By Kevin Siembieda
I’m afraid I have some sad and shocking news. I’ve tried a dozen different ways to write this, but none of them sound right. So I’ll just say it:
My sweet, brilliant friend – Erick Wujcik – is dying of cancer.
Yes, Erick Wujcik, the mastermind behind such role-playing games and RPG products as Amber® Diceless RPG, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® RPG, Ninjas & Superspies RPG, Weapons & Assassins, Revised RECON®, Rifts® China One & Two, and a host of other RPG books.
Erick, age 56, has pancreatic cancer that has spread to his liver. There was no advance warning. Erick was healthy and doing fine. He thought he had come down with the flu, and when he couldn’t shake it, he went to the doctors. The prognosis was unexpected, to say the least.
TMNT was my first role-playing game, so this is the dude that brought me into this whole RPG world. I left the link so people could head over and throw some support his way, or at least acknowledge him. before it is too late.
TMNT was the first game I ever bought. Amber was the first game I ever played. I too owe my presence in the hobby to him. He was a fun guy to hang out with the one time I met him at a con, and he really never seemed to have an ego with the fans of his work. I am saddened to see him go, particularly in such a slow and painful manner as malignant cancer.
(He was also one Hell of a GM. No really. He was a HELL of a GM, but he made you like it. ;))
Robert Jordan... Gary Gygax... Erick Wujcik... Is the point of getting older having to watch your heroes die? I hope Mr. Wujcik feels no pain and gets to spend the time with his family he deserves.
Caroll Spinney, the man in the Big Bird suit, I'm looking at YOU! I'm gonna make sure you live long enough to entertain my own kids if I've gotta freeze you in carbonite to do it! *shakes fist*
Yes, I loved it for the fluff...
For the fluff!
I HATE fluff. I love making up fluff, but pre-gen'd fluff is usually horrible. In TMNT, the fluff was the best part.
While Gary co-invented the industry, and while I still have the same Red Box set and monster manual I owned when I was nine, it was always dry and inaccessable to a young person with no mentor to teach him; TMNT was my first real Roll Playing experience...
Erick is awesome. While the news is saddening, he will have a legacy that lives on. That counts for something.
Still... this sucks. Bleh.
TMNT and Rifts were also in my list of games to play. Damn.
d
Condolences to him and his loved ones.
Man, I need to come out from under my rock more often. I heard about his diagnosis, but his letter was written in such an upbeat way I never doubted that he'd be with us for at least a few more years. Back to the topic: I was introduced to roleplaying with the red box of D&D, but I fell in love with it thanks to my afterschool adventures in TMNT. I'm sorry to hear of Mr. Wujcik's illness and wish him all the best. And if you see a anthropomorphic Rhino with a gatling gun and waaay too many psychic powers to be strictly "rules legal," don't worry -- he's friendly.
Word on his blog seems to indicate he's responding well to chemo. He may yet have a few years left; let's hope so. TMNT was my first game outside D&D, and was my gateway drug into the Palladium universe.
Its already spread to his liver, brother, the most chemo is going to do is cause him alot of pain, and delay the inevitable. The fight is what its all about though.
That said I saw you popped in over there and posted encouraging words for him; that showed alot of class, Bro! You are welcome at my gaming table any day!
That said I saw you popped in over there and posted encouraging words for him; that showed alot of class, Bro! You are welcome at my gaming table any day!
I wish I could, but the page won't scroll in Firefox for me. It's good, at least, to see how long it is.
Its already spread to his liver, brother, the most chemo is going to do is cause him alot of pain, and delay the inevitable. The fight is what its all about though.
That said I saw you popped in over there and posted encouraging words for him; that showed alot of class, Bro! You are welcome at my gaming table any day!
Yeah, I had a friend that had skin cancer that spread to his liver. He died a few months later. Cancer sucks.
I wish I could, but the page won't scroll in Firefox for me. It's good, at least, to see how long it is.
something is wrong with your firefox. It worked just fine for me, and I use firefox.
That in and of itself doesn't have much to do with the thread topic, save for the fact that my friends got their start playing Palladium and TMNT, so Mr. Wujcik 's work was instrumental in the forming of friendships that would last me well over a decade, and probably for the rest of my life.
My thanks and fondest wishes go out to him and his family.
That and Rifts is one of my favorite RPG concepts of all time:D
I'm a palladium books fan as much as a Dungeons and Dragons Fan. That is going to leave a mark in me for a while. I'm kind of at a loss for words at what else to say. I'm going to assume that the disease was diagnosed in a very advanced state, which means surgical removal of the tissue will result in the death of the patient anyway.Hopefully in the future humanity will have at least a basic understanding of stem cells and will be able to treat advanced organ cancer simply by replacing the said organ.
Website is here or you can read the block...
