This amazing stained glass featuring a map of Middle-earth was created by Gerard Baines as his exam piece retraining in stain glass art. What do you think? Does he pass? (Lily Milos via Joe Gilronan)

TomTom, the automotive navigation system manufacturer, has announced a new feature that will become available with their Winter 2013 update for New Zealand. Maps will now have point out interesting locations from 93 iconic scenes from 10 movies, including The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Chronicles of Narnia. (Britta)

Benedict Cumberbatch, arriving on screen as Smaug and the Necromancer in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, told the Wall Street Journal, “My dad read the book to me and it was a bedtime treat if I had done well. If I had been a good boy, I’d get two chapters as opposed to maybe one or none if I had been really bad.” Read the full interview here. (Evie Bowman)

DeviantArtist Kimberly 80 has drawn this brilliant portrait centering on Richard Armitage’s Thorin Oakenshield and Jeffrey Thomas’ Thrór from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. (Britta)

New Zealand Post and Weta Workshop have teamed up to bring a slice of Middle-earth to the Chinese market. The venture launches this month, with a selection of products from Weta’s range of Middle-earth collectibles becoming available on ULE.com.hk. Richard Taylor from Weta Workshop said, “The Workshop team is thrilled to once again create a line of beautiful figures, prop replicas and artworks from our work in Middle-earth. We have enjoyed being part of the team that has brought The Hobbit films to life, and we are therefore delighted to be able to bring these high-end artworks directly to discerning collectors in China.” (Evie Bowman)

After students in a Middle Earth Monday Club at McLenegan Elementary School in Wisconsin read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, they decided they wanted to construct The Lonely Mountain out of  canned goods. After receiving a donation of cans of chili from Hormel Foods, the children used construction paper to color the cans and create the home of Smaug the dragon. They plan to donate the cans to a local food pantry. (Lily Milos)

Malukah, who is famous on YouTube for her Skyrim covers, has listened to fan suggestions and recorded her cover of Misty Mountains from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack. And if you play guitar yourself, she offers a free download of her chords on her website. (Myla)

Every week, our Middle-earth News reporters seek out Tolkien/Hobbit/LOTR goodness and tag their finds with their names. If you have something to contribute, please submit it using the Got News Precious link at the bottom of the page.

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A few years ago, I stumbled upon the book The Tolkien Years of the Brothers Hildebrandt by Greg Hildebrandt Jr. in my local comic book store.

It was hidden in a box full of remnants; I almost overlooked it. Before I even knew what the book was all about, I made an impulse purchase. At home I realised that the book was not simply a collection of Tolkien illustrations of the Brothers Hildebrandt. Instead, The Tolkien Years of the Brothers Hildebrandt tells the creative process of the Brothers Hildebrandt.

Initially published in 2001, Dynamite Entertainment released an updated and expanded edition of The Tolkien Years of the Brothers Hildebrandt with eight new pages of exclusive material in September 2012.

In contrast to other art books, The Tolkien Years of the Brothers Hildebrandt reconstructs the development of some of the best known Hildebrant paintings. The reader discovers how the Brothers Hildebrandt used family members and friends to model for their art. Those reference photos were then turned into sketches and finally into finished pieces of art in their calenders.

The book is enriched with anecdotes and personal stories, through which Greg Hildebrandt Jr. conveys the enthusiasm and inspiration of his father and uncle. Moreover, the enthusiasm that appears to shine throughout the art book is (as far as I’m concerned) contagious. I have to admit – I’m tempted to buy the expanded edition as well.

The Tolkien Years of the Brothers Hildebrandt can be purchased on dynamite.com for $29.99.

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Bag End by Joe Gilronan

Imagine being able to read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit in a hobbit house! For the kids at Nansloe Academy in Helston, not only is this dream a reality, but their school’s library has been shortlisted for a 2013 School Library Design Award.

The school impressed the judges when they visited the library and found a little-used courtyard transformed into a story garden, complete with a hobbit house big enough to fit an entire class, and a medieval stage with costumes and props for children to act out their favorite literary scenes.

