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Starbuck Vanished! Where’d She Go?
You might have noticed the Battlestar Galactica jersey is no longer available. Those who ordered it will be issued refunds.
Right to the point: Rinkgear and I received a Cease and Desist order today from NBC Universal, the parent company and rights holders of Battlestar Galactica. I have complied to the best of my abilities, and will continue to do so because I am a huge supporter of NBC and Battlestar Galactica.
This is disappointing news for those who ordered, myself included. My deepest apologies, this was supposed to be a fun and cool item that was niche and truly your own.
All the blame for this lies with me alone. Where I am at fault is how I portrayed this endeavor in a fashion akin to a merchant selling goods. I created a solid design, a detailed sales pitch, lots of pricing and ordering information - pretty much went the whole nine yards to relay information about these jerseys and how to go about attaining one.
I didn’t put enough emphasis on this being a non-profit affair, or how this was a custom team order, or that this was a fan initiative. Instead I posed to everyone “Hey this is cool, want one?” And spent my efforts coordinating these orders.
Also I assumed all things that you commission for yourself (in this case custom jerseys), don’t need approval from IP holders. I thought this would be akin to cosplay or fandom appreciation, but clearly I have a lot to learn.
I truly hope that NBC doesn’t find Rinkgear responsible for this - they’re just a custom hockey jersey vendor. It’s their business to make what customers want. I also talked to many other jersey vendors about making these, and not once did any of them say it was illegal or could land them in jeopardy. The common refrain was “anything you want”.
This was a big wake-up call, and I am now wondering how to proceed with geeky jerseys, if at all.
Battlestar Galactica Jersey Design
UPDATE: Now Available until January 19th, 2012. Sorry the item has been removed from the offer, due to legal reasons.
After a failed attempt to make a Princess Zelda jersey for the girls, I went back to the drawing board. Aimed with the goal of making a kick-butt design for the geeky girls out there, it took me mere seconds to think of this jersey, as the words “kick-butt” and “girl” immediately brought to mind Starbuck, BSG’s tough-as-nails-yet-extremely-messed-up Viper pilot.
Initially I made a navy blue with gold trim jersey (and may do that one at a later date) to match the military uniforms of Battlestar Galactica, but then I felt a design modeled on the Viper Mark II would work better. Not only did the red striping translate well to a hockey jersey, but this allowed me to use the call-sign banner (located by the cockpit) for the name plate. I also got to implement the squadron logo and gold BSG logo markings seen on the Viper.
To complete the look, I added Starbuck’s Viper tail number to the tail of the jersey. Sadly it doesn’t get much more brilliant than this here at Dave’s Geeky Ideas.
Originally the Primus 1st Squadron logo was the primary front crest, but that Pegasus kept bugging me to no end. I also felt it might offend some girls, despite it being the actual squadron logo. The logo is parked on the front nose of the Viper and is barely visible, so I decided to make it a small patch instead.
If IKEA Made Geeky Furniture Part 16: Battlestar Galactica Wardrobe
I believe there is a huge market for selling pro sports-style lockers for home use, either for jocks or the armchair quarterbacks. These would be wardrobes that look just like the locker stalls you’d find in the NHL, NBA, NFL, etc. The wardrobe would be painted in team colors and feature name plaques with logos. This could be placed in the bathroom, TV den, by the front door, etc. Wherever you get ready for the day. Or wherever you want to display your favorite team gear.
And this goes beyond team sports. You could make these in the style of Battlestar Galactica, Mass Effect, or Starship Troopers as they carry a military aesthetic. Men in Black is another fun approach. Maybe the employee lockers for the Krusty Krab or Ghostbusters.
The point being that you could have a fun wardrobe that exhibits your favorite team, TV show, film, or video game. This themed wardrobe would enable you to feel like a badass when you’re accessing it.
One major change is I don’t foresee these being made of heavy materials (such as steel) like the actual locker stalls. Probably wood construction complimented by plastic or rubber fixtures (for the grates).
Other possible accessories: A bench or a rug with the team logo.
