New Wizkids miniatures look a lot like Dungeons & Dragons cartoon characters, all grown up
The set of five will come packaged in the new D&D starter set Dragons of Stormwreck Isle.
Toy company WizKids is reportedly producing a set of five painted miniatures that will be included in the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons 5E starter set Dragons of Stormwreck Isle. The five models bear a striking - but apparently not canon - resemblance to the characters of a classic 1980s cartoon series based on the tabletop RPG.
As reported by ICv2, WizKidswill publish the miniatures as Icons of the Realm: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle, using the imprint for figures tied directly to sourcebooks and adventure published by D&D’s parent company Wizards of the Coast. This new line is slated for release in September of this year.
Four of the five models previewed in an image gallery share a lot of physical features and dress with the core cast of the 1980s Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, which starred a cast of young children adventuring in a bright world of high fantasy. They all represented classes in the concurrent version of D&D or ones that would soon be released in supplements - Cavalier (Paladin), Fighter, Thief, Wizard, Acrobat (Rogue) and Barbarian - and endeavoured against the Dungeon Master’s evil son, Venger.
Though it lasted only 27 episodes and ended on a cliffhanger, the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon has become something of a pop culture oddity and fun source of callbacks for fans in the know - including Wizards of the Coast, itself. Magic: The Gathering created a Secret Lair series of alternate art cards featuring scenes, items and characters from the cartoon in 2021. The Wild Beyond the Witchlight campaign book, which released the same year, contained several references to the show throughout its fey-themed adventures.
When Dragons of Stormwreck Isle was announced during a recent livestream, keen-eyed players noticed characters in the artwork that reminded them of Hank the Fighter and Diana the Acrobat. Wizards of the Coast later clarified that while the artwork and designs were inspired by the old animated show, none of those characters would make a reappearance in the upcoming starter set.
But with Wizkid’s upcoming models, enterprising groups can more easily create their own continuing adventures of the ‘80s cartoon, which has now received two unofficial endings thanks to a Brazilian auto commercial and the diligent work of fans to animate previously unreleased audio.