I Blame Tom Hanks

All this ridiculous talk about D&D being a gang activity for gangs has me remembering the days when D&D was Satan's game. Back in middle school I had to constantly explain that D&D wasn't a tool of Satan and wasn't going to cause me to commit suicide. D&D being a gang activity is just as ridiculous. If I'd known I would have recruited a couple of Crips when I used to live in a really lousy neighborhood.

A group of gangsters playing "old school", notice the red shirts identifying them as "Bloods"

Personally, I blame Tom Hanks. If you did not know, back during the search of James Dallas Egbert III, the 16 old kid who was involved with drugs, older homosexual men, and D&D who went missing for a month. D&D, and not the drugs or older homosexual* men who were exploiting him, was blamed. Writer Ron Jaffe wrote a book called Mazes & Monsters about a college student who plays a game like Dungeons and Dragons and goes insane doing so. This was turned into television movie starring a young Tom Hanks in 1982, before Bosom Buddies and Splash. 

*Please do not take these statements as being anti-homosexual, I assure you the opposite is the case. I am disgusted with anyone who exploits minors sexually, heterosexual or homosexual. 


The movie provided the example concerned loved ones needed to cause them to force their kids to stop playing D&D and sometimes even burn their books. Players tell stories of being called into the principal's office, or even having assemblies in school warning of D&D and the influence of the occult.

It's all very funny now to see these clips of Tom Hanks with D&D. I hope you enjoy them. Of course, I really want to see a Youtube video of Tom Hanks saying how ridiculous this was and apologizing for all those kids who had to burn books and things; that would be something to see.









The DVD!













MAZES AND MONSTERS. The original book in hardcover.