I did some illustrations for an article about Iliana Regan, a chef who prepares fandom inspired dinners. This is Bilbo Baggins and the impromptu feast he prepares for a party of dwarves and Gandalf the wizard. And this is Sam Gamgee preparing a rabbit stew for Frodo Baggins in Ithilien while Gollum looks on, upset because he prefers his meat uncooked.
These drawings are so lovely. I've enjoyed Rings of Power more than I expected too! We had a chance to speak to some of the actors and creators in London ahead of the premiere and you could see how much fun they had exploring a new age in this world and bringing it to life.
I feel you too - meals and moments to sit down and rest with characters we love away from the drama and consequence always struck me as wonderfully intimate. Even more so when so many details can be drawn from the dishes being made and the fictional cultures that came to cement them.
In my head I always picture Sam making sure Frodo is eating enough in spite of the journey he has ahead of him.
I'm loving the food drawings. They're like Studio Ghibli food animation but in Middle Earth. I'm also loving The Rings of Power. It's slow building and there are a good few storylines to keep track of but I don't mind it all that much. The scenery, special effects and attention to detail are amazing and the actors are giving it their all. I'm counting down the days until the next episode.
Sep 5, 2022·edited Sep 5, 2022Liked by Molly Knox Ostertag
I have absolutely adored your love for profound and imaginative story for so many years. I’ve been reading your and your husband’s stories to my children since they were about 6. My oldest are 17, 14 and 11 now. It has became especially sweet for my 11, whom came out as they/them, about 6 months ago. Thank you.
I liked how clear-cut and distinguishable the different groups of characters were. Made it easy to follow. They did a good job on the Harfoot tribe with all the forced perspectives or whatever CGI used to make them look dainty.
I have not watched it yet.LOTR is a family thing,so I need to wait for my dad to come home from his job travel.But I need to say,these are lovely pieces!I'd love to see them as official illustrations in a kids graphic novel or book,someday ;)
The food looks so goood!! And I love seeing the process.
I really enjoyed Rings of Power, though thinking about how much money it cost makes me a bit nauseous, but so far it's beautiful and I really like the characters! HarFEEET.
It's been so nice and refreshing to already see way more women (and way more complex at that) in two episodes than in the whole trilogy. Now I'm just hoping there's something gay in it too.
I really like both illutsrations and to see your process.
About The Rings of Power, I liked it too. The rhythm of this first episodes reminded me of a novel, unlike other shows that, as you said, are more of a roller coaster.
These are so visually stimulating and dense with the reference in a good way. You can really get lost in exploring the details!
I think food is such a fun way to immerse you into a text on a fundamental level. A story is meant to entertain and take us on a vacation away from our lives, if only briefly, and food is an excellent window into that escape. It's fun how that window can be anything from Cow Tools to “we’re actually leaving the crumbs for you to reverse engineer how this society runs”. Even thinking wayyy back to childhood favorites like Jamberry and the Hungry Caterpillar, seeing the smorgasbord laid out was what made them so fun; imagining all the tastes and textures really kept me coming back.
These are lovely illustrations! Thank you for sharing them!
I'd been wondering about your thoughts on Rings of Power. I haven't had a chance to watch yet, but several friends have had good things to say, and I'm glad you're enjoying it.
These drawings are so lovely. I've enjoyed Rings of Power more than I expected too! We had a chance to speak to some of the actors and creators in London ahead of the premiere and you could see how much fun they had exploring a new age in this world and bringing it to life.
I feel you too - meals and moments to sit down and rest with characters we love away from the drama and consequence always struck me as wonderfully intimate. Even more so when so many details can be drawn from the dishes being made and the fictional cultures that came to cement them.
In my head I always picture Sam making sure Frodo is eating enough in spite of the journey he has ahead of him.
Sam preparing a stew for Frodo except Gollum is upset bc he’s homophobic. he knows these bitches gay
I'm loving the food drawings. They're like Studio Ghibli food animation but in Middle Earth. I'm also loving The Rings of Power. It's slow building and there are a good few storylines to keep track of but I don't mind it all that much. The scenery, special effects and attention to detail are amazing and the actors are giving it their all. I'm counting down the days until the next episode.
I have absolutely adored your love for profound and imaginative story for so many years. I’ve been reading your and your husband’s stories to my children since they were about 6. My oldest are 17, 14 and 11 now. It has became especially sweet for my 11, whom came out as they/them, about 6 months ago. Thank you.
I liked how clear-cut and distinguishable the different groups of characters were. Made it easy to follow. They did a good job on the Harfoot tribe with all the forced perspectives or whatever CGI used to make them look dainty.
❤️❤️❤️
I have not watched it yet.LOTR is a family thing,so I need to wait for my dad to come home from his job travel.But I need to say,these are lovely pieces!I'd love to see them as official illustrations in a kids graphic novel or book,someday ;)
What a great idea. Food porn for sure.
The food looks so goood!! And I love seeing the process.
I really enjoyed Rings of Power, though thinking about how much money it cost makes me a bit nauseous, but so far it's beautiful and I really like the characters! HarFEEET.
It's been so nice and refreshing to already see way more women (and way more complex at that) in two episodes than in the whole trilogy. Now I'm just hoping there's something gay in it too.
I really like both illutsrations and to see your process.
About The Rings of Power, I liked it too. The rhythm of this first episodes reminded me of a novel, unlike other shows that, as you said, are more of a roller coaster.
These are so visually stimulating and dense with the reference in a good way. You can really get lost in exploring the details!
I think food is such a fun way to immerse you into a text on a fundamental level. A story is meant to entertain and take us on a vacation away from our lives, if only briefly, and food is an excellent window into that escape. It's fun how that window can be anything from Cow Tools to “we’re actually leaving the crumbs for you to reverse engineer how this society runs”. Even thinking wayyy back to childhood favorites like Jamberry and the Hungry Caterpillar, seeing the smorgasbord laid out was what made them so fun; imagining all the tastes and textures really kept me coming back.
These are lovely illustrations! Thank you for sharing them!
I'd been wondering about your thoughts on Rings of Power. I haven't had a chance to watch yet, but several friends have had good things to say, and I'm glad you're enjoying it.