• The newly-released region 2 Clerks X DVD is kicking butt in the UK. It’s clocking in at Number 5 on the HMV DVD charts. Number 8 in the Virgin Megastore DVD charts. For a 10 year old film that’s already been released for years, that’s not bad. Not bad at all. The release is getting really good displays in HMV and Virgin on Oxford Street, London. You can see them very clearly from the other side of the street.
• For the first time in history, Clerks will air UNCUT on basic cable. The familiarly-named “Secret Stash” is a program on Comedy Central that airs the uncut verison of films. On August 6th, Clerks is showing for the first time.

On that same Saturday, the edited version of Dogma is airing twice at 10:30 am and 6:30 pm EST.

• Jon Favreau had some kind words regarding Kev’s recent “Dinner For Five” guest hosting gig in an AICN interview:

• Some Kevin quotes and mentions in this New York Times article on John Pierson’s theater in Fiji and “Reel Paradise”:

By the way, we recommend Firefox and the BugMeNot plugin for sites that require passwords to read articles.

• An Ohio.com piece reveals Jason Lee’s reluctance to take on a TV role, and also hints that Kevin may come on board to direct an episode of “My Name Is Earl”. Some snips:

Read it all HERE. Again, BugMeNot if you have probs logging in.

• Finally this evening, Contact Music has again taken a quote from Kevin’s press and made a small piece of it. The fun part isn’t so much the quote, but his supposed nationality that had us chuckling. So here ya have it:

• Wanna see an exclusive trailer for the upcoming “Jay & Silent Bob Do Degrassi” dvd? Well Kevin dropped by the board with this sweet little Quicktime preview. Click HERE to check it out and don’t forget to catch the 3-episode arc on The N starting August 12. We’ll be back later with more news…

• One of the more newsworthy and exciting portions of Kev’s San Diego appearance included a segment where he revealed that “Passion of the Clerks” starts shooting September 12th, wraps in October, and MIGHT be released in early 2006! There’s bits about the Clerks cartoon film in there as well. The dude who filmed it used a digital camera, so it’s shaky but you can make it out. It’s a quicktime video and slightly under a minute in length. Check it out HERE.
• This article reports more good news for “My Name Is Earl”:

The OFFICIAL SITE for Earl has also opened up, but there’s not too much there at this point.

• Lee’s not the only View Askew vet with a sitcom starting up this Fall: Chris Rock’s new show, “Everybody Hates Chris”, will premiere on UPN. The show will center on Chris’s childhood starting with age 13, growing up with two siblings. It’s being touted as an urban version of “The Wonder Years”.
• Off-World Designs is selling a Clerks/D&D parody design of a shirt called “Clerics”. Check out the humorous little tagline.

• We always love having some fantastic news to carry into the weekend, and this one’s no exception. Kevin has finished a project that we’ve heard many questions about, both through e-mail and at his live gigs. With the writing on “Spidey/Black Cat” done now, we’re excited to hear that a “written by Kevin Smith” comic will be hitting the shelves soon! Here’s Kev:

I have finished writing the “Spider-Man/Black Cat: Evil That Men Do” mini-series.

For those of you who’re new (or don’t follow comics), this is a mini series I started writing back in 2001. I turned in script for issue three back in September of 2002.

But as of a few moments ago, I just forwarded the script to issue six to Axel at Marvel. It’s done.

And while I have zero defense for my lateness (particularly when folks like Bendis turn out great stories in multiple books on a monthly basis), I will say this: it’s a much better story now that it would’ve been had I completed it back in ‘02. But judge that for yourselves when it comes out (or don’t; believe me – I’d understand if folks were like “Fuck him for making me wait three years. I ain’t buying it.”).

Terry Dodson is done drawing issue four, and is well into issue five. Don’t know when this puts the book on track for, but my guess is by year’s end, or Jan. ‘06.

Anyway, just thought I’d share that. Thanks, all, for your patience.

One down, one to go! Once Kevin finishes “Target”, we’re hoping he might be inspired to take up another comics run somewhere — We miss seeing regularly-scripted books coming from the guy.

• Kevin’s getting web-comic ink again today, this time in a fun little edition of PVP Online. Worth your valuable clicking time. It’s a fun strip from one of the best online comics out there. There’s actually a background story to the jab, too – The issue in question revolves around Wizard’s move to hold Wizard World Atlanta on the same weekend as HerosCon in Charlotte, NC, despite the fact that the cities are in close proximity to each other. Rival comicons…Who ever thought we’d see the day?
• TV Guide reports that a very familiar idea is coming up on a new reality program of theirs called “Situation: Comedy”:

Retailers, eh? Sounds familiar…Can’t quite place it…hmmm…

• Wresting website PWInsider has a small mention of Southland Tales and Kevin (links to a nice Horror Channel article on the flick, too).
• Odd Request: I need an AMD 486 style DX2 66 Mhz processor (standard square shaped) if anyone’s got one laying around they’re not using. There’s a project I’m working on that I’d like to have done by the weekend so I’m trying to grab one as soon as I can, instead of trolling ebay auctions. If you’ve got one, drop me a line. They were used in a lot of the old Dell and Compaq 486-based machines years back. Thanks!

• It’s rare that we actually get involved in our own scoops, but on this day we’ve got not one but TWO pressworthy pieces, oddly enough, about THIS SITE.

First up, we’d like to thank the brilliant team at Running With Scissors, who create the POSTAL series of games. In the addon called “Apocalypse Weekend” for Postal 2, this very website appears on the computer systems of the hospital monitors at the start of the game! Believe it! We think every fan should go buy this game and addon immediately now. We’re extremely flattered. Check out the scan. Thanks.

And then there’s this one, a fan who actually felt compelled to write an honest-to-goodness POEM about his love for the site:

Well uh, thanks but no thanks on that last part, Mike, but we appreciate the outpouring of emotion. Gracias.

• We absolutely LOVE the campaign taken to promote “Southland Tales” so far. We can only hope that spoilers stay away, and that the secrecy and curiosity surrounding the flick remains. Today, two new bits of interesting stuff on the web for the flick. First up, a website (fake, of course) has been brought online for Sarah Gellar’s porn actress character Krysta Now. A variation of the T.S. Eliot poem that Kelly mentioned during his San Diego stint is featured on the opening page. Looks like there is more on the way. We can’t wait.

Oh, and hey, how’d you like to see that storyboard (complete with sound effects) that Kelly shows during Kev’s panel? The one with the bizarre car commercial? You got it. It’s now up at treer-products.com. Enjoy it!

• Degrassi: The Next Generation has been named “Outstanding Childen’s Program” by the Television Critic’s Association. It joins such good company as “Lost”, “House”, “Arrested Development”, and “The Daily Show”, all fellow winners in their awards this year. Good on ya, Degrassi!
• The blog of Lions Gate director Rob McKittrick mentions being a Kevin fan and giving a script TO “Kevin Smith fans” in a recent entry — Good stuff. And of course, don’t forget Kevin’s OWN director’s blog at www.silentbobspeaks.com.
• Odd Request: I need an AMD 486 style 66 Mhz processor (standard square) if anyone’s got one laying around they’re not using. There’s a project I’m working on that I’d like to have done by the weekend so I’m trying to grab one as soon as I can, instead of trolling ebay auctions. If you’ve got one, drop me a line. They were used in a lot of the old Dell and Compaq 486-based machines years back. Thanks!

• Ah yes, with only a couple months between us and “My Name Is Earl”, we’re thrilled to see the positive buzz and press surrounding Lee and the show. We’re gonna do our best to keep on top of as much as we can here. Ads have started popping up regularly for the program on NBC and its sister stations, so watch for those (or check our archives, we’ve got footage there, too). So, in the press:

USA Today has a blurb on Lee’s hairstyle for the show:

In this bit from From Entertainment Weekly’s site, the “he” is NBC Entertainment Pres. Kevin Reilly:

And finally, much praise from the Boston Globe:

Congrats, Lee. It’s the only sitcom, aside from the brilliant Arrested Development, we think’s gonna be worth watching this Fall.

• Two nice scans to kick off the ‘ol update for ya today. First up, this full page ad comes to us from Video Business Magazine. No news here, as you know Kevin has already given us the full details and the cover, but we figured you’d dig seeing the ad all the same.

Also, TVShowsOnDVD broke a nice story late today — The cover art and full specs of the “Jay & Silent Bob Do Degrassi” DVD, which is apparently coming in TWO VERSIONS, including an UNCENSORED ONE! COOOOOOL. Check out that cover, with the thumbs-up from Kevin reading “Contains coarse and explicit language. In other words, everything you’d expect from a Kevin Smith DVD”. Gotta love it!

Obviously, the ONLY one to get is the Unrated, as it costs 5 bucks more, but has a bunch more goodies (deleted scenes, commentary, and the unrated interview). Here’s the full specs of this one:

– Kevin Smith Exclusive Interview – Commentary by Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Stacie Mistysyn, associate producer Jim Jackman and writer Aaron Martin – Five Minutes of Integrated Footage, Not Seen Anywhere – Reel Footage: The Canadian Ninja Scene – Bloopers – Extended/Deleted Scenes – Jay and Silent Bob Photo Album – Degrassi Photo Album – Actor Bios – Character Profiles

Watch the epsiodes on The N this summer (August 12th, 19th, and 26th), and buy the DVDs, both of them, on November the 9th. We’ll let you know when Stash preoders are ready, of course, so you can get ‘em signed and direct (we have a feeling there’s gonna be some public events surrounding these bad boys, too). Stick around.

• Kevin’s been kind enough to drop a nice exclusive to kick off the weekend today – The official case art for the Mallrats 10th Anniversary DVD. Remember, this is the one with the brand new cut of the film, never before seen anywhere and, of course, the Q&A taped at the Arclight earlier this year. Once we get our hands on a copy, of course we’ll have screenshots and a ton more details on all the other goodies inside. In the meantime, enjoy the slightly new/changed artwork colors, and set your watches for September 20th. It’s coming up faster than ya think.