Enjoy the Comedy Event of the Year over and over again with our just released DVD of RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 From Outer Space! Re-live the magic as Mike, Kevin and Bill riff Ed Wood’s “classic” film of space aliens and their ingenious… uh… inept… plan to take over the world!
Comes with great extras: a behind-the-scenes slide show, and two uncut short films by Something Awful’s Rich “Lowtax” Kyanka.
Makes a perfect holiday gift!
And don’t forget, RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza is only one week away! Tickets are selling out, so be sure to get yours before it’s too late. See the show live on December 16th, with an Encore on Thursday December 17th. Bring your friends, and share the holiday joy!
Also, you can check out the Fathom micro site at rifftrax.fathomevents.com, where you can introduce friends and family to the joy of RiffTrax with video e-cards and a shareable widget.
What do you want for Christmas? One lucky winner will get it (up to $1,000 value) if your enter our “What Do You Want For Christmas?” Twitter Sweepstakes! Simply tweet what you want for Christmas & we’ll buy it for one of you up to $1,000. Include link http://ncm.com/Fathom/Comedy/RiffTrax_Xmas.aspx & tag tweet with #RiffTraxSANTA.
News is a great accompaniment to a sandwich! And if you were about to spread some news on YOUR sandwich, well you wouldn’t want any cold, grainy news. No! You’d want some nice buttery Squishy News! And here it is!
Really Big Polar Bear Understudy! These adorable arctic fuzzies are 90% sweet, 10% ruthless fishing machine. If you’ve ever desired a warm snowdrift in ursine form, this is your chance.
T-Rex Charity Auction — To celebrate the launch of the most nifty Squishable T-Rexes at this most sparkly time of the year, we are sponsoring a Charity Auction! Come bid on your own T-Rex Squishable, a printed copy of the original prototype design signed both by character designer Ryan North and Squishable designer Zoe (that’s me), and a small house, lady, and little blue car so you can recreate Ryan’s Dinosaur Comics to your heart’s content. And all proceeds go to Child’s Play charity! It’s for a good cause! Just do it!
Vote for the Next Squishable winners — Mucho thanks to everyone who voted on the four new Squishable designs! My goodness did we get a lot of votes! We were quite overwhelmed… so we’ve decided to make them all! We’ll make them in the order you voted for: Fox, Owl, Platypus, Dragon, over the next year. Thanks everyone!
Shipping deadlines! Late Squishies equal sad people. Don’t make people sad! Order your Squishies on time!
The star of Ask the Sharky surfaces to answer some questions about his underwater web series. The interview was conducted by sea-mail, with Sharky assuring “ÜberSciSomething” that “…Me can just answer [questions] with typing or something. Me am very good at typing with fins. True.”
ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) What inspired you to create a web series that answers land dwellers’ questions about your life under the sea?
Sharky (S) Um. Me noticed that people not under the water didn’t understand sharkies very well. People not under the water are all like “Hey! Look out! That sharky is going to bite you!” But sharkies don’t care about biting people, me just get confused sometimes because you look like a baby seal. But you don’t taste as good as a baby seal. True.
Also me am very smart and can answer questions verygoodtrue. Something.
(ÜSFG) What is the most unusual question that you’ve been asked so far?
(S) Me had one person ask me what the most unusual question I’ve been asked so far. That was pretty unusual. Hehehe.
Not really. Me just said that because you asked that question. True.
Me get a lot of questions though. Currently me have, like, big-number-something questions (ed– more than 5, although currently Sharky has about 100 voicemail messages). Lots of people want to know about what me eat, or if me like this food or that food, or if I will eat them, or if me will eat their sister, or how I eat, or if I am eating something right now. I guess those are pretty normal questions for a Sharky, though. Me am pretty good at eating. True.
Prolly the most strange was someone asked me how to make cornbread. It is hard to make cornbread under the water.
(ÜSFG) You often complete your sentences with the exclamation “True!” How did that become your catchword?
(S) True. Me say that a lot. True.
(ÜSFG) Since you now have Sharky Swag on CafePress, are there plans to release other merchandise, like a DVD compilation of your videos or an adorable plushie? (There’s a shark on the East Coast, Nigel from Dante Beatrix, whose family resemblance to you is striking. Maybe he could help you with merchandising!)
(S) Me not know. That is a good question. Me was thinking maybe me would make a Sharky movie sometime, or maybe a Sharky video game or a Sharky rock opera.
