Welcome to The Odyssey
Scoop.
PROVIDING THE
SCOOP ON ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY, ONE CONE AT A TIME.
Upcoming Cover for
"Darien's Rise"
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Many
of you read the book and listened to the
dramatization.
Now is your chance to get a first high-res glance at the new
cover design for
Darien's Rise, the first book in the Passages
book series.
Summary:
Passages, the legendary series from the creators of
Adventures in Odyssey, lets kids enter a world where ancient
history comes to life . . . and faith in God becomes the
adventure of a lifetime!
In book 1, Darien's Rise, Anna and Kyle are transported to
the mysterious land of Marus—and caught in the middle of a
dangerous conflict between a brave army general and a
powerful king. Will their newfound powers be strong enough
to save the rightful heir to the throne . . . and return
them safely home?
The new cover has a very similar look to the
Passages: Darien's
Rise audio drama. It features the same cover art,
with the new Adventures in Odyssey logo. I'd say it's
not going to be hard for readers of the book series to find
the radio drama version now or vice versa. If I'm not
mistaken, the new book release
will also contain six interior
color pictures and a new 2-page color map of Marus and
outlying areas. It's also interesting to note that this will
be the first time AIO has published a third edition of one
of its book series. Passages is here to stay!
According to Tyndale,
Darien's Rise is scheduled for an April 2010
release. Book 2
is set for release in May 2010.
I would have updated the
book's product page today, but frankly, I'm weary from all
the work involved with the site redesign. As an update to
all of you, I'm working on the final and largest site
section here at the site: our
Merchandise section. Once it's finished, the release
of the new site will be very imminent. Expect the new
Passages cover, along with a brand-new section... very
soon! How soon? Be watching in the days ahead. For now,
click here to see the high-res image of the new
cover art.
Focus on the
Family in the News
SATURDAY,
FEBRUARY 6, 2010
Well,
since we've arrived at Super Bowl weekend, I figured it'd be
nice to talk about the ministry which brings AIO to life.
First of all, you may have noticed that Focus on the Family
recently launched their brand-new
website. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they
incorporated the new AIO logo into the look (yes, it's there
- look at the bottom of the page). I must say, with a white
border, the logo really pops when placed on darker
backgrounds. I almost like it as is, without the
container element.
Secondly, plan on watching the commercials
early during the Super Bowl game as Focus on the Family will
be airing its new "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life"
30-second ad. Apparently, it has caused some controversy in
the media already, and it hasn't even aired yet! I guess
when you hit a touchy subject, people start talking.
As for me, I'm excited to witness my first
Super Bowl game in five years. You bring the pizza and I'll
provide the snacks! Meanwhile, visit the new and improved
FocusOnTheFamily.com and I'll keep plugging away
at the redesign of the Odyssey Scoop!
Spring
Season Episode Summaries
THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY 4, 2010
Today I'm proud to announce that AIO has
officially released the first four episode summaries for
all-new episodes, beginning in March 2010!
The Inspiration
Station I
Theme: Inspiration
Summary: Connie loves spending time in
Whit’s newest invention, the Inspiration Station. But when a
glitch shuts down the machine, her obsession may go too far.
Meanwhile, Eugene traces the source of the malfunction to
Matthew Parker, who apparently has been "fixing" everyone’s
electronics, with disastrous results.
The Inspiration
Station II
Theme: Inspiration
Summary: Whit is concerned about the
Inspiration Station’s strange effects on Connie, but hopes
the invention could be just the thing to inspire young
Matthew Parker.
Clutter
Theme: Storing up treasures in heaven
Summary: After nearly being mauled by
the junk in his own garage, David Parker declares that his
family is going to have a yard sale. Will the entire Parker
family survive parting with their treasures?
Game for a
Mystery
Theme: Putting off important things
Summary: Simon Jones just wants the
hedge trimmed, but his son Barrett can’t tear himself away
from his portable video game – until it disappears without a
trace! Emily, along with trusty sidekick Matthew, takes this
as a case for the newly‑formed "Jones & Parker Detective
Agency."