The school’s assistant head teacher, Ann Webb, said, ”The story garden provides both a haven for quiet reading as well as a range of exciting environments to encourage children to take part in all sorts of interactive reading activities.”

“The judges showed great interest in the innovative project and spent time talking with governors, teachers, parents and, of course, the children who were united in their view that the library was one of the best things about their school.”

The panel of representatives from the School Library Association and sponsors Demco Interiors, judged all the entries across a set of criteria – inviting/improved library image, space planning, educational objectives, technology, and engagement and consultation. The winning school will be announced in October at an awards ceremony in London.

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Last year I saw an illustration of Éowyn vs. the Witch-king on tumblr by artist, Angela Rizza, and I just remember thinking, “WOW,” because I’ve never before seen Tolkien’s world portrayed that way. Angela includes a lot of beautiful colors and details that I can’t get enough of and her work gives me the chance to fantasize how The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit would be like as illustrated storybooks. I couldn’t wait to find out more and I’m very lucky to have had the chance to talk a little with Angela about her and her artwork.

Eowyn and the Nazgul

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background in art? Where have you been featured?

Angela: I live in New York and graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology in 2011 with my BFA in Illustration. Since I was a kid, I have always been drawing, fantasy and dragons were my favorite subjects. Then in college I expanded what genres I drew, but fantasy and literature are something I always love coming back to. Since graduating I’ve been featured in Level Magazine, Imagine FX, Creative Quarterly, Illustration Age, and on Behance. Recent clients include Bioware, HelpInk, and I love doing gallery shows.

What was your first experience with Tolkien?

Angela: I remember in elementary school we had something like a Book Barn that came around twice a year selling cheap books. I bought The Hobbit because I really liked the cover art, I was always impulsively buying books for their cover art, not really the stories. But this one I read and it was my first intro into the whole fantasy genre. I loved all of the different races, cultures, world building, and it really boosted my imagination. Instead of drawing only what I saw, I began drawing things that didn’t exist and reading more and more fiction.

Ravens

I know this probably isn’t the easiest question, but do you have a favorite piece that you’ve created?

Angela: Haha, yea it’s a bit hard to answer because I will hate something when I finish it, love it a week later, then hate it again maybe a  few months later. But if I had to choose my favorite is probably my Ravens piece, I had a lot of fun doing the feathers and patterns on it, and I’ve received a lot of compliments on it.

I read that you work traditionally and digitally. What’s your process usually, from when an idea strikes to a completed product?

Angela: I have folders and folders of reference. Sometimes I’ll come across a picture of a tree or maybe a dress and think, I need to do something with this, and it just builds off of that. I usually come up with thumbnails in my head right before I go to sleep, I doodle the ones that stick the next day, and I have in mind some images I want to use for reference. I will pick a thumbnail, work on it a bit and make a final thumbnail. Then on paper draw it out in pencil, then add value with black water color, then add lines and detail with pen and ink. Then it gets scanned into Photoshop, I put the lineart on a mask layer which lets me color it, usually brown. Then I just get to work coloring, experimenting with what looks good, add some details, and fix up the final image with levels and curves.

The Great Eagle Rescue

Where do you get your inspiration? Any artists that you admire?

Angela: A big inspiration to me has to be Arthur Rackham, I love his linework and characters, especially their clothing and the environments they’re in. Some other similar artists include Edmund Dulac, Harry Clarke, Charles Robinson, John Bauer, Yoshitaka Amano, Vania Zouravliov, and I get some inspiration from comics and tattoos.

Have the LOTR/Hobbit movies influenced how you perceive certain landscapes and characters to look?

Angela: For The Hobbit, I tried to give Biblo’s face a bit of Martin Freeman’s qualities, and I went with their costumes. It’s just so recent and in everyone’s minds, that I feel if I don’t do it somewhat exact I’ll get criticism. I actually got a bit of that with my Eagles piece, everyone wanted to know why they weren’t brown and had three eyes. I was just adding a bit of myself into it. But when I did The Lord of the Rings pieces, the movies were done so long ago, people don’t remember all of the details and I let my own aesthetic take over.

Do you have a favorite Tolkien character and location? If so, what is it that draws you to them?

