# tolkien fans - strangest LOTR illustrations ever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036 "2014-06-04T15:33:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/1 "2014-06-04T15:33:22Z")
There have been many visual interpretations of “Lord of the Rings”. I’m a fan of Ted Naismith’s. and well as JRRT’s own. I’m glad Peter Jackson chose Alan Lee and John Howe as inspirations for his films and not the Hildebrandt Brothers. Here though is a link to some of the wildest Middle Earth artwork you will ever come across [http://io9.com/these-medieval-style-tolkien-illustrations-are-like-not-1585380478](http://io9.com/these-medieval-style-tolkien-illustrations-are-like-not-1585380478) apparently they have been included in some Russian language versions of the trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/2 "2014-06-04T15:45:28Z")
Very cool! ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/3 "2014-06-04T15:51:01Z")
Frodo’s really rocking that top hat on Weathertop… I _love_ these (especially the Ents - I’m a _huge_ fan of Ents who look like Tolkien’s actual descriptions of tree-like giants, not just walking trees), but they’re far from the strangest Tolkien illustrations I’ve seen. I think [Portuguese Bilbo](http://www.hobbithunter.nl/web/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Portugese-Hobbit-3.jpg) is my favourite! But there’s lots more at [Hobbithunter](http://www.hobbithunter.nl/web/v/Hobbitsihave)… ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/4 "2014-06-04T15:51:16Z")
Cool. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/5 "2014-06-04T16:01:18Z")
They’re lovely. They remind me a bit of the Book of Kells. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/6 "2014-06-04T16:49:07Z")
I like them a _lot_. The illustrations in my edition of _Farmer Giles of Ham_ are nice medieval line-drawings, and it adds to the charm of the story. My favorites in this bunch are the Council of Elrond and the crowning of the King. Heh - for the crowning, Gandalf is on one side of Aragorn, and two hobbits and a ladder are necessary on the other. Funny. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/7 "2014-06-04T16:53:05Z")
Some nifty stuff there, I’ll have to peruse more later. ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/8 "2014-06-04T18:14:35Z")
I was expecting one of those “Five Book Covers That Hilariously Missed the Point” kind of articles, but I agree with the others that these are very cool. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/9 "2014-06-04T18:28:06Z")
Awesome - glad I found this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/10 "2014-06-04T18:38:15Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I think [Portuguese Bilbo](http://www.hobbithunter.nl/web/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Portugese-Hobbit-3.jpg) is my favourite! It’s Charles Schulz’s _The Hobbit_! Bilbo Baggins, you blockhead! ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/11 "2014-06-04T18:49:48Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > It’s Charles Schulz’s _The Hobbit_! > > Bilbo Baggins, you blockhead! I love it when Galadriel pulls the football away just as he’s about to kick it. I know she wasn’t in the Hobbit, but who really remembers Belladonna Took? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/12 "2014-06-04T18:50:47Z")
…Linus, sitting in a pumpkin field, waiting for the Eye of Sauron to rise… ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/13 "2014-06-04T18:54:40Z")
I’d like to Gandalf vs Saruman interpreted as Snoopy vs The Red Baron. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/14 "2014-06-04T19:10:00Z")
I like Gandalf wearing the Snuggi while riding Shadowfax. StG ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/15 "2014-06-04T20:08:25Z")
Beautiful neo-medieval art! Very expressive! One of my favorites is Frank Frazetta’s depiction of Eowyn facing the Witch King. In typical Frazetta style, she isn’t wearing very much. No, not much at all. It makes you wonder just how blind the Rohirrim must have been, not to see Durnhelm’s ample curves! ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/16 "2014-06-04T20:15:24Z")
very, very nice indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/17 "2014-06-04T20:58:18Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > I know she wasn’t in the Hobbit, but who really remembers Belladonna Took? She single-handedly took on Saruman armed only with a fucking umbrella. Not a mounted army, not giant walking trees hurling boulders, but with an _umbrella_. Bitch was hardcore. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/18 "2014-06-04T21:05:44Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > She single-handedly took on Saruman armed only with a fucking umbrella. Not a mounted army, not giant walking trees hurling boulders, but with an _umbrella_. Bitch was hardcore. That was Lobelia Sackville-Baggins 😉 Gandalf had his eye on Belladonna though, so she was probably quite something herself. I love the artwork in the OP. Also, I love the suggestion in the comments on the io9 article that the whole LotR should be done as a Bayeux-style tapestry… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/19 "2014-06-04T21:46:46Z")
I love that Dead Marshes-- It captures the atmosphere perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036/20 "2014-06-05T12:57:47Z")
I forgot to link to what I consider the absolute best weird Tolkien artist, [Cor Blok](http://www.corblok.com/). I love his [Bill Ferny as a Magritte](http://www.corblok.com/projects/bill-ferney-hit-by-an-apple-original-art-e2-000/) (although it seems to predate [The Son of Man)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Son_of_Man) Tolkien loved them enough to buy two himself. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tolkien-fans-strangest-lotr-illustrations-ever/690036.md?page=2)