Director Peter Jackson revolutionized fantasy cinema with his epic adaptation of J. R.R. Tolkien‘s Lord of the Rings trilogy, a monumental task, in spite of the author’s insistence that it could never be filmed. Given the phenomenal success with which Jackson pulled that off, how well would he tackle Tolkien’s earlier saga of Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit? San Diego Comic-Con Hall H fans found out earlier today with the panel for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Moderator Chris Hardwick(The Nerdist podcast) kicked off the Warner Brothers/Legendary Pictures panel with a surprise, by pulling open curtains across the back of the hall to unveil projection screens double standard size, larger than I’d ever seen in Hall H history. Over these screens they displayed a collage of images from the film, which gave fans a hint to the epic scale of the panel to follow. Then, they screened a behind-the-scenes reel of footage documenting the exhaustive 266-day production shoot, including some of the amazing epic sets and characters of Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

I know I’m not alone when I say that the late Frank Frazetta will forever be the greatest fantasy artist who ever lived. His illustrations gave new life to marginalized icons of pulp fiction like Conan the Barbarian and John Carter of Mars and inspired countless writers, artists, and filmmakers. Frazetta’s artwork stands out from the rest of the pack for its merging of grungy realism and fantastic visuals; his iconic drawings and paintings depicting brawny warriors and chesty maidens battling horrific mutants and monsters made him a legend in the realm of genre storytelling.

When Frank Frazetta died of a stroke more than two years ago his passing left a great hole in the hearts of geeks the world over, but he left behind a legacy of awe-inspiring visions of the fantastic and the frightening that will continue to influence generations of imaginative storytellers until the end of time. Yeah, Frazetta was that damn good an artist.

Frazetta composed a set of seven illustrations inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Lord of the Rings trilogy. These drawings offer an unique perspective of a beloved fantasy classic from a legendary artist you wouldn’t typically associate with hobbits and wizards. You can check out Frazetta’s artwork here below.

Orbit #8: JRR Tolkien
The True Lord of the Rings
Written by Brian McCarthy and Michael Lent
Pencils by Luis Chichón
Color by Luis Chichón
Letters by Luis Chichón
Cover by Hyunsang Michael Cho
Bluewater Comics
Release Date: May 30, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Love JRR Tolkien‘s writing or hate it, you have to respect the intricate fantasy world he built for his hobbits’ grand adventures. JRR Tolkien influenced an entire genre of fiction and his most famous offering, Lord of the Rings, inspired generations of devoted fans and writers.

Orbit #8: JRR Tolkien: The True Lord of the Rings gives readers a brief, 28-page glimpse into his life. The writers, Brian McCarthy and Michael Lent, manage to cover the major points in Tolkien’s life story. The comic book is a quick read, but the narrative never feels rushed. It’s like skimming a beautifully illustrated version of Tolkien’s Wikipedia page.

Though production began long ago and we already have a wonderful first trailer to watch (a couple hundred times…per day), director Peter Jackson still had some casting to get done for his two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s beloved classic, The Hobbit.

It’s being reported that Jackson has brought in Billy Connolly as the final addition to the cast. He’ll play the great dwarf warrior and cousin to Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), Dain Ironfoot.

January 3 marks the birthday of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the beloved The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings books. Born in 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, today would have been the author’s 120th birthday.

In celebration and remembrance of the man who put the word hobbit into our everyday vocabulary, Tolkien fans around the world today will raise a glass and toast “The Professor” at 9pm.