Five Favorite Supernatural Episodes

Happy Halloween, everybody!

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In honor of the holiday, I'd like to discuss one of my favorite spooky fandoms: Supernatural! In fact, it's one of my only scary fandoms because I'm a wimp. When I watched the first season of Supernatural, I didn't think I'd be able to handle it. It was very much monster-of-the-week back then and I would hide behind a blanket or my hands nearly every episode. Even though it's evolved over time into more than moments that make you jump out of your skin (those still happen!) I don't watch it alone when it's dark - just in case.

As the show's gone on, there have been more than a few moments when I've wondered if it should stop before it's too late. I want it to go out on a high note instead of lingering past its prime - way too many series do that these days (cough How I Met Your Mother cough). They're still hanging in, but I want nothing less than a well-written and played ending for Dean and Sam. They deserve it.

Anyway, I keep getting pulled back in because the writing and acting and characters and all of it just keeps delivering. Sure, it stutters sometimes, but we're in a better place in season nine than I thought we possibly could be. So, I want to walk down Winchester memory lane and share my five favorite episodes. These aren't in any particular order. Oh, and beware spoilers through season six.

Two Minutes to Midnight, season 5
When I saw this episode for the first time, I just remember being completely enchanted by the conversation between Dean and Death. It was smart, wonderfully acted, and just a great intimate scene in the midst of the world being on the brink of destruction. Just such a creative way to set up the encounter and I dug the unexpected move of Death basically handing over the ring (with a price, of course).

Weekend at Bobby's, season 6
This is the only post-season 5 episode to make it on my list because well, Bobby. Jim Beaver has made the character so damn lovable over the years. He becomes attached to your heart in a different way than the Winchesters or Castiel or anyone else on the series. Seeing a few days from the perspective of the gruff and intelligent Bobby made me ecstatic. And just because I have to say it: balls.

It's a Terrible Life, season 4
Ah, Smith and Wesson. On the surface, it's an amusing episode where Dean becomes a preppy salesman and Sam sits in a tech support cubicle. They do all sorts of out of character things and it's funny. But it's more. Even though Zachariah is trying to show them a normal apple-pie life, they find their way back to hunting and to their destiny. The episode's got a lot going for it and Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are hilarious.


Devil's Trap, season 1
This one gets included just for the emotional punch to the gut that happens in the last few seconds. The Winchesters are reunited, you get a Creedence Clearwater Song, and bam. Right in the face. Also, this episode marks the first appearance of Bobby Singer. Win.

Swan Song, season 5
Finally an episode centering on an important member of the Winchester family: the Impala. And it's not ridiculous (which it really should be given the premise). Now, it's not all about the car but I appreciate them touching on how it's a character of its own. The bigger arc of the episode is the fight between Lucifer and Michael, and I can't think of anything I would have changed except to just stop the series there.

Almost on the list: Hammer of the Gods, season 5. Can you tell I enjoyed season five? In fact, I recall liking every single episode. I love many of them. It's rare to come across a season of any TV series where you don't find clunkers, but I don't remember encountering any in season five. I'm happy we still have our Winchesters but man, season 5 would have been a perfect place to end. Perfect.

Do you watch Supernatural? What are your favorite episodes, quotes, or moments?

Take Back Halloween

Last week I had to point out some of the crazy "sexy" costumes available for purchase. The list includes sexy pizza and a sexy Nemo - as in the clownfish Nemo. Yep, I'm still shaking my head.. After that, it only seemed right to point out a site encouraging the polar opposite of those costumes: Take Back Halloween.

Some readers pointed it out to me, but I first read about the site a week or so ago on Epbot (I highly recommend that blog if you're not already reading it). It's all about creating costumes based on real women. Scientists, artists, explorers, queens - they've got it all. They don't sell anything, they just offer resource guides and they are absolutely wonderful. For example, how about dressing like Jane Austen or Athena or Baba Yaga? These are just a few selections from costumes on their site. They provide reference photos (and digitial illustrations of the costume in most cases) and a complete list of necessary components for the costume. The thorough breakdown offers suggestions on where to get each item and provides links to purchase them online. Yeah, it's fabulous.

It gets better and easier, too. None of the costumes they post require sewing. They are built around everyday items you may already have in your closet or pieces that are available for purchase.

As they state, it's not the sexy insert-object-here costume is horrible - if it's your thing, that's totally fine - it's just nice and fair to have other options. No, putting together a Frida Kahlo costume is not as easy as going to the Halloween pop-up shop and picking up a bag off the shelf but I think the end result is worth the additional efforts. I applaud them for providing such an informative site (they happen to be running a Kickstarter right now to fund adding more costumes).

And yes, they have a last minute ideas section. Sure, Halloween is tomorrow and that doesn't leave much time but if you gather supplies tonight and stay up a little late... it could work out. Good luck if you're scrambling! Actually, I'm curious - what are you plans for costumes this year?

Nightmare Before Christmas Wreath How-To

If you've never been to Disneyland during Halloween Time or for the Christmas holiday (which lasts from early November through January), you're missing out. It's already a magical place, but the decorations cast it in a different light and make it even more special. One of my favorite parts during both seasons is the Holiday Haunted Mansion. Disneyland transforms the already wonderful ride by adding a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. Jack Skellington and his cohorts are found everywhere - outside the house as decorations and as part of the ride. It's fantastic.

Like many others, I felt like Nightmare Before Christmas was made just for me in that in combines two of my favorite holidays and gave me tons of decorating ideas that could reasonably be up for a few months. It's perfect for me since I'm lazy about putting up holiday themed decor.

Every time I've visited Holiday Haunted Mansion, I've admired the mix of ivy and berries and grapevine and fall colors that went into their decorations. Especially these wreaths:

I took tons of pictures of the wreaths from far away and up close because I knew I wanted to eventually make one. This year I finally got around to it:

Though it took an afternoon to make, it was simple enough (except for the skull). If you'd like to make your own Nightmare Before Christmas wreath, you'll need the following supplies:

Hot glue gun, glue sticks
Black acrylic paint
White acrylic paint (not necessary if you find the right ribbon)
Paintbrushes - I recommend a big foam one and then a smaller one for details
Scissors or wire cutters
2oz block white or cream/ivory polymer clay
1.5" wide or bigger wired ribbon - ideally black and white striped or just black
Grapevine wreath*
5 yds+ of black tinsel garland
Fall floral decorations such as leaves, pumpkins, berries, pears, etc
Ivy floral decorations with berries
*Instead of using a grapevine wreath as the base, you could start with a black tinsel wreath (those are available right now and you can probably find them on sale this close to Halloween) and add some grapevine.

I started with a plain grapevine wreath (it was around $4.75). I didn't want it to be entirely brown with all the black and fall colors, so I coated the top of the wreath with black acrylic paint. I used a large foam brush so I could squish between the layers of vines. I didn't want complete coverage so I just painted until my quarter-sized dollop of paint was gone. Completely up to your taste. Let the paint dry for a few hours or overnight.

I wanted to add more black and a different texture, so I got two bunches of tinsel garland. They were $1.79 each, and I ended up using all 10 yards. After the paint was completely dried, I wrapped it around the wreath at an angle and made sure to leave plenty of visible grapevine because it's easier to wrap the floral decorations around the grapevine than the tinsel:

Now, the most fun part (for me): adding all the decorations. I started with this pile:

It doesn't exactly match the Holiday Haunted Mansion wreath, but that's okay. It's a combination of what I liked and what the craft store had. The bonus to shopping right now is that most craft stores have fall and Halloween decorations marked at 50% off. Prices will probably be slashed more after Thursday. I had leaves, pumpkins, small pears and Indian corn, and berries in a few different colors. Do make sure to include ivy leaves for the Christmas part (I almost forgot them).

Add the items to your wreath wherever you want them. If you're not comfortable attacking it randomly, sketch it out first. Don't be afraid to rip apart the decorations you bought. I attached some whole, but I also ripped out leaves and individual berry sprigs. Scissors and wire cutters come in handy here. Be sure to leave enough of the wire to wrap around the vines in the wreath. Keep going until it looks right to you and leave some blank space at the bottom for the skull head:

Once you have everything in place, use hot glue to reinforce anything not firmly attached by wire. Heck, for good measure hot glue the wires as well. Set the wreath aside to dry.

If you happened to find the perfect ribbon, all you need to do in this is step is make a bow. I hot glued four long pieces of ribbon together to make the tails and cut the ends at an angle. The bow part is made from two pieces of ribbon, and I glued then wrapped together with wire I stole from one of the leaves in the floral decorations bunch. If you want to get more precise about the bow, Pinterest is your friend.

