Middle Earth News

~Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Reveals Guardians of Middle-earth, an Authentic Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Game for Console Systems
Debuting Exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network in Fall 2012
BURBANK, Calif.--May 30, 2012--

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announces Guardians of Middle-earth, a new multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Monolith Productions, set to debut in Fall 2012 exclusively for Xbox LIVE(R) Arcade for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation(R)Network. The game will feature tie-ins to the upcoming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey motion picture, directed by Peter Jackson and a production of New Line Cinema and MGM.

Guardians of Middle-earth brings up to 10 players together in five versus five competitive multiplayer battle arenas in the epic setting of Middle-earth. The game offers more than 20 iconic guardians, including Gandalf, Sauron, Gollum, Thrain and many more, for players to control in player versus player (PVP) matches. Gamers will have the ability to connect with other players via an in-game voice communication system, as well as access to a comprehensive online stat and leader board system where they can track friends' victories and defeats, and more. [More]

~Fandalf the travelling Gandalf nears the end of his journey!
You may remember this story from summer of last year: 'Fandalf' the travelling Gandalf statue (well, two of him actually...) was making his way around America and around Europe, stopping with fans in many different places and posing with famous landmarks. With San Diego ComicCon 2012 being the final stop on Fandalf's journey, he has just over a month to go; so we thought readers might like an update on his travels!

The statue (made by Sideshow/Weta) which is travelling around America made his way over to the East coast. He was recently in Atlanta, followed by a few stops in New England (Rhode Island, Boston and Concord). Right now he's winging his way (courtesy of a friendly eagle!) over to Ohio. The European Fandalf has been to various places in Germany, Belgium, France and Italy. The wonderful pictures hosting fans have taken can be seen at flickr.com -- search for images tagged 'Gandalf World Tour'. Many thanks to all who have hosted Fandalf -- it's great to think of fans all over the world mooting with the Grey Wizard!

As we draw closer to the release of the first Hobbit movie, San Diego ComicCon promises to be full of excitement and Middle-earth goodness! Fandalf's return from his travels and merry meetings with fans will be a wonderful part of these 'Hobbit Eve' celebrations.

Note from the Mods: We would like to invite the moderators of other fandom communities to become 'reporters' or 'scouts' for middleearthnews. All we ask is that you send us formatted updates on your own communities for posting here.

tolkien_weekly (drabbles) updates:

For a Glad World (Melkor, Nienna, Estë, Sauron, Elves; PG) by huinare

Balin's Colony -- Year One: Day Sixteen (Balin, Ori; G) by huinare

The Long Road Home, Part 1 (Celebrían; G) by curiouswombat

hobbitfilmfic updates:

Caught! (Bilbo, Fredegar Chubb, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins; G) by morethanacandle

sons_of_gondor updates from co-mod., caras_galadhon:
Saturday, May 26 through Thursday, May 31 inclusive.

Heat by alex_quine
(Aragorn/Boromir; 15; The city slumbers and the Lord Steward waits.)

Mad about the boy: Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 by peersrogue
(Viggo/Sean; 15; New York and Long Island early June 1938.)

While these are the LotR FPF and RPF fics/art that have been posted to sons_of_gondor this week, the mods would like to remind everyone that the comm also carries other FPF/RPF featuring the Gondorian actors in non-LotR roles.

middleearthnews

From mews1945:

Tol_Eressëa, a new Frodo/Sam and Sean/Elijah community, is up and running on Dreamwidth.

ink_gypsy posted a new part to a Round-Robin Sean/Elijah fic. Elijah is surprised when a piece of his past catches up. Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Two, Part 16 (No Rating).

lbilover posted a Sean/Elijah ficlet about regrets and second chances. Cannes Mystery Man (PG).

All entries to Read LotR Aloud: Book Three, Chapters 1 & 2 are here.

aliensouldream has created a new community called hobbitmoot. Membership is by mod-approval.

For Tolkien Weekly, silverstarspray posted a tale of Frodo. One Word at a Time (G).

claudia603 posted a Frodo and Aragorn h/c drabble. Cuddle (G).

~Origins of Dragons
Since Melkor did not have the ability to create life, only breed new forms of existing life, what or where did the dragons come from?

