Friday, May 28, 2010

Buffyfest Interviews Nicholas Brendon on His Appearance in Robot, Ninja and Gay Guy - Part 1

So there's this hysterical throw back to 70's and 80's retro sitcoms of yore on the internets called Robot, Ninja & Gay Guy (as illustrated by it's rad theme song). If you haven't seen it yet, we highly suggest you start right now. As if you need any more reason to tune in, that's right, Mr. Nicholas Brendon will be starring in an upcoming episode coming out on Tuesday, June 1st! How cool do you have to be to land Nick Brendon on your show? We had the pleasure of speaking to the fine people involved and today we're bringing you the first part of two interviews about this hilarious web series. This is definitely an OMG moment for us over here at Buffyfest.

Without further ado, the one-eyed, super-cool Scoob, much cooler than Taylor Lautner, the Xan-Man himself: Nicholas Brendon! (applause)


BUFFYFEST: How did you get involved with Robot, Ninja & Gay Guy?

NICHOLAS BRENDON: Eric Loya, the head writer, came to see me in the play that I was doing at the time, “Santaland Diaries.” He was a fan, and mentioned what he was working on, and I loved the title right away, without even seeing a script. I went and watched the show online and loved it, and I worked with Eric and [Producer/Star] Travis Richey for a couple months, on getting a way into the show, and when I saw the script that they wrote for me, I was blown away.

BUFFYFEST: Will you be portraying either a Pirate, Monkey or Zombie on the show?
NB: All three, actually. A zombified pirate-monkey. You know, because they test so well. Audiences can’t get enough of them. (laughs) Actually, I play the “nosy neighbor” in “Robot, Ninja & Gay Guy.” The series is basically a spoof on those mismatched-roommate sitcoms like “Perfect Strangers” or “Three’s Company”, and my episode also draws on all those shows like “ALF,” “Bewitched,” and “Small Wonder” where there’s always that neighbor who is almost about to discover the secret of the main character. Actually, “Three’s Company” was like that, too, with Mr. Furley and Mr. Roper.


BUFFYFEST: How was your experience working on a "webisode" as opposed to standard TV? What is your opinion on the importance of web-based programming in the future?

NB: My experience on the webisode was great, outside of Travis (laughs). No, seriously, it’s so much faster than TV, and there’s so much more artistic freedom in the web series, and in regards to turnarounds and things of that nature, it’s so much faster.

As far as the importance of web-based programming, I think it’s going to be epically important. It’s going to be so important that our unions are going to strike over it. You know, it’s kind of touchy right now. Everyone knows the importance of it, and what power online entertainment holds, but the people who pay the money don’t want to admit that.

BUFFYFEST: To follow-up, have you seen Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog? Were you surprised by the attention it received in the media?
NB: Yes, I saw it, and I loved it. I wasn’t surprised at all. Joss Whedon is an amazing writer. It was fantastic.


BUFFYFEST: Xander and Dawn are an item in the Buffy Season 8 comics these days? What say ye? Yea or nay?
NB: Ye say it’s kind of freaky. (laughs) Ye say it kind of makes me feel like a pedophile. But Ye say Dawn’s also hot, so… It’s just that in my experience with those characters, Xander and Dawn had a kind of Big Brother-Little Sister relationship, and you know, thinking of Michelle, when she joined the show, she was like, 13, so in that respect it’s awkward to think about.


And there you have it! Thank you so much to Nicholas Brendon for taking the time. Look out for part 2 of this interview on Tuesday where we talk to Robot, Ninja and Gay Guy's head writer Eric and creator Travis about RNGG, the Whedonverse, the much anticipated Nick Brendon ep airing the same day and more! Oh and don't forget to subscribe to their YouTube channel so you don't miss a single episode.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Will Whedon Be Covering Whedon in His Comic Con Doc?

