CSTS 2013 ARTWORK

Planning is already underway for Can't Stop The Serenity 2013, in Vancouver and elsewhere. One of the first things needed is to decide on the artwork for next year. You can help! The designs submitted are on the CSTS global website and you get to vote. Yes, you! Voting is open to anyone who wants to have a say.  Please keep in mind that these are the images that will entice new people to the events, show on t-shirts and posters (which will also have a lot more text on them) and on websites.  There is only a short window - voting closes at midnight, Pacific time, on Sunday, October 21st, so please go to the website, scroll down to look at all the entries and decide which one you would like to see next year.

ONE MORE SHINY ITEM FOR THE AUCTION!

Our last - I think - donation is a beautiful knotted belt created by Jen Phillips and donated by Frederica P.  You can check out Jen's Facebook page by clicking on her name or clicking on the KnottyGirl - Knotted & Knitwear link on the right. 

Ticket sales on the blog are now closed. Tickets will be available at the door - $15 cash.

Hope everyone has fun tomorrow and gives as generously as you are able! If you can't come tomorrow to join in the fun, please consider making a donation through the button on the right. 

 

LAST-MINUTE CHANGE TO THE SCHEDULE!!

Jewel Staite wasn't able to attend our CSTS event this year - although she sent her good wishs for a very successful event.  However, we are going to get a small dose of our favourite home-town star  - very small, just a taste in fact!  The producers of the new animated series Animism are bringing us a rough cut of about five minutes of their new show, which stars Jewel Staite as a young woman who woud look right at home in any Joss Whedon show.  In order to bring this sneak peek to you, we have had to juggle the schedule a bit.  (You do remember the part that said "Schedule subject to change", right?)  Basically, the costume contest parade has moved to 2:35 - although participants still need to check in with the judges in the Lounge between 10:30 and 11 am; Animism will play before trivia bingo.  We thank those involved for giving us this glimpse of the new series, produced in Vancouver.

If you're reading the Buffy comics, you may be familiar with the name Georges Jeanty, who did a lot of the art work and even some covers for Season 8.  He was gracious enough to sign and donate two of his prints to CSTS Vancouver at this year's FanExpo.  Here they are:

Firefly Cargo Bay out of Ontario donated a box of goodies to our event, some of which are in the auctions, some in prizes.   Here are some of the buttons which were put in the grab bags.

She also donated a Jayne t-shirt that was designed by well-known Browncoat artist, 11th Hour, who died much too young last year.  There is a story attached to the shirt which you can read to find out how buying the shirt will have benefitted three different charities - five if you count our three separate!

A reminder that ticket sales at La Fontana will close at noon tomorrow and on the blog they will end at midnight.  It looks as if there will be tickets available at the door, so if you look at the weather and realise it's a good day to stay inside, think about how much fun you'll have at our event, while contributing to three excellent charities.  It's a win-win situation.  (PS Don't forget to bring cash because that's all we take.)

FABULOUS NEW AUCTION ITEM!

I am blessed in having some very creative friends - many of them as a result of mutual Joss Whedon love.  One of them has made a box full of delightful bottles and trinkets that might have been found in Inara's shuttle.  Some of the perfume she made herself, as well as the labels for the perfume bottles.  This is not a prop, but it certainly could have been.  I am in awe and very grateful to Karen "QuoterGal" Wellenkamp for the time, effort and obviously love that she put into this. 

So bring your cashy money on Saturday and bid on this shiny box of delights - it could be yours!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR JUNE 9TH - UPDATED!

You've asked for it and here it is (always subject to change, of course):

10:30am              Doors open
11:00                   Brief introduction, then singing along to Dr. Horrible
11:55                   Evil Laugh contest
12:15                   An episode of Mind My Brains, Darling
12:25                   Reaver Dance
12:35                   Animism
1:00                     Firefly Trivia Bingo
1:40                     Episode 12 of Standard Action
2:00                     Live Auction
2:35                     Costume Contest parade and awarding of prizes
3:00                     Close silent auction
                            Draw for Fan Expo ticket prize
                            Door prizes
                            Joss's Equality Now speech
                            CSTS introduction
3:30                     SERENITY
5:30                     Announcement of winning bidders in the silent auction

There are still tickets left.  Ticket sales at La Fontana will end at noon on Friday and on the blog at midnight.  Any tickets left will be available at the door.

