• Get those votes in! The current poll over at Film Threat on the front page asks if you have a “Passion for Clerks 2”! We know ya do! Go vote!
• Kevin’s departure from the Fletch project is discussed in the latest audio edition of The Movie Blog (Volume 52). Lots of positive talk about Kevin’s work, as well. The Fletch stuff starts at timecode 15:25.
• Joe Dunn, one of the internet’s finest cartoonists, throws a nice little Mallrats background shout-out in his latest “Joe Loves Crappy Movies”. Don’t let the title fool ya, it’s a positive.
• Harley Quinn Smith gets a name drop in an MSN news item today revealing that Nicolas Cage has named his newborn son “Kal-el”.

• News Askew celebrates the release of the new book, “Degrassi Generations: The Official 411” by offering up the chance for five of our beloved readers to get their own FREE copy, courtesy Simon & Schuster. Kevin writes a wonderful introduction to the book, which takes you behind the scenes of Degrassi: The Next Generation, Degrassi High, Degrassi Junior High, and The Kids of Degrassi Street. Find out from the past and present actors and crew what it’s like to be a part of one of TV’s most successful teen series.

Winning is simple, really. Well maybe not AS simple as we could have made it, but hey, you gotta work for your supper a LITTLE bit, right? So, here’s what you gotta do. Using our ARCHIVE SEARCH box, answer this ONE SIMPLE QUESTION from the world of Degrassi. The answer is the DATE (Month, Day, and Year) when the following event took place:

Kevin’s FIRST episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation aired on CTV In Canada FOR THE FIRST TIME. Note: Not the US airdate!

Send your answer, in an email, with the subject line “DEGRASSI CONTEST”, to scoops@newsaskew.com. Include your name, first and last, and a valid e-mail address where we can get in touch with you. CONTEST ENDS 11:59:59 PM, OCTOBER 11TH, 2005, EST. You have from now until the end of Tuesday to get your entries to us.

Remember, the answer can be found in the News Askew archives — But you might have to dig a little to find it. We’ll be selecting 5 entries, at random, from entrants who get the answer correct. ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON IS ALLOWED. DUPLICATE AND RISK DISQUALIFICATION. OPEN TO US RESIDENTS ONLY. Multiple entries will get you thrown out of the contest. No, if you have 2 different e-mail addresses, you can’t enter from each one. Let’s keep it fair.

So good luck, and thanks again to Simon & Schuster for supplying us with the goods! Good luck, brave readers! And for those of you who don’t win, you can own your very own copy of “Degrassi Generations: The Official 411”, now on bookstands everywhere, or available direct from Simon & Schuster.

• It’s official! “My Name Is Earl”, as we must remind you, starring TWO Mallrats alumni (Lee and Suplee) has become the first Fall comedy series to get a full order of 22 episodes! This is fantastic news, as the show’s not losing steam, and continues to amuse, bringing back regular characters and keeping some minor plot development happening while sticking to a formula that works. We’re stoked that we’ve got many fun filled half hours on the way. Hollywood Reporter says:

• Kevin’s guest starring role gets a second go-round early in the new Fall season tonight, when he appears as, what else but a CLERK on the acclaimed “Veronica Mars” tonight on UPN. 9 PM. We’ve yet to catch up to the show but with the impending Season 1 DVD release, plan to do so shortly, as word has it that it’s one of the best on televsion right now. Be sure and tune in for what’s sure to be another fun appearance from our own Kevin Smith! And as always, check with News Askew for a clip and screenshots later this week.