#steve himber

[luhafraser]

The bodyguard/assistant that is always with Sam, and now Caitriona today, is kind of a creepy dude. I hate how he hovers around Sam. I guess he’s there today to make sure she doesn’t say something she’s not supposed to.

I think you're talking about Steve Himber. Yeah... Weird guy!

I think he manages Sam and Caitríona at these events, Cons. There have been records for years... And since Sam attends more Cons than Cait, we're used to seeing more Steve alongside Sam 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not just Sam and Cait, Steve appears to represent Duncan and Steve Cree, and perhaps even other Outlander actors 🤷🏻‍♀️

[rosfrank]

Anyone interested in hearing a bit about Steve Himber, who is the Booking Agent for Conventions for most of the OL cast, have a listen to latest Droughtlander Diaries Podcast, where Jess and Sarah interview Gina, of Sasnak City. It's an interesting interview for me, knowing all these women. Some of you may find int interesting, too!

Anon rebelde.

Una lectura apasionante la lectura de la crónica de la aparición de Cait en Highlanders.

Lo primero mis más sinceras felicitaciones a las dos asistentes a la con y a ti por la magnífica cobertura de un evento que había despertado mucha expectación, ya sabes, Tony y Sam en segundo plano y en que terminos saldrán en la conversacion. Debo decir que Cait no me ha defraudado, cariñosa con sus fans, parece que disfrutando después de tantos años ausente y con ese despiste crónico que padece cuando tiene que poner en un contexto conjunto las tres palabras mágicas, Tony, marido y Sam. Sigo pensando que tienen a la vista el final del túnel y eso hace que relajen un poco los nervios, por eso la necesidad de la guardia pretoriana cerca para evitar esos deslices freudianos de confundir a sus maridos cuando Cait siempre ha tenido muy claro públicamente, recuerda ese clip de promoción de OL donde Cait , con un seco telewife, contestó a Sam cuando se dirigió a ella como su esposa.

Dear (returning) Anon Rebelde,

Solo tengo el dudoso mérito de atravesar todos los abucheos, arrullos y entusiasmo meretricio (¡vaya!) de sus mejores fans, en un intento de comprender qué diablos pasó en Birmingham. Fue lo más cerca que estuve de la experiencia real y fue consternada, en serio. Dicho esto, creo que las mamás de S pueden verse y sonar mucho peor en París, y lo harán, si él se va. Sin nuestras chicas, no hay dados: el mérito es exclusivamente de ellas, de su valentía y su generosidad. Solo soy el escriba y el comentarista lateral. Pero esto es lo que me escribiste en español:

'What a fascinating read, that chronicle of Cait's appearance in Highlanders.

First of all, my most sincere congratulations to the two attendees at the con and to you for the magnificent coverage of an event that had aroused a lot of expectations. You know, Tony and Sam in the background and in what terms would they feature in that conversation. I must say that Cait has not disappointed me, affectionate with her fans, seems to be enjoying herself after so many years away and with that chronic lack of attention she suffers when she has to put together those three magic words: 'Tony', 'husband' and 'Sam'. I still think that they have the end of the tunnel in sight and that makes them relax their nerves a little, hence the need for the Praetorian Guard nearby to avoid those Freudian slips confusing her husbands. Yet Cait has always been very clear publicly, remember that OL promo clip where Cait, when she answered Sam with a dry telewife, when he addressed her as his wife'.'

Thank you so much for the kind words - as I said, I have very little merit in all of this and very few things to add. They paid for those tickets, took that plane, went there, stayed in line, patiently listened to all the bullshit, etc. I just transcribed and tried to bring some context, that is all.

I am still baffled by Steve Himber's cheap circus. I could understand the logic of his presence there, in theory. But I am constantly nagged by a very honest question: do all celebs have this kind of Petulant Pitbull at their side, while meeting their fans?

This is where my complete lack of experience as far as fandoms go is showing with trooping colors, Anon Rebelde. Something is definitely not normal, there. Fire that dick.

[bcacstuff]

Some additional notes from Day 2 at Highlanders 7 con my contact at the con remembered this morning:

From Cait's Q&A

She said the parts in the new films (red. Amateur and The Cut) are small and took her about 3 weeks each to shoot.

When they talked about a possible movie, she said she wouldn't be in that conversation.

When asked about keeping the costumes someone asked about the red dress. She said she didn't realize how revealing it was (after wearing it for 2 days) until she saw it in film.

And what was interesting about Steve (red. Himber, the moderator we know mostly from Sam's con attendances) is that he didn't appear to be vetting questions. The fan would come up, ask name and where they're from then hand them the microphone. It appears that fans asked if they could sit next to Caitriona to ask their question, which Caitriona agreed on. Apparently there were no worries about inappropriate questions

camera 📸 Nann on X

John Bell Q&A

Favourite episode Devil's Mark.