Angela: Based on the movies, I would have to say Bilbo is my favorite character and I am enjoying The Hobbit more than LotR. With LotR I feel like a lot of characters were telling the story, and in The Hobbit, the point of view is basically Bilbo the whole time, and there is a lot more character development.

What are you looking the most forward to in the next two Hobbit movies?

Angela: I love seeing creatures! I’m really excited for Smaug, especially hearing Benedict speak as him. I’m hoping he isn’t the typical looking dragon, and has some elements from the animated movie.

Why do you consider your Balrog piece to be one of your favorites?

Angela: I liked playing with light in the Balrog piece and the color scheme was something new. It was also my favorite scene in that movie.

Durin’s Bane

How would you describe your style?

Angela: I think my style is like a modern version of classical storybook illustration. I take the technique and follow it traditionally, but make it more current and less outdated with lots of color and with fashion that is more in style.

There is just so much left to do with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I want to tackle a few more of those first. I want to more scenes from The Hobbit as the movie progresses, would like to do a piece with the goblins or the White Orc soon. Right now I think I’ll switch to some Game of Thrones pieces.

Warden of the North

What do you enjoy drawing the most?

Angela: I love drawing birds and plants most.

I’ve seen that you indeed do work from other stories and novels like Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire. Aside from Tolkien, what subjects do you most enjoy drawing from?

Angela: I like re-illustrating stories I read as a child, the way I saw it in my head. I was devoutly reading Harry Potter, as soon as it came out, and when I saw the movies, they didn’t really look how I expected. And with A Game of Thrones, I just love everything about it and I like the very serious look of the world, I have fun toning it down a bit and making it more like a classic children’s book. There’s a few other pieces I’d like to do from movies like The Fall, Labyrinth, Italo Calvino’s fairy tales, and I want to try and do a kickstarter to fund a children’s book about endangered species of animals.

Would you say fantasy is your favorite genre? If so, why?

Angela: Yep! There’s just no limits when it comes to fantasy, anything can happen and you don’t need much of an explanation for it.

One Last Look

If you are interested in seeing more of Angela’s work be sure to visit her websites:

• Portfolio: angelarizza.com
• Blog: angelarizza.tumblr.com
• Etsy: etsy.com/shop/angelarizza

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Nathan Shields uses his unique talent of pancake portraiture to raise money for his children’s college funds. His amazing Hobbit pancakes look too good to eat! Except the Great Goblin. I can think of other reasons not to eat that one. Hang on, you guys. Is that our first glimpse of Smaug? Totally seems legit. (Lily Milos)

TiVo Research and Analytics compared television series that index high for panelists who went to see Oscar® nominated movies–The Hobbit, Les Miserables and Zero Dark Thirty–in theaters. When they are not exploring Middle Earth, Hobbit moviegoers spend their time watching animated sitcoms on Fox such as Bob’s Burgers and The Simpsons as well as CW’s Arrow and ABC’s Once Upon A Time. Les Miserables patrons prefer Glee on Fox as well as figure skating on NBC, The Golden Globe Awards, and ABC’s The Bachelor. Zero Dark Thirty movie attendees can be found watching CW’s Nikita, NFL Football, and the Kevin Bacon thriller The Following on Fox. Utilizing this type of easy-to-access analysis, movie studios can now make more informed media buys to reach the households most likely see their movies in theater. (Evie Bowman)

This Gandalf the Grey inspired costume was created by Brielle’s Costumes. The costume design was based on Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings movies, but the scarf and color palette are rooted in his Hobbit costume. Brielle’s Costumes creates beautiful custom costumes and garments based on film and historical settings. (Oloriel)

We’ve mentioned that actor James Nesbitt  will be filming a documentary about New Zealand that will highlight the characters, culture, and scenery that define New Zealand life while delving into its history. We now know that Wanaka’s long-running “Perfect Woman” competition has been selected to be part of the show. Filming on the documentary was scheduled to start today, and in addition to the Perfect Woman contest, the show plans to feature whale-watching in Kaikoura and the earthquake clean-up in Christchurch. (Evie Bowman)

