Summer Days are Certainly Coming to a Middle…
Howdy. I hope all my fellow Independents out there had a shiny Independence Day. It’s crazy to think of how fast the summer is flyin’ by (and from the looks of the thermometer, this year it’s doing it on hard burn). As I write this, the fireflies are signaling each other in the night sky, Independence Day and Shark Week are already here and gone, the baseball all-star break and football training camps are about to begin… heck, I’ve even already heard cicadas calling in the trees in broad daylight, which is usually like a death knell for the summer.
Well, okay, I’ll admit maybe calling the summer dead and buried is a mite premature, but our summer days of taking things leisurely are certainly coming to a middle. That’s why it’s important to make the most of the ones we have left, and to that end, if you’re a Browncoat (and if you’re not, just why exactly are you reading this blog?), there are a couple of shiny events on the horizon you should know about.
One of our longest “Big Damn Supporters,” Karen Paddison, recently sent me a wave from the Great White North (a.k.a. Canada, for those of you who aren’t old enough to remember SCTV) asking me to spread the word that she’ll have a table in the dealers' room of Confluence 2024 at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel from July 26-28.
For those of you who maybe don’t know Karen or came onboard too late to remember her website Firefly Cargo Bay, she is an ex-patriot Pittsburgher who was one of the very first vendors to offer unique Firefly- and Serenity-themed merchandise in the days before bigger companies were scrambling to obtain the license to market all manner of products to Browncoats. Although she’s no longer the proprietor of Firefly Cargo Bay, she will still have some wares that will be of interest to Browncoats at her table at this year’s Confluence. She already posted about it on the PA Browncoats Facebook page, so some of you may have seen that, but since not everyone is on the Facebook, I reckon it couldn’t hurt to boost the signal a little further.
At her table in the dealers' room of Confluence 2024 from July 26-28, Karen will be premiering some shiny new stickers alongside her miniature quote books. As you can see from the photo I’ve included, one of the books will be of particular interest to Browncoats. So, if you’re not lucky enough to be going to San Diego Comic-Con and are still looking to attend a con the last weekend in July, you should check out Confluence 2024, and be sure to stop by the dealers' room and say howdy to Karen. The link to the con’s site (where you can get all the necessary details about the event) can be found on our “Shindigs” page.
And believe it or not, our 19th annual “Can’t Stop the Serenity” charity screening at the Grand Theatre in Elizabeth, PA is now less than one month away! If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, they are available now on the Jump Cut Theater website. Just go to our “CSTS” page for all the details, or head directly to jumpcuttheater.org. This year’s event will feature all the shiny things you’ve come to know and love about Pittsburgh’s CSTS shindigs: carnival-style games, raffles, a door prize, a special raffle for those in attendance who (incredibly) have never seen the movie before, and the main event—a screening of Serenity on the big screen in a genuine theater.
All the proceeds from this year’s CSTS Pittsburgh shindig will be split evenly between two very fine charities. In memory of Firefly costume designer Shawna Trpcic, whom we lost last year (and who also, incidentally, had personal ties to Pittsburgh), we’ve chosen Joni & Friends, a charity she supported. And since Browncoats like Mal and Zoe are war veterans, we’re continuing our support of veterans’ organizations by designating the Veterans Leadership Program of Western PA as our second charity for 2024. We certainly hope you’ll join us on August 10 at the Grand Theatre for a little fun and misbehavin’ as we do good works for these worthy causes. Get your tickets today!
There you go. Now you have a couple more ways to get the most out of what’s left of the summer. You can thank me later when I see you in the world.
Keep flyin’,
Chris