What links the Lord of the Nazgûl and the Bayeux Tapestry? Read my Journal of #Tolkien Research article on Sergei Iukhimov's illustrations for #TheLordoftheRings to find out - https://t.co/OqZlD56kJA

To celebrate Friday here's a classic piece of '80s #Tolkien awesomeness from Inger Edelfeldt - Scouring of the Shire (c. 1983). Also known as Don't F**k with Hobbits, it depicts a mangy, tattered Saruman in a doomed face-off with Frodo, Gríma and assorted Halfling hard-nuts.

Working on a new book proposal at the mo...a perilous dungeon-crawl through ‘70s & ‘80s fantasy art in the company of a wide-eyed teenage wannabe-artist fanboy (me) and a wizened bearded academic (also me). To put you in mind of that era here's Jimmy Cauty's 1976 classic #Tolkien

Here's a lovely Laima Eglïte watercolour of 153 year old raven Roäc delivering the grim message to haughty Thorin that "the treasure [of Smaug] is likely to be your death". Featured in the 1991 Latvian #Hobbit this pic includes my favourite little red-haired punk Bilbo #Tolkien

Here's one of my favourite details from a #Tolkien illustration...as featured in John Blanche's riotous, head-thumping c. 1979 Battle of the Five Armies pic, it's the Warg who's lost his rider but doesn't give a shit because he's in the zone and running free in a leopard-skin🐺🐺

For Friday - The King at the Cross-roads by Darrell Sweet (c. 1981). Although I'm not a big fan of Sweet's Hobbit pics, this one of Frodo, Sam and a weird, uncanny Gollum stood by the old king's hewn head is very impressive. The red glow and hollow eyes magnify the drama #Tolkien

"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," In 1989 Èduard Zarjanskij drew upon several famous #Tolkien photos to create this cool but distinctly gangster pic for the back of Raduga's Russian translation of The Fellowship of the Ring. The forged signature adds to the thrill

If you've just followed me, or have been tracking my #Tolkien art adventures for a while, I thank you! Keep checking back regularly if you want more art chat, punk orc sketches, book talk and classic pics like this: Angus McBride's Denizens of the Dark Wood MERP cover (1989) 💀

Nicholas Bayrachny created some vivid imagery for the 1996 Belarusian #Hobbit translation. Here's four great pics: blond, bearded Elrond ponders the moon letters, Brezhnev-eyebrowed Smaug loses it, Bard, Gandalf and Thranduil keep the Arkenstone, little Bilbo post-battle #Tolkien

My book Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc was released into the wild yesterday! Here's a quick peek at a few pages, artwork here by Győző Vida, Yassen Panov, Alexander Korotich and Sergei Iukhimov https://t.co/PEDFLLmsZj

Between book edits, I've been plotting my Book No. 2. Suffice to say, if you like (partly) autobiographical stories about a #Tolkien-mad nerd growing up in a 1980s Cornish port amid talking D&D characters, suspected werewolves and Angus Fieldhouse pics 👇then you might be in luck

My book "Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc" has a cover! Featuring art by the most excellent Yassen Panov, illustrator of the 1990-1991 Bulgarian #LOTR translation. It's scheduled for release on September 18th #Tolkien @BloomsburyAcad

It's dragons for #TolkienTrewsday and first up is Ian Miller (1979) with a crunchy monochrome classic. Next comes Rodney Matthews' spiny pic The Thief (2014). Then its Angus McBride's awesome kill-shot of Smaug (1988) and finally Roger Garland's creeping menace Glaurung (1981) 🐉

Born to early to illustrate #Tolkien, Brandywine School founder Howard Pyle (1853-1911) would have surely made something special from The Lord of the Rings or The Silmarillion. Here's some cracking depictions from The Story of King Arthur (1903). Fey Guinevere (4) is pure Noldor

When illustrating #Tolkien there are key moments which must be on every artist's bucket list. One of these is Bilbo, Gandalf and Beorn's first encounter from The Hobbit. Here's four classics: António Quadros (1962), Michael Hague (1984), Peter Klúcik (1990) & Denis Gordeev (2005)

In the early 1990s Sergei Iukhimov created many First Age #Tolkien depictions inspired by the decadent fin de siècle aestheticism of Aubrey Beardsley. Sadly the mists of time have rendered many of the reproductions hazy, but this one goes hard nonetheless...Túrin's death (1993)

#Tolkien artist Valentina Levshina literally paints with words, describing light and form with text taken from the books she's illustrating. Here's four super cool ones...Ungoliant poisons the Trees, Carcharoth & Huan, Three Rings for Elven Kings and cosmic star voyager Eärendil

Very happy to say that my piece on illustrating invisible demons in Penric and Desdemona cover art is available to read in Short But Concentrated #2, an essay symposium on the works of Lois McMaster Bujold, edited by the most excellent @unamccormack👇 https://t.co/uPZCq3jhJ2

That feeling when you discover a killer new fact for the final draft of your #Tolkien illustration book... (image: Olga Ionajtis, 2005)

Every now and again I'm obliged to remind you of the beauty of Victor Ambrus' Elves. Be they shipwrights, musicians, mushroom pickers (my fave) or great lords & ladies his unique, feathery line imbued all with subtle power. Here's some Noldor (1979). Look upon them... #Tolkien

For #TolkienTrewsday I present Igor Oleynikov's cracking depiction of that most favouritest of troll traditions The Pre-teatime Punch Up. Featured in the AST Russian #Hobbit edition from 2000 here we see Bilbo (and rodent friend) lying low while Tom, Bert and William slug it out