Though hardcore enthusiasts of old-school RPG art consider the tags “DAT” and “TRAMP” to be the familiar mark of an Old Master, many folks who grew up worshipping the Holy Trinity of 1st edition AD&D—Monster Manual, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide—have never heard the name David A. Trampier. But such folks would certainly recognize Trampier’s work. Trampier’s style was an essentially unique blend of cartoonishness and realism. If the legendary Errol Otus, with his rough-hewn, dynamic line drawing, was D&D’s Jack Kirby, Trampier was its Neal Adams. His art bridged the kineticism of earlier, more “primitive” artists with the hyper-slick realism of later artists like Larry Elmore and his generations of imitators.
Here are a few of my personal favorites among Trampier’s pieces…