5 Brand New "Ender's Game" Character Posters

Yesterday, Movie Newz updated their Ender's Game page with 5 never before seen character posters of Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford), Petra Arkanian (Hailee Steinfeld), Major Anderson (Viola Davis) and Mazer Rackham (Sir Ben Kinglsey).

Please note: The posters have been removed at the request of Summit Entertainment. We will post the final, official versions as soon as they are released.

I'm really loving the blue and amber tones they are using for a lot of the imagery, though I am wondering why they chose to include the names of the actors instead of the characters.

Edit: We've received confirmation from the studio that these images were drafts and the artwork wasn't meant to be released to the public. Too bad! However, if these are practice runs, we can't wait to see the final project -- Petra looks totally fierce and I would love to have these on my wall!

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Summit Reveals Seriously Kickass Comic-Con Plans

This morning, Summit Entertainment pulled back the curtain on their 2013 San Diego Comic-Con plans for Ender's Game and it looks like those attending the convention in a few weeks will be in for a huge treat.

From the release:

Summit Entertainment will showcase the studio's highly anticipated film event ENDER'S GAME at Comic-Con 2013, presenting never-before-seen new footage, appearances by cast members and filmmakers, and several massive, interactive fan events. A full slate of activities related to the film to be unveiled at this year's Comic-Con, including:

Hall H Panel - The studio's panel on Thursday, July 18th will feature ENDER'S GAME filmmakers and cast, including producer Bob Orci, director Gavin Hood, and cast members Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld and Abigail Breslin.

Exclusive Fan Experience – Attendees will be able to visit an elaborate, specially constructed ENDER'S GAME exhibit outside of the Hilton Gaslamp, featuring 8 unique rooms representing the most iconic environments of Ender's world, complete with original film props and set pieces used in the movie.  Throughout the experience, attendees will be able to see exclusive film footage on LED screens, interact with new digital content, integrate photos of themselves into the highly anticipated Battle Room, and register to win a home make over.

Convention Floor Booth - Summit Entertainment's booth located within the Grand Hall will highlight ENDER'S GAME footage. Premium promotional items will be distributed to the 120,000 attendees walking the convention floor, and booth visitors will be given the opportunity to win "fast passes" to the ENDER'S Game Exclusive Fan Experience, granting them entry without having to wait in line.

First of all, we are super excited to see big talent names in the panel line-up -- Harrison Ford, especially! And keep in mind: it's very possible there will be other cast members participating in the panel or, at the very least, showing up to enjoy the experience.

But guys, seriously: Summit Entertainment is setting up a massive, multi-room Ender experience off site next month at Comic Con -- areas filled with set pieces, film props, and exclusive movie footage! It sounds like every fan's dream come true and it'll all be taking place next month outside the Hilton Gaslamp in San Diego.

Crystal and I had a little brainstorming session, trying to decide which rooms from Ender's world they could show off. Here are some we thought possible:

- Ender's school on Earth
- army barracks
- Battle School showers
- Eros
- Graff/Anderson's offices
- the Battle Room
- Wiggin house / Ender's bedroom

There are so many opportunities! Can you think of any more?

Visit Comic-Con's website to view a full list of 2013 exhibitors and download a location map. You can also check out our recent most episode of EnderCast (toward the end) where we talk a bit about the Con and swag we want to see the booth hand out this year. Like army badges and a Battle Room beach ball! 

Check this out:

We've also compiled this super handy Ender's Game Comic-Con Guide to help us all keep track of what's going on and where this year at the convention. We'll  be sure to keep it updated with guest announcements, appearances, a SDCC twitter feed, and more.

If you plan on attending Comic-Con yourself this year, don't forget to join our event on Facebook and let us know! We'd love to meet up with you.

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Mystery: Who is the soldier in the Next Generation poster?

I've lightened the image a bit to try to get a better look. View the original here.

Myself, I'm torn between Aramis Knight (Bean) and Brandon Soo Hoo (Fly Molo) -- what do you guys think? Speculate away!

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IF Sentinel Relaunch - 3 New Wicked Cool Propaganda Posters

IF-Sentinel.com, the Ender's Game movie site functioning as a fictional communications hub between the International Fleet and a futuristic Earth, was relaunched today with a new look, additional content, and 3 brand new propaganda posters. Check them out:

   

Here are some super hi-res versions of the posters for you to download:  Next Generation, Protect Earth, Never Again   - which one is your favorite?

The site also gave us a sneak peak at some more Ender imagery, including our first look of what looks like Bonzo and his boys from Salamander Army waiting for Ender in the infamous "bathroom scene."

The Fleet's mission statement: "United under a single, harmonious government, the International Fleet serves to protect us all from the next global invasion, while striving to maintain order and propel human progress on Earth."

