Stephen Colbert to Take Light Saber to Decemberists?

When Stephen Colbert, host of the deadpan Comedy Central series The Colbert Report, launched his “Green Screen Challenge” months ago, he probably didn’t expect some melodic bookworms from Portland to appropriate his idea. But when the Decemberists launched their own “Green Screen Challenge” this week in partnership with mtvU, Colbert declared war.

The Decemberists, who are encouraging fans to submit original animation to the music video for “O Valencia!,” are coming under some serious fire from Colbert. Currently the “O Valencia!” video situates the Portland, Oregon five-piece against a digital green screen while they jangle atop their exotic organs and slim guitars to the first single from their latest release, The Crane Wife. But that is set to change according to Colbert, who announced the “Second Green Screen Challenge” on air last night (Nov. 29) and has asked viewers to edit him into the Decemberists’ video with light saber in hand — the same prop he used in his initial challenge. “See how well the [band] perform their trademark brand of hyper-literate prog rock when I’m slicing their leg off at the knee,” he proclaimed.

While Colbert and the band battle it out, send in your submissions to mtvU. The Decemberists will be reviewing the submitted animations before selecting a winner, who scores a new iMac Intel Core 2 Duo and gets his or her animation premiered on mtvU and mtvU.com.

On SPIN.com:
Stream New Decemberists
Review: The Decemberists – The Crane Wife (Capitol)