Earthworm Jim Timeline

Dates for events are arranged in their respective categories.

Characters Created

1991

They Called Him Evil

Doug TenNapel creates Evil The Cat Character, who starred in his first published short comic book "They Called Him Evil". Evil The Cat would later go on to be a character in the Earthworm Jim universe.
Publisher - Mocking Bird Press 1991.

1993

Earthworm Jim character Created

Doug TenNapel creates Earthworm Jim Character while working at the newly formed Shiny Entertainment by David Perry. The first two Earthworm Jim video games were developed by the development team who worked there from 1994 - 1997.

Earthworm Jim

1994

Several versions of Earthworm Jim were simultaneously made for multiple game consoles/platforms from 1994 to 1995:
Sega Genesis (Mega Drive), Super Nintendo, PC CD-ROM, Sega CD and Game Gear.

Earthworm Jim for Sega Genesis (Mega Drive)

Developer: Shiny Entertainment
Publisher(s) - virgin Interactive, Playmates

1995

Earthworm Jim Special Edition (Sega CD)

Developer: Shiny Entertainment
Publisher(s) - Interplay, Playmates

Earthworm Jim (Game Gear)

Developer: Shiny Entertainment
Publisher(s) - Interplay, Playmates

Earthworm Jim (SNES)

Developer: Shiny Entertainment
Publisher(s) - Interplay, Playmates

Earthworm Jim (Game Boy)

Developer: Eurocom Entertainment
Publisher(s) - Interplay, Playmates

Earthworm Jim (PC Win 95)

Developer: Kinesoft
Publisher - Activision

Earthworm Jim 2

1996

Earthworm Jim 2

Made for multiple game consoles/platforms:
Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis (Mega Drive), Sega Saturn, PC CD-ROM, Playstation (UK).
Shiny Entertainment
Publisher - Interplay

Sega Saturn and Playstation version (1996)

Developer: Screaming Pink
Publisher - Virgin Interactive

The whole can o' Worms (1996)

Earthworm Jim 1 & 2 for PC - Developer: Shiny Entertainment / Rainbow Arts
Publisher - Playmates

TV, Comics and Action Toys

1995

Earthworm Jim Cartoon

The release of the Earthworm Jim TV Show which was made at Universal Cartoon Studios and aired on the Warner Brothers TV network. It ran for two seasons until 1996.

Earthworm Jim Action Figures by Playmates Toys

Toyline was released by Playmates Toys based on the video games and TV Show.

Comic Books

Three issue Comic Book series published by Marvel Absurd in the USA. It was based on both the video game and TV show.
A Comic Book based on the TV Show was also produced by Arcadia in the UK around the same time which was similar in style to the TV show.

2011

Earthworm Jim Cartoon DVD

The entire series of the 1995 TV Show released on DVD by Madman / ViaVision on June 1st in Australia and New Zealand.

2012

The entire series of the 1995 TV Show released on DVD by Millennium on July 10th - US and Canada.

Mezco Earthworm Jim Toy

New Earthworm Jim action figure made by Mezco Toys were released in July.

Earthworm Jim 3D & Beyond

1995

Earthworm Jim was a secret playable character in Battle Arena Toshinden which was developed by Digital Dialect for the PC version of that game in 1995. A cloned character, it used old EWJ sound effects, and was an alternate skin over a character called "Rungo Iron".

1997

Clay Fighter 63 1/3: Sculptor's Cut Released Oct 21, 1997 on Nintendo 64. Developer / publisher: Interplay. This game had Earthworm Jim as a playable character in it.

1999

Earthworm Jim Menace 2 The Galaxy

Made for the Game Boy Color
Developer: IMS Productions
Publisher - Crave Entertainment

Earthworm Jim 3D

Made for the N64
Publisher - Rockstar games
Developer: Vis Entertainment, release date: Dec 17th 1999.

2000

PC version of Earthworm Jim 3D released
Developer: Vis Entertainment
Publisher - Interplay.

2001

Earthworm Jim GBA port

Developer: Game Titan.

2002

Earthworm Jim 2 GBA port

(Nov the 29th) Developer: Super Empire
Both games were published by Majesco.

2003

Development started on a new Earthworm Jim game by an undisclosed development studio which was cancelled in early development by Interplay.

2006

Earthworm Jim PSP

Development started on a new Earthworm Jim game by Shiny Entertainment for the Play Station Portable console. Development stopped short around the autumn of 2006.
Publisher - Atari - (cancelled).

