Nothing like seeing a mention of “The Hobbit” on Boing Boing, one of my favorite geek blogs! They published a link to a blog called “English Russia.”
Someone published scans of amazing woodblock illustrations from a Russian version of “The Hobbit.” The style is extremely distinctive and very stylized. The Gollum illustration is one of the coolest interpretations I’ve ever seen. Graphically it looks to be from the ’30’s – but perhaps some Tolkien scholar out there knows better?
The best part of the “find” is at the bottom of the page where there are three videos from a Russian stage production of “The Hobbit.” Possibly from the ’80’s, but who knows? Either way – it’s entertaining. Gandalf is all sparkly, and apparently what differentiates Bilbo as a Hobbit is his stripey Hogwarts scarf and fisherman-style cap. (Essentially, knitwear and a pink shirt was Hobbit-like to the Russians.)
Check it out! http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2010/05/27/russian-lord-of-the-rings/
