Tom Wham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the football player, see Tom Wham (football player).

Tom Wham is a designer of board games. He also produced the artwork for his own games with simplistic but whimsical illustrations.

He's primarily known for the games he wrote for Dragon magazine, which were printed on cardstock included in the centerfold of the magazine. The games usually featured comical storylines and interesting crude artwork.

Notable games published this way include:

Snit's Revenge: Originally published in Dragon (1978). A game of little creatures (Snits) who finally want to kill the giant elephantine Bolotomi who are smashing them. Also a boardgame by TSR, and now published by Steve Jackson Games as well.
The Awful Green Things From Outer Space: Originally published in Dragon #28 (1979). A game of green aliens invading a spaceship. Eventually published as a separate game by TSR, Inc. and later published by Steve Jackson Games.
Search for the Emperor's Treasure: Originally published in Dragon #51 (1981). Players take the roles of adventurers searching a fantasy empire for the emperor's scattered magical treasures. A revised edition was included in a box set called "The Best of Dragon Games", 1990.
File 13: Originally published in Dragon #72 (1983), A game about designing board games. Really. A second edition was reissued in "The Best of Dragon Games".
King of the Tabletop: Originally published in Dragon #77(1983), this is a game in which people create their own kingdom from little cardboard chits representing land, characters, and events. Very similar to Magic: The Gathering in gameplay, and is thought by some to be a major inspiration for it. Also expanded and published commercially as Kings and Things by West End Games, Games Workshop, and later, in a German edition, Pegasus Spiele.
Elefant Hunt: Originally published in Dragon #88 (1984). Great White Hunters travel through deapest darkest Aferca with the help of natives to capture as much live animals and ivory as they can to sell for profit.