Posts Tagged ‘csts’

TheSoCal Browncoats always get the cool stuff for their Can't Stop the Serenity auctions, and this year is no different. QMx is offering up a production model of their unannounced "Thrillin' Heroics" Jayne maquette from Adam Levermore's Little Damn Heroes line.

To be clear, this is not a product announcement – we’re not ready to discuss pricing, availability or even edition size of the Jayne maquette. The maquette being offered at the screening is FEP (Final Engineering Proof) #2 and, as those who’ve won our prototypes before know, our FEPs are all truly unique pieces and subject to change before they hit the stores.

That's not all SoCal will have — QMx is giving them several prototype items to auction off — and this year for the first time they're setting up ways for people to place remote bids. Keep an eye on www.socalbrowncoats.com for more details.

The Daytona Beach Browncoats are brand new for this year's Can't Stop the Serenity showing, which means there's finally one close enough for me to get to without crossing the state.

Like many other showings around the world they'll have raffles, auctions, door prizes, a costume contest, and, of course, Serenity on the big screen. If you're in the central Florida area or along the east coast check 'em out and buy your tickets! Remember, proceeds go to benefit Equality Now. The event will be June 27 at the OceanWalk Theaters.

If you're not in the area, there's still probably a Serenity showing somewhere near you this summer. This is the 4th annual Can't Stop the Serenity showing, where money is raised for Equality Now and Browncoats get together around the world in fellowship and not a little raucousness, and if you're reading this site you probably know all about it already. Check here for a list of the cities screening the movie in your area.

Can't Stop the Serenity 2009 is now in full swing, and local groups are already getting ready for this year's movie theater blitz.

If you're organizing a local event, and you've always wanted a Bard around the place, why not bid on Cedric? He's half of the Bedlam Bards, filkers extraordinaire and creators of such Browncoat hits as "The Ballad of Joss," "Big Damn Trilogy," and the "on the Drift" CD of verse-inspired music. Or, as he puts it:

A multi-instrumentalist, James "Cedric" Hazlerig, of the legendary renfaire/filk group the Bedlam Bards, comes to performances armed with two fiddles, a mandola, and a strong, manly voice. His philosophy of music stresses passion before perfection, death before dishonor, and whiskey before breakfast. For over ten years, Cedric has been performing at renaissance festivals and science-fiction conventions from coast-to-coast, including the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, Dragon*Con, and the Browncoat Backup Bash. His music has elicited compliments from Nathan Fillion, Ben Edlund, Greg Edmonson, and Sonny Rhodes, in addition to causing Joss Whedon to grin from ear-to-ear. After releasing their third album, entitled On the Drift: Music Inspired by Firefly and Serenity, the Bedlam Bards have become the premier bards of the Browncoat movement. Several of Cedric's songs were featured in the documentary Done the Impossible. Besides appearing at the Browncoat Ball and the Browncoat Cruise, Cedric led fans in song as they picketed in support of the Writers Guild of America strike in front of Fox Studios in Los Angeles.

Win the auction and Cedric will come perform at your Can't Stop the Serenity event. Also, you'll win a heap of amazing stuff, such as Browncoat flags, patches,  a "Tragic Space Dementia" T-shirt, a Companion fan, some prop replicas, a QMx money pack, a
Kaylee Maquette, the "Done the Impossible" DVD,  an autographed photo of Felicia Day (not versy but cool), a Jayne Hat (of course),  "something shiny autographed by Joss Whedon", and more.

Well worth the bidding, and proceeds go toward the CSTS screening of your choice. Bid him high, people!

I've mentioned a lot about the official giveaways and auctions for the Can't Stop the Serenity events, but every one I've heard of is also holding raffles or other ways of getting cool, one-of-a-kind things. Some have props from The Prop Store of London. Some have QMx goodies, or collectible cards, or autographed pictures. And some, like the Arizona Browncoats, get cool stuff made, like this cute Kaylee plushie commissioned to go into a 'verse gift basket for (I believe) the Phoenix screening on June 28.

As part of the Can't Stop the Serenity events, QMx – a longtime CSTS supporter and donator – is donating part of their profits between June 19 and September 20 to Equality Now.

