First link. Cool.

Simon | March 07, 00:44 CET

I'm tempted to read it, but I wonder are the spoilers mostly through (and including) #12 or do they go beyond that as well. Much obliged if someone could clarify.

jam2 | March 07, 00:47 CET

This is how much I knew about comic books before Season Eight started: Nothing. Well, that they existed. JW and friends have turned me into a geek. Well, a bigger geek than I was already. Which: achievement.

[ edited by gossi on 2008-03-06 21:56 ]

gossi | March 07, 00:55 CET

Jam, nothing plot significant that I saw, just the names of upcoming writers and a reference to an issue that will be a major turning point for the season arc.

[ edited by KingofCretins on 2008-03-06 21:57 ]

KingofCretins | March 07, 00:56 CET

Yeah, if you've read the Issue 12 spoilers or the issue already, there's nothing specific to be spoiled by in the link. He doesn't discuss, for example, spoilers we've seen by way of future cover artwork.

[ edited by jclemens on 2008-03-06 22:01 ]

jclemens | March 07, 01:00 CET

No main spoilers- just the first confirmation (that I've seen) that the five standalone writers will be Jane Espenson, Drew Greenburg, Doug Petrie, Steve DeKnight, and Jim Krueger.

Plus some news about Season 9- not spoilery but it does say when it will be set.

Awesome interview, by the way.

missb | March 07, 01:02 CET

Great article. Love the talk on just throwing things out there, like the "thricewise" thing, and the mystical walkabout: introducing ideas to be explored later. It's little glimpse of the creative process, and gives you an idea how the world expands.

bigsofty | March 07, 01:03 CET

Thanks very much, KoC, jclemens and missb.

Someday we'll have "intelligent" spoiler tags with exact information within them to cross-reference with each user's own spoiler zones, and I won't need to ask paranoid questions. =)

[ edited by jam2 on 2008-03-06 22:40 ]

jam2 | March 07, 01:03 CET

So, I hate to bring this up AGAIN, but... I wonder what people will think about this Satsu thing when the arc is all finished and the emotions have been put out on the table. Is it a good idea to have them do it, then think about it, or should we have seen the thinking, then they do it? Or neither. Or both?

Man, now I can't wait for #21. And season 9. I know this Season 8 thing is still fairly fresh, but, W00T! Season 9!

leafblown | March 07, 01:12 CET

Yep, Simon, first link, and a cool find. I was quite surprised nobody had beat me to it.

I really like Joss' attitude about the Satsu episode, that it's nothing worth writing home about, and they don't need to justify or reassure us about Buffy's sexuality in the following comic. I'm still sure Buffy will stay generally straight and Satsu won't be the next OTP, and this is mostly about gratification and need for human contact, but it's nice that he's not apologetic about it at all, because there's nothing to apologize about.

Well, Joss, there's one thing you should apologize for.. Andrew's lateness in coming out. Get him a Milo Ventimiglia-looking Watcher-in-training or something, already! Even if the comic would turn in comics' equivalent of Dante's Cove.

Perseo | March 07, 01:15 CET

Given these two quotes, I think its time to rehash all of our discussions of issue #12 vis a vis the new info that "Drew made Joss do it." Just kidding! /runs away

zeitgeist | March 07, 01:27 CET

Plus some news about Season 9- not spoilery but it does say when it will be set.

I can't be sure, but I think that was in reference to when it will be produced; years from now, since it will likely be around 3 years until season 8 is over.

Vortigun | March 07, 01:44 CET

Even creating the term “thricewise” and putting that out there…I have no idea what that is, but I liked the word.

Ha. The internet racked its brains over this, and he hasn't even defined it for himself yet. That's awesome.

Sunfire | March 07, 01:47 CET

Issue 21 sounds like it's the Surprise/Innocence,Bad Girls/Consequences,The I In Team/Goodbye Iowa point of the season.

Buffyfantic | March 07, 01:51 CET

About the thricewise tidbit, what I love about Joss' approach to fantasy lore and common places is that he doesn't care about them! He just needs the phlembotiny aspect to wrap the emotional, symbolic hard core in it. And more the fandom usually obsesses over it, the more likely it bears no importance to the creator.

Perseo | March 07, 01:58 CET

Exactly, Perseo. I love that he just threw "thricewise" out there without much thought. Hee!

