View source for David A. Trampier

{{Greyhawk Author
| name          = David A. Trampier
| image         = [[File:David A. Trampier in 2002.jpg]]
| imagesize     =
| caption       = David A. Trampier from ''[[wikipedia:The Daily Egyptian|The Daily Egyptian]]'', 2002
| birth_name    =
| birth         = April 22, 1954
| birthplace    = [[wikipedia:St. Louis, Missouri|Saint Louis]], [[wikipedia:Missouri|Missouri]], United States
| died          = March 24, 2014 (aged 59)
| death_place   = [[Carbondale, Illinois|Carbondale]], [[Illinois]], United States
| nationality   = American
| area          =
| alias         = Tramp, DAT
| notable works = ''[[wikipedia:Wormy (comic strip)|Wormy]]''<br>''AD&D Players Handbook''<br>''Monster Manual''
| awards        =
}}

'''David A. Trampier''' (April 22, 1954 – March 24, 2014) was an artist and writer whose artwork for [[TSR, Inc.]] illustrated some of the earliest editions of ''Dungeons & Dragons''.<ref name=ODaM>Ewalt, David M. Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It. Simon & Schuster. 2013 isbn=978-1-4516-4050-2 url=https://archive.org/details/ofdicemenstoryof0000ewal</ref> Many of his illustrations, such as the cover of the original ''Players Handbook'', became iconic. Trampier was also the creator of the ''[[wikipedia:Wormy (comic strip)|Wormy]]'' comic strip that ran in ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' magazine for several years.

At the height of his career in the late 1980s, Trampier suddenly withdrew from the gaming world and became a social recluse. Although the reasons for this break were unclear, a disagreement with TSR is possible; it is clear that later in life, Trampier wanted nothing to do with TSR or its successor, [[Wizards of the Coast]]. For many years, Trampier's location was unknown to anyone and rumors circulated that he had died; his brother-in-law [[Tom Wham]] denied this, although Wham admitted that even he did not know where Trampier was or what he was doing.

Trampier was rediscovered by accident, working as a taxi driver in [[wikipedia:Carbondale, Illinois|Carbondale, Illinois]], when a local reporter did a ride along and —without knowing Trampier's background— subsequently published Trampier's name and photograph. Several companies and individuals immediately approached Trampier to commission new pieces of art, re-publish some of his most iconic pieces, or have Trampier appear as a guest of honor at conventions; Trampier refused and indicated he wished to be left alone.

A decade later, when Trampier's taxi company went out of business and he discovered he had cancer, he began to entertain the idea of republishing some of his best known artwork in book form. He also agreed to end his long isolation from the gaming community by appearing as a special guest at a Carbondale gaming convention scheduled for April 2014, but he died three weeks before the convention.

==Career==
[[File:PlayersHandbook8Cover.jpg|thumb|Cover of original ''AD&D Players Handbook'', art by Trampier]]
In 1977, [[TSR, Inc.]] started to develop a new version of their popular ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game called ''AD&D''. Unlike TSR's previous rulebooks, which had been low-quality paperback booklets, the rulebooks for AD&D would be high-quality lithographed hard covers featuring full color wrap-around cover art and many interior black & white illustrations. The first book to be published was the ''Monster Manual'' in 1977, and Trampier, along with fellow artists [[David C. Sutherland III|David Sutherland]] and [[Tom Wham]], provided artwork for the manual.<ref name=ODaM /> [[Tim Kask]], editor of ''Dragon'' magazine, stated in a review that the book's profuse illustrations were "outstanding", and that the illustrations "in themselves would warrant the cover price".<ref name="Dragon #12">[[Tim Kask]].  ''Editor's Library''. [[Dragon (magazine)|The Dragon]] #1212 p22 [[TSR, Inc.]] Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. February 1978}}</ref>

It was the next hardcover rulebook, the ''Player's Handbook'', that would secure Trampier his reputation while he was still in his mid-twenties. Trampier's cover depicted a temple dominated by a huge, devilish statue, being looted by a group of adventurers; the back cover included a representation of the book's author, [[Gary Gygax]].<ref name=ODaM /> The cover image became synonymous with the game until the cover art was replaced with a new illustration in 1982. Trampier also created several pieces of interior art for the PHB.

