Podcast Interview with Brian Lynch from SDCC 2010

Ready for the Spike comic? This next installment of our SDCC 2010 wrap up week features a podacst interview on the balcony of the San Diego Convention Center. There we spoke with the writer of the upcoming IDW Spike series himself, the very funny Brian Lynch. Proceed with caution, Spoilers ahead!







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(Spoilers) Mariah Huehner talks the Spike Reveal in Angel Issue #35

Spoilers below for the Angel comic:

While we were still in San Diego, Mariah was kind enough to elaborate on one of the biggest moments that was about to (and now has) come in her run as editor of the Angel series.  Now that #35 has been released, we're releasing the audio of that interview and, because you've all been so good, we've transcribed it as well.  Join us now as we talk about Spike and the reason why he's been acting so very question marky lately:


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Buffyfest: So in the most recent is of Angel, #35 there's a huge bomb that gets dropped that according to the soul eater our young William the Bloody apparently has no soul and not even in the he can't sing or dance kind of a way.

Mariah: Nope.

Buffyfest: So how difficult was it given the fact that there had been a lot of discussion about how out of character he had been.  How hard was it for you to keep that secret on the low?

Mariah: Well it was very difficult because you hope that people are gonna be patient and wait for the story to unfold  because you can't just have that sort of a thing pop up suddenly.  There's gotta be some kind of basis for it, you gotta go "Well he's acting at least a little bit differently but he's not totally not Spike".  And the thing about him not having a soul is not all there is to it either so there's a lot more that's gonna come in #36 that kind of explains that.  But it's a big deal because there's obviously been a lot of stuff that Spike's been doing that's not quite what people are used to  and it was meant to be (and I think sort of successfully) Spike in a a sort of a different way.  Yeah, it was hard because I wanted fans to understand something was coming but couldn't say what it was, you know it's always kind of delicate.

Buffyfest: Actually, speaking of that what I wanted to talk about was there is a huge difference and always has been in this whole way that the soul thing works with Angel vs. Spike because even when he didn't have the soul, Spike was sorta capable...

Mariah: Of doing the right thing...


Bufffyfest: With the chip and even before the chip he's sort of capable of love whereas Angelus...

Mariah: Is really not.

Buffyfest: Totally incapable.  What do you think it is that makes it like that?

Mariah: I think it kinda goes to the episode where they talk about how Spike became Spike.  William as a human being was a good man, he was a poet, he was kinda not the best at anything but he was, at heart, a decent person.  Angel was kind of an ass.  I mean really as a person he wasn't a terrible guy but he wasn't really a hero.  he was sort of this philandering, drinking guy.  So there's a big different where there base comes from and even though I know they're demons I think that there's a core difference there.  I think it's harder for Angel to work at being good than it is for Spike ultimately.

Buffyfest: How do you think that Spike is going to react to his news?

Mariah: He's not gonna be happy about it.

Buffyfest: How about everyone else are they gonna want to lock him up like Angelus, Season 4?

Mariah: It's gonna be interesting to see because a lot of the characters react differently to it.  Spike has obviously still been doing a lot of perfectly reasonable good things this whole time too.  So I think a lot of characters are gonna have a hard time because there is such a stark difference between when Angel goes because if that happens you've gotta lock him up or get it back in there now.  Obviously they haven't had to worry about Spike.  Especially between Angel and Spike, though.  That kind of thing is going to be interesting in how it plays out.

Exclusive Interview with Scott Allie at SDCC 2010

Spoilers for Buffy S.8 and beyond:

A big piece of Whedonverse news coming out of SDCC this year was Joss Whedon's announcement that Scott Allie would be co-writing the tail end of Buffy Season 8. The World Wide Web's still a buzzing with questions about what this all means. We were able to talk to Scott minutes after the announcement was made right in the middle of all the craziness that was Dark Horse's booth at San Diego Comic Con. Scott elaborates on co-writing and also gives us some info on Spike, the Riley One-Shot, Season 9 and more.

SDCC 2010 Wrap Up Week!

At this point it's obvious that Whedon ruled San Diego Comic Con 2010 and we were so lucky to witness and share the whole thing...but we're not done yet! Coming up is our wrap up featuring even more secret details from all of the upcoming Whedonverse comic titles and interviews with:

Dark Horse editor and soon to be Buffy S.8 finale writer Scott Allie
Costumer to the Whedonverse, Shawna Trpcic
Angel:After the Fall and upcoming Spike writer Brian Lynch
Angel editor and writers Mariah Huehner and David Tischman
The one and only super-sexy Brit Anthony Stewart Head (eeeeee!)
and more!

