New cover art for the Revised PHB and DMG?

[Oni]

I'd just like to note that the cover issue isn't one of nostalgia for me. I didn't start playing rpg's until '98. I just prefer a nice cover illustration to fake tome look (the forgotten realms books are ok, but the core books are kind of blah to me). When I look over the books on my gaming shelf I see all sorts of beautiful cover illustrations and then I look at the new dnd books and I feel like something is missing.

As for the interior art, I much prefered the style that prevaded the FRCS, especially stuff like the portraits in the section on Cormyr. It says high fantasy to me more than spikes and horribly piecemeal armour.

 

[Regdar]

WAR (Wayne Reynolds) would be rather pleasent for art. Regdar doubts you'll see much change in interior art.

 

[Desdichado]

OK, let me rescind somewhat my earlier stated opinion: Jeff Dee wasn't the only good early artist, he's just, IMO, the most notable. And Regdar, although not technically very good, those old covers are at least very evocative. The ancient DMG cover has always been a favorite of mine. Although that old PHB with the efreet statue, while classic, I didn't much like even when it was new and the world (and myself) were much younger.

Buzz, I don't recall offhand who Dave Trampier is. What's some of the stuff he did in the early books? Also, you looking at coming to this next Chicago gameday?

 

[buzz]

WAR (Wayne Reynolds) would be rather pleasent for art. Regdar doubts you'll see much change in interior art.

As long as there's no David Roach, David Day, or D. Cramer, I'm cool.

Lockwood, Wood, Reynolds, Zug, and Sweet would be... sweet.

I wouldn't mind Kalman Andrasofvsky (sp?) either. The guy who did the art for the monster magic article in the lastest Dragon also has a nice, Trampier-esque feel.

And I think we'll see all-new interior art. They need to re-layout the whole book, anyway. Why not new art?

Or does Redgar mean the same kind of art?

 

[buzz]

Buzz, I don't recall offhand who Dave Trampier is. What's some of the stuff he did in the early books? Also, you looking at coming to this next Chicago gameday?

1.) Dave Trampier used to do the Wormy comic in Dragon magazine. He also painted the cover of the 1e PHB. He is the Walt Kelley of the RPG world. Brilliant.

b.) I do plan to attend. Had too much fun at the last one not to.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Buzz, I don't recall offhand who Dave Trampier is. What's some of the stuff he did in the early books? Also, you looking at coming to this next Chicago gameday?

He did the pseudo-dragon, catoblepas, and ki-rin in the 1e Monster Manual, as well as many of the devils. He did the title page illo of the wizard reading while sitting on the giant d6 in the 1e PHB. He also did Emirikol the Chaotic, the pic near the back of the 1e DMG that everyone seems to talk about. He was head and shoulders above the rest of the artists of that era, and believe me, I'm a big fan of guys like Erol Otus, Jeff Dee, Bill Willingham, and Jim Holloway.

 

[Desdichado]

He did the pseudo-dragon, catoblepas, and ki-rin in the 1e Monster Manual, as well as many of the devils. He did the title page illo of the wizard reading while sitting on the giant d6 in the 1e PHB. He also did Emirikol the Chaotic, the pic near the back of the 1e DMG that everyone seems to talk about. He was head and shoulders above the rest of the artists of that era, and believe me, I'm a big fan of guys like Erol Otus, Jeff Dee, Bill Willingham, and Jim Holloway.

OK, now I remember some of those pieces specifically. Yeah, he was pretty good, although Jeff Dee is still by far my favorite 1e artist. Trampier was certainly better than most of the other art, though. Speaking generically, my impressions of early art were pretty poor, even when I was a kid without much expectations.

 

[Jeremy]

I love the closer fitting, more flexible, spiked and sharpened look of 3e D&D. Sure, real medieval knights waddled along taking huge gaping swings at each other in big soup cans, but that was the Dark Ages. In D&D they've got all kinds of science and magic that didn't exist in the real past. I don't want reality. I want fantasy.

I want my archers never to miss. I want my fighters to be wearing shining armor, but still spinning through a brutal melee, I want my wizards and sorcerers out of the robes that do little but make them always ready for bed and never ready to run and into more expensive and utilitarian outfits that befit their power and ability.

I think the new art portrays that much better than the bare-chested barbarian art of prior editions. Very few of my characters have actually managed to survive as bare chested barbarians, I'd rather the artwork closer reflect what I actually play.

Of course, since most of the art staff got the axe it could be entirely different artwork that is added in, or no new artwork at all...

 

[Sejs]

I only have one request:

For the love of god and all that is holy, NO *#$%ING TOM BAXA

please.

I'm begging you.

I really am.



You know.. Baxa.. the guy who's responsable for the picture of the vampire template in the MM? Him. None of him.

 

[Regdar]

As long as there's no David Roach, David Day, or D. Cramer, I'm cool.

Lockwood, Wood, Reynolds, Zug, and Sweet would be... sweet.

I wouldn't mind Kalman Andrasofvsky (sp?) either. The guy who did the art for the monster magic article in the lastest Dragon also has a nice, Trampier-esque feel.

And I think we'll see all-new interior art. They need to re-layout the whole book, anyway. Why not new art?

Or does Redgar mean the same kind of art?

No, Regdar means new art. The layout can be changed, with just art moved around. The reason they probably won't have new art is the cost involved.