New limited edition set of full-color diagrams document every inch of classic ship
March 28, 2007, Collegeville, PA – Quantum Mechanix Inc. (QMx), a privately held developer of licensed, high-quality entertainment replicas, today announced the Official Serenity Blueprints set, the first studio-approved blueprints to document every aspect of the Firefly-class transport’s systems and design.
A limited-edition run of 750 sets signed by creators, Geoffrey Mandel (graphic designer, Serenity) and Tim Earls (illustrator, Firefly; set designer, Serenity), the Official Serenity Blueprints set contains 10 18″ x 24″, full-color, heavyweight matte-finish sheets of the ship, Serenity, as seen in the Universal Pictures film of the same name. This blueprint set is the definitive resource for any Firefly or Serenity fan interested in the design and function of Serenity, including the shuttles and mule.
“If you’re a Browncoat or you just love spaceship design, you will want one of these sets,” said Andy Gore, project manager for the blueprints. “When we started this project, our goals were to tell collectors everything there is to know about Serenity, make it all make sense, and make it so beautiful, you’ll have a hard time deciding which ones to hang on the wall.”
“The deeper we went into this project, the more there was,” Gore continued. “What started out as a nice set of blueprints turned into a Ph.D. dissertation on advanced materials, aerospace engineering, theoretical physics and classical art. They turned out just so, well, shiny.”
The Official Serenity Blueprints set encompass months of work verifying every aspect of Serenity, distilled from hundreds of set photos, architectural drawings, CGI files, and volumes of background material used to produce Serenity, the movie. They represent the sole official and complete documentation of Serenity’s design, layout and systems, revealing details not seen in the movie or TV series or in any other previously published source material, either official or fan-made.
“For the first time, fans will be able to answer important questions like, ‘Where are Serenity’s showers and how does the ship get refueled?'” said Steve Dymszo, president of QMx. “Fans will also learn where the life support and the ship’s armory are, that Serenity has escape pods, and that both the fresh water and passengers reside awfully close to the reactor.”
“These Blueprints are truly a work of art and we feel confident that the technical detail and quality will please both new and long-time fans of the series and movie,” said Dymszo. “We couldn’t be happier that Geoffrey Mandel and Tim Earls, two people who helped create so much of Serenity, have completed this enormous undertaking.”
“During the filming of the movie, I was lucky enough to be able to walk the corridors of Serenity, and I’d like to give fans that same feeling … that they’re actually there, and that each door and hatch leads to something new and exciting,” said Geoffrey Mandel, graphic designer on Serenity and co-creator of the blueprint set. “Who knows? Maybe these blueprints will inspire someone to actually roll up their sleeves and build a Firefly-class transport in their backyard!”
This limited-edition set will be available at midnight on April 7, 2007 EDT for $99 on QuantumMechanix.com and shipped rolled in a custom tube for safety. For more information, visit www.QuantumMechanix.com and subscribe to QMx newsletters
The Official Serenity Blueprints are the first product to be released by QMx Press, a new division of Quantum Mechanix focused on created print collectables, art books and posters.
Quantum Mechanix Inc. (QMx), a privately held developer of licensed, high-quality entertainment replicas, today announced that it has established new manufacturing partnerships in order to address the shortfalls in quality and capacity of previous partners. These issues have led to delays in shipping several of QMx’s announced products.
“We share a passion with our customers for the highest quality and detail in our creations,” said Steve Dymszo, president of QMx. “That’s why we want to be completely open with customers and let them know, after several rounds of engineering proofs, we have determined our current manufacturing partners are simply not able to produce our more complex replicas in a form that meet our standards.”
“We’ve decided to establish new manufacturing partnerships that will help us ensure all QMx products always meet the highest standard of quality possible,” Dymszo continued. “This was a difficult decision for us. But rather than risk that a product be anything less than it should be, we decided to take this action now. The QMx name should, first and foremost, stand for quality and accuracy. This action will ensure that this continues to be the case.”
As a result of this change, the Malcolm Reynolds’ pistol, The Ring of Dracula, and the Devonian Hand Fossil announced last year, and the Battlestar Galactica Dog Tags announced last month, have had their ship dates extended. QMx will announce revised ship dates as soon as new schedules are in place.
QMx’s recently announced boutique line of handmade replicas, the QMx Artisan Series (see related press release), and QMx Press products, will not be affected.
“QMx will never ship a product that we would not be proud to display in our own homes,” Dymszo added. “We have carefully selected new partners who have broad experience and have demonstrated they can meet our exacting standards. While this will cause a delay of a few months, we are certain it will result in quality customers will be very pleased with.”
Quantum Mechanix Inc. (QMx), a privately held developer of licensed, high-quality entertainment replicas, today announced a new division that will focus on the creation of replicas handcrafted by the top model makers in the industry.
Focusing on the personal touch that used to be a hallmark of prop collecting, the Artisan Series will move beyond what is possible with manufactured replicas to create objects of unsurpassed detail and refinement for the most demanding collectors. Each piece will be handmade by well-known model masters and will be signed by each artist.
“We want to take fans back to the grass roots of prop collecting by giving them the ultimate in quality, in ultra-limited editions,” said Steve Dymszo, president of QMx. “These replicas will return the personal touch to the hobby by connecting collectors to the artists creating these models. Collectors will also have the security of knowing these replicas are backed not just by the model maker, but by Quantum Mechanix itself.”
Artisan Series replicas will be drawn from QMx’s licensed franchises, including Battlestar Galactica, Serenity, Stargate, Classics of Sci Fi, and Universal Monsters. They will typically be pieces that have never been created as collectibles before and will be made available in very limited editions, generally less than 500 units per design. Once a run is complete, the tooling and molds will be destroyed and that replica will never be made again.
“I can remember when prop collecting was one friend helping another create something fabulous, something you couldn’t get any other way,” Dymszo said. “It would take months, researching every aspect of the design, building each part by hand, constantly checking against original images to make sure every aspect was as close to perfection as possible.”
“With the Artisan Series, QMx is looking to recapture that attention to detail, plus add the authenticity that is only possible when you have access to original props, CGI files and studio reference material,” Dymszo concluded.
About Quantum Mechanix Inc.
Quantum Mechanix (QMx) specializes in the design and manufacture of licensed high-quality replicas of vehicles, props, and gadgets from television and motion pictures. Licensed franchises include Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Classics of Sci Fi, Serenity, Battlestar Galactica, and Universal Monsters. Our product lines are divided into several major areas:
* QMx Replicas – Precision recreations of props and scale models. The properties recreated in QMx’s core lineup will generally be the most iconic and therefore will be manufactured in the largest quantities.
* QMx Press — Recreations of paper-type props seen in science fiction TV and films. This category includes technical blueprint sets of famous sci-fi spacecraft, technical manuals and character and vehicle posters.
* QMx Artisan Series — Handmade models of props and vehicles. These items are produced by a specially selected group of professional prop-makers. Edition sizes are generally very limited.
* QMx Space — Precision replicas of NASA and Soviet/Russian-flown hardware and manned spacecraft.
The company’s headquarters are located in suburban Philadelphia, PA.
Summer Brooks says
For those who are interested, designer Tim Earls will be the featured interview next week on The Babylon Podcast, Show #60.