Monument to gaming god Gygax planned in Wisconsin

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gary_gygax_gen_con_2007.jpgThe widow of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax is working to have a memorial erected to the game designer in his adopted hometown of Lake Geneva, Wis.

The monument, which Gail Gygax is hoping will be placed in the city’s Library Park, first must go through parks board approval before going to the City Council.

In her recent note to the fan community EN World, Mrs. Gygax was mum about what exact form the tribute would take but said “the few people that know the concept are wild about it – so I am excited.”

The project will be built using money donated at GygaxMemorialFund.com, as well as a fundraiser at the annual Indianapolis gaming event Gen Con and the auctioning of items from Gygax’s personal collections.

Gygax was born in Chicago, but as a boy he moved with his family to Lake Geneva, where he died in 2008 at the age of 69. Dave Arneson, who worked with Gygax to create the game now known as D&D, died earlier this year at the age of 61. The two men met at a gaming convention and wrote up the custom rules they had created to combine their love of miniatures wargaming with fantasy roleplaying. When no publisher would bite, Arneson and Gygax created TSR and the rest was history.

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About the author

Scott Kirchhofer

One of Nerdvana's founding bloggers, Scott Kirchhofer is a graphic artist and designer of the Nerdvana logo, as well as a gamer and comic book movie fan.

14 Comments

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  • If Hasbro, WotC or whatever megacorp owns TSR nowadays, had any decency they’d fully fund the memorial themselves.

  • If Hasbro, WotC or whatever megacorp owns TSR nowadays, had any decency they’d fully fund the memorial themselves.

  • I can think of many people more worthy of a statue than someone who created demonic video games. Not sure why something so trivial is worthy of a monument.

  • I can think of many people more worthy of a statue than someone who created demonic video games. Not sure why something so trivial is worthy of a monument.

  • I would guess Bill from your reply you are not familliar with Gary perhaps you should read who he acutally was before you label. As far as statues go I would gladly chip in one for Gary, wizards treated him badly. I live in chicago where we have a great many statues for spurious reasons.

  • I would guess Bill from your reply you are not familliar with Gary perhaps you should read who he acutally was before you label. As far as statues go I would gladly chip in one for Gary, wizards treated him badly. I live in chicago where we have a great many statues for spurious reasons.

  • This letter is in response to the confusion that has been brought to our attention by many people between the difference from “Gygax Family Memorial” and “Gygax Memorial Fund”. This letter can be printed, copied for internet use and published by either for availability to anyone in whole in its original format.
    “Gygax Family Memorial” and “Gygax Memorial Fund” are two (2) separate non-profit organizations, not affiliated with each other, honoring father and husband, E. Gary Gygax.
    Established in 2009, “Gygax Family Memorial” dba “Gary Con”, is owned by Gary’s daughter, M. Elise’ Gygax-Cousino, and operated by Lucion P. Gygax, M. Elise Gygax-Cousino and Bill Cousino with contributions from siblings; Ernest G. Gygax, Heidi J. Gygax and Cindy (Gygax) Shu, and our friends and fellow gamers. Alexander H. Gygax has been asked to be a participant, but so far has declined.
    Established 2010 “Gygax Memorial Fund” is operated by Gary’s widow Gail Gygax, with assistance from board members Jody Mikkelsen and Jim Ward.
    “Gygax Family Memorial”, and “Gygax Memorial Fund”, common interest is that they want to see a monument placed in Lake Geneva to honor their father and late husband, E. Gary Gygax.
    At no time has “Gygax Family Memorial”, “Gary Con”, the children or people involved in such, supported or conducted business with “Gygax Memorial Fund”. Only at such time that the City of Lake Geneva has approved a sight, and construction started for a monument by “Gygax Memorial Fund” will “Gygax Family Memorial” contribute any funds collected by their original monument proposal presented at Gary Con I in March of 2009.
    In regards to “Gary Con”, “Gygax Family Memorial” dba “Gary Con” is a gaming convention honoring Gary Gygax . This is the opportunity for all the children of Gary

    Gygax to give back to the gaming community and the fans of his works. All of the proceeds received through donations, convention registration, and fund raisers, go directly to support future “Gary Con” conventions at this time. When, and if, there is progress on a monument, any available funds remaining will go towards the monument. If “Gygax Family Memorial” does not see any timely progression towards a monument, fund raising efforts will start again towards our original monument proposal presented at “Gary Con I”.

  • This letter is in response to the confusion that has been brought to our attention by many people between the difference from “Gygax Family Memorial” and “Gygax Memorial Fund”. This letter can be printed, copied for internet use and published by either for availability to anyone in whole in its original format.
    “Gygax Family Memorial” and “Gygax Memorial Fund” are two (2) separate non-profit organizations, not affiliated with each other, honoring father and husband, E. Gary Gygax.
    Established in 2009, “Gygax Family Memorial” dba “Gary Con”, is owned by Gary’s daughter, M. Elise’ Gygax-Cousino, and operated by Lucion P. Gygax, M. Elise Gygax-Cousino and Bill Cousino with contributions from siblings; Ernest G. Gygax, Heidi J. Gygax and Cindy (Gygax) Shu, and our friends and fellow gamers. Alexander H. Gygax has been asked to be a participant, but so far has declined.
    Established 2010 “Gygax Memorial Fund” is operated by Gary’s widow Gail Gygax, with assistance from board members Jody Mikkelsen and Jim Ward.
    “Gygax Family Memorial”, and “Gygax Memorial Fund”, common interest is that they want to see a monument placed in Lake Geneva to honor their father and late husband, E. Gary Gygax.
    At no time has “Gygax Family Memorial”, “Gary Con”, the children or people involved in such, supported or conducted business with “Gygax Memorial Fund”. Only at such time that the City of Lake Geneva has approved a sight, and construction started for a monument by “Gygax Memorial Fund” will “Gygax Family Memorial” contribute any funds collected by their original monument proposal presented at Gary Con I in March of 2009.
    In regards to “Gary Con”, “Gygax Family Memorial” dba “Gary Con” is a gaming convention honoring Gary Gygax . This is the opportunity for all the children of Gary

    Gygax to give back to the gaming community and the fans of his works. All of the proceeds received through donations, convention registration, and fund raisers, go directly to support future “Gary Con” conventions at this time. When, and if, there is progress on a monument, any available funds remaining will go towards the monument. If “Gygax Family Memorial” does not see any timely progression towards a monument, fund raising efforts will start again towards our original monument proposal presented at “Gary Con I”.