Back To Frank Black goes independent!

BacktoFrankBlack.com is moving! Well, for you guys it isn't, but the site is spreading its wings somewhat behind the scenes!

How does this affect you? Well, on the short term, the site may be down while the migration takes place -- maybe some teething problems -- but hopefully nothing we can't sort out in the next 48 hours from this post.

Email works as always -- send us email to info@backtofrankblack.com if you have something to say!

Again, this is short term -- one night at most, I hope. Monday will hopefully bring a new independent era to Back to Frank Black!

What this post is really about is saying thank you to Graham Smith, who has let us use his server space for the past two years. Graham has always been generous with us, and indeed always been there to offer technical advice or very candid feedback on the campaign itself. I'm still in contact with Graham and through him and his network of This Is Who We Are, but on behalf of myself, Troy, Brian, Adam, Joselyn, Christina and, of course, Lance, thank you for looking after us. In particular, thanks for suffering many technical e-mails on the migration! You were a great help.

So, Back to Frank Black is now sitting independent. Money from the t-shirts we've sold has enabled us to run the hosting for the campaign -- an indicator that money spent on the campaign does help the campaign and not our pockets. We're here independently because of you guys, so I guess that alone requires a big thank you from us all!

Watch out for more news! The date for the charity auction is finally set! A post on that tomorrow -- plus an extension on the deadline for the Worldwide Fan Campaign! Eyes peeled my friends! Eyes peeled!

Happy Birthday, Graham Smith!

Just a quick "Happy Birthday" to our constant BacktoFrankBlack hero, Graham Smith.

For those who are in the dark rather than in the (Frank) Black, Graham is the guy behind the website Millennium: This Is Who We Are, TIWWA forums and Sarah Jane Redmond.com. He's also the guy who hosts Backtofrankblack.com. He's appeared on our podcasts and supported us behind the scene both technically and for advice (yes he really is The Old Man).

His birthday was a couple of days ago, so a Happy Birthday to the godfather of Millennium Fandom!

Happy Birthday Millennium: TIWWA! 9 years old!

Happy birthday to Millennium: This Is Who We Are! who celebrates their 9 years of Millennium support this week! That's pretty good fine damn amazing well going! If you've not visited This Is Who We Are - please do so. It is the quintessential archive for all things Millennium (and a vital resource for myself and Troy when it comes to interviews!)

I personally have a great affinity for Millennium: This Is Who We Are, through that resource site I was introduced into the internet web community.

"Last year, 2009, Millennium - This is who we are (excluding our forums) received over 87,000 absolute unique visitors, almost 125,000 visits and almost 476,000 page views. Millennium may have concluded on television years ago, but interest is clearly far from over. Don't forget that you can help show this by supporting the campaign to see Frank Black return at BacktoFrankBlack.com, Lance isn't done yet, and needs your backing to deliver the good message that Frank still has work to do.

Thank you for visiting the website over the years, and long may you continue to return for many more." Graham Smith (Webmaster)

Give them a warm birthday greetings on their forums.

HAPPY SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY TIWWA!

Seven years ago to this day a very momentous event happened that would forever shape the future of the Millennium Fan Community. Graham P Smith, gathered his Elders around him and formed TIWWA, a haven for souls appreciative of Millennium and Lance Henriksen and pining from the loss of the show and the loss of Frank Black. Over the last seven years, TIWWA has grown to become the single most important hub in Millennium fandom and Graham is, undoubtedly, the single most important figure in that fandom. He goes by the screen name, The Old Man, and like his namesake, he is our Old Man in more than name.

A few years ago, Graham asked me to become a member of his staff team. It is the thing of which I am most proud in all my years of loving Millennium and were it not for TIWWA and for the support of Graham, BackToFrankBlack.com would not exist today. TIWWA was the haven from which this project was born and it remains the heart of this project, perhaps more-so than ever, today. I am proud to be a member of that forum and proud to call Graham my friend.

Please join with me in raising a toast to TIWWA, to Graham P Smith and to every good soul who has helped build our community into the finest, and I mean the finest, fan community is existence. Happy Birthday TIWWA, long may you reign!

Mark

THE CURSE OF FRANK BLACK WEEK DAY FOUR: DiRTS REVIEW AND MILLENNIUM VISTA GADGETS!

Time, once again, for our weekly reviewer, DiRT, to cast his discerning eye upon another episode of Millennium and it shouldn't take a genius to work out which episode will be getting the DiRT treatment this week. The Curse of Frank Black is arguably one of the finest episodes of the show and rarely do you happen upon a fan of Millennium who doesn't hold it in high regard. For many, myself included, this episode is a staple part of their Halloween festivities. Glen Morgan and James Wong's ghostly journey from uncertainty to renewed determination, played out on the silent, wind-blown streets of Frank's neighbourhood on Halloween night is essential Halloween viewing. But does DiRT agree? Let's find out.....

So what do you guys think of the episode and of DiRT's review of it? Is Millennium's first foray into the spooky goodness of Halloween a trick or a treat? Leave us your views and join with me also in wishing DiRT and his family a wonderful Halloween season.

Thought we'd finished right? Wrong. Graham P Smith is an individual whom the Millennium Fan Community owes its very existence to. As a Halloween gift to the community Graham has expanded the range of very popular Vista Gadgets he has created with six new additions to celebrate the Halloween Season.

The Halloween Pumpkin Animated Countdown is a gadget which you can install on Windows Vista's Sidebar or Windows 7, or simply drag and drop it from your sidebar to your desktop. The gadget features an image of Frank's pumpkin from the eerie and highly atmospheric episode 'The Curse of Frank Black', which displays your name and the number of days remaining. The gadget is personalised and instead displays the name of the current Windows user. What's more, this particular version is animated, with it's candle flamer flickering, and it takes you to BacktoFrankBlack.com when you click on the pumpkin. What more could you ask for?

TIWWA members will be able to access the full range of Millennium Vista Gadgets now. Simply head over to the forum and visit the Download Manager for these exclusive treats and much more besides. If you are not a member of TIWWA then register today. Graham Smith's Millennium Forum is the hub of the Millennium fan community. It was from that forum and its membership that BackToFrankBlack was born and it remains for all of us the heart and soul of the work we do here. TIWWA is an essential part of every Millennium fan's day and if you haven't joined the fun - now's your chance.

So join with me in wishing Graham and his family a superb Halloween and thank him for the 'treats' he has shared with BackToFrankBlack for the holiday season. That said, happy downloading and enjoy your gadgets!