Dave Trampier sometimes catches some flak in old school circles for the supposed "sameyness" of his art, particularly the faces of any people who appear in his work. While I don't agree with that criticism, I understand it. For me, though, Tramp's real strength lay in his use of light and dark, a talent of which I was reminded when I looked at this panel from the installment of Wormy that appeared in issue #100 of Dragon (August 1985). What an amazing piece of work!
For me, Trampier will always be "the" art of D&D.
ReplyDeleteYep. Tramps and Otus. I stared for hours at A Paladin in Hell, imagining away.
Delete"A Paladin in Hell" was Sutherland, I believe.
DeleteWhat's more, that same artistic knowledge would shine through, regardless of whatever medium Trampier was utilizing at the time. My favorite still remains that Escher-y woodcut style he'd employed in the MM, with the Fire Giant, Lizard Man and Groaning Spirit being particular (almost hypnotic!) standouts.
ReplyDeleteIt's also a bit disappointing that eight years after Trampier's passing, there hasn't really been that outgrowth of wider popular recognition you'd see for other artists. Especially given the mysterious circumstances that occurred in '88, I've always believed DAT deserved a written/filmed documentary, or a big gallery retrospective of his collected work at the very least...
yes. Mr Trampier artwork molded our gaming groups perception of the 'look' of the dnd world. I think a retrospective of his body of work is overdue.
DeleteTrampier is my favorite D&D artist. Unlike most of Tramp's pieces, this one seems particularly influenced by the work of the superlative Richard Corben.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I don't travel in those circles! Trampier was an early, instant love for me. It took me a bit longer to appreciate DCS III (who I think is a great designer but who's style wasn't as refined as Trampier's). My feeling is that there is quite a lot of appreciation for his work, but that unfortunately not much known about exactly why he stopped doing illustration.
ReplyDeleteThe works of Trampier, DCS, and, of course, the fantastic Erol Otus, are what I see when I visualize D&D. My imagination owes them a great debt I can never repay, except to shout their praises whenever I can. If you aren't familiar with Mr. Otus' work, you should definitely check him out. :))
DeleteA great artist, very distinctive style.
ReplyDeleteAlways loved Trampier. Tragicly, just before he passes, he was going to get back into the biz again
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