We got permission to share the panel with you in its entirety on YouTube, and have collected the six-part series for your convenience below (be sure to watch for Adam Baldwin’s brief cameo):

Tim, by the way, ordered one of our Big Damn Replicas the minute he saw her in person at the show. And Jane has the very first Inara’s Shuttle dioramas we ever made sitting on her desk. Both diehard Browncoats, for sure!

But while we’re feeling all deep and emotional-like, let us not forget Serenity also means humor, the laughing out loud kind.

Our third-place winner in the “What Serenity Means to You” contest had us laughing so hard, the Mudder’s Milk was spurting out our collective noses. Jackson Zheng’s Serenity Rap hits all the right notes. We just hope some enterprising rapper comes and sets it to music really soon. Because that would be just too shiny! (Jackson’s rap is also PG-13, so only those okay with a little risque humor should click through the rest of this article.)

Firefly: The Poem

Much in the vein of Chaucer and Blake
A poem for you is all it will take
Inara’s Shuttle? That bitch is dope
this poems real fresh, just used some Scope
So hand over the prize now, it’s as good as won
cause my love for firefly, compares to none

It all started in the year two thousand two
when whedon and company started a coup
with the Fox execs to make quality TV
back when every show was reality
But then came this light, a signal if you will
a firefly class ship, a girl on crazy pills
The concept was insane, who would have thought
a bunch of space pirates could make a great plot?

Their adventures were epic, their mission true:
escape the alliance and the hands of blue
Simon, the doctor, Inara the whore
Mal had a rifle, but Jayne had four
Wash and Zoey, husband and wife
Kaylee had engines; River: inner strife

We barely got to know this ragtag crew
But the network already knew what to do
they pulled the life plug on this notorious show
just as it’s audience was starting to grow
but then emerged, the most vicious fans
even the reavers were scared of their merciless plans

they rallied and protested this ruttin’ fate
but fox said, ‘go home, you’re all too late!”
but demonize Fox? It’s really not their fault
they’d rather make money, so they said “HALT!”
And even as we realized: hope was loss
In all that darkness, we forgot about Joss

He was this show’s biggest fan from the start
And so we worked to find this dead show’s new heart
and there at the door, Universal was callin’
“Lets make a movie, being canceled is appalling!”
So the story continued, and all the through the land
Browncoats were cheering and waving their hand

So why is this show so important to me?
Quite frankly, I watch for naked Kaylee.

In acknowledgment of this fabulous outpouring of creative brilliance, we’ve decided to award three grand prizes instead of just one. That’s right, we’re giving away three Inara’s Shuttles instead of just the original one we committed to.

We’ve also expanded the total number of winners to 10, so folks that don’t get a shuttle are getting gift certificates to the QMx website. And all their work (all 10 of ‘em) will be published here over the coming weeks, so you can all enjoy they’re efforts as much as our judges did.

Now some of you may think we wimped out here. But we prefer to think of it as a strategic repositioning in light of new information. Namely, you all have a lot of love for Serenity that we really think you should get the chance to share with your fellow Browncoats.

So, without further ado, we present our First Place winner – Cory O. – and his essay on what Serenity means to him:

Like most people, I was born in a hospital.  However, unlike most people I spent much of my childhood in a hospital.  I was born with a congenital defect known as myelomeningocele (aka: Spina Bifida).  It’s a condition that prevented me from standing, much less walking.

While my friends and classmates were riding their bicycles, going camping, swimming and playing sports (man how I really just wanted to play a game of dodge ball), I would either be indoors or on the sidelines.  This, of course, was during those few times when I was not undergoing one of the multiple surgeries and years of physical therapy in the hospital.

Sure I was jealous of them; all of them.  They were developing childhood bonds, close friendships and memories that would last a lifetime.  I, on the other hand, was an outcast; someone to be looked at, but not engaged - that is, I mean, outside of the hospital.  This is where my connection to Serenity began.

Though I did not know it at the time, having been decades before Serenity first aired, the hospital would become my “boat” with the key members of the staff being the “crew”.  This was my family.

The Medical Director was a stern, no-nonsense businessman/doctor who was always concerned about costs, expenses and insurance coverage.  I learned this from my physical therapist whom I’ll get to shortly.  Despite his cold, rough persona, the Medical Director, whom I’ll refer to as Malcom, also had a genuine, though deeply imbedded, distinguishing feature to him; the sense of doing what’s right.  Looking past his exterior, I incorporated his unique sense of ethics as a child and have continued to do so throughout my life.

My chief surgeon was the best.  I heard that he was the top of his class at Harvard Medical.  He wasn’t the warmest individual with the best bedside manners, but he was passionate about his arts; the medical arts that is.  Each time I was to undergo a surgical procedure, I was always at ease knowing that he was one of the most talented and well respected surgeons in the country.  I’ll call him Dr. Tam, though I don’t think he had a sister.

The lead nurse, whom I’ll refer to as Zoe, was one of the kindest and most caring persons I’ve ever known.  She would always be bringing me goodies from the nurse’s station and stopping by to see me whenever she had a break.  Being the Medical Director’s “right hand”, however, she was sometimes fairly bossy to the other nurses.  I just figured she need to keep order in the place, but never understood how one person could be so different.  Still, she was one of my best friends.

