EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 25 © 2019 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

44 might be talking about. “I need to see your portfolios or your work,” he told them. “We got ’em here,” the twins replied, and proceeded to empty the garbage bags right there at the reception. Dozens of black and white drawings on crumpled, coffee-stained, dog-eared, torn sheets of tissue paper dropped on the floor of the reception area. As the twins got down on their knees to smooth out their presentation, Summers saw right there that he had found the artists he had been looking for. There was just one detail that had to be considered: could they paint? The Tolkien calendars that the brothers Hildebrandt produced for the next couple of years would sell over a million copies, and put them on the forefront of the fantasy illustration field, although they weren’t consulted for the animated film Ralph Bakshi did on Tolkien’s work. Years later when the real-live, computer-enhanced movies were made, the brothers’ were ignored but their work was copied by Peter Jackson, something that irritates Greg to this day. From 1976 until Peter Jackson’s film their art defined the Rings saga, and they were the best illustrators of Tolkien’s fantasy world. The brothers would also work on book covers, and even filmposters, having done the Star Wars poster (with no photographic reference) in under three days! The brothers worked so closely together, that it was impossible telling where one brother began, and the other finished the painting. Often, when necessary, one of them would start a painting while the other slept, stop at a ABOVE AND BELOW: The famous Star Wars poster done by the brothers Hildebrandt in three days in 1977, and the poster for the 1981 film Clash of the Titans . Early work the brothers did as a team after the success they had with the Tolkien calendars. RIGHT: J.R.R. Tolkien, Architect of Middle-Earth , acrylic on board, 1977. Book cover done by both brothers Hildebrandt. © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer © 20th Century Fox