Category: Books & Writing

The Art of Emily the Strange: A Definitive Collection

from Emily the Strange:

The Art of Emily the Strange!
IN STOCK NOW!!

The Art of Emily Volume 1 is the first-ever collection of images showing the wide and inspired range of artistic styles and mediums that have been used to create the world of Emily the Strange. From silk-screened vinyl skateboard stickers to custom rock-and-roll album art, large-scale psychedelic paintings, and insanely intricate Mongolian paper cutting, the fantastic and artful imaginings of Rob Reger, Buzz Parker, and a staggeringly talented array of collaborators will give insight and inspiration to any Emily fan!

Full color, 120 pages hardcover 8.5″ x 11″

Sleep all day, Art all night,
Miles

Find Emily on: Facebook | MySpace | YouTube

George Lucas’s “Blockbusting” Out Now

from StarWars.com:

When people talk about blockbuster movies, inevitably Star Wars comes up as one of the most memorable cinematic slam dunks. Now, thanks to filmmaker George Lucas’s interests, fans can see the history of blockbusters (dating back to silent films) and what made circumstances perfect for a cinematic hit to happen in the first place in one impressive film history book.

George Lucas’s Blockbusting, edited by Lucy Autrey Wilson and Alex Ben Block, is a comprehensive look at 300 of the most financially and/or critically successful motion pictures of all time — many made despite seemingly insurmountable economic, cultural, and political challenges — set against the prevailing production, distribution, exhibition, marketing, and technology trends of each decade in movie business history.

StarWars.com talked with Blockbusting editor Lucy Autrey Wilson about the new book and why it’s crucial to look at the influences inside and out that turned films into blockbusters.

Why did George Lucas ask for this book to be written?

There is a misperception that movies like Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) and George Lucas’s Star Wars (1977) changed the movie business. Looking back over 100 years of movie history, it is clear there have always been big blockbuster films. By setting successful films against each decade’s major motion picture industry developments, George Lucas wanted to show that what has transformed the movie business is not the result of any individual film, but rather the result of technological advances and changes in production, distribution, marketing, and exhibition as well as changes in the social, political, and economic climate.

For example, breakthroughs such as sound, color and now digital; changes in studio ownership, resulting in non-filmmakers running movie companies; the emergence of multiplexes with stadium seating; and war, economic depression and more have all had an enormous impact on what kind of movies get made, what they cost, how they are distributed, viewed and even remembered.

How did you go about researching information for the book?

As a result of my experience doing motion picture accounting (in a past life at Lucasfilm) and contacts made during the editing of the first George Lucas Books title, Cinema by the Bay, I had developed a pool of knowledgeable film buffs, both within and without Lucasfilm, who provided data and helped fact-check. This talent pool grew as research for Blockbusting expanded.

Lucasfilm also has one of the best film libraries in the business and I spent a lot of time at Skywalker Ranch going through our in-house film book and periodical archives. This included the Film Daily annuals, old issues of The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, other industry publications and hundreds of books.

Alex Ben Block contributed a lot of motion picture history writing the bulk of the decade text. As Alex’s text unfolded and more statistics on the individual films became available from all contributing writers, the information was compiled in the database and compared with other top grossing and top critically successful films of the same year and decade. More information was cross-checked against such on-line websites as IMDB, Wikipedia and Boxofficemojo.com. Once the internal database started to build to a critical mass (it now includes over 2,100 films), it became more and more useful as a tool with which to check facts and augment data.

For more of this interview, read the rest of the feature here.

VIZ Media Debuts “Natsume’s Book of Friends” Manga Story Tomorrow

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the January 5th release of Natsume’s Book of Friends, a standalone manga story by Yuki Midorikawa. Natsume’s Book of Friends debuts under the Shojo Beat imprint, is rated “T” for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Takashi Natsume can see spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. He has always been set apart from other people because of his gift, drifting from relative to relative, never fitting in. Now he’s a troubled high school student who has come to live in a small town where his grandmother, Reiko, grew up. And there he discovers that he has inherited more than just the power of Sight from the mysterious Reiko. When Reiko was Takashi’s age, she bound the names of demons and spirits in her Book of Friends, enslaving them to her every capricious whim. Now Takashi is the owner of the book, and the creatures will do anything to get their names back.

