Author: Justin Blazier

Last weekend in the US it was Father’s Day, so I thought it would be fun to name some favorite Dads from the Fantasy genre. I think I’m a good Dad. I often feed my baby, and I rarely misplace her. I also teach her how to make fart noises, which is essential to her social development. I’m pretty sure those are things good Dads do.

Even with my aforementioned accolades of great dadness, I still pale in comparison to Zaknafein Do’ Urden. Zaknafein is the father of Drizzt Do’ Urden the legendary Dark Elf swordsman from the Forgotten Realms Universe.

I still watch my fair share of cartoons and have a deep love for them that extends from early in my childhood. One of my favorites was Heathcliff — I adored that show when I was little. I recently found some old episodes on YouTube, sure that watching it again would whisk me back to the junkyard fights and trashcan-dumping shenanigans Heathcliff was famous for. Instead, I was disappointed; the cartoon was actually quite terrible. The voices were cheesy, the animation was cheap, and the plots were terrible. How could I have loved this show so much?

They’ve been questing for weeks. They are sore, hungry and in desperate need of rest. As darkness begins to close about them, they spot some lights emanating from a small building just ahead. They quicken their pace, eager to find somewhere they can get off their feet and fill their bellies. As they get closer they begin to hear the faint sound of pipes cheerfully playing within. The sound of laughter and singing is audible and their spirits soar as they know they’ve found an inn. Before they enter, they look up and notice a small sign swinging from a pair rusted chains.