It's the cover of the 1977 edition of the Basic Rulebook, the very book my dad's friend Mack brought over to introduce us to the game. Mack was an educator (last I knew he was a principal in NC) and very interested in alternative methods of teaching. I don't know how he discovered D&D, but he and my father thought it would be a great way to teach problem solving skills (which it is!) and so brought me in to play. My first character was a Dwarf whose name I don't recall, but I soon followed up with a Halfling. We played Keep on the Borderlands with a group of my friends (all around 8 or 9 - Mack had the patience of a saint) and I managed to slay the ogre! Big deal for a 1st level Halfling, let me tell you. I still remember jumping around the dining room table in glee. I didn't even mind getting killed later by a goblin. I was hooked. I played throughout my childhood and on into high school. I fell away from the game in college, though I joined in a couple of pick up games. Finally about five years ago my best friend and I were sitting in a local pub one weekend and I brought up that I used to play. He admitted he had played growing up as well and had thought about picking it back up. Before the night was over we'd drawn a map of Mord - the world we created and populated with characters like An'alla, Vaspar, Thorkin and Toshiro.
Thank you Mr. Sutherland, for years of adventure, puzzles, ideas and laughter. Lots of laughter.
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My mother read about this and mentioned it to me yesterday, I think. I was a bit bummed. I hadn't thought about all that old D&D stuff for years. He was a great, great artist, and truly an inspiration for basement-dwelling geeks everywhere.
I'll have to hang my DM's screen at half mast this weekend in memorium.
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