He continued to be an important contributor to the TSR brand in the company's early years.<ref>Saladin Ahmed. ''Five Iconic 1st Edition AD&D Illustrations Proving David A. Trampier Is One of the Best Fantasy Artists of All Time''. Saladin's Sundrarium.  Tor.com September 28, 2011 [http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/09/saladins-sundrarium-five-iconic-1st-edition-adad-illustrations-proving-david-a-trampier-is-one-of-the-best-fantasy-artists-of-all-time]accessed 2014-03-30}}</ref> Some of his more notable works included:
* Cover art and some of the interior illustrations for ''[[Wikipedia:Gamma World|Gamma World]]'' role-playing game (1978).
* Map board for the wargame ''[[Wikipedia:Divine Right (game)|Divine Right]]'' (1979).
* Cover art for the ''Dungeon Master's Screen'' (1979). [Winner of the Gamer's Choice Award for 1979]<ref name="HW">Lawrence Schick. ''Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games''. Prometheus Books 1991 isbn=978-0-87975-653-6}}</ref>
* Cover art for the ''AD&D'' adventure ''[[The Village of Hommlet]]'' (1979)
* Interior art for the third and fourth hardcover rulebooks, ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' (1979) and ''[[Deities & Demigods]]'' (1980).
* Interior art for many ''AD&D'' adventures.

===''Wormy''===
The September 1977 issue of ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' (Issue #9) featured a new 6-panel comic, Trampier's ''[[Wikipedia:Wormy (comic strip)|Wormy]]''. The first frame featured the title character, a cigar-chomping, pool hustling, wargaming dragon, and subsequent issues revealed the cast of goblins and ogres who were his neighbors and friends. The stories were told from the point of view of the antagonists of D&D; the wizards, warriors, and other protagonists players would be expected to portray were inevitably presented as unwelcome intruders. ''Wormy'' continued to appear in ''Dragon'' for the next 10 years, until Issue #132 (April 1988).

===''Titan''===
In 1980, Trampier and Jason McAllister co-designed a "monster slugathon" wargame called ''[[Wikipedia:Titan (board game)|Titan]],'' for which Trampier also executed the artwork. The purpose of the game was simply to defeat other players' armies, using the victories to advance in power until there was only one army left. Trampier and McAllister self-published the game through Gorgonstar Company. It was re-published  by [[Wikipedia:Avalon Hill|Avalon Hill]] in 1982 and gained a measure of popularity. Articles about ''Titan'' were featured in several issues of Avalon Hill's ''[[Wikipedia:The General (magazine)|General]]'' magazine, and it remained in print until Avalon Hill's demise in 1998. In 2008, Valley Games printed a new edition of ''Titan'' without Trampier's artwork.

==Disappearance==
In the late 1980s, David Trampier suddenly disappeared. The last installment of ''Wormy'' appeared in the April 1988 issue of ''Dragon'' (#132); despite the fact that the comic was in the middle of an unfinished storyline, no further ''Wormy'' comics were ever published.<ref name="D&Dfaq">[http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDArchives_FAQ.asp ''Dungeons & Dragons'' FAQ] accessed 2008-10-03. [[Wizards of the Coast]] archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20081002132129/http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDArchives_FAQ.asp] October 2, 2008</ref> In the August 1988 issue of ''Dragon'', (issue #136), in response to a reader letter, the ''Dragon'' editors wrote, "We regret to announce that 'Wormy' will no longer be appearing in ''Dragon'' Magazine. We are looking into the possibility of adding another graphic series in the future."

Kim Mohan, then editor of ''Dragon,'' told [[Phil Foglio]] that payments for ''Wormy'' and other royalty payments sent to Trampier had been returned unopened. Foglio explained that "When an artist's checks are returned uncashed, he is presumed dead."<ref>Foglio related this conversation to Chris Adams at Dexcon 4 in 1995 (Adams 1998) [[Wikipedia:Yamara|Chris Adams]]. ''Trampier's Wormy Bootwebbed''. Yamara Central. April 3, 1998 [http://home.earthlink.net/~yamara/wormy.html] accessed: March 14, 2007. archived[https://web.archive.org/web/19990202052243/http://home.earthlink.net/~yamara/wormy.html] February 2, 1999</ref>

==Reappearance==
In February 2002, Arin Thompson did a night-shift ride along with a local Yellow Taxi driver for an article for Southern Illinois University's student newspaper. The taxi driver was David Trampier, who told Thompson he had moved to Carbondale from Chicago about eight months previously. Thompson, who did not know of Trampier's work as an artist, published the story and Trampier's photograph in ''The Daily Egyptian'' on February 15, 2002.<ref>Thompson, Arin. ''Coffee, cigarettes and speed bumps: A night with a Carbondale cabby''. archived[https://web.archive.org/web/20131022023203/http://archives.dailyegyptian.com/imported-20111018200935/?currentPage=1353] October 22, 2013 [[Wikipedia:The Daily Egyptian|The Daily Egyptian]] February 15, 2002 [http://archives.dailyegyptian.com/imported-20111018200935/?currentPage=1353 |accessdate=2007-03-14]</ref>

