Artist Spotlight: Alan Lee

Alan Lee is one of the greatest illustrators of the last century (I know I know, I say that alot) and whether you know it or not, you have seen his work. Lee is best known for illustrating fantasy books, most notably the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, such as The Hobbit,  the centenary edition of  The Lord of the Rings,  and The Children of Húrin.  Others he illustrated include Lavondyss by Robert Holdstock, The Mabinogion, The Mirrorstone by Michael Palin, Castles,  Tolkien's Ring, Merlin Dreams by Peter Dickinson and with Brian Froud he illustrated Faeries. You may know his work in film a little better. Together with John Howe, he worked as the lead concept artist for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films creating the look and feel of the overall movies. His work on Return of the King landed him an Oscar. He also worked as a conceptual designer on the films Erik the Viking, Legend, King Kong, and the TV mini-series Merlin. Here's a taste of his amazing talent. Enjoy!

Artist Spotlight: Jeff Smith

If you're a fan of graphic storytelling and epic fantasy then Jeff Smith should be a name at the top of your list. If you don't recognize him then you know nothing of those two things. He is the creator of one of, if not the, greatest epic fantasies of the last 20 years, Bone. Since Bone ended its run he's moved on to SHAZAM! The Monster Society of Evil for DC and another self published indy Rasl. I'll show you a bit of his awesomeness, but to truly enjoy his genius, you have to read his stuff.