David C. Sutherland III


David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of D&D.

Early life and inspiration

Sutherland was born April 4, 1949 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was a graduate of Minneapolis' Roosevelt High School. He trained as a commercial artist for two years at the Minneapolis Area Vocational Technical Institute before serving in the United States Army as a military police officer in the Vietnam War, serving in 1969–1970. After his return from the war, he began his career as a fantasy artist, while working odd jobs. His artistic talents were nurtured and developed by his father, a fellow artist. David C. Sutherland II worked in the paper industry and encouraged his son by bringing home creative materials and supplies.
He became involved with the Society for Creative Anachronism in the early 1970s. He spent his free time drawing sketches and cartoons related to these pastimes.

Career

Sutherland's involvement in game art began in 1974. After meeting Michael Mornard, a player in Gary Gygax' "Greyhawk" and then Dave Arneson's "Blackmoor" in the SCA, he was introduced to Professor M.A.R. Barker at the University of Minnesota in 1975. Barker was designing Tékumel, an imaginary world for use with D&D, published by TSR, Inc., the Wisconsin-based company that became the dominant publisher of role-playing games.
The professor put him in touch with TSR, and soon after, Sutherland was working for them. Sutherland worked with the D&D game's co-inventor, Gary Gygax, as part of a team of illustrators, including Erol Otus, Darlene Pekul, David Trampier, and others. Sutherland also worked as TSR's artistic director, but preferred working on his own illustrations. He worked at TSR until 1997 when the company was in the process of being purchased by Wizards of the Coast and he was not offered further employment.
After his relationship with TSR ended, Sutherland found it difficult to find work and, according to friends, felt abandoned by the gaming industry. Recently divorced, Sutherland remained upset about the dissolution of his marriage, became despondent and his health began to fail. An auction of Sutherland memorabilia—including artwork, miniature sculptures, games, and game memorabilia—was held in 2004, raising USD$22,000, used to set up a trust fund for his two daughters.
He died of chronic liver failure on June 6, 2005, in his home in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. He was buried on June 22, 2005, with full military honors at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is survived by his two daughters, Susan and Heather, and his mother, sister, and brother.

Notable works