Dear MST3K Revival League,

Joel here. I hope your summers are off to a good start, and that you've been staying out of the heat and enjoying all of the new episodes of Mystery Science Theater.

Now, I know some of you are pacing yourselves and haven't watched all of the new season yet, but I also know that some of you have already watched all of the new episodes at least a few times each… so, it seems like a good time to finally ask: what do you think, sirs?

I'd love to know what your favorite new episodes, riffs and host segments are from the new season, so I hope you'll take a moment to let me know in the comments.

(And don't forget, if you're able to watch the episodes on Netflix, please do! We're still waiting to hear whether we'll be renewed for another season, so it's important to keep reminding our partners at Netflix that you want to see more episodes – and the best way to do that is to keep watching, leave reviews on Netflix, and remind your friends to do the same.)

Anyway, I thought I'd check in and say hello. Things have been pretty busy for our whole team, as we put together all of the details and fun surprises we've got planned for this summer's MST3K LIVE tour, and Ivan's team has been hard at work preparing the last parts of your Kickstarter rewards – so, how's about some updates?

Countdown to the MST3K LIVE Tour!

Part of the reason we've been so busy is because the first shows in our "MST3K LIVE: Watch Out For Snakes!" tour are coming up fast. In just a couple weeks, we'll start our full tech and dress rehearsals, so that we have a chance to run through the show with our sets and props and costumes. And then, on July 6, we'll have our first show in Boston!

That’s right, I said it: we open in Boston! That’s about as show business as it gets.

Now, I know a lot of you are already planning to come out and join us, because the ticket sales have been really strong so far. If you've already got your tickets, I really can't thank you enough, and I can't wait to thank you in person at the show. Or, if you don't have your tickets and we'll be coming to a theater near you, I hope you'll grab some now, while you still can!

And remember, we actually have two completely different shows for the tour, and in most cities, we're doing one performance of each. Like I said last time, one of the shows will feature Eegah! – but with 100% new riffs! – and the other is a "Secret Surprise Film", which I think I'll probably end up revealing just after our first performance, since I'm sure word will get around fast. Anyway, if you have the chance to see both shows, I recommend it.

You can see the full schedule again RIGHT HERE.

Servo gets another new voice… for now.

Now, before we get into the new stuff, there's one other thing I want to tell you about MST3K LIVE, just so you know exactly what's happening. If you've already watched the "teaser video" we released for the tour, you might have noticed a line that said "Robot voices subject to change without warning or notice." That's because, while we always knew this was a possibility, we didn't get "official" confirmation until this week.

But, now that we have, here's what you should know:

Baron Vaughn, our third and latest Tom Servo, will not be able to join us for the upcoming tour. But, you should also know that Baron isn't able to come on the tour for the very best possible reason: he's becoming a father!

That's right: Baron is expecting his first baby this fall. And, as you know, our live tour is six solid weeks on the road without a break. So, we all agreed that it's important for Baron to stay in LA in order to prepare for the baby's arrival. It would have been really fun to have him on the road with us, but I think this is the right thing to do, and the best way for us all to proceed.

The good news is, we also have a wonderful stand-in that our whole cast agreed was a perfect fit to voice Servo on the road, and who was actually already a writer and performer on the show in the newest season. I'll introduce you to him in the next update, but we're very excited about it, because he's a very funny – and talented – guy.

(And no, it's not Kevin Murphy.)

And don't worry: Baron will be back in his spot, riffing as Tom Servo when Season 12 starts up, Lord willin' and the creek don't rise. But for now, I hope you'll join me in congratulating him on his big news, and agree that this was the right decision for him and for MST3K LIVE.

A Sneak Peek at MST3K LIVE!

Anyway, whether you're able to join us for this summer's tour or not, I thought I could share a little "sneak peek" to help you see why I'm so excited about live tour.

The first thing to tell you is that MST3K LIVE is more than just riffing. See, the really interesting creative challenge this time around has been figuring out how we can bring the entire MST3K experience to life on stage, and to take advantage of the live format to do things we can't do in our regular episodes. So yeah, the touring show is more than just riffing a movie: it's 100% new material and riffs with a giant screen, but we'll also have brand-new sets and props, host segments and invention exchanges, and a lot of other neat surprises that I don't want to give away in advance.

But yeah, I promised a sneak peek at what we're working on, so today, I thought I'd show you the direction we're working on for the traveling set for this first edition of MST3K LIVE!

Setting the Stage

Now, in my mind there are four locations or “settings” that I feel are essential to the full "MST3K experience." So, that naturally meant we needed to translate those four settings to the stage show. One location is the Mads' base on Moon 13, but the other three – the Bridge, the Doorways and the Theater – are all parts of the Satellite of Love.

Working with my vision team at Alternaversal, we spent weeks trying to imagine just how we could accomplish this in a practical, portable form. We burned through quite a few brain cells – and quite a few dry-erase markers – in the process. (Come to think of it, maybe there's a connection between losing brain cells and dry-erase boards?)

Anyway, I’m proud to tell you, what we figured out is so elegant, I can’t quite believe it:

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If you look closely at this whiteboard sketch, it’s a hybrid design that includes a movie screen, a rear projection screen that behaves like a green screen, and a puppet stage. It also allows for video visits from Kinga and Max via “jet-screen.” That means that it can cover all of our locations in a single stage piece!

Then, after we figured out a lot of the physical mechanics of a road-worthy SOL, we created a composite mock-up to give us a better idea of the scale I was talking about:

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And, while I can't show you photos of the finished set just yet, this is a pretty neat cardboard prototype model of the set, which our set designer – Aaron Somers – built in his studio in Brooklyn:

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If you look, you'll see that Jonah and the bots actually move through the doorways on the left and right to sit on the other side of the rear projection screen, so that their silhouettes are projected live during the movies. Also, during the movie, the lights go down on the rest of the set. As you can imagine, the effect will be really cool.

