Debo writes: I was at the Weta Cave in Wellington yesterday and there is going to be a book signing by John Howe this Saturday 5 Dec. from 1 to 3pm. The guide also said that John Howe and Alan Lee are in Wellington at the moment working on designs for The Hobbit. Weta Cave

LOTR artist Alan Lee will be appearing at the Weta Cave in Wellington to sign advance copies of his new book, a re-telling of tales from Ovid’s Metamorphoses by brilliant British poet Adrian Mitchell. Read More. His appearance on Sat October 3, like John Howe’s recent booksigning there, is reassuring in terms of Hobbit news as it confirms that both LOTR film artists are spending time in Wellington as production ramps up for the films.

Thursday at Comic-Con, immediately following its about an unofficial and speculative (but informed) look at the forthcoming pair of films based on “The Hobbit,” TheOneRing.net, with a big assist from Weta, will launch a physical scavenger hunt for dragon’s gold at the San Diego Comic-Con. Prizes will be provided by Weta and include the book “The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring,” signed by Richard Taylor, Alan Lee, John Howe, Gino Acevedo and Daniel Falconer and 50 Weta Dollars. Read on for all the details! Read the rest of this entry »

June’s a busy month at the Weta Cave. Not only is it their first birthday , but they have two great events for anyone that’s in the Wellington region! Del Toro will be doing a book signing on June 17 at the Weta Cave, and artist Alan Lee will also be doing a book signing on June 20.

From the folks at WETA: We are very excited to announce that Weta’s good friend and renowned Tolkien illustrator, Alan Lee, will be doing a book signing at the Weta Cave.

Saturday 20 June 1-3 pm
The Weta Cave, Cnr Camperdown Rd and Weka St, Miramar, Wellington

Entrance is free and you should take the opportunity to explore the rest of the Weta Cave at the same time. More…

GaladrielTX writes: Profiles in History is running a huge auction of movie memorabilia at the end of this month. Lot # 706 is a limited edition The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring print signed by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Alan Lee and “two pieces of fantasy horror art”. It’s estimated to sell at $200-$300. Film buffs will no doubt drool over the props they have up for sale (from other movies), too. LOTR Goodies at Auction

Today’s nearly 3 hour long chat with Alan Lee was filled with questions about Alan’s involvement with the Lord of the Rings movies, his future endeavors, and his art in general. We had an open, unmoderated chat, so I’ve edited the log for continuity and reading ease. Questions for Alan have been italicized and his answers are in bold type. We’d like to sincerely thank Alan and Houghton Mifflin for giving us this opportunity to bring another live guest chat to you, the fans of JRR Tolkien. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry »

TheOneRing.net and the folks from Houghton Mifflin are sponsoring a live chat with illustrator Alan Lee at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Satuday, November 15. Alan will be discussing the recent releases of the paperback edition of ‘The Children of Hurin’ as well as the reprinted edition of ‘Tales from a Perilous Realm’, both of which feature artwork by Alan.

The chat will be held in our own Barliman’s Chatroom (link also in the menu on the left of the Home Page). More information will follow with detailed instructions on how to participate. In the mean time, if you would like to submit questions for Alan please email them to livechat@theonering.net. Read on for a synopsis of these remarkable new Tolkien-related publications provided by Houghton Mifflin. Read the rest of this entry »

Susanne writes: For UK- based Ringers worth catching on BBC iPlayer, Merlin – The legend – “A look at the mythical roots in art and literature of Merlin – magician, hero and historical mystery. Merlin is the archetypal wizard, Welsh and Celtic in origin but with connections across the water in Cornwall and middle Europe, and, of course, the Arthurian legends. Clearly, Merlin is the distant relative of Dumbledore and all those weird and wonderful wizards in literature.”

Two excellent segments by Alan Lee – one on drawing Merlin and a second, longer one on Merlin as an inspiration for Gandalf including a “tour” of the prop Gandalf staff with which he was presented at the end of LOTR filming. Otherwise a great programme overall with a mixture of history, literature and contemorary firm – highly recommended. www.bbc.co.uk

The folks from Houghton Mifflin sent us along review copies of ‘The Children of Hurin’ paperback and the reprinted edition of ‘Tales from a Perilous Realm’, now featuring artwork by Alan Lee! Read the rest of this entry »