Okay, people, you have been collecting his work for years, and some of you say he means a lot to you.  I am writing a letter myself to him, to let him know what he and his body of work means to me, personally, and how it has affected my life.  

    You want in?  Cool.  I want you to sit down and think hard.  Has this man ever affected you in any positive way?  I want anecdotes, personal reminiscing, tales of how you were inspired OUTSIDE the game to do something that improved your life, or just brought others pleasure.  Think about what you thought, how it affected you, when you first saw that DMG cover.  

    Don't bul*shit, either.  If there's nothing there, then there's nothing there.  There's no shame in that, but do your part and get the word out.  Talk to your collector and gaming friends, go to your favorite message boards, maybe they have something they can add.  And yes, you will have your name on it.  No 'anonymous' comments.  This is personal, between us fans and David Sutherland III.  

    We have a week to do this, posting right here.   An example?  Dave left me a drafting table, which I in turn gave to my friend Mark, who, after lovingly restoring the table (he is a gamer and knows history when he sees it)  is now doing his own very high quality pen-and-ink illustrations.  I intend to include one of those illos with the letter.

    Let's get contemplative, and then get cracking, okay?  I want Dave to see this before it's too late and he's gone.

Centurion13

Here goes:

I grew up in a lower blue collar neighborhood outside Detroit in the 1970s to early 1980s. The odds of kids from that demographic going on to college or any secondary school were low - very low. Most of our dads worked for the auto industry which was in shambles during that time. College and education, in general,  was not pushed - the unions were next on the ladder just below God.

Me and my friends (11 of us) got into gaming in the late 1970s (we were aged 10-13). I give D&D a great deal of credit for keeping us away from drugs and maintaining a positive influence - being heroic and good, even the little guy can beat the big guy, etc. That frame of mind was in no small part related to D&D. And D&D, even though a paper-based game, was a game of the imagination. The artists of the day, Sutherland included, gave us pictures that inspired us and linked us to an imaginary world.


Nine out of the 11 have college degrees, and several with MAs. Most are now married with children. One went to West Point. One is a Colonel in the Air Force with a Ph. D. We stayed together during those young years and as we graduated, we worked hard to go to college. It was peer pressure - but on a positive level. The bond that kept us together was our love of gaming. To this very day, we go to Gen Con, even though we are spread out all over the USA. It is our guys-night-out (for a few nights).

So there it is. D&D, and the artists that gave us imagery, have a profound place in my life. In the D&D game, our characters strived to achieve lofty goals. That transcended into real life. I used that focus to get where I am today: I own a small building company that builds around 10 new homes a year with gross revenues of about $3 Million per year. That's a far cry from the kid who delivered newspapers so he could just do what other kids took for granted.

Disclaimer: I talk a great deal about college, but only use it as context to prove that even low income kids can achieve their goals if they work hard. In no way do I suggest going to college is the be all and end all. I have a journalism degree for pete's sake. I just want to illustrate that a group of kids achieved a 80% college grad rate where as the average for that area was maybe 10%. College is extremely overrated, in general.

grodog wrote:

Centurion13 wrote:Let's get contemplative, and then get cracking, okay?  I want Dave to see this before it's too late and he's gone.

Centurion13, I think I must have missed something---from the way you're talking, it sounds like he's dying??? :/

See this thread he is in a deep depression and may have a fatal illness.

Sutherland Art - What's the True Value?

I think David Sutherland will go down in history as a GIANT in the world of fantasy art.  He is a true legend, not at all dissimilar to the beings his mind and hands brought to paper over the last 30 years.  Just as we all strove for immortality with our D&D chararcters, David managed to achieve it.
His artistic vision, creativity and influence will be felt long after the rest of us have passed through into the forgetfulness of history.  

It saddens me to hear that someone who I have always admired is currently unwell.  I hope in his waning years he can take pride in the fact that his name alone inspires thousands of wonderful memories for anybody who played D&D and that many who have never met him care greatly for him to this day.  The art he created takes us all back to a time of fantatsic adventures and the innoncence of youth.  If it is within his power to change his situation I truly hope he does.  The world is certainly a better place thanks to him and his presence would be greatly missed.

Thanks for all the journeys you sent me on David and if you're ever in the Boston area I'll try not to cut you off in the ridiculous traffic.

Dave,

This is short and sweet.  You painted the fantastic original DM's Guide cover.  It will stand the test of time by living on in our memories and future player's memories.  DMs and players alike of this great game will remember that painting and, by association, you for a very long time.   
Not many of us are able to leave behind something from this existence that will continue to touch many people far after we are gone.  You have done that.  Bravo to you!

William

Mr. Sutherland,

Some of my best memories growing up were around a game table with good friends.  Character building, long standing, long remembered happy memories.  Your art and contribution to the hobby of early D&D enabled us to have the game and the friendships and memories because of it.

I hope, in my life, to have had such a lasting impact on people who come into contact with MY life's work.  I suppose the only tragedy is you probably don't know that there are so many of us who have been inspired or effected by your work and by extension by YOU.  

From what I hear, things are difficult for you now and for that I'm sorry.  We are all writing these notes in the hopes that just some of what we would like to convey comes through to you.  That you are an admired, respected and wanted part of the community you helped build so many years ago.  

If you find the energy or interest in letting us know how you're doing or even want to share old stories, we'd love to hear from you.  If that's not in the cards, then well, just know I am thankful I crossed paths with your imagination... I would not be the person I am today without that experience!

Best Wishes

-Jon Oakes

Mr. Sutherland,

I also wanted to thank you for the wonderful art you've produced over the years. When I look back at the work you've done, from the first Basic Set to the DMG, I remember some of the happiest times of my youth, sitting around the table with good friends, gaming books and dice. Your art was a big part of that and I want to thank you and wish you luck with the challenges you're facing in life.

Best regards,

Alec

Stormber, where do you live?  I have Dave's current address - he just called me this evening, and I ran all the way down the block when one of the neighborhood kids told me who was on the phone.  

I was right - his condition is terminal, and we'll be lucky if he sees Christmas.  He just turned 55 on April 4, so wish him a happy birthday, if you want.  I am going to gather all these missives together on Sunday, so if you know anyone else who can post meaningfully, please get them in front of a computer.  

Regards,

Centurion

Mr. Sutherland,

I'd like to thank you for your contributions to the D&D game which has had such an important impact upon my life - both recreationally and professionally (D&D got me interested in history, which I now teach).  The D&D game, and particularly the artwork within it, opened up infinite vistas to my young imagination and provided me with some of my most cherished memories.

Best regards,

Red