Christmas, birthdays and blogging

The simple answer is: they don't mix!

But that's okay. Normal service will resume shortly. Lots of juicy tidbits to share but for now I will leave you with this little snippet. The Guild Wrap Party videos have been posted by the lovely Kenny (Behind The Scenes film-maker for The Guild) and they make wonderful viewing. Enjoy!

And while you are on The Guild Community site join and then add me as a friend :)

http://community.watchtheguild.com/video/the-guild-karaoke-wrap-party-1

Find more videos like this on Watch The Guild

http://community.watchtheguild.com/video/the-guild-karaoke-wrap-party-2

http://community.watchtheguild.com/video/the-guild-karaoke-wrap-party

Find more videos like this on Watch The Guild

http://community.watchtheguild.com/video/the-guild-karaoke-wrap-party

Find more videos like this on Watch The Guild

Birthday wishes and exciting announcements!

Yes, I am very definitely over the hill 

And you know what? I could care less! This year has been momentous with highs and lows, beginnings and ends and all manner of wonderfulness in between. I'm going to do a reflective look back for New Year, so for today this is a little post to say how much I appreciate all the friends I've made online in the last year. Thank you all for the support, well wishes and fun! Even those people who visit here and never comment - I know where you live, remember, and I appreciate you popping by.

So, what's the news?

There's tons going on and I have some very special announcements to make before I head off for some birthday fun:

In January I'm going to writing for PINK RAYGUN!

Ever since I first visited Pink Raygun I've been enthralled. I always spend much longer over there than I intend because it is packed full of fanly-goodness! From the hilarious comic strip, Intergalactic Law to the reviews of all your favourite TV, Film, books and web content, there is something for everyone (yes, even boys are allowed). Pink Raygun: Lisa Fary, Julianna Weiss and John Dallaire were on my list of people to queue to see at Comic Con so when they said they wouldn't mind if I wrote for them I was over the moon. 

The format's still to be decided but there will be interviews - lots of lovely interviews. So, who would you like to see given the full Higlet treatment? Felicia Day seems to have survived the ordeal ok, and Kim Evey and Vince Caso are recovering, but who will be the next victim? If you have anyone you would like me to interview let me know. I have some ideas....

The Streamy Awards are announced!

In a very exciting move Tubefilter have teamed up with NewTeeVee and Tilzy.TV to present the Streamy Awards. Tubefilter have all the details on their website, and this is what the awards are all about:

"Anyone can nominate their favorite web series, stars and creators starting today at Streamys.orgin any of the 25 award categories. From the nominations, an independent non-profit organization called the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV), will select the final nominees in each category. The most-nominated entries in each category will automatically be one of the final five nominees. There’s also an Audience Choice Awards that will go to the web series (of any format) that receives the greatest number of public votes. The winners will be announced live at the 2009 Streamy Awards Ceremony held in Los Angeles on March 29, 2009."

This is going to be a huge event and we have a say in who wins! Now, who are you going nominate?

Evil WorldofHiglet is set to return

Well, the news from the Evil League of Evil Applications Processing Office (that is such a catchy title, don't you think?!) is grim indeed. Evil WoH finds out whether her application has been accepted or not and there's the ELE Christmas Humbug Party to deal with, too! I'm actually slightly afraid for Goggle-head - I can't see how this is going to end well...! If The Guild can do a Christmas special (which is very, very funny) then I'm sure Evil WoH is up to the challenge. More news to follow soon - betcha can't wait :)

And finally....

I hope you all have a great day, weekend, festive season, etc. Thanks again for all your kind words and I'm off now to have some Birthday Fun!

P.S.

Thanks to Soma, who added a Forum topic on The Guild Community site about my birthday - and to everyone who commented. And to Edgar who wrote a touching blog post, too. You guys are AWESOME!

Battlestar Galactica Webisodes Premiere This Week

How can you not be excited?! From the article:"Starting December 12th, SciFi will begin "airing" a 10-part series of Battlestar Galactica webisodes before the show's return...[on] January 16th.Each episode will be three to four minutes in length with two episodes released weekly until the final season begins...first episode is co-written by Jane Espenson"

read more | digg story

Bagpuss and Ivor creator dies. Oliver Postgate, RIP.

From the BBC Article:

'Bagpuss creator Oliver Postgate has died aged 83, his family has confirmed.Postgate, who lived in Kent, created some of the best-loved children's TV series including Ivor the Engine, the Clangers and Noggin the Nog.

His work, screened on the BBC and ITV from the 1950s to the present day, was often in collaboration with the artist and puppeteer Peter Firmin.In a poll earlier this year, Bagpuss, a saggy pink cloth cat, was voted the best TV animal of all-time.

Postgate's partner, Naomi Linnell, confirmed he died at a nursing home near his home in Broadstairs in Kent on Monday.Oliver said it himself, he was always a little boy. Friend and colleague, Sandra Kerr, has been paying tribute to "a creative and eccentric talent".'

Anyone growing up in the UK from the 1970s onwards would almost certainly have seen at least on of the series he created. I remember them vividly and fondly. They were gentle, humourous and intelligent. His work enriched my childhood and this is sad news. RIP.

read more | digg story

The Guild Season 2 - Episode 3: Quest Accepted!

Zaboo begins his journey on the road to manhood; Codex learns more about Vork than she'd ever want to know. And in this episode I absolutely guarantee that Felicia Day runs around naked! This is a brilliant episode and the outside sequences add a great extra dimension. Love this webseries!

read more | digg story

Dr Horrible, The Guild and Contagious

I'm sure you know this already but just in case... 