A reminder that no food or drink, except for beverages with tops, is allowed in the auditorium, although you are welcome to use the table and chairs set up in the Lounge for that purpose.  C&C Cakery will be present with their Firefly-inspired treats for a recommended donation.

The parking lot is paid parking - $2 per hour or a flat rate of $10 from 6 am to 6 pm. After 6 pm, it is a flat rate of $5.  They are pretty strict in the lot so if you are staying after 6 to join some of us in the Lounge to order food, please make sure you pay the evening rate.

REMEMBER, all monetary transactions at CSTS Vancouver are cash only.  That includes tickets available at the door; limited grab bags ($5); Bingo cards ($1); CSTS 2012 patches (a limited number for a minimum donation of $4); food and auction items.  There will also be jars around if you would just like to drop in some change - or bills - as an extra donation.

If you are entering the costume contest, please arrive by 10:30 and go directly to the Lounge where the judges will see you.  If you are entering the Superpowers costume contest, you will be asked to fill out a card with your Superpower name, talent, how you would use that ttalent and whether you would fit in with Iron Man, Black Widow and the gang, or whether you plan to aid Bad Horse, the Thoroughbred of Sin!

NEW DONATION!!

If you're a Buffy fan, you are going to want to sell empty bottles, old school books, your children, grandmother, anything you can find to raise some extra money to bid on this shiny item.  A huge thank you to a generous supporter for donating this lovely Buffy fanny pack, given by exclusively to the cast and crew by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan for Christmas 1998!  Please send good thoughts to the Postal Gods that it arrives in time for the auction!

YOU SAY YOU WANT BOOKS?

We have books.


Signed by Wil Wheaton:

Excellent essays on various aspects of Firefly and Serenity, edited by Jane Espenson:

A collection of posts and thoughts on watching Firefly for the first time by @MarkDoesStuff.  At the moment he is watching & posting about Season 5 of Buffy and Season 2 of Angel, concurrently. Yesterday's post was on "The Body".

Trade Paperback collection of Dollhouse: Epitaph comics.

Four Reasons to Bring Cash to CSTS Vancouver

Signed comic books.

1. The Free Comic Book Day Serenity comic signed by Fabio Moon, the artist who drew Joss's Sugarshock comic.

2. Buffy comic book signed by Tom Lenk.

3.  Buffy comic book signed by Nicholas Brendan.

4.  Special Serenity cover to benefit Kids Need To Read, signed by Adam Baldwin.

And there's more.  Stay tuned for more shiny items!

DO YOU HAVE YOUR TICKET YET?

Less than two weeks to go until CSTS Vancouver 2012 and everything is coming together for another wonderful event.  Remember that all the net proceeds go to charity so come and enjoy a day of fun and entertainment while helping women and girls throughtout the world and in our own backyard.  Tickets are $15 (cash) from me or from Gian at La Fontana Caffe (Boundary at Hastings) or $16 via PayPal and the button to the right.  Don't forget to bring lots of cash for the silent auction and this year - a live auction of some special items, pictures of which will be coming soon.

In the meantime, remember this?

That is a Kaylee cupcake from C&C Cakery.  Last year they made many Firefly-inspired treats for us and this year they will be back.  I can't guarantee they will have the same things, but whatever they bring, we know they will look fantastic and taste even better!

Speaking of Kaylee, look what Julia made for our silent auction, based on a pattern by Nyss, which can be found at http://pixelatedmushroom.blogspot.ca/:

 She also made Mal & Jayne, complete with guns in holsters:

There will be a Zoe at the auction, but she needs to spend a little more time with Julia. ;)

Thanks, Julia.  They look delightful, as people who saw them at FanExpo Vancouver can attest.

T-SHIRTS, WE HAVE THEM!

