12 June, 2009

Today’s Tabbloid
PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected]

ROGUE FEED such notions. What’s different is that, because the cosmic conflict is
between civilization and those who would tear it down, good and evil are
On Swords-and-Sorcery often arrayed on the same side. Chaos is utterly alien and inhuman and
JUN 11, 2009 07:04P.M. against it both good and evil sometimes must lock arms and stand side
by side. For myself, I think this introduces a level of moral complexity
In running my Dwimmermount campaign, I’ve tried very hard to impart that leads to good roleplaying and that feels true to swords-and-sorcery
a swords-and-sorcery feel to the whole thing. One of the subtler ways I’ve literature.
done that relates to the presentation of morality and alignment. As I’ve
explained previously, the campaign setting postulates a primordial war
between Law and Chaos, with “Law” being equated with the forces of
mortal civilization and “Chaos” being equated with forces of
otherworldly destruction. Thus, while Chaos might be called “insane” or
at least “irrational,” Law encompasses both good and evil components, ROGUE FEED
as anyone who prefers the orderliness of civilization over the howling
instability of Chaos would throw their lot in with this alignment. Miss me?
JUN 11, 2009 06:15P.M.
A good case in point is the religion of Typhon. Typhon is one of the main
deities of the City-State of Adamas. He is a god of law, order, judgment,
discipline, and trade; he is also quite evil by most understandings of the
term. However, because his faith inspires rulers, judges, soldiers, and I been under the weather for the past few days, combined with life
merchants to channel their self-interest in defense of civilization, he is leaching me a tad busy, this blog has been left silent. Sorry about that.
generally seen as one of humanity’s main patrons among the gods.
Typhonian clerics are among the foremost exorcists and demon hunters Anyway, while sick my wife brought home a comic book for me. It was
and undertake missions of extreme danger in the war against Chaos. one of those touching things a wife can do for a husband, and it really
Nevertheless, Typhon is not a “nice” deity and his church’s teachings are made my day. What was even more surprising was the book she bought
cruel and unforgiving. As the players will discover, there’s a powerful me:
disconnect between Typhon’s ethical philosophy — which might be
simplistically described as “Nietzschean” — and his followers’ role in Batman and Robin #1. This is the new series Grant Morrison and
protecting humanity and its allies from the depredations of Chaos. Frank Quietly are doing. I have the book on order and it will be arriving
with my monthly mail order shipment, but it was nice to have this early.
In a similar fashion, the City-State of Yethlyreom is ruled by It was even cooler that my wife knows my taste, and knows how much I
necromancers and whose armies, constabulary, and workers consist in dig Morrison’s work.
large part of mindless undead — but Yethlyreom is every bit as much on
the side of Law as is Typhon. The ruling necromancers have effectively So how was the book? This sums it up:
made a deal with the Devil, employing Chaos-tainted magic in order to
“fight fire with fire.” This practice began out of desperation in the past
but has evolved into an orderly, almost scientific approach to death,
dying, and the afterlife that has served the city-state well, even if it
sometimes results in one or more necromancers succumbing to
seduction by Chaos. But, by and large, Yethlyreom is a peaceful, justly-
run city whose inhabitants know that their rulers do what they do to keep
them safe from worse horrors. It’s not pretty much of the time, but who
said fighting Chaos would be?

Both Typhon and Yethlyreom serve to highlight the campaign setting’s

difference from less nuanced styles of fantasy, where good and evil form
the basis for the cosmic conflict. Good and evil aren’t absent from
Dwimmermount by any means; people still think and act according to

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected] 12 June, 2009

Like he did in All Star Superman, Morrison captures the essence

perfectly. Quietly, who is always one of my favorite artists brings his full
game to play, and the book is as gorgeous to look at as it is to read.

I loved this book. Period.

Grant Morrison Art by Frank Quitely

Posted in comic books, entertainment, thoughts Tagged: comic books,

Anyone whose entry into the roleplaying hobby coincided with the
review — comics, thoughts
Golden Age of D&D will know the name Darlene and immediately
associate it with some of the most beautiful images ever to created for
the game, chief among them the glorious World of Greyhawk maps that
first appeared in 1980. Three decades later, Darlene’s work stands out as
noteworthy not just for its attractiveness but also for its having given
many early D&D products an air at once fantastical and rooted in
ROGUE FEED
medieval history — a heady combination I don’t think any artist since
An Interview with Darlene (Part has recreated. I had the opportunity to ask Darlene some questions
about her involvement in the RPG industry, her artistic influences, and
I) the unusual process by which she creates her art and she kindly
answered them all at great length.
JUN 11, 2009 09:17A.M.