“Natsume’s Book of Friends is a great series for readers who are looking for something different than the typical shojo manga. Yuki Midorikawa skillfully deploys her delicate and almost serene artwork to tell a story that balances dark adventure with light comedy, the supernatural with real life. This remarkably beautiful work is truly unlike any other shojo series out there,” says Leyla Aker, Editorial Manager, VIZ Media.

Yuki Midorikawa’s other published titles in Japan include Into the Forest of Fireflies, The Scarlet Chair and The Voice That Blooms Red. Natsume’s Book of Friends (Natsume Yujincho) was originally published in the manga magazine LaLa DX and was a finalist for the first Manga Taisho awards in 2008.

For more information on this title, or others from VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.

Victory: Scientific Adventure Violence for Young Men & Literate Women

Victory: Scientific Adventure Violence for Young Men & Literate Women

Dr. Grordbort (aka Weta) presents Victory: Scientific Adventure Violence for Young Men & Literate Women, a quasi-sequel to Doctor Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory, both written and illustrated by steampunk visionary Greg Broadmore.

The year’s foremost journal of progressive armaments and weaponry! Behold the latest line of defense captured in action!

[…]

Filled to the brim with first hand tales of exploration and progress from the great heroes of our time, picture strips of unimaginable escapades on the frontier, never-seen-before portraits of dazzling damsels and monstrous villains, and laudable accounts of man and robot pitted against our greatest enemy (the uncivilized world), Victory is an onslaught of action-packed scientific adventure in full-spectrum color — containing facts that every boy and literate girl should know.

Written and illustrated by Weta Workshop Conceptual Designer Greg Broadmore, this book sumptuously details a science-fiction history that never was. Hearkening back to the classic sci-fi serials of yesteryear, it reveals the backstories and mythos of Weta Limited’s highly limited ray gun collectible line.

Whereas the Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory was mainly a catalogue of raygun designs, Victory fleshes out the world of Dr. Grordbort a bit more. Labeled as Volume 127, this oversized hardcover book is done in the style of a British annual, and is full of stunning, full-colour art that’s available to sample in an online preview. The pages are printed on heavy hardstock, and if you’re the sort of savage who’s okay with dissecting books to obtain some frameable art, then Victory will provide you with a gallery of choices.

Be forewarned: this book contains a very un-PC reimagining of the universe, so if you’re easily offended, or squicked out by pictures of aliens being graphically blown to smithereens, then you should probably search out tamer reading material. However, if you have a very good, albeit warped, sense of humour, then you’ll find Victory to be a jolly good romp.

Join Lord Cockswain for a Spot of Virtual Venusian Vapourisation is a print version of the online target practice simulator Blast a Buffoon, with the book leaving a blank space for you to draw in your own Venusian target. Life in the British Colonial Expeditionary Forces takes a brief look at the daily life of a soldier, while Know Your Enemy profiles the Venusians that the boys of the BCEF are up against. Adapted from the Dr. Grordbort’s website are A Bestiary of the Cosmos: The Wildlife of Venus, and the wonderfully tongue-in-cheek weapon Testimonials. Web comics “Lord Cockswain: M’Gulu in Peril!”, a five-part serial, and the one-shot “Lord Cockswain: On the Application of Rayguns” are reproduced in Old Timey Compartmentalised Picture Essays, and there’s a one-page feature similarly called On the Careful Application of Rayguns, which is a guide to properly caring for, and thereby possibly reducing the risk of maiming yourself with, a Grordbort raygun. Graphic short stories that were created new for the book are “Lord Cockswain in… Venusian Vengeance” and “Lord Cockswain in… The Mountain of the Moon Menace”, two tales of Lord Cockswain’s signaturely inept and destructive approach to leading missions. Hall of Gits, portraits of personalities from the world of Dr. Grordbort, gives readers a glimpse of Cockswain’s equally hapless peers. Also included in the book are a selection of propaganda posters, one done by a guest artist, and the invaluable How to read the signs of Robotic Rebellion!, which lists the (obvious) signs that your robot manservant may have overridden the first Law of Robotics, namely that “a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.” No book bearing the Dr. Grordbort’s logo would be complete without a bristling display of weaponry, and Victory doesn’t disappoint, introducing three impressive Grordbort tanks — the Greased Weasel, The Remorseless, and the Gargantutherium VII — that range from lightweight to terrain-crushing behemoth. A selection of upcoming rayguns is catalogued, as well:

  • Silver Mantiss 99se Thin Cone Death Beam — a second raygun for ladies, following the Victorious Mongoose 1902a Concealable Ray Pistol, with a silver mirror finish.
  • Grordbort 66 Sonic De-Stabiliser — a copper-coloured raygun, its silver handle carved with a Chinese dragon.
  • Pomson 6000 Sub Atomic Wave Gun — The Unnatural Selector‘s more futuristic-looking successor, with lots of shiny red metal, chrome trim, and a top fin.
  • Saturn 67 Luminiferous Aether Igniter — a utilitarian raygun that looks like a cross between a pistol and a crude taser.
  • Righteous Bison Indivisible Particle Smasher — a model already released as Weta’s first plastic raygun, but perhaps a metal version is on the way?
  • Silent Banshee Infra Wave Atom Corrupter — a minimalistic raygun with a cone-shaped muzzle and silencer, ideal for assassins.

In addition, there’s a two-page spread for Lord Cockswain’s Ray-Blunderbuss “The Unnatural Selector” that lavishly showcases the blustering adventurer’s favourite weapon.

If you already have the Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory on your bookshelf, then you’ll naturally want a copy of Victory to join it. For fans of steampunk, sci-fi, and retro art, both books are indispensable additions to your library.

Order now at Amazon.com:
Victory: Scientific Adventure Violence for Young Men & Literate Women
Doctor Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory

Or order directly through the Weta website, or Dark Horse Comics (search keyword: “weta”).

Victory: Scientific Adventure Violence for Young Men & Literate Women and Doctor Grordbort’s Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory are distributed by Weta Publishing, in partnership with Dark Horse Books, a division of Dark Horse Comics. For more information, please visit the official Dr. Grordbort’s website.

“Death Note: L, Change the World”, a New Novel from VIZ Media

Death Note: L, Change the World

Death Note began as a Japanese manga series that was published between 2003 and 2006. It was hugely popular and spawned 3 live action films, an anime series, novels, video games and other merchandise. The anime is virtually identical to the manga, while the films’ plot deviates in small but significant ways.

The new novel Death Note: L, Change the World from VIZ Media is based on the third live action film. For those of you who may not have heard of it, Death Note follows the case of a “Righteous” Serial Killer called Kira who targets criminals and the corrupt. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths of those “Judged” by Kira catches the attention of the world’s greatest detective, a mysterious unseen figure who goes by the name L. Kira appears to be able to kill anyone from any distance simply by knowing their name and their face, something easily learned from television, newspapers and the Internet. Based on the first reported incidents, L’s search for Kira leads him from the U.S. to Japan.

Once in Japan, L puts together a special team where everyone’s true identities are kept secret in order to prevent Kira from being able to target them and thwart their attempts at stopping his “Justified” killing spree. As crime and violence drops around the world, Kira becomes elevated to savior in the minds of many people, further complicating L’s efforts to capture Kira. When Kira acts on information that was not released to the public and then begins to target those who are investigating him, L begins to suspect that the person behind the killings is the gifted university student Light Yagami. Light is not only the son of the local Police Chief and interested in Law Enforcement but has used his brilliant deduction skills to assist the police in several high profile crimes. He has a strong sense of justice and has become disillusioned by the increasing crime and corruption in the world around him. L recruits Light in the effort to track Kira not only because his brilliance rivals L’s own but because he continues to suspect that Light truly is Kira. As events unfold, L discovers how Kira is able to kill his victims: by writing their name in a Death Note, the notebook used by Shinigami (death gods or grim reapers) to end human lives.

