Scott Allie talks Buffy #33 Obama spoof cover - Printed matter

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December 03 2009

Scott Allie talks Buffy #33 Obama spoof cover. "I think we're the only comics publisher not to try to sell comics based on the President's popularity, so I thought it'd be funny".

Buffyfantic | Printed matter | 19:54 CET | 32 comments total | tags:

I like Scott Allie, he's a funny guy :)

Pretty_Hate_Machine | December 03, 20:01 CET

I posted the link in the other thread too, since it was still pretty active.

wenxina | December 03, 20:06 CET

OMG!! I love it, why didn't I see it before? (I had never guessed that the President was really.... oh wait, no spoilers). This is very funny.

embers | December 03, 20:29 CET

Ahhhh, yes, now it makes sense. That's why the President is expanding government, trying to take over health care and bailing out banks. And I just thought it was because he leans left. But no, it's actually all a diabolical plan to get rid of Buffy Summers and her pals.

Only... how does all that get rid of Buffy Summers?!? I'm confused.

quantumac | December 03, 20:34 CET

Aha! Twilight is Ned Leads.

alexreager | December 03, 21:19 CET

Hey! That guy stole Spike's coat!

ChosenGuy317 | December 03, 21:35 CET

Ah yes, the long-awaited Dark!Jed Bartlett arc.

beergood | December 03, 21:53 CET

"I mean, Buffy is owned by FOX, right ...? Maybe Glenn Beck made me do it."

I am laughing.

gossi | December 03, 22:05 CET

If Obama is Twilight, I really want to see Palin make a cameo as a Slayer. Hell, she can wear running shorts in Tibet. Alaska, Tibet, same thing. And Oz is a werewolf. It's the perfect set-up!

wenxina | December 03, 22:22 CET

Am I the only only one who sees this as not being very classy thing for Darkhorse to have done?

sueworld2003 | December 03, 22:40 CET

I just see it as a pisstake of all the other comic companies bunging Obama on the cover to make a quick buck. I think Buffy is allowed to be satirical once in a while.

Simon | December 03, 22:43 CET

I think Simon is right, if you have been to your local comic book store lately you would be shocked at how many titles are out there exploiting the President's popularity on a weekly basis. Dark Horse is just joking about all of them, not making fun of the President.

embers | December 03, 22:50 CET

"I think Buffy is allowed to be satirical once in a while."

Well Allie certainly thinks so, eh.

[ edited by sueworld2003 on 2009-12-03 22:51 ]

sueworld2003 | December 03, 22:51 CET

It's his company, so yep.

It's a joke. I liked it.

gossi | December 03, 23:48 CET

It's pointed out in the interview itself that the joke was kinda at the expense of all the companies slapping on an Obama appearance.
I'm thankful that Dark Horse isn't actually doing anything of the sort, and that the cover was just a joke.

wenxina | December 03, 23:54 CET

Personally I would have thought it funnier if the reveal was Marcus Hamilton (Adam Baldwin) or even Jane Espenson (if they wanted to keep it BtVS comic related). Its not like anyone outside of the fans would "get" the Obama cover anyway...

Hey waitaminute, is it possible that Marcus Hamilton really is Twilight? I haven't read the Angel comic, so I dont know if that character has been brought back yet...I know, I know, shame on me.

alexreager | December 04, 00:58 CET

I found the abundance of Obama comic covers striking and amusing, and I typically buy my comics from a shop in a mall in DC right next to stores that specialize in political touristy stuff like cardboard lifesize Obama, playing card Obama, paper doll Obama, bobblehead Obama. Even in the midst of all that and Inauguration fever, I still thought it was weird to see Obama on the cover of Spider-man and everything else. So this is nothing short of hilarious.

Sunfire | December 04, 02:23 CET

Maybe this post should have been spoiler tagged. Just in case my speculation is right on, I'll invisotext it.

On the actual cover (not the spoof), even though the face is obscured, it seems like you get a good view of the hair. I don't know if it's the shine effect or what, but Twilight's hair looks blond and slick. I have long suspected he might be Spike, especially given the the second thing Twilight ever says to Buffy. When she tries to bisect him like she did to Caleb, he says, "I know that move Slayer." If he was indeed referencing her killing of Caleb, only Spike and Angel were around to witness that move.

My guess is that Twilight is Spike and his reversal from anti-hero to villian is explained as a price he has to pay for regaining his soul. This is all speculation, but that whole episode seemed to convenient to just lie there. Spike gets his soul back. A year or so later that demon comes back to Spike after the slayers rise and enlists him to take them down. Maybe that demon is Twilight and he's possessing Spike. Or maybe he takes the "bad Spike" and that's really Twilight.

