Seasons Picks! All I want for Christmas...

Isabelle illustrates the opposite of my last few weeks

'Tis the Season to make lists!
I actually enjoy making lists. To illustrate that fact, here's a list of the lists I've made recently:

• Things To Do. 
• Christmas Things To Do.
• Really Important Things To Do.
• OMG IF YOU DON'T GET THESE THINGS DONE TODAY THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT WILL END!!!!! TO DO.

One of the items on all the lists was 'do some frakking blog posts you lazy frakker'. This is really unfair because:

• I've been really busy and not at all lazy
• calling yourself names when making lists is probably a sign of mental distress
• the distress being caused by have too much to do, which underlines the fact that I'm not lazy. 
• Meh
• I have a cold *cough* *cough* 

EDIT: I started this yesterday and our interview with PopCultureMonster has since come out so here's another category: Something to Read: Interview with Higlet Films.

Back to the lists...
I have some wonderful seasonal diversions and gift suggestions that might have passed you by and I'm going to try something new - the 'Something to watch/Something to buy/Something to listen to/Something to support' list. If it works out I may do more - so let me know. YOU'RE WELCOME!


Something to Watch
Sean Becker. Jeff Lewis. Assorted Guildies and associates. Mix, lace with profanity and serve shaken, not stirred, over a humorous bed of NSFW. That is the The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour.

Here's the latest (shot on location) - Episode VI: Hawaii


Something to Buy:

"Songs The Brother's Warner Taught Me" - this album from the indomitable Megan Lynch (@may_gun) is a Christmas Gift winner on many levels (warning, new list ahead):

• So many memories from a youth spent glued to the TV watching Loonie Tunes
• A wide range of styles and moods all brought together in one delicious album
• A unique collection of songs, many of which have no other recent recordings
• Supporting a truly independent and hugely talented artist
• Bonus tracks if you download/buy NOW!

I reviewed the album here and you can find out about her Holiday Giveaway on her site.

Something to listen to:
I'm going to cheat on the list straight away and recommend 2 shows. I don't always get time to listen to longer podcasts so they are stacking up at a rate of knots. This week I listened to:


New Mediacracy Episode 18
Zadi Diaz, Steve Woolf  and Chris McCaleb are joined by Barrett Garese, Brett Register, Craig Frank and Jamie Blair and chat about what web video entertainment is/should be/could be/isn't. Fascinating debate from this all-too-infrequent podcast.

Indie Intertube Episode 48
This weekly podcast is broadcast live (usually on a Wednesday) and has an active online forum. Destini and Shadhavar are great hosts with an encyclopedic knowledge of the webseries community: the people, the shows and the gossip :) Last week covered lots of webseries including Pretty, Diary of a Single Mom and Hard Drive 13. Plus they usually devote the second half to call-ins and this episode includes Joe Wilson (Vampire Mob). You can tune in this week for more updates and guests.

Something to Support:
Ok, cheating again as there are two causes you should know about, and you can vote daily for both:


Knights of The Guild - Podcast Awards: Entertainment category
Kenny. Jenni. Guildies. News. Views. Interviews...this show has everything if you are even remotely interested in The Guild, so vote for them because they are awesome.


Browncoats: Redemption - Mashable Awards: Most Creative Social Good Campaign
There was a write up of the award today, and if you don't know about Browncoats: Redemption, the fan-made film set in the Firefly/Serenity 'Verse that is raising money for charity, then get over to their site and order your copy today! Mine has pride of place :)

Browncoats:Redemption released at Dragon*Con: watch and buy your copy now!

Where were you on Saturday?
Both Dragon*Con and PAX have been on this weekend and it's been hard to choose between which one I wished I was at more! The Guild were at Dragon*Con, with Sean Becker leading the charge (while Felicia Day was attending to other duties) and their panels and signings have been as well-attended and received as ever. Another reason for wanting to be in Atlanta, though, was the fact that after two years of planning, plotting, and a metric butt-tonne of hard work - Browncoats: Redemption had its world premiere!

Only available online for a LIMITED TIME!
The panel for the premiere had queues out the door, such was the interest in the film. I wasn't in Atlanta but I still watched the premiere because they put it online at the same time as it was aired at the panel. it is available to watch online for a very limited time on Facebook and the website. I've embedded below but it'll only work until 7:00 PM EDT TODAY.


Browncoats: Redemption Online Premiere from browncoatsmovie on Vimeo.

Reactions have been very positive both at the panel itself and online - with Twitter all abuzz.  Great news because this fan-made film has a great dual purpose. Not only does it give fans a new taste of the Serenity/Firefly 'Verse, it is set to raise a lot of money for some very deserving charities. All the proceeds will be split between these charities - which is where YOU can get involved.

