Clint_L
Legend
I don't put anyone on a pedestal. Ever.Also, I can’t really put someone who places their family’s financial security in jeopardy because they can’t separate work from their passion on a pedestal. As I mentioned, there are people who are able to separate those two things, and hold down day jobs while working on what they love secondary until the time they can make that move. It always comes with risk but nothing I heard made me believe that it was a calculated decision on Gygax’s part. Again, I don’t applaud luck.
Maybe David Bowie.
But otherwise, no. I don't worship Gygax. He was just a human being. I am critical of things that he did that I don't agree with (and I think I have been very clear about what: he was sexist and misogynist, not to mention expressing other cultural attitudes that I intensely disagree with), and I celebrate the things he did that I admire. In co-inventing and shepherding D&D and the creation of RPGs, he accomplished something far greater than I or most other people ever will, in terms of leaving a positive legacy for humanity.
Lots of people pursue a passion and maybe could have paid more attention to those around them. On the other hand, most successful creators have made sacrifices and hurt people on the way. Virtually all of them, in fact. That damage is real, but has to be weighed against everything they accomplished.
And in this case, I think it's up to Gygax's family to judge, and no one else. None of us were impacted one way or the other by his work ethic or job as a provider, so it seems pretty unfair for us to be getting all up in the Gygax's business.