Part 3 - Jim Maxey Biography with Event Horizons BBS

I put my notepad away and walked around for about an hour. It was getting loud. I was tired of sitting, but it was great to actually find an empty place. I spread my things over my small table in an effort to better claim the space as mine. I watched people pass, then closed my eyes, just listening.

I looked around, then back at Maxey. I remember from my notes I wrote later that I kind of stuttered something like, "Yes. I mean no. I mean yes, sit down." I stood up, then sat down like a dork. He smiled.

Jim Maxey pulled a small stool and sat next to me and studied me with an easy, confident smile. "I've been looking for you. I'm Jim. I apologize for not shaking your hand earlier," he said. "My daughter came with me from Oregon, and I had to attend to her. She's just 12. How old are you, Bob, may I ask?"

Not sure if my embarrassment showed, but I tried not to show it. I remember Maxey told me his first name when he approached because it was obvious I knew who he was. "Oh, I understand," I managed to get out and change the subject. "You were busy - Is she okay?"

"Oh, my daughter? Yeah. I hired a woman from an agency who flew here with us to take care of Mariah when I was busy. We solved the problem - I hope." He stopped, seemed to be considering his words. "I hired the wrong person. My fault. Anyway, they're happy now. I gave them lots more money to eat and buy things as they want."

In addition to Event Horizons, Inc, Maxey was also the CEO of another corporation, James Monroe Investigations, a private detective agency, the largest in Oregon at the time. The 1995 photo below shows a different more subdued Maxey, different from the standard private-eye seen in movies. Maxey's company was respected because it was professional and kept a low profile. Maxey's official records show he had an Oregon concealed weopons permit and carried a Sig Sauer 9mm gun (Vietnam readers may need vpn to view Oregon corporation records.)

I had read about Maxey taking care of his daughter but this was the first I knew her name and later the spelling.

Maxey shrugged. "Her mother and I are not married. I have full custody." I felt he wanted to change the subject.

"Hi, Jim!" someone yelled from a small group. Maxey waved and turned back to me, showing diplomacy and tact in not interrupting a second time. It was then, I think, that I felt personal as well as professional admiration for him.

With some effort, I said what I felt: "I wish we had all day to talk about your work, about Event Horizons, anything." I felt foolish, but he had been honest with me, and I had to be sincere with my thoughts. I was just one guy wanting to be part of what I had been experiencing the last few years. To actually sit with Jim Maxey is what made coming here worthwhile.

"Me too," Maxey said earnestly. "Really. If nothing else, I'm a good judge of people, and I think you're off to a good start. What kind of work do you want to do?"

"I just got out of high school and want to go to college soon." I was feeling pretty good with his words.

I could not lose an opportunity again: "I want to teach after I get out of college. Maybe history or science. I've admired you for a long time and, you know, wanted to meet you," I said, or something to that effect, feeling a lot like a groupie again. I wanted to let him hear my words before he took off again. "I live right here in Colorado Springs, a few blocks away." Then I remembered I had not given my name. "I'm Bob. Robert Talmadge," I said, pointing to my name tag.

"Well, that's pretty damn convenient, Bob. Good for you. I admire you as well." He actually said that, or close to it. Admired me? For what possible reason?

"Well, Bob, do you have a BBS?" He looked calm and commanding, much different from my original estimation. How can that be? I mean, my God, how things can change from one minute to the next.

"No," I said honestly. "I mean, I did, but I got out of such silly things..." I actually said that! Stupid.

Jim Maxey laughed a wonderful, big laugh that surprised me. He wiped away tears, then I laughed at the dorkish thing I said. "It can be childish at times, a BBS that is. I mean, often I feel like a big kid still growing up, trying to find my way."

I wondered if he was joking, but I did not ask. I think he was not, but being honest with the truth not many men will admit.

"I know, yeah, some, but not yours." I was trying to backtrack my words a few seconds earlier. "Believe me; your Black Hole game is wonderful. I played for days, hour after hour." I was blabbering as Jim seemed to listen to me intently. I was amazed that he seemed interested in this teenager. Me. "But just the free hour each day 'cause I don't get money here."

"I really enjoy talking to people who have played my online games," Maxey said. "Honestly. Especially fresh, honest people like you."

Like me? Maxey was making my day, and he seemed real. "I'd like to know more about you and how you did all the things you did," I blurted out. My head was buzzing, and I tried to say something so he would stay longer. But I think I failed.

"Absolutely. Sure thing," he said with no hesitation. We stood together as I took a quick handheld photo with my Konica.

"Bob, let's keep in touch. I mean it," he said with sincerity. "Contact me via messages on the BBS, and let's exchange info, okay? And send me a copy of the photo."

