Heavy Metal: The D&D Monster Manual Art of Dave “DAT” Trampier [30 Images]

“Trampier disappeared quite suddenly in the late ’80s — his Dragon strip “Wormy” simply stopped mid-story, and the checks sent him by TSR (payments for “Wormy” and other royalties) were returned unopened. Was he dead? That’s usually the case when someone fails to cash checks. Tom Wham, a fellow TSR artist and Trampier’s brother in law, maintained that Tramp was still alive — but admitted he didn’t know where he was.”

“Trampier’s status remained thus — disappeared, possibly dead — until 2002. Then the student newspaper of Southern Illinois University published a story that profiled a cab driver who identified himself as David Trampier. The author of the story did not know his subject as an artist — just a cabbie.”