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The Escapist Archives
An index of the articles and documents featured
here over the years. If you have an article, report, or study that
relates to gaming advocacy that is not listed here, and you would like
to submit it, drop me a line at waltonwj@aol.com.
Entries are listed in chronological order
under each yearly heading. For ease of browsing the more recent articles,
the year headings are arranged in reverse chronological order (with
the most recent on top - this makes it easier to see the most recent stories).
| Latest Additions
to the Archives - 5/26/01 |
-
Playing Dead: Vampires
Invade Omaha: The Reader, May 2001: Katherine Neary. A positive
piece on Vampire LARPers in the Omaha area (Omaha By Night? Who knew?)
with only a few nitpicks. For one, most roleplayers indulge
in "improvisational acting," not just LARPers. That aside, this article
is a very positive and informative piece.
-
Wild Pitches -
Revenge of the Week: ESPN.com, May 18th, 2001: Jayson Stark.
A "professional baseball player" (whatever that is) discusses his appreciation
of Everquest and its effect on his performance in the field, but the "sports
reporter" (whatever that is) is much too cool to understand what he's talking
about.
-
Roleplaying Relaxes
Sailors: The Eagle, December, 1999: James R. Stilipec. This article
from the shipboard newspaper of the U.S.S. Carl Vinson does an excellent
job of explaining the concept of role-playing games, and how much enjoyment
and relaxation the sailors get from playing them.
|
| Latest Additions
to the Archives - 5/19/01 |
-
Not Just Your
Routine Burglary Gone Bad: CNN.com, September 6th, 1999: L.D. Meagher.
Book review of Aphrodite Jones' The Embrace (based on the murder
of Rick and Ruth Wendorf by Rod Ferrell). RPGs are mentioned as influences
in Ferrell's life, but this review describes the book as focusing more
on the emotional problems of Ferrell and Heather Wendorf, his girlfriend
and the daughter of the victims.
-
DNA Report Rocks Teen
Slaying Case: APBnews.com, February 19th, 1999: Randy Dotinga.
Suspects in the murder of Stephanie Crowe are described as having been
"warped by an unhealthy passion for dark role-playing games like Dungeons
and Dragons." If only they'd stuck with Rainbow Brite: The RPG...
-
Bad Blood:
Electronic Telegraph, April 12th, 1997: Daniel Jeffreys. Interviews
with former friends of Rod Ferrell and Heather Wendorf. Pay close
attention to references to a game called "Masquerader," with includes a
rule that "a vampire who spots a rival blood-sucker must attack, anywhere
or any time." Someone needs to take better notes. Another attempt
to connect Ferrell with RPGs, which is not the truth.
-
Prosecutors seek 33-year
sentence for Norris: Eastside Journal, November 1st, 1997: Carol Ryan.
Sentencing begins for David Norris, a Bellevue, Washington man accused
of attempting to murder his girlfriend with a knife and hammer. His
sister blames the crime on the recent breakup of the two, as well as their
involvement in a vampire role-playing game which "contributed to the deterioration"
of Norris' spirit. But... don't vampires bite people...?
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Assault suspect led
group with accused killers: Eastside Journal, no date available (assumed
to be November 1997): David Norris is revealed to be the former "leader"
of a gaming group that once included Alex Baranyi (alleged proof of "gaming
conspiracy," anyone?). Still, they did manage to print an excellent
statement by Police Lieutentant Bill Ferguson: "Some people are prone to
doing those things, whether they are involved in role-playing or not."
-
Spate of suicides linked
to US game: London Sunday Times, June 6th, 1996: Chris Goodwin (contributing).
The alleged suicide of "Roberto C." is believed to be linked to roleplaying,
despite contradictory testimony from the victim's parents, evidence from
a medical examiner that it may not have been suicide, and gross misconceptions
about what role-playing really is.
|
| Studies,
Reports, and Papers |
The following are arranged in alphabetical
order by the title of the piece.
Role-Playing Games:
Their Stigmas and Benefits by William J. Walton. This is a paper that
I wrote for a Technical Writing class in December, 1995. The title is unintentionally
deceptive; I also covered collectible card games. As well as an extended
discussion on the unwarranted stigmas that both kinds of games have collected,
I also conducted a survey on the effects of gaming on the player's religious
beliefs, and interviewed David Millians, author of the Games and Education
newsletter, and a grade school teacher who uses role-playing in the classroom
extensively.
