Spellslinger Magazine

Spellslinger Magazine was a monthly entertainment, business, and news magazine for adventurers, first published in 1851 and lasting well into the 21st Century. The magazine was designed specifically for adventurers and adventure enthusiasts, and featured a wide range of pieces relating to the profession. Articles on current events, popular culture, and politics were common features, as well as interviews and guest writings from famous adventurers, educational articles on history and culture, and guides for learning spells and other tricks of the trade. A list of high-reward bounties was also included in the back of the magazine, along with a section of classifieds where adventurers and employers alike could advertise their services or needs.

The Cover
The cover of Spellslinger issues varied depending on the topic of the main article, or the time in which the issue was published. Early covers often featured artwork of adventurers engaging in thrilling action, much like the action comic books that would also soon become popular. By the late 20th century, the magazine began to leave behind the colorful, illustrated covers in favor of professional photography, usually to showcase the guest writer or main interview.

Showcase Piece/Main Selling Point
Like most magazines, each issue of Spellslinger featured a showcase or main piece, usually an article, interview, photoshoot, or combination thereof. This feature was the main selling point of the issue, displayed prominently on the cover to draw in readers.

News and Current Events
Articles on current events were very common for the magazine, and in some ways served as a built-in news source relevant to the adventuring profession. Early articles focused mostly on politics, economics, and business, but later issues began implementing entertainment and popular culture as well. Despite it's niche reader-base, Spellslinger Magazine prided itself on strong, reliable journalism for it's current events articles.

Interviews
Spellslinger Magazine was particularly popular for it's interviews with guests, usually famous adventurers or celebrities involved in relevant projects. One especially famous issue in 1984 featured an exclusive interview with Zach, a world-renowned adventurer who, at the time, was still wanted by government authorities.

Photoshoots
Though rarely seen in the magazine until the 1970's, photoshoots with guests and celebrities quickly became a staple of the magazine and were often paired with a showcase interview. In 2018, the magazine faced controversy for featuring a risque photoshoot with florian actress Tari Gladesen.

Bounties and Classified
Many issues featured a list of a high-paying bounties for mercenaries and bounty hunters. This list was typically placed in the back of the issue. Starting in 1863, every issue has featured a classifieds section. The section allows adventurers to post their availability for quests, jobs, and expeditions. Companies or individuals seeking adventurers for hire can also post ads to the section. During times of economic hardship, the classifieds often became the unintended main selling point, with adventurers everywhere scrounging up pennies to buy an issue solely to see work available.

Controversies
The magazine has faced controversy many times in it's long history.

In 1984, the magazine featured an exclusive interview with Zach Law, who at the time was a wanted criminal. Many readers, especially parents, were opposed to what they believed was the magazine "glorifying and romanticizing a dangerous criminal." Many religious groups protested the magazine for giving a platform to a member of the undead, including the New Templar Order. More controversy ensued due to the interview's content. Though the purpose was to interview Zach about his past and reminisce about the Wyrd West, Zach frequently changed the subject to current events and politics of the time. He did not shy away from his personal politics, and made several controversial statements, including an expletive-riddled rant about his disdain for Chancellor Reagan. Conservative readers called for a boycott of the magazine.

The October 1996 "200th Cataclysm Anniversary" issue was not only controversial, but censored by the United States government soon after it's publication. Readers nationwide took offense to the way the magazine made light of the Cataclysm. Still more were offended by the cover, which depicted a succubus dressed in a skimpy costume of Iron Horde armor. The issue was censored in a matter of days, with thousands of copies recalled. Spellslinger's chief editor apologized in a public statement, and a new version of the issue, without the offending content, was released soon after. Original printings of the "October '96 First Edition" have become highly sought after among collectors.

In 2018, the magazine faced yet another controversy when it featured an interview and photoshoot with florian actress Tari Gladesen. Some of the images from the shoot showed the actress in suggestive poses, wearing little to no clothing. Many readers objected to the images, claiming that the photoshoot was objectifying and had little to do with the interview it paired with, which was part of Gladesen's promotion for an upcoming biopic she starred in. Tari herself never commented on the controversy, but Spellslinger issued an apology for the offense in the following issue.