Can't wait to see what pops up in the weeks heading up to Comic-Con and the 128 days we have left until Ender's Game hits theaters!

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Shoot Straight - Chapter 4: Launch

An Ender's Game reread

From here on out there is a huge spoiler warning: do not keep reading if you haven't read the book and are afraid of having something ruined for you. Go finish the novel! Then come back and chat with us. :)

New Characters: Bernard, Major Anderson

What Happens

International Fleet: The plan for Ender is pretty simple: he's to be isolated at Battle School, otherwise he'll "adopt the system" like the other boys and be completely useless to the IF. To get his plan rolling, Graff jokes that he will make sure all the other boys in Ender's launch group either fear or despise the boy by the time they reach the station.

Ender: They've put a bit of a spectacle together for the launch: camera crews are everywhere, filming the group of boy geniuses as they leave Earth. Even in the future, a crowd gathers for a shuttle launch! Ender imagines what he would say if he were interviewed by some of the press. He pictures himself running to the camera to tell Valentine goodbye, not realizing it would be censored out of the video if he did because these 6 year olds are meant to be heroes, not crybabies who miss their sisters.

The launch group consists of 20 boys all together - no girls, of course; evolution hasn't prepared females for games where one has to be brilliant, apparently. Anyway, I actually really like this scene because Ender's description of the other boys always makes me laugh. You know how a group of boys behave when they get together, right? Shoving each other, fart jokes, friendly punches and obnoxious laughter. I always picture Ender standing off to the side staring at them, all "You've got to be kidding me." He's afraid, which makes him serious, and he can't come up with anything that would help him fit in with this group of strangers.

I'm not sure Graff is going to have to try too hard.

Ender's description of the shuttle is where we are first introduced to the disorientation one experiences in Null G. He notices all the walls are carpeted like floors, a thought which initially makes him nauseous. He begins training his brain to get over it by picturing himself climbing up and down walls while the other boys are busy flopping around in their seats and throwing spitballs, probably.

He imagined the ship dangling upside down on the undersurface of the Earth, the giant fingers of gravity holding them firmly in place. But we will slip away, he thought. We are going to fall off this planet.

Graff is accompanying them all the ship, which pleases Ender. He is happy to find out the man is in charge at Battle School, thinking he will at least have one friend there.

They kids are all buckled in, sit through some dull video, and then they are off. As soon all gravity leaves the shuttle and Graff starts showing off his null-g acrobatic skills, many of the boys are nauseous and begin gagging. Ender is fine, though, because he's already oriented himself to the idea that the "up and down" which exists on Earth has no place in space. Graff knows he has figured this out and uses this to ostracize him from the other boys.

"There's only one boy on this launch with any brains at all, and that's Ender Wiggin. Take a good look at him, little boys. He's going to be a commander when you're still in diapers up there. Because he knows how to think in null gravity, and you just want to throw up."

In a childish act of retaliation, one of the boys unstraps himself from his seat and begins whacking Ender over the head. Knowing that Graff deliberately set him up, our hero realizes he can expect no help from that corner and decides to take care of it himself. He times the blows and, when the next assault comes, he reaches up, grabs the jerk's wrist, and pulls down hard. He only meant to slam the kid against the back of his seat, hoping that would be enough, but he hadn't counted on the fact that the body would behave differently in null gravity. The kid goes flying up and over the seat, bounces against the ceiling as well as several of the boys on the way, and slams into the bulkhead, breaking his arm. There's silence the rest of the flight.

"Was it a good flight, Ender?" Graff asked cheerfully.

"I thought you were my friend." Despite himself, Ender's voice trembled. Graff looked puzzled. "Whatever gave you that idea, Ender?"

"Because you—" Because you spoke nicely to me, and honestly. "You didn't lie."

Graff assures him he's not going to lie now, either. He gives him the same spiel he gave him back on Earth: the Buggers are coming and it is Graff's job to see to it that they have a Commander ready to meet them. Essentially, if Ender gets thrown under the bus on his way to meeting this goal, that's not Graff's problem. He points out that the other boys are probably watching him "suck up" to a teacher, so he best be on his way.

Anderson pops in behind Graff, asking if the boy that just left was "the one." Graff isn't sure, but  insists that if it's not Ender, his replacement better show up soon. He then admits that he is the boy's friend and that he absolutely dreads what they are going to have to do to him.

Thoughts

- How often they send a new shuttle of geniuses up into space? Was it a rare occasion? Surely it wouldn't have been that often or there wouldn't be camera crews there recording the event.

- I like that we don't find out any of the other boys' names on this trip. Who do we think was the boy sitting next to Ender on the flight? Probably someone we don't know, but I like the idea that it could have been Shen or Alai.

