Kelvarhin: What are your thoughts on superstring theory?

MrCere: Well, theoretical physics isn’t quite my area of specialty, mostly because math is my own personal Durin’s Bane. But like others, I am troubled by the five different string theories. However, I buy into some of the possible crazy, theoretical ramifications of the theory, especially when dealing with the eternal nature of intelligences.

Wait – that question was a joke, wasn’t it? (Kelvarhin: Paging Demosthenes )

Kelvarhin: Which is your preferred form of transport; Planes, Trains or Automobiles?

MrCere: The correct answer is, “It depends” but for purposes of getting to know me better, I will say that money makes all the difference when it comes to transportation and I don’t have much these days.  To really answer I need to know: Am I driving a Bugatti or riding in a crowded Pinto or driving through a hurricane with Quickbeam, Justin and Grimlock?  If I have top-notch rail accommodations, “train” is my answer. Windows and scenery and freedom to move or recline are pretty great and the point of the journey is not always to arrive.

Having said that, I never fly first class but due to the kindness of one person, one time, I have. And wow, that was a great experience. I have travelled a lot in the last three years and I enjoyed some of each but the more money a person can spend on transportation, the better it is.  There is nothing wrong with a bicycle or a bus.  Thinking a bit, I think in the last three years I have more miles behind me than the rest of my life combined.

Kelvarhin: Do you buy any of the movie related Collectibles?

MrCere: Is this another trick question? [Kelvarhin:  Now would *I* do anything like that? 3:) ]

Assuming that Middle-earth movies are what is being asked about, yes. I was a heavy collector during the LOTR days and I also did freelance writing for Sideshow Collectibles, which allowed me to pick up items way beyond my reach otherwise.

I find the high-end collectibles of Middle-earth monsters to be much more satisfying than the character figures.  I love, love, love the series of mini-helms that Sideshow made and Weta Workshop now releases. I have many, including some really rare ones (the crown of the Witch King and King Elessar’s crown) but I am missing a few in the line and they are all but impossible to get now. They are all displayed and look cool.

I also bought all the LOTR action figures, and family literally gave them to me as Christmas presents, but they are boxed and in storage and I should sell them. I display some LOTR things in my Man Cave other than just the helms. The most dramatic piece I have is a large armoured Sauron figure that is displayed with a different piece, his mace, and a large, heavy and metal helm that might be 1:4 scale so I guess it is a shrine to Sauron on one shelf. I have a sweet Lurtz and a few others.

Now I really only collect Middle-earth books, including Tolkien books, because I am a student instead of a working man and there is no disposable income. I haven’t picked up Weta’s Hobbit movie books yet but I saw them in the production phase and they are mind-alteringly good. How can everybody not want those?

Really crazy pop-culture stuff still entices me though. For example I have a two full sets of the Burger King FOTR toys; one set opened, one set still in individual plastic bags. I had to eat a lot of Whoppers to get those. When the LOTR Pez sets came out, they were a must-buy.

What I really collect are comic book character Daredevil items which has been a life-long effort, but nobody here wants to read about that.  I am a hopeless collector is so many ways.

Kelvarhin: How did you find TORn and why did you stick around?

MrCere: Well, the short version is Chris (Calisuri) adopted me. A couple of face-to-face exposures to him and he invited me to contribute, which changed my life. I love being part of a team that I feel is working for a good cause and I admired and still admire the TORn staff for doing what they do because of passion and not money. I also was really passionate about TORn Line Parties for the LOTR films.

But, before being asked to join the staff, I read the message boards from very early on but didn’t contribute for a long, long while and then contributed a lot. I am back to not contributing these days because my exposure to the Hobbit films is such that anything I type there can and will be used against me in a court of law and because I don’t quite feel like I fit in with all the speculating that goes on. I make it less fun for others I suspect.

Kelvarhin: And how is it to be invited by WB to attend the world premiere of The Hobbit? How much stress does it bring along? Can you do anything fun or is it just being ordered around where you have to be for the next press moment?

MrCere: Warner’s invitation brought zero stress with it. I was a journalist for much of my adult life and covering things like that event are pretty easy. I was very anxious before the invitation came because I felt strongly that TORn should be there and should be reporting and needed to not only regurgitate other news agencies but understand the fan’s viewpoint in our coverage.

