I've seen some comparisons of Tramp's work to 70's underground art before. Here's one I just found, by T. Foster on Grognardia, talking about the D&D Coloring Book:
"That book was illustrated by Greg Irons, who was a big name in the SF hippy/underground art scene, and thus fits squarely within the same aesthetic tradition as Trampier and Otus -- Irons was actually the real thing that they were, in some sense 2nd-generation clones/followers of. The Official AD&D Coloring Album, despite being a marketing gimmick aimed at kids, is actually (and ironically) one of D&D's strongest links to its head-shop roots."
That's an awesome find! Like the original better too, as much as I'm a DCS fan. Tramp must have had a thing for underground fungi - this piece reminds me a lot of the sequence in Wormy where Bender takes a drip down to the underground trade town. Never thought about the head shop angle with Tramp and Otus, but now that its been pointed out.. yep
I had that coloring book as a tween (though I was old enough to be embarrassed by the purchase at the time). The Tramp style here reminds me of Robert Crumb in particular.
The original is so much better, you know in a headshop 70s underground comics way.
ReplyDeleteI've seen some comparisons of Tramp's work to 70's underground art before. Here's one I just found, by T. Foster on Grognardia, talking about the D&D Coloring Book:
ReplyDelete"That book was illustrated by Greg Irons, who was a big name in the SF hippy/underground art scene, and thus fits squarely within the same aesthetic tradition as Trampier and Otus -- Irons was actually the real thing that they were, in some sense 2nd-generation clones/followers of. The Official AD&D Coloring Album, despite being a marketing gimmick aimed at kids, is actually (and ironically) one of D&D's strongest links to its head-shop roots."
http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2009/07/st-cuthbert-to-rescue.html
That's an awesome find! Like the original better too, as much as I'm a DCS fan. Tramp must have had a thing for underground fungi - this piece reminds me a lot of the sequence in Wormy where Bender takes a drip down to the underground trade town. Never thought about the head shop angle with Tramp and Otus, but now that its been pointed out.. yep
ReplyDeleteBtw, added bonus from the discussion thread on Greg Irons' art on Grognardia - a site with scans of most of Irons' art from the D&D Coloring Book: http://monsterbrains.blogspot.com/2009/05/dungeons-and-dragons-coloring-book-1979.html
ReplyDeleteI had that coloring book as a tween (though I was old enough to be embarrassed by the purchase at the time). The Tramp style here reminds me of Robert Crumb in particular.
ReplyDelete