Emily at San Diego Comic-Con Booth #4639

from Emily the Strange:

Visit Emily at San Diego Comic-Con 2010!

Plans for San Diego Comic-Con are getting DOUBLE STRANGE!
We are proud to announce that Cosplayers Twin Bee Modeling and Design will be appearing as Emily AND Other Me from Stranger and Stranger on Friday and Sunday during the Convention! See you there — and Emily x 2!!

Meet the twisted minds behind Emily the Strange!
Meet Creator ROB REGER & Illustrator BUZZ PARKER

Signing Times:
Friday July 23 12pm-1pm
Smith Micro Booth #5238

Emily the Strange Panel Experience
Sunday July 25 10am-11am
Smith Micro Room 3

Sunday July 25 12pm-1pm
Dark Horse Comics Booth #2615

Also,
TWO Comic Con Exclusive Emily Contests!
Details at the Emily Booth #4639

See u @ The Con!
Mystery

Find Emily on: Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | YouTube

The Guild at Comic-Con UPDATE

from The Guild:

Here’s a day-by-day listing of Guild and Guild-related events for Comic-Con, including two additional events that we want to mention. Please spread the word, especially about The Guild panel — we want to see you there! We’ve got a few surprises in store. Join us on Twitter and Facebook for the most up to date info.

EVERY DAY: The Guild booth, #4201, listed under “Signal Fire Studios/The Guild.” Signings with the entire cast every day (2 signings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday). DVDs, T-Shirts, posters and photos for sale.

WEDNESDAY (NEW): Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em Improv Comedy show, 9pm (doors at 8:30pm), Lyceum Theatre 79 Horton Plaza, 92101. Join Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, Jeff Lewis, Alex Albrecht, Tony Janning, Tara Perry and Brooke Seguin for the incredibly popular improv comedy show that’s been a huge hit in LA. Tickets available here (Comic-Con badges not required).

THURSDAY: W00tstock, 7:30pm at live music venue 4th and B. Join Paul and Storm, with Guild cast member Wil Wheaton and Adam Savage of MythBusters for “three hours of geek and music.” As Paul might say, it’ll be a “big huge blastie.” Info (including the ever-expanding roster of awesome guests) is on w00tstock.net and tickets are available here (this will sell out! — Comic-Con badges not required).

FRIDAY: Panel, “Movies, TV, Comics, Web: Girls Gone Genre,” 5pm to 6pm, 24ABC, with a powerhouse lineup of producers/creators, including Felicia Day, Kathryn Immonen, Laeta Kalogridis, Marti Noxon, Melissa Rosenberg and Gail Simone.

SATURDAY: Panel, The Guild, 2pm to 3pm, Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront hotel, Q&A with the cast, announcements and debut of new content. There’s a Facebook event here if you’d like to use it as a reminder.

SATURDAY: “Celebrate the Web,” 4:15pm to 6:15pm, Bristol Hotel. Several web series will be screened, including a sketch from the Sean Becker & Jeff Lewis created Jeff Lewis 5 Minute Comedy Hour (FREE, Comic-Con badges not required).

SATURDAY (NEW): Signing, Dollhouse, 5pm to 5:45pm, Dark Horse Comics booth #2615, featuring Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Zack Ward and Felicia Day.

SATURDAY: Panel, The Legend of Neil, 7:30pm to 8:30pm, room 7ABC, with cast Tony Janning, Felicia Day, Mike Rose, Angie Hill, Eric Acosta, Scott Chernoff, and show creator Sandeep Parikh.

Some Key Celebration V Deadlines to Remember

from StarWars.com:

Star Wars Celebration V will soon be here! It’s the Biggest Party this Side of the Galaxy, taking over the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from August 12-15th. As you get ready for the big event, here are some key deadlines to keep in mind.

Right Now! If you have yet to buy your tickets for Celebration V, do so today! Ticket prices will increase on-site, so the only sure way to guarantee your spot during The Biggest Party this Side of the Galaxy (and to avoid long lines to purchase tickets on-site) is to purchase your tickets now and save! Click here for more information.

July 21, 2010. This is your last chance to book discounted travel for Celebration V and SAVE using our Official Travel Desk, powered by onPeak. With rooms starting as low as $65/night when you book before July 21, getting to Celebration V has never been more affordable. Please note that the ONLY Official Housing Partner for Celebration V is powered by onPeak. We cannot guarantee the lowest possible room rates during your stay in Orlando this August when you book through any other housing agent. It is our priority to serve you best and provide you with the lowest possible rate on your hotel, when you book using the Official Celebration V Travel Desk. Click here for more information.