~Why does Smeagol talk the way he does?
I'm referring to how he speaks to Deagol...calling him, "My love," and referring to himself as "us." I think we would all expect anyone that bore the Ring for so long to be rather peculiar, but this was before he possessed it. I don't recall any other character in Tolkien's works speaking in this manner.

~Collecting The Precious -- Dark Rider of Mordor Premium Format
That's right, it's time to order your Dark Rider of Mordor Premium Format Figure! Sideshow Collectibles latest entry into their The Lord of the Rings premium format line stands a massive 31" tall and weighs 23lbs! This servant of Sauron is sure to leave a lasting impression in your collection. The exclusive (only available from Sideshow directly) for this item is a switch out left hand holding a Ringwraith sword to allow for multiple display options. As expected, since this piece is so large, it comes with a price tag of $799.99 -- but it can be split up via Sideshow's unique and awesome flex-pay program before it ships in December of this year. You can split it up over 5 payments which gives you plenty of time to budget. No edition size has been announced for the Ringwraith but the exclusives usually sell out quickly, so order today! [Pre-Order]

From estelanui:

~Ents
Individual Ents, origin of the Ents, Entwives, and images.

juliebeth

curiouswombat

frolijahfan

febobe

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, lotrcons!

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY, etharei and girlofring!

From grimnir1:

Dominic Monaghan talks new film ‘The Day’
George Stromboulopoulos has Dominic Monaghan, Merry in “Lord of the Rings,” for a sit down. He has a nicely produced and abbreviated bio followed by lots of talk about his latest film, “The Day.” As you might expect, they also talk some rings and “Lost.” LOTR talk starts at about the 6:30 mark but the whole interview is excellent. Enjoy and if you leave comments on the YouTube page, tell them TheOneRing sent you and thanks to SushiKing for the heads up. [View the video on YouTube here]

Don’t forget! Win Tickets to See ‘One Man LOTR’ in New Jersey!
The odds are forever in your favor…oh wait, wrong movie. Anyway…last week we told you about an exclusive discount ticket offer for the upcoming Charlie Ross performance of ‘One Man Lord of the Rings’ at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and now we are reminding you that you can WIN tickets to the show! We are giving away two pairs of tickets for the June 2nd show – one pair for 3pm and one pair of 8pm. To enter, simply fill out the form below. We will randomly choose the winner on May 31st from all the eligible entrants and announce the winners right here on TheOneRing.net. Good luck to all those who live close enough to enter! (Entry form is after the break) And of course, you can purchase tickets for this universally praised and highly recommended show! [Buy Tickets] [Entry Form] [Read more]

Conan Stevens is giving away his official ‘The Hobbit’ Production Shirt!
Here’s another giveaway at TheOneRing.net ending this week…and this one is a biggy! We are 100% sure you won’t find another opportunity to win an official The Hobbit “200 days to go” long sleeve black T-shirt, supplied to the crew at the end of filming of block one. This giveaway is made possible by actor Conan Stevens (Bolg in The Hobbit) and the upcoming web series ‘The Clandestine.’ Conan has literally taken the shirt off his back to give to one lucky fan! It could not be more easy to participate –  Simply visit Bolg’s official blog (Get it? Conan plays Bolg…and its a Blog…), read the entry, and come back to TheOneRing.net to fill out the form below. To find out the answer to the contest question, you will need to watch the video on Conan’s site. (Since we have a lot of rated-G visitors, I will give you a small warning that the content of the video is playfully violent. Conan is, after all, a very large imposing actor who usually plays pretty violent roles!!) The giveaway ends at midnight on May 31st so enter asap! We’ve included a gallery of the shirt at the bottom of this post as well. Good luck! And of course, lend your support and tune in for the new web series The Clandestine! [Bolg's Blog Entry Info] [The Clandestine]

Note from the Mods: We would like to invite the moderators of other fandom communities to become 'reporters' or 'scouts' for middleearthnews. All we ask is that you send us formatted updates on your own communities for posting here.

