RPGs and Fiction, with Evan Dorkin

We’re back and we’re making stuff up. But so much of the stuff we make up is inspired by stuff other people made up. And sometimes, it turns out, they’re inspired by some of the stuff we made up. Where does it all end? Ah, stuff it. Main Topic: RPGs and Fiction This episode is an exploration of how the worlds of RPGs and fiction inform each other. The obvious fantasy fiction influences on D&D and the sheer number of licensed RPGs make it clear just how much games have drawn from the literary world, but there is almost as strong a flow in the other direction. We dig into some of the ways the two worlds have bled into each other, and what happens when they merge, creating hybrids like actual plays, isekai, or litRPG. Our Guest Host We are delighted to welcome Evan Dorkin to the Good Friends of Jackson Elias! Evan is a multi-award-winning comics writer and artist, known for creations like Beasts of Burden, Blackwood, Milk and Cheese, Dork, and The Eltingville Club. With his wife, Sarah Dyer, Evan has also worked on TV programmes such as Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and Yo Gabba Gabba! Along with Paul Yellovich, Evan is co-host of the excellent horror movie podcast, Tear Them Apart. And if you have any interest in the history of comics or how they are made, you should definitely check out Evan’s Patreon, where he posts regular tales from the industry alongside all manner of cool pieces of work. Links Things we mention in this episode include: * D&D * Appendix N * The Magic Sword (1962) * Appendix N Book Club * Wild Cards * Superworld * Champions * Boot Hill * Gamma World *