The following are arranged in chronological
order
Stabbing May Be Linked
To Role Play: Montgomery County Herald, March 25th, 2001: Andy Rose
and Virgina Hennessey. Attempted murder by two California Marines
is blamed on gaming, despite no connection found by police or counsel.
Saudi Bans Pokemon:
CNN.com/Associated Press, March 26th, 2001: author unstated. The
fatwa issues an edict banning Pokemon because it promotes gambling
and Zionism.
No, I Didn't Slam Fantasy
Games, Folks: Montgomery County Herald, March 29th, 2001: Andy Rose.
Four short days after his scapegoat piece (see above), Mr. Rose responds
to the flood of e-mail he has recieved from gamers and sets the record
straight. No, he didn't blame games (despite the title), and if an
NBA player had attempted the murder, he would have written about basketball.
Trial Stabbing Story
Hits Home: Montgomery County Herald, April 1st, 2001: Cristina Medina.
Recap of the Marine Murder case focuses on one of the accused, and mentions
gaming only briefly.
Personal E-Mail to
Andy Rose, With Response: April 1st, 2001. My personal response
to Andy Rose, and his reply, which doesn't tell us much that we already
don't know. Except, of course, that he apparently wrote his story
from the gaming angle because of a previous murder that is wrongly being
blamed on gaming.
Slain teacher's
family launches suit aimed at media violence: Denver Post, April 21st,
2000: Kevin Simpson. The wife and two stepdaughters of slain teacher
Dave Sanders file a five billion dollar lawsuit claiming that, if
not for Doom, Quake, and The Basketball Diaries, all high school
kids would skip from class to class singing the Smurfs theme.
Playing Dead: Vampires
Invade Omaha: The Reader, May 2001: Katherine Neary. A positive
piece on Vampire LARPers in the Omaha area (Omaha By Night? Who knew?)
with only a few nitpicks for one, most roleplayers indulge in "improvisational
acting," not just LARPers. That aside, this article is a very positive
and informative piece.
Wild Pitches
- Revenge of the Week: ESPN.com, May 18th, 2001: Jayson Stark.
A "professional baseball player" (whatever that is) discusses his appreciation
of Everquest and its effect on his performance in the field, but the "sports
reporter" (whatever that is) is much too cool to understand what he's talking
about.
Mother Says Teens'
Plot to Kill Police Just a Prank: The Canadian Press, January 04, 2000:
author unstated. The mother of one of three youths accused of plotting
to kill a police officer states that the incident was just a game.
No direct mention of RPG or any kind of role-playing.
Maybe It's All
a Game to Would-Be Cop Killers: Edmonton Sun, January 5, 2000: Doug
Beazley. Reporter blames "dimension-hopping killer robots" for the
police-murder plot of three Canadian youths. A frustrating story
in which several gamers and game store employees prattle on about gamers
who can't tell fantasy from reality. Either the people interviewed
were not really gamers, or they desperately wanted to see their names in
print.
New Charges in
Y2K Plot: Ottawa Sun, January 5, 2000: Andrew Philips. Two of
the three Canadian youths accused of plotting to murder a police officer
face another charge. A very brief mention of the suspects' involvement
in the Rifts RPG appears near the end.
Alleged Conspiracy
'Just a Game': Ottawa Citizen, January 11th, 2000: Don Campbell.
The mother of one of three young men accused of conspiracy to commit murder
claims that the youths were playing a game of Rifts. Details
of the bail hearing are the primary focus of this story.
Going...Going...Gone!
Hooray! Hits a Home Run With Cal Ripken, Jr. in Just Like Dad's: Entertainment
Wire, January 31st, 2000: author unstated. Cal Ripken endorses a
line of "role-playing" toys that encourage kids to be "just like dad."
Mention is made that the "role-play" industry is gaining in popularity,
but this may be so much hype.
Adventure Game
Industry Market Research Summary: Ryan Dancey (WotC's Vice President),
February 7th, 2000. A study with a slightly limited scope, it still
supplies interesting demographics on many topics.
Paducah Shooting
Lawsuit Dismissed: Associated Press, April 4th, 2000: author unstated.
A federal judge dismisses a $33 million lawsuit filed against a group of
entertainment companies by the relatives of the Paducah shooting victims.
Judge Johnstone cites a suicide case against TSR that concluded that Dungeons
& Dragons was not a possible cause.