This might be too much disclosure but that was shortly after the death of my father and so in real life perspective, covering a studio-generated event to generate press for its film is super easy, even relaxing and fun.

The real stress started when the logic board on my laptop died on the day of the premiere, which means I had no way to send news back to TORn. I had to beg and borrow time on others’ computers to even post what I managed to post. I hated that and felt that I let the site down and fans down. There was abundant coverage, but not doing all I could, as well as I could, left me heartsick. However, we had the live feed, so that was better than anything I could write.

The saving grace? I had a video camera and friend Dan who paid his own way to be there, to shoot it and edit it. So, there was things like this I could share later.

Also, the rest of the TORn staff killed it that day, so no readers suffered.

I did some other stories from the same trip.

The answer to the second part of the question: Nearly all my time was scheduled, which was absolutely fine with me. We visited and reported on a lot of the people who made the films, not just the one-day event.

This month we’re asking questions of self-described Online guy at Weta Workshop and all round top bloke, Magnus Hjert.

Kelvarhin: Thanks for joining us this month Magnus, as always we’ll start with grammas favourite question…

What was your favourite cartoon when you were growing up?

Magnus: I grew up in Sweden on a rich and varied comics diet consisting of Tintin, Asterix, The Phantom, Spirou et Fantasio, its spin-off Marsupilami, Iznogoud… but my all-time favourite (that I still read) is Tintin.

Kelvarhin: What was your favourite toy as a kid?

Magnus: My Märklin train set… it initially provided much entertainment for my father and uncle, as I believe I was about three when I got it for Christmas. But it was awesome when I was older and could build model buildings etc.

Kelvarhin: Some of the  TORNfolk (Tehanu, Garfeimao, deej and entmaiden) were in attendance to help Weta and the Neonatal Trust break the Guinness Record for most sandcastles built in an hour. They know that they built enough, but Guinness requires a lot of documentation and time to certify the results, and they’re wondering if you’ve gotten the official results from the world record Sandcastle Build last November?

Magnus: I don’t actually know the answer, but I promise I will find out from Martin Baynton, who is the main link between Adventure Wellington and Weta Workshop. I was on that beach myself, covering it on behalf of Weta. The event was organised by Adventure Wellington and Weta Workshop helped out with buckets and quite a few crew, including Richard, Tania and many others.

Kelvarhin: What is your favourite location in NZ?

Magnus: I’ve lived here now for 10 years and I have many favourites. But that’s a bit of a cop-out, so I will try to pick one.  To narrow it down little by little, the region called the Wairarapa is about 90 minutes’ drive away from Wellington and is predominantly a rural area, but with a twist – it’s one of New Zealand’s premier wine regions. Small towns that 50 years ago were as rural as rural can be have blossomed with the increased interest the wine has brought to the region. On the way to my favourite place, you pass through several of these, Featherston, Greytown, Carterton. When you get to Masterton, you take a right and head for the coast. And after driving through orchards and sheep stations, you get to Castlepoint. A Pacific beach community with a spectacular lighthouse and rock formations, a fantastic beach and a camping ground. And very little else. The weather is often unforgiving, but lying in a tent, listening to the ocean… it doesn’t get much better. Oh – I just realised you probably meant shooting location? Well, other than Hobbiton which is truly AWESOME, a favourite is the Dimholt Road/Paths of the Dead at Putangirua Pinnacles in… you guessed it: The Wairarapa.

Kelvarhin: What are your most favourite places, of all the places you’ve been to in the world?

Magnus: Monterey, California. Montpellier, France. London, England (lived there for 7 years). Copenhagen, Denmark (being from Malmo in Sweden, Copenhagen is a natural place to hang out – back then it was a 45 minute boat trip away. Now there’s a bridge…). And Wellington – on a good day…

Kelvarhin: What movies or television shows are you into right now, apart from The Hobbit?

