If you were about to dig a huge hole, I bet you wouldn’t want to dig though any hard, uncomfortable news… you’d want it to be through some Squishy news! We’re talking about some seriously cuddly bedrock. And here it is!
1) Admit it, you’ve been wondering where we’re going to be next weekend. Well, we’re going to tell you! Squishable is going to be at OTAKON, the awesome anime convention in Baltimore next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (the 17th to the 19th)! Stop by our booth (#1214) in the exhibitors room and say “Hey, you’re very attractive!”
2) We’ve got some restocks! At long last, the Squishable Frog and the Squishable Leopard are back! Seriously! Also, both Kauzbots are back in stock after selling out the first week… support refugee rights or clean water in adorable robot form!
3) Not that we’re desperate for approval or anything (…yeah, we are) but the BBC has written an article about the women’s group in Bangladesh who makes our Fair Trade Red Robots (and our Fair Trade Bees)! Best quote ever: “When we first saw one we just started laughing… We had never seen anything like this before in our village, we don’t even have a word for it.”
6) And last of all… don’t forget the Squishable Video contest! You have until July 31st to put those excellent video skills to use in the pursuit of a free Squishy and cash for your favorite Charity. Good karma! Do it!
It’s 2183 AD and humans have finally conquered the stars. But the inky blackness that separates the galaxies and the hundreds of thousands of human outposts and colonies is vast and needs a firm hand to navigate. Which is why Cabonauts Inc. is so handy — you can just call a cab.
Harry’s learning to get his hack license and Cyril is his instructor. They’ve been friends forever, but the crappy economy has forced them to work together. We follow them as they take their passengers (played by iconic sci-fi actors & actresses) around the galaxies.
And did we mention each episode breaks into a full original song & music video?
It’s the single-most most unique web series ever produced; a sci-fi musical comedy starring all your sci-fi favorites in brand new roles — and singing and dancing as well. Think Hitchhikers Guide meets Flight of the Conchords, and you’re halfway there.
It’s going to be a Harry Potter summer, from the movie of the Half-Blood Prince to the new paperback of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — last and certainly not least of the Harry Potter series, out TODAY!
Are you lining up for opening night tickets to the movie? I’ve got my Dumbledore costume all ready to go — just have to brush the owl droppings out of the beard!
It’s HERE! The long-awaited paperback of the final installment of Harry Potter arrives July 7 — just in time for summer beach reading.
To celebrate the publication of the final book, in 2007, Raincoast gathered Canadian Harry Potter fans’ messages to J.K. Rowling, and compiled them in two beautiful books. You can look through the pages of the books on our Flickr site!
I definitely recommend heading over to the website for the new Harry Potter movie, where you can watch the movie trailer (Evil Malfoys! Wizards in love! Dark magic in Central London!).
J.K. Rowling’s official site has some fun stuff, too — and for the serious fans out there, don’t miss the MuggleNet, where you can get all (and I mean all) the latest Harry Potter news… including a second-by-second countdown to the movie release (at the time of writing, the clock stands at 7 days, 12 hours, 3 minutes and 35, no, wait, 34 seconds).
For those of you attending Comicon, the Zelda prizes aren’t over yet. Zelda based mini-series The Legend of Neil has decided to celebrate the beginning of their second season by holding a contest — those who wear a LoN t-shirt and visit their booth will win a prize and are also eligible to win one of the Zelda props from their show, such as a giant dungeon key or a shield.
For those unfamiliar with The Legend of Neil, it’s a web series about a guy named Neil who was transported into a Zelda game, which has been featured on Comedy Central. Be warned, it’s NSFW and if you are averse to the adult language level of, say, South Park, you might want to give it a miss, but for everyone else, you can watch it here or read their news via their Facebook page.
Ubisoft announced plans today to open a full development studio in Toronto, Ontario — a first for the company in the province. This significant announcement is expected to result in the creation of 800 net new jobs within the province over the next decade. The government of Ontario is investing CA$263 million over ten years in the company and Ubisoft’s net investment will be over half a billion CAD in the new studio, which will begin operations in late 2009.