DVD copies of the film are available to order now at the BrowncoatsMovie.com shop (where you can also pick up a cool teeshirt or two). I've already ordered my copy. I've been following Browncoats: Redemption for a long time and I'm very proud of the whole team for what they have done. Making a feature film in two years is a massive acheivement! The story takes you along and they have stayed true to the 'Verse that Joss Whedon created. It is a very enjoyable romp and I recommend it. Now go buy the DVD!

 Laura Matthews and the crew of 'Redemption'

If you want to read all the interviews I've done with Michael Dougherty, the co-producer (and writer) of Browncoats: Redemption about the process of making the film, they are here:

November 2008
April 2009
January 2010

July 2010

The Guild, Comic Con, Browncoats: Redemption...Mega-post!

Codex remains unconvinced by Bladezz suggestions, and suggestiveness

The Guild at San Diego Comic Con
Excitement is building about what is going to be revealed at Comic Con this year by The Guild. With Season 4, Episode 2 out this week, the Knights of The Guild CompanionCast out now and my review out soon on PinkRaygun, it's already a Guild-filled week.

But wait - there's more! Today PinkRaygun.com have published the first part of "Homecoming: The Guild at San Deigo Comic Con 2009". This is a chapter from my sadly as-yet unpublished book, "From Cheetos to Stripper Bus: The Ultimate Fanguide to how Felicia Day built The Guild Empire Level by Level", and is a great primer to what might happen at SDCC this week. Parts 2 and 3 will be out tomorrow and Friday.

The full schedule of The Guild activities is on WatchTheGuild.com. If you are lucky enough to be at SDCC then make sure you get to signings and the panel early because it is going to be BUSY!!

What do you do when you have too much to do?
Usually I panic for a bit, make a cup of tea, think about doing a list and then get on with the easiest bit. The whole 'eating a frog' thing is good in theory but I don't often practice it. And sometimes I do completely the opposite and invent more things to do because they are more fun. And this is what happens then: (Greg Benson from @mediocrefilms is to blame for this -and here's the proof).




There's so much to get through here that I'm keeping it as brief as possible!


Celebrate The Web at San Diego during Comic Con
Since Jenni Powell and Kim Evey organised the first Celebrate The Web event after The Streamys this year, the idea has really caught on and even after releasing extra tickets, the events are sold out. But never fear - there is a wait list. The Second CTW has been orgainsed by Jenni Powell, Taryn O'Neill and Stephanie Thorpe and is being held in San Diego on Saturday. It is jam-packed with web video goodness. Be sure to keep checking CelebrateTheWeb.com for updates!

Jeff Lewis 50-minute Comedy Hour during Comic Con
I received my invite to this event yesterday on Facebook and sadly I had to decline, but - wait! The Celebrate The Web even is being STREAMED LIVE so no one has to miss anything!

Article on Whedonage about Comic Con
Whedonage.com has been offline for a couple of days in preparation for....something :) They will be covering lots of Whedon-related happenings at SDCC and you can follow them on Twitter @whedonage. When the site is back up they'll be something from me on there, too.


Browncoats: Redemption interview with Michael Dougherty - who is at Comic Con
I had the very great pleasure of interviewing Michael Dougherty last week all about the upcoming film, Browncoats: Redemption. All the information and links to the videos are on PinkRaygun. I'm so excited for this film - thanks for a great interview, Michael!

Goodnight Princess and the Vimeo Awards
We submitted Goodnight Princess to the Vimeo Awards this week and we're hoping it will do well. I posted about it over at HigletFilms.com. If you've not seen out micro-shortform internet play yet then please do - we are very proud of what we acheived.


New Webseries - now in pre-production!
As I said, we're busy! It's all coming together really well and we'll be able to tell you more about it really soon.

Monetising my ELE videos
YouTube have told me I can make money from the Evil League of Evil webseries I did - I wonder if Joss will mind? So far no one seems to have a clear view either way - what do you think?

Whatever you are doing have a great week. I'll be back as soon as I get another minute!

CSTS Vancouver 2010 report. Summary: shiny!

On June 26th 2010 the 5th Annual Can’t Stop The Serenity was held in Vancouver, BC to raise money for Equality Now and the BC Women's Hospital. The BC Browncoats put on a great day’s entertainment and both Hubby and me had an awesome time. We made a short video:



Since we couldn't capture everything on the video, here's some highlights from the day:


Introduction and Joss videos
Gayle and Serena spoke about why we were all there for the 5th year of CSTS, the money that has been raised so far and the power of the Browncoats. We then watched some videos including Joss' Equality Now acceptance speech and his Serendipity Speech, which really got everyone in the mood for the day.

Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, sing-along
I missed the beginning because of costume competition duties, but as soon as slipped in I was singing along.  It was a heart-warming experience and I thoroughly enjoyed singing, laughing and gasping along with everyone else. ("..The hammer is my penis." and "...I meant Ghandi.." were among the favourite lines!).


Evil Laugh Contest
I was surprised at how many of my fellow Browncoats possess evil laughs! There must be a coach in the area…. The competition was fierce and it went to a laugh-off between the last three.

The Masked Roger - unmasked?

The Masked Roger Marathon
This was definitely a highlight. The Masked Roger webseries is funny, smart and full of cool effects. Alan has a great sense of humour and it’s worth watching them a few times to make sure you get all the jokes. It was great to see it on the big screen and it went down extremely well with the crowd. Alan also gave a very good speech about the inspiration behind The Masked Roger and how he came to make a webseries. I wish I had managed to record it. He talked about how Dr Horrible and the ELE competitions started it off, how Felicia Day and The Guild spurred him along and how the feedback and encouragement from the BC Browncoats helped to keep him going. Now, Alan, when can we expect the next episode…?

 The Costume Parade (and Hubby's bare knee :))

Costume Contest Parade and Prizes
Hubby had his knees on display, dressed as he was as Fawkes (from The Guild Season 3 and soon-to-be 4). There was an array of costumes from Firefly and the Whedonverse, with the Bad Horse Chorus also putting on a great display (and yes, they did the song, too!). It was very hard to do the judging but there were some very worthy winners.

Browncoats: Redemption Screening
Vancouver was one of the few CSTS events to see the full rough cut of Browncoats: Redemption. I’ve been following progress of the film for a long time now. I’m writing up some detailed feedback for the producers but I can tell you that even though the screening was of a rough cut, I can’t wait to see the finished film. Hubby and I were both impressed with it, and the solid base of the film looks really good. The full premiere at Dragon:Con will be a packed event, I’m sure! I will be writing more about Browncoats: Redemption soon, so look out for that.

I didn’t manage to get a ticket for the Whedon-Works Trivia Bingo but there were some happy winners and some tricky questions, so I took the opportunity to check out the bids on the Silent Auction. There were some amazing items, from signed photos of Jewel Staite, a signed copy of The Guild DVD, genre books, games, models, a knitted dalek….The bidding was pretty fierce for some of the items!

Serenity
What can you say about this film? It represents so many things but, at its heart, it is simply an excellent film full of laughter, tears, action, adventure and a passion that runs through everything. A passion for life, friends and doing what is right. If you’ve never seen the films in the company of fellow Browncoats then I heartily recommend that you do. It is a moving experience.

 Cowboy!

Door Prizes and Silent Auction winners
The winning didn’t stop, and there were some amazing door prizes given out after the screening. We didn’t win a door prize but we did win an item on the Silent Auction which has been a very welcome addition.

To Gayle, Serena and everyone else who worked so hard to make the event run smoothly – thank you for making it such an enjoyable day!

Can't Stop The Serenity (CSTS) 2010: where are YOU celebrating?

 

CSTS 2010 poster

It's that time of year again!
Time to dust off your Jayne hat, polish up your space boots, and don your Browncoat - 'tis the season to be mighty! This year marks the FIFTH annual Can't Stop The Serenity global sci-fi charity event. If you've never heard of it before then 1) Where have you BEEN for the last 5 years??? 2) It is an annual charity screening of Joss Whedon's film, Serenity, in multiple cities across the globe which raises money for the charity, Equality Now. 3) It's a great way to get out and meet new folks.

Why?
Good question. There are many answers but the overriding one is to raise funds for Equality Now because the work they do is more relevant now than ever. Their mission statement:


"Equality Now works to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world through the mobilization of public pressure." (from their website)
Joss Whedon tells us why it's important:




"...Equality is not a concept. It's not something we should be striving for. It's a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this Earth as men and women. And the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part if the human condition, it's life out of balance and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and woman confronted with it. We need equality. Kinda now...." (Joss Whedon, Equality Now awards ceremony, 2006).

VANCOUVER CSTS!
This Saturday, 26th June, Vancouver is holding its charity screening of Serenity event and what a fun-packed day it will be! There is a silent auction will amazing items from signed DVDs of The Guild, knitted Daleks, signed photos of Jewel Staite and many, many awesome items! There is also a costume competition, a screening of Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog AND an exclusive screening of first part of Browncoats: Redemption film. If that wasn't enough there is also the world premiere screening of the lastest episode of The Masked Roger, a comedy webseries by our awesome friend @alalcoolj. I hear the voiceover is amazing... :) Oh - and we get to watch Serenity, too. It will be shiny.

