It is with profound sadness
I read about the death of David Trampier aka "Tramp"—an individual
that, with a few other key artists such as Dave Sutherland, Caldwell, Elmore, Easley, Fields, and Parkinson, really
established the look of Dungeons and Dragons.
Certainly the duo of Trampier and
Sutherland, or Dis & Dat, set down the 1st Edition style that so
many have come to recognize.
Trampier’s work was always my personal
favorite. His iconic work that adorns the cover of the original Player’s
Handbook (below) is emblematic of D&D itself to me. Surely, his unique
woodcut-like style, featuring heavy ink lines and bold characters, helped
define a number of Monster Manual critters for generations of players and RPG
adventure writers such as myself for years to come.
Whatever the tragic circumstances that
led to his mysterious and abrupt departure from fantasy illustration (which I
think is well-known and need not be repeated here), be it drugs, mental
illness, or simply bad feelings toward the industry, the loss of this artist
will now be felt two-fold. Greater still is the tragedy, given that he was
rumored to be returning to art in recent years. Wherever you are, Mr. Trampier,
you enriched and inspired this gamer with your work and I’m forever thankful.
