The Lord Of The Rings, Nature and Switzerland’s Hidden History (A Conversation with John Howe)

What happens when one of the world’s best-known fantasy artists chooses a quiet Swiss lakeside town as his home base?

In this special Christmas edition of Getting Serious, Woody Wade sits down in Neuchâtel with John Howe, illustrator and lead concept artist for The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Rings of Power and now the brand-new Tour du Fantastique museum.

From Vancouver to Strasbourg, Lausanne, Neuchâtel and New Zealand, John shares how his life journey, love of history and deep connection to landscapes have shaped the worlds he builds on screen and on the page. We talk about Tolkien’s 1911 trek through the Swiss Alps, the real influence of Lauterbrunnen on Rivendell, and how Switzerland unexpectedly sits “right in the middle of the map of Middle-earth”.

If you’re into fantasy art, Tolkien, cinema, Swiss history or just wondering what makes Switzerland such a unique place to live and create, this episode is for you.

This episode is available on YouTube and Spotify.