Episode 319: The True Tale of Dallas Egbert

This week Host Dave Bledsoe thought he was lost in the old steam tunnels beneath his favorite bar, but soon figured out he drunkenly stumbled into the women’s restroom. (Again) On the show this week we tell you the true tale behind the boy’s disappearance that launched Tom Hanks’ career. (And made Dave’s parents force him to quit playing Dungeons and Dragons)

Along the way we meet James Dallas Egbert III struggling with real demons that were never mentioned in the Monster Manual. Then we introduce Brother Shamus William Dear, who helped find Dallas and bring him home. (For a little while.) From there we go into detail about what really happened when Dallas disappeared and why Dungeons and Dragons was ever brought up in the first place. (Hint: It sold newspapers) Finally we discuss why even the best intentioned lies always wind up doing more harm than good. (Yeah, like forcing Dave to sell his beloved Dungeon Master’s Guide and buy Heavy Metal albums, which did not work out well for ANYONE!)

Our Sponsor this week is the Live Action Roleplayers Association of America, who want you to know they aren’t weirdos like the Furries! We open the show with Tom’s Magnum Opus and close with Juniper Tree Song’s dirge for Dallas, the person not the city.

Show Theme: https://www.jamendo.com/track/421668/prelude-to-common-sense

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Closing Music: https://junipertreesongs.bandcamp.com/album/jts011-dare-to-be-nothing

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Citations Needed:

The truth behind the disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III

https://web.archive.org/web/20101009024247/http://www.geeksix.com/2009/08/the-truth-behind-the-disappearance-of-james-dallas-egbert-iii/

The Disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III

https://web.archive.org/web/20141212161017/http://kushjar.com/the-disappearance-of-james-dallas-egbert-iii/

Dragon Rumblings

Kask, T.J. “Dragon Rumblings”. The Dragon. Vol IV, No 4. October 1979.

Uncited Additional Reading:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dallas_Egbert_III

https://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/state_news/1979/state_news_19790824.pdf

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/18/us/when-dungeons-dragons-set-off-a-moral-panic.html

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/09/disappearances-dragons-the-james-dallas-egbert-iii-story/

https://boingboing.net/2014/11/11/the-truth-about-the-dungeon-ma.html

http://www.ptgptb.org/0006/egbert.html

https://landofnod.blog/2015/08/09/dragon-by-dragon-october-1979/

https://www.reddit.com/r/georgetown/comments/6pz8vt/secrets_of_campus/

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