I have stumbled on some new information so I have decided to combine an older feature, Sympathy for the Succubus, with a newer one, In Search of, for something new. In particular, my search for the roots of the succubus in D&D.
You can see my first three parts here:
Today I want to explore one of the "urban legends" of the early days of D&D. The David Sutherland III succubus art from the AD&D 1st Ed Monster Manual.
Let's start with what everyone knows or thinks they know.
 |
| Two 1977 Publications. What do they have in common? |
Oh, Sheila!
 |
| Sheila Mullen |
Sheila Mullen was the Playboy
Playmate of the month for May 1977. Certainly, the time period was right. The Monster Manual was published in December 1977. There are even a few pictures that *could be* right. The one to your right is a cropped version of the biggest contender.
This notion has been taken up by many modern writers, bloggers, and chroniclers, myself included.
Likely the source of all of this is the
Blog of Holding. Which only claims that the "body of one of these original succubi was copied from a Playboy centerfold." Sheila Mullen was a centerfold for 1977, making her the likeliest of choices.
Except that is *mostly* wrong.
Sweet as Honey
The date of 1977 is right, but the month was October. And it wasn't a centerfold.
I apologize for not remembering who it was that first clued me in on this idea, but it sent me down a rabbit hole of searching.
This issue is rather famous for having an interview with Barbara Streisand. I posted the cover above. The centerfold/Playmate is Kristine Winder, who sadly passed in 2011 at 55 from breast cancer. But neither she nor Sheila Mullen lived on in the pages of the Monster Manual.
No, that honor belongs to Honey Wells.
Miss Wells was featured in the "Ladies of Joy" pictorial by John Bowers, with photography by Robert Scott Hooper. It featured women in "the world's oldest profession."
As you can see here with the Sutherland Succubus, her photo is a good match.
 |
| Honey Wells and the Succubus. Covered for your protection as much as mine |
We don't know much about Miss Wells here. Save for what she tells us.
So there is no real way to research Miss Wells here. I doubt that is even her real name. Not to mention that this is a 45-year-old article, so much could have happened since then. If alive, she would be in her mid to late 60s now.
Which is too bad. I wonder if she ever knew that her pictorial inspired this art and that art was held in such fond memories of an entire generation of gamers.
Now I will concede that the succubus pic is likely inspired by Honey Wells and Sheila Mullen. The hands and hair fit a similar pose on Miss Mullen (pictured above), and the overall pose is Miss Wells.
Sadly David Sutherland passed away in 2005, so I can't approach him and confirm. Indeed, it was also more than 45 years ago, and any memory is likely blurred.
Though it is comforting that Sutherland, Wells, and yes, Mullen have a bit of D&D Immortality to call their own.
