Earthquake Relief Art Exhibition in Chengdu — The Exceptional Exhibition
Richard Taylor has organised to take a unique collection of art, props and sculpture to Chengdu in China. This exhibition will also premiere a significant collection of fine art paintings from Greg Broadmore, the creator of Dr. Grordbort’s — a property that Richard Taylor and Partner Tania Rodger have developed with Broadmore over the past four years. Read more about the exhibition on our site!
Get your Christmas cards from our new Zazzle.com Dr. Grordbort’s Emporium!
Zazzle.com is an online marketplace that allows us to get closer to you. We supply the designs and they make it and sell it. You can currently get Dr. Grordbort’s Christmas Cards or a t-shirt, sweatshirt or hoodie with Dr. Grordbort’s logo. Check out the local stores for North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. Some of the stores are offering free shipping before Christmas!
Technology? Covered! Get Weta Gelaskins for your gadgets!
Together with our friends at Dark Horse Comics we’ve made a few of our Dr. Grordbort’s designs available on the GelaSkins.com website. They come in various sizes customised for different brands and models of mobile phones, laptops and personal gaming devices such as Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. Check them out — it’s an awesome way to protect your valued gear!
News from the Shire
Ian Brodie and the team at Hobbiton Movie Set and Farm Tours will be giving us updates on what’s happening in their neck of the woods. We got the first update this week!
Another update on the work on the Bag End environment from Daniel Falconer
Weta has started work on a collectible environment of Bag End, Bilbo’s and subsequently Frodo’s home in Bagshot Row in the Shire. We haven’t seen much of Daniel recently and his update sheds some light on the reasons for that:
Work on the Bag End mini environment continues apace. One of the biggest tasks so far has in fact been the amassing of reference material. It’s surprising how little actually exists, and what does exist tends to be imagery from the same angles, but we’ve turned up some gems and found some interesting details we didn’t know about before. Approvals on the basic design have come from the studio and we’re deep into making the designs into a physical reality.
Miniature Pearce is here!
“Shiny” — was our test panel’s first reaction to the Pearce 75 Atom Ray Gun. And equally shiny is its minisculized counterpart. It is unique in that it has been miniaturised from a prototype. This is risky business, but who are we to argue with the scientists? At one quarter of its original scale, this finely detailed piece captures all the elaborate detail of its full scale counterpart and, like those larger guns, is made from metal. You simply MUST check it out here!
Richard Taylor’s and John Howe’s Forum Blitzes — check out the replies!
Both Richard Taylor and John Howe have recently been on the Weta Forum on The Shadow and Flame to answer questions from fans. Check out what they had to say. Richard Taylor here and John Howe here. And of course, there is plenty of opportunity to ask questions of other Weta crew, such as Daniel Falconer and David Tremont.
John Howe signs two new books at the Weta Cave
Tolkien and Fantasy illustrator and artist, John Howe, has two new books in the works, Fantasy Drawing Workshop and Lost Worlds by John Howe. John will be signing these books at an exclusive event at the Weta Cave in Wellington on Sunday 6 December. We’ll see you there!
Halo and Texas — what’s the connection? Now we know!
After our plea in the last newsletter, we had a few responses as to why more than half of the Halo Master Chief Sterling Silver Rings we’ve sold have gone to Texas. We reckon Deborah summed it up well:
I would say Texas is more of a state not afraid to stand up for what it believes in. And that means, if you’re a big businessman spending your days securing expensive contracts for your company, but you also like to kick back at night and play some Halo 3 with your friends, you’re not afraid to admit it! You would wear that Halo ring to work with pride, not afraid to fess-up to your geekdom.
Texas really does have a strong nerd base. And that nerd base is not just limited to the young crowd — people of all ages decide for themselves what they enjoy, not what people expect of them to enjoy or promote. There is a fairly broad spectrum of people who enjoy the Halo universe, as well as other games/movies/etc, and they aren’t afraid to proclaim it! Here you’re likely to find people just as proud of their vintage “Strongbad” t-shirt as you are somebody strutting around with their $3,000 handbag.
What would have happened if President Lincoln had survived that fateful night at the Ford Theater, or if President Kennedy hadn’t been struck by the magic bullet fired from the Texas School Book Depository? How different would history be if other key events, such as the Titanic sinking or Sputnik launching, were suddenly altered? In the newly updated re-release of the classic Looney Labs game Chrononauts you are a time traveler from the future entrusted with the task of preserving the timeline.
There are three ways to play: the standard game, Solonauts and Artifaxx.
In the standard game, each player has a unique identity and secret mission that they must achieve before getting to return to their future. Twists and turns of events prevent major events that can cause paradoxes that will either help you or prevent you from achieving your goals. Too many paradoxes can cause the collapse of history as we know it.
