Locus, June 2013

by Locus Publications

  Several other stories look at that branch of S&S that helped shape roleplaying games such as Dungeons and Dragons. The Klages story mentioned above features an archetypal (although not very competent) thief. Saladin Ahmed’s ‘‘Amethyst, Shadow, and Light’’ portrays what can only be described as a group of adventurers who are forcibly recruited to go after (another) object of power. Elizabeth Bear’s ‘‘The Ghost Makers’’ is more of a mystery/revenge narrative, featuring a magically animated mechanical construct pairing up with a fighter-type to track down a magical killer.

  Finally, some of the selections interrogate the concept of the hero. K.J. Parker’s ‘‘The Dragonslayer of Merebarton’’ portrays an elderly knight called up to fight a dragon that’s been causing damage. The story emphasizes the fact that a knight or a hero is only the public face of a team of people who get the real work done. Jeffrey Ford’s ‘‘Spirits of the Salt: A Tale of the Coral Heart’’ features a fighter with a magic sword that turns opponents into coral. Trained by a retired assassin, he is tested further when a coral being challenges him to a fight; its sword turns people to salt. As always, Ford is a master at both finding and undermining the rhythms and conventions of storytelling. In ‘‘One Last, Great Adventure’’ by Ellen Kushner & Ysabeau Wilce, a man labeled only as ‘‘The Hero’’ finds himself in over his head when he journeys from his typical European setting to something that more closely resembles the North American West and includes people more like the Aztecs. Finally, in the concluding story, Daniel Abraham gives us ‘‘The High King Dreaming’’, which uses the Arthurian legend of the sleeping king to look at how power is transferred, and how different ways of wielding power can have equally good or bad outcomes.

  I enjoyed the heck out of this anthology. Strahan regularly lines up some of the best writers in the field, and the stories are full to the brim with grace and charm. Some are funny, others poignant, others a kick to the chest. This does just about everything that one can ask an anthology to do, and I have high hopes for this as a continuing series.

  –Karen Burnham

  Return to In This Issue listing.

  LOCUS LOOKS AT ART BOOKS: KAREN HABER

  The Art of The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien, Wayne G. Hammond & Christina Scull (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 978-0-547-92825-8, $40.00, 144pp, hc) September 2012. Cover by J.R.R. Tolkien.

  Frazetta Sketchbook: Volume 1, Frank Frazetta (Vanguard Productions 978-1934331576, $39.95, 134pp, hc) February 2013. Cover by Frank Frazetta.

  Star Wars Art: Illustration, Anonymous, ed. (Abrams Books 978-1-4197-0430-7, $40.00, 176pp, hc) October 2012. Cover by Jerry Vanderstelt & Tsuneo Sanda.

  SHORT TAKES

  Steampunk: An Illustrated History of Fantastical Fiction, Fanciful Film and Other Victorian Visions, Brian J. Robb (Voyageur Press 978-0760343760, $35.00, 192pp, hc) November 2012

  Fantasy+ 4: World’s Most Imaginative Artworks, Vincent Zhao, ed. (Cypi Press 9781908175014, £19.95, 192pp, tp). November 2012. (Gingko Press 978-1-90817501-4, $35.00, 192pp, tp) December 2012.

  The Ship That Sailed To Mars, William M. Timlin (Calla Editions 978-1606600177, $40.00, 208pp, hc) October 2011. [Order from .]

  The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien suggests an alternate reality in which the famed author could have followed a different path entirely, that of the artist. Already an experienced amateur artist when he wrote The Hobbit, Tolkien drew illustrations for his tale as he wrote it. As first printed, The Hobbit featured ten of his black-and-white illustrations, two maps, dust jacket, and binding designs by its author. Tolkien later painted five scenes for color plates. There’s no question that the author’s artwork influenced the way his readers – and future filmmakers – interpreted his tale of Bilbo Baggins.

  Written and edited by Tolkien experts Wayne G. Hammond & Christina Scull (J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator, Mariner Books, 2000), The Art of The Hobbit includes over 100 sketches, paintings, drawings, maps, and plans by Tolkien, some appearing for the first time. The authors offer thoughtful, detailed discussion of Tolkien’s creation of each image. In all but one instance, the reproductions here were made from the original art, allowing for revelation of details such as pencil sketches under the ink and corrections made in white paint.

