Category: Arts & Culture

OMG! Dark Horse Joins Felicia Day’s Guild

from Dark Horse Comics:

Dark Horse Comics and Felicia Day, star of Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, are teaming up in a quest to bring one of the funniest online shows onto the pages of what will soon be the funniest comic based on a webisode, ever. Srsly.

Winner of the 2008 Greenlight Award at SXSW, as well as the 2008 YouTube Best Series and Yahoo! Best Series awards, The Guild is an online sitcom of web shorts written by, and starring, Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, House). Since its formation, the show has racked up over twenty million viewers at watchtheguild.com.

The Guild follows six players, AKA “Guildies” (Bladezz, Codex, Vork, Tinkerballa, Zaboo, and Clara), who decide to finally meet in real life after spending months playing together in an online world. Their individual social dysfunctions lead to several problems in the real world, but together, as in the online game, they become greater than the sum of their collected baggage and start to become… well… kinda normal… er.

The online show now stands as one of YouTube’s most-subscribed series. It started as an independent project funded by fan donations via PayPal before being sponsored by Microsoft and Sprint in season 2. Season 3 will debut on Xbox/MSN/Zune on August 25.

The new comic, titled The Guild, was first conceived at San Diego Comic-Con 2008 when senior Dark Horse editor Scott Allie noticed that Day’s sharp wit and diverse talent would transfer well into sequential art. The series will be all-new material that expands on the actual in-game environment never seen on the show.

Allie stated, “Felicia’s amazing, and her writing will translate smoothly into comics. This’ll make a great companion to our line of comics. It’ll fit great alongside our webcomics and our Whedon books. And I’m really looking forward to working with her to get into some areas the show simply can’t because of budgetary reasons.”

The artist of the initial three-issue miniseries is undetermined, but the story will be penned by Felicia Day. Day, a self-proclaimed gaming aficionado, stated, “I’m really excited to work in a new medium and expand the Guild universe. The comics will be a great way for fans to become more involved with the characters, and see the characters interact in environments that we can’t afford to show in the web series. I can’t imagine working with a better company than Dark Horse. It seems like a perfect match for the show. Indie cred to the max!”

More Weta News: July 2009

from Weta:

Hey Weta fans,
The last few weeks have been the busiest and most exciting in a long time. Comic-Con is upon us, our warehouses are brimming with products and we are processing pre-orders around the clock. Please be patient with us. We’re only a small company. Enjoy!

Return to Middle-earth celebratory offer! 1 Week! FREE SURPRISE PRESENTS with all orders from our The Lord of the Rings brand! Offers end Friday 31 July 2009.

In the News:
There and Back Again — Weta returns to Middle-earth
Listen to the latest Podcast — Episode XI

More News:
Weta at Comic-Con — in a nutshell
Rayguns in the HotHouse
Winners get the Halo treatment

See the Trailers:
District 9 — opens 14 August
Under the Mountain — opens 10 December
Daybreakers — opens January 2010

New Products:
The Lord of the Rings
Andúril — The Master Swordsmith’s Collection
Miniature Shields (coming soon – see picture)
Gollum Life Size Bronze Statue (coming soon – see picture)
Gandalf’s Cloak (coming soon – see picture)

Halo
Master Chief’s Mark VI Spartan Helmet
E.V.A. Helmet
C.Q.B. Helmet

The Art of John Howe — Sculptures from Middle-earth
Smaug the Golden

Hot Tip — wondering about your pre-order?
We have had an unprecedented amount of new products come in stock at the same time. And we’re only a small company without the resources of the huge corporates. Please rest assured that we are working around the clock to get your order to you, but please allow about a week for us to dispatch all orders. We’re trying to dispatch the orders fairly from both our old and our new website. Thank you! We appreciate your patience.

This is how you find us online!
http://fans.wetaNZ.com/Magnus/ | Twitter: @wetaworkshop | Facebook: Weta Workshop

Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls… LIFT OFF!!!!!!!!

from Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls:

So here it is Earthlings, our big, fat astronomical announcement:

GALAXY GIRLS RAG DOLLS WILL BE AVAILABLE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AT
FAO SCHWARZ AND SELECT TOYS ‘R US!!!

