Rebelscum has just revealed some UK-exclusive Topps trading cards showing some new characters from the Star Wars: Clone Wars TV show. [Spoiler Alert if you don’t want to know anything about the show, but this is a minor spoiler.]
Check out this picture:
See that fella at the bottom left?
Cad Bane.
My name is Jad Bean.
Hm.
If you’re new to this site, let me bring you up to speed. I started this campaign over two years ago to solicit, plead, and beg to have a character, however minor, named ‘Jad’ on one of the upcoming Star Wars TV shows. I’ve written to many Star Wars celebrities, asking for their support, and have gotten a few replies, for which I am very grateful. Then I wrote to George Lucas and other Clone Wars writers and producers, showing them I had the support of Boba Fett, Squid Head, and others, and to please consider the name ‘Jad’ for a character, however minor or insignificant that character may be.
But I have had no positive replies from any of my letters to Lucasfilm. In fact, my letter to Clone Wars Director Dave Filoni was returned to me with a Lucasfilm form letter, informing me that since my letter contained ‘unsolicited creative ideas or projects’, it was unread. I got that back on the 23rd of June ‘08, and haven’t blogged about it because I was so discouraged.
So now I find myself at a crossroads. There is now a Star Wars character that has a name REALLY REALLY REALLY CLOSE to my name. In all my letters to Lucasfilm, I never asked to have my last name, ‘Bean’, used in the character’s name, yet this Cad Bane’s surname is eerily similary to Bean! But I have no concrete reason to think that Lucasfilm is actually aware of my site or named the character after me. Furthermore, now that there is a ‘Cad’, I have to ask myself if it’s likely Lucas would also name a character ‘Jad’. For example, would we expect to find a new character named ‘Shan Holo’?
So now I have to ask myself, do I go on with this campaign?
It’s like, if I had never started this website, and then they revealed the Cad Bane character, it would be my new favorite character, because his name is so similar to my name. I’m genuinely excited to see him on the cartoon, and I’m sure when his action figure comes out, I’ll buy one. However, I set out on this task to get a character named ‘Jad’, and while ‘Cad’ is very close, that one letter difference is still a difference.
Alright, so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to write to Dave Filoni again, and ask if the name ‘Cad’ was indeed inspired by my name. There’s a chance, however unlikely, that one of my letters to the Lucasfilm creative staff actually got through. It’s possible my name was the inspiration for Cad Bane, and I just never heard back from the Powers That Be.
Do I think this is the most parsimonious explanation? Of course not. It’s far more likely that whoever named the character Cad Bane did so without a whit of knowledge of my site. But, there is no harm in asking.
Mr. Dave Filoni, if you’re reading this, that means my second letter got through to you. Please let me know if my name was the inspiration for Cad Bane’s name. If not, please let us all know what was the inspiration for that name, as I always enjoy trivia like that. Also, if you think it would make me feel better, please don’t hesitate to lie!
A curious item heralds my return to blogging. Most of you will remember that I am a huge fan of DST’s Minimates. While I was at San Diego Comic Con ‘08, I stopped by the DST booth and immediately checked out the Minimates display. I had already seen most of the new figures online, but then I spied an odd, colorful package tucked away at the bottom of the case. Witness:
Click the pic if you want to buy your own.
So, a toy of a Food Network Star. What does this portend for the future? The potential is limitless! I want a little Guy Fieri with which to film my own mini-TGI Friday’s commercials. Perhaps he and Jamie Oliver can face off against an army of Rachel Ray clones (Rachel Ray loses, BTW). And I have always wondered: could Alton Brown wield the Power of Grayskull??? (The answer is yes, at least on my living room floor).
Does anyone remember those awful late 80’s toys Food Fighters? I’m going to have to track down a Combat Carton for my Chef Duff.
Howdy folks! I’ve taken a hiatus from blogging recently, because sometimes you just gotta rent a Mustang convertible and drive up Highway 1 to San Francisco, eating all manner of tacos and seafood and chicken feet and other delicious things along the way. Summer is short, people, and life is even shorter. Well, you know what I mean.
