December 2003 News Archive
TRIGAN EMPIRE APPEAL
22/12/03: The
official Don Lawrence web site reports that the Don Lawrence
Collection is working on a collectors edition of his wonderful
Trigan Empire saga containing all the Trigan Empire stories drawn
by Don Lawrence -- over 40 stories, more then 950 pages of artwork.
The Don Lawrence Collection has access to over 750 original pages
which will be scanned in high resolution, and say the quality
of the printing on the final books will be amazing. At this moment
they're also enquiring by fans who has got original artwork if
they could make a contribution by having their page scanned and
send it to them.For the missing pages they can use the original
films of Big Balloon, the publishing house who has published
Trigan all over the world.
So if you've got original artwork (or know someone?), please
let them know at trigan@donlawrence.nl and
they'll get in contact with you. If you want to make another
contribution to the series, please let them know.
The Collection says This is a one time oppurtunity to publish
the Trigan Empire in a real collectors-edition. The plan is for
a series of 12 volumes, each about 80 - 100 pages full-colour,
hardback, deluxe printed and bounded. The first print run will
be 500 copies, price EUR 49.95 each volume. The plan is to publish
two volumes a year and complete the run within five years.
This is the first time the complete series of the Trigan Empire
will be available in the English language.
COURTNEY IS GOD!
22/12/03: Nicholas Courtney (Doctor
Who's Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart)
has taken on the role of God for a new web site. The actor has
lent his voice to some cartoons created by designer Daniel Cohen's
father, David M Cohen, 25 years ago.
Web Link: www.thenextsevendays.com
LET'S HEAR IT FOR HELLBOY
5/12/03: Quicktime versions of the
new Hellboy trailer
are now online at the Apple web site - and it looks fantastic. Hellboy,
from director Guillermo del Toro and based on Mike Mignola's
comic series, opens April 2, 2004 in the US.
Link: www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/hellboy
DOCTOR WHO: ACTION HEROINE
TO BE COMPANION
4/12/03: The Doctor's companion for the new
series set debut in 2005 will be more like Buffy
the Vampire Slayer rather than many past companions
who became "scream queens".
"We've got Buffy the Vampire Slayer now,
so a screaming girly companion would be laughed out of the room," writer
and executive producer of the new series Russell T. Davies told
UK listings magazine TV Times.
The as yet uncast Doctor's sidekick, whose name will probably
be Rose Tyler, will no longer be just a glamorous addition to
the adventures.
Davies says we'll still get a loveable "same old Doctor
Who" facing death and danger from "brand new" monsters
throughout the universe and history -- and the TARDIS will
remain a Police Box.
Although several past female companions had feminist characterisation
-- Sarah Jane Smith for one -- few remained "action heroines",
other than Ace, the final companion played by Sophie Aldred
during the last years of the original show.
• Buy the Doctor Who
theme ringtone (mono or polyphonic) for your mobile (Use the
search facility to find the tone. This site is registered with
the
Performing Rights Society so the original artist gets a percentage
of every purchase: Go
FAB 1 IMAGES FROM
FORD
2/12/03: Car makers Ford have just released some
new images of FAB 1, one of the vehicle stars of Universal's Thunderbirds
movie, due for a Summer 2004 release. The car is a key part
of the International Rescue fleet - the personal transport
of London Agent, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward (played
by Sophia Myles in the film). The design is in stark
contrast to the original FAB 1 from the tv series, which
was inspired by the classic design of Rolls Royce. But
true to the film title, Ford says the new machine has
taken its inspiration from the legendary Ford Thunderbird.
John Beard, the film's production designer, and his team turned
to Ford of Europe's Design Group for help in creating this
fantastic six-wheeled transportation device.
"We had a concept that updated the original, 1960's-designed
pink, six wheeled, glass topped limousine for the 21st century," says
Beard. "Ford's designers, who coincidently were also re-inventing
design classics for the future, came on board and successfully
perfected the concept and gave it the Thunderbird identity."
"Ford's involvement in Thunderbirds was
a wonderful opportunity for our designers to work with similarly
minded people working in a completely different field," explains
Chris Bird, Director of Design for Ford of Europe. "We had
the opportunity to put some serious thought, and fun, into designing
a futuristic 27 foot six-wheeled vehicle that met the needs of
the film makers while staying true to the Thunderbirds spirit."
In addition to FAB 1, Ford has provided a number of other vehicle
concepts that fit into the spirit of excitement, adventure
and slightly off-the-wall fantasy needed for the Thunderbirds film.
• Thunderbird Online: Go
• Buy the original Thunderbirds ringtone (mono or polyphonic)
for your mobile (Use the search facility to find the tone. This
site is registered with the Performing Rights Society so the
original artist gets a percentage of every purchase: Go
MY HERO MARATHONS ON UK GOLD
2/12/03: British digital channel UK Gold is running
every episode of the superhero comedy series My
Hero from 5 January as well as the Christmas special
(first screened in 2000) on Christmas Eve/Day. Read
More...
NEW BABYLON 5 PROJECT
ON CARDS
21/11/03: Babylon 5 creator
J. Michael Straczynski has hinted that some kind of new Babylon
5 project may be on the cards.
"On the B5 front, there has been something of rather substantial
proportion that's finally gone from talk to money," he revealed
in a post this weekend to the Babylon
5 moderated newsgroup, "such that I'm now working frantically
to meet some deadlines, but there's nothing I can say about this
until after January 15th, probably closer to the end of that
month.
"The only thing I can say is that phase one of the new project
is a go, hence the furious writing schedule at this end of things,
which is why I've been silent... I've been writing my little
brains out.
"I know the immediate result of this will be speculation,
but if we could keep that to a low roar on the nets to avoid
precluding anything, that would be a wonderfulness. But trust
me: I wouldn't go on about something in this way if it wasn't
a significant development. Just trust me on this one for a bit
and hold fire until further word."
• Buy the Babylon 5 ringtone
(mono or polyphonic) for your mobile (Use the search facility
to find the tones. This site is registered with the Performing
Rights Society so the original artist gets a percentage of
every purchase: Go
HITCHIKER'S RETURN
1/12/03: Radio 4 is to broadcast an adapation of Life,
the Universe and Everything, by Douglas Adams after a
20-year wait. The BBC says the new dramatisation will feature
most of the original Hitch-Hiker radio cast. This time, in
consequence of a number of catastrophes, Arthur Dent finds
himself living in a cave on prehistoric Earth, and then things
get worse. The final two books, So Long,
and Thanks for all the Fish and Mostly
Harmless, will be broadcast later in the year.
• Buy Nick Webb's official biography of Adams, Wish
You Were Here from amazon.co.uk
• Buy Titan Books Don't
Panic guide to The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy
GOING CUCKOO
The Midwich Cuckoos by
John Wyndham is being broadcast as the Classic Serial on BBC
Radio 4 on Sundays at 3.00pm. The dramatisation stars Bill
Nighy, Sarah Parrish, Nicholas R Bailey and Clive Merrison.
Set in the 1950s, The Midwich Cuckoos sees
a rural English village visited by a strange presence. One
night, all of the women of childbearing age are mysteriously
impregnated, and later give birth to sinister children who
can communicate telepathically.