2008

Interplay Press Release

April 22nd.
Interplay stated in a press release that they intended to work on a new Earthworm Jim game. Also to develop Earthworm Jim for Film and TV.

September 22nd.
Interplay relaunched with all their old Intellectual Properties.

Earthworm Jim 1 Wii Virtual Console

Earthworm Jim 1 ported to the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console.
Europe release date, October the 3rd. USA Release date, October the 27th.

Good Old Games (GOG) Provide Earthworm Jim 1 & 2 (The Whole can o' Worms, PC version) and Earthworm Jim 3D (PC) for download.

2009

Earthworm Jim 1 port for the Apple IPhone Touch, October 21st. Developer: Gameloft.
The Iphone version was based off of the original Mega Drive/Genesis version of Earthworm Jim, but with graphical changes and an interface intended for the IPhone Touch.

Earthworm Jim Collection released on the Steam PC Engine, November 4th. Earthworm Jim 1, 2 & Earthworm Jim 3D PC Windows version.

Earthworm Jim 2 Wii Virtual Console

Earthworm Jim 2 released for the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console, December 4th. (Mega Drive/Genesis version).

2010

Earthworm Jim released for Palm Pre by Gameloft, February 17th.

Earthworm Jim for Nintendo DSIWare

Release dates: April 23rd Europe, May 10th North America.
Developer Gameloft.

Earthworm Jim HD port for Xbox Live Arcade / Playstation Network

The original Earthworm Jim game ported again. Extra levels were designed for a cooperative mode where four players could play at the same time. Release dates: XBLA version June 9th, PSN version August 3rd.
Developer Gameloft.

Shiny Entertainment

1997

MDK MDK released.

1998

Wild 9 released.

1999

R/C Stunt Copter 1999 released.

2000

Messiah and Sacrifice released.

2003

Enter The Matrix released.

2005

The Path of Neo released.

After Shiny

1996

Shiny Entertainment sold to Interplay.

The Neverhood

Doug TenNapel, Edward Schofield, Mike Dietz, Mark Lorenzen, Eric Ciccone and Steve Crow left Shiny Entertainment to form independent game studio The Neverhood.

1997

Planet Moon

Nick Bruty and Bob Stevenson left Shiny Entertainment to form the independent game studio Planet Moon.

2002

Shiny sold to Infrogrames by Interplay. Later Infrogrames bought Atari and took on their brand as their identity. Interplay retained rights to all Shiny Entertainment's past titles.

2005

Tommy Tallarico, the original composer for the Earthworm 1 & 2 music formed Video Games Live.

2006

David Perry Left Shiny Entertainment.

Game Industry Map

David Perry creates online wiki community resource for people getting their foot into the Games Industry.

2007

Shiny Entertainment sold to Foundation 9.

2008

Shiny Entertainment ceased to exist. It was merged with The Collective and Foundation 9 to become Double Helix Games.

2009

Gaikai

David Perry becomes a co-founder of Gaikai (Technology for the streaming of high-end video games), April 2009.

David Perry on Game Design: A Brainstorming Toolbox

David Perry releases book - published by Delmar. The book is also a online wiki-like non-profit resource for students.

Pencil Test Studios

Mike Dietz and Ed Schofield form their own independent content creation studio for animation (TV & Film), mobile devices and video games.

2011

Rogue Rocket Games

Nick Bruty and Richard Sun formed a new independent games studio Rogue Rocket Games.

2012

Video Games Live Earthworm Jim Concert

June's E3 event was the venue for Tommy Tallarico's Video Games Live concert which premiered a music medley from Earthworm Jim 1 and 2.

In addition, other original Team members from the video games David Perry, Mike Dietz, Ed Schofield, Doug TenNapel and Nick Bruty Joined the event.

2013

Armikrog. video game went into development by PencilTest Studios after a successful Kickstarter campaign.

2015

Armikrog. released October 1st. PC and Mac.

Earthworm Jim The Comic

2019

Earthworm Jim The Comic: Launch The Cow

The creator of Earthworm Jim, Doug TenNapel announced a new Earthworm Jim comic book - Earthworm Jim: Launch The Cow. It was successfully funded through IndieGoGo and published in December 2019.

2020

Earthworm Jim 2 The Comic: Fight The Fish

Earthworm Jim 2 The Comic: Fight The Fish was crowd funded on Kickstarter and IndyGogo in 2020. Published in 2021