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- As part of May’s Personality Spotlight double feature, we pried the paintbrush away from our very own Todd Lockwood to get his thoughts on monks, monsters, and other issues near and dear to his heart. Check out this month’s 3rd Edition D&D Real Audio interview with Todd Lockwood, Jonathan Tweet, and host Brian Mitchell. (To hear the clips you will need Real Player G2.)
Q: What was your reaction when you heard that monks were coming back to Dungeons & Dragons? A: I liked the idea. I hated to see something that was integral to my experience of the game removed, so it was good to see them coming back. Q: Will we see an Eastern or Asian influence on the look of D&D now that monks are back in the game? A: Given that many of their weapons are derived from Asian types, and that their dress is different from the armor of the Euro-fighter types, they were bound to have something of an Asian influence to their look. But we specifically made NONE of the iconic Monk characters Asian, while also making some of the NON-Monk characters Asian for the same reason: "Monk" is a skill set, not a race or ethnic group. Sam and I were very clear on that from the beginning, and were happy to learn that the R&D guys agreed. Q: In much of our art, we show characters in ornate armor or flashy robes. Was it difficult to depict the appeal of monk characters, given their lack of eye-catching attire? A: Not at all. It's nice to have visual variety in anything. Monks were a good chance to do something different from the other stuff we were working on. With monks, it's all about physical training and perfection, nonrestrictive clothing, and freedom of movement. That translates into skin and muscle. Nothing difficult about that... :o) Q: Now that we're in the home stretch toward the launch of 3rd Edition D&D, how much would you say the look of the game has changed since the last time we chatted (December 1999)? A: Most of the work, on characters at least, was done then. There have been some modifications made to minor things, like weapons chosen for particular character classes. That sort of thing. Since then, however, we have been working on monsters, giving everybody a makeover where it was needed and designing the dragons. I can tell you, the Monster Manual is going to rock! Q: Can you tell us what you're working on right now for D&D? A: I just finished the cover for the first 3rd Edition D&D adventure module, The Sunless Citadel, and will start this week on the next module cover, Forge of Fury. I also did a display piece for the ad guys and the cover of the Adventure Game boxed set, which will appear in Toys ‘R’ Us and such. Meantime, Sam and I (along with a host of some of the best fantasy freelancers in the biz) are doing some of the Monster Manual and Dungeon Master Guide final illustrations. Before joining the Wizards of the Coast art staff in September of '96, Todd Lockwood was a sixteen-year veteran of advertising, with agents in Denver and New York, where his clients included McDonald's, B.F. Goodrich, and Amtrak. His work has appeared on the covers of numerous books, Dungeon and Dragon magazines, and game products and on playing cards for Wizards of the Coast, on the covers of Asimov's and Analog, and in the pages of Science Fiction Age and Realms of Fantasy.
For Wizards of the Coast, his most recent passion has been the revamping of the "look and feel" of the Dungeons & Dragons line. As a roleplaying enthusiast of over twenty years, it is a "pinch me" job. Among the honors his artwork has received are two World Fantasy Convention Art Show awards, four Chesleys, and appearances in Spectrum III, IV, V and VI. In his spare time he is currently designing action figures for Antiquities Vault, for their Middle Earth toy line (the first of which, the Nazgul Lord, should be out soon), and is the Vice-President of ASFA, the Association of Science Fiction/Fantasy Artists (see asfa-art.org on the internet). Todd lives in Washington state with his wife, three children, a rat, and Spook. Credits: 1999: Numerous covers for TSR books and products, including an award winning cover for the Dragonlance Annotated Chronicles, and honored pieces for Dragon magazine and the Ravenloft line. Design work for the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition release. The cover for the first book outside of TSR by Dungeons and Dragons' alumni Ed Greenwood, The Kingless Land, from TOR books. 1996-1998: TSR Staff Illustrator, working across the board on most all of TSR's game worlds, particularly Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, and Ravenloft, with Chesley winning art for Dragon magazine as well. 1994-1995: Two years running, Todd receives awards for Best Monochrome Art at the World Fantasy Convention, a juried art show for genre professionals, for his personal pieces Cerberus and Kali. 1981-1996: Professional illustrator with representatives in Denver and New York. Clients including McDonald's, B.F. Goodrich, German Playboy, Coors, more Satellite dish companies than he cares to think about, and numerous books and magazines. Appearance in Communication Art's Art Annual of 1985. 1976 to present: Active role-player, including Dungeons and Dragons, Gamma World, Empire of the Petal Throne, Middle Earth, Shadow, Earthman, and others |
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Todd
Lockwood (May)