Favourite Ian moment when he meets Rachel

Favourite personality trait - unwavering loyalty

Who would you like to work with - Alan Cumming and young actors from House of the Dragon

Would love to work with Caitriona again - she inspires him

Everyone gets along so well they're not just co-workers they're friends (mentioned Caitlin, Izzy and Charles)

Funniest moment filming - Rollo always did the opposite (if they said leave set, he'd go on set and vice versa)

Hasn't read the books but read the Wikipedia summaries

Wants to take one of the tomahawks and already had a coat from S8 replicated

Needs/loves trust with a scene partner and had it from the start with Izzy. And "don't be a diva"

Hardest weapon to deal with - bow & arrow; favourite - tomahawk

What era would best suit Young Ian - 80s punk scene

Favourite/most memorable fan moment - broke a fan's leg ceilidh dancing - spun her round and when he let go she turned her leg

Go-to karaoke song "Dancing on my Own" in Young Ian's voice/accent (He did demonstrate the karaoke song and it was very funny/cute)

Doesn't have to prepare for a convention he just enjoys being with the fans. Gets a good night's sleep so he can give his all (he apologized to Day 1 Landcon attendees because he was hung over (didn't say which year)

All credits (except for the pic from Caitriona's panel yesterday) by my contact who wants to remain anonymous.

PS. she just told me she missed out on the panel with John Bell and Steven Cree today, due to a long line for Charles' autographs.

Later today, more (we hope 😉)

[brian-in-finance]

Video 📹 from Instagram

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter

Remember how Steve Himber* gets around? 😃

*Talent manager, in video. Often accompanies Sam at events

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

If you want to be taken seriously, you need to publicly announce your warning about the threat of online scams, not post the same message over and over again on Instagram or his Scottish pals writing articles highlighting his message. Or send others to speak for him 🙄

While friendships offer numerous benefits, relying exclusively on them neglects personal communication, which affects a person's self-image. It's important for Sam to balance friendships with his personal growth: essentially, he must stop allowing friendships to replace him in every situation; he must demonstrate greater emotional maturity.

His booking agent, Steve Himber, doesn't replace SH in conveying personal messages. Himber's job is to manage event planning and other business matters, not to speak or send messages on behalf of his client. How Steve did it at the Chicago Comic Con- C2E2👆SH was behind Himber why not convey the message himself? SH has no voice of his own or He has a lack of personal opinion.💁‍♀️

The safety of his fans must be his concern and as such he should transmit confidence in his decision, speaking their own thoughts and words rather than relying on someone to do for him.

Posted 3rd May 2025

[brokehorrorfan]

Monsters, Makeup & Effects 2: Conversations with Cinema’s Greatest Artists will be published in hardcover, paperback, and e-book on October 26 via Dark Ink. It’s written by horror journalist Heather Wixson, managing editor of Daily Dead.

The 500-page book is the the second in a planned four-volume series, each containing 20 extensive conversations with influential special effects artists alongside behind-the-scenes photos. The first volume was released last year.

Volume 2 features interviews with Steve Wang, Chris Walas, Mike Elizalde, Eryn Krueger Mekash, Kazu Hiro, Todd Masters, Phil Tippett, Michèle Burke, Robert Burman, Christopher Nelson, Richard Landon, Guy Himber, Shane Mahan, Stuart Conran, Joey Orosco, Norman Cabrera, John Dods, David Grasso, Bruce Spaulding Fuller, and a tribute to John Carl Buechler.

Gizmo. Michael Myers. Hellboy. Predator. Pinhead. Twisty the Clown. Spielberg’s dinosaurs. Brundlefly. This is just a sampling of the iconic characters that have continued to thrill fans both on the big and small screens for decades now that you’ll read about in Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume 2. For this second installment of her ongoing interview series, journalist and FX historian Heather Wixson celebrates the lives and careers of 20 more special effects artists who have left their indelible mark on the world of entertainment, and many are still working hard in the industry today.

Featuring in-depth conversations and hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume 2 furthers the exploration of the influence felt by the work of these brilliant artists whose ingenuity and creativity were behind the creation of so many seminal creatures and characters that have captured our imaginations, left us in awe and genuinely excited us as moviegoers. In simpler terms, these are the artists who were able to make the impossible possible, and these interviews are a celebration of all of the incredible contributions that these artists have made throughout their careers and the passion that has fueled their creative endeavors, both inside and outside of the makeup studio.

Pre-order Monsters, Makeup & Effects 2.

[nev3rfound]

christmas ornament : b.b

brief summary: it’s december and everyone is starting to get into the christmas spirit, everyone that is beside bucky. despite your efforts, you can’t seem get through to him, that is until you surprise him

word count: 1.8k requested: nope, just an idea I had for christmas! and i’ve not posted in a while warnings: none that i’m aware of - it’s christmas fluff

(everything on my blog is my own writing. if it is shared on another page or website know it isn’t me. all rights reserved. - thank you to everyone who helped regarding the wattpad situation, you’re all amazing)

* masterlistin’

* commissions

** permanent taglist **

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” You beam as he shrugs his shoulder, continuing to eat his breakfast.

Steve chuckles at your attempt of exciting Bucky for the holidays. “You know he’s not ever had a modern Christmas, right?” Steve pipes up, grinning to himself as Bucky shoots a glare.

Your eyes widen at the statement, and you shift in your seat. “What?!” You dramatically call out. “Bucky, Christmas in the 21st Century is great.” You try to convince him, but Bucky ignores your comments.

“I’m just not feelin’ it.” Bucky mutters into his bowl of cereal. “Christmas isn’t what it once was.”

A sad smile crosses your face as you rise from your seat. “That’s alright, Buck.” You say quietly, trying to hide the disappointment in your tone. “Always next year,” A small laugh leaves your lips as you turn to see Natasha and Wanda waiting.

