Category: Multimedia

Important JoCo News

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

Dr. Grordbort Recommends

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!

Follow Weta Online! Twitter | Facebook

Check Out What’s New for Celebration V This Week

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!

RiffTrax: Cole Stratton and Janet Varney Suck the Life Out of the Lost Boys!

from RiffTrax:

Let’s get one thing straight: Vampires don’t sparkle in the sun; they burst into flame. Yes, they sleep all day, party all night, wear dangly earrings, ride motorbikes on the boardwalk and enjoy concerts by long-haired shirtless greasy saxophone players, but they JUST. DO. NOT. SPARKLE.

Joel “Can we please stop talking about how I put nipples on the Batsuit?” Schumacher’s 1987 teen vamp flick The Lost Boys is everything Twilight wishes it could be and then some. SWOON over pretty boy Michael (Jason Patric) and his vamp nemesis David (Kiefer Sutherland, peroxided beyond recognition)! LAUGH at those wacky comic-book collecting vamp hunters The Frog Brothers (Corey Feldman, who probably doesn’t remember making this movie, and Jamison Newlander, who probably doesn’t get remembered for making this movie)! SCREAM at Corey Haim’s horribly dated wardrobe! And SIGH wondering why Dianne Wiest and Edward Herrmann signed on to be in this thing. Oh… and… something about Jami Gertz.

Get it here.

Celebrating 5 Years of MIMOBOT with NEW releases!

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

Lady Robotika: Message from Jane & Bill

from Lady Robotika:

Dear Lady Fanatikas,
(I made that term up and if anyone has a better idea PLEASE tell me, I’m all ears.)

Today is the BIG DAY! Lady Robotika Issue One: “Slaveship to the Stars!” hits the stores today! Finally, your three year long nightmare of waiting is over. Heh heh.

We are so dang grateful to those of you that pre-ordered, as the pre-orders are what the pubisher will use to determine whether or not our series will keep getting made. If you didn’t get a chance to pre-order, you may still be able to find Issue One somewhere if you scramble! We hope you do track a copy down, because we LOVE Lady Robotika and think you will too.

Anyway, ENJOY!! Can’t WAIT to hear what you think, and please don’t forget to pre-order Issues Two and Three if you can. The Origins story is a six issue tale, and we want you to be able to read all of it!

Please come visit us at one of our signings, listed below.
Thank you and lots of love,
Jane & Bill

ladyrobotika.com

• July 16 — Book Signing
Noon-2pm and 4-6pm
Atlantis Fantasyworld
1020 Cedar St.
Santa Cruz, California 95060

• July 17 — Book Signing
5pm-7pm
Whatever Store
548 Castro St.
San Francisco, California 94114

• July 22 — Comic-Con
3:00-4:00pm: Fractured Fables (Doug TenNapel, Phil Hester, Bill Morrison, Derek McCulloch, Anthony Peruzzo, Ben Templesmith, Ted McKeever, Camilla D’Errico)

• July 23 — Comic-Con
o 11:00-12:00pm: Jane Wiedlin, Bill Morrison, Jim Silke
o 4:00-5:00pm: Jane Wiedlin, Bill Morrison, Jim Silke
o Eisner Awards — Bill Morrison (host)

• July 24 — Comic-Con
3:00-4:00pm: Jane Wiedlin, Bill Morrison, Jim Silke

• July 26 — Lady Robotika release party & San Diego Comic-Con after-party!
7pm-10pm
Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90046

Dark Horse and Red Bull’s Chinashop Magazine Launch #NotAtComicCon Campaign!

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.

VIZ Media Announces Exciting Personal Appearances, Activities and Show Exclusives for 2010 Comic-Con International

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.

VIZ Media Announces Special New Promotion for “InuYasha” Feature Films and TV Episodes Available from iTunes, Hulu and VIZAnime.com

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media announces a new promotion for InuYasha episodes and feature films (all rated “T” for Teens) available now from the iTunes Store in the U.S. and Canada (iTunes.com), as well as the streaming content provider Hulu (Hulu.com) and VIZAnime.com, the company’s premier website for anime.

iTunes will offer the first three InuYasha feature films (dubbed) — InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time, InuYasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass, and InuYasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler, for a special Download-To-Own (DTO) sale price of $4.99 (U.S.) each until August 3rd. Additionally, InuYasha TV episode 1 is available to download for FREE, and episodes 2-167, covering Seasons 1-7, will be 50% off and available for iTunes users to download for only $0.99 each.

Hulu will stream InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time (subtitled) for free until August 11th; it will also be available during the same period on VIZAnime.com, the free-to-use interactive web destination that is the permanent home to some of the company’s best-loved animated series.

InuYasha is a hit TV anime series is based on a massively popular manga (also published by VIZ Media, rated “T+” for Older Teens) by famed creator Rumiko Takahashi, who won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for the series in 2002. Many of Takahashi’s titles have been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. The InuYasha anime series ran for 167 episodes in total and has also spawned an exciting finale series, InuYasha: The Final Act (also available on VIZAnime.com), as well as several successful feature films.

InuYasha
When an enchanted well draws her into the past, Kagome, an ordinary modern schoolgirl, finds her destiny tied to the doglike half-demon InuYasha and a mythical gem called the Shikon Jewel, or “Jewel of Four Souls,” of which the smallest shard can grant the user unimaginable power. Throughout their quest to restore the shattered Shikon Jewel, InuYasha and Kagome have never faced an enemy more deadly or more cunning than the demon mastermind Naraku. With the Shikon Jewel nearly whole and in Naraku’s hands, the race to collect the remaining shards intensifies and a battle of epic proportions is brewing on the horizon…

InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time
200 years ago, InuYasha’s father sealed away a powerful demon from a foreign land named Hyoga. A Shikon Jewel shard awakens Hyoga’s son, Menomaru, inspiring him to absorb the remains of his father’s power to take control of the world! It’s now up to InuYasha and his friends to stop this nearly invincible foe!

InuYasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
With their greatest foe seemingly defeated, InuYasha and his friends return to their lives. But their short period of peace is once again shattered as a new enemy begins to emerge. Kaguya, the self-proclaimed Princess from the Moon of legend, begins a plan to plunge the world into a perpetual night of the full moon. InuYasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo must once again unite to face a new threat.

InuYasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler
Many years ago, the Great Dog Demon wielded the Three Swords of the Fang. Upon his death, he bequeathed a sword to each of his sons, InuYasha and Sesshomaru, leaving the third sword, the wrath-filled Sounga, locked away forever. Now that the Sounga’s power has been awakened, these two battling brothers must put away their sibling rivalry and face off against the force that spells doom for all mankind.

To learn more about the InuYasha anime and manga series, please visit VIZAnime.com or ShonenSunday.com.

‘The Guild’ Season 4, Episode 1: “Epic Guilt”

from The Guild:

Season 4 is here! Episode 1: “Epic Guilt” is up on MSN and Bing video. Codex wrestles with telling the Guild about her date with Fawkes.

Watch online on Bing or MSN. It’s also downloadable on Zune Marketplace. Season 4 marks the first time for 1080p instant streaming of The Guild on Xbox Live in over 12 countries (look for it in video marketplace). Thanks once again to our sponsors Microsoft and Sprint for making Season 4 possible.

Bing video has set up a destination site for The Guild episodes — you can bookmark http://guild.msn.com which will always have the latest episode. Please spread the word about the show, and thanks for all your support!

PS — come see us at Comic-Con! We have awesomeness planned for you!