Christopher Baker (usually known as Chris Baker but also professionally as Fangorn), (born 17 August 1960 in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

) is a cover artist for British and German versions of the ''

Redwall ''Redwall'' is a series of children's fantasy novels by British writer Brian Jacques, published from 1986 to 2011. It is also the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, as well as the name of the abbey featured in the book, ...

'' books, as well as a storyboard and film conceptual artist, most notably with filmmakers

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...

and

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...

. Baker's pseudonym "

Fangorn Treebeard, or ''Fangorn'' in Sindarin, is a tree-giant character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is an Ent and is said by Gandalf to be "the oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sun upon this Middle-earth.", ...

" is derived from the name of a forest in

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

's ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...

'' novel.

Biography

Baker received his education at the Bournville School of Art. In the early 1990s, Fangorn provided art for

Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer (game), Warhammer'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake ...

, including the covers art of boxed games Advanced Space Crusade, the Space Hulk supplements '' Deathwing'' and ''Genestealer'', and Battle for Armageddon, as well as the covers of several issues of ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a Compact star, stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very density, dense: in an Earth sized volume, it packs a mass that is comparable to the Sun. No nuclear fusion takes place i ...

'' magazine. He also worked alongside

Stan Nicholls Stan Nicholls (born 1949) is a British author and journalist, working full-time since 1981. He is the author of many novels and short stories but is best known for the '' Orcs: First Blood'' series. Career His journalism has appeared in ''The Gu ...

creating the art for the

David Gemmell David Andrew Gemmell (; 1 August 1948 – 28 July 2006) was a British author of heroic fantasy, best known for his debut novel, ''Legend''. A former journalist and newspaper editor, Gemmell had his first work of fiction published in 1984. H ...

graphic novels ''Legend'' and ''Waylander''. In addition to his many covers in the

series, Fangorn also contributed artwork to '' Redwall Map & Riddler'' and '' Redwall Friend & Foe''. He won the 2019

BSFA Award for Best Artwork The BSFA Awards are given every year by the British Science Fiction Association. The BSFA Award for Best Artwork is open to any artwork with speculative themes that first appeared in the previous year. Provided the artwork hasn't been published be ...

for his cover for ''Wourism and Other Stories'' by Ian Whates (Luna Press), accessed on 17 May 2020

Bibliography

Graphic novels

*David Gemmell's ''Legend'' *''Wolf in Shadow''

Films

*''

Skyfall ''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy thriller film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, ...

'' (2012) — concept design and storyboards* *''

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The story was origina ...

'' (2005) — concept/storyboards (in 2004) *''

Corpse Bride ''Corpse Bride'' (also known as ''Tim Burton's Corpse Bride'') is a 2005 stop-motion-animated fantasy musical film, directed by Mike Johnson (in his directorial debut) and Tim Burton from a screenplay by John August, Caroline Thompson, and ...

'' (2005) — concept design (in 2003) *''

Big Fish ''Big Fish'' is a 2003 American fantasy drama film directed by Tim Burton. It is based on the 1998 novel '' Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions'' by Daniel Wallace. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange ...

'' (2003) — storyboards (in 2002) *'' Road to Perdition'' (2002) — storyboards (in 2000) *''

The Time Machine ''The Time Machine'' is an 1895 dystopian post-apocalyptic science fiction novella by H. G. Wells about a Victorian scientist known as the Time Traveller who travels to the year 802,701. The work is generally credited with the popularizati ...

'' (2002) — concept/storyboard artist (uncredited) (in 2000) *'' Artificial Intelligence: A.I.'' (2001) — concept/storyboard artist (in 1999) *''

Eyes Wide Shut ''Eyes Wide Shut'' is a 1999 erotic mystery psychological drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. It is based on the 1926 novella '' Dream Story'' () by Arthur Schnitzler, transferring the story's setting from earl ...

'' (1999) — concept artist (in 1996)

Book covers

*''Redwall Calendar 1995'' *''Redwall Diary 1996'' *'' Redwall Tenth Anniversary Edition'' *''

Mossflower ''Mossflower'' is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1988. It is the second book published and third chronologically in the '' Redwall'' series. Plot summary The story begins in the Mossflower Wood, where a community of animals ...

'' *''

Mattimeo ''Mattimeo'' is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1989. It is the third book in the ''Redwall'' series. It is also one of the three ''Redwall'' novels to be made into a television series, alongside its self-titled novel (Season 1) ...

'' *''

Mariel of Redwall ''Mariel of Redwall'' is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1991. It is the fourth book published and sixth chronologically in the '' Redwall'' series. Plot summary Book 1: The Maid from the Sea The story opens with the Gabool ...

'' *''

Salamandastron ''Salamandastron'' is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1992. It is the fifth book published and eighth chronologically in the '' Redwall'' series. Plot introduction Ferahgo the Assassin, a terrible weasel warlord, and his son Kl ...

'' *''

Martin the Warrior ''Martin the Warrior'' is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1993. It is the sixth book in the '' Redwall'' series. It is also one of the three ''Redwall'' novels to be made into a television series, alongside the self-titled novel ...

'' *'' The Bellmaker'' *'' Outcast of Redwall'' *'' The Pearls of Lutra'' *'' The Long Patrol'' *'' Marlfox'' (cover and illustrations) *''

The Legend of Luke ''The Legend of Luke'' is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1999. It is the 12th book and fourth chronologically in the ''Redwall'' series. Plot summary The book begins during the construction of Redwall Abbey, when a roving fem ...

'' (cover and illustrations) *'' Lord Brocktree'' (cover and illustrations) *''

The Taggerung ''The Taggerung'' is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 2001. It is the 14th book in the ''Redwall'' series. Plot summary His birth was a long-awaited legend full of mystery and promise, among the outlaw Juska tribes along the we ...

References

External links

*
Chris Baker at IMDBChris Baker's page at UK Screen
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Chris English illustrators British fantasy artists English speculative fiction artists British science fiction artists Artists from Birmingham, West Midlands Living people 1960 births Black British artists British storyboard artists