“The tree isn’t going to pick itself, Y/n.” Wanda states and you walk away from the kitchen, glancing back at Bucky who remains oblivious as he holds his head in his hand, sporting a heavy frown.

“See you later, guys.” You say, only to receive a wave from Steve whilst Bucky remains in his own world.

As you leave the room and are out of earshot, Steve exhales loudly.

“What, Steve?” Bucky grumbles, raising his eyes to see Steve’s stern gaze.

Leaning against the counter, Steve glances over his shoulder and back to Bucky. “You know she’s just trying.” Steve comments, listening to the sound of Bucky dropping his hand down with a thud. “Don’t act like you’re oblivious.” 

“What’d you want me to say?” Bucky questions, looking up to his oldest friend. “Christmas isn’t the same alright.” He pushes himself away from the counter to head out of the room, but Steve blocks his path.

“Just because it’s different doesn’t mean it has to be bad, Buck.” Steve tries to warm Bucky to the idea, an attempt to ease the protruding frown lines. “At least compliment the tree when it’s up.” 

“Sure.” Bucky nods half-heartedly as he walks out from the kitchen, heading back to his own room for some solitude. 

As Bucky sits in his own room, he listens to the sound of laughter and music echoing through the compound. He rises to his feet, poking his head through the door as the music grows louder and one laugh stands out above the rest; yours. Bucky tries to deny the butterflies in his stomach their chance to flutter, but when it comes to you he can’t help himself. 

Since Bucky arrived at the compound, you’ve been nothing but kind to him. You’ve always wanted him to feel like he has a place to call home and a family here, even if it’s slightly dysfunctional. 

Walking down the corridors, the faint illumination of fairy lights was becoming clearer as Bucky entered the main living space. His eyes widened at the sight of an enormous tree, slowly being decorated by you, Wanda, Natasha and Steve. 

“I haven’t seen a tree that big since the one they used to have in Brooklyn.” He speaks up and you turn your head, smiling brightly as you step down from the small step ladder, Steve holding his arms out as a precaution. 

You step closer toward Bucky, holding a box of decorations in your hands. “You coming to help?” You question hesitantly, hoping you’re not coming off too strong. “If you don’t want to I understand.” You quickly add as the others pause, looking at the pair of you. 

“No, no,” Bucky shakes his head. “I’d like to help.” He states with a small smile, watching as yours grows wider before you turn around and wander back over to help finish wrapping the lights around.

Bucky stands beside Steve who nudges him lightly. “Someone had a change of heart?” Steve quietly questions as he follows Bucky’s gaze over to you as you stand either side of Wanda and Natasha as you bite your lower lip in concentration. 

Looking back to his friend, Bucky sighs deeply. “Call it the spirit of Christmas, Steve.” Bucky forces a small smile before you walk over, passing him a section of lights. 

Your fingers glide across his, and Bucky drops the lights. The action doesn’t go unnoticed by the others, but you seem oblivious to it as you pick up another set and start to rise up the tree.

“Okay, who’s going up there then?” Wanda speaks up, looking to the top of the tree where a small patch remains for the lights. 

“I don’t mind.” You suggest, but Bucky shakes his head in protest. 

“It doesn’t exactly look safe, doll.” He comments, the pet name slipping from his tongue without him being aware. 

You turn your head to face Bucky as you stand on the step ladder. “I’ll be alright, Buck.” You say with a smile. “But thanks for caring.” You place your hand on his metal arm before turning back around as you start climbing up, but Bucky keeps his hands cemented to the ladder to ensure your safety. 

Bucky can feel his heart in his throat as you reach over the tree, one foot balancing on the step ladder as you lean too far back and slip. A small scream escapes your lips and Bucky’s eyes widen as he holds his arms out to catch you.

But you never fall as Wanda holds you up in the air. “Holy shit.” You gasp as Wanda lowers you down to Bucky who holds you close in his arms. “I, I’m okay.” You tell him as he hesitantly lets go of you as you brush yourself down, still feeling your heart beating in your ears. 

As you walk away from Bucky, he brushes his hair back out of his face in an attempt to snap himself out from the moment you just had as Steve turns the music up. 

All of you finish working together and putting the final decorations up on the tree. You take a step back, unable to stop your bright smile as you look at it all. “It looks wonderful.” You beam as Bucky stands by your side, remaining reserved until you raise an eyebrow to him and a smile cracks his lips. 

“It’s a tree alright,” Bucky comments, watching as you roll your eyes playfully. 

Steve takes a step back and turns on the music again, playing a song that will hold a special place in Bucky’s heart. 

The song begins to flood through the sound system and Bucky tenses up. “I don’t think I’ve heard this rendition before.” You speak up as Bucky laughs lightly. 

“This is the original version, doll.” He explains to you, taking a hold of your hand in his and the other to your waist. “Joey Nash, Richard Himber and his orchestra.” He recites off, having heard it for many hours in his adolescence. 

Swaying in his arms, you smile up to Bucky seeing him shining through from his cold exterior. “It’s beautiful.” You comment and Bucky focuses on you, nodding in agreement.

Under his breath, he sings along to the well-known words as they take him back to dancing in halls and school practises, but out of them all, this is his best memory of it. 

