Shannon Appelcline 🌮
@shannonappelcline.bsky.social
1.5K followers 180 following 850 posts
Author of the DESIGNERS & DRAGONS series of RPG histories, including THIS IS FREE TRADER BEOWULF: A SYSTEM HISTORY OF TRAVELLER. Science-fiction, fantasy, comic, and RPG fan.
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shannonappelcline.bsky.social
Here's all of the "Connections" graphic articles I've written: two for TSR, one for Target, and one for Chaosium (in two different iterations).

www.designers-and-dragons.com/category/com...
Company Connections – Designers & Dragons
www.designers-and-dragons.com
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
One of the reasons I love this sort of thing is that they can make obvious patterns that might be less visible if you're just seeing textual listings.

(So, next up: an article talking about the patterns of these two Designers & Dragons Origins timelines.)
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
I love visual representations of history like this. My "Chaosium Connections" image is one of my best known.

(That one laid out painstakingly in Adobe Illustrator, while these new ones were somewhat more simply laid out in HTML using CSS grids.)
The Chaosium Connections v2.0 – Designers & Dragons
www.designers-and-dragons.com
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
You can also click through to the visual table of contents for Origins Volumes I & II, which coincide with TSR's production of OD&D and AD&D 1e.

timeline.designers-and-dragons.com/origins1.html
Another thumbnail of a visual timeline, this one running 1974-1981 and showing rules, accessories, supplements, adventures, and setting for OD&D and AD&D 1e.
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
I just published my visual contents for Designers & Dragons Origins Vol. III + IV, which you can see in full at:

timeline.designers-and-dragons.com/origins2.html

As it happens, this is also a timeline for the entire run of Basic Dungeons & Dragons and the AD&D 2e Mystara products that followed
A thumbnail of a timeline for Basic D&D. This spans 1977-1983 and shows rules, supplements, accessories, adventures, and setting books for each year.
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
I was lucky enough to talk with her several times about her early work in the industry.

I wrote quite a bit about her considerable impact on the industry when she passed.

www.designers-and-dragons.com/2024/01/11/g...
Giants of the Industry: Jennell Jaquays – Designers & Dragons
www.designers-and-dragons.com
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
I've always found Jennell's art for Cults of Terror and Griffin Mountain gorgeous. Evocative and stunningly colorful.
chaosium.bsky.social
Today is the birthday one of the most talented creators in TTRPGs, Jennell Jaquays, who passed away last year. Jennell was one of our company's earliest artists, and played an prominent role in Chaosium's success over many years, as an illustrator and writer.
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
Not yet. The upcoming Designers & Dragons Origins volumes go up through AD&D 1e and BD&D. Expedition would be in book 12 if my current mapping holds, but the 3e era is still pretty loose in the ordering.
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
There is certainly a ton of fun lore in that. I mention it from time to time in other histories.

My one note on the book, for a someday future history write-up, is that that's @seankreynolds.bsky.social on the cover, filling in for Gary Gygax as Mordenkainen.
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
I was thrilled to talk with Garry Snow of @diekugames.bsky.social on Friday about Designers & Dragons Origins. He even used some fancy split-screens to show some samples of the book itself.

(Thanks Garry!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8mk...
Origins of Early Dungeons & Dragons Products - OD&D, B/X, BECMI and 1E
YouTube video by Dieku Games
www.youtube.com
Reposted by Shannon Appelcline 🌮
friede.bsky.social
Putting out a call: if you were part of WOTC’s late-2010s live events (Stream of Many Eyes, D&D Live, The Descent), I would love to talk to you as part of the Actual Play book.

[email protected] will reach me, either to schedule a chat or to share your memories.

Please feel free to share.
Reposted by Shannon Appelcline 🌮
forbeck.com
I'm shocked and crushed to hear of the passing of my pal @robowieland.bsky.social this morning.
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
My wife and I have started playing the Dresden Files Card Game (DFCO) from @evilhat.bsky.social (and my friend @ericvogel.bsky.social) in prep for the next Dresden files book, finally coming out next year.

Terrific co-op that's also really evocative for what's in each book.
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
So thanks for interest from everyone, and especially from Orkus Dorkus, who let me blather for an hour and a half.
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
I'd say I need to find out somewhere else to record these but (a) I've just blasted through five without time to think [though two more are scheduled or in process], and (b) almost all of the rooms in our house have blinding sunlight, until the late afternoon.
shannonappelcline.bsky.social
But oh my office is terrible for interviews. I have a window with blinding Hawaiian sun right behind me, so I have to contort and twist to avoid that. And my chair's too high and ...