The Squeee

How would you react if you suddenly got a phone call from Peter Jackson's people, asking you to come out to New Zealand for a potential job offer? I was flown all the way to the other side of the world in order to play the part of Balin in The Hobbit . Despite the fact that they've already finished filming, aside from a few pick-up shots. And, crucially, despite me being a woman without acting experience . I was sitting in a theatre, or I suppose it was a studio set really, where Peter Jackson was going through things, and then he said "this is what I want you to do, Traxy". If I wanted the job, of course. He assured me accepting the job could lead to great things. I could become a kids editor!! My response to this was "kids? Meh", but if it was kids TV, why not?

For three years, a bunch of bloggers have set aside a week in March to blog about Richard Armitage in an event we call FanstRAvaganza . For me, it normally works out as having an idea and then getting in completely over my head. So this year, true to form, I've gone in off the deep end and I haven't even brought a swimming cozzie. Because I said I'd organise it. Waaaahhh! If you're interested in taking part, feel free to fill out this form to let me know. Don't worry, it's not an RSVP or anything, it's just a way of expressing an interest, even if it might not appear that way. If you change your mind later and don't want to do it, it's fine, honest. It's just to give me a general idea of what people want of “F4“ and if it's going to attract 5, 50 or 500 people. 500 is a bit pie-in-the-sky, admittedly, but just in case. Better to be aware of that now than in mid-March.

Greetings, new recruits! I'm Armitage Army [insert faux military rank here] Traxy, and this is my blog. Howdy! I'm posting this a few days ahead of the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , and this is written especially for newly hatched Richard Armitage fans who are now scouring the web trying to find information about that guy who plays Thorin Oakenshield , because he's such a brilliant actor. You know, this guy. Basically, I'd like to welcome you to the Dark Side, where so many of us have been for years. Here, have a cookie! No doubt you now require more information about the actor Richard Armitage and I'd like you to know that yes, he really is a great actor, and he's been around for years. As has his fanbase, nicknamed by someone's husband once upon a time as the Armitage Army. (Please don't ask him about this if you ever meet him. Everyone does it, it's really old.) You're a bit late in joining the party, but the party...

More hot dwarves. Sorry, I meant to say "more Thorin Oakenshield". Sorry, I mean Richard Armitage!! *happysigh* Ehh ... okay, well, just look at this: It does have a tremendous amount of Thorin/Richard in it. Very pleased! And of course, now it's less than three months to go! :D

What day is it today? It's Armitage Day! Wishing everyone a fantastic day, regardless of where in the world you are, which also of course goes for the birthday boy himself! Happy birthday, Richard Armitage! Hope your 42nd* year will be as epic as the number implies! :D And don't get swooped up by some big ol' tornado now, y'hear? ;) * The same way as the 1800s is the "19th Century", meaning if he's 41, he's on his 42nd year. That's right, isn't it?

I did another one of these " People that remind me of Richard Armitage " posts before, and I thought it was time to do another one, seeing as how I was reminded of this guy when we saw The Dark Knight Rises recently. (Review to follow once I get back from Sweden?) Well, here's the man in question: Josh Stewart .

Here's what we're going ga-ga over today on Facebook! A new picture (from Entertainment Weekly, I believe) of Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit . [Source: RichardArmitageNet.com ] Hawt dang. Like a friend of mine commented: I really didn't think he was going to be hot as a Tolkien-dwarf but omg, he is hotness no matter what he looks like ♥ I concur! And at the same time note that he seems to be sporting his very own beard and not that fake fuzz we've seen previously. A little over five months to go now! :D

Please tell me I'm not the only one who keep seeing people that remind me of Richard Armitage? Surely you keep seeing people that remind you of him as well? Anyway, here's the one that gets me every time we watch Grimm : Sasha Roiz .

