Locating Dave Trampier? • Collecting General • The Acaeum

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Locating Dave Trampier?
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Tav_Behemoth
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:09 pm

In an older thread, mdr003 was talking about personally combing Carbondale, IL to follow up on the possibility that Dave Trampier was working as a cabbie there (as suggested by a story in the SIU campus paper). Did anything come of this?

I've recently been thinking about another way to bring Trampier back to the fold, which would be to offer a standing reward for him to pick up the pen again. After all, Lorne Michaels's offer to pay the Beatles $3,000 to reunite on Saturday Night Live apparently came very close to succeeding. We could raise that much in no time using Fundable.org just from fans alone; getting the support of companies could multiply that manyfold.

One question would be whether there'd be a way to get news of the reward to Trampier -- it couldn't motivate him if he doesn't hear about it!

grodog
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:22 pm

Rob Kuntz has mentioned that Tom Wham and Trampier are in-laws, I think, so perhaps we could approach Tom as our emissary? Or at least sound him out on the idea??

Allan Grohe ([email protected])
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Editor and Project Manager, Black Blade Publishing
https://www.facebook.com/BlackBladePublishing/

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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:23 pm

I have noticed this topic come up a few times across the web. People have talked about doing directory assistence in that area to find him. Of the very few indications that I have read....is that he doesn't want to be bothered with any of it anymore for wahtever reason. I could be wrong. And I have never felt compelled to cold-call the guy.

I can think of handing him at least $3,000 personally if he has anything significant in his possession from the days of yore. :wink:

Probably your best bet is to go to carbondale, buy a case of Old Milwalkee, and call teh cab company and ask for him as he has given you great service in the past. :lol:

"before chuck even gets in the room, you can feel the bad-ness." -Al

Tav_Behemoth
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:40 pm

Wham is indeed Trampier's brother-in-law, but he says here that "Dave and I last communicated in 1982, he still exists somewhere in Illinois, I think, but I do not know how to get in touch with him. Sorry."

grodog
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 9:49 pm

That page was updated over a year ago; when I chat with Rob next, I'll ask if Tom had recently gotten back in touch with Dave or not (I certainly hope so!)

Allan Grohe ([email protected])
Greyhawk, grodog Style

Editor and Project Manager, Black Blade Publishing
https://www.facebook.com/BlackBladePublishing/

Tav_Behemoth
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:02 pm

I didn't find anything in a brief search of online white pages, but intelius.com did a search of public records and offered to sell me the phone number, address, and birthdate of any of four David A Trampiers, approximately 51 years of age, in either Elgin or Carbondale, IL. It's likely that all four are the same person, just appearing at different addresses. No hits for David A Trampier were found in other states.

I didn't pay the $7.95 for basic info -- much less the background check et al. -- because I don't have anything to say right now beyond "Hey, I worship your work and sure wish you were doing more of it!"

It does seem like he could be reached, and although others who've done this same search & posted about it imply that he isn't eager to receive casual phone calls, word of a reward / lucrative job offer might be different.

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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:31 pm

One of my mottos is "you dont know unless you try"....

So pick up the damn phone and call him and let us know what happens. :wink:

"before chuck even gets in the room, you can feel the bad-ness." -Al

mdr003
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 11:31 pm

I never made it to Carbondale - it seems Illinois is a big state and its an 8 hour drive from Chicago to Carbondale.

There was an auction that finished a couple of days ago, for an early copy of Titan. The seller was a high school friend of Dave's and this copy was a prototype Dave gave to the seller before he started producing copies for sale through Gorgonstar. I was very keen on it, but as the auction was USA-only I asked Brian to bid on it for me - I thought I'd bid enough but I missed out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Titan-Original-by-c ... dZViewItem

I did have some email correspondance with the seller who gave me quite a bit of info about Dave, but he hasn't had any contact with him for 25+ years. I gave him links to the Acaeum and the newshound article, and he seemed keen to try and establish contact again with Dave, so perhaps he'll have some luck. He was astounded at the price he got for the game, as he had no idea Dave had such a strong following.

Regards

Mike

DungeonDelver
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:22 pm

My understanding about Dave's attitude towards games and gaming is thus:

The above-the-board, official on the record comment is "Thanks, but that's in the past now and I have no interest in it any longer."