- Is Combat School ever mentioned in the series again?

Favorite Quotes

They talked and joked and bragged and laughed. Ender kept his silence. He noticed how Graff and the other officers were watching them. Analyzing. Everything we do means something, Ender realized. Them laughing. Me not laughing.

Later, though, he would remember that it was even before he left Earth that he first thought of it as a planet, like any other, not particularly his own.

"There's only one thing that will make them stop hating you. And that's being so good at what you do that they can't ignore you."

* * *

« Chapter 3: Graff | Index | Chapter 5: Games »

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Meet the Winner of the "Ender's Game" Premiere Tickets!

Back when it was first announced that Lionsgate had donated a couple Ender's Game premiere tickets to be auctioned off for charity, we mentioned that we really hoped the winner would be an actual nerd fan of the novel. You know, someone who hung out around the fan sites -- a person like you and me and every other poor soul who's been waiting around for this movie for years. One of us.

And guess what? Our wish came true! Meet Kelson from Washington State, an avid Ender News reader and long-time fan of Ender's story:

"I read Ender's Game for the first time when I was 10. I'm not sure who gave it to me or why, but I do remember loving it so much I re-read it twice. I didn't like reading very much as a kid until I read Ender's Game. It opened my world to books and how much entertainment and education they can provide. I have always felt it is less of a science fiction book and more a book about people and the way they think.

It holds a lot of value for me because of the lessons it teaches about leadership and friendship and I've be able to carry some of those lessons with me into adulthood. Any fan of a book is always excited to see it come to life on the big screen and I am no exception.

With such an amazing cast and crew, I feel Ender's Game is going to be the movie to see this year!"

So this October, Kelson will be headed to LA to attend the Ender's Game premiere. He's officially the fandom's Bean, the guy we get to tie to a deadline and throw out into Null G to see what's on the other side of a star.

Hold on tight, Kelson! You're going to have a blast.

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Must Watch: Fan-Made "Ender's Game" Mashup

Love this. An absolutely incredible Ender's Game fan put together this mashup of the official trailer and the song Vox Populi by 30 Seconds to Mars -- and it will give you chills! 

Head over to YouTube and let her know how great this is. If we're lucky, maybe she'll make another for the next trailer!

Source: dearheart42

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"Ender's Game" Represented at 4th Annual Cinemex Road Race

Cinemex

Here's a bit of Friday fun for you all!

A great movie-themed road race was a held in Mexico City earlier this month with all participants running to support their passion for film and CMR, a foundation dedicated to fight child malnutrition.

The race was sponsored by Cinemex, a movie theater complex company which has opened a chain of cinemas across Mexico.

Many upcoming movies were represented at the race, including Turbo, The Smurfs 2, World War Z, City of Bones, Despicable Me 2 -- and of course, Ender's Game!

Keeping with the theme of the event, many of the runners ran the race decked out in various movie t-shirts. Check out these photos we found of the Ender's Game version in this gallery from MTK Film:

Here's hoping the young men in the last picture did Ender's Game proud!

A huge thanks to Fernanda on Twitter for the heads up.

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Shoot Straight - Chapter 3: "Graff"

An Ender's Game reread

From here on out there is a huge spoiler warning: do not keep reading if you haven't read the book and are afraid of having something ruined for you. Go finish the novel! Then come back and chat with us. :)

New Characters: Colonel Graff

What Happens

International Fleet: The two Fleet personnel who may or may not be hiding in a black van down the street from the Wiggins' home are plotting. Bottom line: they want Ender to come with them to some mysterious place and know the only reason he may not is because of how much he loves his sister, Valentine. They're prepared to lie to the boy -- or tell him the truth, depending on how desperate the situation becomes.

Ender: You remember that anxious, nauseous feeling you would have in the morning when there was a reason to dread going to school that day? Perhaps you were getting back the results of an exam you probably failed, vomited the day before in front of everyone, or killed a kid with your shoe while waiting for the bus. Well, that's Ender Wiggin at breakfast this morning. Whichever you look at it, school day is going to blow. What are Stilson and his cronies going to do to him? "Probably nothing," Ender thinks. He has no idea how right he is.

Enter Colonel Graff, one of the mysterious plotting characters from the International Fleet. He rings the doorbell right in the middle of Wiggin family breakfast and this is why Ender is my favorite:

And Ender thought, Maybe I won't have to go to school today after all.

Hee.

Peter, unable to pass up the opportunity to be a wrecking ball, informs Ender that they most likely found out about what he did to Stilson -- how did he find out the kid's name? -- and have come to make him "do time out in the Belt."  It doesn't matter that he's six -- he's a Third and, according to Peter, has no rights whatsoever.

