The filmmakers behind award-winning genre-comedies including The Gamers: Dorkness Rising, Dark Dungeons, and Attacking the Darkness! Creators of the ORIGINAL DEMON HUNTERS, the Dead Gentlemen have been creating geeky content since 1998. Dead Gentlemen Productions is Zombie Orpheus Entertainment LLC's brand for gaming-related comedy and entertainment!
Est. 1999 · Pacific Northwest
Dead Gentlemen Productions is an independent film studio from the Seattle/Tacoma area of the Pacific Northwest — and the creative engine behind some of ZOE's most beloved properties. The group met at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA in 1996–97.
Between 1998 and 2000 they produced two feature films — Demon Hunters and its sequel Demon Hunters: Dead Camper Lake — to great acclaim. In 2001 they shot The Gamers, a comedic short following college students whose tabletop RPG adventures play out on screen. The film gained worldwide attention at gaming conventions and film festivals, and became a cult classic among tabletop roleplayers everywhere.
With that success, Dead Gentlemen Productions, LLC was formally founded in 2002. DG went on to produce The Gamers: Dorkness Rising and The Gamers: Hands of Fate — completing a trilogy that cemented The Gamers as one of the most beloved franchises in tabletop gaming culture. DG also co-produced the Demon Hunters Roleplaying Game with Margaret Weis Productions.
In 2010, DG founders Ben Dobyns and Matt Vancil — along with Kat Ogden — founded Zombie Orpheus Entertainment to expand the universe they'd built. ZOE fully acquired Dead Gentlemen Productions and all its assets in 2018. Under the DG banner, ZOE has continued the legacy with Gamers: The Series — The Shadow Menace and Gamers: The Series — Attack of the Pwns. All DG films are now produced and distributed under the ZOE banner, and you can find everything right here.
The Dead Gentlemen
Photo from 2012 during a DG All-Company Meeting, which included many DG members as well as cast members from The Gamers: Dorkness Rising and JourneyQuest. Not pictured: DG members Emily Olson Quann and Jenna McMichael.
The DG membership changed throughout its 15+ years, with the core founding members including: Ben Dobyns, Matt Vancil, Don Early, Nathan Rice, Steve Wolbrecht, Chris Duppenthaler, Phil Woodard, Mark Thomason, Chris Ode, Evan Shimono, Jimmy McMichael, Jen Page, David Wolbrecht, Stephen Payne, Emily Olson (Quann), Katie Weidmann, and Mike Bottorff.
Dead Gentlemen Projects
The Gamers Series
The original cult classic and its sequels — Dorkness Rising and Hands of Fate. The film that started it all.
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Demon Hunters
The original DG feature films and the acclaimed tabletop RPG co-produced with Margaret Weis Productions.
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House Rulez
A mockumentary reality show from the creators of The Gamers. Their house, their rules.
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Dark Dungeons
Based on the infamous Jack Chick tract — a satirical look at the supposed dangers of roleplaying games.
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Attacking the Darkness
A feature mockumentary following a group of tabletop gamers and their adventures.
Watch Now →Demon Hunters RPG
The tabletop roleplaying game set in the canonized Demon Hunters universe, co-produced with Margaret Weis Productions.
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