Katee Sackhoff Promotes A Replica BSG Viper
Katee Sackhoff, the actress who proved everybody wrong with her portrayal of Starbuck in the updated BSG, talks about the show and her time on set in a Viper.
The interview is mostly a backdrop to promoting this replica Viper, which is on sale for $1500. And it doesn’t take long to see why. Check out the video:
WANT. Want so so badly. Oh yeah, I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on the replica Viper either!
When Katee was recalling how hot she was in the Viper (“I was sooo hot”), all I can say, yes. Yes you are. And then she starts talking about her ass and my brain derails right there. The really scary thing is I don’t think she is wearing an ounce of make-up. Just. Look. At. Her.*
Now wouldn’t it be awesome if actors always talked up the collectibles based on their roles? Imagine Harrison Ford pimping that ginormous Millennium Falcon that came out a few years back. It’s just really cool to see, especially if they were genuinely enthusiastic as Katee was here. It really validates the product when you see the actor in approval like this. Yes she is being paid to endorse this, but seeing her react to all the detail like you or I would upon inspection is just cool to behold.
A couple of things: looks like this thing has functional landing gear too, but they didn’t mention anything - so it might not. Also the guy talking to Katee about the Viper sounds a lot like Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos). EDIT: Holy smokes it is the Admiral himself. This collectible is from his company, Edward James Olmos Productions.
The detachable cockpit window is a tad disappointing. I would I have created an internal rail to attach it to, or use a magnet-based system to keep it locked in place. But at $1500 this is purely for display - not for play - so it’s not a deal-breaker. The remote is a very nice touch.
Alas, too rich for me. But if a company like Diamond Select can issue a BTTF Delorean with lots of bells and whistles for about $50, a comparable BSG Viper could be had for the everyman. EDIT: but if Edward orders you to buy this, start applying for credit cards. So say we all.
*When have I ever objectified a woman on this blog? I am allowed to just this one time!
Rejected “If IKEA Made Geeky Furniture” Ideas
About 3-4 months ago I released a series called “If IKEA Made Geeky Furniture”, comprised of several posts (you can find them here, scroll down a bit). There were a few ideas that did not make the cut, and I am going to list them off here:
A. Apple iPhone Book Case. A basic book case, with two glass doors to get at your books/movies (If you wanted, you could place them like apps). Reason it was cut: A digital device storing all your old analog media was weird to me.
B. Tardis Wardrobe/Pantry. Reason it was cut: Seems a lot of people have already made this in some form. And here I was, thinking I was so clever.
C. Gandalf’s Staff Floor Lamp. Reason it was cut: I…don’t know. Seeing it now, it would be kinda cool. May revisit this. That reminds me, a guy I knew at work often lamented that the only thing Gandalf did in the movies was cast light. With this lamp, you too can wield Gandalf’s lone power.
D. Soundwave Oven with Tea Kettle Head! Okay this one is bizarre, I admit. But I thought I’d include it to show how weird my mind is. Reason it was cut: It’s an appliance. And it was too weird.
E. Star Wars Table. That landing platform on Endor, where Luke surrendered in Return of the Jedi- would make a great table. Reason it was cut: Too obscure.
F. DRADIS Ceiling Lamp. That radar they used to detect Cylons in Battlestar Galactica would make for a decent ceiling lamp, as long as it had a revolving radar arm, and made whoooo whooooo sounds. Reason it was cut: Couldn’t get it to look right. One of these days I will coin the perfect DRADIS gadget.
G. Pac-Man Table and Chairs. Reason it was cut: No one wants a 3/4 table. Though it would look cool biting into a corner. Great place to put a bowl of fruit.
H. Holodeck Door Fridge. Yep, a refrigerator that looks like the door to the famed Holodeck in Star Trek TNG. You could put the ice dispenser by the computer panel. Reason it was cut: It was an appliance, and would be too big to place in a kitchen, unless you can inset your fridge into a wall.
Is this the first-ever blog to feature material from the cutting room floor? Hmmm
I had fun doing the IKEA designs, will probably do some more in the future. Stay tuned.
