May 2013 Archives  

29 May 2013

Lucy Tweets More On Xena Resurrection 28 May 2013 Update

ImageThere has been quite a buzz all over the net about Lucy's tweets about the Resurrection of Xena in some form or other (see below for those tweets) and rightly so.

We've been wishing and hoping for one since 2003 - The AUSXIP Xena Movie Section has been updated every time there was a smidgen of news about a possible movie.

There has been quite a bit of discussion about this on AUSXIP's Facebook Page

If you a member of the AUSXIP Talking Xena Message Board you can discuss it Xena Chat Forum


This morning Lucy answered another question about the possible Xena resurrection:

 

here's Lucy's original tweets from 23 May 2013

 

 


Discuss this on AUSXIP's Facebook Page

If you a member of the AUSXIP Talking Xena Message Board you can discuss it Xena Chat Forum


 

 

26 May 2013

Amazon Kindle Worlds - What Does This Mean For Xena FanFic and Should You Sell Your Fanfic?

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Amazon Kindle Worlds - What Does This Mean For Xena FanFic and Should You Sell Your Fanfic?

by MaryD

Amazon Publishing has announced they are launching Kindle Worlds which a platform for fan fiction writers to monetize their work. Check out the press release

Fanfic, as we all know, is a way for the fan to take the characters into situations and places where they don't normally go in the actual series. Now this can be very good or it can be very very bad; I've lost count how many fanfic stories I've read in the various fandoms I've been a member of. I've met so many talented bards over the years who have taken a small portion of an idea from an episode and turned it into something EPIC.

Some writers have cut their teeth on fanfic and moved on to write their own characters and published their novels. It was a stepping stone for them to learn their craft. This is a good thing - well crafted characters that you can practice on (so to speak) and learn the art of storytelling without creating new characters.

This was/is being done for the pure love of the particular show. We have seen many Xenaverse bards go from fanfic to publishing their own novels with their own characters having honed their skills in the Xenaverse.

Amazon Kindle Worlds seeks to "reward" those fanfic writers and allow them to make money. What does this mean? It means that if you write for a genre that Kindle Worlds has a licence for, then you can write your fanfic, Amazon pays the author 35% for 10,000 words and so on. Before you jump up and down and quick turn away to craft your story, there are conditions and from what I've read in their conditions and content guidelines, it sends up a HUGE red flag for me. I don't write fanfic but if I did, I would stay way from Kindle Worlds.

Here's why it's not as great as it sounds:

First: Amazon Kindle Worlds has to have an agreement between the copyright holders (let's use Renaissance Pictures as our model) before you can submit any of your fanfic. At this stage Amazon Kindle Worlds does NOT have an agreement with Ren Pics for Xena fanfic but you never know with the possibility of a Xena Movie or Series (see Lucy Lawless' tweet), the possibility exists for this to happen to Xenaverse Bards

Now having said that, a majority of Xena fanfic is ALT - there are some GEN fanfics but I would say the majority is ALT that I have seen (based on 17 years in this fandom).

For new fans what is ALT and what is GEN Xena Fanfic? Here's a rundown of what these terms mean:

ALT: It means Subtext ie Xena and Gabrielle are lovers

GEN: It means Xena and Gabrielle are friends

Why is this important for this topic? IF Kindle Worlds gets a licence for fanfic writers to submit Xena FanFic, it would appear they wouldn't allow a good portion of the ALT fanfic.

Content Guidelines for Kindle Worlds - I've bolded the items that are more peritent to our discussion. Let's be frank about this - a good portion of Xena fanfic has Xena and Gab in love and doing some really interesting things sexually. What is offensive? Who decides? Kindle World does.

Why is this important? In the last 17 years that AUSXIP has been online, I've added quite a bit of fanfic (majority being ALT) and some have been very explicit but I wouldn't consider them porn BUT some internet providers do. How do I know this? I've had people tell me that AUSXIP is blocked by their internet providor because the site is considered as a porn site! I have a strict policy of not having ANY images that contain nudity but the internet providers base this on the fanfic available on the site. When someone first told me about this, I couldn't believe it but now I frequently get people commenting that they can't access the site via their usual means.

So that means just because YOU or I don't think it's porn, doesn't mean others do think it's porn. So your well crafted story about Xena and Gabrielle may not fit with their guidelines.

Here are their content guidelines

Pornography: We don't accept pornography or offensive depictions of graphic sexual acts.

Offensive Content: We don't accept offensive content, including but not limited to racial slurs, excessively graphic or violent material, or excessive use of foul language.

Illegal and Infringing Content: We take violations of laws and proprietary rights very seriously. It is the authors' responsibility to ensure that their content doesn't violate laws or copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights.