He stood, extending his hand. I jumped up and shook it. I was happy I hadn't asked for an autograph. As he turned to leave, I said, "Yeah, I sure will. I'll let you know what I think, and thanks for talking with me, Jim."

A couple of guys rudely sat down at the table, nearly upsetting my drink. "Hey, was that Jim Maxey? Do you know him?"

"Of course I know him," I said, leaning into one guy with "The Danger Zone BBS" stenciled on his T-shirt.

I mention in much more detail what I know of Jim Maxey because it was a pivotal moment in my life. It was a moment when I dimly examined my feelings and motives, a bit bewildered at my own reaction upon seeing Jim Maxey in the flesh. I felt less independent, just a BBS Groupie. I admit, Maxey was my first celebrity. Duh, again. I was still excited, but not exhilarated, not euphoric. I was at the heart of the BBS world. Maxey was the best at it — at least financially, with worldwide success. But it wasn't just the amount of money he made, but what he did or how he did it.

I was young and must have been hoping for someone like Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis. There was no Facebook then; I had only seen Maxey in newspapers, magazines, or on TV. Here, he looked like an ordinary guy. Okay, I decided to move on. I checked the exhibit hall for someone I could meet, but there was just a crowd of busy people also looking around.

If I had known more about Maxey at the time, my reaction would have been different. I later learned that Maxey is not always magically diplomatic like Mahoney. I read that he speaks his mind regardless of the circumstances, and that can annoy some people — the naked truth. I've talked to several people who don't like Jim Maxey, even though, from what I understand, they never met him. They claim he believes he's always right, is too abrupt, and if you cross him twice, you're out of his life, and that he doesn't really care for anyone but himself. Even now, as I know him, he could use more diplomacy and tact. Okay. Me too.

There are others who deserve just as much, maybe more, for their contribution to the BBS world. I try to be fair and write about what I know. It takes time. It's history, and that's what I love.

No surprise that there's another side to Maxey some don't see. Even Steve Jobs had people who hated him for his sudden anger and abrupt manner. But Jim Maxey has never been on the same level as Jobs, not even in the same universe. But both seem to have somewhat similar complex and demanding personalities.

A good example of a diplomatic BBS Sysop is Bob Mahoney. Now he was also very successful but his personality is diplomatic and professional. While as far as I can tell, Maxey seems professional most of the time but it is said that he takes chances and lets the chips fall … I didn’t know this at the time but after talking with Jim Maxey through the years, reading his 12 year Facebook history (as of 2023), I learned a few things. There may be more about this later. But I have to finish this first and move on. The problem is that there are so many interesting chapters his life that he writes about on Facebook or videos he's made on Youtube.

(right) The second floor office above contains another 484 and acts as interface for CompuServe and 800 lines into the BBS network.

Indeed, Maxey is a perfectionist. It's obvious in his videos and his writing on Facebook. That doesn't mean he's a genius. Okay, Jim? I've learned what he is from reading his words. After all, he taught English, ran a very successful newspaper as editor for 21 years, and created the most successful business. He writes about spending far too much time on something small so that the overall package—software, story, or whatever—will amount to something much better than the individual parts. I believe that's called synergy. Most people settle for mediocrity: just good enough.

The problem with perfectionists is that they are demanding and often alienate people, losing friends one way or another. However, I believe most people who respect achievers—who may also be perfectionists—understand that diplomacy and perfection often oppose one another.

There is a Facebook page about Event Horizons BBS, and whoever runs it keeps copying what I write. That's flattering but a bit annoying. However, there are also other things I did not know until I read and verified them as best I could. It's not that I'm too shy to ask Maxey about anything; it's just that I want to save contacting him for significant reasons. I am not sure how he would react to my update on this article, which is far more in-depth than previous versions.

In this famous photo, Jim Maxey is standing in his main Event Horizons Inc. office in Lake Oswego. I believe this was his main Event Horizons reception office. A caption from his "Lab" states that the computer equipment in the background is a 486 Pentium with a stack of Hayes modems to the left and under the table.

Am I biased in writing so much about Jim Maxey? I guess so. Yes. But I only met Bob Mahoney and other SysOps very briefly. None of them are as publicly open as Jim Maxey. However, people like Maxey and Mahoney are the reasons I registered and operate this website, bbsdays.com, and why many other BBS operators should be recognized but have faded away through the years. Maxey has a lot to write about, and a lot has been written about him, both good and not so good.

As you can see I write about others here. I’ve been doing this for those SysOps for 18 years. You can see the history of bbsdays.com on the WayBack Machine, archive.org as well as Maxey's former oregonherald.com newspaper now turned into what looks like a gambling site!

