It is hard to believe, but the little live webcast that could, TORnTUESDAY, has reached a new milestone! Two years non-stop, ongoing live coverage of major fan events such as Comic-Con and Dragon*Con — as well as bringing you a bevy of stars such as Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and his band Beecake, Royd Tolkien, “The Last Unicorn” and LOTR writer Peter S. Beagle, “Hellboy” star Doug Jones, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” creator Kevin Eastman, the Happy Hobbit girls, “Lord of the Rings” Living Card Game designers, and many more!
To mark this special anniversary we will have a lot of material to cover, and let’s all take a closer look at the Extended Edition of THE HOBBIT: AUJ that is coming out — so please bring your questions and comments to the chat!
We launch TORn TUESDAY every week at 5:00PM Pacific: brought to you by host Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway and producer Justin “Nothing Up My Sleeve” Sewell — Our innovative live show includes worldwide fans who join us on the Live Event page with a built-in IRC chat (affectionately known as Barliman’s Chat room). Be part of the fun and mischief every week as we broadcast *live* from Meltdown Comics in the heart of Hollywood, U.S.A.!
And yes our YouTube channel will have this archived later. You can find us on www.youtube.com/the1nering
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Follow Cliff Broadway: @quickbeam2000
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During Comic-Con 2013, Sideshow Collectibles was kind enough to give us a Dark Rider of Mordor Premium Format Figure as a giveaway. We are now happy to announce the winner:
Richard E. Jr.
Richard, you will be contacted shortly via email! If you didn’t win, consider owning this impressive piece. The Dark Rider of Mordor Premium format figure may be a bit pricey, but if you have ever seen this monstrous piece in person, it is well worth it. And heck, Sideshow has a FLEXPay option for no cost. [Click here]
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After Bombur fans were left in limbo as to who would be the next Dwarven statue released by Weta Workshop. Just before Comic-Con 2013 we got the answer to this question. One half of Thorin’s Company version of Happy Hobbit has gone up for order and reached our shelves. The member of the company who is landing now is none other than Kili. This is the second Dwarven statue to be a limited edition piece with only 1000 pieces worldwide.
PACKAGING
The overall graphic layout for Kili’s box stays the same as we’ve seen with previous entries in the line. Per the format we’ve come to know the front of the box gives you a great shot of Kili, graphic work for the title of the movie, and of course the Weta logo. The sides of the box for Kili also present a familiar format with different looks at the statue. While the other side of the box presents some of the various products you can get for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey line of collectibles. The back of the box contains a great story on Kili 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.
SCULPTING
Lindsey Crummett was given the task of sculpting Kili in order for him to make it to our collection. This is the second statue Ms. Crummett has completed in this line with her first being the superbly well-done Balin. She is also responsible for the Bofur statue, which we will be reviewing soon as well as the uber awesome Azog the Defiler on Warg we saw during Comic-Con 2013. Much like with Balin this statue is very well done and is a fantastic representation of the character Kili.
There’s been quite a bit of debate on various message boards in regards to the likeness of Kili. After having received mine I can say without a doubt that it looks very much like Aidan Turner. I love the fierce yet focused look of Kili has, as he is about to take out an Orc or Goblin in his way. Unlike Bombur Kili gets back to the Dwarves wearing lots of leather and once again its done in a way that creates the look of real leather. For me with the outfit its all the little detail you have within the costume that really shows off the skill in this statue. Kili’s vembraces have great little detail in the tiny triangles with circles in the middle, his sleeves of his jacket has a great design sculpted, and sculpted fur at the edge of the sleeves. He also has some great detail in his main outfit with fantastic weaved design as well as great metal and leather work in in the strap for his sheath/arrow case.
Kili of course comes ready for battle with his fantastic bow with arrow ready to take out any crossing Orc, Goblin, or Warg. The detail in the bow is really superb! You have fantastic sculpting giving it amazing wooden detail. The handle also has some great detailing giving it a very intricate wooden sculpt. On his back you have Kili’s sword and arrow case with arrows in it. His sword you can only see the handle area but it’s got some super tiny detail sculpted in it. It does such a great job of matching the sword you saw used in the movie. The arrows are also well done with the one full arrow being the one he’s about the shoot. Similar to Gollum statue Kili also has a bit of environment with this statue. He has a small rock which he is resting his foot before he unleashes that arrow. It’s a nice touch and adds a bit of spice to an already awesome statue. All in all the sculpting job done on Kili just continues to keep the ball rolling on this awesome line.