  (Note: Tolkien wasn’t the only artist-fantasist of the early 20th century. His near-contemporary, Mervyn Peake, author of the Gormenghast fantasy trilogy, was also a talented artist. See: Mervyn Peake: The Man And His Art, Peter Owen Ltd., 2009)

  Tolkien’s charming stylized landscapes and maps show his skill with linework and geometric patterns. An example of his considerable capability in line, texture, pattern, and composition can be seen in plate 90, ‘‘The Hall at Bag-End, Residence of B. Baggins Esquire’’. His work displays architectural detail and mastery of perspective that’s surprising in a hobbyist artist.

  Tolkien’s pleasure in process is evident throughout these illustrations. He seems to have taken special care with his maps, adding whimsical details such as dragons and spiders to these ‘‘artifacts.’’ He was so engaged by them that he would pause in his writing in order to draw them. A fine example of this is the map for Wilderland, plate 89.

  Certain motifs and imagery recur in his illustrations. As Hammonds observes, ‘‘Tolkien was a frugal artist, occasionally reusing parts of one picture in another.’’ The author also thoroughly enjoyed creating sheets of runic alphabets of his own invention, drawn in mirror reverse.

  If there’s a weakness in his limning skills, it’s most apparent in his figures. Plate 103, ‘‘Bilbo Baggins At Home And Abroad,’’ clearly shows that Tolkien’s work gets a bit wobbly in terms of scale and form when he begins to insert characters into his carefully wrought places. Apparently, he had no illusions about his ability here, and when discussing the painting ‘‘Conversation with Smaug’’, plate 71, he was forthright in his criticism of his rendering of Bilbo: ‘‘Apart from being fat in the wrong places, it is enormously too large relative to the dragon.’’

  Tolkien struggled with this problem in his illustrations of the Trolls in plates 14, 15, and 26. The reader gets a sense of his exacting artistic process and his skill at editing his own artwork here. His high standards for his illustration and sense of what was most effective pictorially can be seen in his reworking of the images. Ultimately, he rejected the first two clumsy-looking pieces in favor of an entirely new – and superior – vertical composition which emphasized pattern and contrast over figural realism.

  Hammond reveals that Tolkien’s favorite of his own illustrations was the delicately colored ‘‘Bilbo comes to the Huts of the Raft-elves’’ (Plate 64), and that the author based his illustrations on specific sources such as fairytale illustrations by the artist Jennie Harbour.

  This thoughtful, well-designed book deserves careful attention on the part of the reader. The art is reverently reproduced and featured, one image per page, with related sketches tucked into gatefolds. There’s no question of the appeal of this book for Tolkien fans, but for anyone interested in book illustration or the phenomenon of artist/authors, this book should not be missed.

  •

  Frazetta Sketchbook: For those who can’t get enough of the master of iron-thighed warriors and big-busted heroines, this is a collection of finished sketches and roughs, most for commercial projects, but including some personal work seen here for the first time.

  Frazetta’s ease at the easel made everything he drew and painted look easy, and the physicality of his imagery inspired generations of artists. He is best known for his dynamic oil paintings of sexy, heroic subjects, but his drawings were equally accomplished. Trained as a commercial artist in the demanding world of comics and sequential art, Frazetta possessed awesome hand skills and a unique intensity that he transmitted directly to his art. The expressiveness of Frazetta’s line work informs these lively examples of wild beasts and barbarians, sirens and seductresses, many previously unpublished. The book was planned by Fra
zetta with J. David Spurlock shortly before the artist’s death. It’s divided into eight chapters, which focus upon Frazetta’s early work, life drawings, Conan, preliminary commercial sketches, specific projects, and personal work.

  Frazetta’s enthusiasm for the human body – its many iterations and contours – can be seen in every piece reproduced here, but most especially in the sections devoted to life drawing and his personal work. Although he tended to stylize faces, Frazetta was very specific about musculature and body mass. The artist’s energy and passion comes through in everything here, even the crude sketches, again demonstrating why Frazetta continues to be an inspiration to younger artists.