Steve leans against the counter with the girls, watching as you two dance in one another's arms. “Think we should leave them be?” Wanda mutters as Steve and Natasha nod in agreement.

“Anyway, Y/n has a surprise for Bucky.” Natasha states and Steve quirks an eyebrow. “You’ll see Cap.” Natasha pats his arm as the three of them head down the corridor, leaving you two alone. 

As the song comes to an end, you’re leaning your head against Bucky’s chest. You still sway despite silence falling upon you both, that is until Bucky looks around and notices everyone else is gone.

“I think we might’ve bored them a bit, doll.” Bucky mutters to you as you open your eyes and move from his embrace.

Slightly flustered, you tuck your hair back as the eyes that were watching are absent. 

“I erm, I’ve got something for you Bucky,” You turn your back to him as you wander over to a small box. “it’s nothing much, but I know this is your first Christmas in the 21st century, and I wanted to get you something to remind you of Christmases you would remember.” You ramble as you pass him the small box, placing it in his hands as Bucky looks down at it. 

“Y/n,” He mutters your name sweetly. “you didn’t have to do this,” You shake your head in response. 

“If it helps you feel more grounded, then it’s all worthwhile.” You say with a small smile as you stand impatiently as he opens the lid and removes the white tissue paper.

Bucky tears at the tissue and discards it on the floor as you keep your eyes fixated on the box. Slowly, he removes the last layer to reveal an emerald green tree ornament. 

Opening his lips, words refuse to follow and instead, he looks up at you with pure shock. “Do, do you like it?” You ask nervously as Bucky looks back down at the decoration and pulls it from the box.

Dangling it in front of him, Bucky can see the shine in the tear-shaped ornament. “I, I love it.” He breathes out. “How’d you know?” He stutters over his words. 

“Well, Steve mentioned once about the ornaments you had growing up for your Christmas tree and it didn’t take me too long to find one.” You explain as you fiddle with the hem of your jumper. “It’s authentic, I, I made sure.” You add as Bucky looks at you in disbelief. 

“You did this for, for me?” He asks softly, watching as you laugh lightly and nod.

“Well, of course, Bucky!” You chuckle. 

Without hesitating, Bucky steps forward and wraps his arms around you. “Thank you, Y/n.” He whispers to you as you slowly react, wrapping your arms around him as you bury your head into the crook of his neck. 

“Anything to make you feel at home for Christmas, Bucky.” You mumble to him as you pull away. “You gonna put it on the tree?” 

Bucky nods as he steps forward, placing it on one of the front branches beside a light allowing the emerald to shimmer. 

Taking a step back, Bucky takes hold of your hand as you both stand, admiring the tree. “Merry Christmas, Y/n.” He turns to face you, squeezing your hand as your eyes are illuminated by the Christmas tree lights.

“Merry Christmas to you too, Bucky.” You step forward, brushing his hair from his face before leaning in, kissing him softly as the music begins to fade.

t a g l i s t (thank you for the support!)

@biss-stuff   @psychicforest  @lourightm @mywinterwolf   @justsomedreaming@stanlux17@supermoonchildbroski @xrosegoldwolfx@courtneychicken@marvelsangels @supraveng @tommy-lee-81​

[varchieforever]

"It was extremely hard in the sense of the emotions, but I feel really proud and honored and extremely humbled that they asked me and I got to be a part of it," she said. 

Doherty reached out to loved ones in Perry's life to make sure they were comfortable with her appearing on "Riverdale." 

Doherty couldn't reveal who she was playing on the twisty series, but she was moved by the affection for Perry from the cast and  Aguirre-Sacasa. 

"I spoke to certain family members and they were behind it," she said. "Luke's manager Steve (Himber) was very supportive, and I went into it knowing that I was being supported by everyone that really mattered to Luke. And knowing that it was a show that he had been trying to get me on since Day 1 (laughs), it was like this really beautiful moment."

"That cast loves him," she said. "Loves, loves, loves him. (My role) was cathartic in a lot of ways. Very, very hard and emotional."

[sing-for-theongreyjoy]

Steve Himber used to be James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) event manager. I am sorry to say I once went to a Himber event. There they are these male actors, sort of whoring themselves out) to a bunch of middle aged to older women. It’s a money machine using the obsessed infatuation of these women. Look, back then, I was totally obsessed but I swore to myself that I would never again attend such a thing. Steve Himber is not a bad man. He’s kind and was happily married to his now late husband raising their daughter. But I’m not a fan of his way of handling events. It becomes heavily focused on how hot the actor is and how much we all want him. It’s just too much. And in the years after, I knew of women spending all their money on travels to and from events to get one more 10 second photo op, another autograph, another close look. One even lost her house because she spent all her savings. It leaves me with a very bad taste.

For those asking who the guy is lifting Sam's cap in this 👇 video of Sam at Starfury Convention (I'm assuming he was checking out Sam's forehead scar, NOT going in for a kiss in PUBLIC like some of the gay brigade are saying. 🤦‍♀️Lord, I can't with these dopes)

The guy on the left is Steve Himmer, Talent Agent, NOT Sam going public at convention of all places. SMH

Here's a blurb about him from a few years back. 👇

Hope that sets you straight. 😉

I'm off to the beach in an hour or so, so anything pressing please DM and I'll post when I get back tonight or in between. Happy Saturday!

