Gallery — Ocean Software Fan Page

Bob Wakelin joined Ocean Software in the mid-1980s and became the studio's principal cover artist, responsible for the iconic visual identity of titles including RoboCop, Batman: The Movie, Wizball, and dozens of others. Working primarily in acrylic and airbrush, Wakelin produced artwork that matched the ambition of the Hollywood productions Ocean was licencing - painterly, kinetic, and saturated with colour. His inlays are now collected as objects in their own right by the retro gaming community.

RoboCop (1988) — C64 cassette inlay art by Bob Wakelin — RoboCop (1988) — C64 inlay art by Bob Wakelin

RoboCop (1988) — ZX Spectrum cassette inlay art — RoboCop (1988) — Spectrum inlay art by Bob Wakelin

RoboCop (1988) — NES cartridge box art — RoboCop (1988) — NES box art

Batman: The Movie (1989) — C64 cassette inlay art by Bob Wakelin — Batman: The Movie (1989) — C64 inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Batman: The Movie (1989) — Amiga floppy disk inlay art — Batman: The Movie (1989) — Amiga inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Wizball (1987) — C64 cassette inlay art — Wizball (1987) — C64 inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Wizball (1987) — ZX Spectrum cassette inlay art — Wizball (1987) — Spectrum inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Head Over Heels (1987) — C64 cassette inlay art — Head Over Heels (1987) — C64 inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Head Over Heels (1987) — ZX Spectrum cassette inlay art — Head Over Heels (1987) — Spectrum inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Arkanoid (1987) — C64 cassette inlay art — Arkanoid (1987) — C64 inlay art

Arkanoid (1987) — ZX Spectrum cassette inlay art — Arkanoid (1987) — Spectrum inlay art

Total Recall (1990) — C64 cassette inlay art by Bob Wakelin — Total Recall (1990) — C64 inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Total Recall (1990) — Amiga floppy disk inlay art — Total Recall (1990) — Amiga inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Chase H.Q. (1989) — C64 cassette inlay art — Chase H.Q. (1989) — C64 inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Chase H.Q. (1989) — Amiga floppy disk inlay art — Chase H.Q. (1989) — Amiga inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Jurassic Park (1993) — SNES cartridge box art — Jurassic Park (1993) — SNES box art

The Addams Family (1992) — SNES cartridge box art — The Addams Family (1992) — SNES box art

The Addams Family (1992) — Game Boy cartridge box art — The Addams Family (1992) — Game Boy box art

Midnight Resistance (1990) — C64 cassette inlay art by Bob Wakelin — Midnight Resistance (1990) — C64 inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Batman Returns (1992) — SNES cartridge box art — Batman Returns (1992) — SNES box art

Batman Returns (1992) — Game Boy cartridge box art — Batman Returns (1992) — Game Boy box art

Navy SEALs (1991) — Amiga floppy disk inlay art by Bob Wakelin — Navy SEALs (1991) — Amiga inlay art by Bob Wakelin

Pang (1990) — ZX Spectrum cassette inlay art — Pang (1990) — Spectrum inlay art

About Bob Wakelin: Bob Wakelin (1948–2017) was Ocean Software's staff artist from the mid-1980s until the studio's acquisition by Infogrames in 1996. His covers drew on the visual language of movie poster design - dynamic perspective, bold typography, figures in mid-action - and gave Ocean's releases an immediately recognisable shelf presence. Wakelin rarely received prominent credit on the products he illustrated, though his contribution to Ocean's commercial success was considerable. Following his death in 2017, retrospective appreciation of his work increased significantly within the retro gaming community.