Why was the show cancelled? I was too young to remember, but I've heard it was because of all the religious controversy concerning the game.  

No, no controversy impacted the show. The cancellation was, pure and simple, due to low ratings. They were on decline throughout the third season, and CBS felt they'd only get lower. 

I think that if the networks knew how many imaginations were fired by that show, they'd reconsider showing it again.  I've heard from so many people!  I'm not really the crusader-type, but some friends are persuading me to try to start letter-writing campaigns to the Cartoon Network/Sci-Fi channel.  Heck, Voltron and the Thundercats are making a comeback, why not D&D? 

I personally don't think letter-writing campaigns ever make a difference. In the case of D&D, the rights are currently held by Marvel Films, which is in some amount of financial chaos. Several different firms are fighting for control of the parent company and after one of them wrests control, I would imagine they'll make a big effort to sell reruns of the many shows they own, including D&D. I wouldn't count on any new episodes ever, though... 

Was there ever a background story that the writers were working from? There seem to be these odd little references throughout the episodes- DM calling the Big V his "son," saying that Venger was "his mistake," etc.- to a background story that was never developed. While it's great fodder for fan-fiction writers who are coming up with wonderful ideas about why and how, I would love to find out the REAL version- from the source! 

I wrote a "bible" (an awfully pretentious term for something about a cartoon show, I grant you) when the show started. It primarily detailed who the characters were and how they operated and interacted. I honestly don't recall if the notions you mentioned -- Venger as Dungeon Master's son, Venger as someone with whom D.M. had a history -- were detailed in there, or if they were unwritten understandings. But it was intended from the start that something of the sort would be hinted at. 

But it was also understood that the show would evolve, and that others would develop its mythos. You have to understand that I worked on the project for a very short time. I was literally given about two days to write the bible and pilot script. A job like that ordinarily involves many months. Once CBS bought the show, I spent several weeks discussing its direction but, as I was not going to be heavily involved, we didn't want to tie the folks who would be running it to a lot of arbitrary ideas on my part. My pal Hank Saroyan took over creative direction of the show when it went into production as a series, and we had lunch and discussed matters...but I trusted Hank (and the other fine writers who became involved) to develop the characters and their world, and to depart from and/or expand on what I'd done, as they felt necessary. I thought they did a fine job.  

I did manage to contact one of the writers (Kathy Selbert, now Kathy Lawrence) and she told me the original idea was kids gaming in a theatre, with a night watchman as DM. Hooray for whoever came up with the coaster ride-- it kept us kids hoping every time we hoped on the "Demon" at Six Flags! 

I don't recall if the coaster ride was my idea or that of Dennis Marks, or perhaps if it came from others who were involved along the way. Again, I was only involved with the show for a brief time, as I was busy with other projects. (I wrote the pilot for "The Littles" the same week I wrote the pilot for "D&D" and I was simultaneously writing a variety show for Dick Clark, story-editing "Richie Rich" for Hanna-Barbera, AND writing three monthly comic books.) Many folks had worked on the material before me, starting with Dennis, and there had been many approaches and other formats and characters. I believe that my main contribution was to throw out a lot of clutter that had been added to the concept -- I dropped a number of characters and story gimmicks -- and to whittle it down to something a bit simpler.  

My main question, I suppose, is: how do YOU feel about that show? Did you enjoy making it as much as we enjoy watching it?  

I thought it was a great show, especially in its first season, and I think I only deserve a tiny piece of the credit. I enjoyed the experience (also, the money) and I wish I'd had the time to work more on it. But then, once my involvement was over, I got to watch it as a spectator, which was fun also. 

One more question- what are you currently working on? Are you behind any current Saturday morning cartoons? Or have you moved on to other things? 

I'm always doing lots of different things.  But I'm story-editing and voice-directing a new cartoon show called CHANNEL UMPTEE-3, which will be on the WB this fall.  I also wrote a few episodes of the SUPERMAN animated series.