It's a question I've been asking myself for a couple of weeks now. The documentary that Whedon is involved in, titled "Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan's Hope," will follow seven people from from around the world and various geek ilk, as they attend the ultimate fandom event: San Diego Comic Con. This past weekend, a Press Release  came out asking for said die hards of any geekdom (Trekkie, Ringer, Potterhead, Fanboy/girl, Cosplayer, etc) to reach out to the creative Dream Team which consists of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, producer Thomas Tull, comic book legend Stan Lee, and our very own Joss Whedon and share their obsessive fandom stories. Question is, do Whedonites need not apply?

The most intriguing about this film would be seeing one of our peeps up there as a member of the golden-ticket-winning 7. But how can Whedon cover Whedon in this documentary without coming off as a total narcissist? Sure, we know he's quite aware of his kingdom, The Whedonverse, as displayed in the Robot Chicken clip below. But will he go there? To avoid it would be a travesty, but I wonder if and how he will brooch the subject. Tell me, do any of you plan on responding to the geeky casting call? If so, let us know and don't forget to email the boys ComicConDoc@gmail.com. Include your name, phone number, a picture, and tell them your fannish, Whedon-obsessed story. Come on, show 'em your Spike tattoos.



Saturday, May 22, 2010

Good Stuff in the Non-Whedonverse

It's not the Whedonverse, but these two pieces of art I'm about to talk about are so damn good. Plus, there's always a way to connect non-Whedony stuff to the Whedony stuff.


Fringe: My friggin' goodness. This show has pulled out a stellar 2nd season and set up the 3rd season quite well. I won't go into details about the plot because of spoilering, but if you're into great chemistry between characters, intelligent writing and Emmy Award winning performances by the one known as Walter Bishop, check it out.
Connection to the Whedonverse: It's got heroes and remember when Buffy told Angel not to get all "Dawson" on her? Well, Dawson's Creek had Pacey and Pacey is Peter on Fringe. Done!




The Walking Dead:
I devoured all five hard cover books in 2 days. I want more...no, I need more. This is not just a zombie apocalypse book, it's a jump into the heart of human kind with a realer than real look into who we are and who we might become.
Connection to the Whedonverse: It's a comic book and it's got horror. It also has an amazing character arc that really connects you to the people in this world just like the peeps we love from our very own Whedonverse. Done!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Chicago's Slay-A-Thon is June 19th!

If you're in the Chicago area, this year's Slay-A-Thon is just a little over a month away! It's the event's 8th year and they are just $12,000 shy of bringing the all time donations to The Make-A-Wish Foundation to the six figure mark! Help 'em out!

In case you don't know, Slay-A-Thon is a 12-hour marathon watching some of the best episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, meeting and laughing with other Whedon fans, and having a great time while simultaneously raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Illinois.

Attendees are not required to attend the entire event. Stay for the day or stop by for your favorite episodes.

There is no entrance fee... Slay-A-Thon is FREE! The people who attend the marathon get family, co-workers, friends, and others to "sponsor" them - just like with a walk-a-thon. Go and support this great cause! Deets below:

June 19, 2010
11:30 AM - Midnight
Dave & Buster's Gold Coast - Showroom
1030 N. Clark Street (Clark at Oak)
Chicago, Illinois
www.slayathon.org

And while you're at it, why not go and vote on which episodes the Slay-A-Thonners will be watching! 1 ep per season!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

the "Angel is a douche" rant

A precursor before we begin: this is the first half of a two-part post about Angel.  I thought it would be interesting to really look at these characters from a different lens than I normally do.  In this case, I'm focusing in on everything about Angel that is absolutely terrible and in the most snarky tone I can muster,  Why?  Well, because it's fun, really.  We'll get to the other reason at the end.  Anyway, here we go.

Oh, Angel.  You have taken a lot of flak from fans in the past and, now more than ever, you have transformed into the fandom's butt monkey.  You get a bad rap but, let's be honest, you kind of brought it on yourself, huh?  Now, don't pout (or brood), Captain Forehead, it's not that I don't love you, it's just that I think you are a solution comprised of water and vinegar.  Just a little!  There's heart and soul and... (blergh) champion in there too but, at some point, you're going to have to embrace the douche that is you.  You're not alone, either.  This is Buffy fandom, otherwise known as Douches Anonymous (DA) where basically everyone comes in a box labeled "Summer's Eve".  But this isn't about anyone else (today, anyway) it's about YOU.  This is your fictional life!

