Aside from a tiny photo of the back of a tiny, naked head, I haven't posted in like four months. No doubt if you're reading this blog, you care about. And if both of those things are true, then you probably have some questions about the upcoming season, and just what the hell we think we're doing over here at the AstroBase. Questions such as...According to some other blogs and apparently the adultswim website, we're supposed to be premiering in August. I say this because I haven't been told an official date by anyone yet. But August sounds about right.Yes it does, but don't blame the network. They couldn't get it on much sooner than that if they tried. Why? Becausesuck. I know...when we split the season into two halves last year we promised to have the second half on by spring or early summer of this year. But we got a later start on these episodes than we originally intended. Suffice to say neither half of Season 4 has been easy to produce...In the end, it'll all be worth it. We think you're going to really dig these next eight episodes. We seem to have re-embraced the show's sci-fi/comic book/adventure roots, and as much as it was a struggle to write them, they're a whole lot of fun. Lots more development of Hank and Dean, lots of new characters, and lots of old faces returning both triumphantly and trivially.Back in November, I wrote that we were working on our script for the season finale. And that was true...we ended up turning it in, just before Christmas, several weeks late. But over the break, Doc and I took another look at it and we weren't 100% happy with it. Despite being a good script (and well-received by the network), we just didn't feel right about ending a 16 episode season with a single half hour episode. Especially not one that, despite cutting a bunch of stuff we loved, we'd over-written to the point that it would have to suffer massive cuts in the editing process...So we called the network and asked them if they'd give us the time and money to take the script back and turn it into a one-hour special. And they said yes. Which brings us to...After spending January re-writing the finale script--and February and March designing and storyboarding it--we are currently editing the animatic for what will be aWhich is another reason why we won't be premiering until August. And why the finale probably won't air until December. But hey--that's an extra half an hour of Venture-y goodness for your patience, right? What we take away with one hand, we give back with the other...Meanwhile, we've received rough cuts of the first three episodes of Season 4.5 from our overseas studio so far. The screen-grabbed evidence of which is strewn about this entry. We get a new one every two weeks and then spend about 4-5 days reviewing every frame for mistakes, during which we yell at our monitors and each other and compile a list of retakes to send back.So yeah, that's where we're at in production right now. What else?It's probably not news to anyone by now, but we have indeed struck a deal with Bif Bang Pow! to produce a line ofaction figures (and bobbleheads). At Toy Fare in February, Bif Bang Pow unveiled several prototypes.I say again.... These are not the final figures. Since those photos were released, we've been working closely with Jason Lenzi to get the head sculpts, outfits and proportions just right. We're even contributing to the packaging...Some of you--most likely those of you born after 1978--will never be happy with our choice to go with a retro "Mego style" design, but Doc and I think it's pretty fucking funny. And what is this whole Venture Bros. business about if not a doomed attempt to re-live our childhoods? So there.Anyway, I'm told the first wave of figures will hit the streets right around the time of the San Diego Comic Con...so start saving your pennies now. And then, in July, go to the bank and get them changed to $20 bills...because we hate pennies, and we will not accept them.We were originally going to hold off on producing any DVDs of Season 4 until all 16 episodes were complete and we could release one massive boxed set, but given the massive amount of time between seasonal halves, that's pretty unlikely now. The current plan is to release a standard def DVD of the first 8 episodes sometime between July and October (depending on how quickly we get our acts together to record commentary, dig up special features and design the packaging), and then release both a standard def DVD of the second 8 episodes and a Blu-Ray of the entire 16 episode season in March. But that's all I know right now, so don't ask me any questions about it.Convention season is many months away, but people are asking us to commit to appearances at both the San Diego Comic Con and Dragon Con. And we've done just that--committed to appearing at both. But again, that's all I know right now, so...