Mike French is an experienced journalist and film review writer responsible for many of the Indy's Influences film reviews as well as some of the best articles here at TheRaider.net.
And you may expect to read more new articles from Mike as he is currently writing the second part of his Allan Quatermain feature article. Part 1 already dates back from April 2005. Time sure flies!

Click here to read the National Treasure: Book of Secrets film review by Mike French.

Posted by Gilles V

I also plan to frequently update TheRaider.net's MySpace page with interesting Indiana Jones related video discoveries, from YouTube or MySpaceTV, as well as "screen" old and new Indy fan films & trailers!

And keep an eye on the photos as I may add Indy images that can't be found on TheRaider.net right away.

• www.myspace.com/theraidernet

To the people who prefer Facebook; a TheRaider.net Group is in the making and will be online soon!

Posted by Gilles V

With all the talks of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull plotlines, co-stars, set leaks, what treasure he will be looking for and Harrison Ford's age - there has been one curious topic that hasn't been addressed; Which Indiana Jones will be on the screen?
I am not talking about which actor will be up on the screen next May, but rather I am talking about the character of Indiana Jones.

Click here to read the full article by Mitchell Hallock.

And visit or Indiana Jones Articles section for more in-depth essays on our favorite hero.

Posted by Gilles V

We also have two new artist galleries featuring amazing artwork by Jose Angel Villar and Adam McDaniel.

Click on these artwork thumbnails here under to fully enjoy the new contributions.

Visit our Fan Art Museum to view more artwork.

Posted by Gilles V

Stephen read The Diamond of Jeru novel after seeing the movie adaptation by Beau L'Amour and got a little obsessive about this subject. He eventually went out to meet Beau L'Amour and interview him about his father's adventures and The Diamond of Jeru.

You can now read Stephen Jared's great interview with Beau L'Amour here at TheRaider.net! It's a good and very informative article, especially if you like the work of Louis L'Amour and adventure stories in general.

Posted by Gilles V

Dennis Budd's latest.

You will find Dennis Budd's new digital Indy painting in the header of our Fan Fiction Archive pages.

Posted by Gilles V

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Moses is a new Indiana Jones comic book adventure drawn by Jason Davies based on an original story by Greg Hildebrandt Jr. Two of four chapters have been released by now.

Check back in a few weeks for the fourth Chapter of the Staff of Moses comic book adventure!

Posted by Gilles V

Patrick Swayze as Quatermain in 2004.

Until today, as Michael French has finally finished his article about Allan Quatermain in which he shares with us the history of the "original" Indiana Jones and the legacy of H. Rider Haggard's classic story; King Solomon's Mines.

Click here to read the full, two pages long, article on adventure hero Allan Quatermain!

Posted by Gilles V

Off the Beaten Path: An Unofficial Expedition

I recently had the opportunity to interview George Beahm, who along with former Disney Imagineer, Tm Kirk, set out to document those behind the scenes tales of the globe-trotting, adventurer. Their efforts have been compiled into the new book from Hampton Roads Publishing entitled; Indiana Jones -- Off the Beaten Path: An Unofficial Expedition. The book explores things as the truth behind some off the events and places from Indy's adventures where might the Ark be? Does anyone speak Hovitos? Where is the real Club Obi Wan? And there are a ton of Indy trivia and tidbits that Indy fans will love to learn more about.

Click here to read our exclusive interview with George Beahm.

Posted by Mitchell Hallock

It's not the years, daddy, it's the mileage!

The Indiana Jones 4 fan art gallery has been split up into 2 new galleries; the Indy 4 Classical Fan Art and the Digital Fan Art galleries.