Death Note: L, Change the World takes place over a 20-day period after the resolution of the Kira case. If you’ve seen the films, the events in this book occur between the final showdown and the ending scene of Death Note II: The Last Name. Just as most films adapted from novels have significant differences, Death Note: L, Change the World has significant differences between this novel and the film version of the story. The plot of the film is generally followed but some events in the film are referred to rather then shown in the novel and others are left out entirely. There are also characters in the film who are combined with others, changed or absent in the book.

First of all, I have to say the book is gorgeous. The back and front covers are decorated edge to edge with full color illustrations featuring L. The dust jacket is a heavy, transparent vinyl with the gold-lettered title stamped into the cover and illustrations on both the front and back inside covers where liner notes usually appear. Another full color illustration of L graces the first “page” of the book and has a transparent vellum overlay that includes an image of Light offering him the Death Note. There are several illustrations in the index of the book and the top of each page includes a graphic timeline so you can track the days with a glance, as time is very important in the events of L, Change the World. There’s even a satin ribbon to mark your place as you read. This high-quality volume will make a beautiful addition to your Death Note collection.

As for the story, L, Change the World covers L’s final case before passing the L mantle on to someone new. After having finally unmasked Kira, L is called upon to stop a global epidemic when a bio-terrorist group called Blue Ship steals a virus that they plan to use to destroy a significant portion of the human population, to “save the Earth” and create a better place for humans. Akin to Ebola but 100 times worse, those infected begin to develop lesions and bleed from the eyes, ears, nose and mouth as it rapidly progresses once it leaves its two-week incubation stage. L is on the run from the terrorist group and the FBI, and in the company of a little girl who holds the key to creating the antivirus.

In the midst of this cat-and-mouse game, where everyone seems to have a double agenda, there is also an underlying theme of redemption. As the characters face difficult choices, some based on hope and others on hopelessness, L stresses that while “even a genius can’t change the world alone,” each of us can play our part in making things better.

While the novel is only 188 pages long, it definitely covers a lot of ground and contributes greatly to the Death Note storyline. L, Change the World provides not only more background information about the mysterious Wammy House, the orphanage for gifted children where L grew up, but a little bit more about L’s background. We also gain insight into L’s thought process and see a side of him that wasn’t present, or only hinted at, in the anime and films.

After having seen all 37 anime episodes and 3 films, as well as a fair portion of manga, reading L, Change the World was the first time I truly liked L and felt any empathy for him, even moving me to tears. While the films and manga focused on his odd behavior and deduction process, L, Change the World gives you a peek into his thoughts and feelings as well as his logic.

While the book is significantly different from the film, I think it is a much better story. The characters, their motivations and the plot line are all more complex and have a good message as well. It is a bit melodramatic and even a tad bit silly at times, but that should be expected since it was also commonplace in the films and anime. Because of L, Change the World, I’m seeing the entire series with a new perspective and might want to revisit it soon as a result of having gained that perspective. I’d also be very interested in reading more Death Note novels by M, the mysterious author of this tome, as I feel that L, Change the World is a great contribution to the Death Note saga.

You can learn more about or purchase Death Note: L, Change the World and the rest of the Death Note series at the VIZ website and watch the anime series at Hulu.

Merry Christmas from your friends at Weta!

from Weta:

What a year we’ve had!

District 9, Avatar, Under the Mountain and The Lovely Bones all saw the flicker of projector lights in 2009.

A new website. We can’t thank you enough for making this a success and for being so patient with us while we iron out the kinks.

Weta started design on The Hobbit and welcomed Guillermo del Toro, John Howe, Alan Lee and many other old friends back in the workshop.

A new forum, run so professionally and enthusiastically by Charles and our great friends at the Shadow and Flame.

Greg Broadmore wrote and published his second book, VICTORY!

The Weta Cave will at the end of the year have seen over 100,000 visitors.

Reepicheep and the other Prince Caspian statues saw the light of day.

The Exceptional Exhibition reached Chengdu and helped support Sichuan Earthquake victims.

We returned to Middle-earth with a bang. Peter Lyon swords, environments, Gollum.

Weta’s Mermaid Tail sparked imagination all over the world.

The WotWots took the world’s pre-school children by storm.

Dr. Grordbort’s travelled to Oamaru.

John Howe chose Weta to sculpt and release his Middle-earth sculpture range.