The unofficial answer is "Get the fuck out of my face, I hate this stuff."

I have this information from a current games publishing company head who contacted Dave to try and get him to do artwork for a new old-school styled D20 project.

Tav_Behemoth
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:28 pm

Hmm. If I'm even considering the idea of using a lot of money to tempt someone to do something they hate, what does that say about my alignment?

Improv
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 8:18 pm

DungeonDelver wrote:My understanding about Dave's attitude towards games and gaming is thus:

The above-the-board, official on the record comment is "Thanks, but that's in the past now and I have no interest in it any longer."

The unofficial answer is "Get the fuck out of my face, I hate this stuff."

I have this information from a current games publishing company head who contacted Dave to try and get him to do artwork for a new old-school styled D20 project.

Sounds like Dave really wants to be left alone. While I am a big fan of Dave's work if he really wants no more involvement with the gaming world then all we can do is respect his wishes .... (artists do tend to be a bit tempermental :D )

jkason
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 8:18 pm

Tav_Behemoth wrote:Hmm. If I'm even considering the idea of using a lot of money to tempt someone to do something they hate, what does that say about my alignment?

Dave, get the barbarian in the corner a drink, quick!

jkason
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 8:23 pm

improvstone wrote:
DungeonDelver wrote:My understanding about Dave's attitude towards games and gaming is thus:

The above-the-board, official on the record comment is "Thanks, but that's in the past now and I have no interest in it any longer."

The unofficial answer is "Get the fuck out of my face, I hate this stuff."

I have this information from a current games publishing company head who contacted Dave to try and get him to do artwork for a new old-school styled D20 project.

Sounds like Dave really wants to be left alone. While I am a big fan of Dave's work if he really wants no more involvement with the gaming world then all we can do is respect his wishes .... (artists do tend to be a bit tempermental )

IIRC....

Dave had a HUGE falling out with TSR (and game companies in general), and just doesn't want to be bothered with the "fanboys". Last I heard, there was still a paycheck with his name on it when WOTC assumed TSR....just wants to put it behind him. Probably had something to do with the rights to his work.

To lok at it another way, read Wormy again, but from the point of view of someone who's making fun of gamers in general, wargamers in particular, and FRPG players specifically.

Back to the topic...It doesn't hurt to ask and tell him he has legions of fans, but if he says no, respect his decision and leave the man alone.

Dave, get the barbarian in the corner a drink, quick!

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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 11:06 pm

It kinda sounds like he is having more personal crisis than anything in particular with TSR, illustration, gaming personalities, etc.
Sounds like depression and/or other psyche/emotional issues just looking at everything we know.....Driving the night shift cabbie (no offense but it just sounds weird) from previously doing something entirely different. Not even talking with family for a couple of decades, etc.

Reminds me of the perfect Charles Bukowski character.

"before chuck even gets in the room, you can feel the bad-ness." -Al

RWilson
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:19 pm

"MR. Heathercliff?"
"Yes?"
"This is Chinaski."
"Yes, Mr. Chinaski?"
"I want a two dollar raise."
"What?"
"That's right. The truck driver got a raise."
"But he's been with us two years."
"I need a raise."
"We're giving you seventeen dollars a week now and you're asking for nineteen?"
"That's right. Do I get it or not?"
"We just can't do it."
"Then I quit." I hung up.

:) :) :) :) :) Kind of Trampy sounding, for sure....no cage with the golden bars for him....

OK, can you name this one, Chinaski fans?

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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:32 pm

I try not to read but I saw barfly. :lol: :lol: (not sure if that was an answer or a declaration)

"before chuck even gets in the room, you can feel the bad-ness." -Al

RWilson
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:34 pm

Sorry, I had a real Bukowski-drink myself stupid-pretend to be the only dude who can see the truth BlahBlah Blah phase......story is factotum, but the movie Barfly is better than all the books put together.....Hey where else will you see Frank Stallone and Mickey Rourke working off each other's deeply closeted love-that -dare-not-speak-its-name energy and mama's boy issues...

Guess you guys want your thread back....OK....climbing down off my soapbox now....

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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 11:04 pm

Preach on brother. I don't think we have strayed too far off of the topic here. :wink:

"before chuck even gets in the room, you can feel the bad-ness." -Al

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