May 11, 2011

Homage to Dave Trampier

I don't know if I have expressed here how much Dave Trampier is my favorite of the old-school D&D artists. Not only was Wormy one of the most enjoyable features of Dragon magazine, Tramp's art throughout the early TSR products was, to me, the most engaging. He combined storytelling with great ideas and deft draftsmanship. I believe if he had continued to pursue his art career he would have gone on to great things. But, alas, I guess the world always needs another taxi driver.

I have another blog I occasionally post on that supports a DnD inspired fantasy card game I designed and illustrated a decade ago that still has a strong following (a great big thank you to all of you who help keep new shoes on my kids!). I'm not 1/10th the artist he is, but I have been doing interior B&W art for the latest Dungeoneer set, and the inking was largely inspired by DAT. There will be more to come.
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8 comments:

  1. bliss_infinteMay 11, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    I agree with you on DAT, for me he set the tone for how I visualized D&D.

    Your work is pretty impressive as well.

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  2. TomMay 11, 2011 at 9:27 AM

    Wow, I really like this piece. It makes me nostalgic for my old books, but has a vibe that is distinctly its own. You convey the feeling of action and movement well. Like a lot of Trampier's art, you leave me wanting to see what happens next.

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  3. Daddy GrognardMay 11, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    Tramp is the man. For me, Tramp trumps Otus.

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  4. Risus MonkeyMay 11, 2011 at 12:07 PM

    Tramp was my favorite as a kid, but I think I've been favoring Otus in recent years due to the weirdness factor. But I have always loved that kind of wood-cut feel of Tramp's inking. I also loved how *solid* his creatures and scenes were.

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  5. StuartMay 11, 2011 at 12:33 PM

    Wow, that's some excellent artwork. :)

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  6. scadgradMay 11, 2011 at 12:42 PM

    Outstanding piece there and yes, much love for DAT. Not sure there was a bigger influence for me as a young ignorant artsy kid growing up in the wilds of East Tennessee. Wrightson was also a a guy that I admired (still do) and of course EO and most of the others who worked for TSR in the 70s and early 80s.

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  7. DavidMay 14, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    This is really well done, and I can't wait to see what else you come up with!

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  8. BenAugust 23, 2012 at 7:25 PM

    very nice. Here is my own Tramp style artwork:

    http://thomjebs.blogspot.com/

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