Today we’re unearthing a forgotten relic from the old-school age of fantasy magazines - a 1981 feature on Dragonslayer, pulled straight from the pages of Sword & Sorcery Comix.
Before YouTube breakdowns and Reddit posts . . . this is how we explored movies.
Grainy stills. Dramatic captions. Bold claims of “exclusive” access.
Come flip through these lost pages with me and step back into a time when dragons still felt dangerous.
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A Dragon That Didn’t Feel Like Fantasy
In 1981, Dragonslayer arrives as something different - darker, grittier, and more grounded than the fantasy films surrounding it.
And within these pages, you can feel the excitement.
This isn’t a polished retrospective . . . it’s a moment in time. A magazine capturing the wonder of a film as it hits audiences, complete with dramatic write-ups, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and awe-struck admiration for Vermithrax Pejorative, one of the most convincing dragons ever put to screen.
Flip through these spreads, and you’re not just reading about Dragonslayer . . .
. . . you’re experiencing it the way fans did in 1981.
About Dragonslayer
Released in 1981, Dragonslayer arrives from Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions as a darker, more dangerous take on fantasy.
Directed by Matthew Robbins and featuring groundbreaking effects by Phil Tippett, the film follows a young apprentice tasked with slaying Vermithrax Pejorative - one of the most fearsome dragons ever brought to life.
Even today, its blend of grit, magic, and realism gives it a legendary reputation among fantasy fans.
Watch the original movie trailer and tell me it isn’t still awesome (and terrifying):
DID YOU KNOW?
Some readers here may recognize Peter MacNicol, the heroic star of Dragonslayer, from another later role from 1989 - Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II!
Dragonslayer had some COOL Movie Posters!
(by Jeffrey (Catherine) Jones)
(by Bruno Napoli)
(by Paul Wenzel)
Personal Reflections on Watching Dragonslayer as a Kid
I still remember the first time I watched Dragonslayer - and how different it felt from everything else.
This wasn’t bright, heroic fantasy. It was darker. Heavier. Frankly, it scared the heck out of me.
It was the kind of world where magic came with a cost . . . and dragons weren’t symbols, they were threats. The kind of story where it felt like the hero was all on his own and there were real consequences to his choices.
Vermithrax didn’t feel like something out of a storybook. It felt like something that shouldn’t exist, yet somehow did.
And then there was that moment.
(SPOILER ALERT)
Walking through the dank lair, crunching on discarded dragon scales and human bones, coming upon the baby dragons feasting . . . on the remains of a sacrificed maiden . . . a scene that didn’t just shock me . . . it lingered. The kind of image that sticks in your mind long after the credits roll. (My therapist tells me I’m getting better.)
But alongside that fear was something else entirely.
Wonder.
There was true magic. And Galen’s crystal, quietly glowing with hidden power, felt like the most magical object I had ever seen. Not flashy. Not over-the-top. Just . . . ancient, mysterious, and real. The kind of thing that made you want to go outside, turn over stones, to find your very own magic crystal.
Looking back now, I think Dragonslayer didn’t just show me a fantasy world . . .
It made me believe that it could exist.
Did you catch this recent Rediscovered Realms edition that covered another badass “Warren Presents” magazine?
There’s something special about seeing a film through the lens of its own time - before nostalgia sets in, before reputations are written.
Just raw excitement . . . a dragon that must be appeased . . . and a magazine trying to capture lightning in a bottle.
Dragonslayer may not sit at the top of modern fantasy lists, but for me, it will always be one of the best fantasy movies ever made (along with Clash of the Titans which came out in the same exact month!) Re-watching it last year solidified that fact in my mind.
Until next time, Brave Hero, keep your torch lit, your gauntlets donned . . . and your eyes on the shadows where misbehaving baby dragons munching on motionless maidens need to be spanked.
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💬Tavern Talk
❓Had you ever seen Dragonslayer before - or is this your first glimpse into its world?
❓If you saw it as a child, did it terrify you as much as it did me?
❓Do you prefer your dragons more gritty and terrifying like Vermithrax . . . or more mythical and majestic?
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I saw Dragonslayer at the drive-in as a kid. Great memories.
Dragonslayer was a lived experience... thanks!