During Sideshow Collectibles Comic-Con at-home event, they showed us a preview of a brand new Defo-Real figure and now we’ve been surprised with another.
Collectors got to see a preview of the Morgul Lord Defo-Real figure, which is limited to only 500 pieces. Fans can grab him right now for $90, with a ship date of quarter one of next year.
The surprise for collectors is we can now also pre-order a Treebeard Defo-real figure. He’s not alone though, as you also get a little Merry and Pippin who are taking a ride on Treebeard. Fans will be able to get these three characters for $105 with a shipping date of quarter one of next year as well.
We saw Thranduil on Throne during our friends at Weta Workshop’s Comic-Con at home. It’s the next superb piece in their Masters Collection series, and it goes live for pre-orders on Tuesday, September 15th.
These Masters Collection pieces do not last long, and with only 400 of these being made, that streak is going to continue. Collectors should log into their accounts before it goes live (times listed below) and be ready to be quick with the order button.
It’s that time of year, when fans from the world over gather in downtown Atlanta, for a weekend for well-mannered frivolity. Or crazed depravity. Or, most likely, some combination of the two. This year, alas, coronavirus means no in-person DragonCon, which is sad for all those who are missing seeing friends there. But it’s great new for anyone who has never been able to get to Atlanta, as this year you can join the fun online! And there is PLENTY going on for fans of Middle-earth. Let’s take a look…
Staffers deej and greendragon will be taking part as ever, and TheOneRing.net’s panel will be online at 11.30am ET on Saturday (5th). There, deej and greendragon will be joined by High Fantasy Track assistant director Madeye Gamgee, who was recently lured into joining the TORn staff. We’ll be looking back on the past 12 months of Tolkien fandom, and looking forward to see what we can be excited about in the year ahead. (Spoiler: there’s actually rather a lot!)
Before that, on Friday evening at 8.30pm ET we’ll be hosting a Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (EE) watch along. Set up your own device, and we’ll all hit play together at 9pm precisely; and text chat along as we watch. AND earlier on Friday, you can catch a panel with none other than Nori, Ori, Bombur and Bifur: Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, Stephen Hunter and William Kircher will be appearing together to chat all things dwarvish!
There are lots of other things happening which will be of interest to Tolkien fans. Here’s a list of highlights of the con weekend, beginning this evening:
Tolkien Come to Virtual Dragon Con High Fantasy Schedule 2020 (all times are Eastern Daylight)
Thursday, Sept. 3
9-10 pm
Sylvester McCoy (from 2011)
D*C Classics
10-11 pm
We Have Always Fought: Warrior Women in High Fantasy
D*C Fan Tracks
Friday, Sept. 4
10–11 am
Greg Hildebrandt Spotlight
D*C Main
5:30–6:30 pm
Dwarves on the Loose!(Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher)
D*C Main
8:30 pm onward
Watch-a-Thon! Fellowship of the Ring (hitting “play” together at 9 pm EDT)
And as if that weren’t enough… We are also excited to let you know that there WILL be TORn t-shirts available! You’ll be able to order them online, and we’ll be revealing the designs for 2020 in our panel on Saturday, 11.30am ET. So please join us then! We’ll also post links here for buying, after Saturday’s reveal.
It’s all happening at DragonCon 2020. We may not be able to gather in person, but we can still have merry meetings online; see you for panels, movie viewing, and more. Let the fun begin!
Big thanks to everyone who entered the contest run by our good friends at Oscha Slings, to come up with a new Middle-earth design! We hear there were many lovely entries, and it was very hard to make a choice; but we can now announce the winner. Here’s what the folks at Oscha tell us:
‘We’d like to thank everyone who entered the competition, it was wonderful to see the range of ideas and talents! The winner is *drumroll*….
‘Cari Johnston with her (yet unnamed) mirrored depiction of the journey to Lake-town and the Lonely Mountain, from The Hobbit. It’s such a clever design, with so many story-telling elements, that has been well executed to work as a baby sling.
‘We could see a lot of enthusiasm for designs that were already on our list, so hopefully you will eventually get something that you’ve been dreaming of, for instance horses, eagles, and Gandalf!
‘We hope you can agree that Cari is a worthy winner, and that you will look forward to seeing the design woven!’
Congratulations to Cari, and thanks to all who entered. Don’t forget to check out the many wonderful Middle-earth goodies (including face masks!) at Oscha Slings.
Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our regular monthly feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Each month we will feature a small selection of the poems submitted, but we hope you will read all of the poems that we have received here in our Great Hall of Poets.
So come and join us by the hearth and enjoy!
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Lady Forest
Kissed by the sun, embraced by the morning, The Forest sheds her cloak of Night. She slips into a gown of mist, She wove herself, by Morning light.
In Amber rays, the Forest dances, In hidden glens within the hills. Barefoot, she glides through open meadows, Tip-toes her way past silver rills.
Her gown of mist trails behind her, Fluttering in the morning wind, Adorned with gems and sparkling jewels. The rising sun did surely send.
Through fire and water falling. Burning, Freezing. Holding on and letting go for life. No quarter asked, No quarter given, Shadow and flame against pure light clash. Into the abyss they fall headlong, Rending, Slashing. Sword and talon take equal toll. Still waters shaken, Fires quenching, The stone foundations jarring courage. Up endless stairs the Shadow flees. Hunting, Chasing, To the final clash on the mountain peak. Shattered, broken, Thrown down in defeat. Pure spirit released to live anew. Through fire and water rising, Transcending, Evolving. Returned back at the turn of the tide. The storm rages. Hope is renewed. Though only in the will of the fool.
~~ * ~~
Till Our Next Meeting
by: Bassam K.
My Dear Friend, Valleys and Mountains, forests and rivers, You conquered them all, shook them off like shivers. I always knew you were made of mithril, I always knew you were capable of more, Greatness cannot be hidden under a hill, It needed a little nudge out of the door. For that, I am not sorry. You were more than a means to an end. I believed in you. You were special.
My Dear Friend, There were times when I wasn’t anywhere near, Times when I left you stranded surrounded by fear. It wasn’t ideal when I put the world on your shoulders, Charged with a group of stubborn strangers, I hadn’t thought about when you would be older, In the hands of time with the scars from danger. For that, I am sorry. You were more than a piece of the puzzle. I needed you. You were special.
My Dear Friend, The journey there was hurried and full of peril, You cut evil webs and were the rider of barrels. We lost some folk but you earned your stripes, You showed courage now and then, I enjoyed this night when we puffed our pipes, Just as our journey back again. With that, I am proud of you. You are more than just a Hobbit. I love you. You are special. Till our next meeting.
~~ * ~~
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
The awesome folks at Star Ace Toys have announced two new Middle-earth Defo-Real figures.
The first is the Dark Lord himself, Sauron, which can be pre-ordered right now at Sideshow Collectibles for $90. This figure, unlike others in the series, has a limited edition run of only 500 pieces.
The other new figure was announced during Sideshow Collectibles Comic-Con at Home. Fans can keep informed about this new figure, via an RSVP link, which will place them on a list to be notified when the Morgul Lord himself is available for order.
That’s not all! If you need an extra Balrog in your life, and who doesn’t, you can order the light-up version for $96 which will be shipped during the fourth quarter of this year.