See, I step away for a few minutes and you guys go nuts with new stuff. QMx released this stunning signed lithograph of the Fruity Oaty Bar ad, by original designer Geoffrey Mandel.

The Fruity Oaty Bar artwork created by Serenity Designer Geoffrey Mandel was the basis for the most memorable power bar commercial in movie history. With it's vibrant colors and anime-style characters (and subliminal message implanted by the Operative), the Fruity Oaty Bar ad triggered River's Alliance programming, after which much ass-kicking ensued.

Although this ad was original planned to turn into a billboard, it never actually made it on film due to budgetary constraints. So, with the exception of the commercial it inspired, fans never got to see it. And we just didn't think that was right.

That's why we arranged with Universal Studios and Mr. Mandel to take the original high-resolution Fruity Oaty ad and print it in all it's glory as a limited-edition, extra-large collectible lithograph, only 1,000 in the edition. Measuring a huge 24" x 36" (61cm x 91.5cm), the Serenity Fruity Oaty Bar Lithograph is printed on 100-pound, satin-finish paper and is hand-signed and numbered by Mr. Mandel himself, for just $39.95.

Head to QMx for more of the story behind it, and to order one from them or from TFAW.com for $39.95.

Meanwhile, TFAW has all your Fruity Oaty Bar needs covered (apart from actual Fruity Oaty Bars). Shirts, ladies shirts, hoodies, and the ever-popular lunchboxes are waiting for you!

Worlds of the Alliance was created by designer Geoffrey Mandel for the classroom scene in the movie Serenity, but was never used because the final set for that scene had no walls. However, Mr. Mandel was still required to create this most authoritative and comprehensive guide to the planets of the 'Verse yet produced, which was reviewed and approved by director/writer Joss Whedon himself.

When we first saw this fabulous piece of artwork and 'Verse lore, we just didn't think it was fair that Browncoats would never get a chance to see, much less own a copy. That's why we arranged with Universal and Mr. Mandel this opportunity for you to own one of only 1,000 27"x19" lithographic art prints of the Worlds of the Alliance, hand-signed and numbered by Mr. Mandel himself, for just $39.95.

QMx has a bit more of the backstory from Geoff, and it's worth checking out.

The Fruity Oaty Bar ad in Serenity is one of the most notable few seconds of film in the movie. Short as the ad is it sticks with you, just like the Mr Sparkle Detergent ad from The Simpsons. As it turns out it was that very ad from the Simpsons that inspired both Joss Wheedon and Serenity designer Geoffrey Mandel to create the Fruity Oaty Bar video that sent River into kill mode.

In the continuing collaboration between the Serenity design team and QMX we are proud to offer you the chance to own one of these limited edition Fruity Oaty Bar lithographs. Each lithograph measures 36"x24" and is hand signed and numbered by Mr Mandel. It's shiny!

Each print will be shipped rolled in individual tubes.

$39.95, due out June 11. Order yours now!

NEW COURSE
Graphic Design for Film and Television
X 481.4AA   Art   4 units   $540
 
Graphic design gives filmed entertainment the look and texture of real life. This course examines the function of the graphic designer as a key member of the art department, as well as the role graphics play in film and television production, including signage, props, set dressing, wardrobe, computer animation, and title design. Genre, script breakdown, clearance and copyright issues, designing for period and science fiction, visual presentation of concepts, and production of signs and props are covered. A studio visit to a working film or television set is a course highlight. Prerequisite: Familiarity with Illustrator and Photoshop.

No Textbook Required

Westwood:  408 1010 Westwood Center
Wednesday ,  7-10pm
April 2 – June 18, 12  mtgs.

Autographed Mal Cortex screenshot print - "To Be Bound," a limited edition fine art print. This 'Verse-style "wanted poster," with fingerprints, retinal scan and biographical details on Malcolm Reynolds, was created for the first Firefly/Serenity convention held in the United States, and the total edition was 500. No more will ever be printed. High-quality 4/color print on heavy satin stock, 18" x 24". Signed and numbered by the artist with silver Sharpie at lower-right. He's been putting more up for auction as they sell, so just go here to find them.

