Sunday, October 30, 2011

Harrison Ford plays Uncharted 3

Is there be a better way to promote the upcoming third Uncharted game for the PS3 than to let Indiana Jones himself play the adventure game? I guess not. The hard working marketing department from Naughty Dog, the game company responsible for the award winning Uncharted game series, pulled of the marketing hat-trick and got Harrison Ford for their Japanese Uncharted commercial.

The 30 second Uncharted 3 commercial with Harrison Ford

There is even a Making Off and additional footage from behind the scenes available. This extra material is really fun because you can see Harrison play the real game and just react to the amazing action he sees. His reactions remind me a lot of myself when I got Uncharted 2 last year and how I was blown away by the intensity of how this games kicks in right from the start. Now my wish for Xmas is: Let someone responsible from Lucasfilm Games see this to make them finally understand Uncharted + Indy = win.

The Making of the Uncharted 3 commercial

Behind the scenes: Harrison Ford playing Uncharted 3 (you see lots of in game scenes!)

Friday, September 9, 2011

M&M Jones

I am still amazed when I find some new Indy merchandise that I have never heard of and that I have never imagined. My latest discovery in the Indyverse: M&M's go well with Indiana Jones.

Time for a tea or a coffee? There's an M&M Indiana Jones mug available with a quite nice comic design of Red as Indy.

M&M's Indiana Jones mug with Red Jones

Or how about the 1:24 diecast version of an M&M's/Indiana Jones styled Nascar?
1:24 diecast M&M's/Indiana Jones Nascar
1:24 diecast M&M's/Indiana Jones Nascar box



If adventure needs a snack, M&M's might be a good idea.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Nathan Fillion likes Indiana Jones a lot

Remember when Nathan Fillion did that Indiana Jones-esque scenen in season 2 of Castle? Well it seems he (and the audience) liked that a lot. In the third season of the crime show Castle the protagonist Richard Castle does talk a lot about the Ark of the Covenant.

episode „Setup“ (season 3, episode 16):

CASTLE
Which it is. What do you think's in there?

BECKETT
I don't know. Might be empty like Al Capone's vault.

CASTLE
Oh, no. Think of all the amazing things that are found in storage units at times like this. (fake German accent) Ark of the Covenant, Dr. Jones.

[Castle strikes a pose and Beckett lifts the door. A single small crate is at the back.]

CASTLE (cont'd)
Well, the Ark of the Covenant was in a crate.
Ooh, what's in the crate?
episode „To Love and Die in L.A.“ (season 3, episode 22):

[INT. CASTLE'S SUITE - MORNING]
CASTLE
Wow. Somebody's up early.
BECKETT
Hey.
CASTLE
What? Did you pack a murder board?
BECKETT
Concierge. Called down, and then ten minutes later, voilà.
CASTLE
Ah, Maurice is amazing, isn't he? I bet if I ordered the Ark of the Covenant, he'd come through.
BECKETT
Wouldn't you be afraid to open it?
CASTLE
No. It only melts Nazis.
And now let's order that Ark of the Covenant...

The fans of both Richard Castle and Indiana Jones seem to have fun with all the references. Here is an hilarious fan trailer for Castle with an Indy touch: "Indiana Castle"
 Throw me the idol, I throw you the vacuum cup...

Now for season 4 they should give Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) some Marion Ravenwood scenes :-)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Harrison Ford versus the Smurfs

This is not exactly Indiana Jones related but you do not want to miss to see what Harrison Ford does to a smurf after the smurfs movie did nearly beat Ford's new film Cowboys & Aliens on the first weekend in cinema:

http://www.sfx.co.uk/2011/08/02/harrison-ford-vs-the-smurfs/

Now that's some action I wanna see on Indy 5 :-)

Saturday, July 30, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 30


A shirt to rule them all! Oh, I meant a 30th shirt to finish the anniversary tribute! For the last day I saved a very plain shirt with just the logo and the iconic fedora and whip. Thanks everyone who is interested in this. Keep enjoying the adventures of Indiana Jones. If adventure has a name, it should be printed on your shirt!