If you live in Vancouver or the Lower Mainland (or Bellingham, Seattle, West coast...) then pick up your tickets now at Happy Bats Theatre or buy them online. I'll see you at the MacMillan Space Centre on Saturday!

If you are not within reach then check on the CSTS website to see if there is a screening near you. There are 42 cities across the globe celebrating in one way or another in the coming weeks, so make sure you don't miss out.

Here are two videos from last year's event:



And Joss...



Y'all have your pretty floral bonnets ready, now don't you?


PS
How did CSTS come about anyway? For that we can thank @theonetruebix, since it was all his idea in the first place. I guess that's why we should never accept substitutes.

HOT NEWS JUST IN: I will be interviewing the one and only b!X about CSTS soon for PinkRaygun.com, so look out for that! In the meantime you can check out his rather fantastic photography site and maybe snag yourself a competitively-priced print. Or two.

YouTube Friday: The Guild, Two Hot Girls, Browncoats and Mediocrefilms...Oh my!

Riley takes charge in Codex' bedroom...

Don't forget to keep voting in The Streamy Awards!

Rate, Comment and Share!

Every time you rate, comment and share a video you like on YouTube an angel gets wings - and that is a true story. So when you've watched all these videos don't forget to share the love and do your bit for non-flying angels!

The Guild Season 3, Ep 5: Application'd
Another cracking episode from The Guild Season 3 this week with the tension ramping up for everyone!



There's a full review of the episode on Pink Raygun.com (which contains spoilers) and there's a listing of the all my Season 3 reviews here which I hope you will enjoy.

Rate, Comment, Share!
Every time you rate, comment and share a video you like on YouTube it an angel gets wings - and that is a true story. So when you've watched all these videos don't forget to share the love and do your bit for non-flying angels!

Two Hot Girls - REVEALED!
Kim Evey and Julie Wittner show us more than usual in the shower! How I love these girls....



Could be mildly NSFW, but depends on where you work :) And the Bonus Extra videos are hilarious, too! If you are a member of the WatchTheGuild community site then they have their own group - come and join us!

I am a Browncoat #5
Browncoat: Redemption is a fanmade film that is released this year. To help get the signal out they have been asking for videos from fans....here is the latest one!



It features Browncoats from all over the place - including Sean Becker and Wil Wheaton. Find out more about the film on the Browncoatsmovie.com website. (There is also a Browncoats group on WatchTheGuild :))

Last, but not least - Greg and Payman chat and roul(ette)
Like me you might have heard about something called chat roulette and decided it wasn't for you. I did ask about it on Friendfeed and the answer came back "You'll see lots of penises." o_O It was only a matter of time, then, before Mediocre Films stuck their noses (and goodness knows what else) into the seamy underbelly of this new web sensation so they could bring us this (NSFW - REALLY NOT!!!!) video:



The more you know....Thanks for the PSA, Greg and Payman!

Browncoats and Guildies at Farpoint, Baltimore!

(Farpoint Con logo from http://www.farpointcon.com/)

Make it so
Encounter at Farpoint was the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and introduces us to the crew and that most ticklish of all Picard's nemesesisisss: Q. The Farpoint convention started out as a Trek Con in 1993 but now serves a wide range of fandoms. Last weekend stars and fans gathered in what is currently a very snowy Baltimore for fun, frolics and a very special auction. I wasn't there but intrepid Guidie, Steven Kawakami was, and he sent me some pics and a report from the con (thank you so much, Steve!). Steven is a fellow Guildie and you can find him on Twitter as @stevekaw and also on Facebook.

From Steve:

"Farpoint is a relatively small Con, but they have some nice participant activities, like sword-fighting in the hotel atrium!"

With Kind permission from Steve Kawakami

Browncoats: Redemption - stunning new trailer!
I had heard on the grapevine that Browncoats: Redemption were going to be unveiling a new trailer at Farpoint. I had a sneaky preview and - WOW! From the first frames it had me hooked - this film is going to be spectacular.

From Steve:

"Camera crapped out on me early at Farpoint :(. However, did manage a pic from the Big Damn Films panel and the new trailer from "Browncoats: Redemption" looked promising. Panel was well-attended by an enthusiastic audience. Film will premiere at DragonCon."

With kind permission from Steven Kawakami

The video will be available on YouTube soon, so make sure you have subscribed to browncoatsmovie on YouTube and on Twitter so you know first.

EDIT:
It is now up on Vimeo!


Browncoats: Redemption Trailer 3 from browncoatsmovie on Vimeo.


Encounter with Codex!