Until then, check out our personal photos from Comic Con:

1. Michelle & Ivan on a Rickshaw, 2. Bitsy and Tara on a Rickshaw, 3. Joss Whedon & JJ Abrams Walking out, 4. Joss & JJ Panel, 5. Joss Whedon & JJ Abrams 2, 6. Joss Whedon & JJ Abrams, 7. IDW Booth, 8. IDW Banner, 9. Angel in the IDW Booth, 10. Scott Allie introduces Joss Whedon, 11. Joss walks out, 12. Joss Whedon signing, 13. Whedonverse Buttons Cloak!, 14. Michelle & Ivan at SDCC 2010, 15. Michelle & Tara at SDCC 2010, 16. Buffyfest at SDCC 2010

Buffyfest Interviews Whedon Fan at SDCC 2010

While at SDCC, we've been taking photos of as many of the gajillions of people we see in a Jayne hat as possible. After the Joss & JJ panel, we met up with Katie for a pic to add to this "Jayne Hat Compendium" and decided to do a quick interview about the panel we just saw, why Joss Whedon is awesome, and of course, the man they call Jayne's fantastic head wear. Check it out:

Video: Joss Whedon Announced as Director of 'The Avengers'

Here's the video of Joss Whedon being announced as the big cheese of 'The Avengers' after the star-studded cast was revealed on stage just a few hours ago. He looks so proud and excited, deservedly so.

Live Blogging the Marvel Panel

Ok, so at the exact time we were on line for Hall H someone got stabbed in the fucking eye, pardon my French, and I'm not going to lie: I got freaked out. There was chaos and gossip trickling down the long line and no one knew what to believe. Once we saw photos of the attacker getting arrested, I decided to talk to the SDCC green shirts who said the show *might* go on and if it did, it could be about 45 minutes late. Now I don't know why they would allow the panel to go on with blood still drying on the floor (hint: money already $pent), but we high tailed it to the Press Room anyway to check. Now we have learned that the panel is starting exactly on adjusted schedule and here we are. Actually, it's kind of peaceful in here.

Ok, here are the short panel details:

Chris Evans & Hugo Weaving are discussing Captain America. They're
showing clips. Now Kenneth Branagh, Chris Hemsworth & Natalie Portman &
Kat Dennings are here for Thor. More clips.

Uh Oh, Ed Norton Drama in the Q&A! The answer to that was "The Panel's
not over yet"

Samuel L. Jackson, Nick Fury, Announces in order:

Scarlet Johannson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr.,

RDJ says "Inception was the most Ambitious movie of the year. But then I
thought, Marvel Studios is going to take all the top Super heroes? Most
ambitious movie I've ever seen!"

RDJ goes on: The most important thing was that we found someone to helm
this film that you'd approve of..our director: Joss Whedon!

Joss: [He sounds hoarse, must be all that partying he did last night)

I had a dream, and it was NOT THIS GOOD. These are The Avengers. My
dream team! A team more than the sum of it's parts! More than I could
ever dream of working with.

I'm going to blow it, I'm not up to it, I'm very nervous...I need your
love and your support (applause) thank you, I feel better. We're done,
take care, see you soon!

Will have the video up shortly.

Exclusive: IDW to Announce Illyria Comic

Jenny Frisson cover art for Issue 1

We're proud to be the first to announce that there will be an Illyria miniseries coming soon.  More details will be available at IDW's panel today but, for now, here's another part of the interview that we conducted with Mariah where we talk a little bit about the particulars from this forthcoming series.  The IDW panel will be today at noon in Room 8.  Come check it out.  Who knows what other news they'll drop?

Buffyfest: This is Dan aka Bitsy from Buffyfest here at San Diego Comic Con and it's just been announced that there's going to be an Illyria mini series comic and that it will be written by Mariah Huehner.

Mariah: And Scott Tipton.


Buffyfest: Unbelievable. And, unexpectedly, I'm here with her again (and certainly not just been standing here the entire time). So Mariah, let's talk about it. First of all, who is doing the art on the book?

Mariah: Elena Casagrande is doing it, the one whose been doing the main Angel series, but we're deviating a little bit from that art style so there will be a mix of different things we're playing with.


Buffyfest: And how many issues is it going to be?


Mariah: It's four issues.


Buffyfest: I really want to talk about Illyria. Who is she?

Mariah: Well, you know, that's kind of the question, I think. Up until now I don't know that we've explored that fully. I think she's a really difficult character to grasp. We're talking about a demon that, and I know this has been brought up a lot on the (IDW) boards, for instance, like is she really a gender because she burned out all of Fred's organs and questions like that. I think we don't really know. We have absolutely no idea, with a massive, old demon, if that really applies. I think it's a character who has fascinated me since she was created not the least because she killed Fred and that was a horrible, heart-breaking moment but also because she's so alien. I mean she's just so completely different from everyone else and it's unclear what her motivations are. She doesn't really know what her place is and she has all these different memories from different people floating around in her head. I think, it's been a long time coming that there be some big changes for her, there needs to be a significant arc between who she is and where she'll be and that's what this story will be tackling.

Buffyfest: Now usually arc follows a certain flow. Is this going to be like so many Angel character stories? Will it be a redemptive arc?