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: beige
  • front: Indiana Jones logo, fedora and whip in green/olive color
  • back: no print
  • weight: 195 g
  • producer: Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan
  • kitten: proud supporter of Dr. Jones

Friday, July 29, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 29

 

Another amazing Temple of the Crystal Skull ride t-shirt. Instead of just a print on a mono color shirt this shirt has it all: batik yellow body with the contrasting brown sleeves, full body size print on the front and a small print on the back - not much more can be put on a single shirt.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: yellow with brown sleeves and neck
  • front: "Ball of Fire" design for the Indiana Jones Adventure Temple of the Crystal Skull; design shows one big ball of fire with the crystal skull at the center shooting blue rays; bi-plane and modified Jeep
  • back: Indiana Jones Adventure Temple of the Crystal Skull logo
  • weight: 139 g
  • producer: Tokyo DisneySea
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan

Thursday, July 28, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 28


Time to check Dr. Jones' stats - with this slightly weird shirt. It lists all kind of well known info about Indy. For example his fiercest foe "Rane Belloq" the famous misspelled Frenchman. Plus there are lots of semicolons that might have a hidden meaning (or not).

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: gray
  • front: Indiana Jones' stats (with typos as printed):
    • BIRTH NAME ; Henry Jones Jr
    • OCCUPATION ; Professor of Archaeology in a small New England college
    • WEAPONRY ; Leather whip, 45 caliber pistol
    • IDENTIFYING MARKS ; a self-inflicted scar just above the chin
    • FIERCEST FOES ; Rane Belloq, Mola Ram, the Nazies, Snakes
    • GREATEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES ; Ark of the Covenant, Sankara Stones, Holy Grail
  • back: no print
  • weight: 208 g
  • producer: 2001 Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan
  • the search for the critters for Indy 5: nasty spiders or evil kittens? .. hmm .. kittens!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 27

Only few more shirts to wear and I am reaching the latest story from Indy's adventures: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Some like it, some hate it, I am somewhere in the middle. I am happy they made it despite some silly decisions. The t-shirt is another Japan exclusive featuring the skull and the giant ants. And for the Raiders anniversary: Jock's biplane, the best getaway vehicle.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: black
  • front: skull and ants design from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
  • back: black/white Indiana Jones logo, black Indy silhouette swinging the whip
  • weight: 207 g
  • producer: Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan July 2009
  • toy plane: Jock's biplane with C-3PO labels from Tokyo DisneySea 2002

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 26

Found one more Last Crusade shirt in the stack. This is a plain white shirt with a Last Crusade print. The design does look a bit cheap at the first glance but it shows some nice details on a closer look. The design might have looked better on some colored shirt. Time to remember the anniversary: I am holding a piece of Raiders film strip. Nice collectible.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: white
  • front: Last Crusade collage: logo "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"; Indy on horse chased by tank; passports; plane and car
  • back: no print
  • weight: 170 g
  • producer: (c) 1989 Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: can't remember where I picked up this one
  • piece of film: Raiders of the Lost Ark - looking good at 30

Monday, July 25, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 25


Another shirt pick to brighten up a rainy Monday. This is an official ride t-shirt from the Temple of the Crystal Skull ride in the Tokyo DisneySea park. The Japanese version of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye ride had an Crystal Skull right from the start, years before the fourth film adventure happened. Their skull is not inter-dimensional, though, it just looks like a human skull - just crystal.
One of the big effects on the ride was a real fireball blown towards the visitors. This was used for this shirt's design: A fireball containing the skull, a serpent pedestal, the truck and the bi-plane. Due to strict Japanese laws regarding open fire in buildings the ride effect had to be modified shortly after. Now the fireball is just an optical effect with hot hair smelling of burnt stuff blown towards the visitors.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: green
  • front: "Ball of Fire" design for the Indiana Jones Adventure Temple of the Crystal Skull; design shows one big ball of fire with the crystal skull at the center shooting blue rays; bi-plane and modified Jeep
  • back: small logo below the neck: Temple of the Crystal Skull with glowing skull(same as at the front but in mono color white
  • weight: 211 g
  • producer: Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan March 2002
  • cat: happy 13th birthday!
  • post: the 100th. how could this have happened...