Me like Nigel! He is one handsome sharky! Me will have to talk to that Dante someone! True.
A cute furry Sharky would be pretty good. True. Me would rather have an action figure, though. With realistic biting action.
(ÜSFG) If you ever saw a mermaid, would you consider her a friend or fish dinner?
(S) Ummm. Prolly me would be friends with her because she is only half fish and me not like the taste of people. UM! At least me THINK me would not like the taste of people. Me have never bited a person before. Seriously! Me am not lying about that at all. No people biting.
Anyway, if she was half seal instead that would be very tempting. True.
Ok. Thanks for the interview, me hope you got all the answers you wanted! Don’t forget to be nice to sharkies! Also it is nice to drop yummy food in the water. Pleasethankyou.
Learn more about sharkies by watching the award-winning documentary film Sharkwater. It will make you see Sharky’s misunderstood kin in a whole new, positive light. True!
We’re very pleased to announce our next DVD release, which also happens to be our first live DVD: Cinematic Titanic LIVE: East Meets Watts. Available December 16th.
As you know from these newsletters, we’ve spent quite a bit of time doing live performances around the country this year. We’ve had great fun and are proud of the work we’re doing onstage. That’s why we’ve chosen to present a live DVD (and yes, it’ll be available as a download too), we feel it’s us at our current best and we wanted to share it with you — and what better way than with this Kung-sploitation classi… er, movie, East Meets Watts.
Here’s a 5 minute sample of the show, a departure from our normal trailers so you can get a feel for this new representation of our riffery.
NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, offers shoppers something unique with an inspired collection of products and accessories for home, office and wardrobe that are available now from the new web store at NewPeopleStore.com.
A variety of fun and inventive pop culture-inspired products from Japan are featured — just in time for the holidays — on the web site and also inside NEW PEOPLE The Store, a retail space located on the mezzanine level of the 20,000 square foot entertainment complex in the heart of San Francisco’s historic Japantown at 1746 Post Street.
Think of everyone on your list this year with these unique gift ideas!
For your Girlfriend: Graphic Design Headphones by ZUMREED
$59.95
These smart, slim and stylish headphones will keep you on the beat with large-aperture 40mm drivers designed with neodymium magnet systems for super high quality sound and emblazoned with stylish, colorful graphics.
For your Boyfriend: VINYL KILLER Mini Clubman Model Portable Turntable by RAZYWORKS
$139.95
No one will ever be without the right sounds with a stylish portable record player modeled after the Mini Clubman. Forget about traditional bulky turntables. This is the smallest self-running record player in the world! Instead of spinning a record, the MINI CLUBMAN coasts over the surface of the vinyl, gliding the needle over and into the grooves, playing music from its own built-in speaker. Made in Japan and licensed globally by BMW AG from Germany. 33RPM only. Available in Laser Blue, Dark Silver, Pepper White, and Chili Red.
For your Husband: Boxed Set of Neckties by GIRAFFE
$149.00
GIRAFFE, a specialized brand led by creative director, Masamichi Toyama, is one of the hottest fashion labels in Tokyo. GIRAFFE neckties are categorized into four different stages based on one’s body temperature and feeling so one can select ties based on how they feel that day. Ties are available in several colors and varieties and designed for men or women.
For your Grandpa: Fitted Baseball Caps by ZILLON
$44.95
New from famed French designer David Guarino’s brand — ZILLON — are these colorful baseball caps that blend traditional with the modern by using stylish Japanese kimono patterns.
For your Grandma: TAKEO Paper Products & DRESSCO Notebooks and Envelopes
Notebook, Large — $20.95
Notebook, Small — $19.95
Envelopes, Long — $7.95
Envelopes, Petite — $6.95
Since its founding nearly 100 years ago, TAKEO has manufactured some of the highest quality paper products in the world. DRESSCO similarly manufactures high quality notebooks with unique cover designs that provide an attractive complement to whatever the writer chooses to put upon its pages. Items available in several colors — gold, green, brown, fuchsia, celadon, mint and light blue.
For your Wife: Jewelry & Accessories by Q-POT / Burger Ring
$240.00
Q-POT is a jewelry brand led by designer Tadaaki Wakamatsu and these accessories are a sensation among young girls in Japan today. Modeled after sweet confections and other delicious foods, Q-POT offers a new array of fun and witty jewelry that look good enough to eat!
For your Boss: Graf Zeppelin Metal Model by AEROBASE
$124.95
This photo-etched stainless steel metal model kit is a highly detailed replica of the famed Graf Zeppelin. No need to solder and easy to assemble. Includes cast metal parts and a base for the completed airship.
For your Kids: Duller Colored Pencils by IDEA INTERNATIONAL
$54.95
Set of 36 colors
For the budding or established artist is an immaculately-presented set of 36 colored pencils from IDEA INTERNATIONAL’s newest stationery imprint, Duller.
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 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.
The incredible new Guild Wars 2 video shines a spotlight on each of the five playable races in the game — the charr, a ferocious race of feline warriors; the asura, magical inventors of small size and great intellect [Felicia Day plays the voice of Zojja the Asura!]; the norn, huge shapeshifters from the frigid northern lands; the sylvari, a mysterious young race of visionary plant folk; and the ever resilient humans.
The Races of Tyria video offers a glimpse into each race’s culture and abilities as well as further insight into the world of Guild Wars 2.
Three years ago Star Wars MIMOBOT Series 1 made its big debut in a limited edition run. They’ve been long gone ever since, but today we’re re-releasing Stormtrooper in a never before available 16GB capacity!
Get one while you can! There are only 85 super-rare Stormtroopers in this limited edition MIMOBOT army.
The Holiday Shipping Guide
Once you’ve found the perfect MIMOBOT, make sure it arrives on time! For delivery by December 24 place your order by…
December 14 by 11:59AM PST… FREE Shipping on orders over $75 (3-9 Business Days)
December 17 by 11:59AM PST… UPS Ground (3-5 Business Days)
December 21 by 11:59AM PST… 2-Day (2 Business Days)
December 22 by 11:59AM PST… Next-Day (1 Business Day)
Finally, the Galaxy Girls are in stock and ready to be shipped at FAO.com! Order now and your doll will be sent warp-speed so it arrives before Christmas. Series 1 Dolls: Milky Way, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Pluto were made in limited quantities so make sure to order before they sell out.
And the reviews are coming in… Galaxy Girls Dolls: 5 STARS!
Also, during the holidays, FAO.com is offering free shipping on purchases of $150 or more. So if you buy three or more dolls, your girls will get a free ride.
We have put out a limited amount of “This Crap is Free” T-Shirts that have been signed by most of THE LEGEND OF NEIL CAST and show creator Sandeep Parikh on eBay for you to bid on.
These shirts are sure to become collectors items and coveted by fans for many years to come. It is likely that in the future they will be worth 3 billion glibfams (glibfams being the currency of the future of course). So bid on them now while they’re still reasonable!
Is there that special someone in your life whom you know would love this gift? Is that special someone you? Act now! Supplies are limited (there are 17 shirts total in a variety of sizes, men’s and women’s) and this offer will expire soon, so act now and good luck!
And from all of us here at The Legend of Neil office located here in beautiful downtown Hyrule, we thank you for being the greatest fans since mankind started becoming fans of things and we wish you all a very Happy Holidays and a safe and drunken New Years!
I don’t know how many of you know of the book Law & Chaos, or have heard us mention it now and then over the years. Briefly, Law and Chaos is the story of how Wendy Pini (actually, Wendy Fletcher when she started) tried to adapt Michael Moorcock’s fantasy tale Stormbringer into an animated film. It was an ambitious project that she started as a teenager, continued through college, and kept at for a short time after, until 1973. The magnitude of the task, on many levels, was too great, and the work — some 400 paintings, drawings and sketches — was put aside.
Fast forward to 1987. ElfQuest had been running for nearly ten years, and Father Tree Press was publishing the colorized graphic novel collections. But as the publisher I wanted also very much for this long-hidden artwork to be seen. So we gathered the best of it, Wendy wrote a connecting narrative of her hopes and struggles, and Law & Chaos was released.
The book sold well, and then went out of print. We thought that was that — until just a few months ago when we decided that Wendy’s newest magnum opus, a re-envisioning of Masque of the Red Death, should have its own web site. In the discussion of what content to include, she realized that the driving force behind her desire to tell the Elric tale was a direct ancestor to what inspires Masque now.
One way to present the book online would have been simply to scan the pages as printed, and have you click through them, reading as you would any online text. But that wasn’t going to work, for a number of technical reasons. Plus, with access to all of the original artwork, why not at least show it off to better advantage, with some better design to complement it?
