Lightsabre have been busy – this weekend bring the second part of their interview with Fanboys director Kyle Newman. And among their other recent guests is the always-entertaining Anthony Daniels.
Digital artists name McQuarrie Grand Master
The CG Society has named Ralph McQuarrie a Grand Master in the forthcoming artbook EXPOSÉ 7. (via)
Simon Pegg on Trek/Wars…
Time Out New York puts Star Trek actor but Star Wars fan Simon Pegg on the Hot Seat, and he opines that the Trek franchise has maintained its integrity while Star Wars hasn’t. Maybe he just didn’t see Star Trek V, or Insurrection? Then again, with the holodeck on The Next Generation, he voices that it jumped the shark there. Anyway, only one more day until the release of Star Trek…
Gate Geek – Thanks, Urgo
We interrupt my real life in the H1N1 response to bring some sad news to the Stargate family. Dom DeLuise, talented comedian and the creator of the much-beloved character Urgo, has died at the age of 75.
Mr. DeLuise was also father to long-time Stargate director/writer Peter DeLuise and actors Michael (Colonel Danning from Wormhole Extreme) and David (Sam’s boyfriend Pete Shanahan).
Urgo once said, “I wanna live! I wanna experience the universe! And I wanna eat pie!” Hopefully you’re now getting to do so.
Aaron is up, about and posting on LJ!
Aaron Allston is back home, on the internet, and he’s posted an entry over at allston_info! Read his tale of Orange Juice, Laxatives, and Near Death Experiences.
Star Wars in the news: Steve Sansweet, gays in gaming, helmetage, Matt Lanter
Steve Sansweet in the news. Forbes sits down with the ultimate Star Wars collector – with a bonus peek at 12 items in his collection.
Consequences. The Bioware censorship firestorm prompts Kotaku to take a look at past issues with homosexuality in gaming.
Well… I guess… There’s a touch of Star Wars in these new British fire helmets. But my first impression is some other movie… That I can’t quite identify…
People. Matt Lanter on The Clone Wars and 90210.
Natalie Portman starts filmmaking website
Entertainment Weekly‘s Popwatch points towards a new site co-founded by the actress, MakingOf. The site goes behind the scenes with a variety of filmmaking insiders and looks at upcoming films. It only launched last week, so there’s not much yet, but they do have interviews with Ron Howard and Portman herself.
Goodnight, Ackmena: Bea Arthur dies at 86
A family spokesman has announced that Bea Arthur died at home early this morning. The actress had been suffering from cancer.
Arthur may be best known as one of the stars of the classic 80’s sitcom Golden Girls, but to those of us entrenched in the GFFA she will always be Ackmena, night shift bartender of the Cantina in the Holiday Special.
Gate Geek – I see interesting things
I really need to do these more often. Lots of news flying, these days.
Prepare to be astounded. Stargate Universe is going to feature an openly gay character for the first time; in addition to being “dark and edgy.” (The cast does not appear to be as dark and edgy, though. If you’re not already following them, cast members David Blue and Brian Jacob Smith have been Twittering up a storm and seem like a lot of fun.)
So this gay thing is not entirely new. It has already been said that at least one of the Atlantis characters was gay, but they never put it on screen. And there may be others.
Maybe they’ll do that in the “some day soon” version of the Atlantis movie? (Joe Mallozzi has been working on the script.) But apparently MGM is being a bit wishy-washy about the timing for this and the next SG1 project.
In spend-some-money news, there is a preview of the Teal’c animated maquette on i09 that is entirely too cute. (Words rarely associated with Teal’c.)
You can also spend your money to have lunch with Richard Dean Anderson to benefit the Waterkeeper Alliance.
And in yet still unrelated news, big, um, congrats to the incredibly talented Christopher Hyerdahl for being cast in the next Twilight movie. May you not be overrun by Twihards.
Aaron Allston Released from the Hospital
Happy news! Aaron Allston has been released from the hospital after an entirely-too-long stay for a heart bypass.
(Big kudos to the 501st Star Garrison for all their help and support. If anyone has needed anything, someone’s there to solve it in an instant.)
A reminder that Aaron’s friends are trying to help him cover the costs of this hospital stay. Please help out, if you can.