The awesome folks at Diamond Select Toys were cool enough to send us something pretty sweet to take a look at, and let you all know what we think. As we’ve mentioned in the past, they are doing a great action figure line in the same scale, for those who collected the Toy Biz figure line when the movies were out. These figures of course are updated, and created with today’s technologies; and it shows in how cool they are. The folks at DST sent us what started out as an unlikely friendship in Legolas and Gimli. These figures are out now, and come in at a price of $29.99. If you’re like me and have a copy of their 2021 SDCC Exclusive, they’ve let folks know what the packaging will look like and you can find that here. They’ve also announced a solo Gollum figure, and shown all the cool stuff it comes with along with a price; there’s a link to the blog post mentioning that here.
Tag: Tolkien
Numenor is a central location in Amazon’s billion dollar Lord of the Rings series, and now we have the first description of the peoples of the island, thanks to the intrepid Fellowship of Fans.
Guilds as Tolkien wrote
According to leaked set reports, Numenorians have trade guilds and wear patches marking their trade allegiance according the extras on the set. This is actually true to the books and maintains #FidelityToTolkien.
This seems to confirm that Amazon has licensed stories from UNFINISHED TALES by J.R.R. Tolkien, a book posthumously edited & published by Christopher Tolkien. If we look at page 170:
Among the wrights of the Edain were weaponsmiths, and they had with the teaching of the Noldor acquired great skill in the forging of swords, of axe-blades, and of spearheads and knives. Swords the Guild of Weaponsmiths still made, for the preservation of the craft, though most of their labour was spent on the fashioning of tools for the uses of peace.
Unfinished Tales
Numenor is like Themyscira?
Further in Unfinished Tales it describes a horse & bow culture similar to what movie audiences have recently seen in Wonder Woman. With lead WW stuntwoman Dayna Grant recently in the news, it’s not too much of a stretch to consider her skillset is perfect for how Tolkien describes Numenorians:
The King and most of the great chieftains possessed swords as heirlooms of their fathers; and at times they would still give a sword as a gift to their heirs. A new sword was made for the King’s Heir to be given to him on the day on which this title was conferred. But no man wore a sword in Numenor, and for long years few indeed were the weapons of warlike intent that were made in the land. Axes and spears and bows they had, and shooting with bows on foot and on horseback was a chief sport and pastime of the Numenoreans.
Unfinished Tales
A review is never late, fellow Ringers; it arrives precisely when it means to! Our friends at Asmus Toys sent us this awesome Gandalf the Grey Crown Series figure to review. The first thing we want to do is thank them! Gandalf is easily one of the coolest 1:6 figures I’ve owned. The headsculpt alone is worth the price ($350, if you want to know…), and when you add all the other detailing aspects you get one heck of a great figure. He’s out now, so you should be able to order him and have him quite quickly to your door, ready to invite you on an adventure.
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.
Ode to Elanor
By D.McGlinchey Elanor, my star flower, my beautiful golden sun. From lonely isles did your namesake travel to bring beauty and joy from afar. Elf Child, though of Halfling kin, fair beauty of the Shire. Your grace and wisdom outshines them all and your laughter a Dragon would halt. Blessed with the grace of the Valar you glow. Though hard was the road that led to your being,I never faltered nor forsook the dreams I made. I traveled there and back again to make true those distant dreams. And I did. With you Elanor. My star flower. My beautiful golden sun.
~ * ~
A poem of “Riddles in the Dark”
by MA Corkery Riddles in darkness, hobbit and ring What object is this? Have I found some new bling? It’s shiny, and gold and I think very old But there is something more to it that can’t quite be told Will it bring power, joy, or wealth? Can it save me from this dark goblin house? These questions, they run in my mind as I ask, “What have I got in my pocket?” Riddles in darkness, hobbit and ring What is this creature, this non-goblin thing? Is it tasty, will it be a good snack? My precious let’s see and then swiftly attack Now it is riddles: teeth, daisies, and time We’ll answer his questions and then he’ll be mine But wait, where have you gone? Did I lose you somehow? My precious where are you, I cry out aloud I look at this morsel, this non-goblin thing Just maybe, perhaps, he has taken my ring Riddles in darkness, hobbit, and ring I am one step closer to my dark lord and king The darkness is coming, he’ll find me I know And in the darkness binding he’ll grow and he’ll grow Riddles in darkness, hobbit and ring Remember with winter there is always a spring No matter the darkness, no matter the might There will always be hope and good fighting the fight
~ * ~
Keep The Faith
by Michael Amos Though bird in shire and toad in hollow share their daily cries Dark forces incessantly wallow chanting so he flies It’s never good to lose your sight of things that truly matter For there’s a fight tween wrong and right the falling swords a-clatter. The day is new and offers all the chance to make a choice The very things that fill us up and cause us to rejoice! So why are we so very willing at the least resistance To tattle, harp and creak our spilling complaints every instant? It’s ours to mourn the loss of power swelling loves true ranks When all our whinging melancholy has us walking planks. The remedy is simple dear, and never once you doubt it You’re the one who moves your eyes and never should you floutt it. Here the birds and all the frogs who’s siren song declares The sun is coming! Build your life and share with us your wares The evil waits for you to fake your focus on a whim So, always know it’s on your watch you give a chance to him. Remember love, and luck and joy and fight with all you’ve got To grow, and know, and pluck your vision from the twisted knot Of everything that blocks your way and dance aside so lightly You’re a living song of ever loving will so mighty The shire is true, The sky is blue The stakes are oh, so high Let’s herald one more chance To make the best of life, it’s nigh.
~ * ~
Yesterday our friends at Weta Workshop delivered something many of us long-time collectors wanted to see, but never thought we would. For years we wanted a Bilbo Baggins sitting at his desk, as you see him during the opening events of The Fellowship of the Ring. Now, fans not only have one superb piece; there are actually two amazing options, depending on how you want to go. If collectors want not just Bilbo at his desk, but also want some of Bag End as well, then you’ll want to go for the limited edition. This piece is up for PO right now through June 21st. This will determine the edition size of Bilbo, which comes with a price tag of $1,299. If you just want Bilbo at his desk, you can order the classic series version, which is an open edition piece for $349. Both versions are not shipping until the first quarter of next year. No matter what route you go, this is going to be one of those pieces that create conversations about your collection.
We’re happy to announce as a surprise tomorrow our friends Diamond Select Toys will be launching series 4 of their awesome The Lord of the Rings figure line.
Gandalf the Grey makes his debut in the line, with his staff and his sword Glamdring, and the other figure in the assortment is a customizable Uruk-hai, including multiple interchangeable heads and weapons. Each features over 16 points of articulation, and each comes packaged in a full-color window box. Designed by Eamon O’Donoghue, sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios. These figures go up for pre-order tomorrow and with a price tag of $29.99.
Like last year, there will be no in-person San Diego Comic-Con this summer. That hasn’t stopped our friends DST from creating something very cool! This exclusive two-pack of Lord of the Rings action figures lets the cat out of the bag, showing Frodo in his completely invisible mode, wearing the Ring of Sauron. Standing right next to him is Gollum, who looks upset about someone stealing his ‘precious’. Each 4-inch action figure features multiple points of articulation, as well as detailed sculpting and paint applications. Limited to only 4,000 pieces, the pair comes packaged in a replica of an opening book, along with Gollum’s boat. Designed by Eamon O’Donoghue, sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios. This item can be pre-ordered right from Gentle Giant’s website for $49.99.