Studies & Literature

This is only a partial listing of the resources on hand; we currently have about 14 filing cabinet drawers full of all sorts of material relating to role-playing games. Ask about any specific subjects on which you may need help. Except where noted, these are available from CAR-PGa; however with many of them you can usually save time, if not money as well, by trying your nearest academic library first. Some may also be found online.

  1. Court Cases
    1.1 Criminal Cases
    1.2 Regulatory Agency and Civil Court Action
  2. Scholarly Publications
  3. Unpublished Academic Projects
  4. Game Periodical Articles
  5. CAR-PGa Publications
    5.1 General
    5.2 Setting the Record Straight On . . . (SRS)
    5.3 Currently In Progress or Ongoing
  6. GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association) Publications
  7. Other Media
  8. Correspondence
  9. Satire & Humor
  10. Periodicals
  11. Not Available Through CAR-PGa

1.  Court Cases

(Full text appellate decisions.)

1.1  Criminal Cases

(Attempted “D&D Defenses,” all unsuccessful.)

  • Missouri v. Molitor, 729 S.W. 2d 551 (1987). Thomas Radecki’s “perception” of a RPG/murder connection is not admissible as evidence. 5 pages.
  • People of New York v. Daniel E. Kasten, 573 N.Y.S. 2d 731 (1991). Murder. 2 pages.
  • Sean Richard Sellers v. State of Oklahoma, 809 P. 2d 676 (1991). Multiple-murder. Radecki and Pulling admitted as “expert witnesses” to no avail. 14 pages. 112 S. Ct. 310 (Death sentence upheld by Supreme Court and carried out). 1 page.
  • State of Louisiana v. Bryan Wayne Widenhouse, 582 S. 2d 1274 (1991). Murder. 14 pages.
  • State of North Carolina v. Jeffery Karl Meyer, 412 S.E. 2d 3398 (1992); and State of North Carolina v. Mark Edward Thompson, 401 S.E. 2d 385 (1991). “Ninja killing” during robbery. Separate trials. 8 pages for Meyer; 9 pages for Thompson.
  • State of Ohio v. William R. Anderson, no citation number in this 1992 case found (Lexis 1013). Aggravated robbery. 9 pages.
  • State of Wisconsin v. Daniel R. Dower, 412 N.W. 2d 902 (1987). Murder. 3 pages.
  • United States of America v. Mark L. Patrick, 935 F. 2d 745 (1991). Kidnapping does not lend itself to blaming games either. 3 pages.

1.2  Regulatory Agency and Civil Court Action

  • Cook v. Cub Foods, Inc. 99 F. Supp. 2d 945 2000 UY.S. Dist. Plaintiff claimed D&D drawings on bulletin board constituted attack on his religious beliefs. Court ruled that D&D was religiously neutral and found for the defendant. 9 pages.
  • State of Illinois Department of Professional Regulation v. Thomas E. Radecki, 91-6666-LEG. Consent decree suspending medical licenses for “immoral conduct of an unprofessional nature with a patient.” Later made permanent, then reduced to permanent probation. Radecki was major anti-gamer in 1980s. 3 pages.
  • Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service, 816 F.Supp. 432. First peacetime prior censorship case in U.S. history, and resulted in illegal destruction of publishing equipment. Award of only one-quarter actual damages was sustained on appeal. 13 pages.(Original trial only.)
  • Watters v. TSR, Inc, 715 F.Supp. 819 (1989). Court rules no connection between RPG and suicide. 11 pages. (Both original trial and appellate decisions.)
  • Weinstein v. Friedman, 94 Civ. 6803 (LAP). RPG not evidence that one who played was likely to become a terrorist, but merely “enjoys mentally challenging activities”. 28 pages.

