Category: conventions and events

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Celebration V roundup: Badges and the Main Event

Check out the badges! I like them a lot, though it appears I will be getting at least one Clone Wars character. Oh well, what can you do? Nice stuff from Grant Gould all-round.

  • The George and Jon Main Event has been scheduled for Saturday at 11am. We’re going to need more box coffee for that line!
  • More artists. No, Matt Busch did not put himself in his image this time. (I was shocked, too.) But seriously, some nice stuff. My picks: Malcolm Tween’s Millennium Falcon and Clark Mitchell’s Boba Fett. Yes, I picked a Fett. Hey, it’s very nice.
  • A pair of new cereal box images! These are actually so adorable they kind of make me want to sit through collecting panels. (Note the ‘kind of.’)
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Roundup: Get your hunt on at Celebration V

Remember the Kessel Run puzzle race at Celebration IV? Well, our own James and Dan are back with the Bounty Hunt – this time with three different challenges – one each Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Sign up your team by August 5 to guarantee a spot!

  • UPDATE: If you made your hotel reservations through 1800Hotels.com, double-check with your hotel! The company has filed for Chapter 11.
  • The Commitment Chapel is now taking reservations. Sure, it’s not legally binding, but it will cost you 75 big ones.
  • Want to take home a really permanent souvenir? Don’t forget your painkillers, because there’ll be live tattooing. If you’re not quite ready for that level of commitment, there’s a tattoo show Sunday morning or one-of-a-kind skateboard decks will be auctioned off for charity.
  • Need a reason to get a smartphone? iPhone and Android users can look forward to a Celebration mobile app.

And don’t forget postmarks, the Star Wars Stories Project and cereal boxes.

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Familiar faces at SDCC’s Her Universe panel

Ashley Eckstein will be joined by our Star Wars peeps Mary Franklin and Bonnie Burton, artists Cat Staggs and Katie Cook, writer/producer Jane Espenson (Battlestar Galactica, Buffy The Vampire Slayer,) author Melinda Snodgrass and the Syfy Channel’s Director of Development, Erika Kennair. The panel, ‘Her Universe: Shining the Spotlight on Female Fans – the Past, Present and Future of Science Fiction Through Female Eyes’ will take place Saturday evening.

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Roundup highlights: Nearly a month to Celebration V!

32 days to the con and there are mere hours left to order tickets if you want your badge mailed to you: The deadline is 11:59 PM ET. (If you’re reading this Monday morning, you can still register: You’ll just have to pick up your badge in Orlando.)

  • You can preorder your program and those nifty Han/Leia t-shirts.
  • It may feature Boba Fett (sigh) but I actually kind of like the Empire Strikes Back tribute poster. But if you’re after some laughs, check out the latest promo art.
  • The second round of artists is in. My favorite so far? Tsuneo Sanda (at right) though Scott Erwert’s propaganda-style offering is pretty neat as well.
  • You can’t go wrong with troopers on Segways! Okay, we all know that’s a boldfaced lie. In any case, someone is going to smack their head on something, and we can only hope we’ll be there when they do.

There have been more guests added (most notably Warwick Davis and Ben Burtt) but if you’ve missed anything (I know I have) check out this handy page at StarWars.com.

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The fandom minute: Anakin’s borderline is not a disorder

He has issues. Just not those. Psychology Today disagrees with the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder for the Sithling, saying “While Vader/Anakin seems to fit some of the criteria, a closer look shows the traits don’t add up to provide a cohesive portrait of a person with the disorder.”

Con of Cons. There’s no Spectacular at San Diego Comic Con, but since we weren’t expecting much news until August, I think we’ll manage. There is a Her Universe panel, though.

Ballot-stuffing for the win! Clone Wars fans beat out fans of Futurama, Family Guy and some show on FX I’ve never heard of to nab Best Animated Show in TV.com’s Now Awards. (Note to readers: Turn down your speakers before clicking. Note to TV.com: AUTOPLAY IS NEVER OKAY.)

Stop. Just stop. The leader of the Jedi Church has landed a “reality show,” except by “reality show” they mean he’s going to be filming himself and putting it on Youtube.

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Celebration V details from Steve Sansweet

Steve Sansweet at Celebration IV with Mayor Villaraigosa / Photo by Kristen DelValle / starwarsblog @ FlickrOur pal Steve Sansweet was hanging out on the Forcecast tonight, and he gave us some tidbits:

  • Jon Stewart’s “Main Event” with George Lucas will be a one-time only thing, but there will be an overflow room.
  • All six Star Wars films will be screened digitally, two a night.
  • The U.S. Postal Service will be on hand the first day with a special mailing station and themed cancellation stamp.
  • Randy Martinez is doing the program art.
  • There will be some form of opening ceremony – because Steve needs to wear a silly costume (See right.)
  • And weirdest of all… There will be speed dating. No, really. Speed dating.

The podcast is aired live tonight, but will be up later this week.

UPDATE: Listen to Steve on the ForceCast!

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Roundup of unexcitement: 45 days to Celebration V

None of this is all that exciting, but I’m going to try and keep up with the CV bits and pieces every five days or so, and better 45 than 44!