It may not be a hobbit hole like Bag End, but a picturesque home known as the “Hobbit House” is for sale in Vancouver. The 83-year-old faux thatched-roof home is located at 587 W. King Edward Ave. and listed for $2.86 million. Realtor Mary Ellen Maasik has mentioned  the potential to tear it down and build a bigger and newer home. Let’s hope the new owner doesn’t take such drastic measures! (Britta)

Even though Ranger was made in 2012, I have only just discovered this fan film based on Beren and Luthien. It doesn’t follow their storyline precisely (to keep the lawyers at bay, not doubt), but this Silmarillion-inspired story is a treat! (Lily Milos)

Every week, our Middle-earth News reporters seek out Tolkien/Hobbit/LOTR goodness and tag their finds with their names. If you have something to contribute, please submit it using the Got News Precious link at the bottom of the page.

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John DiBartolo, a Founder of Middle-earth Network and member of  The Lonely Mountain Band, has shared exclusive news about the next Lonely Mountain Band album with us as, well as the artwork for the new single!

With The Lonely Mountain Band’s previous album releases titled Beyond the Western Seas, Second Breakfast, and Songs of the Dwarves, it’s easy to see their music has been very Tolkien-inspired. However, with the release of their new single, The Night’s Watch, they have reached out beyond the lands of Middle-earth and stepped into the realm of Westeros.

From the award winning HBO epic, The Game of Thrones, The Night’s Watch are the military order that defend “The Wall”. The Wall is a 300 mile barrier of solid ice that separates the Seven Kingdoms from the dangers of the north, which they have done for thousands of years. Their oath of loyalty is one of sacrifice and eternal service. Using this lore, The Lonely Mountain Band has created a powerful and haunting song that proclaims the very spirit and servitude of these “wandering crows”.

‘The Night’s Watch’ Album Artwork

“It has been a pure joy to explore Tolkien’s world through music for the past three albums of the Lonely Mountain Band.  I plan to continue writing a 4th Lonely Mountain Band album this year which will depart slightly from focusing only on Tolkien’s works.  While there will be Tolkien inspired songs on the next album, there will also be some cover songs and other material possibly like the new “The Night’s Watch” song.  Further on, if there is a 5th album it will return entirely to Tolkien’s legendarium once again.  Creatively and for inspiration it is healthy to take a break from the pattern of the first 3 albums.  The musical flavor and sound of Lonely Mountain Band will remain the same, and of course focus on various fantasy realms.” – John DiBartolo

The Lonely Mountain Band’s The Night’s Watch single and Game of Thrones tribute video are set to release today, Sunday, May 12, at 8:30 PM EST on legendarium.me; a half hour before Game of Thrones season 3, episode 7 airs on HBO.

For more information on the single and Game of Thrones tribute video, click here.

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“Combining his passions for Chemistry and the works of Tolkien, Emil Johansson has created a Periodic Table for Middle-earth. This poster includes important characters from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The location of characters on the Table has been determined by importance to the story, ancestry, and, in some cases, physical attributes. Fans everywhere will love this beautiful and intriguing visualization of Middle-earth.”

This is Emil’s fifth poster available for purchase; you can read about the other ones here and here.

The first four that have been released are:

• Timeline of the Elves
• Timeline of the One Ring
• Gandalf’s Gear
• Character Mentions in The Hobbit

You can view The Periodic Table for Middle-earth poster full size on Emil’s website and purchase your own copy from Oloris Publishing here.

To learn more, visit olorispublishing.com or follow Oloris Publishing on Facebook and Twitter.

To keep up with Emil’s website and projects be sure to follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

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It has been one year since Oloris Publishing was launched! In celebration of our anniversary, we are holding a Spring Poetry Contest offering poets a chance to be published.

The winner of this competition will have a slim volume of their poems published by Oloris; will be featured in Issue 5 be released in September; and will have their poetry featured on two (2) items in the Oloris online shop. We would like to invite new and seasoned poets alike to participate in this competition, so be sure to visit our website for the submission rules and guidelines.

