Is It Thursday Yet?
In honor of their Kickstarter ending, making them the most successful film and television backed project in Kickstarter history, I’d like to dedicate this post to the cast of Critical Role and their Critters.
Dungeons and Dragons is one of those mysterious things that has become hugely popular as of late. It started in the 70’s, and for the past few decades has mostly been a joke to the general public, while secretly adored by it’s players. Most people think of it as that weird fantasy game where nerds dress up and pretend to be wizards, and probably have something to do with Satan. Unfortunately for avid D&D fans, this stigma has forced the game and its players underground.
But millennials became the largest voting generation in the last election, finally surpassing the Baby Boomers. And while the older generations certainly have their opinions about these young, new, whipper-snappers, we certainly have a few things going for us. One of those being that we are rapidly becoming the most accepting generation in history. We fight for our belief that people should be accepted and free to be themselves without harassment or restriction to their rights. It’s a long fight, and we have a long way to go yet, but it’s gaining ground, and it’s opening the doors to a lot of new opportunities.
As the idea that ‘being a nerd is cool’ has come into fashion, D&D has been able to come back into the light. It’s grown exponentially in popularity over just the past few years, steamrolling people’s opinions about it being a weird satanic culture. You can even buy the starter box set at Target now.
Arguably, Critical Role has been at the head of this blooming popularity, along with The Adventure Zone. Critical Role began broadcasting on Twitch in March of 2015, and rapidly gained a vast following. The cast is made up of voice actors, who are long time friends, already well known in many nerd fandoms, and it wasn’t just their fabulous acting skills that endeared their fans. Their enjoyment of the game is palpable, making it highly entertaining to watch. Their laid-back personalities and high levels of charisma don’t hurt either.
Their fan base didn’t just grow, it solidified the more everyone got to know the people behind their characters. It’s rare to find a group of people that are launched into the spotlight and remain kind, caring and compassionate. From the very beginning, they used the attention on them to selflessly raise money for charities, support other artists, and start a culture based on acceptance and love for each other. But it isn’t just a face they put on for the public; it’s just who they are.
Besides growing a community where anyone can feel safe and accepted, they’ve inspired countless numbers. A lot of the credit for this is given to Matthew Mercer, the dungeon master, but he humbly insists that it isn’t just him. And he’s right, his players at the table use their voices to uplift each other and use every opportunity to create a beautiful story about a mismatched group of people that come together to fight monsters and demons.
And Matt makes it easy for them. He creates an entire world for them to explore, cramming it full of people for them to interact with, and places for them to explore. He presents them with problems and puzzles to solve, and monsters of every caliber to destroy. His joy for creating this world, and then watching his friends explore it is evident.
But on every level of their gameplay, there’s a lesson to be learned. Matt presents them with issues that aren’t just about slaying dragons. He makes them question right versus wrong, good versus evil. They travel to different lands and learn about different cultures, meeting people with different opinions. All the while, doing this through their character, someone who is vastly different from themselves. They play characters with haunted pasts, some with dark mistakes, and demonstrate empathy and sympathy, actively helping those in need during their encounters.
The cast of Critical Role has showed the world that D&D isn’t just a game that you try to win or lose. They’ve unwrapped its different layers, revealing that it’s a game about harnessing that childlike creativity inside yourself. When you play D&D, you can be anyone you want, do whatever you want. You can explore, go on adventures, and play make believe again. It takes you back to a time in life before the stigmas of the world forced their opinions on you.
They’ve also cultivated a fan base, called Critters, with a voice. When they asked for support, thousands responded, telling the cast that we want more, and we believe in them. It was an opportunity for us to give back a little of what they’ve given to us. And the world took notice. The Kickstarter, blasting through records within days, and eventually landing them the top position for any film or television project supported by the website, has made news across the country. And even then, the cast took that moment of attention to show their support for their fans, and their hope for future nerds to someday surpass them.
The supporters and backers of the project grabbed the rest of the world by its ears, and said, “Look at this thing! It’s beautiful and amazing and we love it! You should too!” They opened the door for people who had been shy about their love of the game, but they also obliterated preconceived notions about who the community of D&D players really is. It’s a community of creative people that accept and support one another.
In short, it’s a writer’s dream. When I started watching Critical Role, I was feeling uninspired and blocked creatively. It had been a long time since I’d considered my dreams realistic or plausible. But as I payed witness to the achievement that Critical Role pulled off, by saying, “this is who we are, this is what we love, take it or leave it,” I rediscovered my love for creativity. They reminded me how beautiful it can be to create something that’s 100% you and show it to the world. They reminded me of my desire to inspire others, and give them a world to explore.
I will forever be grateful to them for that magic. So, I want to say ‘Thank You’ to all the cast and crew of Critical Role. Thank you for inspiring me, and for inspiring the world. Thank you for helping the creative industry find a footing in a world that is run by greed and money. Thank you, Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel and Travis Willingham, for your persistent compassion, love and beautiful hearts. We love you.
How do you want to do this?
Matthew Mercer, Critical Role