July 25, 2010. Last chance to pre-order exclusive Celebration V gear online! Don’t wait, onsite quantities will be limited. Be sure to purchase your Limited Edition Celebration Logo T-shirt by July 25 as well and receive it by mail before the event! Please note: the Celebration Logo T-shirt is the ONLY pre-order merchandise that will mail in advance. All other items must be picked up on-site at the Celebration Show Store. Click here for more information.

For more information about Star Wars Celebration V, visit the official site here and sign up for the Official Celebration newsletter. There will be some breaking news next week that you will not want to miss!

Announcing a RiffTrax Live contest! Get your jokes into Reefer Madness!

from RiffTrax:

RiffTrax wants your jokes! We’ve provided you with some choice clips from Reefer Madness, along with 10 different spots for you to write jokes to get included in our LIVE broadcast of Reefer Madness! The winners (picked by the guys themselves) will receive a RiffTrax Swag Bag and have their names featured on-screen when their joke is said!

More info here.

Important JoCo News

from Jonathan Coulton:

Hello mailing list!

Three things! One of them is a cruise!

1. A NEW RECORD

In my last dispatch I mentioned a super secret project that I was excited about. In case you never look at my site (because why would you? I never post anything) I am telling you now that it’s A BRAND NEW RECORD. I’ve been writing new songs, rehearsing with a band, and planning a trip into an actual recording studio. It’s all new and scary and fantastic. One song is about mustaches.

2. SHOWS WITH A BAND WHEREIN WE TRY OUT SOME NEW SONGS

I’ll be trying out six new songs with this band at a couple of shows in MA:

Iron Horse in Northampton on 7/22 — tickets

Somerville Theater in Somerville on 7/23 — tickets

The band is a power trio with me on “electric” guitar, Marty Beller from TMBG on drums, and Chris Anderson NOT from Wired magazine on bass. I cannot urge you strongly enough to come out and see these shows, because, well, they’re going to be awesome one way or another. They may be unmitigated disasters for instance, you wouldn’t want to miss that. Alternately, we might make music so fantastic that your socks fly right off your feet, THROUGH YOUR SHOES.

3. JOCO CRUISE CRAZY

JoCo Cruise Crazy has just now become a reality. It’s a six day Caribbean cruise leaving from Ft. Lauderdale on Holland America’s ms Eurodam January 2-8, 2011. There will be comedy and music from me, Paul and Storm, John Hodgman, Wil Wheaton, Molly Lewis, Mike Phirman, and Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett from RiffTrax. Also, it is a cruise on a beautiful crazy giant boat with food all over the place. It’s what they call a win/win situation.

Tickets are available now. In fact, the first 250 people who book will get a discount on the entertainment fee, plus preferred seating at the (count em) TWO shows I’m doing during the cruise. We’re not at 250 yet, but things are moving pretty quickly.

Plenty of details, photos and a handy FAQ are available here: jococruisecrazy.com.

That is three things by my count. You know what to do.

-j

VIZ Media Delivers Sizzling Summer Reading with Three New Haikasoru Releases

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will deliver out-of-this-world summer science fiction and fantasy reading with the release of three new novels under its Haikasoru imprint this summer — Harmony by Project Itoh, Rocket Girls by Housuke Nojiri and Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse by Otsuichi.

Haikasoru is a unique imprint with a dedicated focus on publishing some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy for English-speaking audiences.

Harmony by Project Itoh
Price: $14.99 U.S. / CAN $19.99
Available July 20th
In the distant future, Utopia has finally been achieved thanks to medical nanotechnology and a powerful ethic of social welfare and mutual consideration. But this perfect world isn’t that perfect, and three young girls stand up to totalitarian kindness and super-medicine by attempting suicide via starvation. It doesn’t work, but one of the girls — Tuan Kirie — grows up to be a member of the World Health Organization. As a crisis threatens the harmony of the new world, Tuan rediscovers another member of her suicide pact, and together they must help save the planet… from itself.

Keikaku (Project) Itoh was born in Tokyo in 1974 and graduated from Musashino Art University. In 2007, he debuted with Genocidal Organs and took first prize in the “Best SF of 2007” in Japan’s SF Magazine. Itoh is also the author of Metal Gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots, a Japanese-language novel based on the popular video game series. After a long battle with cancer, Itoh passed away in March 2009. He wrote Harmony while in the hospital receiving treatment for the disease.

