The answers, for those who care to know and didn't blurt them out involuntarily upon hearing them, are:

1. What does River think she is holding when she finds a gun on the cargo bay floor?

A branch or stick. Some folks got more specific, explaining the scene and even naming the type of tree. Good on all of you.

2. In which of the Serenity graphic novels published by Dark Horse does Badger make an appearance?

"Serenity – Those Left Behind"

3. What two words did Tim Minear say to Joss Whedon that ultimately inspired Whedon to write the episode "Objects in Space"?

Boba Fett. Several different spellings. Many entrants also took pains to explain that Minear pronounced it wrong.

Many thanks to everyone who entered. If you didn't win, please consider picking up  "The Big Damn Firefly and Serenity Trivia Book" anyway (read my review here).

One, I noticed how long it's been since I did a SerenityStuff-type review or gave anything away. And two, Kris Barton contacted me and said he had a signed copy of his new book, The Big Damn Firefly and Serenity Trivia Book, available for such a thing if I was interested.

OK, they didn't happen in that order. But it still means you've got a shot at winning, and all you'll need is an insane knowledge of big damn trivia. Fortunately, that covers most of my readership. Let's look at what you're playing for.

It would be relatively easy to whomp up a list of trivia questions about the 'verse. Only 14 TV episodes and a movie, just skim through the scripts, read a few interviews and start primping for your author photo. But, like the Browncoat he is, Barton had to do it the tough way.

For one thing, he assumed most of the people buying the book already knew the easy stuff, and he wanted to make it challenging. But he also wanted to bring out some of the joy of the show itself. "The cast and crew went to great lengths to ensure that the fans would truly enjoy learning about these characters and the process involved with bringing them to life," he says in his forward.  So many of the questions aren't so much the gotcha kind of obscure factoids as they are "hey, did you know this cool thing?"

There's also a bit more in the book than just questions. The intro by "Jaynestown" director Marita Grabiak adds some more insider info about that episode I had never heard before, with some descriptions of the ingenious solutions they came up with to meet their location and budget restrictions. Each chapter begins with the bio of one of the main actors, Joss Whedon and Tim Minear.

The questions themselves — all 1,050 of them — are split up into logical chapters such as Places in the 'Verse, Time, Weapons, Episodes, Behind the Scenes, etc. They're from the episodes and the movie, sure, but they're also pulled from the comics, the DVD commentaries, Titan's companion books, and other sources. There are technical questions, questions about the inspirations for the show, and questions about the broadcasts. There are even questions about the fan movements and charity works.  I'll admit that some of them stumped me at first and I'm as obsessive a Firefly fan as you're likely to find, but more than a few made me smile and after the first few pages I really wanted to go watch the shows again.

Which, I think, was kinda the idea.

So let's give one away. Below you'll find three questions, chosen at random from the book. Send the answers to cabridges@gmail.com with the subject line "Big Damn Trivia Contest" and I'll draw a winner from the correct responses. Please include your name and a valid email address so I can contact you (your info will not be kept or used for any other purpose). You must have a US or Canada mailing address, or be willing to pay for shipping outside continental North America. One submission per person. You must have correctly answered all three questions to be considered. You've got a week: contest ends at 11:59 p.m. next Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012. The winner will be announced by midnight Thursday night. If I don't hear back from the winner within 24 hours, another winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary to win. We good?

The prize: A copy of The Big Damn Firefly and Serenity Trivia Book, signed by the author, Kristin M. Barton.

The questions:

1. What does River think she is holding when she finds a gun on the cargo bay floor?

2. In which of the Serenity graphic novels published by Dark Horse does Badger make an appearance?

3. What two words did Tim Minear say to Joss Whedon that ultimately inspired Whedon to write the episode "Objects in Space"?

Good luck, travelers.

As part of the "Little Damn Heroes" line of maquettes, QMx has produced the 10th crewmember, Serenity. And she's pretty!

OK, not as mind-blowingly cool as their massive, $2500 replica Serenity. But a very cool thing indeed. It's a hair under 8" long, 5" across, and comes with its own black stand, suitable for autographs if that's your thing and a Big Damn Hero with a pen happens to be nearby. (Some of the pics below can be embiggened by clicking)

First thing you notice, aside from how generally cool it is and that it comes with two tiny, loose shuttles you shouldn't lose, is that it's made from lots of little pieces, not cast as one statue. The panels, the cables, the various doodads that hang off our girl are stuck right on, giving it a much more realistic look and feel. It's made of polystone, whatever that is.

Next is the paint job. She's been hand-painted, and not perfectly. There's weathering on the prow, rusted areas by the engines. Different panels are different colors, possibly from different ships entirely. It looks lived in. Flown. Used. Knocked around a bit.

