• TONS of you wrote us to note the small mention/jab at Kevin on last night’s episode of the hit HBO series Entourage. Kevin says:

The mention involved an fictional Aquaman sequel being directed by Michael Bay and writen by Kevin. Could this open up the doors for a possible Kevin appearance on the show? The program’s more entertaining than ever, a big hit, and we believe Kevin watches. Aint It Cool mentioned the reference as well. Hey, you never know…

• We’re happy to CONFIRM a July 18th screening of Clerks II in Montreal, open to the public — And yes, because you are a loyal News Askew reader, here’s the info on how to get your ticket for a mere nine Canadian dollars:

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the film if you manage to catch it early — Good luck, and enjoy the show!

• Did you miss Richard Kelly’s big appearance at the Stash last week, signing copies of his “Southland Tales” book? Kevin was on hand to introduce the crowds to the genius behind “Donnie Darko” and his new upcoming flick in which Kevin co-stars. The skills of Albert Ortega and his camera were again on hand to document the event in photos, and we’re pleased to have all the high resolution versions for you right here. Check out shots above of Kelly, Kevin, and some lucky fans who were in attendance. And watch for more exciting events coming to Stash West and Stash East very soon — The coolest figures from the world of comics and entertainment love to stop in at the Stash!

• Dan Lybarger interviews O’Halloran and Anderson in an EXTENSIVE piece full of tons of Q&A — Probably the longest interview with these guys we’ve seen in print, EVER. So it’s nice and in-depth. There’s too much great stuff in here to even pick up prime clippage, so here’s just a random passage or two:

You must, by all means, check out the entire interview HERE!

• New video clippage! Check out this article AND video of Kevin’s appearance, in person, on “Atlanta & Company”. We found we had to use Internet Explorer to get the video to play. And play quite well it did! Watch Kevin quip with the interviewer and chat up Clerks II as he tours the country promoting its greatness.
• Word has it that the opening day Clerks II Q&A sessions at the Arclight will be taped for the Clerks II DVD release. Come armed with some good questions about the film, folks!

• This one’s an older interview (as Kevin mentions the old August release date), but you can visit YouTube for an audio version of a radio appearance that Kevin did with “The Rise Guys” to chat up Clerks II. The 8 minute interview is audio only, just with a still shot which we suppose allowed it to be uploaded to YouTube, which typically serves up video. The guys in the studio are fans, which makes for a fine piece. Enjoy.

• Attention Montreal! You’ve now got a chance to see Clerks II a few days early — We hear that the “Just For Laughs” Festival will have the film on July 18th, though the website’s schedule still doesn’t have any official mention of it. If you’re gonna be there, check with the box office.
• According to TV Guide and Tivo, Kevin is scheduled to appear on the Tavis Smiley Show on July 13th. Check your local PBS station listings for airtime. We assume this is a new appearance to promo Clerks II, and not a rerun of his appearance on the program a while back.
• Today’s most popular submission is a humor piece — Seems that someone has re-written The Lord of the Rings “Council of Elrond” scene as if it were done through Kevin’s unique storytelling voice. It’s featured on the first page of this article HERE. Future pages take on the demeanor of other famous directors.
• While Jason and Ethan sadly got overlooked for “My Name Is Earl” in this year’s Emmy nominations (they were robbed, we say) Jaime Pressly did score a nod — Other notable Askew vets include Jon Stewart (as always) for The Daily Show, and George Carlin’s HBO special “Life Is Worth Losing”. Another Askew vet Alec Baldwin, Leonardo Leonardo himself, also up for an Emmy nod for his guest starring stint on Will and Grace.
• We’re hearing that the book “In-Convenience: The View Askewniverse From Clerks To Clerks II”, which collects all Kevin’s scripts, will arrive in February 2007.

• Here’s the final cover art for “Bottoms Up”, starring Paris Hilton and Jason Mewes. Sony will release the flick on the 12th of September. And hey, is that Kevin we see on the lower left, as well? We do recall reporting that he shot a cameo for the flick…
• Askew vet Shannen Doherty will fill in as a co-host on chick talk show The View later this month (July 31st and August 1st to be exact). Her new reality show “Breaking Up With Shannen Doherty” premieres on the Oxygen network next month.

• Here’s a one-page back-up gag from the first issue of “Ursa Minors!” a June release from SLG Comics, found by Britt Schramm’s “The Beginning is the End is the Beginning” column over at Quick Stop Entertainment. Click the thumbnail for a full size view.
• On Sunday, August 13th, at 9:00pm, Marcus Theaters in Orland Park, Illinois will be showing the original Clerks on the big screen as part of its summer flashback specials. It’s a one-time only showing. If you’re in the area, it’s bound to be a blast. Clerks never disappoints with a crowd on the big screen.

• 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.