DCon Exclusive Star Wars “Scoundrels” Screen Prints by Jermaine Rogers

When J.J. Abrams was first announced as the new director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, diehard Star Wars fan Jermaine Rogers created this awesome image of his Choices bunny character dressed as Han Solo and Dero cosplaying as Chewbacca with the words “Dear JJ… Don’t Screw This Up.” Fans around the globe (including The Blot) have been begging Jermaine to release a print of this awesome design, and that day is finally here! To say this upcoming Designer Con 2015 exclusive is The Blot’s most sought after convention release is an understatement.

The Designer Con 2015 Exclusive Star Wars “Scoundrels” Screen Print will be released in three editions, a J.J. Variant limited to 100 pieces, a Regular Edition limited to 200 pieces and a Shattered Foil Variant limited to just 30 pieces. All three versions of “Scoundrels” come signed and numbered by the artist and can be purchased at Jermaine Rogers DCon booth #920.

The Bad Robot Art Experience presented by Gallery 1988

Gallery 1988, in conjunction with J.J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot, is hosting an epic new group art show entitled the Bad Robot Art Experience! Each piece by a super talented roster of artists is inspired by the many works of the Bad Robot production company (and Abrams himself).  There will be paintings, prints, sculptures and plush figures which pay tribute to such TV shows and movies as Alias, Fringe, LOST, Person of Interest, Cloverfield, Super 8, Star Trek and so much more!

Personally The Blot is in love with this LOST screen print by Joshua Budich. He absolutely killed it with this amazing image! I’m lucky enough to own Budich’s first LOST print, but this one is definitely a must get as well. So far Gallery 1988 has only unveiled four pieces from their upcoming show, Budich’s LOST print, a Fringe inspired piece by Nan Lawson, a Cloverfield inspired piece by Eelus, and a Star Trek inspired piece by Bruce White.

Gallery 1988 presents The Bad Robot Art Experience opens next Friday, April 26th, with a reception from 7-10 PM. Beyond great art, it will also be benefitting a great charity called The Mission Continues, helping veterans become community leaders.

Star Trek Into Darknes Announcement Trailer

When did movie studios start using the term “Announcement Trailer”!?! I swear I had never heard of it before until a few weeks ago. So it now goes from teaser trailer to announcement trailer to full trailer? Does it really even matter? Earlier this week Paramount released its first full length trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness. It’s basically an extended cut of the teaser trailer with a really awesome voiceover by the film’s villain portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. At this point no one still has any idea what this Star Trek movie is about, but I guess that’s a good thing. It’s definitely ramping up excitement, and speculation on the internet is running rampant. The Blot assumes we’ll all find out soon enough!

Stark Trek Into Darkness, directed by J.J. Abrams, boldly goes into theaters on May 17, 2013.

Star Trek Into Darkness "Introductory" Teaser Trailer

The first teaser trailer for J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness hit the internet yesterday and it looks awesome! If the movie is even half as good as this 1 minute trailer is then the four long years we’ve been waiting for this sequel to the franchise’s soft reboot will be well worth it. There’s still been no word on the identity of Benedict Cumberbatch’s character in Star Trek Into Darkness. Everyone assumed the film’s villain would be Kahn, but as I watch this trailer again and again I’m starting to doubt that more and more. With Alice Eve almost assuredly is playing Elizabeth Dehner in STID, it only makes sense that Cumberbatch is actually playing Gary Mitchell (or purhapse some amalgam of Mitchell and Kahn). Hopefully we find out soon!

Stark Trek Into Darkness beams into theaters on May 17, 2013.

J.J. Abrams' Alcatraz Premieres Tonight!

As a diehard LOST fan, The Blot has been ready to start watching Alcatraz ever since it got the green light from FOX last year. Produced by J.J. Abrams, directed by Jack Bender and starring Jorge Garcia, everything about this show says “Must See TV” to me. As FOX explains, Alcatraz is a “thrilling new series that follows a unique trio investigating the mystifying reappearance of 302 of Alcatraz’s most notorious prisoners and guards 50 years after they vanished.” Admit it, that one sentence synopsis sounds pretty good doesn’t it? Some thought ABC’s Once Upon A Time would be LOST’s heir apparent, but to me Alcatraz has always held that title. I just can’t figure out why FOX kept this awesome television show on hold until mid-season!

