I was mentioned in an article about Wild-Con, which I attended last weekend. Go check it out!
By the way, this comic was specifically inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. In my opinion, this tabletop role playing game is by far the most influential piece of media when it comes to modern fantasy.
Some might argue that Lord of the Rings is more influential, and it certainly played a part in inspiring Gary Gygax and the other developers of D&D, but if you look at most fantasy today they have very little in common with LotR.
Conan the Barbarian is another candidate for most influential, although I believe that it is often overlooked, specifically because it is not that widely read. However, the format of early D&D very closely resembles that of Conan: far more so than it does LotR.
That said, in terms of popularizing the fantasy genre, I think Dungeons and Dragons clears its own influences. The key term is “popular.” The plug-and-play aspects of the game make it easy to use as a template, and the interactive aspects make it engaging and accessible. Even within the epic fantasy subgenre, which almost always emulates (and fails to match) Lord of the Rings, you will find tabletop gameplay elements represented.
With the rise of LitRPG and isekai, the ubiquity of tabletop RPG type fantasy is at an all-time high. The allure of “number go up” may be irresistible to creators and consumers alike. Which is fine, for what it is. I’m not sure I could write something that requires that much math, though.
Want more comics about the fantasy genre?
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