Xoanon here with a little special item I like to call ‘LOTR Urban Legends’. We here at TORN get a whole lot of email daily, in fact many of us get the same emails, spymaster@theonering.net for instance reaches many staff members. Over the years we’ve seen all manner of rumor or silly prank hit the net, and when they do the information spreads like wildfire and suddenly we are bombarded with hundreds of emails on the subject. Here are a few that keep rearing their ugly heads at least once every six months.
Bush and The One Ring
This clever little bit of political satire has been spotted in protest lines and on countless websites. Where it came from and exactly who created it we don’t know. Emails with the subject ‘Frodo has failed’ will more than likely contain this image. We get waves of emails with this image from time to time. Needless to say, Bush and his politics are not something we cover here on TORN, so no flames please 🙂
Nimoy sings ‘The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins’
We have also, unfortunately, all seen this odd little video featuring Spock himself singing a song about Bilbo Baggins. If you haven’t had the pleasure…click here.
That Hobbit Trailer
This legend, beyond all others, has caused more excitement with fans than almost anything else I’ve ever seen. The folks at lathamfilm.com, a digital production house, pieced together scenes from other films to create an apparently realistic looking trailer for a film called ‘The Hobbit’. Supposedly starring Ian McKellen, Ian Holm and directed by Peter Jackson, this film was set to be out in 2006. Well folks, this ain’t gonna happen. Sorry to disappoint! Click here to view the trailer. [More]
Last 2 Pages of the ROTK Script!
Well, not really no. These 2 pages seen here are in actuality an April Fools joke let loose on the public. Without any explanation, these images sit on this site and are allowed to excite fans far and wide. Well this one isn’t true either. It’s all in fun.
Viggo Mortensen Not The First Aragorn?
Not really an urban legend, but more of an email topic that just won’t die. Waaaaaayyy back in 1999 TORN was the first site to report that Stuart Townsend was set to play Aragorn. Ironically we were also the first to report that a week after principle photography had started, Townsend was off the picture. Viggo was quickly sent in as a replacement. Try looking in our archives from 1999 for more news on this.
Well, there you have it, it really does seem like LOTR has permeated deep into the pop culture psyche if it can create such legends that are seen (and *gulped* over) on the TORN message boards from time to time. Not to mention the emails…the countless emails…
Nick sends along this email in regards to some comments from another email we posted here a few days ago. He argues that the folks at tolkienshop.com have been nothing but professional and courteuous, we at TORN wish to add that we have nothing against tolkienshop.com, we are simply providing views of all sides in this debate.
Nick writes:
In a recent article about fake autographs for sale on the web, you also included a response from some other upset buyers. One of these people highlighted www.tolkienshop.com and it’s owner Rene Van Rossenburg as being unreliable.
I would just like to provide an alternate view of this great Tolkien Web Emporium. I have bought many expensive items from Rene over the last year and even got hold of the exclusive Weta Cave Troll bust, months before it was released here in the UK. All sales have been smooth and quick and the items delivered in excellent condition and excellently packaged.
Rene is always very courteous and helpful in all communications from enquiries about pre-orders and shipping to sales information. He is well-know in Europe and has spoken/displayed at many official Tolkien events.
I feel it unfortunate that a legitimate businessman with a great online store could possibly lose sales because of one biased opinion.
I know Rene is aware of the article and will no doubt be contacting you himself, but I felt that I must write to you to offer the story of a satisfied customer.
One of the best experiences I had this year at Dragon*Con was the Kids Session during Tolkien’s Middle-earth fan Track. We had approximately 15 kids ranging in age from 2 1/2 to 8 participating. Kids spent an hour drawing pictures, having their faces painted, making Elvish brooches, getting ‘Sharpie’ tattoos of their name or initial on their arm, and snacking on ‘lembas’ and apple juice. It is wonderful to see a new generation of Tolkien fans coming up! I took a picture of the session [here], and as you can see, the kids had a great time! As each child left, they were given a copy of the Two Towers Photo Guide (with stickers!!), courtesy of the fine folks at Houghton Mifflin. I’d like to thank Starlady for painting faces, Injvstice for doing the tattoos, and Maegwen for helping the kids make their Elvish brooches. Some of the kids left their pictures with me so I could scan them and post them here on TORN’s scrapbook. So, you wonderful kids from all over… you’re famous now!!! [Dragon*Con 2003 Kids Pictures!]
A reminder for Australian ringers that Supanova begins in Brisbane tomorrow at the RNA showgrounds. Events kickoff at 10am, going through until 6pm, and then everything starts up again on Sunday the 14th at the same time.
