People across the world are gearing up for this year’s Can’t Stop the Serenity event, where showings of Serenity will be held on or around June 23 (Joss’ birthday) to benefit Equality Now. Last year over $65,000 dollars was raised from events in 47 cities around the world from Browncoats who gathered and partied and auctioned and sang and just shindigged their hearts out before watching the magic happen all over again on the big screen.

Even if you can’t make it to one of the shows — none close to you? organize your own — you can still help by donating or by buying Can’t Stop the Serenity merchandise, and the first thing up is an incredible full-color 27? x 40? teaser poster by BlackMarketBeagles.com’s Adam Levermore-Rich. This isn’t the final version, which will be released in May and contain the sponsor logos and list of participating cities. This one is a limited run of 500 copies, available now, and once they’re gone they’re gone. $20, plus shipping, and they’re only available from the following sources:

Dallas: http://dallas.cantstoptheserenity.com
Pittsburgh: http://pabrowncoats.blogspot.com
Charlotte: tanyamorris2001@yahoo.com
Raleigh: raleighbrowncoat@gmail.com
Chicago: maryquesera@earthlink.com

Don’t miss out, they’re selling fast.

BitTorrent, the fast and efficient file-sharing program that revolutionalized the art of video piracy, is now offering legal downloads. That means you have to pay for them now.

And, as all good video stores must, it’s offering Firefly.

I have to admit I’m not entirely sure what the benefit is of buying Firefly this way instead of through other download services or just buying the DVD set, which is often on sale for much cheaper. Or, you know, torrenting it without paying for it (reminder: This is bad.) Apparently the files only work on Windows XP Media Player so if you were looking for an alternative to the iTunes or Amazon versions, go for it.

I haven’t tried one yet to see how the quality differs. Can anyone testify?

The “River Triumphant” statue from Diamond, originally due to be released next week, has been pushed back to June 27. No word yet as to why, but it’s not unexpected.

Preordering is over for this statue, but TFAW is working on getting more for you Johnnie-come-latelies and you can check with your local comics folks.

There’s still time to preorder a Serenity variant ornament, but not much. You’ve only got until Monday, March 1, to order yours and then that’s it because these are being sold by advance order only. The production run will be based on the number of ornaments preordered and then that’s it, no more. I’m sure some of the shops will order extra but this puppy is going to sell fast and then go nuts on eBay, so get your order in now. 

This is a variant of the original Serenity ornament with Reaver disguise added. It comes with a hook for hanging and a stand for displaying. Preorder it quick and you’ll still get 10% off from TFAw.com

Fruity Oaty Bars! They make a man into a mouse! And they’re 100% cotton! No word yet on the busting out of yor blouse thing yet, but pictures may be sent to this website.

MakeUsSmile.com has official Fruity Oaty Bar tees! More official stuff, more! We still have money left!

Hey, remember that shirt Mal was wearing at the end of Serenity when the Operative was all “it’s over, I think, unless it isn’t,” and Mal was all “yeah, whatever, get out, I kill you,” and Operative was like, “Yeah, whatever,” and then Mal and Zoe did that scene that was all, you know, serious and dripping with meaning and stuff, and then that cool scene with River where she’s all fixed now but still really spooky in a cool way and everything?

This is that shirt.

Mounted on a laser-cut board, with the movie logo and two movie stills, from The Prop Store of London.

Or at least it seems like it. Amazon still has it for $24.97, and now Target and Borders have joined the party (although when I was in Target yesterday it was selling for $19.95, so you may want to try some offline shopping). And Best Buy brought it down to $19.99.

It’s also $26.21 at DeepDiscount.com (free shipping), $24.91 at Overstock.com, and $29.88 at Wal-Mart (where the director is listed as Vondie Curtis Hall, for some reason).

Time to get shopping! There must be someone out there who hasn’t yet experienced Vondie’s amazing series…

This just in from FireflyGal:

The Southeastern Browncoats are doing a yearbook!

SEBC will be putting together a yearbook of Browncoat activities, shindigs, and convention fun; basically anything Browncoaty.

The book will be hardcover, about 200 pages, about 180 will be full color.  SEBC will be selling the books at Dragon*Con and on the website.  With a pre-payment of $20 the book will cost $40.  Pick up and balance due will be
collected at Dragon*Con 2007.  It will cost more to buy direct at Dragon*Con.  So preorder now (hint, hint)
http://www.southeasternbrowncoats.com/

All proceeds will go to supporting our children’s charities, the Al Wooten Center (Ron Glass is on the board of directors) and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

This is YOUR yearbook!  SEBC needs submissions, suggestions, ideas.  Join the Yahoo group to follow the progress and give your input http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SEBCYearbook/

Southeastern Browncoats (SEBC) is a 501(3)(c) non-profit supporting children’s charities and equal rights.

You’ll need to order by June 1, 2007, to get the $40 price. After that you can still pre-order but the total price will be more expensive (final price is yet to be determined).

I wonder if I can get my picture with the Glee Club…

You know his work. You love his work. And that’s because artist Jason Palmer truly loves Firefly. He’s been illustrating professionally for over 15 years now, creating images and prop designs and comic book covers and trading cards and DVD covers and more for a variety of licenses such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Without a Trace, Happy Feet, and Harry Potter. But his licensed illustrations of the crew of the Serenity are a labor of love that have endeared him to the Browncoat community, and he continues to create more. Currently he’s making portraits of each crew member, available separately or as a set (see the end of the interview for more details).

I caught up to him at the FX Con in Orlando this year (pictured with his wife Yelena) to finally get the interview we agreed on at the last FX con. It was worth the wait.

SS: Jason, how did you get started doing licensed artwork?

JP: Well, as far as Serenity and Firefly goes, originally, at the promotional convention for the Firefly DVD, I did a piece just on my own, I thought I should do something to key in on this. So I did a pencil piece for Firefly that you see here, and it was really popular. Joss loved it, Nathan loved it, every… the whole cast really liked it. I kept getting requests about it so I worked it up into a full-fledged painting and it got very popular so I thought, let’s go ahead and get the license, so that’s what we did.

SS: You were already a fan?

JP: Oh, big time, yeah. I actually saw “The Train Job” when it first aired and thought “Wow, this is different, this is very cool.” I was a little leery because there had been so many sci-fi disappointments and things that were just kind of hackneyed but I could tell this looked different. I was a little confused because of the showing out of order–

Read the rest of this entry »

Just noticed at Whedonesque:

The non-profit corporation which produced the original Browncoat cookbook, Browncoat Relief Corps (also known as the BRC), is working on coordinating the sequel volume, draft titled Big Damn Chefs Rise Again. The cookbook is a collaborative charity project, a collection of recipes submitted by fans (also known as Browncoats) and the cast/crew of Joss Whedon’s Firefly television show and the movie Serenity.

Woo hoo! I haven’t even finished eating my way through the last one! Get back in the kitchen, load your guns, and get cookin’! This time they’re also looking for articles and artwork. They start taking submissions March 1 and stop June 15, so far.

The folks at The Sonic Society, expounders of the popular Firefly fanfic radio serial, have been told they need a T-shirt. But they’re not quite up to the task of designing one — they’re not very visual, you see — and they’re asking for help.

Submit the winning entry and you’ll get a copy of the shirt, a CD containing the Firefly “Old Wounds” plays and the scripts, and a copy of “The Shadowland Theatre Scripts.” Deadline is Wednesday, February 28th. Get going, radioland!