The 32 timeline cards cover events from the 1865 Lincoln assassination to the 1999 Columbine Massacre. Your mission may require you to get the Nuremberg Race Laws repealed in 1942 or it could be as simple as collecting historical artifacts such as the Rongo-Rongo tablets of Easter Island that were burned by missionaries in 1865 or the lost Ark of the Covenant. In addition to the 32 timeline cards, there are 14 ID cards (who you are in the game), 10 mission cards (goals you must achieve to win the game) and 84 Chrononauts cards including Artifacts, Inverters (undo or redo a historical event), Timewarps, Gadgets, Patches (repair history without necessarily returning events to the original timeline) and Actions (things you do that effect the destruction or reparation of the timeline).
While some events or artifacts are historically sound, other events you must instigate or artifacts you must retrieve are a little tongue-in-cheek. For example, if you’ve prevented John Lennon’s assassination you might be able to retrieve The Beatles’ reunion album, The Purple Submarine, or if you are one of the giant mutant cockroaches from a far distant future, you might like a Videotape of the Creation of the Universe (World War 3), on Betamax no less.
The standard version of the game is for 2 to 6 players and our average game time was about 45 minutes.
When playing as a Solonaut, instead of each player being a Chrononaut with his own agenda, you must get eight Chrononauts back home in a single pass through the deck. You remove the artifacts, gadgets and missions from the deck and then play through the remainder of the deck until either you get all eight of your characters home or you run out of cards and lose.
Artifaxx is a fast version of the game for 2 to 4 players. Because it is less complex, it’s also a good game to play with younger players. You sort out all of the Artifacts, Actions, Timewarps and Missions and put aside the rest of the deck. Players take turns drawing one card and playing one card until someone achieves their secret mission.
Gameplay is similar to Looney Labs’ Fluxx games but far more structured. You really have to pay attention to the information on the cards because they contain certain “If ___, then ___” scenarios. It takes a few rounds to get the hang of, but is easy to learn and fun to play. Not only will you laugh at the mayhem you cause mucking up the timeline, you might just learn a thing or two about history as well.
Having moved from state to state or school to school at key times, I ended up only getting U.S. History in the 4th and 12th grades, so I have to admit that seeing the dates connected to the events was educational for me. We had a lot of debates about historical events while playing, about both history the way it happened and the way it could have happened if key events had gone differently or not occurred at all. It is a more complex game than other Looney Labs offerings I’ve played, but no less entertaining.
Available December 4, 2009, just in time for Christmas, you can pick up a copy of Chrononauts through Looney Labs or Amazon, or find a retailer near you through Looney Labs’ Store Locator.
Éowyn and the Nazgûl
John Howe’s incredibly dynamic and exquisitely detailed sculpture by Daniel Cockersell is now available for pre-order in faux bronze. The edition size for this fine art collectible is a mere 300, just like the first sculpture in the range, Smaug the Golden which opened for pre-order in August. You can ask John Howe questions about his new range of sculptural art from Middle-earth on the Weta Forum at the Shadow and Flame. Leave your questions there, and John will join us for a Q&A session soon.
The Red Eye of Sauron Pin
Designed by John Howe for Weta Workshop’s crew clothing, the Red Eye of Sauron became an unofficial emblem for Weta during the filming of the trilogy. When in need of a Weta technician, the film crew and cast would look for the symbol of the Red Eye. Our first batch sold out on the first day, but we now have fresh new stock, so please get your orders in!
VICTORY! Bigger, Bolder, Better, Brighter! By Broadmore!
The year’s foremost journal of progressive armaments and weaponry! Behold the latest line of defense captured in action! The second book to emerge from the printshop at Grordbort Industries, Victory follows in the footsteps of the trans-galactically successful Dr. Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory that was released last year. Victory will be available at the end of this month! Get your pre-order in so you get the art card signed by Greg Broadmore as well! This art card only comes with pre-orders placed on the Weta website!
Home, Sweet Hobbit Hole!
We have received many requests from fans, friends, customers and staff to create a collectible sculpture of Bag End, from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Today we are pleased to confirm this project has started. Read More!
Silent Night, Halo Night? Master Chief Sterling Silver Ring — the ultimate collectible for the hardcore Halo fan. The weightiest piece of bling you’ll ever own. And of course the perfect gift for the Halo fan in your family. The first production run sold out in a couple of months. And over half of them went to the glorious state of Texas! We’re curious — is Texas a Halo stronghold? Or a state fascinated by chunky jewellery? Drop us a line and tell us!
Strider’s Sword, Glamdring, Sting? What Next?
The next sword in our Lord of the Rings collection will be made available for order before Christmas. But which one will it be? We haven’t actually made the final decision yet, so why not hop onto The Shadow and Flame and discuss in the Weta Forum. We’ll be listening as usual! Andúril sold out within the first few weeks, so whichever blade is next in line, it’s likely to be very sought-after.