2.  Scholarly Publications

  • Abyeta, Suzanne and Forest, James (1991, December). Relationship of role-playing games to self-reported criminal behaviour. Psychological Reports, 69, 1187-1192. Gamers are lower in criminal tendencies than rest of population. 6 small pages.
  • Bay-Hinitz, April K.; Peterson, Robert F.; and Quilitch, H. Robert (1994, Fall). Cooperative games: a way to modify aggressive and cooperative behaviors in young children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27(3), 433-446. Four and five year olds have less behavior problems after cooperative games, enjoy them more, and even start modifying rules of competitive games to make them cooperative. 14 pages.
  • Blackmon, Wayne D. (1994, Fall). Dungeons and Dragons: the use of a fantasy game in the psychotherapeutic treatment of a young adult. Journal of Psychotherapy, 48:4, 624-632. Use of RPG to bring suicidal schizoid who resisted conventional therapy to an ability to relate to others and self. 9 small pages.
  • Borges, Silvia (August 1994). RPG, a clinical approach. Author’s English translation of speech at Wunderblock Centro de Estudos, Rio de Janeiro. Use of RPG in making contact with and treating street children. 5 pages.
  • Bourdin, Jean-Jaques (1996). Une analyse des jeux de rôles. Université de Paris, Department Théâtre. History of RPG as a performing art. 148 pages.
  • Bowman, Claude C. (1949). Role-playing and the development of insight. Social Forces, vol. 28, 1950199. Role-playing outside of games as a means of understanding sociopsychological dynamics in self and others. 5 pages.
  • Bromley, David G. (1991, May-June). Satanic cult scare. Culture and Society, 55-66. Overview of the satanic panic movement from a Virginia Commonwealth University sociologist. 12 pages.
  • Cardwell, Paul, Jr. (1994, Winter). Attacks on role-playing games. Skeptical Inquirer, 157-166. Overview of the attacks on RPG. 9 small pages.
  • Carroll, James L. and Carolin, Paul M. (1989, June). Relationship between game playing and personality. Psychological Reports, part 1, 705-706. Simón replicated in Central Michigan University study comparing gamers to non-gamers. 2 small pages.
  • Carter, Robert, and Lester, David. (1998, February). Personalities of players of Dungeons & Dragons. Psychological Reports, 82(1), 182. Gamers’ tendency to suicide no different from rest of population. 1 page.
  • Chouzenoux, Vincent (2002, November). Le jeu de rôle comme point de départ d’une etude critique du concept d’interactivité. Université de Montréal. MA thesis in History of Art and Cinematographic Studies. 85 pages.
  • David, Coralie (2007, June). Jeu de rôle, mode d’expression littéraire? Université de Toulouse le Mirail., MA thesis in Modern Literature. Concludes that it is a valid mode. 137 pages.
  • Demil, Benoit and Lecocq, Xavier (2004). Standardisation des produits sur le marché américain du jeu de rôle: stratégie agglomérée et jeux d’acteurs. Congres les Strategies Collectives, Atelier AIMS, Mopellier. Effects of D20 and Open Game License on RPG publishing. 21 pages.
  • DeRenard, Lisa A. and Kline, Linda Mannik (1990). Alienation and the game Dungeons and Dragons. Psychological Reports, 66, 1219-1222. Gamers diverge from peer-culture in mass media awareness, but not in more significant aspects. 4 small pages.
  • Dyszelski, Christopher (2001. March 16). Pathologizing play. 32nd Popular Culture Association, Toronto, ON. Those claiming that the imaginal is devient versus gamers who use the imaginal to reflect and clarify reality but have no difficulty going from one to the other. 31 pages.
  • Fine, Gary Alan (1982). Legendary creatures and small game playing culture: Medieval lore in contemporary roleplaying games. Keystone Folklore, 11-27. How RPG preserves folklore and generates its own within individual game groups. 17 small pages.
  • Foster, Kyna (2000, March 30). Dungeons, dragons and gender: role-playing games and the participation of women. 42nd meeting of the Western Social Sciences Association (online) <http://www.ac.wwu.edu/anthclub/studentwork/KynaFoster.htm>. Stereotypes in RPG. 11 pages. [No longer online.]
  • Gribble, Nathan (1994). Munchkin examined. Interactive Fantasy (2), 101-108. Children don’t play as Munchkins (a game term for hack’n’slash, disruptive players), but do play differently from adults. 8 small pages.
  • Hicks, Robert (1989, September). Satanic cults: a skeptical view of the law enforcement approach. Richmond, VA: Department of Criminal Justice Services. A criminologist looks at police handling of satanic panic and effect on constitutional rights. 34 pages.
  • Hicks, Robert (1989, November). Dungeons, dragons, witches, censors, and librarians: a Satanic brew. Richmond, VA: Department of Criminal Justice Services. Criminologist’s speech to Intellectual Freedom Committee, Virginia Library Association. Satanic panic as it affects libraries and freedom to read. 22 pages.
  • Hicks, Robert (1989, December). None dare call it reason: kids, cults, and common sense. Richmond, VA: Department of Criminal Justice Services. A criminologist looks at satanic panic. 25 pages.
