Chips Ahoy

Aces of ANSI Art (abbreviated as <A.A.A>)1 was the first group of artists specifically organized for the purposes of creating and distributing ANSI art.2 The group was founded and operated by two BBS enthusiasts from California, "Zyphril" and "Chips Ahoy", from 1989 through 1991.

History

The group was initially formed in 19891 during the BBS era, but soon after the group's founding, ANSI art groups took on a life of their own, growing increasingly popular and spawning what would come to be known as the "artscene."2 ANSI art, which initially began as a method for bulletin board sysops to draw users to their boards, but with the emergence of organized groups, the artscene became associated with "underground" culture, such as warez boards.2

In 1990, a schism occurred when a small but influential group of members left the group to form ACiD Productions.2 ACiD (ANSI Creators In Demand) grew to become the first international artscene group.3

Membership

  • Chips Ahoy (Founder)
  • Zyphril (Founder)
  • Opus Outland
  • RaD Man (Senior member)4
  • Mondoman
  • The Beholder
  • Icepirate
See also

See also

Further reading

Further reading

References

References

  1. "BBSing.com, Aces of Ansi Art". ReadMe file of aaa-8991.zip. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  2. Jason Scott (2005). "BBS: The Documentary". Boston, MA: Bovine Ignition Systems.
  3. Garrett, Ben (April 27, 2004). "Online Software Piracy of the Last Millennium" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2011. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
  4. "History of Text Art Video by RaD Man / ACiD". Roy of Superior Art Creations. 11 February 2007. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
External links

Examples of ANSI Artwork

More on the History of the Art Scene

Releases