Al Charpentier
The visual architect of the VIC-II
Al Charpentier led the MOS team that transformed the VIC chip into the sprite-savvy VIC-II, powering the Commodore 64’s graphics.
Al Charpentier served as MOS Technology’s chief chip architect for the VIC-II project. Tasked with building a graphics chip for Commodore’s next computer, he shepherded features like hardware sprites, smooth scrolling, and raster interrupts—everything that made the C64 a game powerhouse.
Fast facts
- Prior work: co-designed the original VIC chip used in the VIC-20.
- Team leadership: coordinated engineers to reuse proven circuits while adding sprite logic and improved colour handling.
- Later roles: participated in other Commodore chipset efforts before leaving during the late-1980s talent exodus.