Fred Fields modeled his cover art for A Paladin In Hell (1998) after a section of the classic full-page art of the same name on page 23 of the Player’s Handbook (1978), drawn by David C. Sutherland III. It’s a clear homage, and I love it.
Let’s take a closer look!
The Paladins
Sutherland’s PaladinFields’ Paladin
The two Paladins are much alike, even down to fine details.
Sutherland’s “A Paladin in Hell” is one of the few titled art pieces in early AD&D.
The Devils
Sutherland’s Barbed DevilFields’ Barbed Devil
The Devils are quite different, though themes are retained, such as the barbed elbows, knees, and continuous barbs.
The Barbed Devil
Let’s compare Sutherland’s Barbed Devil with the illustration by another great D&D artist, David A. Trampier in the Monster Manual (1977), page 21.
Trampier’s Barbed DevilSutherland’s Barbed Devil
The two old school portraits are very consistent: Head horns, hook nose, fangs, knee and elbow barbs, tail spikes.
I don’t know which came first, or whether the artists coordinated their work. The Monster Manual predates the Players Handbook by a year, but that may or may not be relevant.
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