Lampoon In Software Business With Electronic Entertainment

The next victim of the Harvard Lampoon's notorious parodies will be the software industry, when six of the magazine's staff members create a computer software package and companion book for the publishing company Simon and Schuster.

The six Lampoon staffers are writing a disk parodying other popular software programs and games as well as a companion book of directions and traditional Lampoon humor.

The program parodies may include such things as a math tutorial program that does anything but tutor, and spoofs on popular video games, staff members said yesterday.

Lampoon President Conan C. O'Brien '85 described the program, saying it was like "inviting a Lampoon editor into your home and asking him to teach you math."

Although the programming is being done by Simon and Schuster, the contents of the disk and the graphics were done over the summer by members of the Lampoon staff whom the publishing company paid "enough for us to dress well for the rest of the year," said O'Brien, who is heading the project.

Young Innovators

The Lampoon was contacted by Simon and Schuster last January because the publishers wanted somebody "young and innovative" to handle the idea, said Mary Anne Cleary, a company representative.

According to O'Brien, at least part of the Lampoon's will be in the form of a donation of books by Simon and Schuster to the Lampoon's library.

The software package will not be in stores until at least the fall of 1985, but O'Brien said that the publisher has reserved the right to discontinue the project at anytime.