In Memoriam: Ernest Gary Gygax (July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008)

March 4 is GM's Day, an annual day to show your game master (or dungeon master, or storyteller, or referee) how much you appreciate them. Publishers and retail outlets across the world now join in GM’s Day, offering discounts, sales, and other cool stuff. It was established on the day of Gygax's passing to honor him.For more information about GM's Day see this article. Read an RPG Book in Public Week is an event created by W.J. Walton that happens three times a year, during the weeks surrounding March 4th, July 27th, and October 1st (starting on the Sunday on or before, and ending on the Saturday on or after). During these weeks, role-playing enthusiasts are encouraged to take their favorite RPG rulebooks out with them and read them in public - on the bus, in the coffee shop, at lunch, at the park, or anywhere (as long as it isn't disruptive to work, school, church, or any other functions). The March 4 week was established in honor of Gary Gygax.To learn more about the week and how you can participate see this article. Knights of the Spidery Basement proposed a toast to Gary on July 27 similar to how fans toast J.R.R. Tolkien:Whether or not you believe that the spirits of those who have passed on are able to visit the living is up to you; however we always set a place of honor for Gary at the head of the table.For full details on how to conduct your own toast see this article. View the list »
In Memoriam

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Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, passed away from an abdominal aortic aneurysm on March 4, 2008 at age 69. Here are several ways you can honor his memory today.

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  • Knights of the Spidery Basement proposed a toast to Gary on July 27 similar to how fans toast J.R.R. Tolkien:Whether or not you believe that the spirits of those who have passed on are able to visit the living is up to you; however we always set a place of honor for Gary at the head of the table.For full details on how to conduct your own toast see this article. 
  • Read an RPG Book in Public Week is an event created by W.J. Walton that happens three times a year, during the weeks surrounding March 4th, July 27th, and October 1st (starting on the Sunday on or before, and ending on the Saturday on or after). During these weeks, role-playing enthusiasts are encouraged to take their favorite RPG rulebooks out with them and read them in public - on the bus, in the coffee shop, at lunch, at the park, or anywhere (as long as it isn't disruptive to work, school, church, or any other functions). The March 4 week was established in honor of Gary Gygax.To learn more about the week and how you can participate see this article. 
  • March 4 is GM's Day, an annual day to show your game master (or dungeon master, or storyteller, or referee) how much you appreciate them. Publishers and retail outlets across the world now join in GM’s Day, offering discounts, sales, and other cool stuff. It was established on the day of Gygax's passing to honor him.For more information about GM's Day see this article. 
  • Gary Con, an annual gaming convention held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, But Gary Con is more than just a convention:It is intended to be a living memorial to E. Gary Gygax, the father of role-playing games. It is a time for family, friends, and anyone whose life was changed as a result of the work of Gary Gygax to gather, remember, and toss a few dice around. Gary Con is also actively working with non-profit groups to raise money to build a monument in Lake Geneva celebrating the life and accomplishments of Gary Gygax.For more info about Gary Con see the web site.
  • The Gygax Memorial Fund was established by his widow, Gail Gygax:To commission and place a memorial in a public park of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to honor Gary Gygax by commemoration of literary achievement in the creation of Dungeons & Dragons and other published worksTo maintain this memorial in perpetuityTo sponsor informational events open to the public which focus on his workTo engage in other activities related to educating the public about his achievementAnd to establish a scholarship program in his name for students with a demonstrated need for assistance to study at an accredited college or universityFor more info about the Gygax Memorial Fund see this article.
  • On April 17, 2012 Wizards of the Coast reprinted the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks. Each book was reprinted with the original art and content, but features a new cover design commemorating the re-release. More important, purchases of this book help support the Gygax Memorial Fund – established to immortalize the “father of roleplaying games” with a memorial statue in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.Read more at this article.
  • GYGAX Magazine is an exciting venture from Luke & Ernie Gygax (Gary Gygax's sons who helped create much of what fans know as D&D), Tim Kask, the original editor of Dragon magazine, and Jayson Elliot, publisher and creative director of the project:In the spirit of the original Dragon magazine, GYGAX hopes to rekindle the old school spirit for a new generation of gamers. GYGAX magazine will focus on the entire tabletop gaming hobby and community. The magazine will focus on the overall dedication to the gaming hobby, but will give a healthy amount of attention to the 1st and 2nd editions of AD&D, Pathfinder and D&D Next. Popular gaming systems such as Cortex +, ORE, WH40K RPG, etc. will be featured each quarter, giving GYGAX magazine a well-rounded feel with content that appeals to every gamer.Read more at this article and my interview with TSR Games founder Jayson Elliot.
  • DNDClassics.com is the triumphant return of TSR and Wizards of the Coast products to PDF format:D&D fans will have the best shopping experience at the DnDClassics.com storefront that we have opened in cooperation with Wizards, but all of the titles will also be available from DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. All of these stores are linked, so anyone with a DriveThruRPG account already has a DnDClassics store account and any purchases go into a common digital library accessible from any of the stores.For more see this interview with Steve Wieck, COO of OneBookShelf, Inc.
  • Gail Gygax mentioned on her Facebook page that something "special" was in the works "for all of Gary's fans for the big screen! Who wants to see something for gamers...I am working for that and well it has been a long long journey one which I think is coming to an end for all of you, I think have found the match."George Strayton confirmed he is that match, the scriptwriter for a $150 million movie based on Gary Gygax’s life. George describes the film as a “combination action movie and bio pic.” The movie will tell the story of how Gary created Dungeons & Dragons, switching between his real life and the fantasy realm of Dungeons & Dragons.Read more in this article.
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, RPG Examiner

Michael "Talien" Tresca is a game designer, author, communicator, and artist. He is the National RPG and Sci-Fi Movie Examiner and recently published three books, the non-fiction history of gaming, The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games from McFarland Publishing, his fantasy fiction debut,...

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