Phoenix rolled out the red carpet for this year’s Comicon. While the Pile didn’t put on another home brewed Dungeon Delve, the gang still decided to walk the floor and see what the dealer hall had to offer. One booth in particular was inhabited by a talented illustrator named Travis Hanson. We were astounded by his work. Let’s gaze together.

Travis’ Artwork
What immediately caught stroke Ben was an amazing piece entitled “Dad’s Garage”. Every gamer can relate to it. The illustration is stuffed with detail. Your eye gleefully wanders and every glimpse reveals something new. Ben proudly hangs his autographed print on his office wall at work. Jason snagged “The Wishing Well” which certainly strikes a chord with any dreamer. Ben also picked up “Dragon Hunters” as it reminded him of his ongoing Pathfinder Gen Con adventure (the Short Nine). You can browse and order any of his fantastic prints here. Frame tip: forget all that pricey custom stuff. Buy poster frames, add a matte backing and center your illustration within it. Turns out just grand.

The Bean Books
Need a fun adventure to read with your little gamer-to-be each night? Then emerge yourself in the adventure of the Bean. A young dishwasher thrust into an incredible adventure. Nominated for an Eisner Best Digital Comic in 2011, Bean can now be found as 2 incredible graphic novels. Comicon goers got their books signed with a custom sketch on the inside cover. You can order the books here and even get ‘em digital (for just $4).

Buttons for a Buck
Rob had a great idea of collecting pins/buttons and hanging them on his Comicon lanyard. Hanson’s booth was selling slick buttons of his best characters. The scene was set. The whole Pile gang picked out a button of their liking – which also made another great Con memento (for a $1 apiece). Ben hopes to add a couple more pins and buttons from future Con events.

Speedy Sketch
While we were shooting the breeze with Mr. Hanson, he asked us to give him a character class. I blurted out “crazy pirate wizard” and in a matter of a minute, he had sketched me a one-of-a-kind drawing. Amazingly, he continued on with our D&D chat, all the while barely looking down as his pen moved magically on the paper.

So you see the RPG world isn’t all about terrain, blog posts and miniatures (well maybe a little for minis). Art deserves a place in your pile too. Thank you, Travis Hanson. As Charles Horton Cooley once said, “An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one.”

Questions to Ponder: Do you have any cool D&D stuff framed on your walls? What’s the best illustration you picked up from a Con? If you could any iconic image on your wall, what would it be and why.

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