In 1983, kids saw the release of the Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series, which spawned a few action figures of the line. The figures were just rereleased from toy giants Hasbro and Super7. Plus, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and the popularity of modern shows like Stranger Things and Critical Role, Dungeons & Dragons has made a resurgence in recent years. In 2022, even movie studios got in on the game with the release of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. But the merch doesn’t just stop at t-shirts and action figures (though those are important too!). It has expanded to other parts of the industry as well. Game stores, miniature makers, paint, and basing (or diorama making) are also vital parts of the tabletop gaming industry. In addition, content creators like YouTubers NinJon, Miniac, and RealTerrainHobies have made their careers painting minis, building dioramas and scenery, and showing their audience the processes and best products to use. They will often sell shirts, mugs, painting mats, and other accessories to their viewers. With the accessibility of 3D printers now available to the general public, many Patreons, Kickstarters, and GoFundMes have been spurred on by those looking to make and sculpt their own minis and provide the files to the community to print and paint themselves at home for a fee. Battling the Dragon By the time the 1970s rolled around, wargames were not a new thing by any stretch of the imagination - even in the White House where the Kennedy administration would simulate possible outcomes of the Cold War. Those interested in wargames as a hobby would buy pewter cast miniatures of whichever battle they were simulating - The Revolutionary War, the War of the Roses, etc. They would spend time meticulously painting their miniatures and set them up on a mock battlefield. In the early 70s, Gary Gygax had produced and published a wargame called Chainmail, expanding on and tweaking the rules of an existing wargame. But it wasn’t until 1974 when Gary and Dave Arneson teamed up to create Dungeons & Dragons. Armed with only $2k, they managed to produce 1,000 copies of the set. The original set included three digest-sized books: Volume 1: Men & Magic, Volume 2: Monsters & Treasure, and Volume 3: The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures. This was the start of a cult classic. D&D Animated Series Figure Acererak Shirt Army Painter Paint Set D&D Original 1947 Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series: 1983-1985
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