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BOOK: Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy
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With Simkins gone, leadership of the show falls to Whedon and Minear. How this will affect the show is unclear, but it’s certain that given Joss’s other responsibilities, in particular the launch of
Firefly
, his time for
Angel
is limited.
Firefly
, his time for
Angel
is limited.
7
New Worlds
“My big dream for Batman 3 was that they would do a Dark Knight, and superman would come down and be a government stooge . . . that was my dream.”—Joss Whedon
F
rom
Buffy
’s launch in 1995 to the present day,
Buffy
and
Angel
clearly dominated Joss’s time and energies. Nevertheless, Joss was also involved in countless other projects, from the
Fray
comics to planning new television series, from writing a song for Anthony Head’s album to overseeing Mutant Enemy, his production company.
rom
Buffy
’s launch in 1995 to the present day,
Buffy
and
Angel
clearly dominated Joss’s time and energies. Nevertheless, Joss was also involved in countless other projects, from the
Fray
comics to planning new television series, from writing a song for Anthony Head’s album to overseeing Mutant Enemy, his production company.
Joss had been playing with the idea of doing a comic for some time before deciding to launch
Fray
in 2001. He wanted a project that related to the world of
Buffy
and
Angel
without being part of it. So he developed the idea of
Fray
, a slayer from a world hundreds of years after
Buffy’s
.
Fray
in 2001. He wanted a project that related to the world of
Buffy
and
Angel
without being part of it. So he developed the idea of
Fray
, a slayer from a world hundreds of years after
Buffy’s
.
Perhaps the greatest appeal of the comics for Joss was the opportunity to operate without limitations. “The great thing about comic books is you can do whatever you want as far as the story goes. There are no real limitations to what you can create, except that you have a small amount of space to do it in. I can have flying cars and huge skyscrapers and whatever I want visually and you just can’t always afford to do that in film.”
Joss has been reading comic books his entire life and has a great respect for them. There was the
Spider-Man, Warlock
, and
X-Men
in the early days. He continues to be a fan of
Daredevil
and reads
The Preacher
and
Sin City
.
Spider-Man, Warlock
, and
X-Men
in the early days. He continues to be a fan of
Daredevil
and reads
The Preacher
and
Sin City
.
Fray, looking very slayer-like. FRAY™ & © JOSS WHEDON, PUBLISHED BY DARK HORSE COMICS, INC.
As he has about most things, Joss has strong feelings about the comics that are being written today. Joss complains, “... I miss good old storytelling. And you know what else I miss? Superpowers. Why is it now that everybody’s like ‘I can reverse the polarity of your ions!’ Like in one big flash everybody’s Doctor Strange. I like the guys that can stick to walls and change into sand and stuff. I don’t understand anything anymore. And all the girls are wearing nothing, and they all look like they have implants. Well, I sound like a very old man, and a cranky one, but it’s true.”
Whedon was determined that
Fray
would be written with the same quality standards as
Buffy
or
Angel
. He didn’t want to do anything halfway and he took his time developing the stories and working with artist Karl Moline. Originally, he had thought he would do two or three books, but as the story began to grow, Joss couldn’t give it up. In the end,
Fray
became an eight-part story (not yet completed as of this writing).
Fray
would be written with the same quality standards as
Buffy
or
Angel
. He didn’t want to do anything halfway and he took his time developing the stories and working with artist Karl Moline. Originally, he had thought he would do two or three books, but as the story began to grow, Joss couldn’t give it up. In the end,
Fray
became an eight-part story (not yet completed as of this writing).
And all the girls are wearing nothing, and they all look like they have implants. Well, I sound like a very old man, and a cranky one, but it’s true.—Joss
Stylistically,
Fray
looks something like
Blade Runner
or
The Fifth Element
. The buildings are stacked far into the sky and there are cars flying around Manhattan. There are the extremely wealthy and the incredibly poor and downtrodden. The radiation in the air and water has resulted in a world with both diseased humans and mutants, who live together.
Fray
looks something like
Blade Runner
or
The Fifth Element
. The buildings are stacked far into the sky and there are cars flying around Manhattan. There are the extremely wealthy and the incredibly poor and downtrodden. The radiation in the air and water has resulted in a world with both diseased humans and mutants, who live together.
