Celebration Europe II: Day One: The Best Longest Day Ever

Guten Abend und Möge die Macht mit dir sein, everyone! The Missing Linc is back from its summer vacation and I am dying to get to my recap of Celebration Europe II (and beyond)! Let me just say right off the bat that I had the experience of a lifetime and am so lucky to have spent it with an amazing group of people that traveled from all over the world simply for their love of Star Wars. So let's make me feel super nostalgic and dive into this amazing adventure!

"Blast, This Is Why I Hate Flying!"

That header might be a bit misleading. I had a great flight (via Lufthansa airlines) from New York to Frankfurt on my solo journey to Essen. I got through security just fine, I had an aisle seat with no one next to me, the food was pretty good, and the flight attendants were incredibly nice, even complimenting me on my passable German that I learned through the MindSnacks iPad app. What I soon learned to dread, however, was the arrival at the Frankfurt airport.

Hallo Frankfurt, Hallo Angst!

If only I had thought to take a video of the adventure I went on to reach my connecting flight Dusseldorf. As you can see, I disembarked (also, debarked, both are correct) the plane onto the tarmac and proceeded to hop on a tram. I asked a flight attendant if the tram went to Terminal A, where my flight was leaving from. She assured me that it did (we'll call her Frau Liarstein for this story) and off we went. The tram takes a very circuitous route around the tarmac...allll the way to Terminal B. As everyone and their mothers start to pile out, I ask the conductor if I should stay on to get to Terminal A. No, he says, I have to go through Terminal B. So, a little inconvenient, but I still have about 40 minutes til my flight. I think I can make it.

That is, until I hit security.

As I waited huffily in line, I noticed a British gentleman checking his boarding pass and his watch nervously. Turns out we had different flights, but they were leaving at the same time....and that time was very fast approaching. I made note of our concern to an American security agent who said, in quite possibly the most nasal and haughty voice known to mankind:

"Hyperventilating is a form of free speech, but it won't get you to your plane any faster."

It was then that the New Yorker in me started to rear its ugly head. I managed to calm myself down, reasoning that this doofus had the power to detain me permanently and it probably wouldn't be wise to deliver a haymaker to his head. And so, finally through security, and with around 30 minutes to go, I ran down the corridors of Terminal B, finding my way to a bank of elevators, which I took down. The doors opened and in front of me was another area with more signs to follow, which led me to literally the longest hallway on the face of the Earth.

Meine Dammen und Herren......I present to you...Purgatory.

No sweat, I think. I'll just glide along the moving sidewalk and be at the end in no time. Welllll guess which moving sidewalk going in which direction was broken? You guessed it, mine. Truly the gods of the Frankfurt Airport were toying with this mortal traveler. And neither the cool lighting scheme nor the techno music pumping through the speakers made the dash through this never-ending corridor any more enjoyable. 

When I finally reached the end (had it been a minute, or a millennium?) I noticed that it too ended in a second bank of elevators. Noticing that the line for these elevators was growing steadily, I decided to take the stairs. The four...long....flights of stairs. Beginning to breathe in a way that can definitely be defined as "panting", I realized that I had finally reached Terminal A! Just a few steps down towards the end and I would be able to board my flight with 20 minutes left to spare before takeoff!

Of course, when I reached the end I could not locate Gate A2 anywhere...until I saw a small flight of steps with a sign indicating "Gates A2-A10" pointing down. Rolling my eyes I descended the short staircase and reached an underground level.......starting at A10. When I at long last reached A2 I noticed something odd....I wasn't boarding a plane, I was boarding a bus that was going to to the plane! With under 15 minutes left, I was starting to get a bit antsy. And so I hopped on the bus, specifically designated to go my flight, and waited.....and waited.....and waited. As one or two passengers at a time climbed aboard, and as the seconds ticked down until takeoff, I was starting to feel very Bruce Bannerish. Trying to find solace in my fellow panicked passengers I turned around, only to see a vague approximation of this:

"I say Franz, do you see the little American boy about to lose his shit?"
"Pay him no mind, Helga, his head will explode shortly."

