The day-to-day operation of the website, and the events we host, require a lot more resources than when we first started nearly 15 years ago. We sometimes find it hard to ask our readers for the help we need to keep running, so we began discussing what it is that makes TheOneRing.net worth helping out. It started out as a search for the Top Ten Moments of TORn, but the list got so long because each staff member had their own idea of important moments in TORn history. Here, instead, is something more encompassing: Ten Ways TORn helps serve Tolkien and Lord of the Rings fandom (listed in no specific order).

And, if you enjoy what we do, consider a donation (no amount too small, because every bit does help!) to keep us running!

If you can’t, that’s fine as well — keep reading, commenting and contributing. Because TORn is as much you as it is us!

If you’ve ever sent in an article, submitted a photo or report, posted on our messageboards, visited our chat, or commented on our twitter, facebook or g+, you’re the reason TheOneRing.net is among the largest and most-respected pillars of the Tolkien community on the web.

• Spy Reports

• Spy reports were a big part of our content when the website first started. From casting announcements to secret location pictures to leaked images of important plot points, spy reports were our bread and butter stories. Some of the reports were from random, anonymous sources, while others were official leaks from cast and crew. In fact, there were many production members who said they used TheOneRing.net to keep track of what some of the other filming units were doing. Other spy reports were just someone stumbling upon a film location and sending in a story or images and then we’d all try and guess what location it actually was. Some of our biggest spy reports were of Arwen at Helm’s Deep (which subsequently didn’t happen), Saruman’s prone body on a spiky wheel (which did happen), and TheOneRing.net was given the honor of introducing Thorin to the world. And very soon, we will be seeing stories from MrCere’s visit to the set from his Production Embed last year.

• Hall of Fire Chats and the Message Boards

• Literary discussions on the message boards and Hall of Fire chats – From the very beginning of TheOneRing.net, discussions of the books, chapter by chapter, has been a hallmark. After all, while we waited for news on who would be cast, where filming would take place, and rumors of what might be cut out, we had the books to talk about. Discussions worked by talking about one chapter at a time, and luckily, there are enough books with enough chapters, to keep those discussions going on for a long while. Since the beginning, we’ve looped through the books several times, but luckily, there are always new readers joining the discussion, and new interpretations to be had. And for something a little more dynamic, there are the Hall of Fire chats in Barlimans. Sometimes the talk is about a specific chapter, or a certain character, and sometimes it is about current events, such as new character images or reviews of a recently released trailer. No matter which forum you use, there is always someone to talk to about some aspect of Tolkien, the books or our fandom.

• TORns Live Videos

• We began with TORn Live, which consisted of Red Carpet interviews at premieres, awards ceremonies and special events like Cannes 2001 and SDCC. These would be recorded, edited and released online a few days or weeks later. But technology now allows for live streaming interviews and vlogs and the like. Quickbeam hosts a weekly TORn Tuesday event with interviews and discussions, while he interacts with a live chatroom. The Happy Hobbit ladies record and post their vlogs and post them within a day or two of their recordings, for a much quicker turnaround on video content. And right now we have the Road to DragonCon in full swing with live streaming from across the country.

• Conventions

• Convention appearances – Calisuri and Quickbeam hosted a panel at San Diego Comic Con in 2001, before the release of FOTR, and since then barely a year has gone by that TORn hasn’t had a presence at at least one convention. At many of the conventions we appear at we also have a presence on the exhibit hall floor where we have sold some of our classic TORn shirts. We love it when we get up on stage for a panel and half the people in the audience are wearing some of our older shirts.

•  

  

  Baggins Birthday Party sign

  Line Parties and Fan Events

• Line Parties and other fan hosted events – TheOneRing.net has always been a grass roots type of fan-site and that is no more apparent then looking at the Line Parties of years past. Whether it is just a few friends, or some hundreds of people signing up on the website to attend, fans like you all over the world hosted Line Parties. A few even took place over several days, and included costume contests and trivia games for prizes. Other fan hosted events over the years have been the Hobbit Day/Baggins Birthday Bash events on Sept. 22, the Tolkien Toast on Jan. 3 and the Tolkien Reading Day on March 25. TORn staff in Los Angeles have been hosting a Baggins Birthday Bash party for 11 years now, but there are fan groups around the world that have hosted similar events. Smaller moots happen around the world all the time, there is a very active group in Wellington and one in Croatia. If you are hosting a fan event in the next year or two, please feel free to tell us about it.

• The Oscar Parties

• Originally conceived as a fan event to help raise funds to buy TORn a new server, who could have imagined the Cast and Crew actually showing up to the FOTR oscar party? Even more surprising, who could have imagined the ROTK sweep and all those Oscars on stage at a fan hosted party?

• O.R.C and E.L.F.

• TheOneRing.net hosted conventions – The One Ring Celebration on the West Coast (O.R.C.) and the Eastern Lord of the Rings Festival on the East Coast (E.L.F.) were co-productions with a professional convention company, but they definitely had a TORn stamp on them. The conventions allowed us to combine our love of the films by interacting with cast and crew with our love of the books through academic discussions, the art shows and costume displays. We really did break the mold on how a commercial scifi convention is run and hope everyone who attended had a blast.

