Information About The Upcoming Stephen King Limited Deluxe Signed Edition of Blockade Billy

Lonely Road Books is producing two deluxe signed editions of Blockade Billy, which will be published later this summer.  The descriptions and print runs are as follows:

Limited Edition: just 350 copies featuring a fine leather binding, two color printing throughout the book, a color frontispiece by Glen Orbik, eleven interior illustrations by Alex McVey, a sewn-in ribbon page marker, a custom deluxe traycase with pullout ribbon, an illustrated signature sheet signed by the artists, and Stephen King’s first-ever baseball card, signed by King as his way of signing this special edition. Also includes a copy of the authentic William “Blockade Billy” Blakely baseball card Cemetery Dance printed for their 1st edition hardcover ($450)

Lettered Edition: 52 copies with all of the special features of the Limited Edition plus a “three piece” binding featuring a special Japanese cloth and a fine leather, an exclusive artwork page in each book featuring an original piece of artwork to make each copy unique, a bonus art portfolio featuring Limited Edition prints of the artwork from the book, and a deluxe hand-made custom box ($1,250)

Due to the high demand for this title and the VERY low print run (among the lowest for a Stephen King Limited Edition in many years), Cemetery Dance is going to be selling the available copies via a “random drawing.”

This has been the standard practice for some other presses dealing in Stephen King Limited Editions and it seems like the most fair way to sell this small of a print run. Every interested collector gets “one entry” and has the same chance of winning the right to purchase ONE copy of the Limited Edition or the Lettered Edition.

You don’t have to watch the website at a specific time and hope to get lucky with timing your order just right, etc. It doesn’t matter where in the world you live or when you work or if you’re going to be away for a day. Every collector has the same chance of being able to purchase a copy for their collection.

There is absolutely no cost to enter this random drawing, but by entering you are committing to purchase a copy if your name is selected. Please read all of the details HERE, including limitation and pricing, before you enter yourself in the drawing.

Iron Man 2 Slurpee Cups Arrive At 7-11

This year Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 2 starring Robert Downey Jr., makes a return engagement at 7-Eleven in preparation of the theatrical release on May 7, 2010.

Always looking to up the ante on its Slurpee promotions, 7-Eleven has expanded its collectible cup count to 10 for Iron Man 2 – four lenticular Slurpee cups, four premium Super Big Gulp cups and two premium molded character mugs – and added flying character straws.

Each action-packed lenticular Slurpee cup features never- before-seen film shots of the all-star cast – Iron Man and his crime-fighting partner War Machine (Don Cheadle), as well as Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and villain Whiplash (Mickey Rourke). The cups feature multiple frames from the movie to enhance the action effect. Even the domed cup lids have been redesigned for the promotion, shaped like the helmets accompanying the armored suits.

Each collectible Iron Man 2 Slurpee cup has a code printed on the inside which can be entered at www.slurpee.com to earn points redeemable for real and virtual prizes as well as to enter sweepstakes like the “Collect Like a Super Hero-Live Like a Billionaire.”

Similar to the collectible Slurpee cups, the Super Big Gulp cups feature static images of the four Iron Man 2 Super Heroes and super villains.

New this year are two collectible 13-inch-tall mugs that replicate the movie’s two good guys – Iron Man in his characteristic red and gold armor and War Machine’s heavy-duty weaponized armor.

7-Eleven began including collectible action figures to straws as part of its movie promotions a few years ago. Characters have been reproduced as magnets and come with their own display stands. This year, they fly. 7-Eleven will offer three different Iron Man 2 Slurpee spoon-straws with Iron Man, War Machine or Whiplash figurines designed to fly around the straw or detached as a toy or collectible.

“True Prep: It’s a Whole New Old World” By Lisa Birnbach With Chip Kidd

Three decades after “The Official Preppy Handbook” was first unleashed into bookstores, a follow-up called “True Prep” ($19.95) is scheduled to be released on September 7th, 2010. Hoping to reignite preppy fervor, update the mindset and explain just what it means to be a Chip or a Muffy in a Barack world.

