Origins of Uncle Albert

[owenmp]

How was the idea of Uncle Albert's Auto Stop and Gunnery Shop created? Is the image of Uncle Albert based on anyone in real life?

[Racer]

Not sure if this has ever been officially acknowledged , but I seem to recall that guy Albert's graphic was based on had passed on in the mid 1990's ?

Think he ran local General Store in a writer/contributor to ADQ's home town ? No idea where I got this from : conversations whilst playing , game's forum discussions or perhaps comments in other magazines ? I'll look on TV Tropes & 1d4Chan to see if I can find it .

His character seems to be part Used Car Salesman/Eccentric Businessman-Inventor , with perhaps a dash of Howard Hughes and Hugh Heffner ( Al's Girls ... ) . His TV network & other enterprises might be a nod towards various media moguls like Rupert Murdoch and the like ... ;-)

All in all he's probably a satirical poke at many slightly dodgy business types & his Catalogues are - at least to European eyes - a parody of those Gun , Weapon & Survivalist Catalogues & Advertisements that made it over the Atlantic in '80's & '90's . You know the ones I mean , aimed at a 'certain' type and/or militant NRA supporters etc .

Just a theory anyway , that myself , T-Rex , Lightbulb , Lowdecker , Swordboy & others spent long gaming nights mulling over :-)

[Steve Jackson]

Absolutely correct about the general nature of the inspiration for the character. The graphic, though, began as clip art. And the name? "We're so sorry . . . Uncle Albert."

Of course, he took on his own life. One of those characters who write themselves.

[Racer]

Well there's 'The Word Of God' for you !!! X-D

There was an Uncle Albert in the Mary Poppins film ( don't know if he was in the original book ) , in the flying bubbles scene .

And if course the famous slogan "Uncle Al - The Duelist Pal" is just the sort of catchy tagline you'd expect in advertising ;-)