Dungeons & Dragons in popular culture
Encyclopedia
Dungeons & Dragons
(D&D) is a fantasy role-playing game
that was first published in 1974. As the popularity of the game grew throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, it became more frequently referenced in popular culture. The complement of games, films and cultural references based on D&D or D&D-like fantasies, characters, and adventures has been ubiquitous since the end of the 1970s.
D&D, and role-playing games in general, have exerted a deep and persistent impact on the development of all types of video games, from "first person shooters to real time strategy games and massively multiplayer online games", which in turn play a significant and ongoing role in modern popular culture
. In high-tech culture, the term "dungeon" has since come to mean a virtual location where people could meet and collaborate. Hence, multi-user dungeons emerged as a social virtual reality. By creating a means for players to assemble and explore an imagined world, the D&D rules provided a transition from fantasy literary settings, such as those of author J. R. R. Tolkien
, to fully virtual world
s.
Among the public figure
s who have played D&D are comedian Stephen Colbert
, musician Moby
, and actors Vin Diesel
, Matthew Lillard
, Mike Myers
, Patton Oswalt
, Wil Wheaton
, and Robin Williams
.
campaign setting, released in 1984. There proved to be a lucrative market for these works, and by the 2000s a significant portion of all fantasy paperbacks were being published by Wizards of the Coast
, the American game company that acquired TSR in 1997.
Some works have been inspired by the impact of the game upon players and the role of the game in culture:
Several characters created for playing Dungeons & Dragons, or games derived from D&D, have later spawned popular fantasy series. Other novels make off-hand references to the game:
s are based entirely upon the game or make reference to the game in specific panels.
(2000) and Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (2005).
, in which a group of teenagers visiting a Dungeons and Dragons-themed theme park dark ride
get magically transported into the fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons. The show included the voice talents of Willie Aames
of Eight is Enough
, and ran from 1983 to 1985.
Innumerable television episodes feature references to Dungeons & Dragons, either as an element of character development or as a humorous or satirical reference. These include:
s have stated that they play, or have played, Dungeons & Dragons, indicating the game's broad appeal to a diverse range of talented individuals.
Stephen Colbert developed an intense interest in the game during his youth, which he later credits for his talent at character creation. Ethan Gilsdorf credits the game for bestowing upon him "gifts of creativity and self-actualization". Actor Vin Diesel, in his introduction to the book Thirty Years of Adventure, wrote that he was "attracted to the artistic outlet the game provided". The game was "a training ground for our imagination, and an opportunity to explore our own identities". Vin Diesel, Mike Myers, and Robin Williams participated in the 2006 Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day, demonstrating that game is still a lively and active hobby.
Director Chris Weitz pointed out that there "are a lot of people who played and are horribly embarrassed about it and won't admit it, because it's part of their lives they put behind". He developed a fervent interest in the game, even greater than in making movies, and says the experience "had such an influence on his life". Director Jon Favreau was drawn into the game by the fantasy elements and the sense of story, saying "it gave me a really strong background in imagination, storytelling, understanding how to create tone and a sense of balance".
Political reporter John J. Miller says that D&D was a big part of his life during his school years, and argues that, "there's a lot to admire about D&D and what it can do for kids by encouraging them to read, do math, and think creatively". Fantasy author China Miéville says that playing Dungeons & Dragons as a youth was one of the most enduring influences on his writing. The two things that particularly influenced him were "the mania for cataloguing the fantastic" and "the weird fetish for systematization", with the latter meaning in the sense that everything is reduced to "game stats". By contrast, author Mark Barrowcliffe now considers his years playing Dungeons & Dragons to be a wasted youth and all of the players to be nerds. He has tried to put the experience behind him.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
(D&D) is a fantasy role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
that was first published in 1974. As the popularity of the game grew throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, it became more frequently referenced in popular culture. The complement of games, films and cultural references based on D&D or D&D-like fantasies, characters, and adventures has been ubiquitous since the end of the 1970s.
