| Steve Crompton | |
|---|---|
 Steve Crompton at Gencon 2017 | |
| Born | Steve Crompton 1962 (age 61–62) Canada |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist, Writer, Penciller, Inker, Editor, Colourist |
Notable works | Demi the Demoness, Grimtooth's Traps, Nuclear War Card Games, Tunnels & Trolls, City of the Gods: Forgotten |
Steven S. Crompton is a Canadian-born artist, author and designer who has worked in the role-playing and comic genres since 1981. In the gaming industry he is best known as the artist for the Grimtooth's Traps books as well as other Catalyst role-playing game supplements, Tunnels & Trolls and the Nuclear War card game.[1]
Steven Crompton went to Arizona State University art college for two years,[2] the Scottsdale Community College,[citation needed] and the Vo-Tech Commercial Art School.[citation needed]
Starting in 1981, Steve Crompton worked as staff illustrator for Flying Buffalo Inc., and did the art and designed some of the traps in ''Grimtooth's Traps''. He also did maps and Illustrations for numerous other RPG books and games published by the company from 1981-1985. during that period he did freelance work for Steve Jackson Games, Game Designers Workshop, Fantasy Games Unlimited, and others.
His first widely distributed comic was Elves of Lejentia #1 - 3, in 1987. In 1991, he was hired by Todd Loren to work on Psychoman and his own creation, Demi the Demoness. The Demi comics have been in continuous publication since 1992. Demi was adapted into a live-action movie and released on dvd in 2008 and new Demi comics continue to be published.[3]
He developed the art and marketing for the City of the Gods: Forgotten novel and related books, games and comics.[4]
Since 2005 he has managed entire projects, contributing to all aspects of a publishing endeavor including marketing, working directly with other creators, design, writing, art, maps, pre-press, printing liaison and final delivery to the end users. Recent examples include Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls RPG, 50th Anniversary Nuclear War (card game), Ace of Aces (picture book game) limited edition reprint, the Grimtooth's Ultimate Traps Collection an updated edition of the Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes RPG, and a 2nd edition of the Monsters! Monsters! RPG.
In August 2019, after the death of Flying Buffalo publisher "Rick Loomis", Steven was named the Managing Director of Flying Buffalo.[citation needed] He oversaw the continuation of Flying Buffalo's intellectual properties and ongoing publishing ventures.[citation needed] In August of 2021, Flying Buffalo's assets were sold, and a new company (WebbedSphere) took over the ownership of Flying Buffalo.[citation needed] Steve Crompton is currently the Art Director for Trollhalla Press Unlimited and is co-creating and working on RPG projects with "Ken St. Andre".[citation needed]
Besides Grimtooth's Traps and Nuclear War, other notable games his work has appeared include Tunnels & Trolls, Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes, Traveller, DCC RPG, Immortal, GURPS, Space Opera, Space: 1889, Lejentia Campaigns, Grid Iron, Lost Worlds, the Powerz Card Game, and many others.
Several of the games he has worked on have won the HG Wells "Origins Award", including Citybook, Stormhaven, Nuclear Escalation & Nuclear Proliferation card Games. Nuclear War won the "Hall of Fame Award" as one of the best card games of all time.[5]
Along with art, he also contributed to the design and writing of some of these products.[6]
Crompton is best known for his creation Demi the Demoness and his work as editor and designer of the Carnal Comics line since 2001, with over 35 books including Frank Brunner's Carnal Delights and Carnal Comics: the Inside Story. He has worked for Rip Off Press, Hippy Comix, Kitchen Sink Press, Cry for Dawn Productions, Revolutionary Comics and many others. He also created 100 comic-style art cards for the Topps Mars Attacks Invasion trading card series.[8]
Crompton has written a series of novels and short stories under the pen name M. Scott Verne. Currently these works are all related to the City of the Gods: Forgotten novels and other related books/games.[9]