{{Short description|American artist (born 1948)}} {{Infobox artist | name = Clyde Caldwell | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|2|20|mf=y}} | birth_place = [[Gastonia, North Carolina|Gastonia]], [[North Carolina]], U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | known_for = [[Fantasy art]] | training = | movement = | notable_works = | patrons = | awards = }}
'''Clyde Caldwell''' (born February 20, 1948)<ref name="Dragon #117">{{cite magazine | last = | first = | authorlink = | title = TSR Profiles | magazine = [[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]] | volume = | issue = 117 | pages = 84 | publisher = TSR, Inc. | date = January 1987 | url = | format = | issn = }}</ref> is an American [[artist]]. Self-described as a fantasy illustrator, he is best known for his portrayals of strong, sexy female characters.
With his work at [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]] in the 1980s, he is considered one of the artists contributing to fantasy art's "golden age".<ref>(April 6, 2011). "Jim Roslof: Obituaries: Graphic artist who helped to create Dungeons & Dragons, which became part of 1980s youth subculture", ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', p. 27.</ref>
==Early life== Born on February 20, 1948, in [[Gastonia, North Carolina]],<ref name="Dragon #117"/> Caldwell was interested in becoming an artist from an early age, "I became an artist sort of by default ... I couldn't do anything else! I was into music for awhile. I played the guitar for a local band. I also enjoyed writing both stories and songs. But drawing and painting were the easiest for me."<ref name="Dragon #117"/> Caldwell took up an interest in painting fantasy and science-fiction art while in junior high school. "My biggest influences back then were the covers of the [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] books. I wanted to paint pictures like those covers. My parents had always encouraged me in my artwork, but they didn’t understand why I was painting science fiction. They wanted me to paint landscapes and still lifes."<ref name="Dragon #117"/> Caldwell earned a fine arts degree at the [[University of North Carolina at Charlotte]], then graduated from the [[University of North Carolina at Greensboro]] with a Masters of [[Fine Arts]] degree. "I thought I might become a teacher, so I figured the masters degree was a good idea. When I started doing some fanzine work, that idea was shot."<ref name="Dragon #117"/>
==Career== Caldwell worked as an illustrator for ''[[The Charlotte Observer]]'' newspaper as well as doing commercial work for an advertising agency, before doing freelance illustrations for magazines such as a series of ''[[Barsoom]]'' covers for ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]''. He also did cover work for ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'', published by [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], publishers of the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' [[role-playing game]]. “I was offered a job three different times by TSR, Inc., when I was freelancing. Finally, the third time, I decided to come up to Wisconsin to meet the people I was working with long distance, whom I might eventually be working with face-to-face if I accepted the position. I really liked the company and the people, so I agreed that day to work for them.” Some of Caldwell's early work included the covers for the three paintings for the 1985 ''Greyhawk Adventures'' novels, and 1985's [[Dragonlance]] Calendar, three paintings for the 1986 ''[[Amazing Stories]]'' Calendar, plus the cover and three interior paintings for the 1987 ''Dragonlance Legends'' Calendar, as well as several Dragonlance module covers.<ref name="Dragon #117" /> He was also known for his work on ''[[Star Frontiers]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.blackgate.com/2011/01/12/art-evolution-18-clyde-caldwell/|title = Art Evolution 18: Clyde Caldwell |website=Black Gate|date = 12 January 2011 }}</ref> Artist [[Larry Elmore]] later commented that Caldwell's dragons, compared to those of other artists, appeared "more serpentine—slimmer and more snakeish."<ref>Phillips, Casey (February 19, 2010). "QandA with Larry Elmore", ''[[Chattanooga Times Free Press]]''. Distributed through [[McClatchy-Tribune News Service]], February 19, 2010.</ref>
Caldwell gained fame producing work for TSR from 1982 to 1992, illustrating many ''Dungeons & Dragons'' products at a time when the game was around the peak of its popularity. He was known in particular for his work on ''[[Ravenloft (module)|Ravenloft]]'' and ''Gazetteer'' gaming modules.<ref>Noles, Pam (September 7, 1995). "Tachycon 7", ''[[The Tampa Tribune]]''.</ref> Since 1992 he has again worked as a freelance artist.
His work was included as part of the 2002 collection ''Masters of Dragonlance Art''.<ref>D'Ammassa, Don (January 2003). "Masters of Dragonlance Art", ''[[DNA Publications|Chronicle]]'' '''25''' (1): 30.</ref> Caldwell has illustrated cards for the ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' collectible card game.
In 2014, Scott Taylor of ''[[Black Gate (magazine)|Black Gate]]'', named Clyde Caldwell as 9C in a list of The Top 10 RPG Artists of the Past 40 Years, saying "Clyde took great advantage of his place and offered up a great deal of sublime and lasting work, although he was never really one to go outside of TSR even after he left the company, although like many he went into covering novels."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.blackgate.com/2014/02/12/art-of-the-genre-the-top-10-rpg-artists-of-the-past-40-years-2/ | title=Art of the Genre: The Top 10 RPG Artists of the Past 40 Years – Black Gate | date=12 February 2014 }}</ref>
===Alleged plagiarism of Caldwell's work=== In 2003, a [[Flash animation]] [[slideshow]] titled {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309090413/http://www.geocities.com/familyartcorner/ |date=March 9, 2008 |title=Family Art Corner }} was released [[Anonymity|anonymous]]ly, alleging that a woman named Jan McRae had [[plagiarized]] the work of many artists, including Caldwell, for reproduction in [[proselytization]] [[tract (literature)|tracts]] printed by the [[Children of God (cult)|Children of God]] cult.<ref>[http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Plagiarized_art Plagiarized art] at xFamily.org</ref> After the slideshow was released, [[Karen Zerby]], leader of the Children of God, acknowledged that McRae had copied the work of others, as did McRae herself, and McRae admitted wrongdoing.<ref>[http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Which_Comes_First:_The_Revelation_or_the_Artwork%3F Which Comes First: The Revelation or the Artwork?], xFamily.org</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.clydecaldwell.com}} * [http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?8807 Clyde Caldwell] at the [[Internet Speculative Fiction Database]] * {{cite web|url=http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=1059 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050310235800/http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=1059 |archivedate=March 10, 2005 |title=Clyde Caldwell at Pen & Paper}}
{{D&D topics}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caldwell, Clive}} [[Category:1948 births]] [[Category:American fantasy artists]] [[Category:American illustrators]] [[Category:American role-playing game artists]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Gastonia, North Carolina]] [[Category:University of North Carolina at Charlotte alumni]] [[Category:University of North Carolina at Greensboro alumni]]