Homage 1977
Here's the cartoon homage that was produced during Episode 5
As we were preparing for Episode 5, a few people inquired as to what piece of classic D&D art would be recreated in homage. Most of them figured it would be the cover (or at least some detail from the cover) of the Monster Manual—the very first Advanced Dungeons & Dragons product, not to mention the first hardcover book that TSR published. But as important as that book was and remains, there was another D&D product that struck a more personal chord—the original Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set.
Collectors and fans of the early products generally refer to this as the “Holmes Basic” because the rulebook was put together by Eric Holmes, who in the end was only credited as being the editor. And it was arguably the first mass-market D&D product—available widely in bookstores and toy stores across the country. Coming in at a trim 48 pages, it contained everything you needed to create characters, run games, and advance your characters up through 3rd level.
In my opinion, it may well be the BEST intro product the game has ever had—not necessarily the best version of the game, but the best first product for a new player to buy. And that cover image by Dave Sutherland, whether in full color on the box, or in blue tones on the game book, is the one that I most closely associate with the start of my lifelong love of gaming. So THAT’S what I chose to celebrate as I had my conversation with Bill Slavicsek.
For many years, the original painting went missing. No one knew what had become of it. As it turns out, the company had stuck it in a storage locker (along with a bunch of other original art) and completely forgot about it. But just a few years ago, it was rediscovered and returned to the Wizards of the Coast offices, where it was cleaned up, framed, and locked inside a new storage office.
On my final day working on site as a contractor in 2018, I was allowed to visit the room and see this seminal piece of D&D art first hand. It was a truly moving experience.