Mariah: I wouldn't say redemptive, but I think ultimately it does let her have some closure on some things that she hasn't had before, that's never been allowed for her character before because it's always been about how other characters relate to her and less about how she's handling things because it is so hard to get into her head. That's what we're going for in the story.

Buffyfest: Do you know where in the continuity the story will be taking place?


Mariah: It will be taking place around Issue #38 of Angel and then it will be in the same time frame so she won't be in the Angel book for a while but then she'll come back.

Buffyfest: Will any of the other characters from the Angel series be turning up?

Mariah: Spike will be there for a bit, he'll help her a little, Angel will be there a little and then, though, it's really Illyria, it's all about her and what's she's doing.

Buffyfest: Do you 'ship the Spifrillyria, the Spike and Illyria relationship?

Mariah: You know, not really. I think they are a really interesting friendship. Illyria is very strange sexually.

Buffyfest: Do we have a date for when the first issue is going to drop?

Mariah: November. It should be out around the same time as Angel issue #38.

Full Panel Video - "The Joss Whedon Experience" SDCC

Another day filled with the ups and downs of SDCC. The "ups" started with "The Joss Whedon Experience" panel and the "downs" come from the usual internet woes that have been plaguing San Diego (and us) with a vengeance.

Let's not focus on the problems right now, though, and just bask in the words of Whedon instead. Check out the video below from Joss's solo panel on Friday.

**And make sure to check out the surprise at the very end!**

Full Panel Video - Joss Whedon & JJ Abrams 'The Visionaries'

A bad WiFi connection at our hotel prevented us from getting this up last night, but now we're golden. Here is the first Joss panel of 2010 SDCC from Thursday in it's entirety. Enjoy!

We're here! 'The Joss Whedon Experience', Live Blogged.

Ok, this is the Joss only panel and it's absolutely filled with goodies! We also recorded the entire panel from the best spot in the room and unlike last night, it will go up very soon. Stupid Comic Con wifi horror will not stop us again.

"The Joss Whedon Experience" Panel:

Scott Allie presents Joss and he comes out to a raging crowd!

Joss: I shouldn't be so intimidated after all these years. I'm in enormous trouble if this is not super good. Scott Allie didn't give himself enough credit. Scott, who wants to kill himself and me, will be co-writing the finale arc of S.8!

Q: You've written so many strong women characters wondering if you would do the same for gay men?

Joss: Thinking of doing an Epic Yaoi thing.

Q: Joss, do you ever think of doing a pay for web series? To crowd: Wouldn't you guys pay a couple of bucks an episode so he can do whatever he wants? (Screams)

Joss: Thank you, head of marketing. I absolutely have and all that thinking led to not doing it. All possible models of how to do things and can be built and paid for....working from the ground up with nothing. I mentioned yesterday the Warren Ellis project called "Wastelanders". We are still actively pursuing that.
The other thing I like is when you can do EVERYTHING YOU WANT. So I'll do that for a while. Network television...probably not right away.

Q: As a director, you like using long choreographed shots. What influences you to do that? Also Joss means 'God' in Filipino. Joss: Oh , and it didn't before me. Wait, I'm so vain I forgot the first question. [The long shot] It's like a drug. It should be used sparingly. I'm looking at you young Brian De Palma! I used it in Serenity for very specific reasons. It's all dreamlike, but when we got to the ship I wanted to say, "Look, this is solid ground" by showing it.

Q: Angel kills Drogyn, did you mean for it to be an evil act?

Joss: I don't make this stuff up! Eventually people get to a place where they do things we don't love for the greater good. It's a dicey thing because when we're confronted with that in real life, it's not a good thing. It's supposed to take a toll on Angel. If they didn't cancel it, he'd been all mopey for like 7 episodes. I don't think he'd have too much remorse, though, because of what's at stake. At that time [Angel Season 5] we were trying to do the Godfather family business. It's always interesting if the heroes are not too clean cut...too neat.

Joss on Writing: It goes: "Oh, I have an idea. Oh god, Oh god! I'm hungry! Oh Whedonesque! I'm hungry." Ultimately. The process is fun, hunger, porn, depression, fun.

Q: You like to kill characters we love. How do you feel about firing someone from your decision?

Joss: Sometimes Ron Glass makes me mad. No, I love him. It's Alan that makes me mad. I'd kill off Oz, but he left. Amber, and the darling Kristine Sutherland knew for 2 years that it would happen and when. It's better for the relationship, but sometimes it's just gonna be the story. You never know. One day I was like, "I have a tough job to do because I have to tell Marc Blucas that he's not going to make it the full season...but I'm lucky because Emma is becoming a regular. Mark reacted: "Yay! I'm in more episodes! That's great!" I told Emma, "We're making you a regular...and she said, 'You mean I'm not?'" (laughs)

Q: Did you always mean to make Boyd Evil?
Joss: I would love to say I did, but we could hear the war drums in the 2nd season. I love this guy so of course we thought of killing him. That's not enough! Let's take away everything.