By: Chad Watson & Matt Crabtree		Artist: Paul Mitchell
Artist: Ronny Vedal

Artist: Mark Martino		Artist: Mark Martino
Artist: Mark Martino		Artist: Shane Edward Grogg
Artist: Mitchell Hallock

Artist: Atsushi Tanabe		Artist: Enrique Pitarch
Artist: Mark Martino		Artist: rnlaing
Artist: Szabolcs Menyhei		Artist: Wayne Barnes
Artist: Wayne Barnes		Artist: Wayne Barnes
Artist: Snakewhip Sable

Artist: Danny McGinnis		Artist: Billy Shears
Artist: James Greene		Artist: WaZaMaN666
By: Jørn Sømme & Samantha Bell		Artist: Tony 'scifiwolf" Santore

Artist: Jørn Sømme

Fresh added to the Merchandising section are pages filled with info on the new Special Edition DVDs and Indy toy lines by Hasbro, LEGO, Gentle Giant, Sideshow Collectibles, Kotobukiya, and Topps trading cards. And this is only the tip of the iceberg!
The Medicom Toy, Diamond Select Toys, Hallmark, and more pages are still in the making and will be added sometime during the coming weeks. And I think a release dates list might also be a nice addition to the section.

Have a look around in our revised and expanded Indiana Jones Merchandising section, and keep in mind that much more info is on its way!

Posted by Gilles V

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Moses is an Indiana Jones comic book adventure drawn by Jason Davies based on an original story by Greg Hildebrandt Jr.

Check back in a few weeks for the next part of The Staff of Moses comic book!

Posted by Gilles V

Hailed as the "Oscars of the Internet" by the New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile Websites. The Webby Awards is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-person judging academy whose members include Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf, R/GA's Chief Bob Greenberg, Simpson's creator Matt Groening, Arianna Huffington, and Harvey Weinstein.

Vote for TheRaider.net:
From now through May 1st, visitors (you!) can cast their own votes for TheRaider.net in The Webby People's Voice Awards presented by Nokia at http://pv.webbyawards.com.

You will have to register before you can cast your vote but the whole procedure is fast and easy. And remember; you will find TheRaider.net listed as one of the 5 nominees in the Celebrity/Fan category. Sincere thanks for your vote!

Winners will be announced on May 6, 2008.

Thanks to all TheRaider.net crew members and visitors for your support!

Posted by Gilles V

Here follows an excerpt:

We know trilogies generally work and can be mapped out successfully. The fourth installment is the wild card. Some have been terrible. Some have been stellar. So that begs the next question: Will Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull be a meaningful and narratively successful fourth adventure or will it feel more like a single guy going to a movie with a couple, or in this case, a happily married trilogy... Will Indy IV be the third wheel?

Click here to read Mike French' full article on fourth installments.

Posted by Gilles V

Here follows a list of all six new fan videos:

Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Bloodstone by John C. Sheetz - USA 2008

Indiana Jones and the Assassin's Tool by Tom Lynskey - USA 2008

Indiana Jones and the River of Death by Nathan Haugaard - USA 2006

Jones Me by Rob Traegler - USA 2008

Louisiana Bones and the Sacred Spatula by CJ Woodring - USA 2005

Barone Jones by Vanderson Barone - Brazil 2004

Our Fan Films Theater now features 39 Indiana Jones fan homages, parodies and even music videos!

Posted by Gilles V

Here are the contest details:

Write an article about Indy - What makes Indy an indie? - not only describing why Indiana Jones has become such a phenomenon, but also showing an understanding of what Lucas and Spielberg have brought to the franchise, and why and whether Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, etc. are the best people to bring this latest installment to life.

The contest will be over quickly - all submissions must be in by Thursday, April 24, and the winner will be selected and notified on Friday, April 25. The submission must be more than 600 words and less than 1200 words, and must include a short timeline (6-12 dates or events) that reflect the key moments in the Indiana Jones world.