PAINT
Kili 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 shrunken Dwarf. The challenge with this statue is making the outfit and weapons not lose those amazing details. The leatherwork that has been sculpted has been enhanced by the paint job on this statue. When looking at it you very much get the sense the outfit is being worn in Middle-earth. The most impressive paint job of his weapons has to be the bow. Between the sculpt on it and the paint you can almost swear it’s a real wooden bow he’s holding. Its one of the best 1:6th weapons I’ve seen on any statue in my years of collecting.
Overall
Kili retails for $249, which is in line with most of the statues so far in the line. Kili is a character I’ve grown to like more with each viewing and I’m very happy to have this statue within my collection. He looks great and helps create a really great looking Hobbit display. I want to add that with every release in this line Weta is just continuing to show how great they with these statues.
SPECIFICATIONS
Kili is limited to just 1000 pieces worldwide and in-stock ready to purchase. Get your order in now before he sells out.
Dimensions:
9.3″ x 9.1″ x 5.9″ (H x W x D)
23.5 cm x 23 cm x 15 cm
Weight:
3.4 lbs (1.9 kg)
PHOTOS
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Everyone gather round for our weekly live webcast TORnTUESDAY! We have some great footage from our livestream at San Diego Comic-Con and above all we have coverage of the final days of shooting THE HOBBIT films down in New Zealand. They just completed all their photography a couple of days ago.
We will have lots of mischief today — so please bring your questions and comments to the chat!
We launch TORn TUESDAY every week at 5:00PM Pacific: brought to you by host Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway and producer Justin “I Make Damn Good Shirts” Sewell — Our innovative live show includes worldwide fans who join us on the Live Event page with a built-in IRC chat (affectionately known as Barliman’s Chat room). Be part of the fun and mischief every week as we broadcast *live* from Meltdown Comics in the heart of Hollywood, U.S.A.!
And yes our YouTube channel will have this archived later. You can find us on www.youtube.com/the1nering
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Follow us on Twitter: @theoneringnet
Follow Cliff Broadway: @quickbeam2000
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/theoneringnet
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In this thought piece, our newest feature writer Noah Smith outlines some of his hopes and concerns regarding the character Tauriel, and how in her best moments he hopes she’ll prove a tribute to some of most Tolkien’s vibrant heroines.
NO two Tolkien fans are the same. Yes, we harbor a deep and abiding love for all things Middle-earth, but (I like to believe) our tastes differ, even if only in the minutia. Some may enjoy the philological phantasmagoria that permeates Tolkien’s works, while others draw inspiration from the detailed locations and their histories. Personally, I have a thing for maps. However with the recent addition of Tauriel to the Middle-earth mythos, my thoughts have been drawn to the characters that inhabit our collective imagination and, more specifically, those of the female gender.
Tolkien, unlike many other fantasy writers of the twentieth century, was entirely willing to create strong, vividly imagined female characters. One that immediately comes to mind is Lúthien Tinúviel, who was so prominent in Tolkien’s world that she is not only mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but is also a major character in The Silmarillion and even features in the epic poem The Lay of Leithian.
The latter work, which Tolkien never completed, chronicles the love between Beren and Lúthien. Another well-known character from the Legendarium is Elwing the White*, mother of Elrond and Elros. How prominent was she? After several unsuccessful attempts by Eärendil the Mariner to try and sail to Valinor, Middle-earth’s most-renowned seaman was only successful after Elwing joined him on Vingilot.
The two most well-known heroines, thanks in no part to the films, are of course Arwen and Éowyn. Yes, Arwen’s romance with Aragorn did seem a tad campy on the big screen (in a beautiful, melancholic fashion that truly added to the story), but let’s not forget: this is the same elf who faced down the Nine (even if it didn’t happen in the books) and single-handedly saved Frodo from certain death. And Éowyn’s fantastic line, “I am no man!” when taunted by the Witch-king? It still raises the hairs on the back of my neck. So good. Also, I would be remiss to neglect Galadriel, of Lothlórien. Not only is she a Ring-bearer of immense power, but she also sits upon the predominantly male (even if the Mair aren’t technically Men) White Council.
