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]

My two cents on the New Earth, coming from the perspective of the Vance fan. It ain't Vance. It's got vivid writing and an eerily creepy Sword and Sorcery setting. It's not the modern pap. But it lacks the salt-dryness of Vance's wit. I can see why Vance is a good comparison, but it's worth knowing where the comparison lies. The scenery is similar, the society is nicely alien, and the writing is excellent. But it doesn't have the whirling command of words or the sardonic eye that Vance brings to a tale.

EDIT: not trying to say one is better than the other (though I personally prefer Vance), just trying to clarify why and to what degree it's similar to Vance. Vance wrote two novels relatively recently: Ports of Call and Lurulu. They're not the top of his form, but they are a good read.

I'd suggest Araminta Station, Throy, and the other book in that series (forget name). All by Vance. A bit complex in terms of some family relations, but a rollicking picaresque series of novels in the classic Vance style. You can't go wrong.

Ports of Call was quite good IMO, but I was rather disappointed with Lurulu, as it was not of the same caliber. Somehow I missed Throy, so I will get it ASAP.

Thanks for your critique.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary I noticed above other artists mentioned but not my favorite. Dean Morrissey created many covers for Dragon (and The Dragon) magazine. To me his works were some of the most evocotive ever and I could imagine more words for a story coming from them than any other artist even though they might be artistically better.

Did you ever met Mr. Morrissey personally and did you care for his work?

Oh and thanks for a game that's given me the most happy moments and misspent hours of my life!

Actually, I was not really think so much of magazine cover art as what went intogame products. As Morrissey was not on staff at TSR, I can not say for sure that I met him, although I think I did so at some con or another...so many events and people thereat it is most difficult to recall after more than 30 years of same.

I do like his material certainly.

Anyone here recall the artist's name that did the mage in a green robe and turban, writing at a desk with a skull having three eyesockets in the background?

The same for the illustratuon of the pond with all the hidden faces in rocks and trees around it?

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

[Haakon1,

Would you believe Wild Bill Cody or Red Ryder meets Clint Eastwood? As I grew up watching Westerns in the 1940s I had many a favorite cowboy back then...including The BLack Whip who I felt was much better than Lash LaRue.

IIRR, they have Bond drinking vodka martinis, shaken nor stirred. Of course, only gin is bruised from stirring, plus as gin is in the only true martini, that of course Bond must have drunk as he did not want his cocktail stirred.

Mystery plots for an RPG are not likely to ever work well. The genre does not mech well with the game form.

As for Top Secret, the game went into the dumper bercause of lack of support such as I mentioned.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Mark CMG]

Anyone here recall the artist's name that did the mage in a green robe and turban, writing at a desk with a skull having three eyesockets in the background?

This one? - http://paizo.com/image/product/magazine_issue/dragon/30/cover_500.jpg

The same for the illustratuon of the pond with all the hidden faces in rocks and trees around it?

Not sure about this one.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary, two quick questions. I plan to go to the Lake Geneva convention next month, so:

1.) I'm flying in just for the convention, so where is the best hotel within walking distance (if even possible).

2.) I'm going to try to get in on your Front Porch Legends if possible, but will you be running either C & C or OD & D? I plan to generate some characters before I go.

Here is the URL for the Orbitz listing of the Best Western next door to the con site, but I believe it is sokd out:
http://www.orbitz.com/App/shared/pa...p?z=f16b&r=v&z=f16d&r=x&lastPage=interstitial

The Ambassador on Wells street, about four blocks from the Cove, is likely the best deal:
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-395554-ambassador_motel-i;_ylt=Albf3uiS45XVpzkkCHUs._kJ8b8F

Any of the many motels on Wells Street are not too distant from the con site, maybe eight country blocks at most:
http://www.allstays.com/us-wisconsin-hotels/lake-geneva-hotels.htm

I do not know for sure what I will GM, but likely LA and possibly an OD&D adventure.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

This one? - http://paizo.com/image/product/magazine_issue/dragon/30/cover_500.jpg


Not sure about this one.

Heh,

Yuppers! I have it framed, but my wife has moved it somewhere that I am unable to locate. The same is true for the painting with all the faces...which son Alex glommed as his.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[MoxieFu]

Gary the artist of "Fourteen Faces" was John Barnes. That painting was used for April in the 1980 "Days of The Dragon" calendar. He had another one at the very back for January 1981 as well.

Unfortunately I don't have a scan or link for it.

 

[Mythmere1]

Ports of Call was quite good IMO, but I was rather disappointed with Lurulu, as it was not of the same caliber. Somehow I missed Throy, so I will get it ASAP.

Thanks for your critique.

Cheers,
Gary

I remembered the name of the third book in that series: it's "Ecce and Old Earth." That and Throy are sequels to Araminta Station, with Araminta Station being the best of the three.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Gary the artist of "Fourteen Faces" was John Barnes. That painting was used for April in the 1980 "Days of The Dragon" calendar. He had another one at the very back for January 1981 as well.

Unfortunately I don't have a scan or link for it.

Ah yes!

Now I wonder what happened to my copy of the calender. That is a most interesting piece of art, fun to look at and see if more can be discovered in the scene.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I remembered the name of the third book in that series: it's "Ecce and Old Earth." That and Throy are sequels to Araminta Station, with Araminta Station being the best of the three.

Now I have Ecce and Old Earth, but how I missed Throy is a poser to me

Cheers,
Gary