We are very privileged today to share with you an exclusive spread from HarperCollins’ April 9th release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles II: Creatures & Characters. Compiled by one of our favorite people at Weta, Daniel Falconer, this follow-up to the first Chronicles book highlights all of our favorites from the film. Check out the Bilbo Baggins spread below (click for a larger version) and pick you your copy on the 9th! [On Sale at HarperCollins.com]
In addition, HarperCollins and Warner Bros. are teaming up to give away 10 Blu-ray™ Combo Packs of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as well as these first two books in the Hobbit series. The giveaway runs now through 4/9. [Giveaway]
[Order Today] Continue reading “Exclusive Look at ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Chronicles II: Creatures and Characters’”
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The final of the six statues that Weta Workshop had displayed at Comic-Con 2012 has arrived to many of our collections. If you recall the six statues at Comic-Con to start the The Hobbit statue line were; Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo Baggins, Balin, Dwalin, Thorin Oakenshiled, and of course Bombur. Bombur is also the first statue in the line to have an edition size set from the start.
Bombur is the brother of Bofur and is also the cousin to Bifur who are both members of the party whose goal is to reclaim The Lonely Mountain from the Dragon Smaug. Bombur is a rather large Dwarf and as the traveling party makes their journey this will present challenges. However, we will also see that you can’t judge a book by its cover with Bombur.
PACKAGING
The overall graphic layout for Bombur’s box stays the same as we’ve seen with previous entries in the line. Per the format we’ve come to know the front of the box gives you a great shot of Bombur, graphic work for the title of the movie, and of course the Weta logo. The sides of the box for Bombur also present a familiar format with different looks at the statue. While the other side of the box presents some of the various products you can get for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey line of collectibles. The back of the box contains a great story on Bombur as well as information regarding details of the character and statue. The Styrofoam on the inside is typical with what we’ve come used to getting with these statues.
SCULPTING
Greg Tozer is at it again but this time he had some help from fellow sculptor Scott Spencer with their combined efforts making a great statue. Bombur is another case of the statue looking spot on to the actor and the character we saw on screen. One of the things I think that might have been a challenge for sculpting Bombur was the long U shaped beard making sure it looked like real hair, and it was done really well in coming out looking just like that.
The outfit is probably the simplest of all the Dwarves so far but it done equally as good as those Dwarves. Unlike the previous Dwarves Bombur’s outfit is cloth based with only his boots being leather. The job making the outfit look like cloth was done successfully. So much so that Bombur looks very much like a pauper, which is fitting considering the Dwarves of Erebor situation following Smaug’s attack. Bombur was the cook of the group and as we saw in the movie really had no weapons with the exception of his cooking gear. So for this statue you get Bombur running away from what I imagine is the Goblins of Goblin Town with his giant ladle. There is a sequence where you see him running holding this so that is where I draw my inspiration from as to the sequence of events for this piece.
A fun note for anyone who wonders how poses are created or who might help create them. If you post or lurk on the forum The Shadow and Flame you know the username WetaBloke. Well, he was the inspiration in being asked to run the parking lot of the Weta Cave and then turned into the satue we have in our collections.
PAINT
Bombur continues the streak of very well painted statues from Weta Workshop. The skin tones use the proper paint mixture to not only make the statue look like a shrunken Dwarf. Making the outfit look like worn cloth must have been a challenge for the paint department but it was a challenge they met to the high standards we have as collectors. Bombur very much comes out looking like someone who has the proper skin tone you saw on screen and the worn outfit of someone who has lived a hard life since leaving Erebor. The ladle that Bombur carries looks fantastic as well and very much matches the prop on screen.
Overall
Bombur retails for $249, which is in line with most of the statues so far in the line. I will say that while I’m not a giant fan of the character I love the statue and find it to be another hit for Weta. He looks great and helps create a really great looking Hobbit display. I want to add that with every release in this line Weta is just continuing to show how great they with these statues.
SPECIFICATIONS
Bombur is the first limited edition statue of the line (minus the Comic-Con Exclusive Thorin). His edition size is just 1000 pieces and for now he is in-stock ready for purchase.
Dimensions:
9.3″ x 9.1″ x 5.9″ (H x W x D)
23.5 cm x 23 cm x 15 cm
Weight:
3.4 lbs (1.9 kg)
PHOTOS
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On today’s very exciting *live* webcast TORn TUESDAY at 5:00pm PDT — all Ringer fandom had their eyes on THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG live preview from this weekend — but if you missed it or saw only part of it, we are going to carefully review and analyze every little nook and cranny of it today! Peter Jackson and Jed Brophy have certainly given us much to talk about! What was that stuff on the walls of Thranduil’s underground kingdom while Bilbo was pushing some sort of barrel-releasing lever? What was that place Radagast and Gandalf were investigating? Why does Bard the Bowman look like a new-fangled Errol Flynn ready to swash a buckle at a moment’s notice? Join your host Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway and co-host Justin “I Love Jar-Jar” Sewell on the Live Event page here, which will provide the video playback of our show, broadcast from the heart of Hollywood at Meltdown Comics, and will also let you access our wonderful Barliman’s Chatroom! There you can join hundreds of fans from around the world and bring your questions and comments to the live show! It all starts in about 10 minutes! Huzzah!
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Welcome to the latest “Getting to know…” questions that need answering. It’s based on the old Getting to know you threads that I occasionally post on the message boards here on TORn, so those familiar with them will know that the questions can be a little crazy and the answers even crazier.
This month we’re asking questions of our one and only greendragon.
Thanks so much Kirsten for agreeing to take part this month 🙂
Continue reading “Getting to know greendragon”
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Want to relive what you saw this afternoon? Reflecting on some of the moments, and trying to remember what was what? Well, don’t forget that, if you missed the Peter Jackson hosted first look at The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, or just want to watch it over again, a modified version will be archived on the Trilogy’s official website www.thehobbit.com/sneak To access the footage, use your UltraViolet code on your copy The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack or 2-Disc Special Edition DVD.
Meanwhile, staffer Rasputin the Evil Balrog shares with us some commentary on the footage:
Continue reading “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Sneak Peek – commentary”
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Whilst most of us were busy being excited about Peter Jackson’s ‘sneak peek’ going on live today, over in the UK our friends at Empire were busy with their very own movie awards! The Jameson Empire Awards 2013 were held tonight at the Grosvenor House Hotel, in a cold and snowy London. These awards are voted for by movie fans themselves – and in a demonstration of the impeccable taste of fans everywhere, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was awarded Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Film. Sir Ian McKellen was there to collect the award, and he gave a shout out from the stage to his two cast mates who also attended the ceremony, Martin Freeman and Adam Brown.
Freeman soon had his own moment in the spotlight, as he beat nominees including Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln to win the award for Best Actor! In typically tongue-in-cheek style, Freeman commented, ‘I always wondered if it was possible to quantify the best actor, and now I realise that it is, and it’s me! What a load of old rubbish I was in with…’ He later went on to say, modest as ever, ‘It’s possible that my performance was not the best of the year, but I’ll take it!’ What a charming chap he is; ever ready with a wink and a smile, as Empire’s picture of him shows!
Empire’s blog of the awards ceremony can be read here; check back to their homepage later for more pics and reports from the night, and to find out who the other winners were. Many congratulations on their awards, to Martin Freeman and to all our friends involved with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!
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