The end of the year is here, which means just one thing: it’s the end of the line for TFAW.com’s most awesome 2008 events! Shop today and tomorrow, December 31st, to take part in special savings on collectibles, statues, and vinyl toys, and place an order for your chance to win a $20 gift certificate!

As many of you already know, we’re giving away more than $3,000 in gift certificates this year! We’re awarding $100 per day–usually as five $20 gift certificates–to random lucky shoppers. December 31 is the last day of our Holiday Gift Certificate Giveaway, so start browsing now!

In addition, we’ve been offering some of our most popular vinyl toys at 25% off! Think Mighty Muggs, Qees, Domo, and much more! Like our Holiday Gift Card Giveaway, our vinyl toys sale ends after tomorrow, December 31!

Does your shelf or mantelpiece look empty and bare? Fill it up with statues from our collectibles and statues sale. We’ve handpicked some great collectibles, like the Serenity Valley Topographical Map Lithograph, and we’re offering them at 25% off–again, through December 31!

So what are you waiting for? An awesome blog post (oh . . . wait)? By my math, you have about 31.5 hours left to go. But while you’re here, what did you think of our holiday deals? Anything on your wishlist for next year? Post your comments below!

Eartha Kitt, who starred as Catwoman during the 1967-68 season of the television version of Batman, died December 25 following a long struggle with colon cancer. The fabulous singer-actress was 81.

Kitt was born on a cotton farm in 1927 and was raised by various individuals–including, she claimed, an abusive, neglectful family–before reuniting with her birth mother in New York City. There, she rose above her traumatic early life and made her debut as a member of the Katherine Dunham Company, the first African American modern dance company. She was also well-known as a cabaret singer, with hits such as Let’s Do It, Champagne Taste, C’est si bon, and Santa Baby.

Kitt thrived as an actress throughout her lifetime, starring in films such as the Orson Welles-directed Dr. Faustus, and The Mark of the Hawk, co-starring Sidney Poitier. She went on to star on Broadway in Timbuktu!, among others.  Although she courted her fair share of controversy and even left the United States for Europe for a time after inciting a national furor by voicing anti-Vietnam sentiments during a visit to the White House, Kitt always emerged triumphant, winning new generations of fans with her vocal performances in Disney’s Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story and The Emperor’s New Groove.

For comic book fans, however, the perennial image of Ms. Kitt is her in full Catwoman regalia in the third season of TV’s Batman. Her distinctive, purring voice and lithe figure helped her achieve the seemingly impossible–step into the shoes of the much-admired Julie Newmar–as she made the role of Catwoman her own. She will be missed. 

Any Eartha Kitt fans out there? Post about your favorite memories below!

I really wanna know if anyone’s gone to see The Spirit. I wasn’t adventurous enough to brave the elements yesterday to get to my neighborhood multiplex, so I haven’t gone to see it yet. Let us know what you thought of Macht’s Spirit, Jackson’s Octopus or any of the femme fatales!

Did Miller do a good job in his directorial debut? Did they do justice to Eisner’s beloved character? Inquiring minds want to know!

From all of us at TFAW.com, a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! We’re sitting under the tree reading comics and playing with our new statues and action figures (even away from work, we’re nerds), but we’ll see you tomorrow!

By the way, if any of you landed on the naughty list this year, the Punisher would like to have a word with you . . .

P.S. While I have you here, what did you get this year? What did you give? I got my brother a Darth Vader Kotobukiya (yes, we tussled a little over who got to put it together), and he gave me Veronica Mars busts. Who knew such a thing even existed? List your gifts below!

This has been on the ‘Net for a day or two (snow day delays!), but in case you haven’t already seen it, head on over to EW to view an exclusive clip of Joss Whedon’s upcoming new series, Dollhouse!

Dollhouse centers around a bunch of blank slates who are imprinted with different personalities and skills and then sent on “dates”–presumably, everything from gathering secret spy information to eliminating the enemy. Then the “dolls” return home to have their memories flushed, and they return to their happy, childlike states. This clip shows Eliza Dushku’s character, Echo, getting her memories erased in what looks like a very high-tech shampoo chair.

Fan’s of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Serenity are surely chomping at the bit to watch Dollhouse, but so far, the show looks like a horse of a different color–closer to Alias or The Bourne Identity. I’ll definitely give this a whirl–I’m a fan of both Whedon and Eliza Dushku, and I’m interested to see if Dushku can pull off playing Echo, who so far seems the complete opposite of Faith (I never saw Tru Calling–don’t yell at me!).

What do you think? Are you looking forward to the series? Are you worried about the reshoots and scheduling controversy (Dollhouse is slated for Friday nights, typically a TV dead zone). Do you miss Faith? Post your comments and opinions below!

If you’ve searched TFAW.com at all, you know we’re big fans of Bettie Page. We have dozens of items that carry her image, and we’re avid followers of many of the artists who have been inspired by her over the years. So, after her sad passing, we decided we needed to create something special for us and all of her fans: behold, our Life and Times of Bettie Page tribute!