Universal Studios
at Universal Orlando Debuts World's First Life-Size, Ride-Through, Interactive
Video Game Experience: PRNewswire, April 11th, 2000: author unstated.
Universal Studios opens an interactive Men In Black ride that responds
to the actions of the riders.
Pokémon
and the Pope: MSN GIST TV news, April 21, 2000: author unstated.
The Vatican gives a thumbs-up to Pokemon. The Almighty, however,
could not be reached for comment.
Pokemon Earns Papal
Blessing: New York Post, April 21st, 2000: Devlin Barrett. More
comments from the Vatican regarding Pokemon, including one comment
that seems to approve of role-playing.
U.S. Conducts Mock
Biological, Chemical Attacks: Reuters, May 21st, 2000: author unstated.
The United States government participates in a $3.5 million nationwide
LARP to test responses to simulated biological and chemical attacks.
The event was "carefully orchestrated so as not to alarm the general public."
Apparently, this was due in part to Attorney General Janet Reno showing
up in full Vampire garb.
'Going
Postal' is a Myth: Reuters, September 1st, 2000: author unstated.
A two-year study tells us in 249 pages that the nation's 900,000 postal
workers are not more likely to go on shooting rampages than any other class
of workers. No mention of RPG, but this type of study follows with
the phenomena of isolated cases being viewed as the norm.
Trial Begins In 'Dungeons
& Dragons' Killing: APB Online (www.apbonline.com),
January 12th, 1999: Randy Dotinga. A murder trial begins for a San
Diego boy and two of his friends, all three of whome were D&D enthusiasts.
A game store owner testifies that "players get points when they "kill"
people while playing Dungeons & Dragons."
Sellers' Execution
Reignites Debate: Associated Press, January 25th, 1999: Jay Hughes.
Sellers is slated for execution 16 years after murdering both of his parents
and a convenience store clerk. His many attempts at an alibi are
trotted out here: he "worshipped" the occult, D&D dictated his actions,
he has Multiple Personality Syndrome... none of them worked.
Sellers was executed on February 4th.
Death-Row Man Denied
Clemency: Associated Press, January 28th, 1999: Rochelle Hines.
Sellers is denied clemency, and will die for his crimes. The identical
statement concerning his alibis is printed in this article, despite it
being published with a different author credit.
Evil To The End,
Newsweek, February 8th, 1999. Newsweek strikes again in this piece
on white supremecists. While interviewing Mark Potok, a member of
the Southern Poverty Law Center, the interviewer inserted his own anti-gaming
statement, then quoted Potok as having said it.
DNA Report Rocks Teen
Slaying Case: APBnews.com, February 19th, 1999: Randy Dotinga.
Suspects in the murder of Stephanie Crowe are described as having been
"warped by an unhealthy passion for dark role-playing games like Dungeons
and Dragons." If only they'd stuck with Rainbow Brite: The RPG...
Schools Sued
on Religious Grounds: Associated Press, February 23rd, 1999: Jim Fitzgerald.
Three Roman Catholic Families are suing their school district over their
claims of violation of their religious and privacy rights. What began
as an attempt to remove Magic: The Gathering from local schools
has escalated into much more. M:tG is called "worse than witchcraft,"
and has cards that have "lurid depictions of demons."
Satanism Lawsuit
Has Weighty Issues: Associated Press, February 27th, 1999: Jim Fitzgerald.
The White Plains case gets chaotic, and Judge Charles Brieant gets very
impatient with the entire mess (he gets in a couple of good one-liners...
look for them).
Gunmen Recalled
as Outcasts: Washington Post, April 21st, 1999: Marc Fisher.
A faulty description of the Gothic subculture that claims it is "(i)nspired
by fantasy games such as Dungeons and Dragons..." A painful
study in cluelessness.
Classmates
Describe Shooters As Obsessed With Goth World: SF Gate, April 21st,
1999: Jaxon Vanderbeken, contributing. A piece
that was later pulled by SF Gate, possibly due to shoddy reporting and
misquoting of an interviewee. Several disparaging statements
about Vampire: The Masquerade are attributed to a police "goth expert"
from Ohio, but it is very possible that they were twisted from several
positive statements that were actually made.
Bay
Area Goths Say Media Has It Wrong: SF Gate, April 22nd, 1999: Neva
Chonin. A pro-Goth and mildly pro-game piece that showed up not long
after several negative pieces. After SF Gate pulled Classmates
Describe Shooters As Obsessed With Goth World, they began redirecting
web traffic from that article to this one. Was that their way of
saying they're sorry? Who can tell...
