From working on Artificial Intelligence at HP Labs in 1985 to selling computers to the Amish in Pennsylvania, Kyle Hurlbut has worn many hats through his long career in tech. Now, he’s trying on a new one – graphic novelist.
The Los Altos resident recently released his first graphic novel, “Kye in the Valley of Gold,” which chronicles his career at some of Silicon Valley’s most legendary companies during the tech industry’s formative years.
Hurlbut will celebrate the release of “Kye” at 6 p.m. today (Feb. 19) at MADSEN gallery in downtown Los Altos.
“Graphic novels are so labor intensive, …but it’s a wonderful medium,” said Hurlbut, who spent nearly three years creating the book. “These silly little pictures kind of get under your skin a little bit.”
Hurlbut’s love for graphic novels can be traced back to his childhood, when he and his father read the Sunday comics together every weekend.
“I was artsy and my dad wasn’t, and it was a connection between my art interests and him being just a little goofy,” he said. “Funny comics are a little immature for an executive or businessman, but for a kid, it’s like fine literature.”
Art was far from Hurlbut’s only interest. As a kid, he also fiddled with electronics, taking apart model planes and assembling rudimentary transistor radios, often with his dad.
“At night, when it was the best reception, we’d commute in the dials, and we’d hear broadcasts from England and Africa and around the world,” he said. “It just was kind of magical. And it was a way to spend time with dad, too.”
Born in Seattle in 1956, the computers of Hurlbut’s childhood were so large they filled entire rooms.
“They were almost too big to even see; they were always behind doors,” he said. “Computers were just like a nuclear power station, just something you’d never see, never touch.”
Hurlbut studied electrical engineering in college, completing a work-study program with Boeing that exposed him to cutting-edge technology such as custom microprocessors.
“I saw the Intel microprocessor, and it was literally like seeing my future,” he said. “I thought, ‘These little chips are going to change the world.’”
After earning degrees in electrical engineering and business, Hurlbut joined industry leader HP and lived in Los Altos Hills with roommates. One of them launched an animation company, Pacific Data Images, that he eventually sold to DreamWorks. A roommate that moved in later worked at Apple Inc., recounting stories about his difficult boss, Steve Jobs.
Luckily, Hurlbut said he enjoyed working under HP founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. He laughingly recalled inching past Packard’s imposing dog on a visit to his boss’s home.
“Dave and Bill were just wonderful people,” Hurlbut said. “I think they’re under-appreciated for being the gold of Silicon Valley. They treated people really well, and they had a lot of openness.”
After seven years at HP, Hurlbut moved to Sun Microsystems and then other companies, navigating the ever-changing tech industry since the early 1980s. Now retired, Hurlbut hopes his graphic novel memoir will show people that it’s possible to make the best of this constant evolution.
“The gist of my book is: It’s just random,” he said. “It’s kind of like playing a game of Chutes and Ladders. … You can go way down on a shoot, but then you hit another ladder, and it feels pretty good. A career can be pretty fun and exciting.”
Tonight’s free event at MADSEN will feature wine and a grazing board, according to owner Amy Madsen, who expects attendees to not only “look at the art, but they’re really there to catch up and connect with each other in a beautiful environment.”
The gallery is located at 351 Main St.
To reserve a spot and for more information, visit tinyurl.com/3rd285jw.