  The section ‘‘Left-Handed Drawings’’ is of particular interest. Frazetta executed these after a series of strokes left him unable to draw with his right hand. The power of his determination to continue drawing despite physical obstacles can be seen in these rather more tentative penciled explorations. Despite their rough edges, the ‘‘Frazetta look’’ is undeniably present.

  Also interesting are the surviving sketches and roughs from an unfinished project, Came The Dawn, an illustrated noir tale originally done as a comic by Al Feldstein and Wallace Wood. Frazetta’s version was intended for EC Comics’s Picto-Fiction, but the project was never completed.

  Throughout the book, sketches are well reproduced and printed at good size, often one image to a page, on thick glossy stock. Variations and other reference images are well placed for comparison. The general design of the book is not intrusive, with the focus given over to the work. Spurlock has produced an interesting, respectful book that should interest anyone who cares about powerful line work.

  •

  The Star Wars franchise has kept platoons of artists busy for decades. Recently, George Lucas announced his bid to open a museum of popular art in San Francisco’s Presidio district. If the latest collection of Star Wars-spawned art, Star Wars Art: Illustration, is any indicator, his art vaults must be overflowing.

  As former president of Lucas Licensing, Howard Roffman observes in his foreword, ‘‘I never imagined that the body of art inspired by Star Wars would be as vast as it is today.’’

  Vast indeed. This latest volume in the Star Wars Art series contains 176 pages with 120 color illustrations. (Previous volumes were Star Wars Art: Visions (2010) and Star Wars Art: Comics (2011). In his introduction, Steven Heller, co-chair of MFA Design at the School of Visual Arts in New York, puts this cornucopia in perspective: ‘‘Star Wars interpretive and conceptual art fits so snugly in the continuum of representational and space-fantasy art that comforts as it excites the viewer. We see what we know – what has become over more than thirty years an indelible legacy with strong psychological triggers. It is the job of the illustrator to perpetuate the brand of futurism that Star Wars and all its characters have launched.’’

  The work this book surveys is primarily commercial art relating to the greater Star Wars universe. Included are samples of over three decades of book jackets from Del Rey, Bantam Books, and other publishers; art from Star Wars Insider magazine and roleplaying guides; limited edition prints; posters; Topps’s Star Wars Galaxy trading cards; marketing artwork from LucasArts video games and Lucas Licensing; and one-of-a-kind works generated for collectible merchandise. Some of the images here are being published for the first time, while others have rarely been seen.

  The art is generously featured in one-and two-page bleeds, the color reproduction is first rate, and the general impression is that of a coffee table book. Be warned: this big, handsome volume will take up considerable space on a bookshelf.

  The artists featured include big names such as Mark Chiarello, Dave Dorman, Hugh Fleming, Greg & Tom Hildebrandt, Dave Seeley, Ralph McQuarrie, John J. Muth, Terese Nielsen, Tsuneo Sanda, Drew Struzan, Michael Whelan, Jerry Vanderstelt, Christian Waggoner, Paul Youll, William Stout, and many others. A nice collection of artist thumbnail bios also functions as an index.

  Most of the painting here is competent professional work, but there are a few inspired moments. From the late, great Ralph McQuarrie comes a witty depiction of Darth Vader and the androids from Star Wars traveling in a convoy down a Los Angeles highway to announce the relocation of Lucasfilm South. Michael Whelan’s ‘‘Yours Truly’’ gives special warmth to a portrait of Yoda created for Ballantine Books. Terese Nielsen’s paintings for Star Wars Miniatures packaging (WOC) show what magic can be summoned even from familiar commercial subjects. Also of note: Dave Seeley’s ‘‘Rogue Leader’’ for Star Wars Celebration IV, 2007 and Tsuneo Sanda’s ‘‘25th Anniversary Celebration’’ frontispiece. A light-hearted touch is seen posters by Hugh Fleming, ‘‘Star Wars Rocks!’’ for the Star Wars Fan Club in1998, and by Randy Martinez, ‘‘Sith Rocks!’’ for the Star Wars Celebration IV in 2007.

  SHORT TAKES

  Steampunk: An Illustrated History of Fantastical Fiction, Fanciful Film and Other Victorian Visions is an engaging and at times opinionated look at the many manifestations of steampunk in varied media. From dirigibles to Dr. Who’s Tardis, Charles Babbage to Lady Gaga, this thoroughly entertaining history of the steampunk movement offers sepia-toned nirvana to hardcore aficionados.

