august 6, 1998 - clysm has updated his page once again, this time with a real life adventure! also, keep in mind that he'll be back in a quick 8 months!!
november 22, 1997 - booth has just informed me that the frozen star has been updated by clysm himself. view his newest comments here.
july 14, 1997 - a quote directly from clysm, "i've been here in tartu, estonia about a month now. i love it here and will try to get a picture up somewhere sometime. keep zzt alive until i get back. i actually do get to see my guestbook occasionally, so you can sign it still. happy internetting and have a nice day."
april 29, 1997 - clysm is still in utah, being trained before he embarks on his journey to estonia. he should be getting ready to go to estonia any time now. he is really enjoying himself, and we wish him good luck with his travels.
clysm, one of the most talented and most influential zzt programmers ever, left for an extended two year leave with his church on february 26, 1997. he will not be returning until approximately march 1999, so this page has been put together in order to educate all newcomers about who clysm is, and as a tribute.
clysm is probably best known for his games, which are regarded as some of the best for zzt to ever be released.
his games start with crunchy, a game in which you wake up in a cell, but cannot remember anything about yourself. next comes turmoil, a game in which you are hovering above a planet in a space station, and you experience some weird readings. last in line so far is kudzu, a very different game, in which you have just landed in a strange place after parachuting.
it seems that clysm's newest game, haze, will not be playable until march of 1999, when he returns.
ever since clysm started making zzt games, he has been an asset to the zzt community. you can always count on him to carry on a nice conversation with you, or to give his opinions. and, unlike many zzt programmers, he continues to release games to this day, soon to be totalling four.
when word got out that clysm was leaving for a while, everyone had something to say. therefore, quotes have been compiled from anyone who knew clysm, including zzt industry greats, and listed below.
"clysm, i think, has incredibly kindness and charisma (however you spell it). he has proven to be one of the best programmers out there. all of his work seems to somehow portray humor, peace, and perfection. the way he volunteered to go on a mission with his church was a very admirable thing - so many computer users and net surfers seem to have lost faith in god. clysm is a truly great person, and, no matter how long he stays away, he'll always have a place in our heart. may i wish you a safe adventure, clysm." - booth
"i don't know clysm incredibly well, but i will say, that i often wondered what went on in his mind. turmoil, kudzu, (and kudzu especially) bent the barriers of zzt quite a bit, included with a sort of style, dedication to fallen 60's stars, inexplicable bizarre plots, and most of all... great to play, and great to see. most games aspire to become like others, but i admire clysm, for cutting his own path into zzt stone. or maybe i'm just taking this too seriously. either way, we'll miss you, clysm." - t0ucan
"clysm. when i came to the zzt/mzx community, he was long gone to estonia. i think it's a shame i've never really known him, because from all i hear, he must be one of the friendliest persons ever. his games are very original, and they have their own cool, unique style. i am (and the rest of the zzt'ers are...) counting days for you to come back, clysm. then i can finally get to know the zzt master personally..." - hydra78
"clysm was cool, creative, and nice. you could e-mail him even if you didn't know him and he would still be friendly. i can't wait to play his new game haze, and i think it was cool of him to put his religion first, even before zzt :). he is one of the few, not unlike me, who are striving to keep zzt alive." - jeff conroy
"i honestly have little to say, because i haven't been around the zzt/mzx scene for too long, but from the two of his games that i have played (soon to be three), i find he is an incredible programmer. i can't wait until he returns, and i know we will all be much happier. i'm just wondering what haze will be like when it's finally finished..." - jim dagg
"clysm, a _great_ zzt programmer... i even have his picture safely stored on my harddisk, so he's still with me. clysm, please come back! i'm now sitting here in front of alcoholics anonymous, because i don't know what to do anymore... i've just one thing to say: clysm, please come back, we need you and we cannot live without you!!!" - hercules
"i was a good friend of clysm in real life, and i saw most of his games before they were released to the public at large [i remember a beta version of turmoil somewhere ages ago on my hard drive -- lost to the ravages of time nowadays]. he was always a nice guy, and i remember trying to help him get doom 2 working on his computer. i miss him, and i wait for him to return stateside and lousiana-side." - sunflare
"well, I am basically a newbie to the zzt/megazeux scene, having released my first game ever only a month ago. however, since I came to the zzt\megazeux community in november of '96, i've played just about every zzt game out, from the horrific evil of evan darrow's game to the wonder of duky, inc.'s games. however, in all of this, 2 of the best games I have ever played are kudzu and turmoil. and, when I discovered what a kewl person was responsible, one thing crossed my mind - "how could the creator of kudzu be on a religious mission?" by now, I have begun to understand. while I have no idea what "clysm" symbolizes to everyone else, to me it brings to mind a kind, creative, dedicated, acceptant, tolerant person. i can't wait for you to come back so you can see what a freak I am. kudzu? It's about as wierd as a tangerine compared to what my wicked mind can concoct! (nmiaow) well, clysm.. vanem.. we're all waiting patiently for your return. well, not patiently, but anyway.. have a great time in tartu." - nemesis^
"we miss you man. don't forget us." - inmate2993
"everytime i hear puff daddy's : i'll be missing you, i think of you, clysm! please come back to us. may god be with you on your way back!" - the agonizer
"i never really was around when clysm, barney, famous, greg, matt and all the rest were, but i still managed to find a copy of kudzu and played it. simply put, it was one of the greatest. with all-lowercase lettering, intersting uses of zzt-oop, and a weird and outre plot, it was a diamond in the often-rough world of zzt. now clysm's gone, and we're all mourning. the world of zzt has lost a champion. thanks for the memories, clysm." - bongo
"kudzu was his only game i played, and it was pretty good, except i couldn't beat it because of that evil telephone at the end. or was that supposed to happen. anyway, he was a cool kid, and i missed his leaving because i was kicked out of the zzt/mzx community for a long time. so, i shall say my words to the great almighty clysm. it's called caps lock! at least that was what i screamed when i played kudzu." - v9cyberkid
"man, i really wish i would of heard of clysm sooner. i've been playing megazeux for about 2 years and i just checked out his site. he seems like an amazing person from all the comments about him and his faith in god in this day and age, tho i regret to say i have not acquired (or lost, as it were), is amazingly respectable. his hilarity vault is... well, hilarious :) i wish him good luck and a soon return so that more of his influence can ooze across the mzx community." - mike davis
"clysm, you deserve to be here with us. when you return, many zzt/mzxers will scramble to #zzt at the undernet to say 'welcome back'." - jessef007
"ummmmmmm. clysm rules. it would be cool if he came back really soon." - ratsak corp
"kudzu rulez" - fredtc
"clysm, you are an inspiration to all of us. whether it be from a zzt game, a web page, one of your interests, or just from morale support, you have affected everyone. for these two years that you are gone, you will be greatly missed." - matt williams
"all of us have been in some way affected by clysm, whether it be from, a chuckle at the hilarity vault, an inspiration from zzt heaven or from one of his masterpieces, a look into his dreams and how to interpret our own, his much appreciated praise, or a bit of everything. when he returns, we'll all be waiting to give him a hug and a heartfelt, \"welcome back buddy, we missed you! now, never leave us again!\"" - barney9651
"you're cool, man! hey, maybe we could chat at my chat room when you get back. btw, yer games are great. :)" - kewlio
if you happen to have something important to say about clysm, feel free to email it to dbwilli@usit.net.
this page has been done in clysm's " land of zzt style", which is one of his most famous styles of web pages.
this page was put up on march 4, 1997, and will remain here until march 1999, and possibly longer.