Alberta Browncoats

Choosing our Charity

2006-08-30T04:55:00.000-07:00

Hello, all! Okay, some of you have weighed in, and that is great. It looks like AB Browncoats will be a go!

Right now, I need your help. We need to pick a Provincial charity to support. As I said before, each community should also pick a local charity to support, but we should have a province-wide one that we all get behind.

Here's the deal: I need your opinions, and I need them soon, by tomorrow at the latest. At that time, I will have to make a decision.

The reason for the haste? Well, Jenskijen contacted me, seems she is collecting donations from some of her "contacts" and needs to know what charity we are supporting. Needs to know soon.

So let me hear from you, people!

Cheers!
Captain Brent

Call to Mobilize!

2006-07-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

That's right, people! You may have noticed from the name change up top, that we are aiming our sights a little higher these days. I am not, by my nature, an exclusionary man. Since the screening I have been thinking that a province-wide grouping would make our efforts stronger, but I wasn't sure whether to take that next step.

Well, I got my wake-up call! A BC Browncoat by the name of Jenskijen is in town this week, and we had a chance to talk. To say she is active with the Browncoat community would be an understatement; she's "active" like Reavers are a "little odd". But she convinced me to get started on this. Inspired me, you might say.

Here's what it is. I'm going to be getting the word out, and the word is this: The Alberta Browncoats are here! We will exist as a provincial group, and I would suggest that our time be split between two main activities. First, organizing fun little shindigs of various types for our membership. And second, putting the awesome power of the AB Browncoats behind some worthy charities, either organizing them ourselves or just volunteering some time to help already existing ones.

Saying it is the simple part, but to turn saying into doing we are going to need a few things, and some decisions will need to be made. Here's the current Top 5:

I'm not knocking the fine folks here at Blogspot, but we will need a website of our very own. I know very little about that sort of thing, but I'm hoping one of my fellow Browncoats will be willing to step forward and be our web-master/-mistress. If you want the job, email me.
I would like us to decide if we want to go the formal route of making ourselves a registered Not-for-profit Society. Through my theatre dealings I have some experience with that process. There are pros and cons, but I think it is something to discuss.
I would like a very distinctive AB Browncoats graphic, something cunning we can stick on the website, not to mention t-shirts and shoulder patches. I am officially opening this up to all of you; send me your graphic ideas. I'll post them, we'll vote, and that will be the new symbol of the AB Browncoats. I figure I can even come up with something shiny for the winner...
What charities do we want to put our not insignificant weight behind? We will continue to support Equality Now with the yearly Serenity screening, that is a given. But I would like us to have a province-wide charity that we can get behind formally. As well, I'd like each community to look around to see if there are groups that could use your local Browncoat's help.
What shindigs do you want to see? Personally, all work and no play makes me want to thump something with a big stick! So what are we going to do for fun?

So that's where we're at. I want to hear from all of you; there were 166 of you in that goram theatre for the screening and I'm expecting at least that many emails! If I don't hear from people, I will just make some decisions on my own.

And to those that know me, that is a truly disturbing thought... :)

Keep flyin'!
Captain Brent

So, what's next?

2006-06-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the Big Damn Charity Screening is done (for this year). And the next large-ish event won't be until the fall. But I'm not entirely certain I can wait that long to do something Browncoat inspired.

So let's hear it! What do you think we should do? Shindig? Firefly marathon? Both? Something else? Sound off, Browncoats!

Cheers!
Captain Brent

So Proud I Could Bust!

2006-06-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Heya, Edmonton Browncoats! You should be all manner of proud! Edmonton's Browncoats raised $758 for Equality Now, and if your comments were any indication, had a fantastic time doing it. My further congratulations to the door prize winners, I hope you get many hours of enjoyment out of your winnings.

