Gary Gygax Dungeons & Dragons creator passes away

gary_gygax.jpg
photo by Alan De Smet

Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and TSR Hobbies, passed away this morning at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Gary's work needs no introduction to the maker community. His imagination and creative ideas are known by anyone who ever found another world by way of pen, paper and a roll of dice. These same ideas seed so much of the interactivity and virtual worlds we still see developing today - and on top of all those contributions, this man was cool -

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January. - AP

Thanks Gary. You'll be missed.

Recent Entries

Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: ehrichweiss on March 4, 2008 at 5:50 PM

This is truly sad. While I got out of the gaming community many years ago, I still have a place in my heart for 1st edition D&D.

See ya in Valhalla, Gary.


Posted by: Mogo on March 4, 2008 at 5:51 PM

He will be sorely missed. I thank him for his contributions to the whole RPG community.


Posted by: DK on March 4, 2008 at 9:05 PM

Gary's contributions to the gaming community are immense and even perhaps immeasurable... Thank you Gary, without you, my geeky adolescence would have been limited to playing Axis and Allies and Fortress America instead of adventuring in the halls of Undermountain. You will be missed.


Posted by: brendan on March 4, 2008 at 9:22 PM

I used to think games needed boards and pieces and definitive end goals until I played D&D.

Thank you Gary!


Posted by: steve on March 4, 2008 at 11:08 PM

you know, to honor his memory, some friends and i are going to dust off the old books this weekend and play.

it has been many a year, but i think he would like that.

(and don't forget to mention his novels...they are great too.)


Posted by: Collin Cunningham on March 5, 2008 at 1:07 AM

Ah, your comment just reminded of one old book in particular -
As a wee lad, I remember just staring at the cover of my older brother's first edition Monster Manual - that book gave me tons of great drawing ideas.

http://www.splotchy.com/images/blog/monstermanual.jpg


Leave a comment


Subscribe to MAKE!Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now

How-to videos for Makers and Crafers!


Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out. Make: The risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things... Welcome to Make: Online!


CRAFT Maker Shed Maker Faire MAKE television
MAKE: en EspaƱol MAKE: Japan

Make: television
Make: television is here! Visit makezine.tv or iTunes to see all the episodes.

Connect with MAKE

Be a MAKE fan on Facebook MAKE on Facebook
Visit our Facebook page and become a fan of MAKE!
MAKE on Twitter MAKE on Twitter
Follow our MAKE tweets!
MAKE Flickr Pool MAKE on Flickr
Join our MAKE Flickr Pool!
    make_tips on Twitter

    MAKE's RSS feed is here.
    Add MAKE to iGoogle - GoogleGoogle.
    How to add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
    Add MAKE on FriendFeed


    Advertise here with FM.

    Why advertise on MAKE?
    Read what folks are saying about us!

    Click here to advertise on MAKE!

    MAKE wins Treehugger Best of Green Award

    MAKE wins Brit Insurance Design Award

    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Make: Online authors!

    Gareth Branwyn, Chris Connors (guest author), Collin Cunningham, Marc de Vinck, Peter Horvath (intern), Kip Kay, Goli Mohammadi, John Park, Sean Ragan, Becky Stern, Phillip Torrone

    Suggest a Site!

    Current Podcast

    itunesdl.gif Weekend Project: Fire Piston Make your own fire starter that uses compressed air and burns at 500 degrees! Thanks to Bill Gurstelle for showing us this at Maker Faire. To download The Fire Piston MP4 click here or subscribe in iTunes. Pick up... More...

    Get the Make: Online sent via email
    Enter your email to receive Make: Online each day:






    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Recent Posts from the Craft: Blog