• Kevin starts what looks to be another multi-part blog series at Myspace and Boring-Ass-Life, titled “Super Pal”, which looks to be focusing on his wife Jen, and their anniversary (today, incidentally, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY YOU TWO!). Here’s a passage from the entry:

You can read part one (and the forthcoming part two, etc…) at Boring-Ass and MySpace! Get goin’!

• You gotta love when MAJOR magazines are talking about Clerks II in a very positive way, with quite a few months until release. Let’s keep the positive press coming all the way though August, folks. Let’s take a rundown at the scans from the latest appearances:Premiere Magazine’s “Summer Preview” issue gives the film some kind ink with new quotes from Kevin including an interesting bit of info on the dressing rooms at the Mooby’s set.

Next up, here’s a wonderful scan of that excellent Clerks II writeup in Entertainment Weekly’s Summer Preview. Some great new quotes from Kevin, as well as Jeff Anderson on the topic of hats.

Rolling Stone magazine has a blurb about Clerks II in their “Under the Radar” section of upcoming movies. And they’re stoked to see it. Thanks, guys! Click the red thumbnail above to view it.

Finally, no scan yet (anyone?), but the latest issue of Stuff features a column called, “Things you need to be up to in 3, 6, 9 months”. Clerks II is mentioned in the ‘3′ month column, with a photo of Brian O’Halloran and Marilyn Ghigliotti from the original Clerks.

• A website called ESL Notes features detailed documents of popular movies that consist of plot summaries, characters, and oddly, “an extensive glossary of vocabulary and various cultural references that even advanced ESL learners would often not understand”. You can view this type of document for “Clerks” HERE. Not sure what to do with it, really, but it’s a fascinatingly detailed work.
• You can actually find the video report and photos on that Easter Bunny brawl (an annual News Askew occurrence) that we ran around Easter-time now at the Channel 2 News website.

• If you’re anything like us, you dig showing off the latest View Askew merch at home, at work, on the road, etc. So, the latest batch of Clerks 2 swag should make you happy. We’ve got stuff that’s practical pretty much anywhere you go, lets the world know you’re a fan, and also puts you way ahead of the curve, showing you love for a flick that hasn’t even hit theaters yet. Here’s a rundown of the good stuff you can now order from our very own Secret Stash:

With prices like this, you can afford to stock up for you and your friends! Think Vulgarthon, think stocking stuffers (never hurts to start early)! All available now for immediate order and shipment, or in person at the Stash East and West!

• After taking two years off from the con, it looks like Kevin will be returning to the famous Wizard World Philadelphia convention, which is taking place the weekend AFTER Vulgarthon, June 2nd to the 4th. Kevin hasn’t officially announced his participation to us yet, but the con webpage lists him as a just-added guest, along with other big names Joe Quesada, Jim Lee, and Smallville hottie Erica Durance. Kevin normally does the Q&A on Saturday, with a signing early that day or on Sunday. As we learn more, we’ll let ya know. This is a great reason to extend your Vulgarthon trip into the weekend, and a chance to watch Kevin work his magic on the convention floor (and almost certainly show Clerks 2 footage). See you there!

“A Joke On Bobby Hill”

• Mike, the Set P.A., is the subject of the latest Train Wreck video, now available at Clerks 2. As you’ve seen, on set practical jokes are big with this crew, and an endless source of amusement to help pass the time on those long shooting days. This time, an important tin of contracts and other information gets “misplaced”, and Mike’s feeling the pressure as he searches the set. Watch the fun unspool over at the official Clerks 2 website, and look for more installments of this series soon.

• The widely read Entertainment Weekly features Clerks II as number 10 in their “10 Movies We Can’t Wait To See” feature this week. They say:

RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18

WHY WE CAN’T WAIT: After Jersey Girl, we want to see Kevin Smith get back to his roots: verbal wit, slacker angst, dense pop cultural allusions, and hilarious raunch.

THE PREMISE: Now in their 30s, Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) are still working dead-end service jobs. But maturity and adult responsibility loom, as Dante is about to move out of state to be with his fiancée.

SOURCE: Smith’s career-launching 1994 film

THE BACKSTORY: Having seen his last movie overshadowed by the tabloid frenzy surrounding stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Smith says: ”I thought, ‘The next movie I want to make, no famous people in it, just actors I love and people I want to work with.”’ However, Weinstein Co. co-chief Harvey Weinstein insisted that Smith hire at least one boldface name, so Rosario Dawson has a prominent role as the boys’ boss, a manager at a fast-food joint.

BURNING QUESTION: Is making a sequel to his signature film a sellout move for Smith or, conversely, a cultish in-joke that won’t be appreciated beyond his fan base?

COME FOR: Smith and his ragtag crew of Jersey smartalecks

STAY FOR: The Hollywood ringers Smith has rounded up, including Dawson and (in a cameo) Smith regular Affleck

• Kevin’s revealed that attendees of the Red Bank Vulgarthon will receive snazzy Mooby Restaurant Funployee name tags to identify themselves during the show. Very, very cool!

• Check out the hat on Emma in this screen shot from a Degrassi webisode.
• Congrats to Dogma/Jay & Bob FX guy Vincent Guastini on the recent kudos over at Aint It Cool for the work on his new flick, Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror.

• It’s been a tough year at Cannes, with many films that were expected to make the festival already getting passed over. Too many flicks, not enough spots. It’ll still be a few days before we know if Clerks II made the cut this year, but in the meantime, Kevin’s got some good news: “Southland Tales”, in which he plays a role, is a lock for the festival. Kevin reports:

indieWIRE has the full lineup of flicks.

On the situation, Kevin elaborates:

We’ll keep you posted.

• Yes, we know it’s not even in THEATERS yet, but in the fast-moving business of Hollywood these days, folks line up to claim their rights to films all the way up to the final frontier – Network television broadcast rights. Spike TV seems to like the idea of owning those rights for Clerks II, as they’ve picked up the film along with a bunch of other Weinstein Company flicks as part of a package deal. Thanks to Variety and Superhero Hype.

• Malcolm Ingram’s celebrated, acclaimed flick “Small Town, Gay Bar” will screen as part of Alabama’s “Birmingham Shout” Film Festival on opening night, April 28th, at 8:00 PM. Malcolm will be on hand, along with some of the subjects of the film, for a Q&A following the screening, followed by a big after party. Opening night tickets are expected to sell out, and fast, and can be ordered here. Oh, you’ll also get into the opening night reception starting at 6:30 for food, drink, and general merriment. Celebrate gay + lesbian films with the inaugural Birmingham Shout at WorkPlay in Birmingham’s Southside, showcasing the best features, documentaries and short films exploring gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender themes.

The View Askew production “Small Town, Gay Bar” was a hit at Sundance, and will also screen as part of next month’s Vulgarthon in Red Bank, New Jersey.