Tour 1: The People of Middle-Earth
Orcs
The Great Goblin, by Alan Lee
Tolkien describes many different breeds of orcs, as this illustration from The Hobbit demonstrates. Note that one of these "goblins" actually looks like a human baby.
Merry and Pippin Captured by Orcs, by Inger Edelfeldt
Yet this is held true by the wise of Eressëa, that all those of the Quendi [Elves] who came into the hands of Melkor, ere Utumno was broken, were put there in prison, and by slow arts of cruelty were corrupted and enslaved; and thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orcs in envy and mockery of the Elves, of whom they were afterwards the bitterest foes....This it may be was the vilest deed of Melkor, and the most hateful to Ilúvatar. --The Silmarillion, "Of the Coming of the Elves"
If I had my way, you'd wish you were dead now,' said the other. 'I'd make you squeak, you miserable rat.' He stooped over Pippin, bringing his yellow fangs close to his face. He had a black knife with a long jagged blade in his hand. 'Lie quiet, or I'll tickle you with this,' he hissed. --TTT, "The Uruk-Hai"
Presently two orcs came into view. One was clad in ragged brown and was armed with a bow of horn; it was of a small breed, black-skinned, with wide and snuffling nostrils: evidently a tracker of some kind. The other was a big fighting-orc, like those of Shagrat's company, bearing the token of the Eye. He had a bow at his back and carried a short broad-headed spear. As usual they were quarrelling.... --trotK, "The Land of Shadow"
Above, left: detail of an orc, by John Howe
Above, right: The Soldier Orc and the Tracker Orc, by Alan Lee.
detail of orcs, by Alan Lee
Note that the orc on the right seems to have two noses--either that, or the worst deviated septum in the history of Middle-earth.
In Mordor, by John Howe
detail of an orc, by Roger Garland
I couldn't be happier with the look of the movie orcs. They really do look like twisted elves, yet each one is as unique as Tolkien (and Tolkien artists) say it should be.
Mordor orc, courtesy of Tolkien Online
an image from the pre-trailer preview on the official movie site
image courtesy of VGNett
spy pic from theonering.net
Some LotR fans have been alarmed to learn that in the movies, Saruman hatches Uruk-hai from eggs or pods. Tolkien makes it clear in LotR that Uruks are the result of cross-breeding between humans and orcs.
Lurtz and Saruman, image from theonering.net
Lurtz, image from a Decipher card
"Lurtz" is the name the screenwriters dreamed up for the Uruk who kills Boromir. I suppose it sounds properly orcish.
Uruk attack on Amon Hen,
thanks to Le Seigneur Des Anneax.