Books & Writing – Page 21

Pre-order “The Art of District 9: Weta Workshop”

from Weta:

Pre-order The Art Of District 9: Weta Workshop
We are proud to start taking pre-orders for this beautiful book today. Written by Daniel Falconer and featuring 650 pieces of concept art and more than 200 photographs of conceptual sculptures and finished props. When you order from Weta, you not only get Weta Dollars, but also a Limited Edition MNU Alien Tagging Stencil, signed by five of the Weta artists whose work is featured in the book. We will still be shipping from our local warehouses in the US, UK and New Zealand. Pre-order The Art of District 9: Weta Workshop now!

Meet the designers at a special District 9 screening in Wellington
To celebrate the release of our new book The Art of District 9: Weta Workshop, Weta, HarperCollins and Wellington’s awesome Embassy cinema — once the venue for the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King — are putting on a very special event. Just in time for Father’s Day — Read all about it on our site!

Announcement — Weta at Armageddon Auckland
Weta will be attending the Armageddon pop-culture expo in Auckland, New Zealand on Labour Day weekend. More details will follow nearer the event.

Focus on Clothing
T-shirts, hats, scarves — don’t brave the elements without kitting yourself out at our online store. Whether you are in the Northern hemisphere going towards Winter or here in the Antipodes headed for Summer, it’s time to refresh that wardrobe of yours!

Podcast with Gino Acevedo — not long now…
Due some unfortunate circumstances, the podcast with Gino Acevedo has been delayed a week, but never fret — it’s in the can and is just awaiting a brief edit.

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Star Wars: Knight Errant

from Things from Another World:

More than a thousand years before Luke Skywalker, a dark age grips the galaxy as the Republic abandons entire systems to Sith control. A newly knighted Jedi on her first mission, Kerra Holt, has joined a band of Jedi traveling deep behind enemy lines, with no support from the Republic and little chance of survival. She thinks she is prepared for anything. She’s wrong.

Star Wars: Knight Errant is the newest title to join Dark Horse’s stellar Star Wars line. Starting in October, the series promises plenty of Sith vs. Sith action! We had the chance to chat with writer, John Jackson Miller, about his new series and the companion novel he’s writing for Del Rey.

Read Our Exclusive Interview with John Jackson Miller

Pre-Order Star Wars: Knight Errant #1-2 Today

Start a Star Wars: Knight Errant Subscription (starting with issue #2)

See All Upcoming Star Wars Comics

Cinematic Titanic Tour News!

from Cinematic Titanic:

Hi Everyone,

Hope you’ve had a great summer. We here at CT have had a light touring schedule as we’re all very pale and prone to sunburn, but we had great sold-out shows in Ann Arbor and San Fransisco as well as a trip to PIXAR studios (a really neat place) to perform for their employees. Now as autumn approaches, our thoughts once again turn to the open road.

St. Louis Family Arena November 13th — Pre-Sale Today
We’re thrilled to return to the Family Arena for a third straight year. Tickets go on sale Friday but you can get pre-sale tix Thursday from 10am-10pm central time HERE. Enter the Promo code: WATTS

Some Bad News…
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to CANCEL our 9/24 show in Los Angeles. Those who’ve bought tickets will be contacted shortly regarding refunds. We’re sorry for the inconvenience and will reschedule LA shows soon. We hope some of you will join us the following evening in relatively nearby Anaheim.

Other Upcoming Dates
9/25 — Anaheim, California — The Grove — Tickets HERE
10/15 — Washington, DC — GWU, Lisner Auditorium — Tickets HERE
10/16 — Kingston, Rhode Island — URI, Edwards Auditorium — Tickets HERE
10/29 — Boston, Massachusetts — Wilbur Theatre — Tickets HERE
11/27 — Newark, New Jersey — NJPAC — Victoria Theater — Tickets HERE

CT on PBS!
Those of you in the St. Louis area, KETC-TV will be showing our episode Doomsday Machine on weekends throughout September — along with pledge breaks featuring Joel and Frank. Check your local listings.

