Celebrate Your Geekdom
from RiffTrax:
RiffTrax wants your jokes! We’ve provided you with some choice clips from Reefer Madness, along with 10 different spots for you to write jokes to get included in our LIVE broadcast of Reefer Madness! The winners (picked by the guys themselves) will receive a RiffTrax Swag Bag and have their names featured on-screen when their joke is said!
More info here.
from Jonathan Coulton:
Hello mailing list!
Three things! One of them is a cruise!
1. A NEW RECORD
In my last dispatch I mentioned a super secret project that I was excited about. In case you never look at my site (because why would you? I never post anything) I am telling you now that it’s A BRAND NEW RECORD. I’ve been writing new songs, rehearsing with a band, and planning a trip into an actual recording studio. It’s all new and scary and fantastic. One song is about mustaches.
2. SHOWS WITH A BAND WHEREIN WE TRY OUT SOME NEW SONGS
I’ll be trying out six new songs with this band at a couple of shows in MA:
Iron Horse in Northampton on 7/22 — tickets
Somerville Theater in Somerville on 7/23 — tickets
The band is a power trio with me on “electric” guitar, Marty Beller from TMBG on drums, and Chris Anderson NOT from Wired magazine on bass. I cannot urge you strongly enough to come out and see these shows, because, well, they’re going to be awesome one way or another. They may be unmitigated disasters for instance, you wouldn’t want to miss that. Alternately, we might make music so fantastic that your socks fly right off your feet, THROUGH YOUR SHOES.
3. JOCO CRUISE CRAZY
JoCo Cruise Crazy has just now become a reality. It’s a six day Caribbean cruise leaving from Ft. Lauderdale on Holland America’s ms Eurodam January 2-8, 2011. There will be comedy and music from me, Paul and Storm, John Hodgman, Wil Wheaton, Molly Lewis, Mike Phirman, and Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett from RiffTrax. Also, it is a cruise on a beautiful crazy giant boat with food all over the place. It’s what they call a win/win situation.
Tickets are available now. In fact, the first 250 people who book will get a discount on the entertainment fee, plus preferred seating at the (count em) TWO shows I’m doing during the cruise. We’re not at 250 yet, but things are moving pretty quickly.
Plenty of details, photos and a handy FAQ are available here: jococruisecrazy.com.
That is three things by my count. You know what to do.
-j
from Weta:
Colonial Frolics
We have ridded the factory floor of some of the peskier staff members. Messrs Taylor, Broadmore, Tremont and Launder have been shipped to the North American colonies for a bit of R&R at the San Diego Compartmentalised Picture Essay Jamboree. This is actually the first time Dr. Grordbort’s book VICTORY is available for signing on the North American continent! Greg Broadmore has been equipped with quills and a pint of ink and will be signing like there’s no tomorrow! If you could care less about Mr. Broadmore’s scribbles, you can always gawk at our Three Hand Painted and Customised Rayguns on display instead! The Iron Tiger, Der Adler and The Divine Ray are available EXCLUSIVELY to Jamboree participants (with enough cash). Aren’t they simply delightful?
Cutting Edge High End Contraption to be revealed at Jamboree
We can further divulge that major revelations are afoot at aforementioned convention. Grordbort Industries have been developing this particular little darling for some time and are GREATLY anticipating the unleashment on an unsuspecting public. Can you see what it is yet? We certainly can’t. Check out what the guys on the forum think…
Special Offers for SDCC patrons
At the convention will be a RANGE of Special Offers on Dr. Grordbort’s wares:
Heed our final warning:
LAST CHANCE to acquire an Unnatural Selector Ray Blunderbuss! Only 3 Left! Out of the 50, now only 3 remain. Order yours now.
Also getting scarce:
F.M.O.M. Wave Disrupter Gun — less than 20 left!
from StarWars.com:
Only 4 Weeks Left Until Star Wars Celebration V!