Everyone else! Seven other people! Were calmly reading their newspapers while I was ready to take over the bus and do my own re-enactment of the movie Speed! But, finally, with just six minutes left, we pulled out from Gate A2 and made our windy way to the plane....but not before stopping for two minutes to let a plane land just a couple dozen yards next to us. The only saving grace was that I saw my bag being loaded onto the plane, so I knew it made it too. Hopped on the plane, found my seat (window this time, but still no one sitting next to me), and in two minutes we were off to Dusseldorf.

The urge to jump slowly receded the farther away we got from Frankfurt.

"This is Where the Fun Begins!"

At Dusseldorf, I calmly walked off the plane, grabbed my bags, and met up with my friend and airport taxi driver, Chris Dee. From there we drove the roughly half-hour turned hour-and-a-half (thanks to traffic) drive to Essen. But at that point I didn't care. I was with my friend, and I was finally officially on the way to Essen, and to Celebration! We arrived in Essen and instantly my traveler's spirit re-awakened. I was really here, in Essen, in Germany! And very soon I would be entering the halls of Messe Essen itself.

We arrived at the wonderful Hotel Maximillians, where I quickly freshened up and got ready to head over

It's a shame when a town has no charm or whimsy whatsoever </sarcasm>

At this point I should have been tired, and maybe I should have given myself an hour or so to take a nap and shower....but I was in Germany, and Celebration had already been going a couple of hours by the time I arrived. With every step towards Messe Essen, the convention center, my resolve grew stronger and my excitement began to rise. Following my friend Chris, who was drawing some stares from the locals in his Mandalorian armor, I gave myself fully to the Force, and to that ever-escalating feeling that I had come home...to Celebration.

To quote Nute Gunray: "BIC-toree!"

I went around the corner from the entrance, traded in my confirmation for a 3-day pass, and hurriedly went inside to see just what was in store for me. I was especially curious to see what was similar to and different from the past two Celebrations in Orlando. When I walked through the doors, through the lobby, and into the main hall, I knew that, for whatever might be different, this felt like Celebration.

Packed room filled with fans? Check.

Double check.

Booths, vendors, and people selling stuff at high mark-ups? Check.

Cool statues of famous characters? Checkaroo.

Large replicas of cool vehicles? A-check.

Giant, inflatable version of a droid, character, or ship? Oooh hells check!

Admittedly, I missed the giant inflatable Death Star hanging over the entrance to the Orlando convention center, but a giant inflatable R2-D2 certainly makes up for it! As I made my way through the Main Hall, I noticed that it opened up to an even bigger hall (where the AT-AT is) that contained the Artists Alley, Tattoo area, more booths and vendors, replica set pieces, and the area where you can get pictures with some of the celebs. Looking down on it from the small cafeteria area, it was truly stunning to see so many people (over 20,000 from the official estimates), from all over the world, here to celebrate the saga we all love.

Look sir, Nerds!

And, one of the best thrills was being able to reunite with my Celebration family. If walking into the Main Hall didn't help me shed the hours of travel and the anxiety of making a connecting flight, then seeing the smiling, happy faces of my friends surely did the trick.

At least I think they're smiling....

I said hello to Jazz and Anne, my Norwegian buddies, and Sarah, my mate from Down Under, and at last felt like I had really arrived. But, there was no time to waste! There was so much more to see! After a quick lunch (because, oh yeah, i had eaten in about six hours) we tried to make it to the screening of Episode II: Attack of the Clones in 3-D...although sadly we got to the Digital Stage just as it had filled up. I did, however, get to see more of the convention center, including its Biergarten!

Because of course it would have a Biergarten.....

Not so Angry now, is he?

Because of course he'd be interviewed by a German radio station...

"This is Only the Beginning!"

