October 2009 Archives   31 October 2009 Lucy and Renee Confirmed for 2010 Xena Convention! Lucy and Renee have confirmed they will be at the 2010 Xena Convention in LA on 5 Feb (Lucy will be appearing on Friday 5 Feb on her own and another segment with Renee and Renee will be Appearing on stage with Lucy on Friday, signing autographs and doing photo ops on Sunday. Renee is also appearing solo on stage Sunday as well. ). This is the message that was sent out to Lucy's list by Sharon: LUCY LAWLESS AND RENEE O'CONNOR HEADLINING XENA 2010 CONVENTION! They've signed on and the announcement should be going out any moment now, so keep your eyes peeled on your inboxes. The webmaster is updating the convention website as we speak. Lucy and Renee will do their duo spot on Friday and Lucy will do her solo spot that day. Renee will do her solo spot on Sunday as well as her photo ops and autographs. For Tickets go to: http://www.creationent.com/cal/xebur.htm     29 October 2009 Xena and Torchwood? Fandoms Collide...I Wish! Alas no. Now it would be mega cool for Captain Jack to land in the middle of a Xena fight (Dr Who story maybe?) but this reference was brought up by the site AfterElton - I simply LOVE Torchwood and Captain Jack is just such a great character. A crossover between Xena and Torchwood...one can dream. Here's the AfterElton article: Death By "Torchwood": Captain Jack, Ianto Jones, And The Rise Of The Queer Superhero by Polina Skibinskaya October 27, 2009 Going back a few years, Xena: Warrior Princess provides a perfect - and often frustrating - illustration of the stop-and-go process of queer empowerment in popular culture. The show's lesbian theme started out buried in subtext, but by the 3rd season, the two lead characters were professing their love for each other and even enjoying an occasional same-sex lip lock. Still, the show remained as vague on the subject as possible: the closest it came to openly discussing the lead characters' lesbian relationship was when a secondary character confessed she wanted to be a "thespian" just like Xena and Gabrielle. Nonetheless, Xena may have been the most empowering queer character of the '90s: this fierce warrior chopping up battalions of thugs with a joyful smirk was anything but a victim. And yet, when the show ended, it was not with a battle cry, but with a whimper. Even this undefeated killing machine had to pay for her sexuality with her life, and in the end, she died for love. Her death might have been somewhat more heroic than the death of, say, Alan in Torch Song Trilogy or Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry, but to this queer viewer, it was hardly less frustrating or disempowering. If a warrior princess forged in the heat of battle can't manage to live as a happy dyke, what chance do we mere mortals have? Like Xena, Torchwood's Captain Jack Harkness is a complex character often haunted by his past misdeeds. And like Xena, he is a gay basher's worst nightmare: a queer weapon-wielding, ass-kicking superhero gleefully chewing his way through awesome fight scenes. But Torchwood is a 21st century show (and a British one at that), so it sheds the last vestiges of subtext that had dragged down Xena: Warrior Princess. Where Xena's sexuality was never discussed, Captain Jack's sexuality is brought up deliberately, then casually dismissed as irrelevant to who he is and what he does. <Snipped> Read full article News submitted by Barbara Davies     16 October 2009 Upcoming Photo Club Episode Stills - Friend In Need The following message has been posted by Sharon regarding the next issue of the Official Xena Photo Club which has new episode stills for Friend In Need. There's a couple there that I can go without ever seeing again but there are some gorgeous ones in particular #5 (Xena) and #6 (Gabrielle). #2 is a little disturbing and #4 a lot disturbing..hate that particular scene..despise it with a passion. The message reads: Photos From A Friend In Need You have got to check out the Xena photo club for June and July. It's "A Friend In Need." I found some stunning shots of Lucy and Renee and also scenes we've never had stills from before. Take a peek.     8 October 2009 A Message From Kim - A Bard In Need Auction Update The following is from Kim regarding the recent A Bard In Need Auction. The great news is that the amounts raised have been $5,900ish (not all paid yet) and from donations, around $1,500! That is just amazing. That's just so generous in such an harsh economic climate. Thank you to everyone! Message from Kim: Hello, all.  As you know, the auction is over, and it was a COMPLETE success!  The surgery and aftercare is going full speed ahead.  You guys are amazine, and I've raised plenty to see me through this.  THANK GOD! since I will have to see a retina specialist after, as well as buy two paris of glasses - reading and glasses to drive.  Yes, my friends, I will be able to drive for the first time in my life!  I'm 33, guys.  I've never been able to get a license.  Any of you in Denver - WATCH OUT!!! lol    Anyway, for you kind donors, I am sending out emails to you as I get payment for your books or items.  So, be patient with me.  I promise, if your item was won, you'll know about it. : D    Thank you all again, from the bottom of my heart.  And, I wanted you to know that with some of the extra I was given, I am going to make a donation in the Xenaverse's name to Lucy's Starship Foundation, as well as I"m going to buy gloves and McDonald's gift certificates to give out to Denver's homeless.  Pay it forward, guys.   All my love, Kim Pritekel     4 October 2009 Xena Episode Stills - Season 4 Ep 21 Ides of March The Ides of March - one of my all time favourite episodes. Season 4 episode 21 - scanned two high res images that were initially from my collection. They were autographed by Lucy and Renee and sold at one of the AUSXIP Auctions. Click here to view all the images from this episode Log Line: Callisto returns to tempt Xena, as Caesar plans to declare himself emperor. Multimedia: Montage #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 | Review | Screengrabs A little bit of Trivia: Lucy was pregnant with Julius when this was being filmed. During the filming of Endgame or Ides (can't remember which but I think it was Endgame), a 60 minutes crew (from Australia - which airred April 1999) interviewed Lucy and she cryptically alluded to the pregnancy but didn't reveal it...it was a few days later after this interviewed airred that the news of Lucy's pregnancy became public. I'm not even going to try and explain how I remember this 10 year old interview...I do remember thinking at the time of the interview that Lucy was being unusually coy and wondered how she had broken a rib (I think that's what it was) that the fandom hadn't heard about when Charles Wooley (the reporter and believe it or not I still remember the guy's name...someone cue the Twilight Zone theme) asked her to do a flip or something equally as silly.  I have a very odd memory...this one must have stuck in the groove instead of going through the swiss cheese holes in my noggin.     Read More Archives