The original volume, a slim, plaid-covered paperback that poked fun at the gin-soaked polo-shirt and loafer-wearing set, started out as a piquant bit of mockery but, like “Liar’s Poker,” a best seller about bond traders, and “Wall Street,” the movie in which Michael Douglas declared greed to be good, it ended up being adopted as a kind of guidebook for those who wanted in.

The book eventually sold 1.3 million copies, many to aspiring prepsters who wanted to know where to shop, what to wear and how to fully appreciate what it called “the virtues of pink and green.”

Among those buyers was Chip Kidd, one of the industry’s best-known book designers, who loved the original as a teenager growing up near Reading, Pa., where he attended public high school and adored topsiders. The handbook, he said, “changed my life.”

Now he has teamed with the editor and one of the writers of the original volume, Lisa Birnbach, for the follow-up. “As a fan, that is why I kind of instigated this whole thing,” he said of the new volume. “I wanted the next book.”

The 256 hardcover looks at how the old guard of natural-fiber-loving, dog-worshipping, G&T-soaked preppies adapts to the new order of the Internet, cell phones, rehab, political correctness, reality TV and . . . polar fleece.

A small sample:

- Wardrobe: Recent prep brands we are forced to recognize. How to tell Casual Friday from, say, Saturday.

- Money: We never talk about it.

- Food: Does the Food Network mean we’re going to have to cook? Bake? Now you’re going too far.

- Scandals: Poor Mrs. Astor. When Mummy’s plastic surgery goes terribly wrong. Rehab and the slammer: the new prep schools.

- We’re outta here: When to name something after yourself, and when not. The right obituary. What to do with your dogs if you predecease them.

- NO TEXTING AT THE TABLE, PLEASE.

True Prep promises to be a whole new old sensation.

The Food Chain T-Shirt by Olly Moss

Designer Olly Moss created this funny t-shirt that altered the standard food chain diagram.  You can purchase the shirt HERE for $15.

Minimum Wage Machine

Artist Blake Fall-Conroy created this minimum wage machine which allows anybody to work for minimum wage. Turning the crank will yield one penny every 5.04 seconds, for $7.15 an hour (NY state minimum wage).

If the participant stops turning the crank, they stop receiving money. The machine’s mechanism and electronics are powered by the hand crank, and pennies are stored in a plexiglas box.

Frankly this seems a lot better than some of the minimum wage jobs today which I think was the artist’s point.

LINK

Jim Lee Finger Paints Wonder Woman On The iPad

DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee put on a clinic via twitter showing how to draw Wonder Woman on the iPad using Sketchbook Pro, an app made specifically for Apple’s new device. Jim used only his fingers to create the image.

Watch the step-by-step process HERE.

The New Digital Version of Popular Science on the iPad

Welcome to Popular Science+, the new digital version of the Popular Science magazine. In it, you’ll find every story that’s in the print magazine, completely reengineered and redesigned for the iPad.

Popular Science+ is more than just a replica of the print issue, but it maintains everything that’s great about reading a physical magazine: a relaxed, immersive experience combining great storytelling and beautiful images, carefully curated and presented every month.

After Miami, The Cast of Jersey Shore Season 2 Will Head Back To Jersey

MTV’s Jersey Shore has officially begun shooting its second season in Miami, according to the network. However, the housemates — all eight members of the first season’s crew are returning — will also head back to their original Seaside Heights, N.J., house after they’re done wrecking havoc on Miami.

“It’s like a big family reunion,” says Tony DiSanto, MTV’s president of programming. “We couldn’t be more excited that the whole group is back together in Miami and that they’ll be going back to Jersey when the sun heats up.”

The second season premieres July 29, and MTV is still looking to cast additional housemates.

