In our latest episode of the Collecting The Precious Podcast, we are chatting about the amazing collectibles that we saw during San Diego Comic-Con 2024 from Weta Workshop, Vanderstelt Studio, Diamond Select Toys, Iron Studios, and Cliff Cramp Illustration. We’ll be discussing what we hope to see as we work towards next years SDCC, and we’ll also talk about Jim’s first time attending SDCC.
As always thanks for watching and taking the time to support what we do here at TheOneRing.net.
It’s already been a week since San Diego Comic-Con , which was an expected crammed full with good things for Tolkien fans. Here’s a look back on all the Middle-earth related happenings from SDCC 2024.
Panels
Hall H
On Friday morning Prime Video took over Hall H. Fans who made it through the long wait in line were treated to an opening montage of clips from Prime Video shows – which included little snippets of Season 2 of The Rings of Power which had not yet been seen elsewhere. The 10am slot was an hour of irreverent fun from the cast of The Boys; this was followed by The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hour.
TORn friends in line for Hall H!
Bear McCreary, drummers and male voices got this off to a great start, with compelling music from Season 2. Immediately after that, a clip played – which, interestingly, was our first time hearing the name Annatar spoken on screen. (He isn’t named as such in the current trailer – which was shown later during the hour.)
Host Yvette Nicole Brown was joined on stage by many cast members. Present were:
Showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne
Cyntha Addai-Robinson (Míriel)
Robert Aramayo (Elrond)
Maxim Baldry (Isildur)
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel)
Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir)
Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor)
Trystan Gravelle (Pharazon)
Ema Horvath (Eärien)
Tyroe Muhafidin (Theo)
Sophia Nomvete (Disa)
Lloyd Owen (Elendil)
Megan Richards (Poppy)
Charlie Vickers (Sauron)
Benjamin Walker (Gil-galad)
Daniel Weyman (The Stranger)
And joining them a little later – Sam Hazeldine (who takes over the role of Adar, from Joseph Mawle) and Robert Strange (the orc Glug).
Host Yvette Nicole Brown with Charlie Vickers, Morfydd Clark, and Benjamin Walker
The showrunners talked about how Season 2 is ‘Charlie vs Charlie’ – the collaboration which becomes confrontation between Sauron and Celebrimbor. Morfydd Clark said she thought Galadriel had perhaps learned, in Season 1, ‘Don’t trust handsome men!’ Robert Aramayo remarked on Elrond’s complicated relationship with Galadriel – that he feels she has made mistakes, but ultimately believes her to be a force for good.
We were treated to some fabulous behind the scenes footage, showing the forging of the rings. Lloyd Owen spoke of the battle for the soul of Númenor which we would see starting in Season 2 – and of Elendil’s own battle between his love for his country and his love for his daughter.
It was confirmed that the spider seen in the trailer is none other than Shelob. Megan Richards hinted at a possible romance for the Harfoot Poppy, and Sophia Nomvete shared that we would get more powerful singing from her, as Disa resonates the stone in Khazad-dûm.
Audience questions
In answers to the questions posed to the ensemble from the floor, showrunner McKay said yes, there is ‘room for Glorfindel’ in The Rings of Power – and possibly even Ungoliant? Ismael Cruz Córdova said, when asked if there was a chance that Arondir could be Theo’s real father, that though the Elf is not Theo’s Dad, he does step into a fatherhood role in this season.
In another clip shown, we saw artist John Howe sketching all of the rings of power. To end an amazing hour, Ben Walker confirmed that Gil-galad sings in the show; and then he stepped up and gave us an example of his wonderful Elvish singing.
Friday evening’s panel
Room 25 ABC was packed out for TheOneRing.net’s panel, where we were joined by some very special guests. TORn staffers on the panel were Justin Sewell and Clifford Scott Broadway (familiar to followers from TORn Tuesday); Josh Long and Jim Wert (‘Collecting the Precious’); and moderator Kirsten Cairns (aka greendragon). Guest Matt Graf (Nerd of the Rings) joined them.