(right) Expensive “digiboards” allows the main computer (a 486) to time-share the computer’s two com ports instead of using 64 computers. However, 64 telephone lines were still required.
Jim Maxey Event Horizons BBS in Lake Oswego, Oregon

I try to encourage others to share their stories, but it's incredibly difficult to locate them. Many have simply disappeared, passed away, or prefer not to be contacted or featured. Honestly, I don't understand it. Even Maxey is hesitant, and if not for his public Facebook page, I would have very little information. Since it is public, however, I consider it fair game and publish what I can when time permits. Nevertheless, many other BBS SysOps and industry contributors who didn't run a BBS also deserve recognition for their impact on the online world, and more should be written about these pioneers.

There are others whose fame was based more on the pure BBS concepts of sharing files and messages. A few held it against Maxey that he charged so much. There are BBS sysops who, in some ways, outshine Maxey in the truest sense of the original BBS idea, and I'd like to have their autograph, but they'd probably laugh. Maxey is just one sysop who has a wealth of public information and has accomplished so much, so many "firsts."

It's common knowledge that Jim Maxey retired from the BBS world in or around 1996 to write, lecture, or create business packages for the corporate world. Maxey also seems to be known for lectures on the environment and "utopia." I don't know much about this and can't find much information.

Once inside Event Horizons through the years would find different welcoming screens.

In the early days from 1983 the welcome screen of Event Horizons used colorful ANSI graphics.

A more sophisticated use of extended graphics allowed a creative login interface: as seen above:

Upon logging into the Event Horizons BBS, users were greeted by a sophisticated ANSI graphics Main Menu, enabling keyboard navigation. The BBS primarily utilized TBBS (The Bread Board System) as its software interface, managing phone lines and populating the digital world with various options. After logging in, users would encounter a menu crafted by Maxey.

Escape From Languor, an online game from Event Horizons BBS, featured a high-resolution depiction of a prison ship. Players aimed to ascend from the lowest level to the fifth and uppermost level, seize control of the ship, and journey to a distant galaxy.

Maxey was the game's writer and director. Jeff Butsch, a trusted Event Horizons programmer and graphics expert, developed the graphics and code under Maxey's guidance.

Within the game, players battled bizarre monsters, including a memorable encounter with John Boy Walton, who held JFK's head and uttered, "Ask Not..." This hilarious, campy, and strange element perfectly captured Maxey's absurd sense of humor. The online game was remarkably advanced for its era, anywhere in the world.

While not the first BBS, Event Horizons quickly became one of the most recognized, financially successful, and creatively innovative Bulletin Board Systems globally.

According to The Economist (UK), Boardwatch Magazine, and Wikipedia.com, Event Horizons Inc.'s annual sales were 3.2 million US dollars in the early 1990s, four years before the advent of the World Wide Web.

Jim Maxey founded Event Horizons in 1983 and has been featured on a number of television programs, including "A Current Affair," "BBC Television," "ABC Newswatch," "Science Digest," "The Computer Chronicles," "Nova," "The Science Channel," and "The Discovery Channel." Some of the information published here was taken from those programs and is now in print for the first time.

Before becoming successful, Maxey was a university English teacher. In late 1978, after many years of study, he finally passed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Radiotelephone First Class License, which allowed him to work and control TV stations as an Electronics Broadcast Engineer. He worked as a TV Broadcast Engineer at the Rock Hill TV station WNSC-TV, which was part of the South Carolina Educational Television Network.

In an interview, Maxey said he always loved electronics from an early age but preferred teaching, or, if not that, then working as a television journalist and writing in his free time.

But before WNSC-TV, Maxey worked at various radio stations as a disc jockey and online personality.

Listening to Maxey on YouTube, it's clear he has an excellent speaking voice and articulates well. At some point, he worked as a television news reporter for KWTX-TV in Texas sometime in the early or mid-1980s.

In an interview, Maxey also talked about working for the Army Research Institute at Fort Hood, Texas, where he helped create military training videos involving the Army M1 tank, using enlisted personnel as actors in his films to identify the enemy using thermal imaging.

In one interview, Maxey indicated his graphics career sprang from experiments with U.S. Army tank models, using graphics to replace or simulate moving targets. He accepted a "media director" position with the U.S. Army to create and operate a top-secret military media laboratory. His films and videos trained soldiers operating the Abrams M1 fighting tank to identify the enemy using thermal imaging night vision sights. He was not hired because of expertise with army tanks (he admits he had no such experience), but rather because of his solid electronic engineering background and a United States FCC first-class license as a Television Broadcast Engineer.

Later, Maxey lectured on various subjects, including Socialism, Utopia, History, and Photography—a rather wide list of topics.

He settled down with his daughter, an animal rights activist (where he was apparently a Girl Scout Leader in Lake Oswego, Oregon), and began to develop ways to make Event Horizons more profitable.