This morning I woke up to the sad, but not unexpected news that Paul ‘Fat Bloke’ Sawyer, war-gamer, hobbyist, founder of Warlord, beloved White Dwarf Editor, father and Notts County fan, had lost his battle against brain cancer and passed on over the rainbow bridge. As ever, he managed to beat the odds and beat his predicted time left in this world, and passed with his family around him, and I hope with a bacon butty not too far away.
I first met Paul when I was leaving the GW Trollz in Mail Order to move to the Games Workshop Studio. I will admit I was a little grumpy about my move, as I had spent two years working as the Promotions Manager for the Mail Order department and thought I did a good job of it. The move, at that time, to the studio felt like a demotion, and to be frank it was forced, either go here, or not have a job deal. Paul asked me for advice as I moved, and I said, likely a little obnoxiously, ‘Don’t repeat yourself here.’
Paul, had moved from the running the German language studio, which I think was located above the Games Workshop Derby store, to the Mail Order Promotions, and not much longer after that became one the editors of White Dwarf magazine with Matt White. Which led to the start of the golden age, known as the ‘Fat Bloke’ era.
He was still in stewardship of White Dwarf, when the Studio moved from its location near Nottingham castle, to its new HQ in Lenton, and at that time I had moved from boxed packaging to game production (not the games, but working layout, building play diagrams and the like for the rulebooks.) I was at that time building a lot of gaming scenery (Lizardmen terrain), Paul noticed and asked me to write an article about it. Which I did, laying it out in my spare time and submitting it. I didn’t know at that time, but it was my audition to join White Dwarf.
A month later Paul tapped me to work on White Dwarf magazine just after I finished my work on Warhammer 40,000 3rd Edition. I was first moved in as a production assistant and ending with my time there as a feature writer. Little did Paul know that one of my dreams was to work on White Dwarf magazine, ever since I opened my first magazine when I was 12 years old in WH Smiths, in Melton Mowbray. To this day I don’t know what strings Paul pulled to have me on his team, or what he saw in me, Paul gave me a chance when many others would not have.
Working on White Dwarf during the Fat Bloke era was a mixed bag, I enjoyed the work, I enjoyed writing about gaming as a gamer and showing the joy the hobby gave me. Paul was fun to work with, infuriating at times, but this was 90’s Games Workshop, and those who lived that era at GW will know what those times were like. We occasionally butted heads, and I am sure I pissed him off a couple of times, as he did the same to me. At the heart of it all, Paul gave me a chance, I saw him as a mentor and because of Paul I got to live a dream.
Good times, helped by a good man, and I had the privilege to talk about my hobby and in turn help a lot of folks discover the joy I felt for it.
All good things though come to an end.
I left GW to move to the USA, and some how got a job at the US Studio, with an all to brief stint on the US version of White Dwarf magazine. After which, and a poor ending in a company I had given so much too I kinda just drifted away from the hobby. Over the last few years I have reconnected with it, thanks to folk who I had help inspire to game reaching out and thanking me for getting them into the hobby. Knowing I had done a good enough job to inspire people helped reconcile my feelings about Games Workshop.
Again at the root of it, thanks to Paul.
I will sadly admit we haven’t talked much since I left White Dwarf UK, distance and losing your love for the hobby does that. I will say it was because of Paul that I started my comic book imprint, his just do it approach, the training under his mentorship, gave me the confidence to create the Night Guardians, and the Awakenings graphic novel. Which I sent to him with a thank you because of you this happened note. In the meantime he helped found Warlord games and got to do what he always wanted to do, historical war-gaming, but making it accessible to everyone.
Then I learned of his cancer.
Life does that, bad things happen, it doesn’t matter who you are. Paul was a good guy, a mentor to me, a very good friend to many others, a family man, a loving father, fan of a terrible football team known as Notts County, co-founder of Warlord games, and a light in the gaming hobby that was a living embodiment of the joy this odd little pastime can give you.
He passed March 27, 2025 surrounded by his loving family, because at heart that was Paul, the loving family man.
RIP, and thank you.
Play well, my friends.
You must be logged in to post a comment.