* tolkien_weekly (drabbles) updates:
A Swift Spring (Melkor, Eönwë, Ossë, Salmar; rated G) by huinare
A Sign of Things to Come (rated G) by leianora
The sign of power (Éomer, Éothain, OCs; rated K) by dwimordene_2011

* nzstories updates:
Deadly Connections (19/25) (Viggo/ Orlando, Sean Bean, Various others; rated Nc-17) by ranger_girl0301 and nverland

* libraryofmoria updates:
The Moon Won’t Tell (Merry/Pippin; rated R) by calling_alice

The current challenge at tolkien_weekly is Writing: Notice/Sign (Inscription is also accepted.)

From lotricons:
36 LotR icons and 4 LotR wallpapers (Aragorn, Eowyn, Boromir) by ever_maedhros

* Via the TORn forums:
What was the Moria Balrog's name?
I have wondered for a long time what the real name of the Moria Balrog was. We know that balrogs did have names, like Gothmog in the First Age; but apparently no name was given for the balrog the Fellowship encounters.

This drove me mad (well, madder than usual), until I remembered that the draft for "Lord of the Rings" was written by Frodo, and then translated by Tolkien ages later. Frodo, of course, did not know as much about Middle-earth mythology as we do, and therefore he got some things wrong. Now, in Moria, it was hot, noisy, and Frodo was scared as hell. I therefore conclude that he simply misheard several things Gandalf said during the confrontation with the balrog.

Then, the truth hit me that the balrog's name was Phlaymoff U. Doon. Gandalf actually addresses him by name: "The dark fire will not avail you, Phlaymoff U. Doon" (FotR, The Bridge of Khazad-dûm). Frodo transcribed this as "Flame of Udûn", which makes no sense of all, since Udûn is a valley in the mountains of Mordor and far away from Moria.

This led me to the amazing discovery that the balrog had a wife! Her name was Tasha Dow. But once again, Frodo got it wrong when Gandalf told the balrog: "Go back to Tasha Dow!"

Your friendly middleearthnews mods are constantly on the lookout for all things LotR-related, from fics to fandom events, comics to current news. Make them happy by emailing them at middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.

From estelanui:
The Lord of the Beers, Middle-earth Beer.
"A few statistics: the words beer or ale comes up 40 times in LOTR, while wine is mentioned 25 times…."

Monday's BOOK question: What was Bagshot Row called, after the War of the Ring?
Answer: New Row. (Sharkey's End has also been deemed correct.)

frolijahfan, addie71, leianora, rakshi, periantari, dreamflower02, juliebeth, lindahoyland, namarielorien and msilverstar answered correctly.

Today's MOVIE question contributed by estelle3974: Which elf says "Isengard has been unleashed" when Saruman's army heads for Rohan?

All comments are screened so that only the mods can see the answers. Comments will be unscreened when the next edition is posted. Any comments on a different subject will be unscreened ASAP.

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY, etherealalysia!

The mods would like to wish anyone having a special day the very best. Please send your special wishes to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.

(Link contributions are welcome)

From Set Phasers to LOL:
( Cut for size )

Circulation: One thousand and fifty-five. Welcome all!

Note from the Mods: Please encourage friends on your friends list to join and send their news. If you have an announcement you would like to make, a fic you’d like to promote, a question you’d like to ask, we invite you to simply format it according to the rules on the info page and email it to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com. You do not have to be a member to post but we are an open community and encourage everyone to join now. Only the mods may initiate new posts but comments are encouraged.

• From TORn:
Mythopoeic award finalists (good reading) announced - If you’re looking for a good book to read on your summer holidays – fire up those digital readers because you’re in luck. The finalists for the 2012 Mythopoeic Awards were announced on Tuesday, May 22. Past award winners have included the Harry Potter series, Orson Scott Card for “Seventh Son” and Neil Gaiman for “Anansi Boys”. With a track record like that, you’re sure to find a quality read amongst the nominees.
The Mythopeoic Society, founded by Glen GoodKnight in October of 1967, is a group dedicated to the discussion of and the study of the literary genre of mythopoeia: authors who create an entirely “new and transformative” mythology or “incorporate and transform existing mythological material.” Specifically the society focuses on the works of Inklings members J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. Each year, since 1971, they have honored outstanding examples in both adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction studies.

