Tolkien/Homorphus/Morfin/Pig/Yearly Exams/Diary!Tom/Predictions

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 167202

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)" <catlady at ...> 
wrote:
>
> Carol wrote in
> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/166984>:
> 
> <<  The wrong cover art can be very upsetting to an author, as the
> Ballantine covers were for J.R.R. Tolkien. 
> <http://www.cafes.net/ditch/tril.jpg> >>
> 
> What did Tolkien object to about the Ballantine covers? IIRC he may
> well have objected to the *existence* of the Ballantine edition, as
> it was published with no permission from him and no payment to him,
> due to some loophole in copyright laws. OTOH, it was that Ballantine
> edition that made Tolkien and Middle Earth universally known, enabling
> his son to make a fortune out of Dad's old scribbles.

Geoff:
On this subject of covers, we must presume from the published 
artwork that the illustrators had some clues given about events. 
We have recognised that they have at least portrayed some characters 
and scenes from the Wizarding World which we can identify.

On the subject of Tolkien, your information is not accurate. The 
Ballantine editions were the "authorised" paperbacks. It was Ace 
Books who were producing the pirate edition. The objection to 
the Ballantine covers was to the cover of "The Hobbit, which 
showed "a hill, two emus and a curious tree bearing bulbous fruit. 
Tolkien exploded: 'What nhas it got to do with the story? Where is 
this place? Why emus? And what is the thing in the foreground 
with pink bulbs?' When the reply came that the artist hadn't time 
to read the book and the object with pink bulbs was 'meant to 
suggest a Christmas tree', Tolkien could only answer: 'I begin to 
feel that I am shut up in a madhouse'".
(Quotes from the Humphrey Carpenter biography 1977)

So, although we may have to speculate on some of the items on 
the published artwork for DH which we haven't identified as yet, 
at least we are probably able to assume that it bears some 
resemblance to the story line. Mark you, if JKR had had a similar 
experience to JRRT, there would be time to smack a few wrists 
and sack the srtists....