It’s been a big week for the folks over at Riese the Series. A few days ago it was announced that Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate Atlantis, jPod) would be joining the team. Cast members’ various other shows began their season premieres (Christine Chatelain on Sanctuary, Sharon Taylor on Smallville, Patrick Gilmore on Stargate Universe) and now the Official Trailer has been released! This show just gets more exciting the more we see of it! Watch the new trailer and then go check out their other sites, including the forums and the interactive Alternate Reality Game. Don’t forget to mark your calenders for November 2nd!
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes is now available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, Wii, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Nintendo DS and PC.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes allows players to fight as both Jedi Knights and clone troopers through over 40 unique missions, all created from shared visual assets from the TV series. Featuring a brand-new storyline, players get the chance to take part in the key events that lead directly into the highly anticipated second season of the animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Jedi characters can slice and dice their way through countless enemies, commandeer droids and show off their combat prowess on foot and in a variety of vehicles. Clone troopers fire things up with a heavy weapons armament that includes rocket launchers, thermal detonators and even jet packs in levels built specifically to take run-and-gun gameplay to exciting levels.
To capture the Jedi Master and Padawan dynamic, as well as the squad camaraderie of everyone’s favorite clone troopers, the game also supports two player local drop-in and drop-out cooperative play on the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and Wii. Families have made the television series a cross-generational success and now they can truly experience the most authentic Star Wars: The Clone Wars video game experience together.
Riese the Series won’t be premiering until November but it’s not too early to start submersing yourself in the world of Eleysia. Riese the Series is a perfect example of transmedia storytelling — the use of multiple mediums to tell a story and involve the consumer as a participant rather then just an observer in its unfolding. There’s a growing community on the Official Forum, where members are discussing clues and puzzles hidden within the pages of the new ARG (alternate reality game) that launched a few days ago on the propaganda-laden website The Sect is Here. (The Sect is the terrifying religious cult that is taking over Eleysia). What is an ARG? Well, according to CNET, an ARG is:
an obsession-inspiring genre that blends real-life treasure hunting, interactive storytelling, video games and online community and may, incidentally, be one of the most powerful guerrilla marketing mechanisms ever invented.
These games are intensely complicated series of puzzles involving coded Web sites, real-world clues like the newspaper advertisements, phone calls in the middle of the night from game characters and more. That blend of real-world activities and a dramatic storyline has proven irresistible to many.
The internet isn’t the only place Riese is reaching out, though. In our own universe, goggle-clad teammates were handing out postcards at Comic-Con in San Diego this year and there’s going to be an Anti-Sect Mob Protest in downtown Vancouver, BC, tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., if you can make it. While there is more information becoming available daily, much of Riese is still shrouded in mystery. To help shed some light on things, we asked series co-creator Ryan Copple a few questions about Riese.
ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) What inspired you to write Riese?
Ryan Copple (RC) There were a few ideas that really inspired Riese. For one, I love telling stories with dynamic and strong female characters. Plus, I find journey stories incredibly epic, so being able to have this tough, yet vulnerable, character traverse a dying land seemed like a great jumping off point. Mythology, fables and folklore heavily inspired the piece as well. We wanted to create a world where these sorts of stories would still exist and affect people, but also keep it close enough to the structure of our own world to make it resonate with modern audiences.
(ÜSFG) Tell us a little about your characters.
(RC) I love of all of our characters. Riese is very mysterious and almost aloof, but holds firm to her own convictions so strongly. She’s not a superhero though — she does what she can, on her own, and that’s enough for her. Although Fenrir is a wolf, he has such an intense personality. Ever the faithful guardian, its doubtful Riese would’ve survived this long without Fenrir’s protection. It definitely plays into the “pack” mentality.
Even Amara, who allowed her own family to be murdered in exchange for power, is still somewhat sympathetic. She’d lived in the shadows of her family for so long that when the opportunity presented itself for her to really shine, she took it. While it’s not something to be admired, it is a notion that I believe we all struggle with at some point. It’s clear it’s a decision that haunts her, but she can’t back down or show weakness. Additionally, this character intrigues because she is so driven and strategically brilliant on the one hand, but so politically vulnerable on the other.
Herrick and Trennan, our Sect members, are also pretty compelling. While at first people will view Herrick as the “one-dimensional villain” of the show, his depth really becomes apparent in the horrid actions he takes. He’s a man who has completely lost his humanity. Discovering the history that caused this, I think, will prove very interesting to viewers. Trennan, as opposed to Herrick, is almost the only character that retains any shred of humanity. He has a conscience and thinks about the consequences of the actions everyone is taking. I like to think of Trennan as being “us”, how we would act as people if we were in this world watching the events unfold.