“Today’s announcement marks a strategic move for Ubisoft as we continue to expand our internal development force,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “We are in an excellent position to grow and after extensive analysis we are thrilled to have reached an agreement with the government of Ontario to found our new studio in Toronto. The city is one of North America’s economic and cultural epicenters and our expectations are high. We’re excited to be able to count on the exceptional local talent, who will contribute to our accelerated growth and will have a profound impact on the video game industry with the excellence of their creativity.”
Ubisoft Toronto will be overseen by Yannis Mallat, chief executive officer at Ubisoft Montréal, whose proven leadership and vision will be a major asset to the growth and success of the new studio. Ubisoft Toronto will work on Triple-A games and will emulate the proven business model and creative excellence for which Ubisoft is known. In addition, Ubisoft Toronto will bring its own flavour to the global Ubisoft brand, which will benefit from the deep pool of dynamic and quality talent trained in video game design and production in the province of Ontario.
The Toronto studio will also build on the city’s existing experience with the film production industry. Collaborating with local film industry veterans to enhance video game production and extend Ubisoft’s convergence strategy, Ubisoft Toronto will contribute to Ubisoft’s global plan of extending its brands to complementary platforms and mediums, including books, comics, short films and other products.
“We are incredibly excited to finally tap into the remarkable talent Ontario has been developing over the years,” said Yannis Mallat. “Toronto’s unique pool of experienced video game industry and film industry talent will allow us to develop a team with exceptional ability to help us realize our goals for creating brands with universal appeal that extend beyond the world of video games.”
The studio in Toronto will be the fourth for Ubisoft in Canada, with other studios located in Montréal, Quebec City and Vancouver and employing more than 2,300 creative staff across the country.
Today’s announcement is made possible with the support of the Ontario provincial government and its dedication to invest in organizations that create jobs and provide long-term value for the provincial economy. Premier Dalton McGuinty was on hand today at the Ubisoft press conference in Toronto to help announce plans for the new studio and elaborate on the provincial government’s support for the endeavour, stating “Our world is one where you can borrow capital, you can copy technology and you can buy natural resources. But to build a high wage and a high standard of living you need talent. By investing in Ubisoft, we’re building Ontario’s economy now and for the future.”
Among its more than 17 multi-million selling franchises, Ubisoft is known for developing and producing such legendary game brands as Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia, Red Steel, Rayman, Rayman Raving Rabbids, and Far Cry.
Industry professionals interested in joining Ubisoft Toronto, please contact work.in.TO@ubisoft.com
For more information: ftp://ftp.ubi.com/ca/EPK_Totonto/
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft is present in 28 countries and has sales in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2008-09 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1.058 billion. To learn more, please visit ubisoftgroup.com.
Atom.com and Lucasfilm Ltd. have once again joined forces for the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge, a contest honoring the best Star Wars-related short digital videos, and announced today the 22 finalists for the 2009 edition of the challenge. Atom.com and Lucasfilm Ltd. have partnered on the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge since 2000; past honorees include such hits as Chad Vader, Star Wars Gangsta Rap, Star Wars Revelations, and Pink Five.
Users can view and vote for the videos at StarWars.Atom.com from Wednesday July 1 until Friday, July 10. These votes, plus the judgment of George Lucas and staff members at Lucasfilm and Atom.com, determine the winners of this year’s seven categories: George Lucas Selects, Audience Choice, Best Action, Best Comedy, Best Parody, Best Animated Movie and the Spirit of Fandom Award. The winners will be unveiled live during the 2009 Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge awards show on Friday July 24 from 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. in Ballroom 20, at San Diego Comic-Con International.
Below are the names of the 22 finalist videos for the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge. These videos can be watched and voted for at StarWars.Atom.com.
“Bad Day for Vader”
“Blasted Behavior”
“Death Star Over San Francisco”
“Emperor Palpatine and the Attack of the Copyright Infringement”
“Glen Eisley Glen Mos”
“Jedi Camp”
“Knights of the Old Republic: Revan”
“Lord Vader’s Trial”
“Mark Valley vs. Drew Mazanec”
“No Love for Wampa”
“Saber”
“Star Fury!”
“Star Sports Theatrical Trailer”
“Star Wars in a Notebook!”
