'The History of the Hobbit' Released Sometimes, I just love being me…This week Houghton Mifflin sent me a surprise package which to my delight contained ‘The History of the Hobbit’ part 1 and 2 by John Rateliff. Each volume is available now, while the 3 book set (which included The Hobbit) is available for pre-order on Amazon.com today. Be sure to pick up your copy today!!

‘The History of the Hobbit’ Released

The Balrog Legendary Scale BustThe Balrog Legendary Scale Bust is now available over at SideshowCollectibles.com:

“Sideshow Collectibles proudly presents this fantastic new addition to The Lord of the Rings Legendary Scale Bust series. The Balrog has been expertly sculpted to capture every detail of the creature’s menacing visage and flaming hide. Hand-cast of the highest quality polystone, each bust is hand-painted and individually numbered. The Balrog Legendary Scale bust is the perfect addition to your The Lord of the Rings collection.”

And don’t forget the fact that its an insanely large 22″ H (559mm) and will ship in early 2008.

The Balrog Legendary Scale Bust Discuss

Henry Gee, the author of The Science of Middle-earth (which began life here on Green Books) has taken over the editor’s chair at Mallorn, the Journal of the Tolkien Society. Mallorn is usually published annually and takes reviews, fiction, criticism and artwork of interest to Tolkien aficionadoes. But Henry wants to ramp up the journal’s visibility, with a new design, more frequent publication and a change of focus. “Tom Shippey wrote that Tolkien was the Author of the (20th) Century”, says Henry. “But that was then, and Mallorn will be there to chart Tolkien’s evolving influence into the 21st”. He can be reached at mallorn@tolkiensociety.org

Lord of the Rings Inc. It’s hard to remember now, when every respectable household contains the Special Extended DVD Edition of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings, but the celebrated trilogy was once considered a somewhat iffy proposition. That’s part of the explanation for how Jackson, a rather obscure director from Kiwiland, was able to gain artistic control over what Newsweek once called “the most expensive and ambitious movie project in history.” And by filming in New Zealand, where he had built his very own world-class production facility, Jackson was able to use the Pacific Ocean as a moat, protecting him from Hollywood interference. The result was that rare thing, a global film franchise that bears a personal stamp — an intimate epic.

Lord of the Rings Inc. Discuss