Kaylee, aka my physical therapist was truly the one who kept things running.  She was the backbone to the whole operation.  Sure I needed Malcom to oversee the operations, Dr. Tam to make the corrections and Zoe to nourish my health, but without Kaylee, none of it would have made an ounce of difference.  The human spirit is a powerful thing.  Imagine for a second not being able to stand.  When you’re finally able to stand, after months of excruciating pain, anguish, fear and hopelessness, you then needed to walk.  When that’s accomplished, don’t even think about trying to run, because you need to undergo another surgery, and then learn how to stand again.  You then repeat this cycle several more times.  The frustration is unbearable.  However, with a talented coach who knows just which buttons to press, which screws to turn in order to lift your spirits just enough to keep you going, you just know that someday you’ll be able to run.  That was Kaylee.  Her positive energy and enthusiasm was infectious.  Sometimes though, it would be a bit much.  Imagine someone telling you that you can walk on water.  Now you’re to go out and do it and they have the utmost confidence that you can.  Yeah right, that’s a bit over the top.  The thing is, when you’ve spent so much time with someone, you know when it’s earnest and when it’s bogus.  That’s the point when things got fun and you could both have a good laugh.  From there, success was just inches away; and you knew it!  That’s how it was with Kaylee.

What is the definition of Serenity?  It’s the state or quality of being serene, calm or tranquil; sereneness.  For me, that was when I was given the green light; no more surgery, no more pain, no more frustration, no more tears.  For me, that was when I was able to play football with my classmates.  For me, that was when I learned how to ride a bicycle.  For me, that was when I ran my first track meet.  For me, that was when I had my first dance.  For me, Serenity is the pinnacle of achievement.  It’s a state or quality that I have since experienced on countless occasions and continue to strive for daily.

Ok, so my “boat” didn’t have all 9 characters, but the ones closest to me, my childhood family, the ones that mattered the most to me were all there.  They’ve all helped shape me into who I am and have yet to become.  The series touches on a lot of themes about the human condition that I’ve experienced on “my” boat and throughout my life.  Most importantly, it reminds me of my childhood.  Not one of sadness, sympathy and pain, but one of love, laughter and peace; serenity.

Serenity means everything to me.

You’ve all been waiting patiently for the final price of the Serenity replica, so without further ado, here it is: The suggested retail for Serenity - The Big Damn Replica is $2,495.

Remember, each replica takes 46 hours to build and is made to order by professional model makers entirely in the U.S.A. It consists of more than 250 resin, aluminum, brass, ceramic and acrylic parts, 30 shades of paint and 32 lighting effects. The Big Damn Replica comes in an edition of just 1,000 ships and includes a wireless remote, stand and base with an individually numbered builder’s plaque signed by Captain Tight Pants himself…

Didn’t we mention that before? No? Well, it does. Nathan Fillion has agreed to sign the builder’s plaque for each and every Serenity in this edition. And we couldn’t be more thrilled!

But that’s not the only “surprise” bonus – each replica will also come bundled with a Jason Palmer original art print, a portrait of the Serenity replica herself. Jason, the premier portrait artist working in fandom today, was so impressed by our girl, he offered to paint a picture of her just for the folks who invest in The Big Damn Replica. And, heck, we just couldn’t say “no”, could we?

Preordering will open October 30, 2009 at 12 p.m. PST. You can purchase your Big Damn Replica with a credit card, PayPal or using our new online layaway system, which will debut with Serenity.

Rumors of the Serenity fan film The Bellflower’s death have been greatly exaggerated. And while it’s true the film has been delayed a bit, it’s only because The Bellflower’s creators are working hard to increase the awesome.

To get the scoop in The Bellflower’s creator/producer’s own words, click here. And to see evidence of Bellflower’s increasing coolness, check out the following updates to QMx’s Bellflower Launch Center:

• To view the latest CGI tests, click here.
• To check out a passel of new ship designs, click here.
• And to see the newly-launched blueprints section, click here.

The waiting list for Serenity now exceeds 1,400 and that’s just *our* direct waiting list. It doesn’t include reseller partners like Sideshow Collectibles. As those of you on the waiting list already know (and if you aren’t on the list and have any interest in Serenity at all, I strongly encourage to sign up at concierge@quantummechanix.com), we have doubled the edition size to 1,000 to accommodate the unprecedented interest in our girl. We know not everyone who wants Serenity is going to be able to get in on this edition. But when we were looking at disappointing more than half of our direct customers alone, well, clearly, something had to be done.

Serenity gets mobbed: The line of folks jockeying to see Serenity up close doesn’t shorten for four days at Dragon*Con. The sight of our girl brings tears to the eyes of several Browncoats and at least one young lady almost faints when she learns that this is the very same ship Nathan kissed.

We’ve also decided to open preordering for folks on the waiting list first, before the general public. Once we’ve given waiting list folks a chance, we’ll open things up to the rest of the world, if there are any left, that is. (Want that waiting list e-mail address again?)

