BOOKS: The Monster Manual (part 3)
Like I said before, both the original AD&D Monster Manual and the 1994’s Monstrous Manual had a tremendous impact on me both as an artist and a creator of books.
After binging out on D&D, at 13 I spent an entire summer making my own Monster Manual, which was more a field guide full of fantastical creatures from a strange island called “Gondwanaland” (after the ancient super-continent). But instead of giving statistics and game points, I wrote about natural habits, habitats, and even created scientific names for my menagerie.
I never forgot about that idea of a fantastical field guide from a naturalist’s point-of-view and that passion went into every image that I did for Spiderwick’s Field Guide - which was full of goblins, trolls, ogres and faeries - very much like the Monster Manuals.
I still love the Tolkien-inspired world of Dungeons & Dragons. And, even though I don’t do any illustrative work for the game anymore, I still doodle out some of my favorite monsters just like I did back in 1981.
July 19th, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Oooh! I especially like that Lich drawing!
I remember when I was a kid at camp and one of the counselors had a the Monster Manual. He let me look through the book and though I never really played D&D, I absolutely loved the artwork and the world. When I got home, for weeks I drew my own monsters and writing their powers and hit points.
July 20th, 2007 at 4:21 am
I’ve first “discovered” your work thanks to the AD&D Planescape setting when I was 15, and after many years I still find myself looking for more of it online.. it’s so much better than any 3rd edition illustration I’ve found so far and, besides, your drawing style is lovely..it really shows that you enjoy what you do. keep it up, please
July 21st, 2007 at 12:26 am
Funny how little coincidences happen in life - I had just pulled out the field guide today and I was struck once again by how beautiful it is but also how it must have been so much work. And I was thinking I would love to ask him what the time-line for this project was and how he got such lovely, soft glazes with gouche……Then I visited jacketflap and there was a link to your new blog.
It’s great to get more insight into your work, looking forward to reading more. And congratulations to you and your wife on the arrival of little Sophia.
July 21st, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I think D&D inspired a ton of my early, early artwork. Great stuff.
July 22nd, 2007 at 8:08 pm
YeeHaw!
Congrats on the new bundle - I can’t believe I totally missed her impending arrival!
There will now have to be yummy hand made gift contemplation, hmmmm.
I’m so happy for you and Ang
I can remember pouring over the pages of the MM in Mr Kaliz’s 7th grade history class, hiding it in my desk like some junkie and it wasn’t even mine. It belonged to a kid named Dennis and he only let me borrow it during that class because he could see me, and it, through the glass door between my class and his.
Geeks at an early age.
July 24th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Gidday!
Dear Mr. DiTerlizzi, for an article in Holland’s biggest magazine on all things fantasy (and in thise case the upcoming movie based on The Spiderwick Chronicles in particular) I was hoping I could ask you a few questions. However, I’m on a horrible deadline, and sending letters over to the US isn’t really an option So I was hoping we could do it via email or something of the likes. If you are interested, please contact me at leo.oorschot@casema.nl, it would be greatly if not to say immensely appreciated!
Kind regards,
Leo Oorschot
August 5th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Amazing, These are all amazing.