Great interview! I grew up in the UK in the 80's and can affirm everything David is saying here. The popularity of D&D, Fighting Fantasy, Lone Wolf, WHFRP, WH40K and Heavy Metal (not to mention 'video nasties' which jumpstarted Stephen King's career) all came out of the Satanic Panic. Halcyon days, indeed. Schools promoted fantasy stories as well - I remember reading Alan Garner and Susan Cooper at what would be elementary level in the US, and I bought my Fighting Fantasy books through a school book club. If you tell people 'don't read this! don't listen to this!' they tend to want as much of 'that' as possible! The writers, artists and designers at the time saw that and delivered in spades, creating the classics we love today. In tabletop gaming, the second wave of that came with the advent of the OSR, and the third wave of it will occur in the near future, also from the OSR: because that's where all the talent and creativity in the hobby resides these days. The "industry-leading" companies would never publish anything like Yoon Suin, or Lamentations of the Flame Princess.
These interviews are quite good and you should do more.
Great interview! I grew up in the UK in the 80's and can affirm everything David is saying here. The popularity of D&D, Fighting Fantasy, Lone Wolf, WHFRP, WH40K and Heavy Metal (not to mention 'video nasties' which jumpstarted Stephen King's career) all came out of the Satanic Panic. Halcyon days, indeed. Schools promoted fantasy stories as well - I remember reading Alan Garner and Susan Cooper at what would be elementary level in the US, and I bought my Fighting Fantasy books through a school book club. If you tell people 'don't read this! don't listen to this!' they tend to want as much of 'that' as possible! The writers, artists and designers at the time saw that and delivered in spades, creating the classics we love today. In tabletop gaming, the second wave of that came with the advent of the OSR, and the third wave of it will occur in the near future, also from the OSR: because that's where all the talent and creativity in the hobby resides these days. The "industry-leading" companies would never publish anything like Yoon Suin, or Lamentations of the Flame Princess.