Posts Tagged ‘serenity’

Some days it's just a pure joy to open the mailbox.

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.

So the chaps from QMx were poking through a Universal warehouse, and they spotted something interesting: the 12-foot model of the Reaverized Serenity used in the movie. Like newborn birds, QMx employees Have a genetic reaction to the shape of a Firefly, no matter how well camouflaged it is.

Check the link for lots more photos.

This isn't a plug or a review as much as it is an open letter to anyone shopping for me this holiday season: buy me this.

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.

My dehoarding continues, with this latest eBay offer:

Browncoats rejoiced when fan-favorite collectible card company Inkworks got the license to make Serenity cards and they sold very well, but nothing sold out faster than the binder for them.

Commemorating Joss Whedon's movie "Serenity," the big-screen continuation of his popular-but-canceled show "Firefly," Inkworks produced a gorgeous set of 72 cards depicting scenes (and behind-the-scenes) from the movie. The binder is sturdy, 11 1/2" by 10" by 1 3/4" and contains the basic 72-card set, plus the following promo cards:

SP-i
SP-1
SP-NSUSD
SP-SD 2005 (Comics Con exclusive)
SP-UK (from a British collecting magazine, I think)
SP-CEE
SP-WW
DST-1 (advertising the action figures)
DS S1, DS S2, DS S3, DS S4, DS S5 (came with the action figures)

This is as complete a set of the promo cards as I've seen, and some of them are very hard to find.

The binder is in excellent condition, having sat snugly on my shelf since I bought it. The Serenity movie poster is on the front, and on the back is the cast and our girl Serenity flying in the black (or, rather, the blue). Slight wear on the top and bottom of the spine but it could easily be new out of the box, and it's even signed on the inside back cover by Inkworks president Allan Caplan. I'll even toss in the promo sheet advertising the card set, and the display box (folded) the cards came in. The cards are all in excellent condition (pics show some spots but they're from my crappy scanner).

Don't miss your chance to own this rare and hard-to-find Serenity collectible.

Right around this time last year, I vowed to blog something every day. And then, predictably, I barely touched the thing all year.

Mostly because I've been tweeting more, and it's a little startling to discover that most of the things I felt worth saying could fit in 140 characters.  But sometimes they can't, and so here I am.

The first lengthy thing to say in 2011 is: A Browncoat needs help, and by doing so you might get amazingly cool stuff.

Jean Bauhaus' mother-in-law, Gina, died unexpectedly in December without a will or insurance to cover the burial, and her father-in law needs long-term medical care (diabetes, emphysema, schizophrenia). In addition to the funeral and medical bills, Jean and her husband Matt also have to clean up Gina & Rob's old apartment, moving furniture and making it ready for new tenants. There are also legal matters to attend to and creditors to satisfy. Frankly, she can use some cash.

And, in one of the things that I love about fandom, people are stepping up to help. Marian Call donated her copy of her CD "Bootleg," signed and smooched, and proceeds from that handled the burial. Now we have a Seriously Cool Thing on auction and it ends Monday night.

It's a set of the Fruit Oaty Girls bobblehead maquettes from by Quantum Mechanix. These maquettes are limited to 1500 numbered sets, but only THIS set has been signed by its creator Geoff Mandel — the graphic designer behind Serenity (as well as many other movies and TV shows).

Bidding started at list price and will go on till 10 pm EST Monday night. 100% of the proceeds go to Jean. Don't miss out on a great collectible and a worthy cause.

More details about Jean and any other auctions can be found at Erin Palette's blog, Lurking Rhythmically.

OK, not only is QMx offering preorders of their teased Firefly keychain — solid metal, pewter finish — for just $9.95, but if you order one before March 31 you'll get a chance to win a chrome one.

The Firefly Replica Keychain was created using the TV series' special effects files and carefully scaling them down to just over two inches. The keychain is cast in solid metal with a pewter finish and contains an incredible amount of detail – leaving no doubt that when you travel, you do it in Firefly style.

This is the first item QMx has prioduced with their new Firefly license (as opposed to their Serenity license) and it's seriously cool and very affordable.  You're gonna order one anyway, you know it. Might as well get in on a chance for an even shinier one.

Any day QMx will formally announce the upcoming Serenity Atlas, an amazingly beautiful work that shows you everything you wanted to know about traveling the worlds of the 'Verse, and also what Ben Mund's been beating his head out creating for the last two years. They're just waiting for printing and shipping details.

But for now you can get sneak peeks by following Ben Mund on Twitter. He's posting tiny factoids and changing his avatar every day to a new slice of art. So far:

@Qmxinsider Serenity Atlas sneak peek 3: Look closely: you'll see a Tall Card game in the Companion House. Think they play for garbage duty?

@Qmxinsider Serenity Atlas sneak tidbit 2: Eavesdown Docks shot (p7) includes an "Ariel" ship & two darkly dressed men you may recognize …

@Qmxinsider Serenity Atlas sneak tidbit 1: The actual prop peach can River hits Jayne with shows up on p15. Surprisingly, it's undented.

Please note that since he's starting these with @QMxInsider, the QMx Twitter feed, you'll need to follow both Ben and QMxInsider in order to see these tweets in your own feed. Or you can just go to Ben's Twitter page every day.

When the Atlas does get announced, you're gonna want it. I've seen it already and I want it.

Not content with making the biggest, most detailed Serenity model to date, QMx is also working on the smallest. Just promo-ed at FireflyShipworks.com, the yet-to-be-released Firefly Keychain.

Cast is solid metal, the keychain has real heft to it. We used the studio CG effects files, shrunk down to a ridiculous extent, to capture the design, but obviously had to make many tweaks along the way. But our designers love a challenge, and we just couldn’t resist the idea of a Serenity that fits in your pocket and that you can carry around with you, where ever you go.

No word yet on when this will hit your pocket, but I'm ready to buy one now. Check out the post for more pics.

The official, licensed, Museums Replicas versions of River's axe and a Reaver sword were certainly impressive, reasonably accurate, and came with a cool wall plaque, but they weren't exactly cheap. And the actual props from the Prop Store of London were even more expensive.  What's the economically disadvantaged fan to do?

Never fear! Bud K is selling the "Serenity Axe" and "Serenity Fantasy Sword" for just $27.99 each! OK, they're not exactly like the movie versions — slightly different shapes to the blades — but they're not bad and definitely closer to my personal price range. And I like how the description tells you that "Dedicated fans and hardcore followers of cult sci-fi hits will instantly recognize this replica weapon" without actually mentioning River or Reavers.

The axe measures measures 27" overall and features an "authentically detailed" stainless steel 19 1/2" axe blade and wood handle. The sword is 16" overall with a stainless steel 11" blade and wood handle. Both come with nylon sheaths.  Great for your wall or your cosplaying, easy on the wallet.

The latest expansion to the award-winning Serenity role-playing game is coming soon.

For fans of Joss Whedon’s Serenity, the long-awaited Big Damn Heroes Handbook sourcebook, by Cam Banks, will be released this fall. (We’ll post an exact release date soon!) Everything a big damn hero needs to be a big damn hero, including stats for both minor and major nefarious villains, is in this book, along with rules for spaceship-to-spaceship combat, descriptions of Chinese communities, and new ideas for running Assets and Complications. (And, of course, more ways for your big damn hero to cuss in Chinese!)

TFAW says it's coming October 28, Amazon thinks it'll be out December 31. But all of Margaret Weis Productions' materials have been well done with plenty of info presented in a very stylistic manner, and I've no doubt this will be a worthy addition to your fantasizin'. Eitehr way, order early for a better price.