European Fashion House HoodLamb Brings 100% Cruelty-Free Collection to North America

HoodLamb brings 100% cruelty-free outerwear to North America.

HoodLamb, a European fashion house specializing in cruelty-free outerwear and knits, aims to address a serious market void for eco-friendly cold-weather alternatives.

Since 1993, HoodLamb has been pioneering hemp into fashion. As one of earth's strongest natural fibers with an ecological impact lower than cotton production, hemp is perfect for outerwear. 

HoodLamb hemp is sourced directly from family-run farms across Northern China where it is harvested raw and spun into fine hemp thread for sustainable fabrics and technologies. Even the water-resistant coating on the jackets, called Hempulose, comes from the natural cellulose of hemp stalks.

HoodLamb balances conscious design with cold-weather functionality. HoodLamb's proprietary Satifur, an ultra-soft faux-fur lining that is made from recycled PET, provides sheer comfort and protection in almost every piece. 

Nordic Parkas, which are designed for the harshest climates, also incorporate cruelty-free Thermore Ecodown lining technology, which is a duck-less down insulation. Consumers will also discover surprising design elements such as integrated backpack straps for mobility (on heavier parkas), secret document pockets, magnetic zip overlays that auto-seal the jackets, as well as a signature built-in rolling paper dispenser which pays homage to both hemp, and the brand's counterculture roots in Amsterdam.

Image via HoodLamb's Facebook Page

The entire HoodLamb collection is Peta Approved Vegan with annual proceeds from sales supporting both PETA and the environmental NGO Sea Shepherd to further their missions.

Fashionable, functional, and forward-thinking, HoodLamb continues to amass a growing tribe of consumers and celebrity fans. 

As of Fall/Winter 2017, US and Canadian consumers will be able to shop the brand's cruelty-free innovations including parkas, knits and cold-weather accessories at specialty stores across the country and via us.hoodlamb.com

SOURCE: HoodLamb

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Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage To Launch October 19 With Global Campaign And 500,000-Copy First Printing In The U.S.

Philip Pullman's THE BOOK OF DUST, On sale 10/19/17!

Random House Children's Books (U.S.), in coordination with Penguin Random House Children's and David Fickling Books in the U.K., announces plans surrounding the launch campaign for the landmark publication of Philip Pullman's long-awaited THE BOOK OF DUST: La Belle Sauvage (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers). 

THE BOOK OF DUST is a work in three parts, like the acclaimed author's His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass).

Anticipation and excitement for THE BOOK OF DUST skyrocketed instantly upon the book's announcement in February of this year, when the Associated Press exclusively broke the news and hailed: "For readers and booksellers, this is news to rival the discovery of a new Harry Potter story." 

Philip Pullman (image via philip-pullman.com)

Coverage spanned the U.S. across major pop culture and entertainment outlets, including NPR, BuzzFeed, Slate, Hypable, ABC, The Verge, and more. Celebrities including Lin-Manuel Miranda spread the news on Twitter.

Readers will delight on 10/19 when the full book will be available for the first time—up to this point only one excerpt from the highly anticipated novel has been released. Two decades after The Golden Compass—the first book of Pullman's world-famous His Dark Materials trilogy, which has sold more than 17.5 million copies in over 40 languages—The Book of Dust (#BookofDust) will return to the parallel world that has enthralled readers young and old. 

La Belle Sauvage is set ten years before The Golden Compass and centers on the much-beloved Lyra Belacqua. Alethiometers, dæmons, and the Magisterium all return to play a part.

The publication of the book on Thursday, October 19, marks a major global publishing event, supported by an extensive marketing and PR campaign and a unique launch extravaganza.

Oxford, a key setting in the new novel and Pullman's home city, will become a hub of activity around launch. Oxford's historic Bodleian Libraries will host much of the activity on the eve of publication, Wednesday, October 18, with the Weston Library as the venue for an international press conference with the author, and the Divinity School and Convocation House & Chancellor's Court transformed into Jordan College—home of Lyra Belacqua in His Dark Materials—for a magical launch evening. Fans in the U.S. will be able to take part in the action, as the event will be live-streamed across the globe.

A major publicity campaign will kick off, timed with the launch in the U.S., U.K., and internationally. Fans will get to hear Pullman speak for the first time about the full book in interviews with major outlets around the world.

Since early in the summer, a multichannel marketing campaign has been unfolding, reaching the throngs of Pullman fans across the United States, and drawing in new readers to Pullman's extraordinary world. The Golden Compass Summer Worldwide Read-Along and "Crack the Compass" digital campaign encouraged readers to rediscover Pullman's original His Dark Materials trilogy, starting from the very beginning. The campaign garnered over 2.5 million impressions.