D&D, and role-playing games in general, have exerted a deep and persistent impact on the development of all types of video games, from "first person shooters to real time strategy games and massively multiplayer online games", which in turn play a significant and ongoing role in modern popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. In high-tech culture, the term "dungeon" has since come to mean a virtual location where people could meet and collaborate. Hence, multi-user dungeons emerged as a social virtual reality. By creating a means for players to assemble and explore an imagined world, the D&D rules provided a transition from fantasy literary settings, such as those of author J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
, to fully virtual world
Virtual world
A virtual world is an online community that takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects. The term has become largely synonymous with interactive 3D virtual environments, where the users take the form of...
s.
Among the public figure
Public figure
Public figure is a legal term applied in the context of defamation actions as well as invasion of privacy. A public figure cannot base a lawsuit on incorrect harmful statements unless there is proof that the writer or publisher acted with actual malice...
s who have played D&D are comedian Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
, musician Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, and actors Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
, Matthew Lillard
Matthew Lillard
Matthew Lyn Lillard is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his roles as Stu Macher in Scream, Stevo in SLC Punk , and Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo film series and the Animated reboot series.-Early life:Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Tustin, California...
, Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
, Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
, Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton
Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gordie Lachance in the film Stand by Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers...
, and Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
.
Books
The success of the Dungeons & Dragons game has sparked an extensive series of authorized novels, initially published by TSR, Inc. The first of these were based upon the DragonlanceDragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
campaign setting, released in 1984. There proved to be a lucrative market for these works, and by the 2000s a significant portion of all fantasy paperbacks were being published by Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, the American game company that acquired TSR in 1997.
Some works have been inspired by the impact of the game upon players and the role of the game in culture:
- Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms, by journalist and gamer Ethan GilsdorfEthan GilsdorfEthan Gilsdorf is an American writer, poet, editor, critic, teacher and journalist. He was born in Dover, New Hampshire, and raised in the nearby town of Lee. He has lived in Northampton and Amherst, Massachusetts; Brattleboro, Vermont; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Paris, France; and currently lives in...
; a travel memoir about D&D, role-playing games, and other fantasy and gaming subcultures. - The Elfish Gene: Dungeons, Dragons and Growing Up Strange, by novelist Mark BarrowcliffeMark BarrowcliffeMark Barrowcliffe is a British writer. He grew up in Coventry and studied at the University of Sussex. Barrowcliffe then worked as a journalist, and also as a stand-up comedian before he started writing his first novel, Girlfriend 44....
; a memoir of playing D&D and other role playing games in the 1970s. - Author Shelly Mazzanoble wrote a humorous self-help guide called Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Dungeons & Dragons: One Woman's Quest to Trade Self-help for Elf-help. This followed her guide book, Confessions of a Part-time Sorceress: A Girl's Guide to the Dungeons & Dragons Game.
- American Nerd: The Story of My People is Time magazine writer Benjamin NugentBenjamin NugentBenjamin Nugent is an American writer, best known for the book American Nerd: The Story of My People.-Biography:Nugent grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts. He was the original keyboardist for The Cloud Room, an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York...
's study of the history and culture of people labeled nerds. It includes insights into why people play and enjoy D&D.
Several characters created for playing Dungeons & Dragons, or games derived from D&D, have later spawned popular fantasy series. Other novels make off-hand references to the game:
- In City of BonesCity of Bones (Mortal Instruments)City of Bones is the first book in The Mortal Instruments series, a young adult urban fantasy series set in New York written by Cassandra Clare. It was originally published in the US in hardcover on March 27, 2007, and was released in the UK on July 2, 2007. It was also released in paperback in the...
, a novel by Cassandra ClareCassandra ClareCassandra Clare is an American author who has written the bestselling young adult saga The Mortal Instruments.- Personal life :Cassandra Clare was born to American parents in Tehran. As a child Clare traveled frequently, spending time in Switzerland, England, and France...
in her The Mortal Instruments series, the character Simon Lewis makes reference to Dungeons & Dragons.
Comics
Several commercial comic stripComic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
s are based entirely upon the game or make reference to the game in specific panels.
