The X-Files merchandise

Merchandise related to the American television The X-Files franchise includes VHS and DVD sets, compact discs, video games, T-shirts and a magazine devoted specifically to the show.

Music

Main article: Music of The X-Files

Some 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 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.

In May 2011 the first of two volumes of Mark Snow's score for the series was released in a four-disc box set by La La Land Records. The set came complete with detailed descriptions of each cue. The set was limited to 3000 units and has since sold out. Although it is only the first installment of two volumes, this release includes tracks all the way through to the very end final scene of the series. The second volume was released September 10, 2013 to coincide with the 20th Anniversary of the Series Premiere.

Volume One was re-released in February, 2016 to coincide with the new mini-series on Fox.

DVD releases

Complete season sets

The entire series is currently available on DVD by season.

Season Episodes Originally aired DVD release date
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
1 24 1993–1994 May 9, 2000 November 6, 2000 November 22, 2000
2 25 1994–1995 November 28, 2000 April 30, 2001 April 20, 2001
3 24 1995–1996 May 8, 2001 November 26, 2001 November 12, 2001
4 24 1996–1997 November 13, 2001 April 22, 2002 April 24, 2002
5 20 1997–1998 May 14, 2002 October 14, 2002 November 11, 2002
6 22 1998–1999 November 5, 2002 March 17, 2003 May 13, 2003
7 22 1999–2000 May 13, 2003 September 22, 2003 October 20, 2003
8 21 2000–2001 November 4, 2003 March 14, 2004 April 14, 2004
9 20 2001–2002 May 11, 2004 June 7, 2004 July 27, 2004

Slimmer Versions

The entire series was re-released on DVD 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 in the U.S. region 1 DVDs are missing the additional special features. In The U.S. Seasons 1, 2 & 3 were released on January 31, 2006, Seasons 4, 5 & 6 were released March 28, 2006 and Seasons 7, 8 & 9 were released on June 6, 2006. In 2008, each season were released as one single DVD case each containing 6 discs except Season 5 and Season 9 which contain 5 discs.

European editions of the slim sets include all the features of the original packages. Season 1, 2 & 3 were released on October 11, 2004, Seasons 4, 5 & 6 were released on December 27, 2004 and Seasons 7, 8 & 9 were released on March 14, 2005.

In Australia during the original release of the series (each season was a fold out box set), the series was re-repacked into Collector Edition Boxsets (as were the original fold out sets) which contained the same bonus material as the original release between 2001 and 2004 along side the original sets, however the discs were housed in plastic cases, Season 1-4 contained 4 cases, Seasons 5-9 contained 3 cases. In 2004 or 2005, came the second repackage sets where each season was split into two parts (part 1 and part 2) which each part contained 3 discs, except for season two where Part 2 contained 4 discs, this marked the first time that not all bonus materials were available, Seasons 2, 5-8 contained all bonus material. On 5 September 2007, the series was re-packed into slimline sets. Early 2016, all 9 seasons were released in slimline cases with new artwork (same as the blu-ray releases).

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]

Complete Series Box Set

Fox released The X-Files: The Ultimate Collection DVD set in Region 1 on November 6, 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. On December 8, 2015, the first collection on Blu-Ray was release titled The X-Files: The Collector's Set, this set includes all bonus materials from original DVD sets and mythology sets but does not include the movies. A reissue Blu-Ray collection will be released June 24, 2016 which will include The Event Series.

A Region 2 version, called The X-Files: The Complete DVD Collection Season 1-9 (59-Disc Set), was released October 30, 2006. This set contains only the series and excludes the movie. Each season are the slim sets. A new collection The X-Files: The Complete Collector's Edition (61-Disc Set), was released on November 19, 2007, and contained the series (1-9), series guide, the movie and the bonus features disk. A third collection The X-Files: The Complete Series - Seasons 1-9 + Movies (55-Disc Set) was released October 1, 2012. This set includes both 'Fight The Future' and 'I Want To Believe' films. It does however misses out on some bonus features in previous sets. On December 7, 2015, a Blu-Ray boxset titled The X-Files: The Collector's Set was released. Containing all bonus materials from the original sets and mythology sets, though this set does not include the movies.

In Australia, the complete series set was released on 25 November 2008. This set contains 61 DVDs. This includes all 9 seasons and the first and second movies. Over 28 hours of special features. Packaged as a beautiful slide out book. The set is called "The X Files: Uncover The Truth Collection." On 1 December 2010, a new complete series set was released titled The X-Files: The Whole Story which contained all 9 seasons in the slimline cases (2007 releases), Fight The Future movie and I Want To Believe movie, housed on a collector tin. On 22 November 2013, another set was released, titled The X-Files: The Complete Series, which is a 55-Disc set and contains all nine seasons, which are the same sets as the 2007 releases and also the two feature films were included. On 9 December 2015,[3] the first Blu-Ray set was released titled The X-Files: The Collector's Set (57-Disc set), which contains all 9 seasons with all bonus material that were featured in the original individual season releases and the 2 feature films. Released on May 25, 2016 is The X-Files: The Complete Series Blu-Ray that includes The Event Series.

Frank Spotnitz stated on his blog that there are no current plans to release the show on Blu-ray.[4]

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.

"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.

Video games

The X-Files has inspired three video games.

In 1997, Fox Interactive released The X-Files: Unrestricted Access, a game-style database for Windows and Mac, which allowed users access to every case file.

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.

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.

Tabletop games

In 1996, The US Playing Card Company released The X-Files Collectible Card Game.[5]

In 1997, 20th Century Fox released The X-Files Trivia Game.[6]

In 2015, IDW Games released The X-Files Board Game by noted game designer Kevin Wilson. Game play covers themes from the first three seasons of The X-Files television show and the art comes from IDW's The X-Files Season 10 comic book series.[7]

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.

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 audiobooks read by two of the series' stars, Gillian Anderson and Mitch Pileggi.

Comics

Main article: The X-Files (comics)

The X-Files has been the basis of a number of comics, notably a series from Topps Comics, with creators like Tony Isabella, Stefan Petrucha and Charlie Adlard.[8] Most recently, Wildstorm has signed Frank Spotnitz to a three comic book deal, the first of which will be released two weeks before the premiere of The X-Files: I Want to Believe.[9]

Publication history

Main series was published by Topps Comics and ran for 41 issues from January 1995 to September 1998.

There were also two limited series: Ground Zero was a four-issue mini-series (December 1997 - March 1998) and Season One which ran for 9 issues (July 1997 - July 1998).

The digest consisted of three issues published twice yearly from December 1995 - December 1996, with separate titles: "Big Foot, Warm Heart," "Dead to the World" and "Scape Goats." The first two also included stories from the Ray Bradbury Comics.

There were also a number of one-offs like the Hero Illustrated Special (March 1995), and graphic novels like Afterflight (August 1997).

Wildstorm are releasing, "The X-Files Special", in August 2008. It will be a one-shot to coincide with the release of the second film written by Frank Spotnitz with art by Brian Denham. The deal Spotnitz signed is for another two comics.

Plot

The three digests contained stories on Bigfoot being hunted, the Count of St. Germain and the chupacabra, respectively.

Afterflight dealt with elements of the mystery airship flap.

Fight the Future was the official film adaptation, "Fight the Future" being the films subtitle used to differentiate it from the television series.

Season One adapted some of the episodes from the first season: "Pilot", "Deep Throat", "Squeeze", "Conduit", "Ice", "Space", "Fire", "Beyond the Sea" and "Shadows". Two others, "The Jersey Devil" and "Ghost in the Machine", were solicited but never published.

Despite coinciding with the film, "The X-Files Special" won't be an adaptation but is set in what the writer calls "the classic period of the X-Files" - between Season 2 and Season 5. While this is a stand-alone story he will be writing two more which fit into the broader conspiracy theory that developed, saying "the next ones that I am going to write tie into the mythology of the show not in a way that changes the path but deepens it a little bit."

