· Erik Gygax (yes, my middle name is actually Gygax) Garland is a retired Chief Information Officer for a small healthcare group in Kentucky as well as a professional firearms instructor. A lifelong enthusiast of comics, fantasy, science fiction literature, and Tabletop RPGs, he played his first game of Dungeons and Dragons in the fall of 1979 after seeing the Holmes grey/blue box set at a Woolworth’s department store in Omaha and requesting it for Christmas. When school started back a few weeks later, he joined a local group and began playing Advanced Dungeons & Dragons at a very competitive junior high school level. He attended his first gaming convention in Visalia, CA in 1985. Along with his lovely wife Heidi, Erik has been part of 4 successful Kickstarter campaigns, and co-authored 7 original game adventures as part of the new start-up, GAXLAND. Most recently, Erik and Heidi finished the editing, layout and design of the late Jim Ward's Lost Tomb of Doom and an exclusive con-module with legendary game designer, Christopher Clark.
· Heidi Gygax Garland is the daughter of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator and father of role-playing games, Gary Gygax. From a young age, Heidi worked at numerous Gen Con conventions even working in the TSR booth in her teens. Later she honed her skills working summers, and later full time, at TSR in the Gen Con department, Marketing, and at the Dungeon Hobby Shop. She introduced several of her high school friends to a life-long love of gaming, including her favorite teacher, now well-known author and game designer, Douglas Niles.
After 30 years in Hawaii working in upper management for a large fine jewelry chain, Heidi returned to Lake Geneva. She and her husband Erik Garland have published six adventures to date for D&D under GAXLAND, successfully promoted and ran a new TTRPG convention EGG Con, with EGG Con II set for July 24th – 27th, 2025 in Lake Geneva. When not in her office writing and creating with their dogs Thor and Hades at her feet, and office cat Mittens blocking her monitor, Heidi enjoys traveling, and creating culinary delights for her husband Erik and their daughters, Amelie and Zoe Gygax Garland. Watch for their many upcoming projects, including Dining & Dragons – A Gygax Girl’s Cookbook, new AD&D/5e adventures, and an exciting new board game!
Schedule:
Gaming - Heidi Gygax Garland with Eric Gygax Garland will be running two GAXLAND Official Playtesting Events:
Veil of Shadows, Sunday 10 am-1 pm, Captain Judah has once again asked you and your adventuring party to return to her ancestral home to investigate strange happenings and disappearing caretakers. Venture into the depths beneath Candlelight Manor, investigate mysteries and face deadly foes in attempt to remove the rumored curse of this prominent landmark of Dundel island. D&D 1e (AD&D) No experience necessary. Pre-gen characters and dice provided.
Dragon Derby! Saturday 2 pm-4 pm, Huzzah! Come playtest this fast-playing board game developed by Heidi & Erik. You will play one of 8 Wizards who will bet on specific Dragons to win, lose or place in the derby, make side-bets with fellow Wizards (players), cheer them on, or cast Wild Magic to affect the race's outcome. Official playtesters will be credited in the print edition due out in Spring 2025.
And don’t miss their new convention: EGGCon!
EGG Con is a celebration of Role Playing Games (RPGs) and its history, set in the hometown and birthplace of E. Gary Gygax, the father of role-playing games. EGG Con event is a small, old school mini con held over the weekend of Gary's birthday, officially known in Lake Geneva as "Gary Gygax Day".