The Dr Horrible DVD is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com. And the great news is that there have been so many pre-orders already that the price has been reduced twice and is now $9.99. Please use this link to Amazon.com because if you do, Joss and co get a referral fee. You will also be able to view the original trailer and a sneaky-peek of the extras in the form of Neil Patrick Harris talking about Dr Horrible. And the even better news is that the CD is also available for pre-order at Amazon.com. Looks like it's going to be a Horrible Christmas...

The Guild Season 2 finishes filming

...very soon. As Felicia said in her recent interview (!) they are five days of filming to finish up Season 2. They have up to Episode 7 in the bag already and now they are completing the season. they started yesterday and they have had some special visitors to the set. Cricket Lee, who kindly gave us the great interview after she went to the Dr Horrible/The Guild Whedonopolis Halloween event, and Edgar Garcia, the 'Edgar of all trades' who is also Webmaster for WatchTheGuild.com and Felicia's website. Cricket is going to be an extra and hopefully we are going to see Edgar on the screen as well. With any luck, we will hear more from Cricket soon!

Soma, from the WatchTheGuild.com Community site, set up a group campaigning for Edgar to be on The Guild. Felicia has said how important Edgar is a number of times (although don't spread that around - his ego doesn't need to get any bigger) so this is a brilliant example of how doing something good can be rewarded. Not that Edgar asked for a reward, but it gives you a warm feeling to know that people appreciate what you do. I may have teared up when I realised he was going to be there...yes, I am soppy, so sue me!

News from the set

Well one thing is certain - no spoilers are going to be posted around! This is for two reasons: Felicia has said that she doesn't want any spoilers released and no-one wants to upset Felicia (remember my Kim Evey interview? You don't want to get on the wrong side of Felicia...). Seriously, though, I am very happy about this and I'm sure that the reason we haven't heard any rumours are that people respect what Felicia is doing and do not want to ruin it. In this cynical world that's a great thing. But we do know that Sandeep had an action-packed day yesterday. And we also know that Felicia, generous soul that she is, has passed her cold on. You might say she was Contagious...

News from the Sigler

And as if to help me with linking this eclectic post together, Scott Sigler has posted Episode 1 of 'Contagious' as a podcast today. Contagious is the follow-up to the supremely horrible 'Infected'. And by that I mean that 'Infected' was gory, suspenseful and full of horror. Contagious is due for release on December but, as with 'Infected', Scott is giving it all away, bit by delicious bit. But you'll be buying the book. Believe me, you'll be buying the book! Mr Sigler is a very fluffy bunny of a person (he loves people referring to him like that) and gets his kicks knowing that he is doing good works. Which is the only explanation that works when you consider that he is giving it all away on his site this Christmas! Yes, you can make your own deliciously spine-tingly gifts  courtesy of the Future Dark Overlord (tm). Get your arts-and-crafts hats on because here is all you need to create a DVD for your friends containing over 50 hours of unabridged audiobooks in MP3 format:

• EARTHCORE
• ANCESTOR
• THE ROOKIE
• NOCTURNAL Episodes 1-5
• BLOODCAST SEASON #1

How cool is that?! Go to his website and there are instructions and even a DVD insert and label designs (yes, you need to supply your own gluestick and blank DVDs, don't be a cheapskate!).

The Guild S2, Ep2 now up and more Felicia Interviews

Maybe I can learn to love MSN Video. 

It could happen. At the moment this is how I am viewing The Guild Season 2, so I'm getting used to it, at least. I could use XBox Live but that would mean getting off the computer (not happening at the moment!) or, if I have had one, a Zune. But it's MSN Video at the moment and, you know, it's not that bad, just very different to YouTube. It looks slicker and the difference in the sound and picture quality is very noticeable. Episode 2 is now released and...well it had me laughing out loud and I have my new catchphrase! I'll share it later once you've seen it - it's up on MSN Video and if you lose the link just look for 'What's Hot' - it's bound to be there! And I've just noticed that it's also now available directly from the WatchTheGuild.com front page - sweeeeet :)

Felicia on The Game Show from thestream.tv

Ms Day was a busy lady last week (you know, for a change!) and did lots of interviews (ahem), including a live interview. Now think about that for a moment. It's one thing to do an interview where you can ask for edit or brush your hair if you need too but live - pretty much anything can happen. It was broadcast on thestream.tv live and the great thing about it was that not only was it live, anyone and everyone could participate, ask questions and make comments because of the nifty chat feature that is available during all the live broadcasts. 

Wrath of The Day

There is now an edited version available to view or download entitled 'Wrath of The Day' (think about it) and I recommend it. The Game Show is about gaming and there is discussion about World of Warcraft but lots and lots more. Like how Felicia angered Neil Patrick Harris during a signing session, saucy Cheetos revelations and who the top 7 red-headed game characters are (some surprises there - no Amy from Sonic, for a start!). I was introduced to thestream.tv recently by my Guildie friend Cricket Lee and it's really growing on me. I used to love live shows on Tv when I was young because of the excitement of knowing you didn't know what was going to happen next (Tiswas - I heart you!). Add to that the fact that it's on your computer AND you can participate and it is a tempting proposition. These are professionally produced shows and it's worth having a look through the wide variety that's on offer.