Catch the 2 hour series premiere of Alcatraz tonight, Monday, January 16th, at 8/7c on FOX! Alcatraz stars Sarah Jones as Det. Rebecca Madsen, Jorge Garcia as Dr. Diego Soto, Sam Neill as Emerson Hauser, Parminder Nagra (of ER!) as Lucy Banerjee; Robert Forster as Ray Archer, Santiago Cabrera as Jimmy Dickens, Jonny Coyne as Warden Edwin James and Jason Butler Harner as Deputy Warden E.B. Tiller. You can also listen to the new Diego’s Soule Patch: An Alcatraz Podcast by Jorge Garcia and Bethany Shady on iTunes (I know I will be)!

Alcatraz Official Synopsis: When San Francisco Police Department Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to a seemingly impossible suspect: Jack Sylvane (guest star Jeffrey Pierce), an Alcatraz inmate who died over 30 years ago. Given her family history – both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, Ray Archer (Robert Forster), were guards at the prison – Madsen’s interest is immediately piqued. When the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill) tries to impede her investigation, she becomes doggedly committed to it.

Madsen finds herself working with an unlikely partner, Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast Dr. Diego “Doc” Soto (Jorge Garcia), to help piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The two discover that Sylvane is not only alive, but he’s loose on the streets of San Francisco, exacting decades-old revenge and leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he hasn’t aged a day since 1963, when Alcatraz was ruled by the iron-fisted Warden Edwin James (Jonny Coyne) and the sadistic Associate Warden E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner).

Detective Madsen and Soto must team with Hauser and his associate, Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra), to stop Sylvane’s vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca’s own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. Because even though he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane won’t be the last to reappear from Alcatraz.

J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Mascot Maquette

Now here’s one statue I know LOST fans are going to go crazy for! Quantum Mechanix is producing a maquette of the adorable mascot of J.J. Abram's production company Bad Robot. Offered to the public for the first time, this mischievous mascot of Bad Robot Productions stands 10 inches tall and is cast in solid polystone.

Sculpted from the original digital model, each statue is hand painted in exceptional detail and features modular arms. As a special bonus, the statue includes a modular arm holding a Slusho! Drink. I bet your Robot can't drink just six! Each Bad Robot maquette is individually numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

The Bad Robot maquette has a limited edition run size of 1,000 pieces and will retail for $89.95. While these figures are not expected to ship until later this month, you can pre-order one from Entertainment Earth here.

Bad Robot 100% Be@rbrick by Medicom

The Blot’s been meaning to blog about this vinyl figure for a while, because I thought LOST fans would get a kick out of learning Medicom has released a 100% Be@rbrick of the Bad Robot mascot as part of its blind boxed Be@rbrick Series 19. As most LOST fans know, Bad Robot Productions (also known as just Bad Robot) is the production company of J.J. Abrams and has produced all of his hit television shows including Felicity, Alias, LOST and Fringe. Bad Robot has also co-produced all of the films Abrams’ has directed, including Mission: Impossible III, Cloverfield and 2009’s Star Trek.


Last year, Medicom and Bad Robot teamed up to produce Star Trek Be@rbricks (seen here and here) in conjunction with the reboot of the franchise. Along with a Spock Be@rbrick, a Bad Robot Be@rbrick was also included in the Be@rbrick Series 19. While Be@rbrick blind boxes are relative cheap (each under $10), the Bad Robot Be@rbrick is one of the rarest designs in the series with a ratio of 2.9%.

The Bad Robot Be@rbrick is definitely one of the coolest 100% Be@rbricks The Blot’s seen in a long time, and I’m definitely hoping to get my hands on one sometime soon to add to my LOST Be@rbrick and Kubrics!

Lost - Lighthouse

Like many of you, The Blot has been watching Lost since the show’s very first episode. I was really excited about the show’s series premiere back in 2004 for a few reasons, but mainly because it was co-created by J.J. Abrams and starred Party of Five’s Matthew Fox and the Lord of the Rings’ Dominic Monaghan. Isn’t it amazing how much has changed since then?


Abrams and Monaghan have since departed the show, and Fox’ Jack Shephard is far from most fans’ favorite character. While the reasons I watch Lost may have changed over the years, there is one thing that’s stayed the same year in and year out…you could even say it’s the show’s one constant…that I have no fraking idea what’s going on!

It’s been five and a half years since Lost debuted and I’m more confused now than ever (and loving every minute of it!). Come on, how killer was that scene between Claire and Jin!?! Crazy Claire takes the whole Rousseau shtick to another level, and her all but too brief appearances this season have me almost ready to forgive Carlton and Damon for sideling the talented Emilie de Ravin all of last year. I’m not sure where this whole Claire/FLocke relationship is going, but I’ve got a feeling it doesn’t bode well for Kate. Claire’s definitely going to be gunning for Ms. Austin sooner or later. On a side note, if FLocke is with Claire and Jin, where’s Sawyer?


