Newsweek: J.R.R. Tolkien – Celebrating the Professor’s Greatest Creations [Media Lab Publishing] is on newsstands and store check-out…
Continue ReadingNewsweek: J.R.R. Tolkien – Celebrating the Professor’s Greatest Creations 
[Media Lab Publishing] is on newsstands and store check-out lanes now.
This is a beautiful, high-quality, glossy 100-page issue full of articles, information on both books and films, and many full-page photos. A wonderful collectible opening with an introduction by Shaun Gunner, Chair of the Tolkien Society.
Continue reading “Newsweek’s Special Edition: J.R.R. Tolkien”
The second figure review of 2018 comes from The Lord of the Rings and covers one of the most important characters in Middle-earth. Our friends at Weta Workshop absolutely nailed the statue of Isildur with some of the best detailing and paint you will see. It also features the new resin technique that Weta has started to use on their statues.
Isildur is in low stock so you can count on what’s left of this 750-piece limited edition to be gone in the not to distant future. Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – Weta Workshop’s Isildur Statue Review”
A couple of surprise announcements came our way this week from our friends at Weta Workshop.
If, like me, you’re a fan of the Rohirrim culture then this announcement is going to be something to make you smile. Fans can now add a statue of Gamling who during The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers showed himself to be a loyal solider to King Theoden. Gamling did not travel alone though — fans can also add the Royal Guard of Rohan who we first meet as Aragorn, Gandalf the White, Gimli, and Legolas try to enter The Golden Hall. Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – Weta Workshop’s Gamling and Royal Guard of Rohan Pre-Order”
Until I read this article the other week over on The Mainichi I never realised that butterburs — as in Barliman Butterbur — were a type of flower.
Specifically, it’s the name for some members of the Petasites genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family. Continue reading “The woods burst to life with tasty butterburs”
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks… Since March 19, characters from Middle-earth, and other roles played by the same actors, have been battling it out to claim the title Champion of Middle-earth March Madness 2018. We started with four brackets comprising roles from The Lord of the Rings movies, other roles by those same actors, roles from The Hobbit movies, and alter-egos for those cast members. The brackets were mixed, to give actors a chance of coming up against ‘themselves’ – and indeed in Round 3 we did see Christopher Lee’s Saruman go up against his Count Dooku, and Lee Pace’s Ronan face his majestically-eyebrowed Thranduil.
Boromir fell in the first round, defeated by Gimli, but Sean Bean’s Eddard Stark did make it all the way to Round 3, where he was conquered by eventual semi-finalist Samwise Gamgee. Sam made it the furthest of all the hobbits; Merry and Pippin both went out in Round 1, and Frodo fell to Aragorn in Round 2. Both Martin Freeman’s and Ian Holm’s Bilbos were knocked out back in Round 1; they had tough battles, being drawn against Gandalf and Faramir respectively.
The elves fared rather better, with Galadriel, Elrond and Thranduil all getting through to the Elite Eight (though Legolas, alas, could not get past Aragorn in Round 1). Wizards Saruman and Gandalf joined the elves in Round 4; but poor Radagast was beaten by Dwalin way back in the first round. In the world of men, only Aragorn managed to get as far as the Elite Eight; Dr John Watson, Sherlock Holmes, Dr ‘Bones’ McCoy, Rudy, and Carl from Van Helsing all joined Eddard Stark in being vanquished in the Sweet Sixteen round.
Finally it came down to a duel between Elrond Half-elven and Gollum. The votes have been counted, and we can now announce, this year’s winner is…
Continue reading “Middle-earth March Madness – CHAMPION 2018”
Last two standing – here we are at the Middle-earth March Madness FINAL for 2018. Two – well, not men… – enter, one leaves; who will be Champion this year?
In the Final Four, we saw Samwise Gamgee take on Gollum, and Gandalf face Elrond Half-elven. Both Sam and Gandalf have been Middle-earth March Madness Champions before – twice, in the wizard’s case – but for the other two, the heady heights for the Final Four are new.
The contests were tight; Sam took an early lead in his duel, but by the second day, old Stinker had pulled ahead. Gollum finally went on to win that battle convincingly, claiming over 60% of the vote.
In the second pairing, it was neck and neck right down to the wire, with less than 1% in it at times. In the end, however, elvish power triumphed over Maiar magic, and Half-elven came home with 54.35% of the vote, to Gandalf’s 45.65%.
So this year will definitely see a NEW Champion crowned! Gollum faces Elrond in a fight to the finish. Can tricksssy deviousness overcome the power of a high elf? Will Smeagol help out, making it two against one? You decide!
The Final voting is open NOW. Polls close at 10pm EST on Thursday 5th April; only two days to vote for the Champion, so don’t delay! Last chance to play along with Middle-earth March Madness this year; and don’t forget to check out the ‘exit polls’ on Facebook. Whom do you want to see crowned…? VOTE NOW! [The Final] [Final Four] [Elite Eight] [Round 3 Bracket] [Round 2 Bracket] [Round 1 Bracket]
Continue reading “Middle-earth March Madness – FINAL! Vote now to decide this year’s Champion!”