# Jeff Dee > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jeff_Dee > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jeff_Dee.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Dee > Source revision: 1336501544 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} {{short description|American artist and game designer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Infobox artist | name = Jeff Dee | image = Jeff Dee (2009).png | imagesize = | caption = Dee on ''[The Atheist Experience](/source/The_Atheist_Experience)'' television series, January 4, 2009 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = United States | death_date = | death_place = | field = [Fantasy art](/source/Fantasy_art), [illustration](/source/illustration) | training = | movement = | works = | patrons = | influenced by = | influenced = | awards = }} '''Jeff Dee''' is an American artist and [game designer](/source/game_designer). He was the youngest artist in the history of pioneering [role-playing game](/source/role-playing_game) company [TSR](/source/TSR_(company)) when he began his work at the age of 18. He also designed the ''[Villains and Vigilantes](/source/Villains_and_Vigilantes)'' superhero game. He was a co-host on ''[The Atheist Experience](/source/The_Atheist_Experience)'' and Non-Prophets atheism advocacy podcasts.{{cite web|url=http://www.atheist-experience.com/people/jeff_dee/|title=People: Jeff Dee|work=The Atheist Experience|publisher=Atheist Community of Austin|access-date=February 4, 2019|archive-date=October 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004074520/http://atheist-experience.com/people/jeff_dee/|url-status=dead}} ==Biography== In the late 1970s, while Dee was still a teenager, he and [Jack Herman](/source/Jack_Herman) created ''[Villains and Vigilantes](/source/Villains_and_Vigilantes)'', the first complete superhero role-playing game.Jebens, Harley (September 21, 1995). "Game central", ''[Austin American-Statesman](/source/Austin_American-Statesman)'', p. 38. The game was published by [Fantasy Games Unlimited](/source/Fantasy_Games_Unlimited) in 1979.{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}{{rp|73}} Dee and Herman persuaded [Scott Bizar](/source/Scott_Bizar) to produce a second edition of ''Villains and Vigilantes'', which was published in 1982.{{rp|75}} Dee came up with the idea of creating a role-playing game based on cartoons when he, [Greg Costikyan](/source/Greg_Costikyan), and other designers were discussing which genres had no role-playing game systems yet; although they agreed that it would be impossible for such a game to be designed, a few years later Costikyan designed ''[Toon](/source/Toon_(role-playing_game))'' as a full game with the assistance of [Warren Spector](/source/Warren_Spector).{{rp|104}} Dee was the youngest artist in TSR history when he began working for them at the age of 18.{{cite web|title=Jeff Dee|date=2010|website=blackgate.com|url=http://www.blackgate.com/2010/09/29/art-evolution-3-jeff-dee/}} Dee designed a new superhero role-playing game originally titled ''Advanced Villains and Vigilantes'', which was ultimately published as ''Living Legends'' in 2005.{{rp|77}} In 2009, he co-founded Nemesis Games, developers of an [MMO](/source/Massively_multiplayer_online_game) named ''Gargantua''.{{cite web|url=http://nemesisgames.net/ |title=Nemesis Games web site |publisher=Nemesisgames.net |access-date=June 15, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606024608/http://www.nemesisgames.net/ |archive-date=June 6, 2012 }} Dee has long been an advocate for the role-playing game industry.{{cite web | url=https://www.blackgate.com/2014/02/25/art-of-the-genre-the-halflings-of-jeff-dee/ | title=Art of the Genre: The Halflings of Jeff Dee – Black Gate | date=February 25, 2014 }} ==Advocacy of atheism== In addition to his artistic and game-related work, Dee is an outspoken [atheist](/source/atheism) and [transhumanist](/source/Transhumanism).{{citation|last=Rahe|first=Emily|date=July 11, 2001|title=Atheists blast faith-based initiative as an unconstitutional "religion tax" | newspaper=[The Washington Times](/source/The_Washington_Times)|page=A9|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-76461881}}{{dl|date=July 2021}} He has been the host of a bi-weekly [Internet](/source/Internet) podcast called ''The Non-Prophets'' and a former host of a live, weekly, [public-access television](/source/public-access_television) program, ''[The Atheist Experience](/source/The_Atheist_Experience)''.{{cite web|url=http://www.atheist-experience.com/archive/index.php?full=0|website=atheist-experience.com|title=The Atheist Experience|access-date=August 22, 2007|archive-date=November 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122085027/http://www.atheist-experience.com/archive/index.php?full=0|url-status=dead}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{cite web | url = http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=509 | title = Jeff Dee | access-date = August 22, 2011 | work = Pen & Paper RPG database | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930201246/http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=509 | archive-date = September 30, 2007}} *{{moby developer|id=487|name=Jeff Dee's profile}} * [http://www.paratime.ca/v_and_v/art_jdee.html A Jeff Dee art gallery], including most of his AD&D work * [https://wwjdee.blogspot.com/ ''What Worries Jeff Dee?''], Dee's blog {{Authority control}} {{D&D topics}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Dee, Jeff}} Category:American atheism activists Category:American fantasy artists Category:American game artists Category:American role-playing designers Category:American role-playing game artists Category:American transhumanists Category:Atheist Community of Austin people Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jeff Dee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Dee) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Dee?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.