And Peter is half right. Ender is called into the living room by his very upset parents. Graff has informed them Ender has injured Stilson so badly he's in the hospital wink wink and demands an explanation for his behavior. Ender begins to cry, believing he's in trouble, but he's unable to think of anything he could have possibly done differently.

"Knocking him down won the first fight. I wanted to win all the next ones, too. So they'd leave me alone." [...] "You took away the monitor," Ender said. "I had to take care of myself, didn't I?

As soon as his father suggests that Ender should have asked a grown-up for help, Graff  interrupts him. I imagine him shooting John Paul a death glare over his shoulder as he's basically all, "Ender, that is the best excuse for manslaughter I've ever heard," and invites him to join him at Battle School in the Belt.

So here's what happened: Ender passed all his monitoring days with flying colors, but the last part of the test was to see how he handled himself when the monitor came off. Annihilating his bully and not getting killed by Peter apparently earned him 10 out of 10. Graff is free to walk out of the house with Ender that very second as long as Ender himself wants to go. His parents are obviously a bit upset with the entire situation, but have no choice but to let Graff manipulate their son with them not in earshot.

And weirdly enough, what Graff tells him isn't too far from the truth: Battle school is hard, he won't even recognize Valentine when he sees her again, and his parents won't miss him much at all. Why? He's a third, and his parents vowed they'd never have more than the allotted 2 children because they both came from "noncompliant," religious families. He's a source of embarrassment even though his birth was requisitioned by the IF. They love him, but having him up in Battle School, away from the judgmental eyes of their peers would make their lives a whole lot easier.

Graff leaned over and took Ender's hands in his. "Ender Wiggin, if it were just a matter of choosing the best and happiest future for you, I'd tell you to stay home. Stay here, grow up, be happy. There are worse things than being a Third, worse things than a big brother who can't make up his mind whether to be a human being or a jackal. Battle School is one of those worse things. But we need you."

I really hope scenes like that make it into the movie. Sniff.

And, I mean, how can you stay home twiddling your thumbs after a speech like that? The Buggers are coming, they'll wipe us out, Mazer Rackham, etc. Graff lays it on thick and Ender agrees to go.

Good-bye,” Ender said to his family. He reached up and took Colonel Graff’s hand and walked out the door with him.
“Kill some buggers for me!” Peter shouted.
“I love you, Andrew!” Mother called.
“We’ll write to you!” Father said.
And as he got into the car that waited silently in the corridor, he heard Valentine’s anguished cry. “Come back to me! I love you forever!”

I just love them all so much. Even Peter, though it's him that's a "little pinheaded fart-eater."

Thoughts

- How did Peter know the kid Ender kicked the snot out of was named Stilson?

- When it comes down to it, which method does Graff choose? Does he lie to Ender or does he tell them the truth? Later, Ender believes Graff is his friend because he didn't lie to him. Is that true?

- The wording here is interesting:

We asked your parents to choose a daughter next—they would have anyway—hoping that Valentine would be Peter, but milder.

 Choose a daughter. Welcome to the future.

Favorite Quotes

"Conscripts make good cannon fodder, but for officers we need volunteers."

He didn't like Peter's kind, the strong against the weak, and he didn't like his own kind, either, the smart against the stupid.

"Valentine loves me."
"With all her heart. Completely, unstintingly, she's devoted to you, and you adore her. I told you it wouldn't be easy."

* * *

« Chapter 2: Peter | Index | Chapter 4: Launch »

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Bid to Attend the LA Premiere of "Ender's Game!"

Are you simply dying to attend the Ender's Game premiere this October in Los Angeles? Well, here's your chance:  Lionsgate has generously donated two tickets to the event which will be auctioned off via CharityBuzz, with all proceeds benefiting Variety, the Children's Charity of New York.

From the site:

You and a friend will attend the premiere of one of the year's most anticipated releases - Ender's Game!

This film adaptation of the popular 1985 sci-fi novel Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card is written and directed by Gavin Hood and stars Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Abigail Breslin and Voila Davis! You don't want to miss out on 2 awesome tickets to this premiere to see Ender's Game before it hits theaters! It will be a night to remember! (Charity Buzz)

A night to remember, indeed. The bid is currently at $250 dollars and the next must be at least $275 so if you've been saving up for a rainy day (or have some graduation money lying around), you should definitely give it a shot! However, as Crystal pointed out, it looks like the auction is for tickets to the event only -- you will have to care for your own travel expenses and lodging.

There's only 4 days left to bid so if you can't bid yourself, make sure you spread the word! I'd love to see the tickets go to some lucky Launchies in the Ender's Game fandom.

Good luck!

