Lord of the Rings - But Which One?

Over the last few years I've repeatedly stumbled over the work of Alexander from 28 Magazine. Specifically, the work he has done with his Lord of the Rings miniatures. What is so striking to me about these miniatures, is that they fit an aesthetic of LOTR that I have had in my head since I was a child, and which I have not seen for many years. When I was younger I had the 1991 collected LOTR in a single volume, complete with colour illustrations by Alan Lee. This was not long after I had read The Hobbit, and been totally enchanted by the world of middle earth. The combination of these pieces of art (especially being prior to the Peter Jackson films) created a strong image an aesthetic in my mind. It was earthy and simple, and always seemed to in soft pastel colours. I know now that my memories are influenced heavily by Alan Lee's artwork, which itself was not original - only the most recent at the time of my reading.

Alan Lee LOTR Illustration

All of these ideas of what the Lord of the Rings was, were changed and distorted after the 2001 film came out. I'm not complaining - those films are still some of my all time favourites, and I try to re-watch them every Christmas with my wife (the extended editions, of course). It wasn't until the last few years the I began to re-engage with the written LOTR. I read the main books again, as well as some of Tolkien's other works from previous ages of Middle Earth, like The Children of Hurin - and also some biographies and lectures about Tolkien himself.

I'm a librarian by trade, and my undergraduate degree was focused on old and middle English literature. Everything from Beowulf to Canterbury Tales and the romances of King Arthur. So, when I began to learn about the connections between Tolkien's world and the literary traditions of the United Kingdom's past, I began to create a new image of Tolkien's work. As his biographers repeatedly point out, Tolkien was attempting to create a shared English mythology, as he felt that the Anglo-Saxon mythical traditions were weak in comparison to that of continental Europe. Knowing this, the stories and cycles of Middle Earth feel much weightier and rooted to a specific place and time. Tolkien was a product of the late Victorian era and a soldier in the trenches of WW1. To me, Tolkien's fiction appears as though he was looking back on the history of his homeland through these historical and experiential lenses.

Alan Lee, Children of Hurin cover art

So, now we have a much more complicated picture of the aesthetic of the Lord of the Rings - at least in the way that I am approaching it. Of course, this is a hobby blog and I paint and play with miniatures, so that's where we end up. In 2022-2023 there was a surge in interest in (Peter Jackson's) Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game (Battle Companies, etc., etc., etc.) within my corner of the hobby community. I also got really engaged in this, as I'm a sucker for LOTR. However, these games and their associated miniature lines use the 2001 era movie image of middle earth for their games. This is a fine aesthetic, and I was really tempted to pick up some of the models as well - until I saw what Alexander was doing.

I would say this aesthetic is far more original to Alexander, rather than owing too strongly to the LOTR traditions that came before him. Although, he clearly takes inspiration from many different sources. 

NOTE: you can find Alexander's work here, at Echoes of Imperium.

Here are just a few examples:

While different from the films and much of the artwork that came before them, these miniatures are still recognizably Tolkien-esque. I love them! Not only for their folky aesthetic, but because they remind me that I can take these stories and imagine them in my own way. And so that is what I have been planning to do! The thought has been in my mind for a few years now, and I've very very very slowly worked on aspects of it, but I'm starting to hit more of a critical mass on the project. So, I am going to post here a few of the things I have done or plan to do. Most of these are just rough models that I have kitbashed or primed, and aren't ready for play, but I hope they show the direction I am going. With this, I guess what I am trying to say is that I'm happy to find a project that allows me to express myself and to show my appreciation for the art and stories that have played a role in my life.

Anyway, here's a gaggle of unfinished models:

GW Wood Elves circa 2004.

Four hobbit models - I don't remember where I got them!

I believe these are both Reaper sculpts. Saruman and Gimli, both with new weapons.

I am not sure who this will be yet - maybe Theoden, Hama, or Gamling?

These are a mixture of Perry horses with Victrix Angle-Danes, and some kitbashing

These Rohirrim actually got finished! They are Anglo-Danes with some greenstuff helm crests, and cloaks.

I also have a great Gandalf model, but he is currently soaking in a jar of paint stripper. I have also been collecting some orcs and goblins, but my main focus has been on individual characters. I don't want to play MESBG - I want to play very small scale and simple narrative games. I won't be using Battle Companies either, as I think it is too rigid for my purposes.

One other piece I will share - this was not originally built with LOTR in mind, but as I work on this unfinished project, the idea of using this for an LOTR narrative scenario grows and grows.

 

Hopefully I will be back here at some point in the next year or three with some updates on this project. It's a slow burn and very much a pet project, so I'm in no rush to complete it.

 

See you next time!