The X-Files 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
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 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. The theme song was remixed by The Dust Brothers on the movie soundtrack , 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.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 , the series was re-repacked into Collector Edition Boxsets which contained the same bonus material as the original release between 2001 and 2004 alongside the original sets, however the discs were housed in plastic cases, Season 1-4 contained 4 cases, Seasons 5-9 contained 3 cases. On 18 May 2005, came the second repackage sets where each season was split into two parts 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.
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.- Volume 1 – Abduction
- Volume 2 – Black Oil
- Volume 3 – Colonization
- Volume 4 – Super Soldiers
Complete series box set
A Region 2 version, called The X-Files: The Complete DVD Collection Season 1-9, 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, was released on November 19, 2007, and contained the series, series guide, the movie and the bonus features disk. A third collection The X-Files: The Complete Series - Seasons 1-9 + Movies 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, 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, the first Blu-ray set was released titled The X-Files: The Collector's 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. A DVD Box set was also released to included The Event Series on the same date, the box is similar to the previous DVD set.
Two-part episodes
Many two-part episodes of The X-Files have been released on either DVD or VHS. Among many others, these episodes include:- "Nothing Important Happened Today"/"Nothing Happened Today II"
- "Essence"/"Existence"
VHS releases
"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. Each wave was also available in a boxed set. Ultimately 12 episodes 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 did not have collectible cards as had been included in each of the previous seven waves/releases.
In the UK, all nine seasons were released on VHS in limited edition box sets.
The first VHS releases in Australia and the second releases in the UK were released in the format of File 1, File 2, etc., up until File 12, which was the final episode of Season 5. They were released from 1995 through until 1998. These are as follows:
- File 1 - The Unanswered File
- File 2 - Tooms
- File 3 - Abduction
- File 4 - Colony
- Secrets of The X-Files
- The X-Files Collector's Cube
- File 5 - Master Plan
- File 6 - Tunguska
- File 7 - 82517
- File 8 - Tempus Fugit
- File 9 - Redux
- File 10 - Emily
- File 11 - Patient X
- Files 12 - The End
- Piper Maru
- One Son
- Millennium
- Biogenesis
- Dreamland
- Closure
- Requiem
- Deadalive
- Nothing Important Happened Today
- Providence
Video games
The X-Files has inspired three video games.In 1997, Fox Interactive released ', a game-style database for Windows and Mac, which allowed users access to every case file.
In 1998, ' 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, 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.In 1997, 20th Century Fox released The X-Files Trivia Game.
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. The X-Files: Trust No One Expansion is the board game's first expansion and was released in 2016. Additions include new agents, a new location, and a "Monster of the Week" mechanic.
Magazine
The X-Files spawned an official periodical, released monthly by FOX. It included articles about the series, main and guest stars, 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
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. 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 .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 and Season One which ran for 9 issues.
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, and graphic novels like Afterflight.
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 film's 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 writer Frank Spotnitz 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:"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 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 nearly complete run but in the US Topps stopped at #12, but recently Checker Book Publishing started publishing the rest.- The X-Files Collection :
- * Volume 1
- * Volume 2
- Checker Book Publishing:
- * Volume 1
- * Volume 2
- * Volume 3
- Titan Books:
- * Firebird
- * Project Aquarius
- * The Haunting
- * Night Light
- * Internal Affairs
- * Remote Control
- * Skin Deep
- Dead to the World
- Afterflight
Posters
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.
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.''Millennium'' merchandise
Books
Several novels based on Millennium episodes have been written:- The Frenchman, by Elizabeth Hand
- Gehenna, by Lewis Gannett
- Force Majeure, by Lewis Gannett
- Weeds, by Victor Koman
- The Wild And the Innocent, by Elizabeth Massie