“Star Wars: Cinemagic”
“Star Wars: Retold”
“Sudden Remakes 1”
“Star Wars Episode XVI: Family Dysfunction”
“The Closet Unleashed”
“The Fate of the Duel”
“Where Are They Now”
In ghostgirl: Homecoming, the relationships formed and lessons learned in ghostgirl are put to the test in the run-up to the Homecoming Dance, especially for “ghostgirl” Charlottle Usher as she struggles to fit into her new role in the afterlife and deal with a roomie who seems to have ulterior motives in striking up a friendship with the new girl in limbo.
Heaven couldn’t be a phone bank, could it?
Charlotte Usher discovers that the afterlife isn’t quite what she pictured when she’s forced to intern at a hotline for troubled teens. Before she can officially cross over, she’ll have to be a source of guidance for one such teen. The problem is she doesn’t have much advice to offer since dying hasn’t exactly boosted her confidence level.
But when Hawthorne High’s leading, love-to-hate cheerleader Petula and her gothic little sis’ Scarlet find themselves suddenly resting-in-peace in comas, Charlotte’s opportunity to save them will prove to be the risk of a lifetime — for all of them.
New York Times bestselling ghostgirl author, Tonya Hurley, has credits spanning all platforms of teen entertainment including: creating, writing and producing two hit TV series, writing and directing several acclaimed independent films, developing a ground-breaking collection of video games and board games and creating and providing content for award-winning websites. Ms. Hurley lives in New York with her husband and daughter. Her Web site is ghostgirl.com.
ghostgirl: Homecoming is set to be published today, July 1. Like the first book in the series, the hardcover will feature die-cut, acetate, foil, and embossing, and the interior will be printed in two colours.
Recommended Reading Level: Young Adult (12+) for mild sexual content, Goth Chic-style violence, and occasional adult language.
CD Cover (click for larger view)Cassette Cover (click for larger view)
The unabridged audiobook, six hours long on five CDs or cassettes, is narrated by Parker Posey (Blade: Trinity, Superman Returns) with original music by Depeche Mode, Yaz, and Erasure founder Vince Clarke.
Ever feel invisible? — Charlotte Usher did. Ignored by classmates, overlooked by teachers, beneath contempt of the popular and unnoticed by the guy of her dreams, she barely registered on the map at Hawthorne High — the kind of girl no one would ever miss if she died tomorrow. And then she did. The End? Not exactly.
ghostgirl is the story of a misfit teenage girl who dies in a freak accident, “wakes up” as a ghost in a parallel world only to find that she still needs to go to class, i.e. Dead Ed, a “finishing” school for other departed teens waiting to cross over. Worst of all, she is still obsessed with all the issues of her previous life, especially her fantasy of befriending Petula, the most popular girl in school, and going to the big school dance with Petula’s hot boyfriend Damen — a desire so powerful it transcends death itself. For Charlotte, resting in peace is apparently not an option.
In this critically-acclaimed best-seller, Tonya Hurley has created a funny, romantic, and bittersweet story that puts an original spin on the teen world view and the universal issues that define growing up — love, loyalty, friendship, rejection, competitiveness, individuality, and most of all, self-acceptance. Narrator Parker Posey delivers Hurley’s deliciously dark and insightful tale with a reading to die for.
There will be a ghostgirl: Homecoming and ghostgirl audiobook launch party at the New York Public Library’s West Village branch in New York City on July 15th at 3:00, featuring a reading by author Tonya Hurley and live music by Vince Clarke.
Recommended Reading Level: Young Adult (12+) for mild sexual content, Goth Chic-style violence, and occasional adult language.
The much-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller ghostgirl, ghostgirl: Homecoming, hits bookstore shelves today. Author Tonya Hurley gives us a peek behind the dark curtain of ghostgirl by answering a few questions about the series.
ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) What was your inspiration to create ghostgirl, first as a Webby Award-nominated website and then as a series of novels?
Tonya Hurley (TH) Initially, I created the ghostgirl story and characters as just that. Then, I decided to develop them on my own while I was writing and producing a television series, and the way to do that was to start a website. It was my escape, basically, a place where I could develop the characters with no pressure. After a while, thousands of teens started flocking to the site and it grew by word of mouth. Since it’s such a visual story, I wrote it as a screenplay but I had to leave so much out that ultimately I thought a book would be the best way to tell the story the way I saw it in mind. It took years, but I stuck with it because ghostgirl is a real labor of love for me.