Peter Jackson and pals in New Zealand post production diaries from The Hobbit every now and again. The seventh one in the series has just been released. Was happily surprised to realise Billy Connolly has been cast as Dain, and the surprise cameraman in the end is pretty cool. :D There's no interview of Richard Armitage, and we only see him briefly, but oh, those moments are worth their weight in gold. Feast your eyes on this:

Remember mad libs? Where all you get is a list where you're supposed to fill in a type of word specified and in the end, it puts those words into a story that's just ... well, mad. I found a place online where you could do them, and thought I'd try one about the Perfect Man. Here's how it turned out, with the words I put in highlighted ... My "Dream Man" should, first of all be very beautiful and gaunt . He should have a physique like Richard Armitage , a profile like Toby Stephens , and the intelligence of a cat . He must be polite and must always remember to purr my cup , to tip his radiator and to take my nose when crossing the street. He should move darkly , have a yellow voice, and should always dress smugly . I would also like him to be a black dancer, and when we are alone he should whisper grand nothings into my mouth and hold my tall hazelnut . I know a biscuit is hard to find. In fact the only one I can think of is the Squeeze . LOL! Trul...

Today's Tag Teams: Last, but definitely not least! Freeform: Agzy shares with us her favorite Armitage paper doll • Ana Cris examines Lucas North's tattoos through Maori tattoo culture • Jas Rangoon premieres her new John Bateman fanvid • In fandom , jazzbaby1 thinks RA fandom is just groovy! • C.S. Winchester asks "naughty or nice?" in a picspam • Mrs. E.B. Darcy thinks about Armitage's future after TH to wrap up the Hobbit chain • Jo Ann offers the last King Richard Armitage post, on Richard III and the Tudors • In fanfic , Maria Grazia reviews and compares works by the authors she's interviewed • Gratiana Lovelace wraps up the event with a guest post by Melissa the Mouse! • Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of the event! This post is not inspired or based on anything in particular, but it's my last actual discussion topic of F3. I have had a thought for a while now, after reading in various online newspapers about ...

Today's Tag Teams: It's almost over, oh noes! In fandom , Phylly3 celebrates her second blogiversary! • Avalon considers her favorite fandom moments (includes interview with Jeannie Gisborne)! •  In the Hobbit chain, Antonia Romera compares trailers for An Unexpected Journey in three languages • CDoart 's the King Richard Armitage blogger, writing on the relevance of the character in times of questionable justice • In fanfic , Jo Ann finishes her story • fedoralady traces the evolution of her "sloth fic" series • In freeform , Gratiana Lovelace rescreens her Armitage birthday vid • Fabo casts Armitage in Hollywood musical remakes • C.S. Winchester takes on Armitage in period costumes from N&S and Miss Marie Lloyd • Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of each day. This post is inspired, but not exactly based on, Richard Armitage's character in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: In Divine Proportion . I freely admit the reason...

Today's Tag Teams: In the Hobbit chain , Mrs. E.B. Darcy projects what our hero may do in TH: There and Back Again • Ana Cris discusses a Maori ceremony Mr. Armitage witnessed in New Zealand's mountains • In King Richard Armitage , fitzg guestposts at judiang 's on non-Richard roles for Armitage in a Richard III project • In fanfic , Jas Rangoon continues  her modern N&S fic • Maria Grazia presents an interview with Cat Winchester and giveaway of her book, Northern Light • In freeform , fedoralady asks about our dream Armitage-narrated audiobooks • John Thornton wonders if anyone else could play him • Agzy discusses Heinz Kruger's sartorial choices -- and what's underneath them! • In fandom , jazzbaby1 maps Armitage in the Tommyverse • Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of each day. This post is inspired, but not exactly based on, Richard Armitage's character in Between the Sheets . Say what you want about Paul, ...

Today's Tag Teams: In King Richard Armitage , Servetus admits to (gasp!) stray thoughts while lecturing • In fanfic , Margaret Hale guestposts at John Thornton 's on why she loves him • Jo Ann continues her story • In freeform , Jas Rangoon jokes about potential reproductive partners for Mr. Armitage • Itsjsforme reveals another Guy of Gisborne PSA (still not safe for work!) • Gratiana Lovelace needs more help captioning "Whimsical Moments with Deadly Serious ChaRActers!" •  In fandom , IngeD3 focuses on Ricky Deeming • Fabo confesses her Richard Armitage eyelash fetish! • In the Hobbit , it's calories galore as Antonia Romera discusses fingerlicking at the Hobbit table • The Queen takes on Hobbit cakes • Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of each day. Can't believe we're half-way through already! This post is inspired, but not exactly based on, Richard Armitage's character in The Impressionists . A passion f...

