Note: This is private-individual-me musing in my own journal. This is not official-moderator-me enshrining a game rule. Clear?

Last year, when fkficfest/fkficfest sign-ups were already well underway, someone asked whether visual artists might somehow participate.  The decision was "no" for 2011, and "we'll think about it" for 2012.

My strong leanings now are: that (1) an "opt in" recipient approach (with painting/drawing parameters as specific as those for stories) is viable and should be offered, and (2) no FK visual artists are going to turn up and want to play, so the point is moot.  In other words, it will make me feel good (that we're doing the right thing), and it won't bother anyone in the end. ;-)

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The fandom_stocking reveal came on Saturday evening 01/07.  This game saw record participation: 374 stockings!  Click the tags for your favorite fandoms to see what there is to see (FK, HL, etc.).

My stocking was generously stuffed with:

• Six assorted jolly holiday greetings.
• A lovely drawing of Cassiopeia (G, Battlestar Galactica) by ani_bester. ( more )
• "Bedtime Stories" (G, ~300, Once Upon a Time), a bittersweet "missing scene" by celli. ( more )
• A charming ficlet (G, ~200, Once Upon a Time) by teh_bug. ( more )
• Plus, a sweet promise of new Forever Knight fanfic (to be completed). Yay!

Interesting stuffers I've spotted in other people's stockings include:

• Spock-kitten wallpaper (G, Star Trek TOS), from masteralida.
• Illustrations of "My Little Pony" Magneto and Green Lantern by moonlettuce.
• "Acting Sheriff" (G, ~1K, Once Upon a Time) by celli for havocthecat: Parts 1 & 2. ( more )
• juniperphoenix podfic'd "Catalyzer" (G, Firefly), which celli wrote for my prompt in the most recent Oldschoolfic game.

As a stuffer, I met my goal of writing a unique new story for each stocking requesting FK.  It was only three this year, not counting me (Skieswidopen, Havocthecat, Amilyn), but that's the most writing I've done in many months, and I have high hopes that the stories are not bad.  (All were 1-2K, too long for commentfic, so I linked them from AO3. Perhaps more FK requests would have helped me hold down word counts?)  I thank Skieswideopen, MalinaldaRose and Celli — above all, Celli, who generously tackled all three! — for beta-reading.

In case you didn't hear, the 2011 FKFicFest ficathon is on!  Sign-ups start April 20; stories are due in July.

fkficfest (LJ) is now at fkficfest (DW) as well.  I had been planning to spare the extra work of mirroring, but the recent inexcusable DDOS attacks on LJ have demonstrated the benefits of an alternate meeting place; if evil spammers beat down one site, see us on the other.  (Remember that you can use OpenID to comment without an account, and if you would like a DW invitation code, ask.)

As I was telling PJ, I tried out a new theme/style for the community, and I'll probably try some more themes yet.  ( Read more... )

Addendum 4/10: I spent several hours on Sunday afternoon attempting to find a LJ theme that would (1) support both the requested FK font and the requested banner illustration, and (2) display correctly in both IE and Firefox. I could not locate such a theme. If you know of one, by all means, please tell me.

I've tended to picture Natalie's lab as a simple rectangle, but of course it's not.  Varying a little season to season and episode to episode, it's usually arranged about like this: ( Map of Natalie's Lab )

What caught my attention is that it's not the walls jogging in and out that my memory had oversimplified.  Instead, in conversation with celli about her femme_fic story, I realized that I have habitually, mistakenly, imagined the exam table as parallel to the counter (with the desk thus on the same wall as the counter)!  I went back through many screenshots (most courtesy of Knight Watchman) and worked out the map above, pushing and pulling at my longstanding mistaken impression.  Why had I pictured the exam table sideways?

Wide shots of the lab are rare, of course, but that's not the key.  I concluded that it really comes down to FK's tete-a-tete filming style, in which conversations between two characters do not usually show both on screen at the same time when that would require the camera to back up to capture both.  Instead, the camera more often flips from framing one character's torso to framing the other's, showing each against his/her own background throughout the conversation.  Of all the scenes in Natalie's lab, so many frame Natalie against her desk and Nick (or Schanke, Grace, Tracy) against the counter, with no hint of the wall space between.  My imagination had discarded the "missing" wall, the one with the chalkboard on it.

Recently on my LJ Friends List and DW Reading Page:

DVDs and Airings

• On 03/06, pj1228 announced that the Region 2 DVDs are out at last!  First season, anyway.  European fans, I'm so happy for you!  She shared photos of the packaging, and let us know the all-important fact that the missing clips are in there, but are in German only, although the DVDs have English and German audio tracks.  I'll gladly take them in any language!  But this makes me suspect that the uncut masters no longer exist in English, unfortunately.
• On 03/16 and also on 03/01, someone posted behind a lock about Chiller's continuing FK marathons.  Go Chiller!

Cast and Crew

• On 03/12, abby82 let us know that The Border has been canceled.  This is the drama series on which both Catherine Disher and Nigel Bennett had recurring roles, Gary Farmer once guest-starred, and some FK crew alumni were regular contributors, too.  Hopefully, there will be great new shows for everyone next season.


• On 02/23, hearts_blood described purchasing GWD's two audiobooks.

Essays/Meta

• On 03/13, gnosticdiva reviewed "For I Have Sinned."


• On 02/20, hearts_blood discoursed on historical and contemporary uses of the vampire metaphor, including FK.

Graphic Art

• On 03/12, senmut shared some userpic icons of Erica.
• On 02/14, abby82 shared the Janette collages that she created for halfamoon.

FKFicFest

• We're currently at 16 committed players on fkficfest, with sign-ups open through Thursday, March 18, 11:59 PM Pacific Time.


