So as a very small child, around age five I was for the first time exposed to the classic (either classic bad or good depending on your perspective) Rankin/Bass/Bakashi films. I really don't know what order I saw them in
The Rankin/Bass Hobbit animated film was out in 1977 and the Bakashi Lord of the Rings animated film was released in 1978, and then Rankin/Bass did a Return of the King that is I guess sort of related to the first film (obviously it is all Tolkien and the same story, but the animation was different as were many of the voice actors I think) it was released in 1980. I think it was probably 1979 or 1980 when I saw them for the first time. I recall watching the Hobbit on my tiny 12 inch black and white TV in my bedroom when it aired on TV (yes I do have a vague recollection of black and white TV sets, rabbit ears and all).
While it would be several years after that before I first encountered D&D, those films left an indelible mark upon my impressionable young mind. No matter how bad they are I have strong nostalgia for them and really I am so very glad I encountered them as they made me want to read Tolkien, which believe it or not inspired me to want to read about history. Those books inspired me to want to read more books, period. I know very odd as they aren't really great children books, I'd probably have been far better off with the Chronicles of Narnia or something. But in terms of D&D and gaming, there is flat out no way I think I'd have ever really ended up wanting to play D&D. The only reason I had a chance to play in my first game was because I had read Tolkien, my friends older "cool" middle school brother allowed me to play in his game because I could BS with him about Tolkien. That lead me down the path of becoming a gamer. Otherwise I think I'd have just been a sports fan and never been a geek. Ya ya .. what curse ... but seriously I cannot imagine how different my life would have been if I would not have encountered these cheesy films.
Now as for music. I'm sure I could make up some musical connection somewhere else. But really there is no other song that did not spring to mind first in terms of a connection to D&D. I recall actually singing this song when we were captured by orcs in our first D&D game (which I'm sure our Tolkien fan, middle school, DM was just wholesale ripping off from the LoTR).
Where there is a whip there is a way ... terrible ... classic ... always has a special place in my heart!
Where there's a whip,
there's a way.
Where there's a whip,
there's a way.
Where there's a
whip...
We don't wanna go to
war today
But the Lord of the
Lash says: "nay, nay, nay!"
We're gonna march all
day, all day, all day!
Where there's a whip
there's a way!
Where there's a whip,
there's a way!
Left, right, left,
right
The crack on the back
says we're gonna fight
We're gonna march all
day and night and more
For we are the slaves
of the Dark Lord's war.
Where there's a whip,
there's a way!
We don't wanna go to
war today!
We don't wanna go to
war today
But the Lord of the
Lash says: "nay, nay, nay!"
We're gonna march all
day, all day, all day!
Where there's a whip
there's a way!
Left, right, left right!
1 comment:
Yep, that was my first "D&D" song too!
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