Some Big Name Praise
Richard Corliss of Time Magazine wrote a great piece on the state of the MST3K universe today on Time.com. A CT-related excerpt:

“All the CT efforts would reside comfortably on the medium-high to off-the-charts scale of old MST3K episodes. But since CT is essentially a traveling show, the DVDs you really must see are the ones recorded live from their concert work, where the five riffers are perched on either side of the screen showing the movie. The vibe is alive, as the audience performs a peculiar release-and-choke maneuver, exploding with laughter at one gag and instantly stifling itself to hear the next one.”

If you haven’t checked out our live DVDs yet, please visit our STORE and get yourself up to speed.

Dragon Con
We’re off to Dragon Con in Atlanta over this Labor Day weekend. We’ll be doing plenty of MST and CT-related panels and signings — plus Trace will be unveiling his new book Silly Rhymes for Belligerent Children (available to all soon after the weekend). Please join us if you’re attending the Con.

Thanks for reading this wordy email and all other forms of support!

Best,
The CT Crew

Breadpig: SXSW! Kilimanjaro!

from Breadpig:

Dearest Breadpig Legionnaire,

First, some great news: Breadpig has just broken $115,000 in funds raised and profits donated! We are so grateful for all the support and generosity you’ve shown along the way, and hope you’re with us as we try to triple that number by this time next year.

For those of you headed to SXSW in March, we wanted to make sure you were aware that we’ve proposed Breadpig panel! This would be a great chance to share our knowledge and philosophy with other geeky organizations while also being a convenient place to meet with and answer questions from you, our faithful fans. Think of it as a party with a Q&A. Alexis is also slated to talk on these two panels about bridging creatives and technical folks and porcine startup aerodynamics. Breadpig allies Awesome Foundation and ROFLCon also have panels up. Please give all of them some love before voting closes this Friday, August 27th!

It’s also the last week before courageous (and adorable) Breadpig allies Mitu and Maherunesa Khandaker climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa (38,688 bacon strips tall!), to raise funds for their charity Arohon. They’re looking for £5000 to build a women’s education center in one of Bangladesh’s many poverty-stricken areas, and we’re matching every donation you make over the next week until they reach their goal. They’re still about £1600 short, so please donate and help our intrepid friends with their mission to empower girls!

Finally, we’re excited to announce that xkcd: volume 0 is now available on Amazon — at a 32% discount, no less. What’s more, in what may be the most unifying geek event for the US and the UK since the installation of the trans-Atlantic telegraph cable, UK fans can finally purchase xkcd: volume 0 as well through Amazon.co.uk. Breadpig is for the children.

Until next time,
Alexis and Christina

BOOM! and Stan Lee Present Soldier Zero

Soldier Zero

from Things from Another World:

From Stan Lee, the most colossal force in the history of comics, teams up with BOOM! Studios to deliver a brand-new line of superhero comics! The great innovator brings his inimitable talents back in an explosive line of comics that nobody is prepared for!

In this first ongoing series, Soldier Zero, Stan teams up with critically acclaimed writer Paul Cornell (Action Comics, Doctor Who) and artist Javier Pina (Superman, Batman) for a dramatic, action-packed superhero scorcher.

When an alien parasite falls to Earth, wheelchair-bound college student Stewart Travers becomes infected, and goes through super-human changes that no mortal could imagine. Forced into a galactic war that’s chosen Earth as the battlefield, Stewart defends the front line as Soldier Zero!

The intergalactic war hits Earth this October in a new ongoing series from Stan Lee and BOOM! Studios. Stay tuned to future editions of the TFAW News newsletter to hear about Lee’s other upcoming titles!

Order Your Copy of Soldier Zero #1 Today

Check Out the Five-Page First Look Preview of Soldier Zero #1

See All Upcoming Products from BOOM! Studios

New Story at Tor.com! “The Speed of Time” by Jay Lake

from Tor.com:

The plug has been pulled on the universe; now it’s only a matter of, well, time.

Jay Lake is the author of the novels Mainspring, Escapement, Pinion, Green (set in the same world as his Tor.com short story “A Water Matter”) and Trial of Flowers. He has also published many short stories and is the 2004 winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

Stephan Martiniere has worked extensively as a concept illustrator and visual director for video games. He was nominated for an Emmy for his direction of the animated short “Madeleine,” and he has received numerous awards including The Chesley Award for Best Hardcover and a Thea Award for his work on the Paramount theme park Super Saturator. Stephan did the covers for Jay Lake’s Mainspring, Escapement, and Pinion.

Dr. Grordbort: Read! Want! Win!

from Weta:

Featured Products — The Miniatures!
Few may recall this, but the first Dr. Grordbort’s Raygun to see the light of day was a Miniature Manmelter, exclusive to Comic-Con 2007. It sold out there and then. There are five more in the series, from the minute Mongoose to the Unnatural Selector.

Steampunk Exhibition — expressions of interest
Feeling arty? The anachronistic rogues of the Leage of Victorian Imagineers in Oamaru have issued the call for expressions of interest (as well as — naturally — expressions of utter disbelief)! The Exhibition itself takes place 23 October to 5 December this year, but if you intend to exhibit, you must express your interest by 3 September! Peruse the full set of details on the League’s Electric Web Domicile.

Smitten by the Mongoose?
The Victorious Mongoose 1902a Concealable Ray Pistol is a gorgeous wee thing and comes in its own velvet-lined leather-clad jewel box. As if anyone needs an incentive to purchase this fine and strictly limited edition collectible gun, we have nonetheless decided to offer it with a FREE Victorious Mongoose — miniature version and two FREE books. Get yours here! With the Mongoose in your corner, adventure can be added to the most intimate of situations!

Reviewers have said:
“I could go on forever about the beauty in both form and presentation of the Victorious Mongoose 1902A.” — Outlander, 2009
“While it may seem intended for the “mysterious sex” it is not in the least bit unmanly.” — Quatermass, 2009
Read all the reviews!

First round of Righteous Bisons all but vamoosed!
The Righteous Bison Indivisible Particle Smasher in all its lightweight glory was warmly welcomed when it first showed its brass piping to the public last year. Now, less than a year later, we are preparing for production run #2. If you still haven’t acquainted yourself in person with the Righteous Bison, we suggest you do so PROMPTLY!

Win!
To further entice you, the fine folk at Grordbort Industries Jollification Department have announced A CONTEST! The finest and most outlandish examples of posphorescent etchings (a.k.a. “photographs”) of the Righteous Bison and its handler in action will be awarded prizes in the form of Weta Dollars! 200 to the winner, 100 to one runner-up! Plus, of course, everlasting glory and a pat on the back! By submitting an entry, you of course agree to us using the image on our site, Facebook, Twitter and in newsletters. Email your entries (unlimited) to news@wetanz.co.nz before 15 September!

Electric Web Renovations Completed!
With no small measure of stealth, the card punchers in the engine room have just finished re-stabilising, transmogrifying and defragmenting Grordbort Industries’ Electric Web Dwelling. If you’ve never visited drgrordborts.com before, you should! There are wild tales of the unexpected, the uninhibited and the down-right unnatural! If you’ve been there before, you will recognise much. For now, we have just updated the “engine room” if you like, so that we can achieve much future greatness.

Platform Independence Day! Raygun Shootout Unleashed!
Dr. Grordbort’s Raygun Shootout, the 3D design contest where first prize is a trip to New Zealand is now open to ALL — not just users of Blender! The final leg in the competition involves the design and rotation of a raygun intended for 2-handed operation. This competition has seen some WONDERFUL entries and you should join in the fun!

A note of thanks
To all of you who attended our Dr. Grordbort’s Dinner at Cafe Polo in Miramar. We hope you had as much fun as we did! See you again next year?

Stalk Weta on Facebook | Twitter

International Writers of the Future 26th Anniversary Set for Live Internet Broadcast Worldwide

from Writers of the Future:

The L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards ceremony celebrating the 26th anniversary of the internationally-acclaimed Writers of the Future Contest and its companion Illustrators of the Future Contest will be broadcast on Saturday, August 28th, 7:30 pm (Pacific), to a worldwide audience via Internet. Streaming will be live from writersofthefuture.com where a special link will be set up.

