Back to the BASICs

With the Mad Men finale still fresh in our minds, and legions of its disciples now adrift in search of new vintage inspiration, the strategy behind the timely launch of AMC’s microcomputer retrospective Halt and Catch Fire second season could not be more clear. And while season one may not have been the breakout hit that AMC and Halt’s producers were hoping for, we’re gonna be the first to tell you that, just like the program’s protagonist, this digital drama may take a little while to catch on, but it’s gonna be a big deal.

One of the reasons for this is its absolute relevance. Early 80s style may not exude the sheer visual appeal of mid-century design, but the show’s subject matter is infinitely more apropos. Even if you didn’t own a Commodore 64 or wear a brown polyester suit from Sears or JC Penney, Halt and Catch Fire is a look into the prehistory of personal computing that anyone alive can surely relate to.

What’s makes the show exciting in a way that Mad Men could never be, even beyond the considerably more complex characters and nostalgia inducing retro setting, is Halt and Catch Fire’s portrayal of creation for its own merit. Unlike their modern counterparts on the comedic corollary Silicon Valley, the pioneering entrepreneurs of HCF are much more focused on actually creating something than they are about term sheets and cap tables. Even conflicted shark in a suit Joe MacMillan, the near epitome of 80s self-indulgence, is consumed by the need to manifest the imaginary. Its a refreshing departure from the now ubiquitous startup story concerned only with some abstract valuation rather than any legitimate corporeal value.

So while Halt and Catch Fire certainly doesn’t compare in terms of its potential impact on men’s fashion and day drinking, it is quite clear that AMC intends this series to be Mad Men’s replacement and that it is an equally worthy, and perhaps superior, surrogate. And if you doubt the 80s ability to inspire some phenomenal style cues, we recommend you dig some of your dad’s (or grandfather’s) vintage Playboys out of the closet, pour yourself a Singapore Sling, and watch a little Cocktail before the Season 2 premiere tonight on AMC.

miles-donovan channels his inner computer punk in this exclusive piece of art

SINGAPORE SLING

1 oz Aviation Gin
1 oz Banks 5 Island Rum
0.5 oz Amontillado Sherry
0.5 oz Kirshwasser Cherry Eau De Vie
cold pressed pineapple juice
fresh lime juice
cherry-lemongrass shrub