Special outreach at consumer festivals included stops at BookCon, San Diego Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. Extensive prepublication merchandising was created for retailers, and all across the country stores are preparing excitedly for the book's release. At publication, the U.S. will execute a special activation for the top ten library systems in the country, celebrating the first patrons to check out the book. 

Additionally, in NYC, all branches of the public library will be provided with signage and an opportunity for patrons to enter a contest to meet Philip Pullman's U.S. editor and receive a themed prize package.

Internationally, foreign publishers will be joining in the celebrations. Rights have sold in over 33 languages, and late-night openings are planned across the globe, including at Waterstones Brussels, Waterstones Amsterdam, and WHSmith Paris.

The group companies of Penguin Random House Children's U.K. will also mark the occasion. 

• In Ireland, bookshops are planning special events, including Hodges Figgis Booksellers in Dublin, which is holding a special early-morning opening for launch day. 
• South Africa will celebrate with window displays and hand-delivery of books on publication to Exclusive Books and a major launch event planned at Skoobs. 
• In Australia, a major preorder campaign has run with Dymocks, and there are plans for Pullman Parties in six states across the country. 
• Philip Pullman will also participate in a Skype event at the Wheeler Centre to mark publication. 
• In India, radio advertising across Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore will reach more than 10 million listeners. 

Each campaign will be supported by blanket PR coverage with major pieces of international press coverage running in each location.

SOURCE: Random House Children's Books


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New Star Wars Trailer Revealed – But Is The Force Still Strong With This One?

They’re back! (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK)

By Keith M. Johnston, University of East Anglia

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy not that far away, the trailer for Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace opened with the promise that “every generation has a legend”. Although it was not ultimately the film many fans were looking for, that trailer was very well received and – after Lucasfilm responded to fan demand and made it available online – it inadvertently ushered in a new era of online trailer viewing and audience commentary.

Almost 20 years later, the new Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi trailer faces a different pressure. While the trailer reveals (and obscures) much about the forthcoming feature, it also needs to steady the nerves of fans who are concerned about the health of the long-running Star Wars franchise.

With directors leaving (or being replaced) on the upcoming Han Solo and Episode IX films, and the release date of Episode IX put back to December 2019, The Last Jedi trailer must steady the (space)ship – and set the stage for Disney to make a lot of money.

So, how did it do?

It’s no surprise that this is a slick piece of modern movie marketing. The trailer will have been put together, taken apart, and tested to within an inch of its audio-visual life before its television and internet debut last night.

Notably, the two-and-a-half minute taster is linked by four pieces of significant dialogue – from Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), Rey (Daisy Ridley), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) – and none of them hint at a happy ending. Visually, we get a fast-paced montage of new (and old) locations, characters, and much-loved Star Wars iconography. This includes glimpses of X-wings, TIE-fighters, AT-ATs, the Millennium Falcon – and a species of birdlike critter that may or may not be the new trilogy’s Ewok. In many ways, it is reminscent of the darker second instalment of the original trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back.

Trailer audiences responded positively to familiar iconography when The Force Awakens trailer was released two years ago. At that time, my trailer audience project found that people responded most positively to nostalgic cues from the classic, original trilogy. “You saw the Millennium Falcon” and “Harrison Ford’s appearance” were key positives.

But while The Force Awakens trailer featured the star return of Han Solo and Chewbacca aboard the Millennium Falcon and spin-off Rogue One the looming presence of the Death Star, The Last Jedi arguably features no such whizzbang moment. Instead, the moody monologues of Luke, Rey, and Ren (who may or may not be trying to kill Princess Leia) suggest a gloomier narrative focus for the film. Newer characters Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), BB-8 and Finn (John Boyega) are only briefly glimpsed, with the latter fighting Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie, badly wasted in The Force Awakens) on what appears to be the rumoured casino planet Canto Blight.

The three most suggestive moments, then, are those that push the story in a new direction. First, Luke’s apparent (we can never be sure how much we are being misdirected) worrying about Rey’s power, echoing Ben Solo turning into the darker Ren and Annakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader, complicates the expected Luke-Rey training narrative. Then there’s the hint that Ren and Rey could work together, leading to further speculation about Rey’s heritage (as the main new lightsaber-wielder without a clear Skywalker or Kenobi connection).

For me, however, the most intriguing moment is when Ren and General Leia (Carrie Fisher) seem to share a telepathic connection in the midst of a major space battle – a connection which possibly prevents him from firing on her ship. As Leia’s Force sensitivity is rarely discussed in the films, this could be leading somewhere important.