Supanova – a pop-culture convention that has enjoyed a lot of success in Sydney – is making its first venture into Queensland and LoTR fans will enjoy the chance to meet Bruce Hopkins (Gamling) and Bill Hunt (a prosthetics expert from WETA who helped give Lord of the Rings’ characters their super-real look). Both Bill and Bruce will be giving presentations on each day.
Additionally, Brisbanites will get Australia’s very first look at EA’s forthcoming Return of the King game. Since EA have been known to slip film teasers into their cutscene sequences, we may even see some new film footage. Here’s hoping, anyway.
There’ll be heaps of Trading Card Game stuff, including demonstrations, as well as piles of collectibles from Sideshow and Hasbro to ogle and paw. And that doesn’t even begin to touch on the non-LoTR guests and attractions.
Full Guest list for Saturday
Seminar Room Upper Commerce Building
10.30 Bruce Hopkins – King’s Right Hand Man: Gamling 11.20 Peter Mayhew – Episode III: Return of the Wookiee 12.10 Mark Bagley – Spinning Webs on Ultimate Spider-Man 1.00 Sandi Finlay – The Empire’s Dealiest Woman: Sly Moore 1.50 Ashley Wood – Hellspawn to Popbot: An Artists’ Journey 2.40 David Prowse – The Villainous Darth Vader 3.30 Ben Templesmith : 2 Days of Supanova: Hollywood & Beyond 4.20 Bill Hunt – Lord of the Rings Prosthetics Master 5.10 Undead crew – Live at Supanova
Anime & Comic Book Room Lower Commerce Building
10.30 Matt Sloan : From Animatronics Supervisor to Jedi Knight 11.20 Chris Sabat : Super Saiyan! DBZ’s Piccolo & Vegeta 12.10 Anime Trivia Competition 1.00 Comic-Book Trivia Competition 1.50 Darren Dunstan : Yu-Gi-Oh!’s bad guy Maximillion Pegasus 2.40 Jon Sommariva : Rocketing in on Go Boy 7 3.30 Krome : The Latest : Greatest from the local gaming giant 4.20 Dillon Naylor : Gets Historical! In the Beginning, to Batrisha : Beyond 5.10 Eddie Campbell : Painting a Different Picture on Batman
TORn will be there to report on the event, and maybe we’ll even score an interview or two. Stay tuned.
The Supanova Pop Culture Expo 2003 Brisbane
RNA Showgrounds, (Commerce Building) Gregory Terrace, Brisbane. Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September 10.00am – 6.00pm
Tickets: Two-day Pass (only available from Ticketek) Adult: $25.00 Child*: $15.00 (under 5 free)
Single-day Pass (through Ticketek or at the door) Adult: $15.00 Child*: $10.00
Family Pass (2 Adults, 2 Children aged 5-12) At the door: $40.00
Dany writes: In case you haven’t seen this yet. The Academy is considering Massive for a Scientific Achievement Award:
14 Scientific Achievements in Competition for 76th Academy Awards(R)
Beverly Hills, CA – Fourteen scientific and technical achievements have been selected for review by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards Committee for 76th Academy Awards consideration, Committee Chair Richard Edlund announced today.
“Publicizing the selections under consideration gives people or companies with a similar technology the opportunity to submit that technology for review by the Sci-Tech Committee. These additional entries are often also considered,” said Edlund.
The deadline for additional entries to be submitted to the Academy is 5 p.m., Thursday, September 25.
The methods or devices selected by the committee and the individuals or companies submitting them are:
Ultimate Director’s Finder (UDF); Kish Optics Kinoton FP 30/38 EC High Speed Studio Projector; Kinoton America Kodak Process-Surviving Film Antistatic Technology; Eastman Kodak Company Influential Work in High Dynamic Range Imaging and Image-Based-Lighting; ICT Graphics Lab Digidesign Pro Tools Digital Audio Workstation; Digidesign “Massive” Animation System; Massive Ltd. Subsurface Scattering Rendering System (SCAT); Industrial Light & Magic ESC Entertainment Lighting Reconstruction Toolkit; ESC Entertainment Truematch Compact Fluorescent Lamp Series, KF29, KF32 & KF55; Kino Flo, Inc. Cablecam’s Multi-Axis Systems; Cablecam International Series of Four Separate but Integrated Macro/Micro 8/70 & 15/70 3-D Camera Heads; Image Quest 3-D Ltd. Hot Gears Remote Systems; Salamati Productions, Inc. Digital Hybrid Wireless Microphones; Lectrosonics, Inc. Silicone Appliances (Special Makeup); Greg Cannom
A demonstration of selected achievements will be conducted on Tuesday, October 21, in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Awards Administration Director Richard Miller said the committee will meet on December 3 to vote on recommendations to the Academy’s Board of Governors, who will make the final decisions. The Scientific and Technical Awards will be presented at The Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena on Saturday, February 14, 2004.
