Rich Burlew

Rich Burlew is an American author and cartoonist best known for creating The Order of the Stick (OOTS), a long-running fantasy webcomic that began in 2003. He gained prominence through his work on gaming-related content, particularly materials for tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. The Order of the Stick became one of the most successful webcomics of its era, with Burlew raising over $1.2 million on Kickstarter in 2012 to reprint the comic's books. His work combines comedy with complex storytelling, using stick figure art to tell epic fantasy narratives while frequently breaking the fourth wall. Before focusing on webcomics, Burlew worked as a professional game designer and wrote for Dragon Magazine, contributing articles about Dungeons & Dragons. He has published several books collecting his webcomic work, as well as gaming supplements like "Monster for Hire" and "How to Draw Fantasy Art and RPG Maps." Burlew's influence extends beyond webcomics into the broader gaming community, where he helped pioneer the use of gaming-themed narrative webcomics. Despite suffering a hand injury in 2012 that affected his drawing ability, he continues to produce The Order of the Stick and maintains a significant following in both webcomic and gaming communities.

Readers praise Burlew's ability to blend humor with dramatic storytelling in The Order of the Stick, particularly his handling of character development over long story arcs. Many reviews highlight how the simple stick figure art style delivers complex emotional moments effectively. Fans frequently mention the comic's clever use of D&D mechanics and tropes while maintaining narrative depth. Common criticisms include slow update schedules, densely packed dialogue, and story arcs that some readers find too lengthy. Some reviewers note the early strips' heavy reliance on gaming jokes can deter non-D&D players. From Goodreads: - Start of Darkness: 4.4/5 (2,000+ ratings) - On the Origin of PCs: 4.3/5 (1,500+ ratings) - Dungeon Crawlin' Fools: 4.4/5 (3,000+ ratings) Amazon reviews average 4.5/5 across print collections. One reader review states: "The artwork is basic but the characterization and plotting are anything but." Another notes: "Takes time to find its footing but develops into something special."

The Explorer's Handbook (2005) A Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition sourcebook detailing rules and guidelines for exploration-based adventures and seafaring campaigns.

Monster Manual III (2004) A core monster compendium for Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition containing new creatures and their statistics.

How to Draw Fantasy Art and RPG Maps (2015) A technical guide explaining methods and techniques for creating fantasy maps and gaming-related artwork.

The Order of the Stick (2003-present) A fantasy webcomic series following six stick figure adventurers in a world that operates by Dungeons & Dragons rules.

Start of Darkness (2007) A prequel book to The Order of the Stick focusing on the origin stories of the villains Xykon and Redcloak.

On the Origin of PCs (2005) A prequel book to The Order of the Stick detailing how the main heroes met and formed their adventuring party.

War and XPs (2008) The third compilation book of The Order of the Stick webcomic strips, covering a major war storyline.

Ryan North creates Dinosaur Comics and Adventure Time comics, combining meta-humor with narrative complexity in a way that mirrors Burlew's style. His work shows similar mastery of gaming and pop culture references while maintaining long-form storytelling.

Phil Foglio produces Girl Genius, a webcomic that blends fantasy and science fiction with humor and intricate plotting. His transition from print to web publishing parallels Burlew's path, and both creators maintain consistent world-building within comedic frameworks.

Howard Tayler writes and illustrates Schlock Mercenary, demonstrating comparable skill in maintaining a long-running story with regular updates and consistent humor. His work shares Burlew's commitment to logical world-building and genre-savvy characters.

Jerry Holkins co-creates Penny Arcade and writes tabletop gaming content, bringing gaming culture into webcomics. His work connects directly to the gaming industry through both commentary and professional contributions, similar to Burlew's involvement with Dragon Magazine.

Tarol Hunt created Goblins Comic, which focuses on Dungeons & Dragons mechanics and tropes while telling a character-driven story. His comic shares OOTS's foundation in D&D rules and conventions while exploring fantasy narratives from unexpected perspectives.