Sunday, July 24, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 24


Not much to say about this Sunday's shirt pick. This is a hand-painted Fate of Atlantis shirt that I got from a friend for my birthday ages ago. I am still treasuring this little artifact of mine as I really like the design. If you have never played the game (you should): This shows the lava flow in Atlantis that you need to make Oricalcum.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: white
  • front: hand-painted Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis design
  • back: no print
  • weight: 150 g
  • producer: hand-painted
  • vendor: gift
  • cup: From The Young Indiana Jones Adventures when they where still called The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (that title was so much cooler...)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 23


Part three of the great Indiana Jones t-shirt trilogy. You have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Temple of Doom, now it is time for the Last Crusade. The right shirt to wear for the adventure of your life keeping up with the Joneses.


shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: light brown
  • front: print of the "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" film poster 24 cm x 39 cm
  • back: no print
  • weight: 230 g
  • producer: 2004 Lucasfilm Ltd
  • vendor: bought in the MGM Studios Florida in February 2005
  • book: Why did it have to be snakes? No comment on the content but a great title.

Friday, July 22, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 22


Another shirt with a nice Raiders theme, so a perfect choice for the Raiders anniversary. I like the idea of the design: It forms the letters "JONES" using a picture from Raiders. It's the famous sunset over the Egypt dessert with silhouettes of Indy and the diggers. Great scene, great shirt.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: olive-gray
  • front: text: Indiana Jones archaeologist; "JONES" is a relief print of the Egypt digging scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • back: no print
  • weight: 227 g
  • producer: 2004 Lucasfilm Ltd
  • vendor: I do not remember ...
  • kitten: very hyper

Thursday, July 21, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 21


LEGO play time! Indy's LEGO adventures have been the best Indy gaming experience in years. The two games make you forget the sometimes not so perfect game play of the last "real" Indiana Jones adventure games. LEGO Indy also brought back the humor that makes a game an entertaining experience. The shirt is so far the only LEGO Indy shirt I saw available in adult sizes. I saw some more designs online but only for children.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: beige
  • front: LEGO Indiana Jones, LEGO logo, Indiana Jones logo
  • back: no print
  • weight: 152 g
  • producer: LEGO
  • vendor: bought in a LEGO store in Munich

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 20


This shirt is from the same set as shirt no. 13. It features the same kind of rubber relief tire prints as background design that gives the shirt an overall nice look. The picture is a bit weird because at the first glance it is just a shot from Last Crusade but on a closer looks it's two shots from Last Crusade merged together. Add to that the Raiders quote "It's not the years... it's the mileage" and you get a great Raiders/Last Crusade mash-up shirt.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: dark gray
  • front: a collage of two pictures from the tank chase from Last Crusade; "Indiana Jones" written twice over each other; quote "It's not the years... it's the mileage" from Raiders; in background rubber relief tire prints
  • back: no print
  • extra: "Indiana Jones" logo print on the left sleeve
  • weight: 215 g
  • producer: no idea
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan August 2008 or July 2009

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 19


The unexpected return of the Indiana Jones shirts! The subtle shirt of the day is a very meta Club OBIWAN shirt. The logo is inspired by the night club Indy starts his Temple of Doom adventure in. The name of the club was of course one of the Star Wars references that have been put into the Indiana Jones films. Not many recognized the shirt today as an Indy shirt but those who did got a smile out of this.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: black
  • front: logo: Club OBIWAN nightclub; prop. Lao Che; Chinese text saying "nightclub" (my Chinese is not the best, though); Shanghai, China
  • back: no print
  • weight: 192 g
  • producer: Wake Up Time To Die
  • vendor: bought from the Wake Up Time To Die online shop

Sunday, June 19, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts

I am sorry but due to am emergency I will stop the daily shirt postings. I will resume posting when possible.

Update: Due to private circumstances the break from posting shirts will take longer then expected. I will resume posting when possible in July.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 18


It's a bit rainy again, so another long sleeve shirt today. The basic print - just a picture and a logo - comes with a strong pre-aged look to make the shirt vintage. I picked the shirt up in Japan believing this is an US import - which it is not. Thank Les for letting me know that this is an Japan exclusive.

shirt stats:
  • type: long sleeve shirt
  • color: black
  • front: print of Indiana Jones (from Raiders) and the Indiana Jones logo
  • back: no print
  • weight: 224 g
  • producer: (c) 2001 Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan 2002 or 2003
  • cat: attack!

