Larry Elmore
Encyclopedia
Larry Elmore is an American
fantasy
artist
whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines and fantasy books. His list of work includes illustrations for Dungeons & Dragons
, Dragonlance
, and the comic strip series SnarfQuest
. He is author of the book Reflections of Myth.
, and grew up in Grayson County
in midwestern Kentucky
. Elmore describes his schools days by saying "The rural school I attended didn't have any art program, so I spent my time drawing - and daydreaming. I was a pretty bad student. ... I was always getting into trouble for drawing in class. I wish I had a quarter for every drawing of mine a teacher destroyed." He majored in art at Western Kentucky University
.
Training Aids Department. Three years later, Elmore turned to freelance work, getting his art published in National Lampoon and Heavy Metal
magazines.
One of Elmore's friends introduced him to the Dungeons & Dragons
game while he was freelancing. Elmore joined the staff of TSR, Inc.
, the producers of Dungeons & Dragons
, in November 1981 and created art work for adventure modules
, game books, and novels, as well as paintings for posters and calendars and more. Elmore created the SnarfQuest
comic which appeared in Dragon, and was also in charge of creating a look for the Dragonlance
saga, and did much of the early sketches for the series.
Elmore was a staff artist at TSR Inc. and contributed to product development and design. He left TSR in 1987. Elmore has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering
collectible card game. He also provided cover art for the MMORPG
EverQuest
.
In 2003, Jan McRae was accused of plagiarizing Elmore's work for tracts printed by Family International, to which she later admitted having done.Over the years, Larry has sold the majority of his published artwork but he has retained the copyrights. His work appears in the book Masters of Dragonlance Art.
Elmore's paintings have been purchased by collectors throughout the United States, and in Europe. One collector, Joshua Wilton, owns more than 100 pieces of work by Elmore.
. He attends fantasy
and science fiction
conventions
held in the United States, and in Europe.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines and fantasy books. His list of work includes illustrations for Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, Dragonlance
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
, and the comic strip series SnarfQuest
SnarfQuest
SnarfQuest, drawn and written by Larry Elmore, is a fantasy comic strip with sci-fi and modern elements. Its epic fantasy-adventure context, along with its black-and-white art style, quirky humor, twinge of satire, and anachronistic elements, have earned it comparisons to Jeff Smith's acclaimed...
. He is author of the book Reflections of Myth.
Early life and education
Elmore was born August 5, 1948 in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, and grew up in Grayson County
Grayson County, Kentucky
Grayson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1810. As of 2000, the population was 24,053. Its county seat is Leitchfield. The county is named for William Grayson , a Revolutionary War colonel and a prominent Virginia political figure...
in midwestern Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Elmore describes his schools days by saying "The rural school I attended didn't have any art program, so I spent my time drawing - and daydreaming. I was a pretty bad student. ... I was always getting into trouble for drawing in class. I wish I had a quarter for every drawing of mine a teacher destroyed." He majored in art at Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
.
Career
A month after graduating from college, Elmore was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed in Germany. While in the army, he drove a tank. After getting out of the service, Elmore worked as an illustrator for the United States government for the Fort KnoxFort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
Training Aids Department. Three years later, Elmore turned to freelance work, getting his art published in National Lampoon and Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
magazines.
One of Elmore's friends introduced him to the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
game while he was freelancing. Elmore joined the staff of TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, the producers of Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, in November 1981 and created art work for adventure modules
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
, game books, and novels, as well as paintings for posters and calendars and more. Elmore created the SnarfQuest
SnarfQuest
SnarfQuest, drawn and written by Larry Elmore, is a fantasy comic strip with sci-fi and modern elements. Its epic fantasy-adventure context, along with its black-and-white art style, quirky humor, twinge of satire, and anachronistic elements, have earned it comparisons to Jeff Smith's acclaimed...
comic which appeared in Dragon, and was also in charge of creating a look for the Dragonlance
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
saga, and did much of the early sketches for the series.
Elmore was a staff artist at TSR Inc. and contributed to product development and design. He left TSR in 1987. Elmore has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
collectible card game. He also provided cover art for the MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
EverQuest
EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
.
In 2003, Jan McRae was accused of plagiarizing Elmore's work for tracts printed by Family International, to which she later admitted having done.Over the years, Larry has sold the majority of his published artwork but he has retained the copyrights. His work appears in the book Masters of Dragonlance Art.
Elmore's paintings have been purchased by collectors throughout the United States, and in Europe. One collector, Joshua Wilton, owns more than 100 pieces of work by Elmore.
Personal life
In 1971, before leaving for his Army service in Germany, Elmore married his wife Betty. He has two children and currently lives with his wife in Leitchfield, KentuckyLeitchfield, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,139 people, 2,485 households, and 1,615 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,797 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.63% White, 1.56% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.18%...
. He attends fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
conventions
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
held in the United States, and in Europe.