In my entire life I’ve never attended a Fantasy or RPG convention before. Except for an invitation from one of my favorite childhood fantasy authors, I may never have. Join Rediscovered Realms as we explore some of the awesomeness that is Gary Con!
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Gary Con is a gaming convention held every year in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin since 2009 (“Gary Con 0” was an impromptu game event by family & friends at the American Legion Hall following his funeral in 2008) to celebrate the life and works of Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons. Gary is often considered the father of role playing games.
Lake Geneva is where Gary grew up - and where he founded TSR and produced D&D back in 1974. (Look at the credits page of any old school TSR product and you’ll see it boldly listed there.)
The event includes HUNDREDS of sessions: RPG sessions, Miniature painting sessions, Board Game sessions, Card Game sessions (think Magic The Gathering), Historical War Game sessions, Seminars, Special Events, and of course . . . “The Forum” where some of the coolest fantasy vendors, artists and creators gather to interact with fans and sell their wares.
Imagine vast already configured gaming tables with awaiting game masters stuffed in every nook & cranny of conference rooms, restaurants and other spaces - everything from fantasy to sci-fi to superheroes to wargames.
That’s not even scratching the surface.
Caverns full of D&D in all its different edition flavors can be found throughout the Grand Geneva Resort (which interestingly was established in 1968 as the “Lake Geneva Playboy Club Hotel”! It remained open under that moniker until 1982).
Also of interest: the location was chosen for its proximity to Milwaukee and Chicago and the design was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright!
Since its small-gathering inception, Gary Con has now grown to several THOUSAND attendees of all ages, all clamoring to escape the mundane world for a little while, recapture the fun of gaming, and share their excitement & imagination with each other.
So how did I come to attend?
I was already slated to go to a writers’ conference in New Orleans during that time when I received an email from someone dear to my heart.
Rose Estes - the very creator of D&D Endless Quest books - let me know she was asked to attend this conference to be honored and participate in several events & seminars. In fact, she hadn’t been to one in 23 years!
The next thing she said hit me like a fireball in the gut - she said it would be nice if I could attend, and we could meet in person for the first time.
My mind exploded with the possibility. Yet how? I had already committed to the writers’ conference - and had already paid for its (what I soon found out) non-refundable tickets.
A mentor and good friend of mine has always encouraged me to “follow the energy”. It always seems to work out when you commit to the things that light you up inside (like a fireball in the gut).
The writers’ conference just didn’t hold a candle to the possibility of meeting Rose and forming connections with barbarian hordes of fellow adventurers.
After a quick peek at the attendee list, I noticed several other personages with deep ties to my psyche.
Fantasy artist, Jeff Butler, who I interviewed a couple years ago was going to be there!
Dragonlance author, Margaret Weiss, was also attending!
Jeff Easley, whose fantasy art needs no introduction, was going to be in a vendor booth!
. . . and there were rumors that the “retiring” fantasy artist, Larry Elmore might make an appearance!
I had also noticed many creators and adventurers on social media posting about attending.
What an opportunity!
Did You Know?! Several main-stream celebrities regularly attend Gary Con. I saw Joe Manganiello, Vince Vaughan, and heard that Rage Against the Machine guitarist, Tom Morello was there hanging with Vince!
Those guys were in rooms playing games most of the time, but you could get a glimpse every now and then when they emerged to walk through The Forum or other areas. Joe was even scheduled for an autograph session!
I was also hoping to find a way to meet another of my favorite fantasy artists I had the pleasure of interviewing, Clyde Caldwell who usually doesn’t attend anymore but doesn’t live terribly far away.
Excitement (“Energy”) level now at full bore, I took the plunge.
Game Plan:
Eat the cost of the New Orleans writers’ conference
Buy Gary Con ticket
Schedule plane fare and hotel in Lake Geneva
Wait like a kid before Christmas for this exciting event
Plan executed flawlessly. I attended and went directly back to the daily grind (“day job”) for a week with little time to reflect.
Until now.
Was It Worth It?
Though you won’t believe me when I tell you that I didn’t play a single game during the entire 4-day event . . . I HAD A BLAST!
Here are some highlights:
Meeting and spending time with Rose Estes and some of her family, including her son Daniel Estes who curates “Return To Brookmere” on Instagram (Daniel is an extremely kind & adventurous soul. Make sure to check out his channel for Endless Quest read-alongs, history and more!)
