It’s a tradition going back some years: TheOneRing.net’s own version of March Madness! Each Spring, staffers at TORn draw up a table of characters (or something else – see more below) from Tolkien’s realms, and we ask you all to vote in each round, until we have an overall winner. This year is no exception! We all need things to do, and to think about, to keep us distracted in these days of social distancing; so we hope you’ll join us and play along for this year’s Middle-earth March Madness!
The fun begins on Monday, when we’ll post this year’s brackets, together with a link to a poll where you can place your votes. We’ll be posting articles about the various ‘battles’, and we hope you’ll join in and discuss on facebook and the message boards. Meanwhile, here’s a look back on some of the earlier contests.
We first created our own March Madness fun back in 2012, making this the 9th year of the contest. (What shall we do for our tenth, next year?) That year our four brackets consisted of various characters from Middle-earth, with the brackets named for Ralph Bakshi, Rankin Bass, the Tolkien family, and Peter Jackson. The final was between Aragorn and Samwise, with Sam coming out on top.
In 2013 and 2014 the brackets were simply named for different places, with a mix of characters in each bracket. 2013 saw The Shire, Erebor, Mordor and Angmar brackets, with a final showdown between Thorin (from the Mordor bracket) and Gandalf (from Angmar). It was a close contest, but the wizard ultimately came out on top. 2014’s brackets were named for Bag End, the Lonely Mountain, Erebor (yes the Lonely Mountain going by another name) and Mirkwood. The finalists came from the Bag End and Mirkwood categories, and were father and son: Thranduil took on Legolas. The fans were out in force for both these pretty elves, but Thranduil won in the end.
2015 saw the first year that combatants were divided by specific categories, with brackets being Lord of the Rings characters, Hobbit characters, Silmarillion characters, and ‘Others’ from the Professor’s writing. It also saw a first in a combatant being ‘disqualified’: Thranduil’s fans were so desperate to see him victorious again, they were bucking the system and voting multiple times. With Mirkwood’s ruler thrown out, the final saw Bilbo and Gandalf face off; and Gandalf was champion for the second time.
In 2016 we drew up brackets according to attributes: Beauty, Brains, Brawn, and Baddies. Ultimate Baddie Morgoth took on Galadriel in the final, where the elf maiden was triumphant, taking two thirds of the vote! 2017’s groupings divided characters into ‘Book Only’, ‘Movie Only’, ‘Wider Mythos’, and ‘Movie and Book’. A first this year was that we deliberately did not include past champions Gandalf, Galadriel, Samwise or Thranduil; also the divisions allowed many first time entrants, such as ‘Sebastian the Hedgehog’ and ‘The Fox’. The champion in 2017, appearing in his second final, was Aragorn.
2018 mixed things up by including characters from outside of Tolkien’s writings. This year, we had roles from the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies, AND roles from other films, played by the same actors. This meant that was saw Lee Pace’s Ronan take on his Thranduil, as well as a show down between Count Dooku and Saruman. Middle-earth characters, however, were the ones who made it to the final, where Gollum beat Elrond.
And just last year, our contest became Middle-earth MAP March Madness, with all the entrants being locations: from The Shire, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. Gondolin faced, but could not defeat, Rivendell in that final.
What will the categories be this year? All will be revealed on Monday! Or head on over to join TheOneRing.net’s Facebook group, The Worlds and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien, where you can get an early preview tomorrow. Let’s get ready to rumble!
Once again, we face that eternal question, “What gift can I buy for the Tolkien fanatic in my life this year?” As always, we here at TheOneRing.net have provided answers to this question, to help make it as easy and painless as possible. So, without further ado, welcome to TORn’s Holiday Gift Guide 2019.
From everyone at TheOneRing.net, we wish you all a safe and peaceful Holiday season.
greendragon recommends: Letters from Father Christmas. A must have for every Tolkien fan. Click here to order.
35 BAGSHOT ROW – CHRISTMAS EDITION. From New Line Cinema, Peter Jackson and Warner Bros. comes J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, brought to the big screen in an epic trilogy. Weta Workshop was thrilled to return to Middle-earth once again, contributing design, specialty props and specialty costumes to all three films. Click here to order.
deej recommends: Badali Jewelry’s The Rings of Men: Umbar. Click here to order.
Weta Workshop; Arwen and Frodo on Asfaloth. Click here to order.
Garfeimao recommends: “Tolkien”, biopic that came out earlier this year. It is a lovely film with some really nice acting and moments of humor that brings J.R.R. Tolkien’s younger years to life. Click here to order.
grammaboodawg recommends: Gandalf Deluxe Statue by Iron Studios for Sideshow. Click here to order.
Frodo Statue by Iron Studios for Sideshow. Click here to order.
Nazgûl Deluxe Statue by Iron Studios for Sideshow. Click here to order.
“Attacking” Nazgûl Deluxe Statue by Iron Studios for Sideshow. Click here to order.
Balrog (Deluxe Version) by Star Ace Toys Ltd. for Sideshow. Click here to order.
Kelvarhin recommends : Funko Pop! Rides: Lord of The Rings – Gwaihir with Gandalf and Funko Pop! Rides: Lord of The Rings – Witch King with Fellbeast. I absolutely love these two collectibles from Funko Pop! I’d be a very happy little tiger if they were left under my tree this year. Click here and here to order.
Kristin recommends: Catherine McIlwaine’s Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth as a great gift for Tolkien fans. Click here to order.
Joel recommends checking out the Bodleian library website for that extra special gift.
All prices are in US dollars, except for the items from the Bodleian, which are in UK pounds.
