Oxford to turn away child prodigies

Oxford to turn away child prodigies

"Yinan Wang, the 14-year-old Chinese boy who clinched a place at Oxford University last week, will be the last child prodigy to study there under reforms being considered by admissions tutors.
Despite an almost perennial flurry of headlines on children barely in their teens being offered places, the university is considering an unprecedented blanket rule on minimum ages for undergraduates.

"'The admissions executive is in discussions around whether we should introduction a minimum age of 17 for undergraduates,' confirmed Ruth Collier, a spokesperson for admissions to Oxford. 'We have been pushed to consider it, not because of concerns about whether it is psychologically healthy for children to study here, but because of child protection laws which have come into play this year for the first time.'

"Oxford is the only university in Britain that currently accepts undergraduates who are under the age of 17. Individual colleges decide which candidates they will accept as undergraduates, but Collier confirms that age is rarely, if ever, a factor.

"'It's up to each college who they accept, but if you're the best student for the place and are 14 years old, then the general attitude is "so be it",' said Collier. 'We have always said our policy is entirely non-discriminatory and we are proud of that openness, which we consider crucial to Oxford's ethos, but we have discovered this year that there are heavy costs in having that policy.'"

Star Frontiers dot com

This, my friends is old school gaming at its finest. Star Frontiers was one of the early SF games (after the Metamorphosis Alpha/Gamma World stuff...if you consider that to be SF). And now, thanks to the wonders of the internet most of the books are available in PDF and/or HTML. Download and enjoy.

Star Frontiers dot com

You Got Your Domibia Games In My Seraphim Guard!

PRESS RELEASE
DATE: August 15, 2005
CONTACT:
Tim Huntley - Seraphim Guard, LLC. | tim@seraphim-guard.com | http://www.seraphim-guard.com

YOU GOT YOUR DOMIBIA GAMES IN MY SERAPHIM GUARD!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LA HABRA, CA - Domibia Games today announced that they have purchased the assets of Seraphim Guard, Inc., and are continuing business as Seraphim Guard, LLC. In addition, Seraphim Guard, LLC. has re-acquired the rights to the popular HeartQuest: Romantic Role Playing in the Worlds of Shoujo Manga line of role playing games.

As a result of this merger, Seraphim Guard, LLC. now holds sway over two of the first commercially published role playing games for the Fudge System: Gatecrasher, from Domibia Games, and HeartQuest, from Seraphim Guard, Inc.

Tim Huntley, of Seraphim Guard, LLC., could not be more pleased: "I'm so excited to have been able to pull this together. It took a lot of work, but the results were certainly worth it. With both Gatecrasher and HeartQuest under our belt, we've got an excellent starting lineup for the new Seraphim Guard." Seraphim Guard, LLC. plans to continue publishing the anime role playing games that Seraphim Guard fans know and love, and will also branch out into non-anime role playing games with continued support for Gatecrasher and other games. "The remainder of 2005 will see a huge re-release of the HeartQuest line," said Tim Huntley, "and 2006 should see the publication of Gatecrasher 2371, our completely rewritten and updated vision of that enduring setting."

For more information, please contact Tim Huntley via e-mail to tim@seraphim-guard.com, or see the Seraphim Guard, LLC. website at http://www.seraphim-guard.com.


##########

Seraphim Guard, LLC., is an Oregon company founded in 2005 via the merger of Domibia Games and Seraphim Guard, Inc. Seraphim Guard, LLC. is the publisher of the popular HeartQuest line of shoujo manga role playing games and the enduring Gatecrasher line of science fantasy role playing games.

Wizards Of The Coast To Open Art Vaults To Public For First Time

AUGUST 15, 2005 (Renton, Wash.) - The eyes of the art world will be on Seattle this fall as a portion of one of the largest privately held collections of fantasy-themed art in existence is made available to the public for the first time in a Limited Edition art collection. Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) and publisher of the famed MAGIC: THE GATHERING Trading Card Game (TCG) and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS roleplaying game (RPG), announced today that it will sell Limited Edition art pieces from its expansive archives in the fall of 2005.

"The acclaimed work of some of the world’s top fantasy artists has long been available for public enjoyment in the form of 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch trading cards and as ancillary illustrations in game manuals. The debut of the Limited Edition Collection will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for connoisseurs of fantasy art to acquire several celebrated pieces in full-size, collection quality format.

"'For over thirty years the fantastical, otherworldly art of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and MAGIC: THE GATHERING has inspired the creative energies of millions,' said Laura Tommervik, Brand Manager for the Limited Edition Collection at Wizards of the Coast. 'Our archives are filled with more than 15,000 pieces of completely original, fantasy art commissioned for our games and novel lines during the last three decades. This limited sale of ten iconic pieces is a first of its kind for Wizards.'

"Ten select pieces of MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS art will go on sale in early fall of 2005 with 250 artist signed and numbered canvases and 1,000 artist signed and numbered prints for each selection. Available exclusively via online sale through wizards.com, prices will range from approximately fifty to three hundred dollars each."

Old Comics Reborn

I remember Saint Germaine from the good old days of Caliber Comics (which would be from before the crappy later days of the company). The company put out some really good stuff once upon a time, and it is good to see that some of that stuff hasn't disappeared along with the company.

Hugo Awards for 2005 Announced

Hugo Awards for 2005 Announced

"The winners of the 2005 Hugo Awards were announced tonight at Interaction, the 2005 World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon). Around 2000 people including many of the nominees attended this major event. Full voting figures for both the nominating and final ballots were released simultaneously and are available from Interaction's Web Site."

Best Novel: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Best Novella: "The Concrete Jungle" by Charles Stross

Best Novelette: "The Faery Handbag" by Kelly Link

Best Short Story: "Travels with My Cats" by Mike Resnick

Best Related Book: The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction
Edited by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: The Incredibles
Written & Directed by Brad Bird

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form: "33" - Battlestar Galactica
Written by Ronald D. Moore and Directed by Michael Rymer.

Best Professional Editor: Ellen Datlow

Best Professional Artist: Jim Burns

Best Semiprozine: Ansible
Edited by David Langford

Best Fanzine: Plokta
Edited by Alison Scott, Steve Davies and Mike Scott

Best Fan Writer: David Langford

Best Fan Artist: Sue Mason

Best Web Site: SciFiction (www.scifi.com/scifiction)
Edited by Ellen Datlow. Craig Engler, general manager

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (not a Hugo Award): Elizabeth Bear

Special Interaction Committee Award (not a Hugo Award): David Pringle

Things to do in SF when you're dead: Zombie Flashmob today

Things to do in SF when you're dead: Zombie Flashmob today

From the Boing Boing site:

"I received a message from the brain eating master today: 'We're trying to create a self perpetuating Zombie Mob in the streets of San Francisco on Saturday (Saturday, July 30th). A seed group of zombies will start at St. Mary's square, and as we march up Market St. we'll attack Willing bystanders, converting them and giving them ingredients to make more zombies.'"

see the linked site for more information, if you happen to be in the San Fransico area.

I challenge anyone to tell me that isn't geeky.

Voltron Zooms To Theaters

Voltron Zooms To Theaters

"Producer Mark Gordon (The Day After Tomorrow) is developing a big-budget feature based on Voltron: Defender of the Universe, a 1980s Japanese animated series about a team of pilots whose individual ships combine to form a giant robot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"The film will follow the team as they travel to the planet Arus to learn how to operate Voltron, the last hope against the evil Drule Empire that has subjugated Earth and taken control of the universe, the trade paper reported. The film will be produced by New Line Cinema's Mark Costa and Ford Oelman, who secured the rights from Voltron owner World Events. Pharrell Williams, a partner in the producing duo the Neptunes, will score the film and produce the soundtrack.

"The Voltron series debuted in 1984, about the same time as Hasbro's Transformers toy line, igniting a morphing robot phenomenon. Voltron has generated $750 million in worldwide licensing and nearly $200 million in toys and merchandising since 1984, the trade paper reported. A Transformers film is also in development at DreamWorks."

Uproar grows over GTA sex scenes

Uproar grows over GTA sex scenes

"US politicians have stepped into the storm over secret sex scenes in the best-selling Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas game."

Jim Aparo, 1932-2005

Jim Aparo also had the distinction of having been the longest running artist to ever work on the character of Batman. He brought a very distinct style and identity to the characters of the Batman Family.

Jim Aparo, 1932-2005


"Jim Aparo, a respected Silver Age artist perhaps best known for his work on the Batman character, has passed away, according to a press release offered to reporters on the family's behalf. In addition to work with the big-name character that made his dramatic style one of the most recognizable of the 1970s and 1980s, Aparo enjoyed significant runs with the Aquaman and Phantom Stranger characters, was the co-creator of the Batman and the Outsiders title, and was the penciler on the infamous 'Death in the Family' storyline. He worked at Charlton before heading to DC in the late 1960s."