Here is Part I of my interview. Part II will appear tomorrow.

1. How did you become involved in illustrating for role playing

games?

I came in through the back door. At the beginning of my association with

TSR Hobbies, I worked behind-the-scenes. One of the first jobs I did for
them was to create a large two-sided sign in the shape of a shield with a
dragon on it. For several years, this sign hung in front of TSR’s Williams
Street building in Lake Geneva. This was around 1977 when TSR
Hobbies had just the one building and employed only a handful of
people. The first TSR person I met was Mike Carr, the creator of the
Fight in the Skies WWI aviation game. I was a local artist working for a
graphics firm in Lake Geneva when Mike Carr came in to update TSR’s

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected] 12 June, 2009

next Gen Con flier. By the end of the project, we were dating. When Mike monsters were in the pre-internet decade of the late 1970s. Usually, the
took me to visit his place of employment, the first people I met were Tim only image sources of mythical beasts that an artist could find were in
Kask, Joe Orlowski, and Dave Sutherland. resource books within a library’s reference section—in different
encyclopedia sets, various dictionaries, and Bestiaries. Lucky visits to
Working as I did for Graphics Printing, I was naturally associated with out-of-town libraries might net different source imagery. Since reference
design, graphics and lettering when it came to freelancing. Sometimes, I books cannot be checked out, I always had to be sure to carry enough
wonder about the happenstance of my living in Lake Geneva at that change with me for photocopying, just in case. When it came to locating
particular moment in time. If anyone was tailor-made for graphically depictions of unusual creatures, how many times did the Lake Geneva
shaping the look, identity and public face of TSR, it would be me. With a Public Library staff point me to their large collection of children’s books?
background in medieval-studies, a familiarity with strange mythological When it came to fairy tale and children’s book illustrators, I always
beasts, a calligrapher’s knowledge of manuscripts, and a deep preferred the work of those living earlier in the century—Arthur
appreciation for fantasy and surrealism, no one could be more uniquely Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Aubrey Beardsley, and Kay Neilson.
qualified. I could do anything TSR called upon me to do.
RPG fantasy illustrators during this period spent most of their income
Before I entered the scene, TSR Hobbies’ published materials looked developing their own resource libraries. Dover Publication reprints made
noticeably different. Beginning with the tenth issue of The Dragon, I life easier for many of us. Fortunately, I was interested in mythical
generated many headings for the magazine’s columns and articles. Few creatures long before I moved to Lake Geneva. Much of my resource
people realize I designed TSR’s “wizard face” logo (in October, 1980). I’m library began with postcards and books purchased at London museums.
also responsible for the logo, letterhead, business cards and advertising In 1974, I spent the fall in London as a participant in Beloit College’s
materials for TSR Periodicals and Dragon Publishing. While the other Studies Abroad Program. Both the Victoria & Albert Museum and the
artists concentrated solely on illustration, it was I who imparted the Tate Gallery were only a short walk from where we stayed. I enjoyed the
visual backdrop for the RPG genre itself, the stage upon which RPG gallery of Turner’s canvases and admired his ability to immerse me into
could be appreciated. Thus, the context for early RPGs came through my his passionate experience of the sea. I marveled at the paintings of John
filter, making my work directly responsible for imparting a mood–an Constable and studied the works of the Pre-Raphaelites. I also responded
authentic gothic sensibility–to early RPG. A fan, described it to me in to the work of Heinrich Kley, Gustav Doré, Virgil Finlay, Frank Frazetta,
these terms: “I loved that almost underground look and feel to the games Gustav Klimt and MC Escher.
and the magazines. An almost Dark feel that matches the Medieval era.”
Of the many exquisite collections within the British Museum, I found
During those early years, my published work if not my name, was seen myself most often visiting the manuscripts they had on display. From the
quite a bit. The first module coming with the basic D&D set was In very beginning, my passion for letters developed concurrently with my
Search of the Unknown, (B1). Every person introduced to the genre saw passion for art. In London, during the entire fall of 1974, I took classes in
my art on the front and back covers of the module. I also contributed the art of calligraphy from an advanced Craft Member of the prestigious
regularly to The Dragon magazine and did the graphic illustrations for Society of Scribes and Illuminators. There is something about combining
the 1980 and 1981 The Days of the Dragon calendars and the lettering illustrations with text that is very satisfying for me. Art Nouveau artists
for the Realms of Wonder and Dragonlance calendars. In 1983, I had different ways of juxtaposing words with imagery. I loved it all. By
designed The Guide to the World of Greyhawk book to appear like an December, I’d created a medieval-styled book in which I wrote out the
illuminated manuscript, accompanied, of course, by the WOG maps. text in calligraphy, illuminated the pages and created the illustrations. I
am a big admirer of William Morris (of the Arts and Crafts movement)
Highlights of my Fantasy art (sans lettering) include: the above- and William Blake, both of whom advocated the thoughtful integration
mentioned B1 cover and back-cover, the cover for THE DRAGON of imagery with the written word.
magazine #37, The Ice Barbarian in the 1981 Days of the Dragon
Calendar and The Green Dragon in the 1982 Days of the Dragon 3. Nearly 30 years after they were first published, the maps
Calendar, Monster Card art, The Dragontales Anthology, all interior art you created for the World of Greyhawk fantasy setting have no
for first RPGA Rahasia (R2) module, all interior art for One-On-One equals in my opinion. Can you tell us a bit about the process of
game The Amber Sword of World’s End. My art also appeared on the creating them?
title page of the Dungeon Masters Guide as well as The Rogues’ Gallery.
Incidentally, many people consider the DMG title page art—a depiction Thank you kindly. Yes, of all the myriad things I did during the few years
of a fat unicorn—to be iconic, a wistful symbol of a time gone by, a I freelanced for TSR, I seem to be most renowned for creating two large
longing for past pleasures fondly remembered. Having studied symbols color maps for The World of Greyhawk. Gary Gygax (the father of RPG)
and icons, I tend to agree with this opinion. has openly touted my WOG map set as being the “best gaming maps ever
created for this genre,” so you are not alone in your opinion. Gary wrote
2. Artistically, who are and were your biggest inspirations? to me that he considered my WOG map renditions to be “an unrivaled
classic which set the standard for future RPG Fantasy Game maps.”
Generations who’ve grown up with RPG materials readily available
probably don’t realize just how scarce pictorial representations of Each 22″ x 35″ map was created “to size” and almost too unwieldy to fit

