from Riese:
Hope everyone’s February has been a good one. We’ve had the pleasure of seeing the world come together here in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games. It’s absolute craziness, but in a good way. I mean, really, how often can you say the Olympics are happening right outside your window. (Literally, in our case. The Olympic Village is right outside our office windows).
First off, the news. We’ve been making a lot of headway with finding some new homes for Riese, and it’s looking more and more likely that we’ll be able to put the episodes online again soon. It’s still too early to announce anything specific yet, but we wanted to let you know that big things are definitely in the works and we’ll keep you posted. Again, you guys have been so awesome, and the support you’ve shown has only helped people looking at the show to be more excited to take it on. We have some awesome fans.
To help keep us all busy during the hiatus, we’ve decided to do a contest! The lovely folks at Simon & Schuster were kind enough to provide a number of copies of Scott Westerfeld’s steampunk novel Leviathan. Here’s the synopsis for those of you unfamiliar with it:
It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.
Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.
With the Great War brewing, Alek’s and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way… taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.
It’s a fun and epic piece, and a must if you’re a steampunk enthusiast. So, here’s the big question: how can you win it, and some other great prizes?
We’re inviting people to create fan pieces for Riese. Art, photo collage, wallpaper design, avatar collection, music, poems, invent a character in the Riese world, fanfiction — whatever inspires you. We thought it’d be a fun activity for you all to demonstrate how creative and artistic you are, and reward it! You have until March 5th, 2010 to get your submission in. Once we’ve received them, Kaleena and myself will select the winners. Additionally, we’ll be showcasing the winners here on our blog for all other Riese fans to see! So this could be an opportunity to get your work viewed by people all over the world.
So, to summarize the rules:
Entrants have until March 5th, 12:00AM PST to submit their entries at ryan(at)riesetheseries.com. Entries include any fan creation, including, but not limited to, drawings, paintings, music, fanfiction, wallpapers and avatars. We encourage entries to be creative and original, as we’re always drawn to unique ideas.
Winners’ works will be shown throughout the month of March on riesetheseries.com. Works will remain property of their respective artists.
Prizes Include:
Hardcover copy of Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan
Exclusive Riese & The Sect buttons
Riese Apparel
We’re excited to see what you come up with, and as I said, we’ll keep you posted on any developments as soon as we hear them! Now get creating! And if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us for more details. Cheers!
-Ryan
