RP Made Simple

A Salute To Gary Gygax

Section: Gaming Culture | No Comments »

Gary Gygax passed away today. (3/4/2008)

I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else.

- Gary Gygax, on how he would like to be remembered.
(From a 2004 interview with Gamespy)

For alot of gamers and roleplayers, this guy was an inspiration and “icon” for his works in RPGs. AD&D was my first real experience with fantasy gaming and role-playing. E. Gary Gygax with Dave Arneson co-created Dungeons & Dragons, my greatest hobby when I was growing up.

Thanks to Gary and others like him, we have the RPGs and MMORPGs as we play them today. Before console games, computer rpgs and related – we had games like D&D to captivate us and immerse our imagination with friends. Great stuff back then.

I remember my mom driving about an hour (after my begging, hehe) into “town” every other weekend to marvel at miniatures, dice and books. Bernie’s Hobby Shop in High Point, NC if I recall correctly – that was THE shop until it sadly folded in the late 80’s. I loved the playing with friends, the adventures and the thrill of rolling up a character and seeing what happens next.

Gary helped combine fantasy, miniatures and storytelling and made it cool. Seriously cool, at least in my mind and with the friends I made at the time. It was like actively “living” an ongoing story or legend, not just reading it – which was something I really tuned into as a young kid in a small town.

Fighting bad guys, saving the day, rescuing damsels in distress – all in tune to dicebound heroics, imagination and a character sheet. A “magical” time in the 80’s for imagination and adventure.

And for a kid growing up – a chance to be a hero, fight the good fight and “change the world” – if only on paper.

At the time, that was more than enough for me.

Thank you Gary and Godspeed, you will be missed.

My prayers go out to his friends and family.

If you would like, take a moment and browse through what he has done for the gaming industry over the years.

Gamespy: Magic & Memories: The Dungeons & Dragons Index
Wired: Gary Gygax, ‘Father of D&D,’ Dies at 69
Gamespy (2004): Gary Gygax Interview – Part I
Wikipedia: Gary Gygax
Troll Lord Forums: Gary Gygax
The Kyngdoms (2005): The Ultimate Gary Gygax Interview
Boing Boing: D & D Creator Gary Gygax Passes Away
Dragonsfoot: Q&A w/Gary Gygax
Slashdot: D&D Co-Creator Gary Gygax Has Passed Away