Are we being duped?
Of course, the trailer could be a masterpiece of misdirection, editing together elements that may not be directly related in the finished film. After all, the success of the initial teaser for The Phantom Menace still rankles with some trailer viewers – one noted “I’ve been burnt before (see Phantom Menace)” – while others are wary of trailers more generally.

Indeed, some viewers have adopted Yoda-style exile to try and avoid trailers completely, hoping to create “a fresh cinema experience” so that they won’t “get spoiled by it” – an opinion Last Jedi director Rian Johnson seemed to share. On Twitter, he first advised fans NOT to watch this latest trailer.

But then changed his mind, shouting:

Overall, The Last Jedi trailer strives to achieve the same balance as The Force Awakens – harking back to the past while promising a new future. As one of our survey responses noted, The Force Awakens trailer did “a good job of triggering nostalgia while introducing new concepts and characters”.

While The Last Jedi may lack The Force Awakens’ Han Solo moment, its suggestion of Luke’s expanded role, more detail on Rey’s background, narrative complications, and at least three major battle locations, including one which looks startlingly like the AT-AT assault on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back, will calm nerves around the franchise, and ensure a healthy audience come December 15.


Ultimately, it seems the Force remains strong with this one …

About Today's Contributor:
Keith M. Johnston, Reader in Film & Television Studies, University of East Anglia

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

America, Get Ready To Hatch, Feed And Clean-Up. Tamagotchi Is Back!

Bandai America Celebrates The 20th Anniversary of The O.G. Tamagotchi with U.S. launch this Fall

'90s kids hoping to relive their childhood can now do so in full glory with the return of everyone's favorite digital pet, Tamagotchi!

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Tamagotchi in the United States and to memorialize the occasion, Bandai America is releasing a smaller version of the device in limited quantities on November 5, 2017.

Awakening and evoking nostalgic feelings from the mid-to-late '90s, this smaller Tamagotchi device features the familiar egg shape, pixelated LCD charm, and, of course, the recurrent need for tender-loving-care that endeared fans in 1997 when it was first released. 

Like the original Tamagotchi device, the mini Tamagotchi includes six different shell designs from the initial Japanese launch and each one includes six characters. To pay homage to fans, the mini Tamagotchi will also feature the iconic packaging design of the original Tamagotchi device. Now, both original fans and new fans can obsess over caring for their Tamagotchi character, and as they do the character will uniquely grow and develop.

"For many Generation X kids, the Tamagotchi device can be considered America's first and favorite digital pet," says Tara Badie, marketing director for Bandai America. "The enduring power of Tamagotchi is its clear expression that nurturing and love never goes out of style. It's such an honor to bring back one of the most beloved toys in a way that captures the magic and joy of a generation while embracing the sensibilities of new generations."

Bandai America created a wave of excitement and huge demand for Tamagotchi when the device was introduced 20 years ago. Since its initial debut, the company has sold more than 82 million units worldwide.

In celebration of its upcoming launch, all generations that want the chance to feed, play and clean up after their virtual pets can pre-order their Tamagotchi device starting today at various North American retailers. 

• The mini Tamagotchi devices are sold individually with a suggested retail price of $14.99.

SOURCE: Bandai America

New Breed of Supernatural Thrillers Inspired by Real Events

Michael Allan Scott

Increasing incidents of near misses by commercial airliners and drones; black hat hackers pirating code from NSA; CIA claims of hacker-influenced elections; currency manipulations by the Fed and Central Bankers, worldwide—Scott claims there's no shortage of real events from which to draw. More research intensive than any of his earlier novels, he took the time to look under every rock on this one.

Cut-Throat Syndrome is the newest in Scott's lineup of Lance Underphal supernatural mystery/thrillers. It's part of a genre-bending psychic detective series which can be read in any order. Dark and dangerous, this is one of those disturbing novels that keeps you turning pages.

Other books in the series include: Dark Side of Sunset Pointe, Flight of the Tarantula Hawk, and Grey Daze. Whether you are looking for a new breed of supernatural thrillers, psychic mysteries of murder and suspense, or maybe one those scary books you just can't put down, the cutting-edge novels by Indie Author, Michael Allan Scott, won't disappoint.

The Trailers: 
Dark Side of Sunset Pointe - Book Trailer: 

Flight of the Tarantula Hawk - Book Trailer: 

About Michael Allan Scott:
Born and raised at the edge of the high desert in Kingman, Arizona, Indie Author Michael Allan Scott resides in Scottsdale with his wife, Cynthia, and their rescue Doberman, Roxie.

"R" rated, his Lance Underphal Mystery novels contain strong language, violence, and sex.

Michael Allan Scott - Logo

SOURCE: Michael Allan Scott

Bonus Videos: