The X-Files merchandise
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Merchandise related to the American TV show The X-Files includes VHS and DVD sets, compact discs, video games, t-shirts and a magazine devoted specifically to the show.
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[edit] Music
Much of composer Mark Snow's music from the first three seasons of The X-Files was released on the album The Truth and the Light - Music from the X-Files, which also included dialogue from the show.
Snow's main X-Files theme was released with other songs used in and inspired by the show (by such artists as Soul Coughing, Nick Cave, Screamin' Jay Hawkins and PM Dawn among others) on the 1996 soundtrack Songs in the Key of X. For the release of the theme as a single a music video was created with clips from the show (this video was not included as bonus features on any DVD/VHS sets). The theme song was remixed by The Dust Brothers on the movie soundtrack The X-Files: The Album, which also included songs by the Foo Fighters, X, Björk, Filter, Sting & Aswad, and others.
Snow also released the score of The X-Files movie.
[edit] DVD releases
[edit] Complete season sets
The entire series is currently available on DVD by season.
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[edit] Slimmer Versions
The entire series was re-released on DVD in late 2005-early 2006, in a "slimmer" package, sans some bonus materials that were featured in the original fold out versions. Seasons 6, 7 and 8 contain all of the bonus material found in the original versions. All other seasons are missing the additional special features.[citation needed]
[edit] Mythology sets
These DVD sets contain the episodes related to the conspiracy mythology, and avoids the stand-alone episodes. There are four volumes detailing different storylines.[1][2]
[edit] Complete Series Box Set
Fox released The X-Files: The Ultimate Collection DVD set in Region 1 on November 6th, 2007, which includes all 9 seasons and the first movie. The bonus features are the same as the previous sets, with the addition of the bonus features produced for the mythology box sets and special DVD-Rom games. It also includes a season one comic book and a theatrical poster of the first movie and totals 61 discs.
A Region 2 version, called The X-Files: The Complete Collector's Edition, was released on November 19th, 2007, and contained the series (1-9), series guide, the movie and the bonus features disk.
The entire series will be released on Blu-Ray toward the end of 2008 or early 2009.[citation needed]
[edit] VHS releases
Before the DVD full season releases, The X-Files had its episodes released in VHS season sets in parts of the world, as well as selected single episodes put together. There was other material released on VHS, such as The X Files - Forensic Evidence Box and the X Files Trivia Game.
[edit] "Wave" sets
The original VHS release of The X-Files in North America consisted of selected episodes from each of the first four seasons, which were released on a staggered basis beginning in 1996.
Each "wave" was three VHS tapes, each containing two episodes, for a total of six episodes per wave and two waves per season (for example, the home video release of Wave 1 drew from the first half of the first season: "Pilot"/"Deep Throat", "Conduit"/"Ice" and "Fallen Angel"/"Eve"). Each wave was also available in a boxed set. Ultimately 12 episodes (approximately half the total number aired) were selected by Chris Carter to represent each season, including nearly all "mythology arc" episodes and selected standalone episodes. Carter would briefly introduce each episode on the tape with an explanation of why it was chosen and anecdotes from the set. These same clips were later included on The X-Files full season DVDs. Wave 8 covering the last part of the fourth season was the last to be released. VHS "wave" tapes were not released for the fifth and later seasons, so there are no Carter "interviews" for selected episodes included on those DVDs.
The last wave (wave 8 of the VHS series) did not have collectible cards (one per video tape) as had been included in each of the previous 7 waves /releases.
[edit] Video games
The X-Files has inspired two and a half video games. In 1998, The X-Files: The Game was released for the PC and Macintosh and a year later for the PlayStation. This game is set within the timeline of the second or third season and follows an Agent Craig Willmore in his search for the missing Mulder and Scully.
In 2000, Fox Interactive released The X-Files: Unrestricted Access, a game-style database for the PC and Mac, which allowed users access to every case file.
Then, in 2004, The X-Files: Resist or Serve was released for the PlayStation 2. This game is an original story set in the seventh season and allows the player control of both Mulder and Scully. Both games feature acting and voice work from members of the series' cast.
[edit] Magazine
The X-Files spawned an official periodical, released monthly by FOX. It included articles about the series, main and guest stars (with interviews), the creators, sets and future episodes.
[edit] Books
During the run of the hit TV series The X-Files, many books based on it were released, written, including novels based on episodes, a series of comic books from Topps Comics, and many "official" and "unauthorized" non-fiction books.
Some of the novels, which were published in both hardcover and trade paperback editions, came out as audio books read by two of the series' stars, Gillian Anderson and Mitch Pileggi.
[edit] Comic books
A series of comic books have been released with artists including Tony Isabella, Stefan Petrucha and Charlie Adlard. [3]
| “ | [W]hoever was approving the comics over in Chris Carter Land were the poster kids for anal retentiveness. Although it's possible that they were so picky because they never wanted the comics out there in the first place. The main reason the comics fell behind schedule was because it took so long to satisfy the X-Files people. They went over everything with a fine-tooth comb, including the letters columns. ... I rarely ran negative letters in these columns because the [Topps] editors were afraid that the X-Files people would want even more changes in the material. Almost from the start, there were never enough useable letters for our needs. That's why I started including the "Deep Postage" news items — and making up letters completely. I also wrote the Xena letters columns, but those were a lot easier to produce. | ” |
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— Tony recouts on difficulties with The X-Files creator Chris Carter over the Topps Comics' series [4]
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[edit] Posters
The X-files have spawned a number of popular posters from the series from likenesses of the cast to the I want to believe poster.
[edit] I want to Believe
The I want to believe poster hanging in Mulder's basement FBI X-Files office was actually changed after the first season. Viewers wanting the poster created quite a demand but the first season version was created by the X-files production team as a one off poster and it couldn't be mass-produced. In season 2 it was switched to another UFO poster that the X-files store could sell.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ IMDB page on X-Files DVD sets. Retrieved on 2006-10-24, 2006.
- ^ Product listing for Mythology Vol. 1 at Barnes and Noble. Retrieved on 2006-10-24, 2006.
- ^ Mark Martinez. (last modified 22 Dec 2006). The X-Files Comics Checklist (HTML). Area51. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
- ^ Coville, Jamie ((May 2000)). An Interview With Tony Isabella (HTML). collectortimes.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
- ^ Lucas, Dean (2007). Famous Pictures Magazine - I want to believe (HTML). Famous Pictures Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
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