We've come a long way from the 80's when folks thought that Dungeons & Dragons was a satanic cult focused on witchcraft and murder.
The game was designed by some nerds in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin as a way for their friend group to bond over imaginary quests. It's crazy to think about the journey for the concept, the brand, and the mind-shift of cool.
When I was younger Magic, comics, and D&D were for the "nerdy kids." Those on the fringes of society. People without a place in the hierarchy of high school. My friends and I would gather practically every night to battle Balduvian Horde and Shivan Dragon against the mighty Gaea's Liege and his army of elf friends...while others our age were playing sports and having underage parties.
Oh, the memories...
But something weird happened. Spiderman, X-Men, The Avengers, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things. Superheroes became cool. Elves, dragons and wizards became mainstream. And what was once considered an underground satanic movement was purchased by Hasbro and commercialized into a game that now attracts celebrities and athletes.
In 2023 the new Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie comes out. Here's the trailer that just dropped at San Diego Comic Con:
I feel like we need to band together, rent out a theater, and see this as a community. I'm grateful for the shift over time from avoidance to tolerance to acceptance to appreciation. It feels good to be a nerd.
Onward!