Imagine Magazine: Issue #30

And so we come to the final regular issue of Imagine magazine, issue #30, which appeared in September 1985 (there is also a Pelinore-focused special edition dated October 1985, which I do not own). The issue is another special one, dedicated to the subject of Vikings, with a cover by Richard Clifton-Dey. There is a brief editorial by Keith Thorrson, commending the issue's contents but no indication that the periodical would be ending, which suggests the decision to kill Imagine was a surprise to its staff. Back in the USA at the time, TSR was in a state of chaos, with the power struggle between Gary Gygax, the Blume Brothers, and, later, Lorraine Williams in high gear. This struggle had financial implications too, with layoffs and the shedding of assets to deal with debts. It's quite likely that Imagine was collateral damage of all of this, but I can't say that for certain.

"Viking!" by Graeme Davis is a lengthy (6-page) article providing aid to referees and players on how to integrate various aspects of Norse society, culture, and myth into D&D and AD&D. It's a fine article but necessarily more of an outline than a detailed plan of how to bring these RPGs more in accord with the world of the Vikings. David Hill's "Rune Magic" is similar, though much shorter and narrower in its scope. "None for mortal men doomed to die …" by Carole Morris is an overview of the Volsüng saga, with some very brief notes on how it provides inspiration for Norse-themed RPG campaigns. 

Venetia Lee and Reif Dormann offer "Icelanders," which briefly describes the history and legends of medieval Iceland. It's fine as far as it goes but, like most of the content in this issue, is very light on game material and much more heavily focused on "real world" information – not bad by any means but less than I'd have hoped in a roleplaying games magazine. "Ragnarok!" – lots of exclamation points in this issue! – is a Battlesystem scenario based on the mythical Norse battle between the Aesir and the Giants. I have no idea how well it would play but the concept is an excellent one. "The Norse Planes of Gladsheim" by Rod Stevenson provides details on the home of the Norse gods, according to the cosmology of AD&D. Again, it's fine, given its limited scope, but it doesn't compare to the Roger E. Moore's treatment of the same subject in the pages of Dragon. 

This month's Pelinore piece is actually a collection of three entries, the Asylum, the Deathcart, and the Waxworks (the first two by Brian Garrod and the other by Linda Moore), each of which includes NPC descriptions and ideas for scenarios involving them. The tone and content of these entries reminds me quite a bit of early Warhammer Fantasy Role Play and points toward many of the things I tend to associate with 1980s British fantasy: black humor and general grottiness. Carl Sargent's "Dispel Confusion Special" continues what was begun last issue by tackling cleric and druid spells. Reviews cover a large selection of TSR products for AD&D, D&D, Marvel Super Heroes, and Indiana Jones, along with products for Twilight: 2000, MERP, and TOON. Neil Gaiman's "Fantasy Media" looks at the movies Legend and A View to a Kill (both of which he disliked) and Ttrancers (which he enjoyed), in addition to The Wishsong of Shannara, which he calls "a must for those who like fantasy trilogies with silly names." "Fanscene" continues with more letters and opinion pieces about the state of the hobby, while Roger Musson's "Stirge Corner" the oddities of AD&D's hit point and armor class systems – still contentious topics today.

As I expected, I find myself feeling slightly saddened by conclusion of Imagine's run. The final issue, like so many of its predecessors, is a mixed bag that points toward the potential the periodical had even as it also highlights its flaws. I've been attempting to reach out to some of the principals involved in Imagine, with the hope that I might be able to arrange interviews with them to talk about their memories and experiences of those day. So far I've met only limited success but I'll keep trying, because I'd love to know more about those days. The mid-80s were a fascinating time of transition in the hobby on both sides of the Atlantic and I'd love to learn more about it from people directly involved in it. Until then, I'll be moving on to a new magazine next week, Chaosium's Different Worlds, which ran for forty-seven issues between 1979 and 1987.