Monster Manual II Art Gallery!

[SeRiAlExPeRiMeNtS]

DiTerlizzi is by far the best one, even if this fiends look goofy... the 2e planescape books are the most beautiful 2e books.

 

[Zarrock God of Evil]

As long as you keep that disagreement humble!

Seriously, though, I think WAR is an incredibly popular artist. A lot of gamers (myself included) come back to books we're not sure of just because his stuff is in it. From that respect, I think he's one of the best things WotC has going in the art department.

I also think, as U_K says, he really epitomizes what D&D has become: his Marc Silvestri influence is unmistakable, for example, and the just plain fantasy feel to all his work is unmistakable.

I most humbly agree

 

[Knight Otu]

Not revisions. A reprint of the book (like a second printing). I assume it goes to the printer or distributors when the first run sells out (not sure how SSS is gonna do it).

I've read on the SSS forums a bit about the revised book. I'll have to look at the new book when it comes out to see if it is worth it to buy again.
But with the information I have, it propably is.

 

[Knight Otu]

Re: MM2 and CC

Nightfall is not insane (Well, that's a relief).

There are one or more CC monsters in MM2. During the initial design I and Rich Redman targetted three potential candidates from CC, and Rich did full development work on them. Which ones made the final cut? How much have they changed? After all the work Skip Williams did during the Development phase, I literally can't say.

So I'm going to be surprised with everyone else (Skip's on vacation right now, so I can't ask him).

Jeff G.

I do know that there will be CC monsters in the MMII. It seems pretty obvious that the bone ooze is the undead ooze, and that the razor boar is the iron tusker. The chaos roc might be the cerulean roc.

Of course, if my theroy about the monster picture groups is correct, then the bone ooze is the only one (that I can see ).

 

[Eridanis]

Roger Moore isn't/wasn't an artist for TSR. He was an editor (Dragon) and designer.

I don't recall who did the pic or was credited with the work, but it wasn't Moore.

I know. That's what made it funny that he was credited with the art for the INVISIBLE stalker. Breathe, Scott, breathe!

(Moore was one of my favorite TSR guys from the 80s & 90s. His editorship of Dragon was solid, and his articles were imaginative and well-written.)

 

[Hakkenshi]

I always thought Lockwood's Invis Stalker art was the next funniest thing to leaving the image blank again

One other artist whom I like is the one that drew the picture of Epic Jozan walking into the cemetery disintegrating the undead around him...I forget the artist's name, but he used to draw a comic called Artesia that was pretty interesting.

But Lockwood is just hard to beat. For dragons, you probably shouldn't even try (as seems to be evidenced by the gem dragons of MM2).

 

[Carnifex]

My least favorite one, note he is alone at the spot, is M. Kaluta.

When I bought Monsters of Faerûn, I almost had a heart attack. The Aballin! The Abishai! ARGHHHH....

The guy really can't seem to draw at all.

Oh god, don't mention the MoF abishai picture to me. It was *awful* and didn't even conform to the text description. I mean, it said they were from 5-7 feet in height, and yet in the pic the red abishai was about twice the size of the white abishai (which looked more like some sort of imp!).

 

[Desdichado]

Kaluta did a great Tolkien calendar a few years back, though. I don't know why his work in D&D sucks so much, as he obviously has talent.

But I agree, his pictures are my least favorite in every book they appear in.

 

[Kilmore]

Monster Art

I don't neccesarily believe that all the art we're seeing here is the final version. I think I've seen non-final versions in other art galleries. Also, the Fiend Folio is coming out next year, so any favorites that seem to have been forgotten could possibly show up here, hopefully including the legendary "Flumph". I would also like to see some Mystara varmints including the Rakasta and the Tarantella. I think the Juggernaut got it's D&D orgins from Mystara (though I'm familiar with the "real" story about it involving the British in India).

 

[Nightfall]

I've read on the SSS forums a bit about the revised book. I'll have to look at the new book when it comes out to see if it is worth it to buy again.
But with the information I have, it propably is.

I think so. Now I admit I'm a fanatic Knight Otu, but after reading the interview with Joseph, I think I definately want it, mainly for the ELCs and possible templates I can use. (Imagine a templated forsaken elf Moon Hag! Or better still, a Storm Hag human with levels in barbarian! )