Pyramid Review
The Art of Dragon Magazine
Published by Paizo Publishing, LLC
Compiled & edited by Erik Mona
Art direction by Sean Glenn
160-page full-color hardcover; $34.95
Everyone has a favorite memory about gaming, and for many that means a particularly striking piece of illustration in a manual or, for you Dungeons & Dragons fans out there, the flagship magazine. It's worth a thousand words and all that. Since the venerable old roleplaying game has turned 30, a number of items have been produced as part of the celebration, and for the graphically inclined there's The Art of Dragon Magazine. Editor Erik Mona and his team went through several years of back issues to uncover the best. That's a relative term, of course, but it sure seems like they've scored some of the most iconic imagery.
There are five sections, each focusing on a different element of what makes this the game it is. Just as in the core rules, character comes first. "Adventurers" is all about your in-game alter ego and how cool he looks when portrayed by some of the most talented names in the business. "Magic" adds the most special of effects, and "Monsters" populates the pages with vicious foes. Sadly, that second part zeroes in on a lot of humanoids, particularly the undead or foes in armor identified only by their glowing eyes. There are some dinosaurs and beholders and the like, but too few real critters to claim anyone struck a good balance. The "Worlds" chapter . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: May 4, 2007
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