May 2019 Archives   31 May 2019 TV's Best Spinoffs Ever: Xena! Xena: Warrior Princess, the spin off from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, was the best spin-off in our opinion! TV Line looks at the best spinoffs! XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS Outlast its parent show, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys? Make a household name of Lucy Lawless? Rock a leather-studded skirt? Dance the line between affecting drama and good ol’ fantasy fun? Continue to have fan conventions more than a decade after the last episode aired? Your fave could never. See the rest of the list here     28 May 2019 Xena: Warrior Princess Lesbian Icon For The Ages - Huffpost 27 May 2019 New Documentary Examines 'Xena: Warrior Princess' As Lesbian Icon For The Ages "Queering the Script" takes an up-close (and critical) look at how LGBTQ representation on TV can have a generation-defining impact. Given its portrayal of a strong female protagonist who enjoys intimate friendships with other women, “Xena: Warrior Princess” courted a massive LGBTQ following during its six-season run. Though 18 years have passed since the show went off the air, many continue to hail the titular character as a lesbian icon, though her sexuality was never formally clarified. As a new documentary, “Queering the Script,” reveals, there was one person initially oblivious to the queer appeal of the fantasy series-turned-pop culture phenomenon: Xena herself ? or, rather, Lucy Lawless, who played the role. When Lawless and co-star Renee O’Connor learned of their LGBTQ fans, “we just thought it was really kind of amusing,” she said, as seen in the above clip. “A huge part of this fandom, which had never been seen in the history of the world before, was that it was born at the same time as the internet.” The “Xena” cult is one of many examined in “Queering the Script,” which debuted this weekend at the 2019 Inside Out Film Festival in Toronto and will continue to play additional festivals over the course of the year. Canadian filmmaker Gabrielle Zilkha told HuffPost she wanted to examine how queer audiences have embraced “Xena: Warrior Princess” and many other TV shows ? including “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and, more recently, “One Day at a Time” ? and, by doing so, “straddle an interesting line” between fans and activists. “When they haven’t seen themselves represented on TV, they wrote themselves back into the narrative with fan fiction and other transformative works,” Zilkha said. “Today, with LGBTQ representation becoming more popular, this fanbase is the first to champion representation done right, but also the first to critique, pick apart and demand something better.” Read More     26 May 2019 Xena, Army Recruit in Aust Defence Force - Sunday Herald Sun 26 May 2019 The following article is from the Sunday Herald Sun 26 May 2019. SOLDIERS are being lectured on “gender awareness”, with a Defence Force document defining female recruits as “Xena personalities”. All Australian Army recruits are taught about gender issues during induction week. “(They) attend a number of lectures on issues such as gender awareness and appropriate behaviour, personal security and Army safety,’’ the army’s official 2019 training module states. New soldiers are pointed to the Defence Force’s 237-page gender guide, which likens female recruits to the fictional 1990s TV character Xena: Warrior Princess. “Army should aim to be the home of ‘Xena’ personalities,’’ the document states. “Don’t be scared of Xena, enable her and get out of the way.’’ The gender guide, called Teaming, aims to prepare the military for the “coming era of equality’’ and calls for more attention to “herstory’’ as well as military history. It recommends that the army consider social media background checks to identify recruits who have “deeply troubling attitudes’’ such as racism or antipathy towards women or gay recruits. And it calls for more focus on emotional intelligence. “Greater understanding on women’s strengths and unique approaches will only come from more attention to Herstory as well as History in military history, ethics and leadership curriculums,’’ the guide says. It also warns that male soldiers could perceive charismatic females as a threat, or regard them as “hot’’. “A preventive strategy in this area is to prepare the ground for the current and future ‘Xenas’ of the Army by pointing out to men that such charismatic female personalities are not sexual objects, nor threats, but just leaders and therefore, calm down and treat her as such,’’ it says. “The reverse, of course, applies to female soldiers at risk of ‘falling in love’ with charismatic males.’’ To help army leaders deal with “sexual chemistry’’ and “awkward scenarios’’, the Defence gender guide includes a discussion topic on “the touching issue and personal space’’. It suggests that soldiers describe themselves as The Cactus (who dislikes workplace touching), The Sophisticate (who greets with airbrush cheek kisses), The Sports Buddy (who prefers back slaps), The Bear (who likes to give all-body extended hugs) or a Cuddly Bear (who is physically affectionate).     