“This annual ceremony for new writers and illustrators of science fiction and fantasy is such a moving experience that we wanted all speculative fiction fans everywhere and the friends and families of this year’s winners to witness it,” said Joni Labaqui, Contests’ director.

The actual evening ceremony will be held before hundreds of invited guests, celebrities, and many of speculative fiction’s most popular writers and illustrators at the famous Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, in the very room that the first Academy Awards were held.

“We’ve got quite a show planned. Not only are we releasing volume 26, but a 25 year retrospective coffee table book of the Writers of the Future program with over 1,000 photos in 270 pages will also be released,” Labaqui added.

Every quarter, three writers and three illustrators are selected by a panel of leading authors and artists of science fiction and fantasy. With no entry fee and judging done on an anonymous basis, the criterion is strictly merit. Beside first time publication, benefits include over $30,000 in cash prizes and royalties, a week-long workshop with top professionals of the genre as well as book signings, radio and TV interviews organized by the contest administrators to assist the winners in launching their careers.

For more information on the Contests, go to writersofthefuture.com. You can see last year’s awards ceremony at youtube.com/writersofthefuture and click on “2009 Awards Ceremony-Vol XXV.”

Please note, this is a live broadcast, so check your time zone for when it will be showing in your location.

Lobot MIMOBOT now available + new Star Wars Stuff We Like!

from Mimoco:

NEW! Coming straight from Star Wars Celebration V to YOU!
Lobot MIMOBOT debuted as the joint San Diego Comic-Con and Star Wars Celebration V exclusive this past week, in a limited run of 1,000 units. Now, all remaining Lobot MIMOBOTs have journeyed back to the mothership, and he can finally be yours. Don’t leave Lando in a lurch — grab his trusty assistant before Lobot disappears for good! SHOP Now!

Check out our Flickr photos from Star Wars Celebration V! View Now!

New Stuff We Like!

Medicom Super Deformed Vinyl Boba Fett Repaint
A classic repaint of Medicom’s “super deformed” Boba Fett VCD vinyl figure!

Freeman’s Vader Project Auction Catalog
A 200-plus page, full-color, limited edition catalog that features all 100 helmets, artist bios and some history on the project.

Weta News: Darkchylde test footage and Weta crew-at-work photos

from Weta:

Focus on Books
We love books — in our shop we have a small but considered selection. Books we wrote ourselves (like The Crafting of Narnia), books written by others that feature our work (The Art of The Lord of the Rings) and books written and illustrated by friends of ours, like John Howe, Alan Lee and Ian Brodie. And the great thing is — they are all signed by one or more of the artists or writers! Have a look around our Books section and see if there’s anything you fancy.

Darkchylde test footage
Darkchylde is Randy Queen’s tale of a good hearted teen cursed to become the creatures from her many recurring nightmares. Creatures that destroy all she holds dear. Richard Taylor is Executive Producer as well as special effects producer and Weta Workshop has participated in a test shoot for Darkchylde. Check out the trailer on Newsarama!

Awesome Autumn with Doctor Who
Thanks to international currency fluctuations, we can offer some really strong deals on Doctor Who at the moment. How about this offer, valid until 26 August:
Dalek — £99 (US$154)
Master and Auton — £49 (US$79)
We are also offering FREE UK SHIPPING on Doctor Who!

Tania Rodger wins award
New Zealand’s Women in Film and Television recently held its annual Awards ceremony, and our own Tania Rodger took home the Television New Zealand Award for Entrepreneurship. Tania is of course the co-owner of Weta Workshop who runs the business with her partner, Richard Taylor. We’re very proud that Tania has been recognised in this manner and offer our heartfelt congratulations! Read more on WIFT’s website!

Last Orders at the Prancing Pony — will sell out in a few days
There are only a few days’ worth of stock left to be pre-ordered. So many people have taken a liking to our The Prancing Pony environment that the warehouse manager is nervously pacing with the Sold Out sign at the ready. Get your Prancing Pony here before it’s too late!