We’ve included a bio, her career highlights, a fabulous visual timeline (thanks, Mike!), and even some fun facts about Bettie you may not have known (did you know she was the salutatorian of her high school?). Bookmark the Page page, and you can get your Bettie fix whenever you want!

So pull up around the campfire here. What’s your favorite Bettie picture (mine’s the one at the top of the post). Which artist do you think captured her essence best (Jim Silke FTW!). Did we miss anything in the bio? Post your comments and opinions below!

You know that Farscape comic that’s coming out later this month? Yah, we thought so. We’re a little fahrbot about the new comic book series and wanted to get some more info, so we went to our friends at Boom! Studios and asked ‘em a few questions.

What follows is our exclusive interview with Farscape writer Keith R.A. DeCandido (KRAD) and Farscape editor Matt Gagnon (MG).

TFAW.com: The comic book is set shortly after the events of Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. Will readers new to Farscape be able to keep up, or is this more geared toward current fans?

KRAD: I’m hoping that people will be able to follow along without being hardcore Farscape fans. I certainly made an effort to make it as accessible as possible. Having said that, the show itself has a pretty detailed history, and it will help to be at least vaguely familiar with it.

TFAW.com: How has the change of medium–from television to comics–affected the look and feel of the action? What were some of the challenges and benefits of going from film to paper?

KRAD: Well, I never worked on the TV show–my experience is in being a huge fan of the show and writing a tie-in novel and three tie-in short stories in the universe. It’s still different, of course, as prose has different requirements from comics, with no dependence on visuals and more space to get inside characters’ heads. Comics are much faster-paced — and you do have artwork. One of the biggest challenges in writing Farscape prose is that the show was so visually lush and complex, thanks to the amazing work of the Creature Shop, so it was really hard to do it justice in prose. In comics, we can not only do it, but do more than the show did by virtue of not having budget restrictions on those visuals.

TFAW.com: There’s been talk of a new character who will be introduced in the comic who will play a large part in the upcoming webisodes. Are there any hints you can pass on?

KRAD: Not unless I want Rockne to come to my house and break my legs, no there are no hints I can pass on . . .

TFAW.com: How have the characters grown and changed since the miniseries? How will this affect their actions and the overall story?

KRAD: Well, not a whole helluva lot, by virtue of this comic book picking up right where PKW left off. Page 1 of #1 is the closing shot of the miniseries, where Crichton and Aeryn hold their infant son up to the starscape. Having said that, D’Argo’s death is something that has a profound impact on everyone, and the cameo that Rygel’s usurper cousin Bishan made in PKW has consequences that the comic book will explore in depth.

TFAW.com: With series creator Rockne O’Bannon plotting the series and Farscape novelist Keith R. A. DeCandido handling the writing, it seems a safe assumption that this will be an authentic continuation of the Farscape story. How did you choose the artists? What were your criteria?

MG: We’re extremely fortunate to have Rockne and Keith on board. They’re pretty much the dream team. With them at the helm, there’s no way this couldn’t be authentic. As far as an artist, we did an extensive search, and when BOOM! and The Jim Henson Company saw how incredible Tommy Patterson is, it all clicked. We all knew that visually capturing the Farscape universe was going to be monumentally challenging. In addition to being a talented newcomer, Tommy is one of the toughest and most well-prepared artists I’ve worked with.

TFAW.com: Adding a child to the mix can sometimes upset the balance of a series. Were there any concerns about incorporating Crichton and Aeryn’s son into the story?

KRAD: Not for me. One of my favorite comic book stories is Lone Wolf & Cub, a Japanese series by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. It has an assassin who travels around feudal Japan with his little kid. That was the route I was hoping Xena would go when she had a child, but they did something else. But I think this is a great opportunity to add a new dynamic to the series, and the baby will play a significant role in the story.

TFAW.com: Are there any plans past the upcoming miniseries for Boom! and Farscape?

MG: Absolutely. We’re having way too much fun to stop now! After the first Farscape arc is finished, we’ll be following it up with a new arc called Farscape: Strange Detractors! Is Rockne back? Yes. Is Keith back? Yes. Will it tie into the Farscape webisodes? You know it.

TFAW.com would like to thank Keith and Matt for their time and our friends at Boom! Studios for hooking us up with the interview and for letting us be the first to know about Farscape: Strange Detractors.

We’re taking pre-orders now for Farscape: Strange Detractors #1, so come on in and reserve your copy today!
TFAW.com–We’ve got just the thing for your collection!

You know that Farscape comic that’s coming out later this month? Yah, we thought so. We’re a little fahrbot about the new comic book series and wanted to get some more info, so we went to our friends at Boom! Studios and asked ‘em a few questions.

