When was the Golden Age of Dragon magazine?

[Psion]

70-pesent.



Okay, putting a finer point on it, yeah I have a fondness of the roger moore era in the issues from high 60s to 80s or thereabouts, though I seem to remember a stretch in the mid hundreds I like. Of the 3e era, the stretch from 310-320 seemed a high point to me.

 

[Scribble]

I'd say its a bit hard to come by nowadays

$100 on eBay

Arrg... I have the Dragon Archives... But alas, I steped on Disc 3 I think? (3 or 4 I can't remember) So I have a Dragon Archive sans disc 3


I'm a fan of the 80s-90s mag as well, but I think that might only have been because thats when I started gaming as well, and Dragon was new and amazing to me...

Unfortunately I haven't been a huge fan of the newer issues, but they are getting better.

 

[el-remmen]

I don't know about "golden age", but I enjoyed it most from about #150 to #200 - but that was also when I found it most useful.

 

[Delta]

Concurrent with Gygax still at TSR. So, 1975-1985.

 

[Shadowslayer]

When was "the Golden Age" of Dragon magazine to you?

Eh...before they got all PC and dropped the "amazons in chaiinmail bikinis" covers.

 

[Shade]

Looking at Dragondex, I'd say the first Golden Age was around issues 75-100ish, with the Nine Hells articles, the Creature Catalogs, the death master, etc.

I agree that we are in a second Golden Age, beginning shortly after the Mona/Jacobs team took the helm.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Ditto what Piratecat said -- now.

Although Quas.'s point (that whenever you starting reading something is its golden age) is also very true.

 

[satori01]

I think I am with Piratecat one this one. My gut instinct is to say now. Unequivable, Now , Now, Now is the golden age of Dungeon, Dungeon is better than it has ever been.

I am impressed with what they are doing with Dragon. I too have very fond memories of the Roger Moore era. The magazine was alot broader in those days, being able to cover D&D, Top Secret, Gamma World, etc and had a regular space opera feature. The game was still fresh, so articles that had rules on how you could fight with two weapons, or had NPC classes like the Anti-Paladin, or the Beast Master, or the Dreamer, or the first ecology article, like that of the oytugh were revolutionary.

Today the current magazine faces so many new challenges. Much of the D&D community have grown to despise Prestige Classes, so the 3.5 equivalent of NPC classes is no longer a strong option.

Ecology Articles for mundane creatures have grown old hat, and the magazine today, unlike that of what people term the "golden age", is published in a climate of aggresive rules promogation by WOTC.

The fact the magazine is so good today, speaks volumes for the effort that goes into it.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Issue#39 to #100. It was a first edition phenomenon that took place under Kim Mohan.

Issue #39 contained the infamous Anti-Paladin as well as Good Hits and Bad Misses. At the height of the Golden Age, in the issues in #70s, you had the classics of Ed Greenwood and the Realms (this is before there was a FR official setting). Ed's articles on Gems, the Psionics issue, Ed's articles on the Nine Hells...

These issues are still in demand, to this day.

It was most definitely NOT the late 80s to the 90s. Sorry if you guys who look fondly back on the hey-day of 2nd edition as a Golden Age - but it wasn't. It was over by then.

I agree with this post.

 

[Ciaran]

Issue#39 to #100. It was a first edition phenomenon that took place under Kim Mohan.

Issue #39 contained the infamous Anti-Paladin as well as Good Hits and Bad Misses. At the height of the Golden Age, in the issues in #70s, you had the classics of Ed Greenwood and the Realms (this is before there was a FR official setting). Ed's articles on Gems, the Psionics issue, Ed's articles on the Nine Hells...

These issues are still in demand, to this day.

It was most definitely NOT the late 80s to the 90s. Sorry if you guys who look fondly back on the hey-day of 2nd edition as a Golden Age - but it wasn't. It was over by then.

I, too, agree.

Mind you, I also agree with Quasqueton; I started reading at issue #40.