About Oloris Publishing

Oloris Publishing is a dynamic venture that seeks to expand the vision of traditional publishing by welcoming and showcasing vibrant, new voices, and embracing various media for their expression. We believe that the publishing process should be a true collaboration, in which our authors and illustrators are very involved so that their own voices truly shine. Visit Oloris on the Internet at www.olorispublishing.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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These fantastic photos by Stan Buštor were taken at last year’s “The Battle of Middle-earth” LARP event in the Czech Republic. 2013 marks the 22nd year of the event, to be held June 21-23, 2013 in the Czech Republic’s Rakovecké Valley. For more information about this event and the groups involved, visit panprstenu.cz and follow Pán Prstenů – Bitva o Středozem on Facebook. (Arwen Kester)

Actor James Nesbitt will escort viewers around New Zealand in a new documentary for ITV, offering his unique and personal perspective on a country he has huge affection for after living there with his family while filming his role as dwarf Bofur in The Hobbit. James Nesbitt’s New Zealand [WT] will follow James as he travels the 1600 km length of the North and South islands, immersing himself in the characters, culture, and scenery that define New Zealand life while delving into its history and offering his take on the country’s enduring allure for Brits. (Lily Milos)

This Lord of the Rings guitar, in all of it’s amazing detail, was entirely done with Sharpie permanent markers. Made by Vivian Xiao, it has depictions of Barad-dûr, Nazgûl, Minas Tirith, massive Oliphaunts, and more, and took her about 25 hours to complete. (Britta)

Time Warner Inc. have released their first quarter reports, and when it comes to their Film and Entertainment Division, Warner Bros., The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey takes the credit for keeping the numbers up. Warner Bros.’ operating incoming increased 23%, in part due to The Hobbit‘s success at the box office, making it their fourth biggest film ever. (Evie Bowman)

This resident packed up a life size replica of Gollum as flames advanced towards his backyard. @nbcla #SpringsFire twitter.com/ShootSeanNBCLA…

— Sean Browning (@ShootSeanNBCLA) May 2, 2013

It’s the age-old question: If your house were on fire and you could only save one thing, what would it be? Hopefully for this California resident, the flames never reached the house, but it’s good to know that Gollum was packed in the car, just in case. (Lily Milos)

Due to official market manipulation, changing preferences, or some combination of the two, Chinese moviegoers are shifting toward domestically produced films and away from their big-budget, foreign counterparts. In the first quarter this year, ticket sales for non-Chinese movies in China, like The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, fell 65 percent, to about $200 million, while sales for Chinese-language films rose 128 percent, to well over $500 million. The Chinese market is crucial for American studios; ticket sales there are expected to surpass those in the United States by about 2018. (Evie Bowman)

Every week, our Middle-earth News reporters seek out Tolkien/Hobbit/LOTR goodness and tag their finds with their names. If you have something to contribute, please submit it using the Got News Precious link at the bottom of the page.

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Eönwë

Can you tell me something about yourself and your background with art?

Gerwell: I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, but it had always been a hobby until I turned 17 or 18. I started learning more seriously and moving toward artistic studies. However I got bored with what I could get taught in schools so I changed my path to 3D studies. After finishing those I realised I really wanted to be a great illustrator, and since then I’m working toward this goal.

What is your connection to J. R. R. Tolkien’s works/ when and how did you discover them? Also, I’ve noticed that much of your Tolkien-related work contains subject matter from The Silmarillion. What is it exactly that draws you to that book?

Gerwell: It had always been in a corner of my mind; when I was a kid I had the Ralph Bakshi animation and I found it intriguing. But in 2001 when Peter Jackson released his first movie, I picked up the two last books and read them, and found them wonderful, but difficult at the same time.

A friend made me discover The Silmarillion years later, and I read The Hobbit while I was at it. Those two books really charmed me, although I found The Silmarillion difficult too then, because there were so many characters with similar names.

But I read The Silmarillion again recently and that’s when my interest got stirred so much. It’s a very rich work that mixes themes from a few mythologies and religions. The aesthetics of the characters really appeal to me, and the fact I’m rather free to picture them the way I want makes it all the more interesting for me, as an artist. There is a lot that is left to the imagination of the reader, which allows the book to carry on in one’s mind, after reading it.

