TORN Guest Blogger Ethan Gilsdorf writes: The extent to which the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons was inspired by Tolkien has been debated, but it’s clear that D&D’s co-founders Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson had read the trilogy. And it’s more than clear that the ongoing success and appeal of Lord of the Rings fueled interest in D&D, as well as vice versa.
This past week (July 27) would have been Gygax’s 73rd birthday. Folks have been working to immortalize his legacy and the impact of D&D by building a memorial statue in Gygax’s hometown of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The next step is to raise money. This coming week at Gen Con in Indianapolis (the now massive gaming convention that Gygax founded), using the birthday as the impetus, the Gygax Memorial Fund will be at booth #1541 (the Old School Renaissance Group) to accept donations to get this statue built. Continue reading “Gygax Memorial Fund at GenCon”
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Lisa sends in this report on her evening at the Hobbit House in Manila: I first heard about the Hobbit House when TORN did an article on it last year. I knew at that point that I would be in Manila the following year, so I made a mental note to visit it while I was here. I have now been in Manila for 4 weeks and my Mum and I managed to pay the promised visit this evening.
We arrived outside the restaurant bar, and immediately were greeted by all things Tolkien. Cardboard cut outs of Andy Serkis’ Gollum and Ian McKellen’s Gandalf along with a cartoon Bilbo, stood guard over a decidedly Hobbitish round door. On the right, a large poster of the Fellowship dominated the Shire looking wall. Continue reading “TORN Spy Visits ‘Hobbit House’ in Manila”
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Update: You missed it! But don’t worry – tune in next Tuesday at 6-7pm PT!
Join in the fun with TORn Tuesday! This LIVE event will be hosted by long-time staffer Clifford Broadway, aka Quickbeam, and will feature non-stop discussion about the words and works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Cliff will be interacting live with our Barliman’s chatroom and will, of course, discuss the latest happening related to Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films. Check out the broadcast in our LIVE event section now! [LIVE Event Area] (TORn Tuesday will take place from approx 6-7pm PT – See All Times)
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Today, in the production blog from Sideshow Collectibles we get the full preview of the Snow Troll from this falls upcoming TheLord of the Rings: War in the North. That includes how awesome this collectible looks as well as the price of the statue. As we can see from these pictures the Snow Troll is massive in size and very detailed from skull mask he’s wearing all the way through the Dwarf he is crushing with his hand. The Snow Troll will cost $325 and only have a NRD if you decide to order two or more of this particular statue. Also as with many pieces from Sideshow Collectibles you will also have the option of using Flex Pay if you want to spread out your payments. Finally, no edition size and no exclusive announcement was made in this weeks production blog update. Make sure you’re around your computer or smart phone Thursday between 2-3pm PST so you don’t miss a chance to own this insanely cool The Lord of the Rings collectible. Check out all the pictures here in Sideshow Collectibles Production Blog.
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Veteran actor Stephen Fry has arrived in Wellington to begin filming his part in The Hobbit.
Fry, a prolific tweeter, touched down in the capital a few hours ago, telling his Twitter followers it was “brightish but not freezing”.
After announcing he was going for “a little explore”, he posted a photo of Max Patte’s Solace in the Wind sculpture on the waterfront, prompting Wellington fans to head to the water. [Read More]
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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Snowblind Studios today announce The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, the anticipated new video game based on the revered The Lord of the Rings novels and films, will launch in North America on November 1, 2011 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Games for Windows. The game’s Collector’s Edition, featuring behind-the-scenes looks at the game development, a specially crafted art book, digital download content and more, will launch the same day.
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, rated “M” for Mature, transports players to unknown lands, as yet unexplored in film, as they journey to the Northern lands of Middle-earth. Intertwining the characters and storyline of the novel and films, the game takes place in parallel with the well-known Ring Bearer’s quest, but in the equally harsh and contested lands to the North, as the battle for Middle-earth’s survival rages. Continue reading “WBIE Releases LOTR: War in the North Launch Date & New Box Art”
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TORN Guest Blogger Ethan Gilsdorf writes: The extent to which the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons was inspired by Tolkien has been debated, but it’s clear that D&D’s co-founders Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson had read the trilogy. And it’s more than clear that the ongoing success and appeal of Lord of the Rings fueled interest in D&D, as well as vice versa.