Win an official ‘The Hobbit’ Production Shirt! - We here at TheOneRing.net are very excited to give our audience an exclusive chance to own one of the official The Hobbit “200 days to go” long sleeve black T-shirt, supplied to the crew at the end of filming of block one. This giveaway is made possible by actor Conan Stevens (Bolg in The Hobbit) and the upcoming web series ‘The Clandestine.’ Conan has literally taken the shirt off his back to give to one lucky fan! It could not be more easy to participate – Simply visit Bolg’s official blog (Get it? Conan plays Bolg…and its a Blog…), read the entry, and come back to TheOneRing.net to fill out the form below. To find out the answer to the contest question, you will need to watch the video on Conan’s site. (Since we have a lot of rated-G visitors, I will give you a small warning that the content of the video is playfully violent. Conan is, after all, a very large imposing actor who usually plays pretty violent roles!!) The giveaway ends at midnight on May 31st so enter asap! We’ve included a gallery of the shirt at the bottom of this post as well. Good luck!

Win Tickets for ‘One Man Lord of the Rings’ in New Jersey! - Last week we told you about an exclusive discount ticket offer for the upcoming Charlie Ross performance of ‘One Man Lord of the Rings’ at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and now we are excited to offer you a chance to WIN tickets to the show! We are giving away two pairs of tickets for the June 2nd show – one pair for 3pm and one pair of 8pm. To enter, simply fill out the form below. We will randomly choose the winner on May 31st from all the eligible entrants and announce the winners right here on TheOneRing.net. Good luck to all those who live close enough to enter! (Entry form is after the break) And of course, you can purchase tickets for this universally praised and highly recommended show!

Happy 90th Birthday Saruman…err…Christopher Lee! - Living legend Sir Christopher Lee was born in Belgravia, Westminster, England on May 27th 1922 – making him exactly 90 years old today. We all know his work as Saruman in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films, but did you know Sir Lee holds the world record for most film acting roles ever – a whopping 275 films! (and he just keeps going) We at TheOneRing.net would like to offer a good pint of well-earned ale as a toast to a true master of his craft! A better portrayal of Saruman there will never be! Cheers!
And for a great read, including some wonderful LOTR related trivia, check the 90 reasons Christopher Lee is awesome at MovieFone.com.

Video report from Middle-earth Weekend, Sarehole Mill - am wrote in with a video he posted at YouTube from the recently passed annual Middle-earth Weekend in Birmingham near Sarehole Mill, famously a site of inspiration for Tolkien. The video, shot by Ian Fish with photography from Ellie Gibbons is an 11-minute taste of the weekend which doesn’t feel dramatically different from fan gatherings around the world, except that it takes place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s childhood stomping grounds. Included are costumes, interviews and a look at the mill that will seem familiar to readers of “The Hobbit,” and “Lord of the Rings.” Enjoy!

TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – May 27, 2012 - Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun!

Note from the Mods: We would like to invite the moderators of other fandom communities to become ‘reporters’ or ‘scouts’ for middleearthnews. All we ask is that you send us formatted updates on your own communities for posting here.

• tolkien_weekly (drabbles) updates:
-- Gnawed Bone-Close (Melkor, Glaurung, Ungoliant, Gothmog, Sauron, Rating: PG, Regarding the consumption habits of those under siege) by huinare

• From Faramir Fiction Archive:
New this week at the Faramir Fiction Archive, the archive that welcomes all fiction and art in which Faramir plays a major part, be it gen, het and slash, of any rating, in any language:
• Troubled Times by J_Flattermann (Rating: NC-17; with Faramir & Éomer; Sequel to Stealing Time, An Unexpected Visitor and Henneth Annûn.; Warnings: Character death; 3555 words)
• If instead of these weekly updates, you'd rather hear about new Faramir fics and pics right away, you can friend faramirarchive
• If you have gen, het or slash fiction or art featuring Faramir that you'd like to share, please contact us at admin@faramirfiction.com -- we'd love to have it!

