INTERNATIONAL FORCE SAVES STAR WARS ICON

Cardiff-based author and Star Wars fan Terry Cooper is currently in Tunisia fulfilling a long held dream: to restore the Lars homestead – home of Luke Skywalker – to its former glory.

Terry feels that this iconic building should be protected. He said: “I have always been a fan of Star Wars and science fiction. I last visited the sets in Tunisia in 2009 and just being around such an iconic location made a real impact on me as a writer. It was sad to see it falling into disrepair, and it occurred to me that such an inspirational location needed to be preserved for the next generation of writers or film directors.”

The inspiration of Star Wars has certainly helped Terry become a success. His first book, Kangazang!: Remote Possibilities became a cult hit with Doctor Who fans after former Doctor Who, Colin Baker recorded an audio version. His second book, Kangazang!: Star Stuff is due to be released soon. Terry continued: “Fans of sci-fi will enjoy reading my books. It has been fun referencing Star Wars, Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy, Doctor Who and even Kylie Minogue.”

The international ‘Save the Lars Homestead’ team led by Mark Dermul will not be preserving the original homestead as featured in Stars Wars: A New Hope – that was lost to the sand many years ago. Instead they will be fixing the one built for Stars Wars: Attack of the Clones. Like the original from 1977, this has also been left to decay, but the fans are determined it will be returned to its former glory before the desert claims it. Marc said: “Sadly we can’t use the force to get the job done. It’s going to be long hard work but I’m sure it will be worth it in the end.”

The team flew out to Tunisia on the 35th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope and will return early next week.

You can find out more about Kangazang! here.

Also available is the Kangazang!: Remote Possibilities audiobook, narrated by former Doctor Who Colin Baker and also starring Welsh actress Claire Cage, who plays three different character roles. Claire’s previous credits include the Torchwood episode, Sleeper, as well as Sherlock and Submarine. Recently she has appeared opposite Arthur Darvill – best known for playing Doctor Who’s ‘Rory’ – in the recent Radio 4 dramatisation of Gulliver’s Travels.

Candy Jar Books

KANGAZANG 2: STAR STUFF EXCLUSIVE SIGNING AT COMIC GURU CARDIFF!

Kangazang! author Terry Cooper will be making an appearance at the legendary Comic Guru in Cardiff on the 24th March 2012 for an exclusive signing of the much-anticipated sequel, Kangazang!: Star Stuff.

Kangazang!: Star Stuff is a continuation of Jeff Spooner's travels through space with his alien barber Ray. After saving the Universe, their adventures are kicked off once again as Ray's father goes missing (and insane) and Jeff's girlfriend (an android) runs off to find him the child he always wanted.

Terry will be in store signing all Kangazang merchandise and there will be no less than forty exclusive preview copies of the book left to sign, so don't wait to get in and grab your stuff! We're excited to be teaming up with The Comic Guru - Cardiff's premier comic book store (and the UK's greatest online comic retailer, no less!) who have been a terrific supporter of all things Kangazang!

Also, look out for the Comic Guru film crew who will be recording a special edition of their regular video blog (who knows, you may even get to appear on camera with the guru himself!)

www.kangazang.co.uk
www.thecomicguru.com
www.candy-jar.co.uk

CLAIRE CAGE TO APPEAR ALONGSIDE DOCTOR'S COMPANION

Claire Cage, who appeared in the audio version of Kangazang! (available now as a 4-disc CD/DVD set, or as an Audible download) is soon to appear alongside Arthur Darvill, best known as 'Rory' in the latest series of Doctor Who, in Jonathan Swift's classic tale Gulliver's Travels.

From the Radio 4 website:

Gulliver is shipwrecked on the Island of Lilliput where the natives are tiny people living in a miniature society. With his unique overview of this realm, Gulliver discovers a world of petty politics and small minds. Coerced into a war between two nations who disagree on the best way to eat boiled eggs, Gulliver finds himself betrayed by friends and battered by enemies - escape is his only option if he wants to survive!

Gulliver's adventures in Lilliput are hilarious, disturbing and profound. This is a story of dishonest politicians, mindless ceremony and wars based on unconvincing arguments. A satire as potent now as it ever was!

