1hobbitteaseToy Fair 2013 is going on right now in New York, and those who were not buried under feet of snow have gotten a chance to see just what The Bridge Direct has cooked up for us with wave 2. The second wave of figures for The Hobbit will consist of the rest of the company of Thorin Oakenshield in 3.75″ scale, Radagast the Brown in both 6″ and 3.75, Azog in both scales and – it appears – with both versions of his left arm, Bolg in 6″, and Yazneg in 6″ – which figure was previously released in the UK. There also will be a new version of Sting for sure this time, coming with scabbard, and a full blue version of Sting, both of which will go with the version from wave 1. This wave will also have plenty of two packs of the dwarves in 3.75″ scale, single packs for the dwarves, 6″ single packs, new 6″ two packs, new battle packs, and new beast packs with Azog and his Warg. Pricewise, these figures will be the same price as we saw figures from wave 1, making it a very affordable and awesome line for fans of Middle-earth to collect. You can expect to find these figures out during the Summer of 2013.

You can check out tons of images taken by the awesome folks at Figures.Com in their The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey gallery.

Some other very cool info coming out of Toy Fair about how this line may develop going forward:

  1. The Bridge Direct wants to do a Smaug in 3.75 scale. This would of course be a large figure even in that scale, to be bigger than the Dwarves.
  2. The Desolation of Smaug packaging will be different than The Unexpected Journey packaging. These figures will be out in the fall/winter of this year.
  3. There will be a party of Thorin pack that will cost $80, allowing you to get all the Dwarves in one package.
  4. There will be a Comic-Con 2013 figure.

Generic Lego LogoToy Fair 2013 also brings us goodies from Lego for fans of Middle-earth. As you all know, Lego has been creating some great sets based on events that happened during The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movies. During Toy Fair we got to see more from The Lord of the Rings, covering The Council of Elrond, The Corsair Ship sequence, Gandalf the Grey vs Saruman, and The Black Gates. The Wizard Battle will be a 113 piece set with a price tag of $13, The Black Gates set is a 656 piece set with a $60 price tag, Council of Elrond a 243 piece set costing $30, and The Corsair Ship set, which has 756 pieces, costs $100. All four of these sets are due to arrive in June of this year. They also had a card at the show mentioning that sets for The Desolation of Smaug will be arriving in December of 2013.

You can check out a ton of pictures from Figures.Com in their The Lord of the Rings gallery.

You can also check out videos from the booth via FBTB.Com from their The Lord of the Rings video page.

Tolkien shopTheOneRing.net really does have some great friends. Yesterday we told you that Empire magazine is supporting The One Expected Party, and offering you, dear reader, a great deal on a three month subscription to their downloadable US edition. Today we can share that the fabulous René, owner of The Tolkien Shop, is also supporting our party! The Tolkien Shop is ‘the only brick-and-mortar shop in the world entirely dedicated to JRR Tolkien’! It can be found in the Netherlands, but thanks to the wonders of the internet, wherever you are in the world, you can take a visit to the store – and they ship worldwide. If you ARE lucky enough to be in Holland and want to pay them a visit, you can also see the wonderful Tolkien Museum located there.

Visit The Tolkien Shop here; and expect a gift from the shop in goody bags at The One Expected Party! It’s not too late – some tickets still remain, and can be purchased here!

Art by Jay JohnstoneTheOneRing.net is shining the spotlight on the diverse group of artists in ‘An Unexpected Art Show’. Over 30 artists will be showing off their work — using a wide variety of mediums, approaching their love of Tolkien from different perspectives and hailing from all over the world. We’re excited that U.K. based artist Jay Johnstone will have selected works on display.

Jay Johnstone has spent many years as a professional artist, but has only recently joined the ranks of the fine artists specifically associated with the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Inspired by the idea that The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings had been transcribed from ancient manuscripts appealed to Jay. Using techniques from religious manuscripts, icon and fresco illustrations from the medieval period, Jay’s artwork uses a variety of mediums — oils, watercolors, acrylics, egg tempera with gold powder and leaf. Striking detail and traditional techniques give the impression of artwork that could have been produced in the real Middle-earth!

Jay has been hailed by Cor Blok and Ted Nasmith as a creative force meant to be seen years to come. He has in his supporters other well-known characters such as Ian Brodie and Christopher Paolini, and is in residence in the collections of Bernd Greisinger (Greisinger Museum, Jenins, Switzerland), Sir Richard Taylor and others, worldwide.

Join us for a night of artwork celebrating the influence of J.R.R. Tolkien in Los Angeles, California on Friday, February 22, from 7 PM to 1 AM. Children 12 and under are free! A limited number of tickets are available for $15 online and $20 at the door. ‘An Unexpected Art Show’ will be held at Lot 613, a blank-canvas special events space in the Historic Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles, located at 613 Imperial Street. Skip the line and purchase art show tickets online.

It’s all part of our Middle-earth Celebration weekend culminating with ‘The One Expected Party‘! Party tickets are still available.

Balrog by Hogan McLaughlinTheOneRing.net is shining the spotlight on the diverse group of artists in ‘An Unexpected Art Show’. Over 30 artists will be showing off their work — using a wide variety of mediums, approaching their love of Tolkien from different perspectives and hailing from all over the world.

Today’s spotlight turns to Hogan McLaughlin. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Hogan began drawing at an early age. He eventually was given the opportunity to produce fashion pieces based on his highly detailed illustrations. The pieces were later featured in the windows of Barneys New York department store and on exhibit at The Museum at F.I.T. In September 2011, he released his first fashion collection to wide acclaim. Hogan has gone on to create custom pieces for Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way Ball” promotional images and garnered interest from various actresses, musicians, and models.

Galadriel by Hogan McLaughlinWhile fashion is happily his priority, Hogan continues to illustrate and has gained a following for his original pieces, as well as conceptualized interpretations of beloved characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, and many others. The work of Tolkien continues to be a driving inspiration in McLaughlin’s own work, in both art and fashion. Original illustrations by Hogan will be on display at ‘An Unexpected Art Show’.

Join us for a night of artwork celebrating the influence of J.R.R. Tolkien in Los Angeles, California on Friday, February 22, from 7 PM to 1 AM. Children 12 and under are free! A limited number of tickets are available for $15 online and $20 at the door. ‘An Unexpected Art Show’ will be held at Lot 613, a blank-canvas special events space in the Historic Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles, located at 613 Imperial Street. Purchase art show tickets online.

It’s all part of our Middle-earth Celebration weekend culminating with ‘The One Expected Party‘! Party tickets are still available.

hobbitoutofthefirealrg2In their latest newsletter, Weta Workshop featured yet another amazing collectible from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: the Out of the Fire – Eagles Rescue art print. This collectible captures the out of the frying pan and into the fire sequence of both the book and the movie. This beautiful art print is by artist Nick Keller, one of Weta’s talented designers. The print captures Gandalf in the trees as fire rages around him and the Eagles  swoop down to save the day once more. The print is in-stock and should ship soon after ordering. Plus, from now through February 12th, Weta Workshop is offering free shipping on select prints. Be sure to order theOut of the Fire – Eagles Rescue art print today!