Gygax vs. Roddenberry?

[asaki]

Kind of a random question, but I was thinking about how these two men led similar lives, and was wondering if their paths ever crossed, and/or if they had any opinions on each others' creations.

I tried doing a search online, but nothing turned up.

Both men were hugely influential in nerd culture, both went a bit wild and crazy with their fame and fortune, both were very protective of their "babies", and both kind of got kicked out of their own companies (Gene was basically banned from touching the movies).

[asaki]

Not entirely related, but a couple weeks ago I stumbled upon this little tidbit. Fun Black History Month Factoid!

When [Nichelle] Nichols told Gene Roddenberry she wasn't planning to return to the series after the first season, he advised her to think about it for a couple of days. At a fundraiser the next night, one of the organizers told her there was someone there who really wanted to meet her because he was her greatest fan.
"When I turned around, I was looking into the face of Dr. Martin Luther King, walking toward me with a big smile on his face," she recalled.
"And he said, 'Yes, Miss Nichols, I am your greatest fan.' How amazing is that! My mouth kept opening and closing as he began to tell me what my role meant, not just to 'Star Trek,' but for people all over the world.
"When I could finally catch my breath after hearing so many accolades from a man I considered as my leader, I thanked him and then told him I was leaving the series. His face completely changed and he said, 'No! You are our image of where we're going, you're 300 years from now, and that means that's where we are and it takes place now. Keep doing what you're doing, you are our inspiration.'"
And then the leader of the civil rights movement told Nichols, "Besides, 'Star Trek' is the only show that my wife, Coretta, and I will allow our little children to stay up late and watch. YOU are their hero."

Not only was MLKJ a Trekkie, he was an OG Trekkie!!

[rredmond]

Thanks for checking. That would have been a helluva story!

[asaki]

Feb 23, 2021 21:05:21 GMT -6 Piper said:

I heard back from Ernie. The answer is no. Too bad.

No to both? Gary never watched Star Trek?

Interesting.

[Zenopus]

Here is Gary on DF, talking Star Trek:

...I am not a big fan of TV series, although I did watch most of the Star Trek programs, preferring the more recent ones to the original season, the first couple of seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Generally when I watch the tube it is history, science, or military shows that I tune in.

www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=294768&sid=c2517b7ef5b03d0d7c1d501bdb2ba228#p294768

This was in 2006; it's not clear if by "the more recent ones" he means TNG, DS9, Voyager and/or Enterprise.

[Deleted]

I could see him being strangely enamored with Deep Space Nine. It's got that "Greyhawk morality" all through its DNA. Maybe that's wishful thinking. When I was a kid, DS9 was "my" Star Trek. Heh.

[Zenopus]

Well, he was definitely inspired by the Ferengi for a race in Lejendary Adventure. They are a big part of DS9, right? I've never really watched it, maybe an episode or two in the 90s.

Veshoges--the Ferengi of the system.

(Jan 2003)

www.enworld.org/threads/q-a-with-gary-gygax.22566/page-35

Veshoges are more akin to Star Trek's Ferengi than to AD&D orcs. Veshoges are clever, venal, and not particularly appealing. their somewhat porcine appearance simply emphasizes their avariciousness and greed.

(Sep 2006)

www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=352143&sid=136bc8166a04a2a14769305a2706721e#p352143

[Deleted]

Yeah...Quark and his nephew have extensive character arcs in DS9. Quark's in one of my favorite Star Trek moments of all time, which was completely ad-libbed by the actors to fill space in the episode. The Ferengi were first introduced in TNG but DS9 gave them some much-needed depth.  Anyway, based on what you just posted, it seems there's something to my hunch. 

[asaki]

Ah, cool info, thanks

Now to ponder if Gene ever played D&D...ha ha.

Feb 25, 2021 12:27:29 GMT -6 Zenopus said:

Well, he was definitely inspired by the Ferengi for a race in Lejendary Adventure. They are a big part of DS9, right? I've never really watched it, maybe an episode or two in the 90s.

Like ampleframework said, they first show up in TNG season 1, but I know there's one in DS9 who is a main character.

I never really watched Star Trek growing up, other than maybe a handful of episodes of TOS or TAS, which were usually on at odd times, and the movie with the whales a few times in my teens. Maybe ten years ago I caught a few episodes of TNG on late night WGN, starting with one of the holodeck episodes where Picard visits his Dixon Hill private eye stories. It really drew me in...not to mention the fact that it's Patrick Stewart.

So, for the pandemic, I'm going through as much as I can, in (mostly) chronological order. Some of it's pretty good, my younger self didn't know what he was missing (although it's really nice being able to watch EVERY episode in order, when I have time...TNG has a lot more continuity than the previous show(s) did). I just finished season 1 of TNG the other day. I'm taking a short break before I dive back into it.