Anyway, that's a little peek at the main set we're working on.

In the next update, I'll also give you an "inside look" at one of the more crazy and innovative props we've been designing, and of course, introduce you to the next guy to voice Tom Servo. And if you've got other questions about the tour – or anything – you'd like me to talk about in future updates, feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Now, I've got to get back to work, but before you go, I've asked Ivan to give everyone an overdue update on how your remaining Kickstarter backer rewards are coming along. So, I'll turn the rest of this update over to him.

And remember, I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of you at the live show – so if you already got tickets, I hope you're excited… and if you've been holding out, be sure to get your tickets soon, before we run out of seats!

Cheers & Thanks,

Joel

Hey Everyone!

While Joel and his team have been getting ready for the live tour, my team has also been finishing up work on your final Kickstarter rewards.

We've been in touch with a lot of you directly to answer questions and to check in about the higher-level rewards, but now we've also put together a comprehensive "Reward Status Update," telling you what else you can expect, when, and what to do if you run into problems.

If you have ANY Kickstarter reward questions, please read the rest of this update first!

Here are the important things you need to know:

1. Here's a full schedule of timing for all rewards.

2. Here's a list of what has already been sent out:

JULY 2016

- Digital Membership Card & Certificate

- Digital Wallpapers & Ringtones

- Classic Bonus Episodes

- Rifftrax Bonus Rewards



- Digital Membership Card & Certificate - Digital Wallpapers & Ringtones - Classic Bonus Episodes - Rifftrax Bonus Rewards SEPTEMBER 2016

- Set Visits and Set Tours

- Appear in an Episode

- Be A Producer / Be A Writer



- Set Visits and Set Tours - Appear in an Episode - Be A Producer / Be A Writer DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

- Official T-Shirts

- Official Hoodies

- Collector's Postcard Set

- Physical Membership Card & Seal

- Thank You Postcards from Set

- Official T-Shirts - Official Hoodies - Collector's Postcard Set - Physical Membership Card & Seal - Thank You Postcards from Set FEBRUARY 2017

- Advance Screening Events

- Advance Screening Events APRIL 2017

- Thanks on MST3K.com

- Livestream "Preview" Screening

- The First New Episode (DOWNLOAD via VHX)

- The Entire New Season (DOWNLOAD via VHX)

- Personalized Voicemail Messages

- Personalized Video Greetings

- Your Name in the End Credits

- IMDB Credits

- Thanks on MST3K.com - Livestream "Preview" Screening - The First New Episode (DOWNLOAD via VHX) - The Entire New Season (DOWNLOAD via VHX) - Personalized Voicemail Messages - Personalized Video Greetings - Your Name in the End Credits - IMDB Credits MAY 2017

- Official Sticker Sheets

- Coffee/Tiki Mugs

- Official Keychains

- MST3K Mission Patches

- Official Posters (signed + unsigned)

- "Satellite of Love" Art Prints

- Group Dinner with Joel & the Cast

- Group Dinner with Joel and Rick & Morty

- Official Sticker Sheets - Coffee/Tiki Mugs - Official Keychains - MST3K Mission Patches - Official Posters (signed + unsigned) - "Satellite of Love" Art Prints - Group Dinner with Joel & the Cast - Group Dinner with Joel and Rick & Morty JUNE 2017

- Original Crow & Servo Robot puppets

- Original Invention Exchange props

If you didn't receive rewards from the list above...

and you're sure that they were included with your reward level...

and you're sure that you filled out your BackerKit reward survey last year...

please email our Backer Support team at kickstarter@mst3k.com.



We'll get back to you ASAP!

3. Here's a list of what has not been sent out yet:

The Collector's Box Set: Season 11 (DVD / Blu-ray)

The Collector's VHS: Episode 1101

MST3K MIMOBOT® USB drives

Mystery Gifts

Art of MST3K Wall Calendars

Wall Calendars Bring Back MST3K: The Coffee Table Book

If you're still waiting on any of these rewards, please don't worry: we're still working on finishing up the final bonus materials for the DVD set, and designing the coffee table book. We're also still waiting for a few of the items to arrive from China, which takes awhile. Our current estimate is that all remaining rewards will be shipped out in OCTOBER 2017, but we'll let you know if there's any change in the timing.

(No matter what, we guarantee you'll have everything before the holidays, in case you're giving anything as gifts.)

4. If you have problems, let us know!

When you send out rewards to 35,000+ people, there are always going to be a few hiccups. So, if your mug broke in the mail, or one of your rewards was missing or wrong, don't worry: our Backer Support team is here to help get everything fixed up for you! Just email kickstarter@mst3k.com, let us know what happened, and we'll get back to you ASAP.

And finally, for those of you who have been asking for a chance to order more t-shirts and posters, good news…

5. LAST CALL: One last chance to get more Add-On Rewards!

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While we can't make more of all of the Kickstarter rewards, we are going to do one more production round for T-SHIRTS, HOODIES, POSTERS and MIMOBOTS, and there's still time to order the CALENDAR and the COFFEE TABLE BOOK before we send them to press – but this is the absolute last chance to grab these Kickstarter exclusives:

So, if you want to get the second t-shirt design, or need to order a larger size, or wish you had gotten the #WeBroughtBackMST3K hoodie, now's your chance – but it won't last much longer, so be sure to grab your final Kickstarter rewards now!

That should cover everything, but if you've got other questions, you know how to reach us -- just drop an email to kickstarter@mst3k.com, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!

Til next time,

Ivan