A Crowd of Froud

The World of the Dark Crystal, by J. J. Llewellyn, Art by Brian Froud (1982 Edition). Another purchase from SFBC. I so much wanted to really love this movie, and it had elements I found quite appealing (the Mystics, the lore) but it came just an ace under being a really great fantasy. I think it was because Jim Henson and Brian Froud were mainly visual artists, and not so much actual fantasy writers, which takes a special touch. The book is mainly for the art; the text professes to be an account and explanation of Thra and its history by Aughra and it is full of pop mysticism. Ranking: I’ve had it so long! File Code: Art. Movie. Softcover (And it’s HUGE!).

The Making of The Dark Crystal: Creating A Unique Film, Text by Christopher Finch A book about the film, with pictures of the puppets, scenery, concept art, and behind the scenes techniques. Bought for $0.99. And that’s about all I have to say about it. Ranking: Dispensable. File Code: Film. Art. Softcover.

The Goblins of Labyrinth, by Brian Froud and Terry Jones. A book showcasing and to a certain extent ‘recycling’ or at least re-using the production art that Froud made for Jim Henson’s “Labyrinth”, nicely elaborated by the whimsical and humorous imagination of Terry Jones. Each description of a particular goblin is a short story in itself. Ranking: A Keeper, mostly for Jones’s ingenious wit. File Code: Art. Movie. Hardback.

Faeries, by Brian Froud and Alan Lee. (1978) A book that came out in the wake of “Gnomes” but relying more on actual folklore. The chores were broken up between the two artists, with Froud working on the grotesques and Lee more on the beautiful Fairies. They got an odd little animated special out of the book some time later. Lee of course went on to be one of the main art directors on the “Lord of the Rings” movies: this was one of the first times I became really aware of him personally as an artist. This book was in the first batch of SFBC I ever got. Ranking: Personally Essential. File Code: Folklore. Art. Hardback.

Faeries: Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Edition, by Brian Froud and Alan Lee. (2002) Wow. Even this revised and expanded version (the main feature being a few new pieces of art) is getting old, as of now (2020). I hadn’t realized just quite how old. I probably wouldn’t hang onto this edition except that I’m such a completist in my soul, and it would nag me. Ranking: Theoretically Expendable. File Code: Folklore. Art. Hardback.