Friday, June 17, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 17


Did I forget to wear an Indiana Jone shirt today? This was the question I heard most often today. This Japanese shirt with half length arms and a round cut bottom is for sure not the average Indy shirt to get. The print on the front is no give away that the wearer is going for fortune and glory. Only a tiny print on the back below the neck spells it out: "Indiana Jones".

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt with half-length arms
  • color: body: white; sleeves: black
  • front: artistic print
  • back: small print "Indiana Jones"
  • weight: 198 g
  • producer: ?
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan August 2008 or July 2009

Thursday, June 16, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 16


The shirt I am wearing today is from the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular in the MGM studios, Florida. This Indiana Jones theme park attraction is an awesome show with professional stuntmen showing off their skills in three classic scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark. First comes Indy's South American temple experience including a boulder run. Second there is lots of fun and action going on in the streets of Cairo. And the third part features fights and explosions around the flying wing. The shirt keeps the spirit of this spectacular but puts Mickey Mouse in Indy's clothes because this is a Disney attraction after all.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: beige
  • front: print of the logo Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular" with Mickey Mouse dressed up as Indiana Jones
  • back: small print of symbols for Goofy, Mickey and Donald and the text "Walt Disney World"
  • weight: 198 g
  • producer: (c) 2003 Lucasfilm Ltd
  • vendor: bought in the MGM Studios Florida in February 2005
  • cats: no animals were harmed during the making of these picture. they are just not impressed by Mickey Mouse at all.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 15


15th day, half time through the shirts! Today's shirt comes with a high quality print not only in full color but also with a lot of gold metallic color. The print makes good use of the golden color for the Ark, the Golden Idol, the inside of the Holy Grail and for the borders of the antique-style map. I really like this shirt. I did pick it up in Disneyland Paris believing the shirt was an US import - which it is not. Thanks Les for letting me know that this is an Paris exclusive.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color:dark brown
  • front: print of half a world map with compass and full colored Indiana Jones logo; a plane; the Ark of the Covenant; the Holy Grail; the Golden Idol
  • back: no print
  • weight: 226 g
  • producer: Lucasfilm Ltd
  • vendor: bought in Disneyland Paris August 2002
  • diary: lost (but available as ISBN 978-1-4165-6315-0)
  • ballpoint pen: made out of wood with burned in Indiana Jones logo (c) 2004 Lucasfilm Ltd; excellent good luck charm

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 14


Part two of the t-shirt trilogy set that I got from the MGM Studios in 2005: A classic basic t-shirt with the film poster print of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. That's the one with the probably most quoted Indy tag line ever: "If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones". Whoever came up with this line is a genius.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: blue
  • front: print of the "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" film poster 25 cm x 38 cm
  • back: no print
  • extra: "Indiana Jones" logo print on the left sleeve
  • weight: 215 g
  • producer: Lucasfilm Ltd
  • vendor: bought in the MGM Studios Florida in February 2005
  • vase: Not late 14th Ming Dynasty and not big enough to hit someone with it. Oh it breaks the heart.

Monday, June 13, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 13


Finally, June the 13th! For the anniversary day I chose a Raiders of the Lost Ark shirt with one of my favorite quotes. It had to be a snake, of course. Lucky me, fierce ninja cat helped me win the fight. I hope you all have a nice anniversary day yourself, maybe watching some Raiders. Thanks for all the years, Dr. Jones!


shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: beige
  • front: print of Indy in the Well of Souls; double text "Indiana Jones"; text quote "Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?"; in background rubber relief tire prints
  • back: no print
  • weight: 218 g
  • producer: sorry, no idea
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan August 2008 or July 2009
  • snake: why did it have to be snakes?

