heres a list of the stuff i've have seen in the Dragon magazines that are worth mentioning
Awaken Ooze spell (#304)
Avenger base class (#310)
allows a Large character to have a legendary tiger companion at ~5th
Grippli race (#324)
Spell Sovereign (#357?)
allows you to have a living spell as a familiar, combine with extra Familiar
Spider Masks (Dragon Compendium)
the Theurgy feats (#325)
but, by far the best....
Anarchomancer prestige class (#315)
allows you to create a new "character", and your spellcaster becomes that "character" and burst out from the body whenever he wants