Cultus Dispatches: Revelations from Marquette's Fanzine Dataset
In September 2026, Marquette University released a dataset about their Tolkien fanzine collection. Analysis of the data reveals what these fanzines contained and show how pre-internet Tolkien fandom responded to the publication of "The Silmarillion."
Comment by Himring for Elladan and Elrohir
Those two do have an impressive genealogy, don't they?
There's a lot in here! I'm looking forward to the second half.
Re: Comment by Himring for Elladan and Elrohir
Awww! Thanks! (I need to get back to it. I took a break and now its almost bio-time again!)
Comment by elfscribe for Elladan and Elrohir
Fantastic work, Oshun -- as always. You condense a lot of material into very readable fashion, which is especially hard to do, I think, when there is a lot of genealogy to sort through. lol. I'm the one who can never remember the difference between once removed and second cousin. The twins have always been among my favorite LOTR characters but, of course, they have very little face time in the actual books. I liked your comment about how much fanfic has filled in for them, such that as a result they loom larger in the story than they are in actual canon. Yay for fanfic! I especially appreciated your comment about them as romantic Arthurian-type knight characters, even down to Tolkien's language about them. Well done!
Re: Comment by elfscribe for Elladan and Elrohir
You are a sweetheart to read it and hop in here and tell me how you like. I am minutes away from finishing the final half of this one. So I have to go back and wrap it up! I hope you can find the time to read it too. Old school LotR fans and fanfic writers do so love to love Elladan and Elrohir--I place myself firmly in that camp! Seriously! What is not to love about them. Not sure I have done them justice, but at least I got it out of my system (mostly). I keep telling Dawn that this conclusion I am writing now is the "good part." The good part actually might have been written by a number of my early-2000s post-movie fanfic writers.
Comment by Spiced Wine for Elladan and Elrohir, Part 2
This was wonderful, Oshun. I have read about and occasionally written these two, and you have painstakingly unearthed and set out all their history. They’re so peripheral in LOTR, but so fascinating, and this was wonderfully written. (As always).
Re: Comment by Spiced Wine for Elladan and Elrohir, Part 2
Thank you so much! I appreciate you reading it and taking the time to comment. My intent when researching them was to try to find out what made characters about which so little is said to be so attractive to readers. I never really answered that question, but finally came up in my head with the idea that it is context--the weight of history they carry and the time and place within which they struggle and the fact that, at that moment, they are slipping, like their kinsman and those who came before them, out of history into legend.
Comment by ziggy for Elladan and Elrohir, Part 2
Brilliantly informative and inspiring. Thank you for writing this- when I just need some inspiration and fact checking, I always come here! SHould have left countless reviews but lazy and taking you for granted:/ Thank you again. Got what I needed and off again, inpsired and enthused:)
Re: Comment by ziggy for Elladan and Elrohir, Part 2
Oh, thanks so much! I do enjoy comments, but I want people to pop in whenever they want to find what they need. If the bio doesn't contain the info, we try to provide enough sources, that one of those will send you in the right direction.
Thanks again. I got a kick out of writing Elladan and Elrohir! A labor of love.