Rhode Island Science Fiction Club Film Festival

The Rhode Island Science Fiction Club (RISFC) will be having a Sci-Fi Film Festival at the Warwick Public Library in Warwick, RI on Saturday, September 11th from 9:00am-5:00pm. The film list currently includes Godzilla: Final Wars, Young Frankenstein, It Came From Outerspace (1953), and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. It’s free to the public and refreshments will be provided. See http://risfc.org/ and http://www.warwicklibrary.org/wpl/ for more information.

[Tip from James at RISFC]

Read Comics in Public Day

Tomorrow, August 28th, has been declared to be “Read Comics in Public Day”. According to organizer and comics blogger Brian Heater:

The concept is fairly simple: we’re asking that everyone take an hour or two out of their day on August 28th (also the birthday of Jack “King” Kirby, incidentally) to read a comic book in a public setting—a park bench, a beach, a bus, the front steps of your local library (we do ask, however, that you be mindful of local loitering laws). Let strangers see you reading a piece of sequential art.

Take to the streets. Be proud. If someone asks what you’re reading, say, “a comic book” (the phrase “graphic novel is also acceptable, but let’s face it, it sort of defeats the whole purpose). Heck, lend them a book, if you’ve got an extra—what better way to make a new friend and convert a new reader?

Meetups have been organized in these New England locations:

• Rockingham, VT – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=146993071988611
  
• Boston, MA – http://readcomicsinpublic.com/meetup-6-boston/
  
• Portland, ME – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126319737415818
  

2010 Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony

The time has come once again to award the Ig Nobel Prizes, which go to real scientists who’ve been conducting genuine research into oddball subjects. Last year’s winners include researchers who produced diamonds from tequila, found uses for giant panda feces, and investigated why pregnant women don’t tip over. Who knows what will happen this year? The ceremony will take place at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA on September 30 at 7:30pm. If you can’t make it in person, there will be a webcast. On Saturday, October 2 at 1:00pm, the new Ig Nobel winners will speak at MIT as part of the “Ig Informal Lectures.” Learn more at http://improbable.com/ig/2010/.

New Date for Nemo’s Steampunk Art & Invention Gallery

The previously announced Nemo’s Steampunk Art & Invention Gallery opening night party for the 20,000 Leagues attraction at Patriot Place has been moved to a new date, November 6. See the latest description at http://www.steampuffin.com/Home/Nemos-Steampunk-Gallery.aspx.

Nemo’s Steampunk Art & Invention Gallery — Opening Night

UPDATE: The date has moved to November 6.

5-W!TS is a company that specializes in creating interactive puzzle adventures that you really walk through, such as the TOMB attraction near Fenway in Boston, MA. The company is opening two new interactive attraction at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA, called “Espionage” (a spy game, of course) and “20,000 Leagues,” based on the writings of Jules Verne. All steampunks are invited to the opening night party for “20,000 Leagues”:

Nemo’s Steampunk Art & Invention Gallery OPENING NIGHT
WHERE: 20,000 LEAGUES presented by 5 Wits-Patriot Place
(located in Patriot Place’s North Plaza, Foxboro MA, adjacent to Gillette Stadium)
WHEN: September 18 November 6, 2010, from 5:00PM to 12:00 Midnight
COST: FREE if you are wearing any Steampunk costume
(Prize for best ‘Nautilus or Nemo themed’ costume)

Steampuffin (www.steampuffin.com) and 5 Wits-Patriot Place (www.5-wits.com) have come to together to show you what kind of technology and art could have been on the Nautilus if Nemo was piloting his famous submarine today. Think of Steampunk as an alternate reality where the Victorian period happened at the same time as the computer or information age – what would have been produced in modern innovations, inventions and gadgetry. In fact, many believe that Jules Verne was really one of first Steampunk thinkers and writers to popularize the genre.

The 1000-square-foot Nemo’s Steampunk Art & Invention Gallery will feature primarily museum quality 3D artwork and inventions from Steampunk artists across the country. The artwork will be for sale and can also be customized for client’s homes and businesses.

As a part of the exhibit and OPENING NIGHT Gala – attendees will also be able to participate FREE in 20,000 LEAGUES, a fully immersive interactive walk-through adventure that combines elements of video games, museum exhibits and theme park rides. In 20,000 LEAGUES guests become undersea explorers as they discover and then ultimately race to escape the Nautilus!

There will also be FREE live entertainment and light refreshments.

The major informational links are in the announcement above; if you need information about Patriot Place visit http://www.patriot-place.com/.

[Tip from Bruce of ModVic and Steampuffin]

Anime Party at the Black Ships Festival

The annual Black Ships Festival in Newport, RI is a celebration Japanese art and culture. The entire event runs July 15-18; on July 15 at 9:00pm there will be an Anime Party held dockside at Waites Wharf.

Come enjoy a gathering in celebration of anime at the Black Ships Festival. Anime movies will be shown as you enjoy a DJ. Display your costuming skill as the masquerade begins. View your favorite costumes as you join in the fun! Call for vending opportunities. $7 at door. (401) 846-2720.

The website for the festival is http://www.newportevents.com/Blackships/main.shtml.

[Tip from James of the Rhode Island Science Fiction Club]

Colonial Theatre Spooktacular: Son of Godzilla

The Saturday Fright Special horror show hosts will celebrate their fourth annual “Spooktacular” event with “a rare 35mm screening of the 1967 Toho monster melee SON OF GODZILLA” at the Colonial Theatre in Keene, NH on July 31st at 2:00pm. They’ll be making quite a party of it:

In addition to the main feature, cast members of the NH-based horror host TV show SATURDAY FRIGHT SPECIAL will appear on stage to introduce the film and conduct prize giveaways, featuring signed comics and original sketches by horror comics icon S.R. Bissette (who’ll be debuting a new comic at the event), as well as additional original sketches from students and alumni from the Center for Cartoon Studies in VT. Preceding the feature will be vintage monster movie previews, snack bar ads, and a cartoon.

You can find out more details at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125878930783967 (a Facebook login is not required to see this page) and http://www.thecolonial.org.

[Tip from Spooktacular Curator Mark]

Boston Zombie March VI

I just found out about this one: the undead are scheduled to gather tomorrow, May 29th, at 3:30pm outside of South Station in Boston, MA, and will go on to terrorize the population from there. Zombie survivors and protesters are also welcome. Visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=406261746152 for the gory details. Note there will also be a “Silent Rave” afterparty at 7:00 or so at Faneuil Hall in which the zombies will all dance to the music on their own iPods — see http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111040932268542. Unfortunately neither link is available to the non-Facebook enabled, but if you’re at South Station at 3:30pm I suspect they’ll be hard to miss.

[Tip via Boston Events Insider (I liked the name "Johnny's List of Weird Boston Events better, myself.)]

Celebrating Comic Art

The Space 242 art gallery in Boston, MA is opening a new exhibit called “Celebrating Comic Art” featuring artists Jamie Buckmaster, Craig Bostick, Alison Cowell, Andy Fish, Veronica Hebard, Bret Herholz, Mike Leslie, Derek Ring, Paul Ryan, and Tak Toyoshima. The exhibit will be open from May 28 to June 18; there will be an opening reception May 28 from 6:00-8:00pm, and an artist talk will be held June 18 from 7:00-8:00pm. For more information visit http://www.space242.com/.

[Tip via Convention Scene]

Geek Week

The Langdon Street Café in Montpelier, VT is having a “Geek Week” of activities from March 24th to the 31st which includes gaming events, music, workshops, and parties. For a complete list of events visit http://langdonstreetcafe.com/.

[Tip via Held Action]