Grorbort Industries released 3 miniatures, one light-weight, one NEW full size gun (today) and 13 one-of-a-kind custom rayguns. And the first Venusian insect specimen! Today!

Our Doctor Who statues and helmets arrived in the warehouses and have been enjoyed by fans the world over.

To summarise — We have all had a blast and we’re looking forward to 2010 like you wouldn’t believe. There will be exciting announcements, new licenses, new products and much much more! Until then, we will be taking a break. There will be people here for urgent queries and web orders, but please bear with us for the next few weeks.

Season’s Greetings from the Weta team

Anna, Susan, Darren, Tim, Magnus, Greg, Dave, Daniel, Steve, Carlos, Emily, Sophie and Mark + Richard and the whole crew at Weta Workshop!

VIZ Media to Kick Off 2010 with the Release of New Manga “not simple”

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, kicks off 2010 with the release on January 19th of Natsume Ono’s manga, not simple. The story, contained in a single volume, is rated “T+” for Older Teens, will be published by the VIZ Signature imprint and carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN.

To celebrate this launch, a preview of the prologue of not simple will be available on SigIKKI.com, VIZ Media’s premiere website for presenting a diverse collection of titles which include the most inventive, bold, and compelling titles in the world of contemporary manga.

not simple follows Ian, a young man with a fractured family history, as he travels from Australia to England and on to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his beloved sister. His story unfolds backwards through the framing narrative of Jim, a reporter driven to capture Ian’s experiences in a novel titled not simple.

This new release will captivate readers with its unconventional story and artwork,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “Natsume Ono’s art blends manga aesthetics with a graphic style reminiscent of many western indie and alternative comics, and fans of both genres will enjoy this title. We also welcome not simple as the newest addition to SigIKKI.com, the hottest outlet for online manga. Fans can check out the prologue chapter after December 17th at SigIKKI.com!”

Another of Ono’s manga series, House of Five Leaves, is an action drama about samurai during the height of the shogun’s rule in Edo-era Japan and is also currently serialized on SigIKKI.com.

Natsume Ono is one of today’s top creators of seinen manga — designed for adult readers of mature and more sophisticated stories. She made her professional debut in 2003 with the web comic La Quinta Camera and subsequent works not simple, Ristorante Paradiso, and Gente (a continuation of Ristorante Paradiso) have met with both critical and popular acclaim. In 2009 Ristorante Paradiso was adapted into an animated TV series. Her manga drama House of Five Leaves (Saraiya Goyou) is currently published in Japan in IKKI magazine.

For more information on this title please visit SigIKKI. For information on all other VIZ Media titles please visit VIZ.com.

VIZ Announces the Final Hand-Picked Volume of “Oishinbo”

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media announced today the release of the final volume of the mega hit food manga by Tetsu Kariya, Oishinbo, due out on January 19th. Volume 7, Izayaya-Pub Food is rated “T” for Teens and carries an estimated retail price of $12.99 US and $16.99 CAN.

Izakaya occupies the same vital space in the Japanese culinary landscape as tapas bars in Spain or tavernas in Greece. Unpretentious and frequently boisterous, they’re places to meet with friends or business partners to unwind over drinks and small dishes that range from hearty standards to refined innovations. In this volume of Oishinbo, Yamaoka and Kurita investigate classic Izakaya foods such as edamame and yakitori, devise new dishes to add to the menu of an old shop, and discover how the concept of “play” is essential to the enjoyment of food.

Oishinbo creator Tetsu Kariya, writer and essayist extraordinaire graduated from prestigious Tokyo University. Kariya was employed with a major advertising agency before making his debut as a manga writer in 1974 when he teamed up with legendary manga artist Ryoichi Ikegami to create Otoko Gumi (Male Gang). The worlds of food and manga were forever changed in 1983 when Kariya, together with artist Akira Hanasaki, created the immensely popular and critically acclaimed Oishinbo.

“Fans of Japanese cuisine and culture have been delighted with every volume of the critically acclaimed Oishinbo series and we are excited to bring them this final volume that covers the excitement of izakaya,” says Evelyn Dubocq, Senior Director of Public Relations, VIZ Media.