• Academic essays and editorials

• TORn has long standing relationships with many in the academic community who have posted guest essays and editorials. Over the year several staffers have posted in depth analysis to fan questions on the site as well. In fact, we have a whole section on the ‘old TORn’ (pre-crash) called Green Books for academic posts. This section had so much good stuff in it, we published a book called “The People’s Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien” and a sequel book as well.

• Driving fan initiatives

• After Return of the King was done and Peter Jackson moved on to do King Kong, the fans waited to see what would happen with The Hobbit afterwards. Months turned to years and still no word while studios went bankrupt, copyrights issues got tangled up and various lawsuits were filed for missing payments. Finally, a few fans decided they had had enough and started a petition to ‘Make the Hobbit Happen’. They brought it to TORn and we got thousands of you to sign so that a big pile of names was delivered to TPTB. A similar thing happened when there was talk that the production would be moved out of New Zealand. The fans could see no where else as Middle-earth, so the ‘Keep the Hobbit in NZ’ campaign was born, but this time on Social Media. And most recently, there was an explosion of Tolkien fan love over the #Votebilbo twitter event prompted by an MTV Audience Award.

• TORn Community

• This list compiles many of the things that TheOneRing.net does to keep you informed, entertained and engaged, but there is really just one thing that makes TheOneRing.net so important to keep around. And that is the community of fans that convene on our message boards, in Barliman’s chat, on Facebook and Twitter.

This site was built by fans getting together to discuss what they hoped for from Peter Jackson long before FOTR ever saw the light of day. The fact that a long existing fan-base gathered here meant engaged and informed discussion began from day one, including analyzing all the spy reports about casting and location details. We didn’t have to wait for the release of the films, or for several episodes of a new show to take off before we could discuss the minutia of every detail because our fan base was already well established.

And what is ‘fandom’ if not a community of like minded people passionate about the same thing. Sure, everyone has their own opinions, so every time a new image was released, or a new trailer appeared, the message boards and chatroom erupted into heated discussions. But as the years wore on friendships were made, some turning into marriage, and we all began meeting up at various moots, conventions, concerts, premiere events, trips to New Zealand or just coffee and a movie. How many of you newer fans were galvanized by the #Votebilbo campaign and now have a wider array of Twitter friends because of it? The fact that TORn was able to continue to exist during all those lean years between film productions is due mostly to you, the readers, sticking around to discuss anything and everything to do with Tolkien, and sometimes other bits of pop culture. We know that after the release of The Hobbit: There and Back Again we will see another decline of readership, but we also know that the community is strong, the friendships have been forged and all of you take that fandom with you where ever you go next.

So again, if you are so inclined to help support us and keep the website going, please do make a pledge or bid on one of the many cool auction items we’ve been posting about the past few days. On behalf of the All Volunteer Staff at TheOneRing.net, you have our deepest gratitude for all the support over the years.

Like the dwarves of Erebor, the Celts were a group of people renowned for their warriors who were forced to flee their mountainous homeland in the east due to unknown strife around 1600 BCE (the Bronze Age). Spilling into Europe, the Celts wandered for generations, making their way west to the British Isles. It is worth noting that the term “Celts” applies to several groups of un-unified peoples who, much like the dwarves, were prone to both fighting against each other and in turn, banding together to unite against a common enemy, such as the Roman legions.

When comparing the Celts to dwarves, it is important to focus on one of the northern tribes (in modern Scotland): the Picts. They were given their name by the Romans, who found the animal shapes and designs they painted on their bodies with blue woad to be curious pictures. The Celts were also in the habit of shaping their hair before battle – using a mixture of lime and urine as a sort of styling clay that caked white onto their tresses and made their hair stand on end. For a cinematic example of these ancient warriors, check out the trailer for Kevin MacDonald’s adaptation of The Eagle (2011).

The Eagle (2011)

If the interviews with Billy Connolly from last summer are still accurate, then we can expect Dáin Ironfoot to “have a Mohawk and tattoos on my head…I arrive riding a wild pig.” Sound familiar?

It should also be noted that as a Scot, Connolly himself is a Celt. In fact, many of the actors portraying dwarves in The Hobbit are of Celtic descent, and several were allowed to keep their respective accents. James Nesbit’s Bofur speaks in his Northern Irish brogue, and Graham McTavish’ Dwalin (who also bears war-paint like tattoos) sounds like the Scot he is. Aidan Turner, Kili, is an Irishman, Dean O’Gorman, playing his brother Fili, is a Kiwi of Irish descent, and Ken Stott (Balin) is another Scotsman.

As an interesting side note, belonging to the Order of Fili (wisemen and poets) was required for a warrior to enter Ireland’s elite Fenian ranks. Kili, similarly, could be argued as an alternate spelling/pronunciation of the common Irish surname Kelly, which means warrior (and is coincidentally why I was given my TORn nickname, since it is my birth name).  Naming the two youngest of Durin’s heirs names that invoke a warrior heritage makes sense, however, it is unknown if Tolkien was aware of these linguistic connections.

