When We Were Wizards

WHEN WE WERE WIZARDS is a 14-episode documentary podcast that charts the rise and fall of Gary Gygax, the co-creator of the role-playing-game phenomenon Dungeons & Dragons and co-founder of the company that produced it, TSR Hobbies. It’s a story about the personal toll success can exact on friendships and families, especially when corrupted by greed, lust, and human folly. WHEN WE WERE WIZARDS is told in the voices of the people who were there - covering everything from the game's creation, to the Satanic Panic, TSR's dysfunction, Gary's adventures in Hollywood and more. Never before has this tale included so many insights, discoveries, heart-wrenching recollections, and stunning revelations. This is a story for anyone interested in unique subcultures, Americana, corporate chaos, history, cautionary tales, and human drama. Follow our instagram @whenwewerewizards

Chapter 1 - In the early 1960s, Gary and Mary Jo Gygax move their young family to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to escape their urban life in Chicago,. Though he works as an insurance underwriter by day, Gary spends his nights and weekends as a central figure in a burgeoning community of wargame players seeking camaraderie and a distraction from a turbulent era. When he’s fired from his job, Gary begins a second career as a shoe-cobbler while continuing to pursue his creative ambitions. Barely able to make ends meet, Gary is on the verge of abandoning his dream altogether when a fellow gamer from the Twin Cities introduces him to a game that will change both of their lives forever.

Chapter 2 - In Minneapolis, a hive-mind of creative synergy reaches a critical mass with a game from Dave Arneson called “Blackmoor.” Convinced of its potential, Gygax and Arneson work furiously to develop the idea into what eventually becomes Dungeons & Dragons. But when he is unable to find a publisher for it, Gary and a childhood friend start their own company to print and sell D&D. The future looks bright until a tragedy tests Gary’s resolve.

Chapter 3 – Seizing the momentum of D&D’s growing popularity, Gary and his partner Brian Blume press on with an investment from Brian’s father, Melvin. The company moves into a new headquarters and hires on friends from the Twin Cities and Lake Geneva. It looks like Camelot, but underneath the surface, grievances fester and friendships fracture. Then, a reckoning at a shareholder’s meeting threatens the company’s future.

Chapter 4 - Gary Gygax and Brian Blume reassert control by instituting new company policies and focusing exclusively on D&D. Dave Arneson strikes out on his own, but struggles to match TSR's impressive growth. Just months after the company moves into a new headquarters at the former Hotel Clair, Arneson files suit against the company for attempting to remove his name as co-author of D&D and withholding royalty payments.

Chapter 5 - To keep up with growing product demand, TSR hires a new crop of young designers, developers, and editors. Wages are low, but it’s a chance to work with their hero in a brand new industry. On the management side, Brian Blume's older brother Kevin joins the company and rises through the ranks.

Chapter 6 - When James Dallas Egbert goes missing, the press and concerned parents start to question the influence D&D holds over impressionable young minds. As a result: the game explodes into the national consciousness and Gary Gygax becomes a multi-millionaire.

Chapter 7 - New divisions emerge within the company. Gary’s camp includes his wife, his kids, and a cadre of executives and freelance designers known as “The Friends of Gary.” The Blume camp includes more than a dozen relatives and in-laws. The employees caught in the middle become cogs in a gaming factory, punching a clock at the direction of Kevin Blume, seeking to mold TSR into the kind of efficient enterprise he learns about in books. 

Chapter 8 - As sales of D&D continue to skyrocket, tensions between the designers and upper management reach a boiling point. The employees turn to Gary for help, but find him missing in action. With his marriage on the rocks and exhausted by the company in-fighting, Gary looks for new opportunities to expand the D&D brand in Hollywood. 

Chapter 9 - With Gary distracted, TSR’s lack of corporate leadership and vision creates a vacuum for Kevin Blume to assume even more control. What he lacks in experience, he makes up with confidence. Flush with money and the promise of future sales, Kevin, Brian, and Gary focus on acquisitions and ambitious expansion.

Chapter 10 - Gary, Brian, and Kevin are forced to reckon with the failures of over-expansion. Between the “Satanic Panic” and market saturation, sales of the game begin to plateau. Continued corporate mismanagement leads to a crisis that puts hundreds of people out of work and sends TSR into a tailspin. Gary’s marriage collapses.

Chapter 11 - Gary escapes to Hollywood, rents a mansion, and embraces a life of excess as he pursues movie and TV deals. Meanwhile, Kevin strategizes ways to limit the impact of Gary’s royalties on TSR. But Gary takes notice, and takes aim at Kevin. 

Chapter 12 - Gary races back to Lake Geneva, dead-set on restoring his royalty payments. As retribution, Gary blames all the company’s failures on Kevin and convinces the Board to replace him.  Kevin and Brian are out - but refuse to resign from the Board until TSR buys out their shares. With the help of a new ally, Gary outmaneuvers Kevin and Brian to become the majority shareholder for the first time since he founded the company. 

Chapter 13 - While Gary moves to improve the company’s finances as its new CEO, President, and Board Chairman, a second battle gathers momentum. Unbeknownst to Gary, his worst and fiercest enemy has been lurking in the background, masquerading as his greatest ally.

Chapter 14 - In the aftermath of Lorraine's coup, Gary struggles to regain his footing. But as the years pass, and D&D’s popularity grows, Gary and Dave Arneson become folk heroes to a new generation of role playing gamers. From humble beginnings, their legacy endures.