D&D 1E The TRUE Dungeon Master

[Fifth Element]

How did I never notice this before now? The dude pictured on page 5 of the Mentzer Basic Dungeon Masters (no apostrophe) Rulebook is the same dude on the cover of the 1E Dungeon Masters (also no apostrophe) Guide.

 

[Musing Mage]

Wrong. The Mentzer DM is clearly the AD&D DM's evil twin, as evidenced by the goatee!

Which means that AD&D must therefore be the 'good' edition!

Pictures don't lie! Thank you! Thank you for providing the proof of what I've always suspected.

 

[Lanefan]

It seems he's changed keys in the intervening time as well.

Are these by the same artist? If yes, it's very possible said artist just used the same person each time as a model.

 

[Nikosandros]

It seems he's changed keys in the intervening time as well.

Are these by the same artist? If yes, it's very possible said artist just used the same person each time as a model.

The cover of the "orange spine" DMG is by Jeff Easley. He's also credited ad an artist in the Mentzer's Basic DM book, so it is likely that he's also done the other piece.

 

[steeldragons]

Both are unquestionably Jeff Easley's work. So it could just be this is what/how he perceives a DM to look.

I don't know that there was ever any conscious consideration, in terms of "art direction" (as we would term it) in a modern design sense, to have a consistent-looking "Dungeon Master" as a recurring character.

The DM of the Saturday morning cartoon, for example, was/looked....mmmmarkedly different.

 

[IvyDragons]

Cool find.