Homage: 2013
Here's the finished version of the cartoon homage from Episode 45.
In 2013 there weren’t a lot of books being published for D&D. The 4th edition of the game was being shelved, but the 5th edition was still in development. However, Dragon Magazine and Dungeon Magazine were still being published monthly, if only in a digital format.
I was working for Wizards of the Coast on a contract basis during that period, and one of my assignments was to be the producer for the online magazines. A lot of excellent work—writing and artwork—was produced in support of those ezines, and it’s a real shame that most of the fanbase was unaware of it, even at the time. A decade later, this material is all but forgotten, which is even more of a shame.
“Owlbear Run” was the featured article for Dungeon Magazine #213, and provided the inspiration for that issue’s cover. It was a fun adventure about a race between two mountain towns. Written by Christopher Perkins and Steve Townshend, it drew inspiration equally from classic Westerns, movies like The Gumball Rally, and MMO quests, not to mention the long history of “assignment” based RPGA tournaments. And Jason Juta’s cover painting absolutely captured the high adventure mixed with high whimsy.
As a subscriber to this newsletter, you’re seeing this art before it is released for general consumption. You also have the option to buy an art print of this or any of the cartoon homages (and if you’re a paid subscriber, you get a discount on those purchases).
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