Today's Tag Teams: F3 brightens up "hump day"! In fanfic , Maria Grazia presents an interview with Trudy Brasure and giveaway of her book, A Heart for Milton • C.S. Winchester helps new authors get their feet wet writing fanfic • In freeform , ChrisB continues the alphabet with "B is for Beard(?)? • jazzbaby1 puts John Porter in the hands of Frank Spotnitz • Agzy outs Armitage characters as dog lovers • In fandom , fedoralady recommends the right tunes for your Armitage fanvid • Rose Gisborne describes her Armitage day •In the Hobbit , IngeD3 reveals the deeper meaning of the dwarfs' hoods • Ana Cris reflects on Armitage and Maori ceremony • In King Richard Armitage , Fabo offers some choices to play Anne Neville • Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of each day. This post is inspired, but not exactly based on, Richard Armitage's character in Marple: Ordeal by Innocence . Several ideas pop into my head when it comes to...

Today's Tag Teams: In freeform : Melanie on why Harry Kennedy is the perfect man • Rose Gisborne on which colors look best on Richard Armitage • Itsjsforme unveils Guy of Gisborne's latest public service announcements (not safe for work!) • In fandom , Fabo on Richard Armitage's statements about fans •  Gratiana Lovelace requests help captioning in "I'm Too Sexy for My T-Shirt!" • The Hobbit chain goes creative with The Queen on Hobbit quilts • Mrs. E.B. Darcy on Hobbit action figures! • For King Richard Armitage , IngeD3 reviews the Michael Hicks biography of the fifteenth-century king • In fanfic , John Thornton on why he loves Margaret Hale • Jo Ann introduces us to a new Armitage character she knows we'll love • Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of each day. This post is inspired, but not exactly based on, Richard Armitage's character in The Golden Hour . One of the most enduring romantic fantasies is that of t...

Today's Tag Teams: In the beginning, Richard Armitage made scores of fans -- and he keeps on making them! To kick off the fandom chain , Didion converts friends to Armitage love • Phylly3 reports on her fandom experiences • In t he Hobbit chain , Ana Cris writes on her recent film location visit • Mrs. E.B. Darcy speculates about what our hero will do in An Unexpected Journey (spoilers!) • King Richard Armitage chain begins with Maria Grazia on a film adaptation of Richard III • Beginning the fanfic chain , fedoralady explains fanfic's mainstream appeal • In the freeform chain , Fabo files an eyewitness report on Richard Armitage's visit to U.S. accent school • jazzbaby1 wonders "what were they thinking?" re: Lucas North's women • and ChrisB opens the Armitage Alphabet, with "A is for Action" • Links to all FanstRA 3 posts appear here at the end of each day. This post is inspired, but not exactly based on, Richard Armitage's ch...

In less than six hours, this year's Richard Armitage FanstRAvaganza kicks off! Welcome blog readers and Richard Armitage fans, old and new! :) The Squeee has been participating since the beginning, and is one of the "core blogs" in F3: this year, we've got a team of core bloggers and a few different tag teams, where several blogs are a chain posting about one topic, but only one person does so per day. All my F3 posts will include links to the tag teamers, and the core bloggers can be found in the sidebar on the right, over there somewhere. -----> For those of you who don't particularly care (gasp!) about Richard Armitage, every weekday will still contain a review, as normal, posted around the normal time - between 8 and 9 in the morning GMT/UK time. All five productions do include Richard Armitage in the cast list though ... :P

It's been just about a year since I wrote that post about IF Richard Armitage was gay, what's it got to do with us ? This has since become the most read and the most commented post on this blog, for better or for worse. Hotly debated issue, apparently. The thing that strikes me is how people look upon the subject. A lot of comments were very supportive, saying if he was gay, it might spoil the illusion somewhat, but all in all, if that's who he is, then that's who he is. Others claimed to have evidence of him being a homosexual, but from what I gather, it's really only based on hearsay, rumourmongering and/or "gut feelings". Personally, I'd be interested to hear a gay man's views on this. Why? Because everyone in the debate is female, and the vast majority, if not all, are straight. Ever heard the term "gaydar"? Whose gaydar is more likely to be accurate - a straight female's or a homosexual male's? I know who I'd vote for...

Back in 2010, there was an idea for a fanblogging event, where the current Richard Armitage fanblogs would participate, highlighting Richard Armitage's work and/or his fans for a whole week, and this venture was named FanstRAvaganza. You might recall this: Then, in 2011, it was decided that the FanstRAvaganza, having been a big success and plenty of fun for everyone involved, should return, and return it did. With more participants than the year before.