AP – Elizabeth Jones, “Betty,” Ballantine, passed away on Tuesday, February 12 at her home in Bearsmouth, New York. She was 99 years old. Together with her husband, Ian, who passed away in 1995, they Founded Bantam Books and Ballantine Books, expanding and mainstreaming the market for paperback books in the U.S. Of course, the name ‘Ballantine Books’ is near and dear to readers of J.R.R. Tolkien. What lover of Tolkien’s books doesn’t have several beloved, dog-eared Ballantine editions of “The Hobbit” and/or “The Lord of the Rings” on their bookshelves?
If you’re like me and you’re a big fan of Jerry Vanderstelt’s work, you’re going to love the Thranduil: King of the Woodland Realm art print and will want to add it to your collection. As you may remember a couple years ago Weta Workshop unveiled the very cool Thranduil on Elk statue. This superb print by Jerry Vanderstelt captures the same majesty as the statue, and gives you a peek at just what might have been going on around Thranduil in that moment. As always, Jerry gives fans multiple ways to add this print to their collection, ranging from a high quality paper giclee to a 28×36 gallery wrapped print. This allows fans to get something for whatever their collecting budget allows. Limited to 2000 pieces it won’t last long, so do not hesitate to snag this one today!
Our friends at Weta workshop have two fantastic new items for fans who are looking to expand their Middle-earth collections. Our first item allows fans who are missing one of the original The Lord of the Rings statue line greatest pieces The Ringwraith on Steed. This piece is long sold out and hard to track down. So it was a wonderful surprise back during the holiday season they showed off the beautiful Ringwraith at the Ford statue. This superb piece is a companion piece to go with the Arwen and Frodo on Asfaloth, which was announced and shown off during Comic-Con 2018. Like Arwen and Frodo this Ringwraith comes in with an edition size of 750 pieces and a price tag of $699. Fans also have the payment plan option open to them, which will hopefully allow them to add a statue of the year for 2019 candidate into their collections.
Great news for lovers of Tolkien-inspired art. TORn’s good friend Donato Giancola is to release a new collection of his incredible Middle-earth paintings, Middle-earth: Journeys in Myth and Legend. Published by Dark Horse, the volume will be available in April.
Giancola shares some insight into the development of the book on the blog MuddyColors; click here to read more.
To preorder the book, visit Giancola’s website, here. For those who’d like to splash out on a Limited Edition, Giancola and Shawn Speakman (of the SignedPage.com) are offering signed and embossed books; the emboss is the sigil of the Kings of Gondor. Click here to order one.
If you aren’t familiar with Donata Giancola’s work, you have a treat in store. He is an astonishing artist – and also a very nice guy, whom TORn followers may have met at past TORn events. Don’t miss out on getting a copy of this fabulous book – and check out some sneak previews of content, above right and below:
In our Holiday Gift guide this year we let you know about Lootcrate’s exciting Lord of the Rings crates, which will be coming out next year – but are available for pre-order right now! The good folks at Lootcrate have contacted us to let us know that they’ve had such a great response, they’ve extended their special offer for those pre-ordering the complete set of three boxes. Order the trilogy of crates – which will contain fabulous, new Lord of the Rings merchandise – and while supplies last, you’ll receive an exclusive fleece pullover. More information can be found on Lootcrate’s website.
If you’re still doing last minute gift shopping, check out our Holiday Gift guide for more great ideas!
You’ll remember a while back we brought you news of the lovely Middle-earth inspired collection from the good folks at Oscha Slings – stunning throws, scarves, baby wraps and even mugs, all crafted with incredible elven, dwarvish and hobbity designs.
In our Holiday Gift guide we mentioned that there is now clothing available from Oscha – and we want to make sure you all know about it! They have joined forces with Teemill to create some gorgeous tshirts, tops, hoodies, bags, and more. If you’re looking for something beautiful and original for the Tolkien lover in your life (or even just for yourself), then you should definitely check out their amazing products. (The image shows their Doors of Durin design, just one of their hand-drawn illustrations.) Even better, all their products are made using 100% certified organic cotton, renewable energy, and minimal waste technology. Quick delivery is available – but the last order date to have your goodies in time for Christmas is fast approaching, so don’t delay!
