A veritable slew of props from Amazon's Tick series

Last year, Heritage Auctions sold off a number of props from the gone-too-soon Amazon Tick series. As I wrote around that time, a lot of the items - and especially the costumes - went for big bucks. In the year that has followed, though, the items that were left over have become more and more affordable, to the point where I have been able to get some really great items for not that much cash.

I recently got a lot of them together and made this post to show some of 'em off!

First up, and most impressively, I think, is a lot that contains actual pieces of one of The Tick's season one costumes. These are all labeled as "back panels," but most of them are arm segments.

Here's a closer look at this exterior piece, where you can see the textured nature of the material.

Some of the pieces were labeled on the inside, such as this bicep piece. The sections were all slightly rubbery and felt like they might fall apart if I touched them too much, so they'll remain in the bag in which they were shipped!

All of the pieces came with certificates.

So what else did I get? Nothing else can really top the costume pieces, but I did get a few very cool items, including:

Goggles from the Lobtercules costume!

Lenses from Arthur's season two costume!

Griffin Newman's Arthur spent a part of the second season with cracked helmet lenses, and I got one of them here. It's not actually cracked, but there's a metallic tape on the inside of the lens. It looks pretty convincing!

Here are some patches from the City police uniforms!

Now here's a prop from one of the scenes I was in when I was an extra during the first season. It's a Flag 5 memorial staff card!

These glass eye props are about as weird as you might expect, at least without some context (and even then...). These are, of course, props for the Miss Lint character, who had many options when putting in her false eye. These are just a few. I can confirm that they are made from glass.

This is one of Peter Serafinowicz's daily scripts for a season two episode. Which episode?

Two, in fact: episode 209 and 210.

This is a Brown Tingle Cola executive summary report for the Terror's soda company, filled with charts and the like.

Here's another item that went for a ton of money when other copies sold last year. The City Chronicle is one of the fine journalistic endeavors in The City, and this one even comes with a picture of Lobstercules on the front. If you zoom in on the articles, you can read some fine word salad.

The Chronicle front page section was just placed over a real-world copy of the New York Times from April of '18.

I feel like I have enough props to start a Tick-themed museum now, or at least to set some up at the New England Comics booth at conventions (this will never happen). 

I found this promotional item on eBay, and it's actually a promo for the original live-action Tick series, with Patrick Warburton as the blue titular hero. These plastic, branded spoons were given out at Comic-Con in advance of the complete series DVD.

Also on eBay, I found another of these Tick experience shirts from Comic-Con. They came with a variety of slogans and were printed on site. All of the others that I have are giant in size - this one is small enough that I could actually wear!

I'm always on the lookout for Tick props and I'll always think back fondly on the series. It was fun while it lasted.

All the Ticks! (Plus...more Ticks)

There's some exciting new Tick content coming your way very soon, in the form of a Tick reunion featuring every television iteration! On Sunday, November 15th at 7pm EST, House Seats will stream the gathering in which each cast will read unproduced scripts. All three Ticks: Townsend Coleman, Patrick Warburton and Peter Serafinowicz, all four Arthurs: Micky Dolenz, Rob Paulsen, David Burke and Griffin Newman, and plenty of co-stars like Val Curry, Yara Martinez, Liz Vassey and Cam Clarke will be there! And to top it off, creator Ben Edlund will be there, leading the charge.

This is obviously a big deal, and it's the first time that all three casts will be together in the same virtual space. Best of all, the ticket proceeds for this event will benefit food banks across the country. If you haven't yet, you can get your tickets here: https://houseseats.live/2020/11/15/all-the-ticks/. And if you worry about missing the event because, say, the 8-0 Steelers are going to be playing at around the same time, don't worry, because the video will be available to view until November 22nd!

I'm really excited to see all of these fine folks again.

While we're here, let's look at a few new Tick items that I recently picked up!

The first is an original sketch by Chris Schwartz, who drew this classic Tick for his 2019 Inktober challenge. There's a lot of blue line that the scanner doesn't pick up, too. The artist certainly got the square jaw down.

Next up, here are two more props from the Amazon Tick series that I managed to grab recently. This one is The Terror's world domination speech from the end of season one!

And here's an annual report for the Terror's Brown Tingle Cola company. This is a folder that has a lot of actual, very official-looking graphs and charts inside. 

It looks like BTC's market share is increasing exponentially! I wonder what the secret ingredient is?

Here are the two branded certificates that came with the items!

