Dragon (magazine)
June 1976 marked the debut of The Dragon, a monthly magazine published by TSR to replace its earlier publication called The Strategic Review. Gary Gygax, a co-founder of TSR, hired Tim Kask as the first editor for this new periodical. Gygax later reflected on that decision, stating he never imagined the magazine would achieve such great success or enjoy such a long lifespan. The initial issues covered role-playing games while also touching upon wargaming topics since the industry was still emerging at that time. Only seven issues of The Strategic Review existed before TSR canceled it in 1975. Two magazines replaced it: Little Wars and The Dragon. Little Wars ceased independent publication after twelve issues and merged into issue 22 of The Dragon.
Wizards of the Coast purchased TSR and its intellectual properties including Dragon Magazine in 1997. Production moved from Wisconsin to Washington state following the acquisition. Hasbro Inc. bought Wizards of the Coast in 1999. Paizo Publishing acquired rights to publish both Dragon and Dungeon under license from Wizards of the Coast starting September 2002. This partnership lasted until the 18th of April 2007 when Wizards announced they would not renew Paizo's licenses. The final print editions appeared in September 2007 with issue number 359. Wizards then relaunched Dragon as an online magazine continuing the numbering system from the print run. The last published online issue reached number 430 in December 2013.
A digital publication called Dragon+ launched on the 30th of April 2015 to succeed existing versions of Dragon and Dungeon magazines. Dialect created this new fully digital bi-monthly publication in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast. Its numbering system restarted at No. 1 rather than continuing from previous issues. Dragon+ ran for 41 issues total before the last one appeared in April 2022. Wizards of the Coast canceled the publication in July 2022 and removed it from app stores around November 15th that same year. Articles included game strategies, lore details, interviews, ongoing comic series, and community updates accessible through social media feeds. The content showcased what was new in Dungeons & Dragons while discussing upcoming products from creators and developers.
Timothy J. Kask edited the first 34 print issues while Jake Jaquet handled issues 35 through 48. Kim Mohan served as Editor-in-Chief for issues 49 through 114 and again from 199 to 217. Roger E. Moore took over editing duties for issues 115 through 198. Wolfgang Baur edited issues 218 through 221 before Pierce B. Watters became Editor-in-Chief for issues 222 through 238. Dave Gross led the magazine from issue 230 through 287 with Jesse Decker following until issue 311. Chris Thomasson edited issues 312 through 315 and Matthew Sernett covered 316 through 326. Erik Mona finished the print run at issue 359. Online versions saw Chris Youngs edit issues 360 through 387 followed by Steve Winter until issue 430. Matt Chapman and John Houlihan alternated editing Dragon+ from its inception in 2015.
Dave Nalle reviewed issue 15 of Abyss in 1980 calling The Dragon a good magazine despite problems like juvenile targeting and advertising abundance. The publication won an Origins Award for Best Professional Roleplaying Magazine in 1984 and again in 1986. It received a Special Award for Outstanding Achievement in 1987. Additional wins came in 1990, 1994, and 1995 including induction into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame. An ENnie Award Gold Winner recognition appeared in 2006 for Dragon Compendium Vol. 1. The magazine earned another Origins Award for Best Non-Fiction Publication of the Year in 2006. A collection called Dragon Magazine Archive released as CD-ROM in 1999 included all first 250 issues plus seven Strategic Review copies. Pyramid magazine reviewed it favorably noting its worth but criticizing Windows-only limitations.
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Common questions
When did The Dragon magazine first debut and who was its first editor?
The Dragon magazine debuted in June 1976 with Tim Kask serving as the first editor. Gary Gygax hired Tim Kask to edit this new periodical published by TSR.
What happened to The Dragon magazine after Wizards of the Coast purchased TSR in 1997?
Wizards of the Coast purchased TSR and its intellectual properties including Dragon Magazine in 1997. Production moved from Wisconsin to Washington state following the acquisition while Hasbro Inc. bought Wizards of the Coast in 1999.
Who edited the final print issue number 359 of The Dragon magazine?
Erik Mona finished the print run at issue 359 which appeared in September 2007. This marked the end of the physical publication before Wizards relaunched it as an online magazine.
When did Dragon+ launch and how many issues were published before cancellation?
A digital publication called Dragon+ launched on the 30th of April 2015 to succeed existing versions of Dragon and Dungeon magazines. Dragon+ ran for 41 issues total before the last one appeared in April 2022 and was canceled in July 2022.
Which awards did The Dragon magazine win between 1984 and 1995?
The publication won an Origins Award for Best Professional Roleplaying Magazine in 1984 and again in 1986. It received a Special Award for Outstanding Achievement in 1987 with additional wins coming in 1990, 1994, and 1995 including induction into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame.