ThinkGeek thinks you rock (awwww)

from ThinkGeek:

Bacon-loving friends,

We’re not sure if you heard, but ThinkGeek recently got a 12-page cease & desist letter. Apparently the lawyers of the National Pork Board believe that we sell meat made from geriatric unicorns fattened on candy corn and rubbed down with Guinness by nuns in Ireland. They’re in a tizzy because we called it “The New White Meat.” The best part was when our lawyer explained they were a month behind on an April Fool’s joke.

And besides, who does more to promote the consumption of bacon than us? We should demand compensation for all the marketing we do for the magical animal known as the pig.

YouRock MIDI Electric Guitar
It’s an electric guitar that also works as a MIDI controller to use with just about any multi-track recording or sequencing software. Record your riffs directly into your computer without having to use a MIDI keyboard! The YouRock is 25 guitars, 50 synths, 25 tracks, and 50 drum tracks in one package. Even professional guitarists are shocked by how great the YouRock feels. Part of that is the speed of the triggering, sliding, and articulation, some of that is the unique characteristic of the strings. Have more fun and make more music with the YouRock MIDI Electric Guitar!

Balls, balls, balls!
Summer is full of balls: baseballs, softballs, soccer balls, wiffle balls, beach balls. Why not Buckyballs? Buy two sets of Buckyballs and get one free! Use the code HOTBALLS through 6/26/2010 at 12 midnight ET.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

Weta: Prancing Pony + Narnia Trailer and Sale!

from Weta:

The Prancing Pony limited edition environment from The Lord of the Rings.

Perched upon a crossroads in the northwest of Middle-earth, the small town of Bree is a quiet village. In the center of town, the Prancing Pony Inn is a home away from home for weary travelers from distant lands. Looking for Gandalf the Grey, Frodo and his companions seek shelter from the Black Riders who have pursued them through the wilderness, but there is little rest to be found at the Inn this night. Unfriendly stares bear down on the fearful Hobbit party and the wizard fails to appear. Amid the sodden patrons and hooded strangers Frodo and his friends exchange fretful glances, while outside the terrifying Wraiths converge upon the town in search of their quarry.

ONLY 500 World Wide. Pre-order now!

The Lord of the Rings: © 2010 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.

San Diego Comic-Con update!
The Weta booth will be crawling with bugs. At the request of our friends on The Shadow and Flame Forum, we will be bringing a batch of copper wire Weta bugs for sale at Comic-Con. These wiry little fellows are normally sold in the Weta Cave, where they feel most at home. And they won’t be the only creepy crawlies there. They will be joined by the Blue Sacked Pillock, the Nandy Duke and a 3rd Venusian insect, recently made extinct by Dr. Grordbort’s hunting elite. There is just too much news to just cram into newsletters, so we’ve created a whole page dedicated to Comic-Con updates! Save it in your Favourites and come back often — we can’t promise news every day, but there’s already a fair few posts. Check out our Comic-Con updates page! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and to discuss on the forum on The Shadow and Flame!

…and don’t forget — Weta presence at Anime Expo in LA
Weta’s US envoy, Phil Davis will be at Anime Expo in Los Angeles from the 1-4 July in the LA Convention Center. It is the largest Anime and Media Con in the western US and as usual, Phil will have a selection of Weta merchandise for sale at his booth. See you there!

The Art of District 9 — new book from Weta
Weta designers, particularly Greg Broadmore, David Meng and Leri Greer, were heavily involved in the creation of District 9, from the props and weapons, to the Prawns, to the graphic design. Now Daniel Falconer is collecting all this into a beautiful book for release later in the year. Check out Daniel’s post on the forum! Pre-orders open Soon (VERY soon) on a Weta Website Near You!

Righteous Bison + Universal Gun Stand = TRUE
Did you know that the lightweight and wieldable yet deadly and intimidating Righteous Bison looks AWESOME on the Universal Gun Stand? Get the Gun Stand here!

The Lord of the Rings for Beginners!
To kickstart your collection of The Lord of the Rings, we have put together a sample pack of some great, collectible products to start with. And we’ve made it easier for you to get started by giving you a discount and saving you money on the combined postage. The package contains: an Easterling Miniature Shield, a Gandalf Rune Pendant, and a Red Eye of Sauron Pin. All three items are actually wearable as the miniature shield doubles as a brooch.

The Chronicles of Narnia — The Voyage of the Dawn Treader trailer
Having done conceptual design, props, weapons, miniatures and all sorts of things for the first two Narnia movies, our involvement with the latest instalment of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia Chronicles wasn’t on the same scale, but we’re REALLY looking forward to the movie in December. Especially now that we’ve seen the trailer… Check out the trailer here!

Amazing Narnia Sale and prize draw!
We thought we’d offer you an opportunity to get a bargain or two from the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe that Weta created props, weapons, characters, miniatures and a host of other things for. Including collectibles. But that’s not all… If you buy ANY item from Prince Caspian or The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe before 29 June, you go in the draw to win an authentic red Lucy Cape from Stansborough who made the fabric for Lucy’s cape in the movie!

Follow Weta Online! Twitter | Facebook

J!NX: Introducing J!NX Collaborations

from J!NX:

Wil Wheaton + J!NX Artists = WIN
A few of us sat down for a lunch with Wil Wheaton a while back, and a colossal brainstorm ensued. By the end of that meal, our goal was clear: Extract some of the killer ideas that populate Wil’s fertile mind, and have J!NX artists Chris Hope, Miguel Rojas and Brad Armstrong bring them to life, and thus J!NX Collaborations was born. We’ll be releasing one design per week for four weeks, the first of which springs from a tweet Wil sent out: “My sword glows blue in the presence of rules lawyers.” This design, crafted by J!NX artist Miguel “Borrador” Rojas, is a nod to both Lord of the Rings, and to those of us that can’t roll a d20 for 10 minutes without consulting a rule book. We all know that person. If you don’t, it’s probably because that person is you.

Win an Xbox 360 and more!
We’ve joined with our friends over at The Guild to figure out an awesome way to show our appreciation for your support. We figured an Xbox 360 plus some other goodies would work out just fine. All you have to do is follow us on Twitter, “like” our Facebook page, and throw a comment on the contest page.

-Team J!NX

NEW PEOPLE Announces One of the Nation’s Biggest Pop Culture Events of the Year with the “2010 J-Pop Summit Festival”

from VIZ Pictures:

NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, has announced the date for the 2010 J-Pop Summit Festival — Saturday, September 18th. The venue has also launched a web site at J-Pop.com to serve as a central information hub for updates on related events, film premieres and celebrity appearances planned for the day-long extravaganza that will take place in San Francisco’s Japantown.

Additional news alerts over the coming weeks will detail specific events and appearances.

A variety of fun Japanese pop-inspired attractions including fashion shows, a theatrical film premiere, live art performances, and mini-concerts by some of Japan’s hottest bands are planned for the 2010 Summit Festival both inside NEW PEOPLE, and also at the adjacent Peace Plaza and areas in between. Innovative artists and companies from the Bay area and Japan will join in with an array of products for sale in open air displays on both sides of Post Street and a food court highlighting Japanese cuisine will further complement the celebration.

Last year, more than 35,000 people attended the first J-Pop Summit Festival, which marked the Grand Opening of the NEW PEOPLE complex. The day-long event featured a trio of bands as part of the Japan Nite Special: Girls Rock Explosion as well as a rare appearance by famed artist and anime character designer Yoshitaka Amano, a Gothic and Lolita Extravaganza, a Harajuku Fashion Makeover, and the U.S. theatrical premiere of 20th Century Boys inside NEW PEOPLE’s VIZ Cinema, the country’s first theatre with a dedicated Japanese film program.

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located in San Francisco at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass facade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: NewPeopleWorld.com.

New Weird Al Merch Store Now Online!

from “Weird Al” Yankovic:

Attention Close Personal Friends of Al –

To celebrate the start of Al’s summer tour, we wanted to let you know that our long-awaited new merch store is NOW ONLINE! Just go to weirdal.com and check out our brand new line of shirts, hoodies and first-ever set of trading cards! And of course you can also see an up-to-date listing of where Al will be playing. Hope to see you on tour!

Ex-Boyfriend: Save 15% on Tees & Accessories for Summer

from Ex-Boyfriend:

Save 15% This Weekend Only!
Summer officially starts Monday! Are you ready for longer, hotter, sweatier days? The kind that make you change your shirt every few hours? If your current tee collection is starting to look ragged it’s time to re-stock. Now through Sunday, you can take 15% off any purchase at Ex-Boyfriend. Simply enter coupon code SUMMER15 at check out.

