CT Only: The Pic That Sold Me On Traveller

[GameDaddy]

The artwork did not catch my eye... This was on the front & back of my first boxed set (in shrinkwrap)... that I bought.

I had played Traveller before I bought it in the Winter of 77/Spring of 78. A friend was running Traveller games for us when he was back home on vacation from Colorado State University.

This is Free Trader Beowulf,
calling anyone...
Mayday, Mayday... we are under attack...
Main Drive is gone...
Turret number one not responding...
Mayday... losing cabin pressure fast...
Calling anyone... please help...
This is free trader Beowulf, Mayday.

 

[Peter Newman]

I always assumed that the box on his right hip was a Map Box, given that it's about the right size, that a Map Box is one of the few pieces of gear specifically called out as being a _box_, and given that a map would be useful for a soldier.

 

[GameDaddy]

Then, I flipped to this Dietrick image: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/18/15/82/1815829583765ad99ff16c991490b87e.jpg

I didn't buy the set right then. Money was tight. I didn't have a job. I was just learning to drive. I went home, but I couldn't stop thinking about that one B&W image.

The next day, I went back to the store and bought the game.

And, I've been in love with Traveller ever since.

I was really into hard Sci-Fi from about 1974 on, and had already read many many sci-fi novels and had a subscription to Analog Science fact / Science Fiction Magazine. It would have to be this quintessential image from the July 1978 cover of Analog magazine, but there were many other stories and photos that had already primed me to play Traveller;

I also have an Imgur Gallery here of Sci-Fi artists that were inspiring for Traveller.

https://imgur.com/gallery/XHbuI5C

as well as the artwork of Christopher F. Foss;
https://www.chrisfossart.com/

and

https://www.chrisfossart.com/category/portfolio/spaceship/

...and finally lots of inspiration for you all at the 70's Sci-Fi Art Tumblr here;
http://70sscifiart.tumblr.com/