20 May 2019 Book Update: Xena: Their Courage Changed Our World - Our Fallen Bards I was updating the Xena: Their Courage Change Our World site with an update about Sue Beck's passing. She was gng to be writing 2 chapters for the book. I've taken one over and then I thought about the legacy she left behind. Then i thought about the legacy the other bards who have passed away and I teared up. So I'm adding a new chapter to the book to pay tribute to their incredible talent and the stories they left us to enjoy. Chapter: Our Fallen Bards And Their Extraordinary Legacy by MaryD * Nene Adams * Susanne M. Beck (SwordnQuill / Blade) * Baermer * LJ Maas * Tonya Muir * Rebekah If you see any names I have not included, please contact me with the name, date of passing (if it's not in the Xenite Memorial) and a link to their work. All their story links will be added under their name in the book so people can explore the incredible work. http://xena25years.ausxip.com/chapter-index/     18 May 2019 It's OFFICIALLY Finally Happened - Xena and Gabrielle Share A Kiss in Xena Comic #2 Here's a newsflash - Xena and Gabrielle are lovers. Yeah well, to any subtext (do we still call it that?) that's really not news BUT it seems it is news to those that didn't see them that way. Not any more. Check out the new Dyanmite Xena Comic #2. Yep they are still alive, yep they are in their own bodies and yep they are kissing FOR REAL. Well it took them 24 years to get here but better late than never! Buy the Comic: Click here to buy Price: $3.99 Shipping: In-Stock! SKU: C72513027969902011 Rating: Teen + Cover A: David Mack UPC: 725130279699 02011 Cover B: Emanuela Lupacchino UPC: 725130279699 02021 Cover C: Paulina Ganucheau UPC: 725130279699 02031 Writer: Vita Ayala Art: Olympia Sweetman Genre: Action/Adventure Publication Date: May 2019 Format: Comic Book Page Count: 32 Pages ON SALE DATE: 5/8/2019 "The Grand Old Army" The epic journeys persist, courtesy of VITA AYALA (Shuri, Livewire, The Wilds) and OLYMPIA SWEETMAN! Xena and Gabrielle find themselves amidst a deadly quarrel between The God Of Strife and The God Of Discord! The only way to save a village of innocents is for Xena to agree to lead an army against an incoming Roman legion. But Xena's "army" is comprised of...the village elders!? Click here to buy     14 May 2019 Rob Receives His Official Insignia As Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in Auckland 14 May 2019 Rob was given his Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit today for services to the film and television industries today. Rob was among the other high-achieving business people who received official insignia at today's investiture ceremony at Government House in Auckland. American-born film and television producer Rob Tapert, who has lived in Auckland with his family for 22 years, today received insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to the film and television industries. Tapert last year got his New Zealand citizenship after 26 years of travelling to and from the country for various entertainment business projects. "I feel honoured and I feel slightly overwhelmed," he said. "I'm [now] part of a group of people who actually in their own way built a better community." Tapert has been involved in New Zealand's screen industry since 1993, bringing projects into New Zealand from major production studios. He has produced a number of feature films and television shows including 'Hercules: The Legendary Journeys', 'Xena' and 'Spartacus'. 'Hercules' and 'Xena' provided more than seven years of continuous employment to hundreds of people in the industry, including local actors and film crews. His efforts for engaging New Zealanders as heads of departments on his productions under the production company Pacific Renaissance, and others, were acknowledged today, along with his efforts to keep post-production of projects within the country. "New Zealand has been a wonderful place [to work]." Tapert recently got involved with play production, including with musical production Pleasure Dome, and as a result of has become involved with companies doing ticketing and venue management. He now works with software company QED Software on set construction and venue management which has had huge success in New York. Source: NZ Herald     14 May 2019 Xenite Memorial: SwordnQuill (Susanne M. Beck) Passes Away April 20, 2019 I actually don't believe I'm writing this but a dear friend and beloved bard SwordnQuill (Susanne M. Beck) passed away in her sleep over Easter. I'm absolutely heartbroken. I'm seriously in shock this morning. I woke up at 3 am and decided to read so I could nod off again. I received a message from T. Novan and I thought I was seeing things. This is one of those WTF kinda of things. It has to be a hoax. it just has to be. God, please make it a hoax! Unfortunately it's not. I just can't believe it. According to her brother's post, Sue passed away in her sleep over the Easter weekend. Sue was 55 years old. Earlier this year, I announced that one of my favourite series, The Redemption Series, was going to be republished by AUSXIP Publishing. We wanted that series to find a new generation of readers who would enjoy Sue's incredible talent. We were going to publish them later this year. We've decided that we will be publishing Sue's work and 100% of the royalties will be donated to Sue's favourite charities. It's our way of honoring Sue's legacy. I will say the Xenaverse's hearts are hurting today...   