Robert Alvarado’s KITT Project by Knight Industries of Kentucky
July 1, 2019
Battle of the 80’s Supercars with David Hasselhoff
July 14, 2019
Article by Nick Nugent
On September 26th, 1982 the world was introduced to the most technically advanced supercar in existence and given their first glimpse into the dangerous world of a man who did not exist. That man who began as Michael Arthur Long became “Michael Knight” (played by David Hasselhoff), a lone crusader whose mission began with a quest for revenge but soon evolved into a heroic crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless and bring to justice criminals who operated above the law. Michael’s reluctant partner was an artificial intelligence known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand or K.I.T.T. for short (voiced by the clever wit of William Daniels) Unlike many buddy-cop dramas of the time, what set Knight Rider apart was that K.I.T.T. was a talking car unlike any other and not afraid to speak his mind. The Knight 2000 which resembled an 82’ Pontiac Trans Am with a mirror polished obsidian finish was protected by a molecular bonded shell which made the car nearly invulnerable and week after week delighted audiences of all ages by crashing through walls, repelling bullets, Micro Jamming electronics, driving on two wheels with “Ski Mode”, and best of all leaping across danger with the simple push of a button marked “Turbo Boost”. From 1982-1986, Knight Rider continued to dazzle the hearts and mind of generations to come and here, nearly 30 years later the spirit of this iconic series still burns bright.
Image from the original opening clip from the TV Series Knight Rider. Original Copyright holder, Universal Studios, retains all rights. Image displayed for reference/education purposes.
So what made Knight Rider so memorable? Why do so many fans across the globe continue to gravitate toward it today? Some say it was the car, the cast, the charisma of David Hasselhoff, the merchandise, the stunts, or the modern heroics but I would like to think what makes Knight Rider stand out above any technically advanced action show of its kind (what I call the “techno-robotic sleuth” genre which is anything with a gadget driven hi-tech super-vehicle) is the positive message of hope, that one man can make a difference. You can stand up against wrongs and find the strength to continue to make them right.
From the first time my step-dad Gary gave me a talking “Kenner K.I.T.T.” as a child, I fell in love with everything Knight Rider stood for. I played with it for hours, glued to every syllable K.I.T.T. spoke with the tug of the tiny KNIGHT license plate on the rear. I cleared away every toy from my shelf to make sure K.I.T.T. (kids just called the car K.I.T.T., we didn’t care about the distinction between an A.I. and a vehicle) was in just the right position for the sunlight to stream in from my bedroom window and gleam off my car like a spotlight. I would imagine little cross-over missions for Michael and K.I.T.T. to go on, saving G.I. JOE or the Autobots from the evil schemes of Cobra or the Decepticons, Turbo Boosting to the rescue or crashing through barricades and racing through imaginary gunfire.
My first slice of “reality vs. the fantasy of television magic” came in the form of a dispute with a bully. This individual who shall remain nameless sought to prove that KITT was not nearly invulnerable as he was depicted on the small screen. It was also the first time I really understood what being a “geek” meant. Before I could blink, he snatched my prized talking K.I.T.T. away from me and to prove his point – sent Michael and K.I.T.T. rolling right into the path of an oncoming semi as I watched powerless while my childhood dreams shattered into hundreds of plastic pieces flung across the pavement. My understanding of fantasy and reality became solidified that day and part of my innocence was lost forever.
You must understand this was back in the day before we had ebay. When Toys R’ Us was stocked full of toys that were die cast metal and actually made to last. You couldn’t simply go out to a store and replace K.I.T.T., by the time this happened the toy was discontinued. For a kid like me, it was like losing a friend forever. As an only child, I was left home alone to fend for myself while my mother worked late nights. With no stable father figure in my life, I found my fatherly guidance in Michael Knight. Week after week I would tune into Knight Rider in syndication and learn strong moral values, mixed in with thrilling action and riveting suspense. Knight Rider was a show the entire family could enjoy with creator Glen A. Larson’s unique brand of humor to break up the tension. I may have lost my beloved toy car but I still had K.I.T.T. on television and Michael Knight was my hero. I didn’t care about the effects or the cheesy nature of the series others like to point out today – as a kid I wanted nothing more than to ride shotgun with Michael and call K.I.T.T. my pal. I wanted to get inside that car that evoked the “WOW!” factor and press all the buttons to see what they did.