Let's begin at the beginning, shall we?  You started as the double "D" or, in layman's terms, the "Drunken Douche", philandering about, not adding anything positive to society, collecting venereal diseases like they were pogs (hey, remember pogs?), having a terrible accent, and a haircut that's even worse.  Enter Darla, sirerererer supreme, you drink from her lady lumps because you love boobs (more on that later) and cease being the DD and become the MD (Murdering Douche).  Where do you start?  Well, family seems as good a place as any.  After all, they wanted more for you and cared that you were throwing your life away.  Can't have that!  So you eated them like the fangy, faux-irish, lolcat that you are.

I'm going to cut you some slack here, fella.  You don't have a soul at this point so a lot of the murdering and raping and such... I won't hold you overwhelmingly accountable.  Still, there are traits that continue to develop during this period in time, traits you still have to this day.  What are they?  I'm so glad you asked.  Hark, whilst I mansplain it to you.  You continue to shirk responsibility unless it serves your own interest, you alpha male all over the place doing anything and everything in your power to stay number one in the eyes of the women folk, and you make snap to judgments about everyone and everything in sight.  But right now?  No soul.  It's ll good.  Lots of vampires have their MD's, you just made it into an "art" (an MFAD?).  Good for you!

Then what?  Oh, right.  Gypsies.  Future reference?  Don't eat those.  In fact, don't do anything with gypsies.  They are the tropiest bad news trope that ever did trope in Tropesylvania.  Oh, well.  Lesson learned a little late and now you've got the soul back, now with bonus damning curse.  So now you are the AD ( you guessed it, Accursed Douche) and you're eating rats and making a mess of yourself.  Oh, wait.  That's not quite the full time gig we thought it was since, apparently, you also dabbled with trying to remain a homicidal maniac and even occasionally tried to be a hero but, wait, no, then you got bored and left people to die.  Oh, Accursed Douche, you might just be the douchiest douche of all.

I take that back, for now is the time that you shall become the once and future BD (Buffy's Douche).  Let it never be wondered from here on out what motivates your every action, for that something is an often times badly-banged blonde who pokes at things with pointy pieces of wood.  You first pedo beared Buffy when she was a freshman in high school, all fashion-talking and suggestive lollipop licking.  You said saw her "heart".  You're a delight, Angel!  I'm pretty sure by "heart" you meant "boobs".  They're in a similar place to her heart known as her "chest".  Easy mistake to make.  Anyway, I guess those sweater puppies must have been super perky amazing since you followed her around for like three years.  I was just kidding when I wrote that but then I realized that, by season three, Buffy's breasts had decreased in size pretty dramatically.  So that's it then?  Anything below a solid B and you're out?  Good to know, stud.


But seriously, sir.  How about those years you spent in Sunnydale?  First you're Angel, the stalker action figure with exposition tug string and kung fu grip.  You're very pretty though and, since Buffy, like you, has a weakness for the eye candy, she's all over you like blonde flies on spiky-haired shit.  You're basically a colossal liar by omission since you totally neglect to mention that, oh yeah, you're one of those mass murdering vampire types.  Whoops!  It's okay, dude.  Buffy's a teenager so she's into the whole tragic love with an older man thing.  I watched this stuff in high school too so I cannot deny your allure.  You actually do alright for a little while, if I'm honest.  Maybe it's just because you're consistently out douched by Xander every week.  Hard to say. 