• athelingas:
The Moon Won’t Tell (Merry/Pippin, Rating: R, Now that Merry and Pippin have a moment on their journey, they reflect on how much has changed, for worst… and for better. Warnings: Unbetaed. Slightly explicit sexual activity and mentions of character death) by calling_alice

• fffc:
-- Purpuraphobia (Orlijah, Rating: PG, Apparently they haven’t really known each other) by i_o_r_h_a_e_l
-- Eleutherophobia (Dom/Elijah, Rating: PG, Elijah wants to go public, but Dom's afraid) by moit

• lotr_fic_recs: 2012 Challenges: July through December
Here are the challenges for the remainder of 2012, for those of you who wish to think ahead!
July: Fixed-Length Ficlets. Theme is a quote (from Sam Keen): "Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." The author will choose a number from 101 to 400 to use as the length of the story.
August: Non-Fiction. no theme or prompts.
September: Theme: The number "75" in honor of the anniversary of The Hobbit. The number will be used in the stories. Prompt undecided.
October: Theme: Autumn Prompt undecided.
November: Theme: "A River Runs Through It". River names will be the prompts.
December: Yule Fic Exchange.

• From morethanacandle - Caught! (Bilbo Baggins, Fredegar Chubb and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, Rating: PG, he did try ...)

• Links from mews1945:
-- moit More of her Orlijah story of a first-love relationship, "Falling For the First Time." Elijah takes Orli to meet his family. Chapter 6, Chapter 7 and Chapter 8
-- frodosweetstuff A delightful Frodo/Sam ficlet. Sam brings Frodo his birthday gifts. Happy Birthday
-- cimorene Sam has started having nightmares, after many long years, when memories of the quest return to him, but not all of the dreams are bad. Over There (F/S Valinor ficlet)
Thanks, Mews!

• Via TORn Forums: Movie Discussion - The Hobbit
Expand entire thread Do you think PJ and co will include more of the ‘quirks’ and small moments of the source material this time around? We know their adding stuff from the appendices, expanding on what’s in the book, and making a few things up (although much is based on rumours), but what about the central story? Do you think they will stick closer to Tolkien’s work this time around? i.e. maintain more of the ‘small and iconic’ moments and events…or change events to fit in with the trilogy more? Personally with 2 films at their disposal I’m hoping they do, but not sure they will.
I still maintain the LOTR trilogy was by and large a great trilogy and a fairly commendable adaptation (Mind you I saw the film’s before reading the book so I guess I have different opinions to some…but I DEFINITELY prefer the books) to me at least there was no way, and not much sense in making it a more thorough adaptation for a wider audience (too long, too detailed, and too many characters for non-book readers) whilst still maintaining a well-paced trilogy. Fewer of the iconic scenes (Tom Bombadil, Scouring of the shire, Glorfindel, fog on the barrow downs etc) were completely relevant or needed in the main plot for non-book readers, even if all were great
But with the Hobbit, it’s such a short, different simple book in comparison; in many cases I can’t think of excuses for events or characters to be missed out (It’s not exactly as complex as the follow up…) - although almost all my favourite scenes or lines link with the ‘fairy-tale tone’ of the book, in most cases they are also essential to the main plot. …

• From lotrips_finders:
arcadii - Two Aragorn/Legolas mpregs - I'm looking for two Aragorn/Legolas mpregs. I don't remember their names, but I believe they both take place after the ring war and A/L have settled into a happy life in Gondor. I think they're in Aragorn's study and the king is disturbed to find his elf is being affected by the cold and is overjoyed when he finds that the cause is Legolas is pregnant. I think the sequel takes place over the Yule holiday and Thranduil has come for a visit. He, Legolas and Aragorn are making special decorations for the tree out of colored paper? I'm sorry for the meager details, but that's all that I can remember. I hope someone can help me find them. There are so few good mpreg stories out there that are finished and I remember enjoying these very much.

Lords of the Rhymes - Middle Earth hip-hop outfit putting out rhymes inspired by Lord of the Rings. Welcome to the official Lords of the Rhymes website. We are Bombadil and Quickbeam, and we bring it heavy - hobbit style.

Today's BOOK question contributed by elanorgardner: What was Bagshot Row called, after the War of the Ring?

All comments are screened so that only the mods can see the answers. Comments will be unscreened when the next edition is posted. Any comments on a different subject will be unscreened ASAP.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY pearlette!!!