  • Holinsworth, Mark S. (1995). Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Interactive Fantasy (4), 52-58. Teaching ethics and morality through RPG. 7 small pages.
  • Hübner, Martina (1995). Fantasy-Rollenspiel – ein kreative Medium zur Gewaltprävention? München: Aktion Jungendschutz. Booklet by government social pedagogue on using RPG to prevent violence in youth. 82 small pages in German.
  • Koster, Nicolas (2004). Pratique du jeu de rôle auprés d’adolescents. Use of RPG with 16-18-year-old dysfunctionals in a residence facility. 13 pages.
  • Lancaster, Kurt (1994, Fall). Do role-playing games promote crime, satanism and suicide among players as critics claim? Journal of Popular Culture, #23, 67-79. Satanism depends on individual definition, but no evidence for crime and suicide. 13 pages.
  • Lanning, Kenneth V. (1989, October). Satanic, occult, ritualistic crime: a law enforcement perspective. Quantico, VA: National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. Satanic panic viewed by an FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Academy instructor. 11 pages.
  • Leeds, Stuart M. (1995). Personality, belief in paranormal, and involvement with satanic practices among young adult males: dabblers versus gamers. Cultic Studies Journal 12:2, 148-165. Comparison of role-playing gamers, avowed Satanists, and neither. Gamers and neithers showed no differences while Satanists did not resemble either, concluding RPG would make a poor recruiting tool for Satan worship. 18 small pages. Cardwell, Paul, Jr. (1999). Comment on Leeds (1995). Cultic Studies Journal, 16:2, 197-203. Critique of the Satanic and Fantasy Envelopment (SAFE) test, which can score a gamer as satanic dabbler strictly for gaming activity, with no satanic features present. Used by Leeds, it produced results quite different from the two standardized tests used in the study. (Belief in God counted as satanic!) 7 small pages.
  • Malcolm, Andrew P. (1994). Role-playing and dyslexia. Interactive Fantasy (2), 109-112. Using the learning possible in RPG to circumvent dyslexia. 4 small pages.
  • Martin, Daniel and Fine, Gary Alan (n.d. [last reference 1990]). Satanic cults, satanic play: is Dungeons & Dragons a breeding ground for the devil? [also appears as a chapter in Richardson, James T., Best, Joel, and Bromley, David G. (eds.) (1991). Satanism Scare.] Examination of charge that RPG is a recruiting device for Satanists, concluding it is not. 28 pages.
  • Myers, David (1992, November). Simulating the self. Play & Culture, 420-440. Effect of character-generation rules in specific game systems on the nature of the player’s characters, independent of the way the player plays the character in a game. 21 pages.
  • Oliver, Martin (1995). Circle stands unbroken. Interactive Fantasy (4), 59-67. Breaking sexual stereotypes in RPG. 9 small pages.
  • Perry, April M. (2003, Winter). Guilt by saturation: media liability for third-party violence and the availability heuristic. Northwestern University Law Review, 97, 1045-? Overcoming media-induced stereotypes in suits against media in tort action. 16 pages.
  • Phillips, Brian David (1995). Foreign language education and role-playing games. Interactive Fantasy (3), 96-103. Using role-playing games in the subject language to teach that language. 8 small pages.
  • Rosenthal, G.T.; Soper, Barlow; Folse, Earl J.; and Whipple, Gary J. (1998, February). Role-play gamers and national guardsmen compared. Psychological Reports, 82(1), 169-170. No significant differences found. 2 pages.
  • Simón, Armando (October 1987). Emotional stability pertaining to the game of Dungeons & Dragons. Psychology in the Schools, pp 329-332. A clinical psychologist uses the Cattell 16 PF test to show gamers are perfectly normal emotionally, comparing new and veteran gamers. 4 small pages.
  • Simón, Armando (1998). Emotional stability pertaining to the game of Vampire: the Masquerade. Psychological Reports, 83(2), 732-734. Replication of above for Vampire players. 3 small pages.
  • Sørensen, Anne Scott (1999). New texts and new media in global youth culture: the fantasy roleplaying games. Young, vol. 7, no. 3. <http://www.alli.fi/nyri/young/1999/articleS%F8rensen99-3.htm>. Psychological and sociological study from interviews with 13-16 year old boys in Danish game club. Warning: heavy use of jargon. 10 pages. [No longer online.]
  • Starker, Steven (1979, January). Fantasy in psychiatric patients: exploring a myth. Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 30:1, 25-30. Rather than getting lost in fantasies, psychiatric patients generally suffer from too little fantasy. 6 pages.
  • Tole-Patkin, Terri (1986, Summer). Rational coordination in the dungeon. Journal of Popular Culture, 1-14. Introduction to RPG from a sociological viewpoint. 14 small pages.
  • Zayas, Luis H. and Lewis, Bradford H. (1986, Spring). Fantasy role-playing for mutual aid in children’s group: a case illustration. Social Work with Groups, 53-66. A study of the use of RPG in treating disruptive-behavior problems by the cooperation required in playing. 14 small pages.