At 84 years young, Rose wowed Gary Con audiences with her origin story and advice for creators today. One thing I particularly like about Rose is her humility. Her Endless Quest books not only financially saved TSR for a period of time, but affected an entire generation of boys by getting them into reading at a time when they might not have otherwise. Yet, she was always surprised when a full-grown man approached her (and there were MANY!) with his cherished childhood Endless Quest books and told her how important her books were to him.
Chris Arneson speaking to Rose Estes about the impact of her Endless Quest books
By the way, Rose didn’t just sign her name on fans’ items - she inscribed interesting & unique backstories in each one!
Daniel was kind enough to invite me to dinner with them on Friday night where we went to an old haunt where TSR employees would often eat back in the day. It was such a relaxing time to get away from the frenetic pace of the conference and peek in on conversations between Rose & family, and TSR alum: Tom Wham, Darlene, Mike Carr, Jeff Leason, and friends. Thank you, Daniel!
One of the events was a read along of “Return to Brookmere” with a panel of 5 people voice-acting their parts out loud. Daniel narrated and Rose read the choices - it was so fun!
“Return to Brookmere” reading panel with Daniel and Rose Estes on the right (closest to the bar)
Meeting one of my favorite original TSR artists, Darlene (along with her family)! I have always loved Darlene’s line work and couldn’t resist purchasing some of her prints she had on display.
2 Darlene prints I had to have!
She also found a few of her original 1982 limited edition Collector Card Game sets, “Jasmine the Battle for the Mid-Realm” and had them at her booth on Sunday. There were only 2,000 made when she introduced them back at Gen Con XV. Boy, am I glad I revisited her and was able to grab one for half-off!
Darlene - Our Lady of Gaming in the far booth!
Hanging out often with artist, Jeff Butler at his booth and asking him to regale us with fun stories about the days he worked at TSR and about old school comic book and fantasy artists.
Jeff Butler showing a personal sketch
When Jeff didn’t have fans talking to him or buying his prints, he did some amazing sketching for clients and himself!
A Red Sonja card commission Jeff Butler drew during the convention
Meeting Jeff Easley and watching him silently & patiently sign countless items thrust in front of him and create amazing illustrations on fans’ old school AD&D books. I really can’t describe to you how cool it was to see Jeff draw dragons & skeletal warriors purely from his imagination. He created masterpieces in 20 minutes - in ink - ready for a lifetime of admiration.
Jeff Easley creating a masterpiece from scratch in a fan’s AD&D book!
I was also thrilled to meet James Simpson, a friend of Jeff and Larry who organizes their online stores and produces their artbooks on Kickstarter. James is a super-busy and talented guy. Reminder: He’s now got Jeff Easley’s 1st artbook available on Kickstarter!
Jeff Easley and James Simpson. (BTW: The bottom dragon was drawn by Jeff Butler - Jeff Easley is drawing the top one!)
Inviting Margaret Weiss to sit beside me outside The Forum to scarf down some lunch. Not only did I get to enjoy her Dragonlancianly-hallowed presence with some small talk, I was able to meet her at the signature booth where she signed a set of my Dragonlance Chronicles (with the original Larry Elmore covers!)
Margaret Weiss and her gaming companions
Speaking of Signatures! Oh boy. I got some autographs!
Larry Elmore surprised everyone by stopping by a couple times. Larry had been indicating that he wasn’t going to be attending any more conferences, so he was mobbed like a rock star when people noticed him. Larry sat beside Margaret Weiss during her autograph session and so guess who else signed my Dragonlance books?!
Larry is a spritely energetic personality who loves to interact with people. It was cracking me up when he would get sidetracked talking to a fan while Margaret was trying not to get impatient with him holding up the line!
2 more Larry stories. (1) I was wearing a mashup T-shirt called “Dungeons & Deathstars” with Larry’s classic red dragon/warrior illustration . . . but instead of a Dragon, it was the Star Wars Deathstar! Larry noticed and was like, “I don’t remember doing that piece.” I said, “What do you mean, Larry? This is your illustration. You don’t remember it?” He’s like, “No, I don’t think so.” But I’m pretty sure I’ve still got him thinking about it!
(2) I was expressing to Larry that I’ve been wanting to do an interview with him, but didn’t want him to have to talk about stuff he’s already talked about 100 times over. Larry stops signing my books, looks up and says, “Well, how about I give you my phone number and you can call me some time to chat?” 🤯 (Margaret then had to wait for Larry to find something to write his phone number on!)
