By now I’ve posted hundreds of pictures of Narnia the world, but little of that world’s creator, C. S. Lewis (Jack, as he named himself.) I’m going to remedy that.
Illustration from the graphic novel The Mythmakers by John Hendrix.
This illustration by artist and writer John Hendrix depicts C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien walking down a side street in Oxford, England, where the two were members of the Inklings. It’s from the graphic novel The Mythmakers. The two are referred to as “Jack and Tollers” but we know who they are.
That closeness does lead, however, to one being mistaken for the other in these illustrations. Both smoked pipes, had prominent noses, and wore suits. I nearly popped in a pic I thought was Lewis, where the smoke swirled above his head forming fantasy scenes. But on closer inspection, the scenes weren’t Narnia’s — the two trees Telperion and Laurelin confirmed that.
To the left, a book cover from Mexico depicting Aslan and Lewis, part of a series called “Heroes for Young Readers” with Lewis being the titular hero. It’s a translation of an English original with the cover art being the same in both languages.
A woodcut showing the author relaxing amidst scenes of Narnia.
Here he is on a t-shirt, popping out of a wardrobe, naturally.
An illustration from the Saturday Review, 4/8/1944. The artist’s name is at the bottom of the pic. It’s a wonderful woodcut portrait with a dragon in the background. The “captivating myth” might have been his novel Perelandra, which was published in 1943.
A dragon, candies, a bible and tea give Lewis some inspiration. I like the quizzical expression on his face.
If you’re as much into Narnia as I am, you’ve seen this art a million times. It was made after the Walden movies, going by how the wardrobe and the Turkish Delight box resemble those from the film.
Of course!