(ÜSFG) Why did you choose steampunk, something traditionally reserved for graphic novels and anime, as your medium?
(RC) I wouldn’t say steampunk is our only medium — we’re very careful to say that we’re inspired by steampunk, not strict adherents. We love the genre, especially the anachronisms. It’s such a cool feeling to enter a world where electricity might exist, but not gas-powered vehicles. Placing this in a setting where monarchies and religions still rule the people also creates a further surreal feel to the setting. The fashions from steampunk, as well as the clockwork parts, are also amazing, so we definitely wanted to find ways to incorporate them into our story.
That being said, we still wanted to tell our own story with our own look. While we borrow heavily from the steampunk aesthetic, this does not take place in a Victorian-era future, but more of a Medieval-World War setting, which is not typical of steampunk. There are rudimentary steam-powered engines, and technology is sparse, but the technology itself is not the key focus of the show. I like to think we’ve taken the genre and done our own spin on it, not recreated it verbatim.
(ÜSFG) Steampunk traditionally features fantastical settings, clothes and technology. Are you relying heavily on CGI like condition: human and Sanctuary did or on more traditional sets and locations as seen in shows like Lumina and The Ennead?
(RC) It was very important to us that Riese was a very textured, gritty world. In our opinion, this wouldn’t be achievable with excessive visual effects. Instead, we opted to shoot in locations that really felt like they’d be part of this world — a decrepit, run down warehouse, for example. We had two green screen shots for matte paintings, but otherwise we wanted to keep this world as real as possible.
(ÜSFG) Why did you choose to produce Riese for the web instead of as a traditional film or television series?
(RC) Initially we thought of shooting Riese as a pilot, but realized if it didn’t fit into a network’s schedule, it would end up on a shelf somewhere and not be seen by anyone. So, the obvious conclusion was to broadcast it ourselves. Other shows (Sanctuary, The Guild) have had considerable success, so it wasn’t even a bad alternative. Plus it means we can really be connected with our fan base, show them we’re listening and want them involved, and really try to build a community around the show and its immersive story world rather than it just airing on a television station. The market for this form of entertainment is still relatively new, so while the future remains unclear, I believe we have a lot of innovative ideas that’ll really make it stand out — and this is something we could only do online.
(ÜSFG) Once you decided to make Riese, how long did it take to put it all together and get production rolling?
(RC) We actually spent over a year developing the concept and fleshing out the characters before we really began production. Preparing for the actual filming only took about two months, as we had enough experienced people on board to ensure we did everything as efficiently as possible. The saying you’re only as good as the people who surround you definitely proved true here.
(ÜSFG) What kind of budget do you have for Riese, and did you rely on traditional financing or is it primarily self-funded?
(RC) We have a budget that’s much larger than most traditional web series, largely due to the cast as well as the lengths we went to with production and costume design. It’s privately financed, and we’re blessed to have financial backers who really believe in us.
(ÜSFG) Your primary antagonist is a religious cult, The Sect. Is it just a “Big Brother” type of plot device or is there an underlying message you want to convey?
(RC) The Sect is a “Big Brother” persona, but it also has other indications. It is most definitely not a knock on any specific religion. With the imagined era we’re setting the world in, it seemed an appropriate organization to serve as the villains. The Sect is meant to show the dangers of blindly clinging to archaic belief systems and the problems of fanaticism.
Riese
(ÜSFG) I’ve been looking at your production stills and loving the wardrobe! I was curious how you’d pull off the steampunk feel but from what I’ve seen, you’ve nailed it. I do get the impression the clothing chosen for each character has more behind it than just looking cool or being functional, though. For example, Riese’s hooded cloak is lined in red, the only contrasting color other than her skin that you find in her outfit, and her companion is a wolf. This makes me think of a Stephen Sondheim style Little Red Riding Hood, the inexperienced girl going off into the dangerous world facing predators that threatened her mind and spirit as much as her life. The mechanical gears and mask worn by Herrick makes me think of the figurative political machine that moves behind the scenes, manipulating governments. Is it just my imagination or are aspects of the character’s clothing intentionally representative of ideas or themes you want the audience to subconsciously pick up on?
(RC) I’m glad you noticed the attention to detail that our outrageously talented costume designer, Megan Leson, brought to each piece. I wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that we meticulously inspected each outfit to ensure it fit into this world. The costumes themselves are certainly archetypical to each character. Riese, the wanderer, travels with a wolf, in hiding, so a cloak with slashes of red turned out as a beautiful way to demonstrate that fairy tale connection, perhaps not so subtly. Each character also has a thematic palette that mirrors both their persona and their place in this imagined world. For example, Riese’s costumes are very much a dark, rugged leather, very earthy in nature. She’s the embodiment of a rogue that has strayed away from civilization. Amara, on the other hand, is a regal purple and platinum. Man-made and cold, she is the antithesis of Riese in every sense of the word.
