Welcome to our latest “Getting to know” questions that need answering. This month we’re talking to the one and only Balrog Showgirl, Nicole Roberts.
Hi Nicole and a very big thank you for taking part and for being so patient with me.
This first question is from Rosie-with-the-ribbons who’s latest costume for RingCon has been inspired by your Balrog Showgirl costume.
R-w-t-r: Do you make your costumes yourself?
Nicole: Rosie – that is awesome! Yes, for the most part the costumes I’ve been running around in for the past several years have all been of my own making. I only started sewing back in 2004, after I moved to Los Angeles and started hanging out with even more LOTR people. The first costume I made was to wear to Comic Con that year – I was the Mumak Mahud (the guy with the black and white painted face who steers the oliphaunt in ROTK), so you could definitely say I’ve always leaned towards costumes that were a little off the beaten path! I’ve done some costumes that were direct recreations (“Barf” from “Spaceballs”is the most well-known one), but as I’ve gotten more into the sewing, I really like doing things that are more of an original design, like the Balrog Showgirl. As someone who is not of supermodel proportions (and seriously, those chicks look like scary walking lollipops anyway), I like to have the opportunity to design something that I think is more flattering to me, and I always like to learn how to do something new, like dyeing feathers for the showgirl headdress.
Continue reading “Getting to know Nicole Roberts”
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“May the hair on his toes never fall off!”
-Thorin talking about their burglar Bilbo Baggins
Comic-Con 2012 brought us the first look at many things for this December’s release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. This was a chance for a company like Gentle Giant to show off just some of the items they will be bringing to collectors. The exclusive from Gentle Giant was the second mini-bust in the 1:6th range of busts from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The character chosen to represent the bust line at Comic-Con was the leader of the Dwarven party: Thorin Oakenshield.
Thorin was one of many dwarves of the Lonely Mountain driven into exile by the dragon Smaug in the year 2770 of the Third Age. During the Battle of Azanulbizar, Thorin had his shield shattered. He grabbed a large oak branch as a replacement — the source of the name “Oakenshield”. Later, a chance encounter in Bree with Gandalf The Grey eventually led to Thorin and his company visiting the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. There, they began a long, arduous quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. The mountain was ultimately reclaimed, but not without cost. Continue reading “Collecting The Precious: Gentle Giant Thorin Oakenshield mini-bust review”
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The fun and games never stop at DragonCon! Staffers from TORn have been busy all weekend, speaking at panels, running TORn’s booth and enjoying meeting with fellow fans. For a brief while this afternoon we were joined at the table by none other than actor Billy Boyd, who took over asking trivia questions to some delighted folks! Many people have stopped by to enjoy our ‘Don’t you know YOU’RE Sam’ photo opportunity – and Billy joined in the fun to create a slightly confusing hobbit line up!
One more day of festivity to go – expect more photos and reports later in the week!
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Actors Billy Boyd, Craig Parker, and John Rhys-Davies captivated Dragon*Con yesterday with their enchanting accents and witty repartee as they hosted a panel at the Atlanta convention. Debbie Yutko writes:
“When asked about Peter Jackson’s upcoming film The Hobbit, all three actors agreed that it will be epic. Rhys-Davies predicted that The Hobbit will be a game-changer. ‘You’re going to see one of the greatest films of all time—soon,’ he said to rousing cheers and applause. He predicted that a lot more awards will be coming Peter Jackson’s way.”
Thanks to Ringer Lisa for the heads-up on the article.
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We revealed in July during HobbitCon 2012 that pre-sales for The Bridge Direct’s line of figures from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy would begin in September. Well, today is the day fans can start pre-ordering for the figures representing the characters from the first film in the trilogy.
The figures in The Bridge Direct’s range will vary in scale from 3.75″ figures to 6″ figures, and come in two-packs, battle packs, and deluxe figures. Check out Amazon.Com, ToysRUS.com, and EntertainmentEarth.com to get your online orders in now.
Brick and Mortar stores will be have these awesome figures starting in October. Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – The Bridge Direct The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Figures Up For Pre-Order”
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Ok, so officially things don’t really get going until tomorrow, but in the hearts of everyone arriving at hotels in Atlanta today, DragonCon has started! And as you know, TheOneRing.net and Tolkien fandom are here in force! Staffers deej and greendragon are hard at work to make the TORn table fun for all – come and see us from 11am Friday in the Hyatt (Exhibit Level, near the Art Show) to try your hand at trivia or pick up one of TORn’s fabulous new shirts! Or just pop by to chat – we love seeing old friends and new!
You can also visit TORn’s good friends Badali Jewelry here at DragonCon. They will be found in the Dealers Room located on the bottom floor of the Marriott Marquis. For your spending pleasure, they will have a full inventory of Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit items, as well as some of their most popular Fantasy, Celtic, Pirate, Vampire, and Elven pieces. There will be 3 brand new Officially Licensed Hobbit pieces to see, and they even have a fabulous offer for fans here at TheOneRing.net – 15% off your entire purchase!! Just stop by and say the magic words “Gandalf Sent Me”.
The good times keep coming with ‘Evening at Bree’ Friday night, and panels from TORn 4pm on Friday, 5.30pm Saturday and 11.30am Monday. For a complete list of Tolkien Track panels, click here. Can’t wait to see everyone! – and for those of you who can’t join us, we’ll bring you updates of all the fun, right here on TORn. Let the games begin!
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