Fan Club (General)
LOTR Fan Club Promo Postcard
The Lord of the Rings Fan Club
- Fan Club Promotions – Introduction
- Fan Club Membership Kit
- Fan Club Magazines
- Fan Club Lithographs
- Fan Club Hand-Signed Photographs
- Fan Club Mini-Calendar
- Fan Club Greeting Card Set
- Other Fan Club Products
Fan Club Promotions – Introduction
The Lord of the Rings Fan Club and its official magazine were managed by Decipher, the same company that produced the LOTR Collectible Card Game and Roleplaying Game series. Over the three-year run of its magazine (February 2002 through January 2005), the Fan Club offered a small number of exclusive, “branded” pieces. These included limited edition lithographs, photographs, stamp set display, etc.
Fan Club Membership Kit
LOTR Fan Club Membership Kit
The Fan Club Membership Kit included:
- A welcome letter
- Official Membership Card
- 4 lithographs, with the following titles:
- Huge sculptured pillars formed the gates of Argonath © 2001
- A Fellowship of Nine was formed by Elrond © 2001
- Gandalf urges Bilbo to leave the One Ring to Frodo © 2002
- A dangerous tool was the Palantir, Saruman’s seeing stone © 2001
- Premiere edition of the Official Fan Club Magazine (Elijah Wood/Frodo on the cover)
Fan Club Magazines
LOTR Fan Club Magazine Set
There were 18 magazines issued for the LOTR Fan Club. They were published every other month, from February 2002 through January 2005. The Lord of the Rings Fan Club magazine series presents a treasure trove of details about cast and crew, production and processes, official film-related products and other licensed products. Each magazine contained interview articles with cast and crew members, behind-the-scenes looks at the processes used in production, advertisements for official Fan Club products and other officially licensed products, news, and input from fans. They offer what is, in effect, a photo-essay print version of the material similar to that covered in the collection of special features from the trilogy of Special Extended Editions. An amazing resource …
For in-depth indexes of the magazines, see the Fan Club Magazines page.
Fan Club Lithographs
LOTR Fan Club Lithographs
Membership Kit Set of 4 Lithographs (edition number unknown)
- Huge sculptured pillars formed the gates of Argonath © 2001
- A Fellowship of Nine was formed by Elrond © 2001
- Gandalf urges Bilbo to leave the One Ring to Frodo © 2002
- A dangerous tool was the Palantir, Saruman’s seeing stone © 2001
Limited Edition Lithographs (1,500 each)
- Balrog
- Cave Troll
Limited Edition Lithographs (3,000 each)
- Sauron © 2002
- Witch King of Angmar © 2002
Exact titles, dimensions, edition size, and other details forthcoming.
Fan Club Hand-Signed Photographs
LOTR Fan Club Autographed Photos and Certificates of Authenticity
The Fan Club issued only two hand-signed photos, one of John Rhys-Davies as Gimli (limited edition of 200) and, a few months later, another of Dominic Monaghan as Meriodac Brandybuck (limited edition of 235). The first advertisement for the Gimli photo appeared in Issue #3 of The Lord of the Rings Fan Club Official Movie Magazine (June-July 2002, page 74). The original list price in 2002 was $35. Later additions were of signed photographs of Sala Baker as Lurtz and Lawrence Makoare as the Witch King of Angmar, each with limited edition of 140.
Here is an edited version of the description I used on eBay in June 2010 to list a John Rhys-Davies photo:
Up for auction is a hard-to-find official Lord of the Rings Fan Club photograph of John Rhys-Davies as Gimli. Autographed by hand in silver Sharpie pen by Rhys-Davies, it is #24 in a limited edition of 200 high-quality, hand-signed color photos. The photo is in mint condition, and, as the close-up of the Certificate of Authenticity shows, the letterhead paper has a few wrinkles and imperfections.
This item is very scarce and I have rarely seen it listed on eBay over the past five years. With such a small number available, it’s understandable that collectors would hold on to them.
This is an unusual piece. For collectors who enjoying having as many details on their collectibles as possible, here are descriptions of this photo’s distinguishing characteristics, plus what I uncovered in my research about its history while working on “LOTR Collector Notes” about the Lord of the Rings Fan Club items.
Photo Dimensions and Distinguishing Features. The photograph is 8 x 10 inches, and is printed on Kodak Professional glossy paper. There is a white border all around for framing purposes, with the caption “John Rhys-Davies as Gimli” in a script font on the bottom. The LOTR Fan Club wordmark/logo appears in the lower right-hand corner on the front. The lot and series number is printed by hand on the back of the photograph.
Certificate of Authenticity (COA). The photograph was issued with a number-matched Certificate of Authenticity. This COA is printed on Lord of the Rings Fan Club letterhead and signed by a senior executive of the Decipher Fan Club Studio. (I have covered the signature lines for the photo.)
Fan Club Mini-Calendar
LOTR Fan Club Mini-Calendar
The Fan Club sold a small monthly calendar of individual sheets that were packaged in a plastic CD case.
Fan Club Greeting Cards
LOTR Fan Club Greeting Card Set
A set of 5 greeting cards, all apparently featuring iconic images from The Two Towers, was printed by a company in Australia.
Other Fan Club Products
Other Fan Club products forthcoming.