Claire performed as a range of diverse characters in the sci-fi comedy which also features another Doctor (Colin Baker, the sixth Doctor). Claire lent her vocal talents to play Shelley (a blood-thirsty Amazon Queen) and M25 (a humanoid 'female' robot) as well as other roles in Terry Cooper's hilarious story.

You can find out more about Gulliver's Travels here.

Order your copy of Kangazang! now – available in multiple formats (CD, audio download, paperback and eBook).

www.kangazang.co.uk
www.candy-jar.co.uk

Coming Soon – Kangazang 2: Star Stuff. Pre-order your copy now!

KANGAZANG 2 COVER ART!

Well it's been quite a while since we were here updating the blog, but here as a 'Hot-Off-The-Press' treat, is the cover art for KANGAZANG!: Star Stuff, the second in the trilogy!

As with the first book, The cover and style is intentionally made to follow the same kind of aesthetic appeal, with minor refreshments (No, I don't mean very small cups of tea and biccies!)

Here it is! Cover and layout by Author TERRY COOPER

And here it is front-on so to speak.....

WHAT CAN THAT MACHINE-CREATURE BE?

Well, it's not what it looks like at first sight. But it's very important and you'll learn more as time goes by!

Why not PRE-ORDER your own copy of KANGAZANG!: STAR STUFF now, so you get it as soon as it comes off the presses in February 2012?

Just £11.99! Visit www.candy-jar.co.uk and check out their online shop to do it! Go! Go!

KANGAZANG REVIEW FROM ACROSS THE POND!

Author Terry Cooper recently received an email from a Kangazang! reader in America. Here's what she had to say:

"Hey Terry!

I just had to let you know how much I enjoyed Kangazang! the 2nd time around. Your appendix helped this dumb American, but I surprised myself by knowing many of your references. You made some improvements from the first draft, and I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud! LOVED IT!!

At the library we do monthly staff picks, and Kangazang! will so be on my list for June.

Can't wait to read the 2nd installment (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).
Love,
Helen Taylor
Librarian

Indiana Free Library in the heart of downtown Indiana, Pennsylvania.
We have a facebook page & our website is www.indianafreelibrary.org.
Feel free to mention that wonderful red-headed librarian who works there! : )"

Do you want to write a Kangazang! review? Get in touch and tell us what you think!

www.kangazang.co.uk

KANGAZANG INTRODUCES RARE DOCTOR WHO INTERVIEWS!

Kangazang! publisher Candy Jar recently unearthed VHS tapes from 1996 containing interviews with Doctor Who heavyweights Tom Baker, Nicholas Courtney and John Nathan Jones.

Filmed by Candy Jar Director Shaun Russell when he was working for a local television station in Manchester, the interviews were originally thought lost forever until a chance discovery in the attic!

Tom Baker is well-known as the fourth incarnation of the enigmatic time traveller. He remains the longest-lived Doctor in the show's on-screen history, counting both the classic and modern series.

William Nicholas Stone Courtney was most famous for playing Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who. Generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, he one of the founders of UNIT (Unified Intelligence Taskforce), an international organisation that defends Earth from alien threats, and serves as commander of the British contingent.

John Nathan-Turner was the ninth producer of Doctor Who from 1980 until it was effectively cancelled in 1989. He was the longest-serving and, at the time, the most widely known Doctor Who producer.

You can view the videos here:

KANGAZANG! AVAILABLE AS AN E-BOOK!

Kangazang! has now gone fully digital!

As well as being able to enjoy the exploits of Ray the Barber and Jeff the Earthman through Colin Baker's audio version - available through Audible, iTunes and Amazon - but you can now enjoy the book on your favourite e-reader!

Whether you have an Amazon Kindle, Apple iPad, Sony Reader or any other portable e-book device, you can enjoy Kangazang! on the go.

Just search for 'Kangazang' at the Apple eBook store (via your iPad, iPod or iPhone) or Kobo to get your copy.

Kangazang! will also be available as an e-Book from these sites very soon:

Barnes and Noble

Sony Reader Store

Amazon

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