Any listener of The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey Special Edition soundtrack will know that the track “Erebor” begins with a proud bagpipe solo: a clear nod to the Scottish. Artist John Howe makes several references to Celtic inspiration in the first Hobbit Chronicles book, citing references to both Kili’s flip knife and Ori’s board game as being based on Celtic artifacts.

Even Celtic dress sounds similar to that of the dwarves: “In terms of clothing, the Celtic women wore a simple long garment with a cloak. The men wore trousers (sometimes knee length), a sleeved tunic reaching the thigh, a cloak, and sandals or boots. A metal piece of jewelry for around the neck called a torc (torques) was quite popular. Clothing dyed in bright colors was common. Men wore droopy mustaches, sometimes beards, and often long hair, all of this in contrast to the contemporary Romans.”

An artist’s rendition of male Celtic dress

However, the Celtic link to the dwarves in Tolkien’s writing isn’t as obvious as the Nordic influences, so why did the filmmakers take this route?

The easy answer is because it hasn’t been done yet. None of the races previously explored in Jackson’s Middle-earth had a Celtic slant, and identifying the dwarves with the proud warriors of the Celts distinguishes them as a race and culture apart from the rest, especially where the Picts are concerned.

The dwarves are from the north, just as Scotland is north of England, the nation that is conceivably Tolkien’s main inspiration for Middle-earth. More than any other race, Tolkien’s dwarves link their existence with the mountains, very much like Highlanders. Also like the Highlanders, Dáin and his people are renowned for their endurance, running for days to come to Thorin’s aid.

Similarly to the Dwarves, the land of the Picts was under constant threat. While such a military force may seem unimpressive by today’s standards, imagine yourself back at the dawn of the Common Era when the world was a much quieter place. The roar of a Roman cavalry charge echoing across the land like earthen thunder would have been much like the advance of Smaug. The armor of the legionnaires glinted in the sunlight like so many serpentine scales. Such a monstrous force was hitherto unknown to the indigenous Britons and was, understandably, often likened to a dragon.

Smaug the Terrible is very much a metaphor for warfare and greed. Just as the Roman invaders laid waste to villages and scattered tribal peoples, so did the dragon. The Romans modified Britain’s landscape and scoured the land for natural resources, just as Smaug scorched the earth and hoarded the treasure of the dwarves.

Scotland in the Roman era

The Picts, like Durin’s folk, stood strong against the Roman dragon and slaughtered entire legions and then some. Unable to subdue the northern tribes, Emperor Hadrian began construction on a massive wall to keep the tribes out of the fertile lands of England in 122 CE. This wall is known as Hadrian’s Wall and its remnants remain near the modern Scottish-English border. Had the dwarves ever turned on the race of Men, such a measure would have probably been taken!

Ruins of Hadrian’s Wall

Tolkien would have been well-aware of this history, and in fact, even his beloved Anglo-Saxons found the Celts to be formidable opponents. The Icelandic sagas written in the 13th century warn their people not to go to Scotland if they wished to live. One Scot in the saga, said to be Grjotgard, a kinsman of Melkolf (the king of Scotland), was quoted as saying to the Saxons: “You have two choices. You can go ashore and we will take all your property, or we’ll attack you and kill every man we lay our hands on.”

Given that the tale survives, it’s not difficult to tell which option the Icelandic warriors chose. It also isn’t difficult to imagine Thorin Oakenshield issuing such an ultimatum to invaders.

We must await the next two films to see what further Celtic traits will be shown through the dwarves. But as a Celt myself, I applaud Jackson and Weta’s decision to explore a facet of British culture that was previously understated in Tolkien.

Staffer Kili is one-half of the TORn Happy Hobbit crew. The views and opinions presented in this article are her own, and do not necessarily represent those of TheOneRing.net or its staff.

The action this week is happening in the Reading Room.  There are two very thoughtful investigations of female characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s works.  Check here as Poster wildespace leads the discussion on their presence in The Lord of the Rings, with more in Maciliel’s contribution to The Silmarillion Discussion (Chapter 16).  Join in the fun here.

Also in the Reading Room, the TORn Amateur Symposium is underway!  Inspired by the Tolkien-themed conferences and symposiums that many of our Discussion Board Members cannot attend due to cost or location, we’re going to create our own that everyone can attend right here!  Check out the program and join us with your own submissions.

Want Hobbit Movie News?  Each week, TORn poster DanielLB ventures into the very rich and fast-moving Hobbit Discussion Board to collect The Hobbit Headlines of the Week.  Check out this week’s action here.

We’ll share more topics next week and hope you join in on the conversation!  Don’t forget TheOneRing.net’s Message Boards have over 9,740 registered Tolkien fans, just like you.  Let your voice be heard!

