Issue #8 of Polyhedron (October 1982) was the first issue I ever owned. In addition to a terrific cover illustration by the late, great James Holloway, the issue also featured the conclusion of a two-part interview with Mike Carr (the first part appeared in issue #7). At the time of the interview, Carr was at Executive Vice President of TSR's Manufacturing Division. Because of this, the unnamed interviewer asks him about "the future of TSR Hobbies."
Carr's answer is interesting on a number of levels, but what I noticed was his reference to TSR's having recently acquired a craft company. Carr explains that TSR did this "to promote our philosophy and hopefully our regard for quality products." He doesn't say anything else about the craft company or what it produced, but I wonder if it was Greenfield Needlewomen, as reported in this fascinating article by Jon Peterson. This company is notorious for having released products every bit as bizarre as the Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Woodburning Set. Take a look at one of them:
TSR's acquisition of Greenfield Needlewomen is always treated as a punchline, and those designs are unquestionably lame, but TSR was a "hobby" company and crafting is a hobby, and I remember back in the 80s that D&D products were on the shelves at the local Ben Franklin store alongside the sewing kits and paints and other craft stuff just like they were in the toy and book stores, so just like it seemed to make sense for TSR in that era to be moving into toys and books, it also seems to make sense that they'd move into crafts. If the products had been better I'm not sure it would seem as strange. Something like stencil sets and sewing patterns and jewelrymaking kits in the kind of quasi-Celtic Dragonlance style would have fit in alongside the "Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home" book of Dragonlance-inspired recipes and song sheet music. It's not what the grognards wanted, but they were already being served, and by 1982-ish TSR pretty much had that market cornered, so it made sense that they were looking for additional, other markets. Had it worked I think it would've been a better strategy than oversaturating the D&D market with 100+ releases a year like they ultimately ended up doing.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting argument, Trent - i can certainly anecodtally say I've seen rpgs/wargames turn up in more generic hobby shops alongside all kinds of other odd stuff and as the brand became bigger, cross pollenisation maybe seems better than the many 2E campaign settings and adventures
ReplyDeleteBut, imagine if that money was invested in producing an Online Role Playing game, such as Everquest, Origin Online or WOW !! Or a company that promoted crafting wargame materials .
ReplyDeleteSo good to "see" you again, Rick! I hope you are well.
DeleteI am fine, James, and hope you are as well.
DeleteThis certainly makes me want to look through Mom's craft books, magazines and catalogues to see if she had anything from Greenfield Needlewomen just lying around.
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