3.  Unpublished Academic Projects

  • Donaldson, Thomas A. (1996, April). Anti-RPG movement: a modern day witch hunt. (online) t.donaldson[a.t]alumni.duke.edu. History and analysis of the campaign. 18 pages.
  • Gagne, Kenneth A. (2001, April). Moral panics over youth culture and video games. Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Similarities in public reaction to rock ‘n roll, comic books, Dungeons & Dragons and video games when new. 35 pages.
  • Hall, Alex (1988, April). An investigation into the value of fantasy role-playing games as a strategy in developing children’s creative writing. University of Nottingham paper on a classroom study. Gamers had a marked increase in writing ability, vocabulary, structural organization, and socialization over control group. 11 pages.
  • Hughes, John (1990). Therapy is fantasy: role-playing, healing, and the construction of symbolic order. Australian National University honors paper in medical anthropology on the use of RPG in the self-treatment of clinical depression. 23 pages.
  • Kallam, Michael L. (1984, May). Effects of simulation game play upon oral language development and internalization of locus of control among mildly handicapped adolescents. Oklahoma State University. Significant improvement over control group found. 88 pages.
  • Nunis, C.S. (n.d. [last reference 1996]). How are we going to get out of this?. University of Memphis. Gamers are indeed deviant by using “collaborative learning methods and cooperative social problem-solving strategies…as well as idealistic lack of prejudice, sexism, homophobia, or bigotry.” 9 pages.
  • Schwartz, Zwart (2006, July). Rollenspieler – das unbekannte Wesen. Fachhochschule Münster. Quantitative study of other interests of roleplayers. 28 pages.
  • Tremlett, Jim (1995, Summer). Gamers & gaming: an ethnographic survey of male role-playing game enthusiasts in and around Athens, OH. Ohio University. Examination of stereotypes about gamers versus reality: positive stereotypes are true, negative ones are either untrue or greatly exaggerated. 31 pages.
  • Walton, William J. (1995, December). Role-playing games: their stigmas and benefits. Wilmington College. RPGs “are a harmless and occasionally beneficial mode of entertainment that has been misrepresented in the past.” 29 pages.
  • Zane, Denyse J. (n.d. [last reference 1995]). Do role-playing games cause aberrant behavior and suicide? Riverside Community College. Evidence is to the contrary. 11 pages.