"QMx Proudly Supports Can't Stop The Serenity

Quantum Mechanix will donate 10 percent of the price, before taxes, of all purchases made at www.qmxonline.com between June 19th and September 30th to Can't Stop The Serenity. Simply enter "CSTS" in the notes field when you check out to give 10 percent of your purchase to benefit Equality Now. Offer applicable to all products, except Artisan products.

Remember, you must enter "CSTS" in the notes field of the order when you check out for the donation to apply.

QMx – Bringing The 'Verse to Life"

Been a while since I pointed you at a 'versy T-shirt, but a) this one is pretty cool, and b) profits are going to benefit Can't Stop the Serenity. Until Sepetmber, Ziraxia will donate 2 bucks from the sale of every Reynolds/Washburne shirt to Equality Now. Very cool.

Devastating news from theonetrueb!x, founder of the Can't Stop the Serenity charity screenings:

Word filters out today that Can’t Stop the Serenity, the worldwide charity event which I founded in 2006 and which thus far has raised more than $160,000 for Equality Now faces an unexpected challenge: The destruction (against very clear and explicit instructions inside Universal itself, I should make clear) of all but twelve of the domestically-available prints of the film.

In essence, this means that any American city which has not yet booked a print of the film for its event this year will have to decide whether to change to another date (if they were aiming for the central dates) in order to book a print, stick with the central weekend of the event but project the film from a DVD (if their venue even has the capability to do so), or cancel their event altogether (something I assume all cities would only consider as a last resort).

Browncoats have been thrown some hard cheese before and we still come out all right, so don't think for a second that there won't be charity screenings. Just may have to get more creative, that's all… Be sure to keep an eye on CantStoptheSerenity.com for more news.

Looking for entertainment at your next Can't Stop the Serenity shindig? Why not buy a Bard?

The Bedlam Bards, in point of fact, or at least Cedric. To help raise money for the cause he's auctioning himself off – along with a passel of tasty Serenity items -  an eBay auction going on right now. Here's what he had to say about it:

In order to raise both funds and awareness for Equality Now, I am auctioning myself on eBay. Well, technically, I'm auctioning a performance at the Can't Stop the Serenity screening of your choice. Even better, the profits from the auction go to the CSTS screening of your choice, so it's a double whammy, but in a good way!

  

But wait, that's not all! You also get steak knives. Steak knives? To heck with the gorram steak knives, you get something a lot shinier than that.

  

A number of Browncoat artisans and celebrities have come forward to donate these prizes which the auction winner GETS TO KEEP:

  

-Autographed Poster {from Quantum Mechanix} It's signed by Fillion, Tudyk, Minear, Fairman, Edmonson, Woodward, Sonny Rhodes, Nectar Rose, Adam Levermore-Rich (who did the art for the poster), and the Bedlam Bards.  A similar poster fetched over $150 at auction.  

 

-Autographed Bedlam Bards CDs 

-Autographed Done The Impossible DVD and Soundtrack CD {from Brian Wiser} 

-Autographed Browncoat Cruise Souvenir Book {from Brian Wiser} 

-Independent Flag {from Firefly Cargo Bay} 

-Jayne Hat {from Ma Cobb's Hat Shoppe www.geocities.com/fadingendlessly} 

-Mal's Holster and Ammo Belt {from www.browncoatfashions.com} The "standard" gun belt size will fit people with hips in the range of 40 to 50 inches.  The winner should specify their actual hip measurement if they need a gun belt larger or smaller in size.  The holster and gun belt come with an ammo pouch suitable for carrying an extra set of clips, a cell phone, or an iPod.  It's like the one Mal wore in Serenity.  This item typically sells for $160 + S&H. 

 

-Plus  a built-up Mal Pistol, Jayne Pistol, grenade, PAL Communicator and a Zoe 'Mare's Leg' Winchester {from Wilco models} The Wilco Models replica of Mal's Pistol fits in the Browncoat Fashions holster.

That, my friends, is a hell of a list. Come to think of it, you shouldn't bid on this. Nope, not at all. In fact, go away. I need to go get my bid in…

Some bad timing and a bout of Orlando traffic kept me and my sons from attending the Can't Stop the Serenity screening in Tampa today, but at least our ticket money went to the cause.

