Dragon Con is well known for its excellent Tolkien fan panels, and 2023’s offerings were no exception.
The High Fantasy Track’s first full day of con led off with “The Wit and Wisdom of Sam Gamgee”, a lively discussion of our favorite Sam, the stoutest of hobbits and the greatest gardener of them all. Middle-earth’s mystery being was the subject of “Bombadil is in the House!” The. Panel explored what exactly Tom may be and why we are so intrigued by the rollicking rhyme master of the Old Forest. The Elf Choir gathered for some singing under the stars (OK, really just in a hotel ballroom), and showcased their work later Friday evening in a performance during “An Evening in Bree”, reported on in my other story.
Saturday celebrated the past and future of the fandom. The 20th anniversary of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was recognized with a special retrospective panel by our friends from TheOneRing.net. Another panel looked at the first season of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and ventured some guesses about what we might see in the second season. The evening wound down with a look at The Tolkien Renaissance, a discussion of what keeps us coming back to Tolkien’s world.
We had an early start (for Sunday at Dragon Con, anyway) looking at Hobbits, Harfoots, and More! The expert panel talked about the history and habits of the little folk of Middle-earth. The Tolkien panels for Dragon Con 2023 wrapped up with What News from the Mark?, a look at why we love Rohan and the Rohirrim, and how some of our favorite Rohirrim characters embody the traits of their country. I’m already looking forward to the Tolkien fan panels at Dragon Con 2024!