Travel Discount Deadline Last Chance to Receive Exclusive Rates — July 21
LAST CHANCE to book discounted travel for Celebration V is July 21. Book your stay in Orlando this August through our official Travel Desk, powered by OnPeak and save! With rooms starting as low as just $65/night, getting to Celebration has never been more affordable. Don’t wait — book today! Reminder: OnPeak is the only official housing partner associated with Star Wars Celebration V. While other companies may contact you offering housing, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with Star Wars Celebration V.
Mark Hamill and Gary Kurtz at Celebration V!
Actor Mark Hamill, whose portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars Saga has captured the imagination of generations of fans, will make his first United States Star Wars Celebration appearance this August 12-15 in Orlando, Florida. Hamill, whose acting career has encompassed scores of appearances in movies and television shows as well as critically acclaimed appearances on Broadway, will help mark the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back along with scores of fans at the huge four-day festival at the Orange County Convention Center. Fans can meet Hamill in person in the Celebration Autograph Hall, run by Official Pix, where he is scheduled to sign autographs Friday and Saturday, with the possibility of extending to additional days. The actor is also scheduled for a rare appearance on the Celebration Stage. And in more guest news, producer Gary Kurtz will make a first-time appearance in the Celebration Autograph Hall at Star Wars Celebration V! Kurtz, who began his career with writer/director George Lucas as a co-producer on American Graffiti, produced A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. In addition to his production duties on Empire, Kurtz shouldered some of the second-unit directing duties of the film. He produced and directed the animated fantasy movie The Dark Crystal, working with Muppet creator Jim Henson and with the creator and voice of Yoda, Frank Oz. Recently Kurtz produced the British television series Friends and Heroes. Visit the Guests page, for more information. Don’t miss Mark Hamill and Gary Kurtz at Star Wars Celebration V!
Program Grid
Star Wars Celebration is four days of a galaxy far, far away dropped smack dab in the middle of Orlando. But what does that mean, really? It means non-stop presentations, workshops, contests, screenings, and special events in over a dozen stages, panel rooms, and screening rooms. Want to know when Empire Strikes Back is playing? Want to know when to check out the R2 Builders? Or maybe you want to know about everything else? Then check out the CV Event Schedule online now!
Get Your Exclusive Celebration V Gear — Only Available Online Until July 25
Don’t wait — this week marks your final opportunity to pre-order exclusive Celebration V t-shirts in advance of the event to ensure they don’t sell out before you get yours! Onsite quantities will be limited. Check out the website for details on mailing/pick up.
Star Wars Insider Announces Comic-Con and Celebration Plans
To mark the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, Titan is releasing a special tribute issue of Star Wars Insider with an exclusive Han Solo in Carbonite cover, available at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International and at Star Wars Celebration V. This 100-page commemorative issue includes interviews with the cast and crew of The Empire Strikes Back, including: George Lucas, (story and executive producer), Irvin Kershner (Director), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett). The magazine also features interviews with the team behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars looking back on The Empire Strikes Back, 50 amazing facts about Empire, and an Empire merchandise guide. Plus, much more must-have material for all Star Wars fans. A special Empire cover, which features Han Solo in Carbonite, is available to purchase at the Titan booth at Comic-Con (stand #5537) and Celebration V (booth #521, part of the Gentle Giant booth). Visitors to the Star Wars Insider booth at Comic-Con and Celebration V will receive a FREE exclusive Star Wars Insider bookmark. Readers can keep up to date with more news and announcements from Star Wars Insider at the official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/StarWarsInsider. For more information, visit: titanmagazines.com.
Breaking News!
For more information about Star Wars Celebration V, visit the official site at starwarscelebration.com and be sure to check back next week for breaking news you won’t want to miss!
The third and final season of The Legend of Neil is almost here. July 24th it premieres at Comic-Con San Diego and on the web. Catch up on the first two seasons here: legendofneil.com.
from Mimoco:
SDCC 10 Celebrating 5 Years! MIMOBOT!
Mimoco continues its five-year anniversary collection with the introduction of original characters — Dr. Knowledgeus and Isadore Glo, a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive — to its Core Series of memory-storing MIMOBOT alien robots. Learn More!