Magnus: Star Trek: Into Darkness was awesome – I went with a band of colleagues and everyone was pretty much in agreement it was a great film. With two kids of 6 and 10 years, I watch a LOT of ‘children’s’ flicks – like Wall-e, How to train your Dragon (and Riders of Berk) and love it, but Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, House MD, Doctor Who, Sherlock and even the occasional UK detective show/murder mystery re-run like Midsomer Murders, Morse, Miss Marple, Hercules Poirot… I’m easy to entertain…

Kelvarhin: I’m a child of migrants, and I know you’re originally from Sweden, so I was wondering what inspired your move to New Zealand?

Magnus: I was dragged here kicking and screaming by my Kiwi wife… nah, it was actually the other way around. I get itchy feet staying in one place for too long and when we were living in London (where we met and wed) and expected our first child, we decided there were healthier places to bring up children than south London, so we chose New Zealand. Thinking we’d only be here for 4-5 years and then perhaps go to Sweden (where all my family is). But then I got my job at Weta – as close to my dream job as I’m ever likely to get – and we’ve now decided not to up-root the kids, but stay here for at least as long as they want to stay. Then we’ll see.

Kelvarhin: What was the most difficult thing about organising Wetas surprise for TORn’s 10th Anniversary?

Magnus: Getting everyone to the same courtyard at the same time. Gino from Weta Digital down the road, Richard Taylor from somewhere in the building, Guillermo del Toro from 3 Foot 7 and then getting the crew to pick up some props and waving them around. We had many false starts on different occasions, but in the end we got it together. Woohoo! Man, that seems like a long time ago now… I was very nervous directing Guillermo del Toro, but he was very good about it.

TORn 10th Anniversary Weta Video

Kelvarhin: How long have you been working for Weta Workshop and how did you come to be involved with them?

Magnus: I’ve been here since 2008 and I owe it to my sister-in-law who found the ad in the paper…

Kelvarhin:  Working for Weta sounds great, but being a marketing manager sounds like hard work… is the line between being on the job and dreaming sharp or fuzzy? Is there even a line?

Magnus: That’s a great question… I’m gonna have to think about that one… Right – I’m back after having answered a few other questions in the meantime. The answer is – there is no line… my job is a constant intertwinement of fantasy, fans, fiction, collectors, artists, logistics, writing and just saying ‘awesome’ a lot. Weta is not a normal workplace – we who work there tend to forget.

Kelvarhin: Within your position at Weta, you must have been involved with some very surreal situations (perhaps meeting certain people, taken part in certain events and so on). What is your most memorable moment?

Magnus: There are many… in my first week, one of the Workshop technicians, Jordan, drove up and down the road outside on his rocket powered bicycle. A few months later I was recording a sound bite with Bill Farmer (Goofy since 1986) on a podcast and suddenly Michael Winslow (officer Larvell Jones in Police Academy) chips in with a Mickey Mouse impersonation… And meeting Sir Ian McKellen – again for a podcast interview… it’s all a bit surreal in hindsight, but while you’re doing it… it’s fantastic.

Kelvarhin: What item do you like the most of all the items made by Weta? And why?

Magnus: Ooooooh – that’s a tough one. The Minas Tirith shooting miniature – I have never seen it in real life, but the impact it had on me in LOTR when I first saw it on screen… man! Barad-dûr and Orthanc likewise – I’ve seen both of them outside David Tremont’s workshop while he was working away on the collectible models. Of the things you can take home… Peter Lyon’s swords… probably Andúril… words cannot describe how epic they are and how powerful you feel with one in your hand.

Kelvarhin:  I have heard workers from Weta get a chance to buy the things they make (the collectibles). Have you ever not bought an item and later regretted that you didn’t get it? If yes, what was it, and why do you regret not getting it?

Magnus: Yes – I admit to being a complete sucker for Greg Broadmore’s rayguns… and my favourite is the Goliathon 83, which is now sold out. While it was still in stock, I couldn’t afford it. But if I ever get a chance to buy one…

Kelvarhin: What is it like seeing all these cool Collectibles before the fans get to see them? Also, how hard is it to hold that from the world?

Magnus: A) Orgasmic. B) Extremely.

Kelvarhin: If you were making a car commercial, what Weta Workshop items would you include?

Magnus: Rayguns – ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’. It’s a mantra in Ingolstadt as well as at Grordbort Industries. Although it would be in English undoubtedly. ‘Advantage through Technology’.