Since I wasn't able to find black and white vertically striped ribbon, I painted on white stripes. I didn't draw guides before I started painting, but that probably wouldn't be the worst idea. I used the wrong end of the paintbrush to dip in the paint and "draw" the lines. I personally like the uneven and messy look for this project but if you don't, you can draw guides and use the right side of the paintbrush to make them prettier. Regardless of the method, set the ribbon aside to dry while you work on the skull.

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The skull was the trickiest part. You could make it from foam, but I used polymer clay because that's a medium I sort of know. I printed the above template in a size to fit my wreath and I filled it in layers with an entire 2oz block of polymer clay. I smoothed it a little but it mostly looked rough. I put down thin layers for the eye and nose sockets so I could paint them black later. I made the mistake of baking the skull flat. I should have used foil to bulk it up and make it look more 3D.

Once you've baked the skull per the polymer clay package instructions and let it cool, you can sand it to make it smoother if you want. When you're happy with it, paint the eye and nose sockets with black acrylic paint. It's also a good idea to paint the edges of the teeth to give them depth. Let the skull dry completely and then go over the skull with thin washes of black so it's not just off white. I like to use the water I've been rinsing my brush in and cover the skull with the black liquid. Dab it off with a paper towel and repeat until you're satisfied.

Hot glue the ribbon to the back of the skull (in a few places) and let it dry. Once dry, hot glue the skull to the wreath. I let it dry and added another layer of hot glue for security. Let everything sit and dry overnight before you hang it on your front door.

I'm pleased with how it turned out though if I make another one, I'll go with a thicker wreath and a more realistic shaped skull.

So, GeekGirlCon was amazing

Just over a week ago I was in the Washington State Convention Center celebrating GeekGirlCon. It was pretty much heaven. I have never been to a more organized, low-stress, and fun convention. That's the surface level. Beyond that, most every panel felt like it was written just for me and every vendor felt like it was chosen for me. GeekGirlCon offered a comfortable space for all of its attendees, and the attitudes and general moods of others reflected that feeling. I never felt like I had to be on guard, and it was beautiful and so damn relaxing.

GeekGirlCon, you are my favorite.

Though this was the convention's third year, it was my first time going. Friends had told me about its amazing-ness and I'd been dying to go, but this was the first year free of scheduling conflicts. I agreed to be on two panels (Geek Girl Style and Star Wars: More Than a Boys' Franchise) and even if I didn't know what specifically to expect, I knew I was in for a treat. I was right.

The exhibit hall wasn't huge, but darn near every table had something I wanted to purchase (where is my endless pile of money?). Jewelry, comics, stuffed cats, fun t-shirts, nerdy dresses, art, and D20 underwear - actually, there was more than option available in the category of D20 underwear. I went with bedazzled ones from The Geeky Hostess. Downstairs from the exhibit hall, there was an artists' alley. It was quite a bit smaller definitely an area I'd like to see expand in future years.

Especially impressive to me were the panels offered. The schedule was packed. I've never seen a panel schedule that made me want to spend the entire convention in panel rooms, but this one did. Topics included how to wear a wig (I so wish I would have made it to that one), geeky home decorating, deconstructing the Mary Sue myth, real girls in comics, the psychology of cosplay, and on and on. Fabulous discussions about casual and serious subjects happened throughout the weekend, and it was refreshing.

I want GGC to grow (to a certain point) and be successful but at the same time, the fact that it was small and manageable was so appealing. I spend most of the time leading up to conventions stressed because I know I'll be spread thin and always missing someone or something during the weekend. Once I'm at the convention it gets better, but I still worry because there's just too much. Not at GGC. There is more than plenty to do, but the size meant I could get to a panel 10 minutes before it started. It wasn't a battle to get out of the exhibit hall. Getting from point A to point B wasn't an obstacle course filled with thousands of jam-packed con-goers. It was effortless, and I loved every minute of it.

Next year, GeekGirlCon is the same weekend as New York Comic Con (October 11-12). It's not even a decision for me. I'll see you in Seattle.

October Loot Crate Unboxing - The Theme is Survival

It's that time of the month again - Loot Crate unboxing time! The theme for the month is Survival. Yep, the box was packed with all kinds of zombie goodness. I act like a little kid when I open the boxes which means I fly through the items first and then have to go back to closely examine what I received. The big items were a book and a t-shirt:

What zombie pack would be complete without The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks?