Infectious X MIMOBOT Design Challenge: Unmasked!
The Design Challenge submission period ends tomorrow on July 15! Have you Unmasked your MIMOBOT yet?! Deadline: July 15, 2010!
Video Premiere: The Doctor Is In!
Introducing the sickest scientific genius from Galaxy 4210 — Dr. Knowledgus.
FREE Shipping on orders over $75*! Click here for more info.
NEW Stuff We Like!
Mickey and Minnie Mouse Bearbrick Mini-Figures
Collectors of Disneyana can add this unique set of mini-figures to their collection, as Mickey and Minnie are reworked in the style of Bearbrick figures. $18.95
LEGO Minifigures Series 1
Each minifigure comes in a sealed “mystery” bag, so you never know which minifigure you might get. $2.99
from Dark Horse Comics:
On July 24th fifty-five comic book shops across the country will host unique parties in conjunction with ChinaShop Magazine and Dark Horse Comics to celebrate the highly dedicated culture of sequential art during the weekend of San Diego Comic-Con.
Branded #NotAtComicCon, based on the Twitter hash-tag those unable to attend San Diego Comic-Con have been using, fifty-five participating stores will create a fun and creative atmosphere where free drinks and over $200 worth of Dark Horse prizes will be available. In addition, Dark Horse Comics will make an exclusive announcement to fans at participating stores before releasing the special information to crowds in San Diego.
Fans looking to participate in the unprecedented, nation-wide event can find a comic book shop in their area on the following site:
http://www.darkhorse.com/Blog/34/notatcomiccon
Plus, during the week of July 19th, ChinaShopMag.com will feature interviews with well-established comic creators who aren’t attending San Diego Comic-Con to get their insight into the larger community rarely talked about in mainstream news outlets.
Fans are also encouraged to use the hash-tag “#notatcomiccon” when talking about the event to show the world the fun comic fans have even outside the largest pop-culture convention. For more updates, follow @notatcomiccon and @chinashopmag on Twitter.
from Factory Entertainment:
It’s that time of year again! In this week’s newsletter we have a ton of announcements regarding all of our San Diego Comic-Con plans, including exciting convention exclusives! Booth #4044 is going to be “the place” to be and we can’t wait for you to stop by! We’re also very pleased to announce a special and limited exclusive to those of you who have already ordered or are about to order the James Bond Golden Gun Limited Edition from our online store. If you haven’t ordered from us yet, there are now MULTIPLE reasons that you should. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this opportunity… Here we go!
Factory Entertainment — Booth #4044 — July 22-25 — Exclusives
James Bond Golden Gun Limited Edition ‘Q-Branch’ Blue Print
• 11” x 14” Size
• Giclee Print on high quality 140lb archival stock
• Hand Numbered — Limited to just 500 pieces
Just $15 each at the Factory Entertainment booth #4044 while supplies last. Each purchase also includes a special discount coupon, good for a $10 discount on any single item priced over $50 at factoryent.com!
The Prisoner Miniseries 5 Card Prop Set
• Each card features a piece of an original prop used in the filming of the miniseries.
• Limited to 200 sets
• Price $30 each
The Prisoner Miniseries Convention Exclusive Factory Set
• 72 Card Miniseries Base set
• Every set includes 2 exclusive Prisoner Miniseries Promo Cards:
No 1 : Ian McKellen miniseries Hand-Signed Autograph Card
No 2 : Patrick McGoohan Gold Foil Classic TV Series Facsimile Signature Card
• Each set also includes 1 random hand-drawn Sketch Card by one of the following artists: Clayton McCormack, Stacey G, Don Pedicini Jr, David Desbois, Bill Pulkovski, MO, Thanh Bui
• Limited to 400 sets
• Price $35 each
The Green Hornet Black Beauty Limited Edition ‘Green’ Print
• 11” x 14” Size
• Giclee Print on high quality 140lb archival stock
• Hand Numbered — Limited to just 500 pieces
Just $15 each at the Factory Entertainment booth #4044 while supplies last. Each purchase also includes a special discount coupon, good for a $10 discount on any single item priced over $50 at factoryent.com!