The beauty of Celebration is that there is always something going on. So we made our way to the Main Stage to see the first big panel of the convention, entitled: "Designing A Galaxy". It featured Doug Chiang and Ian McCaig who were the principal concept artists for the prequels, and who are already hard at work designing the heroes, villains, aliens, ships, and planets we'll see in the Sequel Trilogy.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the warm-up acts were DJ Elliot and comedian Mark Daniel. The duo, who work at Disney Hollywood Studios, had worked previously at Celebrations V and VI, and were known for doling out some sick beats, funny videos, cool T-shirts, and lots of recurring gags and jokes (so much so that you could finish the before they did, and it made them all that much more hilarious). If they were good at CV and CVI, they were in their element at CEII. DJ Elliot's remixes were incredible (including, of course 99 Luftballoons) and Mark Daniel knew how to get the crowd going, including this little diddy he worked up to pay homage to both Star Wars and his home country of Trinidad and Tobago:

After everyone was feeling the island spirit, DJ Elliot and Mark turned the show over to Celebration Europe II's official host, Mr. Warwick Davis. Known to many as Wicket the Ewok, Willow, Professor Flitwick, and many others, Warwick was a brilliant host who combined wit, great questions, and his own fandom to make every panel on the main stage fun and interesting. You'll see more of some of his superb hosting in later posts, but here's his hilarious introduction:

Warwick also came with his own droid, R4-CE2 (....get it?), who was voiced by DJ Elliot. The two had some witty banter which became utterly predictable (and thus, more hilarious) as the convention wore on. To dismiss his upstart droid, Warwick would tell him to go talk to an air conditioner...which of course was unintentionally made even funnier by the fact that there wasn't an air conditioner in the entire nation of Germany. If there had actually been one there for R4 to talk to, I would have sold that droid to the Jawas in a heartbeat for a chance to converse with the AC myself.

Everyone say it with me now: "Anthony Daniels speaks Bocce...."

And then it was time to bring out the featured guests. Doug Chiang and Ian McCaig are chiefly responsible for the look and feel of the Star Wars universe as we know it now. Inheriting the mantle of McQuarrie, these talented artists (and their team) have been at the very forefront of creating some of the most iconic ships, planets, and characters of all time.

Of course we won't fault them for a few mistakes...

The interview was really insightful, with Doug and Ian sharing their inspirations, paths to success, and approaches to creating and designing. The pair could not have been more humble, recognizing the incredible role they have played in shaping a galaxy and a franchise. You began to understand the enormous responsibility they felt, and the obligation to create something brand new and yet utterly Star Wars.

And then they did something really cool. The actually invited a fan on stage to draw with Ian. Under his tutelage, the young fan learned how to draw Darth Maul from the man who created Darth Maul's infamous look. He actually did a very good job, and was given Ian's copy of Maul.

And Warwick....ehhh not-a so much...

When the young fan had departed the stage, Warwick asked who would like to draw a droid with Doug. Well, here's where it gets interesting. Before I knew what was happening my hand was up, Mark Daniel called me out from the audience, and I quickly jaunted up the steps to the stage, shaking hands with three legends from both behind the scenes and on the screen. It took every last bit of my memory of acting in school to not be completely overwhelmed with the fact that here I was, on stage, at Celebration Europe II, in front of a few hundred people and sitting with icons of the saga.

Pictured above: Me absolutely trying not to lose my shit.

Answering a question from Warwick Davis
.......which I can't even believe I'm typing right now

Doing a passable job copying Doug, with Ian looking on

Learning from the Master

Doug moved fast, and I had to work hard to keep up with every circle and line he expertly applied to the canvas. I barely glanced at the audience, or at Warwick and Ian, and focused intensely on my own private (and yet extremely public) master class. As the battle droid we were drawing took shape, Ian leaned over to me and said "Hey, that's pretty good!" Now, I don't know if he was lying or not, but nothing says "giant boost of confidence" like the reassurance of the guy who drew something so freaky George Lucas had to say "Um, show me your second worst nightmare."

When we were finished, I held my sketch up to the audience (unfortunately no picture exists), Warwick had long since given up on his, and I watched as Doug signed his own copy for me. I quickly jotted down on my pad "Doug, Thanks for the lesson! - Joe Sorbera" and handed him my sketch, which he assured me would "Go on his wall" (Again, could not care one dewback's scale if he was lying or not). I shook hands with Doug, Ian, and Warwick as I exited the stage with my prize, got my picture taken by an employee of Lucasfilm, and floated to my seat still on the supreme high I was experiencing. 

Yeah....I can go home right now and be fine...

My first panel, on my first day at CEII and already it was an experience of a lifetime. But it wasn't over yet...not by a long shot! Hell, Day One wasn't even close to over yet! So stay tuned for the next installment of my Celebration Europe II recap for an interview with C-3PO, an Evening with the Emperor, Return of the Jedi in the park, and a night out with some of the coolest people in the galaxy...

