Paintings: J.R.R. Tolkien's Ainulindalë

J.R.R. Tolkien's Ainulindalë illustrated by Evan Palmer.

If you like your musical creation myths interpreted in comic form with splashes of color and light, then Evan Palmer has the Ainulindalë for you. Adapted from Tolkien's amazing words, the first chapter of The Silmarillion spans the mythological creation of Middle-Earth and its gods. Told here with loving care and reverence in 54 full color pages.

Illustration: Game of Thrones Portraits

Game of Thrones Portraits by Spain-based Ignacio de la Calle

Illustration: Mysterious Game of Thrones

"The Mysterious Game of Thrones" by Enkel Dika

Prints available for purchase from Society6.

Link Round-Up: January 23, 2014

Lord of the Rings Poster by Jimmy Cauty

News: Simulated Spaceship Helps Launch NYC Art Museum Exhibit | Space.com

All I needed to know about life I learned from Dungeons & Dragons: The nerd classic, 40 years old this month, taught me about imagination, purpose -- and having a great adventure.

Jeffrey Brown’s Vader and Son Drawings Are Being Made into Adorable Figures

What Could Have Been: The BIOSHOCK Movie concept art.

What this? Oh, nothin', just some Doctor Who fan art... by Peter Capaldi!?

Lecture: An Anti-hero of One's Own

"An anti-hero of one's own" by Tim Adams from TED-Ed

"How can an anti-hero teach us about the heroic--and sometimes,the unheroic--characteristics that shape a story's protagonist? From jealousy to self-doubt, Tim Adams challenges us to consider how anti-heroes reflect the very mortal weaknesses that can be found within all of us. "

Lecture: How to build a fictional world

"How to build a fictional world" by Kate Messner by TED-Ed

"Why is J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy so compelling? How about The Matrix or Harry Potter? What makes these disparate worlds come alive are clear, consistent rules for how people, societies -- and even the laws of physics -- function in these fictional universes. Author Kate Messner offers a few tricks for you, too, to create a world worth exploring in your own words."

Lecture: What makes a Hero?

"What makes a hero?" by Matthew Winkler from TED-Ed

"What trials unite not only Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins but many of literature's most interesting heroes? And what do ordinary people have in common with these literary heroes? Matthew Winkler takes us step-by-step through the crucial events that make or break a hero."