I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home...so when the D&D explosion happened, followed soon after by the "Satanic D&D Scare", my folks weren't too keen on my participation in the game.
I probably got into D&D around 1979...it took a couple of years for the hysteria around the game to die down...my Dad realized it was "just a game", and VIOLA! I was gifted the 3 core books for Christmas 1980!
I still own my original copies...even after stopping gaming for decades I was never tempted to get rid of them or sell them off...and I'm damn glad I didn't!
One thing I did do back then...the AD&D "Coloring Album" was out...and that encouraged me to color in my books as well! Kind of wish I hadn't now...but it also makes mine unique to me...I'd be able to pick my books out of a roomful! Let's go thru the pics of each book...some well colored, others are kind of sketchy at best!
The Monster Manual
Some basic, some pretty outstanding for a young teen...and the two full page works by TRAMP I wisely left uncolored!
The Players Handbook
To this day I can't remember/understand what reason I had to color the Bone Devil in "A Paladin in Hell" hot pink! Baffling to say the least...but indeed "unique"!
The Dungeon Master's Guide
I seemed to color most of TRAMP's drawings! He was always my favorite D&D artist!
This gem by Darlene has always stuck in my head...as a work of art as as sound philosophy!
The drawings of Will McLean add a bit of "comic relief" to the book! Really fabulous stuff!
The Iconic "Emirikol the Chaotic" by TRAMP. Kind of regret coloring this magnificent piece...by just look at that incredible magical horse!
It occurred to me as I was looking thru my books....I'll have owned them 39 years this Christmas day. I'm proud that I've kept them in good shape...no loose pages, no torn pages, no mangled covers...
More so than any other D&D product that I own...these are my "Crown Jewels"...I hope that you treasure yours as much as I do mine!
Do you still own your original copies of the 3 core books? Did you color them like I did mine? I hope they've brought you as much enjoyment as mine have to me!
'till nest time...EXCELSIOR!
Iconic books with out a doubt! I have numerous copies, my originals and many an orphaned copy abandoned at a local used bookstore. I could not resist picking them up as others "tossed" them in favor of newer editions. Happy to have the numerous copies in my collection and I use them to spread the AD&D 1E goodness!
ReplyDeleteAwesome idea! I have a number of books that were gifted to me by a friend...who gave up gaming in general ! Truthfully, I've never played anything beyond AD&D....Old School is the only way to go!
ReplyDelete