See the Exosuit being made
We have some photos of Dave Tremont building the District 9 Exosuit model and of Sourisak Chanpaseuth painting it. This is an awesome piece of model making. The attention to detail is simply stunning. Check out the Facebook galleries.

Follow Weta Online! Twitter | Facebook

New Friends Join Familiar Heroes for Supernatural Adventures in the Latest Episodes of “Bleach”, Available for Download from iTunes

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media invites anime fans and iTunes users to download episodes from the latest Bleach season (English dubbed), featuring the story of new Squad 3 Captain Shusuke Amagai. The action-packed episodes will be available for download the day after broadcast on Adult Swim from the iTunes Store in the U.S. (iTunes.com) and Canada (iTunes.ca) starting August 29th.

Two additional promotions will be running back to back:

From now through August 30th, a sneak preview of the first episode in the story arc — Episode 168 — will be available as a FREE download. Starting September 1st through the 6th, Episode 168 will be offered as a FREE download in its entirety.

From now through September 6, the first episode from Season 1 will be available as a FREE download. Plus, Bleach Seasons 1-5 (episodes 2-109) will be available Download-to-Own for only $0.99.

In the newest story arc of Bleach (rated “T” for Teens), after Sosuke Aizen’s rebellion, Gin Ichimaru’s departure from the Soul Society left the captain’s post of Squad Three empty. Shusuke Amagai is appointed as the new captain much to the squad’s dismay. But over time, Shusuke proves himself to be a good leader and wins over the team with his ability and personality. Meanwhile, a mysterious girl named Rurichiyo Kasumiohji appears in Karakura Town. Rurichiyo is the princess of a noble family in the Soul Society and a target for assassination. Worried for her safety, Rurichiyo’s guardians ask Ichigo to become her bodyguard. With new faces in the mix, another spectacular battle is about to begin in the Soul Society!

Bleach is a popular manga and animated series (both rated “T” for Teens), distributed domestically by VIZ Media, that follows the adventures of Ichigo, a 15-year old student with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow — a malevolent lost soul — Ichigo encounters Rukia, a Soul Reaper, and inadvertently absorbs her powers. Now, he’s dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace.

More information on Bleach is available at Bleach.viz.com.

VIZ Media Announces the Premiere of the Latest Season of “Bleach” on Adult Swim

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the nationwide premiere of the latest season of Bleach on Adult Swim. The latest English-dubbed installment — Episode 168 — of the hit animated action series will air on August 28th. Check local times for availability (Bleach Show Schedule on Adult Swim).

In the newest season of Bleach, after Sosuke Aizen’s rebellion, Gin Ichimaru’s departure from the Soul Society left the captain’s post of Squad Three empty. Shusuke Amagai is appointed as the new captain much to the squad’s dismay. But over time, Shusuke proves himself to be a good leader and wins over the team with his ability and personality. Meanwhile, a mysterious girl named Rurichiyo Kasumiohji appears in Karakura Town. Rurichiyo is the princess of a noble family in the Soul Society and a target for assassination. Worried for her safety, Rurichiyo’s guardians ask Ichigo to become her bodyguard. With new faces in the mix, another spectacular battle is about to begin in the Soul Society!

“Bleach is a powerhouse property that delights millions of fans across North America each week, and we’re very pleased to have Adult Swim’s continued support for the series,” says Ken Sasaki, Senior Vice President & General Manager of VIZ Media. “Check out the newest adventures of the Soul Society in the launch of the riveting new story arc, and then stay tuned to Adult Swim for a new episode of the other hit VIZ Media anime series Kekkaishi that immediately follows!”

Bleach is also a tremendously successful property internationally. The manga series, created by Tite Kubo, has been licensed to more than a dozen countries and has sold over 50 million copies in Japan alone. In North America, the manga has sold more than 2 million copies, and the dubbed version of the animated series is viewed weekly by millions in the United States and Canada on cable broadcast. This success has further spawned an array of related video games, apparel, action figures and other merchandise. The subtitled version of the anime can be viewed for free online anytime on VIZAnime.com.

More information on Bleach is available at Bleach.viz.com.