[captainignatiuspigheart]

Wow, the last couple of weeks alternating surging heat and grim weather has thorough melted every bit of my desire to do anything, including remembering the time before the heat haze. Still – we shall prevail! It was a quietish couple of weeks in any case, though did have a couple of cool things in it. Not least that I’ve been able to live outside in my gazebo office, and keep a close eye on our ridiculous cats and their shade seeking antics. We were all sad when the thunder and hailstorms drove us inside… Taking keen note of the foul weather I finally picked up some serious LEGO storage towers and did some reorganising. They don’t take up less space, which is unfortunate, but I can access key bricks sets much more easily!

Big fella in a hedge

Little lady in her rooftop fort

Last week turned out to be a mini podcast week, so I’ve spent more time talking than usual (taking up precious drinking time, alas). More We Are What We Overcoming, which has become a cornerstone of my fortnightly routine, and really does help me think about how I feel and how I’m behaving in this quarantini time. That’s not the same as actually changing my behaviour, but being aware that I’m doing little but drinking and sighing at the sun is a start… My other half and I were also interviewed for the Knot Ready podcast: a look at marriage from a modern, feminist perspective, since we’re nearly twenty-two years into a non-marriage we have some insight into why folks may not get married, or at least, possibly, why we haven’t. It was a lot of fun to chat about how we got together (half a lifetime ago!) and other stuff. I’ll definitely remember to share when our episode is out, but you should subscribe to the podcast anyway because Lucy is pretty ace and it’s a genuinely interesting subject.

View this post on Instagram

I am KNOT READY 💍😘 . I am ready to tie the knot! I am lucky enough to have found an amazing person who makes my life better and who I want to commit to fully 💕 . So when I say I'm freaked out by marriage – it's not a commitment thing! . I'm freaked out that this institution, this human invention, controlled by religion and the state and shaped through time by patriarchal narratives, has become synonymous with romantic love, and not just culturally but for me personally! Something has got it into my head that our relationship is incomplete without marriage, despite suspecting on an intellectual level that nothing much will change afterwards. . Why am I spending a silly amount of money on one day? Why did it make me sad to not be engaged to my person? Why is marriage so important to me? . Freaky questions! For some answers, turn to Knot Ready 💍😘 Episode one comes out this Friday! Link in bio to subscribe or learn more 💖

A post shared by Knot Ready (@knotreadypodcast) on Jun 23, 2020 at 12:13am PDT

We’ve also seen a few more genuine humans in the meatspace, a thing which makes me feel ever so odd. I suspect that I have been at home for too long… But we had a lovely slow wander around the University Park lake and a bit of the radically altered campus up the back of the Portland Building. Lots of baby birds, and our friends’ new baby of their own.

Building: LEGO Hidden Side’s Newbury Haunted High School #70425

OK, so I built this ages ago, but it’s really pretty. Thing is, in its standard configuration it sprawls a little wide, and is distressingly not quite a modular building. So I fixed it! My goal was for it to fit in with the other modular buildings, but of course it’s four studs wider than a baseplate, so something had to go. In my first attempt I tried to compact the bay windows but made a horrible mess, so dismantled the whole thing and rebuilt it using the instructions and deviating where necessary. Where necessary was a bit of a pain – to keep the play functions I needed to keep the bay windows and the full width of the clock tower. My only viable option was removing the four silver unicorn spires with their supporting arches, and that hasn’t really hurt the build much. I’m not super-happy that the decorative ground floor arches are now somewhat obscured, but I’m chuffed with the overall result. That it gave me a chance to go nuts on a swirly tiling pattern in coral pink was a massive bonus. I’ve kept all the play features, but lost some of the details inside. I may remove all the worn detailing too and just have a lovely school in between the detective’s office and the bank. As was noted in the Brickgeekz Facebook group, its colours do rather resemble the now-exceedingly rare Town Hall which I could never quite afford. Win!

Four studs too wide…

It fits!

Beautiful flooring

Play features intact

Watching: Space Force

This is certainly quite fun. A show about Trump’s cretinous “space force” which supposedly satirises the idea, but instead gets caught up doing a sort-of sincere NASA knock-off to get Americans back on the Moon. It doesn’t seem to be sure what it’s taking the mickey out of, leaving the comedy unfocused and swaying madly in each episode. The characters are pretty stock fodder: uptight air force general played by Steve Carell, who looks rather lost, desperate to make it funny by crashing in and out of character while relying heavily on clearing his throat to cover all forms of emotion; very smart scientist guy who isn’t that great with people in the remarkable form of John Malkovich, who shows off his comedy chops nicely (largely by staying in character); total arsehole PR guy Ben Schwartz, who is utterly hateable (in a good way) but of course redeems himself, sort of; space force pilot/astronaut Tawny Newsome, desperate to get on the moon and be somebody; the air force general’s neglected daughter who just wants to have some fun / get any attention at all from her dad. The supporting cast do a great job too, but the tone constantly swinging from idiots messing up the mission to “hurray USA” sentiment leaves them all out in the cold. It’s just odd. I did enjoy the show, and it certainly has some splendid moments, mostly as they get towards the moon landing itself, but I’m not going to be racing back for season two. The Chinese are the main rivals in this new space race, and it’s a bit… broad… for 2020.

