Look, I’m not even the worlds biggest fan of the series. I can quote it, sure, but to me the Lord of the Rings was, at school, an extremely dense series of books I felt I needed to get through, and after that a series of films that were quite entertaining when watched leaning back on the sofa on a Sunday afternoon.
However, I’ve just seen Drops new artisan Rohan-themed LOTR keycaps that are available for pre-order, and even I want some.
They are, Drop says, a celebration of the Rohan people and the places they’ve (fictionally) ridden through, and yet it’s not the theme that’s working for me here, it’s the sheer aesthetics of the objects themselves.
Ordinarily I’d let my words do the talking, but in this case I think it’s better if you just look at them. Look at the fact that they’re essentially little LOTR dioramas encased in resin. The little touches like the wood-textured facing horses, or the glowing red of the appropriately named “The Red Day”. The mossy textures and delicate flowers of “The Barrowfield”. The turquoise blue of “The Deepening Stream”.
Ok, I’ll shut up now and let you get to the gallery. Behold:
This shouldn’t happen. I have convinced myself over my years on this planet that I am a cynical human being, one eyebrow raised in a constant expression of disbelief. I am immune to the cute, the whimsical and the twee.
And yet, something childlike in me appears at mere photos of themed keycaps, for goodness sake, and I feel like I should be ashamed.
Should be, but for what it’s worth, I am not. I will make no more apologies. I must lean into my nerdery, like a warm and very awkward bath.
Ultimately they are very, very satisfying to look at, and if you’d like to own some yourself Drop says they’re compatible with Cherry MX switches and clones (that’s if you want to use them rather than display them, you absolute Balrog), will cost $49 per cap (!) and it’ll be shipping them on April 30 this year.
I may or may not have succumbed to the temptation by then. Pull yourself together Andy.
Stupid hobbitses.