Who Is Gary Gygax? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Gary Gygax was born on July 27, 1938, and he left a remarkable legacy when he passed away in 2008. Known primarily as one of the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), Gygax had a profound impact on tabletop gaming, shaping the way games are played and designed. His work laid the foundation for modern role-playing games and has inspired countless players and game designers alike.
| Occupation | Game Designer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | July 27, 1938 |
| Age | 69 Years |
| Birth Place | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Leo |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 4 March, 2008 |
| Died Place | Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Popularity
Gary Gygax's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While exact measurements may not be publicly documented, it is widely recognized that Gygax had a standard build typical of men of his era. Standing at approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, he carried himself with confidence and charisma. His commitment to gaming and creativity overshadowed physical statistics, contributing to his larger-than-life persona in the gaming community.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Gygax was married to Gail Gygax, and together they had six children. Known for his dedication to family as much as his passion for gaming, Gygax valued the support from his loved ones throughout his career. After his passing, his legacy is carried on through his family and the enduring popularity of Dungeons & Dragons.
He was named Ernest after his father, but was commonly known as Gary, the middle name given to him by his mother after the actor Gary Cooper. The family lived on Kenmore Avenue, close enough to Wrigley Field that he could hear the roar of the crowds watching the Chicago Cubs play.
At age 7, he became a member of a small group of friends who called themselves the "Kenmore Pirates".
In 1946, after the Kenmore Pirates were involved in a fracas with another gang of boys, his father decided to move the family to Posey's family home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where Posey's family had settled in the early 19th century, and where Gary's grandparents still lived.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing, Gary Gygax's net worth was estimated to be in the millions, primarily attributed to his successful career in game design and publishing. Although his exact earnings fluctuate based on projects and innovations, his involvement with TSR, the company behind D&D, significantly contributed to his financial success. The ongoing resurgence of interest in tabletop gaming continues to enhance his legacy's monetary value through associated merchandise and adaptations.
In October 1970, Gygax lost his job at the insurance company after almost nine years. Unemployed and now with five children he tried to use his enthusiasm for games to make a living by designing board games for commercial sale. This proved unsustainable when he grossed only $882 in 1971.
He began cobbling shoes in his basement, which provided him with a steady income and gave him more time for game development. In 1971, he began doing some editing work at Guidon Games, a publisher of wargames, for which he produced the board games Alexander the Great and Dunkirk: The Battle of France.
Early that same year, Gygax published Chainmail, a miniatures wargame that simulated medieval-era tactical combat, which he had originally written with hobby-shop owner Jeff Perren. The Chainmail medieval miniatures rules were originally published in the Castle & Crusade Society's fanzine The Domesday Book.
Guidon Games hired Gygax to produce a game series called "Wargaming with Miniatures", with the initial release for the series being a new edition of Chainmail (1971). The first edition of Chainmail included a fantasy supplement to the rules.
These comprised a system for warriors, wizards, and various monsters of nonhuman races drawn from the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and other sources. For a small publisher like Guidon Games, Chainmail was relatively successful, selling 100 copies per month.
Career, Business, and Investments
Gary Gygax's career began in the 1970s when he collaborated with Dave Arneson to create Dungeons & Dragons. This revolutionary game transformed the landscape of gaming and set the stage for countless RPGs that would follow. Gygax was not only a game designer but also an author, writing several novels and rulebooks that expanded on the D&D universe.
After co-founding Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), Gygax ventured into various business opportunities, including consulting on video games and contributing to the writing and creation of game content. His continued influence in the gaming industry ensures that his innovative spirit lives on even after his passing.
In the 1960s, Gygax created an organization of wargaming clubs and founded the Gen Con tabletop game convention. In 1971, he co-developed Chainmail, a miniatures wargame based on medieval warfare with Jeff Perren. He co-founded the company TSR (originally Tactical Studies Rules) with childhood friend Don Kaye in 1973.
The next year, TSR published D&D, created by Gygax and Arneson the year before. In 1976, he founded The Dragon, a magazine based around the new game. In 1977, he began developing a more comprehensive version of the game called Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.
He designed numerous manuals for the game system, as well as several pre-packaged adventures called "modules" that gave a person running a D&D game (the "Dungeon Master") a rough script and ideas. In 1983, he worked to license the D&D product line into the successful D&D cartoon series.
Social Network
While Gary Gygax himself was not active on modern social media, his legacy has a significant online presence. Fans and communities dedicated to Dungeons & Dragons and tabletop gaming celebrate his contributions across various platforms, including Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter. Many organizations and events honor Gygax’s work through conventions and special gaming sessions, showcasing his lasting impact.
In 1967, Gygax co-founded the International Federation of Wargamers (IFW) with Bill Speer and Scott Duncan. The IFW grew rapidly, particularly by assimilating several preexisting wargaming clubs, and aimed to promote interest in wargames of all periods.
It provided a forum for wargamers via its newsletters and societies, which enabled them to form local groups and share rules. In 1967, Gygax organized a 20-person gaming meet in the basement of his home; this event was later called "Gen Con 0".
In 1968, he rented Lake Geneva's vine-covered Horticultural Hall for $50 to hold the first Lake Geneva Convention, also known as the Gen Con gaming convention. Gen Con is now one of North America's largest annual hobby-game gatherings. Gygax met Dave Arneson, the future co-creator of D&D, at the second Gen Con in August 1969.
Education
Gygax attended the University of Chicago and later graduated with a degree in business administration. His education was pivotal in shaping his approach to game design and entrepreneurship. The knowledge he gained equipped him with the tools to navigate the gaming industry and innovate continuously.
Following Arneson's Blackmoor demonstration, Gygax requested more information from Arneson and began testing ideas for the game on his two oldest children, Ernie and Elise, in a setting he called "Greyhawk". This group rapidly expanded to include Kaye, Kuntz, and eventually a large circle of players.
Gygax and Arneson continued to trade notes about their respective campaigns as Gygax began work on a draft.
Several aspects of the system governing magic in the game were inspired by fantasy author Jack Vance's The Dying Earth stories (notably that magic-users in the game forget the spells that they have learned immediately upon casting them and must re-study them in order to cast them again), and the system as a whole drew upon the work of authors such
as Robert E.
Howard, L. Sprague de Camp, Michael Moorcock, Roger Zelazny, Poul Anderson, Tolkien, Bram Stoker, and others. The final draft contained changes not vetted by Arneson, and Gygax's vision differed on some rule details Arneson had preferred.