That's it for now. Spoon!

I'm a guest at the 2019 Rhode Island Comic Con!

Please welcome @JeffMcClelland & @IanCNichols to @ricomiccon, presented by @NIROPE, coming November 1-3 at the @RIConvention & @DunkinDonutsCtr! Buy tickets at https://t.co/g2MAF7118g!#ricomiccon #rhodeislandcomiccon @TweetProvidence @ProvidenceRI @RITourism @comicconbyar pic.twitter.com/SkIh8ejCmC

— Rhode Island Comic Con (@ricomiccon) August 10, 2019

It's been a while since I've been to a comic convention that wasn't in San Diego or New York, and it's been...well...forever since I was actually an invited guest to a convention, so we're all surprised (right?) that I'll be a guest at the 2019 Rhode Island Comic Con in Providence. The show will be held on November 1st through the 3rd, which is coming up...pretty soon!

So how did this happen? Well, perhaps it had something to do with the fact that my friend Ian Nichols (pictured above, not with a goat) has worked to put together some Tick-centric programming at the show, and was kind enough to involve me in some of it. Along with Ian and myself, the show is bringing along some very cool Tick actors to the convention: Patrick Warburton, Peter Serafinowicz and Griffin Newman! New England Comics will also be set up with an RICC-exclusive issue of The Tick, and I'm hearing that there will be a Tick panel at some point over the weekend.

There will also be a bunch of other comic creators and celebrities, there, including a number of Star Trek actors. Will I abuse my green room privileges and try to talk with George Takei? I guess we'll have to find out!

For my part, I'll have a booth and I'll bring with me a number of recent publications, such as the Black Terror graphic novel, the first issue of Sister Powers, and of course some Tick items. You can find more information on the convention here: https://www.ricomiccon.com. If you're in the area, come watch me defiantly wear my Steelers gear on Sunday while shouting insults to anyone who has something to say about the local cheaters football team! It should be a lot of fun.

My day on the set of "The Tick"

When Amazon's Tick pilot aired back in late 2016, one of the first things I did upon finishing the episode was slowly scan the credits for extras casting information. Once I found it, I began the delicate game of trying to pester the company just enough to let them know that I would like to appear in an episode. March of 2017 came, and with it, the beginning of filming on the first season. Week after week went by before I finally got the email I was looking for, and near the end of June, I traveled to Brooklyn to be in an episode of The Tick!

I have family who lives about two hours outside of New York City, so the day before, I stayed with them and tried to figure out how I was going to both drive and park in the city. I've done both before, and it's not like NYC is an alien planet, but traffic and the availability of parking are naturally two of the most most daunting hassles of a a big city, and unlike any other time I've been there, I actually had a time where I had to be somewhere - in this case, 7:00 am. I was worried about rush hour traffic, so I left...REALLY early. Before 4:00.

This turned out to be much too early, as whenever rush hour starts in New York, it doesn't start at 5:00, so as the sun was coming up, I drove through the Holland Tunnels and into the city. Where was everybody? I drove right past both Little Italy and Chinatown on my way towards Brooklyn. I didn't realize it, but they are actually right next to each other.

Astounded at how quickly I had made it, I then turned onto the Brooklyn Bridge.

Here's a shot of the city from the bridge. I figured that I would be able to use the extra time to find a parking spot. I spent a while the night before looking up parking garages that were near the set.

When I arrived at the designated area, near McCarren Park, I found that I was able to park right next to the holding area, on the street, for free. It was 5:45am. I was stunned that I was able to make it to the destination in under two hours, and that I could park within about 50 feet of my destination. I mean, I'm glad it happened - I'd rather be too early than too late - but I showed up before the production assistants and the catering workers.

I managed to find my way inside the holding area as the caterers were setting up their tables. I put my things down and then walked around town for about 45 minutes. It was a cool, clear day in New York at 6:00, so why not?

We ended up filming just a few scenes on this day, and both of them in the same basic spot. A few familiar faces were there, including creator Ben Edlund and executive producer David Fury, whose TV Guide interview I interrupted for a few minutes in between scenes. Ben didn't know I was going to be there, so when I said hello, he looked a bit shocked until he recognized who the heck I was.

At around 2:00, we all left for lunch. I've been on a few movies and TV shows before, but this is the first time I had heard the phrase "walking lunch", which I guess is code for "you're on your own, kid!". I walked a couple blocks to Vinnie's Pizza, which in addition to having some fantastic pizza (I recommend it if you're ever in town), also had a TMNT-themed bench right outside.