You think you don't have enough geeky t-shirts and are looking for a new one?  Then look no further because CSTS Vancouver has several in our silent auction.  If you're a die-hard Browncoat or a casual fan, we have something for you.  Just look at these shiny shirts - including one that reads "Shiny"!  Don'r forget to save up and bring lots of cashy money so that you go home with the items that you absolutely must have - and can feel good about it because all the money raised goes to support organisations helping women and girls.

If you're not in the market for a new t-shirt, keep checking back because I'll be posting pictures of more items in the silent auction - and this year we will be having a few special items in a live auction.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! WITH COSTUMES!

I'm sure by now that most, if not all, of you have seen the biggest blockbuster movie of the year - which is piling up more records as we speak.  If you haven't, why not?? It's a Joss Whedon film.  It says so right in the credits - and it's oh so sweet to see.  It's also a damn fine movie.  Combined with The Cabin in the Woods, Joss has had two movies in the top 10 for two weeks!  And Joss being the person he is, he wrote a thank you letter to his fans on Whedonesque.  If you haven't read it, it's here  You might want to read some of the 440+ comments - and comment yourself if you're a member.  (Whedonesque membership was opened yesterday.)  My favourite line? If you think topping a box office record compares with someone telling you your work helped them through a rough time, you're probably new here.

So now that you've seen his two new movies - possibly multiple times - it's time to gear up to see his first movie, Serenity.   It didn't make the box office splash we were all hoping for, but it still lives on in our hearts - and every year in Can't Stop The Serenity.

Since there's just four weeks (from yesterday) to go before the big event, now's the time to start thinking of your costume.  This year's contest will be a bit different.  There will still be one prize for the best Firefly/Serenity costume, but 2012 deserves a whole new category, to wit: SuperPowers!  If you could have any superpower(s), what would it be? Would you fit in with the Avengers? or would you be more likely to apply to the Evil League of Evil? Whatever your superpower, come up with an original costume to match (ie not one of Marvel's characters) and be prepared to tell the judges your Super name, superpower and how you would use that - for good or for evil!  Assemble in the Whittick Lounge on June 9th at 10:30 am to display your talents - or at least your costume.  There will be a parade of costumes on stage later in the day.  Judges will be looking for originality and creativity in both costumes and superpowers.  Good luck and I look forward to seeing what new members might be joining the Avengers ( or the ELE).

Happy Free Comic Book Day!

Get out and support your local comic book shop.  Today is Free Comic Book Day.  Check out the website to locate a store near you.

Stay tuned for details on our costume contest.  There's a twist this year!

CSTS 2012 PATCHES NOW AVAILABLE!

Anyone wishing to purchase a patch with this year's logo on it can now do so, but in order for them to be made and shipped before early screenings such as ours, there is a very short window of opportunity. Deadline to order is Noon on Tuesday, May 1st.  There may be one or two available at the event, but if you want to make sure you get one, please order now.  This year the patches will be embroidered instead of woven to emphasize the details.  Patches are $4.00 each.  Just click on the button to the right.  The shape is the outlined design.

FANEXPO VANCOUVER 2012 A BIG SUCCESS!

Vancouver's first (annual) comic-con was an overwhelming success, thanks to all the local sci-fi/fantasy/anime/gamer fans in the area - and out of it.

FanExpo gave CSTS Vancouver a booth at the con - which we shared with the BC Browncoats - and they also allowed us to sell tickets to CSTS Vancouver.  Estimates of the number of guests who dropped by our booth would be between 500 and 600.  If even 10% of the people who had never heard of CSTS come out on June 9th, we should have an awesome turnout.  If you are one of those people who liked or loved Firefly and Serenity but haven't been to one of the fundraising events, thank you for stopping by and I hope you will consider coming out to CSTS Vancouver and supporting our charities while having a great time.  It's a Shiny Shindig, for sure!