But not three days since returning to San Diego, the A-Bomb of Geekdom storms through town: San Diego Comic Con. I’ve been wanting to go to one for years. Mary and I moved to San Diego last year on August 1st, just barely missing SDCC ‘07. The copious Iron Man banners around the city served as shiny reminders that we missed out on THE COOLEST EVENT IN SAN DIEGO.
Or so it would seem.
I have only had two other fan convention experiences. The first was in junior high, when my dad took me and some friends to a baseball card & comic show in Davenport, Iowa. We met Terry Beatty, artist on the short-lived DC’s comic series Wild Dog. Speaking to an actual, real-live comic book artist was a transformative event for our tiny geeky minds. That is, until we discovered girls the next year.
Who am I kidding, it took us DECADES to discover girls.
Anyway, my second con was Star Wars Celebration IV in May ‘07 in Los Angeles, which was a significant step up from the Davenport baseball card show. I’ve written a lot about Celebration IV, suffice it to say that it ws an incredibly fun experience.
So I had high hopes that SDCC ‘08 would be all the fun of CIV times a million-billion. After all, it’s the biggest comic/sci-fi/fantasy/gaming/hollywood convention ever, and it’s right in my back yard! What could go wrong? Well, as Yoda wisely said, ‘Size matters not.’ It turns out, Comic Con is just too big for its own good. Last year had a record turnout of 125,000 people, and this year will probably top that. The crowds are thick, the lines are long, and what’s even more disappointing, it’s not about the subculture anymore. Think about it - the top movies of the year include The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, and even Hellboy II, with Watchmen (!) a highly anticipated early ‘09 release. You see, comic book culture isn’t subculture anymore - it’s just culture. There is no cache in going to Comic Con when all the scoops are instantly blogged, all the new toys are instantly photo’d and posted. I wish it weren’t true, but Comic Con just isn’t that much fun.
Now I’m sure there are plenty of people who are having a blast at the con, even as I type this at 10 AM on Saturday morning, the opening hour of the con’s busiest day. For many, Comic Con is the best time of the year, and I’m glad some people do enjoy the experience. So let me recap my personal highlights from Thursday, the first full day of the con and the only day I attended.
- I saw William Katt and the whole cast of Greatest American Hero - believe it or not.
- I bumped into Steve Sansweet on the exhibition floor, and while it was crowded, I got to say ‘hello’ briefly. He remembered me from my visit to his Rancho Obi-Wan.
- I shook the gigantic hand of Lou Ferrigno, though I refuse to pay the $20 he was charging to get a picture with him.
- I saw Nite Owl’s Archimedes ship from the upcoming Watchmen movie, James Bond’s Aston Martin from Quantum of Solace, the huge Iron Monger suit from Iron Man, and a ‘driller’ vehicle from the GI Joe movie. Nice pics of all of these can be found here and elsewhere around the interwebs.
- I got a free Minimate at the Diamond Select Toys booth, and saw the upcoming Minimate of Chef Duff, star of Ace of Cakes. Minimates of celebrity chefs - how cool is that?
- And finally, my personal favorite moment, I got to meet Richard Hatch, star of old and new Battlestar Galactica!
My first encounter with a BSG actor, and based on how friendly Mr. Hatch was, I hope it’s not my last!
I am sad that Comic Con didn’t turn out to be what I was expecting, but so be it. I’m glad I gave it a shot, and hope everyone there right now is enjoying themselves!
Alright everyone, it’s time to show your support for the greatest Star Wars podcast around - The Force-Cast! The fine crew of the Force-Cast along with TallestJawa has assembled a humorous clip that defies description, called George Lucas Hip Hop Awards. What’s more, if this clip wins, then Force-Cast host Jason will fly out to San Diego Comic Con to personally receive his reward!
If you love the Force-Cast as much as I do, then you should vote early and often! And if you happen to hate the Force-Cast, then you should STILL vote for this clip, because Jason HATES flying!
