Tharizdun wrote:If someone paid me Brom money I'd churn these bad boys out day and night if I were anyone else who worked for TSR, criticism be damned

I think you assume to much that Brom is better or worth more than Erol Otis.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder really.  I find Brom kinda boring and lifeless; this is of course only my opinion.  If givin the choice between a classic EO or a classic Brom (is ther one?) I would take the EO anyday.

Brom is not the metric of measurment here

I can speak for the committee that nothing was expected just for putting a name on a list....it was predicted people would drop out (especially as the price was upped $30 from the original suggestion).  Any number of reasons exist for someone to make a verbal commitment and then be unable to follow through.   No big deal.

I am happy as it looks like everyone that wants a print will get one....it always bothered me that someone might be on the outside looking in.  At this point that we are talking about a surplus is really a good thing, IMO.

Artists all work different ways. Some don't do preliminary sketches. So do many.  Some don't like a "set" subject and want their creative juices to flow.  I've had commisions from two artists (Jim Roslof and Jason Braun) and both were completely different....neither bad nor good, just different. Jim wanted to know EXACTLY what I wanted, wanted lots of details, did no preliminary sketches, and delivered the completely finished product in 30 days.  I was delighted with the result. Jason, OTOH, did at least three prelims, which I gave input on, and some things were changed as a result in the final drawings, and he didn't ask me for too many particulars but let his creative juices flow. I was delighted in the result.  Working with EO was different than both.  Artists all have their own quirks and eccentricities, and these have to be accounted for.  

Someone stated early on that it would be impossible to get 50 people all on board, and I agree. I could show you three different classic D&D pieces of art, and I'm sure there is no way 50 old school players would agree on all three.  At the current rate I'm very happy that we have as many people on board as we do.  It was never going to make everyone happy (what would) so I'm happy with what we have. I'm actually glad the people who don't like it are dropping out, because they appear to be doing it for the right reasons..to let someone else have a shot at it.  As gyg said, it would be easy to sit back and just resell the piece when it arrives, letting someone else have it instead is IMO a better solution.

Mike B.

I'm out.

(edit)

No slight intended to the artist or the EO committee, both of deserve my gratitude: the finished picture just isn't my cup of tea.

Here's the 72 hour update.  Five more people said they'd buy a print for a total of sixty.  Four more dropped out for a total of ten who have dropped.

We've heard from six more people on the list and one who wasn't on the list, Deimos3428!  And the nifty lemur will come through to buy a print!

Here's who I believe has yet to respond.

1. AdderMcOne
2. ExTSR  
3. Rabbit_67
4. johnhuck
5. jcp
6. Busman
7. Ethesis
8. silver
9. Burntwire Brothers
10. Kastegir

JasonZavoda wrote:And with all the damn complaints over the artwork are we even going to get another from Otus ( I sure as hell wouldn't be inclinded to do a special project for us if I were him after all this crap being thrown EO's way).

So next time, if there is one, lets keep it to 50 (or less) and make sure that the people who actually honored their commitments get dibs, not the ones who back out when this lengthy process actually comes to the finish line.

I don't think I'd be up for another one from EO. The idea for me was this was a one off Acaeum EO print. To have a second piece would detract from that. If there were an inclination towards this, I'd consider going down to another artist, possibly exploring inked artwork or greyscale, and even up and coming artists in their prime. But I don't think I'd be in for a second commissioned EO piece.

gyg wrote:... if I bought it then it would stay in the mailing tube, and eventually be sold on. This is in my opinion NOT what the project was all about. This was about a display piece for members of this forum, who would display it with pride, along with a sense of belonging. It would be a testement to this site and specifically to the hard work done by those few members who brought it to this conclusion. (ans the artist of course, who I still respect very much).

So to do people down who have backed out for, potentially, all the right reasons is poor form indeed. I think it's worse that this will be owned by people who have, for all intents and purposes, no real connection to this site and have (maybe) bought the print solely as an investment , but then maybe I'm cynical that way.

My copy will no doubt stay in it's shipping tube and be looked at on occasions. I don't have a games room to display it in, so there will be a big sticker on the tube marking it as a limited private commission from EO by Acaeum in the event that someone wants to research it and sell it after I'm pushing up daisies.

I agree with gyg. We all were given the freedom to chose whether we wanted to be in or not, and we were all given the choice of whether we wanted to pull out or not. I don't think we should be sitting hear passing judgement on eachother's decisions to stay in or pull out. Just respect the fact that were were all given the choice and chose to do as we wished.

I stayed in. I like in enough to pay what will likely be £75 all in, but I don't like it enough to give it wall space over some other things I'd be likely to display. From a purely commercial point of view, I doubt they'll sell for $80 on eBay (but you never know), but in time, we'll all have something worth at least what we've paid for it, and probably more.

Tharizdun wrote:If someone paid me Brom money I'd churn these bad boys out day and night if I were anyone else who worked for TSR, criticism be damned

If I were on the commitee, I'd be happy with Wham Bucks.  They don't lose their value either.

The Burntwire Bros. are still in. : ) Keep us informed.

JasonZavoda wrote:This was a deal for an unseen piece of artwork.

I can understand people backing down because of the cost or just their own finances, but after all the complaints and demands to increase the number of these prints it pisses me off to see people backing out because they don't like the art.

Not liking the art is fine (start a thread about it without polluting this one or send a pm to the committee). Backing out on an agreement is not in my book. Not when everyone knew this was an artists choice piece and everyone knew it was a commitment SIGHT UNSEEN.

When we have people saying, well I said I'd buy it, but I don't want it, but put me down for the next one... Well everyone who backed out on this one should be bumped to a waiting list for any future project.

And with all the damn complaints over the artwork are we even going to get another from Otus ( I sure as hell wouldn't be inclined to do a special project for us if I were him after all this crap being thrown EO's way).

So next time, if there is one, lets keep it to 50 (or less) and make sure that the people who actually honored their commitments get dibs, not the ones who back out when this lengthy process actually comes to the finish line.

Also agree with this post... at least in part.
However, I feel that those who backed out should be able to do so without any repercussions now or in the future.

EO's artwork is not for everyone… Obviously.
It is done in a style that some folks do not like and as such I could not hold those folks responsible for their lack of preference for this specific print.

I signed on for this print almost from the start. (Within a few days certainly)
Thanks again to the person who informed me of the print thread in time to make the original 50 list.
If not for that person I might never have gotten on the list at all.

Also; when it looked like only 50 copies would be made and the original 50 copies list had been completed and the wait list was created and then the wait list had filled to about 20 folks, I offered to back out to allow someone else to get one of the 50 copies.

I was swiftly reminded (by that same person and another friend) how truly rare something like this would be and how wonderful it would be to have a copy of something so personal to myself and other members of this site.
I changed my mind about bowing out and I am pleased that the EO Committee accepted my retraction.
Though none of that mattered anyway, since the number to be printed was later increased to 70 copies.

I look forward to seeing my copy when it arrives and it will be placed on a wall in my game room and I hope to enjoy it for many years to come!

BTW: I do not care if my prints market value goes through the floor either, since it aint for re-sale anyway.

PS: Frank, if you do write an adventure relating to this print, then PLEASE let this board know.
I want a copy of that one!

Heh, should be fun watching this little drama unfold even further now.  

Funny how, looking at the poll results now with your head tilted to the side, it's starting to look more and more like a raised middle finger.  Just sayin...