Allandaros
Explorer
As a 2nd Ed player, I think the Roger Moore years were the best...but I haven't really looked through too many recent issues of DRAGON.
When was the Golden Age of Dragon magazine?
- Thread starter Glyfair
- Start date
sckeener
First Post
I can remember most of the contents from issues 3 to 116, so I'd say those are the golden years for me.
However having said that...I don't think the same material would work today. Back then it was hard to find new classes or spells. Now we have plenty in official book form.
Things I still remember with fondness are the Anti-paladin, the Duelist, the Death Master, the Psionicist, thieves cant, orcish, dwarvish, Snarfquest, What's New, Wormy, Roger Moore stuff.....heck...it is all good...
However having said that...I don't think the same material would work today. Back then it was hard to find new classes or spells. Now we have plenty in official book form.
Things I still remember with fondness are the Anti-paladin, the Duelist, the Death Master, the Psionicist, thieves cant, orcish, dwarvish, Snarfquest, What's New, Wormy, Roger Moore stuff.....heck...it is all good...
For me it's the 50s-80s (c. 1981-84), when D&D and rpgs were at the height of their popularity, Gygax was writing regular columns (which formed the bulk of what was later republished in the Monster Manual 2 ("Creature Features"), 1983 World of Greyhawk boxed set ("Greyhawk's World" and "Deities and Demigods of the World of Greyhawk"), and Unearthed Arcana ("From the Sorcerer's Scroll")), "Wormy" and "What's New?" were the main comics (joined late in the era by "Snarfquest"), and there was still lots of material and reviews for non-TSR systems (I discovered RuneQuest, for instance, through the rave reviews in Dragon of modules like Griffin Mountain and Borderlands). These issues were slightly before my time (the first issue I ever bought was #84; my subscription started somewhere around #120) but I was able to pick them up second-hand, and even then had the feeling that the Golden Age was over and I'd just barely missed it...
Further before my time were the issues of the 20s-40s (c. 1978-81) when AD&D was being released and TSR was entering its first major growth phase, and you can feel the tangible excitement and enthusiasm. Except for a couple strays, I didn't have many issues this era until much later (when I got the CD Archive c. 2003) so I don't know it as well as the later era(s), but I can see a strong case being made for this as the Golden Age of (The) Dragon as well as the above.
The early issues (1976-78) by comparison seem a little thin on content (quality content, at least -- Best of The Dragon vol. I (covering material from The Strategic Review and issues 1-14 of The Dragon) includes literally almost every worthwhile article from that era). In this regard, The Strategic Review (1975-76) seems a little stronger than the early issues of The Dragon -- with a smaller page-count and more material written in-house (mostly by Gary Gygax) there was less room/need for filler and therefore the quality seems generally higher in TSR than in the first 20 issues or so of The Dragon.
Shortly after issue 100 Dragon began a long, slow slide into mediocrity and irrelevence that never remitted until at least until c. issue 200 (when I finally gave up my subscription).
Further before my time were the issues of the 20s-40s (c. 1978-81) when AD&D was being released and TSR was entering its first major growth phase, and you can feel the tangible excitement and enthusiasm. Except for a couple strays, I didn't have many issues this era until much later (when I got the CD Archive c. 2003) so I don't know it as well as the later era(s), but I can see a strong case being made for this as the Golden Age of (The) Dragon as well as the above.
The early issues (1976-78) by comparison seem a little thin on content (quality content, at least -- Best of The Dragon vol. I (covering material from The Strategic Review and issues 1-14 of The Dragon) includes literally almost every worthwhile article from that era). In this regard, The Strategic Review (1975-76) seems a little stronger than the early issues of The Dragon -- with a smaller page-count and more material written in-house (mostly by Gary Gygax) there was less room/need for filler and therefore the quality seems generally higher in TSR than in the first 20 issues or so of The Dragon.
Shortly after issue 100 Dragon began a long, slow slide into mediocrity and irrelevence that never remitted until at least until c. issue 200 (when I finally gave up my subscription).
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Ralif Redhammer
Legend
I'd say mid-80s to early-90s. Both cover art and content were spectacular. Reading issues of Dragon magazine in the library was actually part of what drew me to gaming.
Heck, I remember the excitement of getting the Dragon magazine issue with the 2e preview in the mail (the cover had a surly-looking barabarian unwittingly walking on a dragon in a swamp as I recall). Even though 2e eventually went down the tube, there was still a strong run beforehand.
Heck, I remember the excitement of getting the Dragon magazine issue with the 2e preview in the mail (the cover had a surly-looking barabarian unwittingly walking on a dragon in a swamp as I recall). Even though 2e eventually went down the tube, there was still a strong run beforehand.
