Long ago, Marvel and DC included single page mini-comic ads from TSR for "Dungeons & Dragons".  Here's one of these ads from 1982, and here's another one.

Interestingly enough the dragon from the comic looks a bit like the dragon from this 80's TV commercial for D&D: http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/61/

Has anyone seen any other scans of these comics anyplace online?  I remember there was one with werewolves in it, and I think they were all connected to tell an ongoing story...

I dunno, but I re-read the "Expert Set" ad (with the random-destination teleportation scroll) and decided to totally pinch that gimmick for a game of my own.

God, I remember those comics.  I would buy comics that had them just for the D&D adverts.

Quality Willingham work!  

These I'd never seen before (didn't read comics much as a kid)...

Oooh!  There's Star Frontiers ads, too!

I remember another one where a purple worm comes bursting through the floor.  A female character says helpfully, "A purple worm!  It's enormous."  And the green-clad mage says, "Stand back!  Only my magic can stop it!"

And then one of the other characters accuses the mage guy of hogging the spotlight-time in the shared imaginary game space.  And another character says, "No shit.  It's like he's totally deprotagonizing me by selfishly invalidating my character choices."  I think the comic ended with everyone but the mage deciding that the whole thing was bullshit, since it didn't make sense to tell them they couldn't beat the monsters--they were much more interested in the narrative and emotional fallout from the encounters.

It was a long time ago, though, and my memory could be loose on some of the details.

My favourite D&D ad is the black and white comic with Tweed the elf, a fighter and a magic-user. They confront a shambling mound and encounter green slime - hokey but it still screams "play me". It is a good ad, even ~25 years later.

Quote from: Divine HammerIt was a long time ago, though, and my memory could be loose on some of the details.

Golden, sir.

Ah... the good ol' cleric butt-shot.

Gotta love it.

1982 is the year I was born!

Yay!

Also, those ads are awesome.

They ran different ones in the UK comic 2000AD.
If I can bear to risk my old comics (these were printed on newsprint) I'll see if I can get some scans.

Quote from: GRIMThey ran different ones in the UK comic 2000AD.

That comic is awesome! So much cool stuff packed in each issue. The Harrison/Abnett run of Durham Red was one of my favourites.