The Escapist Archives

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).
 

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.
 
 
 

Media Stories

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 (http://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 http://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.