Schools Told To
Watch Violent Kids: Associated Press, April 22nd, 1999:
Anjetta McQueen. D&D is listed as a hobby chosen by teens who
wish to "rebel," along with collecting World War II weaponry. Oooooh!
We're rebels now!
Colorado's carnage
is inevitable in our culture of violence: Boston Globe, April 22nd,
1999: John Ellis. An editorial, blaming all teenage violence on violent
entertainment. D&D is mentioned as a supplementary source of
daily violence to that found on television.
Shooting Prosecutor
Speaks Out: Associated Press, April 23rd, 1999: Ted Anthony.
Littleton DA Dave Thomas wonders aloud about the influences on our teens...
including D&D. That the police never found any gaming materials
among the possessions of the suspects makes you wonder... was someone sowing
some arbitrary anti-game sentiment at the scene?
Clues Aren't Always
in the Clothes: Tampa Bay Online, April 26th, 1999: Ace Atkins.
Kathleen Heide, a criminologist from the University of South Florida, lumps
D&D with Mortal Kombat as a game that sends a "message of death and
destruction." Assuming she wasn't misquoted, Heide doesn't seem to
know the difference between a tabletop RPG and a video game.
Terror, bombs and White
Wolves: May 5th, 1999: Didi Örnstedt and Björn Sjöstedt.
Sweden's anti-game duo posted this to their web page as a response to the
Columbine shooting and subsequent bombings in London. Their paranoia
even causes them to attempt a connection between White Wolf games and a
neo-nazi group. White Wolf is also accused of supplying "all the
information one might want on how to kill and assassinate." The original
Swedish, as well as an English translation, are supplied.
Judge: N.Y.
School Violated Rights: Associated Press, May 21st, 1999: Jim
Fitzgerald. The judge in the White Plains trial (see above) finds
the school district guilty of violating the religious rights of three Catholic
families on some counts, but rejects the parents' complaints about the
tolerance of
Magic: The Gathering in the school.
WordCHECK Systems
and Youth Magazine Team Up to Identify Violent-Prone Kids: PRNewswire,
June 4th, 1999: author unstated. A popular software program and a
teen writing magazine team up to develop a program in which writing assignments
are checked for keywords that could spell trouble. One of those keywords
is "dungeon." No mention is made, but one can only wonder if "dragon,"
"vampire," and "magic" are on the list as well.
Initial
Print Run of Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game Boxed Set Sells Out:
Business Wire, June 8th, 1999: author unstated. A report on the sales
of the new introductory set.
National
Tour and Limited-Edition Dungeons & Dragons Boxed Set Kick Off 25th
Anniversary Celebration:
Business Wire, June 15th, 1999: author
unstated. Wizards of the Coast announce a 10 city tour to celebrate
the silver anniversary of D&D. WotC encourages all participants
to bring food for local food drives.
The Private War of
Benjamin Smith: www.time.com, July 6th, 1999: author unstated.
Character portrait of a racist includes "played Dungeons [&] Dragons
as a kid" among his hateful actions, as if it blends right in.
Y2K Could Be a Mixed
Blessing: The 700 Club, July 26th, 1999: Chris Mitchell. In their
regular series on the Y2K bug, the 700 Club mentions a role-playing game
developed by the Arlington Institute as a tool to help people deal with
the repurcussions of a possible crisis.
Pastor Calls Pokemon
'Poison': Denver Post, August 14th, 1999: Erin Emery. Mark Juerva,
children's pastor for Grace Fellowship Church, led children in a bizarre
Pokemon-sacrificing ritual that featured him burning Pokemon cards and
chopping action figures with a sword as his flock of 85 boys and girls
chanted "burn it!" and "chop it up!" His actions are praised by the
head pastor of the church.
Playing
in the Imagination: Dungeons and Dragons: Lakeland (Florida) Ledger,
September 5th, 1999: Cinnamon Bair. A human interest story about
a group of gamers and the hobby they enjoy. Most of the players mentioned
are in their 30s; occupations listed include lawyer and structural engineer.
A well-written, pro-gaming article, and an extremely rare gem.
Not Just
Your Routine Burglary Gone Bad: CNN.com, September 6th, 1999: L.D.
