Kevin's Watch

High Lord Tolkien wrote:Let give the artist a little credit.
The end of the staff does kinda look like a g-cleft.
Maybe he got the word "musical" in the Forestal description.

Oops. Meant to say

I suppose it's pointless to point out that the staff on the cover of Fatal Revenant can't be either the Staff of Law or the forestal's staff.

Hey, does it look to anyone else like the staff on the cover of Fatal Revenantoriginally had some sort of head on it, but the artist re-did it to make it straight? The bark on the tree around the head of the staff looks like it was repainted.

Wayfriend wrote:

High Lord Tolkien wrote:He's also missing two fingers it seems.

Naw. He's just holding the staff funny. He's got the staff between his first and second fingers, while his thumb, third and fourth fingers wrap around it. It's a convenient way TO HOLD A ****ING STAFF IN THE ****ING CROOK OF YOUR ****ING ARM! IS IT SO ****ING HARD!!!!
.... er, sorry.

I suppose it's pointless to point out that the staff on the cover can't be either the Staff of Law or the forestal's staff.

Hey, does it look to anyone else like the staff originally had some sort of head on it, but the artist re-did it to make it straight? The bark on the tree around the head of the staff looks like it was repainted.

Best ****ing rant of the year!

I hope I'm not alone in wishing I knew the names of the Forestals of the other Forests.

How about Giant Woods? "Claeverly McBigbig".

Emotional Leper wrote:

Krilly wrote:I assume the secret you speak of is what she did with her combined powers at the very end of the book.

Foul: DESPITE!
Elena: INSANITY!
Covenant: LEPER OUTCAST UNCLEAN!
Linden: KLEENEX!
Mhoram: HEAR- THE UR-VILE'S GOT MY LEG! THE UR-VILE'S GOT MY LE- *gurgle*

Omenous voice: By your powers combined, I am Caerroil Wildwood.

Group: Goooo Wil- *garroted*

Okay - this is weird, but it brings to mind an image of Borillar climbing down the rope ladder, hanging upside down, and handing Mhoram a can of Bat-Urvile Repellent. But that's just me.

Remember that the cover art is a marketing thing - and they (I guess) thought it a good marketing move to have a Gandalf-like figure on the cover. Eye catching to the kind of people who would read the book.

I saw an early draft, which was very close to the final. I pointed out all the previous descriptions of Wildwood, and suggested that the artist at least add some purple flowers or something. And heels on the Staff (which I believe is the Staff of Law - not the Forestal's staff). But that decision is with the editors - and they may have preferred to keep it more Gandalf-like. I say - anything to get people to read the book!

Interesting revelation, Romeo. Interesting.

But, come on, this had nothing to do with marketing. It has to do with keeping a controlling thumb on the creative talent, and/or saving money. I bet JJP gets paid by the hour. And I bet someone, somewhere, had the crazy idea that if they make the art TOO specific, then they would lose the option of using the art on a different book, and could potentially lose their investment if FR doesn't get published. And, probably, the thought of the artist and the author getting together offends their controlling personalities.

If they wanted to market FR, they might have done something wild and crazy, like, I don't know, advertise.

If marketing, then it was a piss poor understanding of TC books. The editors wanted a Gandolf likeness on the cover, ok, but they could have added the flowers, height comparison (see TIW cover of tall Wildwood next to Mhoram), staff heals or at least the right color of staff, some damn thing to make it appear it's not flippin Gandolf.

I really think it's plain the artist didn't read the book and was told to make a Lord of the Rings cover with Gandolf because that's all us Fantasy reader types understand. In fact, due to the publishers lack of any adverts on this book in order to save money, these lamers probably rifled through some rejected artwork left over from some LOTR publishing ideas.

spoiler warning:

Spoiler

But it IS Gandalf!!!! He shows up in book 3 to swap rings.

I bet that the person who made this marketing decision is the same person who decided to put a yellow gold ring on the recent paperback editions.

dlbpharmd wrote:I bet that the person who made this marketing decision is the same person who decided to put a yellow gold ring on the recent paperback editions.

You do know what white gold looks like? Real white gold, not the white gold that's coated with rhodium?

What's your point?

Wayfriend wrote:

High Lord Tolkien wrote:
He's also missing two fingers it seems.

Naw. He's just holding the staff funny. He's got the staff between his first and second fingers, while his thumb, third and fourth fingers wrap around it. It's a convenient way TO HOLD A ****ING STAFF IN THE ****ING CROOK OF YOUR ****ING ARM! IS IT SO ****ING HARD!!!!
.... er, sorry.

