Monday 9 April 2018

Sorcery: JIG and the Story of Hok Lee

Again we compare and contrast a 1980s gamebook illustration by John Blanche and a 1890s fairytale illustration by Henry Justice Ford:

JIG
 John Blanche | The Sorcery Spellbook (1983)


The Story of Hok Lee and the Dwarfs
Henty Justice Ford | The Green Fairy Book (1892)

Note the composition of the figure, the pose of the arms and legs. The similarities are somewhat disguised by the addition of the two tails to the Blanche figure and the complete redesign of the character into a hairy web-footed beast-creature - rather than an unfortunate chinaman with cursed dumpling cheeks - and the repositioning of the figures right leg which gives it an even more dynamic, leaping, motion.

For those interested in such things, an earlier observation on the similarity between Fords illustrations for Andrew Langs Green Fairy Book and Blanches illustration for Steve Jacksons The Sorcery Spell Book can be viewed here: REZ and the Blue Bird



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