Zombie bite temporary tattoo, zombie hunter ID, 8-bit zombie buttons, Creepy Candy, I Love Your Guts from Open Me

The Ewoking Dead tee from GraphicLab

Ewoks like blueberry eyes

The retail value for just the book and the t-shirt is almost $27. Add in the buttons, candy, and card and you're near $35 - and you get it all for less than $20.

Loot Crate is just $13.37/month plus shipping and handling! Sign up now and use the code gwcloot to get $3 off your subscription. It's a blast to get a mystery gift box each month, and if anything doesn't happen to be in your realm of interest, you can save it for gifts.


Note: Loot Crate box was provided free of charge for review purposes.

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland Mentions a Sarlacc

As I was watching ABC's Once Upon a Time in Wonderland last night, I heard a familiar word. It distracted me so much I barely paid attention for the rest of the episode. Sarlacc! As in that sarlacc. The Red Queen was flipping through what I can only presume is their version of the Book of Monsters trying to find a beast to torture Alice with and she mentions the creature from Return of the Jedi: "The sarlacc. This will digest her over a millennia."

What?!

As mentioned, she was pointing at illustrations in a book and this is the sarlacc page:

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So somehow a sarlacc got from Tatooine to Wonderland - or the other way around. It also could be accessible via a portal to Tatooine.

Though we did hear the Star Wars theme as a ring tone in season two of Once Upon a Time, I believe this is the first occurrence that cements the connection and shows the world of Star Wars - or at least the creatures in it - is available to the fairy tale world. I don't know how to feel about this.

The entire screen:

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Seven of the Most Ridiculous "Sexy" Halloween Costumes Available This Year

Halloween is just around the corner. It means carved pumpkins, candy, scary decorations, and some of the most over the top, nonsensical sexy and slutty costumes you can imagine - or maybe you can't. The choices get more ridiculous every year. People must be spending their money on the outfits though, otherwise they wouldn't keep expanding the line. Some of the choices available this year made me stare at my computer in confusion, and I figured - why be alone? Here are seven of the worst offenders:

Sexy Pizza. Yes, you read that correctly. I think the best part of this costume is the collar crust.

Sexy Mickey Mouse - When I look at Mickey, I can't help but think about how he could become a sexy costume - said no one ever. The yellow furry boot covers kill me.

Sexy Feline Musketeer - Why be Athos, Porthos or Aramis when you be a sexy option and a cat? Is this supposed to be the slutty version of Puss in Boots from Shrek?

Sexy Shark - I missed the part of shark week where they discussed the skimpy and shiny qualities of sharks. This is a Syfy movie waiting to happen.

Sassy Rick Grimes - I guess this sexy Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead costume could be worse; at least the midriff isn't bared.

Sexy Watermelon - Just stop trying to make edibles sexy. Give it up.

 Sexy Nemo - Why hey there sexy clownfish, I've been trying to find you. What. the. heck.

Feel free to share some of your favorites in the comments!

Win a Premium Star Wars Figure From Sideshow Collectibles

How would you like to win a premium format Star Wars figure from Sideshow Collectibles? How can you say no to that? Luckily for you, I've partnered with Sideshow Collectibles to give away a beautiful Shaak-Ti sculpt!

This gorgeous 19" figure is based on the character as seen in The Force Unleashed. They've nailed every last detail from her clothing to her head-tails, and her lightsaber actually lights up. The retail value on this collectible is $350, but you can win it for nothing but the cost of shipping and handling.

Head over the contest page and enter to win the Shaak-Ti figure now!

Review: Once Upon a Time Behind the Magic

Once Upon a Time is in its third season on ABC, and audiences are enchanted. I review the series for IGN so I haven't missed an episode. It certainly has ups and downs, but I like the overall concept of fairy tale characters living in our world. Once Upon a Time - Behind the Magic is the companion book for seasons one and two, and it provides plenty of behind the scenes pictures and information.

You'll find interviews with the cast - including Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Carlyle, and Colin O'Donoghue - that offer insight on how they got the roles, how they feel about fairy tales, and what it's like to portray characters from such familiar stories. They were fun to read, but my favorite part was getting details on the nuts and bolts of the series.

Costumes, props, locations - all of these are huge parts of the world of Once Upon a Time. The scenes set in the fairy tale realm have their own looks and designs, and characters have to be balanced between there and Storybrooke. It adds a fascinating layer to costuming, and I loved seeing the sketches and learning how they put outfits together. Same with the props! It was a blast to see the mundane items some of the props come from and equally neat to see how many artisans they involve to create perfect on screen prop. I'd actually enjoy a whole book just discussing those aspects.

