Dungeons & Dragons launched the great tradition of roleplaying games in 1974 with an unprecedented mix of adventure and strategy, dice-rolling, and storytelling. Wizards of the Coast continues to honor that tradition, bringing to market a diverse range of D&D game and entertainment experiences and influencing numerous writers, directors, and game designers by tapping into an innate human need to gather with friends and tell an exciting story together.
Kyle Newman is a writer/director whose directorial work includes
Fanboys, written by Ernest Cline;
Barely Lethal; and the music video for Taylor Swift's "Style." Kyle also produced the critically acclaimed documentary
Raiders: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made.
Michael Witwer is a
New York Times bestselling author known for his work on the Hugo-nominated
Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana, the critically acclaimed
Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons, and the bestselling
Heroes' Feast: The Official Dungeons & Dragons Cookbook. Widely considered an expert on
D&D history, Michael has spoken on the topic at a variety of venues such as Google, Pixar, Lucasfilm, top gaming conventions and book festivals, and on NPR's
All Things Considered. His books have won many honors, including being selected as a Hugo Award finalist, a national bestseller (
New York Times,
USA Today,
Wall Street Journal,
Publishers Weekly), a Diana Jones Award nominee, a Locus Award finalist, and a GeekDad "Best Book of the Year."
Jon Peterson is a widely recognized authority on the history of games. His book
Playing at the World was called "the first serious history of the development of Dungeons & Dragons" by
The Village Voice. He has contributed to many academic anthologies on games including
Zones of Control and
Role-Playing Game Studies, as well as gaming and geek culture websites.