The Desert Bus For Hope

Felicia also did an interview with The Desert Bus who are raising money for Child's Play Charity. It is the second year that LoadingReadyRun.com have done this event and they have already raised $50,000. They took questions from people to ask Felicia, including one from a certain Edgar Garcia...I am going to listen to the rest of the interview later today but the bits I've heard so far have been very funny (how much rivalry is there between Felicia and Jeff Lewis?!). You can Digg their attempt, too - the more people know about it, the longer they will be out there...

No-one expects the Fannish Inquisition!

Did I mention I interviewed Felicia Day last week? I did?

Blah blah blah I've been really busy - yeah, I know you're bored with hearing that so here's a post that isn't about me writing my book, doing interviews and hanging with the stars like Felicia. Instead, this is about two great interweb events you may have missed.

And now for something completely different

Monty Python is now officially on YouTube! As they have put on their channel:

"For 3 years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them on YouTube. Now the tables are turned. It's time for us to take matters into our own hands... 

We've launched our own Monty Python channel on YouTube....

But we want something in return.

None of your driveling, mindless comments. Instead, we want you to click on the links, buy our movies & TV shows and soften our pain and disgust at being ripped off all these years."

Yay for the Great British Compromise! 

Fannish Inquistion? Shurley Shome Mishtake!

And one of their great sketches (which isn't yet officially available but you can find easily if you look...) is the Spanish Inquisition. Were you expecting that? In a clever twist there is a relatively new site that has nothing at all to do with Monty Python but everything to do with the news that matters most - Sci-fi news! The Fannish Inquisition has been going for a few months and already there is some brilliant coverage of Firefly and Stargate conventions including lots of interviews, podcasts from the events and photos.

Creation Con in Burbank, LA 

The latest reports are from the Stargate and Firefly Conventions in Burbank which were held on Nov 21-23 2008. There is so much to read about the event! I am totally in awe of the attention to detail, depth of interviews and reporting and the quality of the photos. Stunning. Plus there are podcasts interviews, too! Ron Glass, Jewel Staite, Adam Bladwin, Summer Glau and Gina Torres were all at the event and I a sure that you won't find better coverage than this. You know I've been busy but I couldn't help but spend far too much time reading up on what my favourite stars have been up to! So for everyone who, like me, didn't get to go, this is the next best thing.

Black Friday - shop online with KNTR and make a difference!

The Kids Need To Read Holiday Shop is open

....and they have a wonderful selection and many items have 25% off during their Black Friday sale event. This event runs from November 28th and November 30th - it's on NOW!

The have books, audio books, jewellry, games, plushy toys, bath sets...lots of choices and every item you buy goes towards funding the work of Kids Need To Read. The work they do as a Literacy Foundation is simple but so powerful. From their mission statement:

"There are great numbers of schools that have not been able to buy new books for their students to read for years. Kids Need to Read was established to fight this disaster by sending exciting new books to under-funded schools and libraries across the United States, as well as to other institutions that serve children, particularly disadvantaged children whose gift from Kids Need to Read is sometimes the first book they have ever owned."

The foundation was set up by award-winning author P J Haarsma (who writes the fantastic 'Softwire' books) and actor Nathan Fillion (who starred as Captain Hammer in Doctor Horrible and as Mal in Firefly and Serenity). The KNTR Holiday Shop also has signed items such is this whole set signed by Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly/Serenity) which you can 'Buy it now' for only $80! 

This has three great signed items - that's three presents sorted out for $80 and you don't even need to leave the house or the warming glow of your computer monitor! Plus you know that you have supported a foundation that is helping to bring the gift of books to children (from the KNTR Mission Statement):

"Reading – it is the single most important skill children must learn to be productive members of society. Books open their minds, inspire their imaginations and stimulate their intelligence. As budget cutbacks increase, funding for libraries is often the first thing to go, especially in failing school systems."

Go and visit the KNTR Holiday shop now! It's open until Christmas but the special Black Friday offers end on November 30th.

My Video interview with Felicia Day

What a day it was yesterday!

The Guild Season 2, episode 1 was released on Tuesday – have you seen it yet? Funny, smart with a brilliant cliffhanger, and it looks so wonderful! I’ve seen it a few times already. There have been lots of new faces on watchtheguild.com community site and many of them have just seen all of Season 1 and started Season 2 in the last day!

It’s a secret!

People have kept asking me about the Felicia interview and I’ve just not been able to say anything. We arranged last week that it would be this week but I knew how hectic it was going to be for Felicia and I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.

I was a bit nervous….

When I started this blog nearly 200 posts ago I never dreamed that it would develop into what it has. Felicia was someone I made contact with quite early on and I never thought that I would get to interview her. I had been trying to prepare, write out questions, practice on hubby but I was still more than a tad nervous. This was going to be Felicia Day (or Felicia Day, Day. Or Felicia squared…)! On my laptop! Talking to me!

In good hands

But, being the sweet person she is Felicia contacted me yesterday morning at the arranged time. She hadn’t realized it was going to be a video interview and so she very gamely set up her laptop with the webcam and rang back so we could do the interview. Apart from my not being able to talk properly and calling the Frag Dolls http://www.fragdolls.com/  the Frag Girls (sorry!) and mispronouncing lots of words like Gamer Vixens http://www.gamervixens.com  I think it went well. I enjoyed talking to Felicia so much the time whizzed by and Felicia was kind enough to say it was good to meet in person  (via webcam!) after all this time.