Mann trägt Hut: 30 Jahre Indiana Jones

 Happy Anniversary Dr. Jones! 
I got the opportunity to write about Indy's anniversary in the online version of "Wiener", an Austrian magazine. Today the article is even linked on their main page but it can always be accessed directly: Mann trägt Hut: 30 Jahre Indiana Jones.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 12


One day before the anniversary I am wearing another Raiders of the Lost Ark t-shirt. This one features a nice collage of Scenes from Raiders. To my knowledge this is the only shirt to feature a melting Toht with his famous "oops, I think I am working for the wrong side" facial impression. The use of colors (yellow, brown, gray, black) for the print is nicely done, I only wish they had done a bit less of the pre-aged/washed out look.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: beige
  • front: print of the Raiders logo ("Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark") in orange and a collage of Indy, Marion, the headpiece of Ra, airplane, Golden Idol, melting Toht and Indy chased by the boulder
  • back: no print
  • weight: 236 g
  • producer: (c) 2008 Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: ordered this from Stylin online

Tom Selleck's screentest for Raiders

Only one more day till the anniversary. Time to get out your favorite copy of Raiders (VHS, Laserdisk, DVD, BluRay, whatever) and make sure that there is enough popcorn in the house. Here are two videos to warm up for the fun:
Tom Selleck's screentest for Raiders. He is doing lines from the script with a stand-in Marion.

The German version of the original Raiders trailer. You will find this amusing even if you do not speak German.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 11


I pulled another Indy ride t-shirt from the drawer today: Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, the very popular and amazing Indy ride located in Disneyland, California. That's the one ride I have never been to. I found the shirt for sale in Disneyland Paris instead. Now this shirt is really great but also nearly unwearable for me. I really like the excellent color and the design of the print is very cool. Sadly the print is on a solid layer of rubber which gives you the feeling of wearing a rubber disk on your breast. Also the shirt is too wide for me as it seems that US shirts are a cut bigger than European or Japanese ones.


shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: dark orange
  • front: rubber print 33 cm x 40 cm showing the head of Mara with lots of Cobras, the Indiana Jones Adventure logo and "The Temple of the Forbidden Eye"
  • back: no print
  • weight: 272 g
  • producer: Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: bought in Disneyland Paris August 2002
  • cat: mandatory

Friday, June 10, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 10


The sun is back and so am I - with a Raiders shirt and the Golden Idol of Fertility safely tucked in my satchel bag. The shirt features a funny crossover between Raiders and the Temple of the Crystal Skull ride in Tokyo DisneySea. The ride opened long before Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released and features a story with a Human Crystal Skull as the magical object of desire. This skull is pictured on the shirt next to a couple of classic RotLA scenes.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: white
  • front: print of the Indiana Jones logo with black/white drawings: Indy with whip, boulder run scene, airplane over Cairo and a Human Crystal Skull in flames
  • back: black/white Indiana Jones logo, black Indy silhouette swinging the whip
  • weight: 136 g
  • producer: Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan August 2008 or July 2009
  • satchel bag: Magnoli Clothiers; If you have a Wested Jacket, you need one of these to go with it.
  • golden idol: What was once yours, is now mine, Belloq, haha!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 9


Change of plan: Again no Raiders shirt today because the long sleeve looked so much more appealing to the sound of the falling rain this morning. The shirt is another nice piece I brought back from my travels to Japan. One must admit that they really know how to make nice Indy shirts there. Domo arigatou gozaimasu!

shirt stats:
  • type: long sleeve shirt
  • color: body: gray, arms: black
  • front: print of an Indy silhouette cracking the whip over the Indiana Jones logo; small text "If adventure has a name, it must be..."
  • back: no print
  • weight: 262 g
  • producer: C.A.B. Clothing Co., Japan
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan August 2008 or July 2009
  • umbrella: not useful as I was lacking birds to join my armies

Weird Wii Indiana Jones Kit

Looking for a weird Wii-mote container? Forget your Mario Kart wheel, D&D sword and shield and all the sports accessories for Wii sports. Here are the tools of choice of Dr. Jones in their most unexpected appearance yet. With this set you not only get the un-whippiest whip ever but also a shovel that might work for cat-litter.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 8


A small break from the Raiders-themed t-shirts this week. The shirt shows Indy whip-swinging some obstacle. The Cobra and temple at the bottom are hinting that this is a theme park design, either from the French ride "Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril" or the "Temple of the Forbidden Eye" ride in California; I can't tell for sure. Anyway, I had more people ask me about the shirts and got them thinking Indy.


shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: ochre-clay
  • front: print of a cartoon Indy swinging over some Cobra Temple with text "Indiana Jones"; small text "Archaeology and Expedition Team"
  • back: no print
  • weight: 232 g
  • producer: (c) 2002 Lucasfilm Ltd
  • vendor: bought ? (wish I could remember where)
  • lizard: cute