The TORn Message Boards look a little sharper these days with the addition of Hobbit banner circles at the top left-hand corner of every page.  Since day 1 on the Boards, we’ve enjoyed film snippets of the LotR films; but now they’ve been infused with film snippets of The Hobbit.  Check out our in-house celebration led by dernwyn here.

While Discussion Board Members mourned not being able to participate in the many Tolkien-related Conferences and Symposiums held all over the world, poster elaen32 had a great idea!  Inspired by Roheryn sharing news of yet one more out-of-reach Conference, elaen32 suggests that TORn hosts it’s very own. Check out the logistical, scholarly, and creative challenges discussed for such a stimulating event here.

Want more Hobbit news?  Each week, TOR

n poster DanielLB ventures into the very rich and fast-moving Hobbit Discussion Board to collect The Hobbit Headlines of the Week.  Check out this week’s action here.

We’ll share more topics next week and hope you can join in on the conversations!  Don’t forget, TheOneRing.net’s Message Boards have over 9,700 registered Tolkien fans, just like you.  Let your voice be heard!

Art by J.R.R. Tolkien for “The Hobbit”

So it is a real pleasure to help publicize events like the 3rd Conference on Middle-earth and its Part 2 scheduled for 2014 in Westford, MA. The word is getting out now to declare that the conference is currently accepting papers. Below is the full press release with links, some of which show how many decades back the event reaches:

The 3rd Conference On Middle-earth, Part 2, to be held March 28 – 30, 2014
in Westford, MA, USA, is currently soliciting papers, presentations, paper proposals, and panel proposals from persons with scholarly interest in any aspect of the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Suggested topics are: J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, influences on Tolkien, other works based on Tolkien’s writing, criticism, teaching Tolkien in the classroom, the books’ impact on oneself and/or the world, the films and the film industry, the music, the art, the fannish side of this universe and its impact, and anything you can imagine on topic. For examples of previous papers and panels, see the programming for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd conferences: 1st Conference, 2nd Conference, and 3rd Conference.

A few areas of interest are:
• The languages of Middle Earth: how Old English (including Anglo-Saxon riddles), the Eddas, etc. influenced TLOTR.
• Elements of northern European myths that appear in TLOTR.
• The impact of World War I on Tolkien and his writing.
• The impact of The Hobbit and TLOTR on 1960s and 1970s popular music.
• Artistic visions of Middle-earth.
• The astronomy of Middle-earth. [For example, when is Durin's Day?]
• The geography of Middle-earth.
• The geology of Middle-earth.
• The flora and fauna of Middle-earth.
• The clothing of Middle-earth both from the books and the films.
• The food of Middle-earth.
• The poetry and songs of Middle-earth.

Only members of the 3rd Conference On Middle Earth, Part 2, will be able to present and participate. Once papers and proposals have been accepted, the presenter/panelist will need to join the conference (the sooner the better, before rates go up), if they are not already members. If an author cannot be present, then arrangements can be made for a third party to read the paper. However, as indicated, the authors must be members of The 3rd Conference On Middle-earth, Part 2.

Paper Proposal: Please email a 250-word abstract including the presentation title, your name, e-mail address, your mailing address and phone number, or alternately a second e-mail address. The maximum reading time for the finished paper is 30 minutes, roughly 2000 words, though it may be less. We will confirm receipt of proposal by e-mail.

Panel Proposal: Please email the panel name and a 250-word abstract. Please include the panel title, the panel chair (who may be one of the presenters), e-mail address, the mailing address and phone number, or alternately a second e-mail address of each presenter. The receipt of proposal will be confirmed by e-mail.

Submit your proposal to: programming@3rdcome.org.

Deadline for Submissions: You may submit a proposal up through Tuesday, 31 December 2013. Participation is limited, so submissions may close early—so it’s best to get a proposal in sooner rather than later.

NOTE: Confirmation of receipt of submissions does not guarantee acceptance for presentation.

Check out http://www.3rdcome.org for more information on the conference.

This month we’re asking questions of uber fan from Brisbane Australia, Peter Kenny.

Hi Peter and thank you for joining in

Kelvarhin:  What piece of Tolkien ephemera began your collection?

Peter: My very first Tolkien Book was a single volume paperback edition of The Lord of the Rings given to me as a gift in 1976. I still have that original copy in my collection.

Kelvarhin: Where in Australia to do you see The Shire, and where do you see Mordor?

Peter: The Shire: Near Brisbane is an area from Samford to Dayboro of rolling green hills flanked by a forest covered mountain range to its West. Whenever I have overseas visitors I always take them for a day’s drive through this area.

Mordor:  In Tasmania there’s an old mining town that I have visited, called Queenstown. The countryside which surrounds Queenstown is devoid of vegetation although it is geographically situated in a World Heritage Rainforest area. This devastation was caused by copper mining in the early days of settlement. The forests were cut down for the smelters and the sulphur fumes from the smelters poisoned all the new vegetation.

Kelvarhin: Are there any items associated with Jackson’s new trilogy that you have your eye on? (I like the Funko plush dolls myself.)