Submissions should be sent to editorial@mpgcorp.net and must include the author's contact details. The author/s of the winning submission will receive a check for $250 in exchange for full printing rights being granted to Moving Pictures. Moving Pictures will print the piece in their Cannes Special Issue distributed at the Cannes Film Festival and other film festivals worldwide, and will also put the piece on their website shortly after the magazine is distributed. The winning author/s will also receive four copies of the magazine featuring their article. Runners-up will receive copies of the Cannes Issue of the magazine, and will be able to elect whether to share their articles on www.movingpicturesmagazine.com.

Special thanks to Moving Pictures Magazine for this exclusive opportunity.

Posted by Gilles V

In the first in a series of profiles of the artist "behind the pencils" when it comes to drawing Indiana Jones, Mitchell Hallock sat down and asked Matt Busch what inspires him and what is involved with drawing the action-oriented archeologist!

Click here to read the full exclusive interview with Matt Busch.

Posted by Gilles V

As there are only 5 nominees in this Celebrity/Fan category, TheRaider.net makes a chance at winning two of the Internet industry's most sought-after awards: The Webby Award and The Webby People's Voice Award.
TheRaider.net is currently positioned on the 4th spot of the 5 nominated Celebrity/Fan sites. So we still need lots of votes if we want to make it to the top 3. And we need to do it fast as voting closes by Thursday, May 1st!

So please, vote for TheRaider.net if you can at pv.webbyawards.com and look for Celebrity/Fan list. You'll need to register before you can vote but it's an easy process that won't take much of your time.

The Webby Award winner is selected by a 550-person judging academy whose members include Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf, R/GA's Chief Bob Greenberg, Simpson's creator Matt Groening, and Harvey Weinstein. Winners will be announced on May 6, 2008.

Thanks to all the visitors to TheRaider.net for your support!

Sincerely, Gilles V

Indy sketch card by Randy Martinez.

Yet, none of the cards can compare to the randomly inserted Indy sketch cards created by some of the top illustrators working today. Collectors lucky enough to pull these beauties (or buy them on eBay) now own one of a kind works of art. From caricatures and crazy cartoons, to ultra realism and dazzling color, these two and a half by three and half inch canvas captured Indy's world with vivid imagination. I was lucky enough to talk to some of these great artists and have them share their experiences on becoming part of Indiana Jones and making instant collectibles.

Let me introduce you to Randy Martinez, the Los Angeles based artist/singer/musician who's portfolio covers a great variety in style and media.
Comfortable working in both 2D and 3D mediums, Randy has done a "How to Draw" book, work for ACME Achieves, his work has been seen in magazines like Star Wars Insider, games like Sitting Duck, movie posters (In the Blink of an Eye) and of course trading cards for Heroes and now Indiana Jones.

Click here to read the full exclusive interview with Randy Martinez.

The first in this series of profiles of the artist "behind the pencils" was Matt Busch. You can still read our interview with Matt Busch here.

Click here to read the full exclusive interview with Joe Corroney.

The Webby Award for best Celebrity/Fan site went to the Annie Lennox Official Website. The People's Voice Winner in that same category was Best Week Ever. But TheRaider.net is still proud to be part of the fortunate Webby nominees list!

And now we know how Indy must feel at the end of all his adventures; just when he gets a glimpse of the prized artifact, he loses it again... but Indiana Jones always returns home with new friends. And I think those are the very best endings!

Sincere thanks to all visitors, contributors, fans and friends who voted for TheRaider.net at the Webby People's Voice Awards! Thank you.

Posted by Gilles V

Here follows an excerpt from the interview:

Stephen Jared: Jeffrey Boam wrote The Phantom and he also wrote Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade—

Simon Wincer: He had already written the script when I came aboard. Jeffrey is no longer with us, sadly, and he also wrote a version of this Indy that's coming out. I can tell you a story: I came back from doing a film in Namibia called Young Black Stallion, which Frank Marshall and Kathy Kennedy produced along with Fred Roos, and we were editing at Kennedy and Marshall's down in Arizona and I came into a room, and they were all watching Phar Lap, which was a horse-racing movie I had done in Australia, and I said, "why are watching that?" And they said, "We're going to produce this movie, Seabiscuit," which ended up being directed by Gary Ross, who ironically was represented by my ex-agent, who was the same guy who got me on Phar Lap.