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 7


Another t-shirt honoring Raiders in a witty way. From the front this looks very casual, just a brown shirt with a small print. Taking a closer look, the print reveals itself as the Headpiece of Ra with a catchy slogan written over it. Still, the front of the t-shirt does not bear any reference to Indy that a regular person would get. But turn the shirt around and you will have a Raiders of the Lost Ark fiesta: Eight pictures from the film mashed up into a colorful collage + the Indy logo.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: dark brown
  • front: print of the "Headpiece of Ra" from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" 8 cm diameter; text "Archaeology is our RELIGION"
  • back: print "Raiders of the Lost Ark" collage 27 cm x 38 cm; collage inculdes: Indiana Jones logo, Cairo Swordsman scene, Indy looking over his shoulder, Indy looking amazed, the Ark of the Covenant, Egypt digging scene, Indy looking suprised, Jock's biplane taking off, German Mechanic fight scene
  • weight: 262 g
  • producer: (c) 2004 Lucasfilm Ltd
  • vendor: bought ~2005 (wish I could remember where)
  • fist pump: a cheesy reference to a film from 1985

Monday, June 6, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 6


One week to the anniversary day, it's time to get out the Raiders of the Lost Ark shirts. The Monday pick is the classic basic t-shirt with the film poster print. I got me a complete trilogy set of these shirts when we were visiting the MGM Studios in 2005. The reason for the shopping frenzy was that the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular was closed for the whole day because some of some cheerleader competition. Luckily we made it into the first show next day and then back to Miami just in time to catch the plane home.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: dark blue
  • front: print of the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" film poster 25 cm x 32 cm
  • back: no print
  • extra: "Indiana Jones" logo print on the left sleeve
  • weight: 235 g
  • producer: Lucasfilm Ltd
  • vendor: bought in the MGM Studios Florida in February 2005
  • mug: whip style handle and bottom, one side: Indiana Jones logo print, other side: Raiders film poster print (same as t-shirt), (c) 2004 Lucasfilm Ltd., bought in the MGM studios in 2005

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Indiana Jones / Han Solo crossover

The other week I stumbled on the net over something that missed my eye for seven years. In 2004 Dark Horse Comics published a short story in Star Wars Tales #19 named "Into the Great Unknown". Thanks to a friend I was able to get my hands on this.

The comic tells an alternative story of what happens to Han Solo and Chewbacca after a blind hyperspace jump. The story gets an interesting twist with the appearance of a prominent archaeology professor and his sidekick Short Round. I don't want to spoil the story too much. If you are into this, get a copy or a scan and read it yourself. Do not check the wiki because it gives away the best parts.

30 years / 30 shirts - day 5


The most prominent colors for Indy shirts are brown, beige and green tone - not counting plain black or white shirts with prints. Today's shirt is a noticeable exception: The dark orange batik is not only stylish, it has also been carefully matched with the print. The print is hard to spot on purpose, the shirt is not washed out. This is a perfect shirt to wear any day without making anyone suspicious that you are sporting again another piece of Indy-wear.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: dark orange batik
  • front: print with a Cobra, the words "Indiana Jones" and "(c) 2003 Lucasfilm Ltd"
  • back: no print
  • weight: 195 g
  • producer: Lucasfilm Ltd
  • vendor: bought ~2003/2004 (wish I could remember where)
  • arachnid: avoidable

Saturday, June 4, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 4


It's a sunny Saturday and I have chosen the oldest Indy t-shirt from my collection. I had the luck to spend my 1993 Easter vacation in France and payed a visit to the still new Disneyland Paris. This was only days after the ride "Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril" was opened to the public. And what a ride that was: First Indy attraction in Europe, first Indiana Jones roller coaster ever, first Disney roller coaster with a 360 degree loop and my chance to buy the first Indy shirt. And all that because of sheer luck - I did not know about the ride before.

shirt stats:
  • type: cotton shirt
  • color: white and beige stripes
  • front: plastic print: "Indiana Jones Treasure Map" 29 cm x 25 cm
  • back: no print
  • weight: 234 g
  • producer: Disneyland Paris
  • vendor: bought in Disneyland Paris in April 1993
  • info: This is an official shirt from the Indy roller coaster in Disneyland Paris. The treasure map design is a special French design. The map includes the logo "Adventure Outpost" which is the Indy store next to the ride in the park. The design was used on different products e.g. I also have a paper print of this framed like a real map on the wall.