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Catch Aramis Knight at the 3rd Annual OCAAT Celebrity Basketball Game

Aramis Knight tweeted yesterday to share that he will be participating in the 3rd Annual "One Child at a Time" celebrity basketball game held in Los Angeles later this month. The charity event is presented by the Department of Children and Family Services, with all proceeds going to a good cause!

"Proceeds [...] will help provide services for more than 36,000 foster children in the Department of Children and Family Services. More specifically, the money raised will be funneled to families who cannot afford unapproved medical and dental expenses, such as general anesthesiology, orthodontia treatment, summer camps and after school activities not funded by government sources." (All Events)

When: June 23, 2013 @ 5:30 p.m.
Where: the Staples Center in Los Angeles
How: Call 877- 447-7275 to purchase tickets

It looks like this is going to be a really fun evening, so if you're in the Los Angeles area, you should definitely check it out. General admission is only $10 and you can reserve a seat for $12+.

It's always great to see young people getting involved in their city and using their good fortune to help lift others up. And would would know the value of philanthropy better than Bean?

Have a blast, Aramis!

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Must Watch: CineFix Recreates "Ender's Game" Trailer -- Shot-for-Shot!

Hysterical. The amount of time and effort that must have gone into this blows my mind. I particularly love their Sir Ben Kingsley and use of what appears to be coffee beans for the Bugger swarms.

They've also put together a cut of the two trailers playing side-by-side (which shows off how impressive this really is), as well as an amusing Behind-the-Scenes video -- so make sure to check it all out!

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SDCC: Making Ender's Game Flight Suits (Part 1)

So... flight suits.

Kelly and I have been talking about making flight suits for a while now, probably since around the time she went on the set visit - and then had to keep mum about their specifics! It was a long way out to expect a trailer or still shots, though, so while we could plan, per se, we couldn't do a whole lot until I actually got to see the Battle School's various outfits and break down the components that I could see.

With the release of the stills a few months ago, I started breaking down the lines and seams that I could see, and guessed at what I couldn't. I picked apart the images and even though they're what the internet would call "hi-res," they were definitely far from what I needed.

 

Not to mention, with all the colour correction, I knew matching fabrics would be really difficult. We decided to wait for the trailer release, because then we'd (hopefully) be able to get a lot of shots. We got a bunch, but there are still some gray areas that I'm just going to have to guess on, anyway (like the back of the suits?).

I'm a costume designer, so this post is about constructing the costumes from scratch. That is, making patterns, modifying the patterns, remaking the patterns, and running through a bunch of test suits to make sure the costume looks good. If you're looking to make your own flight suit, there are probably easier ways to do it, such as modifying a mechanic jumpsuit (combing through the Dickies store site probably has some good stuff) and sparing yourself having to make patterns.

That being said, maybe reading this will help you make your own even if you're not making patterns from scratch. Either way, it's sure to be an entertaining process....

I started by breaking down what would actually be needed.

• a bodysuit with what looks like two separate fabrics
• black military boots
• nametag
• 2 army patches per person
• coloured shirt to match the army chosen

Of the list, I knew the most complicated would be the badges and nametags, so naturally, I left them be (that'll be another post). The boots and the shirt can be purchased, so I didn't much worry about those. This left the bodysuit.

Jumpsuits are kind of a pain both to make, but also to wear. They're not comfortable and while people like mechanics can get away with them somehow, they really restrict movement unless there's a generous amount of stretch in the fabric, or else they're big and baggy. Considering I live in Seattle, WA, I knew that my chances of finding the perfect fabric would be really slim, so I had to make do with what was readily accessible to me.

I found this fabric in a warehouse in the industrial district, and while it has no stretch, it's a really nice colour. Originally, we had plans on using two separate fabrics, hence the gray.

But, okay: I'm pretty sure the suits in the movie had some kind of stretch to them because of how tightly they fit the kids. Either that, or the kids had pretty restricted movements and were probably uncomfortable. Both are possible, since it's a movie and ultimately, it needs to look good on film more than anything else.

Ultimately for us, however, the suits need to not only look good, but feel good. A whole day at San Diego Comic-con is exhausting enough without discomfort. And while some costumes are worn with the idea that you're going to be uncomfortable, I don't think that wearing jumpsuits should fall into that category unless absolutely necessary.

So I drafted a bunch of patterns, starting with mine because I'm the median sizing between myself, Kelly, and my boyfriend Colin. I also did this because it's a lot easier to adjust patterns for yourself than someone who a) lives across the country (Kelly) and b) has the attention span of a seven year old when it comes to fittings (I'll let you guess who that is).

The patterns are basically a bodice pattern connected to a pant leg pattern, with a TON of ease added to account for sitting (which stretches the fabric at your back and pulls your thighs). The very first pattern I made was just that - a big long body suit with no extra seam lines (I'd draw where I wanted those to go when I sewed a test).

