#Tadashi Ehara

[vintagerpg]

Different Worlds 39 (May/June, 1985). Another gap in publication as editor Tadashi Ehara moved operations to San Francisco under Sleuth Publications. I can’t find a real explanation as to why the magazine went with Ehara — it was launched by him and Greg Stafford as a Chaosium product, but Ehara produced every issue, so maybe Stafford considered it his? Maybe he bought it! But that doesn’t seem to be the case — in the editor’s note, it seems like Sleuth took over publication, but it was Ehara’s decision to relocate. Anyway, the cover is “Insectoid Robots,” by Brad W. Foster. It seems to harken to an earlier period of the magazine’s design aesthetic. It is also “The Magazine for Adventurers” now.

#roleplaying game #tabletop rpg #dungeons & dragons #rpg #ttrpg #d&d #Chaosium #Different Worlds #Brad W Foster

[oldschoolfrp]

Gigi D’Arn was the gossip columnist of the RPG world, writing “A Letter from Gigi” for Different Worlds magazine starting with issue 2 in April 1979 through the final issue, No 47 in Sep 1987.  She covered the usual industry news like product releases, new hires, and company closures, but also commented humorously on the feuds, lawsuits, and personalities of the people behind the scenes in gaming.

I don’t know where she is know, but I wish we had her back on the job.

Her real identity has been debated for years, with most concluding that she was an alter-ego of DW editor Tadashi Ehara and his staff.  Others have gone into great depth to figure out who she would be if she were real.  The Advanced Dungeons & Parenting blog explored the question in 2012, with comments from some who should know, and pointed out that “Gigi D’Arn” is a fusion of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson’s names.

Above: Header by Steve Oliff introduced in issue 4, and selected quotes from the first letter in issue 2.

For the record FGU did release issue 4 of Wargaming after some delay, but never an issue 5.

Gary Gygax was a frequent subject for Gigi’s lampooning, sometimes in subtle ways.  Here she mocks Gary’s controlling attitude by pretending to chide Ian Livingstone for not following Gary’s lessons closely enough.  Both of the columns she mentions spoke against increasing “realism” in RPGs.  But while Ian Livingstone wrote in WD 9:

"Gary Gygax has always stated that D&D is a game and should, therefore, be enjoyable and fun. But he has never stated that the game should be played in one particular way - it is entirely up to the players.”

Gary’s Dragon 16 column actually said:

“D&D encourages inventiveness and originality within the framework of its rules. Those who insist on altering the framework should design their own game.”

“Well, well:”  Gigi’s comments about Tim Kask and the Dragon’s shrinking page count led to an apology in issue 4:

The final cryptic comment in issue 2 about “Rose Chung” (sic) refers to the fact that rival publishers Greg Stafford and Scott Bizar were married to sisters.  Rose Chun was their mother-in-law.

#Gigi D'Arn #gaming history #Different Worlds #Tadashi Ehara #D&D #Chaosium #A Letter from Gigi #Ian Livingstone #Gary Gygax #Greg Stafford #Scott Bizar #Dave Arneson #Dungeons & Dragons #White Dwarf #Dragon magazine

[vintagerpg]

Let’s have a quick look at some early issues of Chaosium’s Different Worlds magazine. This is the second issue, from April/May of 1979 (I think; they actually neglected to note that anywhere that I can see).

First thing, in the copyright matter, it says they pay $50 for color cover art, which, wow, that is like 175 2020 dollars! That’s not like, a fortune or anything, but it seems like Chaosium was doing pretty all right. This cover, by Willie Church and Steve Oliff is fine. I’m always down for some polar bear mounts. But it isn’t really a standout.

Inside, some fun stuff. The first issue of Different Worlds established the My Life and Roleplaying column. It continues here with Steve Jackson (Fantasy Trip, at this point) and David Feldt (Legacy, an early universal system).

This issue also introduces the Gigi D’Arn gossip column, A Letter From Gigi, which, along with My Life and Roleplaying and Steve Jackson’s game design articles for Space Gamer magazine, is easily one of the best things to see print in early RPG mags. It is a full page of delightful scuttlebutt and snark. The big news in this one is rumors of Dave Arneson filing suit against TSR for unpaid royalties. Gigi’s identity, I think, remains a mystery, but the consensus theory is that she was an amalgamation of gossip provided by Chaosium staffers and friends, penned by DW editor Tadashi Ehara (every column is formatted as a letter to Tadashi, after all).

Also in this issue, Dave Hargrave pens an introduction to Arduin and Steve Perrin details the Cacodemon cult for Glorantha.

#RPG #TTRPG #Tabletop RPG #Roleplaying Game #D&D #dungeons & dragons #Chaosium #Different Worlds

[vintagerpg]

This is the first issue of Different Worlds (1979), Chaosium’s second magazine (the first, Wyrm’s Footnotes, was basically an all-Glorantha magazine).

Despite my love of Chaosium, I only recently snagged some issues of Different Worlds for the first time. I am hard pressed to call it a magazine, actually, because the cover and page stock is the same as Chaosium’s other saddle stapled RPG books. That makes for one heck of a sturdy magazine.

Different Worlds was created by Tadashi Ehara (who edited the magazine’s entire run) and Greg Stafford. Tabletop gaming magazines of the time were mostly produced by an RPG publisher and, to greater or lesser degree, the magazines served as house organs, promoting their own products. Different Worlds does too, but to a lesser degree than most.

You can see that in the “My Life and Role-playing” column, which featured short autobiographical essays from game designers. This issue has a shocking collection for the time, including Ken St. Andre (Tunnels & Trolls), David Hargrave (Arduin), Jennell Jaquays (Judges Guild at this particular moment), Ed Simbalist (Chivalry & Sorcery), Lee Gold (Alarums & Excursions), B. Dennis Sustare (Bunnies and Burrows), Greg Costikyan (then working as a board game designer at SPI), Marc Miller (Traveller) and more. Other features look at general practices in RPGs, a generic campaign world and some new magic. Only two articles focus on Chaosium products. It kind of feels like an industry water cooler, in a way.

Amazing cover by Steve Swenston. Lots of fun interior art, though no clear credit. I particularly like the psychedelic space stuff from Tom Clark though.

Oh, also, this was Greg Stafford’s personal copy. That might sound like bragging, but it mostly bums me out.

#RPG #TTRPG #Tabletop RPG #Roleplaying Game #D&D #dungeons & dragons #Chaosium #Different World #Magazine #Greg Stafford