Tomorrow’s Best Buy ad will advertise a sale price of 17.99 and a free Serenity comic. No word yet on what’s inside — I suspect the first third or so of “Those Left Behind,” to help advertise the upcoming hardcover collection — but the cover is the Sean Phillips picture from the back cover of the trade paperback. (Image from The One True B!x at PDX Browncoats)

Amazon has it matched up with different Firefly/Serenity items, depending on your purchase history (#11 at Amazon! Yay!).

Any more deals or special promotions? We’ll know more once the circulars come out tomorrow, but if you hear of any, post ‘em here!

This just popped up on eBay:

This item was won as a prize in an essay contest for the Firefly Talk podcast. Check out http://www.ericolsenphd.com/contest2.htm for a description of the contest and of the item. (And while you’re there, subscribe to their feed if you haven’t already, their podcast is awesome!) This was the second place prize, and is being auctioned off with the blessings of the Firefly Talk people. The proceeds of this auction will be donated to a family whose father is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. I can’t list this auction as charity because of ebay rules, but I want people to know that the item is not being auctioned off for profit. The sale will benefit a newly minted Browncoat to boot, as I loaned him my Firefly DVDs to watch while he was at home recovering and he is now a fan! I can supply further information regarding the situation, but to respect privacy this is all I will say about it here. So, to make sure all the rules are followed, I am stating that you should bid on this item because you want to own it, not because you want to donate money. Clear? :) I am starting the auction off at a low price and with no reserve. The highest bid will win the item. I am doing this to help reassure bidders that I am not looking to profit from the sale of this item.

 

Now, more about the pistol reproduction itself. This is an artist’s proof made by Quantum Mechanix and originally intended for one of their staffers. It was instead donated to Firefly Talk as a prize for the essay contest. (Be sure to check them out at http://quantummechanix.com - they have awesome products.) As such, this is currently a one of a kind item, as the reproductions which will be sold by QMx are not avaialble yet. And they will be limited to 1500, so here’s your chance to get one for sure before they sell out on pre-sale. This reproduction is a quality item and is full sized at just over 14 inches long. Read the description from the QMx website below. Please note that in the listing it says that the handles are hand rubbed walnut…I don’t think they are walnut on the artist’s proof, but instead a very realistic looking plastic. Everything else appears to be exactly the same. The stand is also included, as listed below, but is not shown in the photo.

So hey, Mal pistol for a good cause. Works for me.

Remember the Blue Sun Travel Posters that QMx got out early for the California Browncoats to sell at the San Diego con? Remember the sudden frenzy when Joss finally settled the Londinum/Londinium matter, leaving QMx with suddenly-misprinted posters that became instant collectors items? Remember how badly you wanted one?

TFAW.com’s got ‘em.

Thanks to our partnership with fellow Blue Sun subsidiary, Quantum Mechanix Inc., you can now own a set of Blue Sun Travel Posters. These aren’t just any travel posters either; these sets are 2007 San Diego Comicon exclusives! Printed as an advanced run for sale at the convention, a few sets made it out with a misprinted poster for Londinium (printed as Londinum). It’s not quite as famous as the 1918 Inverted Jenny but it’s still cool.

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.

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.

They’ve only got a limited number of these so don’t delay. And don’t forget the corrected, official sets also are on sale now. TFAW.com has already sold out of the first preorders, but they’re getting more in.

Remember those playful days when you and Kaylee would engage in a rousing game of darts? She’d get a bullseye and laugh, cocking an eyebrow at you in a challenging way, and you’d stand up and, nodding to her as one sportsman to another, hurl a dart into her neck. Good times, good times…Or that was a dream I had. I’m never sure. Anyway, you can get one of the darts the Reavers hit Kaylee with, in this elegant display that includes a screenshot from the movie and a laser-cut logo, from The Prop Store of London.

Because you know the crew has always got your back. And, apparently, your head.

Black hooded, zip front sweatshirt with a full color image of the cast of Serenity on the back, and the Serenity logo on the front. Sweatshirt is brown, 80% Cotton/20% Polyester.

Due out September 12, preorder price is $35.99 (20% off retail). Available in Medium, Large, and X-Large.

Look what popped up in Dark Horse’s solicitations for November:

With the fabulous response we’ve received for our Serenity ships, we are happy to continue with this line of ornaments. Last month we offered Inara’s Shuttle, and this month we are pleased to announce the Reaver Ship. Fans of Firefly and Serenity will be familiar with the look of the Reaver ships, created from abandoned ships and spare parts, with their threatening red markings. In Serenity, the Reaver Ships emerge from an ion storm in the quest for Mal and his crew. We’ve based our ornament on one of the memorable, menacing ships in this scene.

5.5 inches long, 3 inches wide, $39.99.

Thanks to Zach from World’s Finest DVD Report, I’ve got pics of the new Serenity DVD. Please try not to drool over your keyboard any more than you absolutely have to.

Read the rest of this entry »

In one day the Serenity CE shot up in Amazon’s sales rankings from #51 to #11. I see this as a good sign, probably due to Universal’s increased advertising, IGN’s great review, and Amazon’s “By the way” e-mail to Firefly-purchasers (and, of course, my nagging).

And yet, it’s still not enough. The word must be spread. So I’m offering a bribe.

Post about the new Serenity DVD on your blog, on forums, in comments sections. Post a review at an online bookstore or music shop or Netflix. And comment here to let me know about it. I’ll draw a winner at random from the comments and send a DVD your way.

However, don’t spam anybody. No mass e-mails, no mass posting in forums. All you’ll do is annoy people and annoyed people won’t buy the DVD. Stick with your own blog/MySpace/LiveJournal/whatever, and forums and other places where a mention of this great new DVD would be appropriate. Spamming will get you disqualified.

The winner will be drawn at 11:59 pm EST Aug. 20, so you’ll know by Tuesday morning if you’ve won or if you need to go buy a copy. (If you win, buy a copy anyway) If you need talking points, feel free to copy from (or just link to) 25 Reasons Why You Should Buy the Serenity Collector’s Edition DVD or Serenity Collector’s Edition DVD - What’s new, what’s not. If the place allows it (not all review sites do) You can also link to the Amazon page, or TFAW.com, or your favorite online seller, or the Universal page, or SerenityMovie.com, or anywhere else where folks can get more info or buy a copy.

Then come back to this post and put the link in the comments. Be sure to include your e-mail address so I can get to you. If you’d rather not make your e-mail public, post the link in the commetns and then send a copy to cabridges @ gmail.com.

They gave it 9 out of 10, with a wonderfully detailed description of.. well, everything.

The Bottom Line
This is a great, wildly entertaining film - accessible to old and new fans alike, to sci-fi fans and western fans and movie fans, in general - represented on a beautifully packaged Special Edition DVD, sporting a top-notch transfer, some strong audio work and a boatload of worthwhile extras. So, the real question is this: What are you waiting for?

UPDATE: This morning at 9:30 the SerenityCE was #51 at Amazon. As of 11:00 p.m. it’s #11, and it’s the hottest selling movie at TFAW.com. I am well pleased. Let’s go for #1…

Folks, sales of this edition of Serenity are important. In every interview Joss had given in the last month where he mentions it, he stresses that any future Serenity action will depend on how well this DVD does. Joss is not one to pimp his stuff without cause, and I see no reason to doubt him. Universal was impressed enough with the DVD sales, if not the box office, to release this Collector’s Edition and strong sales now might encourage them to keep investing their money in the ‘Verse.

The fans are still out there. “Firefly” and “Serenity” are still strong contenders in every science fiction poll, every best-of list. The stars are getting high-profile gigs in movies and TV; they’re not unknowns anymore. Everything Universal has sold a Serenity license for that’s been produced has, as far as I can tell, made money. Most of them have sold out.

Universal likes “Serenity.” Let’s give them a chance to make some more of it. All you have to do is buy a much better version of the “Serenity” DVD. Tough choice, huh? I’ve already explained why you should buy it and told you what to expect on it, so place your orders or go haunt BestBuy on Aug. 21 and get your copy. Don’t wait for an HD version; I know Joss mentioned something about one in his Amazon interview, but I haven’t seen any signs of one coming.

Get your friends copies. Buy your birthday and Christmas and Hannukah presents early, stock up for emergencies, but buy it next week. We want to show Universal what an opening weekend might look like.