Remembering Gary: July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008

March 3, 2009 36 comments

This is the one-year anniversary of Gary Gygax’s passing. It doesn’t feel like it’s been a whole year, and while many fine memorials were written at the time I’d like to commemorate the occasion by pausing and reflecting on the man, his life, his accomplishments and what he continues to mean to this hobby of ours. To the end, I’m hosting a one-day Blog Memorial dedicated to Gary. Many bloggers are participating, and you can too: simply add a story or a link to your own blog memorial post in the comments below.

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Written by Berin Kinsman on March 3, 2009.

Thanks, Gary
Written by AmityvilleMike on March 3, 2009.

Others will speak longer and more eloquent than myself today, yet I couldn’t remain silent without saying something.

http://poleandrope.blogspot.com/2009/03/more-present-than-living-man.html

AmityvilleMike’s last blog post..“More Present Than the Living Man”
Written by Jack Crow on March 3, 2009.

Gary Gygax has inspired or influenced almost every aspect of my gaming style. The older I get the more I understand what Gary meant by “The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don’t need any rules.” We’re all just playing cops and robbers, we think that its serious because we have rules, but that’s the beauty of it all. Gary knew this secret and probably has a few more waiting for his next visit to the prime material plane.

Jack Crow’s last blog post..The Godfather of Gaming
Written by Viriatha on March 4, 2009.

Sigh. I miss AD&D.

Viriatha’s last blog post..The Dungeon Master’s word is law!
Written by Stargazer’s World on March 4, 2009.

Gary Gygax, I never knew thee…

Today it’s the first anniversary of the Gary Gygax’ passing. UncleBear is hosting a one-day Blog Memorial dedicated to Gary Gygax today, and this is my contribution.
I have to admit that I never pla…
Written by greywulf on March 4, 2009.

I remembered. Rest in peace, Gary. You did good.

greywulf’s last blog post..Unnatural Allies
Written by Bob on March 4, 2009.

It’s amazing the things you remember on days like these.

http://www.thedicebag.com/that-mythical-beast-gary-gygax-27-july-1938-4-march-2008/

Bob’s last blog post..That Mythical Beast. Gary Gygax 27 July 1938 – 4 March 2008
Written by Zachary Houghton on March 4, 2009.

Remembering Gary together at RPG Blog 2:

http://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/03/in-your-own-words-remembering-gary.html

Zachary Houghton’s last blog post..In Your Own Words: Remembering Gary
Written by Chgowiz on March 4, 2009.

http://oldguyrpg.blogspot.com/2009/03/rip-egg-thank-you.html
Written by Vulcan Stev on March 4, 2009.

http://vulcanstev.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/gary-gygax-haikus-a-tribute/

My own personal offering.

Vulcan Stev’s last blog post..Gary Gygax Haikus – A Tribute
Written by Tony Law on March 4, 2009.

My tribute can be found here: http://rpgcentric.com/mr-d20-guy-a-tribute-to-gary-gygax.html

Tony Law’s last blog post..Mr d20 Guy – A tribute to Gary Gygax
Written by Mr d20 Guy – A tribute to Gary Gygax | RPGCentric on March 4, 2009.

[...] post. Feel free to sing along. I hope you like it and thank you Mr. Gygax. For more tributes, visit Uncle Bear’s blog. A long, long time ago I can still remember How the gaming used to make me smile And I knew if I [...]
Written by That Mythical Beast. Gary Gygax 27 July 1938 – 4 March 2008 – The Dice Bag – The Dice Bag on March 4, 2009.

[...] Other thoughts and memories can be found at Unclebear’s website [...]
Written by Jonathan Hicks on March 4, 2009.

Hard to believe that today is the one-year anniversary of the passing of the giant of the roleplaying hobby.

At your next game raise a glass to him and thank him for the fact that he was a big part – if not the biggest – in the creation of the hobby we love.

I’m not going to spout the usual RPG-orientated tributes, such as ‘I hope he’s rolling dice with God’ or ‘he’s now a high-level angel’, but I will say this -

Thanks, Gary.
Written by Bonemaster on March 4, 2009.

My failed meeting with Gary Gygax can be found in the CommentLuv link.

Bonemaster’s last blog post..My Missed Opportunity with Gary Gygax
Written by Questing GM on March 4, 2009.

http://questinggm.blogspot.com/2009/03/memorial-to-ernest-gary-gigantus.html

Questing GM’s last blog post..A memorial to Ernest Gary ‘Gigantus’
Written by Sir Golgotha Herbert “The Crushinator” Kinslayer, Knight-Errant of Precious Snowflakes on March 4, 2009.

Flames from red dragon
Another dwarf fighter gone
Botched my saving throw

http://lostsouls.damnserver.com/drupal/March_Forth
Written by Toxic Rat on March 4, 2009.

Thanks Gary.
Written by Oddysey on March 4, 2009.

My contribution: http://revolution21days.blogspot.com/2009/03/declaration-of-intent.html
Written by Superpepto on March 4, 2009.

Has it already been a year? It feels like it was only a week ago when I heard the news. I never met Gary, but I think we all have a part of him with us…he touched so many people through the game, and all my players were shocked and saddened to hear that he died…I’m just glad that such a great man has been remembered and I know that he will be for years to come.