Q: Did you ever think to create a comic as unique and as genre bending as something like "Hush"?

Joss: Uh, you didn't read that issue? You know, I haven't. Stuff like that is really dicey. I don't approach comics that way and I don't look for stunts. I look for challenges, but they have to be integral to that universe The musical did, "black and white" did not. There's no context in the lives of people in that show. With comics, I don't feel the urge, I just want it to connect emotionally. The closest could be "The Chain", Issue 5 of Buffy. I don't think anything else ever reached that level..but it isn't what I look for. A stunt is only as good as the stunt performer, but it's tricky.

Q: What inspired you for Doctor Horrible?

Joss: A lot of things... I relate to the villains. I wanted to make Dr. Horrible because I feel like Dr Horrible.

Q: I really love Dr. Horrible. When can we play the songs on Rock Band?

Joss: We'll look into it. We'll give you the first one. I'm lying.

Q: Some say you play favorites...do you have any favorite actors?

Joss: Would it be right to say? Nathan Fillion.
(Note: OMG It's Nathan Fillion!!)

Joss: Ok, They're telling me I'm finished...in this business.

Buffyfest Interviews IDW's Mariah Huehner at SDCC

Today was the official first day of San Diego Comic Con and besides Joss' exciting panel with JJ Abrams, we also had the pleasure of catching up with the kids over at IDW for a quick chat about all comicy things Angel. We also got a few sweet little secret tidbits that we'll reveal in a couple of days. In the mean time, check out our interview with IDW's editor supreme, the lovely Mariah Huehner:

Buffyfest: This is Dan a.k.a Bitsy live from San Diego Comic Con (not really live because I'm recording this) and I'm standing here with editor at IDW of the Angel series, Mariah Huehner. I've said some words, now say hello.

Mariah: Hi!

Buffyfest: It's very exciting. How are you doing? How have things been here so far?

Mariah: Really busy. Really, really busy and it's only Thursday so...

Buffyfest: Good.

Mariah: Yeah.

Buffyfest: I feel like we'll make it through.

Mariah: I think so.

Buffyfest: I believe it. Let's talk about Angel.

Mariah: Let's.

Buffyfest: Because I watch that show and read the comic book.

Mariah: You know I do too.

Buffyfest: And I feel like you do something with it.

Mariah: I do.

Buffyfest: So you and I used talk about how difficult it is to continue a story through a comic medium. What do you feel like has changed in your philosophy now that you're eight issues in with how you continue the Angel story?

Mariah: I think the thing that really becomes apparent really quickly is how big the cast is and how much we really need to still find ways to focus on the core Angel relationship with other people. I think that's always a really big challenge so I think the more that we're kind of looking at the story going forward the more we're like "Okay, what do we need to do with Angel, where does he need to go, where does he need to be by the end of this issue and what are his most important relationships" so I think that's what we've been trying to focus us on now especially going forward.

Buffyfest: If there's a big cast, should people be expecting someone to die?

Mariah: Yes.

Buffyfest: Is the herd going to get thinned?

Mariah: It is. I mean it is a Whedonverse kind of thing so, you know there's going to be death, yeah.

Buffyfest: Excellent. Let's talk about the theme of destiny versus free will because it's a big part of the show and it feels like that's been a big part of the comic so far because we've had this stuff with Connor and all of the sudden he has this new thing going on, Angel always has his traditional thing and Spike is maybe going to be experimenting with that stuff. How much control do they have right now?

Mariah: At the moment I think we're really going on the basis that they have an awful lot of control and that maybe they shouldn't have been relying so much on the ideas of destiny. I think, the show always kind of kept that a little bit nebulous, like there were clearly that were set up that were, like obviously Connor stuff there's alot of of other stuff that has to do with choices that they make. Things that they're predestined to do or not they still have to make the choice to get there. So, I think that's kinda been a major theme that Bill's been working on atleast, like what is Angel doing and why is he doing it. Does he care? I think other characters are trying to figure it out, too. Especially someone like Spike which is kind of daunting I think. When someone else is like, I knows exactly what my purpose is and the other person'a like, I'm not sure what that is.

Buffyfest: Speaking of Spike...

Mariah: Sure.

Buffyfest: There's a very serious question that fans seem to have on there minds, a bit of a controversy...heart on the underwear. Your thougths?

Mariah: That was really meant to e a playful thing that Bill was doing. A silly, kinda fun irreverent...

Buffyfest: Was that actually scripted in...heart underwear?

Mariah: Yeah, a specific hearted underwear. It was supposed to be kind a fun, silly kinda thing. A kind of levity. Sadly I don't think it quite registered. I thought it was fun and playful.

Buffyfest: That's okay. I just was kind of curious.

