Scott Duncan – On Gary’s Porch
As IFW chair at the time, I came up with the extra $35 to add to Gary’s to rent the Hall for the first GenCon (and attended). Then I made it to GenCon V a few years later. I do remember the sand table and the shoe repair “bench” in the basement. There was the…
Stephen Chenault – Mind the shot
Some years back Davis (my brother) and I were up at Gary’s. I think we there for one of the conventions in Milwaukee, the one that replaced Gencon (the name escapes me). We had trundled over to Lake Geneva to visit Gary, talk business and other sundries. We had bought Gary a bottle of his…
Patrick Bird – Gary Calling
In seventh grade (1980-81 school year) our language arts teacher told us to form groups and to choose a favorite living author. Each group would submit their choice, and the school would try to contact the authors to see if they could arrange a conference call during school hours so we could talk to and…
Lloyd Metcalf – Gary made my dream
My life and the existence of Fail Squad Games is due to the creation of a game by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson – Then later Frank Mentzer got me hooked solidly! As a young teen after some difficult home situations, my school work and attendance were dropping fast. I don’t know where I was headed,…
Shane Moore – Abyss Walker
I’m Shane Moore, creator of the Abyss Walker series. A little about why this project is absolutely amazing. In 1985, I was ten years old. I was growing up in a home with addict parents struggling with chemical use and alcoholism. I used to stare in the mirror and tell myself how stupid, lazy, and…
Luke Gygax – Operation Overlord!
My father’s birthday is July 27th, EGG Day. I will never forget the date, not because I have a good memory. Actually I am pretty bad at remembering such things, but it is emblazoned in my memory because of the ribbing I got from my father in 1985. I gave my Dad the book Footfall…
Ernie Gygax – Patience
Every time you play a game with an impatient young child who wants something exciting to happen immediately, which describes myself as a kid, it becomes a teaching opportunity. EGG (Gary) would take the time to teach, coddle and drag me along to any and all gaming activities he himself participated in. There were conventions at…
Heidi Gygax – In the Tomb of Horrors
A Gygax Memory Many years ago in Clinton, Cindy, Luke and I used to play D&D with Dad. It was probably ’80-81 and Luke played a Ranger named Otis(?) and I had a Elf-fighter thief named Murfles. I remember how much fun we had over many weekends. So many puzzles and traps we maneuvered until…
Share Your Story!
Do you have a great story about Gary Gygax? Ever play in one of is games or visit his legendary sand table? Attend an early GenCon run by the Gygax family? We want to hear your stories! Submit your story using the form below and our staff will pick one or two of the best stories each…
New Site for Gary Con VIII
Hello gamers! Today we celebrate E. Gary Gygax’s 77th Birthday! In the spirit of celebration, we have a few exciting Gary Con VIII announcements! As you know, we’ve outgrown the Geneva Ridge Resort, and with the change of venue to the Grand Geneva comes some other changes. First and foremost, the website is undergoing a…