Doing: We Are What We Overcome

The next of our “lockdown specials”, lovingly recorded by Zoom and broadcast live in Facebook. Didn’t quite work last week, for no clear reason, so we popped it up on Tuesday instead. We talked about the thorny subject of change, which we seem to have to deal with all the damned time! It’s an interesting issue, covering not just what change is and how it feels, but how we learn (or don’t learn) to deal with it. All terribly pertinent and that. We came back yesterday Monday 19th to discuss how we feel about the easing of lockdown (or whatever the fuck this shower of wank called a Tory government are doing): check that one our here: Facebook Live.

Kickstarter Reward: Munchkin Bricks 2

With all the global lunacy I’d quite forgotten these were on the way! The last-but-one project of Guy Himber, aka CrazyBricks. These are pretty silly accessories and things to accompany the equally silly Munchkin card/boardgame. I just thought they were really cute, god knows what I’m going to do with them. Particular favourites for me are the chibi cthulus (some may become gifts for others…) and the splendid octobricks!

Swag

Swagger

You should definitely check out his current project, which is already very well funded and heading for far-reaching stretch goals: Dino Dudes! Yep, it’s just what it sounds like. Go get em! Nicely covered here by the excellent Beyond the Brick channel:

Reading: Provenance by Ann Leckie

My first Leckie, having not yet gotten around to reading the acclaimed Ancillary Justice series, though this one is set in the same universe. It’s perfectly fine small-scope space opera, focusing on a young woman’s attempts to secure her future (by being named as heir to a senior politician – her adopted mother in a society with interesting communal creche arrangements) by breaking a thief out of prison and lording her victory over her brother. The thief has apparently nicked some precious vestiges, Leckie’s intriguing concept of highly-prized mementoes of the past, which might be anything from an actual artifact, eg a bell used in the first summoning of parliament, to a signed bus ticket on a special day. The Hwaean people are obsessed with the things, and it would be a terrible shame if they turned out to be fake… There’s lots of running around with aliens and robots and occasional murder of diplomats and so on, all risking the failure of a super-important peace accord between humans and some potentially terrifying aliens. Provenance is neatly written, though it loses something in having the plot summary on the back cover take only the first chapter or so to resolve, leaving me unsure where it was going after the exciting sounding heist was dealt with so quickly. It never quite recovered for me, which definitely confirms that I should not read the back cover of books I’m about to read. The author’s interest in diversity and multiple genders, modes of address and interesting social set ups are fun and satisfying to read about, so I suspect I’ll enjoy getting properly into the Ancillary Justice vibe; I just shouldn’t have started here.

More LEGO. SCUM: A Star Wars Story

I’ve now built the main cast of our Star Wars RPG! Clockwise from top-left: my Tusken raider with savaged translator droid strapped to my back, Jon’s Twi’lek bounty hunter, Ben’s Nautolan hacker, Diarmuid’s hapless and much abused Imperial officer, Joe’s GH7 medical droid (a real delight to assemble) his Mandalorian bodyguard (played by Charlie). It’s fun! Now I wanna build some of our missions…

Watching: Agents of SHIELD season 4

I’m sure you’re growing weary of this, but Agents of SHIELD is a goddamned delight. Best show on TV? Maybe. (Warning: many spoilers ahead.) This was the last of the seasons that I’d seen before, so was by far the most familiar. And yet, in the style of all their seasons, a MILLION things happen, overwhelming any sense I had of how long any of the events took. To give you some idea of just how wild this season is, we go from introducing Ghost Rider, in a surprisingly coherent way, to another Avengers nightmare of AI coming to life and taking over various characters with robot duplicates (in this case, Ada, built by splendid returning cast member John Hannah), followed by an incredible immersion of the main cast in a vast virtual reality “The Framework” (built by Ada, John Hannah, and Fitz) a terrifying alternate reality where Hydra has won and rules the world, busily oppressing and annihilating inhumans so that Ada can build herself a real body. Jesus Christ, it’s a lot. Add to that a new director of SHIELD, the ongoing friction between SHIELD and the inhumans vs the rest of the world, plus god knows what else that I’ve forgotten, and I’m happily mindblown. Of course, it’s also the doomed FitzSimmons romance show too, as those two get yet another absolute kicking when we see that Fitz is the chief Hydra scientist, experimenting and murdering all sorts of folk, like Simmons… How will they put themselves back together? Who the hell knows because at the end of this season most of the team is abducted and wake up in SPACE! In truth I’m already a good way into season 5 and I could not be happier.

Doing: MissImp’s virtual improv comedy drop-in

I’ll admit, I’m as behind on these as I am on everything else… First up, The Tiny Glass Person with Feña Ortalli:

Followed by the marvellous David Escobedo in Discovering Your Dynamics:

Last Week: LEGO, Knot Ready, Space Force, Provenance, MissImp, CrazyBricks, Agents of SHIELD, We Are What We Overcome… many things! I’ve gotta get back to doing this weekly… TV, books, much LEGO, some improv and podcasts. https://wp.me/pbprdx-8Gx Wow, the last couple of weeks alternating surging heat and grim weather has thorough melted every bit of my desire to do…

[sgiandubh]

Engaging

The e2c2 Chicago con is happening as we speak and an Only fan had the very good questionable idea of asking Steve The Minder to chime in, with this Public Service Announcement:

[Source: Katie's Corner in Space Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIW-RKTRzPz/]

Meanwhile, S looks more focused on whatever candy (?) he's trying. I don't think he can be more clear about how much he really cares about Mr. Himber's arrogant babble: that man must think we are all idiots, or something, bless his heart.

