I really want to get back into the habit of blogging. I’ve had writers block for the last year (or more?) but I’m going to actually try to overcome it now. Because I haven’t overcome it yet, I’m going to distract you with something else: YouTube videos! I love the YouTuber Ashens and he’s done a few reviews of Hobbit-related…
Category: Internet

Best Lord of the Rings Cosplay of Comic-Con 2015
Another Comic-Con has come and gone. Even though I’ve lived in San Diego for nearly eight years, I’ve never been able to get into the con–but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the cosplayers! Among the busty babes, costume t-shirts, and “normal” people, there are some incredibly talented and creative artists. Sadly, I found relatively few LotR cosplayers. (So. Many. Harley…

Tolkien in the National Journal
I came across an article in the National Journal entitled “From Dickens to Amazon: A Brief History of Literary Feuds.” Playing off the recent controversy between Amazon and Hachette Books, the author touches upon a few famous historical literary debacles. The first one mentioned is Tolkien’s major copyright battle with Ace Books. I’ll let you read the article for the…

Around the Internet: Bizarre Reference to Tolkien
In an article entitled, “The sonogram fairy,” an Oklahoma news publication makes a rather odd (and ignorant) reference to Tolkien. The article is about a woman who performs high-tech ultrasounds for expectant mothers. The difference is this woman gives a distinct twist to the experience. I’ll let the article speak for itself. The decor echos a Tolkien fantasy of oversized…
The Balrog’s Wings Debate Finally Settled by Scientists
Researchers have discovered an actual Balrog fossil in Colombia. Well, not really. They’ve discovered the fossil of a ginormous snake-crocodile-thing. The creature is (or rather, was) apparently a new species of crocodilian. Or maybe it’s a new species of dyrosaurids. I’m not really sure. Apparently my fleeting childhood desire to be a paleontologist has not served adult-me well, since I’ve never heard…
Nerdiness in the Wall Street Journal
Godzilla vs. Smaug: Who Wins This Dragon Duel? While calling Godzilla a dragon is a bit of a stretch (don’t dragons need wings?), I’m nonetheless amused by this piece of nerdiness in WSJ. In the author’s assessment, Godzilla would win the duel. While I know very little about Godzilla or the lore surrounding the creature (I’ve only seen the 2014…
Course on The Book of Lost Tales, Part I!
The Mythgard Institute has started a course on The Book of Lost Tales, Part I. The first class was today, so I’m a little behind. I’m super excited about this, though! If you want to join me, you can learn more here and sign up through iTunes U. This looks like a great opportunity, whether you’ve read the book a…

“Super Fans” Article
A few weeks ago, the Huffington Post published an article entitled “10 Facts Only ‘Lord of the Rings’ Super Fans” know. I wasn’t running this blog then, which is why I’m bringing this up now. While it wasn’t inaccurate (although I’m not sure about the claim that Thranduil was a blond; I’m researching that question), the choice of facts was…