Joel Merriner
@joelmerriner.bsky.social
Doctor of art history, Illustration Tutor at Falmouth University, author of Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc, adventures in '80s fandom and the visual Legendarium
Yes, I've posted it before (and before that) but I care not! Galloping full pelt from MERP Gorgoroth (1990) come Angus McBride's breakneck Nazgûl trio. Glimmering armour, billowing cloaks, malevolent red-eyed horses and a female Ringwraith about to hack off your head.
"This - is - Mordor!" #Tolkien
"This - is - Mordor!" #Tolkien
November 11, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Yes, I've posted it before (and before that) but I care not! Galloping full pelt from MERP Gorgoroth (1990) come Angus McBride's breakneck Nazgûl trio. Glimmering armour, billowing cloaks, malevolent red-eyed horses and a female Ringwraith about to hack off your head.
"This - is - Mordor!" #Tolkien
"This - is - Mordor!" #Tolkien
A bit off-topic for me, but hey you know how it is, every now and again somebody asks you to paint them an albino lion. This is one I knocked out in oils a few years back when I did such things. Yes, I know his eyes aren't pink but I just got too wrapped up in his hair to give a damn about that...🦁🎨
November 10, 2025 at 3:35 PM
A bit off-topic for me, but hey you know how it is, every now and again somebody asks you to paint them an albino lion. This is one I knocked out in oils a few years back when I did such things. Yes, I know his eyes aren't pink but I just got too wrapped up in his hair to give a damn about that...🦁🎨
Working on a new book proposal at the mo...a semi-perilous dungeon-crawl through ‘70s & ‘80s fantasy art in the unreliable 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
November 3, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Working on a new book proposal at the mo...a semi-perilous dungeon-crawl through ‘70s & ‘80s fantasy art in the unreliable 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
Angus McBride's 1997 pic An Unexpected Party (made for Iron Crown's Middle-earth Puzzles set), has the retro styling of an old Saturday matinee film. I feel like it shouldn't be my cup of tea, but then I get lost in the detail and the awesome McBride-ness and it's just too cool not to love #Tolkien
November 1, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Angus McBride's 1997 pic An Unexpected Party (made for Iron Crown's Middle-earth Puzzles set), has the retro styling of an old Saturday matinee film. I feel like it shouldn't be my cup of tea, but then I get lost in the detail and the awesome McBride-ness and it's just too cool not to love #Tolkien
It's Friday and here's fantasy and sci fi art elder Rodney Matthews' 2014 pic The Thief (2014), aka Bilbo Risks a Scorching to Steal a Cup from a Massively Sinister and Spikey Smaug. Favourite details here: the dragon's slit eye and the faux-Tengwar jars which hint at the original 1937 #Tolkien pic
October 24, 2025 at 4:28 PM
It's Friday and here's fantasy and sci fi art elder Rodney Matthews' 2014 pic The Thief (2014), aka Bilbo Risks a Scorching to Steal a Cup from a Massively Sinister and Spikey Smaug. Favourite details here: the dragon's slit eye and the faux-Tengwar jars which hint at the original 1937 #Tolkien pic
For Wednesday - savour this lovely Laima Eglïte watercolour of 153 year old raven Roäc delivering the stark 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
October 22, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Today I present one of my favourite details from a #Tolkien illustration ever. Yes, 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 🐺🐺
October 20, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Today I present one of my favourite details from a #Tolkien illustration ever. Yes, 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 depictions, this pic of Frodo, Sam and a weird and uncanny Gollum stood before the old king's hewn head is undeniably impressive. The red glow and hollow eyes magnify the drama #Tolkien
October 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
For Friday - The King at the Cross-roads by Darrell Sweet (c. 1981). Although I'm not a big fan of Sweet's Hobbit depictions, this pic of Frodo, Sam and a weird and uncanny Gollum stood before the old king's hewn head is undeniably impressive. The red glow and hollow eyes magnify the drama #Tolkien
#TolkienTrewsday "Colours" and Roger Garland flexes his polychromatic muscles in Bridge of Khazad-dûm (c. 1983). Here the reds, browns, purples and blues denote the evils of Moria, while the green glow signals freedom. Poor old Gandalf the Grey (+ blue and red) is going nowhere but down 😔 #Tolkien
October 14, 2025 at 11:18 AM
#TolkienTrewsday "Colours" and Roger Garland flexes his polychromatic muscles in Bridge of Khazad-dûm (c. 1983). Here the reds, browns, purples and blues denote the evils of Moria, while the green glow signals freedom. Poor old Gandalf the Grey (+ blue and red) is going nowhere but down 😔 #Tolkien
"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," In 1989 Èduard Zarjanskij channelled several famous #Tolkien photos to create this super-cool but distinctly Sicilian pic for the back of Raduga's Russian translation of The Fellowship of the Ring. The forged signature adds an extra little thrill
October 8, 2025 at 2:42 PM
"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," In 1989 Èduard Zarjanskij channelled several famous #Tolkien photos to create this super-cool but distinctly Sicilian pic for the back of Raduga's Russian translation of The Fellowship of the Ring. The forged signature adds an extra little thrill
Reposted by Joel Merriner
Thanks to everyone for celebrating #Tolkien #HobbitMonth with me! This was fun and I enjoyed your lovely comments each day.
