Is this the Alan Smithee of RPG illustration?

[Lofgeornost]

I noticed that Through Sunken Lands, which looks interesting, lists as one of its artists 'Pis Aller.' Really?

 

[TristramEvans]

....is it pronounced "piss" or "pees"?

 

[Kobayashi]

in french it's closer to "pees"

 

[Justin Alexander]

And they are, in fact, French.

I'm assuming ironic pseudnoym, though, unless their parents had a terrible sense of humor.

(In French, it means "the last resort.")

 

[Lofgeornost]

I'm assuming ironic pseudnoym, though, unless their parents had a terrible sense of humor.

That makes a lot of sense; as a real name it would be up there with Ima Hogg (or the apocryphal Ura Hogg).

 

[T. Foster]

Jeff Easley at TSR signed some works "Jack Fred" presumably when he felt they were rushed or otherwise not up to snuff. The Temple of Elemental Evil module includes a lot of illustrations signed J. Fred, Jack F., and Jack Fred. The cover of Isle of the Ape is also signed Jack Fred. Of course, TSR undercut that by still listing him as Jeff Easley in the credits of both modules...