I have a feeling things are going to start
picking up as we get closer to the long-awaited season of
Adventures in Odyssey! I've also added the
March 2010
broadcast schedule.
The Intrigue
of Adventures in Odyssey
WEDNESDAY,
FEBRUARY 3, 2010
Even those who consider themselves not to be
"religious" find themselves coming back for more Odyssey
episodes. On January 27, 2005, a blogger named Chris
explained his new fascination with the series the best way
he knew how:
|
 |
It's called Adventures in Odyssey, and
it has to be heard to be believed . . . It's a Christian
show that illustrates lessons from the Bible against the
backdrop of a small town (Odyssey), centered on an ice cream
shop, and it's exactly as bizarre as it sounds. I'm not what
you'd call religious at all, but I swear, I can't
stop listening to it. Ever since Tavis Smiley left NPR, it's
the most entertaining half hour on the airwaves...
But it actually has pretty tight internal
continuity which appeals to me, and, as Warren Ellis would
say, it's well-done, of its type. There was an episode where
Connie kept bugging Eugene about becoming a Christian, and
Whit finally had to sit her down and say: "Look, cool out
with that." The message was that heavy-handed and constant
pressuring, while done for the right reasons, is the wrong
way to help people find Jesus, which is pretty
forward-thinking and tolerant compared to most of the stuff
on the Bible Broadcast Network. And the fact that they had
an agnostic character who was portrayed so positively speaks
volumes.
But back to the point, it's pretty goofy most
of the time, and the more you listen and the more you find
out, the weirder it gets. Whit's End is absolutely crazy.
It's a small-town ice cream shop that has insane
technological innovations like the Imagination
Station--essentially the Christian Holodeck which functions
in the stories to let the kids hang out with a computer
simulation of Jesus. It's nuts...
Seriously, some of the plots they were coming
up with were mind-blowing. I was trying to explain
them to Tug, and he said it sounded like they'd found their
own version of Geoff Johns to come in and tie all the
continuity together in a massive story...
Still, if you get a chance, listen. You might
get a story where Connie and Eugene use the Imagination
Station to go back in time and help St. Patrick drive the
snakes out of Ireland. But then again, you might get
something crazy. |
Before I post the link to his blog, I must
first explain that his blog entry contains a couple
expletives/inappropriate words. For that reason, if you are
offended by such language, I would recommend that you not
read the full blog entry or read at your own discretion. I
merely posted the highlights above to show you that
non-Christians find Odyssey intriguing as well. Just keep in
mind that this blogger doesn't come from a Christian
background, so it is acceptable (in his eyes) to use it in
his speech. With that being said, visit the full
blog entry (if your convictions will allow you).
The AIO Fan's Life
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 1, 2010
Since we've been on the topic of other Odyssey blogs lately,
I thought it would be nice to share another blog link with
you. This time, you'll get another perspective through the
eyes of a blogger and AIO fan who named his dog Odyssey. Be
sure and check out
The AIO Fan's Life, now prominently displayed at our
Links Outward section.
As for this AIO fan, I am beginning to
realize just how daunting the Odyssey Scoop
redesign project really is. The
overall layout is taken care of, and now the arduous journey
of updating all the content on well over 1,500 website pages
lies before me. Right now, I am aiming to be done and ready
to post the site during the month of March, at the earliest.
The goal is to be ready for launch before or during the
Spring 2010 season of Adventures in Odyssey. But
don't quote me. This is a painful process and deserves some
time. I guess that's what I get for starting one of the
biggest fan sites on the net and keeping it alive for nine
years. Then again, when I put my mind to something like
this, I tend to get things done sooner than later.
But as I said, don't quote me. Just be
watching in the days ahead!
Review of AIO
Encore Collection
THURSDAY,
JANUARY 28, 2010
So
for a while there, I was worried that since I already have
the entire Odyssey collection, it wouldn't be worth it to
get a copy of the
Encore
Collection. Boy, was I wrong! If you're having the
same problem, then let me tell you a little bit about what
you get.
For starters, the packaging is beautiful. The
box contains three separate sets. Each set features a
different decade from the Adventures in Odyssey era.
It may interest many of you that the 1980's portion of the
product has a nice tip-of-the-hat to artist Bruce Day in
that they showcased a couple of his pieces which appeared on
albums. He illustrated the earlier collections before they
were released as the Gold Audio Series. When
you open the 1990's set you'll notice a showcase of the
artwork from that era as well. The 2000's set follows suit
and features some of our current artist's work, Gary Locke.
But that's not all.
Each set in the
Encore
Collection contains a special behind-the-scenes
write-up about each decade, a Key Characters
sections, and an interesting Timeline. In essence,
you get a three-decade quick summary of the key events
around town. If you have the
Official Guide, we'll just call the
Encore
Collection a very abbreviated form of it. This
collection is great for collectors and new fans. I'd
certainly recommend it for new listeners who don't know
where to start with a collection of 50+ albums.
To collectors out there, I'd say go for it. I
know you're out there, trying to decide if it's worth the
purchase. Likewise, I also highly recommend the
Platinum
Collection as well. It also has some
behind-the-scenes features, fun facts, and highlights of
older artwork as well. Not to mention you get 12 CDs in each
collection. It's AIO at its best!
I would show you guys pictures to show you
exactly what you're getting, but these are the types of AIO
products that are best experienced when opened for the first
time. Learn more about
Encore
Collection and
Platinum
Collection at their links, respectively.
Help Us
Redesign the Odyssey Scoop!
WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 27, 2010
We need your help! I mentioned several days
ago that I hoped to update the design of the entire website.
Fortunately, I already started on the preliminary design
work. You may have noticed that link at the top of the page
when I posted it yesterday. I'm excited to show you a sneak
peek of what the site will look like, so check it out and
then leave your comments. It's going to be a massive
project, so it will be some time before the new design is
implemented throughout the site. The idea is to get the site
at a more consistent level with a simple, understandable
structure. Click here to see
it.
On another note, the
Official Podcast released their latest video episode
yesterday, and what a podcast it was! We now know what Whit,
Connie, Eugene, and the new Odyssey characters will look
like!
Next Video
Podcast?
TUESDAY,
JANUARY 26, 2010
It
looks like we have gotten an early heads up on what's coming
up in the next
Official Podcast. Brock Eastman, Product Marketing
at Focus on the Family, has revealed some news about the
very near future in his
blog.
|
|
I wrote my first script for the
Official
Adventures in Odyssey Podcast. As you may have watched
the video where Bob and Jesse chased me all around Focus and
Whit's End you saw my debut on the podcast. We actually
recorded an audio podcast shortly after, which I had a small
part in and played off of the video podcast. However my
lines were cut from that podcast so I've only been able to
pester Bob and Jesse once. Well that isn't enough, so I made
a suggestion to Nathan and then wrote out a script. He added
another segment to the script and then we shot it on January
22nd. Because the script was used and filmed and will post
on Wednesday, I consider this my first non-self-published
work! Woot a celebration in my mind. So I hope you enjoy it
and check back here on Wednesday to watch it and let me know
what you think. |
Like the good fans that we are, I say let's
keep our eyes on the
Official
Site in the coming hours!
Update: The Podcast is now available!
Don't miss it!
AIO Insanity
SATURDAY,
JANUARY 23, 2010
I'm sure many of us would say we're insane
about Adventures in Odyssey. Thanks to one of our
loyal visitors, Audrey, I was recently informed about an AIO
fan whose blog is called
AIO Insanity. After reading through it, I must say
that this particular blogger loves AIO and I thoroughly
enjoyed seeing the perspective of another fan. I've added
this blog to our Links page so
others can enjoy it as well. Do you know about a link we
don't have?
Send it our way.
As for me, I'm experiencing a little insanity
myself, mainly because I've been doing some
behind-the-scenes tweaks to the site. Many of you have
probably already noticed (though you didn't think about it)
when contacting us that you no longer have to confirm
through an outside website service before submitting
anything to us. That means it's easier for you guys to get
around and less of a hassle. Not only that, I've made all
the necessary purchases to keep this site running for at
least another two years (I keep things running on a two-year
basis as expenses are high ―
why not
donate to us to help us with our costs?)