Meagher. Book review of Aphrodite Jones' The Embrace (based
on the murder of Rick and Ruth Wendorf by Rod Ferrell). RPGs are
mentioned as influences in Ferrell's life, but this review describes the
book as focusing more on the emotional problems of Ferrell and Heather
Wendorf, his girlfriend and the daughter of the victims.
Pokemon Trading
Card Game Awarded National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval: Business
Wire, September 15th, 1999: author unstated. The NPC calls Pokemon
a "a compelling game that involves strategy, creative thinking and a dash
of luck." The game joins the ranks of several other family-friendly
toys, games, and products.
Pokemon or Poker?:
Associated Press, date unknown, author unknown. A San Diego law firm
brings Nintendo of America and Wizards of the Coast to court over the Pokemon
card game, claiming it is "illegal gambling." Insert lawyer joke
here.
Quebec Teen Stabbed
at School Over Pokemon Cards: Reuters, October 27th, 1999: author unstated.
A teenager is stabbed in a schoolyard while trying to recover his younger
brother's Pokemon cards.
Dark Dungeons:
The Escapist, November 1999: William J. Walton. A short essay on
the Chick pamphlet of the same title, which is possibly the most widely
distributed piece of anti-gaming literature in the history of the hobby.
Includes links to several online archives where you can view the entire
pamphlet.
Pokemon Symbol a
Swastika?: Associated Press, November 1999. Parents become irate
at the presence of a manji, a Japanese good luck symbol, found on
an imported Pokemon card.
Pokemon: What's
Behind the Latest Toy Craze: The 700 Club, November 15th, 1999: Kim
Bonney. The 700 Club brings their usual hysteria to the Pokemon
craze. Included are warnings that kids who enjoy Pokemon might
also get hooked on Magic or Dungeons & Dragons, claims
that the game causes nightmares, and that players "role-play the chants"
from the game.
Puerto Rican Lawmaker
Wants Probe of Pokemon Craze: Reuters, November 30th, 1999: author
unstated. A rather balanced story regarding the request by Roberto
Cruz for the Puerto Rican government to investigate the Pokemon
craze.
Roleplaying Relaxes
Sailors: The Eagle, December, 1999: James R. Stilipec. This article
from the shipboard newspaper of the U.S.S. Carl Vinson does an excellent
job of explaining the concept of role-playing games, and how much enjoyment
and relaxation the sailors get from playing them.
Experts reveal:
Pokemon Mania is actually good for your kids: Woman's World, December
7th, 1999: author unstated. This article from a woman's weekly magazine
praises the benefits of Pokemon and Harry Potter. (Did
Hasbro buy this magazine at some point?)
Quebec Official
Eyes French Pokemon: Associated Press, December 10th, 1999: author
unstated. Quebec's culture minister tells Wizards of the Coast that
they must begin publishing a French-language Pokemon or begin to
face fines.
Poke-Crime Sweeps
Nation! Kinda: Another Universe, December 11th, 1999: Matt Brady.
Brief recaps of recent Pokemon-related violence.
Naughton Lawyers
Try Role-Playing Defense: ZDNet News, December 12th, 1999: Lisa M.
Bowman. Patrick Naughton's lawyers claim that he was role-playing
in a chatroom when he attempted to meet someone he believed to be a 13
year old girl. No mention of RPG, but if history serves, this strategy
won't work.
Vampire-like activity
started with role playing: Associated Press, January 20th, 1998: author
unstated. A Winsconsin Rapids gang of vampire wannabees terrorizes
the locals and seeks lonely teens for recruitment. Mention is made
by ex-members that the gang has it's roots in Vampire: The Masquerade,
but that things began to go too far.
Vampire Cult Trial
To Begin Monday / Jurors Dismissed In Vampire Trial: Associated Press,
February 1st and 2nd, 1998 (respectively): Mike Schneider. Some details
of the start of the Ferrell case in February of 1998. The"occult
markings" found on the bodies of the victims is revealed to be a letter
"V" with circles around it, one circle for each member of the clan.
No direct mention of gaming in either story.
Corpse
(a Real One) Found After Whodunit Play / Guest Dies at Murder Mystery:
Associated
Press, February 20th & 26th, 1998 (respectively): Todd Spangler.
A woman murders her husband after the two of them attend an interactive
murder mystery party. At no point is the connection made between
the party and the crime, as would have been done had it been a Vampire
LARP
or weekly D&D game.
Jury: 'Vampire'
Leader Should Die / Vampire Leader Sentenced to Death: Associated Press,
February 27th, 1998: author unstated. Details on the sentencing of
Rod Ferrell. No mention of gaming in either article.