Firefly/Serenity money – This auction is for CASHY MONEY used on screen in the series Firefly AND the movie Serenity. These are NOT the high-quality reproductions produced by QMx, but actual prop money created for both the series and movie. VERY rare, you don't see Firefly money very often.

River Backlit Graphic – a backlit graphic used on screen in the movie Serenity, a one-of-a-kind collector's item. This brain scan graphic with data on River Tam can be seen early in the film, where it is carried by Dr. Mathias. The auction is for the graphic ONLY, and does not include the lighted viewer.

There are also items from Space: Above and Beyond, NCIS, Mission Impossible 3, Star Trek Voyager, and even stuff from the Emmys!

The auctions have more details and larger pictures. Click here to see all of them. Bid quick, and bid often!

Hie thee hence over to QMx and buy your Serenity Blueprints Reference Pack, they just went on sale.

My review is here.

The Serenity blueprints from QMx were stunning, no question. Insanely detailed, carefully thought out, presented as beautiful art prints suitable for framing.

Only… they're kinda big to play with. And kinda pricey to pass around the gaming table, especially when Cheetos are involved (and they always are). Also, they're sold out.

So QMx produced a smaller version for reference and general fun. And, QMx being QMx, they added 23 more pages of material on top of that, everything you ever wanted to know – details, history, markings, marketing – Firefly-class transport Serenity. I can't wait for you guys to flip through the new stuff in here.

And so I won't, I'll tell you about them instead. Let's go page by page. First you get an intro by science fiction author Orson Scott Card – um, sorry. From curator Orison Scard, Aries Commonwealth, Ezra — on what a ship like Serenity means to us.

Next is a copy of Serenity's dedication plaque, sort of. Each page has detailed descriptions of the contents, including some backstory here and there, and the provenance of this plaque is a bit dodgy.

Then we have the original 10 sheets of blueprints. Above you can get an idea of the relative size of the reference pack compared to the original blueprints. The sheets of the reference pack come packaged loose, with a spiral binder included if you'd like to attach them together.

After the blueprints is a page of preliminary Serenity insignias leading to the final one painted on the ship, and a page of metal plates used throughout Serenity. SerenityStuff regulars will recognize these; a set of the actual labels was sold through The Prop Store of London for a pretty decent price. (The pictures below are of both sheets side by side)

Then we get the bridge display screens. Designed by Serenity graphic designer Geoff Mandel, they depict the ship's systems status, a sensor array of the area, the Miranda screen River brought up, and a celestial navigation screen. When you watch the movie you get a sense of it, but you never really get a good look at the amount of work that goes into these displays. Here you can see it all, and here's all four.

A lot of work went into making the Serenity look real. Part of that came from the attention to detail in the such minor things as industrial details seen on the walls, on cargo, and on the mule. Here's a selection of them, along with a handy illustrated list no passenger should be without: which doors go where. You won't mistake an airlock for the head more than once, but the shape and color of the doors can help you avoid a nasty misstep.

The insignia on Inara's shuttle remains something of a mystery. The symbols suggest medical transport, and I'm not sure Inara's ministrations would qualify, life-saving though they may be. The mystery isn't explained here, but you get a nice look at them. And at the mule, which includes an explanation for that pesky missing rear seat.

The next section includes historical documents depicting the grabnd history of this noble little deathtrap. You may recognize the artwork style, it's by our own Ben "Whitefall" Mund. Below is a flyer for the new 2459 Firefly, and the Cortex doc "Doing the job: How the Rim Was Won," which explains how ships like the Firefly opened up the Rim.

Now we get to the behind-the-scenes stuff. How was the Firefly invented? Fortunately QMx has retrieved confidential documents from the Allied Spacecraft Corporation concerning their new line of practical, even whimsical boats for the settlers expanding outwards. And the design for the Firefly Series 1, by Firefly graphic artist Tim Earls.

There's also a hardcopy transcript of the popular mechanics trade column, "Boost Your Boat." Informative and funny, it's filled with tips on improving your Firefly, their durability, and why you can still see them on the stunt circuit. The next page is another great full-page design, this one of the Firefly Series 2.