And it's got some heft to it. Where the ornament from Dark Horse (roughly 2/3 the size of this) feels light, this girl can be swooped in a thoroughly satisfying manner.

It's also as accurate as a model can be. Crafted in 1:400 scale, it was created from the actual CG files used to make the ship fly on the show (yes, this is the TV Serenity, not the movie one).

Even the underside has been painted with the same care. And the socket the stand slots into offers a secure and snug fit.

The shuttles come loose, one parked, one in flight. The parked one slides snugly into its bay, while the flying one rests on an included wire stand that sits on the engine arm.

Now the bad, or at least the not-as-good. Because it includes many bits that have been glued on, it must be handled like a display model and not a toy. One of the solar panels popped off mine while I was handling it for the photos, but it went back in with no problem and some glue will keep it there. The engines look like they can be adjusted; they can't. Nothing turns, so don't try. The loose shuttles also could be easy to misplace. I'm planning on some discreet tape or maybe a trace amount of poster putty to keep mine in place.

The price is a bit high for a casual buy — but not, in my opinion, for a Browncoat who wants this lady on her shelf. $99.95 plus shipping. However…

It's now available from QMx but, if you don't mind waiting and you order before January 25, you can get it for $79.95 from TFAW.com, plus shipping. (All TFAW's presale items are 20% off).

And that's it. The Little Damn Heroes Serenity is a nice addition to my Serenity collection, and I'm getting pickier about what I buy these days.

Check the link for lots more photos.

Pretty straightforward, really. QMx, the talented and obsessive artisans who somehow reach into my brain and make the things I want, made a great big Serenity. Which I want, don't get me wrong, but can't quite justify buying (and I've tried).

They also made an ittle one, which I own and hangs from my car mirror where people try to steal it constantly. And for awhile there was a Serenity ornament, which berths comfortably on my desk at work.

But I wanted a nice display model that fit in my budget, and lo, they have answered me. As part of their Serenity Little Damn Heroes Maquettes series, they've released a 1:400 scale version of our girl, priced at an affordable $99.95, due to ship in December.

Roughly 8" long, it's hand-painted, made of dozens of polystone pieces, with an insane attention to detail for this price point. You can remove it from its stand and zoom it around the room — and I will — and the shuttles are removable. One of them is in a flight position and can be fixed on a wire stand to appear to be launching off the wing (as shown). It doesn't light up (that's the bigger, pricier model) but the solar panels are chromed to provide a nice effect. And, like the larger model, it was made from the original CG files from the show, so it's as screen-accurate as can be. The black base is attractive and solid and would show off silver-penned autographs nicely, should someone happen to bring theirs to a convention, hint hint.

While the other LDH maquettes were released as limited editions, this one is not. However, I'd expect the first run of 2,000 to go fast and they take some time to make, so if you want one soon best get on the preorder list now.

Behind me, of course.

The latest in DC's new "We totally respect women, you bet" line of comics, "Helen Keller: Unleashed" is both inspirational and wicked hot!

Remember, a beautiful and confident woman shouldn't have to be ashamed of how she dresses, or chooses to splash about, or carries on all her conversations with Anne Sullivan while one or both of them is dressing or undressing. Don't be a prude or a hater. And don't miss the pivotal 12-page water pump scene!

Next month: "The Diary of Anne Frank."

Lust for Love is the story of an innocent guy (Fran Kranz) who wins the love of his childhood sweetheart (TBA), but since he’s been holding out for her his whole life, he's so embarrassing that he’s quickly dumped. Convinced he needs more experience with women to win her back, he convinces the sweetheart's girlfriend (Dichen Lachman) to teach him how to woo women.

It's also got fellow Dollhouse alum Enver Gjokaj, plus Maurissa Tancharoen, Caitlin Stasey, and (because she is federally required to be in all indie-Whedony-webby productions) Felicia Day. It's written and will be directed by Anton King, the guy who did the amazing music video for Tancharoen and Jed Whedon's "Remains." So yeah, I want to see this.

And I will; it's already funded. But a basic budget, while cool, isn't enough. I'd like to see higher production values, better distribution, maybe even (gasp) a few bucks for the people involved. There's still 6 days left to contribute and be a part, and you can get lots of great stuff by doing so. Copies of the movie, access to the behind-the-scenes stuff, posters, even private screenings if you've got the bank for it.

Indulge your lust for "Lust for Love."

It's been making the rounds so you've probably seen it, but just in case… the cast and crew's goodbye to David Tennant. Watch closely and you can tell who knew the words already and who didn't!