Teen-ager
Sells Vampire Cult Story: Associated Press, March 7th, 1998:
author unstated. Heather Wendorf sells her story
for a book titled "The Embrace" (a term seemingly culled directly from
the Vampire RPG), and a possible $50,000 movie deal. No mention
of gaming in this article, but this could lead to much worse things...
Oregon Victim Planned
Military Career: Associated Press, May 22nd, 1998: David Foster.
One of Kinkel's victims, Mike Nickolauson, "liked to play a role-playing
game, like Dungeons and Dragons" that he made up himself, with another
friend. No connection is made between his hobby and his untimely
death (which, believe it or not, is a surprise!).
Trial in Bellevue's
worst-ever slaying case moves closer: Seattle Times, September 17th,
1998: Alex Fryer. Mentions role-playing and "pop-Gothic culture"
in the Alex Baranyi murder case, as well as the defense's claims that Baranyi
suffers from mental disorders and delusions.
Young defendants
win separate trials in Bellevue murder case: Seattle Times, October
7th, 1998: Alex Fryer. In the Alex Baranyi murder trial, "scores"
of witnesses are expected to testify that the suspects acted out "Gothic
fantasies" and played D&D - but the judge has rejected testimony from
two gaming groups who banned them for "crossing the line from pretend violence
to real contact."
Slayings Described
In Brutal Detail: Eastside Journal, October 13th, 1998: Tracy Johnson.
A brief mention of Alex Baranyi's distant history as a gamer during his
murder trial.
Friends Describe
Baranyi's Fantasy World: Seattle Times, October 14th, 1998: Alex Fryer.
During testimony in the Alex Baranyi murder trial, some friends mention
his role-playing personas.
Baranyi Found Guilty:
Eastside Journal, November 5th, 1998: Tracy Johnson. Alex Baranyi,
found guilty of murdering Kim Wilson and her family, blames the act on
"messed up genes." He also denies that role-playing had anything
to do with his actions, and states that he has not played in years.
Bad Blood:
Electronic Telegraph, April 12th, 1997: Daniel Jeffreys. Interviews
with former friends of Rod Ferrell and Heather Wendorf. Pay close
attention to references to a game called "Masquerader," with includes a
rule that "a vampire who spots a rival blood-sucker must attack, anywhere
or any time." Someone needs to take better notes. Another attempt
to connect Ferrell with RPGs, which is not the truth.
Magic's Kingdom,
Newsweek, May 25th, 1997. A piece on Wizards of the Coast that casually
slams the gamers, while it praises the business. The obligatory reference
to Magic getting banned from a school is included.
Introduction to
the Occult, The 700 Club, October 31st, 1997. An obligatory Halloween
piece for the 700 Club, this one dives right in to Magic: The Gathering,
calling it "a game where you're attacking your living, breathing opponent
by using devils to conjure demons and cast spells." Now, who
is it that has a problem telling fantasy from reality again?
Assault suspect led
group with accused killers: Eastside Journal, no date available (assumed
to be November 1997): David Norris is revealed to be the former "leader"
of a gaming group that once included Alex Baranyi (alleged proof of "gaming
conspiracy," anyone?). Still, they did manage to print an excellent
statement by Police Lieutentant Bill Ferguson: "Some people are prone to
doing those things, whether they are involved in role-playing or not."
Prosecutors seek
33-year sentence for Norris: Eastside Journal, November 1st, 1997:
Carol Ryan. Sentencing begins for David Norris, a Bellevue, Washington
man accused of attempting to murder his girlfriend with a knife and hammer.
His sister blames the crime on the recent breakup of the two, as well as
their involvement in a vampire role-playing game which "contributed to
the deterioration" of Norris' spirit. But... don't vampires bite
people...?
A dozen girls come
forward as targets of self-professed vampire: Virginian-Pilot, January
19, 1996: Mike Mather. Details of the John Bush vampire clan.
The card game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and
Dungeons &
Dragons
are both mentioned.
Vampire-hunting detective
is Virginia Beach's expert on the weird: Virginian-Pilot, February
5, 1996: Mike Mather. This article details the life and adventures
of "cult cop" Don Rimer, who is also interviewed on the "dangers" of gaming
in the 700 Club article Teenagers Seeking the Occult
Find Death Instead (listed under Szcupski/Zarcufsky). Rimer is best
known for inflating the actual number of game-related cases from a handful
to "hundreds." Satanic panic in action!
