Tolkien illustrator Alan Lee was left gasping for a pint in the author's favourite watering hole after being besieged by fans wanting signed copies of his latest book.
Mr Lee has illustrated The Children of Hurin, which JRR Tolkien abandoned in 1918, and it has taken Tolkien's son Christopher more than 30 years to complete the tale.
The book was published earlier this week and yesterday hundreds of Tolkien fans queued for two hours to get Mr Lee's signature.
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It was the fourth book signing Mr Lee has completed and was particularly well attended as Oxford was once Tolkien's home.
Publishers HarperCollins knew the book would be a big seller because Mr Lee is a veteran Middle Earth artist, and won an Oscar for art direction on Peter Jackson's third film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of The King which was released in December 2003.
Mr Lee provided 25 pencil sketches and eight paintings for the first edition of the book.
He told the Oxford Mail: "I'd love to go to The Eagle and Child for a pint so I can pay homage to Tolkien in his favourite watering hole but I don't know if I will be able to get away because it's so busy.
"It's very gratifying that so many people have come along to get their books signed - Oxford is obviously a very appropriate place for me to come."
Peter Kenlock, 76, from Minster Lovell, queued for two hours to meet Mr Lee and said: "It's an exciting publication which is why I was so determined to get my book signed.
"It's nice to meet someone who is so well connected with The Lord of the Rings."
Brian Heppla, 20, a political science student from Texas, said: "I starting queuing up at 11.30am. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Borders events manager Charlie Hayes said: "I am very pleased with the number of people we have had through the doors. Some of the real fanatics turned up after 9am and many have come from places like Wales and all over the UK before standing in line for over two hours.
"This is the only signing Mr Lee is doing in Oxford, so it's a real coup for us."
Tolkien experts are already tipping The Children of Hurin - which features significant battle scenes and at least one major twist - for big budget Hollywood treatment.
Box office takings from the 2001-2003 The Lord of the Rings trilogy total £1.5bn to date.
The author's son Christopher, using his late father's notes, painstakingly completed the book, which was left unfinished by the author when he died in 1973.
The work has taken the best part of three decades, and is the first "new" Tolkien book since The Silmarillion was published posthumously in 1977.
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