There is a natural, logical cycle to life, and it is thus: the better the weather outside, the lousier the television programming inside. Summer is upon us, which means the television landscape has become a dumping ground of reruns, game shows, and other assorted dross. That means I’ll be posting less frequently - I refuse to cover I Gave Your Grandma An Orgasm or whatever dreck that Fox thrusts at us.
But I just may find time to check out Dr. Horrible this summer, as it fulfills a number of entertainment prerequisites:
Joss Whedon involved? Check
Starring Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris? Check
There are several reasons I haven’t blogged about most of the Season 4 episodes. First, I was quite busy with real life - it’s unfortunate that what we need to do so often takes precedence over what we want to do. And second, by which I mean first, most of the Season 4 episodes have been bad.
Not bad, per se, but certainly not good. Perhaps they’ll get better with age, like a fine grape soda, but upon first viewing, many events just don’t gel. Anders shoots off Gaeta’s leg, with apparently no repercussions? Romo Lampkin holds a gun to Lee, and then Lee gives him a dog? Tigh knocks up the imprisoned Six model, then gets in a fistfight with Adama, THEN gets promoted to Fleet Commander? And where, exactly, is the Acolytes of Baltar storyline going? It seemed like logic took a back seat to arranging the characters into interesting predicaments, with little payoff.
But, then we got last week’s episode, Hub. While not the top episode by any measure, we at least had some lighthearted moments, and some logical story progression. The hilarious scene where Baltar screams at the hybrid, ‘excuse me, but could you please stop jumping the fracking ship!’ echoed the sentiments of the audience. Finally someone isn’t talking in terms of prophesies and humanity’s doom and whatnot. I also enjoyed Baltar preaching to the bullet head, even though it dragged on a bit. For more on Baltar, check out this interview with James Callis. And finally, finally, FINALLY, Roslin got her head screwed on straight and found that tiny kernel of humanity still living under her bald cap. When Adama pulled his Han Solo line, ‘it’s about time’, the waterworks were bursting the pipes. Lousy metaphor, but you get the idea.
So where does that leave us for tonight’s episode, Revelations. Well, with a title like that, one might assume that we get to know the identity of the final Cylon. I mean, where else does one go with such a title? Furthermore, with Deanna in the fold, we might expect the Final Four to be outed to the fleet. Given the radical unevenness of the past half-season, I’m really expecting something worthwhile. Hub renewed my enthusiasm for the show, but I’m hoping that Season 4 has gone through its ‘Black Market‘ phase and gives us the goods from here on out.
The Terminator sites have been aflutter at the news that Scottish glam/pop/punk/grunge singer Shirley Manson has been cast for Season 2 of Sarah Connor Chronicles. Manson “will play Catherine Weaver, the CEO of a cutting-edge high-tech company“, according to the Hollywood Reporter. I’m just relieved that the show is finally getting some attractive female eye candy. I mean, it’s been a sausage-fest from day one! Am I right, men? Men?
You know, I saw Garbage open for the Smashing Pumpkins in Moline, Illinois. This was around October of 1995 I think, when the Pumpkins were touring off of Mellon Collie, while Garbage just had their first album. I recall Shirley having a lurid pink feather boa tied to her microphone stand. And the Pumpkins sneaked in a video clip from Planet Of The Apes, the one where Chuck Heston screams ‘YOU DAMN DIRTY APES!’. I think I was the only one who cheered at that clip.
I’m lame.
The last time I recall a redheaded Scottish singer joining the cast of a TV show was when Sheena Easton appeared in the last five episodes of Miami Vice and married Sonny Crockett. I’ll let that stew in your mind awhile. No, actually, I’m quite excited by this news. Can’t get enough of that lilting Scottish accent on my favorite TV shows.
Anyhoo, in other deeply disturbing Terminator-related news, Scottish researchers have perfected the i-Limb bionic hand.