4.  Game Periodical Articles

  • Acres, Mark (n.d.). Saturday nights at the parsonage. Dragon reprint. RPG as church youth activity. 2 pages.
  • Blocksom, Rita (1985, February). Dungeons & Dragons as a coping strategy. Dragon, 15-16. Private school director examines popularity of RPG among talented/gifted students. 2 pages.
  • Carden, Janet (1988, Fall). Guidelines for RPG play. Familiar, page 18. An article on ethical playing. 1 page. Collins, Arthur W. (1980, September).
  • Collins, Arthur W. (1980, September). Reflections of a Real-Life Cleric. Dragon, #41, 6-8. United Methodist minister’s essay on the theological aspects of RPG. 2 pages.
  • Dewar, Michael (2006, May 19). Last resort of kings: violences asa storytelling tool. Pyramid (online) <http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/login/article.html?id=5925>. 6 pages.
  • Hickman, Tracy Raye (1989, July). Ethics of fantasy. Gateways, July 1989, 32-36. Christian fantasy author discusses RPG from both viewpoints. 5 pages. Computer printout of two additional parts, 7 and 8 pages.
  • Marcelo, João (2004). RPG: deixe a ficção abrir as portas de realidade. (online) <http://sursinho.eschola.com>. RPG in curriculum. 3 pages. [No longer online.]
  • Rogers, Brian (2002, November 29). Gestalt personalities: a quick sketch about quick sketches. Pyramid (online) <http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/login/article.html?id=3132>. 2 pages.
  • Rogers, Brian (2004, July 2). There’s no “I” in “Roleplay”. Pyramid (online)<http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/login/article.html?id=4822>. Separate goals and tasks for each character in a unified team forming a whole. 3 pages.
  • Sampson, Judith (1982, September). Adventuring with shaky hands. Dragon, #53, (page unstated). Playing RPG despite cerebral palsy. 1 page.

5.  CAR-PGa Publications

5.1  General

  • Cardwell, Paul, Jr. (1992, April). But no one attacked Fantasia. CAR-PGa Newsletter, page 1. Parallels between Walt Disney’s first Fantasia and RPG, noting no one attacked Fantasia despite the same features for which they attacked games.
  • Cardwell, Paul, Jr. (1993). Role-playing games and the gifted student. Analysis of how RPG can be used in talented/gifted curriculum Covers a couple dozen each academic subjects and learning skills aided by these games. (This is an update of a paper submitted earlier but published in 1995: Role playing games and the gifted student. Gifted Education International, 39-46.) 8 pages.
  • Cardwell, Paul, Jr. (1997, August). Is alignment really necessary? CAR-PGa Newsletter, page 1. Argues no one has alignment in real life, but a conflict of loyalties; game characters should be equally complex.
  • CAR-PGa (1988, 1989, 1990). CAR-PGa Annual. Bonham, TX: author. A good source of early anti-game material including anti-game police manuals that were to be kept secret from the citizens libeled in them. CAR-PGa stopped publishing these when the annual accumulation reached half a filing cabinet drawer.
  • CAR-PGa (2001). Two surveys. Bonham, TX: author. The first is a 3-page questionnaire for Role-Playing Games as an Academic Subject (an ongoing project), to get RPG accepted as a valid part of contemporary culture studies on the college level. The second is a sociological survey of female gamers. 4 pages.
  • CAR-PGa (1998). What is CAR-PGa? Bonham, TX: author. A basic introduction to the research network for the avid gamer. 2 pages. [All material from this publication is now available on this website.]
  • CAR-PGa (1996). What are role-playing games? Bonham, TX: author. A basic introduction to role-playing games and CAR-PGa for the non-gamer. 2 pages.
  • Diniz, Omar (1994, May). RPG as auxiliary in psychotherapy. CAR-PGa Newsletter, page 1. Ideas on how RPG can be used in therapy.
  • Freeman, Jeff (1995, February). Civic duty. CAR-PGa Newsletter, page 1. Public interest activities gamers can do as gamers for public relations benefit.
  • McGilvray, Cameron (1998, April). How a straight white upper-middle-class male found gender balance. CAR-PGa Newsletter, page 1. Thoughts on involving more females in RPG.
  • Peters, Helen (1995, June). Married to a mundane. CAR-PGa Newsletter, page 2. How to survive marriage when only one is a gamer.
  • Peters, Helen (1997, November). Winning races. CAR-PGa Newsletter, page 1. Argues that there are no evil species, only individuals regardless of species.

