Chris_Matt_OscarParty2013Welcome Ringer to the most innovative and fun live webcast this side of the River Bruinen! Our live show TORn TUESDAY, which starts in half an hour, features Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway and special guest actor Matt Musgrove (who stormed the stage during our Oscar Party), covering all the recent news in the world of Tolkien fandom. We will revisit the wonderment of WonderCon from this past weekend, dish the dirt on the stunning DVD Hobbit sales this week, and offer a glimpse into the future of how dragons may appear (or not appear) in future advertising for THE HOBBIT Trilogy! You can pop into our Barliman’s Chat Room that is built-into our Live Event page here, bring your questions and comments during our webcast! The fun begins at 5:00pm Pacific Daylight Time (that’s in about half an hour, folks) right here — we’ll see you there! Follow Cliff on Twitter at @Quickbeam2000 and you can follow Matt at @MUSGROVIA

WonderCon Anaheim 1HAPPY EASTER and welcome to WonderCon! Join us today as we bring amazing Hobbity goodness to all the attendees waiting for a real insider’s scoop! Today, March 31st, join TORn Staffers Garfeimao and Clifford “Quickbeam” Broadway at WonderCon in Anaheim, California, for our special panel presentation at 12:00pm PDT in Room 207. The panel is titled TheOneRing.net’s Unauthorized Sneak Peek: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. This will be a wildly fun discussion regarding all things Hobbit… with special insights from those who have been on the New Zealand sets!

WonderCon is one of three conventions hosted by Comic Con International, the others being APE (Alternative Press Expo) and San Diego Comic-Con. Wondercon follows the same general format as San Diego Comic Con, but on a much smaller size, making it easier to attend the panels you wish and still have time to shop. It is returning to the Anahim Convention Center for the second year while the Moscone Center in San Francisco is getting a major renovation. If you have had problems getting into San Diego Comic Con the last few years, this is a really great alternative. See you all on Sunday.

WonderCon Anaheim 1Beginning this Friday, March 29 through Sunday, March 31 will be Wondercon, in Anaheim for a second straight year. TheOneRing.net will be hosting a panel on Sunday at Noon in room 207. The panel is titled “TheOneRing.net’s Unauthorized Sneak Peek: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”. Come join us for a lively discussion regarding all things Hobbit on Easter Sunday.

 

WonderCon is one of three conventions hosted by Comic Con International, the others being APE (Alternative Press Expo) and San Diego Comic Con. Wondercon follows the same general format as San Diego Comic Con, but on a much smaller size, making it easier to attend the panels you wish and still have time to shop. It is returning to the Anahim Convention Center for the second year while the Moscone Center in San Francisco is getting a major renovation. If you have had problems getting into San Diego Comic Con the last few years, this is a really great alternative. See you all on Sunday.

 

the-hobbit-jrr-tolkienTolkien fans in Southern California will have an embarrassment of events to attend to share their love of all things Tolkien. From conventions and film screenings to enjoying the source material, here is a little rundown of events to attend and enjoy in the month of March.

First up is a Literary based Science Fiction convention in San Diego called Condor, taking place this weekend. TheOneRing.net will be hosting several discussions on Saturday and Sunday about The Hobbit, TheOneRing.net and Middle-earth. This weekend will be full of lots of interactive programming, so come on down and join in the fun.

On the following weekend, the American Cinematheque will be hosting a screening of The Hobbit and the LOTR Trilogy in a full day and night Middle-earth Marathon. This will be on Saturday, March 16 at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica. TheOneRing.net will be there to talk Tolkien, run trivia contests and play a game or two. And to help some lucky Tolkien fan to OD on Middle-earth, we have a pair of tickets to give away. Go to our Event Page on Facebook, RSVP to attend the screening and leave a message stating how you plan to survive the 15 hours or so that this marathon will take, and we’ll randomly award a pair of tickets to one lucky person. Hurry, this contest will close on Saturday at Midnight.

Just a week later, on March 23, Tolkien Forever will be hosting their annual Tolkien Reading Day event. This event is typically held on March 25, the Middle-earth New Year  after the Destruction of the Ring. But March 25 is a Monday, so the event in Los Angeles was moved to the Saturday before, and is going to be at what looks to be a wicked cool used bookstore in Downtown LA called The Last Bookstore. Selections of Tolkien’s wide range of works will be read to any and all who show up, spreading the love for his written word. Visit the Facebook Event Page to see more details.

The final event for So Cal Tolkien fans to attend and enjoy will be Wondercon in Anaheim at the end of the month. This convention is typically held in San Francisco, but moved to Anaheim last year and this year because Moscone Center in San Fran has been undergoing renovations. Wondercon is a spin off from San Diego Comic Con and is run in a similar manner, but on a much smaller scale, making it more accessible for fans to enjoy all that the con has to offer. TheOneRing.net will have a panel at Wondercon, but the schedule is still pending, we will announce when and where you can find as soon as we know.

And there you have it, 4 weekends of Tolkien fandom, fun and friendship. What more could wee little Hobbits hope for?

 

Greetings all Ringers!  By now you now that WonderCon has moved for 2012 down to Anaheim, providing a new opportunity for the dedicated volunteer staff of TORn to bring their sunny best to a rainy weekend in Southern California!

We open the festivities with our much anticipated panel on THE HOBBIT at 12:30pm today… check out the Programming Schedule here:

“12:30-1:30 TheOneRing.net Hobbit Movie Insider’s Preview— Ringers everywhere are eagerly awaiting Peter Jackson’s new Hobbit films during the 75th anniversary year of the book’s publication! Staff writers and scholars from TheOneRing.net web portal invite you to join this lively panel revealing film production surprises and a zealous shredding of rumors! Led by Clifford Broadway (Ringers: Lord of the Fans), Josh Rubinstein (Star Trek: TNG Blu-ray), Cathy Udovch (Cruise to Middle-earth), and Mike Urban (The People’s Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien). Room 207

We are also joined by the legendary Larry Curtis – MrCere – who recently went down to visit the New Zealand production and has a first-hand account.  With tons of juicy bits and some fun surprises, you’re sure to get your Hobbity fix on your first day at WonderCon! Come join us in Room 207!

Welcome to the first “Getting to know…” questions that need answering.  It’s based on the old Getting to know you threads that I used to post on the message boards here, so those familiar with them will know that the questions can be a little crazy and the answers even crazier.

This month we’re asking questions of our favourite Ent, and Host of TORn Tuesday, Quickbeam.

Once again, thank you for agreeing to take part in all of this Quickbeam.

Me: Remembering, of course, that your beautiful kitty passed on just before you left for “Where the Stars are Strange“. Do you have any cats or other pets?

Quickbeam: Ah yes, that was a blow. I remember very clearly how I wanted to just “close up shop” when my little feline friend died. The thought of pleasurable vacationing in New Zealand seemed out of bounds, but obviously I went. Perhaps that is a normal response for anyone who has taken guardianship of an animal… those are the bonds of love that are peculiarly the strongest. The idea then came to me of how I might be sharing my unique trip to Middle-earth with the spirit of my lost friend. Somehow it was therapeutic and indulgent at the same time.

Continue reading “Getting to know Quickbeam”

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.