Ink-Stained Amazon

Do you know someone that posts pictures of Eric Northman on their Facebook Wall? Do they obsess over Meredith Woerner’s recaps on io9? Do they throw True Blood themed dinner parties?

Well, lucky you! Because today’s Gift Guide is For the Trubie Geek!

Get your geek a set of some of the greatest guilty pleasure books around with the Sookie Stachouse Series Box Set – they make for perfect bathtub reading.

The Sookie Stackhouse Series

Is your geek’s favorite bar Merlotte’s, Lu Pine’s or Fangtasia? They can’t choose? Then the True Blood Bar Set has you covered!

Shots and Pints

For the Trubie that has to know every detail of the Sookieverse, the HBO store is currently selling True Blood Comic Book Issues 1-5 (Including all variant covers of #1). The comics are published by IDW.

Transmedia in Action

Your Trubie friend can sleep in this Bon Temps Football T-Shirt and pretend it belongs to Jason Stackhouse.

Stackhouse

Or, they can pretend they are wearing their bear, Hoyt’s Renard Parish Hoodie.

For Your Bear.

Of course, no Trubie geek t-shirt set would be complete without a Fangtasia Shirt.

Bite me.

If your Trubie needs guides or criticism there’s A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger’s Guide from Smart Pop Books.

The Fangbanger's Guide

As well as Truly, Madly, Deadly: The Unofficial True Blood Companion from ECW press.

Truly, Madly, Deadly

For the Trubie that likes jewelry, there’s this “I wanna do bad things with you” necklace from Etsy.

Real Bad Things . . .

Why choose Team Eric or Team Bill? What if we love all of Sookie’s men? This hand-stamped bracelet proclaims your love for all of them!

I was pretty stoked to meet the people at Digital Kitchen yesterday, as they produced the opening credits for True Blood, as well as the series’ Season Two Buzz Campaign.

Talking with a producer on the project reminded me of a meme from a while ago about favorite opening credits.

So in no particular order, and only from shows I’ve watched, here are my top ten favorite title sequences.

True Blood
“I wanna do bad things . . .”

HBO: True Blood Main Title from DIGITALKITCHEN on Vimeo.

The Twilight Zone
“You unlock this door with the key of imagination . . .”

The Tudors
Ribaldry! Heaving Bosoms. Beautiful Naked people having drrrty sex! A wine glass spilled. The shadow of a beheading. Religious Symbolism. Coquettry! How you appeal to my baser instincts!

The Avengers
Mrs. Emma Peel. John Steed. Champagne. ‘Nuff said.

Twin Peaks
Quintessentially Northwest

The Venture Brothers
“Go Team Venture!”

LOST
Twilight Zone-esque and brilliant in its simplicity.

The Muppet Show
Sets the stage for a high-energy variety show. With Puppets!

Rome
“Thirteen!!!”

Mad Men
Saul Bass Homage

Mad Men Title Sequence from Caleb Woods on Vimeo.

Honorable Mentions go to shows with an opening narration (which I seem to really enjoy):
The Incredible Hulk
Charlie’s Angels
Battlestar Galactica (original – Love that Patrick Macnee narrative.)
Alias
Star Trek: The Next Generation (the change from “no man” to “no one” was phenomenal)

And though it’s not spoken narration, the opening sequence to Space 1999 also deserves note.

What are your favorites?

I’ve been as giddy as V-junkie for my fix of HBO’s vampire series, True Blood, and last night’s Season 3 premiere soothed the savage fangirl.

The series, loosely based on Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series of novels, and directed by Alan Ball, burst forth last night with everything I love about this show. (Minor Spoilers.)

Humor:
“Conscience off! Dick on!”
“Hell hath no fury like a vampire queen broke!”
“I’m sorry you fell in love with a serial killer, all right. But honestly, who here hasn’t?”

Gratuitous Fan Service:
Naked Vampire Eric.
“See anything you like?”

Even MORE Gratuitous Fan Service:
Dream sequence with shirtless Vampire Bill and Sam Merlotte in which a shared shower is discussed. (HoYay!)
“We’re gonna have a nice time. I hear the water in Arkansas is… very hard.”

Lafayette:
He’s nothing short of awesome.
“Do everybody a solid and instead of looking up at a God that let all this sh*t happen, you need to keep your eyes on your f*ckin’ daughter because she ain’t right to be alone.”

Pam:
Her sarcasm is sublime. (And she’s a series regular now!)
”I don’t know what it is about me that makes people think I want to hear their problems. Maybe I smile too much. Maybe I wear too much pink. But please remember I can rip your throat out if I need to. And also know that I am not a hooker. That was a long, long time ago.”

Jessica:
A brilliant addition to the television series. (Harris has said she wishes she’d thought of her.)

And of course, gross-out gore, intrigue, over-the-topness, and melodrama. Plus, the promise of werewolves.

For your pleasure – Lafayette recaps the first 2 seasons in under 5 minutes.