He edited it after finishing work on the final volumes of the series, and wound up adding 50 or so pages of new material.
Some people say it was just another marketing ploy used in order to squeeze a few more bucks from his publishers, and the public.
I suppose that charge has some merit, although I thought the first book in the Dark Tower series was deeply flawed, especially in comparison to subsequent volumes.
The revised version is much tighter, and more well-written in terms of plot, character development, etc...
At least, that's my opinion.
But yeah, the artwork is a bit of a distraction.
I guess that's what he gets for deciding to prolong this effort over the span of three decades.
I must not have the "new version." And as for him wanting more money...he has so much he'll never be able to spend it, so that doesn't even make any sense to me.
When I read the Gunslinger, it's like stepping into someones' dusty, fragmented mind. I had forgotten it made me feel that way, so I read it again. I'm hoping The Drawing Of The Three doesn't do that to me, or I'll never get beyond it.