Brand New D&D Pinball machines were on display for all to play!
Back to signatures. Jeff Easley and Larry Elmore kindly signed my original Endless Quest book I bought in elementary school from the Scholastic Bookmobile (Mountain of Mirrors) along with the other 3 of the first 4 books. Why did I get Jeff Easley to sign them when he was not the artist? Because, his 1st job at TSR was to paint the gems on the spines of the first 4 Endless Quest books!
I was able to sit outside a conference room with Rose Estes while she kindly inscribed these same Endless Quest books. Each one with a precious sentiment and/or fun fact. Thank you so much, Rose!
Rose Estes inscription below Larry Elmore’s signature on my copy of Return to Brookmere (Jeff Easley signed the title page!)
Jeff Easley, James Simpson, and over on the other side of the table - Larry Elmore!
Meeting fantasy artist, Chris Arneson! Wow, what a talented guy. Chris has a fun old school style that I really appreciate. Humble as well, it was a pleasure getting to know him a little bit.
Chris Arneson holding the charity auction artboard
Chris at his booth
Chris Arneson prints I purchased!
Making new friends. I am so grateful to have met and deeply connected with several like-minded adventurers. Greg, Ade, Iljoon, Tim, Jason, Benny - thank you so much for discussing fantasy and for sharing some of your convention time with me!
Secret Chainmail session. Shhhh! One of my new friends was invited to the cellar of Gary’s original home in downtown Lake Geneva, where a group was playing the original Chainmail wargame rules (before D&D!). This was the same basement Gary played with his group. My friend and I stealthily walked down the outdoor hatch where silent stone stairs led down into the dim unknown. As the musty smell reached our nostrils, I hoped desperately that we weren’t walking into a Blair Witch Trial situation where one of us would be stuck facing the corner for eternity. The sound of cheering voices gave us courage and beckoned us onward. And there it was. A MASSIVE sand table next to the furnace with 7 or so adventurers doing miniature battle using a battered copy of the old school rules. Racks along the wall held the miniatures that had yet to make it into play, or which had already met their sandy demise. The players welcomed us in. Hearing them quibble about the rules, which CRT table to use, and cheer/boo/exult at the dice-roll-results, felt like a warm blanket harkening back to simpler times of heroic camaraderie. Tall players had to hunch over the magical table to keep from racking their heads on the low-ceiling pipes. Armies of Men, Magic Users, Orcs, and other monsters did deadly battle. For a while, time stood still in that cellar, and all was right in the world. It was GLORIOUS!
Fascinating Seminars. There were so many interesting and fun seminars about fantasy art, fantasy creation & business, writers tracks, miniature painting, world building, game creation, fantasy cartography, monster design, art workshops, D&D history, discussion panels and more.
The Forum. This was like a massive treasure vault of Fantasy merch goodness! Fantasy creators stocked their booths with precious creations you might not see anywhere else. Custom deluxe gaming tables, leather adventurer backpacks, custom dice boxes, art, clothing, books, games, trinkets, miniatures, jewelry, toys . . . You can literally spend a week in here and not see everything. Plus, this is where the signature booth hosts its hallowed guests, and where the artists dwelled!
Meeting Bouchra & Luke Gygax. I am so grateful for their hard work at making this event so welcoming & successful. This had to be an especially difficult yet meaningful Gary Con for Luke, as he lost his brother, Ernie, just a couple weeks prior and coordinated a special remembrance at the conference for him. Bouchra was a force of nature keeping the Gary Con store running at peak performance and stepping in to manage so many of the key events. Thank you both for a wonderful 1st Gary Con!
Luke & Bouchra
The Empty Chair commemoration for Gary and Ernie
Gosh, there is so much more to talk about, but let’s get to my top 5 takeaway lessons from attending Gary Con.
Top 5 Takeaway Lessons from Attending Gary Con
(1) You don’t have to play games to enjoy it there. As I mentioned, I didn’t wind up playing anything. For my 1st time here, I was more interested in meeting people and exploring what the convention had to offer. Full Disclosure: I almost sat down at a table that was playing the ORIGINAL Dark Tower board game! Between the people you hang with, The Forum, and the events/seminars, you could have a fully-packed schedule and tremendous fun without casting a single die!
