APRIL 1, 2023 — KANSAS CITY, MO — Roger Wagner, having recently donated his Apple II collection to KansasFest, has announced a surprising continuation of his generosity.
“From Assembly Lines to HyperStudio, the historical artifacts I’ve donated to KansasFest are invaluable — but they lack context,” said Wagner in an exclusive interview with Juiced.GS. “They need their creator’s perspective to be truly understood and appreciated. Therefore, I have decided to donate myself to KansasFest.”
By becoming part of KansasFest’s living museum, Wagner will be available to describe his products at length, regaling listeners with stories from olden times. Wagner and his wealth of information will be stored in KansasFest’s climate-controlled storage unit in Missouri, where he will be accessible on-demand. Cryogenic technology previously pioneered by Juiced.GS will ensure Wagner is well-preserved for future generations.
“After months of aimless wandering through my once-crowded offices, I’m excited to be reunited with the extensive collection that I spent so many decades assembling,” said Wagner. “By accessioning myself into KansasFest’s inventory, I’ll become part of computer history more literally than ever before.”
Such a surprising donation is unprecedented. “One-of-a-kind hardware like this is particularly difficult to obtain,” said KansasFest committee member Chris Torrence. “This isn’t some unfinished prototype! To have an actual Wagner production model as part of our collection is hugely significant — and potentially the beginning of a new exhibit we can expand with other developers of the era.”
As part of their mission to archive the history of the Apple II, KansasFest plans to digitize the original Wagner for better preservation and distribution. However, doing so will devalue the source material, suggesting Wagner may become part of a future Garage Giveaway, to go home with a fortunate attendee.
Said Torrence, “After all these years, we look forward to a new installment of Assembly Lines: The Care and Feeding of Roger Wagner.”
(Photos courtesy Roger Wagner, Chris Torrence, /u/hellfighter923, and Geoff Weiss)