Eventually, though, you lose the soul.  You've got to admit, it's impressive that the only time you're ever really charismatic is when you're a soulless monster.  I actually kind of like you when you kill Jenny Calendar.  She was a big liar too.  So big ups to Jesus for that one or whatever.  Meanwhile, what's the big diff between soulless you and soulful you other than the fun factor?  I mean, either way, you kind of manipulate people around you and make sweeping decisions without consulting anyone else.  So other than the killing and the apocalypse making, it's kind of the same shimmy and shake, isn't it?  Oh, blah, you have your soul again.  Have a fun hundred years in hell, I guess.

Oh, you're back.  I'm bored of you now, you melodramatic eunuch.  Can't you go to a place that's else?  You can?  Oh, awesome.  See ya later!

Some time later...

Oh, it's you again.  Can we do the cliff note's of the next five years?  Evil Lawyers, Powers that Be plan some stuff, Shanshu prophecy, Darla Part 2: Electric Bugaloo,Crazy Dru is crazy, Buffy's dead, Darla's pregnant, Connor's a douche (like father, like son), Cordy makes a great door prize, hey Angelus, see ya Angelus, hey Gina Torres, see ya Gina Torres, Coma Cordy, Fat Lawyer Angel, our ratings are low so let's bring on Spike, everybody dies, the end.  I'm sure I'm missing stuff but who cares, really?  What matters is that, after all that you went right back to the well.

Is it a coincidence that Angel's return coincides with Buffy becoming a comic book character and hence having bigger boobs?  Just food for thought.  No more curse this time.  Any difference in Angel?  Nah, not really.  He's still making big decisions without consulting anybody first, he's still got to be the alpha male, and it's still all about Buffy.  This time he has a super awesome prophecy that really works in his favor, though.  That sure is lucky, Angel.  Except Buffy isn't into prophecy.  Bummer.  Don't worry though, you can follow her around like a puppy dog just like the old days.  Hooray!

The End

Post Script: So here's the point of all this mean stuff.  If you are wondering if Angel is redeemable, I have to say that, in my opinion, he's no more irredeemable than he ever has been.  Dude's been a douche nozzle from day one.  I could have gone on for paragraphs more about all the stupid, selfish shit he's done.  If you view Angel through this narrow lens then, yeah, of course you're going to hate him and the developments between he and Buffy in Season 8.  He's more complex than that though.  All the characters are.  But you can boil each of them down to their worst traits.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

'What if....?' with Brad Meltzer

We met up with the charming Buffy S.8 writer Brad Meltzer last night in NYC at a signing he was doing in support of his book Heroes For My Son. Since we usually cannot resist a thought-up-in-ten-seconds "What if...?" question, we laid one right on Brad. Here goes:

"What if...Spike was Twilight?"

Boy that would ruin my arc. - Brad Meltzer

And there you have it!



Friday, May 7, 2010

Buffy the Satire Slayer (Spoilers)




What do these two covers have in common? Seemingly nothing except for the fact that they're both examples of satire with a big, blatant capital S. This cover for future issue #36 is not a sign that Buffy is turning into the weak, moronic, anti-feminist Twilight icon, just like Barack and Michelle Obama are not fist-bumping, illegal immigrant terrorists.


Thursday, May 6, 2010

Happy Birthday Bitsy!

Bitsy is commemorating another year on this planet today! Join us in celebrating the fun that is Bitsy Belle with a resurgence of Buffy's Swearing keyboard from rathergood.com. Come on, you know you want to swear at Bitsy for his birthday, but chances are he wants to swear at you even more!



Happy Birthday Bits!


Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Part Two of Our Interview with Brad Meltzer: The Gang's All Here! (Spoilers)

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ISSUE 35 BELOW. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED. WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER "TWILIGHTGATE" ON OUR HANDS, PEOPLE.

With the final issue of the "Twilight" arc hitting a comic shop near you today, we conclude our interview with Brad Meltzer on all things Issue 35, general Buffy, and oh, some 80's fashion talk, too!


Buffyfest: What is your favorite TV season of Buffy and if you had to pick one moment from the show that defines Buffy as a character which would it be?

Brad Meltzer: I always felt there was gold in every season, but if I were looking for one moment for just Buffy, it probably would be one of the many moments of silence after she came back from the dead. Those moments were moments I always admired -- just the way she shouldered so much burden by herself. Those were the moments where I always knew, wow, as much as I want to "be" Buffy, Buffy isn't me. She's better than me. And I'm happy that we get to that thought in issue 35.

Buffyfest: What about Angel? Is there a moment in the TV show that you think defined him as a character?

Brad Meltzer: Early on. Perhaps in that first moment when he explains why they can't "do it." That trap was set so neatly. We knew exactly what his limits were -- and what his desires were -- and that, somehow, he'd/they find some way around it.

Buffyfest: Who do you find to be the most interesting character in the Buffyverse to write? Out of your entire Twilight Arc which scene did you find the most interesting?

Brad Meltzer: Buffy is certainly the most interesting and surprisingly complex to write. Xander came a bit easier than I expected. Willow's wonderful because she adds an edge that makes her sometimes more satisfying in a scene than Xander. But as for the "interesting" scene, I'd say it's a tie between issue 34 and 35. Those were my favorites. That moment of Buffy's decision in issue 35 is just who that character is to me.

Buffyfest: Angel always seems to be able to make an executive decision to change the world easier than Buffy, do you think that's a good thing or a bad thing?

Brad Meltzer: Depends which way he chooses.

Buffyfest: Does it make Angel more of a villain or a screw-up?

Brad Meltzer: Depends which way he chooses.

Buffyfest: Gotcha. On the other hand, Angel has always been willing to turn his back on Buffy for the greater good, but he now doing the polar opposite. Why is that?

Brad Meltzer: There's only one -- and I mean one -- reason these characters keep connecting on such a deep personal level: they love each other. Can they love others? Sure. But they also love each other.

Buffyfest: How deep under the control of Twilight is Angel and how long has this been going on? Is it so difficult for him to snap out of the thrall of Twilight because he's been under the influence much longer than Buffy or another reason?

Brad Meltzer: Fair question. We'll see.

Buffyfest: Are Buffy and Angel in the Bronze at one point during their discussion?

Brad Meltzer: Of course that's the Bronze!

Buffyfest: Was the plan always to bring Spike in at the end of this story arc?

Brad Meltzer: Yup.

Buffyfest: Is there a reason the demons single out "the mages" in the middle of the fight?

Brad Meltzer: Other than knowing mages are powerful and must be dealt with? Good question.



Buffyfest: What is up with the 80's Miami Vice-esque outfits that Buffy and Angel are wearing shortly before they leave Twilight?

Brad Meltzer: Ask Georges. Although I did wear a white shirt (with shoulderpads) and a skinny purple tie to my junior prom. It was in Miami in 1985, cut me some slack.

Buffyfest: Warren seems very concerned about Andrew being hurt, is he having a change of heart?

Brad Meltzer: These characters were friends. It was important to me that we don't lose sight of that. Now let's see where it goes.


Buffyfest: Where did you get the idea for the tank that Spike arrives in? Why does it seem that Willow is very excited to see Spike and the tank?

Brad Meltzer: Georges and Joss were totally responsible for the tank. You'll see it play a nice upcoming role.


Buffyfest: Does anyone other than Angel even know that Spike is alive up until this point? Also, how long has it been since Angel and Spike have seen each other?

Brad Meltzer: Not my story to tell.

Buffyfest: Speaking of timelines, how long has it been since the events of Angel's Season 5 finale "Not Fade Away" and now? Has Buffy not had any contact with him since she last saw him in "Chosen"? How long has it been, exactly?

Brad Meltzer: Not my story to tell.

Buffyfest: Guess we'll find out! After all that's happened in the Twilight arc, do you think that Angel is redeemable?

Brad Meltzer: After issue 35, yes.

Buffyfest: On that note, is Angel still a cursed vampire

Brad Meltzer: What else could Angel be?

Buffyfest: Can you give us a hint at what's to come in Joss's arc? Maybe one word?

