Appearance of Orcs (and other Goblinoids)

[Baylor_OgreBane]

what about stuff like this?

[knightkrawler]

The first and fourth look like what I think of when I hear Dark Elf. So, no, not for me, those ain't.

[Baylor_OgreBane]

or there are things like this

[Baylor_OgreBane]

or here is a selection

[Baylor_OgreBane]

I like this look

[Elf Blade]

I always go with the HeroQuest style as it was the first I was exposed to. I have some (non-proven) theories about this style of Orc. My theory is that this style was easier to cast in plastic. Metal Citadel Orcs in the early to mid 80s had a more rounded and gangly appearance, whereas the three plastic Orc sets of the 80s (Drastik Plastik in 1986, HeroQuest in 1989 and Space Orks in 1989) have a much more bulky, square appearance with less details that I'm guessing was easier to cast using the plastic casting technology at the time.

My second non-proven theory is that this style of Orc was spread to other settings by artists who had worked for GW. For example John Sibbick, who painted the covers for 3rd edition Warhammer and 1st edition Warhammer 40,000 in 1987, also did the interior art for the Fighting Fantasy book Crypt of the Sorcerer later that year, and he drew the Orcs in the book in the GW style.

[Daedalus]

This discussion is worth having again, but would be more complete with a link to Appearance of Orcs (and other Goblinoids).

[knightkrawler]

Better yet to just melt it into it.
As I didn't read the thread from the beginning, I honestly thought it WAS that discussion anyway. It fades on nicely.

[Baylor_OgreBane]

I have found a few more variations on the orc theme, what are y'alls opinions?
Should re-name this post the orc gallery, or orcopedia!

[knightkrawler]

Frankly, I don't like any of those in the least.
The picture above the last shows almost good Ogres, but there are no Orcs in all of those.
I see LofR movie mask derivatives, I see the creatures from The Descent (British horror movie), I see scrawny degenerated vampires but certainly no orcs.