“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” stars, comic creators highlight Austin Comic Con
Thor and friends at Austin Comic Con.
AUSTIN, Texas — Lines snaked through aisles as excited fans waited to meet stars of the TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” including James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter, Mercedes McNab, James Charles Leary and Juliet Landau.
James Marsters
Delighted fans interacted with Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the spinoff “Angel.”
“I touched him, I touched him,” one fan cried in near-hysterics after meeting Marsters, who played “Spike” on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel.”
Adam Baldwin of another Joss Whedon show, “Serenity,” was also drawing attention from fans. Alaina Huffman, of “Smallville” and “Stargate Universe,” made her second appearance at the Wizard World Austin Comic-Con. Former “Heroes” star Hayden Panettiere also drew fans.
Comics were also a focus at the Austin Comic Con — in attendance were Nathan Edmondson (“Who Is Jake Ellis?,” “Grifter”), Greg Capullo (“Batman”), Robert Wilson (“Knuckleheads,”) Kevin Maguire (“Justice League”) and Freddie Williams II (“Captain Atom”).
Artist Robert Wilson at Austin Comic Con
Maguire and Williams entertained fans and would-be creators in a panel aimed at sharing tips on breaking in to comics. Maguire, who’s been professionally drawing since the mid-1980s, cracked up the crowd, saying he wasn’t sure how he got in and couldn’t really explain how he’d stayed in the industry so long.
SCARE for a CURE, an Austin-based nonprofit organization that raises money for local cancer charities, offered a chance to “shoot a Stormtrooper” of the local 501st Star Wars legion for $2, with the proceeds going to cancer charities, including Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas.
Austin Books & Comics again exhibited at the show with a large booth featuring everything from high-end Golden Age
Austin Books & Comics booth at Austin Comic Con 2011.
Comics to props and glassware. Owner Brad Bankston said his booth had been busy, with many buyers in search of particular hard-to-find items. He noted that “Doctor Who” items were particularly popular at this year’s show.
Sunday featured a “Kids’ Day” program, with face painting, balloons, other activities specifically for children. Kids could go to different booths with kid-friendly activities to win a prize. The day also featured a “Fairy Godmother Academy” storytelling session by Jan Bozarth.
- Matt Price
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 Motion Comic” Blu-ray/DVD combo review
When Joss Whedon’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” ended after seven critically acclaimed years on television, the show’s fan base still had an interest in the characters. Whedon elected to continue the series through the medium of comics, in a Dark Horse series called “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8.” Those comics have been animated and voiced in the motion comic, produced and directed by Jeff Shuter, and is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Buffy Season 8 motion comics – director Jeff Shuter discusses adaptation
While Joss Whedon’s acclaimed “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV series concluded after its seventh season, Whedon and other writers continued the adventures of the characters in a comic book series that Whedon dubbed “Season Eight.”
Now, those stories are being adapted to the motion comic format, which uses animation and voice acting to bring comic books into an animated state. The first four episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight” are now available through iTunes.
“What we’ve done is we’ve reimagined the world using a motion comic format to bring these characters to life in a way that represents the original work of the brand,” said Jeff Shuter, who produced the motion comics. “(Buffy) started as a movie and was adapted into a television show, and now it’s adapted into this format.”
Buffy Season 8
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” features Buffy Summers, the young female “slayer” who has been tasked with protecting the world from vampires. As “Season Eight” begins, Buffy is working with hundreds of other slayers as their leader.
“Buffy’s grown into a much larger space than she’s ever been before,” Shuter said. “She’s in a brave new world, and she’s really at the point where she’s trying to find herself. And I think the show, the arc of the first 19 issues that we’ve done, really reflect that nature, really reflect her finding herself.”
Shuter said the actors in the motion comics are trying to resemble the intonation and cadence of the actors from the show, but he also realizes that the motion comic is a new interpretation.
“The world has changed, and we’re building off this mythology and bringing a new sense of interpretation to it,” Shuter said. “And I know some folks may not love that, and others might really dig it. Our goal was to really hit every ‘Buffy’ fan out there and really give them something special, and fun, and unique, and something to fight over, and something to love all again.”
- by Matthew Price
From Wednesday’s The Oklahoman
Buffy may come to Web; Zack Whedon nabs Terminator comics gig
Two big Whedon-related announcements have come out today.
First, according to SciFi Wire, Joss Whedon’s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Eight” comics could be coming to the Web as motion comics webisodes. For anyone who hasn’t yet read the comics, they are quite good. I’m not completely sold on motion comics as yet (I have, so far, always preferred the original comic), but it should be a good way to share “season eight” with those who might prefer it in this format.
In other Whedon family news, Zack Whedon, one of the writers of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” announced via Techland that he will be writing a new Terminator comic-book series for Dark Horse.
“I am not a big-time, famous dude and yet now I am choreographing action sequences set in a post-apocalyptic future overrun by evil cybernetic organisms hell bent on destroying the human race. How is that possible?! I’ll answer your question, Made-Up Person. It’s possible because in comics it doesn’t cost 150 million dollars to tell that story. They can put an idiot like me in charge!” Zack Whedon writes.
While it’s been a rough month for Whedonites with the cancellation of “Dollhouse,” maybe this will ease the sting somewhat.
- Matt Price
A new Buffy, without Joss Whedon?
The producers of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie are looking to reboot the franchise in a new movie without the participation of creator Joss Whedon, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While the Buffy concept could be rebooted, has enough time really passed to do this? And is doing it without Joss Whedon the way to go? Competing against the “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer” TV show is going to be tough sledding, and, where do you go with it? Do you bring in characters like Angel and Spike, who didn’t exist in the original movie? According to the article, there are no plans to do so. So do you bring in Buffy and a whole new supporting cast? What are your thoughts?
- Matt Price
TheWB.com transitions to open beta
Look for episodes of “Firefly,” “Friends” and more at TheWB.com, moving to an open, public beta starting today. But that’s not all — TheWB.com will have original series as well.
Premiering today are the web series “Blue Water High,” “A Boy Wearing Makeup,” and “Whatever Hollywood.”
The McG-produced “Sorority Forever” launches Sept. 8. “Downers Grove” will debut on September 29, and “High Drama” will bow on October 6.
Full release after the cut.
TheWB.com launches Aug. 27
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Friends, Gilmore Girls and more will be available online as part of the new Web site www.thewb.com. There will also be new online content added to the site. Good news for Joss Whedon fans: Firefly and Angel will also be available on www.thewb.com. Full press release and list of programming after the break.
- Matt Price
Comics vodcast: Buffy 16, Magic of Shazam 1
Matt Price and guest Sterling Gates discuss “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer” No. 15 and “Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!” No. 1 on this week’s comics podcast.
Welcome to the Hellmouth
In case you’ve forgotten, the first episode of “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” “Welcome to the Hellmouth,” has one of the great pre-credit sequences of all time. This and other episodes of “Buffy,” “Smallville” and more are now available online (though still in beta test mode, so you have to sign up and be approved) at www.thewb.com.
Comics podcast: Spider-Man, Speed Racer
Kyle Roberts and I discuss this week’s new comics, including Amazing Spider-Man #549, Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Eight #11, Speed Racer Chronicles of the Racer #1 and Uncanny X-Men #495, in the weekly comics podcast.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
