Look Mom, a flying transforming squid!

In your best old English speak; tell us why you are most deserving of a double-guest pass to the advance 3D screening for THOR and you could win tickets to the show (Wednesday, May 4th, 7:00pm
At the Scotiabank Theatre – 900 Burrard Street)
Opening in theatres May 6th

Example: “Thy love for Thor, Odinson, God of Thunder, hath endured lo, these many months. It hath overcome every obstacle I shall deny it no longer! Thy must hath thou tickets to the rainbow bridge!”

Winners will be picked at random:  Send submissions via Facebook Group, Facebook Page, Twitter, Youtube or email your submission to: admin@elfsar.com

Visit the official website:  http://thor.marvel.com

That is, if you have a Playstation Network Account.  But let’s face it, if you own a PS3, then you have a PSN account.

Sony has just revealed that an abundance of user information may have been exposed due to an illegal intrusion into their systems between April 17 and April 19th.

In other words, Sony’s security has failed in a spectacular fashion, and we’re just now finding out about it.  (only took them a week to let us know) In both practical and PR terms, this is a worst-case scenario.  I am sure that under advisement by their attorneys they reluctantly had no choice but to come clean to their customers by retracting their first statement promising that their customers data was safe.   It seems Sony’s first response to any problem is to lie.  Sony lied about the PS2′s capabilities when the Dreamcast came out before it, and did exactly the same thing with the PS3 when the 360 hit the market first.

What information did they get?

Here is the data that Sony is sure has been compromised if you have a PlayStation Network Account:

• Your name
• Your address (city, state, and zip)
• Country
• E-mail address
• Birthday
• PSN password and login name

“It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained,” Sony announced. While the company claims that there is “no evidence” that credit card information has been compromised, it won’t rule out the possibility.

Their advice is to be safe, rather than sorry. “If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained.”

What should you do?

You are warned to keep watch over your accounts, and to be aware of your heightened risk of fraud due to the security breach. “For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of e-mail, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information,” the company said. “Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information.”

To be fair, Sony does apologize for the inconvenience.  There is still no update on when service will be restored, but that is the least of your concerns if you have a PlayStation Network account.  It’s time to change your passwords, at the very least, and if you’re like to be completely safe it’s not a bad idea to cancel your credit or debit cards and request replacements.

Check the template of the email that millions of you may be receiving really soon.

Valued PlayStation Network/Qriocity Customer:

We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this intrusion, we have:

1. Temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services;

2. Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and

3. Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by re-building our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information.

We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable.

Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained.

For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well.

To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports. We are providing the following information for those who wish to consider it:

U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228.

We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S. credit bureaus below. At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus place a “fraud alert” on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below.

Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

You may wish to visit the web site of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or reach the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect yourself from identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General, and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone (877) 566-7226; or www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; telephone: (888) 743-0023; or www.oag.state.md.us.

We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at 1-800-345-7669 should you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment

Woo Hoo!  Uncharted 3 news!

Media Release — For nearly 15 years, TOKYOPOP, led by Stu Levy, its founder, CEO and Chief Creative Officer, has pioneered the English-language manga movement and touched the hearts, minds and souls of enthusiasts worldwide.

Today, we are sad to inform our loyal community of manga fans, our passionate creators of manga content, our business and retail partners, and other stakeholders who have supported us through the years that as of May 31, 2011, TOKYOPOP is closing its Los Angeles-based North American publishing operations.

TOKYOPOP film and television projects and European operations, including the German publishing program, will not be affected by the Los Angeles office closure.  In addition, TOKYOPOP will continue its global rights sales via its office in Hamburg, Germany.

A personal message from Stu Levy

Dear TOKYOPOP Community:

Media Release — Way back in 1997, we set out to bring a little-known form of Japanese entertainment to American shores.  I originally named our little company “Mixx”, meaning a mix of entertainment, mix of media, and mix of cultures.   My dream was to build a bridge between Japan and America, through the incredible stories I discovered as a student in Tokyo.

Starting with just four titles — Parasyte, Ice Blade, Magic Knight Rayearth, and, of course, Sailor Moon — we launched MixxZine, aspiring to introduce comics to girls.  These four series laid down the cornerstone for what would eventually become TOKYOPOP and the Manga Revolution.

Over the years, I’ve explored many variations of manga culture – “OEL” manga, “Cine-Manga”, children’s books we called “Manga Chapters”, the Gothic-Lolita Bible, Korean manwha (which we still called “manga” at the time), video game soundtracks, live-action films and documentaries, anime, and various merchandise.  Some of it worked, some of it didn’t – but the most enjoyable part of this journey has been the opportunity to work with some of the most talented and creative people I’ve ever met.

Many of you also allowed me the indulgence to not only produce works but also to take a swing at creating some of my own.  I’ve learned that it’s much easier to criticize others than it is to create from scratch – but in doing so, I’ve also in the process learned how to better communicate with creators.