Here's a closer pic so you can see I had to modify it a lot to get the proper shape - the key is baggy enough for movement, but not too baggy it looks like it's hanging off you.

Then I made a pattern from the drafts, and cut it out of muslin fabric because it's insanely cheap. I didn't include the legs, as you can see (this is actually the second version, you can see the seam along the chest that was drawn on first), because I knew I'd most likely need to make another test muslin of the suit because of the body, so I didn't want to waste fabric.

I marked with a sharpie where I thought everything should fall - the pocket t the chest, the two at the hips, and the seams along their arms. I also marked the spots that needed to be bigger or smaller, or things that needed to move around.

And then I made another muslin, this time with legs the proper length. I also patterned a sleeve (that'll be another post). It fit a lot better, so I adjusted it for Kelly's, which I promptly mailed off.

It was too tight in some parts - you can see a bit of the tension across her back in the second pic - so I had her sharpie out what to fix and also, where to place the pockets for her. She mailed it back, and after some reworking, I sent her an updated muslin:

Looks much better, right? Also helps that it has a zipper in; without the zipper, it probably wouldn't look as accurate, even though it's the same pattern.

Meanwhile, I had been experimenting with what to do about the fabric along their shoulders. The initial still of them at the lunchroom made them very distinctly different fabrics.

The top was a darker blue closer to gray than anything else, and it had a shine to it like it'd been waxed. The rest of the suit was more of a true slate blue, and it lacked the sheen.

Except, when the trailer came out, each scene with them in those suits looks entirely different.

Have an example:

Like, really? In one of those it looks like the fabric is exactly the same colour!

So I thought for awhile and decided to experiment with a waxing block, which you can get here on Amazon for a dumb amount of money. Waxing fabric tends to make it more shiny and also a bit darker.

What you do is rub the wax block on the fabric like it's a soap bar on your skin, so it looks like this:

It's white and flaky, and super shiny. Then, you hit it with a hairdryer. I blasted it with a heating gun because, well, I have one, but also because it removes the last step, which is putting it in a pillowcase and throwing it in the dryer to make it even.

Here's a visual to see the differences. Top is plain fabric, middle is with it coated, and the bottom is melted. You'll have to excuse my phone photography, which doesn't completely show the difference well. The bottom is a bit more darker than shown.

It's a really simple process and it smells kind of nice, too. You can see the differences in the fabric especially when you're in the middle of melting it:

I mailed off swatches to Kelly for her opinion, but I think it's currently our best option for the top of the jumpsuit.

Next... making my final suit, pockets and all, plus the sleeve fiasco, Kelly's suit and what the heck are we using to make those badges?

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Comic-Con 2013 Badge Resale Drawing

Do you want to attend SDCC next month but aren't one of the lucky few who picked up a badge in February? Here's your chance to try again! Comic-Con sent an email out today announcing that they have several thousand badges up for resale again this year.

From the email:

Due to the very limited number of badges available and our vendor EPIC Registration being focused on coordinating onsite registration, the Comic-Con 2013 badge resale will be conducted utilizing a random drawing.

To enter the Comic-Con 2013 Resale Drawing, login to your Member ID account now and click the blue notice that says “Click Here to Enter a Drawing to be Eligible for the Comic-Con 2013 Badge Resale!”

The drawing entry period will remain open for 48 hours only, and will close June 12, 2013 at 10:59:59 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). Late entries will not be accepted.

You must have a valid and confirmed Comic-Con Member ID to enter the drawing.
Anyone who has already registered for or purchased a 4-Day badge (with or without Preview Night) or a single day Saturday badge will not be eligible to enter the drawing. [...]

Comic-Con will notify everyone who is selected to participate by email on or before June 17, 2013.

 Good luck, Launchies! And let us know if you'll be attending -- I really hope to meet some of you there! :)

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Shoot Straight - Chapter 2: "Peter"

Ender's Game Blog

An Ender's Game reread

From here on out there is a huge spoiler warning: do not keep reading if you haven't read the book and are afraid of having something ruined for you. Go finish the novel! Then come back and chat with us. :)

New Characters: Valentine Wiggin, Peter Wiggin, John Paul Wiggin, Theresa Wiggin

What Happens

International Fleet: It seems those same two unnamed people we were introduced to last chapter are actually observing Ender. They know his monitor is off and seem to have somehow watched the entire incident with Stilson from their location, which... where exactly are they? A black van across the street? Some Big Brother-esque IF Selective Services hub? Wherever they are, they seem to have video-recorded Ender's entire monitored life -- and have been reviewing it over the course of the past few weeks.

They've decided that, while Ender has "passed," they still want to wait and see how he handles his brother, Peter. We know from last week that Ender is desperate for his relationship with Peter to improve, but he seemed almost certain the lack of monitor would change nothing.