Time flies…

In the end we chatted for over twenty minutes, which I know was a big part of the day for her to give up. They were frantically editing so they could get ready for Thanksgiving, so a HUGE thank you to Felicia. Do you want to know where you can see the videos? You do?

Whedonage.com is the word

They are on Whedonage.com along with a brief summary of each part as part of the series I've been doing about The Guild. But I've also put them here because....Felicia is so cool!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

P.S. 

There was a few little bits not shown but mostly they were saying hello and good bye and things. Mostly...

The Guild: Season 2, News and Felicia Interview

How excited are you?

However you answered that question it was NOT ENOUGH! There are so many things to tell today that I can barely type.  But I will try.

The Guild Sponsorship Unveiled

After lots of speculation it was revealed last night that the sponsors for Season 2 are Microsoft. In a ground-breaking deal The Guild Season 2 will be available only through Microsoft channels, but it as The Hollywood Reporter states, won’t leave anyone behind:

"The tech giant has an exclusive lock on the long-awaited second season of the cult favorite Internet series, which will be the first to be distributed worldwide simultaneously across Microsoft's triple platform of Xbox 360's Live Marketplace, MSN and Zune."

So anyone with an Internet connection will be able to view the season on MSN instead of YouTube.

Season 2 starts tomorrow

And the new season starts tomorrow, 25^th November! I’m not clear at what time it’ll be online but there will be notifications on WatchTheGuild.com.

Season 2 trailers out now

Trailers are out and they look so good! There is a very noticeable difference in picture quality and we get another glimpse of the great new titles that Matthew Brackney has created. I think it’s fair to say that the dynamic between Codex and Zaboo remains as unresolved as ever! They are funny and they set us up for the new season really well.

New look for The Guild website

Edgar Garcia, webmaster extraordinaire, has been working his socks off supporting people all over the place.  After getting the new retardidpoliceman.com site off the ground last week he has woven his magic over the new-look WatchTheGuild.com website. I think the new look is great!

Felicia Day video interview – have you got a question you want to ask her?

There was something else happening this week that was mildly exciting. Now what was it? Could it be that I am going to be doing a video interview with Felicia Day, someone I’ve been following for a good while now and whom I hold in very high regard? Heck yes! I have already interviewed Vincent Caso (who stars as Bladezz) and Kim Evey (Producer for The Guild) for Whedonage.com. Several people have posted questions for Felicia and if you have one, please add a comment and ask. I’ll get through as many as I can so Felicia could be answering your question! I can’t say exactly when it will be but you need to hurry up on this one.

Writing, Erotic Fiction and Zoe Winters

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Star Trek trailer (oh my!) and more films you need to know about

I will not be swayed 

I'm sorry, but I am hopeful and eager to see the new Star Trek film. We were discussing the new trailer (and many other lofty topics, of course) on The Guild chat last night. Some people are already gnashing their teeth about how the 'reimagining' has stomped over everything they hold dear and true. I understand this. The USS Enterprise, that most iconic of starships (well, that and the Millenium Falcon) has had a makeover and people are not a bit happy. 

But this is a new venture. If it was the same as The Original Series or even the older films then what would be the point? The problem stems from the fact that it isn't The Next, Next Generation, it's remaking TOS, and that makes it more than little tricky. But I want to see how they do it before I condemn it. I loved the new Battlestar Galactica and they made Starbuck a woman! What's your feeling about the new film?

And the new film has Simon Pegg in it as Scotty. I love Simon Pegg - he reminds me of Channel 4 on a Friday night, slumped on the sofa watching Spaced. And Big Train. Good, good times. And his films have been brilliant: Shaun of The Dead and Hot Fuzz are in my DVD collection. I went to his IMDb page and saw how many great TV programs and films he's been in. Brilliant. Oh, and he's on Myspace, too.

JSto - I love you, too

Artemis Eternal. If you've been listening closely you will have heard me talk about this independent film before. And Jessica Stover (JSto) was on my list of people I'd queue to see at ComicCon. I follow her on Twitter and if you want the skinny about genius at work, you should try it, too. I didn't realise it until recently but it's people pushing the boundaries of creativity that I find the most interesting. Jessica is one of these people. Check out her website, the Artemis website and her latest videos and you'll see what I mean. EpicFU made her Fu of the week and they get how great she is - you need to know about her now so you can say you knew all along how great it was going to be. Become a Wingman and make a difference.

Jathia's Wager - you can contribute

The prequel teaser trailer for a the new collaborative film, Jathia's Wager is now released. If you want to take part in creating a film then this is the project for you. There is a script and initial casting has been done but there is still plenty of time for you to get involved. Go to their site and find out how.

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!

News abounds: Felicia and Kim update

The NewTeeVee awards were on today

San Francisco was host to the great and good in the web video world. Perhaps not surprisingly Felicia Day was this week named by NewTeeVee as one of their 'breakout stars of 2008'. Felicia and Kim Evey were there today mixing with the other online stars. Felicia had a great interview and confirmed the news that there is, indeed, a sponsor for The Guild Season 2. Details will be announced next week. And she also said how great the fans of the show were, including Dani, who has done so much work on the translations and subtitles.

Kim Evey was not feeling well, apparently

On the trip to SF yesterday, she tweeted:

On my way to SF! Check @feliciaday to see what I'm doing cuz she always remembers to Tweet. I have a tummy ache. Best. Tweet. Ever.

But the great news for us is that Kim still took the time to send me her interview back last night, all done and dusted and fabulous. There will be a new post on Whedonage very soon with that interview in full - well worth the read.