- Knights of the Dinner TableKnights of the Dinner TableKnights of the Dinner Table is a comic book/strip created by Jolly R. Blackburn and published by Kenzer & Company. It primarily focuses on a group of role playing gamers and their actions at the gaming table, which often result in unfortunate, but humorous consequences in the game...
is a multiple award-winning comic-sized magazine featuring comic strips with a variety of characters who play "HackMaster," a parody of Dungeons & Dragons. (HackMasterHackMasterHackMaster is a role-playing game produced by Kenzer & Company, being a revised expansion of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. It started out as a fictional game, a parody of the most ludicrous aspects of D&D played by the characters of the Knights of the Dinner Table comic strip by Jolly R. Blackburn...
would later go on to become an actual role-playing game.) Early strips appeared in the official D&D magazine DragonDragonA dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
. - Questionable ContentQuestionable ContentQuestionable Content is a slice-of-life webcomic written and drawn by Jeph Jacques. It was launched on August 1, 2003. Jacques currently makes his living exclusively from QC merchandising and advertising, making him one of the few professional webcomic artists...
, webcomic; appearing in Comic #963, "Raven Levels Up", and others - Schlock MercenarySchlock MercenarySchlock Mercenary is a comedic webcomic written and drawn by Howard Tayler. It follows the tribulations of a star-travelling mercenary company in a satiric, mildly dystopian 31st-century space opera setting...
, webcomic; Referenced in the comic of 11 November 2007 - The Order of the Stick is an award-winning satirical webcomic that features a cast of characters in a world that loosely operates by the rules of Dungeons & Dragons.
- D&D co-creator Gary GygaxGary GygaxErnest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
was commemorated in webcomics series xkcdXkcdxkcd is a webcomic created by Randall Munroe. The comic's tagline describes it as "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language." It has been recognized in such mainstream media as The Guardian and The New York Times....
s comic #393, "Ultimate Game".
Film
Several films include instances of characters playing the game of Dungeons & Dragons. There have also been two feature films released that were based upon the game: Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons (film)
Dungeons & Dragons is a 2000 American fantasy film directed by Courtney Solomon and ostensibly based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
(2000) and Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (2005).
- In scene 2 of Steven SpielbergSteven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, the character Elliott, his older brother, and his friends were shown playing Dungeons & Dragons. Prior to the production of the movie, Spielberg ran a D&D session with the young cast members. - The Futurama film Bender's Game includes D&D as a crucial plot device, in which the main characters end up in a fantasy realm much like the game. The film was already in production upon Gygax's death and debuted later that year, so it was dedicated in his honor. The film included parodies of Dungeons & Dragons-influenced movies.
- The short film Fear of GirlsFear of GirlsFear of Girls is a series of short mockumentaries created by Dangerously Adorable Productions and written and directed by Ryan Wood. They detail the lives of two heavy Dungeons & Dragons players and LARPers, Doug Douglason and Raymond Ractburger...
is a spoof of two heavy D&D gamers. The filmmakers used viral marketing to attract attention to the movie. - The films The GamersThe Gamers (film)The Gamers is a 2002 very-low-budget cult film written and directed by Matt Vancil and produced by independent movie company Dead Gentlemen Productions. It is an affectionate spoof of role-playing games, and often shown at gaming conventions...
and The Gamers: Dorkness RisingThe Gamers: Dorkness RisingThe Gamers: Dorkness Rising is a feature length film produced by Dead Gentlemen Productions, and focuses on a group of table-top gamers as they attempt to beat their adventure. While the film is set in the same universe as and has a similar theme to its predecessor, The Gamers, it is not a direct...
by the Dead Gentlemen are parodies of D&D.
Television
The CBS network ran a Saturday morning cartoon series called Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons (TV series)
Dungeons & Dragons is an American fantasy animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, the show originally ran from 1985 through 1987 for three seasons on CBS for a total of twenty seven episodes.The show focused on a...
, in which a group of teenagers visiting a Dungeons and Dragons-themed theme park dark ride
Dark ride
A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects....
get magically transported into the fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons. The show included the voice talents of Willie Aames
Willie Aames
Willie Aames is an American actor, film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter. He played Tommy Bradford on the 1970s’ Eight Is Enough and Buddy Lembeck on the 1980s’ Charles in Charge.-Early life:...
of Eight is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name...
