Seventy-five years ago today one of the most important geeks the world has ever known was born in a mystical land many call Chicago. Ernest Gary Gygax founded Gen Con and helped develop the Chainmail wargaming system, but surely his true claim to nerd fame was the creation of seminal roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson.
Gary left us — make your own failed saving throw joke if you must — in March of 2008, but since that fateful day our tribe has seen fit to honor the original Dungeon Master in manners both grand and appropriate.
The fourth edition D&D sourcebooks bear a special dedication to his memory and his widow Gail, through the Gygax Memorial Fund, seeks to place a physical memorial in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Still, my personal favorite is the following track from sock puppet rockers Uncle Monsterface. It celebrates the life and works of a man who gave many of us a reason to get together with friends and explore the grandeur of our own imaginations.
Gary Gygax helped shape our very culture, so it’s only right that we take a moment to reflect upon his legacy.
