Bly

So, I’ve been working on the Clone Trooper for a while when time permits (school and work have been plenty busy lately, and I haven’t been able to keep up with this blog as much as I’d like)

I debuted the Clone earlier this year at the Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which went over really well, with a couple additional things to do to it – seamless legs, a little helmet work, etc. While I’ve been doing this, I’ve been thinking more and more that it would be cool to convert the Clone over to a Commander Bly character, based off of the Cartoon series that’s currently on. He made an appearance in episodes 13 and 14, and there are some subtle differences between Episode 2 accurate and Episode 3 accurate.

This is what I need to do:

Arms need a Stripe – Bells, upper arms, forearms and handplates, yellow, down the middle, but not the elbow.
Chest plate needs a center stripe, as does the Helmet, knee pads and shoes.
I’ll also need a pauldron, kama, holsters, pistols and mountable binoculars. Might also need to get a pair of lights for the helmet as well.

I’m really excited for this.

Karen Miller Interview @ TUCWS

Just plugging one of my other websites, The Unofficial Clone Wars Site with this – we just conducted an interview with Karen Miller, author of the upcoming Clone Wars novelization, Wild Space. Read it here.

Review: The Clone Wars, 105: Rookies

The Clone Wars series has gotten far more impressive than I thought that it could be. This latest installment, Rookies, has proven to be one of my favorite episodes yet, and easily the best of the series.

In the preamble that precedes every episode, we’re informed that the war in ongoing, and that many clones are rushed to the battlefield. In this instance, a group of new clones are stationed on an outpost, where they are to protect an outpost at the edge of Republic territory. While there, a meteor shower brings in a group of commando droids, who take control of the base, killing the station’s commanding officer and forcing the four survivors to flee the base, while the droids make preparations for an invasion of Kamino. In a short scene, we see that Ventress has infiltrated the water world and is expecting the droid army.

At the same time, Commander Cody and Captain Rex are on the move, inspecting these outposts and come under fire when they attempt to enter it, and link up with the clone survivors. Once together, they retake the base, only to defend it as a Separatist fleet arrives and drops in reinforcements.

The clones, outnumbered and out gunned, rig the base to blow, and escape, save for one, who stays behind to hit the switch, destroying the base and alerting the Republic that the base is under attack. The republic swoops in and the four survivors are carried off to safety.

This episode worked well because it has almost all of the elements that have shown to be successful in the episodes, and that’s the Clones. They dominate the episode, at the expense of Jedi and the dim-witted battle droids. Along with this is dialog that is a bit better than some of the prior episodes.

What was also nice to see was a reintroduction of popular characters from the pilot movie that was released to theaters – Rex and Cody. In my mind, these two guys were the absolute highlights of the film, and I was wondering if and when they would be making a reappearance in the show. Like the film, the episode also brought in another element that worked, and that was the action that has been lacking a bit in a couple of these episodes.

The thing that really made me excited was one of the last lines in the episode: “You’re exactly the type of men I need in the Five-Hundred and First. ” This is the first time that the unit, named for the 501st Legion, has been spoken in a high-level canon feature. While the group was featured in Revenge of the Sith and in numerous books, it’s never been explicitly said, and it’s really cool to hear, and to see just how this group of fans has impacted the universe that helped create it.

This episode isn’t without flaws, however. Some of the main elements, such as the use of a passive signal to the Republic to let them know that everything is all clear is a bit simplistic and illogical, as is the lack of urgency to which the Republic officers and Jedi react to their soldiers falling out of contact. The droids make their own reappearances with irritating dialog, (although the commando droids are a bit more intelligent) which shows that there is work to be done on the series.

But, it is to be remembered that this series is aimed towards children, and not necessarily the generation that first saw the theatrical release thirty years ago. At the Woburn parade, I could see that there was still a lot of enthusiasm from the kids wearing the numerous clone trooper, Darth Vader, Commander Cody and Captain Rex costumes. This episode just helps remind me that I can enjoy this as well.

The Clone Wars: 103, Shadows of Malevolence

The Clone Wars series has finally reached a level where it is not only tolerable, but fairly good, meeting my somewhat higher expectations.

Up until now, I’ve been disapointed by some of the more juvenile attempts of humor and more illogical points in the story. This third episode has restored my confidence somewhat. While this episode is not perfect, it is by far the best episode of the series thus far.

Episode 103 takes place shortly after the events in Episode 102, which was a nice surprise, as there seems to be some effort at continuity between the episodes. Grievous’s ship is still on the loose, destroying battle groups, and after recieving new intelligence, towards a vital Republic medical station. At the same time, Anakin and Ashoka are tasked with taking out Greivous, and take a small task force of Y-Wing fighters against the ship in an effort to destroy it, passing through a nebula along the way as a shortcut. In the ensuing battle, they are able to drive the ship away, saving the medical station.