Bis Später!

Joe 

Auf Wiedersehen! The Missing Linc Is Heading to Celebration Europe II

The Missing Linc is heading to Germany for the biggest Star Wars party this side of Coruscant!

Not sure if I'll be able to update as frequently as I'd like, but you can check the Missing Linc Facebook Page for more.

See you all soon. And "möge die Macht mit dir sein!"

- Joe

Your Morning Linc: Pacific Rim, Lucas Awarded National Medal of Arts, Power Rangers 20th, EW Interviews Moffat, Saving Mr. Banks

Hoo boy, it's hot out there! If you're looking to beat the heat, I suggest heading to a nice cold theater and seeing  Pacific Rim. My friends and I went to the "old man opening night" screening at 8:00 last Thursday (yeah, they do that now) and I really enjoyed it. The monsters, known as kaiju, were particularly impressive and creative. All credit goes to visual effects supervisor John Knoll, a visionary of our time.

Yep, my childhood just squealed a little bit.

The human element of the story was a little cliche, but an overall good job done by the cast, including potential Twelfth Doctor Idris Elba and a manic Charlie Day as a scientist. Pacific Rim also had a very mech anime vibe (like the Gundam series or Voltron) which I enjoyed. At the end of the day, it was a movie about giant robots fighting monsters, and you can't ask for anything better than that.

And now, on to today's Lincs!

1. George Lucas Honored With National Medal For the Arts

For those of you keeping score at home. That's humans: 3 medals, Chewbacca: 0

On July 10, George Lucas was honored by President Barack Obama with the National Medal for the Arts. The citation for the award reads:

"George Lucas for his contributions to American cinema. By combining the art of storytelling with boundless imagination and cutting-edge techniques, Mr. Lucas has transported us to new worlds and created some of the most beloved and iconic films of all time."

I sincerely congratulate The Maker on this incredible honor and thank him for all the moments that Star Wars, and his other films, have transported me to places beyond my imagination. Thanks, George. And May the Force Be With You.

2. Morphenomenal! Power Rangers Celebrates 20th With Morphing Sequence

The show about teenagers with attitude (and a giant floating head) turns 20 this year. Saban is celebrating with a huge anniversary episode and has also recently released a cool video of all the red rangers (and Tommy's White Ranger) from each season morphing into one another.



How many can you name? Which is your favorite season of Power Rangers?

3. EW Interviews Moffat On Doctor Who's 50th And The Search For Twelve

Soon.

Entertainment Weekly recently sat down with the Moff himself to discuss all things Who. They dished on everything from the Matt Smith's departure, the search for the Twelfth Doctor, the 50th anniversary special, Tennant and Smith's Doctors, and whether or not Matt Smith will wear a wig on his last outing as the Time Lord. Here are a few snippets, but click the link above for the full article:

EW: So how goes the search for the next Doctor?
SM: Well, it’s always just terrifying...If you’re a Doctor Who fan, as I have been all my life, you’ve been doing fantasy casting for this part for as long as you can remember. But when you’re suddenly faced with the reality that you are going to sit there and you are going to make that decision it does feel absolutely chilling. There’s a very big range of people who could play it and different ways you could go with it. We must get this right. One false move and the show’s over.”

EW: Is Matt going to have to wear a wig when he films the Christmas special? He seems to have had a very severe haircut for his role in Ryan Gosling’s How to Catch a Monster.
SM: We’re sprinkling fertilizer on his head as we speak. I don’t know. If you care to take a look at “The Angels Take Manhattan” there are a couple of scenes that Karen Gillan came back to do in the graveyard after she’d had her radical haircut and she is wearing what seems like a strategically draped otter on her head. [Laughs]
However, we effect it, the Doctor will turn up in his trademark coif. We can’t have Matt’s last stand in the TARDIS without his proper look. So, thank you, Ryan Gosling…

EW: What was it like having Matt and David together?
SM: They really loved each other and had a huge laugh together. And of course they’ve been through this experience that only the two of them can talk about, really, in the modern world. They are the two people that have played that part at a time when the series is this big. They spent the entire time just sitting together talking animatedly.

EW: Could you talk about how their Doctors relate to each other? Traditionally, there’s been a bit of edge when Doctors have met each other onscreen?
SM: Well, when you’re talking to yourself, there’s no filter! You don’t spare yourself! They’re quite a fun pairing, I would say. There’s a bit of the normal joshing of each other but they’re both such enthusiastic Doctors. While they might be sort of competing slightly, they’re both standing there saying, “Oh god, it’s so cool, there’s two of me!” So, it’s very different. I think the other one that worked brilliantly was Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton. They were incredibly funny together. This is very different from that but it’s a sublime double act.

EW: Are you aware that David Bradley (who plays William Hartnell in the movie An Adventure in Space and Time) is now a thousand times more famous in America than he was a couple of months ago thanks to his pivotal role on the recent season of Game of Thrones?
SM: Oh, brilliant. That’s excellent. I love David. He’s such a clever actor. And we’ve had him in the proper show as well. He’s in “Dinosaurs On a Spaceship.”

Only a few more months to go before we get all the answers we're looking for! And that, of course, means the fall of the Eleventh. I really can't wait to see all of this amazing Who history unfold!

4. Saving Mr. Banks Will Be Supercalifra....Ahh You Know The Rest

Not many people think about the work and effort it took to create one of the most iconic Disney films of all time. Indeed, it wasn't easy for old Walt to convince Mary Poppins writer P.L. Travers to even give up the rights to her creation. Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of how Disney convinced Mrs. Travers to do just that, and what he learned about the mysterious nanny in the process.


Saving Mr. Banks is out December 20th, 2013 and stars Emma Thompson as Mrs. Travers, Tom Hanks as the Man Behind the Mouse himself, as well as other notable celebs such as Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, and others.

Of course, I hope they finally explain how Mary Poppins got here from Gallifrey:

How else do you think she learned about the cartoon world?

'Til Next Time!

- Joe

Your Evening Linc: Richard Pryor - Star Wars Bar, The Real Iron Throne, Disney D23, and GTA V Trailer

Good evening geeks and geekettes! I can't tell you how excited I am that I am just (::looks over to countdown::) 16 days away from hopping on a plane and landing at the biggest Star Wars celebration with accents! I would imagine it's going to look something like this:

1. Richard Pryor: Star Wars Bar

Ever wonder what would happen if Richard Pryor ran the Mos Eisly Cantina instead of Bea Arthur? (I really can't blame you if the answer is "No.") Well, for one thing, there'd be a lot less singing and a noticable uptick in the use of the N-word.

Those, by the way, are the actual costumes from A New Hope. If only this had been inserted into the Holiday Special.

2. When You Play The Game of Thrones....You're Playing It With The Wrong Throne

Critically acclaimed author and magical dwarf George R.R. Martin has been known to pull the rug out from under fans' feet on the page and on the screen. In his latest mission to make sure you're not too comfortable with any one thing in his universe, Martin took to his Livejournal account (and no, I'm not kidding or writing this in 1998) to set the record straight on a very iconic piece of furniture.

"The HBO throne has become iconic. And well it might. It's a terrific design, and it has served the show very well. There are replicas and paperweights of it in three different sizes. Everyone knows it. I love it. I have all those replicas right here, sitting on my shelves.

And yet, and yet... it's still not right. It's not the Iron Throne I see when I'm working on THE WINDS OF WINTER. It's not the Iron Throne I want my readers to see. The way the throne is described in the books... HUGE, hulking, black and twisted, with the steep iron stairs in front, the high seat from which the king looks DOWN on everyone in the court... my throne is a hunched beast looming over the throne room, ugly and assymetric... "

So while you're used to seeing the powerful tushies of Westeros sit in this:

It will be mine...and it will look great in my den.

George R.R. Puffenstuff imagines it more like this:

Good luck getting that up a five story walk-up in Brooklyn.

Large, asymmetric, and frightening, this is the Iron Throne as depicted by artist Marc Simonetti for the soon-to-be released The World of Ice and Fire, which will be a compendium and companion piece to the series. So the next time you think you'd be up to the challenge of ruling Westeros, just remember that you might want to bring along one of those inflatable donut things.

3. Star Wars Will Be On Display at Disney D23

UPDATE: According to CinemaBlend it looks like we will be seeing something for Episode VII at D23. As to what it might be...well...always in motion is the future.

Disney Fan Club members have a lot to look forward to at this year's D23 Expo, an annual event put on by the Disney Consumer Products division. According to the official announcement:

"Disney Consumer Products (DCP) will give Disney’s most loyal fans an up close look at an extensive collection of interactive experiences and merchandise that celebrate Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars timeless characters. Disney fans will have the chance to follow their favorite products from “sketch to shelf” and learn how Disney Consumer Products extends storytelling from character and content extension to product development through featured discussions, art and sculptures, and final product displays."

And that includes some exciting experiences put together by Lucasfilm and Disney including "Darth Vader: Evolution of a Villain" and "Crash Course in the Force: Star Wars 101" presented by none other than Pablo Hidalgo. Other cool things to look forward to include "Steamboat Willie: Redux" and "Spiderman's Ultimate Innovation". I can only imagine Steamboat Willie: Redux, while celebrating the heritage and legacy of Disney's first cartoon, will feature Mickey on a suped-up mega-yacht battling alien terrorists led by a cyborg Pete. (Hey, a man can dream...it worked for Walt.)

D23 takes place from August 9 to 11, 2013 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.

4. GTA V Gameplay Trailer

Oh, just watch it already:

And that's all the news that's fit to blog, for now. Til' next time.

- Joe

Your Sunday Linc: Boba Fett Screen Test, Trying Not to Hate Joffrey, Sam Jackson is a BAMF, Highest Grossing Franchises of All Time

Ah, Summer. The weather is warm, the pool is cool, and the genetically-altered girl is slaying Reavers like it's a trip down the Slip-N-Slide.

A Slip-N-Slide hosed down with the blood of crazy mutant cannibals.

Without further ado, but with plenty more forced puns, here's what I've got for you on this sunny summer Sunday:

1. Boba Fett Screen Test from 1978

Star Wars' official YouTube page has posted an incredible video of the original screen test for Boba Fett. Sound designer Ben Burtt walks us through the concept of Boba's armor, from the (functioning!) jetpack to the range finder to the flamethrower (and even some never-before-seen but nonetheless badass boot blades). It's a really incredible look at creation of the flesh-and-blood incarnation of the character that first appeared in the dreaded Holiday Special.

Frankly, I would have loved to have seen Boba don the Star Wars towel in Empire.

2. Must...Control...Hatred: GQ Interviews The Worst Teenager in Westeros

It speaks volumes to young Jack Gleeson's acting ability that everyone who has ever watched Game of Thrones immediately wants to put his head on a pike and display on their lawns. The grandson of Honeymooer's star Jackie Gleeson (source: my own wishes), the young king sat down with GQ to discuss some of his influences, the nature of villains versus heroes, and being scared by Hexus from Ferngully (which makes me really like him despite how much I want to see his character launched into a fire pit)



That last bit of him saying "My God, it's sunny outside!" as both a good guy and a bad guy is one of the reasons that, as much as I wish such horrible bodily harm on Joffrey, that Jack Gleeson deserves to be in the acting game for a long long time.

3. Sam Jackson is a BAMF

British chat show host Graham Norton, who previously hosted a mini Fresh Prince reunion, was speaking with guest Samuel L. Jackson about the origins of his infamous purple lightsaber. Now, any Star Wars fan knows that Samuel L. (or Sammy L as I wouldn't dare call him) knows that he personally asked George Lucas to give him the amethyst blade, but his recounting of the story is absolutely fantastic. Also, hel-LO Sandra Bullock with a lightsaber! Check it all out below:


4. There Can Be Only One....and It's Not Highlander: The Highest Grossing Franchises of All Time

The folks over at BuzzFeed have compiled an incredible list of the highest grossing movie franchises of all time. James Bond, Star Wars, and Harry Potter take the top three spots, with the Bourne series holding up the rear just beneath Rambo (because, honestly, who wouldn't take garbled speech over memory loss?) Did your favorite franchise make the cut?

Well that should be enough to beat the heat for now. 'Til next time!

