TSR The Full & Glorious History of NuTSR

Because the Saga of TSR3 has been ongoing for a while, with many landmarks, I thought I'd do a quick timeline for those who haven't had the time (or, frankly, inclination) to keep up with the whole palaver.

As multiple entities refer to themselves as TSR, I will use the nomenclature (1), (2) etc. to distinguish them. However, all the companies below simply use the term "TSR".

The principle people involved with this story are Ernie Gygax (one of Gary Gygax's children), Justin LaNasa (a tattooist, weapon designer, and briefly a politician who refers to himself as Sir Justin LaNasa*), Stephen Dinehart (co-creator of Giantlands with James Ward), and -- later -- Michael K. Hovermale, TSR3's PR officer.

Also linked to TSR3 is the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Much of TSR3’s commercial business appears to be conducted via the museum.

• 1974. TSR1 creates D&D.
• 1997. TSR1 is bought by WotC (WotC is bought by Hasbro in 1999).
• November 2012. Jayson Elliot registers the TSR2 name as a trademark to launch Gygax Magazine. Luke and Ernie Gygax are involved.
• November 2015. Gail Gygax sues TSR2. Luke and Ernie Gygax are forced to leave. Gygax magazine is forced to close by Gail Gygax. The company continues to sell the Top Secret RPG under the name TSR2.
• October 2020. The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum claims ownership of various TSR logos and tries to license them to OSR publishers.
• June 19th 2021. TSR3 announces itself with a press release. It claims to be the original TSR1 back again, under the leadership of Ernie Gygax, Gary's son, announcing that "the band is back together". Also involved are Justin LaNasa and Stephen Dinehart. Their flagship product is "GIANTLANDS" by James Ward and Stephen Dinehart.
• June 22nd 2021. TSR3 announces it is rebooting Star Frontiers, a game which WotC owns and is currently selling online. They registered the trademark back in April 2021.
• June 24th 2021. Ernie Gygax does a YouTube interview, and I transcribe it. The interview begins a controversy which rages online and includes digs at newer gamers, WotC, and trans people.
• June 25th 2021. It transpires that TSR2's Jayson Elliot forgot to renew the trademark registration, at which point his former partner Ernie Gygax, along with Justin LaNasa & Stephen Dinehart, swept in and grabbed it before notifying him. They offer to let him use it for a nominal fee.

• Late June 2021. TSR3 embarks on an astonishing social media campaign where they tell people who don't like Gary Gygax not to play D&D, call a trans person on Twitter 'disgusting', thank the 'woke' because sales are up, insult Luke Gygax, and more. They also block or insult those who question them on Twitter.
• Late June 2021. Various companies distance themselves from TSR3, including Gen Con, TSR2 (who rebrand themselves Solarian Games), GAMA, and various individuals such as Luke Gygax, Tim Kask, Jeff Dee, and more. TSR3 responds to being banned from Gen Con by claiming that they created the convention.

• June 30th 2021. TSR3 blames the widespread pushback it is getting on WotC, accusing it of mounting a coordinated assault on them. In the same tweets they claim that they created the TTRPG business. Ernie Gygax and Stephen Dinehart then deactivate their Twitter accounts. Months later it transpires that this is the date they received a C&D from WotC regarding their use of their IP.

• July 2nd 2021. TSR3's Twitter account claims now to be run by a new Public Relations Officer called Michael.
• July 6th 2021. TSR3's Michael has not been heard of since he announced himself prompting a widespread online search for him.
• July 7th 2021. TSR3 rebrands its website 'Wonderfiled'(sic) as Stephen Dinehart publicly blocks WotC and Hasbro on Twitter and announces he is "breaking up with them" because of politics.

