Homage: 1994
Exclusive for subscribers: Early access to the completed cartoon homage to the "Book of Lairs" from Episode 22.
When discussing AD&D products, any conversation about “The Book of Lairs” is complicated by the fact that TSR published no fewer than four books with that title between 1986 and 1994. The first two—Book of Lairs and Book of Lairs II—were published in 1986 and 1987 respectively, and were part of the core AD&D line (intended for use with any setting). In 1993, there was a Book of Lairs product released for the Dragonlance campaign setting (sometimes referred to as “Dragonlance Lairs”), and a year later Forgotten Realms did the same thing.
If you ask me, ALL of the products bearing the Book of Lairs title had pretty terrific cover art … but the one I created an homage to while chatting with Scott Douglas during Episode 22 was the FR version, which featured Larry Elmore’s nod to the classic “Lady or the Tiger” deathtrap.
It’s one of the few times when you see a halfling featured on a cover that isn’t either providing comic relief or being in need of immediate rescue. (Although I don’t think the floppy, almost jester-like hat isn’t really bolstering his heroic mein.)
As a subscriber to this newsletter, you’re seeing this art before it is released for general consumption. You also have the option to buy an art print of this or any of the cartoon homages (and if you’re a paid subscriber, you get a discount on those purchases).
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