Let's see how he does.

Ender: Oh, Valentine. Ender's sister greets him at the door and we can already tell she's as different from Peter as night and day. She takes one look at the band aid on the back of Ender's neck and immediately rushes to console him but her younger brother insists he's glad it's gone. "What's gone?" Peter has entered the building. He's meant to be a beautiful, Alexander the Great-sort of boy, but as he's currently stuffing his face with peanut butter and being a huge jerk to Ender, I'm having a hard time picturing it.

Peter notices immediately that Ender's monitor is missing and, for whatever reason, this pushes all of his jealous brother buttons. We find out that Valentine and Peter had previously both worn monitors well, losing theirs as a much earlier age than Ender. Forget that the 6-year-old has now seemingly flunked out of the program; Peter is simply mad that Ender kept monitor longer. He goes on a bitter tirade and then, seemingly cheered, suggests they play Buggers and Astronauts -- yay, a game!

Except, for Ender, it might be the least fun game ever. Picture playing a two-person game of Cowboys and Indians with someone you suspect has always wanted to kill you and might have just realized that now is his big chance. Peter believes the younger boy is no longer being watched by the Fleet, and since his parents are out, he decides to take the opportunity to put Ender in his place. He knocks his brother to the ground and pins him there by pressing his knee down on Ender's breastbone so he can barely breathe.

"I could kill you like this," Peter whispered. "Just press and press until you're dead. And I could say that I didn't know it would hurt you, that we were just playing, and they'd believe me, and everything would be fine. And you'd be dead. Everything would be fine."

Well.

Valentine cleverly maneuvers Peter into a corner, convincing him he can't kill both of them and make it look like an accident -- and that she'd obviously tell anyone who would listen what really happened. But they can't possibly be together forever, Peter points out, and one day when Valentine is not around, Ender is toast. Jeez, what is with this kid? However, his sister already thought about this possibility as well and has hidden a letter in her secret file which is to be opened upon her death.

To Whom It May Concern: My brother Peter is a sociopathic little creep.

But none of this matters because Peter is just joking. It was all a game, he can make them believe whatever he wants, ha ha ha. "I'm going to kill you and chop you into little pieces and put you into the garbage hole." Please see above.

The children's mother and father come home later that evening and commiserate with Ender about the loss of his monitor which just makes him feel awful. They are clearly trying to put a spin on the situation but Ender knows they now they have a forbidden Third child with "no obvious explanation."

That night while in bed, Ender hears Peter -- how he shares a room and a bunkbed with the little psycho, I can't even imagine -- pop out to visit the bathroom. On his way back, he stops at Ender's bed and the younger boy is positive he's about to be murdered but he isn't. Instead:

[Peter] whispered, "Ender, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know how it feels. I'm sorry, I'm your brother. I love you."

Worst day ever.

Thoughts

- I really am very curious now how the IF was watching the incident with Stilson and his interactions with his brother later that afternoon. Admittedly, I'm mostly excited to see how it's done in the film at this point, mostly because the Fleet logo looks like an eyeball and I love the whole "we are watching you" feel in the trailer.

- Since they were watching, would the IF have intervened if Peter really would have tried to kill Ender that afternoon? How far would they have let it go?

- Here's the big question: in the last scene, was Peter really sorry or was he trying to manipulate him further, knowing he was awake?

Favorite Quotes

It would not be a good game, Ender knew. It was not a question of winning. When kids played in the corridors, whole troops of them, the buggers never won, and sometimes the games got mean. But here in their flat, the game would start mean, and the bugger couldn't just go empty and quit the way the buggers did in the real wars. The bugger was in it until the astronaut decided it was over.

"Ender and I aren't stupid. We scored just as well as you did on everything. Better on some things. We're all such wonderfully bright children. You're not the smartest, Peter, just the biggest."

I know I'm a third, I know it, if you want I'll go away so you don't have to be embarrassed in front of everybody, I'm sorry I lost the monitor and now you have three kids with no obvious explanation, so inconvenient for you, I'm sorry sorry sorry.

* * *

« Chapter 1: Third | Index | Chapter 3: Graff »

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Hi-Res Version of New Battle Room Still

The kind folks over at Summit sent us a hi-res version of the most recent Ender's Game still today. Check it out below or download here.

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Moises Arias: "There's not one ounce of nice in Bonzo."

Moises dropped by the Young Hollywood studio last week to chat about his Msfts clothing line/brand, Ender's Game, and his role in The Kings of Summer which hit theaters this past Friday. Take a look:



When the conversation turned to Ender's Game and what we should expect from his character this fall, Moises hilariously replied: "Expect the douchiest character. There's not one ounce of nice in Bonzo, in my character."