Rocket Girls by Housuke Nojiri
Price: $13.99 U.S. / CAN $18.99
Available September 21st
Yukari Morita is a high school girl on a quest to find her missing father. While searching for him in the Solomon Islands, she receives the offer of a lifetime. She’ll receive the help she needs to find her father, and all she must do in return is become the world’s youngest, lightest astronaut. Yukari and her half sister Matsuri, both petite, are the perfect crew and payload for the Solomon Space Association’s rocket launches, or they will be once they complete some rigorous and sometimes dangerous training.

Housuke Nojiri was born in Mie, Japan, in 1961. After working in instrumentation control, CAD programming and video game design, he published his first work in 1992, The Blind Spot of Veis, based on the video game Creguian. He gained further popularity with his subsequent works including the Creguian series and the Rocket Girl series. In 2002, he published Usurper of the Sun (published in English by Haikasoru in 2009) and ushered in a new era of science fiction in Japan. After first appearing as a series of short stories, Usurper went on to win the prestigious Seiun Award for Best Japanese Science Fiction Novel of 2002. Nojiri’s other works include Pendulum of Pinieru and Fuwa-Fuwa no Izumi.

Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse by Otsuichi
Price: $14.99 U.S. / CAN $19.99
Available September 21st
Two short novels, including the title story and Black Fairy Tale, plus a bonus short story. Summer is the simple story of a nine-year-old girl who dies while on summer vacation. While her youthful killers try to hide her body, she tells us the story — from the point of view of her dead body — of the children’s attempt to get away with murder. Black Fairy Tale is classic J-horror: a young girl loses an eye in an accident but receives a transplant. Now she can see again, but what she sees out of her new left eye is the experiences and memories of its previous owner. Its previous deceased owner.

Born 1978 in Fukuoka, Japan, Otsuichi won the Sixth Jump Short Fiction/Nonfiction Prize when he was seventeen with his debut story “Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse.” Now recognized as one of the most talented young fantasy/horror writers in Japan, his other English-language works include the short story collection Calling You and the Honkaku Mystery Prize-winning novel Goth.

For more information on Haikasoru, please visit the dedicated website at haikasoru.com.

Dr. Grordbort Recommends

from Weta:

Colonial Frolics
We have ridded the factory floor of some of the peskier staff members. Messrs Taylor, Broadmore, Tremont and Launder have been shipped to the North American colonies for a bit of R&R at the San Diego Compartmentalised Picture Essay Jamboree. This is actually the first time Dr. Grordbort’s book VICTORY is available for signing on the North American continent! Greg Broadmore has been equipped with quills and a pint of ink and will be signing like there’s no tomorrow! If you could care less about Mr. Broadmore’s scribbles, you can always gawk at our Three Hand Painted and Customised Rayguns on display instead! The Iron Tiger, Der Adler and The Divine Ray are available EXCLUSIVELY to Jamboree participants (with enough cash). Aren’t they simply delightful?

Cutting Edge High End Contraption to be revealed at Jamboree
We can further divulge that major revelations are afoot at aforementioned convention. Grordbort Industries have been developing this particular little darling for some time and are GREATLY anticipating the unleashment on an unsuspecting public. Can you see what it is yet? We certainly can’t. Check out what the guys on the forum think…

Special Offers for SDCC patrons
At the convention will be a RANGE of Special Offers on Dr. Grordbort’s wares:

Heed our final warning:
LAST CHANCE to acquire an Unnatural Selector Ray Blunderbuss! Only 3 Left! Out of the 50, now only 3 remain. Order yours now.

Also getting scarce:
F.M.O.M. Wave Disrupter Gun — less than 20 left!

Follow Weta Online! Twitter | Facebook

Serenity: Who is Shepherd Book?

from Things from Another World:

One of Serenity‘s greatest mysteries is finally revealed in Shepherd’s Tale, filling in the life of one of the show’s most beloved characters — Shepherd Book!

Who was Book before meeting Mal and the rest of the Serenity crew, how did he become one of their most trusted allies, and how did he find God in a bowl of soup? Answers to these and more questions about Book’s past are uncovered in this original graphic novel by rising stars Zack Whedon (Dr. Horrible, Terminator, Fringe) and Chris Samnee (Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps, Daredevil).

A pivotal chapter in the ongoing Serenity saga, Shepherd’s Tale is also a rollicking, action-packed epic in its own right!

Order Your Copy Today

See Other Serenity Products

Check Out What’s New for Celebration V This Week

from StarWars.com:

Only 4 Weeks Left Until Star Wars Celebration V!

Travel Discount Deadline Last Chance to Receive Exclusive Rates — July 21
LAST CHANCE to book discounted travel for Celebration V is July 21. Book your stay in Orlando this August through our official Travel Desk, powered by OnPeak and save! With rooms starting as low as just $65/night, getting to Celebration has never been more affordable. Don’t wait — book today! Reminder: OnPeak is the only official housing partner associated with Star Wars Celebration V. While other companies may contact you offering housing, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with Star Wars Celebration V.