Like the Star Wars movies, the real strength here is the space battles. From the opening moments of A New Hope to the final space battle in Return of the Jedi, these have been some of the more exhilerating moments of the Star Wars Saga, and this episode certainly goes a long ways towards proving this point. There are some breathetaking scenes here, and some real attention to detail as far as tactics and fighters go. Additionally, there are a number of subtle nods to A New Hope, in the dialog and camera movements, which looks very good. There are also a couple of scenes that are very majestic looking, combining some of the better moments of the series score and camera work. At other times, the battle scenes are exciting and energetic, seeing the battle from the cockpit.

Even some of the more annoying aspects of the show didn’t surface to their more annoying levels – the battle droids don’t talk as much and the dynamics between Anakin and Ashoka, while there are a couple painful moments, have improved much since the initial episodes.

There are some other little things here and there – the notion that the Republic would only have one vital medical center being the first and foremost, but also that ships are being crewed by Clone Troopers – given how few clones there were at the onset, it seems weird that they’re not on the front lines, with non-clones working on the ships, but overall, these are minor problems.

There are times when I really want to dislike this series, but this episode has really made that hard – there are some very good moments here that make the show worth watching.

Review: TCW 102, Rising Malevolence

The second episode of The Clone Wars animated proves to be a more even and interesting episode than the first, Ambush, but still reveals some work that needs to be done to make the show a better one.

In this episode, Plo Koon and his battle group has been attacked by the Seperatists and a mystery weapon, and time is running short as the survivors are systematically killed off. Anakin Skywalker and his new Padawan, Ashoka, are alerted when their communication with Koon. Defying orders, the two set off and attempt to search for survivors. Meanwhile, Koon and a trio of Clone Troopers survive and race against time to survive.

This epsiode was much better than the first, which I appreciated, because it sheds a lot of the lighter moments that are aimed more towards children than an older audience, while at the same time, being a fairly dark episode. We see Clones spaced by the droids, and there’s quite a bit of suspense while the droids get closer and closer to Koon and his pod.

Once again, I can appreciate the Clones and their interactions with one another, and there’s quite a bit of good action in this episode, with a pretty cool zero-gee battle and some good space battles throughout.

There are still some annoying aspects, mainly with the droid, and while they’re not nearly as annoying as in the first episode, there’s still some irritating lines – “Time to put the squeeze on them,” although I did get a kick out of the droid humming. Anakin and Ashoka, while annoying in the movie, were much better with their first appearance in the show, although some of the more annoying lines made it in.

Overall, I think this episode was much better, a step in the right direction, which was nice. As with the first episode, the animation is stunning, once again. It’s certainly enough to keep me interested in the show.

Wild Space Covered

Upcoming Clone Wars novelization Clone Wars: Wild Space, by Karen Miller, has been given a cover:

They’ve also provided a cover blurb:

The Separatists have launched a sneak attack on Coruscant. Obi-Wan Kenobi, wounded in battle, insists that Anakin Skywalker and his rookie Padawan Ahsoka leave on a risky mission against General Grievous. But when Senator Bail Organa reveals explosive intelligence that could turn the tide of war in the Republic’s favor, the Jedi Master agrees to accompany him to an obscure planet in the Outer Rim to verify the facts. What Obi-Wan and Bail don’t realize is that they’re walking into a deadly trap concocted by Palpatine… and escape may not be an option.

Looks good. Stay turned for more from TUCWS and Karen Miller! Wild Space is due out on November 25th, 2008. Preorder the trade paperback here.

Review: The Clone Wars 101, Ambush

Star Wars has officially broken into television with the Clone Wars animated series that started on Friday. The end result is an enjoyable, if very mixed.

In this episode, Jedi Master Yoda arrives to the planet Toydaria in order to negotiate a treaty with the local government. Arriving under fire, Yoda lands on the planet with a trio of Clone Troopers. Once on the planet, they must run from a Separatist battle group, before reaching the planet’s King, and negotiating a treaty.

I found this first episode to be very mixed, and aimed primarily towards a much younger demographic. A 7 or 8 year old will approach this much differently than someone who was the original in 1977. Political negotiations are reduced to a contest, and the Battle Droids have taken on their own personalities, which is nothing short of irritating for anyone over the age of 8.

From my viewing of the movie and the first episode, I have a couple concerns about the continuity of each episode – thus far, there doesn’t seem to be any lasting connection between each episode, and there doesn’t really seem to be any overall storyline that’ll overarc the episodes and fit better with the rest of the Clone Wars series, which includes the older cartoons, short stories, novels and comic books.

The episode does have some of its good parts, which make this slightly better than expected. As someone who pays attention to armor, the creators have a very good eye towards the clone troopers, given them unique personalities and appearances, which is to be expected with a cloned military. The production team should be credited for this attention to detail, because it’s what is going to make or break the show in my eyes.

I found the first half of the episode to be much more annoying than good. Once the action in the episode picked up, it became much better – the Clones did what they were supposed to do, and the episode progressed with much more logical sense than. Several moments were paticularly well done, such as when Yoda and the three Clones huddled in the cave and spoke.