Her brother's message was posted on her FB Profile With great sorrow I have to announce that my sister Suz Beck (Sue) passed away in her sleep over Easter Weekend. Sue was a sister, a daughter, a mother of three amazing dogs, a passionate creative mentor and collaborator, a skilled and capable nurse and thoughtful, compassionate medical professional, an award winning writer, friend, activist in the gay community, and a human rights warrior putting herself in harms way to help those she cared about and causes she believed in. She suffered from the results of that commitment several times severely, but never wavered from her resolve or beliefs in humanity. She is survived by her parents, myself and two amazing dogs, Whiskey and Gremlin, who have been placed with loving families already. She will be dearly missed. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or anything you'd like to share. Her ashes will be spread in her "zen place", referenced in many of her books, the Wequaquet Lake in Cape Cod, later this summer. We will miss you Sue and as always, we love you. Xena, Star Trek and so many other characters will always have your heart and mind in them for so many people.     13 May 2019 Xenite Memorial: Lisa Scoggins Passes Away From Cancer May 12, 2019 It's with a heavy heart tonight that I update the Xenite Memorial. Our Xenite sister Lisa Scoggins has passed away after she lost her battle with cancer today. My condolences go out to her family and many friends. Thank you to Sandra Sue Serf for letting me know. Lisa's name has been added to the Xenite Memorial http://ausxip.com/xenitememorial/memorial.html Rest in Peace, Lisa. Say not in grief 'she is no more' but live in thankfulness that she was'. #XeniteMemorial     10 May 2019 Xena Comics: The Return of Xena Gives Us The Hero We've Been Crying Out For.. TheMarySue has an interesting article about the new Xena Comic! The Return of Xena: Warrior Princess Gives Us the Hero We’ve Been Crying Out For For many young women and queer kids around the globe, Xena was one of their awakening moments. Whether it was the relationship between Xena/Gabrielle or the sight of Lucy Lawless in all that leather, despite being off the air for almost twenty years, the fanbase it built is still as strong as ever, which is why seeing it continued once more in comic form is such an immense pleasure. Dynamite Comics has brought back Xena: Warrior Princess, written by Vita Ayala (Chandra, Livewire), with art by Olympia Sweetman, colors by Rebecca Nalty, and letters by Ariana Maher, so it’s a ladies and non-binary team bringing this first issue together. In the issue, Xena and Gabrielle have been called to the village of Sideros because the goddess Discord (guess what she does) has threatened to pull a pied piper and steal the children of the village. Read Full Article     10 May 2019 A New Tough Parasite Named After Xena... ‘Tough’ Parasitic Crustacean Named After Xena A new species of parasitic crustacean has been named after Xena, the warrior princess. Discovered in the mouth of the Orange River in South Africa, the shellfish is not on a quest to redeem itself from a dark past using formidable fighting skills. But the females—with their characteristic elongated and ovoid bodies—are exceptionally tough. So researchers from North-West University christened the arthropod Elthusa xena. “This species is named after Xena, the warrior princess, in reference to the strong nature of the female cymothoid isopod,” the team wrote in a paper, published by the journal ZooKeys, describing several new species of parasitic crustaceans. In another win for womankind, the first specimen used to identify and describe the new species, known as the holotype, is an egg-carrying female. The tiny creature—much less formidable than Lucy Lawless—attaches itself to the gills of its host, the Super klipfish. Read More     9 May 2019 Xena: Their Courage Changed Our World Book Details Released At the recent Xenite Retreat, Xenites got their first look at the upcoming Xena: Their Courage Changed Our World book set - a three volume set - which will be released on September 04, 2020 - Xena's 25th Anniversary. I'm pleased to announce that the official site for the book has now been updated with information from the