Gary Gygax (July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was best known, along with Dave Arneson, as the creator of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974. In fundamentally expanding the mechanics of standard wargames into something new and brilliant, his creation ended up spawning a new perspective on social gaming, not to mention an entire industry and cultural phenomenon.
I first stumbled across D&D while in high school, and it has strongly informed my creative pursuits ever since. While I imagine that I’d be in the same place today professionally had I never discovered D&D lo those many years ago, my life would otherwise be fundamentally different – the interests that sprung from my enthusiasm for that game have led to some of the closest relationships and fulfilling experiences of my life, that continue to this day. At the very least, Gary’s work has brought me both immense joy and personal growth.
*with gratitude and respect, a glass is raised*
- a bibliography of Gary Gygax’s work
- a recent interview with Boing Boing
- and in a brief audio memoriam, Paul Tevis encapsulates my sentiments, and those of many others, perfectly