And even better news is that Kim appears to have recovered enough to go out for some Sengalese food tonight, so all is well with the world!

Do you have a question for Felicia Day?

If you have, I could be asking her about it very soon!

You will be glad to know that The Guild Season 2 starts on 25th November. In honour of this Whedonage are running a series of articles. Yesterday there was an introduction to Season 2 and a great interview with Vincent Caro (Bladezz). Vincent was a real sport to do the interview and he is a great guy. Next will be more news about The Guild and an interview with Kim Evey. Yes, the Kim Evey, producer of The Guild and star of Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show and Two Hot Girls in the Shower (among many others).

But what about Felicia?

Oh yes, and the other news is that I'll be doing a video interview with Felicia in the next couple of weeks. Now I have promised I will do my best not to bibble (or squeee - hey that sounds like a traditional English dinner!), so we should have that covered. Now I have tons of questions for Felicia but I'm sure everyone does. So if you want me to ask her something then just comment on the Whedonage post and I'll do my best to ask as many questions as possible. My big problem now is how to present the video. I'm not sure the world is ready to see me on a video - how can I get around that? If only I had a way to be on the video without actually being seen....!

Friday? Already?! Another week gone....

Dang I'm so behind, I'm going have to resort to Plan 9

It's not from Outer Space but it might as well be. This is a post of last resort. The Mashable open web awards are up at the moment so I'm going to see if this post can be so sucky it wins the 'most p*sspoor attempt at making up for lost blogtime - ever!' I'm very hopeful.

What's the what?

This is my list of things I think you would want to know about that have, are or will happen (-ed, -ing). It's not even the full list but then, if it was, I might not win that fictitious Mashable award. That's a 'lose-lose' situation we can all enjoy! Also, I have put links in where I could (be bothered) but in some cases you might have to do some more work yourself. Again, it's all about keeping you guessing. Feel free to complain in the comments section (for all the good it will do you). At this stage it's all about getting this post done so I can enjoy the rest of my Friday.

Strike TV - a new force in Internet Video

• Born out of the Writer's Strike last year - check it out for some great new webseries.
  

Dr Horrible

• Soundtrack is on offer this week at $5 from Amazon.com
  
• Dr Horrible was one of Time's best inventions for this year (yes, this was over a week ago)
  
• New teeshirts are available from Jinx
  
• And don't forget to nominate your favourite Evil League of Evil applications!

The Guild

• Season 2 starts on November 25th (woot!)
  
• New teeshirts will be available from Jinx on Monday and you can get Season 1 DVD there, too.
  
• First trailers for Season 2 should be out next week
  
• I have 3 up-coming posts on Whedonage about The Guild which include interviews withVincent Caro (Bladezz), Kim Evey (producer of The Guild and creator/star of Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show) and *gasp* a video interview with Feliciaherself. You will get a chance to submit a question for Felicia so when it's published I'll let you know.
  

NaNoWriMo

Ever wanted to write a book? How about a novel - in a month? That's the simple premise of NaNoWriMo. If you know someone doing it encourage them all you can because it's a punishing schedule. I'm not doing it BUT I am doing something else. The first 11 chapters of my first novel are completed and I have a schedule which says the first draft is to be completed by Christmas. Which is why my blogging in waaaay down. SO if you want to encourage me, too, feel free. A simple 'Get on with it!' will suffice.

Scott Sigler

Is a Podcaster, writer and professional curmudgeon. Last week he offered me a beer. This week he played a cruel trick on all Whedon fans - and you have to be sure he is laughing as we tie ourselves in knots. That probably needs a little more explanation:

• On his AMC blog Scott asked for nominations for the baddest monster hunter of all time. And the funny guy that he is, he's pitted Buffy against River Tam in the week 1 face-off. Apparently there can be only one...it's ok, we will have our revenge.
  
• In other news, his follow-up to the (ok, it was excellent) Infected is out on 30th December which you can pre-order. And in honour of this he is doing a book tour. And one of the places is Seattle. And if I manage to get there (with perhaps a friend or two) I might get a beer.
  
• And the screenwriter has been announced for the Infected screenplay.

Firefly: Between the Lines?

• The Buffy: Between the Lines studio has a special edition - Firefly! It takes place between the Firefly episodes “Jaynestown” and “Out of Gas” and is well worth a listen.

Ma, I've done my homework, can I go play (have a beer) now?

Yes. Yes I can. It's scribbled and barely legible but I've finished. I hope you all have a good weekend!

Whedonopolis presents: Dr Horrible and The Guild

Trick or Treat?

That’s what I was doing last night with my little one, and we had lots of fun (and candy). A few (hundred) miles away in LA there was a different kind of Halloween going on. Whedonopolis staged a charity of screening of both Dr Horrible and The Guild – and there were a few surprise guests in attendance! There is an account of the night by Hollywood Jane and there is a video on YouTube that is a little shaky but you can hear what’s being said and is well worth a watch.

Special report from Cricket Lee

I was lucky enough to meet someone online in The Guild chat today that was at the event last night. Cricket Lee is the writer/editor of the show "Can I Nail It" for a live streaming internet network called thestream.tv   She has uploaded some great event pictures to her profile on The Guild Community site which include descriptions and items from the goodie bags! Cricket also very kindly answered some questions about the night for all of us not able to attend:

[WoH] How did you get your ticket?