The costumes of our Sect Members were also heavily inspired by both the steampunk genre and militaristic uniforms. You did well to pick up on the idea that the gears have deeper significance than just “looking cool”. Sect Members, as you’ll see in the show, are almost of a hive-mind, and so we really wanted to ensure this uniformity was apparent in their wardrobe — at the same time, we also wanted to make each look unique. Therefore, rather than insist they all wear the same clothing, we opted to connect them via their relics, or the clockwork. The idea is that the more relics one has affixed to themselves, the more indoctrinated into the Sect’s beliefs they are — a concept often seen in our own culture.
We embraced the idea of clockwork as being associated with The Sect for a number of reasons in their costumes. For one, we liked how much they stood apart from any aspect of the show, truly making the Sect a unique, and obviously strange, organization. In addition, as you stated, they have a deeper significance than simply being small pieces of brass — they represent something grander and more manipulative, working behind the scenes, not ever clear how exactly it functions. Finally, in this medieval, primitive world, the Sect’s technology is extremely advanced, which just illustrates how the people of these lands would fear them and be willing to give up their territory and people so easily.
(ÜSFG) You’ve wrapped on the first part of the series. How many webisodes will come from the first round of shooting and when will they start rolling out?
(RC) We shot five episodes and they will begin airing November 2nd. Pre-production has begun on the next six episodes, and will shoot in December.
(ÜSFG) Will Riese be an ongoing series with new adventures unfolding for as long as there is an interest and a following or do you have a story (or chapters) to tell that will come to a conclusion within a predetermined number of webisodes?
(RC) I’d say both — we definitely have a long term plan for Riese and its characters, but as I said before, we also have our ear to the ground every step of the way. So while there is a path Riese will follow on her journey, it’s also somewhat fluid to accommodate input from our viewers.
(ÜSFG) The cast and crew all seem so excited in the behind-the-scenes videos, and Chad Krowchuk commented on the symbiotic work relationship on the set. What was the feel on set during the production and how did it carry over into what you’re seeing on screen?
(RC) There was a huge sense of camaraderie, largely because people knew we were trying something that hadn’t been done before. Moreover, it was an opportunity for our crew to collaborate creatively, making Riese an even richer final product. Everyone was thrilled to be there, and we’re ecstatic to have the chance to work with them all again in December.
(ÜSFG) When can we expect to see an extended teaser trailer?
(RC) The full trailer is scheduled to be released early October.
Can’t get enough of Riese? Be sure to keep checking out these links for more treats and teasers before the series launches this fall:
Looney Labs first introduced the unsuspecting public to the madness that is Fluxx over a decade ago. Since that time, Fluxx has crept into card game-playing circles and families everywhere. As the name suggests, Fluxx is a game of change. With each card played, the rules change, the goals change and the gameplay changes. The original Fluxx was followed up over the years with expansions such as Monty Python Fluxx, Zombie Fluxx, EcoFluxx and Family Fluxx (which can, in some cases, be mixed and matched to create customized games). Other versions (such as Christian Fluxx, Jewish Fluxx and Japanese Fluxx) are floating around out there, too.
With the success of expansions such as Zombie Fluxx and Monty Python Fluxx, someone suggested a Martian Fluxx and the Looneys thought it sounded like a good idea. Martian Fluxx differs from previous versions of the game slightly and, unlike those other versions, can not be combined with other Fluxx games. Why not? Because in this game, you are the Martian Invaders, not the Pathetic Humans striving to save their planet.
The object of the game is to meet the current goal requirements to successfully launch an alien invasion. In order to meet those goals, you have Keepercards, items in your inventory that help you achieve success. You have obstacles called Creepers that foil your attempts at success. Fortunately, many Keepers can be used to nullify your Creepers and help you meet the victory conditions set by the Goal card. Unfortunately, and hilariously, those victory conditions are constantly changing.
For example, the goal may be War of the Worlds, which is to have both Mars and EarthKeeper cards placed in front of you. Let’s say you already have Earth on the table and Mars is in your hand but your turn is over and you can’t play it yet. Suddenly, the next player swaps out War of the Worlds for Mars Needs Women and now you need Mars and at least two human female Creepers on the table to win. Your new objective is to find those women before the goal changes again.
Goals aren’t the only things that are constantly changing. By default, you start with three cards, draw one card, and play one card during your turn, but New Rules can be played that replace the existing rules. For example, Draw 1 could be replaced by Draw 4. Play 1 could be replaced with Play All, and then you have no choice but to play every card in your hand every round, even the ones you don’t want to play, causing quite a riot and throwing a major monkey-wrench into your diabolical invasion plans. The 1 Card Hand Limit could be played and then, at the end of your turn, you must discard all but one of your cards. Your assured victory crumbles before your eyes time and time again.