The mods would like to wish anyone having a special day the very best. Please send your special wishes to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.

(Link contributions are welcome)

From grimnir1:
( cut for size… )

~Collecting The Precious -- Sideshow Collectibles Ringwraith Premium Format
In today's Sideshow Collectible newsletter Ringers get a chance to view a preview of an upcoming Premium Format for The Lord of the Rings. The character -- or I should say characters -- making the jump into the 1:4 Premium Format line will be the Ringwraith on his very scary steed. Fans will be getting a chance to preview this item on May 29th and then pre-order what should be an amazing collectible on Thursday, May 31st. Once the preview goes up with more information we will let you know! [Click Here]

Note from the Mods: We would like to invite the moderators of other fandom communities to become 'reporters' or 'scouts' for middleearthnews. All we ask is that you send us formatted updates on your own communities for posting here.

athelingas updates:

The Moon Won't Tell (Merry/Pippin; R) by calling_alice

tolkien_weekly (drabbles) updates:

Oh For a Quiet Muse! (Bilbo; G) by kortirion

oeam updates:

Deadly Connections (Part 18/25; Viggo/Orlando, Sean Bean; NC-17) by ranger_girl0301 and nverland

sons_of_gondor updates from co-mod., caras_galadhon:
Saturday, May 19 through Friday, May 25 inclusive.

Troubled Times by j_flattermann
(Faramir/Éomer, Boromir; NC-17; Sequel to "Stealing Time," "An Unexpected Visitor" and "Henneth Annûn.")

Getting old-er by bluegerl
(Aragorn/Boromir; PG-18; Drabble.)

The Sanders (Chapter 9/9) by bluegerl
(Brendan Behan [Sean Bean]/Evan Hitcherson [Viggo Mortensen], Roman [Jake Gyllenhaal]/Carew [Karl Urban]; NC-17; AU, roman à clef.)

On a Knife's Edge: Part 1/5, 2/5, 3/5, 4/5 and 5/5 by mooms and govi20
(Sean/Viggo; NC-17; Chef Sean is not happy when another restaurant opens its doors at the other end of the street. Luckily, he has Chef Viggo on his side.)

While these are the LotR FPF and RPF fics/art that have been posted to sons_of_gondor this week, the mods would like to remind everyone that the comm also carries other FPF/RPF featuring the Gondorian actors in non-LotR roles.

From fffc:

~Froday Flash Fiction Challenge Week 18
Write a fic involving some sort of phobia. For a complete list of phobias, click here. For the record, I'm willing to bet that it's like rule 34: if it exists, someone is afraid of it. And if you like, make up a new phobia! Frodophobia, anyone? Challenge post and Rules.

From the mods at lotr_community:

~June Challenge: The Longest Day
The June Challenge will have the theme "The Longest Day." Stories should explore the idea of "the longest day," whether literally or metaphorically. Your prompt for the challenge will be a link to music that hopefully will inspire you.

The June challenge stories will be due Thursday, June 14th and will be revealed on Saturday, June 16th. Please tag your story "longest day." Please remember to use the header template on the community profile page, and to put the name of your story and your name in the subject line (e.g. "Frodo's Amazing Adventure by Mary Sue").

To request your elements, please leave a comment to this post. If you have not participated before, please leave an email address so that I can send you your elements. Or you can email the mods at aelfwina@gmail.com, virginia_lee_redcat@yahoo.com, or celeritassagittae@gmail.com.

I hope we'll have lots of participants for our June challenge!

From moit:

~Falling for the First Time, Chapter 8
(Orlando/Elijah; PG-13; Elijah works at the writing center, where he meets a certain tall, dark-haired student who needs help on his Shakespeare paper. Romance ensues.)

~Muppets/Tolkien Mash-Ups
2 weeks, 2 geek references mashed together! (Various artists.)