Moises also sang the praises of the rest of the cast, especially his fellow Battle School classmates.

Apart from the role, just working with those people and the kids -- Hailee, Asa, Abigail, Khylin, Aramis, Suraj -- they were an inspiration to work with, they were all just incredibly talented and professional.

But don't be fooled! While Moises might have formed a sort of camaraderie with a chosen few at Space Camp last year, the rest of the kids on set weren't so lucky:

I was known to always stay in character because I had to be the mean one and the extras were very scared of me for a solid three months.

That definitely sounds like the Bonzo we know and love.

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Shoot Straight - Chapter 1: "Third"

Photo © IF-Sentinel.com

An Ender's Game reread

Now that the introduction is out of the way, we can get started on Ender's journey. From here on out there is a huge spoiler warning: do not keep reading if you haven't read the book and are afraid of having something ruined for you. Go finish the novel! Then come back and chat with us. :)

Each week, I'll be including a list of any named characters we meet for the first time in that chapter as well as a "What Happens" section. This part will cover both the main characters' plotlines as well as the  International Fleet conversations at the beginning of most chapters. Below that will be my commentary and public discussion can take place in the comments! 

New Characters: Ender Wiggin, Deedee, Miss Pumphrey, Stilson

What Happens

International Fleet: Two unnamed people (who I assume are Graff and Anderson) are chatting about a particular boy who seems to be the answer to all of their problems. He has a brother and sister who "tested out" of something for various reasons but Graff has been watching this particular boy and believes he's perfect as long as he's constantly surrounded by enemies. Anderson seems to think this would equal a very unhappy childhood for a boy Graff claims to like but hey! As Graff pointed out, that's a far better deal than being dissected by the buggers next time they show up. Anderson agrees and gives the order to "take him." Yikes.

Ender: It's Monitor-Removal Day and Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is having a rough time of it. He's been pulled from school and sent to a doctor's office where he's being mothered over by an absolutely condescending nurse, Deedee. She cheerfully informs him he's going to have this monitor removed, it won't hurt a bit, and isn't this just the best day of his whole life? Ender humors her by nodding, and while he's waiting for the doctor to arrive, he contemplates life with "the little device missing from the back of [his] neck." He thinks of his brother Peter, who sounds like a real peach, and ends up admitting to himself that his lack of monitor won't really change much in their happy relationship.

The doctor comes in and begins the simple procedure, which leads to Ender convulsing on the table when the monitor is yanked out. All's well that ends well, though, and the boy is sent back to school for the last 15 minutes of class. Which -- couldn't he have just gone home for some shut-eye after all that? You'd think if anything would get you a sick note, it'd be almost dying on an examination table. Anyway, the poor kid is back in school, disoriented and confused, and his teacher, Miss Pumphrey, is really no help whatsoever. Thanks, Miss Pumphrey.

So, here's the problem: even though he's slightly drugged, Ender is still 100x smarter than everyone else in his class, and his peers know and hate it. His classmate Stilson, knowing Ender is no longer being monitored, confronts him after school. The bully and his cronies are probably just looking to push him around a little bit, but Ender is having none of it and drop-kicks Stilson to the ground before he really even gets started. Wanting to prevent anyone from seeking vengeance the next day, Ender proceeds to kick the kid violently in the groin and face while he lies bleeding on the sidewalk. He absolutely crushes him and then heads to the bus stop, spending the time until the bus comes crying that he's just like his brother Peter.

Thoughts

- Where did Ender have his monitor removed? In the book, I almost get the impression that this clinic was located in Ender's school, simply because there was no mention of Ender's parents in the waiting room and it seems he almost walked back to class on his own. I mean, next chapter you even find out no one in his family, including mom and dad, were even aware Ender was having his monitor removed today. Weird, right? You'd think at least the parents would get a heads up. Anyway, was monitoring children for the first few years of their lives so very common in Ender's world that schools would be equipped to remove the device or was Ender taken to and from some fancy I.F. hospital?

- When one of his classmates sends a message to his desk calling him a Third, Ender remarks that it isn't his fault, that the government authorized his birth. 

How else could a Third like Ender have got into school?"

Interesting. I think I always assumed that every Third would have been authorized, though not particularly welcomed in society. However, if only the authorized ones were allowed to go to school, apparently some people went against the government and just had a Third willy-nilly. An entire group of people ostracized from society and Ender was simply in the weird position of being an approved Third. Huh.

Favorite Quotes

"I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and I tell you he's the one. Or at least as close as we're going to get."

Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth.

I have to win this now, and for all time, or I'll fight it every day and it will get worse and worse.

* * *

« Intro by Orson Scott Card | Index | Chapter 2: Peter »

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