Worst art in an RPG book thread.

jibbajibba · May 16, 2011, 04:47:46 PM

Quote from: Benoist;458334You mean kind of like Jibba is going for the worst examples he can find at the lowest resolution possible?

Give me a fucking break.

Um actually I just typed in AD&D monster manual and picked the stuff I found from the 1st edition stuff.

There were some decent artists in the early days David Trampier, Jeff Dee, Erol Otus even (at least he did a style well) but the majority was pure unadulterated shit.

Get your 1e monster manual and leaf through it right now 90% of that is shit. Yes you have Trampier's excellent homonclulous and his genre defining Rakshasa but I am sure the orcs, hobgoblin, elf etc were drawn by a 'little brother' with their feet.... and don;t even get me started ont eh gynosphinx.... OMG.

Even if you think you can forgive MM1 after all early days and you can't get DAT to draw all of it ..... Why get Emmanuel to put that awful Gith picture on the front of the Fiend Folio ... I mean really.
But by the time MM2 (despite the great Easley cover) comes out you can actually afford to get artists your, in house magazine has good quality cover art each month and you are a place where artists actually want to get their name puplished then you allow the Jann, the Hybsil and ..... the Modrons Not only are they a fucking stupid idea in the first place but they actually look like they were drawn by an arthritic 1 year old penguine with alzheimer's I mean really ....

I mean WTF!!!!!

I will take bland Elmore stuff over stuff where the company are actually saying 'we can print any old shit in this book and you will buy it because we don't give a fuck about anyone you and we are all about the money so I will get my kid brother to knock up 50 pictures tomorrow'. (I hasten to add this copy of MM2 was a gift - also as an aside I rarely use monster manuals at all except as an inspiration and ...)

Now my favourite D&D artists are Trampier and Easley and later Brom. My favourite all time picture from any games book is the cover of the Dungeoneer's survival Guide. That picture didn't just inspire a game it inspired a whole D&D genre/playstyle for me. But Easley had other classics the one where the fighter chick is pulling the ogre/giant up by his nose, the cover of the Wilderness Survival Guide, etc

So most Epic fail art definitely AD&D. They

Cole · May 16, 2011, 04:48:17 PM

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;458373You mean Elmore Blonde #2. (Elmore chicks are kind of like the standardized food colorings listed on ingredients labels.)

I think that's actually Caldwell blonde #2. The big hair is big in a different way. Fluffier maybe.

danbuter · May 16, 2011, 04:48:47 PM

While I love Shadowrun and Earthdawn, some of the art is pretty bad:

Laubenstein has some awesome pics, and some that might be technically good, but look awful.

Philotomy Jurament · May 16, 2011, 04:48:51 PM

The worst piece of art that comes to mind is an interior illustration from one of those Avalanche Press d20 books. It was a barbarian. I think he had a peace sign tattoo or something. I just Googled for a picture of it, but either my Google-fu is weak or it's so bad that nobody scanned it.

Philotomy Jurament · May 16, 2011, 04:49:21 PM

Quote from: Cole;458375I think that's actually Caldwell blonde #2. The big hair is big in a different way. Fluffier maybe.

Yeah, you're right! Hah! Easy mistake to make.

Philotomy Jurament · May 16, 2011, 04:50:08 PM

That big shiny round gem should've been a dead giveaway.

misterguignol · May 16, 2011, 04:50:52 PM

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;458373You mean Elmore Blonde #2. (Elmore chicks are kind of like the standardized food colorings listed on ingredients labels.)

I always just assumed that those guys all had a fetish for Stevie Nicks.

Philotomy Jurament · May 16, 2011, 04:52:14 PM

Quote from: misterguignol;458381I always just assumed that those guys all had a fetish for Stevie Nicks.

Now I think about it, that sounds highly probable.

danbuter · May 16, 2011, 05:01:02 PM

Quote from: misterguignol;458381I always just assumed that those guys all had a fetish for Stevie Nicks.

That's awesome, and possible true. :rotfl:

Aos · May 16, 2011, 05:01:43 PM

I watched an episode of Magnum PI on DVD recently wherein Magnum made out with the actress who went on to play the mom on 7th heaven. Lovecraft never created anything so horrific as what passed for attractive in the 80's.

jibbajibba · May 16, 2011, 05:01:49 PM

Quote from: danbuter;458376While I love Shadowrun and Earthdawn, some of the art is pretty bad:

Laubenstein has some awesome pics, and some that might be technically good, but look awful.

See that I like.

Its excellent technically you can tell the guy knows how to draw and he put thought into the composition.

Benoist · May 16, 2011, 05:02:22 PM

Modrons are cool.

Jibba: you need to read the quote Melan injected into this thread.

jibbajibba · May 16, 2011, 05:03:39 PM

Quote from: Aos;458385I watched an episode of Magnum PI on DVD recently wherein Magnum made out with the actress who went on to play the mom on 7th heaven. Lovecraft never created anything so horrific as what passed for attractive in the 80's.

Aw come on give tom Sellek a break they made him keep the moustache ...

Aos · May 16, 2011, 05:06:53 PM

Quote from: jibbajibba;458388Aw come on give tom Sellek a break they made him keep the moustache ...

I am both Magnum and Sparticus.

All bow before Magnum Sparticus!

J Arcane · May 16, 2011, 05:10:13 PM

There is some serious over rationalization in this thread for what is some awful art.

Why is it so hard for some of you guys to admit any fault on the part of your pet games?

DC Heroes is one of my all time favorite games and even I can admit there's some real garbage. Especially those awful character cards.

I should post some pics later so we can get back to pointing and laughing.