OOTS Dragon comics?

[LordSintax]

anybody out there know if Messr. Burlew will be making the full run of the DRAGON OOTS comics available ever? i havent subscribed to dragon in years, so I missed them all.

[Weiser_Cain]

Isn't dragon gone?

[Raging_Pacifist]

Isn't dragon gone?

Yeah, for like 2 years. So no.

[LordSintax]

well, bugger.

[Raging_Pacifist]

Meh. I think you can still special order issues.

[Ancalagon]

Afaik The Giant said he'd find a solution for that - somehow, sometime. Obviously... this has not yet happend.

[Zeb The Troll]

4/19/2007

In the world of big news in gaming, Wizards of the Coast and Paizo announced that Dragon and Dungeon magazines will no longer be published. (You can read the full story here or here.) Wizards has apparently decided to shift its content delivery to an online model (for which I can hardly fault them, since that's pretty much what we do here, though not with any regularity). Obviously, this affects almost everyone who plays D&D; even if you weren't a regular Dragon reader, chances are you've had one in your hands at one point in your gaming career. I got my start in the hobby by picking up a copy of Dragon when I was like 11; I chose it for the cover art, and only found out it was about a game of some sort when I got home. I had less connection to Dungeon, since I was never much for prepublished adventures when I was younger, but still, both magazines had a long, rich tradition in the D&D community, from their TSR days through their sale to Wizards of the Coast and finally to their licensing to Paizo Publishing. As an institution of the D&D culture, they will be missed.

Now, I got this news only about an hour before anyone else did, but as far as I have been told, Order of the Stick will continue to run in all the remaining issues of Dragon. Right now, it's too early for any plans on when or how I might make the 22 OOTS strips I created for Dragon available. I was originally going to wait until I had about 60-70 Dragon OOTS before collecting them, but obviously that just ain't gonna happen now. But don't worry, obsessive completists, I'll find a way to get them into your hands somehow.So, no firm answer other than "Yes, it will happen".

[bluish_wolf]

I don't see why he just doesn't post them online. I mean, there are only twenty-two.

[Zeb The Troll]

I don't see why he just doesn't post them online. I mean, there are only twenty-two.I'd wager it's at least partially due to the fact that he's stated that he's not sure the Dragon strips are in the same continuity as the regular comic and so doesn't want to confuse people by posting them side by side. Just a guess though.

[FujinAkari]

I don't see why he just doesn't post them online. I mean, there are only twenty-two.

I'd wager its because those comics are the property of Hasbro Incorporated, and Rich wuuld rather not get sued.

[bluish_wolf]

I'd wager its because those comics are the property of Hasbro Incorporated, and Rich wuuld rather not get sued.

You would think it would be easy enough to get permission first. It's not like Hasbro is planning on selling them.

[TroyXavier]

How would they be property of Hasbro? If any, it'd be Paizo as they were the ones publishing the magazine while Rich was doing them. I expect he has full rights to them anyways.

[bluish_wolf]

How would they be property of Hasbro? If any, it'd be Paizo as they were the ones publishing the magazine while Rich was doing them. I expect he has full rights to them anyways.

Dragon Magazine is owned by TSR, which is owned by a bunch of other companies ultimately ending with Hasbro.

[Santiago]

I miss Dragon Magazine. :smallfrown:

[FujinAkari]

You would think it would be easy enough to get permission first. It's not like Hasbro is planning on selling them.

You would think so, but the fact they aren't available suggests otherwise :)

[Runolfr]

You would think so, but the fact they aren't available suggests otherwise :)

Rich may still own them, but if he licensed the publication rights to Paizo/TSR/WOTC/Hasbro, then he can't republish them himself until the license expires.

[Raging_Pacifist]

Maybe Rich just wants to get more comics together for a whole new book.

[Souju]

if he was planning on collecting them in a book in the first place while he was producing them for Dragon, I HIGHLY doubt there are any licensing issues keeping him from making them available.
I mean, he's the original creator anyway, not like he owns a company that contracts the artist that hired a writer that found a bunch of stig figure comics related to DnD written by some sixth grade recluse :). If that were the case (which it isn't, because that's a virtual cornucopia of license and copyright laws) he probably wouldn't post the vast majority for free on the internet :)

[FujinAkari]

if he was planning on collecting them in a book in the first place while he was producing them for Dragon, I HIGHLY doubt there are any licensing issues keeping him from making them available.
I mean, he's the original creator anyway, not like he owns a company that contracts the artist that hired a writer that found a bunch of stig figure comics related to DnD written by some sixth grade recluse :). If that were the case (which it isn't, because that's a virtual cornucopia of license and copyright laws) he probably wouldn't post the vast majority for free on the internet :)

I would be VERY surprised if Giant had exclusive rights to the comics he published for Dragon. Keep in mind that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman had to buy the rights to publish D20 content for Dragonlance once Wizards of the Coast officially stopped supporting it, despite the fact they are the original authors.

[Souju]

I would be VERY surprised if Giant had exclusive rights to the comics he published for Dragon. Keep in mind that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman had to buy the rights to publish D20 content for Dragonlance once Wizards of the Coast officially stopped supporting it, despite the fact they are the original authors.

yeah but we're comparing a comic in a magazine to a plethora of novels and novellas in a world setting owned by TSR/WotC

[Teristen]

Well, it probably all depends on how the contract was set up, in which case none of us knows. However, it is probably similar to how, if as a student at a university or an employee at a company you come up with something fantastic, that entity gets to claim ownership, as it was in their name, with their materials, through their publishing, etc.