Vampire -- Not Just
A Game: The 700 Club Newswatch, February 12th, 1996: Tod Freeman.
Concerns the John Bush sexual assault case. During this broadcast, a scene
of several decks of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle cards are shown
sitting on a table along with a crystal ball and a skull, with a healthy
dose of dry ice thrown in for creepy, "occultic" atmosphere. In a later
broadcast concerning an ex-satanist turned born-again Christian, this shot
was used again as stock footage of "occult paraphernalia," even though
the story had nothing to do with Vampire cards.
Witness says self-proclaimed
vampire threatened her life during rape: Virginian-Pilot, March 12,
1996: June Arney. Many new details are revealed on the Bush
case. Vampire: The Eternal Struggle is mistakenly reffered
to as an RPG.
Self-proclaimed vampire
indicted on 35 charges against teen girls: Virginian-Pilot, April 2,
1996: June Arney. An identical statement is printed that calls
Vampire:
The Eternal Struggle an RPG.
The Situation In Italy,
a collection of news stories concerning the suicide of "Roberto" (real
name not given) in late May / early June,1996. Translated into English
from Italian, so some of the text is a little rough. Directly followed
by a lengthy rebuttal by myself, as posted to rec.games.rpg.advocacy. This
incident spawned a campaign to seize games and shut down related shops
throughout Italy. Thankfully, that campaign fizzled quickly.
Spate of suicides
linked to US game: London Sunday Times, June 6th, 1996: Chris Goodwin
(contributing). The alleged suicide of "Roberto C." is believed to
be linked to roleplaying, despite contradictory testimony from the victim's
parents, evidence from a medical examiner that it may not have been suicide,
and gross misconceptions about what role-playing really is.
As trial opens, prosecutors
say Virginia Beach ''vampire'' wanted sex: Virginian-Pilot, September
10, 1996: Jon Frank. Passing references are made to a "vampire role-playing
game."
"Vampire'' Bush convicted
of sexual crimes against underage girls: Virginian-Pilot, September
11, 1996: Jon Frank. Claims that Bush recruited teenage girls
into a game of "Vampire: The Masquerade," despite other claims in earlier
stories that Bush was the only player of his clan members.
"Vampire'' tells
judge he's sorry for his actions: Virginian-Pilot, October 31, 1996:
June Arney. Recap of the earlier stories, brief mention of Vampire.
Teenagers Seeking
the Occult Find Death Instead: The 700 Club Newswatch, November 8th,
1996: Kim Ferrall. Concerns the Szcupski/Zarcufsky double suicide
in Plymouth, PA. Interesting to note: part of the "occult paraphernalia"
found on the scene was a Bible, and Rimer states that there are "hundreds"
of police documented gaming-related deaths, when he (or anyone else) would
be extremely hard pressed to name even a handful of them.
Three brief articles
on the Wendorf double murder case: The 700 Club Newswatch, December
2nd, 3rd, & 5th, 1996, respectively. These three articles, from
early on in the case, are almost proof in themselves that games were not
involved, for the simple fact that the 700 Club does not mention RPGs in
any
of them! It would not be for a few more days before the story would become
"embellished" to include Vampire.
Teens Face Court
Quietly: Orlando Sentinel, December 8th, 1996: Lesley Clark.
Concerns the Wendorf double murder case of 11/25/96. Note carefully the
mention of the fact that police found "no evidence of vampiric activity"
among the bodies of Wendorf's parents.
For Some, Vampire
Fantasy Can Be All Too Real: Orlando Sentinel, December 8th, 1996:
Lesley Clark. Concerns the Wendorf double murder case of 11/25/96.
This is intended as coming from the gamer's point of view. I
even get my two cents in on this one; look for it!
The Wendorf "Vampire"
Murders' connection to Roleplaying: December 11th, 1996: Gordon Olmstead-Dean.
A statement on the Wendorf double murder case, as made by the president
of the Interactive Literature Foundation. A must-read. (addendum: the ILF
has since disbanded and reformed as LARPA. You can still reach them
at
www.ilfinfo.org.)
There are currently no articles available
for this year.
Playing With
Dragon Fire, Breakaway, August, 1994. From Focus On The Family's
teen-oriented magazine comes this account of a young man's experiences
with D&D that reads like an Alcoholics Anonymous diary. A rebuttal
from myself follows.
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