Anyway, the next day, we're back in the editing room and George Lucas sticks his head in and says, "Simon, how are you? I heard you were here." I said, "What are you doing here, George?" He said, "We're meeting about the new Indy film." He invited me to have lunch, and there's George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Frank Marshall and Kathy Kennedy. And…

Click here to read our full interview with filmmaker Simon Wincer.

Posted by Gilles V

Here follows and excerpt from the interview:

Shipwreck: What type of research were you able to achieve and did any of it involve seeking out Crystal Skulls of your own?

James Rollins: You know, there is a weird bit of serendipity involved in this project… almost creepily so. First of all, even before I read the script, I had been finishing up my next novel (The Last Oracle, due out June 24th). The book involves a group of modern-day Russian scientists who are doing research with autistic children who show miraculous savant talent. Their research was attempting to unlock and harness the power of the human mind, much like Irina Spalko in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
So I had already done vast amounts of research into Russian experiments with psychic powers. Secondly, I already had a crystal skull in my "cabinet of curiosities" (along with a fossilized hadrosaur egg, an ammonite shell, and a section of jaw and teeth from a tyrannosaur). So it was strange to discover that crystal skulls were going to play a central role in the Indy 4.

Click here to read our full interview with author James Rollins!

Posted by Gilles V

The W³ Awards honors creative excellence on the web, and recognizes the creative and marketing professionals behind award winning sites, marketing programs, and video work created for the web. In honoring outstanding websites, web advertising, and web video, The W³ Awards is the first major web competition to be accessible to the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between. Small firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies and international agencies.
In its third year the W³ Awards received over 3,000 entries from Ad agencies, Public Relations Firms, Interactive Agencies, In-house creative professionals, Web Designers, Graphic designers and Web Enthusiasts.

The W³ is sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, and is sponsored by AdvertisingAge, the Media Partner of the W³ Awards.

Visit www.w3award.com for a complete list of W3 Award Winners.

Posted by Gilles V

Legend with a hat,
Whole heart, straight shot, crooked smile,
Fortune and glory.

This Indy Haiku was written by Jennifer 'Indyologist ' Feher and is one of the three new additions to our Fan Fiction Archive. The archive has also been updated with two new Indiana Jones short stories written by Natali Lekka & John Lekkas, and Phil Giunta. Both stories are in MS Word format:

• Indiana Jones and the Gold of King Midas
  by Natali Lekka and John Lekkas

• Indiana Jones and the Towers of the Empty Quarter
  by Phil Giunta

Next up is a massive Fan Films Theater update with a record number of new Indy fan film projects. After that the Fan Art Museum will get a new update with some beautiful new artwork.
And once those two have been updated I will begin making a new fan work section collecting all the custom made Indiana Jones action figures, sculpts and film props!

Special thanks to Jennifer Feher, Natali Lekka, John Lekkas and Phil Giunta for their Fan Fiction!

Posted by Gilles V

Hal Barwood

But who exactly wrote and directed Fate of Atlantis? Well, let me introduce you to Hal Barwood; a true legend among the adventure game developer!
Hal Barwood has recently finished his work on Mata Hari with other gaming legend Noah Falstein -- their first new graphic adventure game in years -- and Hal was so kind to take the time and talk with Mike French about his career so far and his work on the Indiana Jones video games.

Click here to read our exclusive interview with Hal Barwood.

Of course, it wouldn't have been correct to talk about the Indiana Jones games with that damned video games section closed... So! I am glad, and relieved, to announce that the Indiana Jones Video Games section has returned! Revised, expanded and accessible to everybody!
Especially note -- not that you can miss it -- the brand new Fate of Atlantis header illustration created by the very talented Jose Angel Villar!

Posted by Gilles V