Maraih: Yeah, it was defintitely a deliberate, scripted thing.

Buffyfest; Alright, so if we were going to sum up where things were headed thematically and try to do it in a sentence. Give people a taste. It can be more than one [sentence] if you want. What would it be? How would we say where in general things are headed?

Mariah: Well, you know Angel's in store for a lot of dramatic shifts, a lot of things are changing really soon. The status quo is going to be completely upheaved - death, people moving around and Angel Investigations is going to look very different, and there's going to be a lot more with what's going on with James and what's happening with L.A. Angel's going to have to really take stock and look at things and decide whether he's going to stick to what he's been doing or take a different tact.

Buffyfest: Awesome. Thus endeth the first part of the interview.

Live Blogging from SDCC "The Visionaries" Panel - Joss Whedon & JJ Abrams

So here we are. We had a fantastic Interview with the IDW crew earlier (look out for that later today) before scootching over to the massively intimidating Hall H for Entertainment Weekly's "The Visionaries" with JJ Abrams and our very own Joss Whedon. We sat through several panels featuring Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Helen Mirren, Mary Louise Parker and the kick-ass Bruce Willis just to get to Joss. Strange life.

So without further ado, The Visionaries:
JJ & Joss walk on to the stage to cheers & applause.

Moderator Jeff "Doc" Jensen: Do you know each other? Talk to each other often?
JJ: We've partied. But you've both worked with Drew Goddard. Yes, this whole panel would be about him, he told me to say that.

Jensen: Did you always want to write?

Joss: I always wanted to be a storyteller. There's never been any doubt. Never wanted to make an honest living because that's hard. I always had these universe's in my head. When I started television specs because I need food, I realized.

JJ: I always did magic tricks for my relatives. That feeling of illusion and making them belive something they don't expect intrigued me.

Joss: Not to go on about Drew Goddard again, but we always talked about "comic nerds or magic nerds..who's more pathetic"...where do you stand on that?

JJ: Neither are really pathetic, but I THINK MAGIC NERDS.

Jensen: Joss, super hero comics and comics of all stripes are important to you. Now you're directing "The Avengers", is that true?

Joss: "Marvel couldn't afford an official press release, so I'm going to just make it official... I'm directing "The Avengers"!
(Crazy Applause)
It's just a gig."

Jensen: Is it too early to talk about your take on it?

Joss: "I have to have a take? I'm still writing the outline, reworking, reworking. The thing that made me excited is how these people shouldn't even in the same room together...that is the very definition of family."

Jensen: What's your take on 3D?

Joss: I love it. There are certain films that shouldn't be in 3D...'Cabin in the Woods' say.

(applause)

Update: Our video from this panel is up in it's entirety here:

We made it to SDCC!

Walking into preview night as we speak.

Exclusive Interview: Scott Allie on Dollhouse Comic, the Buffy Motion Comic, SDCC and More!

San Diego Comic Con hasn't even begun yet and there's major Whedonverse news spreading all over the internets. With the release of the Buffy motion comic and the announcement of the Dollhouse comic, we thought it was time to talk to Super Scott Allie about the latest developments. Stay tuned for our 2nd interview with Scott and much more info live from SDCC starting tomorrow!

Buffyfest: So, the Dollhouse comic release was announced yesterday and people are really excited to see more of this story. Of course, with most announcements, there's a little confusion. Let's start by clearing the air with some logistical questions.

Will there be a comic included in every Dollhouse Season Two dvd/blue ray or only limited copies?

Scott Allie: I'm pretty sure it's all copies, at least of the first run of these. I don't think it's limited in any way.

Buffyfest: Can people pre-order it from both comic con and Amazon to ensure they get your hands on the comic?

Scott Allie: I believe so. I actually didn't know about the Comic Con preorder thing until yesterday. That sounds like a challenge—my sympathies are with Fox on that. But I think it's important people know the comic itself will not be available at San Diego—you do not leave the show with a comic in hand. Jed and Maurissa and Joss and Felicia and Zack Ward are signing in our booth, and they're signing a litho of the comic cover by Steve Morris. Steve, by the way, is also the cover artist on the Shepherd Book graphic novel. But the comic itself is only getting finalized this week, so no copies will be available until the DVD comes out, which is I believe in October.

Buffyfest: How many copies are being released and will they be sold at the local comic book shop eventually?

Scott Allie: However many DVDs they're making, I guess. I dunno what that number is, but it's a lot by comic-book standards, for sure. And by hook or by crook, we definitely want to offer Dollhouse comics to the direct market down the road. Something will come of this. I know the rollercoaster question of Dollhouse DVDs has been confusing for fans. The truth is, the last time I publicly said there were not gonna be comics was at a time when we were trying to get this very comic going, but it looked like it was gonna fall apart. Joss had once upon a time told me definitely no Dollhouse comics, never. Then when "Epitaph One" happened, he said, If we ever do comics, this is how we do them. That was, I think, over breakfast at San Diego. Then later he said no way. Then we convinced Fox that the best added value item for the DVD would be a comic written by Jed and Mo, and they went for it, and that breathed life back into the idea.

