Deviantartist Flocature’s (aka Catherine) newest project is this tiny Hobbit Hole under a glass globe. It is made of Super Sculpey, painted with acrylics, and attached to an adjustable ring base. Catherine promises that it will be available to purchase in her Etsy shop soon, and we have a sneaky feeling she’ll have trouble keeping them in stock! (Maria Moa)
The cast of Star Wars: Episode VII was announced this week, and we were surprised but overjoyed to find Andy Serkis on the list! Serkis is probably most famous for his role as Gollum/Smeagol in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and being a trailblazer in the art of performance capture. Because of his past roles as computer generated characters, fans are wondering whether we’ll see Andy or his CGI counterpart (or counterparts) on screen. (Alice Greenleaf)
Artist Sarah M. has been drawing all her life and eventually turned her skills to crafting masks from leather. She kept working and incorporating more pieces of leather until she was able to make the dragon (who resembles The Hobbit‘s Smaug) you see in the above photo. The scales are individually tooled into the leather and stitched on, and she says, “Each mask takes a ridiculously long time.” (via Amy Ratcliffe)
“The Long-Expected Fundraiser” on Tolkien Reading Day at Defiant Comics in Forest Park raised money for Opportunity Knocks, a non-profit serving young people with developmental disabilities. Paul Erickson good-naturedly dressed up in Hobbit feet and wig as he read excerpts from two of his Tolkien parodies, “The Wobbit: A Parody” and “The Superfriends of the Ring.” He also offered a free book to all attendees. (Britta)
Have you ever wondered how the folks at LOTR Scenery make their incredible miniatures of Mordor and other location in Middle-earth? Here is a step by step look at how they made the Black Gate of Mordor. (Maria Moa)
Martin Freeman took a turn as GQ’s Resident Advice Columnist For a Day. Note: This video does have some language that Bilbo Baggins would never be heard uttering and is therefore not safe for work or the ears of baby hobbits. Martin Freeman does not claim to be a trained professional. Actual advice is for entertainment purposes only. Please use Martin Freeman responsibly. (Valdis)
This White Tree silk scarf was inspired by Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The long scarf is decorated with a silhouette of two white trees on fresh green background and is handpainted and made to order by Luiza of Etsy shop MinkuLuL. (Alice Greenleaf)
Actor Elijah who played Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, will provide the voice of Shay, one of the two protagonists in the video game Broken Age. Act 1 of the PC game has already been released, and Act 2 will be released as a free update later this year. Click here to watch a behind the scenes video of Elijah’s voice work for the game. (Lily Milos)
Shane Blair sent us his music video that chronicles Gandalf’s journey in The Lord of the Rings. Some of our favorite lyrics have to be “Luckily I speak Moth they do errands for me. Good thing I’m friends with Eagles if you know what I mean…” (Arwen Kester)
