Artist Francisco Guerrero graced the web this week with a series of Lord of the Rings illustrations that are, as The Mary Sue so aptly claims, part Disney, part Rankin Bass.
(Before I go any further: know that anyone heard singing “Where There’s a Whip, There’s a Way” will be punished.)
The Rankin Bass influence in the hobbits is evident:
while Legloas looks like the son of a Disney prince:
"Son of a Disney prince!" may be my new favorite curse.
and Saruman’s got a bit of Disney villian in him:
And don’t you love the backgrounds? My favorite is Shelob’s shadow behind Sam.
What I like about Francisco is that he really seems into the material. He’s inspired by the movies – what artist wouldn’t be? – but he’s also read the books, and is obviously a sincere fan. Here’s what he’s got to say about his most recent illustration, which features Boromir:
“This character captivates you in book and film, especially at the end. With an air of nostalgia and pessimism, Boromir is a warrior stereotype who seeks the best for the kingdom of Gondor, his people. But like all men in Middle-Earth, he is corrupted by the ring’s power.
“It is a scene of ”The Fellowship of the Ring” where there is a key moment for Boromir, picking up the ring after Frodo lost it in the snowy mountains, saying ‘It is a strange fate that we should suffer fear and doubt so much over so small a thing. Such a little thing’. Sean Bean had a hard time filming this scene since it was shot on top of a mountain and he is apparently afraid of heights (and helicopters). He couldn’t stop thinking of the way back inside the helicopter. So, in the following scenes involving transportation by air, he decided to ride, walk or climb to the location. I guess that his fear was transmitted into the scene because it came out perfectly.”
Below are the rest of the characters that Francisco’s done so far. And when you’re done enjoying these fun illustrations, why not head over to Francisco’s blog to read more about each sketch?
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