WTF is a Demogorgon?

You may have been noticing some blether on the inter webs about the above piece of D&D obscurity and wondering what the hell is going on. Why are people resurrecting this odd little creature and offering them for stupid money on eBay, especially when the lovely people at Mirliton still sell this ex-grenadier model for the princely sum of 10 Euro's.

Well, the answer is that it a Demogorgon features in a TV series that has been driving Nerds and Non-nerds doolally over the past couple of months.

According to the ever reliable Wikipedia, the Demogorgon is a powerful demon prince and is supposedly one of the most powerful villains in the game. And in the Stranger things he is used to describe the (SPOILERS)  (SPOILERS)  (SPOILERS)  (SPOILERS)  (SPOILERS)

For those who haven't investigated this series it's a horror/adventure series set in 1983. Think Goonies/Poltergeist/E.T./X-Files/Aliens and a host of Stephen King and 80's horror films. The production design is simply stunning and unlike some of the other attempts at shows set in the '80's this one does a fantastic job of immersing the viewer in the world. The soundtrack, clothes, decor and other details are spot on (some of the haircuts I had issue with LoL!). The amount of buried little easter eggs throughout the 8 part series is mind boggling and the show will bear repeated viewing for these reasons alone.

The 4 kids at the centre of the story spend there evenings playing Dungeons and Dragons in the parents basement and this is probably the trial reason that a lot of the Oldhammer/Gaming community have been all over it. The memories of those pre-teen RPG sessions with nothing but imagination and enthusiasm and some oddly shaped dice are, for a lot of us, the spark that set the flame for years of gaming joy and fun. The characters are only 5 years older than me and their experience seems so familiar to may of us. Entertaining ourselves in the pre-internet days seems almost stone age now but all we had was our parents phones (how many of you can still remember your best mates phone number from 30 years ago?) and our bikes ("bikes are like cadillacs to these kids") and we managed so many things and so many games. The trappings of these fantasy obsessed kids are so on point that the creators, the Duffer Brothers, must be old school gamers.

The series isn't focussed entirely on the kids and equally features adults and older teens also trying to deal with the horrifying events going on their town. It perfectly paced and beautifully shot and is easily accessible on Netflix. If you've already seen it then I'm probably preaching to the converted but, if you haven't, do yourself a massive favour and give Stranger Things a proper look. You won't regret it.