Friday, February 01, 2002
Lee & Howe Join LOTR Fanclub - Xoanon @ 00:43 PST
FAMED LORD OF THE RINGS ARTISTS SIGN UP FOR THE FAN CLUB!

(NORFOLK, Va. February 1, 2002) ‹ The creative team that dreamed up Middle-earth for the silver screen has joined The Lord of the Rings Fan Club! John Howe and Alan Lee, the artists who conceptualized the amazing characters and settings featured in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, join an elite group of Fan Club Members including Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, and a host of additional actors who star in the films.

Lee, a native of the United Kingdom, and Howe, a native of British Columbia, are critically acclaimed fantasy illustrators tapped by Peter Jackson to serve as Conceptual Artists for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Lee and Howe, who moved to New Zealand for the duration of the project, visualized the settings and contributed to the creature and character design, which was being undertaken by Richard Taylor's team at Weta special effects facility. Though they collaborated on some of the designs, Howe did more work on the creatures and on Sauron and his mighty fortresses, while Lee concentrated on the places the fellowship visit on their travels, such as Rivendell and Moria ĉ the notable exceptions are Howe's designs for Bag End and the Green Dragon.

Lee, best-known for his illustrations in the landmark book Faeries, is no newcomer to the world of cinema, having worked on Legend, Erik the Viking, and Hallmark's Merlin TV series. Lee also illustrated several well-known Tolkien volumes, including the 1992 centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings trilogy commemorating the 100th anniversary of J.R.R. Tolkienıs birth.

John Howe has also illustrated a wide range of Tolkien projects, including books, calendars, and posters. Beyond his extensive Tolkien projects, he has illustrated many books, primarily fantasy, historical, and childrenıs titles. He currently has a new book, Myth & Magic, with a preface by Peter Jackson, out from Harper Collins. Howe has also worked extensively for the European film industry.

The Lord of the Rings Fan Club is proud to welcome to the Fan Club these artists who were so instrumental to The Lord of the Rings films!

The Lord of the Rings Fan Club members receive:

- An annual subscription to the bimonthly movie magazine
- Fan Club Membership Portfolio with membership card, welcome letter from director Peter Jackson and collector's lithograph (featuring a scene from The Fellowship of the Ring)
- A 10% discount at the Fan Clubıs online store and catalog
- Preference in purchasing exclusive, limited-edition collectibles
- Fan mail service to link fans directly to the stars of the trilogy

To sign up, fans can visit LOTRfanclub.com, go to the official The Lord of the Rings Web site at lordoftherings.net and click on ³Fan Club, or call 800-451-6381 (North America only) or 303-856-2201 (from anywhere in the world) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. MST.