• The big news this weekend is that Kevin’s not only confirmed a new stop on his nationwide tour, but that those of you in Austin, Texas now have a chance to witness the flick a whole 8 days early — That’s right, Clerks II will screen there on Thursday, July 13th, and we’re got details. Here’s Kevin:

You saw our Arclight post last night, so hopefully you did get your tix before they sold out (which we’re expecting, by the time you read this, will be)…And we also hope those of you in Texas can get into that show, which sounds like a very nice event — A great theater, the Q&A, and the chance to win swag? Has us wanting to buy plane tix to make it there next week…We’ll be eagerly awaiting your reports from all these events, so be sure to have your eyes and ears open…But most of all, of course, ENJOY a fantastic new flick and Q&A with the dude who brought it to us.

Austin tix NOW on sale through the GetTix Web site or by calling (866-443-8849). Discount ONLY available at the Paramount box office. $25 for film society members, $30 for non members, and TOTALLY worth it.

• Quite a while ago, we received word on a new program called the Netflix Rolling Roadshow, which was taking classic flicks on the road and screening them where they were filmed. The rumor was that Clerks would screen at the Quick Stop itself in Leonardo, New Jersey. We’re happy to report that the event is still indeed very much on, in fact, Kevin has now promoted his involvement directly via his blog. This free appearance just keeps getting cooler and cooler. Not only are they showing the flick on a big screen right next to the famous block of stores, but they’re now holding a STREET HOCKEY game that YOU can enter, and Kevin himself will be on hand for all the fun. Here’s Kevin:

No one else is confirmed as of yet, but we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a famous clerk and some other cast/crew arrive on the scene as well. We look forward to seeing ALL of you there! This is definitely looking to be one of the historic fun events in View Askew history, not to be missed. And the price is right, so those of you a bit further away can afford the travel expenses, too. We’ve been excited for this one since we heard about it in the Spring, and now that it’s almost here, it sounds better than ever. Read all about the times/schedule HERE.

“NY Screening”

• The absolutely amazing Train Wreck series continues to tell the tale of Clerks II in a wonderful linear fashion, this time taking us to the New York City screening that took place in early 2006 — Cast, crew, fans, and yes, Bob and Harvey Weinstein themselves, all make appearances in this neatly edited piece. See folks arrive at the new IFC center for an exclusive screning, file into their seats, watch the flick, and catch both Kevin’s intro and some nice comments and questions following the film. Yet another perfect edition in what’s been an amazingly fun and detailed series. As promised, Train Wreck contines up through the Clerks II release and, most liekly, BEYOND! Enjoy the latest edition, free of charge as always, via the official Clerks II website.

• We think James Brown is going to have to at least temporarily relinquish his “Hardest Working Man in Show Biz” title and let Kevin borrow it, as the dude doesn’t seem to stop moving these days — He’s confirming more and more stops on the Clerks II tour, with the latest in Austin, as you read above, more live appearances with the film, a Comic Con stint the day after release (see below), and we’ve just gotten a new TV appearance across the desk as well:

Keep your eyes on that appearance calendar at the top of the news to see where you can catch Kevin, and when. We’ll keep everything we know about in there, but if you know something we missed, please do let us know and we’ll get it added in there. With 13 days to go until Clerks II opens for business, the excitement levels are BIG around here. We can’t wait for you all to see it.

• The great thing about all the merchanidse through the Stash is that most of it comes as a result of fan queries, demands, or ideas — The latest batch of stuff is a great mix of Clerks II promotional items as well as stuff that, well, you just ASKED for. Check out some of the NEW items just in (or coming in really soon) that we’re waiting to ship to your door — As always, top-quality, and the perfect gift for yourself or the View Askew fan in your life:

And hey, don’t forget we’ve got all those beautiful full size Clerks II posters, Clerks II t-shirts, mugs, armbands, that way cool Ranger Danger shirt, new Mooby’s swag, and MORE. This is by far our coolest batch of promotional swag for a flick yet. Get some in your mitts today.

• Kevin’s non-stop schedule continues post-Clerks II’s release: He’s now officially confirmed for Saturday, July 22nd at San Diego ComicCon for a Q&A. The posting:

As always, we recommend finding your seats as early as possible.

• We ran a newsbite on this earlier in the week, but so many of you must have missed it (scoops keep pouring in), so we’ll run it again — The episode of Amazon Fishbowl, hosted by Bill Maher and featuring our own Kevin Smith, can now be streamed up via your browser HERE. Kevin’s piece promoting Clerks II comes up right after Bill’s monologue. Amazon says:

Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher, presented by UPS and Cingular, is a weekly program featuring the brightest stars in film, music, literature, and television.

• Seems that Horrorfind Weekend in Maryland will have a double-bill Mallrats alum appearance next month: Priscilla Barnes will also be there due to her recent appearance in Rob Zombie’s “The Devil’s Rejects”. Now you can get TWO celebs to autograph your Mallrats stuff — Not bad!
• In addition to escaping the NC-17 Kiss of Death in the US, Clerks II has been given an MA 15+ rating by the Australian classification board, making the original ‘Clerks’ the only Kevin Smith film to receive an R 18+ rating, which is the rough equivalent of NC-17.