Archive for the ‘Weta Collectibles’ Category
January 7, 2013 at 8:37 am by elessar
“By my beard! You are shorter and wider than last we met.”
-Dwalin to Balin as they meet up for the meeting at Bag End
Yet another one of the statues we saw at Comic-Con 2012 for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was for the character Dwalin. Dwalin joined Thorin, Gandalf, Bilbo, Balin, and Bombur (not yet released). Dwalin went up for sale the same day as his brother Balin, making them the fourth and fifth statues released.
In Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit, Dwalin was one of the many dwarves of the Lonely Mountain driven into exile by the dragon in the Third Age. Dwalin would join his brother Balin and Thrain in a group who would try to take back Erebor in 2841 of the Third Age. Dwalin would be one of the company who, one hundred years later, joined Thorin in trying to retake Erebor, and was successful in doing so. After the mountain was retaken, Dwalin would go on to be very successful with his brother Balin, and would live to be one of the oldest Dwarfs on record.
PACKAGING
The graphics on the box follow the same pattern we’ve seen with both Thorin and Balin, keeping the now familiar Dwarven design. Per the format we’ve come to know, the front of the box gives you a great shot of Dwalin, graphic work for the title of the movie, and of course the Weta logo. The sides of the box for Dwalin also present a familiar format with different looks at the statue on one side, while the other side of the box presents some of the various products you can get for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, such as the Balin statue, Thorin’s Map, Key to Erebor, and Bilbo’s Contract. The back of the box contains a great story on Dwalin, as well as information regarding details of the character and statue. The styrofoam on the inside is typical with what we’ve come used to getting with these statues, but does have a special compartment for his arms holding his axes.
SCULPTING
Greg Tozer is a name fans of Middle-earth collecting should know, if they own a certain statue of a Dark Lord of Mordor. That’s correct – the massive and awesome statue of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings statue line was created by Greg Tozer and David Tremont (who worked on Barad-Dûr). Dwalin is my favorite looking Dwarf design from The Hobbit, so I was super excited to get this into my collection. As is the case with his brother Balin, the likeness to Graham McTavish’s portrayal of Dwalin is fantastic. Not to be outdone is the work on the outfit of Dwalin; Mr. Tozer did a superb job of sculpting the fine details of the cloth part of his outfit with all the little lines in their place, and the fur of the outfit also wonderfully matches its onscreen counterpart. The leatherwork on the Dwalin statue is also exceptional. You have great detailed work in his chest guard and his belt, which lead into his sheath holding his knife. Dwalin, like any warrior, must have weapons which he takes into battle, and this warrior carries two nasty looking axes. These axes, named Ukhlat and Umraz, have all the Dwarven detail you see on the larger props in the movie, including the names carved into the axes. Any warrior must protect his hands, and Dwalin takes every precaution with two metal guards, which in the right situation could also be used as weapons. Finally, on his back, Dwalin has two holders for his axes, which are also sculpted very well.
PAINT
Dwalin continues the streak of very well painted statues from Weta Workshop. The skin tones use the proper paint mixture to not only make the statue look like a miniature Dwarf but also very like the character appeared on screen. The painting on Dwalin’s outfit is equally good. All the pieces of cloth, fur, and leather look as they should and as they did when we saw them in the movie. One of the great things about the cloth aspects of the paint is the proper green tint, giving homage to the green hood he wears in the book. As with both Thorin and Balin, the metal paint look to his axes makes them very much like used versions of something he’d carry if the statue were real. Much like with those two Dwarves, the Dwarven details of his axes are still there for the world to see. Finally, Dwalin has tattoos in support of his Dwarven heritage. These tattoos are decals, allowing fans to get great clean lines and show no blurring at all on the statue (both his head and on his hands).
Overall
Dwalin retails for $249, and while he is more expensive than his brother Balin, he is still a good deal. As I said earlier in this review, I love the design of Dwalin, from the tattoos and weapons, to just his overall look; he’s freaking cool! So for me, the $249 was easy for that reason alone. He looks great with the other four statues and if you can add him to your collection, I say go for it! Dwalin, like the other statues so far, is an open edition.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dwalin is an open edition statue with a retail price of $249. He’s also instock as of right now, so don’t delay.