• July 9th 2021. Yet another TSR website appears! This one we call TSR 3.5. TSR3 has split into two -- Wonderfiled (later Wonderfilled), and TSR Hobbies. Stephen Dinehart runs the former, which features the GIANTLANDS project, while Ernie Gygax and Justin LaNasa run the latter.
• July 9th 2021. With the new TSR3.5, the company claims that an unnamed individual was running the Twitter accounts of the company, it's affiliate companies, and the individuals involved with the company, and that all posts on any of those social media accounts should now be considered "invalid".
• July 26th 2021. TSR3.5 announces TSR CON to be held on the July 4th weekend in the Horticultural Hall at Lake Geneva, WI, the name location as Gen Con launched in 1968. TSR announces that "TSR CON will always be here" (it never takes places there).

• September 27th 2021. TSR3's Michael K. Hovermale shows up here on EN World.
• October 14th 2021. Michael Hovermale announces that their Star Frontiers game became available and then sold out before they could announce it. Nobody can find anybody who bought this product.
• October 15th 2021. LaNasa calls EN World a 'very big company' and publicly accuses me of making all this up. I publicly ask TSR's representative, Michael K. Hovermale, three times what I've allegedly made up, but get no reply.
• October 20th 2021. TSR Con is moved from the July 4th weekend to March 24-27, the exact same dates as Gary Con. The venue is moved from the Horticultural Hall to the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum. A graphic on its website promises that they will not be checking vaccinations or asking people to wear face masks.

• December 6th 2021. A record is found showing that WotC is taking action against TSR3.5 - an administrative procedure to cancel its registration of the trademarks it is using, citing - among other things - fraud.
• December 7th 2021. After a long quiet period, TSR3.5 launches an IndieGogo campaign to "stop Wizards of the Coast". It files for a court declaration of its ownership of the TSR trademarks. The crowdfunding campaign will go to fight the legal battle, with any left over being donated to the Gygax Memorial Fund.
• December 9th 2021. TSR3.5 voluntarily dismisses the suit it filed two days before. The IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign is still running.

• December 11th 2021. The president of the Gygax Memorial fund publicly declares that they were never consulted, and would refuse any donation from TSR3's crowdfunding campaign. TSR3 quietly removes the references to the GMF from the IndieGoGo page.
• December 29th 2021. TSR3.5 refiles its lawsuit, this time in the correct jurisdiction. LaNasa and TSR ask for a trial by Jury.

• January 8th 2020. Wonderfiled[sic]'s Stephen Dinehart threatens to sue Twitter user David Flor for his negative review of Giantlands on the platform.
• January 10th 2022. TSR3's Justin LaNasa sends TSR alumn Tim Kask a profane message, telling him to "Go suck Lukes/wotc/balls you f*****g coward" and accusing him of having been fired from TSR for stealing.
• January 11th 2022. Michael K Hovermale claims that the first edition of TSR3's Star Frontiers: New Genesis game was released and has sold out. He says “It was a very small limited run released and sold on the DHSM [Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum] website. It is no longer available, and probably won’t be reprinted.” As yet, nobody has publicly revealed that they bought a copy.
• January 14th 2022. Michael K. Hovermale resigns as TSR3's Chief Creative Officer and Public Relations Officer after 6 months in the position.
• March 4th 2022. WotC strikes back with a lawsuit naming TSR, Justin LaNasa personally, and the Dungeon Hobby Shop museum. WotC seeks a judgement that TSR hand over all domains, take down all websites, pay treble damages and costs, hand over all stock and proceeds related to the trademarks, and more. TSR has 21 days to respond.

• March 22nd 2022. TSR gets an extension on that WoTC suit. Two waivers of service of summons granted to both Justin LaNasa and the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum. He now has 60 days from March 4th to serve an answer or motion, or suffer default judgment.
• March 26th 2022. TSR CON takes place at the same time as Gary Con. TSR claims " lol, actually we asked just about every one of the 800 people stopping by, TSR CON, and about 60% had no idea Gary con was going on, and we tried pushing them to go over and attend."
• March 28th 2022. TSR3 posts images of 'rebound' copies of AD&D 1E books it is selling for $650 each.
• May 17th 2022. Evidence emerges of Nazi connections via TSR3's Dave Johnson. Public Twitter posts include concentrated hateful imagery and messages over a long period of time.
• May 17th 2022. DriveThruRPG removes all Dave Johnson Games titles from the platform.
• May 17th 2022. A jury trial date is set for the TSR/WotC lawsuit for October 2023 (few suits like this actually make it to trial in the end).