Official thank-yous will go up on the SNEN website, but I wanted to voice my personal ones as well. So my huge thank-yous to:

my fellow organizers, Bev Williams (the backbone of my "crew") and Lisa Rattai (the lodestone to my moral compass)
Jeff at Cineplex Odeon for helping us out, and making the venue the least of our worries
Jay (the Preacher) at Happy Harbor Comics, for the support and the coolness.
All of our other prize sponsors: Cheapass Games, Dragon Weave, Pure Speculation, Titan Books, and the private donors that wish to remain nameless.
One True B!x and the rest of the CSTS team, for getting this on the go. If they hadn't, we'd have been sitting at home thinking, "Hey, it's Joss Whedon's Bday, I wonder if anything's happening?"
All of the posters on the CSTS and Canadian Browncoats yahoo groups, for their advice and support.
To Equality Now, for giving us a cause worth supporting
To Joss Whedon and the cast and crew of Firefly and Serenity, without whom this would never have been inspired.
To anyone else who, in my sleep-addled brain, I am missing from this list. Thank-you but... sleep-addled.

For those of you wondering: yes, Edmonton will have another one of these next year. It was too much fun not to do again, and too good a cause not to support.

In addition, The Preacher and I have already talked about a Firefly event in the fall. And look for there to be some Firefly/Serenity related stuff at Pure Speculation.

That's all from me for now. I am off to find my bed; even though the screening was yesterday morning, I'm still filling in sleep-shaped holes in my life from a ways back.

But thanks again, all you big, beautiful Browncoats!

Cheers!
Captain Brent

Updates and Procedurals

2006-06-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

Heya, Browncoats! Well, the big day is almost upon us. I want to extend a big thank-you to everyone who bought tickets and/or donated money to Equality Now. And an extra-shiny thank-you to my crew and co-conspirators, Lisa and Bev; this event would not have happened without their hard work and dedication.

Here's how it is: The film will start at 9:45am sharp! We have to be out of the theatre by noon, so they can set up for the next film. Doors will open at 9am , and myself and the organizers will be there earlier of course, setting things up. There will be two lines, one for picking up your pre-purchased tickets and one for buying tickets on the day. If you already have a ticket, just go straight to the theatre door, get your ticket torn, and have a seat. Then go hit the concession, because it will be open (Mmmm, popcorn for breakfast). I'll say some thank-yous, and we watch the Big Damn Movie. At the end, we do the door prize draw, and we head off back to our lives. Whew!

Now, there are no official after screening shindigs planned, but I am not opposed to engaging in a spontaneous shindig. But we can talk about that then.

Prize Update: The official SNEN Tshirts have not yet arrived, and there seems to be some confusion about whether they were even made. So I regret to report that, baring a package arriving this afternoon, the tshirts will not be here in time for the show. If in fact they come at all (don't get me started...). If I find out they are coming, but will be late, then I'll still hand them out as door prizes; the winners can email me their mailing info at edmbrowncoats (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll send the tshirts as soon as they arrive. If I find out they won't be coming...well, its best you all have plausible deniability. :)

Update on the Update: I just heard back from the kind gentleman who printed the shirts, and they have been sent. This means that their lateness is a product of Canada Post "efficiancy". So, I will have two T-shirt shaped vouchers at the event with the email address on them; the winners can email me their addresses (addressi?) and I'll send the shirts when they get in.

That's about it for now. If I have any other news I'll do a quick post, otherwise I'll see all your bright faces tomorrow morning!

Cheers!
Captain Brent

A Titanic prize!

2006-06-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Just received this over the cortex: Titan Books, creators of the Serenity Companion and the forthcoming Firefly Companion, have generously donated a copy of each book to each screening! If you win this door prize, we'll give you a certificate; go to the Titan Books website, follow the instructions, and they will send you both books. Shiny, eh?

Oh, and there was something else, something...its on the tip of my...oh, yeah!

Buy a goram ticket! What, are you waiting for Buddha to bring you one?

Cheers!
Captain Brent

Alright, maybe a little longer...

