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I picked this up a couple of weeks ago and just got to sit down with it tonight.
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sample page...
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I've read a lot of prose histories of the rpg field over the years. I've even read a Gary Gygax bio OGN, but I wasn't sure what to expect with this. I had read parts of some of Van Lente's other Comic Book History of... projects before, so I guess I should try to modify that previous statement-I may have had some idea what to expect but I tried to keep myself from having any expectations; I wanted to go in without a preconceived notion of what I should find there.
It is a very informative, well researched book done in Ven Lente's particular tongue in cheek humorous style. It is much more an introductory survey of the topic rather than a deep dive into the subject matter. It hits a lot of tentpole topics and weaves its way through them giving a good introductory narrative for the field, but if you really want to dive deep, there are better resources out there, but this will point you towards many of those in its appendix and help you figure out what you might be interested in it. Despite that, it had some stuff in their I had either never known (the Secret Service raiding Steve Jackson Games in 1990) or had forgotten about (the murder-suicide by the head of Gleemax the digital arm of WotC's 4E initiative) and the journey through the OGN was entertaining and amusing all the way through. Van Lente's & Fowler's sense of humor (lots of the jokes were visual and lots of visual in-jokes and/or Easter Eggs in there that I am not sure which of them originated or decided to include) infuses a certain charm in this OGN that makes it a joy to read and keeps what can become a dry academic topic for some from ever seeming dull.
If you are well steeped in the topic, you might find parts frustratingly sparse, and if you hold the view that rpg=D&D and nothing else you will be disappointed because lots of other rpgs get time in the spotlight as well, but this is a solid, fun introduction to RPG history.
-M
X48ho5U.jpg YBRhTDp.jpg
sample page...
yN5enhs.jpg
I've read a lot of prose histories of the rpg field over the years. I've even read a Gary Gygax bio OGN, but I wasn't sure what to expect with this. I had read parts of some of Van Lente's other Comic Book History of... projects before, so I guess I should try to modify that previous statement-I may have had some idea what to expect but I tried to keep myself from having any expectations; I wanted to go in without a preconceived notion of what I should find there.
It is a very informative, well researched book done in Ven Lente's particular tongue in cheek humorous style. It is much more an introductory survey of the topic rather than a deep dive into the subject matter. It hits a lot of tentpole topics and weaves its way through them giving a good introductory narrative for the field, but if you really want to dive deep, there are better resources out there, but this will point you towards many of those in its appendix and help you figure out what you might be interested in it. Despite that, it had some stuff in their I had either never known (the Secret Service raiding Steve Jackson Games in 1990) or had forgotten about (the murder-suicide by the head of Gleemax the digital arm of WotC's 4E initiative) and the journey through the OGN was entertaining and amusing all the way through. Van Lente's & Fowler's sense of humor (lots of the jokes were visual and lots of visual in-jokes and/or Easter Eggs in there that I am not sure which of them originated or decided to include) infuses a certain charm in this OGN that makes it a joy to read and keeps what can become a dry academic topic for some from ever seeming dull.
If you are well steeped in the topic, you might find parts frustratingly sparse, and if you hold the view that rpg=D&D and nothing else you will be disappointed because lots of other rpgs get time in the spotlight as well, but this is a solid, fun introduction to RPG history.
-M
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