I suppose it's pointless to point out that the staff on the cover can't be either the Staff of Law or the forestal's staff.

Hey, does it look to anyone else like the staff originally had some sort of head on it, but the artist re-did it to make it straight? The bark on the tree around the head of the staff looks like it was repainted.

Best ****ing rant of the year!

This + this:
aliensporebomb wrote:

I hope I'm not alone in wishing I knew the names of the Forestals of the other Forests.

How about Giant Woods? "Claeverly McBigbig".

= earthbrah weeping with laughter!

Wayfriend wrote:

Cameraman Jenn wrote:It is supposed to be Carroil Wildwood. That is absolutely correct.

I believe you, but where does this information come from? How is it that everyone is so certain? Did I miss another thread somewhere?

I'm still wondering if there was an authoritative source for this information.

I saw the discreps too, but decided it had to be CW because of the eyes & the gnarled tree he stands in front of, not to mention the fact he's _in_ FR. I did always picture the silver pupilless eyes as brighter, tho.

Reminds me of one of the funniest of JRRT's letters published by H Carpenter, where he's on a major rant about Ballentine Books' cover ill for the 1st paper ed of The Hobbit.

Wonder what was SRD's reaction to "Caer Saruman"?

dlbpharmd wrote:What's your point?

Real White Gold, that is, the raw allow of Gold with some Silvery metal, is only 'white' when it's 9 ct gold and the rest silver. Which makes it least valuable. The reason White Gold exists is people want the look of Platinum without the price. I won't even get into the stupid reasons behind jewelry alloys. The point is, the less white the white gold, the more valuable gold metal the alloy contains. And I personally think it looks prettier.

Also, if you're going to pay for something, why cover it over? Why not just get a bloody chunk of tin and coat it with rhodium? No one will ever know the difference.

So what does all of that info have to do with having yellow gold rings on book covers?

dlbpharmd wrote:So what does all of that info have to do with having yellow gold rings on book covers?

Funny, it looks like an 18ct Gold 6ct Silver ring to me.

dlbpharmd wrote:I bet that the person who made this marketing decision is the same person who decided to put a yellow gold ring on the recent paperback editions.

Different publishers, but certainly the same mentality. It's a shame. It degrades the entire genre, when discerning readers like those of us at the Watch are looking for more intelligent, insightful -- ACCURATE -- art.

I admit that, as a teenager, I was drawn to Covenant because of the covers, and the fact that the title was "The Chronicles of..." But I'd like to think that what sold me on the books was what I read when I looked inside, the two to four pages of raving critical reviews, one of which called it the War and Peace of fantasy.

The publishers would tell you that I bought the book because of the cover, as I might not have looked inside to see the terrific reviews if there hadn't been something on the cover that I found appealing. Interestingly enough, it was shortly after I had finished reading The Lord of the Rings, and I was looking for more books like that. I say interesting, because that's what Donaldson is getting hosed with now--The Lord of the Rings all over again, but this time, it's the movies, not the books.

I can understand their decision, although I despise it. If this was right after The Second Chronicles were published, maybe we'd see different art. SRD might have had more clout.

Look at GRRMs covers now. Decidedly, and thankfully, not typical "fantasy fare".

Emotional Leper wrote:

dlbpharmd wrote:So what does all of that info have to do with having yellow gold rings on book covers?

Funny, it looks like an 18ct Gold 6ct Silver ring to me.

Looks like yellow gold to me. I've never heard anyone say otherwise - SRD has commented on the rings appearing yellow in the GI.

Wayfriend wrote:

Wayfriend wrote:

Cameraman Jenn wrote:It is supposed to be Carroil Wildwood. That is absolutely correct.

I believe you, but where does this information come from? How is it that everyone is so certain? Did I miss another thread somewhere?

I'm still wondering if there was an authoritative source for this information.

I know that this doesn't answer your question, and I don't intend to be a smart-a$$ with my response, truly, but who else could it be? The only character in the book that fits that description in any way is, unfortunately, CW.

That is, unless the artist thought that TC aged a bit when he was in the Arc and was resurrected carrying a staff (which isn't supported in the text, but it wouldn't be the first time art doesn't remotely reflect the words in the book--like the JRRT example with The Hobbit, which is easily the all-time worst cover).

About authority, though, aren't Cameraman Jenn and Romeo good authorities on the topic?