In other words, he DGA (flying) F whatsoever and mind you, this is refreshing to see.

Also, these baffling comments, under this post. Women at large, women unhinged, sad result:

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

It appears that Steve Himber serves as both SH's American manager and a CB employee. If this is the case, this freelancer from Outlander Con, like Highlanders7 in the UK this weekend, could be a Starz employee and might be utilizing the route available to US citizens seeking to work in the UK.

In the UK, anyone applying for a work permit must first receive an offer of employment, which comes in the form of a sponsorship certificate from a UK employer holding a sponsor license issued by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). The licence holder in this case would be STARZ. The strict points-based evaluation in his case is of little significance for STARZ.

When people wonder if there is no Host in the UK interested in this kind of work or if Outlander simply doesn’t excite in the UK as it does in the US, it's worth noting the low-key interest in the Outlander cast among Brits. What will Steven do when Outlander is over? 🧐

Posted 20th July 2024

@hereprettykitty - I know he has his own company in the US that is not registered in the UK for work and his company is not part of the global mobility program. He’s earning income on UK soil, and for that, He must be employed by a UK company that is located in the UK (convention organisers maybe or Starz)— He needs to pay UK income tax, even though he doesn’t live in the UK. I agree he only shows up when the bigger stars are attending and he’s there to make sure it goes smoothly for his income. The same situation happened in Australia and France.

I haven't seen him around other Outlander cast as a personal chaperone except for SH and now CB as for Starz a television network not need accompanies. Does anyone know his talent list? He has a dominant position in Outlander cons Monopolies are discouraged in free-market economies because they stifle competition, limit consumer substitutes, and thus, limit consumer choice.

[sgiandubh]

It’s straight-up naive to think she’d agree to be part of that event if Sam was gonna be there!

Like, how do you not get that she can’t stand him and was just faking it during the promos ‘cause she’s a pro and it was in her contract?

She got confirmed last minute ‘cause she waited to make sure Sam wasn’t showing up—clear as day they don’t get along! 🤣🤣🤣

Dear Last Minute Anon,

Surely you did not want to display the colossal amount of contempt you just managed for your venerated C, right?

And surely you do also know these appearances are negotiated at least six months before the event itself?

Use your own side's logic to the rescue: why would C suddenly be so magnanimous towards fans she allegedly detests and a project she (also allegedly) 'cannot get quickly enough out of'? Didn't your people speak at length about her 'reluctance loathing of cons/'shilling', based on absolutely nothing?

It doesn't take for me to be Mrs. Graham to just know what type of consumer you are, in general. The perfectly gullible one, lover of coupons and last-minute offers, who thinks those are just Marketing & Sales' whims and/or attempts to fix a glitch on the market, not part of a firmly pre-established strategy. Same goes for your splendid display of a parasocial relationship with C. Hence your talking about her and on her behalf, with the crazy confidence of someone who honestly thinks they personally know her, just because they obsessively follow her.

I also think you should stop being so naive and uninformed yourself:

The Land Con is touted and sold as an 'Outlander official convention'. This is presented the same exact way as the infamous 2018 Seacaucus, NJ Creation Entertainment OL convention (where S, along with C and many other cast members, canceled last minute, prompting Steve Himber's arrogant disclaimer, see here: https://www.creationent.com/cal/outlander_nj.htm):

The difference between these events and the larger Comic Cons is obvious: these are events exclusively dedicated to the series and its cast, not part of a bigger, multi-show happening. The use of the OL copyright and/or trademark (both owned by Sony Picture TV) means this is a licensed event and denotes a contractual bond with SPTV - exactly as for Creation Entertainment's failed convention - clearly the partnership wasn't renewed, in their case:

As such, it was included in the cast's contracts with *** , as part of promo appearance. Their choice to attend one or the other promo events available, but the number of appearances is regulated by their own contracts, for sure.

Finally, French fans and regular attendees of the Land Con know very well the organizers always announce the guest of honor last, as a sales strategy aiming to build momentum and fans' expectations. This is, make no mistake, a for profit event - I am sure of it and able to prove it with facts. Anytime, 🎃. Note to self: it would, perhaps, be useful to write something about the way fan events of this type are managed, organized and made profitable.

You were saying?

[sgiandubh]

News from Birmingham: 'Caitriona is a goddess'

I have two of my best friends in attendance, Marple. Getting decent photos and fighting a grumpy wi-fi/lackadaisical roaming connection is never easy, but our girls are bravely there and sending everything they can.

Our people in Birmingham are seated just in the back, but here is a good layout pic, serves us well as proof of life and more:

These are from this afternoon [I had to edit, sorry: I have a life, too], featuring John Bell...