Problems

Tony Isabella reported difficulties with The X-Files creator Chris Carter over the Topps Comics' series:

"[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 usable 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."

Collected editions

The series has been collected into trade paperbacks. In the UK, Titan Books did a near complete run but in the US Topps stopped at #12, but recently Checker Book Publishing started publishing the rest (although they restarted the numbering again).

Other volumes include:

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.

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.[10]

Online service

In 1994, Delphi was the "official" online service of The X-Files. They hosted X-Files chats in a time before the popularity of the World Wide Web.[11]

Millennium merchandise

Books

Several novels based on Millennium episodes have been written:

  1. The Frenchman, by Elizabeth Hand (1.00 "Pilot")
  2. Gehenna, by Lewis Gannett (1.01 "Gehenna")
  3. Force Majeure, by Lewis Gannett (1.12 "Force Majeure")
  4. Weeds, by Victor Koman (1.10 "Weeds")
  5. The Wild And the Innocent, by Elizabeth Massie (1.09 "The Wild And the Innocent")

Some titles were also released as audiobooks read by actor Bill Smitrovitch.

Soundtracks

As of 2009, two soundtrack albums by Mark Snow have been released. The first ("The Best Of Millennium") was released in 2003 on iTunes only. It comprised 22 tracks from all three seasons. The second was released in 2008 as a limited edition 2-CD set of 2000 copies by La-La-Land Records. It comprised 51 tracks. Some of the tracks on the two releases are the same.

Action figure

A 12 inch Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) figurine (ASIN: B0007XOF2O) was issued by Sideshow in the same mold as X-Files Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. The Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) figure features over 30 points of articulation and includes a Webley revolver, old school .45 & holster, pager, cell phone, flashlight, Millennium case file with photos, and an X-Files 12-inch figure display base. It can be purchased on most common auction and marketplace websites.

Home video releases

On 28 October 2008, 20th Century Fox released Millennium: The Complete Series—an 18 disc boxset featuring all 68 episodes of the series.

Season Nr of
episodes		 Extra features Release date
'1st'
(1996–1997)		 22 Commentary by Chris Carter on "The Pilot",
Commentary by director David Nutter on Gehenna,
"Order in Chaos: Making Millennium Season One" documentary,
"Chasing the Dragon: A Conversation with the Academy Group": a look at real-life profilers,
Creating the logo and title sequence,
Pilot TV spots.		 July 20, 2004
'2nd'
(1997–1998)		 23 Commentary on two episodes by director Thomas J. Wright and writer Michael R. Perry,
"The Turn of the Tide: Making of Season Two" featurette,
"Academy Group: Victimology" featurette.		 January 4, 2005
'3rd'
(1998–1999)		 22 Commentary by Lance Henriksen and Klea Scott on The Innocents,
Commentary by director Thomas J. Wright on Collateral Damage,
Bonus episode: The X-Files season 7 episode "Millennium",
"End Game: Making Millennium Season 3" documentary,
"Between the Lines" featurette.		 September 6, 2005

References

  1. ↑ "IMDB page on X-Files DVD sets". Retrieved 2006-10-24.
  2. ↑ "Product listing for Mythology Vol. 1 at Barnes and Noble". Retrieved 2006-10-24.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Big Light: BLU-RAY RELEASES
  5. ↑ "X-Files (1996)". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "The X-Files Trivia Game (1997)". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "IDW to Publish 'The X-Files Board Game'". ICV2. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  8. ↑ Mark Martinez. (22 December 2006). "The X-Files Comics Checklist". Area51. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  9. ↑ Spotnitz Wants to Believe in Wildstorm's "The X-Files Special", Comic Book Resources, June 12, 2008
  10. ↑ Lucas, Dean (2007). "Famous Pictures Magazine - I want to believe". Famous Pictures Magazine. Retrieved 2013-06-23.
  11. ↑ Personal correspondence, John Franson, 3 August 2008.
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