Firefly official companion

[Noeland]

I recently was given a copy of Titan Books official Firefly Companion. This is great, loaded with pictures, and episode scripts. Has some great stuff in it, here are a couple of scans to whet your appetite, there is some stuff in here I had not seen before too.

Paper props a-plenty.

I'd say this is a must have for anybody who loves the show, I've only just started reading it, and have learned quite a bit. There is supposedly a volume 2 headed next year.

Njc-----------------

 

[Darth Brass]

People keep getting this, but everywhere I go is like "um, yeah, not until September".

What's the dealy-yo?.

 

[Mike J.]

From what I've heard, there was evidently some shipping snafu, and some comicbook shops got theirs early.

Amazon says it's in stock now.


-Mike

 

[Noeland]

I didn't know it was that new.

Well hey, September is only a few days away.

Njc---------------------

 

[cabridges]

It wassupposed to be out last month in the UK and in September in the US, but it got delayed past the 1st release date and then, somehow, offered with Diamond Comic's solicitation a few weeks ago so it was showing up in comic stores while bookstore swore it was unavailable. Now it's coming out pretty much everywhere.

And replica people, you gotta get this. TONS of details on how the props were made, with close up pics (not just screencaps) and inside hints. Turns out quite a few of the sources people here figured out were dead on the money. I can't wait see what turns up in the forums now...

 

[Red Five]

It was available for order more than a week ago via my on-line comic ordering service - midtowncomics.com
Obviously, they are part of Diamond's Distribution group. The book arrived LAST Thursday and is AWESOME.
Highly reccomended. :thumbsup

 

[howlingwind13]

Just saw this post...ordered mine right away. Thanks for posting this I didn't even know this was out there.
mike

 

[Noeland]

I just started reading the interview with Joss, and it was done after the feature film, so this is fresh off the presses...

Great interview so far too.

Njc--------------------

 

[Kaylee]

Mine just came today.

Honestly, I'm a little dissappointed.

From the buzz coming off the early production of this book, I had thought there'd be more and better pictures of the props and costumes used in the show. While certainly what was there was worlds better than what was in the Serenity book (except for the money images) -- most of the images in this new book were quarter-page or smaller, and generally scrunched.

For instance, I could care less about a rubber cast of a Vector pistol -- images of Vectors and Astras (and Starship Troopers armor ) are all over the place -- but I'd have LOVED to see Dobson's Cortex screen up close and what all those icons looked like. Or closer images of the cash, or suchlike. The Serenity papers and Inara's companioning papers are small sized and folded in such a way you really can't see much of the actual text. and given the trouble they took to write it, I'd have loved to see what they
actually said.

The book copy was the same way.. give us more interviews with cast, production folk, writers,and so forth. The shooting scripts are all over the web, and I daresay most Firefly fans most likely have 'em memorized by this point anyhow. There's nothing new there -- it's filler.

Don't get me wrong -- it was GREAT seeing what was there, and it was a real step up from typical entertainment-tie-in books I think. But it really wasn't what it could have been - or even I think what it was intimated it was going to be.

-K

PS -- there is a little info on the props themselves, but not a whole lot of new information.. but then I'd say that reflects more on the wonderful sleuthing of this community than any deficit in the book.

 

[whitefall]

Kaylee,

Just a side note on the Serenity papers & Inara papers. Don't feel too cheated - both are based on the same Trust Fund document with the title & name and a couple of lines at the top changed. The actual text of the piece has nothing to do with Firefly at all - it's just a straight ol' earth-that-was Trust Fund.

(And it IS a great paper prop resource, I recently tied up both the bills and a re-written versified ship's papers):

 

[Great_Bizarro]

I tried to read Books id and don't know if I just can't make out much of the text or if it is jibberish. Looks to be a 2 sided doccument also.

 

[Red Five]

Just a quick note after reviewing this book last night...

IMHO sometimes WE tend to set the bar too high as far as publications like this go. The book is actually really good. Fans of Firefly will love it and appreciate it a bunch. I't's a "Companion" not a comprehensive "Behind-The-Scenes" or "Special Effects Guide." The pictures are nice and presented very well. I don't think the publishers had pleasing all of US here at the RPF in mind when they put it together. Come on, thats asking a lot. They obviously aimed this publication towards the casual fan & the Browncoats who would enjoy it. Who knows, maybe they will be publishing a more detailed BTS book in the future?. Lord knows that there is MORE than enough interest out here. That being said, as a casual fan I have really enjoyed the book so far and have learned a lot. It is a very good COMPANION book and I am looking forward to Volume Two.

I'll wind this up by saying that, after getting this book, I have a greater appreciation of the show and look forward to watching it all over again armed with my newfound insights.

 

[Mike J.]

I have strong suspicion that Book's ID is the back side of a stock or bond.

Crude approximation:

-Mike

 

[dr_slurpee]

Damn you and your image hosting that doesn't seem to want to let me see the images Mike.

 

[Mike J.]

Well, you're not missing much. I haven't found the exact certificate.


-Mike

 

[Drago Lordist]

<div class='quotetop'>(Red Five @ Aug 29 2006, 09:55 AM) [snapback]1309075[/snapback]</div>

IMHO sometimes WE tend to set the bar too high as far as publications like this go.
[/b]

true but then again that's what makes this the best Prop forum around.

 

[Red Five]

<div class='quotetop'>(Drago Lordist @ Aug 29 2006, 05:02 PM) [snapback]1309348[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>(Red Five @ Aug 29 2006, 09:55 AM) [snapback]1309075[/snapback]

IMHO sometimes WE tend to set the bar too high as far as publications like this go.
[/b]

true but then again that's what makes this the best Prop forum around.
[/b][/quote]
I know what your saying. But, if you read my note, you would know what I really meant. This publication isn't aimed at us at all. We DESERVE a TECHNICAL MANUAL. Like I said it's a good COMPANION for the casual or curious and NOT at "Technical Manual."

Your right, however, the bar should never be lowered... :thumbsup

I just wanted to make sure that nobody would skip the book who might really enjoy or learn somethiong from it.

 

[cabridges]

Also, these are not the same scripts floating around online. These are more detailed, with more descriptions/stage directions, and in some cases with different scenes (such as the replaced Tam family scenes from "Safe.") I did some side-by-side comparison with some of the scripts I've downloaded and in some cases there's a fair bit of difference.

 

[Noeland]

Titan Books has thier email right in the notes.

readerfeedback@titanemail.com

www.titanbooks.com

I think NOW would be the time to request a technical manual (which is a great idea) and I would place money on them being very receptive to it. They seem like some cool folks, and I think they'd do a tach manual justice too.

I also wondered why they bothered to put the vector, and astra stunt guns pics in the book. I don't consider them filler, I consider them odd choices. I'd of much rather seen a diagram of Jayne's wall, or the table of guns Mal was cleaning.

BUT, there is a volume 2 coming out and I'm sure they saved some of that content for V2.

This is not a tech manual, but it IS loaded with content. this is not a flipbook, it's book intended to be read folks.

 

[Birdie]

Guys, the prop shots in this book are pretty much based on British collector Karl Derrick's collection of screen-used props. If it's not in Karl's collection, you ain't gonna see it, basically. All of the close-up work in the book is of Karl's stuff, with the exception of Mal's pistol breakdown (notsure about the Encyclopedia).

I know this book was a personal project of Karl's, and think we are extremeley lucky to have it at all. These props would be scattered to the four winds if itweren't for him, and I think us replicators have done pretty damn well out of the pictures that came out of Honiton already.

Clearly the props were not extensiveley photograhped when the show lensed, or we would be seeing more stuff that we haven't seen before.