Thanks again, guys!
Hat tip again to Jevenkah - yeah, I agree with what you say about Tolkein. I think his personal experiences on the front are an integral part of his storytelling, and find it interesting to compare the mythos he created (informed by that experience as much as his regional background and academic studies) compared to the other mythologies created by the likes of lewis and Lucas - all very different, each treating subjects like war from quite different distances.
@Little Odo - yeah, I'm sure Jackson has opted for the version of the Hobbit Dwarves we've seen due to the LotR movies coming first and certain groundrules being established. It definitely works for the movie in that regard; cool that we still have other choices in our model making though, yeah?
As for my reference to 'upright' Dwarves Jevenkah - a dying Thorin is a neat idea and one I hadn't thought of (I'm sure we'll be seeing a few dioramas based on that in years to come). My reference is to a side project though - my Moria Cutaway (
http://jetsimian.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/oakens-eleven-moria-cutaway.html) which is... coming along, at least!