Dimensions:
9.8″ x 9.1″ x 5.9″ (H x W x D)
25 cm x 23 cm x 15 cm
Weight:
4.3 lbs (1.9 kg)
PHOTOS
Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, Graham McTavish, Hobbit Movie, Merchandise, Shop, The Hobbit, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
January 5, 2013 at 2:44 am by elessar
“Then at last his gaze was held: wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black tower of adamant, he saw it: Barad-Dûr, Fortress of Sauron. All hope left him.”
—The Fellowship of the Ring
How do you follow-up one of the coolest environments you’ve ever produced? Well, you go ahead and produce one of the next most coolest environments of course! Shortly after Comic-Con 2011 senior model maker David Tremont began the momentous task of transforming the original model of Barad-Dûr for The Lord of the Rings into a collectible we could all own. Finally, after a year of slaving, fans of Middle-earth got to see the result at Comic-Con 2012 when Barad-Dûr was unveiled to the world.
Sauron began work on Barad-Dûr during Middle-earth’s Second Age, when he chose Mordor as the place his dominion over Middle-earth would begin. Barad-Dûr was finished in the year 1600 of the Second Age and during that period Sauron would go on to create The One Ring, which would only help to make the fortress even stronger. During the War of the Last Alliance fortress was destroyed with the exception of the foundations as they could not be destroyed as long as The Ring was around. In 2951 of the Third Age Barad-Dûr’s reconstruction was started, but it would not last when Gollum fell into the lava of Mt. Doom destroying the Ring and the fortress.
PACKAGING
The graphics on the front of the box for Barad-Dûr have kept virtually the same design we’ve seen with previous environments from Weta. On the front of the box a screencap of Mordor with an image of Barad-Dûr completes the scene. Of course, you also have the beautiful The Lord of the Rings logo in the upper right-hand corner with the name of the environment under the picture of Barad-Dûr. One side of the box contains images of Barad-Dûr while the other side features images of other Weta Workshop products. The back of the box contains a great picture of the environment along with a background story about the collectible.
SCULPTING
Over 1,500 hours were put into Barad-Dûr to ensure the collectible on your shelf matches what you saw during The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I believe fans, once they have a chance to see the detail in this piece, will agree all of those hours paid off in spades. David Tremont and his team made very sure every window, spike, tower, ledge, bridge, and rock is included on this piece. Gazing upon this collectible, you can almost imagine Sauron or any number of his minions looking out upon Mordor from any of the many ledges and balconies. It truly is a great representation of the model we saw on film. What’s even more amazing is because of the material used it allowed these details to be captured and safely arrive to our homes. Rivendell had its beautiful river running through it and Barad-Dûr has something similar with its lava river flowing from Mt. Doom into the cavern surrounding the fortress. Even the rock areas of Barad-Dûr are exceptionally realized with the plains of Gorgoth looking like a place you don’t ever want to visit. Like Rivendell, this collectible is an achievement for Weta in showing off the amazing talent of their artists.
PAINT
The paintwork on Barad-Dûr is fairly simple compared to say Rivendell, and much more in-line with that of Orthanc. It’s all black and the shading for the different levels in different places are all really well done. The color of the tower does not match the color of the rock within the piece. That was going to be the toughest part of the paint I think and they were able to create the proper level of separation. The lava looks really good and stands out like lava would with an all-black world of Mordor.
Overall
Barad-Dûr costs $700 but the level of detail you get and the size of this piece allows you to truly get value for money. This piece is a limited edition piece with only 1,000 of the fortress being produced. Barad-Dûr does not come with a flaming eye but if that is a potential issue for you all you have to do is download the iPhone or iPad app. Then you will have the eye of Sauron. Finally, I cannot implore you enough if you are a The Lord of the Rings collector to find a way to get this piece into your collection.
Also, if you’re truly interested in what it took to bring this collectible to life check out the three articles by David Tremont. In these articles he explains the ups and downs of making sure we got one of the best environments ever created.
Article One
Article Two
Article Three
SPECIFICATIONS
Barad-Dûr is limited to 1000 pieces world-wide.