There's a chunk about the VFX, too, and it's interesting to see what they do with green screens and digital creations. Unforunately, if you've watched the series, you know the green screen backgrounds are mostly ineffective.

Finally, the book has a run down of synopses for all the episodes in seasons one and two. As a reviewer, that's helpful for me to refresh my memory about key plot points.

Overall, this is a fun book that any fan of Once Upon a Time will enjoy flipping through. It's filled with beautiful, glossy photos and just the right amount of insider info - you need to maintain some magic after all.

Get a copy of Once Upon a Time - Behind the Magic on Amazon.

Note: This book was provided to me free of charge for review purposes.

Kitty Pryde Dress from Suckers Apparel

I like playing dress up. Wearing outfits like those of my favorite characters in comics, TV, and film is just one way in which I express my fandom; however, I don't always want to go through all the trouble of wearing a full spandex suit or putting on a wig. That's where geek chic dresses from Suckers Apparel come into play.

She takes the costumes from your favorite characters and makes amazing dresses and leggings and everything. I approached her about making a Kitty Pryde inspired dress. There was a time when it seemed like Kitty changed her code name and outfit every other issue. After she met Dazzler, she thought a bright roller skate ensemble would be the best idea ever:

It's colorful to say the least, and it didn't last. First came the sketch of the dress:

I freaking loved it. And just look at the finished product:

I need to find the perfect shoes for the dress and maybe add a mask and striped tights, but it works on it's own. The material is spandex-like and sturdy. The dress fit wonderfully, and I love it. No one recognized it, but since it's from a single page of a comic, I didn't expect them to.

I'm working with Suckers Apparel on a couple more dresses, and they also have a store of already designed options that can be made in your size. Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, a Saga capelet - those are just a few of the items you can find in the store. Happy shopping!

Where I'll Be at GeekGirlCon

GeekGirlCon is taking place in Seattle in just a couple of days, and I hope to see several of you there! It's my first time attending, but I've heard nothing but positive things. I'll be wandering the floor, and I'm speaking on a couple of panels.

On Saturday at 11am in Room 301, I'll be on the Geek Girl Style: Demanding Recognition in the Fashion World panel along with Elizabeth Giorgi, Jed Seigle, Jon Kay, Kaitlin Stewart, and moderator Lisa Granshaw.

On Sunday at 3pm in Rooms 301/302 I'll be on the Star Wars: More Than A Boys' Franchise panel along with Linda Hansen Raj, Lisa Granshaw, Meg Humphrey, and moderator Tricia Barr.

Both panels should provide some interesting discussions. If they don't sound like your thing, check out the full programming schedule for all the options. This really seems like a convention where I could sit in panel rooms all day.

Fun times at NYCC

I'm mostly recovered from New York Comic Con. It's a fun, big hairy convention that happens to take place in a beautiful city. Getting to walk around the streets of New York is a big part of why I go to the convention - that and the size of artists' alley.

The main exhibit hall at NYCC had the usual suspects - plenty of comics, accessories, toys, and t-shirts - and people came to shop and see the wares in droves. The convention used a new system this year in which you registered your badge and tapped in and out of the convention center as you entered and exited. From what I saw, it barely slowed down traffic and in theory, it helped them keep track of where traffic was congested inside Javits.

It didn't stop the escalators from being packed or the floor being difficult to navigate. You see, crowds at NYCC are different than San Diego. In my experience, they're more physically intrusive and less polite. By intrusive, I mean a fair amount of elbowing and nudging and a little shoving. It stands out because I haven't experienced anything exactly like it at other conventions. Not the end of the world though, just annoying.

Other than making a trip to admire Lola at Marvel and to see a couple of booths and friends, I tried to avoid the main exhibit area. Artists' Alley was the place to be. It was separated - in its own room down a long hall, and it was perfect. Any time I passed through it looked like there were plenty of people browsing and shopping. I'm not impressed with the fact that DC Comics took up space for their signing area, but I don't know how much it impacted other creators.

It felt like everyone in comics was at this show, and it's one of the few big shows with that advantage. Lines to talk to artists and writers were manageable, and every type of art imaginable was on sale. Since I finally put my unframed art away in portfolios, I was able to get some pieces to add to my collection but mostly I just enjoyed looking.

