• Stash West returns to California in mere days, as part of the great Laser Blazer DVD store in LA. Certainly sounds like a match made in heaven to us — Now, a one-stop shop for your comics, Askew goodies, and the latest DVD releases. Wow. Kevin says:

  
  We’re re-opening Nov. 19th at our new location!

  Anyone who’s read “My Boring-Ass Life” knows that I’m a big, fat DVD junkie, and that my pusher is Ron, who runs Laser Blazer - the best DVD store in Los Angeles (if not the world). As you might’ve read in the last big blog entry, rather than see us close up shop on the West Coast, someone offered the Secret Stash West a new home. That someone was Ron. That home is inside Laser Blazer.

  So for the last two weeks or so, Ron’s been pulling out all the stops, demolishing a large section of his store to make room for the Stash…

  
  We’re betting they’ll plan something very special for fans kind enough to attend the grand opening — Watch this site for details on what’s to come, in just a bit over 2 short weeks. It’ll be the perfect chance to pick up some Christmas gifts for you and yours. Congrats to Stash West on the new location!


More on Kevin’s week over at the Myspace blog. This week, he reveals he’ll once again (alas) miss the chance to direct an episode of the awesome “Battlestar Galactica” due to the “Zack and Miri Make A Porno” shooting schedule. The Pittsburgh production office is now officially open, so let the production talk begin! No confirmed casting yet, though we can bet the floodgates are going to open any day now — Not just with the two leads, but some nice supporting roles as well. The guys manage to do very well with the faces in the flicks, we’re expecting some pleasant surprises.

Myspace friends - Check out Kevin’s new Facebook account. Spread the word! For the uninitiated, Facebook is the new contender to Myspace — Pretty much the same services, just gaining popularity.

• If you want to be the envy of your pals, the way to go is Auctions Askew — Exclusive View Askew trinkets from cinematic history, with certificates of authenticity to prove it. Plus, the joy of watching your favorite Askew flicks and pointing and stuff that’s sitting in the room right in front of you. Fun, right? This time around, a new round of history, featuring props from Clerks II, Jersey Girl, a Dogma cast and crew shirt, even an ultra-rare triple-signed promotional poster from Kevin himself. We’re really digging that authetic notebook from Jersey Girl, complete with all the pages intact relating to the scenes.

  View them all and place those bids at the Auctions Askew website. Join the legions of happy fans who own authentic View Askew props. Most studios lock these sorts of things up, never to be seen again — Major “props” to Kevin for giving his biggest fans the chance to take home a piece of history for themselves.

• We adore Auctions Askew, but there’s one thing we just hate about it — The fact we can’t buy all of this stuff ourselves. This week, the big AA returns with more amazingly cool one-of-a-kind items from the Askewniverse. It seems that these iconic props just get cooler with each edition. As always, the auction page runs down each item at a quick glance, though you’ll do your actual bidding on eBay.

  
  It’s a poster/sign-heavy week this time, but don’t miss the top item (whose picture link is broken at presstime, just go to the auction to see it). The actual track suit worn by Kev’s mom that wraps up Clerks II. Not only a memorable moment, but a true Askew icon in what it represents from the first Clerks as well.

  Also this week, posters that we wish could be hanging on our own walls - One of a kind promotional posters for the phony “Bluntman & Chronic” film, “Sailboat: The Movie” and a Mooby promo. All this stuff appeared in that big theater sequence from J&SBSB, and can be clearly seen on screen. And finally, we LOVE any Chasing Amy prop as the film remains our fave of the bunch. This is your chance to own a sign seen during the hilarious train station scene.

  As always, more photos and longer descriptions right over at Auctions Askew. Kevin signs COA’s (that’s certificates of authenticity) for all this stuff, so you can prove it’s genuine when you show it off. Bid carefully, as this stuff only shows up once — Then it’s yours forever. Good luck!

• Kevin heads to Toronto, Ontario tomorrow for a day of press regarding his hilarious new tome, “My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith”. After that, it’s off to the Stash in historic Red Bank, NJ for what’s certain to be a HUGE event, the book signing on Saturday afternoon. Kevin will sign TWO OTHER ITEMS in addition to your book, so if you’ve got that something special sitting around, bring it along. You do have to buy the book in person that day to qualify for signing of anything, though. LINE UP EARLY. Trust us.