Oishinbo (or The Gourmet) depicts the adventures of journalist Shiro Yamaoka, who writes for the fictional newspaper Tozai News. When the paper’s top executives decide to create “The Ultimate Menu” to celebrate the paper’s 100th anniversary, Yamaoka, known for his reputation as a foodie with culinary skills to match, is given the daunting assignment. With the help of his coworker Kurita, Yamaoka begins an epic saga to find unique and tasty dishes that will compose this ultimate bill of fare. Each volume of Oishinbo focuses on specific foods and culinary trends such as sake, sushi, vegetables, rice dishes, ramen, and Izakaya (pub food). VIZ Media has served up selected highlights from this epic 100+ volume series and compiled them into seven a la carte editions that can be enjoyed individually or as a series. Oishinbo has further inspired a 136-episode anime series, a live-action film and TV dramas, video games, recipe collections, and TV shows in Japan.

For more information on Oishinbo and other VIZ Media titles please visit Viz.com.

Law & Chaos on “Masque”

from ElfQuest:

Sometimes, you get closure.

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.

Enjoy!
Richard Pini

Weta News: December 2009

from Weta:

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!

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Fire Up Computers with “The Holiday Yule Log”

The Holiday Yule Log

The Holiday Yule Log: Everything You [i.e., Tech-Oriented Geeks] Need to Enjoy Home, Hearth, and Family for the Holidays

Nothing brings the winter holiday season to life like a festive fire crackling in the hearth. It’s the perfect complement to stockings hung by the chimney with care, and the sound of Christmas carols echoing in the chilly air… but what about those who live in apartments, college dorms, or hot southern climates — the fireplaceless among us? Now they too can bask in the cozy glow of a seasonal blaze with this clever book-plus-DVD set. Any computer screen is transformed into the holiday hearth, while the 50 page book provides such read-aloud favorites as The Night Before Christmas and the O. Henry classic The Gift of the Magi. Four sing-along lyric sheets for popular Christmas carols, and a great fruitcake recipe, complete this fun gift package.

Order now at Amazon.com:
The Holiday Yule Log

The Holiday Yule Log is distributed by Cider Mill Press Book Publishers, an independent publisher distributed by Simon & Schuster.

Geeky Goodness, Gadgets and Great Gift Ideas

Trying to figure out what the perfect gift will be for your favorite geek? Check out some of these awesome gift ideas.

Electronic Gadgets:

The Kindle Wireless Reading Device is presently the #1 Bestselling, #1 most wished for and #1 most gifted item on Amazon.com. At just over 1/3 of an inch thick it’s thinner than most magazines and weighs less then a paperback book. With wireless 3G technology, you can download your new books digitally in under 60 seconds from anywhere in the world! It reads like real paper without a glare (even in strong sunlight) and holds up to 1,500 books at a time. With over 360,000 books now available for download, Kindle will keep any book lover happy for years to come!

This 8 GB MP4/MP3 Player from Pyrus Electronics includes an FM radio, camera, voice recorder and features a 2.8 inch touchscreen. They also have a 4 GB version and for under $10 you can get an MP3 FM Transmitter (with remote) that plugs right into your cigarette lighter and transmits your favorite MP3s to your radio. It uses an SD card so your only limit is how big the card memory is.

The Electronic Lab 130-in-One Project is a fun way to learn about electronics and study the wonders of science. This kit will give you a jump-start on a great hobby with no prior electronics knowledge needed. Project components are assembled on a built-in breadboard by connection to spring terminals — no soldering needed — and use safe, low-voltage batteries. Comes with built-in speaker, 7-segment LED digital display, integrated circuits, rotary controls and clearly written instructions with schematics/diagrams.

The Genius PenSketch is a brilliant drawing and graphic editing tool. I’ve owned the previous model of this 9×12 tablet for almost three years and it’s been incredibly helpful and easy to use with any artistic project I’ve worked on. It has a USB connection and includes a wireless mouse, rubber-coated pen and software. This handy tablet includes lots of customizable features that I haven’t even begun to explore yet. While everyone dreams of having the massive, professional graphic tablets, Genius has provided an affordable, high-quality product that will help you master your digital graphic arts skills before spending the really big bucks on a professional set-up.