Steve is an avid Guildie so meeting Felicia Day was high on his list for Farpoint:

"I attended Farpoint Con on Saturday the 13th only. Felicia had another one-hour Q&A on Sunday, followed by a showing of DHSAB which I could not attend.

Felicia's Q & A was likewise very crowded. As usual, she was funny, profane, self-deprecating and spoke a mile-a-minute. Adorable! She is unfailingly honest, which I find so amazing for a celebrity. She talked about everything from writer's block to her favorite dessert places in LA. She admitted that she hadn't left the hotel since arriving Thursday, but that the snow outside looked "incredible"....

Among some of the other things Felicia said on Saturday:

• Would like to play a dark Sith Lord one day - really wouldn't mind trying to play a villain. Busy auditioning now as this is pilot season. Joled that more often than not, she still reads for acting roles as a secretary!
• Very enthusiastic about her new Wii game with NPH called "Rock of the Dead" which uses the "Guitar Hero" controller. She's glad the lower price point will hopefully make it more accessible.
• So busy right now that she has a stack of games "this high" she hasn't had time to try yet and a Tivo full of programs yet unwatched.
• Jeff Lewis is a lot like his character, Vork; will call Felicia to try and mooch free game demos. She has leveled her priest to 80, but Jeff's in-game wedding is still not done as his wife's character needs additional leveling. Apparently Jeff likes playing his wife's character and Felicia joked that it's probably becoming his alt character!
• Really enjoyed her recent guest spot on "Lie to Me", especially the singing!
• Is very proud of The Guild comic books that are coming out, but found the writing very different than screen plays, and took a while for her to adjust. The word count limitation in comics was quite a challenge for her! 

Lots more, but I forgot! :(  However, as always, Felicia was a big hit with the fans and she Tweeted that at the celebrity charity auction Saturday night, lunch for her went for $5,000!

Met her on the autograph line Saturday afternoon. Gave her a small tin of "Old Bay" seasoning to remember her trip to Maryland. She had never heard of that spice before, but continues to like experimenting with new seasonings. Strange but true!

She signed an enormous number of autographs and I don't know how she does it! Briefly chatted with her and what a charmer. Passed along your greetings* and she remarked what a "lovely" person you are. Walked away in a bit of a daze. But really, everyone here is so grateful that she managed to attend in spite of the horrendous weather here. She definitely got some more fans here on the East Coast!"

*I had spoken to Steve on Twitter before Farpoint to wish him well and to say hi to any Guildies there - thanks for a great report, Steve!

Felicia has uploaded some pics from Farpoint, one of her with Guildie @osiramon, and one with  Darth Vader.

Other Guildies were there, too, and you can read reports from gregmc66 and @dreadpiraterose.

Browncoats: Redemption - new interview with Michael C Dougherty

Are you excited yet?
I surely am! It's only a few months before "Browncoats: Redemption"is released and I can't wait. Co-creator Michael C Dougherty took some time out of his hectic schedule to answer some questions for me, and the interview is up on PinkRaygun.com now. This fan-made film is shaping up to be a huge success and that's great news for Browncoats and the charities they support - because all the money made after production costs have been met is going to charity.

Steven Fisher, the other co-creator, left a comment on the article thanking me for the support I've shown for the project. I replied saying it was my pleasure because it truly is. As a Browncoat I want to see more tales from the 'Verse. I used to role-play in a Virtual Firefly because I love the world that Joss created.

Oh, and tonight I'll be recording my #iamabrowncoat video, so watch out for that! If you're doing one or have done one let me know :)

Joss was ahead of his time...Serenityday and Google Waves!

[Edit: This is already been discussed on Whedonesque (in May) and the feeling is that yes, Google is full of Firefly fans. Shiny! - thanks to Dani for the link)]

We all knew Joss was a visionary
But this is different - this is....technology!!! More proof that art imitates life imitating art (or something) has been occurring all over my interwebs yesterday and today, and probably yours, too. But you don't need to take my word for it - Google Wave made the front page of slashdot and my good friend, Louis Gray gave his first impressions on his blog (interesting but noisy. Google wave, not Louis. Although....) So, what's the the hubbub about? Louis explains:


"...Google released a waterfall of 100,000 invites to the Google Wave preview over the last day or so, giving bleeding-edge early adopter and information addicts a new playground to exchange conversations in real time..."


Er, so what?
Yes, good question! It's okay, I am not about to launch a new techblog - the market is pretty much tapped and I prefer to read what other, more thrusting people, have to say. No, the interesting thing for me is that this is real-time communication over a network and it's called a wave. Any Browncoat will tell you this is only a (webcam) step away from that envisioned by Joss in the Firefly/Serenity 'Verse. Which means nothing, of course, because most people could predict that at that stage in our future such technology would exist. And the fact that Google released it on and around Serenityday (Serenity was released in US cinemas on September 30th, 2005) is a pure coincidence. Unless Google is inhabited by Browncoats...What? Nerds loving Joss Whedon?? What are the odds....