As if the game isn’t funny enough already, bonus cards like Talk Like a Martian just adds to the laughter. I got to show off my Stitch and Marvin the Martian impersonations and score a few bonus cards in the process. Maybe I’m just an aggressive player (I wasn’t the kind of mother who let my kids win all the time when they were small), but I found myself prone to loud outbursts and laughter while playing, much to the dismay of those around us who couldn’t figure out the odd behavior exhibited by the weirdos in the break room at work.
Martian Fluxx is for 2 to 5 players and recommended for ages 8 to adult. Gameplay lasts between 15 and 30 minutes. The game includes over 100 cards, including:
If it follows in its ancestor’s footsteps, expansion packs should be available at some point in the future to further the Fluxx family fun. Whether you are a long-time Fluxx fanatic or you’ve never heard of the game before, Martian Fluxx is a treat that should be enjoyed with friends, so go buy it now! The fate of the human race may depend on you…
You can pick up a copy of Martian Fluxx through Looney Labs or Amazon, or find a retailer near you through Looney Labs’ Store Locator.
Joss Whedon‘s Firefly only ran for 11 episodes in 2002 (14 were filmed) but it sparked a cultural movement in sci-fi fandom that hadn’t been seen since Gene Roddenberry‘s Star Trek was cancelled. The DVD sales of the series and fan campaigns were so successful that in 2005 Whedon was able to convince Universal Pictures to produce a film to continue the story of Firefly. The film spent two weeks in the top ten and earned over $38 million in domestic and foreign box office sales (though, according to Universal, it didn’t earn back its filming budget until it was released on DVD).
Fans of Firefly, called Browncoats after the losing faction in the battle between the Alliance and the Independents, have never quit clamoring for more and the fanbase continues to grow and become involved in community activities. Regional Browncoats organizations have made charities a central focus of their energies and the actors from the show have thrown in their support for those charities by offering their time, talent and sometimes keepsakes to help raise money for a good cause. Fresh content has been introduced in the way of comic books and role-playing games to help feed the fanbase, and the hunger just keeps growing.
Everyone keeps begging for more Firefly but nothing seems to be coming down the pipeline. Deciding to “put their money where their mouth is”, Michael C. Dougherty and Steven Fisher finally did something: they created a fan film.
The fan-funded film is set shortly after the events of Serenity, where the Alliance’s power and standing in the ‘verse has been shaken by the announcement of the events that took place on Miranda. Browncoats: Redemption expands the lore of the ‘verse by following the crew of the ship Redemption, all self-professed Browncoats who’ve “kept their noses clean” — until now.
Planned for a 2010 release, with its unveiling at next years’s DragonCon in Atlanta, the Browncoats: Redemption team hopes to not only fuel interest in the Firefly ‘verse but raise funds for charities. 100% of the film’s proceeds (after production costs) will be split between the charities Equality Now, Kids Need to Read, The Dyslexia Foundation, The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center and Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. Early projections based on previous Firefly/Serenity related DVD sales have the filmmakers hoping to donate upwards of $80,000 to each charity (based on a $15 DVD price tag).
The team has been posting behind-the-scenes videos on their YouTube Channel and now you can get a first look at the Redemption crew in the newly released Browncoats: Redemption teaser trailer.
Be sure to check out their other Browncoats: Redemption links and throw in your support for their cause.
The highly anticipated fantasy/epic graphic novel series DevaShard is slicing its way to the silver screen.
Vanquish Motion Pictures and its toppers Jay Douglas and Nav Gupta won out a long and fierce bidding war that ignited after Hong Kong-based Fluid Comics debuted the novel at San Diego’s Comic-Con.
Moving quickly on the property, Douglas and Gupta will produce and co-write the script with pen pal Heather Kenealy, from a screen treatment by Kevin Grevioux, co-creator of the Underworld franchise, who has just been tapped to adapt the 25 issue book, as well as executive produce.
The epic tale of DevaShard, inspired by Asian mythology and crafted by Fluid Comic’s Zen, Keith Burns and Johnny Tam, centers on two forsaken sons, one born of darkness, the other of light, struggling to find their place in a grim world riddled with corrupt kingdoms, cursed demons and terrifying magic. The DevaShard series is published by Fluid Comics seniors Simon Squibb and Helen Griffiths and has been met with rave reviews since its Asia release.
“The densely diverse world and characters which DevaShard possesses is just too damn cool not to be seen on screen,” said Douglas.
“Not only is the cover art by Frank Cho and Simon Bisley amazing, but the book’s stylized visuals and east-meets-west flare are seriously insane,” Gupta added.
Currently, Douglas and Gupta are also producing the globe-trotting video game adventure franchise Broken Sword with Radar Pictures while Grevioux is hot off setting up his own comic book creations, The Pale Horseman and I, Frankenstein.