- Joe

Your Evening Linc: Making Up for Lost Time

Holy Kenobi! How can a week go by so quickly? Well, while I was doing God knows what (I think they call it "a job") and ignoring my blogging responsibilities, some cool stuff piled up awaiting my undivided attention. Let's get to it before my "Saved Links" folder needs it own episode of "Hoarders".

1. Zack, Bulk, and Skull Reminisce As Power Rangers Turns 20

Walter Jones rocked the Fade and commanded the Mastadon as Black Ranger Zack Taylor in the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. In an interview with IGN, Jones reflects on what made his time on the show so special:

"...I ended up in the winners circle with my cast. And I think the show wouldn't have been what it was without our cast. It was the chemistry we had that made the show what it was. Because we really did find, between the five of us -- or the six of us after Jason David Frank joined -- a camaraderie and a true friendship that we brought to the screen."

Admit it, just seeing this got you sounding off all the Zords in order.

And while there's no denying that while Tommy Oliver may be the longest-serving Ranger, the duo that has seen the most screen time in the now long-running series is everyone's favorite goons from Angel Grove, Bulk and Skull. Played by Paul Schrier and Jason Narvy, the number 10 in human form (think about it) started off as thugs but wound up saving the day on more than one occasion.

"As for the show's 20th anniversary, Schrier said, "It's all a little weird... It's like dating your high school girlfriend again or something." Added Narvy, "It's like you haven't really broken up -- you did, but you're going to keep some stuff there and --" interjected Schrier, "you went off and got married and had another family, but you still love her. You think about her all the time, even when you're with other people... It's healthy, is what we're saying. Healthy!"

Get that "10" comment now? 

You can read more of the interview by clicking the link above, including stories about their first brush with fame and how they weren't originally allowed to see the action scenes from the Super Sentai series on which Power Rangers is based.

2. Gentle Giant Wants to See Me Go Bankrupt....And I Just Might Oblige Them: C-3PO Concept and Boba Fett Mini-Busts

Coming off the announcement of the "Magnitude" Admiral Ackbar mini-bust, I was pretty sure that Gentle Giant was done with their big exclusives for San Diego Comic Con.....to quote an old Jedi ghost: "I was wrong." Gentle Giant has recently released the fourth in their series honoring the concept art of the late, great Ralph McQuarrie. This time with the original design for C-3PO.

The odds of me not buying this are 6,230 to 1

C-3PO's design was heavily influenced by the robots seen in science fiction movies of the 50's and 60's, especially "Maria", the Maschinenmensch from Fritz Lang's legendary Metropolis. It wouldn't be long before the protocol droid with a heart (and outer-casing) of gold would become an iconic image of his own. While you may not being buying him off of a Jawa, you might think GG is trying to pull something by pricing Threepio-Beta at $75. And speaking of icons, no one besides Han Solo has made Star Wars so badass as the Mandalorian bounty hunter himself, Boba Fett. And no one has been able to capture his utter coolness quite like Gentle Giant.

I rest my case

Being a busy bounty hunter, the mini-bust comes with multiple interchangeable arms and his own exclusive box (for storage in your own personal cargo hold). But be forewarned, securing Boba Fett always comes with a high price, and you'll be shelling out $150. I guess Gentle Giant has no "No Disintegrations" policy when it comes to my wallet.

3. The 50th Anniversary Fan Trailer That Gives the BBC Something To Live Up To

A YouTube user, appropriately called "John Smith" (if that is his real name!), has posted a fantastic fan-made trailer, in both 2-D and 3-D, for the 50th Anniversary Special. I think he's done a pretty good job editing footage and audio together to make a pretty seamless trailer. Regardless, it makes me wish we could hop into the TARDIS and take a trip to November 23, 2013.

And if that gave you chills, then this one is going to get you right in the feels. Here is Matt Smith's Love Actually-esque "thank you" and farewell to the fans:


No...I'm not crying...that's um...the image of an Angel...coming out of my eyes....

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Well I think that'll just about wrap it up for now. I still have a lot of cool stuff to get to, and I'll make sure that I get to it in a very timely (and less wibbly-wobbly) fashion. 

'Til Next Time,

- Joe

Your Saturday Linc: Episode VII and Rebels, Joe Hogan Vlog, Old Doctor Who Episodes

Happy Summer everyone! As we enter the season of beaches, barbecues, and bikinis, what better way than lathering on some sunscreen, grabbing your tablet, and hopping into the pool to read about what's been happening on the Web!