Thank you to all the volunteers who were so cheerful and informative to all:  Ashley, Jordan, Ari, Laura, Robert, Colleen, Julia, Pippa and Andrea.  Thanks to Vanessa, who offered to fill in if needed, even though the Standard Action booth was very busy, to Val & Michael, running the BIFF/BSG/Sci-Fi club booth next door for all their help, to Paul for making a standout sign, and to Paul and Priya for asking for - and receiving - a couple of signed photos for our auction - one from Nicholas Brendan (Xander from Buffy) and one from Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi.on Star Trek: The Next Generation).  Special thanks also to Buffy comics artist George Jeanty who donated two signed colour prints to the auction, without even being asked!  (Photos of those and other auction and prize items will be starting to go up in the next week or so.)

Thanks to FanExpo for the opportunity to spread the word about Can't Stop The Serenity and thanks to all of you who dropped by to talk - even briefly - about Firefly and Serenity - and especially to those who bought tickets.

I look forward to seeing many new faces at this year's event. 

Last Chance to Buy T-shirts and Hoodies

The deadline to buy this year's CSTS t-shirts and hoodies is midnight on Friday, April 13th.  Make it a lucky day and purchase yours before it's too late.  We will have one (women's) t-shirt and one hoodie available at the auction but otherwise there will be no opportunity to own one.  Scroll down for the pictures of the garments.  Remember, not only do you get a great t-shirt or hoodie (or both), but you are contributing to three excellent charities - and showing your support as you do.  All paid t-shirts and hoodies will be available for pickup at CSTS Vancouver on Saturday, June 9th.

Go. Click on the button. You know you want to!!

Why "Can't Stop The Serenity"?

This is the seventh year for the global events known as Can't Stop The Serenity or CSTS and we have no intention of slowing down.  Originally founded by Portland's theonetrueb!X and friends to enable them to see Serenity again on a big screen while raising money for Equality Now, the movement has spread around the world, drawing Browncoats together in a great cause.  Many cities also support local charities.  In Vancouver, we have raised over $20,000 in the past six years, also donating to BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre Foundation for several years and in 2012 we are adding Avalon Women's Centres Vancouver as a beneficiary.

Equality Now focuses on helping women and girls throughout the world in areas such as female genital mutilation (FGM), human trafficking, equal rights and ending violence.  Check out their website for some of their current campaigns as well as some of their successes.

Five years ago, a young woman - a teenager, actually - named Du'a Khalil Aswad was stoned to death by a group of men, including members of her family, who disapproved of her actions.  During the stoning, many of the men filmed her death on their phones and posted them to the Internet.  Suddenly the world could see in full colour the violence of so-called 'honour killings'.  And at least some of the world responded.  Joss Whedon posted his thoughts on Whedonesque when the story hit the mainstream media and as a result, fans became involved in projects such as Nothing But Red.  It also made many Browncoats more determined than ever to fight to end violence and discrimination against women and girls, wherever they may be.

If you are moved by Du'a Khalil's story or by any of the stories on Equality Now's website - or stories that can be heard on the news on any given night - please consider donating to the Can't Stop The Serenity movement.  Buy a ticket to your local event, buy a t-shirt or hoodie to show your support, donate or sponsor an item for an auction, raffle or prize, or just make a donation through your nearest city's blog or webpage, or through Equality Now, letting them know what CSTS city you are supporting.  Every dollar helps.  If you can't afford a donation, buy a ticket and volunteer.  If there isn't a CSTS event near you, consider organising one of your own next year.  It doesn't have to be a full-fledged, all-day event.  It can be a smaller affiliate event, even a gathering of your friends to watch Serenity and raise some money for Equality Now.

Now more than ever is the time to get involved and stand up for women's rights and especially their right to be safe from violence.  Please think of Du'a Khalil Aswad and the women and girls all over the world who need our help and give generously to CSTS 2012.  Not only will you feel good that you are doing something to help others in need, but you'll have a great time at your local event, whatever they do.  CSTS Organisers put in a lot of time and money to make their events fun for attendees and successful in terms of raising money, so come out and support your local event and be a part of a global movement.  See you there!

