Archive for July, 2009

After months of teasing, QMx has finally brought out their biggest project yet: the film-quality, made-to-order Serenity model.

Measuring 19"x12"x7", or 1:180 scale, this baby is incredibly screen-accurate right down to the bolts and weathering. Over 250 parts, hand-painted, with built-in lighting and engine effects. It doesn't get any more accurate than this.

When it came time to develop this replica, we could do no less. Every bolt, every seam and every asymmetrical plate has been recreated with exacting detail in this first and only screen-accurate replica. Years of intense effort have gone into all aspects of this model, from the sculpture taken directly from the movie CG master files to the paint job created to match not just the colors of the ship, but the materials as well.

Each one is made to order, and you can choose whether to have the lighting included or not. You can also choose various personal touches, like the position of the engines, whether the shuttles are docked or not, the name on the captain's plate and more.

No more than 500 will be made. They'll start taking orders September 30, 2009, which is a nice touch. I also note that a price is not listed anywhere on the page, but I'm not sure if I'm disappointed or relieved at this point

Go and gaze, and check out the video of the lighting effects. It'll be on display at the Sideshow Collectibles booth at Comic-Con (#1929) along with their other new launch, the Enterprise replica.

In other news, QMx has a frickin' amazing Enterprise replica.

I'm extending the deadline for the Dollhouse Season One DVD contest so that you can vote for one of the winners until 9 p.m. EST tomorrow night (Wednesday, July 22), because I screwed up.

Since Saturday there's been a graphic on BashingInMinds.com leading you to vote for the entries you liked, but the link was wrong. You could still find where to vote by searching or scrolling through posts or from my Twitter posts about it, but visitors to the site wouldn't find it easily.

The link has been fixed, and so I'm adding an extra day until closing the voting. Here's where to go. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Coming soon from Dark Horse: character Gelaskins for your portable device:

Dark Horse GelaSkins are decorative coverings for phones and laptops featuring some of Dark Horse’s most popular properties, including "The Umbrella Academy," Yoshitaka Amano, Tim Burton, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Hellboy," and many more. The special Dark Horse GelaSkins are scheduled to be released in August of this year and will be available to order from www.gelaskins.com. However, as an added bonus to San Diego Comic-Con attendees, a selective number of advance skins will be available for purchase at the Dark Horse booth # 2615.

The Dark Horse versions aren't available at gelaskins.com yet, but you should check out what they already have. Incredible artwork of all sorts. And you get a downloadable wallpaper with each one, so your screen can matches the exterior.

Gelaskins are very thin wraps for your portable device that offer protection without bulk, and add a touch of style to your day. Available for iPods, iPhones, Mac and PC laptops, phones, and portable gaming devices. And the artists get a cut of every one you buy. If you really like the art, you can buy a Giclee print of it!

Waiting for a SugarShock Gelaskin…

If you've been listening to Kevin Smith's podcast with Scott Mosier (the SModcast) you know what to expect. Hell, if you've ever listened to Kevin Smith for more than 2 minutes you know what to expect.

If you haven't been listening (and why not? they're hilarious) you can read the best of the worst in Titan Books' new release, "Shootin' the Sh*t With Kevin Smith:The Best of the SModcast". An excerpt has been posted online, and vistors to the Titan Books booth at Comic-Con this week (booth #5337) can get a free sampler.

After the jump, a NSFW bit from the excerpt on Kevin and Scott lost on the "Lost" island:
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Terry Moore has signed a deal with "Watchmen" producer Lloyd Levin to make an "Echo" movie.

This doesn't mean there'll be one, of course. Movie deals are delicate, frail things that fall apart for all sorts of reasons. But I'm really hoping to see it (assuming it's done right) and I'm glad to see Moore,  getting the recognition (and the six-figure option amount).

Of course, I'd rather see a well-done "Strangers in Paradise" movie…

"Echo" tells the story of a photographer who is preoccupied with her personal problems until she gets doused by liquid metal from a military experiment gone awry. She discovers she can now harness the power of a nuclear bomb, and soon the military wants its walking weapon.

If you're not reading it, you really should be. Check out the first collection, "Moon Lake", at Amazon.

Kinda pushing it a little close, here, but an iPhone app for the San Diego Comic-Con just arrived.

It's basically a mini version of the SDCC website, with a bit of interactivity. You get a countdown, the latest news (which opens the SDCC site in a browser instead of using RSS feeds or anything configured for an iPhone), a program list which allows you to select favorites (but not to call up a list consisting of only your favorites), a list of exhibitors, and maps of the different levels and exhibits. But the search function is only marginally useful, lists and the maps are not at all connected and the maps are simply graphics instead of Google-map-type programs.