On Display
Besides the many exclusives available to purchase at our booth, we’ll also have many items on display for the first time ever, including upcoming releases as well as sneak previews of future products. You will be able to see items from great licenses like:
The Green Hornet
The Princess Bride
The Beatles
Universal Monsters
…and more!
…which leads us to our next HUGE announcement for Comic-Con…
James Bond 007 Original Props On Display
We’re incredibly excited and honored to announce that we will have a number of original ‘screen used’ props from different classic James Bond movies on display in our booth. The props are graciously on loan from the EON Productions archives and make a rare public appearance. Don’t miss them, booth #4044.
Golden Gun Limited Edition — Factory Direct Exclusive
Some great news for every customer who has already placed an order or is about to place an order for the LE Golden Gun directly from our online store, factoryentstore.com. Included at no extra charge will be a set of 5 exclusive golden bullet replicas available nowhere else! That’s right, they are absolutely free and are our way of saying thank you for buying ‘Factory Direct.’ Hurry, this offer is only while supplies last. (If you’ve already placed a pre-order for the LE Golden Gun, you don’t have to do anything. The exclusive bullet set has already been added to your order.)
Green Hornet Contest Winners!
Congratulations to Rick from Kentucky and Tim from Michigan on winning an autographed copy of the amazingly detailed book, The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics, and Television by Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson. Interested in ordering a copy for yourself? Click here to purchase.
Follow us on Twitter, we proudly add to the mostly inane babble but we also throw in more than the occasional gem!
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 an exciting roster of personal appearances, panel discussions, events, giveaways and convention exclusives for 2010 Comic-Con International. Comic-Con is the nation’s largest comic book and science fiction event, and takes place July 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center, California. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 2813.
Fans won’t want to miss a very special opportunity to meet comics and pop culture icon Stan Lee, co-creator along with Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King) of the groundbreaking Ultimo manga series (rated “T” for Teens), on Saturday, July 24th. Mr. Lee will be a special guest at the Shonen Jump Panel, scheduled at 10:30AM in Room #9, where fans will get the latest manga and anime news and on-the-spot surprises, including a special Ultimo button for all attendees. Mr. Lee will also make an in-person appearance at the VIZ Media booth for a signing session of Ultimo Volume 2 at 1:15pm.
Vampire Knight (rated “T+” for Older Teens) is the newest anime series to captivate fans and is based on the smash hit manga series by Matsuri Hino, also published by VIZ Media. To celebrate the release of DVD Volume 1, the company is pleased to welcome as guests the talented voice actors Mela Lee (Yuki), Vic Mignogna (Zero) and Ethan Murray (Kaname) on Friday, July 23rd. Catch Vic Mignogna in the VIZ Media booth at 11:00am, where he will host the Vampire Knight trivia game. The festivities continue at 1:00pm, where fans will have the opportunity to meet the three voice actors at an in-booth signing session. Round out the day at the Vampire Knight Panel, at 3:30pm in Room #9, where Vampire Knight manga editor Nancy Thistlethwaite and the Vampire Knight voice actors will have an in-depth discussion of the edgy gothic romantic drama. There will also be a raffle, featuring exclusive prizes, for fans who come dressed in their best Vampire Knight costume.
The VIZ Media booth will be an exciting destination on the show floor for fans, with exclusive products available for purchase during special times throughout the show (attendees should check the digital signboard at the front of the booth for the daily schedule). For the Naruto: Shippuden fan, there will be a Naruto: Shippuden Limited Edition Sage Naruto Figure from Toynami and straight-from-Japan full-color reproduction Naruto: Shippuden animation cels (from Digital Manga) featuring favorite characters Naruto and Sasuke. Two special Vampire Knight bundles will be offered: Vampire Knight anime DVD Volume 1 with a Cross Academy armband set, and a set of 6 collectable Vampire Knight pins (armband and pins both from Great Eastern). Also available will be a bundle featuring One Piece Volume 54 (rated “T” for Teens) and One Piece Limited Edition Luffy Mallow (from FUNimation and Shocker Toys), and exclusive Bleach iPhone 3G/3GS cell phone cases from France in two designs featuring Ichigo and Toshiro.