Additionally, the visuals are nothing short of stunning. There are a number of fairly complicated scenes, which are all extremely well done – space, battle scenes, faces – if there’s anything that George Lucas is very good at, it’s giving their productions a very, very good look, whether it’s animation or CGI.

If the screenwriters could match the animators, this could be a very promising start. As it is, I suspect that this will be very appealing and popular for the younger generations, but so far, it’s a far cry from what the franchise should be.

Reminder: Clone Wars Tonight

The Clone Wars TV series will be beginning tonight with two episodes – Ambush and Rising Malevolence, starting at 9 pm on Cartoon Network. There will be repeats on Sunday, October 5th.

By all reports, the TV series will be better than the movie, which I’m really hoping for. According to Theforce.net, the episodes will also be up on iTunes, with a free special to be uploaded today.

Cartoon Network Celebrates the Premiere of STAR WARS™: THE CLONE WARS™ with 2,000 House Parties Across the Country

This came across this via Business Weekly:

Cartoon Network Celebrates the Premiere of STAR WARS™: THE CLONE WARS™ with 2,000 House Parties Across the Country

Luckiest Kid in the Galaxy Gets a Surprise World Television Premiere Event

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–On Saturday, Sept. 27, in homes across the country, thousands of kids, along with their families and friends, will get a sneak peek at one of the most anticipated television series of the fall, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS. On that same day, one lucky youngster is getting his own world television premiere event in his hometown of Chicago, Ill.

Cartoon Network is partnering with House Party, a leading word-of-mouth company in the area of viewer engagement, to premiere the debut of the groundbreaking television series via 2,000 in-home viewing parties across the country. Each child who is hosting a premiere will receive a party kit that includes a lightsaber, character masks, glow sticks, tattoos, stickers, posters and balloons for all of their guests. Cartoon Network will also make the first two episodes of the eagerly awaited series available to hosts for their parties. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, the first weekly television series from Lucasfilm Animation, premieres on Cartoon Network Friday, Oct. 3, at 9 p.m. (ET, PT).

Calvin Rodgers, the lucky nine-year-old Chicagoan, meanwhile, will literally have the red carpet rolled out for him, his family and friends, and hundreds of other special guests, at the Park West Theater in Lincoln Park. He was recently surprised with the exciting news when a group of clone troopers came to his school, Edgar Allen Poe Classical, and delivered STAR WARS books donated by Penguin Books to help celebrate the debut of the series. Along with a screening of the first two episodes, guests at his premiere will also enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of STAR WARS-related activities and games. Several other kids hosting parties on that day will also receive surprise visits at their homes from clone troopers.

House Party, which engages a select group of consumer advocates to host House Party events where a brand, product or show is at the center of the party, gives fans an opportunity to host viewing parties for friends and family in their homes before a show airs to the general public. House Party provides the host parents and their kids with all the supplies needed to host. The company also asks its hosts to share stories, photos and videos about their party through the House Party microsite. Hosts can share their STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS party at www.houseparty.com/starwarstheclonewars.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS premieres on Cartoon Network and Cartoon Network HD Friday, October 3, at 9 p.m. (ET, PT) with a special one-hour presentation that anchors the Network’s all-new night of fantasy, action and adventure. New series The Secret Saturdays and the current hit Ben 10: Alien Force join STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS for a night of non-stop adventure, exciting storytelling and innovative animation.

In the signature style of Lucasfilm Animation, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS chronicles the adventures of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Ahsoka Tano and other favorite STAR WARS characters as they struggle against the dark side during the divisive, action-packed Clone Wars. Each week, a new story in the galaxy-changing Clone Wars comes to center stage, brought to the screen by supervising director Dave Filoni and executive producer George Lucas.

Dwindling numbers of Jedi fight to maintain freedom and restore peace to the galaxy, using their army of genetically engineered clones against the seemingly never-ending droid army. The terrible conflict grows wider as our heroes are swept into the turmoil of war, while the evil Count Dooku, his assassin Asajj Ventress, their master Darth Sidious, the mechanical General Grievous and a rogue’s gallery of never-before-seen villains scheme to defeat them.

About Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 91 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated and live-action entertainment for kids and families. Overnight from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

About House Party

Founded in 2004, House Party is a leading word-of-mouth and immersive marketing services company that engages a select group of consumer advocates to host in-home events and provides an exclusive, hands-on brand experience. The platform encourages brand credibility through peer-to-peer endorsement and a viral online community where consumer advocates can continue their conversation and excitement for the brand. Headquartered in Irvington, NY, House Party works with such industries as consumer packaged goods, food, entertainment and toy and game manufacturing. Current clients include NBC, Disney and P&G. www.houseparty.com

Pictures:

9 year-old Calvin Rodgers surprised in his classroom by clone troopers (Photo: Business Wire)

9 year-old Calvin Rodgers with clone troopers (Photo: Business Wire)

Pictures from the Clone Wars Release

Just a couple for now, but here’s a couple of images of Frank and I from the Majestic 10 Clone Wars release:

More here: http://501neg.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=972&pos=6

Ignore the fact that I’m missing my neck seal. More pictures will hopefully be coming soon.