And for those of you who’ve had your telescopes fixed on the Girlaxy for the past few years, you know that this has been in the making for quite some time. There have been countless road blocks and delays, our launch dates consistently pushed and cancelled over and over, but now the stars have FINALLY aligned — for reals!!! So if you’ve had your sights on your own gGirl doll but could not afford the cost of a plush-art doll hand-made by Mother Earth, you’ll finally have your chance to have one of your very own without breaking the bank!!

Come the holiday season, 24″ plush versions of MILKY WAY, VENUS, PLUTO, JUPITER and MARS, (based on the original designs featured here), will be available for purchase, along with other MWGG merchandise at the stores and their respective websites, FAO.com and ToysRUs.com.

Stay locked on these coordinates. Spacial events in the Girlaxy have suddenly hit warp speed, and in the next months we’re certain to have much, much more to share!!!

Over and out,

Mother Earth (Lauren Faust)

Ben 10 at San Diego Comic-Con 2008


Watch Ben 10 at San Diego Comic Con 2008.avi in Animation

Last year I had the pleasure of attending San Diego Comic-Con, thanks greatly in part to the good graces of my dear friend KirFect. I got to spend time with old friends, made many wonderful new friends, saw some amazing panels and even took in a few interviews. Sadly, my video camera was damaged on the way back home and I had no way of transferring my video to edit and get it online. It’s taken some time but I’ve finally been able to get the video transferred. While I can’t be at Comic-Con again this year in body, I’m already there in spirit. To help celebrate the greatest annual event in geekdom, I’ll be posting my videos from last year over the next few days. Enjoy!

Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures Sign Sam Raimi to Direct Upcoming Warcraft Movie

World of Warcraft Logo

from Blizzard Entertainment:

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and Legendary Pictures announced today that Sam Raimi has signed on to direct the eagerly-anticipated major motion picture based on Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning Warcraft universe. Raimi has, in the course of his career, clearly demonstrated a genius for developing and adapting existing fictional universes for mainstream audiences while staying true to the spirit of the original content.

Raimi directed the Spider-Man trilogy, which has broken box-office records around the world and garnered five Academy Award nominations. Known for his imaginative filmmaking style, richly drawn characters and offbeat humor, Raimi wrote and directed the cult classic, The Evil Dead and produced 30 Days of Night. He most recently wrote and directed the supernatural thriller, Drag Me to Hell.

“At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story,” said Raimi. “I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen.”

Charles Roven’s producing talents were recently seen with last summer’s blockbuster The Dark Knight, which grossed in excess of $1 billion, was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two. His body of work also includes the widely acclaimed Batman Begins and the sci-fi classic 12 Monkeys. Roven, with Atlas producing partner Alex Gartner, will be producing with Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull, Legendary’s Chief Creative Officer Jon Jashni, Raimi and Raimi’s producing partner Joshua Donen. Raimi’s partner, Robert Tapert, will be an Executive Producer and Blizzard Entertainment’s Senior Vice President of Creative Development, Chris Metzen, a Co-Producer.

“Partnering with Sam Raimi exemplifies Legendary’s mandate of marrying the highest quality intellectual property to world-class filmmakers,” said Legendary’s Tull. “Sam’s passion for ‘Warcraft’ is undeniable and we know that he will create an incredible film worthy of Blizzard’s phenomenal franchise. We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Warner Bros. and continuing our successful relationship with Chuck in bringing this rich new world to the screen.”

“Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures have a shared vision for this film and we searched at length to find the very best director to bring that vision to life,” said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. “From our first conversation with Sam, we could tell he was the perfect choice. Sam knows how to simultaneously satisfy the enthusiasts and the mainstream audience that might be experiencing that content for the first time. We’re looking forward to working with him to achieve that here.”

“Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft has become a second home for millions of players and Sam’s experience and talent make him the perfect director for this remarkable and action-packed world,” said Atlas’ Roven. “Alex and I are proud to be working with Sam and re-teaming with our friends at Legendary and Warner Bros.”

The film will fall under Legendary Pictures’ co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. “Warcraft is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which our studio is best known. We have enjoyed great success with our partners at Legendary, and this is an incredible opportunity for us to work with Sam on a project that is so eagerly anticipated by so many,” said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft universe is a rich fantasy setting that revolves around the epic conflict between the opposing forces of the Horde and the Alliance. Since its debut in 1994, Warcraft has developed a loyal following across the globe, with several bestselling, award-winning PC games and a range of popular licensed products including novels, action figures, apparel, comic books, board games, and more. World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment’s subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Warcraft universe, is the most popular game of its kind in the world. Its most recent expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, is the fastest-selling PC game of all time, with more than 2.8 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and more than 4 million in its first month.

Further details about the upcoming Warcraft movie, including cast and targeted release date, will be revealed as development progresses.

Weta Returns to Middle-earth

from Weta:

Read this message on our site and see the images!

THERE AND BACK AGAIN

Weta is returning to Middle-earth.
We are delighted to announce our new license with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to create a new range of the most authentic, fine art collectibles and memorabilia based on The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. This range is designed and created by the same Academy Award-winning artists who worked on the movie trilogy. We have patiently waited for the opportunity to offer the most authentic replicas you could ever hope to find. The wait is over; it has been four long years since Weta last released any new collectibles from The Lord of the Rings. Our new license covers a wide range of new product categories, beginning with the following new items to be launched at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22-26, 2009.

The Master Swordsmith’s Collection — Peter Lyon of Weta Workshop
Weta will offer a very limited-edition of the most authentic swords from The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Each sword is individually hand-crafted by Peter Lyon, the Master Swordsmith from Weta Workshop, who created the original swords used in the movies. These blades are created using old world techniques for the sword purist, the way swords used to be made, for fighting. The first sword to be released is Anduril, in a limited-edition of only 10 worldwide. Each sword comes with a 10-minute DVD showing the artistic process and featuring interviews with Richard Taylor, John Howe and Peter Lyon. The video will shortly be made available for viewing on this website.

Gollum
A full scale replica of Gollum, a timeless sculpture, cast in bronze or in faux bronze fiberglass sculpted by the artists who helped bring him to life.

Miniature Shield Collectibles
A new range of cast metal miniature shields, built to exacting precision by Weta’s senior model maker, Dave Tremont (who built Grond and many of the miniatures used in filming the trilogy). They can be displayed as stunning collectibles on their custom built bases, or worn as badges to your next convention.

Gandalf the Grey Cloak
An exact replica of the original cloak worn in the movie trilogy, using the same woolen material, produced from the same farm in New Zealand and woven on the same 19th century looms. Woven and sewn by our friends at Stansborough, in Wellington, New Zealand, these cloaks are the real thing.

These works of art (and other new items) will shortly be available to purchase on the Weta website, wetanz.com.

This is how you find us online! http://fans.wetaNZ.com/Magnus/ | Twitter: @wetaworkshop | Facebook: Weta Workshop

Shout! Factory: Comic-Con 2009 Is ON!

from Shout! Factory:

We are all revved up to hit beautiful San Diego as we participate for the sixth consecutive year in the world’s most exciting and mass-attended pop culture convention. We’re at booth #3749 and have lined up a handful of events to properly whet your appetite. From The Middleman panel and signing to The Transformers signing, we’ve got the goods. Also, for you G.I. Joe and Transformers Collector’s Set coveters, we WILL be selling both sets at our booth. In addition, we have a limited-edition, Comic-Con exclusive lithograph available for both… and they’re signed! The G.I. Joe poster is autographed by artist Tom Feister, while The Transformers litho is signed by the Gen One voice of Megatron, Frank Welker!! Our complete schedule can be found here.