From gondorcest:

~[Gondorcest] Quick Sunday Survey
We'd like to hear from all of you about what you'd like to see happening in the community to make us more active. To that end, I've made a very quick poll, and I'd appreciate it if you could take a few moments to respond. Even if you aren't one for polls, a quick comment about what you'd like to see would also be welcome. While the poll looks mostly at community activities, if people are interested in any tweaks to the community guidelines or other administrative things, do let us know. I've screened comments to the post, so feel free to brainstorm or comment freely. Honestly, all ideas and suggestions are appreciated and welcome. [Poll]

From faramir_fics:

~[Faramir_Fics] A Sunday Survey
We know that it has been some time since LOTR was released and that the fandom has grown a bit smaller and quieter in the last few years (although we're hoping that the release of The Hobbit this year will cause new fans to come to LOTR fandom). However, we'd like to hear from all of you about what you'd like to see happening in the community to make us more active. To that end, I've made a very quick poll, and I'd appreciate it if you could take a few moments to respond. [Poll]

~Tolkien & Lovecraft
Did Tolkien read, or was he influenced by, H.P. Lovecraft? Anyone here know anything about that, or have theories?

~LOTR Grads and Dads Sale at WBShop.com
The WBShop.com is celebrating graduates and fathers with their 'Dads and Grads Sale.' The sale is quite extensive, featuring: $5 OFF the catalog of The Lord of the Rings (and Hobbit!) shirts, $5 OFF LOTR iPhone cases, 20% OFF LOTR keepsake boxes, 10% OFF LOTR jewelry, 50% OFF Blu-Ray, and 20% off canvas prints. Yup -- sounds like a great time to build your LOTR collection. These specials are only available for a limited time, so we suggest checking out asap! [WBShop.com Dads and Grads Sale] [LOTR Shirts] [Official Hobbit Shirt]

From estelanui:

~Astronomical Objects Above Middle-earth
The starry skies of Middle-earth are fascinating, with names that offer both insights and some mystery. The etymology and meaning of the names is a small but important piece of Tolkien's unsurpassed sub-creation. This is a concerted attempt of the Mellonath Daeron to list all the Elvish astronyms with their present-time meaning.

juliebeth

namarielorien

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, zhie, frodo_naatulien and aflon!

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY, luthien_tavari, royalsafetypins and 1stquartermoon!

From grimnir1:

TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – May 21, 2012
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! [Read more]

‘Hobbit In 5? preps for second season
Thanks for all the support of “Hobbit In 5? during the web show’s initial season. Popular host Rebekah Platt left the show for the sweet allure of a company with big ears, but in her absence the show carried on with Simone Boyce hosting.

Now as summer comes to the top half of the world and primary filming for a pair of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” comes towards a close on the planet’s lower half, “Hobbit In 5,” is prepping to return. Presented below is an update from creator Daniel McNicoll and the nostalgia-filled (okay, and silly) return of Rebekah Platt. [View the video on YouTube here]

U.S. Tolkien book publisher files for bankruptcy

Some news from Publisher’s Weekly that shouldn’t impact readers of J.R.R. Tolkien but might be discomforting all the same. Long-time U.S. Tolkien publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt “officially filed for pre-packaged bankruptcy Monday morning, citing debts and liabilities of over $1 billion.”

The venerable company, in the publishing world for well over 100 years, has published every one of Tolkien’s works since “The Hobbit,” in 1938 which includes novels, essays and poems. The same company has published many noteworthy books about the author’s works including all 12 volumes of “The History of Middle-earth,” by Christopher Tolkien. (You can see the company’s Tolkien website if you click these words and you can read the rest of the Publisher’s Weekly story right here. Just a hunch but “The Hobbit,” will probably sell even more copies after December.

Peter Jackson, celebrities raise funds for NZ’s Court Theatre
Hot on the heels of Sir Ian McKellen’s fund raising money for Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal now another fundraiser has this time for Christchurch’s The Court Theatre here’s the full press release:

From Hobbits to hip-hop stars, a range of international celebrities have come to aid The Court Theatre’s fundraising drive.

To assist in replacing numerous assets lost when the Christchurch theatre company was forced to leave its Arts Centre venue following the 22 February 2011 earthquake, a range of items have been donated for an online auction on Trademe that will be running from 24 – 30 May.