VIZ Media will be offering a variety of fun activities at the booth this year. Fans can pose with their favorite Vampire Knight or Kekkaishi anime characters in a special photo area. Test your knowledge in the Naruto and Bleach trivia games. Try the fan-favorite claw catcher game to snag fun Naruto: Shippuden or Bleach prizes. Everyone’s a winner at the VIZ Media Treasure Trove, where players grab a coin to exchange for cool prizes. Fans can sample the video game area, featuring Namco Bandai Games America with a preview of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (Rated “T” for Teen) for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Scan your badge to enter to win a Naruto Shippuden-branded PSP game system and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 (Rated “T” for Teen) for the PSP (no purchase necessary), and get a Bandai collectible card good for three free Naruto Shippuden episodes on the PlayStation Network.
The VIZ Media collectable tote bag is back in a brand new color for 2010 — get your free bag to see what series are featured this year. Other giveaways include Biomega posters, VIZ Media Bling, Vampire Knight manga samplers, and much more while supplies last!
Finally, VIZ Media is proud to have three manga titles — Oishinbo (rated “T” for Teens), by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki; Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka (rated “T+” for Older Teens), by Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki, Macoto Tezka and Tezuka Productions; and Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys (rated “T+” for Older Teens), by Naoki Urasawa — nominated for 5 awards for the 2010 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards, which are considered the Oscars of the comic book industry. In addition, Naoki Urasawa is nominated for Best Writer/Artist for his work on Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys and Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel on the evening of Friday, July 23rd.
For more up-to-date information on VIZ Media’s activities at San Diego Comic-Con International, visit VIZAnime.com/comiccon.
from Matty Collector:
San Diego Comic-Con Pre-Sale
Buy at MattyCollector.com, Pick up at Comic-Con!
You asked for it, got it! A limited number of our San Diego Comic-Con products will be available for pre-purchase online, then waiting for you at the show. No big lines and the toys you want — guaranteed!
Limits and exclusions do apply, so click to read all the details.
from RiffTrax:
The stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 take on the legendary cult classic Reefer Madness for an evening of hilarious riffing! Let RiffTrax’s own Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett bring you to a higher state of consciousness with their signature brand of rapid fire comedy! This event will be broadcast live to movie theaters nationwide on Thursday, August 19 at 8:00pmET / 7:00pmCT / 6:00pmMT and 8:00pmPT (tape delay). Audiences will also be treated to the world premiere of three new shorts!
View the announcement here.
from VIZ Media:
VIZ Media has announced a very special personal appearance by comic book legend Stan Lee on Friday, June 16th at 7:00pm at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles, located at 189 Grove Drive Suite K 30, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Lee is the co-creator of comics’ most iconic superheroes including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. His Barnes & Noble appearance celebrates the release of Volume 2 of his latest co-creation — Ultimo, and he will be autographing copies of Ultimo Volumes 1 and 2.
Ultimo (rated “T” for Teens) is a historic East-meets-West collaboration between Lee and famed Japanese manga creator, Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular Shaman King series. Ultimo, Volume 2 is available in stores now and is also serialized in VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump Magazine.
VIZ Media will also welcome Stan Lee for a special appearance in the company’s booth #2813 on Saturday, July 24th at Comic-Con International 2010, the nation’s largest comic book convention taking place in San Diego, California.
The Ultimo back-story: High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, who seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? In Volume 2, with girl and money troubles, life is hard enough for high school student Yamato, but then he stumbles upon Ultimo, a peculiar-looking puppet. Things only get stranger when Ultimo awakens and his archenemy, Vice, shows up. Ultimo and Vice are Karakuri Dôji, the mechanical embodiment of pure good and pure evil, devoid of human emotions that can cloud one’s judgment. Their purpose: to battle to the death to prove once and for all whether good or evil is the most powerful force in the universe.
For more information on Ultimo please visit Ultimo.viz.com or shonenjump.com.