Let's start with 1993, because in many ways that's the important one. Fourth edition was when Warhammer Fantasy basically became the game that set fire to miniatures gaming, it was when the setting really congealed, the backstory and mythology was padded out, the artistic style and representation was firmly entrenched, and the basic mechanics, layout, and business model of Games Workshop books were set. It might not be the edition that every gamer remembers, but it was in many ways the defining edition of the game.
...I don't want to talk about it.
You can't tell from the cover, but Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs is a beautiful book. It's 112 pages, many of them color, and of a heavier paperweight than your standard game product of the time. Frank and I have gone on about how crap gaming books could be back in the early '90s, because frankly the publishing standards weren't there...but Games Workshop was working a cut above the rest even from the beginning.
Now, when I say that 4th edition was the critical edition, I mean a lot of things. Obviously Dwarfs as a playable army were around for the first few editions, and the 4th edition dwarfs were recognizably descended from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd edition dwarfs - but 4th edition defined the dwarfs in the game identity in a way that the later editions just didn't, and while some units and mechanics might be added, subtracted, or fiddled with, the basic backstory and character of the army was basically set. Things might get less camp and more grimdark, but the 4th edition Dwarfs can easily be said to be the canonical take on Dwarfs in Warhammer, no matter what came next.
Yes, that's Gotrex & Felix in the front rank.
The other two Dwarf books here are basically identical - a little darker and more detailed art, some shifts in mechanics and adding or subtracting units, but the essential structure of all three books is almost identical. Indeed, the other two books are pared down: the 2000 (6th edition) and 2005 (7th edition) are both only 80 pages long.
(I don't own the most recent Dwarf book, because I stopped having people to play with and couldn't work up the will to pour money into ForgeWorld Chaos Dwarf models, but the new book is hardback.)
Shiny.
Dwarfs (1993) is written by Rick Priestley and Nigel Stillman, two honored ancestors of Warhammer, with fiction by Bill King (of Gotrek & Felix fame), and three artists: John Blanche, Wayne England, and Mark Gibbons). Presumably there were editors and layout people attached to the product, but none of them are mentioned and good fucking riddance, all it says is "Produced by Games Workshop" and that is enough.
Believe it or not, this is the short version, and apparently GW's lawyers didn't think this covered enough. Part of the 2005 version reads:Games Workshop and the Games Workshop logo, the Citadel castle, Realm of Chaos, Slottabase, White Dwarf and Warhammer are all registered trademarks of Games Workshop Ltd. Citadel and the Old World are both trademarks of Games Workshop Ltd.
'Scatter' dice are UK registered design no. 2017484
All artwork in all Games Workshop products and the images contained therein have been produced either in-house or as work for hire. The exclusive copyright on the artwork and the images it depicts is the property of Games Workshop Ltd.
(c) Copyright Games Workshop Ltd, 1993. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2005. The Double-Head/Imperial Eagle device, the Games Workshop logo, Games Workshop, Warhammer, Anvil Guard, Anvil of Doom, Daemon Slayer, Dragon Slayer, Flame Cannon, Gate Keeper, Giant Slayer, Grudge Thrower, Gyrocopter, Hammerer, High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer, Ironbeard, Ironbreaker, Josef Bugman, Organ un, Quarreller, Runelord, Runsemith, Thane, Theorek Ironbrow, Throne of Power, Thunderer, Troll Slayer, and all associated marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/devices/logos/symbols, vehicles, locations, weapons, units, characters, products, illustrations and images from the Warhammer world and Warhammer 40,000 universe are either (R), TM and/or (c) Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2005, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world. All Rights Reserved.
Svengi the Law Dwarf says: ABANDON HOPE, ALL WHO ENTER HERE
Anyway, Games Workshop's noted anal retentiveness with regards to product identity is why you still occasionally hear people bitch about take-down notices being applied to fansites or people that dare to put out a fucking space marine novel even though they don't own the concept.
That being said, GW is generally good about keep a rather small core creative team. Warhammer Dwarfs 2000 for example was written by Gav "Dwarfs are Awesome" Thorpe and Alessio "I Designed this Edition" Cavatore; with some extra input from Priestley and some other dudes; John Blanche is still the definitive Dwarf artist, but shares responsibilities with some other artists. Hell, even the miniature sculptors and painters are acknowledged by name, which probably required a general strike, and Alan Merrett was acknowledged by "Invaluable Grudgeness."
Steve: "Put the hammer down."
Tony: "Um, yeah, no! Bad call! He loves his hammer!..."
2005 was written by Pete Haines with "additional material" by Rick Priestley; I'm pretty sure that's just acknowledging Rick as the default Dwarf dude who wrote 90% of their background, but you never know. There's a few more artists and graphic designers involved, but still no named editors or line managers or crap like that, and pretty much everybody that's worked on any of the prior two dwarf books gets a "Special Thanks." It's kinda nice.
You may laugh at my striped pants, but I've killed goblins with my codpiece alone.
This is gonna take me a couple days to get through, but like the other multiple-product comparisons, I'm going to take an apples-to-apples approach when possible. So next post: The Dwarfs
Mush!