A reluctant heroine travels with her wolf through a
collapsing world, outrunning a dangerous religious cult
and piecing together her past.
Steampunk and sci-fi fans are going to love the new series Riese from filmmakers Ryan Copple and Kaleena Kiff. Picking up where Sanctuary failed to follow through, due to its jump to television, the series intends to not only produce fresh, high-quality content for the web but to be interactive with the fanbase through its website, forums, and an alternate reality game that will premiere along with the series. Other applications are being developed that will further integrate Riese into your daily web life.
In a hauntingly familiar dystopian world, Riese, a seemingly random wanderer, flees across the dying lands. Hunted by a terrifying religious group, The Sect, Riese must evade the assassins that have been sent to kill her and discover their true objective.
Her past is shrouded in mystery as even Riese can’t recall the events of the tragic night when her entire family was slaughtered and she was forced to flee. On her journey, she’ll piece together her past and her destiny, in a struggle that will hold the fate of the world in the balance — and the once peaceful kingdom of Eleysia will be the battlefield. Despite the impending doom, Riese emerges as the sole beacon of hope.
The Riese team has put together a lot of behind-the-scenes photos and videos to help submerge you in the world of Eleysia before the series premieres and, at first glance, I was hooked. The wardrobe has that high-quality look you got used to with shows like Firefly and Merlin. There are photos in the online gallery of the cast in costume and they look great. I was wondering how they’d pull off a steampunk feel, something typically reserved for graphic novels and anime, but it looks like they’ve done it. There aren’t any CGI shots to view yet but the concept art reminds me a bit of the mutants in Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards. The series appears to utilize both traditional settings and greenscreen to create the world of Eleysia, and I look forward to seeing the familiar woods outside of Vancouver that we geeks have fallen in love with over the years, largely due to Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis.
Speaking of Sanctuary and Stargate, fans may recognize a few familiar faces in the Riese cast. Christine Chatelain (Riese) was introduced in Season 1 of Sanctuary as the invisible girl, Clara Griffin. Sharon Taylor (Amara) not only played Amelia Banks on Stargate Atlantis but appeared in Smallville and Eureka, as well. Ben Cotton (Herrick), who played Dr. Kavanagh on Stargate Atlantis, also appeared in Harper’s Island, jPod, and a handful of other sci-fi favorites. Patrick Gilmore (Trennan) appears in all of the Stargate series (including the upcoming Stargate Universe), as well as Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, and Eureka. I’m sure we’ll see many more familiar faces on Riese as the series progresses.
THE STORY
Imagine a crumbling world, a parallel universe. A world of anachronisms, full of archaic characters and conventions. This world once enjoyed a lasting prosperity, due largely to the influence of the monarchy of Eleysia.
Eleysia — the kingdom of the wolf, governed by Kara and Ulric, was a peaceful nation. This all changed when a mysterious and unexpected coup d’etat, orchestrated from the shadows by a religious cult, brought about a regime change.
Taking the throne was Amara, Kara’s cousin. A power-hungry tyrant, Amara immediately utilized Eleysia’s resources to begin colonizing this world, toppling nation after nation in order to unite the people under one banner.
Even as Amara assaulted the world, an ominous, enigmatic group clearly wielded power over her. Called The Sect, they purported themselves to be the official religion of Eleysia, and began to spread alongside Eleysia’s borders. Horrifying tales of their practices began to circulate, casting an even darker shadow across this war-torn environment.
Since then, this world has begun to change.
The land is dying, resources are dwindling, and compassion is fading. Distrust and anxiety have clouded the people’s minds, causing a regression to primitive ways of thinking. People have grown restless, almost feral. Rituals and mythology have resurged, and the darker side of mankind has begun to reveal itself. Some say the end is coming. Shadows have begun lurking in the hearts of men.
The true horror of the world is not in how it ends, but what will become of mankind as it fractures.
And yet, despite the impending doom, a single beacon of light shines in Riese, a mysterious wanderer. Traveling with her wolf, Fenrir, she journeys across this barren world. Within her lies the strength and resolve to stop the nefarious plans of Empress Amara and the Sect and restore the kingdom of Eleysia to its former prosperity.
This is the world of Riese.
Principal filming for the first batch of episodes just wrapped with more slated to begin in December. We’ll keep you updated as new info is released. In the meantime, be sure to check out these links:
Is there anything Andrew Looney can’t do? Former NASA engineers Andrew and Kristin Looney started their game company Looney Labs back in 1997 with the goal to create easy-to-learn, easy-to-play games. Since that time, they have continued to create inventive, educational, challenging and fun games, and have taken home many awards and kudos. On top of being fun, their games tend to be beautiful in design and ingeniously simple to play yet strategically complex. The Aquarius 10th Anniversary Edition (or A v2.0 as it’s referred to on the box) is yet another brilliant addition to that legacy.
