Big Kev’s Geek Stuff went to ToyFair 2008, and they stumbled across some interesting items from QMx that we’ve heard teased before. Namely, maquettes based on Adam Levermore-Rich’s wonderful Little Damn Heroes designs.

According to Adam, Andy from QMx was quick to point out that there has not been an official release and that there are “still Ts to cross and Is to dot and other various studio hoops to jump through before they can make an official announcement.” But here’s hoping something comes out soon.

Posted at Adam Hughes’ site, all three covers to the Dark Horse “Serenity: Better Days’ comic miniseries, individually and as the complete pic. Be sure to go see ‘em all, nice and large. Love the expressions…

Remember, 1st issue is coming out March 12 (Preorder it here!) 
#2 will be out Apr. 9 (Preorder it here!).
And the 3rd will be out May 14 (Preorder it here!)

Want to show Universal just how much money they stand to make from more Serenity? This site aims to do just that by letting fans display how much we’ve spent already.

The idea is simple. Use the printable forms to list everything Firefly/Serenity related you’ve purchased, and send those in to Uni. And pile it up and take a picture of yourself with it all to post on the FacesofSerenity.com site, to make it more personal. You can even choose to be on a specific “team” to get some competition going.

The site is still under construction but he’s accepting submissions now, so go check it out. And if you submit a photo, tell him you’re on the SerenityStuff team. If we wouldn’t know about buying Serenity merchandise, who would?

My problem? Finding a way to fit everything I have into one picture. I may need to use Google Maps…

Announced at the California Browncoats site: Adam Baldwin will be auctioning off the original Jayne hat to benefit the Marine Corps - Law Enforcement Foundation.

Fans of Firefly will recognize this hat as the one Jayne Cobb received from his Ma in the episode “The Message.”

The auction for THE Jayne Hat will start on September 24, 2008 and will run until October 4.  Keep an eye out for the auction through the CABC eBay page.

The MCLEF uses donated funds to provide assistance “to children of Marines or Federal law enforcement personnel who were killed on duty or died under extraordinary circumstances while serving our country at home or abroad. These funds enable us to provide these children with scholarships for their higher education.”

There a couple of different people/groups currently working on different ‘verse maps that I know of, and it’s gonna be fun watching them get sorted out. But in the meantime Josh Awtry of the incredible FireflyRPG site — where all the extra stuff you need to make your Serenity RPG amazing are there, for free — has produced a couple of great ones.

Shown above is the new Habitable Worlds map, depicting some of the notable worlds in the Core, Border, and Rim areas, with details. Even more astounding to me is the Astral Navigation chart to help you figure out how long it’ll take for your characters to get from here to there in a moving universe. That’s one you’ll want to have printed as a poster, it’s that good. And, like everything else at FireflyRPG, it’s free!

My new project has launched! Or, rather, slid silently into the water, but at least nothing’s leaking yet, except possibly this metaphor.

“Save Hiatus” is a new web comic written by me and drawn by the incredibly talented Adam Levermore-Rich of Browncoat fame and reknown. It’s the story of a group of fans brought together by a shared love of a TV show. Which then goes away. They don’t take it well. You might say it’s a topic we’re familiar with.

There’s also a forum where fans of the show can gather and reminisce over favorite episodes and memorized dialogue.

“Save Hiatus” will update on Mondays and Fridays, for now, and the first one is up a day early just because we couldn’t wait. So go check it out: http://www.savehiatus.com/

Looking for entertainment at your next Can’t Stop the Serenity shindig? Why not buy a Bard?

The Bedlam Bards, in point of fact, or at least Cedric. To help raise money for the cause he’s auctioning himself off - along with a passel of tasty Serenity items -  an eBay auction going on right now. Here’s what he had to say about it:

In order to raise both funds and awareness for Equality Now, I am auctioning myself on eBay. Well, technically, I’m auctioning a performance at the Can’t Stop the Serenity screening of your choice. Even better, the profits from the auction go to the CSTS screening of your choice, so it’s a double whammy, but in a good way!

  

But wait, that’s not all! You also get steak knives. Steak knives? To heck with the gorram steak knives, you get something a lot shinier than that.

  

A number of Browncoat artisans and celebrities have come forward to donate these prizes which the auction winner GETS TO KEEP:

  

-Autographed Poster {from Quantum Mechanix} It’s signed by Fillion, Tudyk, Minear, Fairman, Edmonson, Woodward, Sonny Rhodes, Nectar Rose, Adam Levermore-Rich (who did the art for the poster), and the Bedlam Bards.  A similar poster fetched over $150 at auction.  

 

-Autographed Bedlam Bards CDs 

-Autographed Done The Impossible DVD and Soundtrack CD {from Brian Wiser} 

-Autographed Browncoat Cruise Souvenir Book {from Brian Wiser} 

-Independent Flag {from Firefly Cargo Bay} 

-Jayne Hat {from Ma Cobb’s Hat Shoppe www.geocities.com/fadingendlessly} 

-Mal’s Holster and Ammo Belt {from www.browncoatfashions.com} The “standard” gun belt size will fit people with hips in the range of 40 to 50 inches.  The winner should specify their actual hip measurement if they need a gun belt larger or smaller in size.  The holster and gun belt come with an ammo pouch suitable for carrying an extra set of clips, a cell phone, or an iPod.  It’s like the one Mal wore in Serenity.  This item typically sells for $160 + S&H. 

 

-Plus  a built-up Mal Pistol, Jayne Pistol, grenade, PAL Communicator and a Zoe ‘Mare’s Leg’ Winchester {from Wilco models} The Wilco Models replica of Mal’s Pistol fits in the Browncoat Fashions holster.

That, my friends, is a hell of a list. Come to think of it, you shouldn’t bid on this. Nope, not at all. In fact, go away. I need to go get my bid in…

Check out the first five pages of the first issue of Dark Horse’s “Serenity: Better Days” comic here. (Note: apparently it doesn’t work so well in Firefox. Grow up, Dark Horse.)

Already we’re getting some answers, but the crew doesn’t seem to be having much luck yet…

The 1st issue is coming out March 12 (Preorder it here!) 
#2 will be out Apr. 9 (Preorder it here!).
And the 3rd will be out May 14 (Preorder it here!)

Dark Horse is soliciting for May and the cover for the 3rd issue of “Serenity: Better Days” is in there, which makes me wonder what happened to the cover for #2. Hasn’t been seen yet, to my knowledge. Is there a mystery? Is it still being drawn? Are they purposely keeping it under wraps because it reveals something that Joss wants kept a surprise? Is there a special edition “bathing Inara” cover? Is there? Huh?

UPDATE: word from Dark Horse is that there’s a delay on the #2 cover art, which isn’t nearly as nefarious as I was hoping for. Unless Adam Hughes is maybe taking extra care drawing a bathing Inara…

From the look of it they’ll all fit together, so I’m really hoping for a poster. Warning: the solicitation for #3 gives away some very spoilery hints, so you may want to avoid peeking.

The 1st issue is coming out March 12 (Preorder it here!) (Preview the 1st 4 pages of pencil art here!). #2 will be out Apr. 9 (Preorder it here!). And the 3rd will be out May 14 (Preorder it here!)

The writers’ strike has affected a lot of people besides the writers and the studios. And after three months the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, created to help actors in need, is running out of funds.

Unfortunately, Marcia Smith, executive director of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, said the organization’s ability to help actors like (Brenda) Ricci is in danger. “If this [rate of giving] continues for even another two weeks, we will have really made a huge dent in our budget,” said Smith. “If we use up all of our money by February, then we’re in trouble.”

And in a few months, if the new WGA contract isn’t to the actors’ liking, they may be going on strike when their contract runs out in June. I know a lot of you have donated to the various writers’ funds, and good on you for doing so. I don’t think any of our BDHs are hurting, but all of them can speak about lean times and the unknown actors from shows we have yet to obsess over may be out there somewhere…

Smith encouraged those who can afford to do so to donate to the SAG Foundation. One hundred percent of donations go to members in need, with no money going to administration costs. Unless the strike ends soon or some major A-list celebrity donors step in, the Foundation will be hard-pressed to continue helping actors. “It’s a difficult time,” she said.

To make a donation or inquire about assistance, contact the SAG Foundation at (323) 549-6708, or visit www.sagfoundation.org. The Actors Fund can be contacted at (323) 933-9244, ext. 55, or online at http://www.actorsfund.org/