(ÜSFG) In high school, were you a geeky outsider like Charlotte, a rebel like Scarlet, or a member of the popular crowd?
(TH) I was a rebel, no doubt, at least on the outside. When I was in middle school I was so concerned about what everyone else thought and then once I got to high school, I rebelled big time. I was in a punk band, dyed my hair and went to see bands every week. I was fed up and wanted an outlet and music was that outlet for me. I do think there’s a Charlotte in all of us, no matter what we project on the outside.
(ÜSFG) Since music plays such a large part in ghostgirl, what tunes would you pick as personal theme songs for Charlotte, Scarlet, Damen, and Petula?
(TH) It’s impossible for me to sum them up in a song; it’s one of the reasons why I reference so many in the books. If they were to put together a playlist however, The Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, She & Him, The Smiths, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Killers, The White Stripes (anything Jack White does), Bat for Lashes, and Jason Schwartzman would definitely be on it. I love bands from every decade, basically, and my hobby is to discover new bands on the web. I am a real student of music.
(ÜSFG) Is there any possibility of a ghostgirl film or television adaptation, and, if so, who would you like to see play the main characters?
(TH) I hope there is one day. I’d prefer to see someone new that nobody knows, an up-and-comer playing Charlotte. That would be appropriate I think.
(ÜSFG) Will there be further ghostgirl books, both novels and tie-ins such as a full-colour art book that expands upon the line art you inserted in the novels’ chapter headings?
(TH) I am working on the third novel now, which I love. I hope to expand ghostgirl, to give her and her world more life on and off the page. Stay tuned.
Tonya Hurley is a New York Times bestselling author and creator, writer and producer of animated and live action hit television series, groundbreaking videogames and award-winning websites for teens. She has also written and directed several acclaimed independent films, which have been selected for the LA Independent, TriBeca and Edinburgh film festivals and also broadcast on PBS and IFC. Hurley was nominated for the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Award in Film.
Hey Weta fans,
July — how on earth did that come around so fast? Comic-Con looms 22-26 July — a crazy busy time of the year for popculture and collectibles. We have been announcing all sorts of goodies over the last few weeks, and the most exciting so far is The Art of John Howe — Sculptures from Middle-earth, which we are hugely proud of. Get yourself a book signed by Alan Lee, who managed to sign a limited number of his Lord of the Rings Sketchbook when he had a book signing event at the Weta Cave recently. And believe you me — there will be plenty more very shortly! Enjoy!
New Product in the Shop: Lord of the Rings Sketchbook — Signed by Alan Lee
Alan Lee, the Oscar-winning conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, discusses his approach to depicting Tolkien’s imaginary world. The book presents more than 150 of Lee’s celebrated illustrations to show how his imagery for both the illustrated Lord of the Rings and the films progressed from concept to finished art. In addition, the book contains 20 full-color plates and numerous examples of the conceptual art produced for Peter Jackson’s film adaptation. Alan signed a limited number of these for us at his recent book signing at the Weta Cave. Get your copy now!
Hot Tip — Want to listen to the Weta Cast? Don’t know how?
A podcast, like the Weta Cast, is like a recorded radio program stored on our website. All you need to listen to it is your PC and a pair of headphones or speakers. If you can get sound from your PC, you should be able to listen to the Weta Cast. And it’s completely FREE! Here’s a quick link to the page where all the episodes can be downloaded. Just click on the one you’re after — if all is well, it will start downloading and you can just click the Play button. The podcasts have “(mp3)” in their names. There are also PDF files with Show Notes (photos, links and more information) about these episodes. These will open with your default PDF viewer, like Acrobat. If you try it and like it, you can also subscribe to Weta Cast updates. Good luck!
Lastly, none of this could be possible without our venerable leader, whose tireless efforts to entertain have been enjoyed by millions of viewers. We, at The Guild, find that working with Felicia has been blissful, and fun, and fulfilling because she inspires us all to work hard and make things happen even when it’s seemingly impossible.
From the cast and crew of The Guild, we would like to wish Felicia the happiest of birthdays.