[SteveMB]

Presumably, the contract is set up so that Rich has the right to republish the strips some time after their magazine appearance -- if Dragon hadn't folded, there would eventually have been enough material for a separate book of those strips.

As it stands, the only real information we have is Rich's statement that he intends to publish the Dragon strips at some time in some format. That implies that any rights issues that would prevent Rich from republishing the strips are temporary. When he has an actual plan underway for how and when to do it, presumably he'll say something about it.

[Raging_Pacifist]

Maybe, Rich just abandoned them.

[Kish]

Extremely unlikely.

[Raging_Pacifist]

Yeah, your probably right.

[EloquentRune]

I would buy it immediately I lost my favorite comic from the dragon mag. It is a mistranslation involving puffins Rich did an amazing job on it

[Raging_Pacifist]

He does generally do a very good job.

[factotum]

I mean, he's the original creator anyway

That means a lot less than you might think. If the original contract he had with Dragon Magazine specified that they got worldwide publishing rights to the work, then Rich can't republish them in any form without their express permission, whether that's online or in a book. I also personally think it's far more likely that he'd bundle them in to a printed OotS book rather than just put them up on the web anyway; much less chance for confusing the readers that way.

[katyland]

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[Holammer]

Damn shame those strips aren't available for everyone to read. Whatever the reason they'd make a nice addition to the next book when it comes.

Fave Belkar quote from the Dragon strips:
"Hot naked Drow chicks everywhere, then I bring out the oil and they start grappling each other."

[Raging_Pacifist]

That was a good line.

[Souju]

Damn shame those strips aren't available for everyone to read. Whatever the reason they'd make a nice addition to the next book when it comes.

Fave Belkar quote from the Dragon strips:
"Hot naked Drow chicks everywhere, then I bring out the oil and they start grappling each other."
you can never have too many drow chicks

[Firestar27]

You'd think that Burlew has the rights and if he didn't, it would be eas to get permission. But I doubt WotC is going to use that campaign setting that Burlew designed for them, and he is still not allowed to even speak about it.

[Kurald Galain]

I'd wager it's at least partially due to the fact that he's stated that he's not sure the Dragon strips are in the same continuity as the regular comic

Well, I suppose that technically they're not, but all of those take place in a dungeon, so would effectively fit without problems in the Dorukan arc. Well, except for the Shrouded Overlord comic, and the last two.

My favorite quote was the one with the vampiric half-dragon half-troll lycanthropic fiendish snail :smallbiggrin:

[Souju]

Well, I suppose that technically they're not, but all of those take place in a dungeon, so would effectively fit without problems in the Dorukan arc. Well, except for the Shrouded Overlord comic, and the last two.

My favorite quote was the one with the vampiric half-dragon half-troll lycanthropic fiendish snail :smallbiggrin:

the one where Belkar mention he has the Craft(Gourmet Chef) skill is canon LOL :)
not that continuity should mean much in a parody comic

[Terbovus]

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I guess this means that (a) Rich still holds the copyright a (b) that he intends to do something about it. I'm sure he could fit most of them into the dungeon of Dorukan section, but that would mean printing a special edition of Dungeon crawling fools that would replace the existing one - imagine all the threads on which is the 'proper' version. :smalleek: better I think to incorporate them into a future story arc - there's plenty of time for a few side-quest dungeon crawls yet. :smallsmile:

[Icewalker]

I guess this means that (a) Rich still holds the copyright a (b) that he intends to do something about it. I'm sure he could fit most of them into the dungeon of Dorukan section, but that would mean printing a special edition of Dungeon crawling fools that would replace the existing one - imagine all the threads on which is the 'proper' version. :smalleek: better I think to incorporate them into a future story arc - there's plenty of time for a few side-quest dungeon crawls yet. :smallsmile:

I'm pretty sure neither of those are going to happen. It will most likely be a separate book, online section, or some such. I haven't read any of them and I understand that many of them couldn't be worked into the story without stretching the bounds of story-telling, which is usually bad, especially when not necessary.

[Firestar27]

I guess this means that (a) Rich still holds the copyright a (b) that he intends to do something about it. I'm sure he could fit most of them into the dungeon of Dorukan section, but that would mean printing a special edition of Dungeon crawling fools that would replace the existing one - imagine all the threads on which is the 'proper' version. :smalleek: better I think to incorporate them into a future story arc - there's plenty of time for a few side-quest dungeon crawls yet. :smallsmile:

You know, it's also against the rules (and illegal) to post copyrighted stuff that Rich doesn't own. All that message meant was that someone holds the copyright.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

I've only read a few of the Dragon Magazine OOTS, but any concern that the Dragon strips might have any bearing on the current story, or any previous story. Each strip (except the final two) are essentially stand alone jokes.

Near the bottom of this page (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/GuestStrips.html) are a couple of "filler" strips that have appeared in one of the books, I think DCF, but I'm not sure.

So, somehow Rich will get those strips to us as he promised, but how and when depends entirely on the Giant. Just be patient. :smallwink:

[osyluth]

Now that OotS has actually made some money with On the Origin of PCs, Start of Darkness, The Dungeon of Dorukan, and No Cure for the Paladin Blues, and since plenty of you people (including me) obviously want to read those 22 comics, Paizo may try to keep them just so that people will buy Dragon issues to get at those comics. I'm not sure if this would actually be legal what with OotS being Rich's intellectual property and all, but no one else seems to clear on that either, so this might be viable.