Michael and K.I.T.T. would never judge me for who I was or what I enjoyed.
My mother and I moved around a lot so it was hard to make friends but given my geeky nature, it was very easy to make enemies. Bullies lurked around every corner seeking to knock my books out of my hands, demand lunch money, mock my low end clothing, or make fun of me for paying attention in class. I used my imagination wherever I felt the need to express it, be it a public playground, the top of my school desk, or doodling during a boring class lecture to stay awake.
Because I was often lost in my own dream world, I was called a nerd, a geek, a lost cause, a dork who didn’t “get it” because I wasn’t into eyeballing girls or going to parties, sporting events, or earning trophies. I didn’t care about following the latest trends or ditching class. All I cared about was getting on Honor Roll, playing The Legend of Zelda on my NES, and watching Saturday morning cartoons: A-Team, Knight Rider, Airwolf, Double Dare, Finders Keepers, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and all other manner of geeky television gold that is scarcely found today.
I was told I would amount to nothing in life.
As fate would have it many years later, the very series I grew up watching from afar soon returned to change my life forever. It was by chance encounter that I met James Larson, the son of series creator and Executive Producer Glen. A. Larson. I remember vividly the first time I met Glen at a private screening for “Serenity” in January, 2005. I was intimidated beyond belief by his stage-like regal presence and here I was looking very much like a fanboy geek; right down to my flaming “S” shield Superman t-shirt and longer hippie hair spilling across my shoulders.
I told Glen how much I admired Knight Rider and how much the show meant to me and how it changed my life as a kid growing up. At this time Knight Rider had just come out with Season 1 on dvd but I had collected all the VHS tapes released by Columbia House. Imagine my surprise when Glen asked James to retrieve a box set from his collection. Not only did Glen give me a brand new shiny Season 1 box set that night but he also personally signed it me. (Which is now signed by many more cast/crew)
From that moment on, I was completely immersed in the world of Knight Rider once again. Week after week I would drive up to his home in Woodland Hills, CA and discuss ideas about the series, motion picture concepts, and upcoming events, and help him in any way I could. I also worked on ideas for a modernized Knight Rider motion picture, that sadly we will never get to see fully realized due to Glen passing away from cancer in 2014.
Not long after our relationship grew, I come across two fans out there whose passion and knowledge of this series exceeded my own. A previous book, Knight Rider Legacy was an outstanding glimpse into how Knight Rider was created, produced, marketed, and enjoyed told by the people who worked on the show. From my first encounter with the book, I enjoyed everything about it except one thing was lacking – color photos.
I greatly adored the story of Knight Rider but for me, I really gravitated towards the visual language of the show – you don’t “read” television, you watch it! I wanted to create a fairly spoiler free guide book that focused only on the original series mythology that included the original cast of the series and excluded the latter spin-offs. A book that provided just as much a visual guide to the series as it did in text. A virtual time machine that would through its various full color, hi-resolution imagery trigger those cherished memories and perhaps spark that childlike sense of wonder once again.
After a year’s worth of research, gathering interviews, gaining clearances, layout, custom design, editing, and finally production in late December 2008 - The Knight Rider Companion was born.
After its release, I soon found myself using the proverbial “super pursuit mode” from one Knight Rider inspired project to the next and fulfilling demand for copies of my self published book. I was energized with a passion to bring awareness of Michael and K.I.T.T. back to generations today. I found myself not just loving Knight Rider but forever becoming a part of its continued legacy by contributing new original artwork and making it available to fans who wanted it. Chances are if you were to google “Knight Rider”, “KITT”, or “Knight Rider Art”, you would run across my artwork without knowing it.