guide. If you were at the Sunday panel I conducted at the Retreat, you will have received a full colour 16 page booklet, including artwork created by Arkie Ring and Linda "Calli" Callahan which were exclusive to the booklet. I will be posting the artwork to the site in addition to all the other images. The official site can be found on http://xena25years.ausxip.com Pages Updated About Xena: Their Courage Changed Our World New Pages Added Contributor List Chapter Breakdown and Contributor Writing it     6 May 2019 Game: Series Your Story Universe - Embark On An Epic Xena Adventure SERIES LETS YOU BE THE STAR IN YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES AND SHOWS! Your choices determine the outcome of your favorite stories like Saved By the Bell, Vanderpump Rules, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Xena Warrior Princess and more! Enjoy the official storytelling game from NBCUniversal and get hooked on the exciting episodic adventure alongside your favorite characters and reality TV celebrities! Become a hero and embark on an epic adventure in Xena: Warrior Princess. In Xena: Warrior Princess, you take on the role of an innkeeper’s child whose peaceful life is shattered when the warlord Korax storms your village in search of the Forge of Hephaestus buried somewhere nearby. Korax plans to wield the power of the Forge to grant himself near-invincibility. When all hope seems lost, the spirit of Xena, the Warrior Princess, appears to you. To win the day, Xena asks the impossible – gather her old allies and journey into the Underworld to find the Chaos Chakram, the only weapon capable of defeating Korax. Only you can defend your homeland against this relentless evil. Whether you rely on a strong sense of justice, a win-at-all-costs ferocity, or a quick wit and silver tongue, it will take everything you have to find Xena’s companions and vanquish the many fiends of Hades in time to prevent Korax from gaining enough power to challenge the gods. Available on     6 May 2019 Press Release: Lucy To Appear in Documentary "Queering The Script" At Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival Queering the Script DOCUMENTARY English REGION: Ontario and Nunavut YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 2019 DURATION: 1 x 90 mins Over the past two decades, the self-identified queer “fangirls/fanpeople” have gained more and more influence in changing the way LGBTQ peoples are represented on screen. Queering the Script is a timely feature documentary that tells the story of how what started as an obscure fan-fiction community desperately teasing out queer subtext in Xena: Warrior Princess developed into an organized audience lobbying content creators for better and more authentic, positive representation. From queer and trans female characters on popular studio shows like Supergirl and Orange is the New Black to series that center around the LGBTQ experience such as Transparent and One Mississippi, to independent queer-driven web series like Carmilla and Take My Wife, not only are we seeing more LGBTQ characters, we’re seeing them represented in new and more complex ways on all platforms, with varying degrees of success and authenticity. The stories once thought too niche to get made are now some of the most celebrated series with impassioned audiences. This isn’t solely about the snarky lesbian vampire of Carmilla or the gun-slinging western heroines of Wynonna Earp, it’s a fight for positive on-screen LGBTQ+ representation and the desire to be seen, to be heard, and to be valued. Now they’ve raised their profile. What’s next? Fuelling this activism is a fired-up fanbase of young, female, queer and trans viewers armed with critical eyes, social media accounts and a diehard passion to see themselves represented fairly on screen. If a show “buries their gays” without thinking…they’ll make their voices heard, and bring the change we want to see. Queering the Script tells the story of one slice of this fan base: the queer female superfan, and their relationship to the creators that make their favourite TV idols. The documentary showcases talent, showrunners and producers from Brooklyn99, The 100, Xena, One Day at a Time, Transparent, Lost Girl, The L World, VIDA, Wynnona Earp as well as the diehard fans who power these shows to renewal – and find a community in. Through the journey of queer fandom we also explore some of the surrounding factors that enabled better representation on screen: politics & culture, the shift from broadcast to streaming and the decline in advertiser-driven programming. With social media savvy, a knack for organizing, and a push to see fully realized queer characters and love portrayed on screen with depth, queer female fandom is a testament to the shift in power from advertisers to audience. PRODUCTION COMPANY: Shaftesbury Carmilla Doc Inc. CAST/PARTICIPANTS: Lucy Lawless, Angelica Ross, Stephanie Beatriz, Ilene Chaiken, Tanya Saracho Source     Read More Archives