Barad-Dûr’s specs are as followed: 20.9″ x 18.1″ x 12.2″ (H x W x D)
53 cm x 46 cm x 31 cm Weight: 22 lbs
PHOTOS
Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, Fellowship of the Ring, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, Merchandise, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Return of the King, Shop, The Two Towers, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
January 3, 2013 at 7:20 pm by elessar
“Welcome, Master Baggins, to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield!”
-Balin to Bilbo as he welcomes him to the traveling company
At Comic-Con 2012 we saw six of the statues that will be released in Weta’s range of statues for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. One of the six statues at Comic-Con was of the character Balin who was a member of the traveling party and would later retake Moria (though many people’s introduction is of him in his tomb). Balin is the fourth statue released in this line. His brother, Dwalin, is the fifth (review to come) and he makes another fantastic addition to the growing line of sculptures associated with this great movie.
Balin was one of the many dwarves of the Lonely Mountain driven into exile by the dragon Smaug in the year 2770 of the Third Age. Balin would actually make two trips to try and retake the Erebor. One of a venture with Thrain (who was captured), and the second with Thorin Oakenshield in his successful quest to reclaim his legacy. After years of success once Erebor was reclaimed Balin cast his eyes on an even-greater prize — Khazad-dûm. He would be initially successful, but Balin’s new realm lasted a mere five years. The tragic fate of Balin and his kin remained a mystery until the Fellowship stumbled upon his tomb during their journey through Moria.
PACKAGING
The graphics on the box with Balin are similar to those that we saw on the box of Thorin. The front of the box features great design work down the side. It even looks very Dwarvish, though the design varies to the one used on Thorin or the Dwalin box. Also on the front you have a great shot of Balin, graphic work for the title of the movie, and of course the Weta logo. The sides present a couple of different looks with one showing great shots of Balin from different angles while the other side show some of the other products that will be coming out for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey like the Dwalin statue, Thorin’s Map, and the Key to Erebor. The back of the box contains a great story on Balin as well as information regarding details of the character and statue. The styrofoam packaging on the inside is typical of what we’ve come used to getting with these statues.
SCULPTING
Lindsey Crummett is a new name to me and I would imagine will be to most of you who have been collecting statues based on the characters of Middle-earth. However, after adding Balin to my collection I have to say I am eager to see what else Ms. Crummett has to show us. The spot-on likeness to Ken Stott’s portrayal of Balin is exceptional! The likeness is scary in a good way that it really feels as if he’s been ripped off the big screen and placed on a shelf. While the sculpt and likeness are excellent, Ms. Crummett did not miss a beat ensuring the rest of the statue was equally good. The embroidery work on his outfit is also very well done and you see the great Dwarvish design of his outfit, which looked beautiful on screen. The execution of Balin’s mace is also superb on this statue. The actual prop is finely detailed with Dwarvish designs. I imagine these must be difficult to transfer to a much smaller scale. Yet, having seen the larger prop replica and compared it to the statue, the quality of reproduction is fabulous. Even though we’re now five pieces into this line I’m still loving the Thror/Thorin’s map on the base. So glad that Weta decided to go with this design.
PAINT
The paintwork on Balin is strong and I believe the best in this line so far (not that I think any of them have had issues). The quality of the paint job brings out the clean lines and the detailed work on the statue. The skin tones are exceptional with the proper use of tones making it look very much like real skin. The job done on Balin’s outfit is equally as good. The paintwork is what helps this look like it was screen used, with the proper coloring matching the outfit worn by Ken Stott. Even his boots show wear through the the paintwork. They look like they’re dirty. As with Orcrist, Balin’s mace came out looking fantastic. You get a great bronze look to the weapon which it had on screen and it looks like its been used in the real world. Critically, the paint enhances the mace’s sculpted details rather than consuming them.
Overall
Balin retails for $230 — a fair price considering the exceptional quality of this statue. This is some of Weta’s best work all around on any single statue and if you enjoyed The Hobbit and the designs of the movie you will want to add to your collection. Even with this statue being an open edition I wouldn’t wait too long to get it, as you never know when the open period could be closed. If Balin and the other four statues are any indication of how this line is going, we’re in for a real treat with the remainder.
SPECIFICATIONS
Balin is an open edition statue with a retail price of $230. He’s also in stock as of right now so don’t delay.
PHOTOS
Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, Hobbit Movie, Ken Stott, Merchandise, Shop, The Hobbit, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
December 19, 2012 at 9:10 pm by elessar
| Source: WetzNZ.com| No Comments »
| Discuss |
This morning Weta Workshop added more amazing collectibles to their growing line of prop replicas from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Fans of Gandalf, Radagast, Thorin, and Fili are going to want to snag these limited edition collectibles before they vanish. Gandalf’s staff is a great representation of the character himself – weathered and worn by the years of mileage as he protects Middle-earth, but burning inside with a core of purity, power, and beauty. You will also notice the double G-Rune signifying Gandalf the Grey.
On the other hand the staff of Radagast has been fashioned from a sapling he found in the Greenwood, capturing the nature loving character we saw in The Hobbit. The twiggy protrusions give his fellow flying friends a place to rest as he makes his way through Middle-earth.
Both staffs are limited to 1000 pieces world-wide and a cost of $179, but since they will not ship until 1st and 2nd quarters of 2013, you’ll have a chance to save up. Each staff comes with a black metal bracket for display. The blue ‘crystal’ (acrylic) in the head of Radagast’s staff comes out of the staff – just as it does in the film – to create a bit of extra special magic.
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Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, Hobbit Movie, Merchandise, Shop, The Hobbit, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
December 17, 2012 at 9:10 pm by elessar
Following the success of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey called The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles, Art, & Design, HarperCollins has announced another amazingly comprehensive and detailed offering. The book called The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles, Creatures & Characters explores the amazing cast of heroes and villains, beasts and beings that populate Middle-earth. Richly illustrated with behind-the-scenes photographs, digital renders and film stills, this comprehensive book goes species by species, character by character, through the film’s huge ensemble of characters and bustling menagerie of creatures, both physical and digital, telling the stories of how each came to be realized for the film. Weta will start taking orders for this book in January with shipping in April of 2013. No word yet if there will be an autographed version but we can always hope for one! Of course stay tuned to TORn for further details! (more…)
Posted in Books, Books Publications, Collectibles, Collectibles, Hobbit Movie, Merchandise, Shop, The Hobbit, Weta Collectibles
December 14, 2012 at 5:44 pm by elessar
As you all know, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has landed for audiences around the world and to go with that the amazing folks at Weta Workshop have a couple of brand new statues for fans to order.
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Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, Hobbit Movie, Merchandise, Shop, The Hobbit, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
November 26, 2012 at 10:51 pm by elessar
Following the successful series of art prints from both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Weta Workshop is making another beautiful print available to collectors. The second print in The Hobbit art print series takes us to one of the most memorable moments in the story: the Riddles in the Dark sequence between Bilbo and Gollum. The print is priced at $50 U.S. and will ship shortly after purchase. Be sure to order today so you can have this before The Hobbit opens in early December.
Posted in Artwork, Collectibles, Collectibles, Hobbit Movie, Merchandise, Posters Prints, Shop, The Hobbit, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
November 26, 2012 at 3:31 pm by elessar
“You shall be The Fellowship of the Ring.”
-Elrond to the Fellowship at the Council of Elrond
Of the many things at Comic-Con 2012 Weta had three items that fans like myself had been waiting years to finally see. That amazing scene of The Fellowship cresting the hill has been long called for by fans to be turned into a collectible. Well, in June of this year the long wait for something representing this was over. Weta Workshop announced a three part set capturing this long awaited moment and set one has arrived. On the heels of set two going up for order its time to review set one.
PACKAGING
Graphically the box for set one is similar to what we’ve seen before with past items from Weta. The Lord of the Rings logo appears once again on the front of the box with a great group shot of The Fellowship as they make their trek across Middle-earth. In the center of the box you have a great picture of the piece number one of this set. On one side of the box you get a great picture of set one while the other contains multiple great images of items that you can find on Weta’s website. The back of the box has one final image of set one a nice story about this piece and what it took to bring it to life.
SCULPTING
A team of Weta artists was tasked with finally bringing one of the most demanded pieces to our collections. Based on how the pieces looked at Comic-Con and how set one came out in production they did a great job. One of the biggest challenges in a piece this size is the likenesses. The team at Weta was successful in making sure that each character in set one, which contains Gandalf the Grey, Frodo, and Legolas bears close resemblance to the actors that played them. Detail-wise, this piece is as good as anything you will find. Hair detail on Gandalf, Legolas, and Frodo is there and you even get individual hairs, you get great detail in Sting’s hilt, Glamdring’s hilt, Gandalf’s staff (even has the G-rune), and the detail in Legolas alone is really very good when you look at the size of these statues. The clothing of each character is not without detail either as each outfit is done successfully so that their outfits look like cloth. Finally, the base is as good as anything with its great rock, grass, and even detail in the dirt.
PAINT
As hard as it would be to sculpt a piece of this size the biggest character is only 5.5 inches tall would be to make sure the paint works with the sculpts. Well, Weta did not miss anything with this piece and it really helps set this piece at the highest level a collector could want. Skin tone on the three characters is on par with a statue two or three times the size. Another possible issue with a statue of this size is how the little details can be covered and that does not happen with this statue. As I said the hair, details in things like Sting, Legolas outfit, etc are all enhanced by the paintwork on this statue. The base is even brought to life and feels real with the sculpt and paint working together. Simply put, it’s a fantastic piece and the paint/sculpt work hand-in-hand to create something special
Overall
Set one costs $199 via Weta’s web site as does set two, which is up for Pre-Order now. As I said at the start of this little review this is something I know many of us have been waiting years for so now is the time to jump on these items before they vanish. I know for me personally this is something I’ve dreamt of owning for years and to finally have it coming to the collection piece-by-piece is simply fantastic. In other words this a must have item I think for any fan of Middle-earth!
SPECIFICATIONS: The Fellowship Set 1 is an open edition and comes in at: 5.5″ x 7.5″ x 5.1″ (H x W x D)
14 cm x 19 cm x 13 cm
PHOTOS
Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, Merchandise, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Shop, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
November 16, 2012 at 8:17 am by elessar
| Source: Weta Workshop| No Comments »
In June of this year the folks at Weta Workshop answered a long-standing request from the fans of Middle-earth with the release of Set One of The Fellowship of the Ring three-part set. Well, on the heels of the debut of Set One (review of said set coming soon), Weta has announced Set Two.
As you know the first set contained Gandalf, Frodo, and Legolas all of whom look really fantastic. Set Two gives fans four more characters on our way to completing the Fellowship with Boromir, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin. Like Set One this set will cost $200 and will not be shipping until quarter two of next year. Start saving now!
[Pre-order]
Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, ComicCon, Conventions, Lord of the Rings, LotR Movies, Merchandise, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Shop, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
November 7, 2012 at 9:34 pm by elessar
Weta Workshop has released even more items for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The new items range from some awesome T-Shirts to a great replica of Thorin Oakenshield’s Dwarven Ring. Thorin’s Map obviously plays a big role in The Hobbit and now you can wear it with this fantastic looking Thorin’s Map T-Shirt.
Also, Weta has put up a really good looking t-shirt with the Red Dragon Logo of the and only Smaug. Barad-Dur: Fortress of Sauron will start shipping in the near future from Weta, and what better way to show your excitement for that item than to also buy the Barad-Dur t-shirt. The final t-shirt from Weta also has a matching pin celebrating The Hobbit’s world premiere on the 28th of this month.
All of these shirts come in at $30 and are well worth the purchase. If you’re in New Zeland or know someone there make sure you get the World Premiere Shirt and World Primiere Pin. Finally, fans can order a sterling silver version the Ring of Thorin Oakenshield which is set to ship in early December for a great price of $189.
Posted in Clothing, Clothing, Collectibles, Collectibles, Hobbit Movie, Merchandise, Other Merchandise, Shop, The Hobbit, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
October 29, 2012 at 10:59 am by elessar
“I can avoid being seen if I wish; but to disappear entirely, that is a rare gift.”
