The origins of the Mudokon they call Alf - Fact
 

I was recently reading an article called "Behind The Classics" on the Playstation Blog site, and in it was an interview with Lorne Lanning. There is something that took my interest...

"There was one fan who swears the game saved his life, who was actually a 72 year old man who we decided to name a character after in our second game, Abe’s Exoddus. He was Alf Gamble. When we read his hand written multi-paged letter… all of us cried. It was a killer, it was sincere, and it was a heartbreaker."

Is this letter publically available? If so, I'd love to read it.

I know the envelope was on the old Oddworld.com. I remember he had this amazing handwriting.

I've not come across a scan or transcription of it.

You'd think that lorne would keep it if means a lot to him, especially if it created alf!

I think that Lorne has told a part of the story in the documentation "Moral Combat". He said that one guy has wrote a letter to the Oddworld team where he discribed that he ( the writer) wants to kill himself but instead he does the second stupidest thing , he brought a playstation and Abe's Oddysee. It was the first time that he could really laugh and get some emotion in his soul. I'm pretty sure that it was Alf story! :)

Yes. As I understand it, it caught his eye and he bought it as a sort of last hurrah before he killed himself.

*intended to kill himself.

Before they are done, all are intentions.

Yes, but he didn't do it in the end.

I'm pretty sure that Alf's letter hasn't been uploaded anywhere and I sincerely hope that it never is. It's not anyone's place to share something so personal to Alf with a public audience.

I agree it would be totally inappropriate to release this letter. It was meant for OWI, not the whole goddamn planet.

Didn't this guy also write some of the Dear Alf answers?

I sincerely doubt it. Alf the character was named after Alf the person, but Alf the person wasn't hired by OWI to play Alf the character.

This is why I said I only remember seeing the envelope. I don't think the letter was photographed with it.

I was responding to the OP.

Funny, I read somewhere that he did...

Oh well.

OP?

Opening/Original Post

http://www.oddworldforums.net/member.php?u=1164

The Info on this profile matches perfectly:

Date of Birth:
April 8, 1926
Age:
86
Location:
Leicester UK
Biography:
I am 76 years old and abes no 1 fan.
Interests:
play station games, computors, letter wrighting, art work, making things like modle boats and meeting people.
Occupation:
Games player.

He may have been among us all along.....however it does show his last activity as 07-29-2002.....I hope he's still around?

He died years ago.

Not a joke.

Can you elaborate and do you know what of?

I don't remember. Cancer maybe.

Do a forum search on Alf Gamble.

And the thoroughy embarrassing thread where every member posted their condolences as if they were his personal friend.

And the other embarrassing thread celebrating his birthday afterwards...

I also read a while ago the article from PlayStation Blog, and I was wondering what was the letter content. I guess I got my answer.