Peter: I have the Plush Dolls from The Lord of the Rings series. They have been a huge hit amongst friends and fans alike. Recently someone posted on a chat that these sorts of items are abhorrent to the works of Tolkien and should not be on the market. I wish to take the opportunity to disclose that the use of my plush dolls at different events have helped attract people to our information booth and thereby bring new members to our Tolkien Group. They are not the sole reason but they do help. People need to be more open minded about the associated merchandise as even the smallest things open people’s eyes and minds to Tolkien’s World.

I have purchased Weta’s Bilbo and Thorin polystone statues and would like to buy Thorin’s sword, Orcrist. I also wait with bated breath for the arrival of a Smaug sculptured statue.

Kelvarhin: The world is about to end! Luckily, Tolkien fans escape on board a specially designed spaceship. You can take only one piece of memorabilia from your massive collection – what would it be, and why?

Peter: I gave a lot of thought to this one and my first thoughts was to take a favourite piece, but then I thought, no, it has to be something inspiring with that will give hope for the future, so I chose The Silmarillion. A book full of despair and tragedy but it also includes, love, friendship and concludes with a new hope for future generations. Isn’t that what we wish to achieve out of the turmoil that lead to the end of the world? A new beginning for future generations.

Kelvarhin: The Hobbit has inspired many youngsters to begin reading over the generations. What other authors do you recommend to new readers through your Proudfoot Foundation?

Peter: Several authors come to mind, but the two whom I most often mention are C.S. Lewis : The Narnia Series, and J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter Series.

Kelvarhin: What are you hoping for will be released as a statue in the future?

Peter:I am really looking forward to Smaug. I also wonder if they will release a statue of an eagle and Beorn as a bear.

Kelvarhin: Why did you decide on being a Hobbit and not, for instance, the librarian in Minas Tirith?

Peter: My Alter Ego, Fortinbras Proudfoot was created a decade ago when I was doing The Hobbit as a unit of work with my Year (Grade) Seven class. All the children were given Hobbit names which were created by an online word generator. The teacher had to have a Hobbit name, so I modified mine into one I liked, which was Fortinbras Proudfoot. I have kept the name ever since and use it as my pen name for poems and stories I write, and of course it was selected for The Children’s Literacy Foundation.

Kelvarhin: What is your most precious piece in your collection?

Peter: What is my most precious item? There is the porcelain statue of Arwen and Aragorn, the leather bound ‘Children of Hurin’, Proudfoot’s personal invitation to Bilbo’s Party and several others I value and like.

The most precious item is probably my 1937 Hobbit, although I personally like the original newspaper lift out, ‘THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT’, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1937. The Hobbit Book Review…“A WORLD FOR CHILDREN”…the final sentence of the review reads, “Prediction is dangerous; but ‘The Hobbit’ may well prove a classic.”

But of course my biggest item, that everyone loves, is ‘The Hobbit Hole-A miniature Bag End’. A 102cm x 117cm Model that will soon be on display in the Queensland Museum.

Kelvarhin: You have seen a lot of the world. What is your favourite place? And what is the craziest thing that has happened to you during your travels?

Peter: I have a number of favourite places; but there is one place in Tyrol where I would like to live. A farmhouse situated on a green slope surrounded by large mountains. I stayed there for a short time in 2012. Each morning I would wake up and through the bedroom window I would see the green slopes and a distant high mountain. When I got out of bed I would step onto the small bedroom balcony and allow my senses to take in the beauty of the scenery, the freshness of the air and the absence of sound. I could only think of Middle-earth and the Shire.

Crazy: In Austria, during a role play activity, I was captured by Orcs. The biggest and ugliest stood guard over me while the others proceeded to build a fireplace and spit to roast me over. Their conversation sounded so serious about roasting a Hobbit, I began to think, “Do these blokes realise this is only role playing?”

Kelvarhin: Who were your heroes, when you were a young child?

Peter: When I was young I was not aware of the existence of The Hobbit, nor do I recall ever seeing a copy of it in a Library. My father used to bring home a few comics every Friday for me to read. One of them was always The Phantom. Some of my mates and I had a “Phantom” Club and to be a member you had to have a Phantom ring. He was our hero in my early years.

Kelvarhin: Did you ever write a letter to Tolkien?

Peter: Unfortunately I was not aware of Tolkien before 1976, so I never had the opportunity to write a letter to him. I think if I had, after reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I would have asked, “Are there any more stories about Middle-earth?”

Kelvarhin: And have you visited all the Middle-earth locations in New Zealand yet?

Peter: I have not visited all the movie locations in New Zealand but my last count came up to Thirty-seven, and next time I tour, there will be new Hobbit locations to visit.

Kelvarhin:  You’ve attended many conventions over the years, which one do you enjoy going to the most and what is your most memorable moment from them?

Peter: The first overseas Tolkien related Festival I attended was “Festival in the Shire” in Wales, August 2010. It was a most enjoyable three days which included Tolkien related talks by well-known speakers and writers. There was also entertainment, traders, a collectibles display and other enjoyable activities.