... Vandervaart (*faints in Romanian*) and David Berry (#silly me, I had to ask):

The girls confirmed C arrived and was monitored at all times by none else than Steve Himber, S's official minder/handler. They had no pic, because they were told that they couldn't take any 📸during the autograph sessions. I was later tipped (thank you, love you!) and found that on @bella_outlander_fan's IG account (she is very well informed and posts everything, including the bad and the ugly):

General impression tidbits follow:

✔️'she is a Goddess'- our friend is a C mainly, just like Shipper Mom. In the same sense I am an S mainly, nothing more, but also a prominent & very active shipper, on top. Also, one of our absolute BEST sleuths. A wonderful, caring and sensitive soul I love to bits, too.

✔️Added impressions on C: 'Wonderful. Smiling. Friendly. Touchy-feely. A hugger. Grateful. Thin like a rail. Very little makeup/no makeup look, if any. Jeans and grey Tshirt, with sneakers. Absolutely beautiful and affectionate during each person's minute with her.'

✔️ Our friend could talk to her during the autograph session. Note to self for Paris: presents were not allowed to be given in person, had to be presented separately (I am planning to order a limited edition, old as time spirits bottle, stupid me, LOOOOOOOL - more on this at the end of the post). Our friend described her lovely, thoughtful gift and C promised to retrieve it (will she wear it? are we allowed to dream?). She thanked her warmly, she loved the idea and she 'loved [the place where they came from]' (not for me to say, but TELLING as FUCK).

Her panel is scheduled at 5:00 PM, GMT, which is to say in nine minutes. Will keep you posted.

Thank you, girls! LOVE YOU!

[Later Edit]: forgot to mention one of my recent breakfast chats with Shipper Mom, during which I mentioned I did not plan to have my pic taken w/S, in Paris.

'And why not, are you stupid or just vain, like that?' (my mother is exactly like me, because well - she is my mom: I sense a theme, here)

'You know why. Because of the Dubai Whore Thing.'

'Oh, puh-lease, Baby Bear. If I were you, I would go right there and thank the guy. If anything, for all those wonderful people you have met through OL.'

She got me. I am going. I know exactly how I want that pic to look and will post it. Na, as the French, the Romanian and the Greeks say, in defiance. Must be a Southern thing, LOL.

IMPORTANT: a pox on your house for 2400 years if you post these without permission.

[sgiandubh]

News from Birmingham, part 4: last tidbits

The Highlanders 7 con ended about one hour ago. Here is the last batch of selected pics from the closing ceremony, immediately sent by the girls.

Same restrictions as yesterday: Mordorians need not apply and no stealing for X or Instagram, please - whoever you might be.

An interesting tidbit was brought by this guy, in his closing speech:

Meet Sean W. Harry, the owner of the Highlanders franchise. He took the time for a special kudos to Steve Himber and he said that when he first got the idea of organizing the convention, he didn't really know where to start. He knew, however, that Himber was 'the Number One in the US for convention casting', contacted him and told him he 'wanted the OL cast' : 'thank you, Steve, none of all this would have been possible without you'.

As mentioned by @misssophie-me, things might be more nuanced, IRL. Thank you for the research, honey and might I add a screenshot of my own, for clarity:

The guy owns two companies, on each US coast: Himber Entertainment Worldwide, in New Jersey and Himber Entertainment, in LA. He introduces himself as a 'talent manager', but I can't understand how and why his number of professional connections is so limited. Perhaps he is just like me, he doesn't like LinkedIn much - go figure:

Himber lost a trial in court, in 2007, against another LA talent manager, Holly Lebed, for 'negligent breach of contract' - no fraud, however, was retained against him:

The above go to show the plaintiff won the case and took the money. Lebed's attorney and Lebed herself, as plaintiff, were served a 'satisfaction of judgment'. This shows they received the money they were owed by Himber, who lost the case. His reputation must have been stellar, afterwards. I bet the farm.

If Himber is 'Number One in the US', I wonder who Lebed is: Number One in the entire galaxy? There is quite a difference in numbers, on LinkedIn:

Remember (LOL for years) this New Jersey convention, in 2018? Granted, it was way before my time, but hey, Internet is forever:

Neither S, nor C could attend (last minute) due to conflicting filming schedules and were replaced by Rankin and Skeleton. Something caught my eye in the very stiff statement released by Himber, at that time. Perhaps it might clarify his status as far as S and C are concerned:

'The booker who coordinated Sam's appearances between his theatrical agents and promoters such as yourself'. For sure, those guys at Creation Entertainment were mightily pissed. Himber's choice of words is peculiar, though and he lends the impression he doth protest too much. This is the kind of statement and the kind of guy that would make many people suspicious.

You make up your own mind. I think there are many things that just begin to make sense, now.

But to end on a somewhat lighter note, remember (LOL for all the rest of the season) this recent pic, at Wimbledon?

Turns out the same guy showed up at the Highlanders Con, as Skeleton's assistant for the autograph session. I have no pic to substantiate, but I was told by our girls he was helping out with post-its, etc. Weird.

Questions, questions.

[sgiandubh]

Is steve a S guy, OL guy or for hire guy🤔

Dear Himber Anon,

Here is something you will not read often on this page:

I DON'T KNOW.

I honestly don't. To answer you truly and faithfully, I shall have to see this man's contract. Something I shall never be able to do, for obvious confidentiality reasons.

However, there seems to be a consensus, in our corner, he is a Horrible Narrative Zealot. And patronizing to fans.

One more time, I wish I'd be Trump for once. Just this once: