Posted on 06/15/2005 1:08:24 PM PDT by Borges
David Sutherland, an artist whose work appeared in various Dungeons and Dragons rule books, has died. He was 56 years old.
Sutherland passed away at his home in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., on June 6 from chronic liver failure.
Although he remained faceless to Dungeons and Dragons players, a generation of gamers grew up with Sutherland's otherworldly images in the 1970s and '80s.
Perhaps his best-known illustration is the one that appeared on the cover of the first Dungeons and Dragons set.
A simple composition, it shows a wand-waving magic user and a knight, his longbow drawn, squaring off against a dragon who sits à la Smaug from The Hobbit atop a vast pile of gold coins and jewels.
Sutherland's clean, expressive artwork helped players picture their own imaginary "campaigns," as the ongoing games of Dungeons and Dragons were called.
Working at the company Tactical Studies Rules under the game's co-inventor, Gary Gygax, Sutherland was part of a team of illustrators that produced pictures of battles and monsters.
His fellow artists included Erol Otis, Darlene Pekul, David Trampier and others.
Sutherland's work also appeared on the cover of the Dungeon Masters Guide, the book used by the referee who would oversee each gaming session.
He also did the cover for the Monster Manual, the compendium of foes that players fought for treasure.
A Minneapolis native, Sutherland trained as a commercial artist before going to Vietnam to serve as a military policeman. After his return, he launched a career as a fantasy artist while working odd jobs.
Sutherland's cover art for the 'Dungeon's Masters Guide.' Eventually, a university professor involved in developing Dungeons and Dragons put him in touch with TSR, the Wisconsin firm that emerged as the dominant publisher of role-playing games.
Sutherland also served as TSR's artistic director, but preferred working on his own art.
Sutherland's career stalled after Wizards of the Coast, another gaming concern, bought TSR in the late 1990s and did not rehire him. He recently divorced, and was reportedly still upset at the dissolution of his marriage when he died.
An auction of Sutherland memorabilia was held last year, raising $22,000 US that was used to set up a trust fund for his two daughters. He is also survived by his mother, a sister and a brother.
Following a visitation, Sutherland will receive a military burial on June 22 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Dungeons and Dragons is/was all too weird for me - I haven't any idea what the attraction is, and wouldn't want to know.
Yeah and the back beat drum beats used in Rock are the exact ones used by voodoo witches to conjur up demons so that they could be possessed!!!! Kill your stereo or you will be next!!!! I know cause Bob Larson told me and I gave him 115.00 dollars and now I'm a HERO.
By the time she's a freshman in college, there'll be dozens of guys lusting after her. But that's OK... none of them will be able to figure out how to remove a bra.
"Mazes and Monsters"??? I remember seeing that on TV!
I didn't game for very long...I was more into character creation. I do, however, draw the occasional illustration for a friend of mine who STILL publishes RPG's. He loves the fact he's able to put them all onto CD and sell those rather than printed manuals.
Used to be? USED to be? What did I do to deserve has-been status?
OOPS. It's probably also not good form to refer to a woman as "XL." But you're secure enough in your babe-dom, right?
(OK, "Babe-dom" is probably also not a good choice of word. :^D )
Druids can't multi-class.
He didn't make his Saving Throw.
There were two types of kids in my high school. Those who dated girls and played sports. And those who stayed home and played dungeons and dragons.
That was great.
I erred on the side of caution. If you want to revel in your elf-ears and fake Vorpal Sword, who am I to argue?
Actually, I can top it.
My oldest niece (she's three), being the first grandchild, got to name the grandparents. My mother somehow became Dede.
BUT she spells it DD. My brother and sister and I have tried to explain delicately why a woman who had reduction surgery probably shouldn't call herself DD . . .
>> If you want to revel in your elf-ears and fake Vorpal Sword, who am I to argue? <<
That Vorpal Sword was FAKE???
Say it ain't so, XenaLyte!
We always had at least one chick playing with us. The best way to get rid of one was to start dating her. Most were too nutty for me to get tangled up with, but fortunately I had stupid friends.
I would still be playing if I could find anyone over twenty as immature as I am. Not that I have two contiguous hours to devote to anything anymore.
The Gamers.(quicktime)
Damn, I have been caught by an experienced Dungeon Master!!!
There is nothing at ALL fake about any of my weapons. Some will slice a jugular quite nicely, and others are fabulous for bashing skulls.
The Chinese have flooded the market with fake Vorpal Swords.
Sure, they look good but the first time you use one against a golem, you find yourself in a world of hurt.
(For the non-geeks in the crowd, golems are immune to regular weapons. You need at least a Sword +1 to do any damage)
I must confess my attraction to girls with a bit of a goth look.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.