From L to R: John Mayo, Josh, Jim, Matt Graf, Lee Guinchard, Cliff, Justin, Jason DeMarco, Joseph Chou, Kirsten
The panel began by welcoming to the stage producers from The War of the Rohirrim, Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou. They set up exclusive footage, kindly provided by Warner Bros. for us to show at the panel. Gaia Wise (who voices Héra in the film) had a video greeting for TORn, and this was followed by a lovely message from producer Philippa Boyens. And then we got our first glimpse of the movie. (Sorry we can’t share you with it here – but the buzz in the room was epic!)
De Marco and Chou were generous in their answering of questions, explaining why Héra seemed the ideal choice of character to tie together the various threads of the story; why anime is an ideal format for telling a tale from Middle-earth; and how they decided to hire many British stage actors for the voice work, as they feel anime needs the ‘bigger’ acting style used on stage. They also talked about how it was a true collaboration amongst all the artists involved, but how Kenji Kamiyama and Peter Jackson have quite different styles – and ultimately, it is Kamiyama’s vision we will see on screen.
DeMarco and Chou then left the stage, and the audience were treated to some exclusive new images from the upcoming game Tales of the Shire. We were then honoured to welcome, from Middle-earth Enterprises, VP of Creative and Product Development John Mayo, and none other than the President, Lee Guinchard. Middle-earth Enterprises own the licensing rights – originally sold by Tolkien himself – to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This means they are involved in all the gaming and film adaptations, as well as the licensed merchandise out there. (TheOneRing.net is licensed by Middle-earth Enterprises.)
Not surprisingly, Guinchard wasn’t giving anything away when we asked him about the upcoming film The Hunt for Gollum; but he did say he was excited for the project. He was keen to emphasize how Middle-earth Enterprises take seriously their custody of Tolkien’s creation, and that they approach each license with exacting standards, and with love for the Professor’s realm. He even hinted that he perhaps sometimes lurks in TORn’s message boards or Discord chat!
We could have talked for much longer, both to the producers from Warner Bros. and the gents from Middle-earth Enterprises. But alas, time ran out. We’re so grateful to all the guests who appeared on our panel, and who provided content. Special thanks to WB for providing some of the first official The War of the Rohirrim ‘swag’ for folks who were in the audience.
I am No Man: the Creative Women of Middle-earth
This panel took place on Saturday afternoon, in room 5AB – and rather than telling you about it, how about you watch it yourself? Moderator TORn staffer Kellie Rice was joined by women leaders from Weta Workshop, EA games, Wizards of the Coast, and Middle-earth Enterprises; hear what they had to say in this video of the panel:
Party
TheOneRing.net were honoured to co-host, with Prime Video, The Rings of Power Middle-earth Moot! Venue 808 was beautifully decorated, with photo opportunities and with stunning costumes on show. All of the rings of power (apart from the ONE ring) were on display to be ooh’d and aah’d over by party goers; and some lucky fans had an opportunity to meet the cast, and have a poster autographed.
Beautiful cosplay was worn by some attendees, and a good time was had by all. Enjoy some photographs (thanks for Ellen Monocroussos for taking some of these):
TheOneRing.net Booth
We were delighted to be joined at our booth this year by Nerd of the Rings Matt Graf, and Jordan Rannells, creator of A Long Expected Soundscape. Fans were excited to meet Matt, and his shirts and caps sold out. The Long Expected Soundscape was perhaps unexpected for many fans – but folks loved having the opportunity to experience the atmospheric audio world created by Rannells. No less a person than Bear McCreary himself was wowed by what he heard! (Find out more about Rannells’ amazing work, here.)
Composers Bear McCreary and Jordan Rannells at TORn’s booth
Staffer Kellie Rice, aka Happy Hobbit, was also at the booth – and her shirts, along with TORn’s ‘Gollum/Smeagol ’24’ election shirt, all sold out as well.
The maestro of Middle-earth, Jed Brophy, thrilled fans throughout the convention, with amazing tales of hijinks and heroics on set (for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit movies, AND The Rings of Power!) We were also joined by many other special guests over the course of the weekend; Knewbettadobetta worked with Matt to host a brilliant trivia session, and fans were delighted to chat with Tea with Tolkien and The Tolkien Professor.
And that was a wrap for SDCC 2024! Next stop, DragonCon; if you’re hoping to snag one of our sold out ‘Gollum/Smeagol ’24’ shirts, that will be your opportunity! We look forward to seeing our fellow fans there. Meanwhile, big thanks to all who partied, chatted, and celebrated the Middle-earth fandom with us in San Diego.