Creative cosplay was on display and I saw my first ever Pushing Daisies costumes - I possibly chased after them:

You never see She-Hulk in her lawyering outfit!

Jill Pantozzi as Rag Doll

I attended three panels over the convention: Star Wars Rebels (panel recap here), The Following, and one about anti-bullying. All of them were interesting, but the one that grabbed me the most was the one focusing on anti-bullying. Chase Masterson's Anti-Bullying Coalition had a booth at NYCC, and the panel brought together a variety of individuals to discuss bullying in general and specifically how it affects geek culture. Panelists such as Ashley Eckstein, Jenna Busch, Chase Masterson, Brad Bell, Bonnie Burton, and others participated in a discussion hosted by Carrie Goldman and it was touching, educational, and had some amusing moments. I wish I would have recorded it so I could provide full coverage, but I'll be keeping an eye on YouTube to see if a video of the panel pops up.

And it wouldn't be a convention if I didn't find some new companies to love. After having nothing to represent my Supernatural fandom for years, I found two things at NYCC: a fabulous necklace from Sparkle Designs (they have so many amazing fandom pendants and charm necklaces) and Impala inspired nail polish from Fandom Cosmetics.

Check out the rest of my photos from NYCC at Flickr!

Up next, GeekGirlCon!

Star Wars Rebels - Behold the Power of the Empire

News about the upcoming animated series Star Wars Rebels has been trickling down to fans even though the premiere is still one year away. The first significant reveal happened at Celebration Europe II in July, and Lucasfilm brought more news to New York Comic Con over the weekend. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the panel presented by Pablo Hidalgo, and attendees were treated to plenty of information - certainly more than I'd hoped for. The focus of the panel wasn't on the heroes but on the Empire and the Imperial threat facing the galaxy. This included the reveal of the Rebels villain, the Inquisitor:

Star Wars Rebels takes place about 14 years after Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Inquisitors hunt after Jedi so take from that what you will. Hidalgo stated the Jedi have a presence in the series, but that they (the crew) are very cognizant of Order 66 and the importance of Luke Skywalker being the last hope. They won't diminish that facet of Star Wars history. The Inquisitor will be the primary big bad, but the Empire is a formidable foe across planets. During the panel, we specifically looked at the world of Lothal.

Hidalgo described Lothal as a frontier type planet where the Empire has swept in and started recruiting and taking advantage of natural resources. At first, they seem like the good guys and like they have the best interests of the people of Lothal in mind. In fact, that's felt throughout the galaxy. Hidalgo pointed out that the Clone Wars left the galaxy unstable and the Republic was declining and leaving people disillusioned; many thought the Empire was a welcome change. They pushed into the "unruly outer rim territories" and started gathering forces and installing Stormtroopers.

Speaking of, Hidalgo took the opportunity to settle a debate long argued by some Star Wars fans. Clone troopers were produced on Kamino; they age at accelerated page. Stormtroopers are volunteers who join the Empire - as are TIE Fighter pilots, etc. That comes directly from George Lucas. "The lab grown clone troopers actually exhibited too much individuality to be of use to the Empire and that you find better uniformity in patriots who volunteer for service."

The Empire has a variety of transport vehicles and starships present on Lothal, and several pieces of concept art were shown. Here are a couple of images from Hoth Bricks:

AT-DP

The look of the series is heavily influenced by Episode IV. They are pulling heavily from Ralph McQuarrie's art as well as a bit from Joe Johnston's work. I think this quote from Hidalgo says it all: "As much as possible, this show is a Ralph McQuarrie painting come to life."

They so much want to replicate the vibe that Joel Aron, CG Effects Supervisor, has looked at the original trilogy film stock to get the look as close as possible. The art department went to the Lucasfilm archives to look at the original paintings to understand brush strokes, paper, line weights - everything. So yes, it will be distinct from The Clone Wars, so much so that they can't re-use any of the existing animation models. Everything has to be created from scratch.

Simon Kinberg will write the hour long premiere of Star Wars Rebels which will air on Disney Channel next fall; it will switch to a half hour format on Disney XD for the remainder of the season. The show will progress in chronological order and follow the same basic group of heroes.

Filoni introduces the crew and the Inquisitor in the video below:

During the panel, I thought I spotted George Lucas and he is in there but they are clearly looking at The Clone Wars and not Rebels.

Finally, some TIE Fighter pins were handed out at the end of the panel and the copyright notice was for Sienar Fleet Systems. Interesting.

Are you excited about the new series?