At this Festival I met people with whom I have forged lasting friendships and have met them again at other Conventions and Festivals over the last couple of years. Some of these people have invited me into their homes as a guest or invited me to dinners where they have shared their knowledge and passion of all things Tolkien.

In 2011, I attended my first Oxonmoot and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. At Oxonmoot I met old friends and made new friendships all of whom have inspired me to immerse myself deeper into Tolkien’s world. After Oxonmoot I attended The Tolkien Shop’s 25th Anniversary. The Tolkien Shop is in Leiden, Netherlands and is a wonderful place to visit for anyone who likes collecting Tolkien books and movie memorabilia. There are thousands of items to tempt any fan. After the Netherlands I travelled to Bonn, Germany to attend RingCon. RingCon is advertised as Europe’s biggest fantasy convention and if you are a big fan of Tolkien or any other fantasy worlds, this is a must visit event. Guests are world class and the costumes worn by fans are absolutely amazing.

In 2012, I returned to Europe for two months and built a holiday around attending events throughout Europe.

• Return of the Ring, Loughborough, England, August 16-20;

• Edinburgh International Children’s Book Festival, Scotland, August, 25;

• Austrian Tolkien Society, 10th Anniversary, September, 14-16;

• The Hobbit 75th Anniversary Festival, The Netherlands, September, 20-22;

• Ring*Con, Bonn, Germany, October, 5-7.

Also on these journeys, I had dinner with the Tyrol Tolkien Group, visited the Middle-earth Harp Maker and also visited a number of other interesting people who are well known for the following and of course I name them as friends.

• The Tolkien Library
• The Tolkien Shop
• The Hobbit Hunter
• The Middle Earth Museum

At each of these Festivals/Conventions I did presentations on varying Tolkien Subjects. Each event was different in format and the experience was was memorable. I have returned home with this experience and a wealth of ideas which I hope I can use to make our Tolkien group here grow.=

During my 2012 travels I also stayed with many friends I had met on previous visits and I can only say that Tolkien People have to be the friendliest people you could hopefully meet. Tolkien would be most impressed with the people who are following his legacy. The most memorable thing is the friendships I have made.

Kelvarhin:  What’s the most frequent question you get asked when you do your presentations?

Peter: As I do many different presentations I get asked many different questions, but one that comes up most often is related to Copyright. As you are aware copyright of works related to Tolkien’s works are a minefield for those without the knowledge of the do’s and don’ts. I have many different answers on this subject depending on what the question is related to.

Kelvarhin: What is it about Tolkien that keeps you going every year?

Peter: Each year I enjoy going back because the events I attend are always enjoyable and interesting; offering new subjects and new formats. But the thing I enjoy most is meeting all those friends whom I have met on previous visits. As I said above they are interesting and wonderful people.

Kelvarhin:  Are you planning on going to any of the Oscar Parties? And will you be attending the Premiere for Desolation of Smaug this year, like you did for AUJ?

Peter: The Oscar parties I would love to attend, but at this stage they are a little out of my budget because flying from Australia to Los Angeles is quite expensive and I am a retiree now with limited financial resources. However, I am looking at the possibility of the 2015 Party if I get an invite.

I plan to attend the Red Carpet Premiere in Wellington this year and am planning to organise a group to travel with me from Australia. I have a number of enthusiastic people here who are keen to join me.

Kelvarhin:  What’s your favourite memory from the AUJ Premiere?

Peter: The AUJ Premiere had a number of enjoyable moments. Firstly, the enthusiasm of the group who travelled on the tour was infectious (especially one group of Hobbits from Melbourne). The most enjoyable highlights were the day we visited Hobbiton, The Premiere Costume Party and attending the Red Carpet Premiere in Wellington. Once again new friendships were made and some people will never be forgotten.

Thank you again, Peter, for agreeing to speak to us this month, and sharing some of your love of Tolkien with us all.

Once again thanks to our message board regulars, Ataahua, DanielLB, Rosie-with-the-ribbons, SirDennisC and dernwyn, for this months’ questions.

If you want to ask any questions yourself, head over to our Message Boards, the sign up process is pretty painless. A lead post for questions is made on the Main Board at the beginning of each month.

 
Till next time from TORn’s resident Tiger.

Kelvarhin.

The team — which tells us to expect preliminary results of their first survey soon — is following up their initial research with a followup survey seeking audience responses to Peter Jackson’s film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Not sure when the survey closes, but I suggest you get your responses in sooner rather than later!

You can read more about the project below. The researchers emphasise that this is purely academic research with no marketing agenda, nor is the project in any way associated with the film production itself:

THE INTERNATIONAL HOBBIT AUDIENCE PROJECT

In this survey we are keen to hear people’s thoughts, responses and feelings about The Hobbit following its international release. We’d like to hear from people with all kinds of views – from those who loved the film as well as those who hated it or were critical of some particular aspects of the film’s production. Whatever you thought of The Hobbit, we’d really love to hear from you! You can participate in this survey here.