Buffyfest: Is the comic going to be DVD-sized?

Scott Allie:Yeah, really small. And instead of just shrinking a regular-sized comic down to little proportions, this one was written and drawn, and most importantly lettered, for this size.

Buffyfest: For those outside the US, do you know if the DVD will be region-free?

Scott Allie: I don't know about that. Sorry.

Buffyfest: Did you approach Jed and Marissa with the idea of writing it or vice-versa?

Scott Allie: Actually, here's how it went. Michael Boretz, Joss's former assistant, now produces DVD extras for Joss-related DVDs–among other producing jobs. I tend to forge good relationships with Joss's assistants. So when Michael was set up to do material for the Season 2 DVD, he pitched the idea of a comic. He approached Jed and Maurissa and me, and got the ball initially rolling, convinced Fox Home Entertainment. So it was really Michael who pulled the Dollhouse comic-book idea back into the realm of possibility.

Buffyfest: Tell us a little about the story. When does it take place? What characters will we see? Will there be an Alpha citing?

Scott Allie: The comic takes place at 10:07 on the day that the Active technology went global, and it takes place entirely in LA. The characters in the comic are the characters on the cover, and some new ones. Mags, Griff, Zone—we see how the three of them had their lives come to a screeching halt, care of a screeching over the phone lines.

Buffyfest: Was this a story that would have been told if Dollhouse had been picked up for another season?

Scott Allie: I don't know. It's not at all about Echo—but I know that Joss and Jed and Maurissa were increasingly interested in that Epitaph scenario, so it's quite possible that this could have been "Epitaph Three" at the end of season three, or that season three could have been entirely about the end of civilization and free will as we know it.

Buffyfest: Will we see more Dollhouse comics in the future? Do you think there's more stories to tell in the Dollhouse-verse?

Scott Allie: There absolutely is room for more stories, there are real points of fascination for me. There will be at least a little more comics-wise next year, although how much remains to be determined.

Buffyfest: As a fan yourself, what's something you wish was explored if we had another season of Dollhouse?

Scott Allie: Well, honestly, it is the Epitaph stuff I'm most fascinated by at this point. Sounds self-serving in this context, but it's true. I think they set up a cool milieu, a darker milieu, and I'm all over that. The other thing I'd like to see more of would be Sierra and Victor's relationship before that. I'd like to see some relatively good times between them before things apparently fall apart, as happens based on "Epitaph Two". What I find so interesting about them is the bond that they have that transcends their ability to remember each other. They're drawn to each other in a really interesting way, and I know Joss would have gone somewhere cool with that season by season, if he had the chance. I love how he builds relationships over the course of a few years, and theirs was the most interesting to me in Dollhouse.

Buffyfest: Another big story in the Whedonverse yesterday was the release of the Buffy Season 8 motion comic which is also causing a little bit of confusion for fans. What's Dark Horse's involvement with the project?

Scott Allie: Zero.

Buffyfest: And have you seen it? Any Thoughts?

Scott Allie: Nope!

Buffyfest: How do you feel about the idea of motion comics in general?

Scott Allie: I think it's a challenge to do something that's beyond cheap, inferior animation. And animation's so friggin' amazing now, it's easy to look lame up against it. If motion comics is a legit entertainment form, it should probably be more than simply repurposing existing artwork that was never intended to be animated. Dark Horse did a trailer for Umbrella Academy that I was really happy with—it was limited in scope and ambition, and therefore graceful and dignified and didn't try to be more than it could be. I liked that a lot. We're working on some new stuff now, including something we're gonna unveil on the Dark Horse panel at the show. This is more ambitious stuff, work in progress that could be the next step in motion comics.

Buffyfest: Will there be a full 40 issues of Buffy shown in motion comics?

Scott Allie: I don't know. Sounds like it, though.

Buffyfest: Do you know if any of the actor's were approached to lend their voices?

Scott Allie: I don't know.

Buffyfest: Okay, so San Diego Comic Con is just a day away! Let's talk about what's coming up there. Will you be part of the The Guild panel? Any news on that front?

Scott Allie: I will be there, and we will be revealing a new piece of art, if the technology cooperates. The Guild panel was one of my favorite parts of the convention last year, so I'm really looking forward to it this year. We've got a plot for the first oneshot, and we've got some artists on board, and we're pretty psyched to get the word out on that.

Buffyfest: Joss is doing a signing at your booth on Friday. Do you expect there to be no booth left when it's done? How can people get tickets for that signing?