Friday, June 3, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 3



Finally a sunny day and I am sporting a t-shirt with prints on both the front and the back. I like the plain and basic style of this shirt. Got it after attending a friends wedding in Japan in 2009. Received no questions about this shirt but then again most people took a short vacation because of the public holiday yesterday.

shirt stats:
  • type: t-shirt
  • color: olive green
  • front: print with Indy silhouette swinging the whip and the text "The Man With The Hat Is Back"
  • back: print with the Indiana Jones logo and another Indy silhouette roping down from the "J" in "Jones"
  • weight: 140 g
  • producer: Lucasfilm Ltd.
  • vendor: bought in DisneySea Japan July 2009

George Lucas Strikes Back

So the truth about what has happened to George Lucas in the last 20 years is finally revealed. I wonder about the reactions at the Skywalker Ranch when they first saw this ;-) Stumbled over it here.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 2


Another day, another shirt, same guy. Again a cloudy day, so I picked again a shirt with long sleeves. This brown shirt comes from a trip to France and sports a small logo of the French Indy ride. Today is a public holiday here and I stayed at home, so no one got the chance to ask about the shirt.

shirt stats:
  • type: cotton shirt
  • color: medium brown
  • front: embroidered logo "Indiana Jones et le temple du périle - a l'envers", label: "Disneyland Paris"
  • back: no print
  • extra: in addition to the two breast pockets there is a small pocket on the left arm
  • weight: 365 g
  • producer: Disney and Lucas Film Ltd.
  • vendor: bought in Disneyland Paris in August 2002
  • info: This is an official shirt from the Indy roller coaster in Disneyland Paris. Between 2000 and 2004 the ride ran 'backwards'. For added thrills the cars had been reversed and the riders could not see where they were going. The shirt is from that period.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts - day 1

First day, first shirt. Giving it a casual start with a nice long sleeve that fitted the cloudy day. Found first flaw in the plan: I am taking the photo in the morning before I leave for work. This means I am still half asleep and make weird faces... Anyway, had three people asking me about the shirt and Indy today.

shirt stats:
  • type: long sleeve shirt
  • color: medium gray
  • front: white print of Indiana Jones, text: "Indiana Jones"
  • back: no print
  • weight: 244 g
  • producer: C.A.B. Clothing Co., Japan
  • vendor: bought in Japan ~2008/2009
  • cat: optional

Monday, May 30, 2011

30 years / 30 shirts


30 years ago, on June 12th 1981, a new film was released in the US. People liked it a lot - and still do. Happy anniversary Raiders of the Lost Ark! As a small tribute to this screen gem and all the people involved in making it happen, I will be wearing selected shirts from my Indy collection for 30 days starting from June 1st. I hope this will remind some of the people seeing me of the greatest archaeologist of all times. I plan to put up some pictures, stay tuned.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Japan

I usually try not to mix up real life events with my hobby - Indiana Jones. Indy's films, books, games and merchandise are entertainment. Exciting, funny and sometimes informative - but never sad. Real life brings tragedies like the earthquake in Japan in March 2011 that cost so many peoples lifes. This makes me sad as Japan is a special place for me. I have been there several times in the last ten years and have friends there, both Japanese and foreigners who loved Japan so much that they moved there. For all of them I hope that the rebuilding of the affected areas can start quickly and Japan will see better times ahead.

But not to write only about sad things: The Japanese people are friendly, kindhearted and many of them are fans of Indiana Jones. There is a good reason why the worlds best Indiana Jones rides are found in Tokyo DisneySea (a whole park section is devoted to Indy, not only a single ride). That's also the reason why they have so much original Indy merchandise in Japan. But I think nothing can sum it up better than this video:

This video describes the Japanese spirit better than I could describe it with words. You don't even need to understand a single word. But in case you want to know the story behind the video: They have organized a screening of all four films at a theater in Tokyo (last year). This was their promo video to get the word out: They have succeeded with the three challenges that had to be overcome to get Indy back on the big screen. I draw my fedora to all of you, well done!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Adorable one coin figure shots

A nice to have for Indy toy collectors are the Japanese Kotobukiya one coin mini figures from their Indiana Jones collection (released June 2008). You could buy those for 500 Yen (= one coin) per sealed box with a random figure. The set contains eight figures: six regular ones and two secret ones.

