Duke Nukem 3D

Jackson is most well known for his work on Duke Nukem 3D, specifically for creating Duke Nukem 3D's main theme titled "Grabbag". He collaborated with Robert Prince to create the instrumental background tracks for the first three episodes of the game. Jackson created all of the tracks for the fourth episode of Duke Nukem 3D, better known as the "Plutonium PAK Add-On" or as the full four-episode "Atomic Edition".^[13] In 2016, a remake and remaster called Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour was released, containing a new fifth episode by the original level designers, and containing new original music by Jackson.

Grabbag has elicited many spin-offs and remixes over the years by both fans and professional musicians, including an officially sanctioned studio version by the popular thrash metal outfit Megadeth. Another version of the song was recorded by Chris Kline in August 2005. 3D Realms featured it on the front page of their website and contracted with Kline to use it to promote their Xbox Live release of Duke Nukem 3D.^[14] Grabbag was brought back and used again as the theme song for the 2011 release of Duke Nukem Forever.

Professional memberships

Jackson was one of the first people to qualify for full voting membership in National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammy organization) based solely on works published with video games.^[15] He is also a member of the NARAS Producers & Engineers Wing.^[15] Jackson celebrated his 15th year anniversary as a member of both organizations in 2012 and his 20th anniversary in 2017.

In May 2018, Jackson was elected to membership in ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) for publication of his album, Calibrations.

The Hack report

Before and briefly after moving to the Dallas area, Jackson published a monthly report that was distributed through the FidoNet network and the "hack-l" newsgroup of the Internet, called "The Hack Report".^[16][17] This report was distributed for free to sysop of any Bulletin Board System and to anyone else who offered files for download. It was an attempt to help users and sysops alike avoid "fraudulent programs." Malicious files that contained viruses or did harm to a system when executed were of course covered, but the report also covered programs which were either jokes or attempts to earn "download points" in exchange for uploading "new files," such as ones which had been edited with a hex editor to look like a new version but which were actually the same as the real current version. The report was published through much of 1992 and 1993, with the help of contributors from around the world. It earned coverage in the 1994 book "Cyberlife!", although the authors of the chapter in which it was featured called it "The 'Hacker' Report."^[18]

O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships

In the early-to-mid 1990s, Jackson competed in and won first-place honors in the O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships, held yearly at the O. Henry Museum in Austin, Texas. He won the prepared pun category twice ("Punniest of Show," 1992 and 1995) and the head-to-head competition once ("High Lies and Low Puns," now called the "Punslingers" category) in 1991. Jackson is also a charter member of Punsters United Nearly Yearly (a.k.a. "P.U.N.Y.),^[19] a support group for punsters dedicated to holding the World Championships competition.

Radio

Jackson began working a radio producer and on-air traffic and news reporter out of what was the Dallas / Fort Worth market of Metro Networks in 2004. He continued his position during the purchase of Metro Networks by Clear Channel Communications and stayed on during the eventual folding of Metro into Clear Channel's Total Traffic Network subsidiary in 2011. He primarily provided traffic reports on the 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. overnight shift for 1080 KRLD (AM) in Dallas from 2006 until late 2012, when poor health forced him to go on disability status.

Jackson was one of many former 3D Realms employees who worked on the long-delayed Duke Nukem Forever and who attended the game's Happy Ending launch party held on June 11, 2011 at the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas,^[20] along with his wife and son.