How time flies! This is already the 20th anniversary of the 1990 Not Tolkien Calendar, a project managed by Lynn Maudlin. She explains:

I called it “The NOT Tolkien Calendar” to make it clear that we were playing, in the hope that no one would take offense or be misled into expecting a *serious* Tolkien Calendar; I loved Pat Wynne’s illo for the cover – using the international “No” symbol was important to me. I wrote in “NOT” by hand on every copy.

Lynn’s memoir also tells why Tim Callahan’s contribution was matched up with December at the end of the year. The reason wasn’t subtle — look and you should be able to back into it yourself.