5.2  Setting the Record Straight On . . . (SRS)

(Point-by-point examinations of anti-game publications.)

  • Allen, Ray (1990). Teen Suicide Prevention. Grand Prairie, TX: American Cultural Traditions, Inc. While the publisher is defunct, the booklet has some excellent material on the subject and as a result is widespread in suicide prevention operations. However, it also has some major errors, particularly regarding RPG and its alleged relationship to juvenile suicide. 32 small pages; SRS 9 pages.
  • Dear, William (1984). Dungeon Master. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Research so far shows that Dear’s press conference grandstanding during the disappearance of Dallas Egbert in August-September 1979 was the origin of the attacks on roleplaying games, as none have been found before that date. Original not available through CAR-PGa (try used book stores, libraries, or interlibrary loan). SRS 10 pages.
  • del Re, Michele C. (1989, January-March). Fantastiche cacce e autentiche morti. Critica Sociologica, 24-41. Straight B.A.D.D. party line got into a scholarly journal, although they had to leave the country to do it. SRS based on reply which was accepted, but never published, by Critica Sociologica. 18 small pages; SRS 12 pages.
  • Douse, Neil A. and McManus, I. C. (1993, November). Personality of fantasy game players. British Journal of Psychology, 505-509. Partly successful attempt to get anti-game study into a scholarly publication. Despite flawed methodology and ridiculous presuppositions (that hospital patients constitute a normal social population), the authors still had to conclude games were harmless. 7 small pages; SRS 6 pages.
  • Pulling, Pat (1988). Interviewing techniques for adolescents. Richmond, VA: B.A.D.D. This was part of their program to indoctrinate police to believe that role-playing games are a criminal activity. 10 pages; SRS 13 pages.
  • Pulling, Pat (1989, plus later additions). Items which should be listed on a search warrant. Original list is from Pat Pulling’s The Devil’s Web but has been enlarged by unknown sources (not excluding Pulling) and widely circulated in the police “cult awareness seminar” dog and pony shows. It is a scavenger-hunt list and has no relevance to any crime, but it is taken seriously in these tabloid courses. 2 pages; SRS 9 pages.
  • Pulling, Pat (n.d. [last reference is 1985]). Law enforcement primer on fantasy role-playing games. Richmond, VA: B.A.D.D. This pamphlet is the first of B.A.D.D.’s attempts to indoctrinate the police to persecute gamers under color of law. 12 pages; SRS 8 pages.
  • Schnoebelen, William (1989). Straight talk on Dungeons & Dragons. Ontario, CA: Chick Publications. Ultrafundmentalist (he believes fairy-tale magic is real) attack on RPG. 4 pages; SRS 7 pages.
  • Schnoebelen, William (2001). Should a Christian play Dungeons & Dragons?. Ontario, CA: Chick Publications. Revision of Straight Talk with extensive ad hominem against Jeff Freeman and Mike Stackpole. 34 pages, SRS 23 pages. A second, independent work covering just the rhetorical techniques used by Schnoebelen covers 7 pages.
  • White, Richard (1992). Dungeons & Dragons: adventure or abomination? Virginia Beach, VA: Christian Broadcasting Network. Despite its date, most of the material is from the early 1980s game-bashing. 4 pages; SRS 5 pages.

