Dorothy & Toto return to the Silver Screen

It was the summer of 1977 and my parents decided I was old enough to start taking to the movie theater.  I don't remember much from being 4 years old, but oddly enough I do have strong fond memories of going with my mom and dad to see three movies that summer: Star Wars, TheRescuers,  andRaggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure.  This was a time when all we had was grainy tv broadcasts with five channels to watch - a much different era compared to what our kids have today with the home theaters, Netflix, high tech video games and more cable channels than you can count.  Getting out of the house to go to the movies back than was a unique experience and as a child I relished these magical adventures.  It's interesting how much these three movies impacted my future interests!  My wife describes me to people as a Star Wars Geek and tell them living with me is like being in an episode of the Big BangTheory.  Like many boys of my generation, Star Wars really established my interest and enjoyment of science fiction and technology.  The Rescuers and Raggedy Ann & Andy though also instilled in me a love for cartoons, animation, artistic drawing and comics, and adventurous stories that is still very active today.  I'm approaching 40 years old now and I still love reading comic books and watching cartoons with my kids!

My own kids are now just approaching the age where we are beginning to take them to the movies and 2012 may be to them what 1977 was for me.  We took them to see their first movie a few weeks ago, The Lorax, which as an animated thrill-ride of a musical based on the classic Dr. Seuss tale.  I'm very excited about another animated musical that is coming out this summer, DOROTHY OF OZ.  I am definitely going to take my kids to see this movie which takes off where the classic 1939 Wizard of Ozmovie featuring Judy Garland left off.  DOROTHY OF OZ will feature the voices of some pretty well known actors including Martin Short (currently the voice of PBS "Cat in the Hat") as the new villain The Jester, James Belushi as the Lion, Dan Aykroyd as the Scarecrow, Kelsey Grammer as the Tin Man and GLEE's Lea Michele as Dorothy.  The movie will also feature the talents of one of my favorite actors, Patrick Stewart from Star Trek as a new character, a talking boat named Tugg.

In DOROTHYOF OZ, Dorothy Gail has returned to her hometown in Kansas and is helping her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry and their neighbors repair the damage from the tornado that destroyed their community.  While she and Toto are back in the great plains of Kansas, a new villain called The Jester has emerged and stolen the now-dead evil Witch of the West's magic wand which he is now using to turn the inhabitants of OZ into "puppets" that he can control.  The Scare Crow, Tin Man, and Lion summon Dorothy and Toto back to OZ and the old gang reunites for a new adventure to take on and stop The Jester's evil ways.  The movie is based on a book of the same name by Roger Stanton Baum who is the great grandson of L. Frank Baum, who wrote the original Wonderful Wizard of Ozbook. CLICK HERE for more information about Stanton Baum and his OZ themed books: www.tototooinc.com 

To kick-off publicity for this new movie, IDW PUBLISHING is publishing a four-part DOROTHY OF OZ PREQUEL comic book that introduces the new character The Jester and serves as a preclude between the Wizard of Oz and the new movie.  Dorothy of Oz Prequel #1 went on sale this week (March 28) and all four comics will be bundled together as a hard cover book this fall. It is available at local comic book stores or you can buy a digital version online.  This movie originally caught my eye when I was provided with a publicity comic that contained a few pages of advance artwork design samples to promote this upcoming DOROTHY OF OZ PREQUEL series from IDW PUBLISHING to give my twin 3 year olds and they have been awe-struck by the stunning graphics. 

If you are looking for a comic book with great eye-popping art and a family-friendly story and content, I highly recommend you check out IDW Publishing's DOROTHY OF OZ PREQUEL comics.  Promoting comic prequels seems for new movies, tv shows, and video games as I've recently seen it done for Avengers, Falling Skies, & Dragon Age but hopefully in addition to doing a prequel promo IDW will consider also doing a comic version of the movie like the ones I collected as a kid for the  Star Wars & Indiana Jones trilogies.  Our family would definitely buy it and I  will also be picking up their DOROTHY OF OZPREQUEL series for my kids.