What follows is our exclusive interview with Farscape writer Keith R.A. DeCandido (KRAD) and Farscape editor Matt Gagnon (MG).

TFAW.com: The comic book is set shortly after the events of Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. Will readers new to Farscape be able to keep up, or is this more geared toward current fans?

KRAD: I’m hoping that people will be able to follow along without being hardcore Farscape fans. I certainly made an effort to make it as accessible as possible. Having said that, the show itself has a pretty detailed history, and it will help to be at least vaguely familiar with it.

TFAW.com: How has the change of medium–from television to comics–affected the look and feel of the action? What were some of the challenges and benefits of going from film to paper?

KRAD: Well, I never worked on the TV show–my experience is in being a huge fan of the show and writing a tie-in novel and three tie-in short stories in the universe. It’s still different, of course, as prose has different requirements from comics, with no dependence on visuals and more space to get inside characters’ heads. Comics are much faster-paced — and you do have artwork. One of the biggest challenges in writing Farscape prose is that the show was so visually lush and complex, thanks to the amazing work of the Creature Shop, so it was really hard to do it justice in prose. In comics, we can not only do it, but do more than the show did by virtue of not having budget restrictions on those visuals.

TFAW.com: There’s been talk of a new character who will be introduced in the comic who will play a large part in the upcoming webisodes. Are there any hints you can pass on?

KRAD: Not unless I want Rockne to come to my house and break my legs, no there are no hints I can pass on . . .

TFAW.com: How have the characters grown and changed since the miniseries? How will this affect their actions and the overall story?

KRAD: Well, not a whole helluva lot, by virtue of this comic book picking up right where PKW left off. Page 1 of #1 is the closing shot of the miniseries, where Crichton and Aeryn hold their infant son up to the starscape. Having said that, D’Argo’s death is something that has a profound impact on everyone, and the cameo that Rygel’s usurper cousin Bishan made in PKW has consequences that the comic book will explore in depth.

TFAW.com: With series creator Rockne O’Bannon plotting the series and Farscape novelist Keith R. A. DeCandido handling the writing, it seems a safe assumption that this will be an authentic continuation of the Farscape story. How did you choose the artists? What were your criteria?

MG: We’re extremely fortunate to have Rockne and Keith on board. They’re pretty much the dream team. With them at the helm, there’s no way this couldn’t be authentic. As far as an artist, we did an extensive search, and when BOOM! and The Jim Henson Company saw how incredible Tommy Patterson is, it all clicked. We all knew that visually capturing the Farscape universe was going to be monumentally challenging. In addition to being a talented newcomer, Tommy is one of the toughest and most well-prepared artists I’ve worked with.

TFAW.com: Adding a child to the mix can sometimes upset the balance of a series. Were there any concerns about incorporating Crichton and Aeryn’s son into the story?

KRAD: Not for me. One of my favorite comic book stories is Lone Wolf & Cub, a Japanese series by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. It has an assassin who travels around feudal Japan with his little kid. That was the route I was hoping Xena would go when she had a child, but they did something else. But I think this is a great opportunity to add a new dynamic to the series, and the baby will play a significant role in the story.

TFAW.com: Are there any plans past the upcoming miniseries for Boom! and Farscape?

MG: Absolutely. We’re having way too much fun to stop now! After the first Farscape arc is finished, we’ll be following it up with a new arc called Farscape: Strange Detractors! Is Rockne back? Yes. Is Keith back? Yes. Will it tie into the Farscape webisodes? You know it.

TFAW.com would like to thank Keith and Matt for their time and our friends at Boom! Studios for hooking us up with the interview and for letting us be the first to know about Farscape: Strange Detractors.

We’re taking pre-orders now for Farscape: Strange Detractors #1, so come on in and reserve your copy today!
TFAW.com–We’ve got just the thing for your collection!

Sarah in Indiana is our second $100 gift certificate recipient. We’ve been giving away $100 a day, and we’ll keep doing so through the end of December! So keep shopping at TFAW.com and keep your eyes peeled to our gift certificate winners page. Who knows? The next person to get a $100 gift may be you!

The stockings may be hung on your chimney with care, but you’d better watch out if you want your comics, graphic novels, statues, and other TFAW.com goodness to make it under your tree by Christmas! Take a minute to check out our holiday shipping schedule to give your orders the best possible chance of arriving by December 24.

For an extra boost, our elves have decided to offer all of our customers $10 off UPS shipping if you place your in-stock order by Friday, December 19. Check out all of the details here!

Not sure what to buy the comic book, toy, or collectible fan on your holiday shopping list? Don’t worry, we’ve made it easier for you by creating 18 unique gift shops stocked with our coolest and most crave-worthy items. Whether you’re shopping for a child, a teen, your girlfriend, or your video-game-junkie roommate, we’ve got loads of suggestions they’ll love!

What’s on your list? Any holiday shopping follies to share? Comments on our holiday shops? Post your thoughts below!