Don’t forget, you can always hang out with your fellow fans at TheOneRing Discord – see you there!
Earlier this year, toy manufacturer Funko released a series of The Lord of the Rings figures in its ‘Bitty POP!’ format. Today they announced the expansion of this line to create a ‘Bittyverse’. The manufacturers say, ‘A refreshing extension of the core Bitty POP! line, Bittyverse focuses on enhancing the playability of the miniature Funko products by inviting fans to mix and match with new, IP-driven Rides, Towns and Displays.’ In The Lord of the Rings line, this means their Frodo Baggins figure gets his own Hobbit hole.
Part of the ‘Bitty POP Town’ range, the Hobbit hole is released today and retails for $9.99. Official details:
Your favorite The Lord of the Rings POP! collectibles have been shrunk into Bitty POP! collectibles. Expand your collection with Bitty POP! Town Frodo Baggins™ with the Ring and the Shire! Bitty POP! figure is packaged in a hard acrylic display case with a detachable bottom lid. The detachable bottom lid doubles as an acrylic base, to which the Bitty POP! figure is adhered. Remove this exclusive Bitty POP! Frodo Baggins™ from his display case so he can step inside the Bitty POP! Town The Shire! Vinyl figures are approximately 0.9 and 2-inches tall.
A bit more information about the Bittyverse, from Funko’s press release:
Taking the tiny figures to the next level of play, Bitty POP! Rides let fans take new Bittys on the “open” road with IP-specific Rides. Fans can also utilize new releases to drive into Bitty POP! Towns, which offer a variety of iconic IP-inspired buildings and locations. Each Town comes with a related Bitty POP! and case that can be placed within the Town. The latest releases allow fans to create endless combinations and run wild with their imaginations as they have the opportunity to place any Bitty POP! in a Bitty Ride or Town!
Funko POP! collectors will be delighted by these adorable additions to the Bittyverse. We wonder if eventually Frodo will get his own Bill the Pony ‘Bitty POP! Ride’…?
If you’re a fan, like I am, of the awesome figures our friends at Diamond Select Toys are doing, and you’re going to be at Comic-Con this year, you’ll want to make sure you get this.
This year their exclusive collectible representing The Lord of the Rings, is a fantastic looking deluxe version figurine of Gimli. From the images we have been provided, a number of hands, weapons, and two head sculpts are included with the figurine.
Con attendees will be able to grab this for $40 at the show, and, if any are left, you can get them on Diamond Select the Monday after the Con.
We’re delighted to reveal a special collaboration we’ve worked on with our friends at Oscha: TheOneRing.net 25th Anniversary mug! Now available for pre-order.
This beautiful mug has on one side Oscha’s own ‘Doors of Durin’ design, and on the other, TORn’s special 25th Anniversary logo:
The mugs are only available as a limited edition. You can pre-order online direct from Oscha; and we’ll also have a limited quantity of mugs available for purchase in person at DragonCon this year. (Sorry, we won’t have the mugs at SDCC this week; but we will have pre-order information!) Please note, this pre-order is for a VERY limited period – it ends July 31st at 4pm BST (11am EST). So don’t delay – order this mug and celebrate the 25 years we’ve had together so far. The road goes ever on….!
TORn is excited to announce that Jerry Vanderstelt has once again created the must have of San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive collectibles.
Last year, lucky Con attendees were able to purchase one of Jerry’s amazing The Lord of the Rings Trilogy print set collectibles. This year he’s back with a beautiful trio of prints, as a set for Comic-Con 2024. The three prints consist of Aragorn, Arwen, and the beautiful symbol of Gondor. These 12×16 prints are limited to 300 pieces, and will come signed, as well as numbered. They’re a steal as well for only $40. You’ll need to get in early as these will not last the entire show!
In our latest episode of the Collecting The Precious Podcast, we are chatting about the amazing collectibles that we saw during San Diego Comic-Con 2024 from Weta Workshop, Vanderstelt Studio, Diamond Select Toys, Iron Studios, and Cliff Cramp Illustration. We’ll be discussing what we hope to see as we work towards next years SDCC, and we’ll also talk about Jim’s first time attending SDCC.
