Quite a few folks are, and there hasn’t been a lot of chattering from QMx about ship dates. They announced earlier this year that they were changing manufacturers to get the quality they wanted, but little has been said since then.
 
Turns out you might be waiting a bit longer, but it’ll be worth it. From what I’m hearing — please note, on a WAY unofficial basis from an unnamed source — is that they’ve been doing a lot of market research to make sure that what they’re making is what everyone really wants. The result? The originally planned replica is a very nice compromise on price versus detailing and materials… that may not make anyone particularly happy.
 
See, for average fans, the current $250 (plus shipping) is a bit pricey. But the gun they can produce for that amount isn’t as incredibly shiny as what high-end collectors want, either. QMxers are, first and foremost, collectors themselves, and they want to produce something you can put proudly on display. But they also realize cosplayers need something rough and tumble and relatively inexpensive just in case, well, you know.
 
So their options are to produce cheaper guns that more people can afford but won’t satisfy hardcore collectors, produce exquisitely detailed guns with moving parts that collectors will want, or some combination. Personally, I suspect we’ll be seeing a variety of available Mal replicas coming from QMx, all cast from the original weapons and priced for different markets. Give ‘em credit, they want to do it right – minimum suckage, maximum fan joy – and doing it right takes time.

“I hate waiting.”
–Inigo Montoya

We’ve got the Serenity ornament, the Reaverized Serenity ornament, and Inara’s shuttle is on the way. Is there a Reaver ship in the future? This pic from the San Diego Comic Con seems to say yes.

Can anyone out there confirm this? Can’t make out dates or prices from the card, I’d love to hear more about it. I just wish they had Firefly licensing; I want an ambulance! And Early’s ship, and an Alliance cruiser, and…

More pics here.

UPDATE: Got some answers to the questions in the comments from Josh at TFAW.com:

1. The wings don’t move on Inara’s Shuttle, (sorry).

2. No plans are in the works for the mule yet.

3. The Reaver Ship is next and will probably be available for pre-order sometime in September, Serenity Stuff will let you know when it’s available.  Nothing attaches and reattaches on it.

Can’t stop the signal! Although after it’s out, it looks a little banged up… New at the Prop Store of London, Mr. Universe’s card reader, slightly used.

The destroyed card reader used in the sci-fi classic Serenity. This version of the card reader belonged to Mr Universe and has been burnt, destroyed by the Alliance soldiers. Mal has to go use the secret back up version to broadcast the message to the people of the galaxy. Made from layers of acrylic this prop has been studio distressed and blackened for this particular shot. 19 x 13 x 6 cm (approx 7 x 5 x 2 inches).

I’ve mentioned Stevo’s Toys (formerly The Toy Smith) here before, but he’s been adding more stuff. If you’re making your own set of Firefly dolls or if you just want Ken and Barbie to have some protection against those shady Bratz girls, you definitely need to stop by.

Stevo designs sci-fi and movie-inspired weapons and accessories in 1:6 scale, perfect for 12″ figures.  First up, Mal’s gun.

It’s got the familiar outline and, being made of pewter, it’s got some heft. Way better than G.I. Joe’s plastic stuff. It’s sold separately or as a set with the custom holster rig.

We wouldn’t want Zoe going around unarmed, so her modified Winchester Carbine is ready to go. Again, it’s available separately or with her very distinctive holster rig with that unique leather coloring.

So far, Jayne’s just got a knife. But it’s a really nice one, complete with tooled leather sheath. I can only hope that Vera is on her way…

As someone who has been working on a set of Firefly Barbies for some time — or rather, watching in amazement as my wife creates them — I have to say these are easily the finest replica weapons I’ve seen. We had to make do with close-enough versions from other toy dealers, but I’m thinking we’ll be upgrading.

Stevo also had a wide range of other items including Dirty Harry’s .357 magnum, pirate gear, a wide range of classic and modern weaponry, even a selection of felt hats. Check it out!

And while we’re talking about them… the Blue Sun Travel Posters are now available to preorder at TFAW.com for $29.95.

(Note these are not the typo’d versions that will be available at the Comic Con, these will be the actual release from QMx.)

EXPLORE THE ‘VERSE – WITH BLUE SUN TRAVEL!

The Blue Sun Travel Company encourages citizens of the Alliance to explore the many amazing vistas that comprise our proud republic. It’s a great big ‘Verse full of fabulous sights to see and exotic cultures to experience. Whether you partake in the ancient and noble tea ceremony at the Companion Guild House on Sihnon, behold the awesome canyons of glass and steel on Londinium, enjoy the many distractions of the Gateway District on Persephone, shed a tear for our fallen Alliance heroes at the Monument at Serenity Valley, or be among the first to experience the pure tranquility of Miranda, a multitude of star systems full of unparalleled adventure await you.

