D&D: WotC Apologizes After Leaving Out ‘Strixhaven’s Cultural Consultant Credit
WotC issued an apology earlier this week after omitting the credit for cultural consultant Tanya DePass in the first print run of Strixhaven.
Wizards of the Coast issued a public apology earlier this week. The first print run of Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos didn’t include a credit for the book’s cultural consultant, Tanya DePass.
In a tweet from the official D&D Twitter account, Wizards of the Coast included an updated digital version of the credits. These will include credit for DePass’ work on the project, They’ve also promised that future physical printings will include the same information.
The first print run of #Strixhaven missed a crucial credit – the consulting work by @cypheroftyr. We publicly apologize to Tanya for the omission, as we have privately. Future printings will include her credit. See the attached page w/ updated credits already available digitally: pic.twitter.com/ubUG3qXWhW
— Dungeons & Dragons (@Wizards_DnD) December 8, 2021
Wizards went on to apologize for failing to communicate the update properly. The full apology reads as follows:
“The first print run of #Srixhaven missed a crucial credit – the consulting work by @cypheroftyr. We publicly apologize to Tanya for the omission, as we have privately. Future printings will include her credit. See the attached page w/updated credits already available digitally.
We also failed at communicating this update appropriately. We apologize for both our communication failure and for making the initial credit mistake in the first place.
Thank you to all of our fans for pointing out our mistakes so that we can correct them. We hope our error doesn’t diminish any enjoyment of the work all our teams have put into making #Strixhaven the best it could be.”
WotC also indicated that the second printing was already in production:
The 2nd printing has already gone to production, but typically don’t see distribution until retailers order new books. You may see them out in the wild right away, or it may take a week or two as older copies are cycled out.
What is a Cultural Consultant/Sensitivity Reader?
Cultural and sensitivity consulting work is often employed when creating a project that features broader representation. These consultants specialize in the proper representation of ethnicities, cultures, religions, or other identities.
As outlined by writer/designer/consultant James Mendez Hodes:
“A cultural consultant or sensitivity reader joins you during (ideally, early in) your creative process to ensure your project not only doesn’t offend, but also supports and validates the people you’re talking about.”
The consultant/sensitivity reader will help with “research, thematics, and inspiration to create the best and most evocative version of [the] material.”
Wizards of the Coast has already updated digital sourcebooks to include the corrected credits.
