"SOLVING A RIDDLE" WITH ROBOTECH COMPOSER SCOTT GLASGOW

Examiner.com has posted an interview with Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles Scott Glasgow and here is a excerpt.

Robotech: Shadow Chronicles also marked your very first soundtrack release by the great label, Varese Sarabande. How did you feel when they decided to release the music to that film?

SG: Robotech was also a big moment for me as a composer because as my childhood dream of someday having an album released by Varese Sarabande was realized! It was a huge deal for me. I still thank Robert Townson for deciding to do it. I am betting the fact that Robotech was a well known franchise had contributed to that decision. As a side note, I just finished working on arrangements for the forthcoming film “ROBOTECH: LOVE, LIVE, ALIVE” so there is more Robotech coming your way soon.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT GLASGOW 

HOW DISNEY BOUGHT LUCASFILM: THE INSIDE STORY

A must read from Bloomberg Business Week.

One weekend last October, Robert Iger, chief executive officer of Walt Disney (DIS), sat through all six Star Wars films. He’d seen them before, of course. This time, he took notes. Disney was in secret negotiations to acquire Lucasfilm, the company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas, and Iger needed to do some due diligence.

The movies reacquainted Iger with Luke Skywalker, the questing Jedi Knight, and his nemesis Darth Vader, the Sith Lord who turns out to be (three-decade-old spoiler alert) his father. Beyond the movies, Iger needed to know Lucasfilm had a stockpile of similarly rich material—aka intellectual property—for more Star Wars installments. As any serious aficionado knows, there were always supposed to be nine. But how would Disney assess the value of an imaginary galaxy? What, for example, was its population?

As it turned out, Lucas had already done the cataloging. His company maintained a database called the Holocron, named after a crystal cube powered by the Force. The real-world Holocron lists 17,000 characters in the Star Wars universe inhabiting several thousand planets over a span of more than 20,000 years. It was quite a bit for Disney to process.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF THE INSIDE STORY OF HOW DISNEY PURCHASED LUCASFLIM

ANNCAST: THE LAST DAYS OF BANDAI USA PODCAST

Former Bandai Director of Marketing Robert Napton sits down with Anime News Network to talk about how he got into the anime industry and his time at Bandai USA.There are quite a few interesting connections to the Robotech franchise, the Macross derivatives along with a discussion of the early years of anime. 

The podcast also goes in-depth talk about the closure of Bandai Entertainment USA and the long, strange and sudden odyssey the company went through in its final years.

You can listen to the show on the Anime News Network website here, or you can  direct-download the MP3 version here.

If you are interested in what happened to Bandai USA, want to see how a person broke into the anime industry or see what forces are currently affecting the business, this is the podcast for you.  

BLAST FROM THE PAST: COLLECTION DX REVIEW OF THE TOYNAMI BETA FIGHTER

When the Beta Fighter MPC came out a few years ago Collection DX gave the toy a humorous and  comprehensive review. The review runs about 28 mins but by the end you will be humming "Let's Get It On."

Enjoy!


                

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY AT 9:06 A.M. PDT...

The nations most powerful talk radio host reacts to the news of "that day"...

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY AT 6:33 A.M. PDT...

For some of us we will always remember when we heard the news on 'that day'...

             

COMIC-CON RESPONDS TO REGISTRATION ISSUES

From DigitalSpy.com

"Comic-Con badge sales opened this past Saturday and while the allotted badges were processed there was clearly an issue with some customers experiencing a frozen screen," read a statement from the show's organisers.

"We, along with Epic registration, are in the process of investigating this and hope to have an answer as to what occurred.

"Please know that we take this issue very seriously and offer our sincere apology for those who found themselves in this predicament. Thank you for your understanding in what we know was a very difficult experience for many."

Read more:
Follow us: @digitalspy on Twitter | digitalspyuk on Facebook

ESQUIRE NETWORK (FORMELY G4TV) HIRES NEW MARKETING TEAM

Deadline has the latest on G4TV's re-branding to Esquire Network.

Esquire Network is beginning to staff up for its April 22 launch as a rebranded channel formerly known as G4. PR veteran Katherine Nelson has joined as Head of Communications and will craft all communications strategy and oversee corporate communications and program publicity for the network. Also, former Comedy Central marketing exec Deena Stern has come aboard as Head of Marketing, overseeing marketing and strategic planning for on-air, off-air, digital and ad sales. Both will report to Esquire Network GM Adam Stotsky.

The whole article is worth the read.

DEADLINE: COMIC-CON BADGES SELL OUT IN 93 MINS.

Deadline.com has a story about how the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con sold out in 93 mins.

San Diego will again be packed to the gills with geeks of all stripes this July, as all attendee badges for San Diego Comic-Con 2013 sold out in just over an hour and a half, barely shy of the record set in 2012. But many fans came up empty-handed and feeling ripped off because of problems that plagued the convention’s complicated badge sales system for the second year in a row. Passes went on sale this morning at 9:00 AM Pacific, and as disappointed fans found out via the convention’s Twitter account, they disappeared fast. By 9:53, 4-day badges and 4-day badges with access to preview night were gone. 15 minutes later, Friday and Saturday single day badges were snapped up and by 10:36 it was all over.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE DEADLINE COMIC-CON ARTICLE

BREAKING: ALL SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON BADGES ARE SOLD OUT

From the San Diego Comic-Con Twitter feed.