And Blue Sun Travel is ready to take you there.

Thanks to our partnership with fellow Blue Sun subsidiary, Quantum Mechanix Inc., you too can own a set of Blue Sun Travel Posters.

This officially licensed set contains 5 full-color, 17″ x 22″ prints on 100-pound, satin-finish paper. Included in the set are posters inviting you to travel to historic Serenity Valley, tranquil Miranda, exciting Persephone, beautiful Sihnon and awe-inspiring Londinium. Sets are rolled and will be shipped in a sturdy mailing tube.

Ship date is listed as August 15 but since they have to go back to press for the Londinium poster it might be a bit late. Get your order in now!

UPDATED: Jessi at SerenityVerse is also accepting preorders, starting today!

Remember those Blue Sun Travel Posters I just mentioned from QMx, that haven’t been officially announced yet but will be available at the California Browncoats booth at the San Diego Comic Con this weekend? Only 300 sets, and no more available until the official release weeks from now?

Funny thing… those 300 will now even more limited issue than we thought…

See, since Mal mentioned a planet in the pilot episode of “Firefly” — “…and I’d like to be king of all Londinium and wear a shiny hat…” — there’s been a controversy over that name and whether Mal (or Nathan) just mispronounced it. The shooting script says Londinum. The background material said Londinum. The official handbooks say Londinum, as does the RPG. Even Geoff Mandel (graphic designer for Serenity) said he knew it was Londinum. And so one of the posters invites you to Londinum, “The Past, Present, and Future of Humanity.”

And then Joss posted about the posters at Whedonesque:

Wow. Those are extremely cool. Masterfully designed.

But it’s ‘Londinium’.

But they’re really great!

joss | July 24, 00:37 CET

Which means that those 300 at the Con are truly collector’s items, because QMx will be redoing the poster for the official release.

Read the rest of this entry »

If I wasn’t already envious enough of the folks getting to Comic Con in San Diego this weekend, it was announced that several new Universal DVD releases would be promo’ed at the com, including:

And last but certainly not least, Joss Whedon will be introducing the August 21st DVD release of the Serenity collector’s edition DVD. The event will include a screening of the disc’s bonus features and a Q&A.

Any SerenityStuff readers attending, I expect transcripts, pictures, video, and detailed descriptions of his scent.

Read the rest of this entry »

The California Browncoats have got it going every way you can think of. Their booth at Comic Con will have Serenity variant ornaments, limited edition mugs, guests like Tim Minear, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Nancy Holder, Bret Matthews, and 11th Hour, and now I can announce that they’ll have something no one else will have: the first copies of QMx’s upcoming release, Blue Sun Travel art prints.

There will be 300 sets available for sale at the California Browncoats booth at the San Diego Comic Con next weekend, July 27-29. These will not be available anywhere else — they won’t even be mentioned on the QMx site — for another couple of weeks, so this is a great chance to get the jump on your friends and get some wonderful prints.

You’re looking at a set of 5 full-color prints, 17″ x 22″, on 100lb satin-finish paper. Included in the set are posters inviting you to travel to historic Serenity Valley, tranquil Miranda, exciting Persephone, beautiful Sihnon, and awe-inspiring Londinum. The detail and lush colors are amazing, and I think I see a familiar hand in that artwork… They’ll be $35, including tax.

Be sure to stop by their booth at A7/A8 for great stuff, wonderful people, amazing giveaways, charity works, and now the most exclusive Serenity item around. Check the California Browncoats site for more info about the weekend.

The weapons used in “Serenity” were stylized, recognizable at a glance, and unique. Official replicas of several of them were made, priced for collectors, and they seem to have sold out since they are no longer listed at Museum Replicas or TFAW.com. So the next best thing? “Inspired” replicas!

Pear Tree Martial Arts has a variety of almost-authentic “Serenity” weaponry available, at very low prices. Something sort of resembling River’s axe? 30 bucks. Jayne’s Bowie? 25. The Operative’s sword (with scabbard) and the Reaver sword (with stand) are probably the closest to the originals, at $40 and $45 respectively, and there’s something called a “Reaver claw” for $20. While they wouldn’t do for a collector, they would spice up your display shelves and liven up your umbrella stand something fierce, for not much cash. And at least the descriptions suggest someone there likes the movie… 

Check out the selection here.

Just when you think you’ve seen all the cool props from “Serenity” the Prop Store of London whips out another one. In this case, a light-up navigation panel of Serenity.

This pad was used as set dressing onboard Serenity. The pad is made from grey plastic with a window on the front, this has an informational acetate sheet attached to it and when the light is switched on using a small slide switch on the bottom shows a fantastically detailed image of the Firefly class ship “Serenity”. The image also contains various data and information printed in Chinese text. It measures approx. 26cm x 17cm (10″ x 6.5″). The batteries have run down and require a charger.