SURPRISING STUFF

Paul Stormburg, from Omaha, Nebraska, representing the Gary Gygax Memorial Foundation, came before the city council and plan commission to request a recommendation for approval of a statue to be placed in Library Park.
Gary Gygax was a Lake Geneva resident and the creator of the world-famous Dungeons and Dragons game. The foundation believes the placement of the statue at the west end of Library Park makes sense. That spot was where Gary would write and create nearly every day. The placement of a four-foot by eight-foot table, which will be a statue of Gary sitting, will have two open benches for people to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons or merely sit and enjoy the view with Gary’s effigy.

The entire monument, including the brick platform, will measure approximately twelve by fourteen feet. The tabletop will have a facsimile of the original D&D board on it and Gary’s statue will be placed sitting with his hand held out like he’s rolling the dice. This project comes at a cost of just over $600,000.00 and a three-to-five-year timeline to complete. If all goes well the table will be placed in time for Dragon Days, this September. Gary Gygax is a big deal and it all started here in Lake Geneva. The Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-play board game was created by Gary right here in Lake Geneva and is a worldwide success, played by some 50 million people. Maintenance of the statue is a concern of some city leaders.

The Gygax Foundation spoke with specialists about the issue and believes costs for maintenance, including yearly cleaning, could range anywhere from $250 to $5,000 (the larger amount would be rare and would be due to some major vandalism or weather event). The foundation has set aside a foundation to cover the cost of this for many years into the future ($25,000). The statue is expected to bring revenue to the city. All Gygax Dungeons and Dragons events tend to draw good crowds. While the foundation is not expecting to draw in overwhelming crowds, it is confident that this artistic expression will bring in revenue amounts, possibly approaching that of Gary Con which is an annual event held at the Grand Geneva, which attracts close to three thousand people every year.

There is also the Annual Dragon Days event held in late September to consider. The council and plan commission enthusiastically approved the memorial placement.  Gail Gygax, Gary’s surviving wife, and other family members have had a big role in putting this all together and ought to be congratulated.