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.

 

[FrogReaver]

What consequence do you think is fair or acceptable in this given scenario?
Personally I hate to see a man and his family's livelihood destroyed (although from the little I have seen, he was not doing so well) despite their political views, but I cannot see any other recourse his business associates had but to distance themselves.

That's actually a great question.

I actually agree with his businesses associates needing to distance themselves being the reality this day. They likely would be punished just as harshly as him if the continued in business with him as if doing business with someone implies you support everything they do.

I guess what I think is acceptable - speak out against him and his views - stop refusing to buy things you otherwise like and use things you otherwise would just because you discover you don't actually like the guy who created them.

Now if and when he does something directly harmful to someone, then boycott his business and products.

 

[Ancalagon]

I put more here. I have more on my work computer but I got tired of posting them.

You need a log in to be able to see it.

 

[Mistwell]

You need a log in to be able to see it.

I could put them here...not sure that's appropriate?


Here is one.

Another.

Another.

I can post links to more but that should be enough?

 

[Mallus]

If you believe this guys speech was harmful to Jewish people then you should be able to articulate why.

Are you seriously asking why the acceptance and normalization of hate speech and conspiracy theories about a historically persecuted minority group should be considered ‘harm’? I’d like to be clear about this.

 

[Bohandas]

What gets me is not that he post something racist, it's that seven people liked it. His facebook is a bubble where that kind of talk is completely normal.

I agree with this, but what gets me more than anything is that he considers Trump a representative of christianity despite the fact that Trump's values are the valies of Mammon and the man shares innumerable traits with the christian devil.

 

[FrogReaver]

Are you seriously asking why the acceptance and normalization of hate speech and conspiracy theories about a historically persecuted minority group should be considered ‘harm’? I’d like to be clear about this.

His speech is not acceptable and should not be normal. That doesn’t mean it caused harm to anyone though.

 

[Mallus]

His speech is not acceptable and should not be normal. That doesn’t mean it caused harm to anyone though.

Do you really need an explainer on how dehumanizing language & propaganda work, or are you just being stubborn (as people are wont to do online)?

 

[FrogReaver]

Do you really need an explainer on how dehumanizing language & propaganda work, or are you just being stubborn (as people are wont to do online)?

You mean like dehumanizing someone by calling them a racist and anti-Semite? Or that’s okay dehumanization because it’s true?

Look, I know how you think such things work. But i also know that the reason you show such outrage instead of just defending Your position is because you’ve likely never really thought about it and tried to scrutinize it.

 

[Azzy]

You mean like dehumanizing someone by calling them a racist and anti-Semite? Or that’s okay dehumanization because it’s true?

That's not dehumanizing. Stop with your false equivalency.

 

[Ancalagon]

You mean like dehumanizing someone by calling them a racist and anti-Semite? Or that’s okay dehumanization because it’s true?

Look, I know how you think such things work. But i also know that the reason you show such outrage instead of just defending Your position is because you’ve likely never really thought about it and tried to scrutinize it.

Have you heard of Sealioning? No? Go look it up.

Some things don't need explaining. We know the dangers of antisemitism. History have demonstrated it clearly. There is no need to explain it, scrutinize it. The work has been done

I'm not sure what you're proposing here. If you have a productive alternative, state it.