Comments on: BOOKS: The Monster Manual (part 1)

By: Nik Cochran

Nik Cochran — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:47:37 +0000

D&D seems to realy inspire me to create and draw. Back in the 80’s all the manuals had great black and white art. Dieties and Demigods. I strived to draw like those artist. I fell out of drawing for many years until I collected Bloodwars then Planescape. Your art work is so inspiring. I like that you still have the pencil lines. The artist fingerprint. Now that I am married it is hard for my wife to understand why I keep all these old D&D books which I have not played since the 80’s. Good inspirational art is hard to find in a modern art world.

By: Gage

Gage — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:56:41 +0000

dnd was cool, i just think more could be done with it.

By: tod waters

tod waters — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:08:09 +0000

amazing art !
and my quest for more trampier art continues.
i always loved his stuff for the woodblock print quality , bold unforgiving lines and basic badassery . if you would be so kind as to post his spider picture you will save me 145 bucks and i will tattoo it on my neck.

By: Wahoo

Wahoo — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:14:33 +0000

Thank you for sharing!

By: PJ Bracegirdle

PJ Bracegirdle — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:49:15 +0000

It is really interesting how this kooky thirty-year-old game has quietly influenced popular culture as childhood players of the seventies/eighties become artists, writers, actors, directors, etc today. Stephen Colbert says it was his discovery of the game that led him to become a performer (check out this little article to see just how into it he was: http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/dungeons-dragons-online/537989p1.html — Judges Guild? I haven’t heard that in twenty years!).

Until I read your blog post, I actually forgot that my first introduction to one of my own big literary inspirations, HP Lovecraft, was through the Cthulhu mythos section of my copy of Deities and Demigods. In hindsight, I think it was a little misguided for the rights-owners to remove the entries as it only would have turned on more readers to Lovecraft’s (and Moorcock’s) incredible works.

Also, thanks for posting those old drawings. It brought back a lot of memories. I also loved DAT who inspired me to buy a whole set of Rapidograph pens, one of which had a nib so thin I bent it first stroke (sadly they’re all forgotten and clogged now — I stupidly thought there was no future in drawing muscley guys with swords!). My eleven-year-old artist son now has all those original books on his shelf for reference and inspiration, stacked up beside your Field Guide in fact. I think I will have to get him a copy of your Monster Manual next!