Apple Provides A Sneak Peak Into The Future of iPhone OS 4.0

This morning, Steve Jobs unveiled plans for Apple’s biggest and most exciting iPhone software update yet at a special keynote presentation.

iPhone OS 4 will include over 100 new user features for iPhone and iPod touch owners to enjoy. iPhone OS 4 will ship this summer (probably around the time a new iPhone is released) for iPhone and iPod touch, and for iPad in the fall. The major new user features are as follows:

Multitasking:

iPhone users have asked for this feature for years. Now they will have access to seven multitasking services, which will allow tasks to be performed in the background while preserving performance and battery life. So you’ll be able to make a Voice over IP call while playing a game or checking email, find a restaurant on Urbanspoon while listening to Pandora, and more.

Folders:

Organize apps into folders with drag-and-drop simplicity. Get faster access to your favorites and browse and manage up to 2160 apps at once — many more than the current limit of 180 apps.

Improved Mail:

See messages from all your email accounts displayed together in a unified inbox, switch between inboxes more quickly, organize messages by threads, and even open attachments in third-party apps.

iBooks:

The best way to browse, buy, and read books on a mobile device. Easily flip through the pages of a book you’ve downloaded from the iBookstore while listening to your music collection. Browse tens of thousands of books — many of them free — by title, author, or genre. You can even check out reviews and read sample pages before you buy.

Game Center:

Within a game you will have the ability to invite friends to play, start a multiplayer game through matchmaking and track achievements and compare high scores on a leader board. Apple’s new social gaming network will be available to iPhone and iPod touch users later this year.

It’s important to note that iPhone OS 4 will work with iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and the second- and third-generation iPod touch this summer, and with iPad in the fall. Not all features are compatible with all devices. For example, multitasking is available only with iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod touch (32GB and 64GB models from late 2009).

Is Lin Yu Chun The Next Susan Boyle?

Yu Chun is the latest TV talent show contestant to draw worldwide attention, after the Taiwanese 24-year-old wowed viewers of “Super Star Avenue” by singing Whitney Houston’s version of the Dolly Parton classic, “I Will Always Love You.”

Looking as unassuming as Susan Boyle did when she stormed “Britain’s Got Talent” — and the world — last spring, Lin impressed with his surprisingly pitch-perfect soprano and Whitney-esque runs. Along with his fellow “Super Star Avenue” contestants, Lin is reportedly competing for a cash prize and recording contract.

Word of Lin’s performance is traveling fast, and the U.K.’s Daily Mail has called him Taiwan’s Susan Boyle, who of course went from finishing second on “Britain’s Got Talent” to finishing second to Taylor Swift for the most albums sold in 2009. Watch Lin Yu Chun sing, and decide for yourself: is he the next Susan Boyle, or all hype?

She & Him on Jimmy Kimmel Live

If you missed She & Him performing “Thieves” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this past week, check out the video below.

Rolling Stones Plan “Plundered My Soul” Single for Record Store Day On April 17th

The Rolling Stones will lend support to independent music stores next week: The Rolling Stones are releasing a limited edition 7” single featuring a previously unreleased track from the upcoming Exile on Main St. reissue on Record Store Day, April 17th. “Plundered My Soul,” the first single to be featured off the Exile reissue, will be backed by the remastered album track “All Down the Line” on the single, which will be individually numbered for avid Stones collectors. A week later, “Plundered My Soul” will hit radio stations across the nation, leading up to the Exile reissue release on May 18th. A music video for “Plundered” is also in the works.

“Plundered My Soul” is just one of 10 tracks unearthed by the Rolling Stones and producer Don Was for the Exile reissue. “Well, basically it’s the record and a few tracks we found when we were plundering the vaults,” Keith Richard told Rolling Stone. “Listening back to everything we said, ‘Well, this would be an interesting addition.’” Other rediscovered highlights include the horn-fueled “Pass the Wine,” the instrumental “Aladdin’s Story” and an early version of “Tumbling Dice” called “Good Time Women.” The Exile reissue will also feature the original album completely digitally remastered.

Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, Devo, R.E.M., Soundgarden, Pavement and Them Crooked Vultures are also slated to contribute to Record Store Day’s efforts. See the complete list of exclusive Record Store Day releases HERE.

Pixels

Patrick Jean directed this cool digital short film entitled Pixels Attack in which video game characters land on Earth and take over our planet.

American Idol Shocker: Michael Lynche Saved By Judges On Tonight’s Results Show

Michael Lynche will live to sing on American Idol another week, thanks to Wednesday night’s (Apr. 7th) surprising results show that saw the 26-year-old New York native — and one of the presumed favorites of the season — suddenly facing elimination.

“This is unanimous, Michael, if that’s any comfort,” said Simon Cowell on behalf of the judging panel. “We have decided we’re going to see you next week,” he added with a wink, as Lynche thumped his chest and the remaining top 8 contestants rushed to embrace him.

Lynche (also known as Big Mike) was saved by the “Idol” judges after receiving the lowest number of votes of the top 9 contestants, who on Tuesday performed songs from the John Lennon/Paul McCartney songbook. While the judges were predictably impressed with Lynche’s version of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” America apparently disagreed, sending him to the bottom three along with Andrew Garcia and Aaron Kelly. Kelly was quickly sent back to safety, with Garcia following his lead soon after.

American Idol continues next Tuesday with season 8 alum Adam Lambert as the mentor. As a result of Lynche’s save, two contestants will be voted off.

New Tom Clancy Book Scheduled For Dec. Brings Together 26 Years of Unforgettable Characters

Tom Clancy, #1 international bestselling author, has written a modern-day techno-thriller like nothing he has ever done before called Dead or Alive. The eagerly-awaited novel will be published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in the U. S. and by Michael Joseph in the U.K. on December 7, 2010. The publication of Dead or Alive will be a global publishing event, featuring, for the first time ever, many of his greatest characters, including Jack Ryan, Jack Ryan, Jr., John Clark, Ding Chavez and Mary Pat Foley. Berkley Books will publish the paperback edition of the title in the U.S. in 2011.

In Clancy’s new novel, written in collaboration with U.S. Navy veteran Grant Blackwood, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his colleagues at the Campus, a secret U.S. counter-terrorism organization, have been waging an unofficial and highly effective campaign against the terrorists who threaten Western civilization. As Dead or Alive opens, the war on terror is far from won, but winning it doesn’t appear to be a priority for President Kealty, Jack Ryan’s successor in the Oval Office. The Emir, a sadistic killer who has masterminded the most vicious terrorist attacks on the West, has eluded capture by the world’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies. Now the Campus is on his trail. Joined by their latest recruits, John Clark and Ding Chavez, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his cousins Dominick and Brian Caruso are ordered to catch the Emir and they will bring him in…dead or alive.

Third Teaser Poster For Season 3 Of True Blood

The poster is one piece of a 12-part weekly advertising series to promote the drama — months in advance of the show’s debut.

Read ‘Em If You Got ‘Em

According to Tank Books, the flip-top cigarette pack is one of the most successful pieces of packaging design in history. The publisher pays homage to this iconic form by launching a series of books designed to resemble cigarette packs. The books are the same size as a pack of smokes, packaged in flip-top cartons with silver foil wrapping and sealed in cellophane.

The titles are by famous authors such as Kafka, Robert Louis Stevenson and Kipling.

Each story is complete and unabridged with a type size that’s easy to read. Individual books cost £8.67and the complete set comes in a striking tin priced at £47.19. You can order this unique conversation piece HERE.

Adam Lambert To Mentor American Idol Top 8

American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert will mentor the show’s current crop of contestants next Tuesday (Apr. 13th) and perform his single “Whataya Want from Me” on the following night’s results show.

