Dungeons & Dragons art & Arcana : : a Visual History

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"A compiled volume of information and imagery for lovers of Dungeons & Dragons, including art, advertising, ephemera, and more."
Includes index.
Read magic : about this book -- Detect magic (original edition) -- Pyrotechnics (1st edition) -- Explosive runes (the crash of 1983) -- Polymorph self (2nd edition) -- Bigby's interposing hand (the fall of TSR) -- Reincarnation (3rd edition) -- Simulacrum (V3.5 and DDM) -- Maze (4th edition) -- Wish (5th edition).
This collection of Dungeons & Dragons artwork provides a chronicle of the game's past, present and future. As the years passed, the game evolved from a "Satanistic" basement game for weirdos to celebrate a resurgence as a mainstream cultural phenomena. The look of the game evolved, and this visual archive explores the familiar imagery as well as one-of-a-kind rarities. -- adapted from foreword, introduction and back cover.
"A deluxe, special edition package containing art prints, ephemera, and the illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the beloved role-playing game as told through the paintings, sketches, and illustrations behind its creation, growth, and continued popularity. From one of the most iconic game brands in the world, this official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS illustrated history provides an unprecedented look at the visual evolution of the brand, showing its continued influence on the worlds of pop culture and fantasy. Inside the book, you'll find more than seven hundred pieces of artwork--from each edition of the core role-playing books, supplements, and adventures; as well as Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels; decades of Dragon and Dungeon magazines; and classic advertisements and merchandise; plus 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 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. 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. Contained inside a clamshell featuring original illustrations by superstar D&D artist Hydro74, this special edition includes 10 high-quality prints of classic DUNGEONS & DRAGONS artwork, as well as a pamphlet-sized, unpublished original version of the game's most infamous adventure module and deathtrap Tomb of Horrors, written by DUNGEONS & DRAGONS co-creator Gary Gygax." -- penguinrandomhouse.com

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

cultural anthropology submitted by irenzero on July 13, 2019, 1:01pm an engrossing tome covering the history of Dungeons & Dragons, it's art, and the era is was birthed in.

Faithful to its Subject Matter submitted by krogers on June 10, 2023, 6:02pm This tome is extremely well done and a comprehensive collection of the art of D&D from its origins to the present. Along the way it tells the story of the development of this cultural (pun intended) game-changing RPG so well that you keep pulling up short and realizing, “Oh, yeah, this is a book about art history.” And the art history seems comprehensive as well, not just showcasing the art of the various contributors to D&D art over the decades, but charting the ebb and flow of their varying degrees of involvement and how each artist brought something unique to the table. Great for nostalgia value. As someone who started playing D&D a few years after it originated, this book really brings back the feel of those early days of playing and discovery.