logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2017
23m 9s

David Kushner, “Rise of the Dungeon Mast...

Marshall Poe
About this episode

Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D and D (Nation Books, 2017) by David Kushner and illustrated by Koren Shadmi is a gorgeous depiction of the late E. Gary Gygax’s life and times. Gygax’s story and the tale of D and D’s genesis is ideally suited to the graphic novel format, and Kushner — who met and even gamed with Gygax — conveys these twin narratives well. Shadmi’s illustrations blend the mundane with the fantastical, and the striking cover art alone is sure to win Rise of the Dungeon Master a place on many comic collectors’ shelves. I happily recommend it to anyone looking for a short overview of the subject, and certainly anyone with a love of both comic books and D and D.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

Up next
Today
Peter K. Andersson, "The Dandy: A People's History of Sartorial Splendour" (Oxford UP, 2025)
A history of the dandy from below, from Beau Brummell and Baudelaire to Bowie and Bolan... and beyond. The historical figure of the dandy has commonly been described as an upper-class gentleman, often exemplified by well-known men such as Beau Brummell, Charles Baudelaire, Oscar ... Show More
43m 52s
Aug 21
Mario Livio and Jack Szostak, "Is Earth Exceptional?: The Quest for Cosmic Life" (Basic Books, 2024)
For a long time, scientists have wondered how life has emerged from inanimate chemistry, and whether Earth is the only place where it exists. Charles Darwin speculated about life on Earth beginning in a warm little pond. Some of his contemporaries believed that life existed on Ma ... Show More
55m 44s
Aug 21
Stacia Kalinoski, Racing Uphill: Confronting a Life with Epilepsy (U of Minnesota Press, 2025)
The book, Racing Uphill: Confronting a Life with Epilepsy (U of Minnesota Press, 2025), is a memoir and an educational resource, which tells the story of an Emmy Award-winning TV news Journalist, Stacia Kalinoski. The author's aim is beyond giving an account of her experience of ... Show More
31m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
Adam Kabat, "The River Imp and the Stinky Jewel and Other Tales: Monster Comics from Edo Japan" (Columbia UP, 2023)
Adam Kabat’s The River Imp and the Stinky Jewel and Other Tales: Monster Comics from Edo Japan (Columbia UP, 2023) is an in-depth introduction to the rich and ribald world of kibyōshi, a short-lived (1778-1807) subgenre of books combining text and illustration on the same page, m ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 2025
Douglas Stuart on Shuggie Bain, Storytelling, and the Human Condition (Part Two)
This event is part of Conversations at the Kiln, a new event series at Kiln Theatre programmed by Intelligence Squared. For more events with speakers from the worlds of literature, art, poetry and politics, click here. Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain a ... Show More
37m 8s
Jun 2024
A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOTAR BOOK 2) | Too Many Tabs | BOOK CLUB
An ancient curse has been cast on Alex Pearlman, a curse of 624 pages of fairy romance. And this curse was cast by the team leads at Pearlmania500.net. You are cordially invited to hear the TWO AND A HALF hour tale, of Mr. P explaining the plot of A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOTAR ... Show More
2h 36m
Oct 2024
Henry V, the Greatest Medieval King: Interview with Dan Jones
Henry V of England was the archetypal medieval king, a warrior par excellence whose example inspired English kings for centuries to come, the victor at Agincourt and conqueror of much of France. Tides of History's returning champion guest, Dan Jones, joins me to talk about his ne ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 2024
Run, Fool!: A Conversation with Rodney Barnes
I sat down with Rodney Barnes and he shared with me his wisdom from years in the TV and Film industry. Everything from how to balance comedy and horror to what it takes to get a project to a screen, big or small.Rodney Barnes is an award-winning writer, producer, and comic book c ... Show More
58m 2s
Dec 2022
A secret history of Jesse James with Daniel Duke
Guest; Daniel Duke is the great-great-grandchildren of Jesse James. He grew up surrounded by stories of lost outlaw treasures. For more than two decades he has been researching the mysteries involving his connection with family, Freemasonry, the Knights Templar, and the secrets o ... Show More
58m 3s
Jan 2025
Tales from the Road: The Abandoned Zoo Story by Jack Townsend (2/3)
More? More. Always more. 🖋️ The Author: https://www.gasstationjack.com/home 📹 Video!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZLUXtiQD5k 📖 Read Along!: https://www.gasstationjack.com/post/bones Check out my new books! A collection of Creepypasta compiled by some of my all time favori ... Show More
11m 3s
Jan 2025
Tales from the Road: The Abandoned Zoo Story by Jack Townsend (3/3)
How We Escaped. 🖋️ The Author: https://www.gasstationjack.com/home 📹 Video!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9ctJsn-O9k 📖 Read Along!: https://www.gasstationjack.com/post/how-we-escaped-the-abandoned-zoo Check out my new books! A collection of Creepypasta compiled by some of ... Show More
35m 35s
May 2
The Spire in the Woods by Tony Lunedi [Reboot] (1/3)
A reboot of an EXTREMELY DARK classic! Shoutout to the CreepCast for covering this; get Tony Lunedi's book today~ 🪵 🖋️ The Author: [redacted] 📹 Video!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqJuk1Z6kq4 📖 Read Along!: https://www.amazon.com/Spire-Woods-Tony-Lunedi/dp/1521132518 Chec ... Show More
1h 38m
Aug 2024
Tolkien: Middle Earth & the Middle Ages
For millions of Tolkien lovers around the world, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are more than just fantasy fiction. Their rich mix of sacred mythology and archetypal saga stories draw deeply into history and legend and profoundly resonate with universal human experience. Bu ... Show More
36m 26s