Sages' Guild

Forget Batman and Superman. Forget Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. In fact, forget anybody in a costume at all, because the characters of Knights of the Dinner Table can usually be found in T-shirts and jeans. Oh, and they’re not exactly heroesnot in real-life, anyway. Instead, they’re a special group devoted torole-playing games.The comic started as a strip in the Shadis gaming magazine in 1990, then moved to Dragon (an official D&D magazine) in 1996. The official comic book started that year as well, and is currently up to issue 166. Much of the humor and characterization will be familiar to Dungeons & Dragons players, although the main game in the comic is called HackMaster (an obvious pastiche). Unlike most representations, the gamers in the series are not stereotypical caricatures, but well-defined people who also represent different styles of playing (whether it’s “hack ‘n slash” or “powergaming”). The “antagonists” of the series are the Black Hands Gaming Society, a group of players who focus on killing off their traveling companions during adventures.In addition to character details, there are plenty of other references and Easter eggs for serious gamers to pick up. Indeed, gamers are the main audience of the book, since much of the humor would be unintelligible to outsiders (and since creator Jolly R. Blackburn’s art leaves a bit to be desired). However, its fans take it very seriously, and live readings at gaming conventions are hotly-anticipated annual events.