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected] 12 June, 2009

on the surface of my drawing table. The artwork I prepared in layers,

with the black layer—the hex layer—on the bottom. Using black ink, I
worked directly on the surface of the foundation hex layer. I inked in
pictorial representations of individual mountains, trees and other
geographical features and organically integrated them with different
styles of lettering. Transparent acetate was placed atop and I applied
color to the map through the use of large adhesive pantone color sheets.

I approached the WOG maps as if they were large illustrations. For me,
the art of creating letters is merely a specific way of drawing (I also
design of type fonts) so I don’t consider words as separate from
illustration. As a lover of letters, I have developed an advanced
sensibility for balancing and juxtaposing positive and negative shapes.
That’s how I achieved a certain pleasing integration of image with text
that translates as satisfying. Anyone unfamiliar with the subtle nuisances
of letterform design will be unable to replicate the overall aesthetic effect
my gaming maps possess.

Up to now, I’ve spoken little about my advanced intuitive abilities. Being

able to access and enter subtle energy states (without the use of drugs) is
just a part of who I am. Because people have a tendency to be dismissive
about the subject, I don’t often share much about my regular excursions
into the supernatural. I don’t believe it’s all that unusual: the ability to
enter subtle realms is a normal part of the human experience. We close it
off because we’ve been taught to do so. However, I chose to bring it up
because it’s another hidden component of the WOG maps that’s
pertinent to the discussion. While working on the maps, I reached my
mind across space/time and tapped into the knowledge of a medieval
artisan versed in the craft of map-making.

From my point of view, the wrinkled hands of a knowledgeable old

cartographer became superimposed on my own and “we” worked on the
map together. I don’t mean to infer my WOG maps were channeled. My
mind was definitely clear and present during the entire creative process.
My hands simply “knew” what to do. The resulting map art became more
informed by my ability to draw upon this deep internal resource. I think
gamers may be responding to an energetic residue that the map still
retains from these sessions. That’s another reason the maps are so
impossible to duplicate, and probably represents the best explanation of
why those WOG maps possess such an air of authenticity.