And so did the money I've received so far for the virtual Can't Stop the Serenity posters and t-shirts I've been selling in the game Second Life. At the equivalents of 50 cents and $1 US each — this was done more for promotion than any hope of serious income – folks still bought nearly $27 worth so I rounded up and submitted it directly to Equality Now listed under "Other: CSTS-Tampa."

(Official Can't Stop the Serenity t-shirts and posters are still available at Big Red Button in Washtown, Second Life's largest Browncoat settlement, and all proceeds will continue to go to Equality Now.)

Check out www.cantstoptheserenity.com for updates on how much got raised and how much fun everyone had, and send 'em your own stories and pics!

See ya next year…

UPDATED WITH MORE STUFF

This is it! This weekend "Serenity" returns to the big screen once again to raise money for "Equality Now" (and to provide one hell of an excuse for shindigs around the world). Give to a worthy charity, make Joss proud, break out the leather vests and Jayne t-shirts, and party with a few thousand friends. Several of the showings have guest stars (Portland got Dark Horse editor Scott Allie, Dallas got Jane "Shindig" Espenson, Vancouver even got Jewel Staite) and you'll be able to meet plenty of like-minded Browncoats and finally put faces to screen names.

And you can get stuff. Most every CSTS showing will have prizes to auction or raffle off, like mail-in vouchers for the Serenity: Special Edition DVD from Universal Home Entertainment, an autographed copy of Finding Serenity from BenBella Books, an autographed CD from the Bedlam Bards, props, prints, autographed pictures, cards, whatever they can get. Check with your local showing to see what's going to be offered.

Even if you can't go, you can still help out and still get stuff. Check with the participating cities if you want to preorder one of the fantastic Can't Stop the Serenity T-shirts or posters designed by Black Market Beagles' Adam Levermore-Rich. Whatever's left after the events will be available from cantstoptheserenity.com . If you're in Second Life, you can also buy virtual versions of both, with all proceeds going to Equality Now.

The SoCal Browncoats have it going on at the LA screening with chances for a CSTS poster and an uncut sheet of CSTS tickets signed by Adam Baldwin, a cabin for two on the Browncoat Cruise, autographed copies of the "Serenity: Those Left Behind" comics and trade paperback, an uncut money sheet and a special Serenity Blueprints set from QMx, and a LOT more. Get your tickets quick, it's happening tonight and you can buy extra chances to win once you get there.

One of the CSTS groups has put one of the coveted and damn-near-impossible-to-find Firefly promotional crates from FOX on eBay, with proceeds going to Equality Now. Contents of the crate include Alliance Freeze Dried Food Items, a "Joss Whedon's Firefly" hat, a Firefly t-shirt (large), a Firefly engraved Flask, a leather wallet with Firefly on the front, 2 promotional cast photo postcards, a large promotional 'verse map, a letter from Cap'n Mal, ship blueprints, an invitation to the Premiere of Firefly, and the crate itself, which is pretty cool. Pictures are at the eBay page or on the Austin CSTS folks' website and MySpace page. Not many of these pop up, ever (believe me, I've looked) and this is a complete set, so don't miss out.

Then there's the custom-made River action figure from Sasha's Creations.

Patterned after River's look in "The Train Job," this figure is 6" tall and at least half hand-sculpted. Sasha makes wonderful custom figures and you gotta see her topless Simon…

She was made by Sasha (MsBigPileofDust) by overlaying sculpey clay on to plastic parts from Diamond Select Toys and SOTA Toys, then hand-painted. The paint and pen detail (on her top) is sealed but you should avoid handling her too much. Best to hold her carefully by the shorts! For display purposes, you should put her well back on a shelf. If she falls over onto the shelf, she won't be harmed. If she falls off the shelf, the clay might chip.

River comes with a stand and a small photo of the figure, signed by the artist; this is the Certificate of Authenticity.

And if you want to donate to Equality Now but are unable to make it to a CSTS event site, you can do so by going to http://www.equalitynow.org and donating online. On the side navigation of the main page, Select Take Action > Donate to Equality Now, then in the “How did you hear about Equality Now” field, select “Other” and type CSTS-(city). This way, EN knows which CSTS screening site your donation comes from. (If you don’t live in / near a CSTS screening area, just put CSTS in the field.)

Get out and help this weekend, and take in a damn fine movie when you do. I'll be at the Tampa showing wandering around, feel free to say hi and sing your Saffron song at me.