Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons (and TSR), passed away today. I’ve never met the man but have always named his creation as a significant influence on my direction.
In my youngster years, D&D + small town boredom lured me towards fiction reading / drawing. By early high school, a few of my illustrations had been picked up and published in TSR modules. Some of that feedback encouraged me to decline a health science scholarship and instead pursue a split major in art / biology. I finished my post grad studies as an Architect and then jumped track even further to give chase to a web career.
If not for the creative encouragement, I’d have chosen science. I’d be prescribing amoxicillin right now, and I can’t imagine I’d be enjoying it.
So, sorry for the wandering topic, but I wanted to pay a small amount of respect to a life well played. Godspeed, sir. Thanks for the stories. (And for the name of this blog.)
3 Responses to “Respect”
You seriously had artwork published by TSR? Dude, you’re like, my hero. I’d love to see some of it.
A few years after this, a young boy became obsessed with Final Fantasy for the NES, attempted to write his own video game version of FF, turned to silly FF grade school fan fiction, abandoned writing for a career in science teaching and eventually stumbled into writing again.
Except I didn’t name my blog Black Mage on Wood Ship.
@Deane - yeah, I’m more proud of some of the geeky illustrations than I am of some of the ‘professional’ ones. (I later illustrated medical journals) Don’t think it ever gained me hero status, though.
@Corey - man, I’m glad I missed the FF path. Other interests took over.