Brad Meltzer: Goodness.

Buffyfest: And finally, are there any upcoming projects that you'd like your fans to know about?

Brad Meltzer: Since the day my son was born eight years ago, I've been writing a book for him. It's a collection of heroes throughout history. Some are famous (Jim Henson, Rosa Parks, Mr. Rogers). Some are totally unknown. But the result is this book -- my first ever non-fiction one -- a gift to my son. It's called Heroes For My Son. Comes out next week (May 11). And I'm on book tour in NY, DC, VA, Miami, Boca Raton, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and Michigan, so if you live there, please come say hi (and yes, of course, I'd be honored to sign whatever you like, especially Buffy 34). Full details are at www.bradmeltzer.com.

If you want more information on Brad Meltzer's upcoming book, Heroes for My Son, go here.
Oh, and don't forget to ask Brad a question during his Buffy Twitterthon.



Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Our Exclusive Interview with 'Buffy S.8' Writer Brad Meltzer Himself - part 1 of 2 (Spoilers)

To say the events that have spanned Brad Meltzer's 4-issue "Twilight" arc were cataclysmic for both the story and the fans would be an understatement and the story's not over yet, folks. We still have 5 issues of a Joss penned arc to go! As Twilight comes to a close, we had the honor to talk with Mr. Meltzer who was nice enough to answer some questions for us in a two part interview that starts today. In part one, check out his take on the characters and the events thus far. Tomorrow we tackle Issue #35, which, needless to say, is another banger! Stay tuned.

Buffyfest: What makes writing for Buffy different from other projects you've written?

Brad Meltzer: It'd be easy to say the sense of humor. But that's just not true. It's really the sense of "self." These characters know who they are and where they are and what they do. And we as readers/viewers do too.

Buffyfest: Can you talk about any of the ideas you had for your arc that didn't make it to the page?

Brad Meltzer: Nope. What if it's still coming? :)

Buffyfest: True. Your arc of Buffy Season 8 deals very heavily with the idea of power and how it corrupts. Was that something you'd set out to do thematically with this story? Did you draw from any real world scenarios, politically or socially when you wrote these issues?

Brad Meltzer: Every single one of my novels somehow gets around to this issue, so I can't say I'm fully surprised. It's just how I view the real world. George Washington said, "Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." Guy knew what he was talking about.

Buffyfest: How do you feel about the choices Buffy and Angel are making and what do you think has informed those choices, not just in the last few issues, but with this season as a whole? What would you say Buffy was thinking at the end of issue #33 when Angel asks her if she wants to be happy?

Brad Meltzer: I think the final choices are as true to the characters as can be. What came before that final choice is of course the subject of debate, but I do think these characters know EXACTLY what each other wants. And what they want themselves.



Again, this is just a small teaser so look out for Part Two of our interview tomorrow, where we really get in the thick of issue #35 and the conclusion of Meltzer's now legendary arc in Buffy Season 8.

And don't forget to follow Mr. Meltzer on Twitter. He'll be doing a Buffy Twitterthon, taking fan questions for a whole 24 hours starting on Wednesday at noon.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Buffy Season 5 Trailer

These Buffy movie-esque trailers really are incredibly done and this one for Season 5 is my favorite since the first one. Check it out and bask in the "Glory" that is Season 5 (I know, I know, well punned!):



Sunday, May 2, 2010

It Pays to Wear Your Cunning Jayne Hat.

Check out Jayne Hat contest winner Kaaren rocking her Buffyfest gear over on her blog. Congrats Kaaren and enjoy your loot!



Saturday, May 1, 2010

Charisma Carpenter, Sassy Puppies & Butterfingers Part Duex

What is going on? I really don't know what to say about this next installment in the ongoing campaign for Butterfinger starring our very own, Charisma Carpenter. Everyone knows how much I heart Charisma so I'm simply going to just point out her fabulosity and move on!



PS, the one Sassy Puppy totally has the Lady Gaga braided conehead hair! Hee!