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Palladium Books® – Press Release – June 8, 2008
Erick Wujcik Passes Quietly
Beloved role-playing game designer, Erick Wujcik, passed away Saturday evening, June 7, 2008. He died from complications related to pancreatic and liver cancer. Kathryn Kozora, his sweetheart of more than 30 years, and other loved ones were at his side.
Erick was diagnosed with cancer in late November, 2007 and given 6-8 weeks to live. True to Erick’s indomitable spirit and zest for life, he proved the doctors wrong by lasting more than six months. Most of that time was spent with friends and loved ones.
Erick Wujcik’s accomplishments are many.
To the role-playing game community, Erick is best known for his many RPG games and contributions to Palladium Books®, including The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® RPG, several TMNT® sourcebooks, After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks for it, Ninjas & Superspies⁚, Mystic China⁚, Rifts® China One and Two, Revised RECON®, Wolfen Empire⁚ and many others. He is also famous for Amber® Diceless, the first truly “diceless” role-playing game, published under Erick’s own label, Phage Press. Erick also published Amberzine® and founded Ambercon⁚, a series of conventions celebrating gaming, friendship and the world of Amber, hosted at numerous locations around the world.
Erick Wujcik was also the founder, heart and soul of the Detroit Gaming Center, served as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Game Design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2003-2008), and worked in the videogame industry for the last several years, including UbiSoft China and most recently, as Senior Game Design/Writer at Totally Games, Novato, California.
Erick Wujcik’s greatest accomplishment, however, is his contagious joy for life and love of ideas and imagination that inspired people around the world. Whether they were one of his students at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, fellow game designers, or fans sitting in the audience at a convention or seminar listening to Erick speak, to those who had the pleasure of gaming with Erick (he loved to run games at conventions and everywhere he went), to those who knew him best, they couldn’t help but to love him. Even the millions who only knew him through his published works or communicated with him online, considered him a friend.
Erick is survived by Kathyrn Kozora, Kate's granddaughter – his beloved Sara, mother Nora, sister Peggy, his Aunt Mary and Uncle Sam and Nancy, along with dozens of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Erick’s last months of life were the same as he had always lived, full of friendship, joy, grace and beauty. He went quietly into the night, like a snowflake falling gently from the heavens.
– Kevin Siembieda, Palladium Books®
Erick Wujcik Passes Quietly
Beloved role-playing game designer, Erick Wujcik, passed away Saturday evening, June 7, 2008. He died from complications related to pancreatic and liver cancer. Kathryn Kozora, his sweetheart of more than 30 years, and other loved ones were at his side.
Erick was diagnosed with cancer in late November, 2007 and given 6-8 weeks to live. True to Erick’s indomitable spirit and zest for life, he proved the doctors wrong by lasting more than six months. Most of that time was spent with friends and loved ones.
Erick Wujcik’s accomplishments are many.
To the role-playing game community, Erick is best known for his many RPG games and contributions to Palladium Books®, including The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® RPG, several TMNT® sourcebooks, After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks for it, Ninjas & Superspies⁚, Mystic China⁚, Rifts® China One and Two, Revised RECON®, Wolfen Empire⁚ and many others. He is also famous for Amber® Diceless, the first truly “diceless” role-playing game, published under Erick’s own label, Phage Press. Erick also published Amberzine® and founded Ambercon⁚, a series of conventions celebrating gaming, friendship and the world of Amber, hosted at numerous locations around the world.
Erick Wujcik was also the founder, heart and soul of the Detroit Gaming Center, served as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Game Design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2003-2008), and worked in the videogame industry for the last several years, including UbiSoft China and most recently, as Senior Game Design/Writer at Totally Games, Novato, California.
Erick Wujcik’s greatest accomplishment, however, is his contagious joy for life and love of ideas and imagination that inspired people around the world. Whether they were one of his students at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, fellow game designers, or fans sitting in the audience at a convention or seminar listening to Erick speak, to those who had the pleasure of gaming with Erick (he loved to run games at conventions and everywhere he went), to those who knew him best, they couldn’t help but to love him. Even the millions who only knew him through his published works or communicated with him online, considered him a friend.
Erick is survived by Kathyrn Kozora, Kate's granddaughter – his beloved Sara, mother Nora, sister Peggy, his Aunt Mary and Uncle Sam and Nancy, along with dozens of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Erick’s last months of life were the same as he had always lived, full of friendship, joy, grace and beauty. He went quietly into the night, like a snowflake falling gently from the heavens.
– Kevin Siembieda, Palladium Books®
Just to update this,Erick Wujcik died!
Wow, man. RIP.
I hope he is at peace, and that the memories he left behind will quickly lessen the sorrow of his family and friends.
His Amber stuff fundamentally changed the way that I play and run RPGs. I am really sorry to hear that he's passed on. I got to meet him at Dragon*Con one year and it was really cool hearing him tell stories about his GMing exploits and his friendship with Roger Zelazny. He will be sorely missed.