[CL] I had bought tickets a couple weeks ago but my friend Sean Becker (who is currently directing season 2 of The Guild) gave me his, so I donated mine to charity

[WoH] What was the buzz like before? 

[CL] People were excited and ready to go! When the first Dr Horrible episode came out for free, I went to iTunes asap, bought a season pass, and when the album came out I bought that, too. And there's just so much about The Guild that I love...I don't play WoW (more of a video game girl) but I dated a guy who did so I loved the veiled references and the keyboard speak.

[WoH] Did you see any of the stars of The Guild or Dr Horrible there? 

[CL] I DID! I saw Jeff Lewis, Felicia Day, Joss Whedon, and Nathan Fillion! Felicia came in disguise as a Luchador and Fillion as Ninja Ropes guy.

[WoH] Did you get to speak to any of them? 

[CL] NO, dang it. I stood 6 feet away from Jeff and Felicia in the lobby before everyone else was let in and I chickened out. I'm sure they're inundated with people everyday and would usually like a day to themselves. but next time, I'm gonna say hi!

[WoH] What was the high-point for you? 

[CL] EVERYTHING! but if I had to narrow it down I'd say three things:

1) seeing Felicia, Jeff, Joss, and Fillion.

2) knowing that a really good charity is getting some much needed help. all in all I donated about 50 bucks. Wanna check out the charity? www.PATHVentures.org

3) I won a 25 dollar gifty to Golden Apple comics

[WoH] Did people sing along? 

[CL] (They) sang, quoted lines, even hand/facial gestures...myself included! it really could be the new Rocky Horror for the sci-fi/gamer set. If they did it once a month, I'd go everytime. It was so awesome to be among like minded people and we could all be our hip, weird, nerdy selves and no one cared because they were singing/reciting lines just as loud or louder than the next person!

[WoH] Were people dressed up?

[CL]ABSOLUTELY. I came as a Jedi. I saw the Bad Horse Chorus, a girl dressed as Dr Horrible in red, quite a few Dr H's in white, a couple of Penny's, couple Guild members, oh man...SO many costumes! One of the Dr H writers came as Kurt Cobain and was DEAD on.

[WoH] What was in the goodie-bags? 

[CL] It was called Dr Horrible's Sing Along Bag and there were props to be used during the film which included little lace curtains, a penny, and a Bad Horse finger puppet.

You can find out more about Cricket on The Guild Community site and her MySpace account.

Thank you for answering the questions and sharing your pictures Cricket!

Podcasters FTW!

Here's the first of a few posts over the next couple of days - enjoy!

Metamor City: high-action, sci-fi futureworld

I love the idea of Podcasts and I listen to them whenever I can. A little while ago @etherius, a Twitter friend from the early days of me using Twitter, put out a call asking for people to do the introductions for his sumptuous Podcast, Metamor City. I answered that call and you can hear me doing the introduction to MCP 028 - MAKING THE CUT: Chapter 19. There is lots of information about the world Chris has created on the website and it's well worth checking out.

One of these days I will ask Chris Lester if he will do an interview and he will say yes and then everyone will know about the fantastic world he has created. If you read this blog then there is a very good chance that Metamor City will be the Podcast you are looking for – highly recommended! @etherius is a generous and interesting Twitterer so check him out.

Buffy: Between the Lines – so much to squee about!

Tabz and crew seem to have been in creative-overdrive these last few weeks so if you haven’t been over to the B:BtL website recently now is the time to do so! Season 2 is well under way, scripts and commentaries are available,  and they even had a spooky Halloween minisode this week. You can also vote for B:BtL on the Podcast Awards - every day until Nov 6^th.  Tabz has her own Twitter account and so does B:BtL - well worth following  and don't forget to vote!

 

Young Junius – Seth Harwood’s gritty thriller

Another star in the Podcasting firmament is Seth Harwood. If you like crime thrillers with a twist then you should make your way to his website asap. And if you like to be sent threatening emails by sexy FBI laydeez then I would definitely sign up and get onto the forums quick-smart, or else! Seth is another great Tweeter so why not follow him.

Scott Sigler

Actually, Scott will have to wait his turn. Too much to say about him for this post so you’ll have to wait to find out. But I will say he offered to buy me a beer today…

So much to tell, so little time...

It's the 1st November, let's start the month well!

I have a big backlog of mini-posts and snippets for you. The list is now so long that I have 2 choices. Either just list them with links so you can pick out the ones of interest yourself or just do a series of short blogs. Decisions, decisions!

I suppose you will just have to wait until the next post to find out what I decided, but as a teaser here are some of the topics: new independent book publisher, new internet video channel, Dr Horrible, The Guild, Kim Evey, Vincent Caro, GTCMS, NaNoWriMo, Dr Who, Buffy: Between the Lines, Metamor City, Scott Sigler, Seth Harwood...

Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show: Now with added Wash!

TCMS Season 2 is well under way....

And the latest episode stars a familiar face - Alan Tudyk! I'm a HUGE fan of GTCMS a weekly webseries starring Kiko, whose infectiously happy mangling of the English language is a real pleasure to behold. Each week a guest (or victim) visits with Kiko and her happy band of, er, friends and chaos ensues. In the latest episode lobster fisherman Girly Boy (or Gary Boyd, or Wash!) finds himself in mortal danger. Only the collective strength of Team GTCMS and their balls can save him. 

Who is responsible for this medley of manic madness?

