100_0413Sean Robinson has two passions that have recently found their way together in a most amazing fashion. Sean discovered his passion for pottery in 2007 – a hobby that sprang from his love of several different arts. He is also a huge fan of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien – a love, I think, we can all appreciate. Working from his pottery studio in Jamestown, NC, Sean spends his free time crafting many fine objects.

Most recently, his works have taken on the form of some very recognizable objects
from the lands of Middle-earth. It began in the most unexpected way for Sean – with
his father, Bill Robinson, indulging him in his appreciation for Tolkien’s stories. This
took the form of some intricately constructed wooden signs as seen in Peter Jackson’s films – one for The Prancing Pony in Bree, and the other for The Green Dragon in the Shire.

I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Sean and ask him about his work and how his father’s projects led to a collaboration in creating other artifacts from the world of Professor Tolkien. Continue reading “Father and son’s craftwork inspired by Middle-earth”

AUJ Booklet 1
The following comes to us courtesy of TheHutt, chief editor of Henneth-Annun.ru.


After Warner Brothers finally released the Extended Edition of The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
on DVD and Blu-ray, several reviewers pointed out one unfortunate thing about the release. Although it was obvious that Warner Brothers made some effort as far as the packaging
of the Extended Edition was concerned, there was a total absence of a booklet of any kind. That was rather annoying, as the stylish booklets included with The Lord of the Rings Special Extended Editions were just the cherry on the top – not only did they feature some nice sketches by Alan Lee and John Howe, but also provided useful information: the chapter list (along with new/extended chapter markings), as well as a navigation path through the intricate bonus menu system. Continue reading “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Booklet”

HobbitDOSCoin1a4In conjunction with last weeks release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug our friends at Weta Workshop have released several new products that tie-in to this newest part of the trilogy. These latest products range from commemorative pins for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, No Admittance Sign, to your very own piece of Smaugs Gold Coin. These fantastic items will make a fine addition to any Middle-earth collection. All of these items are in-stock so order today and they will be on their way!

Here’s the full list of the new items from Weta:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Commemorative Pin $11

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Commemorative Pin $11

No Admittance Sign Prop Replica $15

Smaug’s Treasure Coin #1 of 5 $8

Elves of Mirkwood T-Shirt $30

TaurielLast night via his Facebook page artist Jerry Vanderstelt teased us with a great image of his upcoming print for Tauriel. Well, tonight this amazing print has gone up for sale! This print perfectly captures Evangeline Lilly as she played the character and the fierceness that the character has. You can get this fantastic print in 18×24 Paper Giclee for $75 and Canvas Giclee for $145. However, Jerry is offering a brand new size especially for this piece in 16×20 Paper Giclee for ONLY $35. If one Elf is not enough you can snag both Tauriel AND Legolas in the 16×20 Paper Giclee for JUST $60.

Critics Choice AwardsThe Broadcast Film Critics Association has announced their nominees
for 2013, and The Desolation of Smaug has received 5 nods for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Make-up, Best Visual Effects,
and Best Actress in an Action Movie (Evangeline Lilly). Continue reading “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug nominated for 5 Critics’ Choice Awards”

Bilbo at the Mountain

Editor Note: Our latest staff review comes from the man behind the Collecting the Precious posts, staffer, Elessar. As always if you’re still to see the film and are avoiding spoilers, please be aware that there are spoilers all through Elessars review.

Here we are a year later following the fantastic film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The waiting is over and the time to immerse ourselves in another movie about Middle-earth has begun. I, like so many of you have been counting down the days until it was time, and after seeing it twice I’ve written my personal review.

Continue reading “Elessar Reviews The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”