On Saturday, September, 19th, 2015, I had the delightful opportunity to attend the Cincinnati Comic Expo with my best friend, Allie. The expo, although not as extensive as many other major cons in the United States, was compiled of vendors, artists, and guests from film, tv, and comics.

Allie and I are both avid fans of the works of JRR Tolkien, as well as their film counterparts, created by Peter Jackson. Because of this, we were most excited for the "Middle Earth Panel." Actors Sean Astin (Samwise, The Lord of the Rings) and Graham McTavish (Dwalin, The Hobbit), spoke of their many adventures on set of the Middle Earth world.

Graham McTavish was rather open about his distaste for the fish scene in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, in which a large barrel of fish was thrown atop his and his cast mates' heads for an entire day of filming. He also spoke of the challenge that they faced filming the infamous barrel riding scene, as well as the awe he felt every time he witnessed Ian McKellan at work.

Sean Astin, whom I also knew from various other films and tv series, spoke of the challenge he faced during LOTR filming, as well. Astin is usually a runner; therefore, he is normally in very good shape. However, Sam was meant to chubby, so he had to be careful that he maintained his weight throughout the filming of each movie. Astin spoke of many other topics regarding the LOTR film franchise, as well as his work in the films The Goonies and Rudy; however, of everything that he said, I especially loved when he spoke of his favorite moments while doing a project. He said that the moments he remembered best were often not something regarding the movie, show, etc, but something in his personal life that happened during that time. For example, he said his daughter started kindergarten during LOTR, and so that filming will always be a point of reference for that special moment within his family.

Audience members were invited to ask questions (unfortunately, I was too nervous to go up to the mic), and each question was answered by either McTavish or Astin (the bulk of the questions were directed towards Astin). Near the end of the hour, there were about ten people still in line to ask a question, and the moderator announced only two more questions would be received. Sean Astin, finding that unfair to those who had stood in line for most of the panel, cut the moderator off and announced that he and Graham would answer everyone's questions, simply at a rapid pace. And in just the nick of time, they did indeed answer every question.

It was truly the highlight of my day at the expo, where I also spent way too much money on an assortment of nerdy finds, and saw first hand some of the greatest cosplays I have ever seen.

X
Casey

PS:
Here's a look at all the cool shit that I bought (strangely enough, I did not find anything that I liked for The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings):