Ahmed Best signing COMPLETE!

Ahmed Best just finished his private signing at the Coolwaters' offices and we are no in the process of certifying it all, packing it up and shipping it out. Our hope is to have it all done by this afternoon and hopefully it will all arrive in time for the holidays! Thanks to all who participated! Cheers from Derek and the Coolwaters staff!

Important Holiday charity

This charity is REALLY important to Coolwaters! Please donate, event if it is a dollar!

We have donated tons of signed stuff that can also be bid on..... so you can donate and bid! Check it out the kids really need your support!

http://combatradionow.com/content/donate

Harrison Ellenshaw comments on sale of Lucasfilm

"

I wasn't at all shocked by the announcement.   When I visited Skywalker Ranch and the Lucasfilm Archives a few months ago, I asked what would happen after George goes to that galaxy (far far away) in the sky.  I think we all agreed there that George was not going to just let his estate go to his kids who might not really want to deal with it and then sell it to Walmart or Google or Apple???  So the deal with Disney is George saying this is the best choice he can make at this time.  Who better to manage the ongoing revenue stream from a massive merchandising machine?

But here are some points (all just my opinion, of course):

- Disney got a firggin' bargain (think of the real estate alone). They paid almost twice as much for Pixar and THAT was a bargain.  {If INSTAGRAM is worth 1 billion then Lucasfilm is worth at least 10 billion,  if not more.}  But my guess is that Iger knows that there are no more blockbusters coming from Lucasfilm.  The press release that says more SW films are on the way starting in 2015 is just to make Wall Street happy.  They may make them, they may not.  Regardless they won’t look anything like the “original” SW films, they will be directed by some video game director with an English accent who’s never done a feature before and star teenagers who suck blood from C3PO.  The effects will be in 3D or more (!) and produced in Sri-Lanka.  By the way isn’t Iger supposed retire by then?   It's a crap shoot who the next Disney CEO will be.  Larry Ellison??? Hoodie Zuckerman??? David Stern????   Don't laugh it could happen. Remember Fay Vincent, Coca Cola and Columbia.  Let’s not forget the bigger the company the more likely the board will make bad CEO choices., it's the nature of the beast.

- George is bored.  His only real joy anymore is choosing the moulding and paint colors for the remodel of the cafeteria (seriously).  I don't mean that unkindly, by the way.  He is also a very sensitive man.  He feels very hurt by the vitriolic hatred of fans who feel betrayed, not to mention Marin County who would not let him build sound stages at Skywalker Ranch; so George said fine, I'll build low cost housing instead to which the county then said "No, we don't want poor people in here, it's bad for the neighborhood!"  For George the Disney deal is a way to further distance himself from the resentment and hate.  He will try to withdraw further, but I don't think he will ever be able to ‘let go’ completely... like I said, he's a sensitive man.

- Here is the REAL point.  Few people know how generous George is.  He established many years ago an educational foundation funded at over a billion dollars. George will get 2 bil in cash from Disney.  Then he will give another bil to his foundation and with the other 1 bil give it to charities and perhaps the arts.  But it won't make the news (WELL IT JUST DID).  So far of all the "breaking news" articles in the last 24 hours, I've only seen one article that mentions he's one of a number of very wealthy people who signed the Gates/Buffett declaration to be philanthropic with his wealth and not leave more than a few million to their kids.  "Little Jimmy, how many Ferraris do you really need?" [STOP THE PRESSES!  MUCH OF THIS HAS JUST BEEN CONFIRMED BY A LUCAS SPOKESPERSON... NOT THE FERRARI THING THOUGH.]

-It's too bad that now Kathy Kennedy has to report to Alan Horn, that's humiliating. She should be reporting directly to Iger, it's only fair"

~ Harrison Ellenshaw

Warwick Davis comments on the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney

"Lucasfilm and the Star Wars universe are very precious to George, and the fans. Having worked with both Lucasfilm and Disney, I know Disney are the perfect company to be entrusted with George's legacy. As a fan, I'm really excited about the prospect of more Star Wars movies too. I can't wait to see other parts of that galaxy far, far away, and the many beings (of all sizes) that inhabit it." - Warwick Davis

Billy Dee comments on the sale of Lucasfilm

"I am very honored to have been a part of the Star Wars universe, the fans have made me feel so welcome and loved. George was a very smart and lucky individual who has been fortunate enough to create an empire that has touched so many lives. Like Walt Disney himself, George has inspired so many and I think its fitting that the Disney company has the chance to use its own creative efforts to continue the stories of a galaxy far, far away." - Billy Dee Williams

Bauersfeld signing complete

The signing is done! Heading back to LA so we can ship all items back to the gracious fans! Derek Maki & Erik Bauersfeld shown here, "an amazing gentleman with great stories"!

Send-Ins... happy customers!

FROM A GREAT CUSTOMER:
I want to let you know how impressed I am at how you handled the recent Billy Dee Williams send-in. I got my posters back today-that was quick! The placement on the posters was perfect, including a photo of each poster being signed was a great bonus, and the communication and super fast return shipping time was phenomenal. Again, I just wanted to let you know that I was very impressed by how you handled this send-in and that I am a very satisfied customer, and I look forward to dealing with your company again in the future.

Sincerely,
Robert N.

THANKS ROBERT.... we do try our best - Derek Maki (Coolwaters' president)

TRON 30th (by Harrison Ellenshaw - CLIENT)

Can it be? TRON turns thirty.


Cindy Morgan (Yori), Bruce Boxleitner (Tron) ask Harrison Ellenshaw why he cut out the “love scene” from the movie Tron.  (At PopCon LA, July 8, 2012.)


Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the release of the ground breaking film Tron. Last Sunday I spent a few hours at PopCon LA and was fortunate enough to be on a panel discussing the movie. The panel, which included Cindy Morgan and Tron himself, Bruce Boxleitner was a very casual and heartfelt reminiscence about what was an incredible experience for all of us.
Another panelist was the author of “The Making of Tron,” Bill Kallay. For those fans of the film it is a very worthwhile read. I personally wrote the foreword to the book and was happy to contribute a number of behind the scenes photographs.

Also in attendance was Michael Bonifer, the original publicist for Tron and author of the then published, “The Art of Tron.” Bonifer told the crowd that this week an announcement will be forthcoming about a very special Tron celebration event in October to held at the world famous Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

Oh... and by the way, it was the director who cut the “love scene” out of the film, not me!

Harrison Ellenshaw
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER AND CO-VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR, TRON