If you don’t want to miss out on the things that happen at Shout! between newsletters, find us on Facebook and Twitter. We update both throughout the day… every day! Come on, we know you want more…

The Legend of Neil’s Comic-Con Schedule

from The Legend of Neil:

San Diego Comic-Con 2009 is upon us!

For those of you who will be attending, be sure to stop by and say hello at the Atom.com booth (3445) where you can pick up a Heart Cookie T-Shirt, as well as a brand spanking new shirt premiering at Comic-Con!

Don’t forget that the first 250 fans to wear a LoN shirt and track down either Sandeep or Tony will receive a Comic-Con exclusive prize, and will be automatically entered into a lottery for a genuine prop from the show!

Sandeep will most likely be twittering about where he is and what he’s doing throughout Comic-Con (follow him @sandeepparikh), but here’s the official Legend of Neil schedule so you can be sure not to miss anything:

Thursday 7/23

1:30–2:30 PM: ROCK BAND: Play with the Legend of Neil cast including Sandeep Parikh and Tony Janning (participants will be chosen via raffle), Atom.com Booth 3445

Saturday 7/25

4:30-5:30 PM: ROCK BAND: Legend of Neil cast including Sandeep Parikh, Tony Janning & Felicia Day, Atom.com Booth 3445

6:00-7:00 PM: AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: Legend of Neil cast, Sails Pavilion Autograph Area AA7

7:30-8:30 PM: PANEL: Atom.com presents the world premiere of Legend of Neil, Season 2, Room 7AB

Sunday 7/26

1:30–2:30 PM: ROCK BAND: Legend of Neil cast including Sandeep Parikh and Tony Janning, Atom.com Booth 3445

Also, it’s Sandeep’s birthday on Thursday, so feel free to show up with cupcakes and presents. No, really.

Emily Challenges You to Be Your Own Hero!

from Emily the Strange:

Everyone has their favorite superhero… but Emily thinks you should be your own hero and save yourself!

Altered Ego crew neck t-shirt
Save Yourself mini dress
Super Kitties Rock eared hoody
Be Your Own Hero messenger bag

July 22-26, 2009: Emily the Strange at Comic-Con, San Diego!

Find Emily on: Facebook | MySpace | YouTube

Cortana and new Halo helmets in stock at Weta

from Weta:

Hey, you patient Halo fans!
We’re very pleased to announce that Cortana is now in stock in all our warehouses and we have started to fulfill the preorders, both from our old site and our new site. So please bear with us while we trawl through this. Your statue will be on its way very shortly.

We have more exciting news.

Last year we announced our 1/4 scale cast metal Master Chief’s Mark VI SPARTAN Helmet. Now it’s being joined by two more specialised helmets in the Mark VI range, the E.V.A. and the C.Q.B. helmets.

All three are now available to pre-order. In very short editions of 300 of each, so don’t delay.

And finally — the Master Chief and Arbiter and the Master Chief and Flood will be arriving in our warehouses at the end of September!

Hello Halo!

This is how you find us online! http://fans.wetaNZ.com/Magnus/ | Twitter: @wetaworkshop | Facebook: Weta Workshop

Three Keyboard Cat Moon

from Threadless:

The Internet spreads ideas like a rabid wolfpack let loose in a gated community. It’s scary, but weirdly fun too. We’ve learned this with this newest tee, “Three Keyboard Cat Moon.” Once there were two separate internet memes: Keyboard Cat — the loveable slapstick video closer, and Three Wolf Moon — the tee that launched a thousand satirical comments. In an instant last Friday, these two met on our website and made Threadless history: highest score ever, most votes ever, most I’d buy it’s ever (most controversy ever too, if you could vote on that)… AND this is the first time we’ve printed a submission before scoring has ended!

But don’t let this rabid outbreak of memes deter you — ironic jokes are just one fraction of what makes Threadless such an amazing community. So keep on designing, folks — and bring on all the artistic diversity — keyboards, cats, wolves, and otherwise!