(2) Gary Con Gamers are really nice people. With the amount & variety of people and personalities here, you would expect a bit of rudeness, clashes and inconsideration. Though we often play touchy Barbarians and vindictive Wizards in gaming worlds, I was proud to experience the exact opposite in real life. There was no pushing/shoving and people were kind, civil & gracious with one another. Even when I sat with groups of inter-generational attendees who weren’t exposed to my same fantasy influences, no one trash-talked different editions or made you to feel outdated, unaccepted or uncool. We had wonderful conversations based in curiosity and positivity. In fact, I heard several staff say on multiple occasions how much they liked Gary Con attendees and always look forward to them coming back every year because of how nice and respectful they are. (I’m also guessing we must tip well, too!)
(3) Be open to making new friends. Of course, many of us fantasy fans are introverted, self-aware, geeky, and probably a bit shy. It goes with the territory. It’s sometimes hard to reach out and make that first move. But do it anyway. I was “talking” out loud in the hotel lobby that I couldn’t find an Uber to get to the convention on its first day. A stranger overheard, said he was going and asked if he could give me a ride. As we got to talking on the ride, we found we had a lot in common and continued to hang out throughout the conference. New friend found. (Thank you, Greg!). As I was often lingering at certain artist’s booths, I would occasionally notice certain others doing the same. A friendly comment or statement of fact (“Wow, isn’t this illustration awesome?!”) lead to connecting with other super-fans who like the same stuff, which then lead to attending the same seminars, eating lunches and having great discussions about art, fantasy, business, and life. (Thank you Ade, Iljoon, Tim & Benny!)
(4) Connect with your heroes. Approach the authors, artists, and creators that really speak to you and had an influence on you. Be bold yet respectful. Let them know how much their creations mean to you. You never know what it could lead to - autographs, phone numbers, or dinner. (Oh, and if they’re not nice to you, consider burning their products you own and finding some new heroes!)
Jeff Butler & Jeff Easley
(5) Trade contact details BEFORE you attend. I planned on meeting many fantasy influencers, creators & fans from social media at Gary Con. But without trading contact details beforehand and just winging it, I met less than 50% of them and regret it. Things get busy, crazy and loud once you’re there. Next time, I plan on not only making a list of people I want to meet up with, I will also trade phone numbers.
And there you have it. Some of the highlights & lessons I learned from my 1st Gary Con.
There’s an intimacy & community there that feels comforting - and from what I’m told is one of the major differentiators of Gary Con from some of the other popular Mega-conferences.
People are approachable & kind. It’s not so big that it feels crowded like Disney World in the Summer. There’s a fulfilling OSR (“Old School Renaissance”) focus, yet plenty of newer games & gamers as well. There are bountiful variety & activities.
It was a wonderful experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Thank you, Rose, for inviting me and being the catalyst of this incredible adventure. Not just for Gary Con but for setting me on my Endless Quest so many years ago.
So really, I guess if I really had to boil it down, the biggest takeaway for me is to “follow the energy” and allow myself to be open to beautiful Serendipity.
She doesn’t often disappoint.
Your next piece of fantasy fun is calling.
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Dungeon of Triumph [Verse] Through shadowed halls and echoing stone The brave unite they’re not alone With steel and spells they carve their mark A flicker of light in endless dark [Verse 2] A dragon's roar a demon's wail The broken path the winding trail With every step their courage grows The dungeon's secret no one knows [Chorus] We rise we fight through fire and bone Claim the treasure Prophecy's shown With hearts ablaze and swords held high Heroes may fall but never die! [Bridge] Cursed runes glow beneath their feet Battle cries and foes to meet Each clash a spark, a hopeful glare Victory calls to those who dare [Verse 3] An ancient lock a gleaming key The promise of eternity But to the bold, Fortune calls Beyond these sacred stone-carved walls [Chorus] We rise we fight through fire and bone Claim the treasure Prophecy's shown With hearts ablaze and swords held high Heroes may fall but never die!
The convention does look like a great time and I like how did it seem as chaotic as some larger conventions. Seems designed for conversations and a relaxed time.
What a fun post and looks like you had a trip of a lifetime at GaryCon! I can’t believe you got to meet so many D&D luminaries all in the same visit and congrats on going to your first con. Thanks for the post!
The convention does look like a great time and I like how did it seem as chaotic as some larger conventions. Seems designed for conversations and a relaxed time.
What a fun post and looks like you had a trip of a lifetime at GaryCon! I can’t believe you got to meet so many D&D luminaries all in the same visit and congrats on going to your first con. Thanks for the post!