4-Day badges with Preview Night are sold out. #SDCC
— San Diego Comic Con (@Comic_Con) February 16, 2013

All 4-Day badges are now sold out. #SDCC
— San Diego Comic Con (@Comic_Con) February 16, 2013

Saturday single day badges are now sold out. #SDCC
— San Diego Comic Con (@Comic_Con) February 16, 2013

Friday single day badges are sold out. #SDCC
— San Diego Comic Con (@Comic_Con) February 16, 2013

Comic-Con 2013 badge sales are now closed. A resale of returned badges may be held at a later date. Thank you for your patience. #SDCC
— San Diego Comic Con (@Comic_Con) February 16, 2013

BREAKING NEWS: NORTH KOREA CONDUCTS A NUCLEAR TEST!

It all started with an 4.9 mag "earthquake" and goes about 7KT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea is believed to have conducted a widely anticipated nuclear test Tuesday, following an earthquake that monitoring agencies around the globe said appeared to be unnatural.

The South Korean Defense Ministry, which raised its military alert level after the quake, said it was trying to determine whether it was a test. Nuclear blasts can create tremors but they are distinct from those caused by natural earthquakes.

A world nuclear test monitoring organization detected what it called an "unusual seismic event" in North Korea.

"The event shows clear explosion-like characteristics and its location is roughly congruent with the 2006 and 2009 DPRK nuclear tests," said Tibor Tóth, the executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. The DPRK refers to North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Japan is calling for immedate action.

Japan's prime minister has called an urgent security meeting, according to chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga, and South Korea raised its military alert level, the AP reported. 

And there is a threat of more DPRK missile testing. 

After North Korea vowed to continue firing long-range rockets without mentioning a promised nuclear test, South Korea's defense ministry said Tuesday Pyongyang could launch missiles and detonate a nuclear device simultaneously.

   South Korea has been put on high alert since the North last month threatened to conduct a third atomic test to protest strengthened sanctions for its December rocket launch, with some expecting the tension to enter the most critical phase this week ahead of political events.

   "The military is closely watching the latest movement because North Korea could fire off (a long-range rocket) or something else while testing its nuclear device," ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said during a briefing. "South Korea and the U.S. have mobilized all intelligence assets to observe attempts to (fire off a long-range rocket)."

   When the North announced it successfully detonated a nuclear device in May 2009, it fired off several short-range missiles on the same day in an apparent move to foil intelligence monitoring near the test site.

Not only does this directly impact Japan, China and South Korea but it also can reach all the way here.

 Just something to think about.

 

G4TV TO REBRAND AS ESQUIRE CHANNEL ON ARPIL 22

Many have been wondering what is going on over at G4TV since the cancellation of Attack Of The Show. Well The Hollywood Reporter has the answer:

Beginning April 22, the former gaming network G4 will be rebranded the Esquire Network.

The news comes two months after The Hollywood Reporter reported that NBCUniversal, which owns the cable network, and Esquire parent Hearst Magazines had inked a deal to create a network catering to the modern man.

What does that mean you ask? Well read on:

Described in The New York Times as a male iteration of Bravo – a cable network that this channel’s corporate leader Bonnie Hammer gained ownership of during a corporate restructuring last week — the network is designed to fill a void left open by a TV landscape that caters instead to the tough-minded, beer-guzzling man’s man with networks ranging from Spike to History. Looking to capture the tastes of the modern male –- and the deep-pocketed advertisers looking to court him — Esquire will look to expand on G4’s foundation of games, gear and gadgets to include food, fashion, women, humor, travel, danger, competition and entertainment. Rather than mimic what lines the pages of Esquire magazine, the channel will look to translate the publication’s ethos.

"Creating smart, entertaining programming for the high-normal American man fills a void in the cable universe," said Granger. "We at Esquire work hard to challenge and inspire and entertain our audience across all our print and digital expressions, and the new Esquire Network is finding new and ambitious ways to take that mission to television.”

Much like Bravo’s plans going forward, the Esquire Network will feature a mix of unscripted and scripted fare as well as movies and specials. Included in the current development slate is Knife Fight, an underground, after-hours cooking competition where talented chefs go head to head in front of a rowdy crowd of celebrities, critics and die-hard foodies. Drew Barrymore and her Flower Films along with Honey Boo Boo’s Authentic Entertainment will serve as executive producers on the effort, which will be hosted by Top Chef winner Ilan Hall.

The article does not say anything about anime programming that G4TV has carried in the past. So it is unknown if such programming will be part of the rebranding strategy.

For viewers of the G4 network, the change will mean a sharp shift from the gaming-centered programming that attracted some men to shows that will draw an audience that NBC executives are persuaded Esquire stands for: “The modern man, what being a man today is all about,” as Adam Stotsky, the general manager of the new network, said.

Specifically, NBC is hoping to capture a more educated, affluent, sophisticated male viewer, who is not being served, as its research concluded, by the male-oriented, nonsports programming on cable channels like Discovery and Spike.

Let's wish the new team the best of luck in their new endeavor. 




(Ha Ha Fooled You!)