It’s that time of year again! It’s Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday – the Autumn Equinox – which must mean New York ComicCon is just around the corner. Time for Ringers to assemble in the Big Apple!
We don’t have a booth at the convention this year, but we ARE hosting a party, with our good friends from Sideshow. It’s at Tir na Nog Times Square, 8pm on, Friday 4 October. Tickets are just $10 and include your first drink and a finger food buffet, plus entry to our fabulous raffle! It’s a great chance to gather with fellow fans, and enjoy a night to remember!
For full details and to buy tickets, click here. (Please use the code LYGSS19 to access the page, and then TORN19 to access tickets). Some of TheOneRing.net staff will be in attendance, and we hope YOU can join us! Tickets are selling fast – don’t delay!
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.
The Whispered Doom
by David McG.
Barely audible over the silence of reason.
The words, they slithered in.
Finding residence in the core of her being they settled to grow and spread.
Choking vines entwined around memory and spirit.
Erasing.
Replacing.
Enchanting.
At the Hill of Spies she was spied.
The dragon smiled as only one of his kind could.
No joy or humour was there in that maw of death.
Just malice and wicked intent for a revenge served hotter than his fiery breath.
He knew of her, knew of her kin and the fate they all would bear.
Gazing
Mesmerising
Eradicating
Leaving her to a foretold fate to fall.
Who she was and from whence she came the whispered doom said naught.
Til panic driven, naked and alone she was lost and forsaken.
No longer mourning, she would become a maiden of tears.
Found though she was, by the kin she knew not.
Protecting
Comforting
Embracing
Though master of doom, by doom to be mastered.
The whispered spell set her downfall in motion.
By cruel fate or malicious, predetermined design the trap was set.
Ensnaring two to the curse of their father.
No escape until the whisper became word.
Encircling Spiralling Constricting The whispered doom fulfilled.
~~ * ~~
Wine on the Chesapeake Bay
by: Alexander R
I stood there thinking, at the bar,
And wondered why the We, so far,
Had scattered, half an Earth away,
Were then just now? I might just stay.
Colonialism: movement, rest, In my own land, I’m but a guest
“But it is not your own Shire,’ said Gildor. ‘Others dwelt here before hobbits were; and others will dwell here again when hobbits are no more.” John Ronald Reul Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
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 party continues! We’re still celebrating 20 years of TheOneRing.net (check out the message boards for all the fun and games), and yesterday we received another lovely video message. This comes all the way from New Zealand; check out what Richard Taylor had to say. (You may want to be sitting down before you watch this one…) Thanks so much, Richard!
When our friends from within the Tolkien Community heard we’re having a special birthday they sent us these lovely messages as part of our celebrations. So Happy 20th Anniversary TORn! Here’s to many many more!
Kia Ora TORn,
Happy 20th Anniversary, well done on making this wonderful achievement! We have been involved with TORn through one of your founding members Erica Challis, from New Zealand since 2002. We have enjoyed the fantastic Premier movie parties that Red Carpet Tours has provided and TORn attended, along with the stars from the films. Looking forward to future calibrations and hopefully a great Lotr TV series for all the fans. Congratulations again on 20 years! Best regards, Julie James and the team at Red Carpet Tours.
Happy 20th Birthday to TheOneRing.net from The Brisbane Tolkien Fellowship. We hope you continue to have another successful 20 years at least sharing the news of all things Middle-earth.
TORn 20th Anniversary Message from Gamling, Bruce Hopkins
Dear Friends at TheOneRing,
Congratulations on reaching the ripe old age of 20 ; ) Thank you for all the support and love you’ve given us all.
When I took the job of playing Ori in The Hobbit, I didn’t think I’d collect so many chums. Like the cast, you too are part of my extended dysfunctional Tolkien family!
Have a great celebration – drink, be merry… and avoid the green food! See you all soon. Adam x
A big happy 20th anniversary to TheOneRing.net ! All this time you have been delivering to us critical and wonderful news regarding the world of JRR Tolkien, from the books to the films to the Collectibles and everything in between. May 20 more years be forthcoming!
Cheers, Jerry Vanderstelt
Our good friend Donato Giancola also has given us a mathom to offer to you all! For the next ten days, you can get 50% (!!) off on all of Donato’s incredible art prints. Just use the coupon code TORN at checkout. Take a look at the wonderful prints on sale, here. Thanks so much, Donato!
I can’t believe it’s been 20 years already – it’s been an amazing community to have been a part of, and all good wishes to everyone involved, from everyone at Welly-moot!
Jack Machiela Welly-moot.com
We will be adding more messages to this post as and when we receive them, so do check back! Thanks to everyone who has sent greetings and anniversary messages!
In 2013 and 2014 the brackets were simply named for different places, with a mix of characters in each bracket. 2013 saw The Shire, Erebor, Mordor and Angmar brackets, with a final showdown between Thorin (from the Mordor bracket) and Gandalf (from Angmar). It was a close contest, but the wizard ultimately came out on top. 2014’s brackets were named for Bag End, the Lonely Mountain, Erebor (yes the Lonely Mountain going by another name) and Mirkwood. The finalists came from the Bag End and Mirkwood categories, and were father and son: Thranduil took on Legolas. The fans were out in force for both these pretty elves, but Thranduil won in the end.
2015 saw the first year that combatants were divided by specific categories, with brackets being Lord of the Rings characters, Hobbit characters, Silmarillion characters, and ‘Others’ from the Professor’s writing. It also saw a first in a combatant being ‘disqualified’: Thranduil’s fans were so desperate to see him victorious again, they were bucking the system and voting multiple times. With Mirkwood’s ruler thrown out, the final saw Bilbo and Gandalf face off; and Gandalf was champion for the second time.
