D&D General Companies Cut Ties With Judges Guild After Owner's Racist Posts

Several game publishers, including Bat in the Attic, have said that they will no longer do business with Judges Guild after its owner posted a number of racist and anti-semitic statements. They don't need to be repeated here; but there are several examples.

Judges Guild has been around since 1976, producing products compatible with Dungeons & Dragons; the current owner, Bob Bledsaw II, is the son of its co-founder, Bob Bledsaw, and has run the company since 2008. The company is well known for 1976's City State of the Invincible Overlord, amongst other classics. Bat in the Attic and Frog God Games both license Judges' Guild properties.

Rob Conley of Bat in the Attic stated yesterday that the company would no longer do business with Judges Guild, or its properties. "Sunday evening, I called Robert Bledsaw II and discussed the issue. I notified him that I will no longer be doing future Judges’ Guild projects and will only continue to sell what I have currently listed. I stated that I will be calling the other Judges Guild licensee and inform them of the situation and of my decision."

Frog God Games, which has been working with Judges Guild for nearly 20 years, followed suit. "Recently the owner of Judges Guild made a series of racist and anti-semitic posts on Facebook. We will not reproduce them here; they are shown on Rob Conley's Bat in the Attic blog, and we are convinced of their authenticity. Rob wrote his post because, as a licensee of Judges Guild property, he felt he needed to state clearly that he would not be doing business with Judges Guild in the future. We have also licensed property from Judges Guild in the past, and we are seconding Rob's example by cutting off all future business with Judges Guild. The posts made on Facebook were completely unacceptable."

UPDATE — DriveThruRPG has severed ties. “The Judges Guild publisher account has been closed and they are no longer available on DriveThruRPG.”

A few years ago, Judges Guild ran a Kickstarter to bring back City State of the Invincible Overlord, with nearly a thousand backers raising $85K. The Kickstarter has not yet been fulfilled. The latest update was in October 2019.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Morrus]

We’re now handing out warnings and thread and for those discussing US politics in this thread.

 

[Blacksad]

One thing I never understand about things like this. I intellectually understand that there are people who hold strong racist (or other equally objectionable) views; that's clear and apparent. What I don't get is why they post them publicly; surely they know what will happen? Or do they literally just not care about the consequences?

Memetic

From a society point of view, having people voicing objectionable point of view is what allows a society to select and make mainstream those that might be favorable to society.
So we get equal rights for males and females, which was objectionable not so long ago in western countries and is still objectionable in many societies.
And things that have been introduced in a society and led to bad things tend to become objectionable.
Like evolution at society scale.

The new, surprisingly controversial, term for that is memetic, though you find the concept of society evolving in Durkeim seminal work on sociology.

Now sad or interesting news, and important for you on moderation, things might be getting worse : Ant behavior might mirror political polarization - ScienceBlog.com
So you are probably right in avoiding political discussions here. It is probably the wise thing to do to ensure interactions between people covering the spectrum.

 

[gyor]

I don't condone what he said, but I think people people only deserve to he cancelled for acts of violence, like what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp, not words, in sicking vile racist ones (although by all means, point out his ignorance).

 

[CleverNickName]

I respectfully disagree, @gyor . I think it is quite appropriate for businesses to cut ties with such people in this situation.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

A lot of people do take it as a reason to not attempt to make the world better.

And for some people, "making the world a better place" essentially "killing everyone who isn't me".

Maybe we'll just have to agree to disagree, because I know for a fact that I am a massive cynic, and not a lot is going to change that for me.

Well, to simply clarify, what I said wasn’t a line of reasoning, it was a statement of objective facts. Nearly every part of the world is safer than it has ever been. Maternal and childhood mortality is lower than its ever been even in the places where it is still too high. illiteracy is less common than its ever been. Access to medicine, economic opportunity, participation in governance, and education, are all more widely spread than they have ever been.

These aren’t “reasoning”, or “opinions”, or a “point of view”.

And no, I won’t accept for a moment the idea that these facts shouldn’t be celebrated because a few people who weren’t going to do anything anyway use progress as their excuse. They’d just use pessimism as their excuse if optimism didn’t seem viable. And in fact, I know far more people who fatalistically accept the (wholly nonsensically false) “fact” that they can’t do anything meaningful, or that “there is no future”, or whatever such garbage, as a reason not to bother, and what’s more to not even really give a damn, than I know people who are full of hope for the future and pride in how far weve come who then don’t bother working toward an even better future.

IME, hope inspires action. The ancient Greeks were full of crap.

I don't condone what he said, but I think people people only deserve to he cancelled for acts of violence, like what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp, not words, in sicking vile racist ones (although by all means, point out his ignorance).

what do you think “cancelled” means?
Because it’s not relevant to this thread, in any meaningful way.

a tip: what it actually means is, “hey everyone, this person is [a bigot, abusive, sexually predatory, a hypocritical sellout who pretends to care about the cause but uses it to their own gain only, etc]. Be warned.”

That’s it.

But even if we take it to mean the hyperbolic nonsense some ascribe to it, ie, “destroy their lives”, you don’t think that people should...what, even?Do you think it is unjust to stop buying from or working with someone who spews absolutely vile racism and racist conspiracy theories? Seriously?

 

[Henry]

One thing I never understand about things like this. I intellectually understand that there are people who hold strong racist (or other equally objectionable) views; that's clear and apparent. What I don't get is why they post them publicly; surely they know what will happen? Or do they literally just not care about the consequences?

It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it. - Maurice Switzer

 

[Sacrosanct]

I respectfully disagree, @gyor . I think it is quite appropriate for businesses to cut ties with such people in this situation.

I would go even further and say that knowing continuing to do business with hate groups or avid racists sends the message that you at least tacitly approve of said ideals.

Hate bigoted speech has very real damaging affects on others. Screw them, and screw anyone who defends them, IMO

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it. - Maurice Switzer

Havamal has some similar advice. Truly advice that stands the test of time.

Still, it also advises that listening quietly while others speak is the wise man’s path.
I say, let bad people speak freely, wave a flag declaring who they are. Makes it easier to curate one’s associations more wisely.

 

[Morrus]

I don't condone what he said, but I think people people only deserve to he cancelled for acts of violence, like what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp, not words, in sicking vile racist ones (although by all means, point out his ignorance).

"Cancelled" isn't really a thing. It's an alt-right buzzword to describe natural social consequences of behaviour. What's actually happening is some people are choosing not to do business with somebody who has espoused values that do not align with their own. Do you think I as a customer shouldn't be allowed to not buy from somebody whose values are antithetical to my own? And if so, why should I be forced to buy from that person?