Asklemmy

It was 1979. The Bakshi Lord of the Rings rotoscope movie had come out, and I was in love with it. I had already read LotR a few times and, as terrible as it might look in hindsight, it was fantastic for very young me. It was part of a small collection of action figures released in support of the movie. I probably should have wanted Gandalf based on the character, but he made for a pretty crappy action figure.

It was literally the only thing I wanted that year. Honestly, I’m not sure I wanted anything quite so badly before or since. Christmas morning came and went and although I got any number of presents I’ve since forgotten, I didn’t get the ringwraith.

My parents pulled a Christmas Story on me more than a decade before that movie came out. I was doing the complete Ralph thing where I was trying not very hard to hide my disappointment. Then they sprang on me, and the day absolutely transformed.

Not only did the Nazgûl wade through Star Wars action figures like a farmer in a field of wheat, but I convinced my friend that it was a limited edition figure of the yet-to-be-seen Emperor from Return of the Jedi, which would not come out for a few more years.