5.3  Currently In Progress or Ongoing

  • Cardwell, Paul, Jr. The Attacks on role-playing games: another pool table for River City. A book-length study of the attacks on RPG, their history and refutation. Looking for a publisher.
  • CAR-PGa (ongoing). Information packet of: What is CAR-PGa, Literature List, membership form, and a CAR-PGa Newsletter.
  • CAR-PGa (ongoing). Media bias. A paragraph by paragraph study of the mass media coverage of RPG. Over 600 articles examined so far show an anti-game slant with over 4.6 times as many majority anti-game articles as pro-game; and 1.8 times as many anti-game as pro, neutral, and no majority combined. Currently 93 pages; abstracts 37 pages; tabulation 28 pages. Specific data (by period, medium, etc.) on request.
  • CAR-PGa (ongoing). Survey on role-playing games as an academic subject. Constantly updated as new returns are received. Currently at 60 pages.
  • CAR-PGa (ongoing). The “Trophy List” Exposed. An examination of anti-gamers’ case histories, giving the real reasons for these tragedies. Over half lack enough information to research (and help on those would be appreciated), none were caused by games, and around 5% never played the games at all, yet still are claimed. 28 pages with citations; 9 pages just basic names, places, dates, outcome, and explanations of probable causes. 154 cases, 204 individuals investigated, 42 cases, 68+ individuals not enough data to investigate.

6.  GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association) Publications

  • GAMA (n.d.). Retailer survival kit. Plano, TX: author. Leaflet for retailers to use in public relations. 4 pages.
  • GAMA (1988). Introduction to adventure games. Plano, TX: author. A general-audience introduction to RPG. 4 pages.
  • Godfrey, Wayne (1997). How to deal with parents. Cordova, AL: Game Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA). Leaflet for game dealers. 4 pages.
  • Millians, David (2000). Games in Education. Scottsdale, AZ: Game Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA). Four brochures on games in school curricula.
  • Stafford, Greg (1988). Games don’t kill. Plano, TX: Game Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA). Refutation of Geraldo Rivera’s 12-13 October 1987 attack on RPG shown on Entertainment Tonight TV show. 8 pages.

7.  Other Media

  • Canadian Bookseller (1990, June). Role-playing games, creative sidelines or dangerous obsessions?. Author. Games as a bookstore sideline. 1 page.
  • Fabienne, Cellérier (2000, September 27). L’imagination en marche. Vie protestante Genèvee (online) <http://www.protestant.ch/applic/ge/VPlib.nsf/0/8fadd681c3118306c1256e8b0034ece0>. Introduction to RPG. 2 pages.
  • Millians, David (1996, Summer). Classroom games. Games & Education, page 4. Designing and using RPG in classroom curricula. 1 page.
  • Parviala, Hannele (1993). Cyberpunk naiselle: Nainen roolipelaajana ja Roolipellissä. Tyyris Tyllero 2/93, 12-16. Differences in playing styles between male and female role-players. Coverage not limited to the cyberpunk game setting. 5 pages in Finnish.
  • Phillips, Brian David (1995, Summer). Methodology for using RPG in English conversation classes. Games & Education, 2-3. Using RPG to develop fluency in English as second language (in Taiwan). 2 pages.
  • Powers, Ron (1984, June 17). [untitled]. Sunday Morning, CBS-TV. Pat Robertson’s methods in attacking RPG are condemned. 2 pages.
  • Shupe, Anson (1998, March 9). Pitchmen of the Satan scare. Wall Street Journal, A12. Anthropologist looks at moneymaking aspects of satanic panic. 1 page.
  • Stackpole, Michael A. (1989). Game hysteria and the truth. Author. A study and refutation of the attacks on RPG, primarily those from B.A.D.D. 38 pages.
  • Sutton, Roger (1984, November). D&D phenomenon, “In the YA Corner” column, from SLJ School Library Journal, page 82. Use of RPG in stimulating library use by youth, by a Chicago branch librarian.

8.  Correspondence

  • Jaffe, Rona (1989) (personal communication to Paul Cardwell, Jr.). Refutation of Thomas Radecki’s assertion that her novel Mazes and Monsters is a documentary. 1 page.
  • Lips, Thomas J. (1993, September 15) (personal communication to Jennifer Clarke Wilkes). No evidence of game/suicide connection, by mental health consultant, Health & Welfare Canada. 3 pages, plus one-page abstract of Simón D&D paper.
  • Mercy, James A. (1988, June 8) (personal communication to Paul Cardwell, Jr.). No evidence of game/suicide connection, by Chief, Intentional Injuries Section, Centers for Disease Control. 1 page.
  • Sellers, Sean (1990, February 5) (personal communication to Mike Stackpole). Still opposes RPG, but denies D&D involved in his crimes. 2 pages. <http://www.rpgstudies.net/stackpole/pulling_report.html#App1>.