• July 19th 2022. A leaked version of a beta version of TSR's 'Star Frontiers: New Genesis' game emerges on the internet. The content includes racist and white-supremacist propaganda, including character races with ability caps based on ethnicity, and various homophobic and transphobic references. Justin LaNasa immediately threatened to sue blogger Eric Tenkar, who shared the information publicly ('Mario Real' is one of LaNasa's online pseudonyms). Various evidence points towards the document's genuine nature, including an accidentally revealed Google drive belonging to NuTSR.
• July 22nd 2022. A video shows a Google Drive that appears to be owned by nuTSR, which contains a list of enemies of the company, usually with the word "WOKE" in caps being used as a pejorative.

(screenshot courtesy of the @nohateingaming Twitter account)​

• August 30th 2022. Wizard Tower Games announces that they have received a subpeona from WotC regarding TSR and Justin LaNasa. Former NuTSR employee Michaal K Hovermale confirms that he has also received a subpeona.
• September 5th 2022. Justin LaNasa sends out customer data, including addresses and credit card numbers. LaNasa responds by publicly claiming the evidence is photoshopped and slandering those who revealed it as liars.
• September 8th 2022. WoTC files an injunction to prevent LaNasa or his companies from “publishing, distributing, or otherwise making available Star Frontiers New Genesis or any iteration of the game using the Marks”.
• June 8th 2023. NuTSR files for bankruptcy. The case between WotC and NuTSR is postponed until March 2024.

Have I missed anything important? I'll continue updating this as I remember things, or as people remind me of things!

To the best of my knowledge, TSR3 is not actually selling any type of gaming product.

*if anybody has any link to LaNasa's knighthood, please let me know!

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Websites
Various websites have come and gone. I'll try to make some sense of it here so you know what site you're actually visiting!

• TSR.com is the original TSR website. For a long time it redirected to WotC. The URL is no longer in use. (WotC)
• TSRgames.com was TSR2 until summer 2021. The site is still running, although TSR2 is now called Solarian Games. (Jayson Elliot)
• TSR.games was TSR3 until summer 2021. It now goes to Wonderfiled(sic)'s website. (Stephen Dinehart)
• TSR-hobbies.com is TSR 3.5, launched summer 2021 by Justin LaNasa and Ernie Gygax. (Justin LaNasa)

 

[Sacrosanct]

And if there was any doubt as to how complicit Jeff was is in their antics, I think that kind of settles it.

Again, no it doesn't. It might. But it sure as heck doesn't settle it. Especially since we know Justin is literally telling Duck "Do this or you're homeless."

Seriously folks, we should be better than this. Leaping to assumptions to tar and libel anyone who remotely is associated with Justin without knowing the context of how and why they work with Justin. It reeks too much of mob justice, and I don't think we can take any high ground when we start doing stuff like this. Especially when one of the people you're so quick to attack is in a classic victim-abuse relationship. Do you blame victims for not leaving their abusers? Because that's what you're doing to Duck.

Just put yourselves in his shoes for a minute. He works at a museum and house that not only is he extremely passionate about and loves, but he was part of since the early days. It's literally his entire career and livelihood. It isn't you or me working there, it's someone who was there at the start and actually part of the history himself. And if he doesn't toe the line, he loses his job and housing. Imagine someone telling you, "Your boss is a horrible person, but if you don't do what he says, you lose the one thing you've spent your entire life doing, you have no other markable skills, and by the way, you'll be out on the street." Homelessness is no picnic. Many if not most of us work or have worked for horrible people, but we didn't quit because we had to keep working. Are you willing to quit your job and become homeless if you found out your boss is garbage? You'd be homeless a lot then... Then why hold a different standard for others?