But - a wave? Seriously?
That doesn't stop me from smirking to myself over the choice of terminology, though, particularly because Joss is such is technophobe that he will likely never know about it, or even care if he did. It isn't ironic, but it made me smile. We all remember he recent comment on Whedonesque where he exhorted people to buy 'Date my Avatar' and spread the word:


"And I'm hobbled here, peeps. I don't twitter (I occasionally Glitter and Be Gay, but that's it), can't digg, or favorite, or friend... In fact I don't understand why my typewriter has a TV on it. I'M NOT SAVVY."


All this gives me a great opportunity to post a clip from Serenity. And I would have done that if I could have found a decent one (like Mal/Inara and the trap), but my YouTube foo gave up on me. But you know the drill. Can't stop the Signal. Just pop in the DVD instead and enjoy. Meet you on the Cortex.


And perhaps watch this video from Browncoats: Redemption, too. Yes! Our first glimpse of the crew!

The Guild S2, Ep 7 Panic Attack on YouTube (plus Pax and Dragon*Con)

Relive the wonder of Season 2 on YouTube!

Season 2 continues to be posted onto YouTube with Ep 7 going live today. As ever, you can comment, rate and link if you would like - Felicia has always stressed how much she enjoys reading the comments.

I think Vork pretty much steals this episode - what do you think?

Pax 09

Tomorrow sees the start of Pax and some of The Guild crew are heading there already. Sadly, I won't be going (even though it's only 2.5 hrs drive away). Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo), Jeff Lewis (Vork) and Kim Evey (Producer) will be there though! Full details of their appearances are up on the Pax website and I put them up here a few days ago. Keep checking on the Pax site, though, just in case things change. Kim broke her foot recently while on holiday with her husband, Greg Benson (from Mediocre Films and so much more), so if you see her hobbling around make sure to give her gifts and sympathy. And go to Kim, Greg's and Sandeep's panel on Making a hit Webseries.

Plus, Wil Wheaton and Cricket Lee are already in Seattle for Pax! So many reasons to be there....sigh.

Dragon*Con 09

Meanwhile Felicia Day is going to Dragon*Con. I'm still not sure of what she is doing there but if I get a definitive answer I will let you know. Plus don't forget to find Jeff Carlisle, the brilliant who created some wonderful art for The Guild like this:

His work is many and varied - check out his website for more details. If I was going to Dragon*Con I would make sure I went to see Jeff.

And, of course, don't forget that Browncoats: Redemption will be premiering their trailer, too. I did an interview with the co-creator, Michael C. Dougherty on Whedonage.com last week and this promises to be a great event, so miss it at your peril!

Browncoats: Redemption, Dragon*Con, Knights of the Guild and writerly news - too much awesome!

(Browncoats: Redemption movie postcard for Dragon*Con)

Are you going to Dragon*Con?

If you are you are in for a treat. There's a huge line-up of goodies in store for you but I'd like to direct your attention to two things:

1) The WORLD PREMIERE of the Browncoats: Redemption trailer

Michael Dougherty, co-creator of the new fanmade film set in the Serenity/Firefly universe gave me an interview for Whedonage which went up today. They have finished principle photography and are racing towards the deadline for the film to be ready Dragon*Con 2010, but on Sunday they will be unveiling the trailer. The photos and videos from the set look stunning and I wish I could be there to see it! Full details are at the end of the article and you can also follow them on Facebook for all the current news.

2) The Guild will be there! EDIT: Felicia Day will be at Dragon*Con

Yes, not content with wowing the audiences at SD Comic Con and BlizzCon, Felcia Day will also be at Dragon*Con. I'm not sure of the details yet but as soon as I know I will tell you. And many others of The Guild cast and crew will be in Seattle for Pax 09. Here's a full run down of what the Uber Guildies will be up to at Pax:

"Friday, 9:00pm - 10:30pm, Unicorn Theatre

The Guild Season 2 Screening

Watch all 12 episodes of The Guild Season 2 back to back, followed by a Q & A with cast members Jeff Lewis (Vork) and Sandep Parikh (Zaboo), moderated by producer Kim Evey.Panelists Include: Jeff Lewis (Actor, The Guild), Sandeep Parikh (Actor, The Guild), Kim Evey (Producer, The Guild), Wil Wheaton (Actor, The Guild)