And I’m still trying to decide which of Jin’s shocked looks I liked the most: 1) the look he gave when he saw Claire’s freakish looking fake baby, 2) the look he gave after seeing Claire murder the Other in cold blood, or 3) the look he gave as FLocke walked into Claire’s hut. All three looks were great, and Daniel Dae Kim did a great job conveying multiple emotions all while laying on the ground injured and scared. Hopefully Jin’s introduction to the Man-in-Locke will speed up his reunion with his beloved Sun. I’m getting a little sick of their pining for one another. Let’s get their storyline moving in a new direction already.

My favorite part of this episode was the interaction between Hurley and Jack (and to a lesser extent Hurley and Jacob). It’s been a really long time since these two central characters shared so much screen time, and yet it felt like they’ve been playing off one another for years. It's been very interesting watching Hurley and Jack try to figure out their roles on the island, but I’m not so sure either will like where they end up. Jacob’s meddling is definitely far from over.


What I’m most concerned about is the safety of En Leung's Miles Straume. Jacob’s final message to Hurley was that he sent Hurley to the lighthouse with Jack to keep him safe because trouble was coming to the temple. Could it have been there all the time in the form of Sayid? I’m not so sure, but I’ve got a feeling Miles’ days are numbered. Even though fans love Miles' one liners, the minute I saw his name scratched out in FLocke’s cave and Jacob’s lighthouse, I knew his days on the island were numbered. I don’t think the same can be said for Sayid though, at least so long as his name remains listed as a possible candidate.


And lastly, while there are a million theories being batted around as to the significance of Lost’s Flash Sideways storyline, let me just say how amazed I am at how quickly the show’s writers turned things around. In five short hours I’ve gone from hating the Flash Sideways storyline to absolutely loving it. There were moments in this week’s episode where I actually preferred the Flash Sideways storyline. But best of all, this storyline made me actually care to ask questions about Jack again…like where did Jack’s appendix go, where did his son David come from, and who is David’s mother? I’m not as concerned with who David’s mother is as some fans are, but I would like to know what role Flash Sideways Dogan will play in all this. He must be somewhat important, because otherwise they should have made that reveal be a character we actually care about!


Again I’m at a loss for theories this week, but I am starting to wonder at this point what the show’s end game is going to be. The storyline is still picking up steam, and if I didn’t know any better I’d say Lost still had a few more seasons in it. With that being said, is it possible for even half of our questions to be tied up in a neat little bow? Or were Hurley’s comments about the skeletons of Adam and Eve a hint to us all that the writers will be answering the questions they want and fans be damned!?! I hope not, but who knows at this point. Namaste…

Star Trek Kirk & Uhura 100% Be@rbrick Set

The Blot has no idea why it took this long for a Medicom Toy x Paramount Pictures collaboration on a line of Star Trek vinyl figures in honor of the franchises’ successful reboot, but I’m glad it happened! The look of the Star Trek 100% Be@rbrick Set, featuring James T. Kirk and Uhura, is based on the of the feature film by J.J. Abrams, and will hopefully be just the first of many Star Trek themed Kubrick and Be@rbrick figures. There has already been a Spock 100% Be@rbrick figure and two more are in the works, but more on that later in the week!


The Medicom x Paramount Star Trek 100% Be@rbrick Set featuring Kirk and Uhura will go on sale mid 2010 and will retail for somewhere around $25-30.

Star Trek One Sheet Enterprise Movie Poster

Even after all of the ads and all of the trailers, The Blot still doesn’t know how Paramount and J.J. Abrams are going to take Star Trek mainstream again. I think years and years of bad PR have left a permanent stigma on this once proud sci-fi franchise. I do like this new Enterprise theatrical one sheet movie poster though and am pretty excited to see the prequel in theaters.


So far my only complaint is the Enterprise’s bridge looks like a giant Mac computer. But Apple is slowly taking over the computer industry, so who knows. Maybe in the future Apple changes its focus to the development of starships with warp capabilities. It might even one day change its name from Apple to Starfleet.

Star Trek opens in US theaters on May 8, 2009.

New Star Trek Full Length Official Trailer

While The Blot has always been a big fan of The Next Generation and the last few seasons of Deep Space Nine, I definitely wouldn’t consider myself a Trekkie. In fact, I’ve always preferred Star Wars to Star Trek. But despite my ambivalence towards the original Star Trek, this trailer has me uber-excited about the upcoming film. The special effects and fight scenes look incredible and I can’t wait to see J.J. Abrams’ take on Kirk, Spock, Bones and the rest of the crew of the Starship Enterprise.