I've also received so many comments regarding
website design improvements. Most of you like the design of
the current homepage over the look of the majority of the
website and would love to see it used throughout the site. I
won't make any promises as it would be a huge undertaking,
but I'd like to get going on that myself. Someday is
my goal for releasing it, and hopefully I'll be able to
improve the site. Thanks, everyone, for your continued
support! Until then, just continue being insane about AIO.
Act Like Odyssey Contest
FRIDAY,
JANUARY 22, 2010
Fans
everywhere are getting excited about the Act Like Odyssey
contest, hosted by the
Official Site. For the first time in the history of
Adventures in Odyssey, you have an opportunity to
videotape a scene from one of your favorite AIO scenes. And
the fun part is, if your video is the top favorite based on
the fans' votes, you will win the entire audio series of AIO!
Talk about the ultimate prize! That's fifty-one albums and
countless hours―no, days―of
audio entertainment. Also, your winning video will appear at
the Official Site for everyone to see!
I know we had mentioned this briefly in our
January 15
post, but I wanted to give you a more thorough mention
later. Also, you've still got time to enter a free giveaway
for Album 51 at the
Odyssey Times fan site as well. I have a feeling
things are just beginning to heat up as we get closer to the
new season!
The 2010
Season Rundown
THURSDAY,
JANUARY 21, 2010
I'm convinced that many of you are already
speculating as to what's going to happen in the next season
of Adventures in Odyssey. There's no doubt that some
of you have your hopes high. Just for fun, I've decided to
do some speculating of my own, though I wouldn't recommend
you believe everything you hear.
The Inspiration Station I & II
Connie discovers that her overly-friendly,
central character, grandfatherly figure is spending too much
time in the Imagination Station. To combat this, she invents
a new machine of her own and plants it in the soda shop for
easier access. But when Whit goes into her invention to find
inspiration, a different Whit comes out, causing devastating
results.
Clutter
It's spring cleaning time at Whit's End and
Connie and Whit are sorting through old items in the Little
Theatre. Ironically, they find a note from Eugene Meltsner
who has once again skipped town to hide from an evil
mind-controlling organization!
Game for a Mystery
Following their terrible discovery of
Eugene's absence from Odyssey, Whit and Connie are playing a
game of Twister they had found in the Little Theatre.
Awkwardly enough, a stranger visits Whit's End and joins the
game. But that's not all. At the conclusion of their game,
he informs the two ice cream shop employees that Eugene has
joined sides and now works for the evil
mind-controlling organization!
Target of the Week
With a new enemy to worry about, Whit and
Connie close down Whit's End and seek a safe hiding place
for the Inspiration Station. But will Eugene aim at his
target right and steal the plans to the station before
Connie and Whit know what hit them?
For the Birds
Installing some bird feeders in McAlister
seems harmless enough, but Whit receives an encrypted note
on a park bench. After miraculously decoding it in an
unbelievable amount of time, he realizes the message is a
lot more than he bargained for... and Eugene has gotten a
haircut.
When You're Right, You're Right
For once, Connie is right about why Eugene
shaved his head. In fact, she's the one who cut it. Yet,
Whit refuses to believe her when she tells him she has
switched to the bad side.
Grandma's Visit
When Eugene's long lost grandmother visits
town to find her grandson, Connie "spills the beans" that
Eugene is trying to take over the world. Unfortunately,
Grandma's not happy that she is being left out of his plan
for world domination and sets out on a road trip with Connie
to Salt Lake City, Eugene's central headquarters.
Finish What You...
Officer Burke is hot on the trail to find
Eugene and his mind-controlling organization, but an attack
of the H1N1 virus may thwart his efforts.
The Jubilee Singers I, II, & III
Whit begins to wonder why Connie hasn't shown
up for work for the past three months. A death threat and an
explosion of the town's favorite discovery emporium lands
Whit in the hospital and an end to his career as an
inventor. Meanwhile, Eugene, Connie and Grandma have worked
through their differences and reach their launch date to
take over the world. But will their quick stop to Bolivia do
them in?
Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed these
outlandish speculations. To see a list of what's coming up
beginning March 2010, visit out
weekend schedule.
Visitor
Comments Feature Added!
WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 20, 2010
As you may have noticed, I've been changing
the look of how this blog looks. Today I am proud to be able
to share that you can now post your own follow-up comments
to each blog entry from now on! What does that mean? You can
see what others think about the current topic of the day and
and even add your own thoughts. I figured it was about time
the Scoop got updated to the 21st Century. I won't be
updating all the old blog entries from the past nine years
as it would be too massive of an undertaking. So for 2010
and beyond, you now have more of a voice! Thanks to everyone
who contacted me over the past few months and years
regarding improvements to the site.
Also, I've been really pleased with how many
of you are subscribing to our RSS feed
on a daily basis! Since we started RSS-ing, we are receiving
an average of 16 new subscribers a day. On our best days,
we're getting well over the 20's! If you haven't subscribed
to our RSS feed yet,
why not today?
So, with all that being said, what do you
think of the new comment feature?
Local Businessman Whittaker Gains Reactions
MONDAY,
JANUARY 18, 2010
One
of Odyssey's most well-known citizens has undergone a
drastic change to his physical appearance. Residents of
Odyssey, as well as avid fans of the popular Adventures
in Odyssey radio drama, have taken notice of this
shocking change.
"Connie really inspired me with her diet
program several years ago," Whittaker said. "Even before
that, I took to running occasionally in McAlister Park to
watch my weight."
In a recent interview, Whittaker admitted
that he has always struggled with his weight, especially
since he owns and maintains the town's most popular ice
cream shop.
"Whit's End has been a popular attraction
since I opened it in 1987. Working around my favorite cold
dessert has always been difficult, but Connie Kendall, one
of my long-time employees, motivated me to strive for better
living."
Even some of Odyssey's residents are taking
notice of the new "Whit."
"I obtained copies of many of the Kids Radio
programs over the years when they broadcast around town, and
Mr. Whittaker certainly has a different voice than he had in
the past. I think his diet has certainly affected his
voice," Brad Dillard revealed to reporters. As a local
station manager at Q94, Mr. Dillard has a long-time interest
in the radio station that jumpstarted his career. "Without
Mr. Whittaker, I don't know what I'd be doing."
"Whit's voice changed? I never noticed,"
employee Connie Kendall observed. "I guess I've been around
him so much, it's hard to tell. Then again, my voice has
probably changed, too, but I always stay the same age."
Eugene Meltsner, Whittaker's maintenance man
for the shop's inventions, stated: "It's not as if I had the
opportunity to see the archaic appearance of Mr. Whittaker
in the first place because of the hair over my eyes for so
many years. I have particularly allowed myself to obtain a
haircut in album 51 to be able to see all the faces I adore
so much. Besides, it was actually my hair that kept me from
earning my driver's license the first time."
Not everyone is amazed by Whit's new
look. Adventures in Odyssey fan Dallas shared his
thoughts on the old look for John Avery Whittaker:
"Personally I think that's the best picture for Whit. Brown
jacket with a red sweater, brown pants, same walrus
moustache and overweight, but not round as a ball like in
some of his newer pictures."
Regardless of the opinions circulating about
the new Whittaker in 2010, critically-acclaimed
odysseyscoop.com webmaster Jacob Isom is optimistic: "At
first I didn't like the new look for this small-town
grandfatherly inventor, but it's beginning to grow on me.
It'll be nice to see the more rotund Whit of the earlier
years remaining on albums 1-50 (for old time's sake) with a
slight twist for albums 51 and up. It's like we get to keep
what made Whit great and see him shed a few pounds for the
second half of the series."
Whittaker plans to install a kid-friendly
treadmill in the train room of Whit's End to encourage
healthy exercise habits in the future. Meanwhile, fans look
forward to the coming excitement in Odyssey with their
re-made role model.
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