Scott Allie: We are extremely lucky, in that Joss fans tend to be really well behaved and gracious. Honest to god. We do these massive events with Joss and Gerard Way, and for the mass-times-velocity of humans we get through, we get out of it relatively unharmed. We've worked with some famous people in the past whose fans were a little more destructive. We appreciate Whedonites, honest to god. As far as getting into the signing, we generally ticket these things by lottery, so what you do is you come to the DH booth, ask when we're giving tickets. Get a ticket when you can, then come back to see if you won the lottery. That's basically it. Being patient and polite has certain benefits too, sometimes. And do not mess with Tim Wiesch or Amy Huey.

Buffyfest: Thanks for the tip! Joss is also doing a panel called "The Joss Whedon Experience" on Friday. Will he be revealing any Buffy Season 8 or 9 news that day?

Scott Allie: I believe so. That panel will be probably about half Q&A and half him updating folks on what he has going on. That morning Sierra and I are having breakfast with him to talk over some Season 8 and 9 stuff, Cabin [in the Woods], some other stuff, and so some of what we go over there will probably come out in the presentation. Come prepared with questions. Sometimes I'm surprised at what he's willing to answer. I have watched my publicist's jaw drop to the floor during Joss Q&As. It's fun.

Buffyfest: Thanks so much Scott and see you at Comic Con!

Scott Allie: Thanks, Michelle, looking forward to it.

The Dollhouse is Real

So!  Here I am, having my morning walk, minding my own business when HOLY CRAP what do I see as an advert on a bus stop?

Agent Ballard, are you seeing this?  Even the font is nearly identical!  "I want to change the world but first I need a new pair of jeans"?  How transparent is that?  No.  No, I would not like new "jeans" nor would I like a "treatment" you personality stealing bastards!

What's that?  It is?  Really?  Oh.  It, uh... it seems that dollhouse is actually a New York based juniors brand.

Or is it?


duhn, duh, DUHN!

Buffy Season 8 Motion Comic Trailer Now Available

There were some rumors, then voice casting and then it seemed there was nothing. Until now. I'm 100% sure that San Diego Comic Con has nothing to do with this, but the Buffy Season 8 motion comic trailer is now available for free on itunes. Not much to tell from the trailer, except that the theme song seems a little off, kinda like it's playing in slow motion. Either way, it'll be excited to see the characters "come to life" once again.

Take a look for yourself by clicking here.

Can't Stop the Serenity at San Diego Comic Con!

Whether you're attending SDCC or not, you can take this fantastic opportunity to see the “Big Damn Movie” in full party-time mode on the big screen AND help protect human rights of women around the world. That's right, an official Can't Stop the Serenity event will be happening during Comic Con. They'll be Whedonites everywhere! Come be with your people.

Details:
Thursday July 22nd, 2010 at 10:00 PM

San Diego Gaslamp 15
701 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-0401
Get tickets and more info at the California Browncoats site.

Only $15! Just a little more than a regular movie and this is no regular movie. It's less than a week away and the event is already on it's way to selling out, so make sure to get your tickets now!

The Drama of 'The Avengers' so far: A Blogger's Tale

You'd have to have been living under a rock to not know what's been going on with the drama surrounding The Avengers this past week, but I feel like re-telling it (since we've been bogged down with our SDCC plans.) With pictures! Of boys in all in suits! Ok, let's do this:


Once there was a boy named Joss Whedon. He grew up to be a God amongst geeks (and some normal folk too!) All he needed was some mainstreaming gold because even though his cult worshiped him, he tended to put the kibosh on anything needing ratings higher than a network share of 3.0.

There was also a boy named Edward Norton. He went to Yale and grew up to be a famous A list actor. Then, he played The Incredible Hulk in a movie and allegedly caused some shit behind the scenes. They say he acted like a little bit of a douche but still wanted him for a sequel, maybe.

Next, a boy named Kevin Feige (he reads comic books all day) decided to take a bunch of ultra-famous actors and hulk-smash them all together for a movie called The Avengers. He decided to let Joss take the wheel of this blockbuster-in-waiting. He wouldn't tell anyone, though. See Kevin wasn't too good at this "people" thing. Drive fast Joss, mainstreaming gold ahead before things get all FOX-like and canceled!

So then, Joss had private, super secret, individual meetings with everyone in the cast of this Avengers team including "Nick Fury" Samuel L. Jackson, "Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. and yes, even "The Hulk", Yale-bred little Eddie Norton. That last meeting went very well and both Ed and Joss decided with togetherness that Ed would once again be green and muscley for The Avengers. The world was bright and full of double rainbows for our Joss.

Then Kevin put the comics down for a second and said, you know what? Fuck that. Ed Norton's a douche, he's out and I'm going to tell the world about it (but still hold out about telling the world about Joss directing The Avengers...even though everyone. already. knows. I'm wacky like that.)

Poor Joss thought "Dammit! Why do I always get the kibosh? Is it time for me to make a Buffy movie now?"

So Ed Norton's agent said "Fuck this, it's Kevin Feige that's the douche, not my boy. I hope the movie turns out like Batman & Robin (the one with the Governator)." Hitfix.com had a lot of traffic that day.