Saturday, 5:30pm - 6:30pm, Raven Theatre

The Making of a Hit Web Series

Join Kim Evey, Sandeep Parikh and Greg Benson, the creator/producer/directors of three of the web's biggest sensations, "The Guild," "The Legend of Neil," and "Retarded Policeman." They'll tell you how they got their start in online video and then answer your questions about everything from content to distribution to funding. If you're thinking about getting into online video and want to talk to the experts, this panel is for you! Panelists Include: Kim Evey (Producer, Knights of Good Productions, Inc), Sandeep Parikh (Owner, Effin Funny), Greg Benson (Owner, Mediocre Films)

Saturday, 9:00pm - 10:30pm, Unicorn Theatre

The Legend of Neil Season 2 Screening and PanelThe Legend of Neil, the story of a regular dude who gets sucked into Zelda and has to fight his way out, returns with an action-and-nostalgia packed second season. Neil stars Tony Janning, Mike Rose and Felicia Day (of Guild and Dr. Horrible fame) and is created by Sandeep Parikh (of The Guild)

Panelists Include: Sandeep Parikh (Creator / Co-Writer and Director, The Legend of Neil), Tony Janning (Star (Neil) and Co-Writer, The Legend of Neil)"

(From the Pax schedule)

Why did it have to be the Unicorn Theatre? Haven't they suffered enough?!? If you don't know what I'm talking about then you need to head over to The Guild Forums and join the Axis of Unicorns and help the Unicorn Defense League protect these noble creatures from the jaws of unscrupulous Guildies!

Knights of The Guild NEW maxi-microcast #6 is up

"Quest for the Music Video" shows how hard that Kenny and Jenni work to bring us all the news and behind-the-scenes information we crave about The Guild. In this latest installment there is a great interview with Greg Aronowitz who created the wonderful weapons the cast sport in the "Do you wanna date my Avatar" video AND the reveal what the filming at the video was like. Kenny and Jenni don't just host the podcast, Kenny is the official behind-the-scenes photographer who has shot all the amazing BTS video and pictures used on The Guild DVDs and Jenni has a myriad of jobs - from Felicia's PA to Head Production Assistant to gold coin counter - and everything in between. There are also lots of feedback comments from listeners (both written and audio), which is really great to hear. It's very rewarding when people take the time to leave a comment.

Kenny and Jenni are also guests on Joss'd Episode #040! It is so worth a listen (if you're not already listening to Joss'd. And if you're not - @Tabz will know and hunt you down!). We hear all about how KOTG started off and the inside scoop on why Jenni might take her top off in the next episode...

Writerly News

And in all the excitement I had some pretty exciting news myself today. I've been podcasting "Turning Left at Albuquerque" for a few weeks now on turningleft.podbean.com. We're up to chapter 50 now, so if you haven't caught up yet please check it out. This week we posted a new promo instead of a new omnibus and we also had a request of listeners asking for some feedback. It doesn't take much to write a comment and you could hear it read out by Lord Poncenby! Or you could send an audio comment to turningleftpodcast at gmail dot com.

And then, today, I had an email from an agent who is interested in my new super-secret project asking me for a partial submission. This is a big deal you guys! I only queried a few agents for this new (non-fiction) project and I am very excited that this agency wants to hear more because I think they will really 'get' it. It doesn't mean it's in the bag, and it might all come to nothing, but it a great first step. So YAY!

'Browncoats: Redemption' Interview with Michael Dougherty on Pink Raygun

The new fan-made film is taking shape

When I first heard about the new film set in the Firefly/Serenity 'Verse it seemed too good to be true - the sort of brilliant idea that would never happen. But now filming is coming to an end and that brilliant idea is coming to life more spectacularly than I could ever have imagined. One of the creators, Michael Dougherty, was kind enough to take time out of his incredibly busy schedule to do an interview with me which is published today over at Pink Raygun. He talks about the inspiration to make the film, the challenges and how all the profits will go to charity. There should be more to come soon...

Exciting news!

This is my first article in Pink Raygun and working with Lisa Fary and John Dallaire is a real buzz. They have built up PRG into a fantastic resource for all fangirls (and yes, fanboys) with news, articles and reviews about all the shows, films and comics that matter. This is their new venture:

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Local comic creators, Lisa Fary and John Dallaire, will be at Geno’s Steaks in South Philadelphia fundraising for the Fraternal Order of Police survivors fund.

The pair’s latest comic effort, Intergalactic Law: Grey Squad is on Zuda, DC Comics’ online competition, through April 30th. The winner is selected via reader votes over the course of the competition. For every vote and comment that Grey Squad earns, Fary and Dallaire are donating twenty-five cents to the Philadelphia police survivors fund, with a goal of $1000. 