New Designs!
The shop is bursing at the seams with new t-shirt designs. We’ve got pirate monkeys, zombies, stoner meat products, bunnies, naughty geometry, and puns galore.

We Now Have Totes!
Hit the Farmers Market in style all summer with our brand new tote bags! Huge variety of colors and designs that are suitable for both dudes and ladies.

Be a Star on Our Blog
We’ve been sharing photos and interviews from our awesome fans on the blog and we’d love to feature you next. If you’d like to play along just send in your picture wearing some Ex-Boyfriend tees or accessories. We’ll email you back with some fun interview questions. Be sure to give us your mailing address and we’ll send you a little thank you.

Follow us online
Overstock Ex-Boyfriend Tees from $15.00 | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Myspace

Check Out What’s New for Celebration V This Week

from StarWars.com:

>>INTERCEPTED MESSAGE FROM THE JEDI TEMPLE
>>Begin Encrypted Communication

Discounted Travel Deadline Quickly Approaching — July 21
With rooms starting as low as just $65/night, attending Celebration has never been more affordable! Book now using our official travel desk before July 21 and save!

Fan Movie Challenge Awards
The Ninth Annual 2010 Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge is in full swing but the deadline to enter your movie is fast approaching. Lucasfilm Ltd. and Fan Movie Challenge partner Atom.com are making a call for immediate submissions at starwars.Atom.com, Atom’s Star Wars movie website, before June 24. Moviemakers who make the finalist category this year can look forward to seeing their movie in the spotlight at Celebration V!

One Man Star Wars Trilogy at Celebration V
Charlie Ross, the creator and performer of “The One Man Star Wars Trilogy” will bring his show to Celebration V this August in Orlando. Using no props, and no instruments except his versatile and talented voice, Ross performs everything from dialogue and music to sound effects and battle scenes. Those who attend Star Wars Celebration V should not miss these performances. Read more about One Man Star Wars Trilogy here.

Star Wars Costume Contests
Veteran and amateur Star Wars costumers are invited to join in for two exciting costume contests at Star Wars Celebration V! With two Costume Pageants to showcase the finest costumes in the galaxy, you’ll have more opportunities to model your finery. Simply complete the online entry form here.

Collectors Panels
The Star Wars Collecting Panels will return to Celebration V, with new and interesting talks, giveaways, and events that will run all four days of the show. Gus Lopez, who organized the Collecting Panels for the past four Celebrations, is assembling a new lineup of subjects to entertain and inform all collectors, from beginners to the most experienced. See all of Star Wars Celebration V Collectors Panels here.

Orlando 101
Have you given any thought to what you’ll do after the show each evening, and in your days in town before and after the convention? Need some help planning what to do? Orlando 101 is your comprehensive, friendly guide to the best restaurants, attractions and activities that will ensure your trip to a far-off galaxy (otherwise known as Central Florida) is nothing short of out of this world! We’re also thrilled to offer you and your family a variety of special offers and savings at select locations, all of which simply require a flash of your CV show badge. View Your Orlando 101 Guide.

Exclusive T-Shirts on Sale Now Thru July 25!
Choose from Celebration V Logo T-Shirt (ONLY available for purchase online through July 25 — Don’t wait!) & Boba Fett Jet Ski T-Shirt (available for pre-order and onsite; onsite quantities will be limited). BUY TODAY!

Special Event for Celebration V Attendees
Last Tour to Endor hosted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Buy Tickets Here!

Free Celebration V e-Cards!
Select a design for your e-Card and tell your friends why they should join you at Star Wars Celebration V. We’ll email your FREE customized e-Cards to friends, family, co-workers, etc with your own personalized greeting. Send a FREE Star Wars Celebration V e-Card today!

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

>>END MESSAGE
>>900-220.21 Alpha Channel Comm Array Reset

News that Squishes: Squishable Android Charity Auction

from Squishable:

Hello Folks!

If you were making some journalism-style s’mores, you wouldn’t want to sandwich just any old rubbery news in between those graham crackers! No! You’d want that sweet, gooey filling to be made of Squishy News! And here it is!

Squishable Android — It’s a cellphone operating system! It’s a small adorable robot thing! It’s both! Even iPhone owners have to admit that Android has an awesome mascot. This version is giant and fuzzy and green, and we’re auctioning one — just one — off for charity! Help support Child’s Play to get gaming software and toys to sick kids. Auction ends June 22, 2010. Karma plus cute equals awesomeness!

Squishable Restocks — A bunch of out-of-stock Squishies are back! It’s true! We would not kid about such a thing! We’ve got some more Squishable Penguins, Raccoons, Sharks, Whales and Frogs all set and ready to roll into your hands! Or elbows!

Two New Really Big Understudies!
Really Big Elephant Understudy — He is justifiably proud of his enormous, cuddly heft! Snurfling is much better when the snurfle-ee has their own area code.
Really Big Harbor Seal — Where does a really big, adorable harbor seal live? Anywhere he wants! Which is probably your couch.

And just a reminder, this month for every picture we receive of you and your Squishy we’re donating a dollar to GirlStart to empower girls in math, science and technology! Send ’em to HugMe@Squishable.com! Woo!

Are you spending way too much of your free time on Facebook? What a coincidence — so are we! Come say hi (and incidentally get coupons and stuff).

And hey, Twitter! If you’ve ever wondered what Zoe and Aaron and the rest of Squishy does all day long, this is your chance to voyeurize their squishy, squishy lives! I mean, seriously!

Thanks everyone!

Zoe and Aaron
squishable.com

J!NX’s “Buffy Staked Edward” Hoodie

Tired of sparkly vampires? Are you on Team Buffy, as opposed to Team Edward or Team Jacob? J!NX now makes it possible to express both sentiments on one article of clothing. When you’re out hunting vampires, you’ll definitely want this fashion statement in your arsenal. That way, your immortal enemies will know exactly where you stand on the issue of Buffy vs. Twilight.

"Buffy Staked Edward" Hoodie

The Buffy Staked Edward Hoodie began life as a hugely popular T-Shirt and Women’s Tee, both of which are still available in the J!NX Shop. Since Vampire Slayers are traditionally female, there’s also a smaller Women’s Hoodie, cut to be more form-fitting than its male counterpart.

Thick enough to deflect the marble chill of a shirtless vampire, with a lined hood for extra warmth, the Buffy Staked Edward hoodie will keep you protected as you search the forest for Cullens to stake. Its sturdy, double-stitched seams will survive multiple maulings by Twihards seeking vengeance on behalf of their beloved Edward — if you wear this item in public, especially near movie theatres showing Eclipse, then durability is an important selling point — and the roomy kangaroo pocket provides a perfect place to conceal Mr. Pointy. Just be sure to concentrate on hiding your thoughts so Edward doesn’t read your mind and spoil your special “surprise” for him.

Sparkly vampires are unnatural. You know it; Buffy knows it. The world would be a better place if archetypes were respected and the Twilight saga came to a quicker demise, concluding “…And Then Buffy Staked Edward. The End”. Sorry, Bella. It looks like your choice between Edward and Jacob just got a lot easier.

For ladies who’d like to add a hidden touch of sexiness to their vampire butt-kicking ensemble, J!NX offers pairs of novelty underwear in matching black…

"Speak Friend and Enter" Boy Brief Panties

Remember when Cameron Diaz drove the fanboys wild in Charlie’s Angels by dancing in front of her bedroom mirror in a pair of Spider-Man Underoos? J!NX’s Speak Friend and Enter Boy Brief Panties raise the nerdiness level a few more notches by featuring a quote from The Lord of the Rings. The Underoo-style briefs are trimmed in white, a delicate thread of feminine pink running through the waistband elastic, with “speak friend and enter” written in an Elvish font across the front, a context that gives Gandalf’s famous words of advice a much naughtier meaning. Password indeed!

"Follow the Rabbit" Hot-short Panties

Even less subtle than the Tolkien undies are the Follow the Rabbit Hot-short Panties, inspired by The Matrix. If you’re not a Matrix fan, but still love Alice in Wonderland, then feel free to interpret “Follow the White Rabbit…” as a direct reference to Alice instead. Either way, these black short shorts are soft and flattering to female curves. (J!NX’s underwear tends to fit small, so you may need to order up a size.) Plus, the bunny illustration printed on the hip in white ink is cute, unless you’re Buffy‘s Anya — then it’s more terrifying than vampires.

Order directly through the J!NX website.

The Buffy Staked Edward T-Shirt and Hoodie, Speak Friend and Enter Boy Brief Panties, and Follow the Rabbit Hot-short Panties are distributed by J!NX.

Cinematic Titanic: “Danger on Tiki Island” on sale!

from Cinematic Titanic:

Hi Everyone,

Just want to let you know that our new DVD, Cinematic Titanic Live: “Danger on Tiki Island” goes on sale at 12:01 am EDT tonight! (Tuesday morning).

Get it on DVD via our CT STORE OR Download from EZTakes.com.

(click to see trailer)

– DVD and Download both include the bonus documentary CT Live: “Between the Riffs”
– Available Worldwide
– Presented in anamorphic widescreen

We hope you’ll enjoy this, our 10th Episode (and spread the word when you do!)

Thanks!
The Titans

Weta: Knights, hobbit ears and collectible News!

from Weta:

Sir Richard!
Her Majesty the Queen on the celebration of her Birthday, is pleased to appoint Richard Taylor as a Knight Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit. To be knighted, in other words, and earn the right to be addressed Sir Richard. Richard received this honour for services to film. From all here at Weta — huge congratulations, Richard. We’re very proud that your contribution to New Zealand film has been recognised in this manner and there’s not a single person here who doesn’t think it’s well deserved.

Are you a Hobbit at heart? Now ‘ear this!
For Hobbits-at-heart everywhere, here’s a wonderful piece of The Lord of the Rings to wear with pride — like a Hobbit. Drawn from the original molds that Frodo’s and Sam’s ears were drawn from for the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, these prosthetics are as authentic as can be. Hand made here at Weta Workshop by Makeup Supervisor Frances Hawker and her team. Made from latex, they can be blended to look like part of your anatomy for your next costume event or convention. Get yours ‘ere!

Raygun shootout May winner
Last month’s winner, for best alien raygun, was Radulan for the Head Mounted Interpolator. This month’s challenge is Rocket Ships!

Weta presence at Anime Expo in LA
Weta’s US envoy, Phil Davis will be at Anime Expo in Los Angeles from the 1-4 July in the LA Convention Center. It is the largest Anime and Media Con in the western US and as usual, Phil will have a selection of Weta merchandise for sale at his booth. See you there!

New collectibles on the way
Tim Launder (when he’s not busy managing us rogues here at Weta Limited) is the guy who gets stuff off tall shelves in the Workshop. He says he found something at the very back — it appears to be an environment from The Lord of the Rings… possibly sculpted back-in-the-day. Looks a bit like a drinking establishment of some sort. As some of the Lord of the Rings fans in the building got very excited, we’ve decided to make a few of them and to put them up for pre-order this week, so keep an eye out for more announcements.

San Diego Comic-Con update!
There is too much news to just cram into newsletters, so we’ve created a whole page dedicated to Comic-Con updates! Save it in your Favourites and come back often — we can’t promise news every day, but there’s already a fair few posts. Check out our Comic-Con updates page!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and to discuss on the forum on The Shadow and Flame!

Follow Weta Online! Twitter | Facebook

J!NX: Don’t Miss our Father’s Day Promotion!

from J!NX:

New J!NX Classic Tee: Dastardly
In the Boy Scouts, good deeds are encouraged. Enough do-gooding will earn you a swell badge for your collection. In the Old West, things are a bit different. Being nice will get you nowhere. You’ve gotta be hard, you’ve gotta be mean… you’ve gotta be dastardly.

iPad Contest… Are You Entered?
We’re approaching the last few days of our iPad Contest, so if you’ve been dilly-dallying, lollygagging or otherwise procrastinating, now would be the time to get motivated. Entry is easy! Just “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and comment on the entry page once a day. That’s it! The contest ends Tuesday (6/15/10), so don’t wait!

Father’s Day Promotion!
Dads are Geeks, too! You’ll receive a $10 discount on an order of $35 or more when you enter the code DADSROCK. With Father’s Day just around the corner, make sure Dear Old Dad gets what he really wants. Or, you can just use the code for yourself (it’s ok, we won’t tell anyone). This offer is not valid in combination with any other sale or discount.

$10 off your purchase of $35 or more

Use Promotion Code: DADSROCK
This offer expires Friday, June 18, 2010 at 11:59 PM EDT, so don’t wait!