It feels like there's an "internet sleuth" movement going on here, where the line between "reporting" and "stalking" is being crossed, and accusations being thrown around without proof but based on hunches. Not just this thread. Morrus already made an official statement in the other thread about not wanting to use this Forum for internet sleuths. (I think it was the Renegade thread). And there was also an official mod response to something that looked a lot like advocating for group harassment of Justin. Obviously I'm not telling people not to do XYZ, but just that it feels like danger zones are being entered and we as a group can't really take a high road when these things are happening.

I also find it ironic that much of the discussion is around slander and libel (Tenkar's suit) and we have people here crossing that same line (Duck is just as much of a bigot as Justin). I obviously can't speak for Morrus, but based on his earlier comment, I'm betting he doesn't want his forum to even have the appearance of hosting libelous commentary, especially with someone who has already shown they are willing to sue. Who wants that headache, even if you're in the right?

Just because Justin is a horrible person and I wouldn't shed a tear if bad things happened to him doesn't mean I should be doing those bad things. Especially since I'm not involved with him directly. Why would I insert myself into a fight with him when I haven't been previously? Keep playing in the outhouse, and you'll get poo on you.

 

[the Jester]

Especially since we know Justin is literally telling Duck "Do this or you're homeless."

We do? I must have missed this. Certainly, he's in a position to do this, but I don't know that he actually is.

 

[Deset Gled]

And if there was any doubt as to how complicit Jeff was is in their antics, I think that kind of settles it.

Another thing about that...

One point that has come up multiple times over the past couple of years is that Jeff Leason lives upstairs at the DHSM. Many people have justified Leason being subservient to Justin because he would lose his place of residence if he gets fired. Last night I did some deep diving into this. What I found is that Jeff Leason owns a house in Wisconsin. He's owned it and claimed it as his legal residence for over a decade. And, most importantly, he still owns that house today. According to public records, it's still his legal residence.

If Leason left the DHSM, he has a home to go back to. He lives at the DHSM, and works for Justin Lanasa completely because he chooses to. There is no coercion or force keeping him there.

 

[Mannahnin]

Just put yourselves in his shoes for a minute. He works at a museum and house that not only is he extremely passionate about and loves, but he was part of since the early days. It's literally his entire career and livelihood. It isn't you or me working there, it's someone who was there at the start and actually part of the history himself. And if he doesn't toe the line, he loses his job and housing. Imagine someone telling you, "Your boss is a horrible person, but if you don't do what he says, you lose the one thing you've spent your entire life doing, you have no other markable skills, and by the way, you'll be out on the street." Homelessness is no picnic. Many if not most of us work or have worked for horrible people, but we didn't quit because we had to keep working. Are you willing to quit your job and become homeless if you found out your boss is garbage? You'd be homeless a lot then... Then why hold a different standard for others?

Are you sure about all that? You're sure he doesn't have a home? Or other marketable skills?

At least as of a few weeks ago he has been actively promoting LaNasa's business, speaking in public to boost it, keeping mum about LaNasa's absolutely villainous behavior, and, apropos of nothing, ranting about "wokeness" in a public forum.

https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-full-glorious-history-of-nutsr.684697/post-9037129

 

[Sacrosanct]

We do? I must have missed this. Certainly, he's in a position to do this, but I don't know that he actually is.

Yep. There was a comment by Justin about a year or two ago where he made this threat. That if Duck wasn't on board with nuTSR, he could leave (making him homeless).

 

[Sacrosanct]

Are you sure about all that? You're sure he doesn't have a home? Or other marketable skills?