  Early October, the 6th, brings us the West Coast Stash signing, another historic event which will mark the last at Stash West before it closes shop soon after. Once again, if you can make it, this is a part of View Askew history that you don’t want to miss. Quite possibly the last time View Askew will have a retail presence on the west coast.

  In mid-October, Kevin’s back in the UK, where you fans LOVE him, for a full week of book pimpage via signings and press appearances.

  Want the full rundown? Myspace and My Boring-Ass Life have the list today. And now, we do as well (keep in mind some of this stuff is live, some taped, so it’s catch-as-catch-can):

  THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH

  6.45 AM – 8.30 AM
  Breakfast Television
  LIVE interview

  9.00 AM – 9.45 AM
  102.1 The Edge
  LIVE Radio Interview

  10.00 AM
  Globe and Mail

  11:00 AM
  Toronto Star

  12.00-12.45 PM
  Metro Newspaper

  12.45-1.10 PM
  Webnation- Webcam Interview

  2.30-3.30 PM
  CTV E-Talk Daily

  4:00-5.30 PM
  The Hour
  2 Segments (aired same night @ 8PM)

  6.50-6.55 PM
  Mad Dog and Billie 99.9 MIXFM
  TAPED 5-minute radio interview to be aired morning of 9/28

  7.00 PM
  Indigo Eaton Centre Toronto
  Q&A and signing

  SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH

  12:00 PM
  Book Signing
  Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash EAST
  Red Bank, NJ

  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6TH

  12:00 PM
  Book Signing
  Secret Stash WEST
  Westwood, CA

  UK PRESS SCHEDULE

  FRIDAY 12TH OCTOBER

  The Late Late Show. The main Irish chat show. Live prime time TV.

  MONDAY 15TH OCTOBER

  TV AM. The other main Irish TV Show.

  RTE RADIO – THE TURBRIDY SHOW.

  TUESDAY 16TH OCTOBER

  5.00 – 7.00pm
  FORBIDDEN PLANET Public signing

  
  WEDNESDAY 16TH OCTOBER

  7.45 – 8.30am
  THE CHRISTIAN O’CONNELL BREAKFAST SHOW – VIRGIN RADIO

  9.00 – 9.30am
  EMPIRE

  10.00 – 11.00am
  THE SUNDAY TIMES – ‘MY HOLS’

  10.30am – 12.30pm

  
  MTV shoots:

  MTV 2 GONZO
  MTV ONE UK - NEWS
  MTV ONE – SCREEN
  MTV ONE

  3.30 – 4.00pm
  FHM – Interview

  4.15 – 6.15pm
  THE OBSERVER Magazine– THIS MUCH I KNOW

  6.45 – 7.15pm
  BIZARRE magazine – HOW BIZARRE ARE YOU?

  8.30 – 10.00pm
  NUTS TV

  THURSDAY 18TH OCTOBER

  11.30am – 12.15pm
  BBC RADIO 1 - COLIN MURRAY SHOW

  12.30 – 1.00pm
  BBC RADIO 2 – THE WEEKENDER

  2.30 – 3.00pm
  BBC RADIO 1 – EDITH BOWMAN SHOW

  3.35 – 4.25pm
  BBC RADIO 4 – THE FILM PROGRAMME

  6.00 – 8.00pm
  BORDERS BOOK SHOP – PUBLIC/STOCK SIGNING

  FRIDAY 19TH OCTOBER

  8.10 – 8.40am
  XFM - ALEX ZANE BREAKFAST SHOW

  10.45 – 11.15am LOADED magazine

  11.30am – 12.00pm
  FREELANCER INTERVIEW

  12.30 – 12.50pm
  SCI FI CHANNEL

  2.20 – 3.20pm
  BBC RADIO 5 LIVE – THE SIMON MAYO SHOW

  4.00 – 5.00pm
  PLAYBOY TV – PLAYBOY FOCUS

  The last time they held a Red Bank signing, THIS happened. Get there early to secure a nice parking spot and a space in line. While Kevin always makes the best effort to take care of each and every fan, there are limits, so the line may be cut at any time. Make sure you secure yourself a nifty spot in that line. Weather at the moment is looking like a pleasant, sunny day, in the low 70’s, but that can change, as we’ve seen before. Unpredictable east coastline weather, after all.

