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MORGOTH!!

Many casual fans of Tolkien's great works think that Sauron is the Satan-figure of Middle-Earth, but they are mistaken.

MORGOTH BAUGLIR (originally Melkor) was Sauron's master in the First Age of Middle Earth, Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur (gods), but turned to darkness and became Morgoth, from whom all evil in the world of Middle-earth ultimately stems(all the first Dragons, Balrogs, Werewolves, Trolls and Goblins were created by Morgoth, as well as the Witch King of Angmar, later the leader of the Nazgul); he is the ultimate antagonist of Arda. Sauron, one of the Maiar (angels) of Aulë (the Creator-God), betrayed his kind and became Morgoth's most powerful and loyal lieutenant.

Morgoth was the principal agent of evil in the epic saga known as The Silmarillion, and his influence lingered in the world even after he was cast from it into the outer void. Morgoth's example provided later ages a cautionary tale against pride, wrath, envy, lust for power, and greed — and of the destruction these visit upon oneself and others.


Most importantly, Morgoth was never destroyed. Sauron, his servant, is better thought of as the 'Anti-Christ' of Middle-Earth's Second and Third Age.

SMAUG - as imagined by Peter Konig

I've seen a lot of paintings of Smaug, the great and terrible King Under The Mountain, but Peter Konig's concept (which I can only assume was the official one while he and Guillermo del Toro were attached to the Peter Jackson Hobbit project) is by far the best. He looks crafty and evil, and it's a distinctive look so unlike the generic dragons that there are so many of everywhere - he'd be forever instantly recognizable if he looked like this. Not to mention, the design's in keeping with the aesthetic established by the three Lord of the Rings films already completed :)

As always, click on each image to enlarge... it's well worth it to see this fantastic art in detail!

Sauron the Deceiver

Sauron, the lord of darkness, seen here in both his guises as the blazing Eye of Mordor and as Annatar the Fair, the beautiful visage he used to deceive the Elves, tricking them into creating the Three Rings of the Elven-folk.

First Look - The Hobbit and the Dwarves

Here are the first promo pics from the upcoming Peter Jackson adaption of fantasy classic The Hobbit... they look great! From the top, we have Bilbo (the titular Hobbit), Thorin Oakenshield (the Dwarves' leader), Fili and Kili (the two youngest), Dori, Ori and Nori, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur, Oin and Gloin, and Dwalin and Balin.