Kerfuffle on Art...

Heh kerfuffle - great word for the whole S&W...um...thing that's going on. James M at Grognardia has some good things to say (for what it's worth, I think JimR over at LotFP also gets it mostly right).

One thing that James M indicated in his post & in the comments section is that the new cover isn't very appropriate as the new cover for S&W (paraphrase). I really like the new cover. I think that it's evocative of adventure, the weird underground city, village, shining...um...whatever it is. It's very cool. And so I like it.

But...

I didn't think about the idea of establishing the look for the line.

The image, while pleasing to me, just isn't memorable enough to say "This is what Swords & Wizardry is all about." It'd be better for an expansion, maybe an adventure (I'd buy the adventure that explores THAT place) or even a S&W type Dungeoneer's Survival Guide (though...um, more useful than the original perhaps?)

Anyway, establish the look with the rulebook cover art.

Here's what Otus did for D&D

And even Elmore (edited, thanks Tsojcanth...)

AD&D

and AD&D again

Even dragonlance had a look established by the very first product in the line

So, even though I like the new cover...it's NOT a good choice for S&W - for the rule book that will establish the look of the line.

Oh well, I'm glad I don't have to make those decisions...