  For more info on the Red Bank and Westwood Stash signings, click here. Come to one. Come to both. Just come.

  Kevin continues to amaze us as the hardest working dude when it comes to press on anything — Whether it be his own stuff or just something he’s got his name attached to somehow. We hope there’s time for some sleep in there somewhere, and of course wish him well on this latest press tour. We’ll keep up with the latest for you right here, of course.

• CinemaBlend picks up the story regarding the Rosario “Miri” departure today, now starting to speculate on who the newcomer MALE lead will be in the film. This will be the first time Kevin will have worked with a set of new-to-Askew leads since “Clerks” and “Mallrats”! Exciting stuff, when you think about it. The possibilities are vast. We’ll of course keep on top of all the rumors and facts and keep things as straight as possible for ya, right here.
• Hollywood News has a piece on the upcoming UK release of Kevin’s new book, “My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith”. They say:
  Legendary independent filmmaker, writer, actor and cultural commentator, Kevin Smith has an international reputation for his hilarious take on the world. Now, he’s ready to share more than ever before, in MY BORING-ASS LIFE: THE UNCOMFORTABLY CANDID DIARY OF KEVIN SMITH.

  Lewd, crude and hilariously rude, Kevin Smith pulls no punches in this hard-hitting, in-your-face exposé of, er, his rather dull and uneventful life well, not always dull. In between watching his TiVo, he manages to make and release Clerks II, relate the story of his partner-in-crime Jason Mewes’ heroin addiction, get a tattoo, serve on a jury and get caught stealing donuts from Burt Reynolds.

  
  The book hits everywhere this Fall — Our signed copies from the Stash will be a must-buy, no doubt.

• Normally we get so much stuff in the News Askew box we’ll skim long articles here and there for what we need - This piece from an L.A. for the Television Critics Association member was so compelling, though, we found ourselves reading the entire rundown. Kevin’s bit, however, comes at the tail end, and follows:

  
  Fortunately, however, I did manage to get at least one photo with a very, very awesome celebrity that wasn’t taken at a TCA-sponsored event, so let’s close with that, shall we…?

  Right before I departed for Los Angeles, I read online that Gallery 1988, a small but kick-ass gallery on Melrose Avenue, was to be opening their latest exhibit – “Crazy 4 Cult,” dedicated to artwork inspired by various cult films – while I was in California for the press tour.

  TCA Televesion Critics Association 2007 Press TourCool enough, right? Even better, though, was that one of the hosts of the event was to be none other than…wait for it…Kevin Smith (right).

  I’d done a phoner with Smith for Bullz-Eye a few months prior, but realizing that this would be a perfect chance to meet him in person, I headed down to the gallery, along with Bullz-Eye’s mighty President and CEO, Gerardo Orlando. (Thanks for the cab fare, G!) Although a TCA function had resulted in us getting to the opening rather late, Smith was indeed still in attendance, so I approached him, introduced myself, and reminded him of our earlier conversation. I really have no idea if he actually remembered me or not, but, hey, he was pleasant in his assurances that he was glad to meet me, and that was enough for me…almost.

  Before departing, I figured, what the hell, why not ask the guy if I can get a picture with him? I mean, I’ve got an actual Kevin Smith “inaction figure” in my office at home, and whenever my daughter sees it, she points at it and says, “Daddy!” So, y’know, basically, I’m thinking the effect of seeing a photo of Kevin Smith and me standing side by side ought to be downright surreal.

• Those of you that have been with us for a while here know the deal with Auctions Askew - Get yourself some pretty rare stuff from the flicks, often one-of-a-kind stuff. The auctions have returned for another round, and after an amazing selection last week, Kev’s outdone himself this time, offering up probably some of the most amazing, iconic items from the Askewniverse yet. Yes, you can be the ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD to say you own this stuff. And that sure is saying somethin’. Let’s take a peek at this week’s offerings:

By far, this is the most elite offering we’ve seen at Auctions Askew, and truly some amazing pieces of history. Bid carefully and wisely if you want an item, as we think competition’s gonna be stiff. Don’t let any of these gems slip through your fingers! Visit the official thread at the View Askew board, and get your bid on RIGHT HERE.

• Auctions Askew makes its long-awaited return this week, with 5 more fantastic one-of-a-kind View Askew props — This time with offerings going all the way from Chasing Amy up thru Jersey Girl. This time, eBay is brokering every sale to make it even easier for those of you familiar with the world of the online auction. This time around, you can get your mitts on a Dogma cast and crew t-shirt, screen-used “Nails” cigarette packs, the Highlands seal from Affleck’s “Jersey Girl” street sweeper, and our two favorites of this edition: The one and only “Critters of Hollywood” sign from Jay & Bob, and best of all, the HUGE “White Hating Coon” bus poster from the now infamous panel scene in “Chasing Amy”. Wow. Potentially one of the coolest auction items we have EVER put up.

Kevin announced the return of the auctions via the Myspace blog and promises MORE items next week! We wish all of you luck, and remind you, most of this stuff isn’t coming back again — Get those bids in and bid wisely so you’re not kicking yourself for missing it.

• When new inaction figure season approaches, we’re always stoked — We think the View Askew line of inaction figures is one of the coolest sets of swag that the Stash offers, and truly one of the neatest bit of cinema collectability EVER. The gallery of characters that continue to grow here around the News Askew desk make for fun company as we write these updates for ya. So, it’s exciting when news leaks of a new set that’s on the way. For those of you who missed it, Clerks 2 will indeed be the next wave. No exact ETA has been determined yet, but judging from Kevin’s latest avatar at the WWWBoard, the prototype molds are complete, which is a huge step in the right direction.

• Every once in a while some of the absolute COOLEST pieces of swag come out at the Stash, and this is one of those days — You just must own this super-cool Leonardo Reapers hockey jersey, now available at our online store as well as in person at Stash East and Stash West. This jersey is a TOTAL BARGAIN at just $50 and just oozes cool. Great colors, that awesome logo, and just subtle enough that only those View Askew fans out there that catch you looking cool wearing this will know the origin. And of course, that wonderful 37 on the back. Buy this now, and fast, we’re betting these suckers sell out:

We love this thing!!!

• This just in via Ming’s excellent periodic View Askew e-mail newsletter that we highly recommend subscribing to (links in our sidebar will get you on there): New chances at must-have swag from our Secret Stash comic shops. Two new hoodies, and a new poster that we LOVE (and is going to sell out FAST)! Here’s the stuff:

‘CLERKS II’ HOODIES NOW AVAILABLE:

The ‘Got Christ?’ black and gray hoodies:

You’re prayers have been answered… sort of… with the ever-popular Buddy Christ featured on the Got Christ? Hoodie, available in black. All hoodies feature the design imprinted on heavyweight, 10 oz, 90% cotton, 10% poly garments, with a small View Askew logo imprint directly below the neck.

$40 M-XXL

THE ‘MOOBY’S’ HOODIE:

Get ready to look good (and keep warm), all year round with the new View Askew Mooby Logo Hoodie (on a gold nugget-colored garment)! All hoodies feature the design imprinted on heavyweight, 10 oz, 90% cotton, 10% poly garments, with a small View Askew logo imprint directly below the neck.

$40 M-XXL

CLERKS ROLLING ROADSHOW EXCLUSIVE POSTERS:

These beautiful posters, designed by Todd Slater, was created in very limited numbers for the Rolling Roadshow outdoor screening of ‘Clerks’ held in Red Bank, NJ on August 8, 2006. Previously sold out for months, a limited run was made exclusively for Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash and is now available to you. EXTREMELY LIMITED.

Measures 24″ x 34″

Silver and Gold variant posters now available:

A STEAL AT $25!