chromaticknight wrote in mockup images and misc pics:…

Also, I think I had pointed out to Clyde some years back that the mockup for that Earthshaker cover used a portion of his art from "Allies of Antares" which was a DAW book from '81. How in the hell did that wind up in a TSR catalog???

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The Red Sonja mockup cover wouldn't have worked very well!

It's interesting to see how some of the cover art was eventually used, or perhaps recycled for the mockups.

chromaticknight wrote in mockup images and misc pics:A couple for Frank:

This is another image of that Companion Box Set mockup I had posted in a different thread, and then the photo you had previously posted.

I had talked to Larry about this some years back. He said he remembered doing two concepts, one for the Basic (before Gygax had him revise it -- see attached image) and one for the Expert, but he couldn't remember if he had ever done a third concept art piece.

I was thinking and guessing that this mockup art which appeared a year later in the catalog for pre-selling the Companion Set and this Gen Con poster was really the original prelim for the Expert set but just re-purposed that year. The reason I think is that the Hydra they are fighting is in the monster section with stats in the Expert set. Also, it's the same group of adventures he illustrated in both the concepts.

misterspock wrote in mockup images and misc pics:
This is another image of that Companion Box Set mockup I had posted in a different thread, and then the photo you had previously posted.

I had talked to Larry about this some years back. He said he remembered doing two concepts, one for the Basic (before Gygax had him revise it -- see attached image) and one for the Expert, but he couldn't remember if he had ever done a third concept art piece.

I was thinking and guessing that this mockup art which appeared a year later in the catalog for pre-selling the Companion Set and this Gen Con poster was really the original prelim for the Expert set but just re-purposed that year. The reason I think is that the Hydra they are fighting is in the monster section with stats in the Expert set. Also, it's the same group of adventures he illustrated in both the concepts.

That's a good theory. Definitely the same group of adventurers. Maybe the image would jog Mr. Elmores memory?

Mike

As a kid way back when, I can't tell how many times I was sold on a module by the image on its front cover vs the block of text on its back.

Curious, does anyone have these mockups?  I am sure they would fetch a pretty penny based on their uniqueness alone.

-SKA

Sir Kill Alot wrote in mockup images and misc pics:As a kid way back when, I can't tell how many times I was sold on a module by the image on its front cover vs the block of text on its back.
-SKA

A few times the back image sold me even harder; the D1-2 Descent combo module, that poor sod getting mind fi-layed, couldn’t resist…