I've just got hold of a few of the older Dungeon magazines (stuff numbered in the 50s & 60s). I noticed, as I skimmed through a few of them, quite a few "ads" about diabetes, heart disease, stuttering, etc. Were these paid ads or was Dungeon doing some public service announcements? If the latter, why stop doing them. . .I must say that I found their presence in the magazine intriguing. They seemed to add a “community-service� aspect to the game and its players—and, if your playing group was anything like mine when I was younger, the “get out and exercise� message was applicable. We spent many, many, many days of our summer vacation gathered around a table playing for 8-10 hours at a clip. The only real exercise we ever got was biking to and from each other’s houses.
Anyway, if they were just ads, even though they had no D&D content (as some folk might criticize) I say we can do without a couple of the ads for miniatures and the like. What a great place to try to raise more awareness about the treatable issues plaguing our society. If they were PSAs—bring ‘em back! What better way to shine some good light on this great hobby of ours—who knows, Dungeon might even save a few lives. Now wouldn’t that be some welcome news.
I am going from memory here, but I recollect Dungeon once published a letter to the editor asking why is it that Dungeon (and Dragon) were filled with ads for heart disease: are we an identifiable group at risk? (Ulp!)
The response was something to the effect that there was no actual intent to target gamers per say. The ads were used as space fillers because the ads themselves were catchy and clever. (But not to say that the substantive message was any less important.)
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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Every year the government sends magazine publishers a disk filled with public service announcements that they can use to fill dead space in the magazine.
We don't tend to have much dead space, so instead we fill that space with content. Rarely, we use that space to herald upcoming magazine features.
But we don't really tell people what to eat to avoid heart attacks and stuff anymore.
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
But we don't really tell people what to eat to avoid heart attacks and stuff anymore.
So I can go back to eating my deep-fried stick of butter and not get hassled by the man? Awesome!
...mmmmm...rich, creamery butter...
- Chris Shadowens