Frank Frazetta's Lord of the Rings

Published by Middle Earth, 1975.

John Severin, 1921 - 2012

Veteran comic book artist John Severin died on February 12 at the age of 90. Severin worked for just about every comic publisher and drew comics in just about any genre. His gritty and realistic style made him especially suited to war and western comics such as EC's legendary Frontline Combat and western titles like Marvel's Kid Colt Outlaw. He was one of the original artists for Mad and enjoyed a long career working for Cracked magazine.

John Severin was an extremely skilled and consistent artist, and has left with a wonderful legacy of beautifully rendered artwork.

Below is a moodily colored (probably by his sister Marie) collaboration with Will Elder from Frontline Combat #8 (September 1952.

Below that is some more samples of Severin's work.



















Annie Oakley #11, June 1956.




Tomb of Dracula #2, May 1972.






Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos Annual #6, August 1970.





Cracked #111, September 1973.




Unknown, scanned from Dark Age artzine, 1982.




Lord of the Rings illustration, scanned from Trumpet #12, 1981.





"Creepy's Loathsome Lore: Witchcraft," Creepy #10, August 1966.

Lord of the Rings by John Severin

Here's a Lord of the Rings illustration by John Severin. I'm not sure where it was originally published. This scan is from a magazine Trumpet #12, published Summer 1981. The issue also has an article on Franklin Booth and fiction by people I never heard of.

Fantastic Fantasy

The Sowers of Thunder, by Roy Krenkel.




John Carter and the Apes of Mars by Frank Frazetta.



The Battle for Minas Tirith by Stephen Hickman.

Lord of the Rings: Pics or It Didn't Happen

Here is a screen shot of probably my favorite frame from The Lord of the Rings movies. I didn't happen like this in the book, but I don't care.

Friday Odds and Ends

"Captain Blood Inspecting the Treasure Chest Jewels" by Dean Cornwell. Illustration for Cosmopolitan magazine, July 1930.




"Inside Shelob's Lair" by Charles Vess, 1979.




Prehistoric scene by Lynd Ward.