Heterocephalus

Also, I thought I’d found something insightful below (the idea that possibly they were by Jodo himself), but it appears… not?

Good work, Detective Enzyme! Downplay your finding all you want, it´s in fact the best clue we have for now. I will post it here to save people who are interested a click:

No artist is credited but the naive style rules out both Moebius and HR Giger (who arrived late to the project in any case). Best bet is either Jodorowsky himself—in 1967 he was writing and illustrating a comic strip, Fabulas Panicas—or Jodorowsky’s colleague from the Panic Movement days, Roland Topor. In the early 70s Topor was working with René Laloux on the animated SF film Fantastic Planet.

Source: https://dangerousminds.net/comments/sketches_for_jodorowskys_dune_i

I like how the artists works with black and white surfaces and I really dig the Brazil (Terry Gilliam, 1985) vibes, on the other hand I don´t appreciate the meta level introduced by the letter, it´s kills the immersion imo.

Yes! Magically weird and probably closer to The Incal than to Lynch´s and even Herbert´s Dude if you ask me.

Jodo really tried to get only the best of the best. I mean, Giger, Foss AND Moebius? Then he hired Pink Floyd for the soundtrack and Salvador Dali ,who asked for 100.000 $ per hour, to play the Emperor. I still can´t decide if Jodo was being more ingenious or more insane :D Well, ingenuity and insanity are known to often overlap a bit ...

Orange Catholic Bible: Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.

Leto: Never! But I can use their heads to cruise around like a boss!

is it Moeby, or other artist?

Looking at the style, I´m sure that design is by Chriss Foss, who also did all those impressive starships for the project. As we know the designs for Dune were done by Foss, Giger and Giraud. However, I noticed a forth (less professional looking) style that does not really fit any of the three and I wonder who made them.

Oh no! The cute drawing style did not at all prepare me for that bloody plot twist! 0_0

I think Villeneuve maybe leaned too far in the sci fi futuristic aesthetic.

Yes, while a strength of his adaption is that he actually respects the books, I fully agree with you that the production design and especially the costumes look pretty bland. Another thing I consider a weakness is how the deeper lore is pushed into the background and instead action scenes are put in the focus, which is typical for movie adaptions of books in general, just think of LOTR.

Exactly, Kyle MacLachlan was perfect for the role of Agent Cooper but I will never get was Lynch was thinking when casting him as Paul Atreides.

I think these are stylistically too captured by the 70s fantasy genre

Valid opinion, I think the fantasy touch fits well, considering how influenced by classic drama Dune is but that is of course a question of personal taste.

If you look at Moebius other work The Metabarons it’s far more futuristic and inventive.

I think there is a misunderstanding. The Metabarons series where made by Jodo as a director/writer and several graphic artists realizing his vision, Moebius not being one of them. The only Metabaron drawn by Moebius is Nameless in The Incal series, which was also directed by Jodo.

little old guy who’s paradoxically, extremely dangerous

Oh I see, you mean like the little chinese grandpa who turns out to be a grand master of kung fu when he is getting attacked.

And I kind of like it, frankly! You know, as opposed to the more common ‘look at me, I’m muscular and badass-looking’ character, which is kinda what Marvel/DC have flogged to death over many decades.

Absolutely, it´s a reason why John Difool is my favorite sci-fi hero!

So an artist might create half-a-dozen odd character designs to show the production-designer / director, letting the boss pick and choose elements they like best to create the final physical version of that production’s character. All very SOP and common in these cases. So you might even find a concept drawing in which Duncan is the shrimp, and Gurney, the big, imposing guy.

Makes perfect sense to do several different drafts to select the best one in the end, I did not think of that practice.

I’d love to have seen Jodo’s Dune

Me too! I don´t care that he would have changed a lot of things from the books, as long as there would have been no pugs and heart plugs!

Hahaha, only the slow blade will pass the shield and stab you in the balls!