Poll: The inevitable Halloween question and link-up

Halloween by Ralph Hockens (rhockens @ Flickr) CC BY-SA 2.0

We’ve been hearing that Star Wars costumes were a hot ticket this year. (Even at the White House.) Above, an amazing AT-ST spotted by Ralph Hockens in New York City. (Another shot here.) There are plenty of shots on Flickrfar too many to link – and StarWars.com has a roundup of their coverage, including action figure costumes.

My internet favorite has to be Darth Vader and the Death Star, though.

But our question is: How many did you see? Answer below or on the sidebar.

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Spot any more pics on Flickr or the internet? Link ’em in the comments! And don’t forget you can enter the Rebelscum Costume Contest through tomorrow.

Gate Geek – Scandal Rocks the Franchise

Whether or not you watch Stargate, you’ve probably heard that Stargate Universe is a very different entry for the franchise.  This has been met with both extensive praise and much gnashing of teeth

WB didn’t do terribly much to help their cause when they insulted the existing fans with their press release announcing a new demographic was being targeted.  Oh.  And did we mention this came out the day after they cancelled Stargate Atlantis?  This started a wave of angst at levels not previously seen in the franchise.  (And fans are capable of some great levels of angst.)  One can assume (or at least hope) this was not intended as an insult, but that’s how it was received.

The cast and crew have done quite a bit to reach out to the fans with a whole-sale assault on Twitter and Facebook.  But unfortunately, the segment of fandom who can’t seem to phrase an opinion without a personal attack have gone after these folks in a major way; forcing one of the main actors (Brian J. Smith) to decide he’s stepping away from an online presence.  (Definitely for the hiatus.  Possibly longer.)

Producer Joe Mallozzi, who has long allowed people to express a certain level of these opinions on his blog, has spoken out about this.  He stands up for his cast and crew (and their families) and reminds people that you don’t have to like a show, but you don’t personally attack the Stargate family.

To that I say “Bravo.”  Enjoying the anonymity of being online is no excuse for not behaving with civility.

Book Review: Steve Sansweet’s 1,000 Collectibles

1,000 Collectibles: Memorabilia and Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away by Stephen J. Sansweet and Anne NeumannAdmit it.  You’ve always wanted to see Steve Sansweet’s collection.  I mean he has the World’s Largest Star Wars Collection.  (I’m sure that has to be trademarked, by now.  But it’s true.)

We’ve gotten to enjoy a video tour in the past, but that doesn’t allow you to really look at all the cool stuff close up.  The new book “1,000 Collectibles:  Memorabilia and Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away” lets you do that without trying to win a charity auction or do something really drastic.

The book is divided into sections based on the type of collectibles.  Sections like “Wear It” and “Eat It” are particularly amusing.

The photography by his curator and co-author, Anne Neumann, really allows you to see the detail in each of the selected pieces.  This is particularly useful for some of the more insane collectibles that just have to be seen to be believed.

For me, though, the best part of the book are the stories.  You can find out how he started.  He tries to answer all the usual questions he gets when he’s giving a tour.  But the captions for each of the items are the most entertaining.  They’re often a large paragraph long and include fun stories about how they were created and the odd ways in which some of them came into his collection.

This is like getting to take a tour of Rancho Obi-Wan without having to go there.  And even though you don’t get to be washed over with the full show, the sheer volume of the book will help make up for it.

If you’re looking to add this to your holiday wish list, tell your loved ones that they can find it in the collectibles section of the bookstore.

The fandom minute: Do tauntaun guts taste like candy?

EW.The internet’s favorite Star Wars cake – this week. As impressive as this Tauntaun grooms cake is, I’m not sure I’d want to eat it. Still, props to the folks at Cake Nouveau for really capturing the moment. And by moment I meant slimy tauntaun guts. (Their dazed-out Luke is amazingly good, too.)

Artoo found in Transformers 2. Are there enough oil baths in the world to get the poor droid clean after this?

Seriously? Someone is taking their dedication to authentic costuming a little too far.

Quack Vader. This unauthorized ’70’s Vader light looks like something Robot Chicken would come up with. Maybe Seth Green had one, too?

And finally… Sideshow has a site up for the customized stormtrooper figures they showed off at SDCC.