"Edited By Steve Jackson" . . . Wait, What?

A lot of companies have produced what might be seen as uncharacteristic products in the past. For example, Alfa Romeo – yes, the car company – once briefly manufactured stoves. And Mitsubishi, another well-known car company, was formed from the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, perhaps best known as the manufacturers of the famous WWII Zero fighter. Steve Jackson Games is no exception. No, SJ Games didn't build stoves or fighter aircraft . . . actually, it was cross-stitch patterns!

This was back in the early 90s, when counted cross-stitch was enjoying considerable popularity among crafters. Unlike TSR's purchase of an embroidery kit company (for rather dubious reasons) years before, this was an in-house project.

And the designs weren't just any random art, either. They were based on the work of Real Musgrave, both his Pocket Dragons and his teddy bears. Because of course, if a game company starts making cross-stitch patterns, dragons will be involved! And since SJ knew Real Musgrave, whose Pocket Dragons have always been popular (and rightly so!), naturally those dragons were involved.

The cross-stitch pattern division, called Crafty Capers, only existed for about a year. I've been trying to chase down the old designs on eBay since before I worked for SJ Games – I'm one of the very small overlap between gamers and cross-stitchers. And yes, in the credits in the pattern booklet, it says "Edited by Steve Jackson."

Do you know of any other game companies that produced interesting non-game things? Tell us on the forums!

-- Jean McGuire