-Strider to Frodo while at The Prancing Pony in Bree
Continuing the trend of fantastic mini-statues from The Lord of the Rings, the artists at Weta have created a great version of Strider. This is the third statue in a beautiful line, which includes Gandalf The Grey and Gollum. This version of Strider captures the character as we first meet him in Bree, sitting by himself, watching the comings and goings of those at The Prancing Pony.
PACKAGING
The graphics on the front of the box for Strider have the same elegant look we’ve come to know from the collectibles Weta has created for The Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings logo appears in the upper left hand corner, while a screen capture of Strider from The Fellowship of the Ring is in the upper right hand corner. In the center of the box you have a great picture of the piece itself, with the name of the collectible under the screen capture of Strider. On one side of the box there is a further picture of Strider, while the other contains multiple images of items that you can find on Weta’s website. The back of the box has one final image of Strider, with a bit more information on the collectible and the sculptor.
SCULPTING
Sculptor Steven Saunders created the Gandalf in this line of statues, as well as the Gandalf from The Hobbit line of statues; so we’ve seen his skills in being able to deliver a great collectible. The likeness to Viggo Mortensen is really well done, especially for a small statue with a head that has to fit in a hood. The texture of the cloak in which Strider has concealed himself is astonishing, giving a real look of draped cloth. We also get a great little sculpted pipe, which we see Strider smoking as he surveys The Prancing Pony. The extraordinary detail of this statue is continued in the bench Strider is sitting on; the natural lines and markings of the wood are perfectly captured.
PAINT
The paintwork on Strider is as good as the sculpting. The greens of Strider’s outfit match exactly what we saw on screen in Bree. The skin tone once again shows that Weta can get it done when it comes to making skin look very natural. One would expect the eyes on this statue, being small, to be an issue - but the painters did a fantastic job capturing Viggo’s eyes. Strider’s beard has the proper, worn look you would expect on a guy who lives out in the wild!
Overall
Strider costs $75 retail via Weta’s website, which is a steal for something as superb as this collectible. So do yourself a favor and hop over to Weta’s site and place your order now for a fantastic Strider statue!
SPECIFICATIONS
Strider is an open edition. The specifications for Strider are as follows: 5.3″ x 4.3″ x 4.1″ (H x W x D)
13.5 cm x 11 cm x 10.5 cm
PHOTOS
Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, LotR Movies, Merchandise, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Shop, Viggo Mortensen, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
October 21, 2012 at 5:33 pm by elessar
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”
- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
We got our first look at the young Bilbo Baggins statue at Comic-Con 2012. As was the case for Gandalf the Grey, and the non-exclusive version of Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins went up for Pre-Order October 1st, 2012 and is an open edition which allows fans a solid chance at getting all three of these amazing statues.
Bilbo Baggins is a 50-year-old Hobbit, comfortable with living in Bag End and enjoying his daily life. On April 25th, 2941 of the Third Age, that would all change with a visit from the wizard, Gandalf the Grey. After an unexpected party, Bilbo was convinced to join Thorin and company on their adventure to Erebor, setting in motion events that would change his life, and the fortune of Middle-earth, forever.
PACKAGING
The graphics on the box for Bilbo are similar to those of the Gandalf statue, having a very Middle-earth-like look and feel to them. As with the Gandalf box, there’s a shot of the character, graphics for the title of the movie, Weta logo and the name of the character. The sides present a couple of different looks with one side showing great shots of Bilbo from different angles, and the other side showing some of the additional products that will be coming out for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The back of the box contains a great story on Bilbo and his importance to the events of The Hobbit. Unlike the Gandalf statue, you have to plug Bilbo into a base which is stored inside the box (the Thorin base was outside of the box).
SCULPTING
Brigitte Wuest is the sculptor of Bilbo, a name that fans of Middle-earth well know for her many amazing works like the Theoden Statue, Morgul Lord and Gandalf the White on Shadowfax. As with those statues, she nailed Martin Freeman’s look as a young Bilbo Baggins, which is to say fans will be getting an amazing likeness. The detailing of Bilbo’s outfit is really fantastic and the whole outfit gives off a very real vibe to it, looking like something worn by someone going through what Bilbo goes through. Two of the nicer small details with Bilbo are the embroidery work on Bilbo’s scarf and the hair on his feet. Another great thing is the detailing of Sting and Sting’s scabbard, both impeccably done. The pose of the statue is also awesome: we get to see Bilbo not just being the nice Hobbit we know he is, but we get to see him as the hero he becomes over the course of The Hobbit. From top to bottom this statue is a must have for any collector.