DVD Goodies:

Farscape: The Complete Series
Probably the best news I’ve had in years, Farscape is finally out on DVD at an incredible low price. Remember when IF you were lucky enough to find it at your local store, it had a hefty $120 per season price tag? Even online sources like eBay charged an average of $80 per season. Now, to celebrate the 10th Anniversary, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and A&E Home Video have partnered to bring you the complete series for under $100! Tack on Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars and you’ve got a complete set! Still need more Farscape? Check out the books and comics that complete the back-story and fill us in on events since The Peacekeeper Wars.

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: The Definitive Collection
One of Jim Henson’s finest works is The Storyteller series, originally airing on HBO in 1987. The Definitive Collection includes 13 stories, 9 based on European fables, and 4 slightly grittier takes on Greek myths.

Jim Henson’s Fantasy Film Collection includes three of Henson’s best fantasy films: Labyrinth, MirrorMask and The Dark Crystal, all for one great, low price.

Pushing Daisies: The Complete First and Second Seasons is a MUST-have for anyone who loved other Bryan Fuller productions such as Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me.

Other great film ideas:

V: The Original TV Miniseries and V: The Complete Series
See where it all started with the original series!

Ultimate Sci-Fi Collection
This 20-disc set includes: Escape From NY, Mad Max, Rollerball, The Abyss, Alien, Aliens, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Fantastic Voyage, The Fly, Independence Day, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Neptune Factor, Planet of the Apes (1968), and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

Babylon 5: The Complete Television Series and the follow-up Crusade: The Complete Series.

Sanctuary: The Complete First Season
The little web series that could! Sanctuary made its jump from the web to television. This 4-disc set includes the entire first season plus many extras, including the original web series.

Earth 2: The Complete Series
A great show that ended too soon. Definitely worth adding to your sci-fi collection.

The Ray Bradbury Theater: Complete Series includes all 65 episodes of this wonderful show.

Some of my other all-time favorites that your favorite geek might like: Krull, Tin Man, Willow, The Philadelphia Experiment, The Final Countdown, Time After Time, Stargate SG-1: The Complete Series Collection and Young Frankenstein.

Board and Card Games:

Fluxx 4.0
Looney Labs produces lots of great games that are fun to play. One of their most popular, Fluxx, has been updated with a new release and new art work, but the same great fun. Additional versions of Fluxx include: Martian Fluxx, Monty Python Fluxx, Zombie Fluxx, EcoFluxx and Family Fluxx.

Battlestar Galactica, based on the hugely popular recent series, is a semi-cooperative board game for 3-6 players.

The Dread Pirate Bookshelf Game is played on a wonderfully illustrated and aged treasure map with cast metal playing pieces, replica doubloons, wooden dice, treasure bags and pirate treasure. This attractive Bookshelf Edition comes packaged in an aged wooden book that will look great displayed in any room of the house.

World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game
Can’t talk your friends into playing World of Warcraft online with you? Maybe they’ll enjoy an exciting and fast-paced journey through the world of Azeroth with this awesome board game based on the popular online game.

Starcraft: The Board Game
Whether you choose to lead the versatile Terran, mysterious Protoss, or voracious Zerg, in Starcraft: The Board Game you’ll command an army like no other in the universe. Based on the popular computer game, here’s a fun way to get your friends hooked on another game classic!

Music:

Battlestar Galactica: Season One, Season Two, Season Three and Season Four soundtracks feature the mesmerizing music of Bear McCreary.

Requiem for Delinquency: Hob’s End is a great electronica album in the vein of Delerium and Enigma, with hints of Dead Can Dance.

The Best of Delerium features some classic cuts from one of my all-time favorite groups.

Pure Chill Out is a collection of chill, electronica and ambient music. This is another CD that is always in my CD wallet when I travel.

Café del Mar, Vol. 15 is the latest entry from this great music anthology. It’s perfect for playing games online, drawing or whatever else you find yourself geeking out with.

Final Fantasy XI Premium Box features 7 discs of the beautiful in-game music from the Final Fantasy series.

What would be on your wishlist? Feel free to comment!