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.
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”
Can you believe it has been 10 years since we first gathered at Griffith Park to celebrate the birthday of not one, but two imaginary characters from a book and film? The Baggins’ Birthday Bash has always been a great way to celebrate Fellowship amongst LA Fandom, act a little goofy, and to farewell the Summer. This year the party comes just a day after the official 75th anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit back in 1937, so we’ll have more to celebrate than just Bilbo and Frodo. Here are the pertinent details:
When: September 22 from Noon till 6pm
Where: Griffith Park in LA, just past the Carousel turnoff. There are directions and a link to a map at the bottom of the description on the Facebook Event Page. Baggins’ Birthday Bash Facebook page
What can you bring?: Take a peek at the Facebook page, and open the description fully to see what food and beverage needs we have and what you can bring. The list will be updated when people RSVP, which can be done on the Facebook event page, or by emailing Garfeimao@TheOneRing.net
Activities: There will be some trivia, we will have fans taking turns to read The Hobbit aloud during the day, and there will be a rousing game of Golfimbul, followed by a Birthday Cake.
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!
Thirty-nine years ago today, our beloved professor, J.R.R. Tolkien, passed away at the age of 81. Among his many legacies are the books, “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” that have brought so much joy to so many people, including us. This morning, the variety news show “Sunday Morning” which airs weekly on CBS in the U.S., did a small segment in tribute to Tolkien. Message board member Magpie caught it and alerted us to it, and we wanted to share it with you:
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.
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: