The very first Nancy Drew book was published on April 29, 1930, called The Secret of the Old Clock. Nancy was considered revolutionary at the time – taking on bad guys, riding horses, jetting off to exotic destinations. Today her spirit continues on in our fans as they read her newest adventures and play the latest games. Fans become Nancy and take on her courageous, intelligent, and resourceful personality as they solve thrilling mysteries in the PC games, the best way to step into the legendary sleuth’s shoes.
We recently attended the Nancy Drew fan convention which took place in Merritt Island, FL. It was themed around Mystery of the Moss Covered Mansion, which took place on the island, and featured guest Rudy Nappi, the artist who created the revised covers for the yellowback books. We met a lot of fans, learned little known facts about our favorite heroine, gave a presentation about game design, and had an awesome time!
We interviewed Caroline and Julia and asked them about their favorite Nancy Drew game and how they’ve put their sleuthing skills to use!
One of the speakers at the convention, famed artist and professor, Laura Ruby, talked to us about how Nancy Drew inspired her art. She finds herself looking for clues in every day life to put together in her artwork. Laura got the idea from the “Drew” in Nancy’s last name, which is the past tense of the word “draw.” Learn more about her work at her website.
We also interviewed collector and Florida resident, Carol, who’s a veteran of Nancy Drew conventions and an avid collector of all things Nancy Drew! Her favorite items in her collection are the two books she had signed by Rudi Nappi at the convention!
Morgan also shares her adventures with her trusty magnifying glass and solving Mystery of the Missing Glasses. The best advice she’s learned from Nancy Drew: Never give up!
In celebration of Nancy Drew’s 80th anniversary, we are also remastering the very first game Her Interactive created, Secrets Can Kill. We’ve updated all the graphics, added new puzzles, and even upgraded Nancy to a cell phone. Check out these images from the original game versus the new version – can you spot all the changes that we made?
There’s a whole mess of references the designer’s placed throughout this remastered version. You can find hints to the 80th anniversary in newspaper articles, books, and scattered in environments. Whether it’s the number “80” or some classic Nancy Drew art, you’ll find a small sampling in the images below, but how many hidden messages can you discover in the full game?
You’ll find some classic Nancy Drew line art, like this one, prominently displayed on the announcement board.
In this local newspaper, the street, the police chief, and the store owner are all references to the number “80”.
Original Nancy Drew book art is adorns this bulletin board in the High School halls.
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