2006-06-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

Here's how it is: Somewhere in the ancient history of this event, I had set today as the deadline for advance ticket sales. Well I'm here to tell you, it is a cruel lie. The deadline for advance ticket sales will be Friday , June 23rd, at midnight. So go ahead, whoop it up and buy a few for your friends.

I have to say, private donors have been very good to this event. I just received still-sealed copies of Knights of the Old Republic (one each for both Xbox and PC) for the door prize pool. And it just keeps getting better and better...

Cheers!
Captain Brent

Rumour and Fancy

2006-06-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Heya, folks! I'm told by Preacher over at Happy Harbor that there is a rumour that Nathan Fillion will be at the screening. Sad to say, my fellow Browncoats, the only place you will see Mr. Fillion is on the screen. To the best of my knowledge, Captain Mal is not available that weekend.

Hey, I'd have loved to have him there, too. But I want to make sure that all you fine folks are coming to the screening because its a great event for a great cause, and not because of some hot air floating around town.

Look for another post soon, folks!

Cheers!
Brent

Signal Lag

2006-06-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Heya, folks! Sorry for the long delay between posts, but this Captain's life has been a busy one. But let's not talk of my trials and tribulations, let's get to the good stuff...

Here's how it is: We have some new swag for the door prizes: three copies of the geekumentary "Uber Goober", from Scum Crew Pictures, a Malcolm Reynolds action figure and copies of the scripts from Star Treks I-VI (from a private donor; thanks again, man!), and for those of you that missed ordering one of you very ownsome, two of the SNEN Worldwide event Tshirts (see the previous post for a sneak peak). And there is more coming, I just can't tell you until its confirmed.

Now, with the prospect of a big screen Serenity, and all these fabulous door prizes as icing on that ginormous cake, you'd think we'd be out of tickets. Well, I'm here to tell you it ain't so. If you haven't stopped by Happy Harbor, or purchased them online (that button off to the side, there), or contacted myself or one of the other organizers to buy straight from us, then what exactly are you waiting for? Myself and the other organizers aren't unhappy with the tickets sold so far, but we aren't dancing our happy dance either. So spread the word, Browncoats! Friends, family, friends of family; we want them all. I would really like to send a nice fat check to Equality Now come the end of this event.

And look for us to be popping up in the news. We have been busy contacting the media to get them involved, so you might see my crew's shining faces looking back at you from the newspaper or television soon.

That's all for now. Any questions, send them my way!

Cheers!
Captain Brent

Wear it with pride...if you order now!

2006-05-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

A very clever and talented Browncoat from New England, thehey, has put together an event tshirt for the worldwide effort. You can look at the front graphic here; the back graphic will have a smaller version of the main logo and a list of all the cities worldwide. He is selling them as a pre-order item only, since he is keeping costs down by only printing as many as are ordered.

Now, the crew and I are ordering some in for ourselves, 'cause they look pretty cunning. And we thought to ourselves, maybe some of you as wants to show your pride in this event would want to have a tshirt of your very ownsome. So here's the deal: email me at edmserenitynow (at) gmail (dot) com, give me your tshirt size, your name, and your phone number. When I get the email I'll call you and confirm your order, and add you to the list. Then I'll order you a tshirt when we send in our order. When you show up at the screening you slip me $15, I slip you a tshirt. We cover our costs on the tshirt, send the rest to Equality Now, and everyone wins.

Can't ask for much better than that. Deadline for pre-order is June 6th; after that, you'll have as much luck getting one of these as Reaver has of getting a Companion!

(Okay, that was so geeky, I have to lie down...)

But to recap: email me your order by June 6th, tshirts are $15 (no extra charge for large sizes; solidarity brothers and sisters!). Any questions, email me and ask.

Look for a sponsor update in the next day or so, the hold is getting mighty crowded...

Cheers!
Captain Brent

Happy Harbor is solid, and we got cargo!

2006-05-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Here's how it is: For those of you that have been scratching at Happy Harbor's door, waiting for tickets...well, first, stop that, Jay just renovated and you're ruining the paint. Second, tickets will be available for sale at Happy Harbor starting this Wednesday morning. So head on in, clear out your file, and pick up a ticket or two.

Sponsors: This will be an ongoing list, updated whenever I confirm new doorprizes. But here is the start...

From Cheapass Games: an assortment of games, including "Secret Tiajuana Deathmatch"
From Dragon Weave Jewellry: 2(or more) Chinese "Serenity" iconogram pendants
From Happy Harbor Comics: a Serenity Zippo lighter, and a copy of the Serenity TP
From Pure Speculation: four Weekend Passes to the convention, October 14/15, 2006

So, see that round thing, moving around over there? That is the ball rolling on sponsorships. You'll find links to these generous folks in the sidebar, and I highly recommend checking them out. I'll add to this list and the links as more sponsors confirm.

Some of you, the overly schooled ones I expect, have begun buying tickets. As for the rest, what exactly are you waiting for? All aboard who's comin' aboard!

See you in the 'verse!
Captain Brent

Happy Harbor not so solid

2006-05-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

Here's how it is: For those of you thinking of stopping by Happy Harbor Comics this weekend and picking up tickets, hold off. My printer suffered a brain anerism, so the printing of tickets will be delayed. I'll post back here when they are ready.

I've also added a donations button to the site. It occured to me there might well be some generous folk who, unable to attend the screening for some reason, still wanted to show their support for Equality Now. If that is you, then there it is, and thank-you for your generosity.

Ticket purchases have already started coming in, so don't delay! I'd hate to have to turn folks away...

Cheers!
Captain Brent

I'll make you Pay(Pal)

2006-05-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, Paypal is now a go! Don't be frightened by the email address; its mine, and your payments are going to the right place. :)

Cheers!
Captain Brent

Greetings!

2006-05-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome aboard the new Serenity Now/Equality Now blog for Edmonton. I shifted it to a new address to seperate it from my personal blogs. Now the profile has info about the event (important) instead of info about me (not as much). Okay, enough exposition, onto the good stuff...

* * *

Here's how it is: Okay, a few things have happened since we last spoke. We have confirmed a print from Universal, so the Edmonton Big Damn Charity Screening is a done deal! Thanks to my crew for their hard work and dedication in getting us here.

"Captain Brent", you ask, "now that the most amazing event ever is going to happen, where can I get tickets?"

That's an excellent question. I will be printing tickets either today or tomorrow. Starting this weekend, those tickets will be available for advance purchase from two locations:

*Happy Harbor Comics and Toys, 10112 124 street, or
*One of the three organizers, Lisa, Bev, or myself

I am working on getting a Paypal button on here as well, so that Serenity goodness is just a click away.

"But Captain Brent, now that I know where to get tickets in advance, how much will they be?"

Another excellent question! Tickets are $12 in advance, and the cut-off date for that is Monday, June 19th. After that date, you'll have to pay the at-the-door price, which is $15. So it is to your advantage to buy your tickets ahead of time! Not coincidentally, it is to our advantage as well; advance tickets give us an idea of how big the event will be. It's for charity, people, so buy early and buy often!

And scalpers get kicked into the nearest engine.

"Wow, that sure is a great price, Captain Brent. What do we get for that besides the movie?"

Well, someone ate their Fruity-Oaty Bars this morning! It's true; as wonderfully fantastic as just watching Serenity on the big screen will be, we are giving you more. Two words: Door Prizes! Yes, my crew and I are scouring the city, looking for the finest in wobbly-headed ge...er, swag from local sponsors. And everyone who buys a ticket is entered in the draw. As soon as we get confirmations from sponsors, I'll post them here and you can watch our cargo grow!

Any more questions? Then post them to me here, and I or one of my crew will do our best to answer them. And keep checking back for updates in the meantime.

See you in the 'verse!