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BecDeCorbin — Rankin Bass_The Hobbit_Thorin Oakenshield

Published: 2013-01-10 01:47:08 +0000 UTC; Views: 2173; Favourites: 33; Downloads: 103
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Description The creative team behind Rankin Bass' version of "The Hobbit" envisioned the leader of the dwarves as much, much older than Peter Jackson has in his current adaptation. Not too surprising--Hans Conried was pretty old himself when he signed on to provide Thorin's voice.

His face is crammed with character. The wrinkles on his high forehead are a weather front of convoluted curves. His whiskers are made up of more sweeping curves that become a written language that I had to learn as I went along. His beard is an alphabet of tapers, meeting points and divergences.

Thorin's deathbed scene was moving when I saw "The Hobbit" broadcast in 1977. Rankin Bass doesn't like to have their animated characters die, good or bad. But it was Tolkien's plot point and one they could not steer around. The scene could have been easily botched, but it was pulled off with good acting, timing and music. I never forgot it.
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Comments: 9

OuroborosI [2013-03-21 06:04:06 +0000 UTC]

the better Thorin

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myfremioneheart [2013-01-13 08:24:42 +0000 UTC]

I love, love, love, love this!
This movie was what got me interested in Tolkien.
This is a wonderful drawing of Thorin!
Great job!

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EmmaFlorian [2013-01-13 01:33:27 +0000 UTC]

i have a feeling there wouldnt be as much fangirls if PJ went with this! lol! i love both versions!

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MuttMix [2013-01-13 00:39:27 +0000 UTC]

Been a long time since I've seen fan art of this version.

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peeping-doom [2013-01-12 23:50:35 +0000 UTC]

This is forever how I will picture Thorin, as I have since I was a child and rented the Rankin-Bass version (which led to me dashing across the street to the library to borrow The Hobbit at the age of 10). I'll forever love that craggy face and comically-knobby nose and a mouth that really isn't so much a mouth as it is a gap in beard hair.

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Yersef [2013-01-12 23:09:02 +0000 UTC]

Wow! Great version of a great work!

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Hordaks-Pupil [2013-01-10 20:02:58 +0000 UTC]

Awesomeness I love the animated Hobbit

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TheRisenChaos [2013-01-10 04:49:38 +0000 UTC]

I loved Thorin in the Peter Jackson movie, but I think this one was more true to the character in the book. You sketched him really well.

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HobbsEnd [2013-01-10 04:35:26 +0000 UTC]

That is fantastic my friend! That takes me back!

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