The Best - and the Worst - of the Module Back Covers

Earlier TSR modules had a piece of rear art to complement the front cover, which also served to tease potential buyers as to what might lurk within.  This piece was smaller, covering roughly 1/3rd of the back cover, and was occasionally every bit as evocative as the main front cover artwork.  Sometime around 1982/3 they dropped this practice, replacing it with flavour text, which while informative, did not have the same charm.

So, what were the best pieces of art used? Bear in mind there's a much smaller selection to choose from, here's my top 10:


10) B4 - The Lost City

A classic trap - a scything blade coated with slime for good measure - I always loved the dwarf's shocked expression. It's not exactly an artistic masterpiece, but as with the front cover, it suited the tone of the adventure.



9) S4 - The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth

A marked contrast to the dynamic front cover, this piece of rear art showed the party nervously surveying their surroundings, but oblivious to the horror descending behind them.



8) T1 - The Village of Hommlet

Much better than the dodgy front cover, the party are welcomed to Hommlet by a smiling Burne.  But his friend Rufus looks less than impressed.



7) X2 - Castle Amber

A key moment in the adventure, where the party meet their mysterious benefactor - who also happens to be the one who trapped them in the Chateau.



6) U1 - Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

Every bit as atmospheric as the front cover, and just as much of a spoiler too!



5) C2 - Ghost Tower of Inverness

Another one where the back cover art was much better than the front.  This Jeff Dee piece is colourful and exciting. Don't be messing with Fire Giants now!



4) S1 - Tomb of Horrors

"Oooo look at this jet black hole in the devil face, I wonder........?"
"Screw that, I'm walking into the mist!"
An iconic image of one of the most famous locations in AD&D history.



3) D1-2 - Descent into the Depths of the Earth

"Mmmmmmm, fresh, warm, living braaaaiiinnsss."



2)  S2 - White Plume Mountain

Blackrazor, big muscles, and posing pouch.  What more could you want?




1) B2 - The Keep on the Borderlands

There's no action in this.  No monsters either.  Just a simple group of adventurers in silhouette, approaching the eponymous Keep.  But as a piece of fantasy art it is perfect.  Erol Otus wins again.




And the howlers...

5) B1 - In Search of the Unknown

This artist Darlene did some wonderful line drawings for the 1E hardback books.  This piece from the back cover of B1 was not in the same league:



4) D3 - Vault of the Drow

A beautiful Succubus with her vampiric beau... but her facial features are somewhat, erm, masculine?  Hmmm, an early example of indistinct gender in fantasy art, or just a bad drawing?



3) D1 - Descent into the Depths of the Earth (original monochrome cover)

My kids could do better than this...



2) A4 - In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords

Cover art is meant to show something about the adventure itself.  There's no vampire in A4. Nul points therefore.



1) L1 - The Secret of Bone Hill

The legend 'wins' again, but he can be forgiven this one.  The story goes thus - Erol Otus was so unimpressed by the adventure itself that when asked to provide a piece of art for the back cover he just drew a random piece of crap that had nothing to do with the module in question.  He succeeded admirably, with this decidedly wonky Hydra!


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