TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Interesting, I wondered about that too. A related question: is that how you personally imagined orcs etc, to look like or did you have a completely different conception of how such creatures were to look? Myself, I guess being influenced by LOTR the book saw them appearing very much as they did in the film. Thanks Gary!

Actually I envisioned the D&D game orcs ase porcine in appearancem but not actually pig faced--more like largfe, upturned noses and small tushes jutting from their mouths, heavy bodies and small, pig-live eyes. Hobgoblins I saw as apish in visage and build.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[BOZ]

i could swear i saw a fantasy movie once where orc-like creatures squealed like pigs when they got stabbed...

squeal like a pig, boy!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

i could swear i saw a fantasy movie once where orc-like creatures squealed like pigs when they got stabbed...

squeal like a pig, boy!

I must say I missed that one. Was the orc named Billy Bob abs was it stabbed by an arrow?

Cheers,
Gary

 

[BOZ]

heheh. i'm wondering if it was Willow, which i haven't seen in so long i barely remember it at all.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

heheh. i'm wondering if it was Willow, which i haven't seen in so long i barely remember it at all.

Maybe...

I had totally forgotten about Willow...a not very memorable fantasy flick for sure. As a matter of fact I can not recall there being orcs in the movie--only badly done "little people" and I think there were some wolf-hyena-type critters.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Nathan P. Mahney]

Maybe...

I had totally forgotten about Willow...a not very memorable fantasy flick for sure. As a matter of fact I can not recall there being orcs in the movie--only badly done "little people" and I think there were some wolf-hyena-type critters.

Cheers,
Gary

Perhaps unmemorable for some, but it was playing in the background during one of my very first games of D&D, so it strikes up some powerful memories for me.

 

[Henry]

Maybe...

I had totally forgotten about Willow...a not very memorable fantasy flick for sure. As a matter of fact I can not recall there being orcs in the movie--only badly done "little people" and I think there were some wolf-hyena-type critters.

Cheers,
Gary

So in other words, Orcs as portrayed on the D&D cartoon would have been kind of close to the mark?

And BTW, those artists actually portrayed KNIVES and SHARP INSTRUMENTS on those orcs! CHILDREN watched those cartoons! They could have thought those monsters were ready for combat?!?! How could you guys allow that to happen?!?!

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Perhaps unmemorable for some, but it was playing in the background during one of my very first games of D&D, so it strikes up some powerful memories for me.

Heh...

Is it the movie or what it recalls to mind that makes it notable?


Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

So in other words, Orcs as portrayed on the D&D cartoon would have been kind of close to the mark?

And BTW, those artists actually portrayed KNIVES and SHARP INSTRUMENTS on those orcs! CHILDREN watched those cartoons! They could have thought those monsters were ready for combat?!?! How could you guys allow that to happen?!?!

Hi Henry,

Actually, those D&D Cartoon Show orcs were a bit too porcine like in my view, but they did match up pretty well with the orcs in the MM.

As for the sharp instruments and other weapons, none were ever employed in imitatable violent manner. Pity that :\ Of course that is PC childrens' TV network progtaming brought to you by the social do-gooders, the officials they put into office, and the trial lawyers of America

Cheers,
GAry

 

[Korgoth]

Gary, have you ever considered seeking the publishing rights to AD&D 1st Edition and to your adventure modules? I was thinking in terms of "AD&D: Gygax Edition" and "The Gygax Collection" respectively. Have you thought about that, and/or would it make any sense to do it?

Also... martinis: vodka or gin?