CLICK HERE for a preview of DOROTHY OF OZ PREQUEL #1 comic

For more information about this upcoming movie, visit the official website www.dorothyofoz.com , their facebook page www.facebook.com/dorothyofozthemovie or twitter @DorothyOfOzFilm

[DISCLAIMER: I was provided with a free 8 page comic of sample art for the Dorothy of Oz Prequel comic book series by IDW PUBLISHING.  The opinions and views posted in this blog are my own honest opinons]

Hey Dads : Knowing About "Mom-2-Mom Sales" Can Mean Extra Bucks For The Whole Family

I have to admit that my eyes got a little moist when I loaded up the car with the bouncing cow and rocking horsemy kids had spent a lot of time playing with over the last few years.  They had grown too big for these toys now though and like in Toy Story 3 it was time for new children to enjoy them in a new home.  My wife had bought a table at a local Mom-2-Mom Sale this last weekend and I was transporting them along with a lot of heavy boxes filled with clothes, baby equipment and toys that our kids are now too old to benefit from anymore to the sale site so we could get set-up for the Saturday sale.

Despite the name Mom-2-Mom Sale, Friday was "Daddy's Night" as us guys were all trotted out to help set-up for the next day's event moving heavy boxes, setting up tables, and carting a variety of things around the elementary school where the sale was taking place.  I stayed home the next day as my wife worked our table selling our items and buying a few new treasures to bring back to our home for our children.  Essentially, the premise is pretty clear cut from the name "Mom-2-Mom Sale" which  is like a large garage sale at a central location with mommies selling items their kids no longer need to other families who are in need of those items.  Instead of spending a weekend trolling various garage sales looking for kiddie stuff or paying markup at resale shops, someone can go to one of these sales knowing the focus will be on children's items and most items will likely be sold at bargain prices.

I had never heard of these sales until becoming a Dad, but now I see advertising for them all the time.  In most cases a community group, like a PTA, non-profit service club, youth sports league, or church will host one of these Mom-2-Mom Sales as a fundraiser.  They may charge $10 for a table to sell items, or if you have large items that won't fit on your table like a pack-n-play they put them in a designated large item room and you pay $2 or $3 dollars per item to have them sold in that area.  People who come to shop than are charged anywhere from $1 to $5 dollars to enter the Sale as an admission price depending on the popularity of the event in the community and number of tables they have selling stuff.  This obviously can become a lucrative fundraiser so that may be contributing to the increasing number of Mom-2-Mom Sales popping up in the community as well.

At this recent sale we attended, my wife spent $10 for a table and $4 dollars to sell two items in the "big item" room.  I spent a Friday evening moving all the stuff we were going to sell to location and my wife spent a Saturday working our table.  For an investment of a few hours plus $14 dollars we brought home about $400 dollars...it would have been a few more but my wife also brought home some dresses and shoes for my daughter that she said were GREAT deals.  Hey, if you are making some money off things that you may have thrown or given away I'm all for that and picking up some nice things for your kids that might be 100% more expensive bought retail is a nice bonus.  So now when I hear or see something promoting a Mom-2-Mom Sales I envision one of my favorite colors: GREEN.  On a serious note, if you are a parent and haven't checked out one of these events do it!  From a sellers perspective you can make a nice return for a minimal amount of effort or investment by essentially have your own garage sale without marketing it or worrying about people traipsing around your yard.  From a buyers perspective you can often find a lot of really good bargains that while being used are mostly in good shape and also you never know what unique items or treasures you might stumble upon that you may not come across at a retail store.

Here are a few tips from my lovely wife:

