A. L. "Arnie" Katz

A. L. "Arnie" Katz was an American game designer and journalist known for his work in wargaming and role-playing game communities. He wrote extensively for hobbyist publications and collaborated with figures across board game and computer game circles, influencing genres tracked by Strategy & Tactics (magazine), The General (magazine), and Dragon (magazine). Katz's career intersected with organizations such as Game Manufacturers Association, companies including SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.), and events like Gen Con and Origins Game Fair.

Early life and education

Katz was born in 1949 and grew up during the rise of miniature wargaming and the postwar hobby movement that involved individuals from Milton Bradley fandom, Avalon Hill circles, and early science fiction fan communities such as those attending Worldcon. He attended local institutions where he encountered publications like Strategy & Tactics (magazine), Moves (magazine), and The General (magazine), and he developed contacts with designers linked to SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.), Game Designers' Workshop, and Chaosium. His education placed him in proximity to conventions such as Gen Con and Origins Game Fair, exposing him to figures associated with Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Career in game design and journalism

Katz began publishing columns in fanzines and hobbyist periodicals that overlapped with editors from Dragon (magazine), White Dwarf, and Different Worlds. He contributed to newsletters and professional outlets that connected to publishers such as TSR, Inc., Judges Guild, and Wizards of the Coast. Katz's journalism addressed topics of interest to readers of Strategy & Tactics (magazine), followers of SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.), and attendees at Gen Con; his bylines appeared alongside other writers from The Space Gamer, The Avalon Hill General, and Shadis. As a designer, Katz collaborated on scenarios and rulesets in the milieu of miniature wargaming and role-playing game supplements that paralleled works by Greg Stafford, Rick Priestley, and Dave Arneson.

Contributions to wargaming and role-playing communities

Katz influenced scenarios and tournament play that circulated at conventions including Gen Con, Origins Game Fair, and Strategicon; his tournament formats echoed systems used by Avalon Hill and SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.). He participated in playtesting linked to designers such as Don Greenwood, Richard Berg, and Frank Chadwick and engaged with publications like Moves (magazine), The General (magazine), and Strategy & Tactics (magazine). Katz's commentary and rules revisions informed community debates similar to those involving Gary Gygax's Dungeons & Dragons and Rick Loomis's Flying Buffalo designs; his influence spread through forums, fanzines, and organized play networks associated with Role Playing Game Association and Game Manufacturers Association.

Collaborations and notable publications

Katz coauthored articles and modules with contemporaries who worked with TSR, Inc., Chaosium, and Judges Guild, producing content that appeared in outlets like Dragon (magazine), Different Worlds, and The Space Gamer. He worked with partners tied to SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.) and Avalon Hill on scenario design and contributed to anthologies akin to those published by Steve Jackson Games and White Wolf Publishing. Notable pieces connected Katz to editors and authors from The General (magazine), Strategy & Tactics (magazine), and Moves (magazine), and his collaborations reached participants in conventions such as Gen Con and Origins Game Fair.

Personal life and legacy

Katz's personal archives and correspondence reflected relationships with figures across wargaming and role-playing game history, including exchanges with creators associated with TSR, Inc., SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.), and Avalon Hill. After his death in 2016 he was remembered at conventions like Gen Con and in tributes by writers for Dragon (magazine), The Space Gamer, and White Dwarf. His legacy persists in tournament formats, scenario libraries, and journalistic practices that influenced later contributors at Wizards of the Coast, Steve Jackson Games, and contemporary designers active within Game Manufacturers Association networks.

Category:1949 births Category:2016 deaths Category:American game designers Category:Role-playing game designers