At least as of a few weeks ago he has been actively promoting LaNasa's business, speaking in public to boost it, keeping mum about LaNasa's absolutely villainous behavior, and, apropos of nothing, ranting about "wokeness" in a public forum.

https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-full-glorious-history-of-nutsr.684697/post-9037129

He lives upstairs of the museum as part of the "job". He might have transferable skills, but looking at his career path, I don't know what those could be. This is all he's ever done.

And as an employee under that threat, what do you expect him to do? Again, that's just one more step in the abuse outline and is pretty common. Do you have anything where Duck as made the same homophobic and bigoted statements himself? Using the term "woke" inappropriately isn't all that of a big deal if that's the only example because it seems everyone who uses it uses that term incorrectly as a buzzword just to complain about anything, even if it has nothing to do with rights. "Allowing centaurs and animals to be PCs! That's woke nonsense!" It seems to be used as a pejorative against anything that younger generations like in the context of D&D.

But either way, if you (general you) feel comfortable attacking a victim in an abuse relationship, I can't stop you. And I can't stop you from stalking anyone and everyone who works for Justin. And I can't stop you from posting harassment campaigns against him. And I can't stop you from literally begging Justin to attack you as well. I just don't think we should be doing that.

 

[Faolyn]

Are you sure about all that? You're sure he doesn't have a home? Or other marketable skills?

At least as of a few weeks ago he has been actively promoting LaNasa's business, speaking in public to boost it, keeping mum about LaNasa's absolutely villainous behavior, and, apropos of nothing, ranting about "wokeness" in a public forum.

https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-full-glorious-history-of-nutsr.684697/post-9037129

So what you're saying is that he should start a political podcast.

 

[Faolyn]

He lives upstairs of the museum as part of the "job". He might have transferable skills, but looking at his career path, I don't know what those could be. This is all he's ever done.

Lots of people have to get crappy jobs to pay the bills, or go to career centers to find better matches. Or, if he really does have a house in Wisconsin, he could sell the house (I'm assuming it's in salable condition) and use that money to get him a much cheaper place somewhere else.

See, here's the thing: just because someone is abused, doesn't mean they're innocent. If a person is abused by their spouse, and then stands by and does nothing while same spouse abuses their children (or worse, assists that spouse in the abuse out of fear for their own safety) then that person is still in the wrong. And while Duck isn't abusing children, he is siding with bigots, and he doesn't seem to be doing anything to counter that bigotry.

Plus, it's entirely possible for someone to be a POS and also be a victim of abuse.

I don't know what, exactly, Duck could do in this situation, since I don't know exactly what sort of abilities and options he has. But he could figure them out--new jobs for his skill set or his rights as a live-in caretaker, and so on. Googling isn't that hard. Scary, perhaps, but not hard.

 

[Steampunkette]

He lives upstairs of the museum as part of the "job". He might have transferable skills, but looking at his career path, I don't know what those could be. This is all he's ever done.

And as an employee under that threat, what do you expect him to do? Again, that's just one more step in the abuse outline and is pretty common. Do you have anything where Duck as made the same homophobic and bigoted statements himself? Using the term "woke" inappropriately isn't all that of a big deal if that's the only example because it seems everyone who uses it uses that term incorrectly as a buzzword just to complain about anything, even if it has nothing to do with rights. "Allowing centaurs and animals to be PCs! That's woke nonsense!" It seems to be used as a pejorative against anything that younger generations like in the context of D&D.

But either way, if you (general you) feel comfortable attacking a victim in an abuse relationship, I can't stop you. And I can't stop you from stalking anyone and everyone who works for Justin. And I can't stop you from posting harassment campaigns against him. And I can't stop you from literally begging Justin to attack you as well. I just don't think we should be doing that.

Jeff "Duck" Leason owns his own home. Desert Gled posted about it.

He wouldn't be homeless if he turned against Lanasa. A job, sure. But not homeless.

 

[Mannahnin]

(Deleted)