What Serenity Means to You

In other Serenity-related news, as of midnight last night, the “What Serenity Means to You” contest is now closed. We got quite a few entries, every single one heartfelt and compelling in it’s own way. The entries have been forwarded to the judges, and as soon as they weigh in we’ll announce the winner of that shiny Inara’s Shuttle diorama.

Atlas of The Verse

Ben Mund, the designer on the Atlas of The Verse, is in the home stretch now. Just a couple finishing touches and we will be moving on to final studio approval. Assuming all goes well, we’re looking to have these on sale in time for the Creation Entertainment Serenity convention in Los Angeles this November (see next item).

Creation Salute to Serenity and Firefly!

Those who made it out to the Creation Entertainment Salute to Serenity & Firefly last year will remember what an awesomely good time it was. We had such a good time, QMx is sponsoring the show again this year in it’s new location at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott, November 21-22, 2009.

If you can make it, we highly recommend it. In addition to QMx’s biggest show booth of the year (over 30 feet of shiny goodness), we will have the QMx conference track which is always full of awesome. Our confirmed guests include Jane Espenson and Shawna Trpcic, who will both be speaking and doing signings at the QMx booth. You can also expect other guests and more than a few surprises (remember how we introduced Serenity last year at this show?), so we really hope you can join us!

The Maquette They Called Jayne – Almost Sold Out

Yes, it’s true: The preorder allocation for the latest Little Damn Hero - Jayne Cobb – sold out about a week ago. But never fear, you haven’t missed out completely. On Monday, September 21 at 12pm PDT, we will reopen ordering on the last 100 Jaynes left in the world. These will be in stock and ready to ship, so don’t wait and don’t hesitate!

What Serenity Means to You. Express – in any way you care to – what Serenity means to you. Write a story, essay, poem, or even draw a picture if that’s how you roll, and send it to admin@fireflyshipworks.com by Sept. 15, 2009. A panel of judges, including a few of our friends from The Signal podcast, will review the entries and we’ll announce winners on or before Oct. 15.

And what will you win? That depends on how much you make us cry (or laugh, or ponder the nature of existence). We can tell you this: For the entry that most impresses the judges, the grand prize will be the Inara’s Shuttle Diorama (pictured above; below).

The shuttle diorama features one of the 2.5-inch, hand-painted Serenity shuttles from the Big Damn Replica, hovering over it’s own little landing platform with the words “Serenity” and “Inara’s Shuttle” laser cut into its surface. Only 10 of these have been made and one of them already went to Jane Espenson (which only seems fitting as the shuttle diorama was originally her idea.)

By submitting an entry to this giveaway, you give us permission to republish your work on the Firefly Ship Works, on Quantum Mechanix’s website or to have your work read on The Signal podcast (although that’s strictly up to the folks at The Signal). No promises, but you might win the undying respect of your fellow Browncoats – along with this cunning little shuttle.

Turn Twitter to 1500+. Not feeling inspired to write a sonnet to Serenity? Are you more the strong, silent type? Prefer to focus on Public Relations? Well then, here’s another way for you to win yourself an Inara shuttle – just follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/QMxInsider) and encourage others to do the same. When we hit 1500 followers – whenever that happens – we will have a random drawing to pick one winner from all our followers. And to the follower who most impresses us with their efforts to find us new friends (remember, it’s not just about quantity, but quality), we will award an *additional* Inara’s Shuttle.

That’s right, we’re talkin’ a total of three ways to win one of these tiny wonders: Submit an essay, poem or other form of self-expression that tells us what Serenity means to you to us here; be one of our Twitter followers when we hit 1,500; or be the one who dazzles us most with their efforts to attract like-minded individuals and get us to that 1,500 mark.

So join in the What Serenity Means to You giveaway, and get yourself a tiny, shiny Firefly shuttle. (No purchase necessary, void where prohibited. Companion not included.)

Talk about your seals of approval! Yesterday, as San Diego Comic-Con ‘09 started winding down, Nathan Fillion did one of his trademark unannounced appearances at the California Browncoats’ booth to help promote the charities he supports, including Kids Need To Read.

The CaBC’s booth just happened to be next to ours and, after signing a bunch of stuff and walking a line of fans that stretched around the back wall of the show hall (taking pictures and shaking hands along the way), Nathan looped back to… our table!

Seemed he heard about this project to build a replica of “his ship” and wanted to inspect the results. He held her up, examining her carefully. We turned on the lights and he got a big smile on his face. And then he looked in the cockpit and saw all the BDHs – including himself – rendered in miniature on the bridge. And that’s when he kissed Serenity right on the nose – in front of thousands of Browncoats.

“That’s incredible,” he said, smiled again, and gently laid her back in her cradle.

This website has talked at some length about the years of intensive labor that went into creating The Big Damn Replica. It’s hard to imagine a better reward for that labor than a moment like this!

Special thanks to Brooks Powers for pictures and Beth Nelson for helping coax Nathan in our general direction. Best. Show team. Ever!