  This volume ranges wide and far, across media, history, and genre literature. James P. Blaylock – one of the fathers of steampunk (along with K.W. Jeter and Tim Powers) – provides a foreword, followed by a roughly chronological march through steampunk history. The text and images alight regularly upon key authors and/or historical notables, mentioning Queen Victoria here, William Gibson there. The book is studded with nuggets of steampunk imagery – some better identified than others. More attribution would have been especially welcome with the costume photos, some of which, to be honest, get repetitious.

  There’s a lot of eye candy here, although there are occasional lacunae. Where, for example, is an image of the iconic time machine featured in the 1960 movie directed by George Pal? The text discusses the device and even credits its designer, MGM art director William Ferrari, but there’s no image to accompany it. (Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances involving permissions, fees, and deadlines – always a bad combination.)

  An attractive book whose nicely detailed, stylized layout pulls together disparate types of images (movie stills, posters, book covers, metal spiders, fashion shots), Steampunk is brimming with minutiae. It rewards casual browsing as well as committed study. (In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that the cover of the Locus steampunk issue from September 2010, designed by Francesca Myman, appears in the book on page 183.) It has great production values, aside from the not-very-interesting cover. A must-have for admirers of the artfom.

  •

  Fantasy+ 4 provides the kind of visual quality we’re coming to associate with the Fantasy+ series curated by Vincent Zhao. This beautifully produced collection of international fantasy art is unstinting in its production values. Most of the art is well featured in large images, often full-page bleeds. The color reproduction is first-rate, on thick, card-like stock.

  Among those included in the international roster of featured artists are Bob Eggleton, Brian Despain, Volkan Baga, Ed Binkley, Terese Nielsen, Kelly Murphy, Benjamin von Eckartsberg, and Karen Hsiao. It’s especially nice to see Tomislav Torjanac’s painterly new work from Antuntun, a picture book based on a Croatian classic children’s poem by Grigor Vitez. His illustrations for Life of Pi (2008) made a lasting impression.

  This annual is divided into advertising, book illustration, modeled works, game, movie & animation, and personal portfolios. Each section opens with a featured artist interview. For the first time in the Fantasy+ series, three-dimensional art is also featured, and two of the artists in this section were standouts: David Meng, whose personal 3-D work is edgy and almost too anatomically correct, and the intriguing, innovative doll art by the Popovy Sisters.

  In a few instances the fantasy element in the work is extremely subtle, verging on nonexistent, while some of the artwork here q
ualifies as erotic, with full-frontal male and coy-but-explicit female nudes. As in previous volumes in this series, the book does not provide an index or contact info for the artists.

  Like the Expose annual series, Fantasy+ continues to make international art connections while demonstrating the universality of fantasy as a source of inspiration for artists around the world.

  •

  The Ship That Sailed to Mars by William M. Timlin was one of the rarest and most famous of 20th-century children’s fantasy books. Written and illustrated by Timlin, an architect living in South Africa, The Ship That Sailed to Mars has been out of the public eye for quite some time, although occasional, extremely high-priced copies are offered for sale by antiquarian book sellers. Original publisher Frederick A. Stokes Company only produced 2,000 copies in 1923, and of those books only 250 saw US distribution.

  Dover Publications has produced a nicely made facsimile copy for its Calla Editions, one that allows admirers to get a step closer to this charming, fabled volume. It features 48 pages of calligraphic text, 48 color plates, and a deeply felt introduction by John Howe, conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings movies.

  Dover’s edition is slightly smaller than the original book, with a faithfully reproduced, unadorned cover and a title on the spine that evokes the original but lacks the gilt print. Apparently, the original edition featured a dust jacket, but that has not been reproduced by Dover. Inside the book, the color plates have a slight yellowish cast, while the color of the background framing pages is a deep khaki green that does not quite match the green ink of the calligraphic text.

  (Note: an earlier facsimile edition was published by Stonewall Publications in 1993, with editorial credit given to photographer Bruce Ditchfield. Unfortunately there were no copies immediately available for comparison here.)