Jason Bulmahn
Adventurer
Shade said:
Mona/Jacobs team? Ouch.. my wounded ego...
Nobody let Jacobs see this thread, he is hard enough to deal with as it is.
Jason Bulmahn
Managing Editor of Dragon
Circa 327-present... not that anyone would know
Scribble
First Post
T. Foster said:
My subscription lapsed around then too... But not because I lost interest. TSR screwed me on a few issues, I had one of those order now, and get X-Many extra issues things, and my subscription ended without the free issues, and TSR argued with my mom about it, so she told me I couldn't have it anymore.
Angel Tarragon
Dawn Dragon
I would say no. I completely agree with you. Erik is doing a wonderful job to bring us excellent material, and so far he hasn't let me down.Piratecat said:
Shade
Monster Junkie
IuztheEvil said:Mona/Jacobs team? Ouch.. my wounded ego...
Nobody let Jacobs see this thread, he is hard enough to deal with as it is.
Jason Bulmahn
Managing Editor of Dragon
Circa 327-present... not that anyone would know
I didn't mean to treat you like the touring bassist of the band.
Mike, Wes, and yourself (and the rest of the staff I've forgotten) also deserve a big share of the credit. Take a bow.
Oh, and the writers of all the excellent submissions that get published.
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Lancelot
Adventurer
As many have said, I reckon it's two golden ages.
The first was around issues 50-100. Lots of awesome stuff: the Nine Hells articles, some suprisingly good stand-alone modules (anyone remember Chagmat, or the Wandering Trees, or the City Beyond the Gate?), the Giants in the Earth column, Creature Catalogs, a couple of excellent boardgames I still remember fondly (Arrakar's Wand, King of the Tabletop), the outstanding demihuman deities articles (including demigods from the kobolds, goblins, and hobgoblins... plus the dread Shoosuva of the gnolls)... man, I get slightly misty-eyed just thinking about all that gaming goodness.
The mid-late 100's, and all of the 200's, were pretty 'average' for me. I'm not one of the 2E haters, but (like the rest of the D&D product line) Dragon seemed to avoid anything that could be deemed controversial in those days. No talk of hell, or demons, or deathmasters. No scantily clad women on the covers (which isn't one of my purchase criteria, but IMHO the cover art did get increasingly bland around that time - where are my animated chess games? where are the covers I felt like framing on a wall?). Every issue was trying to cater too much to multiple different campaign worlds (Spelljammer, Ravenloft, Realms, Oriental, Al-Qadim, etc). Even the comics got worse (no Wormy or Snarfquest... or even What's New?).
And then, the Golden Age of Mona arrived. Dragon today is teh r0xx0r, as the young kids say. Demons are back! The comics are good again! Support articles for the adventure path in Dungeon magazine! Most articles are adaptable to *any* campaign, but Dragon still pays homage to the old favorites with the regular 'campaign classics' issues! ...eh, the covers could still do with a little improvement, but I can live with that. I'd still love to see a riff on the old chess art, though.
The first was around issues 50-100. Lots of awesome stuff: the Nine Hells articles, some suprisingly good stand-alone modules (anyone remember Chagmat, or the Wandering Trees, or the City Beyond the Gate?), the Giants in the Earth column, Creature Catalogs, a couple of excellent boardgames I still remember fondly (Arrakar's Wand, King of the Tabletop), the outstanding demihuman deities articles (including demigods from the kobolds, goblins, and hobgoblins... plus the dread Shoosuva of the gnolls)... man, I get slightly misty-eyed just thinking about all that gaming goodness.
The mid-late 100's, and all of the 200's, were pretty 'average' for me. I'm not one of the 2E haters, but (like the rest of the D&D product line) Dragon seemed to avoid anything that could be deemed controversial in those days. No talk of hell, or demons, or deathmasters. No scantily clad women on the covers
(which isn't one of my purchase criteria, but IMHO the cover art did get increasingly bland around that time - where are my animated chess games? where are the covers I felt like framing on a wall?). Every issue was trying to cater too much to multiple different campaign worlds (Spelljammer, Ravenloft, Realms, Oriental, Al-Qadim, etc). Even the comics got worse (no Wormy or Snarfquest... or even What's New?).And then, the Golden Age of Mona arrived. Dragon today is teh r0xx0r, as the young kids say. Demons are back! The comics are good again! Support articles for the adventure path in Dungeon magazine! Most articles are adaptable to *any* campaign, but Dragon still pays homage to the old favorites with the regular 'campaign classics' issues! ...eh, the covers could still do with a little improvement, but I can live with that. I'd still love to see a riff on the old chess art, though.
