Gary Gygax

[incandescens]

I think that I was ten years old when I found a book in the local library called How To Play Dungeons And Dragons, and it all started from there.

I bought a Basic D&D set. I started getting White Dwarf (which was, at that time, a rpg magazine). I bought an AD&D DMG not long afterwards, and a Player's Handbook, and a Monster Manual.

One year when I was twelve or thirteen, my parents gave me some of those AD&D Monster Cards in my Christmas stocking. I don't think they expected me to take them along to church as my token Christmas present to show off. But the Grey Elf was so pretty. (The Carnivorous Ape less so, perhaps.)

I have got into many other games since, but I still have a nice little stack of D&D stuff, and I still remember the thrill I got when I got onto a gaming industry email list and had a greeting from Gygax himself. (Probably just a proforma to the new person, but who cares? He sent me an email. Nothing more was required.)

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0536.html is a nice tribute. There are many more.

But from me: thank you, to someone who helped start so much and found a hobby that has made me very happy.

Comments

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Oh, my.

I had all the softback pamphlets in a neat white box. *sigh*

[bexfiles.livejournal.com]

I played it a bit at home with Jo and Vic after we were given the boxset of the basic D&D set one year.

It's really sad news, and I almost played some D&D Online.

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

I'm right there with you and that OoTS comic had me weeping. I STILL have my D&D and AD&D stuff tucked away somewhere.