Fray
centers around the world of a reluctant slayer, Melaka Fray. In some ways, she’s like Buffy, but with notable differences. Melaka is older when she finds out she is a slayer, and unlike Buffy, she is a thief, part of the underworld and without much sense of social responsibility.
centers around the world of a reluctant slayer, Melaka Fray. In some ways, she’s like Buffy, but with notable differences. Melaka is older when she finds out she is a slayer, and unlike Buffy, she is a thief, part of the underworld and without much sense of social responsibility.
For several hundred years there’s been no need for a slayer, because magic, vampires, and demons no longer existed. Melaka and Erin, her sister, had difficult childhoods. Erin is a police officer, which naturally leads to conflict with Melaka. When Melaka discovers she’s supposed to slay vampires, she wants nothing to do with it. If she can’t make any money at it, she doesn’t see the point.
In the second book, Melaka begins to sense her powers and realizes that she really is different from most people. While still reluctant, she begins to accept her responsibilities as a super heroine.
Unlike
Buffy
and
Angel
,
Fray
is more an adventure story than one about horror. That’s something Joss did on purpose. There is a touch of gruesome horror now and then, but for the most part it’s about Melaka dealing with her personal demons while reaching for a higher purpose. The reluctant superheroine must constantly deal with creatures that are beyond anything she could have ever imagined.
Buffy
and
Angel
,
Fray
is more an adventure story than one about horror. That’s something Joss did on purpose. There is a touch of gruesome horror now and then, but for the most part it’s about Melaka dealing with her personal demons while reaching for a higher purpose. The reluctant superheroine must constantly deal with creatures that are beyond anything she could have ever imagined.
Whedon describes how the creation of a comic compares to television. “It’s similar in that you’re looking for the big moments, you’re looking for the big emotions, and you’re constantly saying ‘these guys are overacting.’ It’s different in the sense that you have to choose a still picture that will convey what usually you would have movement to convey. When you’re taking off in the air or landing, which one is the one you need to show? How much do [you] need to convey visually? How much can you do in one panel? That’s different and pretty exciting, just because it’s new.”
Like most things Joss is involved with,
Fray
is successful. From the moment of its launch, the comic flew off the shelves. The first issue of the comic book sold out of its first printing of twenty-six thousand copies less than two weeks after it had been released. The success of the series forced Dark Horse Comics to publish an additional ten thousand copies per issue for the remainder of the series.
Fray
is successful. From the moment of its launch, the comic flew off the shelves. The first issue of the comic book sold out of its first printing of twenty-six thousand copies less than two weeks after it had been released. The success of the series forced Dark Horse Comics to publish an additional ten thousand copies per issue for the remainder of the series.
“
Fray
really clicks along, and it is, I think, everything you’d get out of a movie if Joss had an unlimited budget and all the time in the world,” says Scott Allie, the editor of the series, in an interview on
darkhorse.com
. “The artists are really kicking ass. When Joss saw the final, lettered and colored pages for the first issue he really flipped—like a kid in a candy store who’d suddenly found he owned the joint. Dark Horse is just plain dumblucky to have him. I’d put Joss up against any comics writer, with the exception of Alan Moore.”
Fray
really clicks along, and it is, I think, everything you’d get out of a movie if Joss had an unlimited budget and all the time in the world,” says Scott Allie, the editor of the series, in an interview on
darkhorse.com
. “The artists are really kicking ass. When Joss saw the final, lettered and colored pages for the first issue he really flipped—like a kid in a candy store who’d suddenly found he owned the joint. Dark Horse is just plain dumblucky to have him. I’d put Joss up against any comics writer, with the exception of Alan Moore.”
Whedon was as surprised as anyone at the success of the series. “Well, I of course wanted the comic to become a cult hit, but you never expect these things,” says Whedon. “It’s been very exciting to create this alternate universe for a slayer, and have people be so accepting. I’m working with some of the best in the business and that has a great deal to do with the success. But yes, I’d say I’m surprised about what’s happened.”
Joss has said that he’s open to the idea of a
Fray
television series. “It would be very expensive, on account of all the flying cars and whatnot,” Whedon said. “But I kept the option open to develop it for other media.”
Fray
television series. “It would be very expensive, on account of all the flying cars and whatnot,” Whedon said. “But I kept the option open to develop it for other media.”
Whedon has also found time to develop three new television series—
Ripper, Buffy the Animated Series
, and
Firefly
(
Firefly
is discussed in the next chapter).
Ripper, Buffy the Animated Series
, and
Firefly
(
Firefly
is discussed in the next chapter).
