Our friends over at TV Shows on DVD are announcing (on this page) that we are soon to see an American DVD release of Dungeons & Dragons, a Saturday morning cartoon show that I developed back in 1983. As far as I know, this is true…although I do not know this because anyone involved with the release has called me.
One brief correction to their report: The show was on CBS, not ABC. And I hope when anyone talks about the writers involved in the show, they'll mention Dennis Marks, who created it, and Hank Saroyan, who story-edited and voice-directed and had so much to do with whatever that was any good that got on the air.
I'm pleased there will finally be a "real" release of the series because I've gotten tired of seeing bootlegs all over the place…including the set that was advertised as being "prepared to the highest, most exacting standards" but which has my name on the box as "Mike Evanier." People are always e-mailing me, asking where they can get the complete collection on video and I'm never sure what to tell them. The bootlegs violate copyright and don't pay royalties to anyone who did the show under a royalty deal…which I think includes me.
At one point, I sent an e-mail to someone who had produced a set and was brazenly selling them online. I wrote — politely, I thought — that since he was depriving me of income, perhaps he'd like to send me a couple of DVDs, gratis, especially since his ad/webpage quoted large chunks of this article I wrote without my permission. The fellow wrote back to inform me that since he didn't hire me, he had no "legal or moral obligation" and that if I continued to harass him — as I apparently did by sending one message — he would have me prosecuted as an Internet stalker. It was kind of like, "If you interfere with my right to rob you, I'm going to call the police!"
Anyway, it was a fun show and I'm looking forward to it coming out on DVD. As soon as I find out which company is issuing it, I'll post that info here. I'll also contact them and see if I can get a couple of free copies. I hope they don't try to have me arrested.
P.S. If you're thinking of writing me to ask about the rumor that there was a "last" episode produced in which the kids in the show got home, read this first. Then don't ask.