Kelvarhin: And lastly, if you were a dwarf in Thorin’s Company, which one would you be?

Magnus: Easy – Bombur. A little known fact is that I have “arse-modelled” for our Bombur collectible, showing the sculptors what it looks like when a fat guy runs… up and down the Weta Workshop car park. And Leaflock from The Shadow and Flame’s Weta collectors’ forum actually turned me into Bombur in the S&F Christmas card for Weta. So I feel a strong affinity with the guy. I have included the image Leaflock made.

As always thanks to all our message board regulars, DanielLB, SirDennisC, Ataahua, Elessar, Brethil, elaen32, entmaiden, dernwyn, Kaede, grammaboodawg and Rosie-with-the-ribbons, for this month’s questions.

If you would like to ask any questions yourself, just head over to our Message Boards, the sign up process is pretty painless. A lead post for questions is made at the beginning of each month on the Main board. Or you can just check Main for each months interviewee and email me your questions at kelvarhin@theonering.net.

Till next time from TORn’s resident Tiger.

Kelvarhin

Note: A photo gallery follows the text and videos, click for larger versions.

The mill at Hobbiton Movie Set

After all, Tourism New Zealand’s motto is “New Zealand is Middle-earth” and this is true in so many ways and for much longer than just the weeks after the debut of the film. For example, above is the video made for TORn by fellow filmmaker Dan McBride who shot and edited the video tour you probably have already watched. We, and a gaggle of other media, toured the Hobbiton Movie Set and witnessed Prime Minister John Key open the new Green Dragon building accompanied by a bunch of actors who reminded us a whole lot of a company of Dwarves. (Incidentally, we had just talked to him the day before so when he showed up again, we wondered why we were being followed and what we had done wrong.)

The video speaks for itself but this remarkable property is, as far as I know, unique in all the world for its ability to transport visitors inside a book, or a movie for that matter. Being there doesn’t feel like walking on a set, rather it feels like immersion. It looks, smells, sounds and feels like one imagines Hobbiton would if you could take a magic wardrobe to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The Hobbit holes scattered about are, more or less, as they were for filming of “The Hobbit,” movies. It seems safe to assume we will see more of The Shire in subsequent movies and in the Extended Edition on home video before the end of the year.

At the Green Dragon

Hamilton is also near with more accommodations and an airport. Not far from Auckland, 160 kilometers in fact, visitors can easily manage the two hour car ride. It goes without saying that driving through the countryside is spectacular as well. My dream would be to meet with TheOneRing.net staff and friends in The Green Dragon, which can be reserved for private functions. They serve food and drink and I just bet you can guess what size the ale comes in. Weddings have and will happen here. The atmosphere and the finish on the place are just as good as you hope they are. In truth, for movies fans and Tolkien fans, the entire movie set experience is simply magic.

Waitomo Caves Black Water Rafting

The region is full of food and drink, excellent accommodations and plenty more worth-while excursions. We will tackle them all in a future story. But add the farm visit and Waitomo Caves to your bucket lists. They really are wold-class destinations not to be missed but especially not by Tolkienites.

While you are here, please enjoy other videos from the premiere. First, actors talking about rings:

And Red Carpet highlights.

Then, a couple of days ago, our staffer Justin, with the least Tolkien TORn handle of them all, started to hit the MTV movie awards category for “best hero,” by promoting the Twitter hashtag #votebilbo. He used our Twitter feed (@TheOneRingNet) to push the tag that tallies a vote for Bilbo as the best hero of 2012 every time somebody uses it on Twitter. Truthfully, I thought it was harmless but pretty useless (sorry Justin!) and a bit silly (sorry everybody!). Why take up the cause for fictional characters to fight it out in a meaningless contest that really only helps MTV? We have our own Middle-earth Madness for that kind of fun already. Plus, Snow White was leading the way and either kids liked that movie a whole lot more than the boxoffice showed or the votes were coming because “Twilight” star Kristen Stewart played the title role. She is big with the MTV market and any attempt to catch her would be futile. But, the community pushed Bilbo past Batman. About then, I gave Justin and his movement a second thought and support.