, and ran from 1983 to 1985.
Innumerable television episodes feature references to Dungeons & Dragons, either as an element of character development or as a humorous or satirical reference. These include:
- CommunityCommunity (TV series)Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
- the second season episode titled Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D) centers around the study group, sans Pierce, playing a game of AD&D to cheer up their near-suicidal classmate, "Fat Neil". Pierce's exculsion leads him to barge into the game, and torment everyone. - FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
- in the episode "Anthology of Interest IAnthology of Interest I"Anthology of Interest I" is episode sixteen in season two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on May 21, 2000. This episode, as well as the later "Anthology of Interest II", serves to showcase three "imaginary" stories, in a manner similar to the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes of...
", Gary GygaxGary GygaxErnest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
guest-starred. Other scattered references to the game appeared throughout the episode. - Code MonkeysCode MonkeysCode Monkeys is an American animated television program created by Adam de la Peña. Set in the early 1980s, it follows the adventures of fictional video game company GameaVision....
- in the episode "Todd loses his Mind", Todd, a zealous D&D player, goes temporarily insane after his fantasy game is canceled and (in a parody of D&D controversyDungeons & Dragons controversiesDungeons & Dragons controversies concern the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons , which has received significant attention in the media and in popular culture. The game has received some negative coverage, especially during the game's early years in the early 1980s...
such as Mazes and MonstersMazes and MonstersMazes and Monsters is a 1982 made-for-TV movie directed by Steven Hilliard Stern about a group of college students and their interest in a fictitious role-playing game of the same name. The movie starred a 26-year-old Tom Hanks in his first major leading film role.- Background :The film was...
) he adopts the identity of his D&D character, kidnaps actress Molly RingwaldMolly RingwaldMolly Kathleen Ringwald is an American actress, singer and dancer. Having appeared in the John Hughes movies Sixteen Candles , The Breakfast Club , and Pretty in Pink , Ringwald has been frequently named the greatest teen star of all time...
, harasses Gygax (voiced again by himself), and tries to destroy the game developer he works at. - Freaks and GeeksFreaks and GeeksFreaks and Geeks is an American teen comedy-drama television series, created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, that aired on NBC during the 1999–2000 television season...
- the final episode of the series, titled Discos and Dragons, has Daniel (James FrancoJames FrancoJames Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author, painter, performance artist and instructor at New York University. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s...
) being forced to join the Audio/Visual Club and the geeks invite him to a game of Dungeons & Dragons. He ends up enjoying it. - The Sarah Silverman ProgramThe Sarah Silverman ProgramThe Sarah Silverman Program is an American television series that starred comedian and actress Sarah Silverman, who created the series with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab...
- in the second season episode Bored of the Rings, a planned date night is disrupted by a Dungeons & Dragons game. - In the Radio Daze episode of That 70's Show, Donna is asked if she and Eric would like to stay to play Dungeons & Dragons at the radio station she works at. At the end of the episode, two staff members are shown playing a session, with a cameo appearance by Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
who is also shown playing. - The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
- Homer tells how he bonded with some new geek friends by playing D&D "for three hours... then I was slain by an elf." - Corner GasCorner GasCorner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....
- in the episode "Happy Campers", Brent is seen playing a game of D&D with a group of teenage boys in the city.
Music
The cultural influence of Dungeons & Dragons upon successful musical artists can be inferred by the references to the game in their recorded lyrics.- The WeezerWeezerWeezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
song "In The Garage" starts with the lines, "I've got the Dungeon Master's Guide. I've got a 12-sided die." This is on the Weezer (1994 album), also known as the Blue Album. - The lyrics of "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
's satirical song "White & NerdyWhite & Nerdy"White & Nerdy" is the second single from "Weird Al" Yankovic's album Straight Outta Lynwood, which was released on September 26, 2006. It parodies the song "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone...
" includes the line, "Got skills, I'm a Champion of D&D". - Flashlight BrownFlashlight BrownFlashlight Brown is a Canadian punk rock band, originally from Guelph, Ontario, who formed in 1996.-Biography:Fil, Mike, Matt and Tim formed a band, then simply called "Flashlight", out of boredom and frustration and quickly moved from the small college town of Guelph to the much larger Toronto,...
's song "Ready to Roll" is a veiled reference to a group playing D&D. - Seminal stoner rockStoner rockStoner rock or stoner metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock, traditional heavy metal and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production...
band KyussKyussKyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
was formed in 1989 under the name "Sons of Kyuss", in reference to the deity KyussKyuss (Greyhawk)In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Kyuss is a demigod concerned with the creation and mastery of the Undead...
. - The lyrics of Team Unicorn'sTeam UnicornTeam Unicorn is a multi-media production team formed in Los Angeles, California in 2010. Its members are American actresses and singers Michele Boyd , Clare Grant , Milynn Sarley, and Rileah Vanderbilt . The group released their debut parody song "G33k & G4m3r Girls" a.k.a. the "Geek and Gamer...
satirical song "Geek and Gamer Girls SongGeek and Gamer Girls SongCreated by the musical ensemble, Team Unicorn, "G33k & G4m3r Girls" a.k.a. the "Geek and Gamer Girls Song", is a music video filled with cultural references...
" includes a brief reference to D&D, sandwiched between a mention of Frank Herbert'sFrank HerbertFranklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
DuneDuneIn physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
series and a mention of the character Rand al’ThorRand al'ThorRand al'Thor, also known as the Dragon Reborn, is the fictional main character and protagonist of The Wheel of Time, a series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan.Rand al'Thor has many other titles within the series:...
, the main protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Robert Jordan'sRobert JordanRobert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. , under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.-Biography:Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina...
Wheel of TimeThe Wheel of TimeThe Wheel of Time is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, the length was increased by increments; at the time of Rigney's death, he expected it to be 12, but it will actually...
series. - Owen PallettOwen PallettMichael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist from Toronto, Ontario. He won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds....
's album He Poos CloudsHe Poos CloudsHe Poos Clouds is the second album by Canadian indie rock artist Final Fantasy, released June 13, 2006 on Blocks Recording Club in Canada and Tomlab internationally....
is roughly based on the concept of the eight schools of magic from Dungeons & Dragons. - Stephen LynchStephen Lynch (musician)Stephen Andrew Lynch , is an American stand-up comedian, musician and Tony Award-nominated actor who is known for his songs mocking daily life and popular culture. Lynch has released two studio albums and two live albums along with a live DVD...
has a comedic song titled "D&D" on his album Superhero.
Players
The following public figurePublic figure
Public figure is a legal term applied in the context of defamation actions as well as invasion of privacy. A public figure cannot base a lawsuit on incorrect harmful statements unless there is proof that the writer or publisher acted with actual malice...
s have stated that they play, or have played, Dungeons & Dragons, indicating the game's broad appeal to a diverse range of talented individuals.
- Bill AmendBill AmendWilliam J. C. "Bill" Amend III is an American cartoonist, best known for his comic strip FoxTrot.-Early life:Amend attended high school in Burlingame, California where he was a cartoonist on his school newspaper. Amend is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. He attended Amherst College,...
, cartoonist - Kevin J. AndersonKevin J. AndersonKevin J. Anderson is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels...
, author - Noah Antwiler, internet comedian
- Lee ArenbergLee ArenbergLee Arenberg is an American actor, best known for his role as Pintel, one of Captain Barbossa's crew of miscreants, in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.-Career:...
, actor - Mark BarrowcliffeMark BarrowcliffeMark Barrowcliffe is a British writer. He grew up in Coventry and studied at the University of Sussex. Barrowcliffe then worked as a journalist, and also as a stand-up comedian before he started writing his first novel, Girlfriend 44....
