Author: Glenn Hauman

John M. Ford Memorial Auction tonight in Boston

As part of Boskone 44 this weekend, The New England Science Fiction Association is holding the Mike Ford Memorial Auction & Extravaganza at 8 PM tonight. All proceeds of the auction will be donated to the John M. Ford Memorial Book Endowment, a special fund of the Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library.

According to Linda K. Merritt of the Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library, "For every $500 dollars deposited in the endowment funds, the Friends purchase a book for the library system annually with the interest earned on the endowment. This really is the gift that keeps on giving. You can specify what genre or library location/branch the books are intended for. Some people just specify ‘where most needed.’ We prepare bookplates and have them inserted in each book before they are shelved. Patrons will see Mike’s name each time the book is opened! I think it is important for people to know that these funds are ‘permanently restricted’ to the annual purchase of books. The money will never be diverted to other use."

Although his only comics credit was for Captain Confederacy, John M. Ford was the man Neil Gaiman credited as "the best writer he knew" at his eulogy.

UPDATE 12:36 AM: Due to the large number of items received, there will be a silent auction for the remainder of donated items this weekend throughout the convention.

Superhero 2 casting call

Superhero 2 casting call

Open auditions for the second season of Who Wants To Be A Superhero?, the reality series that stars Spider-Man and X-Men co-creator Stan Lee, will be this Friday and Saturday at the Universal Studio’s Citywalk in Los Angeles from 1-3 PM both days. Wannabe superheroes are encouraged to show up in costume to have their auditions taped on site. All applicants must be 18 years or older. Actual superpowers are not required.

Speed Racer to start filming in May

Speed Racer to start filming in May

Based on the 1960s anime, Speed Racer will be filmed in Germany at Studio Babelsberg, according to the Hollywood Reporter, by — the Wachowski brothers? This is a return to where they shot V For Vendetta.  The Warner Bros. movie is currently in pre-production.

Anime reporter wanted

Anime reporter wanted

Anime Selects and Ziddio.com are looking for a reporter who will relate news from the Tokyo Anime Fair next month for VOD and online video segments for a show produced by Comcast’s Select on Demand.

Wannabe reporters can attend auditions at the NY Comic Con at the Javits Center in New York City on February 24 or 25, at the Anime Selects booth, or you can upload your video audition clip at Ziddio.com via the "Be a Tokyo Reporter" link. Applicants must be 18 years or older, have a valid U.S. Passport that won’t expire in the next six months, and have a general to expert knowledge of the anime industry and be physically and mentally capable to travel overseas.

Toy Fair photos, part 2

Toy Fair photos, part 2

Continuing from our earlier post.

First, let’s get the obligatory comic book connection out of the way — the playset based on the set designed by Bryan Hitch, the new TARDIS:

Of course,  you’ll need the figures…

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Genre film costume auction

Genre film costume auction

British auctioneer Bonhams is holding a massive auction of what is believed to be the UK’s largest collection of film and television costumes on March 6th. The collection comes from Angels The Costumiers, a fifth generation family firm that has been doing costumes since 1840 and worked on 26 movies that have won Oscars for Outstanding Achievement In Costume Design.

Items going under the hammer include costumes from Superman, Supergirl, six of the Doctors from Dr. Who, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Highlander, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, James Bond’s suits from Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Tomorrow Never Dies, and Alec Guinness’s Obi Wan cloak, pictured here.

In recognition of the popular appeal of the items, Bonhams’ saleroom will be allowing interested customers the opportunity to try on selected costumes. So if you can’t afford to bid, you could just try flying to London — but you probably won’t be able to nip off somewhere and play with your significant other unless you win. (Hat tip to Craig for the story.)

Toy Fair photos

Toy Fair photos

Yes, we can tell it’s that time of year, because photos start showing up of you with your friendly neighborhood Spider-Yam.

Special thanks to Rebecca Badurina (she’s on the right) for providing photos and information.

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Joss Whedon directing Office episode

Joss Whedon directing Office episode

From Whedonesque via our half siblings at TV Squad, we see that Joss will be directing an episode of NBC’s The Office.

And of course, there will be vampires. Or vampire bats. Or something. Maybe someone cooking with garlic.

And if you look really hard, there’s an invisible jet.

Dark Tower signing at Midtown Comics

It was late and below freezing, but when has that ever stopped real fans?

Well over a hundred people braved the elements to attend the midnight launch of The Dark Tower at the Times Square Midtown Comics, where writer Peter David and artist Jae Lee were on hand to sign copies.

Jae Lee and Peter David preparing to sign

Before midnight, Jae and Peter set up to sign– they were going to have to sign a lot of books. How many, you ask?

 

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The Dark Tower: interview with Peter David

Dark Tower 1Peter David, writer of stuff, was able to take a few minutes between bowling, barfing babies, and boarding a plane to Maine to explain what’s germaine and urbane (and other words in the same vein) about the new Dark Tower series, going on sale tonight at midnight. Oddly, even though I’ve known Peter for over two decades and have been his webmaster for almost five years, this is the first time I’ve ever interviewed him…

Q. Assume I know nothing (always a fair assumption) about The Dark Tower. For those folks out there who’ve never read The Dark Tower or any other works by Stephen King, or just know his works from the movies, can you sum up what the heck’s going on here? What things do I need to know about the story that will make it accessible to me? Or will the comic be fully accessible to those who know nothing about The Dark Tower or even Stephen King?

A. You don’t really need to know anything about the series (well, aside from how to read) than anyone required when the very first Gunslinger novel was published. Basically, Dark Tower is a blend of fantasy and iconic western heroes, detailing the life’s story of Roland, the last of the Gunslingers of a long-ago city called Gilead, and the circumstances that forged him into the hero he eventually became.

Q. So this is more of a true dark fantasy than King’s usual horror?

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