When We Were Wizards
WHEN WE WERE WIZARDS (W4) is a 14-episode podcast series that charts the rise and fall of Gary Gygax, co-creator of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Taking a journalistic approach to blow open the known ”gospel” of D&D history, W4 draws from nearly 30 interview subjects – including Gary’s ex- wife, two children, employees, friends, and partners. From Gary’s basement in the early 60s to the 1985 boardroom coup that ripped the game from his control, W4 is a sweeping story about the cost of the American Dream when idealistic ambition is corrupted by greed, lust, and human folly.
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Episodes
Sunday Jul 07, 2024
Sunday Jul 07, 2024
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.
Sunday Jul 14, 2024
Sunday Jul 14, 2024
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.
Sunday Jul 21, 2024
Sunday Jul 21, 2024
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.
Sunday Jul 28, 2024
Sunday Jul 28, 2024
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.
Sunday Aug 04, 2024
Sunday Aug 04, 2024
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.
When We Were Wizards
WHEN WE WERE WIZARDS (W4) is a 14-episode documentary podcast that charts the rise and fall of E. 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.
This year, D&D is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the game is more popular than ever. According to its publisher, Wizards of the Coast, more than 13 million people play the game now and more than 50 million have played since it was created. In 2022, Forbes estimated that D&D generates between $100 and $150M in annual revenue.
Furthermore, D&D’s influence has been a primary driver in the explosion of fantasy films, TV series, and video games in recent years - from GAME OF THRONES, LORD OF THE RINGS, and HARRY POTTER to WORLD OF WARCRAFT and LEGEND OF ZELDA.
W4 is the story of how we got here, told in the voices of the people who were there. From Gary’s basement in the early 60s all the way to the 1985 boardroom coup that drove him out of TSR, never before has this tale included so many astounding insights, discoveries, heart-wrenching recollections, and stunning revelations.
Created for an audience beyond just gamers, this is a story for anyone interested in unique subcultures, Americana, history, cautionary tales, and human drama.