TSR Company Newsletters                                                       Home Up



Strategic Preview was a rather strange newsletter first released in mid 1976 (date estimated from the content), and lasting but four issues.  Contrary to what you might think from the title, the first issue of this newsletter was published roughly between Strategic Review #7 and Dragon #1, in approximately May 1976.  The first issue was numbered #3 (why, we don't know, but we assume it was for humorous purposes), and the last, #6.  Each issue is a single 11" x 17" sheet, folded in half to make four facing pages.  According to Frank Mentzer, each issue ran 25-50 copies.  As evidenced by the introductory paragraph in issue #3, it was intended to give a behind-the-scenes look at news and new releases from TSR, and supposedly mailed out with all subscription copies of The Dragon and Little Wars magazines... but this fact doesn't jive with the production numbers stated by Mentzer above, nor does it jive with the number of issues still in existence today (just a handful).  Thanks to Bob Frantz for the scan of Strategic Preview 4, to James Kight for the scans of Strategic Preview 5 and 6, and to Devon & Shawn Hibbs for the scan of Strategic Preview 3 and for info on the contents of all issues.

Random Events was an in-house newsletter of TSR, and ran for 35 known issues from 1980 to 1984 (the record from mid-1983 through 1984 is fragmentary; confirmation of later issues needed).  Devoted to intra-company memos, company events and personnel changes, inside jokes, etc.  Thanks to Michael Deaton for the scan of the Jun 1980 issue, to Todd Gabel for the scan of the Jan 81 issue, to Devon Hibbs for the scan of the Apr 82 issue, to Frank Mentzer for the description of all the issues' contents, and to Paul Stormberg for the scans of the May 80, May 81, Aug 81, and Sep 81 issues.




       Strategic Preview
 Issue Month  Details
SP3 May 76  First issue.  Publishing date guessed from contents.  Mentions release of Eldritch Wizardry
SP4 Jun 76  Mentions hiring of David Sutherland, Rob Kuntz, and Ernie Gygax
SP5 Jul 76  Mentions release of Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes
SP6 Sep 76  Last issue
 
       Random Events
 Issue Month  Details
RE1 May 80 First issue.  8 pages.  8.25" x 7" (14" folded in half). Created by Dragon Publishing staff
RE2 Jun 80 8 pages.  Thom Wham cartoon
RE3 Jul 80 12 pages.  Thom Wham boardgame "Corporate Structure"
RE4 Aug 80 Unknown contents
RE5 Sep 80 12 pages
RE6 Oct 80 16 pages
RE7 Nov 80 12 pages.  Contained local business flyer
RE8 Dec 80 8 pages.  Red & green Christmas stamping on cover
RE9 Jan 81 6 pages.  Wine Club ad
RE10 May 81 16 pages.  Created by the TSR Personnel Dept.  Letter-sized (8.5" x 11"), stapled.  GenCon XIV ad / Jeff Dee art
RE11 Jun 81 4 pages
RE12 Jul 81 6 pages
RE13 Aug 81 5 pages.  Includes 2-page maps for GenCon XIV at UW Parkside
RE14 Sep 81 8 pages.  First contribution by Gary Gygax, "The Inner Sanctum"
RE15 Oct 81 6 pages.  New in-house print shop run by Tom McLaughlin.  Typeset, good photo reproduction
RE16 Nov 81 4 pages
RE17 Dec 81 8 pages
RE18 Jan 82 6 pages
RE19 Feb 82 4 pages.  Good David Sutherland photo
RE20 Mar 82 4 pages
RE21 Apr 82 6 pages.  Gygax photo
RE22 May 82 Unknown pages.  Gygax discusses the acquisition of the GNW crafts company, as well as Amazing Stories magazine and SPI wargames
RE23 Jun 82 Unknown pages.  Continuing articles on TSR's massive expansion projects (both corporate acquisitions and physical buildings)
RE24 Jul 82 Unknown contents
RE25 Aug 82 12 pages.  Photos of Eric Rasmussen & John Ricketts (who created Pacesetter in a spinoff, taking many TSR employees)
RE26 Sep 82 14 pages.  Photos of Larry Elmore and Tim Truman
RE27 Oct 82 14 pages.  Corporate logo removed from cover.  "Founders' Day" issue.  Frank Mentzer photo.  BSA Explorers flyer
RE28 Nov 82 12 pages.  Photo of Garry Spiegle (co-creator, D&D Companion Set's War Machine)
RE29 Dec 82 12 pages.  Some photos
RE30 Jan 83 10 pages.  Angled TSR logo now on cover.  Photos of Keith Parkinson, Christmas party
RE31 Feb 83 Unknown contents
RE32 Mar 83 10 pages.  Photos of Gary Gygax, Kevin Blume, and 50 new employees
RE33 Apr 83 8 pages.  TSR UK staff photos
RE34 Jun 83 8 pages.  Photos of Gary Gygax, Brian Blume, Jim Ward, and Zeb Cook
RE35 Sep 84 5 pages.  Beige paper, 1 minor photo



 
Strategic Preview #3 Strategic Preview #4 Strategic Preview #5 Strategic Preview #6  
         
Rand Events May 80 Rand Events Jun 80 Rand Events Jul 80 Rand Events Aug 80 Rand Events Sep 80
         
Rand Events Oct 80 Rand Events Nov 80 Rand Events Dec 80 Rand Events Jan 81 Rand Events May 81
         
Rand Events Jun 81 Rand Events Jul 81 Rand Events Aug 81 Rand Events Sep 81 Rand Events Oct 81
         
Rand Events Nov 81 Rand Events Dec 81 Rand Events Jan 82 Rand Events Feb 82 Rand Events Mar 82
         
Rand Events Apr 82 Rand Events May 82 Rand Events Jun 82 Rand Events Jul 82 Rand Events Aug 82
         
Rand Events Sep 82 Rand Events Oct 82 Rand Events Nov 82 Rand Events Dec 82 Rand Events Jan 83
         
Rand Events Feb 83 Rand Events Mar 83 Rand Events Apr 83 Rand Events Jun 83 Rand Events Sep 84


Auction Commentary

Unquestionably, all of these newsletters are very rare.  Few people bothered to keep them for any length of time.  Values for any issue tend to be high, though a recent rash of Random Events sales has somewhat dampened the demand.

Random Events (and, we strongly suspect, Strategic Preview as well) were only distributed to TSR staff.

Back to Top