Aquarius is a card game for 2 to 5 players. Game play is a little like dominoes with an UNO twist. There are 5 elemental goal cards: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Space. Once each player is dealt a goal card, they must attempt to be the first player to create a chain of seven connected elements by matching the elements cards. Each player begins with 3 elements cards and 1 goal card. At the beginning of each turn, the player draws an elements card and then plays a card by matching one or more elements on the played card to one of the cards already placed. The elements card may have 1, 2 or 4 different elements featured on it. To create a chain, the player must place an unbroken line of 7 touching matched elements cards. Sounds simple, right?
Next you add the Action Cards. This is where the dominoes playing style takes on an UNO twist. With cards like Trade Hands, Trade Goals, Move a Card, Rotate Goals, Zap a Card and Shuffle Hands, even the player with the best strategy and a winning hand can quickly turn into the loser. Because your opponent’s agenda is hidden, you have to speculate which element they have as their goal. You may be thinking, “Well, which one are they trying to match?” Because you have to lay a card down with each turn (or forfeit the turn) and you don’t necessarily want to give your goal away by aggressively pursuing it, you may choose to, or have to, lay down a chain of elements cards simply because you need to get them out of your hand in hopes of drawing more of your goal element in the next hand.
Also, if you can match 2 or more elements when laying down a card, or you play a Zap Card (which allows you to take any one card from the placed cards and add it to your hand for later use), you get additional cards in your hand. Having 4 or more cards in your hand at the beginning of each turn gives you an advantage over the other players. Making chains other than those in your goal can be a valuable tool. It helps throw your opponents off your trail. It can, however, be risky if you don’t know what the other players’ goals are. If you are playing with more than two people, odds are that you are helping your enemy out and may even be handing them a win. Still sound simple?
Now imagine you have it figured out; you know exactly who has what goals and you are one or two connections away from a win. Suddenly an opponent plays a Trade Goals card on you and they are now in control of your winning combination while you now have their less than desirable goal (or they wouldn’t have traded it, right?). What do you do now? Well, you can throw a Trade Goals or Rotate Goals card on them if you have one, or you can Zap a pivotal card in their chain. There are lots of twists and turns in gameplay and your goals and strategies are constantly shifting and having to be rethought.
While the regular gameplay can get highly complex, the basic concept of the game is matching items. Because of this, variants of the game can be taught to children as young as 3 or 4 years old by just using the elements cards for a matching game. As they get older and can learn more complex gameplay, you can introduce the goal cards into play and, later still, begin introducing one or more action cards into the mix. This aspect of the gameplay makes Aquarius a fabulous family game for all ages. My teenage son and I have been playing it obsessively for a couple of weeks now. We even came up with a solitaire version which is basically a two-player game with one person laying both hands (think Chess), but a coin toss after the game is over determines which hand was yours.
The artwork by Andrew Looney is beautiful and harkens back to the 60s and 70s with its colorful, simple designs featuring rainbows, fires, flowers, fish and stars. Printed on recycled paper right here in the USA, Aquarius is eco-friendly, too. The cards have handled some abuse well as we have been playing not only repeatedly, but in less then ideal places such as dirty school hallway floors and sticky tabletops. It fits so easily in a pocket that we took it along to the annual School Open House so my son could show it to, and play it with, his friends. We were surprised to learn that one of them grew up with the original release of Aquarius in her household, and she added that “It was fun!”
I love this game and can’t wait to introduce more of my friends to it. I’ve found myself blowing off other things I could or should be doing to play it. I’ve even been bringing it to work with me, and have it out so often that some of my co-workers comment if I don’t have a hand dealt at some point during the day. I just can’t help myself — it’s so much fun!
Aquarius 10th Anniversary Edition will be available in stores and online August 28th. You can order it from Looney Labs and Amazon.com, or check for a retailer near you with the Looney Labs Store Locator.
The last few months have been a battle of epic proportions as we defended our indoor gaming fortress from the wrath of our arch nemesis. (Earth’s nearest star; commonly referred to as “The Sun”.) There is no doubt it will return next year so we have exactly 10 months to acquire more fans, air conditioners, and cooling stations for the Xbox 360, which is clearly vulnerable to the sun’s primary weapon: Permeating Heat.
Although withered and dehydrated we still managed to step outside (then back inside) to see District 9. Never again will we season, skewer, barbecue, and feast on the likes of shellfish kind. Prawns have rights too! District 9 was very well done and we hope the same is true for the coincidental Section 8, a 360/PC game release we expect to pick-up on Tuesday.
Now that days are starting to chill and contract it’s time to get back to what we do best: staying up all night in front of an LCD screen, playing video games in comfortable room temperature, and making new shirts…
