Gary Con

{{short description|American gaming convention in Wisconsin}} {{distinguish|Gary Conn}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox convention | name =Gary Con | image = | caption = | status = | genre =Gaming | venue =Grand Geneva Resort | location =Lake Geneva, Wisconsin | country =United States | first = March 2009 | last = ongoing | organizer =Luke Gygax | filing = | attendance = 3000 | website ={{URL|www.garycon.com}} }} '''Gary Con''' is a gaming convention held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin every year to celebrate the life and works of Gary Gygax, co-creator of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and who is commonly considered the father of role playing games. Organizers bill the convention "as a more intimate event, reminiscent of the formative years of the gaming industry."<ref name="LGN03142010" />

==History== Gygax was raised in Lake Geneva, where the company he later founded TSR, Inc.<nowiki/>created and produced the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game for 25 years.<ref name="Wieland03132013">{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/articles/gary-con-celebrates-the-life-and-games-of-the-firs,83604/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130324054312/http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/articles/gary-con-celebrates-the-life-and-games-of-the-firs,83604/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 24, 2013 |title=Gary Con celebrates the life and games of the first Dungeon Master, Gary Gygax |last=Wieland |first=Rob |date=March 13, 2013 |work=A.V. Club |publisher=Onion, Inc. |access-date=December 27, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="OfDiceandMen16">{{cite book | first=David M. | last=Ewalt | author-link= David M. Ewalt | date= August 20, 2013| title= Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It | publisher= Simon and Schuster |chapter=16: Pilgrimage | isbn=978-1-4516-4052-6 }}</ref>

When Gary Gygax died in 2008, role playing gamers from around the world joined to honor Gygax's life with a virtual convention, held at locations around the world.<ref name="Ewalt03062008">{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/digitaldownload/2008/03/06/gary-con-weekend-tributes-to-gary-gygax/|title=Gary Con: Weekend Tributes To Gary Gygax|last=Ewalt|first=David M.|date=March 6, 2008|work=Forbes.com|access-date=December 27, 2013}}</ref> Gygax's friends and family held an impromptu game event at Lake Geneva's American Legion Hall following his funeral on March 8, 2008, now known as "Gary Con 0,"<ref name="OfDiceandMen16" /><ref name="ONeill03222010">{{cite web|url=https://www.blackgate.com/2010/03/22/garycon-ii-report/|title=Gary Con II Report|last=O'Neill|first=John|date=March 22, 2010|work=Blackgate Magazine|publisher=New Epoch Press|access-date=January 19, 2014}}</ref> By 2009, son Luke Gygax established the first official Gary Con, held at the same Legion Hall.

"Gary Con I," held March 7, 2009, was attended by a number of gaming industry icons: Frank Mentzer, Tom Wham, Steve Chenault, and Jim Ward.<ref name="OfDiceandMen16" />

By 2010, the Legion Hall no longer had the capacity to host the growing event and its participants. As a result, the event was moved to a local lodge west of the town.<ref name="OfDiceandMen16"/> The convention moved to the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in 2016.{{cn|date=March 2019}} Convention organizer Luke Gygax told a local paper Gary Con was "...meant to be a more intimate event, reminiscent of the formative years of the gaming industry."<ref name="LGN03142010">{{cite web|url=http://www.lakegenevanews.net/Articles-i-2010-03-18-242595.114135_Maple_Fest_Gary_Con_II_this_weekend.html|title=Maple Fest, Gary Con II this weekend|date=March 17, 2010|work=LakeGenevaNews.net|publisher=Lake Geneva Printing & Publishing Company|access-date=January 19, 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131227195629/http://www.lakegenevanews.net/Articles-i-2010-03-18-242595.114135_Maple_Fest_Gary_Con_II_this_weekend.html|archive-date=December 27, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Gary Con was mentioned in the February 26, 2015, episode of the television sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'', "The Intimacy Acceleration." This reference brought attention to the event, causing its website to nearly crash, and boosting attendance for that year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.gazettextra.com/20160305/gary_con_celebrates_father_of_role_playing_games|title=Gary Con celebrates father of role-playing games|work=The Janesville Gazette|last=Magee|first=Jake|date=March 5, 2016|access-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/27/the-big-bang-theory-the-intimacy-acceleration-review|title=The Big Bang Theory: "The Intimacy Acceleration" Review|last=Schedeen|first=Jesse|date=February 27, 2015|website=IGN|language=en-US|access-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref>

==Events== The focus of Gary Con is "Old School Renaissance", with games written during Gygax's ownership of TSR getting the most attention.<ref name="Wieland03132013"/><ref name="Forbeck05232010">{{cite web|url=https://www.forbeck.com/2010/03/23/gary-con-ii-rocked/|title=Gary Con II rocked|last=Forbeck|first=Matt|date=May 23, 2010|work=Forbeck.com|access-date=January 19, 2014}}</ref>

Games at the convention are often run by designers who originally created the game such as ''Metamorphosis Alpha'' run by Jim Ward, ''Fight in the Skies'' run by Mike Carr, and boardgames by Tom Wham.<ref name="ONeill03222010" /><ref name="Forbeck05232010" /> Other TSR titles and classic games, such as ''Chainmail,'' are run by loyal gamers.{{cn|date=July 2021}}

HMGS Midwest (Gygax was a historical wargamer before founding TSR{{cn|date=July 2021}}) and Joe Kline's ''Circus Maximus'' qualifiers, as well as his modified games, are also well represented."{{cn|date=July 2021}}

Recent years have seen the addition of ''Last Hope Live Action Roleplay'', a local LARPing group which attends the convention, trains convention goers in combat, and leads them on a live adventure in which they must face monsters and other opponents in battle, discover and return important items, and solve puzzles.{{cn|date=March 2018}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|garycon.com}} *[https://www.blackgate.com/2010/03/22/garycon-ii-report/ Gary Con II Report] at ''Black Gate''

Category:Conventions in Wisconsin Category:Gaming conventions Category:Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Category:Tourist attractions in Walworth County, Wisconsin