‘The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited!’ book tour is a critical hit

The classic RPG Dungeons & Dragons is experiencing a golden age in terms of popularity. The game featuring dice, rule books, and oodles of imagination, once maligned and considered to be the pastime of nerds and dorks, has flourished into a fashionable and beloved hobby for millions of fans of adventure and good storytelling. Thanks to the accessibility of the internet, D&D can be found surging through pop culture, graphic novels, Twitch streams and podcasts. These days you can’t throw a D20 without hitting upon some sort of reference to the game.

It’s surreal to think that 30 years ago, if you had said that millions of people would flock to their screens or fill up theaters for a live show to cheer on a bunch of nerds playing D&D, you would have been called cuckoo. But here we are. Times change, and people are embracing a new form of storytelling entertainment from a huge resource of creativity that until recently remained criminally untapped and underrepresented.

Better audience reach and rising production values (think costumes, bespoke game music, and sometimes intricately crafted sets) have allowed for content-creating D&D players to tap into popularity and profit. Shows like Critical Role, Acquisitions Incorporated, Drunks and Dragons , and many many others have amassed legions of fans, all of whom are eager to scoop up merch, fund productions, cosplay as their favorite characters, and buy tickets to be audience members at live shows. Whenever someone asks what some of the best D&D shows are, The Adventure Zone will inevitably crop up, and for good reason.

In 2014, veteran comedy podcasters the McElroy brothers of My Brother, My Brother, and Me sat down with their father to play a session of D&D for a special podcast episode. The concept proved popular, and The Adventure Zone was soon launched on the Maximum Fun Network.

Youngest brother Griffin McElroy helmed the show as Dungeon Master, our best friend, and the voice behind dozens of soon-to-be-beloved NPCs. Meanwhile, eldest brother Justin crafted the character of the sassy high-elf wizard Taako, middle brother Travis transformed into the burly and rustically hospitable human fighter Magnus Burnsides, and dad Clint McElroy charmingly bumbled his way through the game with his wildly endearing (and slightly inept) dwarf cleric Merle Hightower Highchurch.

The first campaign was originally a prepackaged starter adventure from the D&D 5th edition box set that’s often used to help new players ease into the game: the Lost Mine of Phandelver. It wasn’t long until DM Griffin veered wildly off script, and by the end of the 69th episode (nice) Balance arc, the family had masterfully crafted a sprawling, hilarious, and sincere adventure tale together.

The story caught the attention of all sorts of fans, and nearing its conclusion, it wasn’t unusual to see high-profile authors, comic writers, and entertainers like Patrick Rothfuss, Chris Hastings, and Lin-Manuel Miranda excitably tweeting about the tale of Taako, Merle, and Magnus.

The story also inspired fans across the world who gleefully produced fan art, fan films, animatics, cosplay photoshoots, and more to show their love and appreciation.

One such fan artist was illustrator Carey Pietsch, whose published artwork credentials include the comics Lumberjanes and Adventure Time. Pietsch had previously worked with the McElroys to create a poster for one of their live shows, and when one thing led to another, the concept for a graphic novel adaption of the hit podcast was born.

The first graphic novel, Here There Be Gerblins, was a collaboration between the podcasters and the artist, recapping the events of the first arc wherein the trio confront a flashy and fiendish drow wizard named Magic Brian, and his giant pet spider, Spider Bryan, to attempt to reclaim a powerful magical artifact known as the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet. After its release in July 2018, Here There Be Gerblins shot up to the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling paperback trade fiction list, becoming the first graphic novel ever to claim that coveted ranking.

To celebrate the launch of their book, the McElroys divvied up the clan (they say you should never split up the party, but in this instance it worked out phenomenally) and embarked on a multi-state book tour, inviting along high-profile guests to fill in and provide voice-work for scene-readings from the novel in front of live audiences.

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It’s a bit surreal to think an improv RPG podcast led to a graphic novel adaption and then a live reading of the improv story, but it clearly worked, and audiences sold out theaters across the country to see the new twist on their beloved adventure.

Last week on July 16, 2019, the second graphic novel in the series was released, and the McElroys once again hit the road to promote it. The newest book covers the corresponding second arc of the series, a murder-mystery-on-a-train adventure called Murder on the Rockport Limited!

Pietsch and the family split up and over a whirlwind course of four days visited various cities including New York, Portland, Austin and Los Angeles before reuniting for an all-hands-on-deck show in San Diego on July 19, just in time for Comic-Con.

I’m a big fan of TAZ, but I’ve never been to a live show before, so I snagged a ticket and drove to Austin to see their book tour stop in Griffin McElroy’s home turf at the Paramount Theater. The line to get in snaked down the front of the building, with fans chatting animatedly about TAZ and snapping photos of cosplayers. There were lots of Taakos, Merles, and Magnuses, but fan-favorite Angus McDonald, Boy Detective, had several of his own fans representing.

Show Attendees Marianne B. and Lianna G. Cosplay as Taako and Merle. Photo courtesy of Marianne B.

The bar inside was even serving up TAZ-related drinks named after the main trio. I had the drink named after Merle, which was Sprite and vodka — simple, yet tasty.

The interior of the Paramount was older but seemed to be lovingly maintained, a real gem nestled in downtown Austin. The seating space boasts room for 1,270 viewers, and the place seemed to be very nearly full to capacity.

Despite the crowd, the theater was just snug enough that the show felt like a cozy and private affair, even nestled up in the mezzanine. I found it wonderfully odd to find myself watching grown people read comic books based off a podcast D&D game inside an enchanting and historical building. There was also a sort of sense of pride for this geeky, hilarious, and endearing family and the fact that silly projects could lead to such opulent trappings and acclaim.

The event consisted of a Q&A for the first half, as the two McElroy brothers in attendance — Griffin and Justin — fielded pre-selected questions from the moderator and Rooster Teeth head writer Miles Luna.

Many of the questions had to do with the logistics of adapting the story, along with some fan-pandering softballs like, “Who is your favorite NPC introduced in The Rockport Limited, and why is it Angus McDonald?”

The ticket price for the show also covered a copy of the new graphic novel, handed out to attendees upon entering the venue, and a specially printed bookmark, designed to look like fantasy train ticket. Photo: Amanda G.

After a brief intermission, the brothers and Luna returned to the stage, and a handful of other guests from Rooster Teeth — Eddy Rivas, Kerry Shawcross and Yssa Badiola — joined in for a live reading of select passages from the book. They provided character voices and gnarly sound effects while the pages were projected on to a screen above them.

All in all it was a very fun evening, although I imagine the McElroys had an even better time this past weekend at SDCC after they reunited and hung out with their fourth brother Lin-Manuel Miranda, artist Carey Pietsch, Malik Forté (Nerdist), Matt Mercer (Critical Role) and Marisha Ray (also Critical Role) for a star-studded ultimate read-through.

The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited! is a strong follow-up to its best-selling predecessor and is now available for purchase everywhere. The story is fun, the artwork continues to be fantastic, and it’s a great read for fans of goofy adult fantasy, whether you’re a veteran D&D player or you just love irreverent jokes about Garfield, stealing from small children, or Tom Bodett.

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