So that’s what you will find when you go to masque-of-the-red-death.com, and click on the Purple Room’s window. You’ll see a lot of the artistic touches that eventually found their way into ElfQuest, and you’ll discover, as Wendy did, that when the spirit is strong (to paraphrase the line from Jurassic Park) art will find a way. It’s not quite the animated film that Wendy first envisioned, but it’s a heck of a lot closer than the printed book could ever be. And it’s a fair dinkum pretty piece of webwork, too.
Weta Dollars — Final Reminder!
As we’re nearing the end of 2009 we thought we’d highlight once again that any Weta Dollars you’ve transferred over from our old site (we launched the new site in February) will expire on 31 December 2009. So please make sure you use them.
December is the time to go to the movies!
Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones and James Cameron’s Avatar are launching in time for the holiday season. Get your tickets now. We can’t wait! Weta Workshop and Weta Digital have contributed significantly to both movies over the last few years. See what we have been up to!
Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones — 11 December (US)
James Cameron’s Avatar — 18 December World Wide
New books signed by John Howe
When John Howe visited the Weta Cave this weekend, Anna, our store manager asked if he’d mind signing a few more for his out-of-town fans. And John, gentleman that he is, of course said yes! So we can offer a VERY LIMITED number of John Howe’s Fantasy Drawing Workshop and Lost Worlds on a first come, first served basis. If you snooze — you lose! Get one now.
More news from Hobbiton!
The design of the Bag End Environment continues to make good progress. We have been actively seeking suggestions and advice from some of the key Hobbiton experts involved. We recently journeyed up to Matamata and discussed the designs with our friends at the Hobbiton Movie Set. We were fortunate to get first hand input from Russell Alexander (Owner and Manager) and Ian Brodie (Media and Communications Manager). Russell and Ian run tours of the Movie Set, so if you are visiting New Zealand, this is a “must do” activity to cleanse the soul. Check out their website at hobbitontours.com.
VICTORY Shipping!
Dr. Grordbort’s VICTORY: Scientific Adventure Violence for Young Men and Literate Women is now shipping in the US and NZ and has all but arrived in the UK. Order your copy now! It really is a great book and a must-read for anyone who’s read Dr. Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory.
The Exceptional Exhibition — a huge success
Weta Creative Director Richard Taylor and Dr. Grordbort’s creator Greg Broadmore are currently attending Weta’s exhibition in Chengdu and the crowds are pouring in. Multi-talented Ri Streeter who’s there making sure the guys stay out of trouble has taken some photos that we’d like to share with you. Check them out here!
She is best known for her role as Chloe Sullivan on Smallville where, for the past nine years, she’s played Clark Kent’s best friend. She’s appeared in almost two hundred episodes, including starring in Smallville: Chloe Chronicles, mini-episodes of Smallville produced for the CW website.
Mack began acting at age four and has kept busy on screen and stage ever since. She appeared in films such as Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves and The Ant Bully, and in television series including The Nightmare Room, Opposite Sex, and 7th Heaven. Her musical career has included choreography and directing, as well as performing in shows such as Rent, Chicago, and Hair. Her behind-the-scenes experience doesn’t stop there. She’s directed episodes of Smallville and produced, as well as starred in, the short film Alice & Huck.
While she has typically played the good girl, the best friend and other wholesome characters, her role on Riese promises to be much darker. Copple says that Mack will be playing Marlise, “a low-ranking Sect member. Sadistic and power-hungry, she’ll do anything to ascend to the higher ranks.”
Riese is a sci-fi/fantasy series richly influenced by history, mythology, folklore and steampunk. It follows a young woman and her companion, a wolf named Fenrir, who travel through a collapsing world trying to piece together the fragmented memories of her past while attempting to evade the dangerous religious cult that hunts her. With a high budget compared to other web series, and filmed on the RED camera in high definition, the show is visually beautiful. The wardrobe, music and depth of story all contribute to creating the world of Eleysia.
Riese features sci-fi regulars such as Christine Chatelain (Sanctuary, Supernatural, The Collector), Sharon Taylor (Smallville, Stargate Atlantis, Eureka), Patrick Gilmore (Stargate Universe, Battlestar Galactica), Ben Cotton (Harper’s Island, Stargate Atlantis, Taken), Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary, Caprica, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate Atlantis), Peter Kelamis (Stargate Universe, Dragon Ball Z, The X-Files), Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary, jPod, Battlestar Galactica), and Allessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, Death Note).
