Discussion:The Passing of a Giant - RIP Gary Gygax

The Passing of a Giant - RIP Gary Gygax

Kelly 17:27, 4 March 2008 (MST)

I find myself without adequate words, so here's an article from Wired Magazine that was pretty good:

Gary Gygax, 'Father of D&D,' Dies at 69 By Lore Sjoberg March 04, 2008 |

Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, according to Stephen Chenault, CEO of Troll Lord Games.

Gygax designed the original D&D game with Dave Arneson in 1974, and went on to create the Dangerous Journeys and Lejendary Adventure RPGs, as well as a number of board games. He also wrote several fantasy novels.

"I don't think I've really grokked it yet," said Mike Mearls, the lead developer of the upcoming 4th edition of Dungeons and Dragons. "He was like the cool uncle that every gamer had. He shaped an entire generation of gamers."

Gygax was not directly involved with Dungeons & Dragons after 1985, and his relationship with his former company, TSR Inc., was not friendly at first. The company sued him over his competing game Dangerous Journeys, and in a 2004 interview with GameSpy he stated that he was "pleased to say" that he thought the cost of the suit and settlement drove TSR to sell the rights to the game.

While reportedly unimpressed with the current edition of the Dungeons and Dragons game, he created adventures and settings that could be used with it, which were published by Troll Lord Games.

Gygax went well beyond the role of game developer and became an icon to gamers, appearing as himself in episodes of Futurama and Code Monkeys and participating in discussions on roleplaying-related message boards.

Gygax had been in poor health for some time, according to his wife Gail. Chenault says he will publish more information, including funeral arrangements, on the Troll Lord message board as it becomes available.

Eiji 17:41, 4 March 2008 (MST)

D: What?

....I met the guy once. How sad. He didn't seem that old.

Hawk 20:20, 4 March 2008 (MST)

Rest in peace Gary you've left a monumental legacy behind.

Othtim 13:08, 5 March 2008 (MST)

He totally did not seem old enough to die. :( The rust monster is still my favorite :(

Kelly 16:51, 5 March 2008

16 Gary Gygax Jokes We Better Not Catch You Making, by Lydon, Norman, Toon, Rutledge, & Duff Tuesday March 4, 2008 2:35 PM

1. “Quick! Someone cast Raise Dead!”
2. “Don’t worry – he’s just playtesting the Astral Plane for the next edition.”
3. “He’s gone the way of Star Frontiers.”
4. “Analysts warn of a free-fall in Mountain Dew futures.”
5. “In the next town, you meet a stranger named Barry Bygax.”
6. “Now who will lead our young people to Satan?”
7. “With his last breath, he cursed the name of Marlon Wayans.”
8. “I wonder how they’ll divide up his XP.”
9. “Pallbearers, make a Bend Bars/Lift Gates roll.”
10. "At least he didn't live to see Disney's Greyhawk On Ice."
11. “Lorraine Williams is behind this somehow, I just know it.”
12. “The worlds of adventure gaming, fantasy fandom, and van painting will never be the same.”
13. “When I heard, I cried 2d10 tears.”
14. “Is there anything in the will about electrum?”
15. “Heart condition? Wow, I always thought it’d be owlbears that got him.”
16. “Suddenly, nobody in Heaven wants to hang out with Marilyn Monroe on Friday night.”

Green Dragon 20:25, 5 March 2008 (MST)

Wow, I think it is too early...

Kelly 12:09, 6 March 2008 (MST)

Sorry G.D. I meant the joke list with the greatest respect and admiration for Gygax. I'd feel a lot differently about it if it was a sudden, accidental thing, but the fact is he was in failing health for a long time, and he himself was pretty blase about it.

“	Gary told us last summer that he was living on 'borrowed time'. His doctors had given him to the "previous" December. Course while he was telling us all this he was puffing on a cigar and drinking scotch.	”
—Jolly Blackburn of the Knights of the Dinner Table had this to say in hte kenzerco forums:

OptimizationFanatic 21:39, 6 March 2008 (MST)

Poor guy. Rest in peace, Gary, resquiesat in pace. That is all.

Jamesja12 13:02, 24 July 2009

He was the inventor of the best game ever... may he rest in peace.

);

Surgo 22:05, 25 July 2009 (MDT)

Actually, the "inventor" would be Dave Arneson.

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