Kim Evey is writer, producer and also stars as Kiko. Ms Evey and her husband Greg Benson also produce a number of other webseries including 

Retarded Policeman (perhaps not what you are expecting and all the better for it)
Two Hot Girls in the Shower (definitely not what you are expecting and infinitely funnier)
The Guild (oh yes! I may have mentioned The Guild before a few hundred times!)

Where can you see this fantastic webseries?

On the Intertubes, of course! You can either view on YouTube or directly at the Crackle.com.

And they are on Facebook, too. I've embedded Season 2, Episode 7 (with Alan Tudyk) here:

What are you waiting for? Watch them all now!

Anything else?

Unicow (he's a unicorn cow), one of Kiko's friends, has his own series with episode 1 called 'Unicow gets laid'. And this is exactly what you would expect. I confidently predict that you won't have seen a funnier deadpan performance from anyone in a Unicow costume before. Enjoy!

Evil League Applications update

Over on Whedonage.com...

there's a new article up today (by yours truly) about the ELE Applications. Rachel Rhee, the new Dr Horrible Project Manager, has been interviewed on drhorrible.net. She confirmed that every single application will be viewed by team:

"I keep an eye out on the Whedonesque message board to see what fans are saying and I’ve read that a lot of people are feeling like their applications might not get selected because they are not getting written up about by some of the press the ELE has received. I just want to reassure everyone out there that every, single application is being reviewed. If you submitted to us before the deadline, it will definitely get seen by the Dr. Horrible Team."

This is good news, but most people do not have the time to sift through the 650 applications so this is a chance for everyone to put forward their favourites with reasons why they think they are good. Pop over to Whedonage.com and add your comment and share your favourite videos with us all. 

Browncoats honoured and Dr Horrible update

Kids Need To Read new Endowment 

A wonderful announcement on the KNTR website this week:

"All of us at The Kids Need to Read Foundation sincerely thank the Browncoat community for its ongoing support of our efforts to not only provide books for children, but to encourage a life-long love of reading in the kids our books touch. To permanently demonstrate our gratitude, Kids Need to Read is establishing The Kids Need to Read Browncoat Endowment. This fund is being started from a donation by the California Browncoats and expanded by donations from the Austin Browncoats, Mid-South Browncoats and NoVA Browncoats Meetup Group..."

KNTR have already donated to many schools and organisations and this endowment will ensure that carries on in perpetuity. Many, many congratulations to KNTR and all Browncoats for the wonderful work you do.

What is a Browncoat?

Whedonesque posed this question today. What's your take on that?

Dr Horrible - top ten lists 

The Applications for the Evil League of Evil closed last week and since then there has been mounting excitement. Lists of people's favourites are popping up all over the place, and Pink Raygun are starting to interview some of the applicants and their creators. I can't possibly comment on any of the entries for the obvious reasons, but here some lists if you want to look for ourselves:

Pensees Admiratives

Tilzy TV

i09.com

And theonetruebix has set up a playlist of all the YouTube applications he has found:

YouTube Playlist

One thing that has struck me (apart from the obvious fact that neither Evil WorldofHiglet's or Felicia Day's entries aren't on any of the lists!) is that people are going for the  more highly-produced entries. My preferences don't swing that way, but that's only me. And no, I won't be publishing a list of favourites....

Social Media and Blog Action Day 2008 Come Together

Danny Brown writes....

This is my personal donation to Blog Action Day 2008 and beyond. At the end of each year, I will let you know how much was donated. Yet as I said, we’re all in this together. Social media brings everyone together, so let’s open up our arms and bring in the poverty-stricken of the world into our network.

read more | digg story

Danny Brown is bringing the issue of poverty home in this article. And to prove that his words have meaning he will donate $0.10 for every unique comment he gets - direct action working. I know Danny from www.micromagnate.com where his contributions are always interesting and engaging, and this is his latest blog post on his own Social Media website. And did I mention he is now the latest in a long line of illustrious Bloggers to be taken on by iEntry and WebProNews business network as a syndicated Blog Partner?

8 Poverty Resources You MUST Check Out Today. No Excuses

There are 1 billion impoverished people in the world. There are only 8 causes in this list. It will take you 2 minutes to read it, and 1 minute to share one of the links with your friends. Why wouldn’t you act now and make a dent in the poverty problem?

read more | digg story

Competition Winner! Plus - stats!

Without further ado, I'm pleased to announce... 

That there is a winner to the Evil WorldofHiglet competition to identify the DVDs and book on Evil WorldofHiglet's printer. These are the items in order (left to right):

Battlestar Galactica Season 3

Infected by Scott Sigler

Angel Season 2

The Guild Season 1

Done The Impossible - The Fans' Tale of Firefly and Serenity

In the end there were several entries that were correct so I had to number them all and apply the 'random number generator' to them. 

What's that - you want a name?

Ok, well the lucky winner is Lisa T! I've already sent the Application Form to Lisa and once I get that back I'll be working on a special episode - I've already got some ideas :) Lisa T is also the voice of Cordelia in Buffy: Between the Lines Season 2 and has a podcast/blog. SoCongratulations to Lisa T and a huge THANK YOU to everyone who took part in the Competition. 

Some quick stats - and more thanks

Between the 8 videos in the Evil WorldofHiglet Application Processing there has been over 12,500 views, so thank you everyone who has watched, commented and favourited them. There have even been some video responses which are well worth having a look at. We are working on a musical episode or two, too, which should be fun. I've not heard from Felicia yet, but she only got back from Blizzcon today. I mean, what's the worst that can happen?

