This week, Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History hit the shelves. It is an epic sized coffee table collection of the history of Dungeons and Dragons, from its early days as a homebrewed game to the cultural phenomenon that it is now. The book takes you on a visual tour of the conceptual and finished works that were seen in stores everywhere, the creative ads, the many iterations of electronic and video games, and the classic animated series and cinematic features. 

For me, what gripped me the most was the comprehensive array of ads. I remembered seeing these ads as a kid on the backs of comic covers and inside Starlog Magazine. It took me back to when I knew very little about DnD, but was drawn into the world because the ads were so damn cool! Not just the print pieces for the basic and advanced sets, but also for the modules and novels that followed.

The book also dives into not just the animated series, but the toys, the boardgame based on the cartoon and the movies. I had forgotten about how deep the show went into DnD lore and how well written it really was. Luckily, I happen to own the entire series on DVD, so guess what I will be watching soon.

This work was brought together by Michael Witwer (author of Empire of Imagination, the first biography of Gary Gygax), Kyle Newman, Jon Petersen and Sam Witwer.  In interviewing Michael for Geek Watch One, he called this book a labor of love and, from the production quality to the depth and breadth of the contents, it is more than evident. He also stated that the collaborators impressed upon the publisher the importance that, while the finished product would be of high quality, they wanted the price to be accessible. Retailing at $50, but online for around $35, you are definitely getting more than you’re paying for. Also note that Barnes and Noble have their own exclusive edition with extra content and there is also a Deluxe Edition with even more bonus content… kinda like finding that hidden treasure chest with all of the extra magic items!

I recommend this book for the old gamers, the new gamers and even the casual ones, too. I may be chaotic good, but I would not lead you wrong with this book.