Beyoncé, Stephen Fry, Orlando Bloom and Court Theatre Fundraising Patron Dame Maggie Smith, as well as locals Hayley Westenra, Sir Peter Jackson and Mark Hadlow, have offered items to the fundraising appeal – from signed posters, prints and scripts to CDs, jewellery and DVDs. [Read more]

Note from the Mods: We would like to invite the moderators of other fandom communities to become 'reporters' or 'scouts' for middleearthnews. All we ask is that you send us formatted updates on your own communities for posting here.

* tolkien_weekly (drabbles) updates:
Another bedtime tale for little hobbits (Hobbits; rated G) by curiouswombat
Falling Like a Rain of Flowers (Gandalf; rated G) by silverstarspray
Oubliette (Faramir, Éowyn; rated K) by dwimordene_2011

* heirs_of_durin updates:
Dragon Eyes (Smaug, Thrain, Thror; rated PG) by dark_jackal32
The Second Time I Saw You (Thorin, Gloin, Groin, (mentions Thrain); rated PG) by dark_jackal32

* oeam updates:
Deadly Connections (17/25) (Viggo/ Orlando, Sean Bean, Various others; rated NC-17) by ranger_girl0301 and nverland

The current challenge at tolkien_weekly is Writing: Note

From heirs_of_durin:
Fanart: Thorin Oakenshield by Xanthe93 on DeviantArt.
Screencaps: 100 screencaps from Video Log #4 by dark_jackal32

* Via the TORn forums:
Middle-earth Conspiracy Theories
This week's question comes from our resident conspiracy theorist, Darkstone!

What else did Sauron instruct the Nine to do while they were abroad?

Rant time: Tolkien's characters and escapism
A short spiritual successor to one earlier discussion about Game of Thrones.

Firstly: Tolkien's literature is escapism. Secondly: that's not a bad thing. Thirdly: it has more to it than the ecapism.

Now to the bussines.

Tolkien is clearly on the side of the good guys, and most of his characters are good guys - with some flaws. His stories are about the struggles ordinary, goodish-neutral to good people have when facing the hardships of life. For this, he has been blamed unrealistic. It is said that all these good characters are escapism from the cruel harsh reality where we all suck. [( Read more )]

Mt. Rushmore of Arda
I've been trying to think of ideas to resurrect the Reading Room and came up with this idea, but upon further review think it belongs in Main instead. Picture yourself in the Fourth Age of Middle Earth. The New Shadow is gaining steam and the Argonath is starting to show some weathering, so Eldarion commissions the dwarves to carve 4 likenesses, Mt. Rushmore style, of the greatest Middle Earth heroes into the side of the Ephel Duath as a source of pride and inspiration for the free peoples. Which 4 would you choose and why? It sounds easy, but in thinking about this myself, ME has such a long and illustrious history, it's hard to nail down to just 4.

1. Elendil - Makes it on the George Washington Corollary. He founded Arnor and Gondor, as well has helped destroy Sauron the first time.
2. Aragorn - The whole Reunited Kingdom thing. Plus he's Eldarion's daddy, so no way his scruffy beard doesn't go up on that mountain.
3. Luthien - Sorry Beren, but Luthien is gonna represent both of you because she did the heavy lifting and we've already got enough men who need to shave.
4. Frodo - Mount Doom goes boom. Sauron goes down. For good this time. [( Read more )]

Your friendly middleearthnews mods are constantly on the lookout for all things LotR-related, from fics to fandom events, comics to current news. Make them happy by emailing them at middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.

From estelanui:
Of Elves.
They are as tall as Men, and often taller. Of all living creatures in Middle-earth, they are the ones described as the most beautiful and gifted.

Monday's BOOK question: Who first broke the spell that Saurman cast over the Company at Orthanc?
Answer: Gimli.

frolijahfan, rakshi and dreamflower02 answered correctly.

Today's MOVIE question contributed by estelle3974: Who describes Gandalf the White as "more grumpy than the old one"?

All comments are screened so that only the mods can see the answers. Comments will be unscreened when the next edition is posted. Any comments on a different subject will be unscreened ASAP.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, slesia AND equanimity23 AND HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY, tomasine!

The mods would like to wish anyone having a special day the very best. Please send your special wishes to middle_earth_news@yahoo.com.

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From Set Phasers to LOL:
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