Manwë

Since there isn’t much to see of The Silmarillion’s characters and landscapes, does that make it easier or more challenging to come up with your own interpretations?

Gerwell: Definitely, that’s the good and the bad point when doing art of this book I think. It’s amazing how Tolkien managed to create such a complex world and still remain so vague on details that could be judged essential. You hardly ever learn anything about what some main characters look like. It’s sometimes very frustrating because I keep thinking:  “Oh damn I hope I’m not making this completely out of spirit,” but maybe it’s what Tolkien wanted, to keep it vague and up to the imagination of the reader. But it’s very exciting to have so much room for my own interpretations, it even helps to get closer to some characters.

Have you/do you create art for other stories by the professor, such as The Lord of the Rings and/or The Hobbit?

Gerwell: I have this picture of Galadriel showing her mirror to Sam and Frodo, but it’s not finished… Otherwise no, not for now anyway. Although a few scenes from those books really inspire me, such as Gandalf’s fight against the Balrog (of course). Maybe later!

Your character designs are very unique and I find myself mesmerized by all the little details you include in the hair, clothes and especially your landscapes. Where do you get your inspiration; are there any cultures and/or certain time periods that inspire you?

Gerwell: Thank you, haha. There’s inspiration to pick from every culture probably. I can mix everything to my liking afterwards but try to keep it coherent. Today with the internet, it’s very easy to find inspiration with a few clicks. I’m mostly inspired by Asian and European Medieval fashions. But I occasionally take things from completely different cultures and time periods, too keep something original.

Is there a particular piece you’re most proud of?

Gerwell: Hmm… Haha, well. I should do more paintings instead of cell-shaded pictures, but the three I’m rather proud of are:

• Fingolfin and Morgoth
• Eönwë
• Varda

Fingolfin and Morgoth

What is usually your process from when you decide on a scene/character to a completed piece?

Gerwell: It depends. I often sketch something on paper very quickly, until I get to a pose/design/composition I’m happy with. Then I just redraw the sketch on Photoshop or Paint Tool Sai and go on with the usual process of painting or lineart cell-shading. But sometimes I don’t bother sketching on paper and just directly start on the computer.

Usually ideas come by themselves and I just sharpen them up a bit afterwards.

Who are your favorite artists; any favorite Tolkien-illustrators? Do you have a favorite piece of Tolkien-related artwork?

Gerwell: There’s Phobs, here are a few things he did:

• Silmarillion Melkor Seducing Mairon
• Manwë Sketch
• Melkor and the Ainur

To be honest I did not know any other Tolkien artists than John Howe before you made me discover Ruth Lacon, Joe Gilronan, Justin Gerard and Danielle Storey, who are all absolutely amazing.

But John Howe of course is a great inspiration; here are some pictures from him that I love:

• Morgoth’s Forces before Gondolin
• Nienor and Glaurung
• The Dark Tower

Aside from Tolkien’s legendarium, what other subjects and stories do enjoy working from?

Gerwell: My own, haha. I do draw characters from other universes, but usually from video games or manga, so it’s probably irrelevant to this interview.

Morgoth

Are there any subjects you found especially challenging to illustrate? If so, why?

Gerwell: Morgoth was difficult because I never managed to create a clear image of him while reading The Silmarillion. And Phobs’ got stuck in my mind after and I thought it was a good representation, so I hardly bothered. But when I actually decided to draw him I got stuck and had to go through multiple designs before ending up with something satisfying.

What is your favorite medium? Do you prefer to work more digitally or traditionally?

Gerwell: There’s a different charm to both, but I can do so much more digitally, it hardly compares… And I’m not really good with traditionnal mediums, it gets really messy.

Do you sell any products, such as prints, of your work?

Gerwell: Not currently.

Any future projects you have planned and is there anything you would like to one day try out?

Gerwell: I’m always surfing a tsunami of ideas for various projects. Sadly I only have time to start a few before losing motivation… So I’m still waiting for the big awesome one that will keep me motivated!
I would like to make a comic someday, and know the feeling of having achieved a big project and feel proud of it.

Annatar/Sauron: The Lord of the Rings

If you would like to see more of Gerwell’s art you can visit his Deviantart and Tumblr.

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