All in all, a good first try. But it needs a LOT more interactivity to truly be useful. If I pull up an event, I want to be able to add it to my iPhone calendar, find it on an interactive map, and create a personal to do list. Hell, this is the iPhone, I should be able to select all the events and exhibitors and guests I'm interested in and be presented with a personal schedule with mapping directions to get me where I need to be, when I need to be there.

Maybe in the 2010 version.

Today marks the 40th anniversary of man's landing on the moon. I've been reading and watching a lot of testimonials from people who remember where they were, and what they were thinking, and I've been trying to remember my own reactions. I know I watched it; my dad brought me into the Florida room (in the south, a small room off to the side where the family hung out and kids played, as opposed to the living room, which was for company) and we watched it happen.

I guess. I was 4, and I can't say for sure I remember it.I've seen the footage so many times now that I can't separate that from my real memories.

I do remember the Apollo missions, though. I kept track of them, every one, and acted them out with my plastic Apollo rocket toy with real detachable lunar module and tiny plastic astronauts. And I never missed feeling a launch.

Not watching; I was usually in school when they went up. But the teachers would bring us all out to the playground and wait for the signal. And there, 80 miles north of Cape Kennedy, we saw a star leave the earth with its smoke trailing behind, and then we felt it. A rolling, powerful BOOM from the south that shook windows, pushed against our skin, and ripped through the trembling ground under our feet to let us know that once again, man had shoved the earth hard enough to get away for awhile.

Shuttle launches, while impressive, simply aren't on the same scale. Saw one go up last week, in fact, as we were driving in Oveido and we spotted it through the car windows. We didn't even pull over.

Landing on the moon was a triumph of intelligence, Commie paranoia, and bullheadedness that may never be equaled. But I hope we go back. And I hope there are more booms, to inspire our kids.

The BBC has released the first picture of Matt Smith as the new Doctor, and I'm getting weird "Crossfire" flashbacks.

The newly reincarnated Doctor's new look will consist of "tweed jacket, bow tie, rolled up trousers and black boots."

OK, fair enough I suppose. Still a bit odd, very British, and slightly apart from humanity. I get that, I do. But it's not essentially different from most Doctorwear, is it? Whatever form he's in, he tends to dress like a professor. Admittedly a very odd or eccentric one at times, but none of the Doctors would look out of place wandering around the halls of higher education in a fog of tenure.

I say the Doctor needs to reflect more of the UK. Where's the docks worker? The politician? The indie artist with the three dozen piercings and the facial tattoos? The drag queen? Where's the Time Lord soccer hooligan, who travels back through time to correct bad calls and gently guide close games and ultimately save humanity?

Let's see some diversity, BBC.

Tonight on BBC America is the third season of Torchwood in a special 5-night event. Every night this week, from 9-10:15 p.m. (note the extra time) will be a new episode of an amazing story, far more intense than Torchwood has ever been. Captain Jack, Gwen and Ianto will face perils from an alien race that they could probably handle if someone wasn't trying so hard to kill them.

Tonight at 8 is "Inside the Hub," a special documentary that can help newbies catch up before the new episode starts. The rest of the week, the previous night's episode will be shown at 8, before the new one. And every night there will be a 15-minute behind-the-scenes special afterward. If you're a Torchwood fan. you can't miss this.

You cna read more about it in my article here. You can also read/listen to my interviews with Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto) and producer Julie Gardner.

The North American Discworld Convention is coming! September 4 – 7, 2009, in Tempe, Arizona, it will feature a Guest of Honor talk, a Maskerade, a Gala Banquet, a Seamstress Guild Party, a Charity Auction, book signings, panels, and more.

Guests will include Discworld author Terry Pratchett himself, Terry's agent Colin Smythe, Jennifer Brehl and Anne Hoppe from Harper-Collins, the cunning artificer Bernard Pearson and his wife Isobel, and fellow authors Diane Duane, Esther Friesner, Peter Morwood.

If you've never encountered Terry at a con, you're in for a treat. Very friendly, very fan-friendly, and instead of staying safely behind an autograph table or in his room he'll walk around talking to people all over the place. To give him a bit of free time, the UK cons have developed an evil twin for him, so be aware of that fellow if you go.

The next Discworld book will be "Unseen Academicals," and is due to come out Oct. 6. And apparently he's taking on sports.

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