So, where does this leave us? Ah, yes: Tauriel. As a Tolkien fan, I’m ecstatic to see a fresh addition to the lore. As someone who considers himself to be rather versed in the ways of the entertainment industry, I see it as a shameless attempt to attract the ever-elusive demographic of young women (insert Orlando Bloom joke here) and adolescent males (insert scantily clad bikini picture here). Honestly? If she’s anything more than a Disney princess in elf ears, I’ll be satisfied.
What I’m trying to say, in a less cynical fashion, is that I trust Peter and Fran, I really do. But I’m also aware of the climate in which they have to operate. Big money means a big emphasis on making a big profit, and a necessary part of show business is trying to target as many demographics as possible. Time and time again, we see corporations put pressure on directors and writers to change their movies in ways that reach a larger audience, but harm the overarching narrative.
Will Evangeline Lilly be fantastic? I’m sure she will. Will her and Orlando’s on-screen chemistry, and indeed their very presence, contribute to the overall narrative of the trilogy? I’m sure they’ll make it work. Is it necessary? I remain to be convinced, largely because I’ve seen how sterile and bureaucratic the industry can be.
In the best of all possible worlds, I see Tauriel as the embodiment of the inner strength and outward beauty of all the aforementioned characters. Why Tauriel? Because The Lord of Rings trilogy had its strong female protagonists, as did the Silmarillion and the Legendarium before it. Therefore, in the spirit of a more diverse, modern telling of The Hobbit, I see it as only natural that Jackson and company would want to introduce a fresh female character. In truth, the only part of me that is uneasy is the fervently cynical, text-obsessed fanboy who’s shaking the bars of his cage and muttering, “but she’s not in the book!”
Until more elements of the plot are revealed, Tauriel remains a positive yet potentially unnecessary addition to Peter Jackson’s cinematic vision. In the end it all boils down to the spirit in which these changes are made to the source material. Who knows? I could be completely off the mark. When it comes to the Hobbit films I’ve yet to be disappointed.
In Jackson we trust.
* Bootnote. Most would automatically think of Aredhel with the appellation “the White”. However, there is one single reference that seems to indicate that the label also applied to Elwing. It’s from The Fellowship of the Ring where Aragorn is speaking to the four hobbits of Beren and Lúthien. As it’s direct speech, it does seem to be part of an oral tradition of either the Dunedain, or of the Noldor (or both). The quote in full: “For of Beren and Lúthien was born Dior Thingol’s heir; and of him Elwing the White whom Eärendil wedded, he that sailed his ship out of the mists of the world into the seas of heaven with the Silmaril upon his brow. And of Eärendil came the Kings of Númenor, that is Westernesse.” A Knife in the Dark, The Fellowship of the Ring.
Noah Smith is a freelance writer operating out of the woods of Pennsylvania, though he leaves often and for great lengths of time. The proud owner of more pet projects than any sane person deserves, he peddles his craft in various portions of the internet and local collegiate magazines, writing poetry, commentary, speculative fiction and erroneous remarks in the comment sections of videos. He writes on a blog called Utumbria and can also be found on Twitter. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of TheOneRing.net or its staff.
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
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Today is the day and he’s up for Pre-Order! Azog the Defiler on Warg is ready to be purchased by 500 fans of Middle-earth, who are looking to add this fantastic collectible to their collections. This massive piece comes in at 17 inches tall, 2 feet long, and 35lbs (with steel structure inside to help the piece stay sturdy). So prepare your collection to get something that is going to be an eye-popping piece when anyone checks out your trophies! To give you an idea of scale – if you own the amazing Barad-dur environment, Azog is both bigger and taller than this collectible, and that’s saying something! Azog comes in at a price tag of $699 and an edition size of ONLY 500 pieces world-wide, guaranteeing he won’t last long. You do have time to save for Azog as he won’t be shipping until the first quarter of next year. So get your order in now, start saving, and be prepared to be amazed.
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