Editing Shadis

{{Short description|Defunct American independent gaming magazine}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title           = Shadis
| image_file      = Shadis issue 48.jpg
| image_caption   = Issue 48 (June 1998) cover
| publisher       = [[Alderac Entertainment Group]]
| founder         = [[Jolly Blackburn]]
| country         = USA
| founded         = {{start date and age|1990}}
| finaldate       = {{end date and age|1998|11}}
| finalnumber     = 53
}}
'''''Shadis''''' is an independent [[Game|gaming]] [[magazine]] that was published in 1990–1998 by [[Alderac Entertainment Group]] (AEG). It initially focused on [[role-playing game]]s.

==Publication history==
Shadis was conceived and started by [[Jolly Blackburn]]<ref name="Dragon #253"/> as an independent gaming [[fanzine]] in 1990. In 1993, Blackburn formed AEG to publish Shadis as a quality small-press magazine, and brought on [[John Zinser (game designer)|John Zinser]] and David Seay as partners. Printing of the first three issues was paid for by Frank Van Hoose, a friend of Jolly's, who also wrote for the magazine. A year later, in late 1994, the magazine received its biggest success by including a random ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' card in each issue at a time when booster packs of the new card game were scarce; many players bought multiple copies of each issue hoping to find a rare or out-of-print card. Many readers were also drawn to a small comic strip, ''[[Knights of the Dinner Table]]'',<ref name="Dragon #253"/> which was initially a [[Filler (media)|filler]], intended to fill a blank spot in the magazine, but later took on a life of its own.<ref name=wizworld/>

In 1995, Blackburn left AEG because he felt that Zinser and Seay were too focused on the new [[collectible card game]] (CCG) industry while he wanted to keep the company fun and small and focus on ''Knights of the Dinner Table''.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|263}} Blackburn departed with the rights to ''Knights of the Dinner Table'' and a few other properties.<ref name=go/> In a 2000 interview on the ''Gaming Outpost'' website, Zinser explained that he had wanted the in-debt company to grow at a faster pace than Blackburn was comfortable with, hence Blackburn's departure.<ref name=go/>

In 1998, ''Shadis'' went "on hiatus" and publication ceased.<ref name=panzeri2006/>

In drawing lessons from this magazine's demise, [[Wolfgang Baur]], the editor-in-chief of ''[[Kobold Quarterly]]'', thought it was a mistake for ''Shadis'' to rely too heavily on content that was not focused on fantasy in general and ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' in particular.<ref name=wired/>

==Contents==
Each issue contained a variety of articles covering many different aspects of [[role-playing game system]]s and [[genre]]s. The series included game reviews, adventures, fiction, maps, gaming advice, and cartoons.<ref name=stsa1/> In addition to ''Knights of the Dinner Table'', comic strips ''[[Fineous Fingers]]'' and ''Bright Future'' also proved to be very popular.<ref name=dragon208 />

==Reception==
In the August 1994 edition of ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' (Issue 208), [[Lester W. Smith|Lester Smith]] wrote a favourable review, saying "A truly independent publication, it covers a wide range of topics in the gaming hobby, and always entertains."<ref name=dragon208>{{cite journal|last=Smith|first=Lester|authorlink=Lester W. Smith| date=August 1994 |title=Roleplaying Reviews|journal=[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]|publisher=[[TSR (company)|TSR, Inc.]]|issue=208|pages=95–96}}</ref>

In a retrospective review of ''Shadis'' #15 in ''[[Black Gate (magazine)|Black Gate]]'', John O'Neill said "it is no longer being published, and the industry is poorer for it. It was an incredible magazine, with the joy and wonder of role playing spilling off of every page. I'm glad we had it for as long as we did, and back issues are still available at various online outlets, including eBay."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.blackgate.com/2013/08/24/vintage-treasures-jolly-r-blackburns-shadis-15/ | title=Vintage Treasures: Jolly R. Blackburn's Shadis #15 – Black Gate | date=24 August 2013 }}</ref>

==Reviews==
*''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #212 (December 1994) p94

==Awards==
During its five-year existence, ''Shadis'' was the winner of the 1994, 1995, and 1996 [[Origins Award]]s for ''Best Professional Gaming Magazine''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1994/list-of-winners |title=Origins Award Winners (1994) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317000554/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1994/list-of-winners |archivedate=2008-03-17 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1995/list-of-winners |title=Origins Award Winners (1995) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102044110/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1995/list-of-winners |archivedate=2008-01-02 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1996/list-of-winners |title=Origins Award Winners (1996) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221022725/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1996/list-of-winners |archivedate=2007-12-21 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Dragon #253">{{cite journal | last=Varney | first=Allen | authorlink=Allen Varney | title=ProFiles: Jolly Blackburn | journal=[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]] | issue=253 | page=120| publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]] | location=[[Renton, Washington]] |date=November 1998}}</ref>

<ref name=stsa1>{{cite journal | title=The other games magazines, part two | journal=Substitute Teacher Survival Activities | volume=1 | editor1-first=Thomas J. | editor1-last=Rundquist | publisher=Nova Media Inc | year=2000 | isbn=188423951X | page=59 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u0SQKH7d1hYC&pg=PA59 }}</ref>

<ref name=panzeri2006>{{cite web | last=Panzeri Jr. | first=Peter F. | date=2006-07-01 | url=http://www.talsorian.com/OA-Hall-of-Fame-2006.pdf | title=32nd Hall of Fame Inductees Announced | publisher=Talsorian | accessdate=2008-12-04 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212060824/http://www.talsorian.com/OA-Hall-of-Fame-2006.pdf | archivedate=2012-02-12 }}</ref>

<ref name=wizworld>{{cite web | title=Jolly Blackburn | work=Chicago Comic Con | publisher=Wizard World | url=http://www.wizardworld.com/jollyblackburn.html | accessdate=2012-08-08 }}</ref>

<ref name=wired>{{cite magazine | first1=John | last1=Baichtal | title=Enter the Kobold | magazine=Geek Dad | publisher=Wired | url=https://www.wired.com/geekdad/2008/01/enter-the-kobol/ | accessdate=2012-08-08 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616073131/https://www.wired.com/geekdad/2008/01/enter-the-kobol/ | archive-date=2009-06-16 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=go>{{cite web | title=Interview: John Zinser | year=2000 | work=Gaming Outpost | url=http://gamingoutpost.com/article/interview_john_zinser/ | accessdate=2012-08-08 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825041655/http://gamingoutpost.com/article/interview_john_zinser/ | archivedate=2011-08-25 }}</ref>

}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061005035027/http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showmagtitle&magtitleid=17 Index of issues] at the Pen & Paper RPG publishing database
* {{cite web | last1=Martin | first1=Scott | title=Shadis Magazine | url=http://www.gnomestew.com/reviews/shadis-magazine | work=Gnome Stew | date=20 November 2008 | accessdate=2012-08-08 }}

[[Category:Defunct magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1990]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 1998]]
[[Category:Origins Award winners]]
[[Category:Role-playing game magazines]]