, author - Stephen ColbertStephen ColbertStephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
, Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning comedian - Rivers CuomoRivers CuomoRivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
, musician - Vin DieselVin DieselVin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
, actor - Lexa DoigLexa DoigAlexandra L. "Lexa" Doig is a Canadian actress. She portrayed the role of Rommie in the science fiction TV series Andromeda, and had a recurring character on Stargate SG-1.-Career:...
, actor - Tim DuncanTim DuncanTimothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
, two time NBA MVPNBA Most Valuable Player AwardThe National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
winning professional basketball player - Jon FavreauJon FavreauJonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
, actor, screenwriter and director - James FrancoJames FrancoJames Edward Franco is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author, painter, performance artist and instructor at New York University. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s...
, actor - Ethan GilsdorfEthan GilsdorfEthan Gilsdorf is an American writer, poet, editor, critic, teacher and journalist. He was born in Dover, New Hampshire, and raised in the nearby town of Lee. He has lived in Northampton and Amherst, Massachusetts; Brattleboro, Vermont; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Paris, France; and currently lives in...
, poet, teacher and journalist - Michael GoveMichael GoveMichael Andrew Gove, MP is a British politician, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Education and as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency. He is also a published author and former journalist.Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen...
, conservative politician, journalist and author - Matt GroeningMatt GroeningMatthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, Emmy Award winning cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer - Sasha GreySasha GreySasha Grey is an American former pornographic actress, who has since turned to mainstream acting, modeling and music....
, AVN Award winning porn star - Chris HardwickChris HardwickChristopher Ryan "Chris" Hardwick is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, musician, podcaster, television personality, and voice artist...
, actor, writer and comedian - Tim HarfordTim HarfordTim Harford is an English economist and journalist, residing in London. He is the author of four economics books, presenter of BBC television series Trust Me, I'm an Economist, and writer of a humorous weekly column called "Dear Economist" for The Financial Times, in which he uses economic theory...
, economist and journalist - Brent HartingerBrent HartingerBrent Hartinger is an American author and playwright, best known for his novels about gay teenagers.-Early life:Hartinger was born in Washington State. His family moved to Fircrest, Washington when he was an infant. He attended a Catholic grade school and middle school, and a Catholic high...
, author and playwright - Dan HarmonDan HarmonDan Harmon is a writer and performer. He is the creator and an executive producer for the NBC television comedy series Community, and, along with Rob Schrab, a founder of the alternative television network/website Channel 101....
, writer, performer and producer - Paul S. KempPaul S. KempPaul S. Kemp is a fantasy author most known for his Forgotten Realms novels. Some examples of his work include Resurrection, the final installation of War of the Spider Queen series...
, author - Matthew LillardMatthew LillardMatthew Lyn Lillard is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his roles as Stu Macher in Scream, Stevo in SLC Punk , and Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo film series and the Animated reboot series.-Early life:Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Tustin, California...
, actor - David Lindsay-AbaireDavid Lindsay-AbaireDavid Lindsay-Abaire is an American playwright and lyricist. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007 for his play Rabbit Hole, which also earned several Tony Award nominations.-Early life and education:...
, Pulitzer prize winning playwright and lyricist - Michelle MalkinMichelle MalkinMichelle Malkin is an American conservative blogger, political commentator, and author. Her weekly syndicated column appears in a number of newspapers and websites. She is a Fox News Channel contributor and has been a guest on MSNBC, C-SPAN, and national radio programs...
, conservative columnist - Marilyn MansonMarilyn MansonMarilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
, musician - Robert MacNaughtonRobert MacNaughtonRobert MacNaughton is an American actor, best known for his role as Elliott's brother Michael in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, for which he won a 1983 Young Artist Award as Best Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture...
, actor - China MiévilleChina MiévilleChina Tom Miéville is an award-winning English fantasy fiction writer. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" , and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party...
, author - John J. MillerJohn J. MillerJohn J. Miller is the national political reporter for National Review and contributor to its Web component, National Review Online...
, political reporter - MobyMobyRichard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, musician - Mike MyersMike Myers (actor)Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
, actor - Patton OswaltPatton OswaltPatton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
, actor and comedian - Brian PosehnBrian PosehnBrian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...
, actor and comedian - John C. ReillyJohn C. ReillyJohn Christopher Reilly, Jr. is an American film and theater actor, singer, and comedian. Debuting in Casualties of War in 1989, he is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than fifty films, including three separate films in 2002...
, theater actor, singer, and comedian - Zak SmithZak SmithZak Smith, also known as Zak Sabbath, is an American artist and alternative porn star. He was born in Syracuse, New York in 1976, and grew up in Washington, D.C. After receiving a BFA from Cooper Union in 1998, he studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and went on to receive an...
, artist and alternative porn star - Rider StrongRider StrongRider King Strong is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Shawn Hunter on the 1990s sitcom Boy Meets World.-Early life:...
, actor - Karl UrbanKarl UrbanKarl-Heinz Urban is a New Zealand actor.He is known for playing Éomer in the second and third installments of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the 2009 film Star Trek and Julius Caesar on Xena: Warrior Princess...
, actor - Mark TremontiMark TremontiMark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
, musician - Varg VikernesVarg VikernesVarg Vikernes is a Norwegian black metal musician, writer, philosopher, religious and political activist, arsonist and convicted murderer.Vikernes was born near Bergen, Norway. In 1991, he founded the one-man music project Burzum, which quickly became popular within the early Norwegian black metal...
, musician - Reggie WattsReggie WattsReggie Watts is a Seattle-based comedian and musician. His shows are mostly improvised and consist of stream of consciousness stand-up in various shifting personae, mixed with loop pedal-based a cappella compositions. He also performs regularly on television, radio, and in live theater...
, comedian, musician - Gerard WayGerard WayGerard Arthur Way is an American musician and comic book writer who has served as lead vocalist and co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance since its formation in 2001...
, musician - Chris WeitzChris WeitzChristopher John "Chris" Weitz is an American producer, writer, director and actor. He is best known for his work with his brother, Paul Weitz, on the comedy films American Pie and About a Boy, as well as directing the film adaptation of the novel The Golden Compass and the film adaptation of New...
, producer, writer, director and actor - Wil WheatonWil WheatonRichard William "Wil" Wheaton III is an American actor and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gordie Lachance in the film Stand by Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers...
, actor - Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, Grammy and Emmy award winning actor and comedian - Daniel H. WilsonDaniel H. WilsonDaniel H. Wilson is a New York Times best selling author, television host and robotics engineer. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon. His most recent novel, published on June 7, 2011, is Robopocalypse....
, author, television host, and robotics engineer - Rainn WilsonRainn WilsonRainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
, actor
Stephen Colbert developed an intense interest in the game during his youth, which he later credits for his talent at character creation. Ethan Gilsdorf credits the game for bestowing upon him "gifts of creativity and self-actualization". Actor Vin Diesel, in his introduction to the book Thirty Years of Adventure, wrote that he was "attracted to the artistic outlet the game provided". The game was "a training ground for our imagination, and an opportunity to explore our own identities". Vin Diesel, Mike Myers, and Robin Williams participated in the 2006 Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day, demonstrating that game is still a lively and active hobby.
Director Chris Weitz pointed out that there "are a lot of people who played and are horribly embarrassed about it and won't admit it, because it's part of their lives they put behind". He developed a fervent interest in the game, even greater than in making movies, and says the experience "had such an influence on his life". Director Jon Favreau was drawn into the game by the fantasy elements and the sense of story, saying "it gave me a really strong background in imagination, storytelling, understanding how to create tone and a sense of balance".
Political reporter John J. Miller says that D&D was a big part of his life during his school years, and argues that, "there's a lot to admire about D&D and what it can do for kids by encouraging them to read, do math, and think creatively". Fantasy author China Miéville says that playing Dungeons & Dragons as a youth was one of the most enduring influences on his writing. The two things that particularly influenced him were "the mania for cataloguing the fantastic" and "the weird fetish for systematization", with the latter meaning in the sense that everything is reduced to "game stats". By contrast, author Mark Barrowcliffe now considers his years playing Dungeons & Dragons to be a wasted youth and all of the players to be nerds. He has tried to put the experience behind him.