Ripper
takes place in England and revolves around
Buffy’
s Giles. Anthony Head will star and the show, if green-lighted, will air on BBC. Joss describes
Ripper
as follows: “He’s a very lonely character who has had his life tied up in this one woman, and then he has to come home and get over that. He had to find his life again. It’s a mystery, but it’s a very quiet and adult show. His family, dead and alive, are a big part of it. There are monsters who sort of represent what is wrong with humanity, but it isn’t the frenetic scary kinds of monsters we see in
Buffy
. It’s a mystery show with some horror aspects. We have a lot of ghosts in mind.”
takes place in England and revolves around
Buffy’
s Giles. Anthony Head will star and the show, if green-lighted, will air on BBC. Joss describes
Ripper
as follows: “He’s a very lonely character who has had his life tied up in this one woman, and then he has to come home and get over that. He had to find his life again. It’s a mystery, but it’s a very quiet and adult show. His family, dead and alive, are a big part of it. There are monsters who sort of represent what is wrong with humanity, but it isn’t the frenetic scary kinds of monsters we see in
Buffy
. It’s a mystery show with some horror aspects. We have a lot of ghosts in mind.”
When Joss saw the final, lettered and colored pages for the first issue he really flipped—like a kid in a candy store who’d suddenly found he owned the joint.—Scott Allie
Joss promotes his
Fray
comics.
Fray
comics.
Whedon’s tight schedule has delayed the show, but he remains committed to it. “There will come a day, soon I hope, when I can take the time to go over there and get it done,” says Whedon. “Once I get there it won’t take long. I know exactly what it is I need to do. I know how England itself will be a character in the show. There is so much to play off there and it is something, again, that I’ve always wanted to do. The character will be perfect for Anthony.”
Anthony Head remains confident as well. “It will happen,” he says. “Joss really wants to do it. Jane Espenson has already written scripts. He’s been busy prepping [for
Firefly
] and it’s going to take quite a workload. That suits me, because I’ve got a lot on my plate at the moment. Maybe some time in 2003 or 2004, maybe something will happen.”
Firefly
] and it’s going to take quite a workload. That suits me, because I’ve got a lot on my plate at the moment. Maybe some time in 2003 or 2004, maybe something will happen.”
Enterprise visit with JossThere was a party on the Paramount lot for all of the UPN shows. Joss and several members of the
Buffy
gang were there. It was a simple meet-andgreet where you chat a little and then eat and drink a lot.Joss had both of his hands bandaged after an incident with limes, chicken, and some sunlight. The limes and sunshine had created a chemical reaction that burned his hands. It looked painful, but he was more embarrassed than anything. “Nothing more than my own stupidity,” he said of the bandages.The big draw for the party was a chance to see the sets of the UPN series
The Enterprise
. At the time none of us knew that Joss was working on his own space series, but he was like a kid on the set. At first I thought he might make fun, but there was nothing but joy on his face as we waited to go through the iron gates and into the first set.I was in Joss’s tour group. He listened carefully as different crewmembers explained the working parts of the sets. The first stop was the engine room and the main cabin of the ship. Joss played with the dials and sat in the captain’s chair. He checked out every inch before we moved to the next set. I was busy making notes for a story I was working on, but it was hard to miss Joss as he turned all the knobs and pushed the buttons on the computers.His cohort Marti Noxon was there right along with him. He turned to her a few times and said, “Man, we need one of these.” At the time I had no idea what was going on in that mind of his, but it wasn’t long after that party that the announcement was made about the pilot for
Firefly
. While it’s been mentioned that
Firefly
is the anti-
Star Trek
, I’m not sure Joss sees it that way. He seemed to have a great deal of respect for the
Star Trek
legacy and, while he had fun, he was almost reverential about the whole thing.Almost a year later, when I visited the
Firefly
set, Joss promised that he had not been trying to get ideas from
The Enterprise
visit. “I was curious and thought it would be fun to check it out, but I wasn’t really looking for ideas for our show. I did get some ideas of what I didn’t want to do. We weren’t going to have the big swinging captain’s chair because that had been done. But I know that no matter how much I say I wasn’t on some kind of mission, people aren’t going to believe me. I just thought it would be fun.”There’s a childlike fascination Joss has with the world, and at the same time there is a worldly view of what is taking place. It’s that dichotomy that makes him so interesting.Joss shows us his damaged hands, caused by some combination of lime juice and sun.
BOOK: Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy
10.11Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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