E. Gary Gygax Jr.
Special Guest
Ernest G. Gygax, Jr. is the first-born son of storyteller and wargamer E. Gary Gygax. As a toddler he literally cut his teeth on a cardboard panzer division from an Avalon Hill game that his father had foolishly left within reach.
At 64 years of age, Ernie is still active in gaming and following through from his father's legacy, running Advanced Dungeons & Dragons with people of all ages. Amongst many other things, he worked at the original Dungeon Hobby Shop, TSR’s flagship game store, and playtested everything Gary wrote or played into the 1990s.
In the early 80’s, Gary Gygax offered Ernie an opportunity to leave his Executive Vice President position at TSR to join him at Dungeons & Dragons Entertainment Corp. as the VP of Creative, where he worked consulting on the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon series from episode 4 forward. Later, he again worked in Lake Geneva’s TSR office as Associate Publisher of Strategy and Tactics magazine. After TSR’s takeover in 1986, he took a decade break from gaming, until returning to his passion working at The Game Guild, a local hobby shop owned by Don & Margaret Weiss, and would once again run his Hobby Shop Dungeon campaign created in 1978.
Ernie, with input from their father, co-wrote The Lost City of Gaxmoor with his brother Luke, and published by Troll Lord Games. Ernie also worked with his brother Luke Gygax and Jason Elliott to put together six issues of Gygax magazine, and published a story written for his grandchildren, Sammy Zowa Vs. The Dueling Dragons.
Most recently, Ernie teamed up with Benoist Poire to create a gigantic boxed set world dungeon and artwork of the Marmorial Tomb, which was released last year from the good folks at Troll Lord Games.
Now, after years of major health issues, Tenser's creator is still running AD&D games at his home, Dragonlands.This September he will be marrying the woman of his dreams, his love and fellow gamer, Donna Jovani.
Ernie was also guest at EGG Con 1.