I wonder what Agent Ellison would have to say about this demonic metal hand. You know what, if I had one of these, I’d leave off the plastic skin coating. How sweet would that be? Hmmm… the i-Limb is from Scotland, and Shirley Manson is from Scotland …. Hmmm….
Meanwhile, the US government has revealed the world’s fastest computer. And I quote, “The technology breakthrough was accomplished by engineers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the IBM Corp. on a computer to be used primarily on nuclear weapons work, including simulating nuclear explosions.” I bolded that last part because maybe the question needs to be asked, how smart do we want our nuclear-weapons-controlling computers to be?
Now that the Lost season 4 finale has come and gone and blew our minds way open, I thought it might be interesting to have a look at all my Patented Plot Predictions from the season and examine how utterly wrong I was.
4.1
We’ll see the submarine soon - I still don’t believe Locke blew it up. The rescue is going to get majorly botched up; some folks will die unexpectedly. Jin and Sun will get off the island, but NOT in the Oceanic Six group. Abbadon is working for Dharma.
No mention of the submarine, though my bold, risky prediction that some would die certainly came true.
4.2
The people who get recruited by Dharma are all genetically connected somehow, including these five rescuers, which is what inspires the rescuers to get their rescue on. The plane off the coast of Bali is a plant placed there by off-island Dharma, but its filled with copies of all our real passengers, who are doubled in the same manner as those rabbits with the 8s on their backs get doubled. Ben’s mole on the boat isn’t Michael, it’s Walt, via astral projection.
It seems the bodies in the plane are actually corpses dug from a cemetery in Thailand. I thought the creators were giving us a long con by making us think Michael was the mole when he really wasn’t. It’s rather easy to get caught up in trying to out-guess Carlton & Cuse.
4.3
Time runs slower on the island than in the real world; days on the island translates to months in the real world. Some survivors will get off but will end up in radically different timelines. Before Ben gassed them, Dharma was using the island to influence events around the world; one manifestation of that is the recurrence of The Numbers. Smokey is a technology from the far future, placed on the island by the son of Sawyer and Kate. Adam and Eve are Rose and Bernard.
Well we did get some time-travel hijinks this season, but not the way I predicted. That crack about Rose and Bernard was just a random guess. Speaking of, where was Bernard in the finale?
4.4
Claire, Aaron, and Kate get on a rescue helicopter, but they don’t get far off the island before the Dharma cornflakes hit the fan. In a spectacular FX shot, Smokey reaches up and grabs onto the chopper. It flashes scenes of Claire’s past, including sentimental Charlie bits, making it clear that Claire can’t leave the island. She begs Kate to take Aaron, then sacrifices herself to Smokey, letting the chopper escape. In a sudden and massive freak storm, the island disappears from view forever, and the survivors work on their cover story.
I’d like to point out here that we DID see the Smoke Monster in a spectacular FX shot, and we DID see the island disappear. And this was WAY before we knew anything about a frozen donkey wheel.
4.5
The guy who opened the ship door for them was Michael, but he’s not Ben’s mole, he’s working for Widmore. Widmore sold him on the idea that he could go back to the island and change the past, preventing himself from murdering Libby and Anna Lucia. This plan, however, will not work. Eventually Desmond learns to utilize his Quantum Leaping, and goes back to alter history so that Charlie survives drowning.
Okay, still grasping to the idea that Michael isn’t who we think he is. It seems Desmond’s time jumping has stopped, but I wouldn’t count out this show eventually giving us a scene where someone changes the past and prevents someone else from dying.
4.6
Charles Widmore intentionally sponsored that ship race around the world in the hopes that one of the ships would get lost on the island. Furthermore, the ’sickness’ that affects certain people on the island and the death of second-trimester babies are the same thing - uncontrolled mental time-jumping. In the latter’s case, it’s the baby’s minds that are jumping around prenatally, and since the babies have no ‘constant’, they die and take the mothers with them.
Both of these are still on the table, as far as I’m concerned.
4.7
The other body taken off the island is Neil Frogurt.
I was hoping the Frogurt storyline was going somewhere, as I’m sure we all were.
4.8
Sayid has been working for Ben since the very beginning of the show. How else to explain his crazy behavior. He let Sun get captured off Desmond’s boat (way back in Season 3), he tipped his hand to Gault, and he’s working for Ben in the future. Also, Alex is pregnant with Karl’s baby.
I’m back to thinking that Sayid hasn’t been in this since the beginning. Alex’s sudden death nullifies any pregnancy issues.
4.9
Widmore ultimately succeeds in keeping Penny (and Desmond) safe from Ben. He sends them to the island during the distant past. They live out their lives together in peace, eventually dying of old age in a cave near the beach. Their skeletons are eventually found by the 815-ers. Thus, Adam and Eve are Desmond and Penny!
You know, it’s starting to look like Ben is going to try to kill Penny, so we just might see Desmond and Widmore team up in some protective fashion.
4.10
Okay, so here’s how we’re going to get Danielle’s story. The Oceanic Six, using Sun’s money from Paik Industries, will fund a trip back to the island to rescue the remaining survivors. But, without Farraday or Desmond to help them, their first attempt won’t work exactly right. They will arrive on the island several years PRIOR to the plane crash. They’ll encounter Danielle, who won’t know them, though they will know her. Their intimate knowledge of her, the Others, and Dharma, will cause Danielle to lose her mind, which is why she acts so paranoid at the beginning of Season One.
Sure, why not?
One more thing I’d like to say. The code name for the season finale, as revealed in the official Lost podcast by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, was Frozen Donkey Wheel. Before seeing the finale, one might assume that it was a silly string of nonsense words, but afterwards, we know that there actually was a frozen donkey wheel on the show. Thus, I’d like to propose that the code name for the Season Five finale be ‘Jad’, because by then, there will surely be a character named ‘Jad’ who will have a major impact on the show. Or no impact. Either way is fine with me.
So we know the basics of the Oceanic Six’s cover story, but we don’t know exactly how they get off. I’m thinking that somehow, the Six get onto the Zodiac raft and motor away to, uh, somewhere. Keamy and his remaining men are on the chopper heading back to the freighter, but Michael fulfills his destiny and detonates the freighter, taking out Keamy and the other bad guys. But here’s the thing. The cover story depends on the public believing in the fake plane crash at the bottom of the ocean, which means that Jack & co. know about this part of the cover-up. Huh?
Sun calls out her father as one of the two people responsible for Jin’s death. My guess is the other person she blames is Widmore, and her motivation for taking control of Paik Industries is to direct all its resources against Widmore. She might even be pooling money from the other Oceanic Sixers, especially Hurley, who doesn’t seem to want anything to do with his riches.
Ben & Locke are the same person…….from a certain point of view. They both were born under duress to women named Emily. They both have a special relationship with the Island. And they’re both bald, except for Ben. Seriously, though, there is something significant to this, and it was hammered home in that moment where Locke says to Ben, “I’m not you,” and Ben gives him the Freaky Eyes and says, “No, you’re not”. Indeed.
Moments I loved: Jack finding out that Claire is his half-sister. Hurley seeing the Numbers in the odometer (though I don’t have a clue how to explain that). Sun pulling the rug out from under her father. Sawyer referring to New Otherton as “New Otherton”. Ahhhh…. I love this show.
People, places, or things named Jad in this episode: 0
Jad’s Patented Plot Predictions (Patent Pending): Okay, so here’s how we’re going to get Danielle’s story. The Oceanic Six, using Sun’s money from Paik Industries, will fund a trip back to the island to rescue the remaining survivors. But, without Farraday or Desmond to help them, their first attempt won’t work exactly right. They will arrive on the island several years PRIOR to the plane crash. They’ll encounter Danielle, who won’t know them, though they will know her. Their intimate knowledge of her, the Others, and Dharma, will cause Danielle to lose her mind, which is why she acts so paranoid at the beginning of Season One.