Every week for almost 3 years I link to interesting eBay items that people may want to check out. Recently I’ve been adding this warning.
Don’t be a fool of a Took! DO NOT BID FOR ‘AUTOGRAPHED’ items! They can easily be fake!
Since then I’ve received plenty of angry letters from fans as well as eBay sellers alike asking me why I’ve placed that warning online. Well here is one story that can answer that question for you.
William writes: Thanks for listening to my story.
I agreed to purchase a lot size of dvd’s from an L. Palmer a couple months back. I sent him a check and I thought all was good. Waited and waited–nothing.
I tried the email bit–nothing. I figured the USPS just shreded the envelope and that was the end of that. WRONG My check was cashed. Now I start investigating.
This L. Pamer is also fanfestautographs.com! More research on that subject yields a whole lot of scam autographs which is how our ended up at your site. I think Viggo Mortensen had a problem with this guy. Which then gave me a name of Mike Johnson. This guy is all over the place. I also found addresses in Reno, LA, this also looks tied to a new company called photorazzi.com.
I Can’t get those people on the phone. Anyway 200+ quid (USD$320+) down the hole. Thanks for your time and reply.
UPDATE
A ton of folks have written in with comments from both sides of the fence about this topic. Here are a few:
Dreagon
Regarding the report you just did about “Mike Johnson”:
I was ripped off by the same person. I “bought” 2 LotR posters from him and they were never sent after I’d paid him. This was on ebay. He’s a monster. I am fortunate to be part of a group that is trying to find this guy (via the Police) and get him arrested, but this has been a 2 year battle. He operates out of Los Angeles, and the police there have been less than helpful.
Just thought you might like the information. Maybe warn the readers to be extra cautious when purchasing *any* LotR related merchandise on eBay.
Denise
Great link, sorry story of William. Sellers on ebay abound, I personally will not buy one that I hasn’t been given in front of my own eyes (only exception is the Topps movie cards which you can’t get unless you purchase randomly or buy a whole box of). That is why Viggo personalizes what he signs, which is JUST fine by me!!! I would NEVER consider selling the two books he autographed for me!
Jens
I can only back that story about fan-scamming.
I ordered and paid for the original big cinema teaser posters of FotR and TTT last year July from www.tolkienshop.com. Needless to say that I never received them. The owner of that side, one Rene van Rossenberg, always answered my emails with “I will send them soon” or “I didn’t get them yet”. Early July this year he promised to send a refund. He hasn’t done it yet.
His website is still claiming today, that the posters will be available soon! I didn’t loose as much money as William (thank God!), but still …
Nick
I was reading with interest your comments on buying autographed items on E-Bay and thought I would add my observations from the perspective of someone involved in the trade.
My experience is that autograph dealers tend to divide into two camps. On the one hand you have the charlatans and fraudsters. E-Bay has given this group innumerable opportunities to sell fake, forged and pirated goods, to run up prices through shill bidding or simply to take your money and disappear. I have every sympathy with anyone who has been caught out by these crooks.
On the other hand there are a good number of genuine and honest autograph dealers, who are always reliable and trustworthy and who operate by a strict code of ethics. The difficulty, of course, is in differentiating between the good and bad.
One sign of an honest dealer is that he is a member of a professional association such as the Universal Autograph Collector’s Club (UACC). The UACC home page (http://www.uacc.org/) offers useful advice on buying autographs over the internet. It lists the UACC registered dealers selling through E-Bay (http://www.uacc.org/rdebay.htm); and for those who do not abide by the code of ethics or pretend to be a registered dealer when they are not, there is a “Hall of Shame”(http://www.uacc.org/hallofshame.htm)
Another useful site is Autographs 101(http://www.autographs101.com/). This site also offers a list of E-Bay dealers which it considers honest and trustworthy (http://www.autographs101.com/ebaydealers/index.cfm?CFID=3886207&CFTOKEN=59188887). It also offers a lengthy guide to buying autographs on E-bay with tips on avoiding the tricksters (http://www.autographs101.com/tips/index.cfm?CFID=3886207&CFTOKEN=59188887).
To sum up, it is quite possible to buy genuine autographs at reasonable prices on E-Bay, but it is important to do your homework beforehand to avoid being duped.