Ed thought, "I'm going to bow out gracefully on Facebook, this Joss guy puts the kibosh on some things anyway, best to let someone else be green. Maybe that Bana guy." (note: did he type that with a typewriter and scan it and THEN put it on Facebook? WTF?)

So it seemed that it would all be over and quiet until the inevitable San Diego Comic Con announcement was made. But then...




Hold the phone!  Mark Ruffalo. Who knew he was 41 years old? Anyway, HE'S going to play The Incredible Hulk.

Or, maybe that nice Doctor, David Tennant. Would he make a fancy Hulk?

And then there's "Crazy Eyes" Joaquin Phoenix. HE'S going to be GREEN and crazy and bearded and rapping. Well, we'll know soon enough....

The End.

But not before I tell the tale of Josh Holloway vs. Nathan Fillion for the part of Ant-Man in The Avengers. I know who we want but hey, Holloway's part of the Whedonverse too! First vamp to ever grace Angel the Series. Go back and check your DVDs.

The Real End.

Buffyfest's San Diego Comic Con Schedule

Below is a handy-dandy yet excruciating hurtful chart listing the Whedonverse related events going on at SDCC 2010. As you can see, there are many overlaps so we obviously can't attend everything, but we have yet to pick and choose what we'll be killing. To further the pain, I didn't even add non-Whedon things we want to see (The Walking Dead, Epic Mickey, Harry Potter, etc.) Add a few interviews to the mix and we have some full fledged chaos on our hands! Chaos we're certainly lucky and grateful to have, though.

click to enlarge

There's a Party in SDCC's eyesocket and JOSS AND JJ ARE INVITED!

 

This is a picture of Joss, JJ, and me from the future.  Yes, I will be a girl monkey at SDCC for some reason

It's official: Entertainment Weekly is hosting a panel where Joss Whedon and JJ Abrams will be getting it on like a Donkey King/Diddy Kong slash fic and Buffyfest is totally going to be there!  Thursday, 3:30 Hall H.  Whose meeting us there and standing in an obscenely long line where we may all die of heat stroke, huh?  WHO'S WITH ME???

The Boys.

Cute! Where are they and what are they looking at? 

Posted by Nathan Fillion in the middle of the night.

Whedonverse Flash Cards=Amazing Learning Awesomeness

Want to train your child/friend/mom/neighbor in the ways of the Whedonverse? Do as our 2nd grade teacher did and try these fantastico Whedonish Flash Cards, by Orphan Elliott. Take time out to learn!

These are so cool, can't wait to see the rest as they roll out. SELL THEM, Orphan Elliott!

San Diego: Get Ready For Buffyfest

That's right, we're all still in shock but we've been given 4-day Press Passes including Preview Night to San Diego Comic Con for the first time and we plan on rocking San Diego to it's core. If you are attending SDCC July 22-25, please email us at Buffyfest@aim.com and let's get this party started already! We'll have free swag, we'll have breaking Whedonverse news of all kinds and we'll have a nearly live camera feed, so don't. be. shy. This is going to kick some serious ass!

Thanks SDCC!

Also want to mention that today is our 5th Annual Buffyfest party (that started this whole blog) and we're very excited to have the whole team together on the East Coast, once again. Happy Buffyfest Day to everyone!

Brian Lynch teases Spike Series

Do you know what I love best?  Lollipops!  But, also, that Brian shot me a message out of the blue to make random comments about his upcoming Spike ongoing series.  We were talking about the recent tendency towards sudden, unexpected sexy time in both the Buffy and Angel books and, as you'll see, that affected the tenor of the conversation a bit.  I expect we'll be hearing much more but, in the meantime, a sneak peak into the mind of Brian Lynch...

Brian Lynch: How do you think fans would take Spike and George doing it?  Because they're about to.

Buffyfest: I think they'll love it!  On Opposite Day.

Brian Lynch: Kidding.  So far Spike has not had sex in the book.  But I get requests for Spike and Beck to have sex, which I don't think I will do.

Buffyfest: Here's a great teaser question: what else *won't* be happening in your book?  Like what else would you never write?

Brian Lynch: I have no idea, because the stories have gone places that have made me write things I never thought I would, so the last issue of SPIKE could just be nonstop Spike/Beck loving.

Buffyfest: Well she does like to impersonate him a little.

Brian Lynch: She's kinda moved on from that.  Now she's all troubled.

Buffyfest: Character growth, you say?

Brian Lynch: Hope so.

Buffyfest: Anything you want to hint about?

Brian Lynch: Hmmmmm.  We have a lot of reunions in the SPIKE series, good and bad.

And there you have it.  Consider your taste buds tasted... er, you know what I mean.  There will be much more in the way of Spike series talk as we get close to that great big convention in the sky (read: San Diego) so if you have specific questions, feel free to let us know and, hopefully, we'll get all the answers.