Gary Gygax, 1938-2008 by TwoPynts
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"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." ~ Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax, co-creator of the venerable fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons, lost his final roll of a D20 this past Tuesday. One of the fathers of tabletop role-playing games, he made quite a mark on the fantasy gaming world, and it would certainly be a very different place today if it had not been for him. I used to play AD&D as a kid, though I spent more time pouring over the game books and creating character than I did actually playing. It was a rich world where your imagination could run free. You might just be a kid, but when playing D&D you could be a strapping warrior or powerful wizard on quests to slay dragons and find treasure. This is a reworked photo I posted about 5 years ago that was taken about 8 years before that. I thought it a fitting tribute to Mr. Gygax. These were two friends of mine that did live role-playing and one day we decided to do a photo shoot with some props they owned. If anyone followed the 2nd season preliminaries of Stan Lee's "Who Wants To Be A Super Hero," you might recognize the woman as Mama Voodoo. You can read a news article about Gary HERE. If you follow the link to the cheesy AD&D 80's television commercial towards the bottom of the article, you might recognize such well known actors as Jamie Gertz and Alan Ruck. I had those original rule books that you see them playing using (I was such a geek). Rest in peace, Dungeon Master. -----
Thanks for your stormy comments on my previous upload,
Roiling Cumulonimbus
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TopCon RE Super film SLR, TMAX 100 & PhotoshopCS. (1098)
Middleburg, FL, USA 1995
Sponsored by: 
Kramer Kreations 
Comments (23)
ThrommArcadia
Great image and a fitting tribute!
olivier158
nice shot, very 'antic' ... excellent shot !
odie
That is such a great shot and terrific setting and post work!! I am drawn in by what they are doing and there is a great deal of anticipation and subtle movement. Just Excellent, Kort.
cameraobscura2
Dear Kort, Thank you or sharing a moment of someone else's life and how they not only affected so many other individuals, but you yourself. It is a wonderful tribute in deed. Thank you so much for letting us be part of it in a very small way. Egmont
Jofurowa
Very nice of you for hjaving done this beautiful tribute.
Gor111
A fabulous fantasy scene you have captured here! The sepia tone show a historical atmosphere! Wonderfully taken!!!
Larion
Great shot! I never got into the live action role-playing. I found D$D (before AD&D) in 1978, and played for years. Still do occasionally. :) I've known the name of Gygax for so long it seems like I've lost someone I know personally.
Janiss
Oh Kort, such marvelous capture! Postwork and subject are absolutely fabulous my friend!
NekhbetSun
Interesting info and yes I heard about Gary's demise...RIP And were you in costume too? :o) Cool one Kort ~
jgkane
Thanks for the tribute to Gary Gygax, Kort. I saw the news in Drivethru Games yesterday. I too was an early,three book D'n'Der, although I played his fantasy one-to-one scale wargame rules, CHAINMAIL, in 1971,72, if I remember. I uswed a historical Arthurian setting, in a late Roman-British worrld, with Celtic elements. No pricy ELASTOLIN figures in Scotland. We made do with the early AIRFIX Romans and Ancient British 20mm scale plastic figures, suitably 'modded', as they would say today. He gave a lot of gaming pleasure to generations of gamers and readers, my friend. His will be a sad loss. God rest his soul ( supported by plenty of phials of the requisite 'holy water', of course ... ;o) Regards, John.
Cosine
A very fitting tribute, Kort. I've never played any of those games; in fact, I can't recall ever seeing anyone playing one. My loss, I guess.
MrsLubner
Well done.
Hendesse
Fantastic image, the tones are excellent. A beautiful tribute indeed!
sirvictor
great picture
mark.spooner
Good work.
hotracer2
Wonderful tribute and image:):):):)
jocko500
I hear it on the radio. cool photo
goodoleboy
Well done.
jif3d
Heroically dressed, AD&D friends in the process of pillaging or did they just mug somebody from Wal-mart ? I've never played the game, but I have a few THICK manuals, great for inspiration ! ~Cheers~
Agun
I have played AD&D for over 20 years now. Been at it a long time now. I guess I don't really fit the classical stereotype though. I am an old married guy with kids of my own. I actually met Gary at a gaming convention some years back. He was a very nice guy. The gaming world will miss him.
rayburg
You have some strange friends Kort. I bet the third guy there was the head of the group...lol...sorry about that. When I first saw this pic, I thought you took it at the annual Renaissance fest in Ft. Lauderdale.
Burpee
Wow, what an awesome shot. I never played or knew anything about dungeons and dragons except that people were scared of it and the people that played it. I think because they didn't know or understand it, perhaps.
Garlor
Good idea for a tribute, I had missed his passing and I am full of admiration for him because he unleashed the power of imagination into many people who had no idea that they had it.