Mark Hamill and Gary Kurtz at Celebration V!
Actor Mark Hamill, whose portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars Saga has captured the imagination of generations of fans, will make his first United States Star Wars Celebration appearance this August 12-15 in Orlando, Florida. Hamill, whose acting career has encompassed scores of appearances in movies and television shows as well as critically acclaimed appearances on Broadway, will help mark the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back along with scores of fans at the huge four-day festival at the Orange County Convention Center. Fans can meet Hamill in person in the Celebration Autograph Hall, run by Official Pix, where he is scheduled to sign autographs Friday and Saturday, with the possibility of extending to additional days. The actor is also scheduled for a rare appearance on the Celebration Stage. And in more guest news, producer Gary Kurtz will make a first-time appearance in the Celebration Autograph Hall at Star Wars Celebration V! Kurtz, who began his career with writer/director George Lucas as a co-producer on American Graffiti, produced A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. In addition to his production duties on Empire, Kurtz shouldered some of the second-unit directing duties of the film. He produced and directed the animated fantasy movie The Dark Crystal, working with Muppet creator Jim Henson and with the creator and voice of Yoda, Frank Oz. Recently Kurtz produced the British television series Friends and Heroes. Visit the Guests page, for more information. Don’t miss Mark Hamill and Gary Kurtz at Star Wars Celebration V!

Program Grid
Star Wars Celebration is four days of a galaxy far, far away dropped smack dab in the middle of Orlando. But what does that mean, really? It means non-stop presentations, workshops, contests, screenings, and special events in over a dozen stages, panel rooms, and screening rooms. Want to know when Empire Strikes Back is playing? Want to know when to check out the R2 Builders? Or maybe you want to know about everything else? Then check out the CV Event Schedule online now!

Get Your Exclusive Celebration V Gear — Only Available Online Until July 25
Don’t wait — this week marks your final opportunity to pre-order exclusive Celebration V t-shirts in advance of the event to ensure they don’t sell out before you get yours! Onsite quantities will be limited. Check out the website for details on mailing/pick up.

Star Wars Insider Announces Comic-Con and Celebration Plans
To mark the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, Titan is releasing a special tribute issue of Star Wars Insider with an exclusive Han Solo in Carbonite cover, available at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International and at Star Wars Celebration V. This 100-page commemorative issue includes interviews with the cast and crew of The Empire Strikes Back, including: George Lucas, (story and executive producer), Irvin Kershner (Director), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett). The magazine also features interviews with the team behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars looking back on The Empire Strikes Back, 50 amazing facts about Empire, and an Empire merchandise guide. Plus, much more must-have material for all Star Wars fans. A special Empire cover, which features Han Solo in Carbonite, is available to purchase at the Titan booth at Comic-Con (stand #5537) and Celebration V (booth #521, part of the Gentle Giant booth). Visitors to the Star Wars Insider booth at Comic-Con and Celebration V will receive a FREE exclusive Star Wars Insider bookmark. Readers can keep up to date with more news and announcements from Star Wars Insider at the official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/StarWarsInsider. For more information, visit: titanmagazines.com.

Breaking News!
For more information about Star Wars Celebration V, visit the official site at starwarscelebration.com and be sure to check back next week for breaking news you won’t want to miss!

RiffTrax: Cole Stratton and Janet Varney Suck the Life Out of the Lost Boys!

from RiffTrax:

Let’s get one thing straight: Vampires don’t sparkle in the sun; they burst into flame. Yes, they sleep all day, party all night, wear dangly earrings, ride motorbikes on the boardwalk and enjoy concerts by long-haired shirtless greasy saxophone players, but they JUST. DO. NOT. SPARKLE.

Joel “Can we please stop talking about how I put nipples on the Batsuit?” Schumacher’s 1987 teen vamp flick The Lost Boys is everything Twilight wishes it could be and then some. SWOON over pretty boy Michael (Jason Patric) and his vamp nemesis David (Kiefer Sutherland, peroxided beyond recognition)! LAUGH at those wacky comic-book collecting vamp hunters The Frog Brothers (Corey Feldman, who probably doesn’t remember making this movie, and Jamison Newlander, who probably doesn’t get remembered for making this movie)! SCREAM at Corey Haim’s horribly dated wardrobe! And SIGH wondering why Dianne Wiest and Edward Herrmann signed on to be in this thing. Oh… and… something about Jami Gertz.

Get it here.