•  Know What Sells:  People want NEW things for BABIES so best sellers are toddler clothes 2T - 4T and children's sizes.  Make sure you don't sell stained or worn out items at your table, if a shopper sees one item that looks dirty they aren't going to go through the rest of your stuff! Also people look for things that are needed by their children NOW not for later in the year so don't sell snow suits in March or or swim suits in November.  You may want to participate in two or three Mom-2-Mom Sales throughout the year if you have a lot of stuff to get rid of so you can get rid of seasonal items.
• Check Out Sales:  go to websites like MOM2MOMSALESMICHIGAN, MOM2MOMLIST & METROPARENT (most areas will have local sites promoting local sales - google your city or state followed by "Mom to Mom"), look for information on blogs like THE NEST or THE BUMP, or by asking other moms around town.  Look for sales that have been conducted for multiple years and inquire who is running them? Check to see that sales are run by reputable businesses or community groups.  Ask how many tables they are selling...the more tables normally the larger the crowds who attend because people want to go to shows that have the most to offer.  Look for sales that have 50 to 100 tables.
• Price it Right:  Remember this stuff is used and people are shopping for a bargain so don't overprice.  A lot of stuff we sell is marked at .50 cents to $5 dollars.  If you overcharge it is likely that you are going to be hauling stuff home.  On the other hand, don't let people haggle you so that you are giving your stuff away for free...set a price and stick with it.  A good way to price items is to go to some Mom-2-Mom sales as a shopper before becoming a seller to get a feel for what other people are asking. 
• Layout Matters:   How you have your items layed out makes a big difference.  Having everything marked with stickers clearly identifying prices, signs that clearly steer people to different categories of items (clothes, shoes, toys, bath accessories, etc.), clear bins people can see through and clothes racks are great items at Mom-2-Mom Sales.  Anything you can do so that people don't have to dig around to see what you have and that keeps your items and space looking clean will help you get extra sales!
• Keep Dads @ Home:  It's great to have husbands help with setting up before hand and clearing out afterward but like the name implies most of the shoppers are moms and having a mom work your table makes them feel more comfortable stopping by your table to chat and hopefully make a purchase.  Marketing is important and mommies just are better at closing the sale at these events.

The Loss of a SciFi Visionary

I remember as a kid spending hours scouring through art books my aunt had given me featuring scenes from the Star Wars movies by Ralph McQuarrie and tearing out my favorite images to decorate the walls of my bedroom.  These fantastic images transported me to other worlds and helped develop my sense of curiosity, expanded my imagination, and enhanced my interest in comics and science fiction.  As an adult I continue to be a big fan of science fiction and still keep a copy of Ralph McQuarrie's "The Illustrated Star Wars Universe" on my bookshelf.  So I was extremely saddened to hear of McQuarrie passing away on Sunday, March 4, 2012. He was 82 years old.

Ralph McQuarrie was an Oscar-winning concept art designer who created the look of many of the Star Wars movie characters including Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Boba Fett, C-3PO, and R2-D2.  George Lucas released a statement about McQuarrie’s death, saying:

“Ralph McQuarrie was the first person I hired to help me envision Star Wars. His genial contribution, in the form of unequaled production paintings, propelled and inspired all of the cast and crew of the original Star Warstrilogy. When words could not convey my ideas, I could always point to one of Ralph’s fabulous illustrations and say,  ‘Do it like this.’ ”

McQuarrie started his career as a technical illustrator for Boeing and also did freelance work on the side designing movie posters.  This side gig led to an assignment doing artwork to promote CBS' coverage of NASA's Apollo space program.  McQuarrie's NASA artwork caught the attention of George Lucas who recruited him to design some of the characters for the original Star Wars movie.  He went on to provide concept artwork for characters and set designs for all three of the original Star Wars movies: A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi.

In addition to working on the Star Wars franchise, McQuarrie provided artwork on several other notable Hollywood SciFi productions.  He won an Oscar in 1986 for best visual effects in the movie Cocoon.  McQuarrie also drew the bible artwork displayed within the film Indiana Jones & the Lost Ark illustrating the ark of the covenant; designed the spaceship in E.T.with a Dr. Seussical inspiration and also the mother ship in Close Encounters of the Third Kind; and provided concept designs for a never-released Star Trekmovie and TV series which this artwork was later used for inspiration in developing Star Trek the Motion Picture and the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series.  CLICK HERE to visit the official Ralph McQuarrie website which features many images of his artwork and stories from his amazing life.  He also has a Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/RalphMcQuarrie  

McQuarrie also worked on another one of my favorite Science Fiction franchises: Battle Star Galactica.  He provided concept sketches for the design of ships and aliens on Battlestar Galactica in 1978.  He was also asked to paint 24 color images to be used to help sell the first script for the show's pilot "Saga of a Star World" to television network executives.  CLICK HERE  to view a gallery of these exciting images which feature colonial vipers, cylon raiders, and views of a battlestar warship.