Poor Customer Experience: We don't accept books that provide a poor customer experience. Examples include poorly formatted books and books with misleading titles, cover art, or product descriptions. We reserve the right to determine whether content provides a poor customer experience.

Excessive Use of Brands: We don't accept the excessive use of brand names or the inclusion of brand names for paid advertising or promotion.

Crossover: No crossovers from other Worlds are permitted, meaning your work may not include elements of any copyright-protected book, movie, or other property outside of the elements of this World.


COPYRIGHT

Second: Who owns YOUR copyright? You created the story and maybe created new characters...then what? Check out their guidelines - I'm alarmed by the portion that says We will also give the World Licensor a license to use your new elements andincorporate them into other works without further compensation to you. - You just created new characters in that particular fanfic story but you don't own the rights to those characters! REN PIC would own those rights WITHOUT paying you a single cent. Ren Pic would already get a portion of the royalties for the use of their characters PLUS they will now OWN any NEW characters you just created.

What's more, other fanfic authors can take YOUR characters and build them into their own stories. YOU don't get paid extra for something someone else will get paid for. We will allow Kindle Worlds authors to build on each other's ideas and elements

Amazon Publishing will acquire all rights to your new stories, including global publication rights, for the term of copyright.

When you submit your story in a World, you are granting Amazon Publishing an exclusive license to the story and all the original elements you include in that story. This means that your story and all the new elements must stay within the applicable World. We will allow Kindle Worlds authors to build on each other's ideas and elements. We will also give the World Licensor a license to use your new elements and incorporate them into other works without further compensation to you.

Yeah. Right. If you want to write your fanfic and send to Kindle Worlds go right ahead (not right now as they don't license Xena Fanfic) but you won't have creative control that you do now.

That's what Kindle Worlds is about.

You can also submit it to your favourite fanfic site and get the rush of creating something for the sheer joy of creating and sharing.

Discuss this on AUSXIP's Facebook Page and AUSXIP Talking Xena Forum


 

 

26 May 2013

The Bard's Corner - Favors of Fortune (Uber) by D

Here's a four part (now complete) story by D called "Favors of Fortune".

Genre: Uber

 

Read more Xena Fan Fiction at The Bard's Corner


 

 

26 May 2013

New Xenaverse Artist Magnolia Dysnomia and Xena Quotoon Art

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I'm very pleased to announce the addition of Magnolia Dysnomia to the AUSXIP Xena Art Galleries. Magnolia has created a Xena cartoon with a unique theme of blending the cartoon with a Xena quotation.

Check them out - click on the image to take you to the gallery

 

Click here to view


 

 

23 May 2013

Lucy Tweets: A Possible Xena Movie or Series but Not Named Xena?

Lucy tweeted about a possible resurrection for Xena. Seems someone is interested in creating either a movie or a series (Lucy didn't give any indication what type of project it is). With so many hassles with who owns what about Xena, it looks like this fellow may will have to rename Xena to something else to get around the roadblocks.

 

 

 

Want to know more about a Xena Movie? Check out AUSXIP Xena Movie Section that has been wishing and hoping for a Xena movie since 2003.


 

 

13 May 2013

Fearless Defenders Comic Xena Reference

Now this is cool. A Xena reference in the number 3 issue of The Fearless Defenders comic. Many thanks to Petra for the scan!

Fearless-Defenders


 

 

12 May 2013

Fighting Spirit: Fiery Female Warriors - Daily Mail Weekend 11 May 2013

ImageFighting Spirit: Fiery Female Warriors
Daily Mail Weekend Supplement
11 May 2013

Brave is a vibrant tale of a Scottish clanswoman who defies tradition. Here, we take a look at some screen portrayals of women who too up arms....Xena Warrior Princess


Click on the scan to read the article


 

 

6 May 2013

10 Reasons To Watch 'Xena: Warrior Princess' Again - English Translation from Spanish

Image63503420481249277210 reasons to watch 'Xena: Warrior Princess' again

Translated by Rosa Alonso from the Spanish news site Blogs El Pais
for AUSXIP.COM

When we think of Xena: Warrior Princess we can’t help remembering those summer mornings when the five most important TV channels in Spain devoted quite a few hours to programs whose aim was to entertain the youngest among their audience. Television Española bought the rights to broadcast the series in 1998 (two years after it started airing in the US) and gave it a permanent slot in La 2, that bohemian channel where you could find a handful of popular shows in between their trademark documentaries. XWP has very little to do with the shows about armoured warriors wielding swords that we can enjoy nowadays, like Game of Thrones, Spartacus or Vikings, among others. Still, here are ten good reasons why we got hooked on XWP.