• Several people have announced publicly that they've signed up for FKFicFest, including Celli, Wiliqueen and Leela-cat.  (Others have mentioned it behind locks.)


• We've also had generous mentions from Havocthecat and Amilyn on their own journals, Abby82 on FK-Fanfiction and on FK-Freaks, and I received the mods' kind permission to plug us in Oldschoolfic and Femme-Fic.

Fanfiction and Other Ficathons

• On 03/13, gnosticdiva posted her stories from oxoniensis's Porn Battle 9 to her own journal: Making Up" (Nick/Natalie, NC-17), "Ménage à Trois (Nick/Natalie/Janette, NC-17), and "Partners" (Nick/Tracy, NC-17).


• On 03/08, celli announced that the 2010 TaxFic Challenge is open!  FK is eligible, and has been written for this event in the past.

Many people have posted about this by now (much thanks to abby82 for cluing me on) and everyone should know!  If you've missed it so far, come catch up.  "Rich's ComixBlog" is featuring a project called Forever Janette.  (LJ syndication of RSS Feed here; DW syndication of RSS Feed here.)

The praiseworthy art boasts functional resemblances and excellent composition.  It's set between season two and season three, where so many wonderful tales fit.  I've wanted to see FK as a comic for ages!  There are sixteen installments so far.  The creator seems to know his canon.

It's also a crossover with Doctor Who.  ( Spoilers )

Recently, in FK on my LJ Friends List:

Memes. 

• On 04/30, havocthecat listed Natalie, Janette, Tracy, Erica, Fleur, Cohen, Myra, and Naomi Ross (from "Near Death"), and ithildyn listed Janette, in the "She's Awesome" (female characters) meme.
  
• On 04/24, ithildyn answered the "Writer's Block: Celebrating Friendships" question with "the Forever Knight 1996 group."
  
• On 04/03, amilyn described both Grace and Natalie in the "Name a Character" meme.

Graphics. 

• On 04/26, abby82 shared an extensive tribute to the beloved popcorn-throwing scene at the end of "False Witness," including multiple collages and transcribed dialogue.
  
• On 04/16, abby82 posted 24 FK userpic icons, in assorted subjects from all seasons.  Many of them are downright funny and clever, so you may want to take a peek even if you're full-up on icons.

Cast and Crew. 

• On 04/20, abby82 reported the news that the Red Barn Theater was destroyed in a fire.  In '94, Geraint Wyn Davies and Catherine Disher performed there.
  
• On 04/18, pj1228 reviewed Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story, co-starring Nigel Bennett as a newspaper publisher.  She's got screenshots...
  
• On 04/13, abby82 shared a detailed, screenshot-rich recap of the movie The Vindicator
  (1986), co-starring Catherine Disher.  Need a photo of "young Natalie" to Photoshop into FKness?  Try these!

Recently, in FK on my LJ Friends List:

Graphics.  abby82, on 02/14, shared many Natalie collages created for halfamoon.

Comparisons.  endcredits, on 02/20, compared a BBC show titled Being Human to FK.  BH features a vampire and a werewolf (both with Nick-ish humanity-love) who share a house with a ghost.  There are Lacroix and Natalie equivalents.  Her clever post made me laugh a lot.

Fanfiction. 

• falcon_horus, on 02/26, posted "Memories," a SGA/FK crossover, with Nick, Schanke, Natalie and Kate Heightmeyer -- for a prompt I submitted in her Fleur Mini-Ficathon!  Cool.  (My own entry is here.)
  
• abby82, on 02/17, listed her active FK projects, including Tracy and Nick&Natalie stories.
  
• endcredits, on 02/16, mentioned her unfinished FK angst stories.
  
• havocs_cry, on 02/13, enthusiastically recommended two FK stories by fickitten, both starring Natalie and Janette, one post-series, and one between episodes.
  
• abby82, on 02/09, recommended three FK drabbles: one FK/Torchwood, one Ravenette, and one Nanette.
  
• A person posting behind a lock, on 02/08, announced a new author's FK Fanfic Page.

Actors. 

• abby82, on 02/24, revealed that Ion (which used to be Pax, which used to air Young Blades) has picked up The Border for US broadcast!  This is the current series costarring Catherine Disher and Nigel Bennett.
  
• pj1228, on 02/12, reviewed The Summit, a thriller in which Nigel Bennett plays the UK Prime Minister.  She shares screenshots.  The DVD seems presently available in Region 2 only.
  
• abby82, on 02/08, completed her review of American Psycho 2 starring Geraint Wyn Davies.  She notes that the DVD commentaries say some very nice things about GWD, and she mentions geraint_fans.

I've spent most of my fandom hobby time lately working on my oldschoolfic ficathon story.  I got an FK prompt!  And I'm trying to deliver an episode-like response, cop-plot and all.  Eeep!  (Cop-plot stuff is hard.)  Yet in the "vacuum the cat" tradition of ducking the dreaded blank page by any means available, I've also made my second batch of "up for grabs" FK icons (below); the first was that Natpacker set, of course, and so I've now made a smattering of userpics for most other factions.  If you pick one up, please let me know, and credit as appropriate.  Constructive criticism is also welcome.

The original screenshots for many of these come from Nancy T.'s Knight Watchman; others come from Kristen's Knight Vision; and a few have actually been on my hard drive since the series was still on the air (uh, successive hard drives, that is ~g~).  I believe the FK logo GIF with the red letters was created by Nancy K.

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Some time back, wiliqueen mentioned in passing that she would like a Natpacker icon.  I made a batch, and promised to put up for grabs those she didn't choose for herself.  Here they are!   If you pick one up, please let me know, and credit as appropriate.  Constructive criticism is also welcome.

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