Friday, January 10, 2014

The White Dwarf Falls


After 37 years, White Dwarf appears on the stands for the final time this January. Still technically a rumour, but enough sources have confirmed it that it's pretty much a certainty. This one blindsided me, I can tell you. I've been reading White Dwarf since issue 95, so it's been a monthly staple of my gaming world for 27 years. It's like a pair of comfy slippers or your favourite mug. How White Dwarf has slipped in content over the years is old news to anyone reading this. But back in the day it was agog with great articles, scenarios, rules and other gamery info.

Even the odd freebie. I still have the outhouse from one magazine that gave away a free card stock building. Observe.

I declare this terrain piece re-named the White Dwarf memorial outhouse.
I don't hate White Dwarf now though. There's still a lot of very pretty pictures, and the odd interesting article or battle report, but admittedly it's not got a lot of meat on it's bones if I'm totally frank. That said, I'm a little choked up at the thought of it vanishing.

The Dwarf that started it all. The 3rd edition release issue. To say I was instantly hooked would be something of an understatment.
So, what will be filling the void left by the dwarf? Games Workshop are due to make some manner of announcement tomorrow, but according to those in the know we'll get a new monthly magazine called Warhammer Visions which will weigh in at a hefty 190 pages of predominantly hobby content, all for the princely sum on €9, and will be available much as White Dwarf was, in newsagents etc. That does sound good, but well, we'll see. The name Warhammer Visions conjures the image of airbrushed fantasy art rock album covers for me. It's not got the pathos of White Dwarf, that's for damn sure.

The second publication will be White Dwarf Weekly (probably), featuring new releases and what else I'm not sure. This will be €3.20. I'm kind of stumped as to what this magazine will be like, and weekly? In any case, it will be available only from independent retailers and GW stores. White Dwarf weekly kicks off February 1st.

So, farewell oh White-Bearded one, you've given me a lot of joy down through the years. Safe journey to the halls of the ancestors. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to wallow in a pile of really old White Dwarf magazines.

Sniff. Excusemeivegotsomethinginmyeye.

6 comments:

  1. Your first issue just happens to be the one that's most difficult to get hold of nowadays, all because of that blasted flexidisc. You can't even get scans of it, not that I would encourage or have any knowledge of such heinous behaviour.

    I haven't read an issue of White Dwarf in over fifteen years but even so this news has saddened me. I'd sort of assumed that even though the contents were of no interest to me, the magazine would go on forever.

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  2. I haven't read one in years, and have no plans to read any of their future magazine publications. They just have become a bunch of advertising pages, not hobby pages. I don't need that when you have as good or better hobbyists on the internet that show off their miniature work. And often times have better how to and hobby articles.

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  3. The news seems to be true - reports are popping up all over the internet.

    I am looking forward to seeing what GW do with Son of White Dwarf and is the revamp will have any effect on my own buying habits.

    Tony
    http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/rip-white-dwarf-magazine.html

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  4. I feel your pain, having gotten WD when it still covered RPGs and non-GW games. Dragon Magazine got killed off by Hasbro and turned into a horrid PDF thing just as Paizo were bringing it into a golden age.
    They shall be missed!

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  5. Wow, Mr Saturday, you made my day. I haven't seen the #95 cover for so long yet it was instantly recognizable as soon as I saw it. It was my first WD as well and I bought Ruglud's Armoured Orcs of which I still have, unpainted. My brother is sure that Flexi disc is still floating around somewhere too, because he said he put it in one of his books and forgot about it. I ended up buying the 1st and 2nd albumns by Sabbat but I have yet to find new remastered versions of them. The copy I have is so tinny in sound, no bass at all.
    I started painting miniatures because of this magazine and became quite good at it. I'm currently painting a new range of miniatures for Eureka Miniatures for the great and renowned Michael Moorcock, based on the Hawkmoon books.
    Thanks for the memories.

    Rod Mante.

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    Replies
    1. No problem Rod, glad to stir up the nostalgia. The new range you're working on for Mr Moorcock sounds very intriguing! I'm a wee bit of a fan.

      I also picked up Ruglud's armoured orcs, and I also have yet to paint them. It's very sobering to have had miniatures on your to-do list for longer than some of your opponents have been alive.

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