Even the best-maintained ship needs some extra work now and again, and this work order from Honest Austin's Used Boats and Salvage proves that attitude and sweetness get you better treatment than most. And there's the confidential design of a Series 3 ship outfitted for military use.

Finally, a glimpse at one of the engineer's tablets to find out all the specs and capabilities of the proposed Series 4 ship — two modular cargo bays, passenger dorms instead of berths, a little more comfort where it's needed. And there's a design here as well.

It's not too much of a stretch to say that the Firefly series of boats made colonization possible. No frills, dependable service made for inexpensive crafts that served folks well. Excellent for transporting goods and families, and for those who want  more independent way of life.

Now I am not unbiased — my name does appear in the beta list thanks yous — but I think anyone would say this is a wonderful piece of work. Incredible images by the original designer of the Firefly ship and from the graphic designer for "Serenity," along with imaginative and fun background material by QMx guy Andy Gore and brilliant Browncoat Ben Mund, this pack is perfect for Serenity RPGing, arguing over episode details, reference for your fanfic, or just lying out and using as conversation-bait for friends who have inexplicably missed your subtle hints to watch the greatest show ever made.

The Serenity Blueprints Reference Pack, full-color, 33 pages, goes on sale at 10 p.m. EST, tomorrow night (Nov. 16), for $29.95. It'll be available from QMx – where you can get more info and check out a photo gallery, and you can get even better images from the Serenity Blueprints Reference Pack backgrounder PDF — and from any resellers smart enough to stock up. 

You say you want to look at your Serenity blueprints but they're too pretty to take off the wall and pass around? You say you want a copy you can use for role-playing, researching your fanfic, or just gazing at?

QMx has you covered, my friend, with this new Serenity Blueprints Reference pack. This 12"x16" full color set includes all 10 of the original blueprint pages, plus 23 more pages besides. You get full-page blueprints of the mule, Inara's shuttle, the signs and labels around the ship, the computer screens from the bridge, documentation on the creation and marketing of the ship itself, along with some flyers and a repair invoice — I'm guessing these were in the glove compartment — and even a look at the Firefly series 1, 2, and 4, and the military design. This is more information on our beloved ship than you've ever seen before, and it's all gorgeous and highly portable.

Plus you get an introduction by noted browncoat and science fiction great Orson Scott Card.

Just $29.95. Check here for more information and pictures, and then stop back tonight, I'll post a review and let you look at my copy.

These blueprints represent the only official and complete documentation on Serenity's design, layout and systems, revealing details not seen in the movie or TV show or in any other previously published source material (official or fanmade.)

The blueprints are limited to a run of 750 copies and each set is signed by their creators, Geoff Mandel (graphic designer, Serenity) and Tim Earls (illustrator, Firefly; set designer, Serenity).

The set contains ten 18" x 24", full-color, heavyweight matte-finish sheets documenting the design, systems and layout of our favorite Firefly-Class Transport, Serenity. This blueprint set is the definitive resource for any Browncoat interested in the design and function of Serenity, including the shuttles and mule.

Each sheet is printed in full color and suitable for framing. These blueprints encompass months of work, detailing and verifying every aspect of Serenity, distilled from literally hundreds of set photos, architectural drawings, CGI files, and volumes of background material used to produce Serenity, the movie.

You can still pick up a set of the 10 18"x24" full-color prints of incredibly detailed floor plans and cutaway scenes from every aspect and angle of our favorite ship, but now you'll have to hunt for them. TFAW.com has some in stock, and KM Collectibles, and you can always try eBay.

Many thanks to QMx for a truly spectacular prop. Designed by Geoff Mandel (graphic artist for the movie) and Tim Earls (illustrator for the show and set decorator for the movie), this is the most accurate set of blueprints you will ever see. No detail has been overlooked and more than a few questions get answered (like where do they go to the bathroom, anyway?). The prints are on heavy bond paper and look fantastic on a wall. Any wall. Every wall!

You can read an interview with Geoff and QMx guy Andy Gore here.