"Ahh this is the life."
"Shouldn't you be guarding the deflector shield's rear entrance?"
"Theeeee life."

1. Episode VII Casting Confirmed And Star Wars: Rebels Plot Updates

It's been a pretty good week for Bleeding Cool News. As it turns out, their report on leaked casting calls for Episode VII were proven to be 100% accurate and confirmed by Lucasfilm. I mean, I don't know how secret casting calls are supposed to be since they're meant to be distributed out to agents and actors, but it's really cool that we're getting a first look at the characters that we'll see in Episode VII and possibly beyond. So far we've seen calls for:

"Late-teen female, independent, good sense of humour, fit." - This is possibly our leading lady. Perhaps a Skywalker?

"Young twenty-something male, witty and smart, fit but not traditionally good looking." - I don't know what "not traditionally good-looking" means, but I'm willing to put my face into contention. Possibly a Solo?

"A late twentysomething male, fit, handsome and confident." - Our late-teen female's love interest, perhaps?

"Seventy-something male, with strong opinions and tough demeanour. Also doesn't need to be particularly fit." -- Looks like gramps here won't be seeing much action. Could this be an Admiral Pellaeon-type older Imperial officer?

"A second young female, also late teens, tough, smart and fit." -- A rom-com-esque best friend of the leading lady?

"Forty something male, fit, military type." -- The bad guy? An Imperial officer? Or maybe a Crix Madine   type of individual.

"Thirtysomething male, intellectual. Apparently doesn’t need to be fit." -- Because Force-forbid we have a strong, good-looking geek on screen.

If we know one thing...most of these people are going to be fit, hopefully because of all the "faster, more intense" action that they will be partaking in. More to come as we get closer, inch by frustrating inch, to 2015.

Bleeding Cool has also managed to dig up some new plot details for the upcoming successor to the Clone Wars series, Star Wars: Rebels. According to BCN:

"Not only is the show about the formation of the Rebel Alliance, taking place in the narrative space between Episodes III and IV, the title also riffs on the main characters. I’ve learned that most of them are teenagers. Rebellious teenagers? Well, that’s the reference, at least."

From whiny Luke Skywalker to his emo father, Anakin, Star Wars has always been about a youth's journey of self-discovery that has galactic-wide consequences. Imagine if some 19-year-old had the ability to alter the course of the universe....and then slowly try to control the shuddering. Don't worry, here's an image of a TIE pilot drawn by Dave Filoni:

Because nothing says calm and soothing than the faceplate of an Imperial fighter pilot.

2. How Do I Art? Joe Hogan's Vlog on Art, the Industry, and New Projects

Missing Linc guest-blogger and all around art warlock Joe Hogan has released the first in his series of vlogs dedicated to helping amateur artists find their way through the painted, photoshopped jungle of the art industry.

Because who wouldn't trust a face like this?

He even dishes on new projects, like his upcoming second motion comic "Panic Over Muunilinst" and his collaborative wrap-up to the Clone Wars, entitled "Clone Wars: Resolutions" (which yours truly will have a hand in penning). Head on over to his Deviant Art page or his You Tube page, or just click the link above to catch up with the latest "Cup'a Joe"!

3. BBC Cannot Confirm Recovery of Classic Doctor Who Episodes

Just an update on the recent reports of the discovery of around 90 episodes of classic Doctor Who episodes, many from the William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton eras. Radio Times spoke with the BBC and asked them whether or not they could confirm the rumors. The BBC, stoic as ever, had this to say:

“There are always rumours and speculation about Doctor Who missing episodes being discovered - however we cannot confirm any new finds,” a statement says.

Because this is exactly what I think of when I think of an old, skeptical British institution

So I guess we might not be getting a special Christmas present from "the beeb" anytime soon. But there's plenty of new and exciting stuff to come with the 50th Anniversary Special, the departure of Matt Smith at Christmas, and the reveal of the Twelfth Doctor.

And that's all for now! Now go enjoy that big shiny yellow thing in the sky. Or two, if you're on Tatooine.

A hero took this picture.

'Til next time,

- Joe