A story we posted a while back has recently resurfaced, and as we’re all thinking about dragons right now, it seemed worthy of a repeat visit! Forbes published a ‘rich list’ of fictional characters, and our favourite dragon, Smaug, comes out on top. Not surprising really; I’m not sure how they arrived at their figures, but $62 billion seems like a fair sum for the wealth of Erebor. Forbes suggest, however, that much of Smaug’s vast hoard comes from his work in movies and the excellent deal he negotiated to appear in The Hobbit movies! Check out the whole fictional rich list here; thanks to Ringer Eledium for the heads up!
Category: Miscellaneous
HAPPY EASTER and welcome to WonderCon! Join us today as we bring amazing Hobbity goodness to all the attendees waiting for a real insider’s scoop! Today, March 31st, join TORn Staffers Garfeimao and Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway at WonderCon in Anaheim, California, for our special panel presentation at 12:00pm PDT in Room 207. The panel is titled TheOneRing.net’s Unauthorized Sneak Peek: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. This will be a wildly fun discussion regarding all things Hobbit… with special insights from those who have been on the New Zealand sets!
WonderCon is one of three conventions hosted by Comic Con International, the others being APE (Alternative Press Expo) and San Diego Comic-Con. Wondercon follows the same general format as San Diego Comic Con, but on a much smaller size, making it easier to attend the panels you wish and still have time to shop. It is returning to the Anahim Convention Center for the second year while the Moscone Center in San Francisco is getting a major renovation. If you have had problems getting into San Diego Comic Con the last few years, this is a really great alternative. See you all on Sunday.
EW.com: Peter Jackson has exclusively confirmed that he is still interested in directing an episode ofDoctor Who. The Lord of the Rings filmmaker has also named his fee: a Dalek. The offer came in the course of Jackson’s appreciation of the British science fiction show that appears in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly.
Jackson is a diehard Who fan who has been watching the 50-year-old series almost since it began broadcasting and who first expressed his willingness to direct an episode last year. In the EW article, he reveals that he met current Who executive producer Steven Moffat over Christmas and assured him he wasn’t joking. “They don’t even have to pay me,” Jackson writes. “But I have got my eye on one of those nice new gold-colored Daleks. They must have a spare one (hint, hint).” Jackson already owns two used-on-the-show Daleks — the most famous of the Doctor Who monsters — which you can see in the photograph above.
Welcome friends to our innovative 
streaming video webcast TORn TUESDAY, starting in about an hour at 5pm Pacific Time right here on our Live Event page. We heard that Ian McKellen is officiating over Patrick Stewart’s wedding, and we have the scoop! Also today, as the wind reversed from the West, the ravens were seen flying back to The Mountain, and the Home Video Gods were pleased with our morning sacrifice, and lo! WE HAVE THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY out now on DVD and Blu-Ray Combo Pack (at least in North America)!!!! Your amiable host Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway, with producer Justin “I Love Jar-Jar” Sewell will review the home video versions and discuss all the new packaging & content. Let us guide you to making the right choice! Don’t be confused by all those many packages and review sites. The fun begins *live* at 5:00pm Pacific with our built-in Barliman’s Chat Room right here [Live Event Page], where you can chat and bring your questions.
Greetings all! Sad news that our wacky and informative TORn TUESDAY will not be aired today due to technical problems and shifting staff schedules. Your amiable host, Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway has been working with producer Justin “I Love Jar-Jar” Sewell to create a new and better webcast with surprising guests coming up soon! We will resume our regular showtime next Tuesday, March 19th, at 5:00pm Pacific Time. In the 2+ years we have been bringing you the best live streaming show in all fandom, we have only missed *one* broadcast. A rather sterling record, as you can imagine the work of hand-crafting a new show every week is not easy. Trust that exciting news and information will continue to be posted here on TheOneRing.net, with exclusives and surprises you will not see anywhere else on the web, as we continue to create a fan community FORGED BY AND FOR FANS of J.R.R. TOLKIEN. Thank you for all your continued support.
Much too hasty,
Quickbeam
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John Howe, legendary Tolkien artist and conceptual designer for THE HOBBIT and LOTR Trilogies, dropped us a note to remind us that today is the *final day* to bid on a very special piece of art that he and Alan Lee created in support of Robin’s Relief Fairy Tale Art Auction, a charity fundraiser where world-renowned fantasy artists have donated remarkable exclusive artworks to help raise hopes and raise funds for Robin Sullins’ new hands, new legs, and new life.
This artwork was created in New Zealand while the two artists were busy working on THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, but they took time out of their work schedules to craft something special for this fundraiser.
The story takes us back to the recent holidays, where Robin’s family had gathered for a long, pleasant Christmas meal that brought everyone together — but afterward, a small bite from an over-excited family dog would have strange and tragic consequences. Robin became infected with the Capnocytophaga bacteria, commonly found in cats and dogs but very rarely ever transmitted as an infection to a human, yet the devastation through her body ultimately caused the loss of both her legs and hands. More details on her courageous battle can be found here on the Robin’s Relief Fairy Tale Art Auction page.
Now, in an effort to bring light and hope to her medical struggle, world-famous fantasy artists such as Wendy Froud, Michael Parkes, Alan Lee & John Howe, Kinuko Craft and many others have donated EXCLUSIVE new artworks that will be offered on eBay through the month of March. All proceeds go directly to a Chase Bank account setup for Robin’s Relief Fund.
Unfortunately, eBay has been pursuing a policy of NOT ALLOWING the mention of a charity fundraiser anywhere on these auctions, and recently this amazing Lee/Howe original drawing of one of Tolkien’s elves discovering the most unlikely creature imaginable (at least in terms of Middle-earth) was taken down off the auction site and all the bids were lost! None to be restored… so now they have replaced the live auction and the artist greatly desires to bring some Ringers’ attention to it before it concludes later today. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY — the current bids are not as significant as they were before being taken down — SO PLEASE BID NOW — They are in the final hours of bidding on this item and every little bit helps.
Be sure to check out and bid on the auction here and find out more details on Robin’s brave struggle on their charity info site here. You can also follow updates on her surgeries and recovery on her Facebook page here. Thank you so much.