In January 2012, Daniel Trujillo and I visited El Mirage Dry Lake with several KITT replicas where the original titles of Knight Rider were filmed.
In October 2012, Knights of the West Coast produced the world’s first and only “Knight Rider Reunion” 30th anniversary fan event in Los Angeles, CA which raised $4000.00 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and featured some special guests and props from the original series.
With people sending me fan mail from all across the world, I know that the challenges I faced along with my Dad Gary to make my book possible was worth the personal, financial, and emotional obstacles we had to overcome to make a difference. Since publishing The Knight Rider Companion I have produced several new pieces of original artwork including t-shirts, pins, posters, photo prints, and schematic metal plates – all of which can be found in limited edition releases in my online store on www.knightridercompanion.com
From one design challenge to the next, I have created artwork for modern day Knight Rider events such as Knight Rider Reunion, Knight Rider Festival I-III, Saugus Car Show, Knights of the West Coast, and other things. Over the years, I have attended Knight Rider events such as Knight Rider Festival, Las Vegas Car Stars, Knightcon in the UK, Southern Knights in Atlanta, and made good friends with fans who share my love for television cars such as Star Car Central and Fireball Tim. I have also advised on Knight Rider based products from Diamond Select Toys to Jada Die Cast.
I recently had several articles and photos featured in multiple issues of “Smoke Signals Magazine” that featured Knight Rider fandom.
As a digital artist, I have created trading card sets, posters, t-shirts, banners, VIP passes, labels, video animations, and other promotional materials. I was featured on CBS along with Knights of the West Coast on a show called, “Same Name” which starred David Hasselhoff and “The Goldbergs” (Ho-ly KITT) featuring a Thanksgiving themed episode with KITT in 2016. I have probably done more things in the span of a decade for Knight Rider than one person should be able to accomplish in a lifetime. I can say I’ve done practically everything a fan could possibly hope to accomplish for a beloved television series.
You can find out more about me and my work on my website at : www.nrndesign.com
I have met everyone (including David) who worked on the series still living, except for Patricia McPherson (Bonnie Barstow). I’ve built lasting friendships with cast/crew such as Catherine Hickland (Stevie Mason), Rebecca Holden (April Curtis), Ann Turkel (Adrianne Margeaux), Stu Phillips (Composer), Don Peake (Composer), Michael Scheffe (Original KITT designer), Jack Gill (Stuntman), Ron Martinez (Producer), Tom Greene (Writer/Producer), Tony Wood (TKR), and Glen A. Larson (Creator/Exec Producer). I list them by name so that if you don’t know who they are, you can google them and find out just why they’re such talented and amazing people.
I have a Facebook, Twitter, IMDB page, personal website, fan website, and all other measure of social networking.
Without the respect and support of my fans, friends and family, I wouldn’t be where I am today and I strongly believe in giving credit where it is due.
For over a decade, I have proven that one fan can make a difference.
I say one “fan” and not “man” because a fan is not gender specific. A fan can be anyone of any age, nationality, gender, sexual preference, geek, nerd, dork, or whatever other stereotype out there people can come up with. A fan is not genre specific – you can love anyone and love anything and that is what makes being a fan so great. You’re free to reach for the stars and capture your dreams; only your fear can stop you.
For me, what matters is making a positive difference one generous act of kindness at a time. To keep my word when it is given, help those in need, and right wrongs when it is in my power to do so. I don’t pretend to be a shining beacon of morality or a perfect role model, I’m just a fan of pop culture, making a difference on my own terms.
I am a Knight.
Nick Nugent
Author/Designer of The Knight Rider Companion
Vice President of Knights of the West Coast
Founder of NRN Design
http://www.nrndesign.com/