(from the 'Grey Squad' website)

If you want to show your support:

• Go and read Grey Squad on Zuda
  
• Click the “Vote” button to the right of the comic. The red box will turn green when you’ve voted. Click a star rating right under the “Vote” button. Click “Add to Favorites” at the bottom of the voting block.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and leave a comment. Say you voted for Grey Squad.

More exciting news!

It's been a week and a half in the fandom with double-Joss at the Paley on the Dr Horrible and Dollhouse panels, and as the reports come in I'll post about them. In the meantime @Tabz has posted her report over at Joss'd and it's full of lovely details and brilliant pictures from @danregal. And - did you know Felicia Day persuaded Nathan Fillion to join Twitter after the Dr Horrible panel? Yes, it's really him!

And not least...

I'm still working on finding an agent and publisher for my novel. This is a lengthy process. To keep me going I've been working on alternative ways to promote the book and I'll be making an announcement about that over the weekend. I think you'll like it. I hope you do!

More Extras Needed for new Fan-Made

Big Damn Fan Films, Inc. is in need of a handful of extras for their independent film, “BROWNCOATS: REDEMPTION,” at an undisclosed location near Washington, D.C. on April 25, 2009. PLEASE NOTE: anyone who has been accepted as an extra for the scenes filmed near Ocean City, MD is not eligible to participate this day.This is a nonpaid gig, but

read more | digg story

EXTRAS NEEDED: So you wanna be in a movie?

Have you ever wanted to hang out in an old western saloon? Would you like to walk down an old western street that has been decorated for the Chinese New Year? Would you like to possibly participate in a saloon-style brawl? Big Damn Fan Films, Inc. will be in need of several extras for their independent film, “BROWNCOATS: REDEMPTION”.

read more | digg story

Exclusive Kim Evey interview on Whedonage and Browncoat News

Plus another update on The Guild 

The next installment about The Guild is now up on Whedonage and a great interview with Kim Evey. I can't thank her enough for doing the interview in spite of me making a...well, that's another story. If you want to know more, skip to the bottom of the page (not for those who cringe at other people's embarrassment!).

Browncoat news? A film?! What does that mean?

Excitement and the chance to hear more stories from the 'Verse! I won't rehash the Whedonage article here but suffice to say that a group of dedicated Browncoats are working on a new film set in the Firefly/Serenity universe called Browncoats: Redemption. This has had Joss' blessing (though neither Universal nor anyone else has agreed yet) and all the profits will go to charity. They have a website and a Facebook site where you can find out more. I wish them all the best and I will ordering my copy as soon as it's all finished - this is a very exciting project!

Why it's sometimes best to if you don't try to be funny....

Some people have the ability to convey their personality, or aspects of it, through interviews. I think Kim is one of them. I've read quite a few interviews and articles about Kim and The Guild over the last few months and I thought I had a handle on the person. I was thrilled when she said she would do the interview and went into overdrive with questions - there was so much I wanted to know. And then I thought "Kim's a funny sort of person  - she'll appreciate a joke. I'll send her some questions from Evil WorldofHiglet and pretend they are the real interview questions - she'll think it's hi-larious!"

How I chuckled to myself as I prepared to send off the first message to Kim. We were using The Guild email/messaging system and I sent off the Evil WoH questions first, intending to follow up with the real questions straight after. And that's where it all started to go pear-shaped. 

I had not realised that there was a size limit on messages sent via the messaging system. I cut and pasted the real interview into the message and then learned the awful truth. I couldn't possibly send all the questions in one message - it would take at least two. I did a quick calculation and worked out it should do with two if I trimmed it slightly. Ok. Not ideal but nevermind. So I sent the second message with the article intro and an explanation about how the first email was a joke and the real questions would be in the next email. 

And then I found out that the size limit was characters INCLUDING SPACES. So the questions wouldn't fit into the third email!  I was going to have to split them into another 2 messages....at this point I think it's safe to say that I was regretting having ever started! But I had to press on to the bitter end. So I sent the questions split into next two messages out with the title "This isn't spam...." I felt more than a little stupid and wondered how Kim was going to react to a whole slew of nonsensical messages from someone who was obviously a sandwich or two short of a picnic.

I stewed for a couple of days, wondering what to do. But I couldn't leave it and so sent one last message explaining that if she could let me have another email address I could send the whole thing to her. In one go. There might have been some groveling in there too. I'm trying to repress so I can't say for sure. Kim sent an email back in which she tactfully ignored my spamming her inbox. She gave an alternate address and she even offered to answer the Evil WoH questions! I can't tell you how relieved I was. So, the interview was saved, if not my pride.

Well, I thought I would just share that with you. Yep, I'm a bit of a doofus. But luckily it all worked out and Kim gave some great answers. Check out the interview - she rocks!