PAINT
The paintwork on Bilbo is simply fantastic. As with Gandalf, you have great, clean lines and the details are brought out even more so by the wonderful paint job. As good as the skin tones are on Gandalf and Thorin I think Weta really did a superb job with Bilbo, taking their work to another level. The paint work on the clothes look worn (obviously from a little later in his journey), but shows the proper wear of someone out on a long and perilous journey. I also love the paint work on Sting, and the scabbard with both items looking very much like their on screen counterparts with none of the sculpting details being lost in the paint job. I really can’t say enough good things about the paint job on this piece and just how impressed I was when I opened this amazing statue.
Overall
Bilbo retails for $200 on Weta’s website. As with Gandalf the Grey and Thorin, Weta was very successful in creating a fantastic statue capturing this little Hobbit as we will watch him grow on screen. I really just love everything about this statue from the little embroidery work on his scarf, wear of the clothes, likeness, paint work, detail, pose, etc. I love this statue more than I did when I saw it all those months ago at Comic-Con and having it in my collection brings a big smile to my face. There is nothing to not like about this statue and collectors are lucky that this statue is an open edition. Definitely two thumbs up!
SPECIFICATIONS
Bilbo is an open edition with a retail price of $200.
PHOTOS
Posted in Collectibles, Collectibles, ComicCon, Conventions, Hobbit Movie, Martin Freeman, Merchandise, Shop, Weta Collectibles, WETA Workshop
Yet another one of the statues we saw at Comic-Con 2012 for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was for the character Dwalin. Dwalin joined Thorin, Gandalf, Bilbo, Balin, and Bombur (not yet released). Dwalin went up for sale the same day as his brother Balin, making them the fourth and fifth statues released.
Greg Tozer is a name fans of Middle-earth collecting should know, if they own a certain statue of a Dark Lord of Mordor. That’s correct – the massive and awesome statue of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings statue line was created by Greg Tozer and David Tremont (who worked on Barad-Dûr). Dwalin is my favorite looking Dwarf design from The Hobbit, so I was super excited to get this into my collection. As is the case with his brother Balin, the likeness to Graham McTavish’s portrayal of Dwalin is fantastic. Not to be outdone is the work on the outfit of Dwalin; Mr. Tozer did a superb job of sculpting the fine details of the cloth part of his outfit with all the little lines in their place, and the fur of the outfit also wonderfully matches its onscreen counterpart. The leatherwork on the Dwalin statue is also exceptional. You have great detailed work in his chest guard and his belt, which lead into his sheath holding his knife. Dwalin, like any warrior, must have weapons which he takes into battle, and this warrior carries two nasty looking axes. These axes, named Ukhlat and Umraz, have all the Dwarven detail you see on the larger props in the movie, including the names carved into the axes. Any warrior must protect his hands, and Dwalin takes every precaution with two metal guards, which in the right situation could also be used as weapons. Finally, on his back, Dwalin has two holders for his axes, which are also sculpted very well.
Dwalin continues the streak of very well painted statues from Weta Workshop. The skin tones use the proper paint mixture to not only make the statue look like a miniature Dwarf but also very like the character appeared on screen. The painting on Dwalin’s outfit is equally good. All the pieces of cloth, fur, and leather look as they should and as they did when we saw them in the movie. One of the great things about the cloth aspects of the paint is the proper green tint, giving homage to the green hood he wears in the book. As with both Thorin and Balin, the metal paint look to his axes makes them very much like used versions of something he’d carry if the statue were real. Much like with those two Dwarves, the Dwarven details of his axes are still there for the world to see. Finally, Dwalin has tattoos in support of his Dwarven heritage. These tattoos are decals, allowing fans to get great clean lines and show no blurring at all on the statue (both his head and on his hands).