Word circulated that Trampier was still alive; several companies and individuals contacted him to inquire about commissioning new artwork, republishing old artwork, or appearing at conventions. Trampier rebuffed all attempts to draw him back into the fantasy gaming world and continued to drive his taxi.<ref name=scottd>Scott D. Thompson. ''The Strange Case of David A. Trampier''.  Skyland Games.  February 18, 2013 [url=http://skylandgames.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/the-strange-case-of-dave-a-trampier/] accessd 2014-03-30]</ref> In 2003, [[Wizards of the Coast]] stated that Trampier was "alive and well" but "not currently working in gaming or comics".<ref>Joel A. Hahn, Wizards of the Coast Staff. ''Dungeons & Dragons FAQ''.  Wizards of the Coast,2003.[http://www.wizards.com/dnd/dnddefinitivefaq.asp] accessed April 3, 2007</ref> In 2004, Trampier's fellow artist and brother-in-law Tom Wham stated that he believed Trampier "still exists somewhere in Illinois".<ref>[[Tom Wham]].  ''Tom Wham's Gangster Game''.  November 10, 2004[http://www.tomwham.com/gangster.html] accessed March 14, 2007. "…my good friend and brother-in-law, Dave Trampier (some of you might remember Wormy from the early Dragons). Wormy fans, please note: Dave and I last communicated in 1982, he still exists somewhere in Illinois, I think, but I do not know how to get in touch with him. Sorry."</ref>

In 2008, Trampier visited Castle Perilous Games & Books, a game store in Carbondale, to see the new edition of ''Titan'' that had been published by Valley Games. That was the only contact he made with the games community until several years later.<ref name=thorne>Scott Thorne.  ''Dave Trampier, Wormy Artist, Passes Away''.  The Castle's Ramparts.  Castle Perilous Games & Books. March 28, 2013  [http://thecastlesramparts.blogspot.ca/2014/03/dave-trampier-wormy-artist-passes-away.html] accessed 2014-03-30</ref>

==Death==
In late 2013, several misfortunes struck Trampier. He suffered a mild stroke, he lost his job when the Yellow Taxi Company went out of business, and he discovered that he had cancer. Needing money, Trampier contacted Scott Thorne, the owner of Castle Perilous Games & Books, and offered to sell eight of his original pieces of artwork, including the original cover art for the 1979 ''Dungeon Master's Screen''. Thorne bought the artwork,<ref>''Artwork of Dave Trampier (Tramp)''.  Castle Perilous Games & Books.  March 2014 [http://castleperilous.com/photo-galleries/] accessed 2014-03-30</ref> and tried to convince Trampier to have his Wormy comics republished. Trampier was suspicious of the offer, and wanted to ensure that TSR would not have any part of the publication; he seemed surprised by the news that TSR had been taken over by Wizards of the Coast almost 20 years previously. Thorne suggested that [[Troll Lord Games]] might be a good publisher to approach.<ref name = thorne/>

Trampier accepted an invitation to display some of his original artwork at ''Egypt Wars'', a local games convention; it would be his first public connection to fantasy gaming since his disappearance 25 years before. Representatives of Troll Lord Games were also scheduled to be at the convention, and Thorne hoped Trampier might talk to them about a publishing deal.<ref name=thorne /> However, Trampier suddenly died on March 24, 2014, three weeks before the convention.<ref name=obituary>[http://thesouthern.com/news/local/obituaries/david-trampier/article_e5b7b0bf-f9f8-500a-9b5e-2a3194c214e9.html Obituaries].  ''The Southern Illinoisan''.  David Trampier. March 25, 2014  accessed March 28, 2014</ref>

==Influence==
Rich Burlew (creator of ''[[Wikipedia:The Order of the Stick|The Order of the Stick]]'') has voiced great respect for the place ''Wormy'' held as an early ''D&D'' comic strip, indicating in an interview that he felt awed at his comic being published on ''Dragon'''s back page, where ''Wormy'' once ran, adding that he felt he was "not worthy to shine ''Wormy's'' feet."<ref>''[http://www.geeklabel.com/podcast/geeklabel_interview_005.mp3 Geeklabel Radio Podcast: Unedited Interview with Rich Burlew]''.  Geeklabel Radio.  October 25, 2006 accessed January 16, 2008.  archived[https://web.archive.org/web/20110711081418/http://www.geeklabel.com/podcast/geeklabel_interview_005.mp3] archived July 11, 2011</ref> In the last issue of ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' magazine (#359, September 2007), Burlew included in his ''OOTS'' comic a number of references to comics that had appeared in the magazine over its long run, including a Wormy-like dragon (complete with hat and cigar) fleeing before [[Wizards of the Coast]] turned the dungeon electronic.

==References==
<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3"><References /></div>


==External links==
*[http://pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=508 List Roleplaying Game Credits at Pen & Paper]  archived[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222551/http://pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=508] September 27, 2007
*[https://skylandgames.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/trampier.jpg  ''The Daily Egyptian'' David A. Trampier news story photo]