From the folks at WETA: John Howe’s incredibly dynamic and exquisitely detailed sculpture by Daniel Cockersell is now available for pre-order in faux bronze. The edition size for this fine art collectible is a mere 300, just like the first sculpture in the range, Smaug™ the Golden which opened for pre-order in August. Check it out here!
As the excitement of the wonderful weekend many of us shared in New York City for the Radio City Fellowship of the Ring concerts winds down, TORn would like to officially thank the generous businesses that donated prizes for various events held throughout the weekend. Follow the links to check out their great merchandise: Royal Selangor – pewter Frodo goblet, pewter Galadriel goblet; Jens Hansen – silver chain from their LOTR collection; Impact Books – “Forging Dragons” book of dragon artwork by John Howe; author Ethan Gilsdorf – copies of his book “Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks”; Fantasy Flight Games – Lord of the Rings – the Confrontation board games; artist Colleen Doran – “Gimli’s Gift” prints; Design Toscano – $25 gift certificate; Alpha Video – Christopher Lee oldies DVDs; Weta Workshop – key chains; Mythology Body – soaps; Vampirathemovie.com – temporary tattoos designed by Daniel Reeve; Shop New Zeeland – manuka honey samples; Connolly’s Pub – pens; Idaho Potato Commission – various ‘tater’ related prizes. Thank you all!
Steampunk is coming to Oamaru. Weta Workshop, the visual effects company that has won many Academy Awards, has confirmed its involvement in a steampunk exhibition opening at the Forrester Gallery on November 7. Yesterday, Weta Ltd general manager Tim Launder said he was looking forward to being involved. “We hope it’s something that’s going to grow. This year is about planting a seed.” It was part 1920s, part 1930s Victoriana, with some Jules Verne, Flash Gordon and “a bit of Monty Python” thrown in, Mr Launder said. More..
From the folks at Weta: 10 years since filming began on The Lord Of The Rings! How do we celebrate that? Listen to the Anniversary Podcast! – Daniel Falconer has recorded a very special podcast episode, walking around the workshop, asking the crew who were here back then to share some of their stories and memories. It’s a truly fantastic walk through the workshop, where you meet Richard Taylor, Gino Acevedo, Gareth McGhie, Matt Appleton, Emily-Jane Sturrock and MANY others! Read the rest of this entry »
Mr. Smeagirl sends along an original Hildebrandt painting up for auction on fineart.ha.com, the description: GREG HILDEBRANDT (American b. 1939) and TIM HILDEBRANDT (American 1939 – 2006). J .R. R. Tolkien: Architect of Middle Earth, book cover, 1977. Acrylic on board (22.75 x 14.25 in.), Signed lower right. This illustration appeared on the cover of J .R. R. Tolkien: Architect of Middle Earth by Daniel Grotta-Kurska, Warner Books, 1977. From an Important California Collection. Estimate: $5,000 – $7,500. More..
Weta’s return to Middle-earth and specifically to polystone collectibles from The Lord Of The Rings is celebrated with a truly iconic piece. It continues on from previous environments that have been popular with collectors the world over. The big difference this time is that the edition size is a mere 500. They will not last long, so get your pre-order in now. The Argonath will be shipped world wide!
ATLANTA – Enthusiasm is building for the two-movie adaptation of “The Hobbit” and if you don’t mind me saying, it can be felt in the air and smelt in the water. One of the first attractions of the day (after Spock and Kirk of course) was TORn’s own trio of staffers Deej, Greendragon ad MrCere, dishing about all the recent developments on “The Hobbit.”
Using quotes from TORn’s own interviews, TORn’s message boards (Guillermo del Toro) and national media, the trio tried to get everybody up to date on the soon-to-be greenlit (we hope/think) film. Sending along greetings was Guillermo del Toro via video and three members of the Weta team that will be working on the film. Read the rest of this entry »
From the folks at WETA: We first launched this range last month at the San Diego Comic Con. At that time, we were only able to offer a Bronze option, as we had a few unresolved issues to sort out. Fortunately these issues have been resolved, so we are now able to offer these sculptures in both Bronze and Faux Bronze. Click here to pre-order.Read the rest of this entry »