What is involved: Completing the survey will take around 30 minutes, and involves a combination of sorting and ranking a selection of statements relating to The Hobbit, as well as a more traditional questionnaire with click responses and a few open ended questions where you can tell us what you really think.

If you do decide to complete the survey, or want to learn more about the project before deciding, clicking http://flashq.rcc.ryerson.ca/Hobbit/ will take you to the formal consent agreement, which looks rather ominous but provides important details about the project and your rights as a research participant. The most important things to know are that your participation is entirely voluntary, your answers will remain anonymous, and you can say as much or as little as you wish. Please note that as this survey uses Flash it won’t work on Apple iPads, but may work on other tablet devices. A large-screen laptop or desktop computer is ideal.

ENTRY ONE

It is strange to miss a whole day but that is what happens when you make the 13-hour flight from Los Angeles to Auckland and then to Wellwood. Leaving on Saturday evening, Sunday never happens and Monday is just getting started upon landing. Inside the modest-sized Wellington airport, all eyes are drawn to Weta Workshop’s giant surreal Gollum poking his head through the ceiling as if it is his personal fish pond. Air bubbles accompany him and the trout he is happily hunting. While it is popular culture, the workmanship and craft of the work also most definitely make it art. Eventually it should head to Wellington’s world class Te Papa Museum.

But signs of Middle-earth are everywhere. The walking tunnel between the aircraft and the terminals are also papered in Hobbiton scenics and the baggage claim is also famously fun and Shire-ized. To my delight, in the baggage area is Elysia Gibb, who took care of some of the top talent involved with the filming of the three Hobbit movies. On Monday she was collecting guests from the airport but I was just happy to see a friend. Helping her was now a new friend Jo Williams who helped with baggage and transportation and was friendly and excellent in every way and did everything in her power to solve a luggage problem. (In fact, I vote that somebody give her a big raise!)

After checking in and getting official credentials (and hey, I always feel genuine satisfaction when TheOneRing.net is treated as a legit media outlet as it should be) it was time to head to one of Welly’s suburbs, the Miramar peninsula, which happens to be where Peter Jackson built his film-making empire.

We took the scenic route along the waterfront and to a land-locked around the bay and into the completely disguised area that is the dream factory behind The Hobbit. A quick meal at Scorch O Rama, an eatery that offers amazing views of the bay and is reportedly a favorite of Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Bloom. I learned that a B.L.A.T. would be available in most cafes and is similar to the BLT sandwich but with an avocado slice. Try that at home.

CINEMA

I love cinema and that includes the physical space where movies exhibit and down the street from Weta Workshop is the beautifully restored art deco Roxy Cinema. It is styled and funded by locals that include Richard and Tanya Taylor and other Wetas. While there, we ran into one of the owners, fell into conversation and were advised to pay careful attention to the details around the place including sculptures created just for this space. Besides the ground floor café and its menu that seeks to find culinary adventure and spice, there is an upstairs space that is spectacular, dominated by a ceiling fresco by Greg Broadmore. That giant piece catches the eye and will not let go but the beauty of the details and the sculpture and yes, even the Hobbit displays aren’t to be missed either, along with some fantastic old movie posters.

We also ran into Academy Award winner Jamie Selkirk who was super friendly despite the fact that we haven’t met previously. As a lover of the physical places where people watch movies, I rate the Roxy as an absolute must visit in Wellington, either for food and drink or for a movie or for both. I suspect The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will play here, only hundreds of yards from the set it was filmed at Stone Street Studios and the Weta Digital and Weta Workshops where so much of it was finished.

Oh but while visiting the Roxy is highly recommended, we had business this day at Weta and as part of scheduled-by-Weta press tour. As fortune would have it, also there right at the time, was the extended TORn family on its Premiere Trip! Fellow staffers and message board users and even friends from DragonCon were all together nearby so I had to excuse myself from the offices and run outside and downstairs to find friends. Awesome!

Much to my surprise, the new red door on the side of the building was the first-day opening of the brand new “Window Into Workshop” which had just opened Monday in time for our visit.

The idea is to create a space inside the workshop where the public can get a glimpse of the artisians at work and both the idea and the execution are wonderful. Doubly Awesome!

Back to official business, TheOneRing was given the Weta treatment with other press from Australia and China, all scheduled by the excellent hosts of Warner Bros. and assisted by tourism staff by 100% Pure New Zealand.

In fact, that group has turned over its social media to me for the week on Facebook and Twitter. In fact my formerly reliable laptop has given up the ghost and my Twitter seems to hate me and my phone so the tourism folks have been spectacular at helping facilitate some updates. Genuinely awesome and hopefully those issues have been resolved and these will be coming fast and furious now.

WETA

Once the official business with Weta started, we were lead into a boardroom with Sir Richard Taylor and a hoard of awards and collectibles. The Oscars are stacked in there with the troll collectibles and fauns and blue-skinned aliens.

The press gathered were somewhat new to the Weta concept and organization so Taylor answered very basic questions in his wonderful way and drops statistics and overview thoughts peppered with salient details like rain.

Most interesting to me were his comments about his plans to see the movie, much like fans around the world will.

“I haven’t seen the movie at all — well I got to see seven minutes of it when Peter (Jackson) showed it to Prince Charles — but I will get to see it with mostly fresh eyes with my family.”

He was sure Jackson would show it to him if he asked but he preferred getting away from the final film so he could enjoy it as a fan as much as possible with his children. He was especially looking forward to seeing it with his children.

Ten Weta Workshop team members will walk the red carpet along with the Taylors and as a native New Zealander, Taylor, like so many others, takes a great deal of pride to have the film’s premiere in his home town.

“For The Hobbit I am walking down the red carpet with my family. (Doing that) for Return of the King are the most special three hours of your life. Being there in a city you live in, embracing your city, it is overwhelming.”

Taylor also noted that between the two trilogies, his team has “been in Middle-earth for nearly half our careers.”

After Taylor’s introduction we were led by him down the stairs and through the sacred geek halls of the Weta Workshop. I have been very fortunate to explore them with completeness but it is a thrill every single time to walk them, filled with treasures as they are. It is a living museum of sorts and they led the press to one of the very best rooms in the whole joint, the realm of sword master Peter Lyon. On the workshop wall hang many of the hero-swords and maces left over from Lord of the Rings days. On the table in front of us were the goods from the just completed Hobbit movies, a giant-sized Orcrist among them.

I think photos may serve better than words at this point but I can’t convey the hilarity of one of the Chinese writer asking to take the sword from Lyon to feel its weight. He knew she would drop it and so handed the massive folded-stell sword over while also keeping it and her safe. (They don’t sharpen the weapons incidentally.) After she all but dropped it he admonished her with a smile that it was a two-handed weapon. He showcased Sting in several sizes and we got a good gander and some hands-on time with new dwarven weapons as well.

“I am making real swords. They look real because they are real,” Lyon, who was a sword maker before Weta found him and put him to work in the early days of LOTR said.

Everybody seemed most amused by the rubber swords used for riding or stunt filming. Again, images not words are best here. (Coming after the red carpet to keep our site running!)

Matt Appleton, costume supervisor, took a turn as well, chatting about the many layers of dwarves costumes and the many house of process to get things right but also to work with speed to meet the demands of a production.

“It is constantly challenging,” he said. “(Such as when) a material isn’t available or a deadline gets moved up.”

MORE TO COME

So that certainly isn’t all. After leaving Weta Workshops we went to Weta Digital and of course we still had the Red Carpet Tours and TheOneRing.net combined party that you already have read so much about. I might have some fresh insights and I definitely have some cool photos but more on that later. After all its almost 7 a.m. and today is the World Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with press conferences and a Red Carpet experience. You can watch the live nine-camera feed on TheOneRing.net complete with chat.

Follow us on Twitter at @TheOneRingNet, follow me @MrLDC and for the rest of the week @PureNewZealand as well.

You can help them out by completing their anonymous survey! (They say it takes around 30 minutes, and I discovered that was fairly accurate estimate.)

Just click here to head straight to the survey, or read on below for some further background on their project and what’s involved.

INVITATION TO BE PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL HOBBIT AUDIENCE PROJECT

In this survey we are keen to hear people’s thoughts, expectations and hopes relating to The Hobbit prior to its international release. We’d like to hear from people with all kinds of views, including the many fans of The Lord of the Rings movies, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, and Peter Jackson. And that means we would like to hear from you.

About us: We’re a team of academic researchers located at the University of Waikato (Hamilton, New Zealand) and Ryerson University (Toronto, Canada). We are interested in the nature of audience reception, and in understanding why different people often have very different views and understandings of the same film. In the recent past, we’ve studied cross-cultural receptions of James Cameron’s 2009 film, Avatar. Now, we’ve turned our attention to another major film production that already seems to be generating a diverse range of responses — Peter Jackson’s forthcoming film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

What is involved: Completing the survey will take around 30 minutes (yes, it’s a little long, sorry!), and involves a combination of sorting and ranking a selection of statements relating to The Hobbit, as well as a more traditional questionnaire with click responses and a few open ended questions where you can tell us what you really think, in your own words, saying as much or as little as you would like to share.

While the survey method may seem unfamiliar at first, most people find it quite straightforward. Please read the instructions carefully, and if you need to read them again you can do so by clicking ‘help me’, which you will find on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. Unfortunately, those using Apple macs or ipads may not be able to complete the survey because it uses Flash, but if you have access to a PC or android tablet it should work fine. It probably won’t be possible to complete the survey on a smart phone, sorry.

If you do decide to complete the survey, clicking this link will take you to the formal consent agreement, which looks rather ominous but provides important details about your rights as a research participant. The most important things to know are that your participation is entirely voluntary, your answers will remain anonymous, and you can say as much or as little as you wish. We would really appreciate your involvement.

Go to survey