Joining in the Twitter voice, we redoubled our efforts and next thing you know, Iron Man was in the rear view mirror as well and Bilbo was in second place. A funny thing happened during the process: It became really fun on Twitter to #VoteBilbo! It is now something of a social media game to find clever ways to #VoteBilbo and we at TORn were able to re-tweet some of the better ideas, helping it all go viral. The group experience of the “old days” was back but in a much more interactive way. Fun with the community! Then, the hashtag started to trend in the UK and today in US as well. It has grown well beyond @TheOneRingNet and not long ago now the official Hobbit twitter account @TheHobbitMovie joined the cause. They promote the effort with dignity and restraint, something fans are not compelled to do.

So there are a lot of funny #vote Bilbo tweets out there now, a few shared in this story. It became a thing. Staffer personal twitter accounts like @SlaveBoyFilms, @MrLDC, @Quickbeam2000, @maegwen, @CruisingCathy and probably lots of others I haven’t seen (add them in the story staffers!), have joined the cause. And fellow fans have been funny and brilliant. At one point, #votebilbo took the lead but Stewart has stormed back. Its hard to imagine a Tolkien fanbase, less rooted in Twitter, having the numbers and frankly the passion to carry this to a win when voting ends April 14. I don’t know if we care enough, but it still is fun! As this is being written, less than 100 votes separate the two figures with over 40 thousand tweets cast. But, hey, this is kind of fun! Being clever and supporting a fictional character is pretty good entertainment. And, we have renamed the other character Snow WhiteTreeOfGondor since she carries a LOTR shield in her MTV photo.

Rumor has it that retweets don’t count unless the new tweet is a quote that includes a new one. And, only one tag per Tweet is counted. We don’t really know the rules exactly, but consider this a call to arms. Tweeters have been asking for help from the Sherlock crowd, Potter fans, Game of Thrones viewers (George R.R. Martin praises Tolkien at every opportunity) and anybody else they can think of really. In the meantime, be entertained and remember: #VoteBilbo! If you haven’t joined Twitter, you can follow TORn and its staff members for starters, where we usually tease our best content and even break news. We will Tweet live from the convention circuit including the Comic-Con in San Diego.

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.

Simply answer the questions provided in the contest entry form below, fill in your details, and check back here on February 17th to see if your name is among the winners. Entries with correct answers to all questions will be entered into a lucky draw that will result in FOUR LUCKY WINNERS.

If you need any help with answering the contest questions, head over to the New Zealand Post’s Official Website.

One winner will take home The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Silver Coin with Gold Plating, one will take home The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Ultimate Collection, and two will take home The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Presentation Pack.

Hit the break for the contest questions and a gallery of the prizes you can win.

(If you can’t see the form below, enter using the following link)

Contest Questions

Main Discussion Board: Tolkien Estate HATES these movies? (18266 views)

The Reading Room: Plot hole? (6608 views)

 Movie Discussion Board – LOTR: The Ring Wraiths (16001 views)

Movie Discussion Board – The Hobbit: 3 Hobbit Films Confirmed (76800 views)

The Arena: LOTR Character Elimination *Qualifiers* (14999 views)

Gaming & Collecting: Collecting The Precious – The Bridge Direct Winners and Comic-Con 2012 Coverage (47927 views)

Fan Art: Paintings I’ve Done About “The Hobbit” (15869 views)

Off Topic Discussion Board: Commonly misused phrases (5780 views)

The Pollantir: Would you name your kids after Tolkien characters (2214 views)

TORn Moots & Other Events: Moot report: The Hobbit world premiere (1249 views)

Wishing all of you a safe and happy New Year! May the best of your 2012 be the worst of your 2013. Cheers All from grammaboodawg and Kelvarhin

Originally half the proceeds of the party were to benefit TORN itself, but after a quick palaver among TORN’s senior staff we decided to give it all to Duffy Books in Homes. The Duffy scheme provides books to New Zealand children in areas where books can not be taken for granted as part of the normal furniture of life. Duffy role models travel the country fostering a love of reading. It’s a great scheme, and one long supported by both TORN and Red Carpet’s founders Vic and Raewyn James, who were schoolteachers and principals before they went into tourism.

This one delves into the premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Wellington and reveals that production vids will resume next year as the team ramps up all over again to complete The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.