Tenkar's Tavern: Jon Peterson Tracks Down Gary Gygax Interview from "Tomorrow" with Tom Snyder (1979)

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Jon Peterson Tracks Down Gary Gygax Interview from "Tomorrow" with Tom Snyder (1979) - Audio

When Jon Peterson strikes gold, the man strikes it by the pound.

Yesterday Jon shared the sound file of a TV interview from "Tomorrow" with Tom Snyder from back in 1979 in which Snyder interviews Gary Gygax. It is simply an amazing piece of history that probably hasnt been heard in 38 years.

While you can grab the file directly from Soundcloud I strongly recommend you go to Jon's site - Playing at the World - where he has published a full transcript of the interview.

Good stuff!

Tip of the hat to +Zach H for bringing this to my attention.

1 comment:

Súil DubhDecember 22, 2017 at 7:09 PM
Just yesterday, I read a review in the New Yorker of Michael Witwer’s biography of Gygax. Gygax was a practicing Jehovah's Witness! I had no idea until now.

https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-tangled-cultural-roots-of-dungeons-dragons

The New Yorker has published several articles recently on Dungeons and Dragons, Tolkien, and Stranger Things. Reading such an academic take on fantasy culture provides an interesting perspective on this hobby we all share.
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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Jon Peterson Tracks Down Gary Gygax Interview from "Tomorrow" with Tom Snyder (1979) - Audio

1 comment:

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