Lambert also announced that he’ll release a new EP containing remixes of his first two singles — “For Your Entertainment” and “Whataya Want from Me” — and a third track from his debut album entitled “Voodo.” The “Remixes” EP will be released on Lambert’s Web site adamofficial.com on April 9th and to digital retailers on Apr. 13th.

First Look At Neal Adams’ Cover To Batman: Odyssey # 1

Neal Adams is returning to the Dark Knight for a 12-issue mini-series, Batman: Odyssey. Shipping in July, the first issue features a great piece of Adams art on the cover which can be seen below.

Dean Kamen Demonstrates The “Luke” Arm On The Colbert Report

Segway inventor Dean Kamen shows off his robotic, prosthetic arm, “Luke” on The Colbert Report.

Dinner for Schmucks Trailer

Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for the Steve Carell/Paul Rudd comedy Dinner for Schmucks. The film, helmed by Jay Roach (the director of the Austin Powers and Meet the Parents films), tells the story of Tim (Paul Rudd), a guy on the verge of having it all. The only thing standing between him and total career success is finding the perfect guest to bring to his boss’ annual Dinner for Extraordinary People, an event where the winner of the evening brings the most eccentric character as his guest. Enter Barry (Steve Carell), a guy with a passion for dressing mice up in tiny outfits to recreate great works of art. From Jay Roach, director of “Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers” comes an unforgettable feast about two unlikely friends and one very memorable dinner. The film hits theaters on July 23rd 2010.

Meet Big Baby And Bookworm, The Final Two New Toy Story 3 Characters

The final two Toy Story 3 characters have been announced today: Big Baby and Bookworm.

Here’s Big Baby’s official manufacturer’s description:

“Your little one will love this lifelike baby doll with his soft, cuddly fabric body and vinyl arms, legs and face. With dazzling blue eyes that open and close, this realistic baby encourages nurturing play. Eighteen inches tall, he comes dressed in an adorable yellow onesie with matching bonnet, and has his own magical bottle of milk that disappears while he drinks! A perfect first doll for your special child. Machine washable on gentle cycle. Flame retardant.”

Bookworm’s description is as follows, “Story time becomes extra special when Bookworm joins the fun! This bedtime reading companion encourages your child’s love of reading, while keeping them company with his happy smile. Bookworm’s sturdy flashlight features an extra-long-lasting lightbulb, bright enough to read by without causing eyestrain. Two C batteries included. Ages 4 and up.”

Lastly, here is the final new character introduction poster with all the blank spots filled in.

Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals by Jamie Oliver

Cooking good food from scratch is a skill that can save you money, keep you healthy, and make you and your family and friends happy. What Jamie Oliver has tried to do in this book is pick meals that we all love to eat and break them down to make them as simple as possible.

There are plenty of clear instructions and step-by-step pictures, so whether you’re an accomplished cook or a complete beginner, you’ll be able to enjoy cooking and achieve great results in the kitchen.

The 360 page cookbook, “Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals” ($35) is inspired by all the people that he has met who thought they could never learn how to cook. The chef believes that good home cooking is one of the most essential, fundamental skills that every single person on this planet should have in order to look after themselves, their families, and their friends.

This food revolution is all about people learning how to make a recipe, then teaching that recipe to their friends and family . . . if enough people do this, pretty soon everyone will be cooking. So cook something today, then PASS IT ON!

LOST “Happily Ever After” Sneak Peeks

Below you can watch two sneak peeks of tonight’s episode of LOST titled “Happily Ever After” airing at 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET on ABC.

In this episode, Dominic Monaghan guest stars as Charlie and Jeremy Davies guest stars as Daniel Faraday.

Find out what happens When Desmond wakes up to discover he’s back on the island?

An X-Man Will Die in X-Force Issue 26

Marvel Comics has released the following “Second Coming” teaser image promoting “X-Force” #26 featuring the ghostly images of a number of X-Men characters standing over a fallen mutant covered with a cloth along with the declaration that “To save the world, one of these X-Men will die.”

The issue is due in stores on April 28th.