Explaining the Characters of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug via Photos

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth has a teeming population that can be very hard to keep track of. Hobbits, dwarves, elves, orcs, wizards, trolls, goblins, men, women, giant eagles, giant spiders, stone giants, wargs, skin-changers, and yes, dragons (to name a few).

With the release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug coming December 13, we thought a good way of reacquainting you with some of the characters (and introducing you to some new ones) would be through visual identification.

Meeting Of The Memes: J.R.R. Tolkien’s 21st Century Film Fandom

J.R.R. Tolkien has long been known for having an eclectic group of die-hard fans. From modern-day celebrities like Stephen Colbert (unequivocally one of the most hardcore Tolkien fans of our time, who elicited this from Peter Jackson: "I've never met a bigger Tolkien geek in my life." ) to the 1960s counter culture attachment to The Lord of the Rings and 1970s rock bands who wrote epic songs about the books,