Felicia Day and The Guild crew at Blizzcon

While the cat's away...

Blizzcon is well under way and they are being treated to the whole cast of The Guild - which is pretty lucky if you are there. My Evil Twin has taken the opportunity of Felicia being out of the loop temporarily to post a new video to YouTube. It's not the for the faint-hearted and I apologise in advance to Ms Day. It wasn't me. It was my Evil Twin. Against my better judgement I'm posting it here:

Surprise Felicia Day ELE application

I'm sure Felicia will see the funny side. Eventually.

One to watch: Life on Mars (US) starts tonight (plus - pr0n!)

Sam Tyler - you need to know this name

When I first saw 'Life on Mars' (UK) in England it was with mixed feelings. I loved the programme (LOVED it) and the fact it is set in Manchster and features many familiar locations added to my enjoyment. And I had recently moved from Hyde, so even funnier. This is a cop/sci-fi cross-over programme such as you will not have seen before. It is witty, dark, action-packed and has more style than A-line flares with pockets at the knees. And the music....The fact that it featured the building where I worked at the time in some of the scenes was, well, incidental. I've stopped twitching when I see it now...

The US version premieres tonight

And now this side of the Atlantic is going to be treated to the US version tonight on ABC. Now I am somewhat sceptical of 'versions' but I've seen the trailer and I'm convinced. Not only does it star Harvey Keitel as the Gene Hunt character, the styling and music look great. I really hope it lives up to expectations. I hardly watch the TV since Battlestar Galactica finished (even Dr Who is recorded but unwatched) but I'm going to be watching tonight.

Ashes to Ashes

As luck would have it I've just finished watching 'Ashes to Ashes' (UK), the follow-up to 'Life on Mars' and, if anything that is even better than 'Life on Mars'. That might be purely be for the music alone, and anyone who grew up in the 80's will appreciate the time and effort put into the sound, hair, fashion and eyeliner evident in the show. Season 2 will be out in 2009 and I'll be shipping over the DVDs as soon as they are out. Pure escapism.

Pr0n? Here?

Well, not really, so don't panic. I subscribe to James Gunn's Twitter (you know me, all the cool kids did so I thought I should, too) and he's been wittering on about a new thing he's been playing with. Nathan Fillion is one of his friends, so he can't be all bad, now, can he? Well, Mr Gunn is a bit of a potty-mouth and generally not the sort of person my gran would have liked to hang with (you know, if she had known what that meant). But he is nothing if not amusing. His latest exploit has a wonderful twist - PG Porn. I was reminded of this yesterday by reader Ed R (thanks ed!), and so I did actually watch it. And guess who's the star? Nathan Fillion! And guess what else? It is really PG! And very funny. The picture wasn't great as it kept freezing (in the wrong bits) but it's perfectly safe to watch - even though it's on Spike :) It's had over 200, 000 views in the first 24 hrs, so why not go and see what the fuss is about.

McCain’s planetariophobia

Just had to do the 'Digg 'n' Blog about this post from the BadAstronomer:

So a little while back, John McCain made an ill-advised crack about planetaria (that’s the plural of planetarium), calling them "foolishness". It was ill advised because it raised the hackles of lots of science-loving folks, including those who want to — gasp, horror! — educate kids about astronomy and science.

read more | digg story

ELE Applications close in 3 DAYS!

October 11th is the closing date

So you'd better get cracking or you'll miss the cut off for being considered for the DVD. The numbers of applications are rising, and if the amount of new posts on Wonderflonium.com this morning is anything to go by, the ELE (and Evil WorldofHiglet!) are going to have their work cut out for them looking through them all. All the rules and information are on the Evil League of Evil website so make sure you follow their instructions. I did a post last week with some pointers, too, and there is so much information on the Internet about creating videos that there really is no excuse to have a go. Come on - it can't be worse than this, after all!

My Evil Twin's ELE Competition closes on the 11th, too.

I've had several correct entries to the competition where you can win Evil WorldofHiglet assessing your application to the ELE. You don't need to have done a video and if you win you will get a video on YouTube critiquing your application in best Evil WorldofHiglet style. What? You're too chicken? Thought so....but if you decide to have a go all you need to do is identify all the DVD and the book in this picture. How could I make it more simple? (Note: I wrote 'simpler' first and then cringed and berated myself for such slack use of language. It's all about standards, people).

Stuff happened

And in more, related, news:

• Dr Horrible is finally available from iTunes in the UK and Australia
• Felicia Day has Twittered that Season 2, Ep 1 of The Guild now has a rough cut (very exciting!)
• Felicia has also Twittered that she is appearing in more than 1 episode of a new sitcom, Roommates
• A trailer (complete with spoilers) has been posted on YouTube for Nathan Fillion's new series, Castle which is due to be released in 2009.

And, finally

Dark forces are at work, my friends. A new Evil WorldofHiglet video is due at the end of this week and this one is not to be missed. I can't say anything else about it because it is filed under 'SuperSecretProject' but this is the one. Tell your friends.

PS

Kim Evey was chatting again on the Watch The Guild Community site a couple of days ago after a gruelling weekend of shooting The Guild. She said she still wants a Higlet and that she was going to go and watch the videos. Excited? I was so hyper I nearly forgot to do a screenshot! Hehe. Yes. I am very sad, but - Kim Evey! And anyone (Dani, Chris, Nas, Nathan or anyone else) who tells you I was starting rumours on the chat is completely wrong. It was a misunderstanding, nothing more.