It would make a lot of sense, I can't think of anyone else who would be more satisfying. But it would necessitate an immediate explanation from Andrew for not mentioning Spike's return, which I hope doesn't boil down to a simple Glory/Ben-type mystical enchantment that prevents him from remembering. We'll see!

basuraboi3 | December 04, 02:24 CET

Ahhhh, yes, now it makes sense. That's why the President is expanding government, trying to take over health care and bailing out banks. And I just thought it was because he leans left.

Ah, yes, the difference between right and left leaning poliicians in the US- the left leaning ones don't spend a lot of time pretending they are for small government. Right leaning ones are only for smaller left leaning governments :). Bank bailouts were sold as the answer by both parties and a govt insurance plan is nothing like a takeover of healthcare - drastic overatatement. Much to the dismay of the left and the right, Obama is not actually a socialist ;). We should take this kind of talk to .org or to email, however, as it's not entirely on topic and usually leads to long nights of moderating linguistic knife fights!

zeitgeist | December 04, 02:25 CET

I dunno zeigeist... if Obama isn't a socialist why did I see a picture of his face really close up with the sub captioning "Socalist?" on Fox News?

(Sorry couldn't resist. ;)

silent knight | December 04, 02:38 CET

alexreager ; Ned Leeds. It's only Ned leads when he and Betty a re slow-dancing.

Hell, as good an explication as any, methinks.

DaddyCatALSO | December 04, 02:45 CET

As someone who had to wait in line for over an hour when they came out with one of those special Obama comics at my local comic storie (when it was very cold outside), I find the spoof hilarious. I remember being so thrown by how people were running to get an Obama comic (many seeming to buy a comic for the first time in their lives) while I just wanted my Buffy comic, thank you very much, which I buy every month.

Emmie | December 04, 03:28 CET

I figured twilight was Cheney *runs away*

hopitopia | December 04, 04:05 CET

What a brilliant cover!

Invisible Green | December 04, 07:00 CET

I'm more intrigued by that random tease at the end. Twilight is still a president of some sort? (And apparently definitely a man?)

Is Twilight secretly Chester A. Arthur? The president of Rossum and/or Blue Sun? Did the Watcher's Council start electing people now that they're barely around?

Actually that last one almost sounds plausible. I still don't remotely get it though since it seems like an offhand joke that goes a bit over my head.

orangewaxlion | December 04, 08:04 CET

I have something positive to say about Scott Allie this time. Really. Here goes:

He opened his mouth without having to put his foot in it afterwards.

That kind of hurt but I feel good about it. I hope he does it again. I hope he starts a not-putting-his-foot-in-his-mouth streak.

dispatch | December 04, 10:28 CET

From the article:
"Though Obama is not Twilight, clandestine government agencies have been shown to play a role in the villain's machinations, leading CBR to wonder whether the Commander-in-Chief does in fact have a role in the anti-Slayer operations."

It would be Bush anyway, at the point in which Buffy Season 8 is taking place. The show ended in 2003 and Season 8 takes place either a year and a half to three years later, not to mention who knows how much time has passed within 30 issues and a one-shot so far, right? So the comic is set in 2005 to 2006. Obama wasn't President of the United States until November 2008. Who knows when the comics will catch up that far to real life (maybe in Season 9?) or whether they'll ever bother setting it to real-world time again.

Anyway, fun, and yes, the Obama-in-countless-comics trend is hilarious. Within the past year, the monthly Previews catalogues have been overflowing with Obama guest appearances and comics that specifically focus on him for pre-orders (is Barack the Barbarian offensive, or a really clever Conan take-off/President-pumper-upper ? I haven't read it, but the admittedly cool/cheesy-looking covers and title made me question it, but also curious).

Kris | December 04, 14:00 CET

Not an obama fan, but do love the Obamachia commercials that is the funniest things I have seen ever. And no I don't have one.lol To me this just makes a joke out of the President and I love it.

rehabber | December 04, 15:04 CET

Not an Obama fan either, but that was funny. I don't think it's even plausibly offensive, that's just a "it's wrong because Dark Horse did it" thing.

I was surprised by how much like the Burger King the Obama cover looked like.

KingofCretins | December 04, 15:41 CET

I hope he starts a not-putting-his-foot-in-his-mouth streak.

You and me both dispatch *g*

sueworld2003 | December 04, 16:30 CET

I just wonder if Mr. McCain had won the election instead of Mr. Obama, would we have had people waiting in line, in the freezing cold, to buy McCain comic books?

Somehow, I think not.

While I'm not an Obama fan (or a even a McCain fan for that matter), I have to admit Obama is unique, a first for American politics. That's why I think he's so popular. That and we are facing desperate times. People feel they have to put their faith in something, and for now, they have put their faith in him.

Personally, I think faith should be reserved for the people you know, and not politicians, of whom we only see carefully crafted imagery.

quantumac | December 04, 21:12 CET

I have faith that a tiny blond with a penchant for "stylish, yet affordable boots" will prevail.

wenxina | December 04, 22:38 CET

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