Fourteen years later, I’m laying down my guns. Together, our community has fought the good fight, and, as a result, the Manga Revolution has been won –manga has become a ubiquitous part of global pop culture.  I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished – and the incredible group of passionate fans we’ve served along the way (my fellow revolutionaries!).

For many years Japan has been my second home, and I have devoted much of my career to bringing my love for Japan to the world – and hopefully in my own way, I can give back to the culture that has given me so much joy.

In closing, I simply want to thank all of you – our incredibly talented creators from all over the world, our patient and supportive business partners and customers, our amazingly dedicated TOKYOPOP team – full-timers, part-timers, freelancers and interns, and of course the greatest fans in the entire world. Together, we’ve succeeded in bringing manga to North America and beyond.

Arigatougozaimasu!!

A stage production of the caped crusader will tour the UK beginning in July and is scheduled to make its way to the US next year. Choreographer Anthony Van Laas (Mamma Mia!, Sister Act) says, in perfectly self-aggrandizing form, that Batman Live is “neither a musical, nor a traditional theatrical production, but an elaborate all-new, all-action arena production aimed at kids and families.” Okay, so is this basically still a musical with multimedia effects? 

Batman Live is NOT a musical.  It’s also never set to appear on any Broadway stage.  It’s going to tour for five years at large arenas.  Although it’s appropriate for anyone, Batman Live, produced by Warner Bros Consumer Products, DC Entertainment and Nick Grace of Water Lane Productions, is aimed at kids and families.

Still this looks better than the nightmare we have been hearing about with Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark (the most expensive Broadway show to date), which has been plagued by injuries and technical problems and for the good of all, has been shut down to completely retool itself.

Check out these clips:

Batman Live Press Preview Clip 1

Batman Live Press Preview Clip 2

Batman Live Press Preview Clip 3

Batman Live Press Preview Clip 4

Clip 4 is especially good. 

It’s kind of a goofy show.  Like the first few minutes of Doctor Horrible, only without the singing.  There are two series: Series 1 is called “Captain Euchre” and is a solo show and Series 2, the current series, is called Ashes involving 5 heroes whose stories weave in and out.

You don’t need to watch Series 1 to understand Series 2 at all.  It’s kind of like The Hobbit & LotR.  If you watch both, you’ll get more out of it, but you can watch either and still get a complete story.

They are about halfway through Series 2 now, and the rest will play out over the next year.

Main site: www.tightsandfights.com

Captain Euchre Episode 1:

Ashes Episode 1:

There’s even live transmedia performances on Twitter.  You can find more info about the Transmedia stuff here: http://www.tightsandfights.com/8878/next-performance-april-13th/

Mortal Kombat!!!!  We will always remember that epic scream from the opening 1995 movie that all in all was not bad for a flick based on a fighting game.  The sequels on the other hand most of us like to pretend never happened.

Mortal Kombat: Rebirth is a 2011 action short film directed by Kevin Tancharoen with fight choreography by Larnell Stovall who also choreographed the recent Undisputed III: Redemption.  Based on the  Mortal Kombat series of fighting games, the short-film “actually was made by the director to sell Warner Bros. on his vision for a re-imagined Mortal Kombat film.” The pitch eventually evolved into the web series now known as Mortal Kombat: Legacy.  Check out the first episode which launched today!

Starring: Jax (Michael Jai White), Striker (Tamoh Pennikett), Sonya Blade (Jeri Ryan) and Kano (Darren Shahlavi) in episode 1 of the all-new Mortal Kombat: Legacy live action series, presented exclusively by Machinima.com and Warner Brothers

Check out a fan-made trailer for ElfQuest.

Why do I say the Women of Elfquest?  Because aside from the male humans, there are no male elves in this trailer.  I have been a long time fan of the original Grand Quest since I was 10 years old.  Heck I named my comic book Elfsar, so that should tell you something…lol.  Kudos to those who put this together.  Great work on getting the costumes right, although I would have made them looked lived in and dirty rather than the clean off the rack Halloween outfits.

I am pleased this came out.

Check out the Fan trailer website for more videos. www.elfquestfantrailer.com

Jambe Davdar is a Star Wars fan.  No scratch that. Jambe Davdar is a Super Star Wars fanatic.  He has spent an awe-inspiring amount of time piecing together three absolutely must-watch Star Wars fan documentaries.  This is essentially, the original trilogy re-cut with alternate takes, deleted scenes, concept art, original audio, production footnotes, and commentary from the cast and crew.  I admit after the prequels came out my love for Star Wars diminished a significant amount.  If you have not seen the original trilogy in a while, sit back and enjoy as this will rekindle your love for these films and make you remember why you loved them.

Star Wars Begins: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.

Building Empire: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.

Returning to Jedi: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

Clear your evening, make some popcorn and get really comfortable, because you’re about to spend a lot of time watching something really special.