David A. Trampier
Encyclopedia
Dave A. Trampier is a former artist and writer who worked on some of the earliest editions of the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
and was the creator of the Wormy comic strip
that ran in Dragon
magazine. He would sign his work with his initials "DAT" or with "Tramp".
Wormy featured a title character in the form of a cigar
-chomping, pool hustling, wargaming
dragon
, and a cast of monsters who were his neighbors and friends; the stories were told from the point of view of the antagonists of the Dungeons & Dragons
game, and the types of characters that players would be expected to portray, such as wizards
and warriors
, were presented as unwelcome intruders.
Trampier also provided much of the black and white interior art in many of the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure modules
and manuals
, such as the original Monster Manual
and Deities & Demigods
.
Trampier also provided the artwork for several covers, including the American first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook
and the cover of the 1979 version of the module The Village of Hommlet.
roleplaying game, published in 1978.
Trampier created the mapboard for the original 1979 edition of Divine Right
.
He is credited as co-designer, along with Jason McAllister, of the Titan
board game self-published by Trampier and McAllister's Gorgonstar Company and later by Avalon Hill
in 1982.
Kim Mohan, then editor of Dragon, told Phil Foglio
that payments sent to Trampier for Wormy were returned unopened. Foglio explained that "When an artist's checks are returned uncashed, he is presumed dead."
Rumors that he had died have been denied by Tom Wham
, Trampier's brother-in-law. Wham stated as recently as 2004 that he believed Trampier "still exists somewhere in Illinois".
A February 15, 2002 article in the online edition of the Daily Egyptian, the student newspaper of Southern Illinois University
, featured a taxi
driver named David Trampier working in Carbondale
, and included a photograph. The article made no mention of a former career in art or gaming.
Wizards of the Coast
in 2003 stated that Trampier is "alive and well" but "not currently working in gaming or comics".
(creator of 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." In the last issue of 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.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
and was the creator of the Wormy comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
that ran in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazine. He would sign his work with his initials "DAT" or with "Tramp".
Wormy
From its inception in issue #9, until its end in issue #132, Trampier's Wormy comic was a feature of Dragon. Each issue of Dragon would have anywhere from one to four pages of Wormy.Wormy featured a title character in the form of a cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
-chomping, pool hustling, wargaming
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
, and a cast of monsters who were his neighbors and friends; the stories were told from the point of view of the antagonists of the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
game, and the types of characters that players would be expected to portray, such as wizards
Wizard (character class)
The Wizard is a type of magical character class in certain role-playing games and computer role-playing games. Wizards are considered to be spellcasters who wield powerful spells, but are often physically weak as a trade-off. Wizards are commonly confused with similar offensive spellcasting...
and warriors
Warrior (character class)
Warrior is a character class found in many role-playing games. This class may also be referred to as Fighter, as in Dungeons & Dragons. The class is sometimes also referred to as a Knight, although in some games this is a separate class with a more chivalric aspect...
, were presented as unwelcome intruders.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons artwork
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
and manuals
Dungeons & Dragons manuals
Three books are required for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The current Dungeons & Dragons requires the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual...
, such as the original Monster Manual
Monster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
and Deities & Demigods
Deities & Demigods
Deities & Demigods , alternatively known as Legends & Lore , is a reference book for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game . The book provides descriptions and game statistics of gods and legendary creatures from various sources in mythology and fiction...
.
Trampier also provided the artwork for several covers, including the American first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook
The Player's Handbook is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . It does not contain the complete set of rules, but only those for use by players of the game...
and the cover of the 1979 version of the module The Village of Hommlet.
Other works
Trampier painted the cover, and provided some of the interior illustrations, for the first edition of TSR's Gamma WorldGamma World
Gamma World is a science fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet, and first published by TSR in 1978. It borrowed heavily from James M. Ward's earlier product, Metamorphosis Alpha.-Setting:...
roleplaying game, published in 1978.
Trampier created the mapboard for the original 1979 edition of Divine Right
Divine Right (game)
Divine Right is a fantasy board wargame designed by Glenn A. Rahman and Kenneth Rahman. The game was first published in 1979 by TSR, Inc. and a 25th Anniversary Edition was published in 2002 by The Right Stuf International.-Overview:...
.
He is credited as co-designer, along with Jason McAllister, of the Titan
Titan (game)
Titan is a fantasy board game for two to six players, designed by Jason McAllister and David A. Trampier. It was first published in 1980 by Gorgonstar, a small company created by the designers. Soon afterward, the rights were licensed to Avalon Hill, which made several minor revisions and...
board game self-published by Trampier and McAllister's Gorgonstar Company and later by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
in 1982.
Post gaming career
"Wormy" suddenly stopped appearing in Dragon after the April 1988 issue (#132), in the middle of a storyline. In 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
Phil Foglio
Philip "Phil" Foglio is an American cartoonist and comic book artist best known for his humorous science fiction and fantasy work.-Early life and career:...
that payments sent to Trampier for Wormy were returned unopened. Foglio explained that "When an artist's checks are returned uncashed, he is presumed dead."
Rumors that he had died have been denied by Tom Wham
Tom Wham
Tom Wham is a designer of board games who has also produced artwork, including that for his own games.Wham worked a variety of odd jobs during his early adult life. After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, he worked for the Guidon Games hobby shop in Maine where he got his first game, a variant...
, Trampier's brother-in-law. Wham stated as recently as 2004 that he believed Trampier "still exists somewhere in Illinois".
A February 15, 2002 article in the online edition of the Daily Egyptian, the student newspaper of Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
, featured a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver named David Trampier working in Carbondale
Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...
, and included a photograph. The article made no mention of a former career in art or gaming.
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
in 2003 stated that Trampier is "alive and well" but "not currently working in gaming or comics".
Influence
Rich BurlewRich Burlew
Rich Burlew is an author, game designer, and graphic designer best known for The Order of the Stick webcomic. He has written several works for Wizards of the Coast's game Dungeons and Dragons...
(creator of The Order of the Stick
The Order of the Stick
The Order of the Stick is a comedic webcomic that celebrates and satirizes tabletop role-playing games and medieval fantasy through the ongoing tale of the eponymous fellowship of adventuring heroes...
) 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." In the last issue of Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
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
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
turned the dungeon electronic.