The wargaming world lost a legend this past weekend. Artist Rodger B. MacGowan, who drew so many wargame covers or designed the graphics for innumerable wargame passed away.
When most gamers talk about their favorite wargame, they often are referring to a designer or series or game mechanism. It is easy to forget, however, that wargames are a form of art. An essential artistic element of any wargame is the art or graphic design. When one first picks up a wargame, the first impression is almost always from the cover.
For myself, my wargaming journey started with Rodger. Just before Christmas 1979 I found a small game shop in the upper level of Southglenn Mall in the suburbs of Denver. On the shelves of Fascination Corner was a game unlike anything I had seen before. That Christmas Panzer: A Tactical Game of Armored Combat on the Eastern Front, 1941-1945 by Jim Day and published by Yaquinto Publishing (1979) appeared under my family Christmas tree. The cover remains one of my favorite MacGowan pieces even today.
Panzer was only the first of many wargames Rodger touched that is in my collection. By my rough count nearly 100 wargames—about 10% of my entire collection—are wargames that Rodger is associated with in some way. If I had to pick a favorite, it almost certainly is the cover for the Yaquinto ablum game Beachhead: A Game of Island Invasions in the South Pacific 1942-1944 (1980).
Rest in Peace, Rodger. As you look down from heaven you will surely see the many smiles on gamer’s faces as they look on at your work. Wargames and the art of Rodger B. MacGowan are forever linked in my heart, just as your memory will always be.
To learn more about the incredible life of Rodger B. MacGowan please read his profile at C3iOpsCenter https://c3iopscenter.com/about-us/profile-on-rodger-b-macgowan/.
Feature image courtesy RMN
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Rocky Mountain Navy Gamer 
Yes, totally agree. My first wargame was Beachhead, and the second one was Storm Over Arnhem. So a large part of how I visually perceived wargames was this MacGowan imprint.