Ralph McQuarrie may be gone but will not be forgotten as his artwork lives on for the appreciation of future generations.  Thank you Ralph for being such an inspiration to so many of us geek daddies in the world.  Your vision and talent is appreciated and will continue to be!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Today is the birthday of renowned children's author Dr. Seuss.  Theodor Seuss Geisel was a writer, poet, and cartoonist who is known for his use ofimaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of trisyllabic meter in the 46 books he published.  I remember my parents and teachers reading his stories to me as a child and we've made them a big part of my kids learning experiences.  Dr. Seuss passed away in 1991 and would have been 108 years old today, but he is still alive in the hearts of every child and parent who continues to enjoy his work.  Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

When my children were younger I used to read them Dr. Seuss's "ABCs" book every day.  We still read that and his other books such as "The Cat in the Hat" , "The Lorax" & "Green Eggs & Ham" to our kids regularly. As our twins have gotten older though, we've begun letting them use our PC and iPad to play with and learn from educational apps.  Oceanhouse Media has done a nice job of publishing Dr. Seuss' works as interactive storybook apps  for mobile IOS, Android, and Nook devices.  We have several of  these that we enjoy loaded on both my iPad and iPhone.  In recognition of Dr. Seuss birthday (March 2), Oceanhouse Media is having a special sale on select storybook apps.  They are also giving away TODAY for FREE two of their Dr. Seuss games, Dr. Seuss Band & Lorax Garden.  CLICK HERE for more information.

Dr. Seuss Band allows you to create some really unique interests and play Seussian melodies.  According to Oceanhouse Media features of the game include:

• 2 Ways to Play - Go for high scores in the Music Game or use Free Play to compose your own tunes.
• 10 Original Songs - Play along with the soundtrack from The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss's ABC, Hop on Pop and more!
• 5 Unique Horn Instruments - Play Seussian versions of the Trumpet, French Horn, Clarinet, Trombone and Flute
• 10 Crazy Horn Effects - Customize the sound of your horn by adding fun effects like a Fish Bowl, Train Whistle, Reverb and more!
• Mix and Match Horns - Swap parts of the horn while playing to create over 120 Horn Combinations
• 3 Difficulty Levels - Choose Easy for beginners, Medium for experienced players and Hard for experts.
• 26 Unlockables - Achieve high scores to unlock Songs, Horns and Effects.

In the Lorax Garden game your mission is to regrow the world's lost Truffula tree forests! Oceanhouse Media lists the features of the game as:

• Design your Truffula tree – Choose the color, leaf shape, trunk shape, and trunk pattern for each tree in your forest.
• Grow your tree – Water the trees in your nursery and watch them grow before your eyes!
• Grow flowers - Watch your flowers bloom as you give them water, pull weeds, and shoo harmful insects away.
• Share your creations – Email beautiful postcards of the trees and flowers you grew to friends & family.
• Numerous challenges – Each forest has different needs which become more challenging as the game progresses.
• View your progress – The world map shows how many forests you've regrown and how many still need your help!

Also in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday the new movie based upon his book "The Lorax" begins showing at movie theaters across the country.   This 3-D animated movie from the producers of Despicable Me features the voices of Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Betty White.  My wife and I are really looking forward to taking our kids to see this as the "The Lorax" with its message of environmental stewardship and community responsibility is one of our all-time favorite books. If you have an iPhone or iPad also check out the movie's FREE game:  Truffula Shuffula which is like Tetris with truffula trees.

On a side note, Despicable Me is also a family favorite for us and we are really excited that a sequel is coming to theaters next year.  Looking forward to Steve Carell and his minions in Despicable Me 2!

Additionally for all things Dr. Seuss make sure you visit the official website www.seussville.com which is full of interactive features and learning features, plus fun and educational activities, crafts, and learning tools for your kids.