After lunch, we moved onto a new scene. Earlier in the day, the crowd I was a part of was at a memorial for the Flag Five, with François Chau (Walter) and Patricia Kalember (Joan), Arthur's parents on the show, as well as the dogs who play Midnight, voiced by Townsend Coleman. Chau also played the Shredder in 1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze, so hey, there's our second TMNT reference of the day.

The second scene was a continuation of the first, after the Terror and The Tick's big fight at the end of the season, and in this one, both Griffin Newman (Arthur) and Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick) were there in costume. I got to talk briefly with Serafinowicz about Comic-Con, which was at that point only a few weeks away. The temperature had risen steadily throughout the day, and by the end of the second scene, it was into the mid 80s. The Tick suit looks like it's just about as hot as you'd expect, and Serafinowicz was drenched with sweat. Somebody get that guy a towel!

I was (thankfully) given a hat to wear during the two scenes, which prevented me from getting too much of a sunburn and also gave me the opportunity to wear a prop for a while. The scene also had a table with Flag Five merchandise on it, with things like keychains, hats and buttons on display.

One of the most heavily enforced rules on a film set is the "no pictures" rule, for obvious reasons. That's why all the pictures I've shown here have been of things that are decidedly not on the set. Do I have other pictures from this day? Absolutely not. Did I keep that hat that I'm wearing in the above picture? Goodness, no. Why would you even ask that? Ridiculous.

The scenes shot on this day were actually used in three episodes - 10, 11 and 12. In episode 10, the memorial is being set up. In 11, Midnight gives his speech and the crowd gets an alert to clear the area. In 12, we're all running for our lives, first in fear, then in jubilation. As expected, I can be seen in these various scenes almost not at all, except for a crowd shot in episode 11, the screenshot here provided by your friend (and mine) Larry. Despite my relative decent position (I was just a few feet from Chau for most of the morning), this is the best that I can be seen. That's okay - this just means that I can come back again for season two!

As I mentioned, this isn't the first set I've been on. I've probably been a part of a couple dozen productions over the last 10-or-so years, but this one, naturally, is very high up on my list. I can say that I was officially part of Amazon's The Tick, even if just for one day. That's something I'll always remember. Now let's bring on season two!

Watch Amazon's "The Tick" RIGHT NOW! (and vote and comment!)

This day has been a long time in coming, but I think you'll agree that it's been worth the wait. The Tick has returned to television in the form of Amazon's Pilot Season program. What's best is that you can now stream the very first episode for free (available here)!

I was able to first watch the pilot last night and I loved every second of it. I am, naturally, very biased, but I hope that you'll believe me and give it a shot. And as someone who occupies just a tiny part of the Tick's universe, I know for a fact that the people involved in this production gave it their heart and soul in bringing the concept back.

There are a lot of reasons to love this new series, but for me it's how resonant the characters are, even in just the first episode. Griffin Newman is the focus of the pilot and he plays an empathetic, nuanced Arthur that provides a perfect balanced to the bombastic, aloof Tick, played by Peter Serafinowicz. One of the great additions to this show is a new spotlight on Arthur's sister, Dot, played by Valorie Curry. I for one cannot wait to see how her character grows and eclipses the character's appearances in previous iterations.

If you take the time and watch the pilot, I hope that you'll also vote for the show and leave a comment with Amazon - you can do both from the amazon.com/pilotseason homepage. Amazon will be streaming this episode for the foreseeable future and will be taking fan feedback for just about a month - we should know sometime near the end of September if the show will get picked up for a full series. We need to make this happen! So please, if you like the show (or just The Tick in general), watch it, tell your friends about it, vote for it and comment on it!

The above picture is from this year's SDCC panel and was probably my favorite moment at the convention. I know that this series can be a force at Amazon for years to come. Please help make this happen!

OTHER TICK STUFF:

I have (of course) been searching the Internet for mentions of The Tick over the last few days, and I found a couple fun items. The first is an article about the original live action show from back in 2001.

The second is a really cool sketch cover drawn on the 2015 Comic-Con exclusive book. I'm glad that we finally printed some blank sketch covers for 2015 and '16 and it's neat when these pop up every once in a while. The person who owns this even got it graded and everything!

That's it. This was an obligatory post, but I mean it when I say that the show is worth your while. I hope you'll check it out.