If you enjoyed my paintings, perhaps you'd like to add my book to your honored Tolkien shelves. Happy Hobbit Month, my friends, and keep sharing the good lore!
If you enjoyed my paintings, perhaps you'd like to add my book to your honored Tolkien shelves. Happy Hobbit Month, my friends, and keep sharing the good lore!
September 30, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Thanks to everyone for celebrating #Tolkien #HobbitMonth with me! This was fun and I enjoyed your lovely comments each day.
If you enjoyed my paintings, perhaps you'd like to add my book to your honored Tolkien shelves. Happy Hobbit Month, my friends, and keep sharing the good lore!
If you enjoyed my paintings, perhaps you'd like to add my book to your honored Tolkien shelves. Happy Hobbit Month, my friends, and keep sharing the good lore!
If you've just followed me, or have been tracking my #Tolkien art adventures for a while, I'd like to thank you all! Keep checking back regularly if you want art historical chat, punk orc sketches, book talk and classic pics like this: Angus McBride's Denizens of the Dark Wood MERP cover (1989) 💀
September 30, 2025 at 9:47 AM
If you've just followed me, or have been tracking my #Tolkien art adventures for a while, I'd like to thank you all! Keep checking back regularly if you want art historical 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 evocative imagery for the 1996 Belarusian #Hobbit translation. Here's four great examples: blond, bearded Elrond ponders the moon letters, Brezhnev-eyebrowed Smaug loses his cool, Bard, Gandalf and Thranduil keep the Arkenstone, little Bilbo post-battle #Tolkien
September 24, 2025 at 9:10 AM
My book Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc is released into the wild today! Here's a quick peek at a few more pages, artwork here by Győző Vida, Yassen Panov, Alexander Korotich and Sergei Iukhimov #Tolkien www.bloomsbury.com/uk/illustrat...
September 18, 2025 at 9:25 AM
My book Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc is released into the wild today! Here's a quick peek at a few more pages, artwork here by Győző Vida, Yassen Panov, Alexander Korotich and Sergei Iukhimov #Tolkien www.bloomsbury.com/uk/illustrat...
"Are there no leeches among you?" Imrahil spots that Éowyn isn't dead, as embarrassed Rohirrim look on. No, sorry this is Valkyrie's Death (1880) by Norwegian historical/mythological painter Peter Nicolai Arbo (1831-1892). Note late-to-the-battle Radagast pinching back his brown cloak 😆 #Tolkien
September 17, 2025 at 1:07 PM
"Are there no leeches among you?" Imrahil spots that Éowyn isn't dead, as embarrassed Rohirrim look on. No, sorry this is Valkyrie's Death (1880) by Norwegian historical/mythological painter Peter Nicolai Arbo (1831-1892). Note late-to-the-battle Radagast pinching back his brown cloak 😆 #Tolkien
Today's doodle drawn whilst engaged in a L-O-N-G and convoluted phone call to HMRC...Misty Mountains Goblin Spear-Lad Chanter of the Severed Hand-Stump Clan, complete with tax code top right 🤪💀 #Tolkien
September 16, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Today's doodle drawn whilst engaged in a L-O-N-G and convoluted phone call to HMRC...Misty Mountains Goblin Spear-Lad Chanter of the Severed Hand-Stump Clan, complete with tax code top right 🤪💀 #Tolkien
It's #TolkienTrewsday Pirates! Here's a whole gang of them being overrun by the advancing Dead in Alexander Korotich's c. 1985 scraperboard pic The Corsairs. Drawn on the back of chopped up Politburo propaganda posters his work is a revelation and you can read more about it in my book #Tolkien
September 16, 2025 at 8:45 AM
It's #TolkienTrewsday Pirates! Here's a whole gang of them being overrun by the advancing Dead in Alexander Korotich's c. 1985 scraperboard pic The Corsairs. Drawn on the back of chopped up Politburo propaganda posters his work is a revelation and you can read more about it in my book #Tolkien
Gandalf the Grey regrets downing that last pint at The Prancing Pony...no, sorry this just your average bearded medieval guy losing his lunch. Rendered in sumptuous gold-leaf bordered technicolour by the famous Bute Painter, this pic adorns a 1285 edition of Aldobrandino of Siena's Régime du corps 🤮
September 1, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Gandalf the Grey regrets downing that last pint at The Prancing Pony...no, sorry this just your average bearded medieval guy losing his lunch. Rendered in sumptuous gold-leaf bordered technicolour by the famous Bute Painter, this pic adorns a 1285 edition of Aldobrandino of Siena's Régime du corps 🤮
It lives! Copies of my book Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc have arrived! So happy to finally see it in print after all this time. Artwork here by Yassen Panov, Jerzy Czerniawski, Alexander Korotich and Sergei Iukhimov. Available from 18 Sept www.bloomsbury.com/uk/illustrat...
August 29, 2025 at 8:06 PM
It lives! Copies of my book Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc have arrived! So happy to finally see it in print after all this time. Artwork here by Yassen Panov, Jerzy Czerniawski, Alexander Korotich and Sergei Iukhimov. Available from 18 Sept www.bloomsbury.com/uk/illustrat...
Okay, so the University of Plymouth have cancelled their Art History programme rendering myself and several others Ex-Associate Lecturers. Bit odd after seven years, but at least now I've got more time to write books and doodle knuckle-headed trolls and weird eyeball-mouth-hand critters 🤔😜
August 8, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Okay, so the University of Plymouth have cancelled their Art History programme rendering myself and several others Ex-Associate Lecturers. Bit odd after seven years, but at least now I've got more time to write books and doodle knuckle-headed trolls and weird eyeball-mouth-hand critters 🤔😜
Well, my book Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc has gone to print! Stay tuned for the story of the artists that brought Tolkien to life for the people of Central and Eastern Europe. Release date 18 September 2025, published by Bloomsbury Academic
Art: Alexander Korotich (c.1985)
Art: Alexander Korotich (c.1985)
June 28, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Well, my book Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc has gone to print! Stay tuned for the story of the artists that brought Tolkien to life for the people of Central and Eastern Europe. Release date 18 September 2025, published by Bloomsbury Academic
Art: Alexander Korotich (c.1985)
Art: Alexander Korotich (c.1985)
Just emerged Gollum-like from Book Indexing Hibernation (see latest picture of me below) and am looking forward to a change of pace with a spot of fiction writing. Will be treading familiar ground, #Tolkien fandom, fantasy, art, bad '80s haircuts but...*Yes my Precious*...no bloody footnotes😀🤪
May 13, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Just emerged Gollum-like from Book Indexing Hibernation (see latest picture of me below) and am looking forward to a change of pace with a spot of fiction writing. Will be treading familiar ground, #Tolkien fandom, fantasy, art, bad '80s haircuts but...*Yes my Precious*...no bloody footnotes😀🤪
The One Where Tuor met Ulmo... Ok, so I often prefer this meeting in the mind's eye rather than in an illustration. Except that's a total lie because I really love Roger Garland's Ulmo, Lord of the Waters (c.1984) with its prog rock weirdness and Terry Gilliam/Ray Harryhausen styling 🐟🐚#Tolkien
April 24, 2025 at 8:49 AM
The One Where Tuor met Ulmo... Ok, so I often prefer this meeting in the mind's eye rather than in an illustration. Except that's a total lie because I really love Roger Garland's Ulmo, Lord of the Waters (c.1984) with its prog rock weirdness and Terry Gilliam/Ray Harryhausen styling 🐟🐚#Tolkien
Checking the final proofs of my #Tolkien illustration book this week. Already spotted a few uber persistent typos (why so many capital letters, Joel?) So far none as bad as my no.1 PhD thesis gaff spotted minutes before submission..."to fit with Tolkien's *pubic* demand" 😱🫣
Art by Igor Kordej (2007)
Art by Igor Kordej (2007)
April 14, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Checking the final proofs of my #Tolkien illustration book this week. Already spotted a few uber persistent typos (why so many capital letters, Joel?) So far none as bad as my no.1 PhD thesis gaff spotted minutes before submission..."to fit with Tolkien's *pubic* demand" 😱🫣
Art by Igor Kordej (2007)
Art by Igor Kordej (2007)
In 1968, disgraced director Chuck Diamond shot a 7 hour spaghetti western version of LOTR. Sadly the film ran way over budget and was shelved due to finance 'issues'. Chuck later died in a Mob-related cycling accident. Here's Franco Nero as Aragorn, with Andúril The Big Gun that Was Broken #Tolkien
April 2, 2025 at 9:58 AM
In 1968, disgraced director Chuck Diamond shot a 7 hour spaghetti western version of LOTR. Sadly the film ran way over budget and was shelved due to finance 'issues'. Chuck later died in a Mob-related cycling accident. Here's Franco Nero as Aragorn, with Andúril The Big Gun that Was Broken #Tolkien