1. Xena

Of course. Lucy Lawless was a hero, a pioneer on TV when she played the fierce warrior who captivated thousands of fans, both male and female. Dressed in her Amazon outfit, the actress, listed as one of the 50 most beautiful women in the world, became a sex symbol who is still very popular, especially among the lesbian community because of her relationship with her sidekick Gabrielle. The Warrior Princess was a tough, brave woman, the female alternative to Kevin Sorbo in his show Hercules: the Legendary Journeys.

2. Her war cry

That memorable sharp cry is similar to the one used in certain Arab ceremonies and rituals or in belly dance performances. The war cry Xena used before she started a fight against her enemies was the prelude to their crushing defeat.

3. The throwing disc

A sword is not enough of a weapon for an Amazon warrior. Skilled in the use of the sword and formidable in hand to hand combat, the warrior princess also had a chakram, a throwing disc made of steel with a sharpened outer edge. Xena was incredibly skilled in the use of this weapon, whose origin is in India, so that she was able to deflect the chakram back towards her, allowing her to catch it after having hit multiple enemies in one throw.

4. Gabrielle

What would the warrior princess do without her loyal sidekick? Gabrielle (Renée O'Connor) was the bard who travelled with Xena, writing the stories of their heroic deeds and helping her in battle even if she wasn’t an expert warrior herself. In the last episodes of the series Gabrielle became a competent fighter, capable of using almost the same weapons as Xena. The relationship between them made them an iconic couple, similar to Batman and Robin, or to Hercules and Ioalus from the show where the main character was played by Kevin Sorbo. Gabrielle represented the light, the idea of kindness and peace that contrasted with the warrior’s fire and passion. By the way, O’Connor is still working as an actress, producer, writer and director.

5. Her enemies

Gods, warriors, monsters, Julius Caesar… Among the many enemies the warrior princess had to face we find an almighty god like Ares (god of war in the Greek mythology), the Roman general and emperor Caesar (played by Karl Urban), emperor Caligula, or Goliath, the giant who, according to the Bible, was defeated by king David and his slingshot. Xena could fight against ninjas, Greeks, Romans and mythical creatures regardless of history dates and facts, just like Zorro does in the Simpsons episode called EEIEI (sic).

6. Historical references

Xena witnessed all sorts of historical events and starred in legends. She took part in the War of Troy, she saw the Chinese warriors turn into the Terracotta Army, and she played a part in the Odyssey. Curiously enough, there is also a connection between Xena and the Christian faith. For example, in the ninth episode of the second season, A Solstice Carol, Xena and Gabrielle cross paths with a man and his pregnant wife (Joseph and Mary) and decide to help them out. It’s also written that the birth of Eve, Xena’s daughter, will mean the death of the gods and the starting point of monotheism.

7. Joxer

The clumsy warrior who travelled with Xena and Gabrielle in several episodes was played by Ted Raimi, Sam Raimi’s brother (producer of the show). He was a comical character and was in love with Gabrielle, in a platonic kind of way. There’s no doubt that Joxer added to the show the kind of humor Raimi is so fond of, something we’ve seen in many of his movies like Army of Darkness (1992, last installment of The Evil Dead) or the Spiderman trilogy (starring Tobey Maguire).

8. Hercules

Xena: Warrior Princess was a spin-off of the series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, so Zeus’ son (played by Kevin Sorbo) had to appear on the show whose main star was Lawless. The Greek hero and his friend Ioalus cross paths with Xena and Gabrielle a few times, and there are even hints to a romantic relationship between them (each with their own, logically).

9. Bruce Campbell

He is well-liked by many of Sam Raimi’s fans and by those who enjoy many of the B movies made in the last two decades. We are talking about the actor Bruce Campbell, who played Autolycus, the King of Thieves, a comical antihero, master of disguise, skilled with a sword and very persuasive, who appears in eight episodes in the series. It’s obvious that the role of the King of Thieves was written with Campbell in mind, since it allows him to show his talent for comedy and to star in the action scenes that the actor is so fond of.

10. The special effects

If there’s something a series like XWP needs to succeed is the required special effects to bring to life the many fantastic and mythological creatures it features. Problems might arise when the show comes to depend so much on imaginary characters and the budget must be adjusted. However, producer Sam Raimi is an expert at creating fantasy with very little money [he only needed $375,000 to film The Evil Dead], so gods and demons were present throughout the series. And so we find beasts like the Cyclops, the terrible Grendel from the Nordic myths, or the Greek god Poseidon, whose body was made entirely of water. The special effects gave a memorable charm to a show that will forever be part of the history of television.


Original article in Spanish is located here


 

 

5 May 2013

New Art: Xena Warrior Princess

Created some new artwork of my favourite warrior

 

xena2013

 

See more of my artwork in the AUSXIP MaryD Artwork Galleries


 

 

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