Tolkien 📔Book Covers

[Oromedur]

Yes I knew the John Howe one, the LOTR ones I just wasn’t sure as if they are Ted Naismith they just aren’t don’t seem to be very prominent in his catalogue these days.
I like Asfaloth and Frodo in the picture and the waves, but the Black Riders not so much.

the Two Towers image captures really well the hardship endured by Frodo and Sam IMO.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

There was a series of portfolios printed in England, some years ago. I don't know if Naismith featured in it, but Barliman gave me John Howe's set. Regrettably, he kept my favorite's, Alan Lee, for himself. We wants it!

I wonder if some Russian publisher did any prints of the Gordeyev illustrations; I certainly wouldn't mind having some of those.

Though, like the Howe set, they'd have to remain in the portfolios, as all available wall space chez moi is occupied by bookshelves. 😞

 

[Barliman]

There was a series of portfolios printed in England, some years ago. I don't know if Naismith featured in it, but Barliman gave me John Howe's set. Regrettably, he kept my favorite's, Alan Lee, for himself. We wants it!

Mine Mine mine! Out out out! Mine mine! you hear me!?

 

[Oromedur]

There was a series of portfolios printed in England, some years ago. I don't know if Naismith featured in it, but Barliman gave me John Howe's set. Regrettably, he kept my favorite's, Alan Lee, for himself. We wants it!

I wonder if some Russian publisher did any prints of the Gordeyev illustrations; I certainly wouldn't mind having some of those.

Though, like the Howe set, they'd have to remain in the portfolios, as all available wall space chez moi is occupied by bookshelves. 😞

I’m going through planning just now for a double garage with home office above. Definitely planning on having so good Tolkien art on the walls.
Stuff like this:


[IMG alt="Beren and Luthien in the Court of Thingol and Melian
60 x 110 Oil on Linen 2015
the declaration of love for Luthien by Beren and Thingol's demand for a Silmaril, from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion
private collection"]https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/...n-donato-1400-0164.jpg#RDAMDAID19463157[/IMG]


[IMG alt="The Taming of Sméagol
48 x 36 Oil on Panel 2011
collection of Bill Niemeyer"]https://0201.nccdn.net/4_2/000/000/056/7dc/tamingofsmeagol_final-0907.jpg#RDAMDAID19463150[/IMG]

Sorry, those attempted images were poor to say the least.

hopefully this one works.


upload picture

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Here are the previous ones:

You can upload pictures directly here. If you're having trouble with it, just ask.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

While going through some boxes today, I came across an edition of Return of the King not yet featured here. And then discovered a copy of The Two Towers from the same edition on my shelves. They're from Unwin Paprbacks, but the back covers say they're "the only authorized Canadian paperback editions". Odd, because many of the older Ballantine paperbacks list Canadian printings as well.

These images were online -- mine are even more beat up. They were available as a box set:

And apparently some variants:

I'm curious about these; does anyone know if they were unique to Canada? There's no printing history listed on the inside, other than the 50's first printing dates, and "Second edition George Allen & Unwin 1966. As the prices on my copies are $2.75, I doubt they're as early as that.

 

[Barliman]

I'm curious about these; does anyone know if they were unique to Canada? There's no printing history listed on the inside, other than the 50's first printing dates, and "Second edition George Allen & Unwin 1966. As the prices on my copies are $2.75, I doubt they're as early as that.

Have you searched the ISBN numbers?

ISBN Search

Find books easily using ISBN, title, or author searches. Search using ISBN-10 or ISBN-13.

isbnsearch.org

One guy's take on book covers:

My favorite comment on the video
'People who have watched only the movies be like, "Why is Shelob on the Two Towers cover?"'

 

[Þráinn Þórhallsson]

Here is an illustrated cover by Tove Jansson a writter and artist best known for her childrens book series the Moomins which most people who don't live in either Scandinavia or Japan are not familiar with
https://external-preview.redd.it/-s...bp&s=dd1b3c4cd31de09b396d74ed7b1ecce5c8432fed

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Worth showing!

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Have you searched the ISBN numbers?

ISBN Search

Find books easily using ISBN, title, or author searches. Search using ISBN-10 or ISBN-13.

isbnsearch.org

These came up:

Doesn't exactly pin them down. 😂

 

[Starbrow]

While going through some boxes today, I came across an edition of Return of the King not yet featured here. And then discovered a copy of The Two Towers from the same edition on my shelves. They're from Unwin Paprbacks, but the back covers say they're "the only authorized Canadian paperback editions". Odd, because many of the older Ballantine paperbacks list Canadian printings as well.

S-eS, I think it's curious that pictures from The Hobbit are used for the covers on the LOTR books.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Curious indeed. I can only speculate about the reason; maybe they wanted covers by Tolkien, and those were the only ones available?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Another Tove Jansson cover:

 

[Radaghast]

I first read the editions from the 80s with Darryl K. Sweet artwork. The covers and colors of each volume made a long lasting impression on me. I would think of FotR as 'the blue one', etc.

I used to wonder who the guy in the purple cloak is. I guess Boromir?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

It looks like the scene on Mount Mindolluin, so Aragorn.

Talk about spoilers! 😁

 

[Radaghast]

It looks like the scene on Mount Mindolluin, so Aragorn.

Talk about spoilers! 😁

Oh, whoops, should've specified. I meant on the FotR cover.

As far as spoilers, I guess they figured the title itself was a spoiler, so what the hey. I think Tolkien once complained about that to the publisher but went with RotK without much fuss. I myself would have picked 'The War of the Ring'.

Incidentally, Sweet did the cover art for the Wheel of Time series. The difference in quality is kind of surprising.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Which is worse?

 

[Radaghast]

Which is worse?

It's a matter of preference, I guess, but I like the art for the Tolkien books better.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Yeah, I couldn't figure out why he turned the trollocs in Wheel into guys in headdresses.

I was never a big fan, TBH.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Soooo. . .maybe after Boromir died, Aragorn said "Nice cloak -- no sense sending that over the falls!" 😂