Kotobukiya one coin mini figures poster


They are really nice made, affordable even with a small budget and still available on ebay etc. The reason I am bringing those up today is some nice artwork I stumbled over. A creative flickr user named j_pidgeon made some great photos by placing the figures in from of fitting backgrounds.

Temple of Doom Indy in front of a very cool background

j_pidgeon does feature the whole set on his flickr-stream:
RotLA Marion Ravenwood, ToD Indiana Jones, ToD Mola Ram, LC Indiana Jones, LC Dr Henry Jones Sr, KotCS Irina Spalko, KotCS Mutt Williams and the infamous Han_Solo. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Nathan Fillion does Indiana Jones

Seems I got really stuck in tv shows that did an Indy themed episode. This week Nathan Fillion made my day by delivering a very Indiana Jones-ish scene in Castle season 2 episode 19. Take a look:
Nathan Fillion wants to be Indiana Jones - and meets the Mummy's Curse

Castle is a tv show about the author Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion) "helping" out the NYPD Detective Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic) solving cases. In the episode Wrapped up in Death, a museum curator gets crushed by a falling gargoyle. He isn't the first member of a recent archeological expedition to die. It turns out there was a legend inscribed over the burial chamber the team unearthed warning that "all who gaze upon the face of the mummy are doomed." Was the curator just the latest victim of "The Mummy's Curse"? And if so, what does that mean for Castle, who snuck a peek at the mummy when no one was looking?
Watch the fedora scene starting from 05:22


The whole setup here is very funny because several times the name "Nathan Fillion" has been brought up by Indy fans as a potential new actor to play Indiana Jones. Most seems to have seen the SciFi movie Serenity in which Fillion plays a very Han Solo-ish captain of a small space-freighter with a crew of rogues. To really understand that film one should have seen the short-living tv series Firefly by Joss Whedon that tells the story of the same spaceship and crew in 14 episodes. The show was canceled at that point and the movie followed later to please the growing fan-base that loved that little SciFi gem ever since. Fillion can also be very funny as can be seen in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a free internet show also produced by Whedon. Natan Fillion is very active on the web and recently he started a campaign to get him the role of Nathan Drake in Uncharted, the upcoming film version of a very successful game series. These adventure games feature a modern Indiana Jones-ish guy related to Francis Drake as the main character, who travels the world chasing after lost treasures and battling lots of baddies on the way.

See how all this fits together? I would even bet that Fillion explicitly asked for the Indiana Jones scene in Castle just to show that he can do the adventurous archaeologist. Not to long ago in the Halloween episode of Castle he did put on his old "space pirate" costume (his outfit from Firefly and Serenity) just to treat his fans. He is a geek and fan himself and for that he deserves to wear a fedora c|:)

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Young Indiana Jones in the Curse of the Kah

Collecting Indiana Jones goodies is an adventure that leads to great discoveries now and then. One of my latest extraordinary findings was a children puzzle book titled "Young Indiana Jones in the Curse of the Kah" by author Owen Williams and illustrated by Paddy Mounter. This "Hippo Mystery?Puzzles" book was printed in 1993 by Scholastic. The 32 pages are in full comic illustration, which makes this book a comic book. At the same time the story is filled with puzzles and riddles, making this book a puzzle book. All the pictures are filled with a lot of tiny details, partially because of puzzles that ask the reader to find some detail but often just for fun.
Indy doing the mummy dance c|:)

The story is based on the first episode of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles tv show (Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal). But in this version of Indy's first adventure everything is a bit different to the tv version. The authors might have gotten an early draft of the tv script or maybe they have gotten the freedom to change the story to fit it to their puzzle needs. Anyway, having an alternate version of this Egypt adventure adds a nice touch to the story of Indy's life.
A highly recommended entertaining and fun read for children (and Indy fans).