A group of British Lego employees assembled an army of 35,310 Lego Star Wars Clone Troopers mini-figs to raise awareness (and cash) for The National Autistic Society.
So, about that Harry Potter notecard…
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter prequel – and the 12 other notecard works from authors such as Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood – are now online for all to read.
UPDATE: Reading Rowling’s handwriting is a bit of a chore, but thankfully there’s something of a transcription over at SnitchSeeker.com. (via)
Commemorative coin honors Katie Johnson
A special R2-KT collectible coin is now available, commemorating Katie Johnson, the 7-year-old daughter of 501st founder Albin Johnson, who died after a long batte with cancer in 2005. (R2-KT is Katie’s namesake.) All proceeds from the sale of the coin will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
In the Potterverse…
The short, handwritten prequel that JK Rowling penned for charity will be auctioned off today in London. The story features the misadventures of the Marauders and is set three years before the birth of Harry Potter. According to the BBC, the story ends with the words: “From the prequel I am not working on – but that was fun!”
The money from JKR’s story, plus those of Nick Hornby, Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood, Lauren Child, Sebastian Faulks, Tom Stoppard and Irvine Welsh will go to two charities — English PEN (an “international fellowship of writers, working together to promote literature and defend the freedom to write”) and Dyslexia Action.
In other news, Warwick Davis talks about his role as Professor Filius Flitwick.
The fandom minute
- Media: Civilian Alice Bradley’s account of life with two hard-core Star Wars fans.
- Fanzines: FF Portugal has released the first full issue of their zine, Undercity #1.
- 501st: Vader’s finest inducted comic writer John Ostrander as an honorary member at ICON earlier this month.
- Video: Cartoonist Adam Koford draws Yoda on Sketchcast. (via)
- Charity: The Washington DC Metro Area Star Wars Collecting Club is selling a Boba Fett pin to raise funds for young burn survivors.
Rowling pens mini Potter prequel for charity
J.K. Rowling is only one of the 13 authors and illustrators that Waterstone’s Booksellers tapped to help raise funds for a British writer’s association and dyslexia charity. Rowling’s contribution is a hand-written Harry Potter prequel outline.
“Shiny. Let’s be bad guys.”
Or good guys.
OK, Firefly fans, this is your last chance to buy the shirt off Jayne Cobb’s back. The California Browncoats are assisting Adam Baldwin in an auction to benefit the Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation.
“Shepherd Book once said to me, ‘If you can’t do something smart, do something right.'” — Jayne Cobb
Do Good of the Week – More auction fun!
This week’s geeky auction fun is brought to you by the Waterkeeper Alliance. Apparently there are a lot of celebrities who are supporting it, so dig on into it to see who’s offering. (Some mighty cool vacation opportunities, as well!)
Of geek interest:
- Lunch on the set of Stargate Atlantis with Jewel Staite (Also big fun for Firefly fans.)
- Lunch on the set of Stargate Atlantis with Joe Flanigan
- A paddle signed by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson from the X-Files Movie
- A paddle signed by the casts of SG1 and SGA
- A script signed by the BSG cast. (Sadly from last season, but still….)
- More lunch! This time with Amanda Tapping from the Sanctuary set
How did they score so much geek cred? One of the organization’s biggest supporters is Richard Dean Anderson. He MacGyvered them into it, I’m sure.
Thanks to James and The Browncoats for the heads up!
Do-Good of the Week: Vancouver Sci-Fi Stuff up for Auction!
Actress Babs Chula is apparently much beloved by the Vancouver acting community. (That is quite the resume on IMDB!) Because when she was diagnosed with cancer, a fundraiser was set up to help with her expenses. And it seems like many of the items are coming in from the sci-fi shows who have called Vancouver home.
- Items are being offered up from the X-Files; including dinner with creator Chris Carter or dinner with David Duchovny and Nicholas Lea.
- Dinner with Tahmoh Pheniket from Battlestar Galactica,
- Dinner with director Peter DeLuise from Stargate SG1 and Paul McGillion and Jewel Staite from Stargate Atlantis.
A good cause and some stuff you don’t see terribly often! Check it on out and see if you can help.
The Clone Wars: Early Y-wing fighter
A familiar ship appears in The Clone Wars…
Also tonight on StarWars.com, Sandtroopers.com taking donations to help fund the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the ASPCA. Two who donate will win an exclusive Clone Wars or Indiana Jones litho.