Well the Balrogs traveled from Angband to Lammoth pretty quickly to rescue Morgoth without wings. I guess Ungoliant must've waited a few weeks for them to arrive so she could be driven off.

Joking aside, this is probably one of those many inconsistencies that exist in the series, like how Tolkien originally described armies of Balrogs then later says that there were no more than seven.

Oh yeah mother dearest could weigh in very nicely here!

They're also prone to early onset dementia, according to The Silmarillion.

I'd imagine there's more to it that probably the mother character could fill in.

I read it like she knows about something about what is going on, and she doesn't want to talk about it with the husband. I could just never tell for sure if I was right or why she wouldn't want to help

I think it has real potential, the douchebag brother, the wife that appears normal to everyone so they think the guys crazy.

Clearly needs a bit more development but man, solid read. I hope they don’t make the wife into some overly unbelievable CGI character for the crawling on the floor and facial expressions.

I liked how you couldn’t tel if the wife was just playing along with him when he initially asked why she was doing that etc.

I believe the writer is talking to producers.

Gard G-g-gard

This really good

[removed]

I wouldn't say "no Balrog ever could possibly have had wings", but rather "Tolkien never described any Balrog having wings".

The only mention of wings on Durin's bane is an obviously non-physical simile comparing the movement of the expanding shadow at a specific moment to the general shape of wings, and the simile becomes a metaphor in the next paragraph for greater effect (and to avoid repeating the simile, which would be quite tedious). Tolkien uses the same process in the Akallabêth (first, the clouds are described as being shaped like eagles; then, the same clouds are referred to as "the eagles").

Now if we were to consider those wings as physical, there would be a huge problem in how Tolkien describes distances and measurements in the Balrog scenes. You'd have to imagine a ~5m tall Balrog (uppermost estimation) with a ~50m wingspan (lowest estimation), making the Balrog's visible shape composed of around 90% wings 10% body? And yet Tolkien's descriptions of Balrogs fully concentrates on those 10%, consistently calling them humanoids/of human shape, with the mention of wings left vague at most. Not to mention the obvious conclusion that wings that big would be the worst, most impractical thing ever.

Also, as far as I remember the description of the Balrog being able to go out of the chamber of Mazarbul, you'd need that Balrog and its 50m wingspan to go through a doorway small enough that a normal man can easily push the door closed in one movement, as shown during the earlier battle. When you pay attention to the description, what Tolkien focuses on, and the measurements, Durin's Bane being winged doesn't make any sense, and it's the reason why that debate only exists among fan (particularly Jackson fans) - all the scholars I've seen talking about the topic are unanimous that there's no actual wing being described.

Looking good. Try that, AI.

To Isengard to Isengard

@IllustrationByBo on Instagram

Thanks!

Lol, I hope you know what I mean. You are obviously very skilled :) Your art made me think, so thank you!

Jesus. That’s the scariest thing I’ve ever read.

Looks like he's about to start eating his son.

Fantastic work!!

Yeah, drop me a message.

You selling that?

Balrog, balrog

Balrog, balrog

Balrog, balrog, yep!

TA TADA TA TA TA TAAAAA…!

grandma got no teeth? 😏

sent you a DM

this sucks