9.  Satire & Humor

  • Bridges, C.A. (2005, September 7). My son becomes a man, gets +2 STR, +1 DEX. (online) chris.bridges[a.t]news-jrnl.com <http://www.news-journalonline.com/column/247/03SceneTWEN090705.htm>. Satiric view of “life lessons” taught by D&D. 2 pages. [No longer online.]
  • Clarke Wilkes, Jennifer (1994). Blood on the board. Bonham, TX: CAR-PGa. A satire on the mass media coverage of RPG as if chess were a new game. 2 pages.
  • Gaderister, Manuela (1997, March). Handbuch für Heldinnen. Windgeflüster, No. 16, pages unstated. A humorous look at advantages of playing a female player’s character. 4 pages in German. Handbook for Heroines, English translation by Carsten Obst and Paul Cardwell, Jr., 2 pages.
  • Holmes, Mike (2005, November 2). Quilting versus RPG: a comparison. CAR-PGa. After reading about another attack on RPG and an appreciative newspaper article on quilting, gamer compares the two and finds more similarities than differences.

10.  Periodicals

  • CAR-PGa Newsletter, Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307, USA. Monthly newsletter of the Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games. Articles, new products for the coming month, new documents on RPG received during the previous month, convention schedule.

11.  Not Available Through CAR-PGa

(In addition to the above works, there are several books on the subject of value. You can get them at bookstores or on Interlibrary Loan at your library. Some may be out of print. and will require a used book store and/or luck.)

  • Carlson, Shawn, & Larue, Gerald (1989). Satanism in America: how the devil got much more than his due. El Cerrito, CA: Gaia. $12.95 paperback. A shorter (and cheaper) coverage of the subjects in Richardson, Best, and Bromley. Appendixes by Robert Hicks, Supervisory Special Agent Kenneth V. Lanning, and Michael Stackpole.
  • Fannon, Sean (1995). Fantasy role-playing gamer’s bible. Rocklin, CA: Prima. $19.95 paperback. Basic introduction to role-playing games.
  • Gygax, Gary (1989). Master of the game. New York: Perigee/Putnam. $9.95 paperback. How to improve RPG playing, a generic approach.
  • Hicks, Robert D. (1991). In Pursuit of Satan: the police and the occult. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus. $23.95. The satanic panic from the law enforcement perspective. Hicks is with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.
  • Ideas (1991, May 29). Dungeons and Dragons. CBC, ID 9190, C$5.00 (from CBC, Box 500, Station A, Toronto, ON M5W 1E6). Canadian radio network documentary.
  • Kathe, Peter (1987). Struktur und function von fantasy-rollenspielen. Herausgeber: Club für Fantasy- und Simulationsspiele e.V. Price unknown. Basic introduction to RPG. In German.
  • Matelly, Jean-Hugues (1997). Jeu de Rôle. Toulon: Presses du Midi. Commandant, Section de Recherches, Gendarmerie de Nîmes examines RPG. In French.
  • Richardson, James T.; Best, Joel; and Bromley, David G. (eds.) (1991). Satanism scare. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. $44.95 ($24.95 in paperback). The best single book on the subject, an anthology of papers by leaders in their fields.
  • Victor, Jeffrey S. (1993). Satanic panic. Chicago: Open Court. $16.95 paperback. Small coverage of RPG but good overview of the phenomenon, particularly from the folkloric and sociological bases of these beliefs.
  • Zocchi, Lou & Sharon (1983). How to run a gaming convention. Gulfport, MS: authors. An eight-page booklet, but in typical Zocchi small print and small margins contains far more than the page count indicates. Essential for first time convention organizers.