Thanks, Gary. You live on in all of us.
Written by Dave T. Game on March 4, 2009.

Here’s my contribution: http://www.critical-hits.com/2009/03/04/remembering-gygax-through-friendship/

@Unclebear: Great story. I wonder if that’s the first recorded example of a Fantasy Heartbreaker?
Written by Mad Brew on March 4, 2009.

Gary has certainly inspired me, I wonder what the landscape of the hobby would look like today if Gygax hadn’t married his rules to Arneson’s setting.

My contribution is in the linkluv…

Mad Brew’s last blog post..A Gygaxian Tribute on GM’s Day
Written by StupidRanger on March 4, 2009.

My contribution: http://www.stupidranger.com/2009/03/in-memory-of-gary-gygax.php
Written by Sir Golgotha Herbert “The Crushinator” Kinslayer, Knight-Errant of Precious Snowflakes on March 4, 2009.

Something has been bugging me for the past year about that picture. Hmmm…

I’ve got it. Gary needs a cape.

There, now he’s properly attired as a DM.
Written by Scott on March 4, 2009.

My own small addition:

http://abutterflydreaming.com/2009/03/04/gygax/
Written by Mike David Jr. on March 4, 2009.

Here is my humble contribution

http://madavid13.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-gary-gygax-story.html

Great idea, sir.

Mike David Jr.’s last blog post..My Gary Gygax Story
Written by Mike Fox on March 4, 2009.

I was lucky enough to meet Gary at the RPGA breakfast at Gen Con 98. I had read and collected all of Gray’s Greyhawk Books and had gotten a complete set of the original D&D books based on Chainmail. I told him that getting the chance to talk with him about the changes in D&D from 1973 to 1998 was one of the things I would remember for the rest of my life. He always had the time to talk to a gamer even about the most inconsequential things and I was very lucky to have met him.
Written by Bret “Mr Baron” on March 4, 2009.

My blog from last night:

http://grumblingrognard.blogspot.com/2009/03/remembering-gary-gygax-1-year-later.html

Bret “Mr Baron”’s last blog post..Remembering Gary Gygax – 1 year later
Written by Bret “Mr Baron” on March 4, 2009.

My blog from last night:

http://grumblingrognard.blogspot.com/2009/03/remembering-gary-gygax-1-year-later.html

Bret “Mr Baron”’s last blog post..Remembering Gary Gygax – 1 year later
Written by Bret on March 4, 2009.

From my blog post last night:

http://grumblingrognard.blogspot.com/2009/03/remembering-gary-gygax-1-year-later.html

Bret’s last blog post..Remembering Gary Gygax – 1 year later
Written by Max on March 4, 2009.

A few words of gratitude here: http://mbenign.blogspot.com/2009/03/it-comes-from-greek-word-for-giant.html

Max’s last blog post..“It comes from the Greek word for giant”
Written by RandallS on March 4, 2009.

My own attempt:

http://blog.retroroleplaying.com/2009/03/in-memoriam-e-gary-gygax.html
Written by Bill Hoyer on March 5, 2009.

For me, it has been 43 years since first meeting Gary. I took a bus from Milwaukee to Lake Geneva and spent the weekend enjoying 4 different board games with him. In 1974, I was back at his place when he introduced me to D&D, he let me DM a group and as soon as I was back in Milwaukee, I started my own campaign which has been running non-stop ever since. Thanks Gary for so many years of fun, excitement and relaxation.
Written by Bob the GM on March 5, 2009.

Well, I was going to post this on my rarely touched RPG blog, but it seems I cannot remember my login So I’ll post here what I wanted to share.

OH GARY BOY
Sung to “Oh Danny Boy”
Inspired by KODT and OoTS
New Lyrics by Bob the GM

Oh Gary Boy, The Dice, The Dice are rollin’
From round to round, On all our PC’s Sheets.
The turn is done, and victory is ours now.
‘Tis you, ’tis you that made this game so sweet.

But now your gone, no Raise Dead spell could help us
To the Seven Heavens we know that you did go
We hoist our bags and books that were your passion
Oh Gary Boy, Oh Gary Boy, We love you so.

But you return, where gamers are a gatherin’
At many cons and gaming stores we meet
We’re making saves, or rollin’ up a character
We’ll make new friends, and old ones once more greet

So rest ye well, your legacy enduring
May all your crits now warm and sweeter be
We’ll gather round, that table every weekend.
We will keep gamin’ till we come to game with thee.

We will keep gamin’ till we come to game with thee.
Written by Joseph on March 5, 2009.

My rememberance:

http://greyhawkgrognard.blogspot.com/2009/03/has-it-been-year-already.html

Joseph’s last blog post..My Next-to-the-Top 10 Genre Films
Written by Robert Kuntz on March 6, 2009.

Hello Gentle Folk,

Just wandering through the many blogs and thought to post my own
contribution, which is here:

http://lordofthegreendragons.blogspot.com/2009/03/mordenkainen-remembered.html

Tomorrow is GaryCon#1 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and if any of you are going to be there I look forward to thanking you in person then.–Rob Kuntz

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