TamaraC | March 07, 02:54 CET

Personally I would like to see Andrew hook up with someone hot (maybe Captain Jack Harkness, they are in Scotland after all); I loved the interview Perseo, thanks for the link!

embers | March 07, 03:06 CET

I think Andrew *is* Captain Jack Harkness.

Carries a gun? Check ("Damage")
Wears an overcoat? Check ("Damage")
Has hot women working for him? Check ("Damage", "The Girl in Question", "The Long Way Home")
Has uncanny, unsolicited personal insights into the people around him? Check ("Potential", "Storyteller", "End of Days", "Chosen")

Once you take into account his sexual ambiguity and the hair, it's the same cat.

KingofCretins | March 07, 03:14 CET

Andrew isn't as pretty. Also, he can die.

Vortigun | March 07, 05:09 CET

Andrew is cute and reminds me of a wounded puppy.
Captain Jack is very, very pretty and hot, melty-melty hot.

redfern | March 07, 05:17 CET

Have now officially given up remaining unspoiled for these issues, which arive later at my local comic shop. Great interview this. Shows perfecty why I trust Joss, even if the story might go in ways that make me go 'huh?' or even make me go 'might it not have been better if [...]' with hindsight. But everything he does, he does for the sake of the characters and what it'd mean to them and the places it might take them. As much as a part of me never feels quite as home with Buffy as I did in the 'highschool years' (I'm one of those people who started watching as S1 aired), I love all the risks Joss took with the characters, the changes of status-quo and the different directions he took us in. It's what makes Buffy stay fresh and relevant even after seven television seasons and 12 comic issues.

And yes, all this is kinda like having Buffy back on tv, isn't it? I quite like it.

GVH | March 07, 05:29 CET

I loved reading about the shape of the season and where it's headed - even without knowing anything beyond the spoilers I've already read. I think the one thing about ongoing comic series that irk me is often having no end in site - no point at which to reassess; you take it one arc at a time with other comics, even if some stories build up over years. So relating it to a television season, at least I know to expect the end of Season Eight in, uh, July 2010...

This current arc excites me, Joss' following arc is making me giddy, but the upcoming five-writers arc made me pee my pants a little: look at those names!

crossoverman | March 07, 06:21 CET

This might be the best interview I've ever read with Joss. There are two things I love most about his writing: creating lovable and memorable characters who talk unlike any in mainstream media, and creating kick ass universes, and he talks pretty in depth on both! I'm really glad he still likes writing Buffy, because I can't get enough of this stuff either.

archon | March 07, 11:19 CET

Having talked to Tom Lenk in person I can officially state that he is both hot and nerdily cute. So he might be Captain Jack from the future.. or more likely he's Buffy's Ianto:-)

Crossoverman, yeah, the five-writers arc is something to wonder and pee about! Especially the "five perspectives" POV.. anybody got if the "world situation" bit was about the same arc or another one ?

Perseo | March 07, 11:49 CET

Yes, the five-writer arc sounds frakking awesome. I cannot wait.

I also love his bit about throwing something out there and seeing what happens. I've written a trilogy of movies about vampires and the like--vastly different from Buffy; don't worry, I don't steal--and I threw a subtle hint of something into the first one which I planned to expand on in the other two. And just...wow. Not planning every bit of detail in advance, and just opening up the door like Joss said, allowed the story the freedom to blossom in such a way that everything connected and resonated with its central themes. I was a little blown away by my writing, which doesn't happen often. So I can definitely identify with the Jossman here.

UnpluggedCrazy | March 07, 11:54 CET

Favourite bit was last paragraph that Joss still loves the world of buffy - that's comforting to me.

Anyone recommend any sites to buy Fray from in the UK?

[ edited by SmileTime on 2008-03-07 11:38 ]

SmileTime | March 07, 14:26 CET

SmileTime, have you tried Forbidden Planet's site or TFAW.com ? I recently checked on Ebay, and there were like, a couple of TPBs.. but I suspect the price may go the way of the balloon very soon, with Fray's arc coming up.

Perseo | March 07, 14:38 CET

Thanks Perseo, TFAW had them but there was a 30 day delay! Ordered on Amazon for £43, Mr Whedon has a lot to answer for!!

SmileTime | March 12, 12:26 CET