Café de Nuit

Hey guys, I can't seem to find this anywhere searching around on the internet. I'm looking for the name of the artist that drew so many of the iconic images in the 2nd edition product line. His rendition of the tarokka deck was just fantastic, but he (she?) also did a ton of interior illustrations for many of the products, from the campaign rulebook, to several of the supplements - I particularly recall many of his works in the Van Richten Guides series, as those were always my favorite. He has a very understated style, all black+white, often includes interesting elements along the borders of his work.

I recently read the Arts and Arcana book that celebrated 40 years of D&D visual imagery, and it of course paid homage to all the heavy hitters like Caldwell, Easley, and the like. But it's driving me nuts that I can't recall the name of this particular artist who was amongst my favorites of that era. Here's one I found on a random search, not one of his best known works, but the first one I came across:

Stephen Fabian

http://www.stephenfabian.com

One of my favorite artists of the "weird". Hell, he is my favorite artist of the weird.

The Easley-Elmore one-two may have teased (kickstarted more likely) my imagination back in the day, making me wonder just what was happening in that fantastical scene, essentially dragging me into fantasyland and that particular scene, but Fabian was the undertow into pure wonderment. A doorway of sorts into the realms in between...dreamstuff, for lack of a better word. The bulk of his work anyway. Fantasy/weird...haze. haha I'll give up there. I can't describe it.

And speaking of which, has anybody else picked up on that lack of wonder that is currently the art for Dungeons and Dragons, or is it just me? Great, outstanding art, of that there is no doubt, but the majority of it comes off as character art, not ..a window into the world. Not sure how to really express it. In medias res. Anyway, it seems to lack depth, imagination inspiration, that burning vividness of wondering just what led up to that particular moment in time...like I said, as Easley and Elmore mastered, IMO.

Generally-speaking of course.

Maybe I'm just too nostalgic/rooted to that initial exposure to fantasy...meh. It is what it is.

I have the same issue, and I wish I could put a finger on exactly what it is, but it's something like what you said.

The new art is technically very good. It just doesn't call to my soul in the same way.

Hmm, interesting thoughts. I tend to love all the art of the various editions for very different reasons. Even the over-the-top 4th edition video game stuff is a feast for my eyes. That Art and Arcana book was a wonderful trip through the decades and I strongly recommend it to any fan, casual or hardcore.

But anyway, Fabian. Thanks! And I feel like a doofus for having forgot the name. Time to check out that link you thoughtfully provided. I'm hoping he offers re-prints of some of his older stuff. At one point I had 2 complete tarokka decks from 2nd edition, my own that came with the rest of the campaign box, as well as a friend's deck who lost all the rest of the material except for the cards. Now through various moves and the passage of time, I've sadly managed to misplace both decks, and I feel just sick about it.