View Full Version : In Russia, dragon steals YOU!
pendell
2014-09-25, 05:09 PM
Soviet-era (http://www.openculture.com/2014/03/discover-soviet-era-illustrations-of-j-r-r-tolkiens-the-hobbit-1976.html) illustrations of JRR Tolkien's work, circa 1976. I guess they weren't able to use the original illustrations -- I wonder why not?
Respectfully,
Brian P.
The German paperback edition had really weird ilustrations, too.
Aside from Golum, I think these russian ones are quite good.
Terraoblivion
2014-09-25, 05:18 PM
New illustrations are common. One Danish edition of Lord of the Rings was even illustrated by the queen. Really, I don't think any Danish version of either The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings has the original illustrations.
Palanan
2014-09-25, 07:58 PM
I have a hardback Russian edition of Lord of the Rings, a fairly modern version, with a truly peculiar skeletal creature on the dust jacket. I really cannot tell if it's meant to be Gandalf or Gollum. The way it's illustrated it could be either one, depending on which aspects you think the artist was misrepresenting.
Rodin
2014-09-26, 01:23 AM
The biggest tragedy in changing illustrations is the reprinted editions of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The original artwork made those stories the first ones to ever give me nightmares as a kid. The new art (http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2011/12/18/scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark-gammell-vs-helquist/) is fine, I guess, but it's obvious that they told the new artist to tone it down so that they would get less complaints.
The spider one in particular is probably why I'm a bit of an archnophobe even today.
New illustrations are common. One Danish edition of Lord of the Rings was even illustrated by the queen. Really, I don't think any Danish version of either The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings has the original illustrations.
I saw those and they look like the old carvings from medieval age.
Considering the inspiration and the fact that Tolkien's interest in Germanic legend, it's kinda fitting.
Traab
2014-09-26, 07:44 AM
The biggest tragedy in changing illustrations is the reprinted editions of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The original artwork made those stories the first ones to ever give me nightmares as a kid. The new art (http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2011/12/18/scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark-gammell-vs-helquist/) is fine, I guess, but it's obvious that they told the new artist to tone it down so that they would get less complaints.
The spider one in particular is probably why I'm a bit of an archnophobe even today.
Gah, I cant believe they did that! Ok, I sorta can believe it. Its been like 20 years since I read the original, and im STILL freaked out by mention of the stories. Sure I read them a lot, but damn man, those stories WORKED to creep you out, and the illustrations were just excellent.
Wardog
2014-09-28, 05:26 PM
More examples here (http://www.retronaut.com/2012/06/the-soviet-hobbit/).
I think they're really nice, and evocative. Although the goblins in the Battle of the Five Armies illustration just look like humans.
Rodin
2014-09-28, 06:00 PM
Most of them do work quite well but the one of Smaug getting shot looks like Bard hit him somewhere...painful.
KillianHawkeye
2014-09-30, 01:29 PM
Most of them do work quite well but the one of Smaug getting shot looks like Bard hit him somewhere...painful.
Well... technically he DID.
Velaryon
2014-09-30, 02:04 PM
The biggest tragedy in changing illustrations is the reprinted editions of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The original artwork made those stories the first ones to ever give me nightmares as a kid. The new art (http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2011/12/18/scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark-gammell-vs-helquist/) is fine, I guess, but it's obvious that they told the new artist to tone it down so that they would get less complaints.
The spider one in particular is probably why I'm a bit of an archnophobe even today.
I can understand creating another edition with less scary art, especially in light of the challenges the originals have received in libraries over the years. That's not to say I support those changes, and I definitely don't agree with taking the version with Stephen Gammell's art out of print. That art was the most memorable part of those books, the part that made them so terrifying, and so awesome. I still have trouble looking at that face from "The Haunted House" and I'm in my 30's!
Traab
2014-09-30, 02:08 PM
I can understand creating another edition with less scary art, especially in light of the challenges the originals have received in libraries over the years. That's not to say I support those changes, and I definitely don't agree with taking the version with Stephen Gammell's art out of print. That art was the most memorable part of those books, the part that made them so terrifying, and so awesome. I still have trouble looking at that face from "The Haunted House" and I'm in my 30's!
Plus, losing that gives us old timers one less bit of proof that, "Back in MY day we kids could be utterly terrified by books with pictures in them and be just fine. None of this namby pamby think of the children garbage. Our parents found it FUNNY to terrify us, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely playing with flashlights because we were scared of the dark for the next couple nights!
Velaryon
2014-09-30, 02:23 PM
Plus, losing that gives us old timers one less bit of proof that, "Back in MY day we kids could be utterly terrified by books with pictures in them and be just fine. None of this namby pamby think of the children garbage. Our parents found it FUNNY to terrify us, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely playing with flashlights because we were scared of the dark for the next couple nights!
I feel like this post isn't complete without a story about how you used to go trick or treating in inches of snow, it was 2 miles to the nearest neighbors, and uphill both ways. And you liked it that way!
Traab
2014-09-30, 03:17 PM
I feel like this post isn't complete without a story about how you used to go trick or treating in inches of snow, it was 2 miles to the nearest neighbors, and uphill both ways. And you liked it that way!
I actually DID go trick or treating in the snow once. It wasnt MUCH snow, but the fact that everything had a thin layer was just so freaking BIZZARE. I love living in new england. If you dont like the weather, wait 5 minutes.
Wardog
2014-10-01, 03:58 PM
I feel like this post isn't complete without a story about how you used to go trick or treating in inches of snow, it was 2 miles to the nearest neighbors, and uphill both ways. And you liked it that way!
In my day, we couldn't afford snow. We had to make do with burning volcanic ash.
Traab
2014-10-01, 04:11 PM
In my day, we couldn't afford snow. We had to make do with burning volcanic ash.
LUXURY! (Sorry, I just watched the 4 yorkshiremen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAtSw3daGoo)sketch from monty python)
pendell
2014-10-09, 09:19 AM
LUXURY! (Sorry, I just watched the 4 yorkshiremen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAtSw3daGoo)sketch from monty python)
A few years ago, I worked in Arlington, VA, halfway between the Rosslyn and Court House metro stops.
Now, the thing to understand is that these stations -- and all the stations on the orange line, as far as Ballston -- are on a great big hill, with Rosslyn at the bottom and Courthouse and the other stations ascending the hill.
So when I came to work, I would get out at Rosslyn and walk uphill 0.25 miles. It was the shortest distance, and I was often in a hurry in the morning.
When I got off of work, Rosslyn would be jammed, standing room only It was better to walk up the line to the other stations -- uphill -- when more people would have got off the train so I could actually have a seat.
Thus, I walked uphill in the morning, and walked uphill in the afternoon after work. And yes, it snows here in Virginia.
So I really DID walk uphill both ways when I was younger, in the snow. AND WE LIKED IT!
Respectfully,
Brian P.
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