The Announcement You've Been Waiting For

Good news! We will also be showing 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog ©’ screened by permission from Time Science Blood Club, LLC at CSTS Vancouver on June 9th.  Tickets are available right now from the button on your right and will also be available at the CSTS Vancouver/BC Browncoats table at FanExpo on April 21st and 22nd at the western Vancouver Convention Centre (cash only, exact price - $15 each - would be appreciated).  Come see us, buy your ticket and enter your name for a special draw to be held at CSTS.  


Don't forget to order your t-shirts and hoodies - buttons on right.  Deadline is April 13th.

Still Looking for Volunteers!

Now that we have a confirmed table at FanExpo Vancouver on April 21st and 22nd, I'm still looking for a few more volunteers to do a four-hour shift to promote CSTS Vancouver and the BC Browncoats.  Wearing a costume would be great - a geeky t-shirt and/or Jayne's hat is also acceptable.  You are responsible for your own admission.

We will be selling tickets to CSTS and may have a surprise or two for those who stop by.  Anyone who buys a ticket to Vancouver Can't Stop The Serenity at the table during FanExpo Vancouver can fill out a form and will be entered in a special draw at our CSTS event on June 9th.  Contact me at cstsvancouver@gmail.com if you are interested.

TICKETS, T-SHIRTS & HOODIES!

Tickets are now on sale for the 7th annual CSTS Vancouver!  You can order with the button on the right via PayPal and your tickets will be held for you to pick up at Will Call on June 9th.  Price is $16 through the blog and $15 cash in person if you see me at an event.  Over the past six years, CSTS Vancouver has raised just over $20,000 for Equality Now and BC Women's Hospital & Health Care Foundation.  This year we have added Avalon's Women Centres Vancouver as a beneficiary as well.  Even if you can't make our event, please consider donating to this worthy cause by using the DONATE button on the right.

We also have t-shirts and hoodies available for sale, to be picked up on the day of the event.  We have two styles of women's Tees - V-neck and Baby Doll - and, in addition to the pullover hoodies of the past two years, we have zippered hoodies, back by popular demand.  This year's winning logo was designed by Melanie Fischer, current organiser of CSTS Toronto, who also won last year's artwork contest.  Orders, with payment, must be in by Saturday, April 14th.

Women's V-Neck T-Shirt         Women's Baby Doll T-Shirt

 Men's Uni-Sex T-Shirt

Pull-Over Hoodie                  Zippered Hoodie

FAN EXPO COMING TO VANCOUVER!

For the first time ever, FanExpo is coming to Vancouver for a weekend "comic con" aimed at fans of comics, TV, anime, games, etc.  Check out guests announced so far. At just $30 for unlimited access all weekend, this will be a great opportunity to see some of your favourite TV and comic stars.

The con is the weekend of April 21st and 22nd and CSTS Vancouver has applied for a fan table to be shared with the BC Browncoats.  We are looking for volunteers to crew the table during the open hours: 10 am to 7 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday.  If you are willing to commit to a four to six hour shift on either day, preferably in costume or at least a geeky shirt and possibly a Jayne's hat, please e-mail me at cstsvancouver@gmail.com.  I would like to have two people at the table at all times with other people relieving at various points.  I plan to be there throughout the two days.  We have also been granted permission to sell tickets for CSTS Vancouver 2012.

Stay tuned for more information on ticket, t-shirts and hoodies sales.

CSTS Vancouver 2012!

Mark Saturday, June 9th on your calendars for CSTS Vancouver 2012, to be held at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.  Due to scheduling conflicts, our event will be held two weeks earlier than usual this year, so planning has already started.  If you would like to be involved as a donor, sponsor, volunteer or helping to organise, you can e-mail us at cstsvancouver [at] gmail [dot] com, or leave a comment here or on Twitter or our Facebook page.

Please check out the video at the right to hear some of the actions that we have helped make possible through our contributions to Equality Now.  EN is turning 20 this year, so let's do our part in making this their most successful year ever!

In addition to supporting Equality Now, part of our proceeds continue to go to BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre Foundation and this year we will also be contributing to the Avalon Women's Centres in Vancouver.