An illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the beloved role-playing game told through the paintings, sketches, illustrations, and visual ephemera behind its creation, growth, and continued popularity. Dungeons and Dragons is the most iconic and pervasive gaming franchise in the world. It is a seminal RPG (role-playing game) and the inspiration for video games like
World of Warcraft and
Zelda, fantasy art, and countless other facets of "geek culture." This officially licensed illustrated history provides an unprecedented look at the visual evolution of the game, showing its continued influence on the worlds of pop culture and fantasy. It features more than 700 pieces of artwork--from each edition of the game's core books, supplements, and modules; decades of
Dragon and
Dungeon magazines; classic advertisements and merchandise; and never-before-seen sketches, large-format canvases, rare photographs, one-of-a-kind drafts, and more from the now-famous designers and artists associated with the game. The superstar author team gained unparalleled access to the archives of Wizards of the Coast
and the personal collections of top collectors, as well as the designers and illustrators who created the distinctive characters, concepts, and visuals that have defined fantasy art and gameplay for generations. This is the most comprehensive collection of
D&D imagery ever assembled, making this the ultimate collectible for the game's millions of fans around the world.
MICHAEL WITWER is the author of the critically acclaimed
Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons, a GeekDad Best Book of 2015. Michael is widely considered an expert on
D&D history and has spoken on the topic at Google as part of its
Google Talks series, on NPR's
All Things Considered, as well as at major book and gaming conventions such as the Boston Book Festival, Gen Con, and Origins.
KYLE NEWMAN is a writer/director whose directorial work includes
Fanboys written by Ernie Cline, starring Kristen Bell and Seth Rogen;
Barely Lethal, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Hailee Steinfeld, and Jessica Alba; and music videos for artists including Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift. Newman also produced the critically acclaimed documentary
Raiders: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made. His clients include Microsoft, Interscope Records, Starz, Coca Cola,
Entertainment Weekly, and Lucasfilm.
JON PETERSON is a widely recognized authority on the history of games. His book
Playing at the World was called "the first serious history of the development of
Dungeons & Dragons" by
The Village Voice. He has contributed to academic anthologies on games including
Zones of Control and the forthcoming
Role-playing Game Studies: Transmedia Foundations. Jon also writes for gaming and geek culture websites including BoingBoing, the Escapist, and GamaSutra, as well as his popular RPG history blog, playingattheworld.blogspot.com.
SAM WITWER is an actor whose work includes leading roles in the SyFy series
Being Human, for which he was nominated for a Gemini Award, and the
Star Wars Saga, where he brings various characters to life in video games, film, and television--including an Emmy-nominated performance as the voice of Darth Maul. He has also been featured on
Once Upon a Time,
Smallville,
Battlestar Galactica, Stephen King's
The Mist, and
Dexter. He has been an avid
Dungeons & Dragons player since age 11.