I just hope Paramount is able to market this movie successfully since a majority of the movie going public perceives all things Star Trek negatively. Over the years the franchise has really pigeonholed itself into this preconceived stereotype of only for sci-fi geeks. I really don’t understand it considering how popular comic book themed movies and all things Star Wars are in the current pop culture climate. It is something Paramount and Abrams will have to work hard to overcome. In the meantime check out the first full length official trailer for the Star Trek reboot/prequel movie premiering on May 8, 2009 below.



If you are interested in watching a larger version or a HD version of the trailer above, click here.

Star Trek - First Look at The U.S.S. Enterprise and Its Crew

Star Trek may not be hitting theaters until May 2009 but the film’s marketing campaign has hit high gear this month. It might be because the movie’s director is J.J. Abrams, who not only writes, directs, and produces, but is also a genius at promoting both movies and television shows (see Cloverfield and Lost). Surprisingly, these photos have finally gotten The Blot excited about this Star Trek reboot/prequel.


Here is your official first look at the newly remodeled Starship Enterprise. Abrams stayed true to the look of Starship NCC-1701 but gave the classic spaceship a facelift and a more modern look. I think the changes are nice, yet subtle. I’m especially glad Abrams decided to keep the Enterprise’s unique shape.


I think the crew of the Starship Enterprise has come together quite nicely as well. In the photo below you can see almost all of the actors that make up the ship’s commanding officers and essential crew including Anton Yelchin as Chekov, Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, John Cho as Sulu and Zoe Saldana as Uhura.


The only central crew member not in the photo above is Zachary Quinto’s Spock. But thankfully the photograph below is a great action photo of the Enterprise's bridge, which features Quinto in all his pointy eared glory.

J.J. Abrams’ Fringe

Fringe, the latest series from TV wunderkind J.J. Abrams, debuts tonight, Tuesday, September 9, on FOX. While Abrams (Felicity, Alias) may have created one of my all time favorite television shows, Lost, I have no idea what to expect with his latest creation.


Described as an X-Files for a new generation, Fringe “centers on no-nonsense FBI agent Olivia Dunham, played by Australian newcomer Anna Torv, who explores odd occurrences of ‘fringe’ science. Her path leads to brilliant but mad scientist Walter Biship (John Noble), who must be extracted from a mental hospital, with the help of his estranged son Peter (Joshua Jackson), dragged reluctantly into the mix.” (link) The show also stars two of my favorite actors from the classic HBO series OZ, Kirk Acevedo and Lance Reddick.

My only problem with the show, and the main reason I am not more excited about it, is that it stars Pacey from Dawson’s Creek! Other than that, it sounds like a winner. Abrams explained to USAToday.com that he “wanted to do a show that had a procedural template, a sort of structure, but doing a procedural in the mold of CSI and Law & Order didn’t interest me.” (link) Instead, Abrams decided to go a rout more reminiscent of The X-Files, by “grafting a larger mythology onto the series that rewards loyal viewers but isn’t essential to any weekly episode.” (link) Basically it’s a version of Lost that’s more welcoming to new viewers and doesn’t take place on an island.

I’m not sold on Fringe yet, but FOX must be. Otherwise how can you explain the $10 million budget the network gave Abrams to produce Fringe’s two hour pilot. (link) Despite my misgivings, I’m going to have to watch tonight’s series premiere. I at least owe Abrams that much for giving the world Lost.

Fringe airs Tuesday nights on FOX at 8/7C.

Star Trek Character Movie Posters Set 2

This past weekend was Creation Entertainment’s yearly Star Trek convention where Paramount unveiled their second set of character movie posters for J.J. Abrams’s upcoming Star Trek prequel, which is set to hit theaters on May 8, 2009. Like the first set of Star Trek character posters given out at San Diego Comic-Con 2008, this set also combines to form Star Fleet’s delta emblem.


This second set of Star Trek character movie posters features four crew members of the USS Enterprise: John Cho as Sulu, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Anton Yelchin as Chekov and Karl Urban as Dr. “Bones” McCoy.

Star Trek Teaser Character Movie Posters

This is a quasi San Diego Comic-Con 2008 post because these new teaser character movie posters for J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Trek movie will be making their official debut at the convention.


If you're making your way to San Diego in time for the convention's opening day on Thursday, you should be able to snag one of these Star Trek teaser character movie posters for free from the good folks at Paramount. The four posters combine to form the official Starfleet insignia and features Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto (Heroes) as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura and Eric Bana as the movie’s villain, Nero.


I don’t know much about this prequel Star Trek movie other than it chronicles the early days of the USS Enterprise’s crew, including their time at the Starfleet Academy, but with J.J. Abrams (Lost, Alias) at the helm I’m sure it will be really good, even if you’re not a Trekkie. Star Trek will be bolding going into theaters on May 8th, 2009.