This year's comic world runs amok with creative glory and ugly disasters.
"There are a lot of Hollywood types who think they can write comics (Hi, Kevin Smith), but Marvel's Joss Whedon blew everyone away with `Astonishing X-Men,' one of the few comics to actually live up to its name." (Added) Joss' "Official Holiday Post" inside
"The `Buffy the Vampire Slayer' scribe staked the competition - the other 93 X-Men titles - with exciting stories that were immediately accessible to new readers and rich with nuance for veterans."
And here's another article in the Boston Herald praising Angel as being one of the best shows of 2004: Top 10 shows, bottom 5 and 5 hopes for 2005
December 31 2004
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As the new year comes tumbling at us like a giant, heaving sack of meat, gristle and hoof-parts, making some kind of horrible screeching and staring at us with its one bloodsoaked eyeball, the joys of Christmas and family make one reflect mellowly on what we've learned in this year. I'd like to share a little of that with you all, unless you are under the age of eleven or between the ages of twenty four and twenty six. (These yuletide musings contain violence, partial nudity, and strong and often incoherent language.) (May contain peanuts.)
Movies: They're hard to make. You have to work for a long time and have a lot of thoughts. And you can't just make Tim do everything for you like before.
Flans: They keep us going. And they retain the shape of the ramekin when you turn them over, like jello does.
Stalin: Killed maybe twenty million people, but the last four million he was just phoning it in.
Compassion: It's the thing where other people talk and you care about their stuff or something -- my wife tried to explain it, but I was in and out.
Happiness: Nothing is more wonderful than the sight of your own baby in your arms. And nothing is more annoying than people who tell you that.
Kill Bill: Long.
J.J. Abrams: Mysterious. Has taken my writers but made no demands, not even a note. He did send me Drew's ear, but I just think Drew was finished with it.
Cheese popcorn: Still important.
Serenity: uhh... nothing comes to mind. Doesn't it mean, like, peacefulness or something?
April: Amazingly enough, actually IS the cruelest month.
Resolutions: Too many to tell, and some are federally incriminating. I'm not perfect (I'm prefectly PROPORTIONED, which is where that confusion comes in) and I've taken a cold hard look at my self in the wane of aught four. There's changes. Work to be done. I plan to be a better, more focussed person next year, and if at all possible, have a bionic arm.
I also resolve to write more. Not like, BENDIS more, but a lot. And maybe have some protien shakes, so my body stays in good enough shape to hold up my bionic arm, which will probably be heavy.
Santa Claus: A vicious lie. (But A Christmas Carol really did happen, with the ghosts and all.)
Wonder Woman: Hmmmm....
Well, kids, the fire is slowly dying, like my kidneys, so let's call it a night. Tomorrow I put on a little hat and raise a glass of champagne for another rotation around the sun. I may stay up till ten. Thank you all for a great year made greater by your community. And remember, stay in school. But after all, isn't the circus a kind of school? A school of life, with dwarfs and sweaty carnies and elephants instead of learning. Stay in school or at the circus. Or in a parking lot. Or somehwere with plants, and ferns. Please leave.
Happy holidays! -- The Remains of Joss Whedon.
joss | December 31, 14:05 CET
What's next on the list? The tooth fairy? Not that it matters anymore, she stopped giving me money a long time ago. Seems like she doesn't pay out for teeth you steal from under your 5 year old nephew's pillow and put under your own. Go figure!
Anyway ...
Thanks for the holiday wishes Joss, your post definately cheered me up on a very cold, miserable day here in England. Hope you have had a great holiday yourself and are going to have an even better year in 2005.
By the way, i don't really steal my nephew's teeth from under his pillow honest! Well maybe just that once ...
The Watcher | December 31, 14:58 CET
Flans: Do more harm than good.
Does that qualify as a New Year's resolution?
Grounded | December 31, 15:35 CET
Happy New Year all.
PMMJ | December 31, 15:51 CET
Thanks to all Whedonesquers for making this a fantastic year for our site, including the great thread hijacker Himself, and especially to those who have supported us through our tip jar.
If you were considering to support us some more next year... please donate to aid the tsunami relief efforts instead. It will save lives and warm the cockles of your mods' hearts.
Caroline | December 31, 16:02 CET
And may I add -- we found this past year that Jossverse fans can be extremely generous in helping the helpless, whether in the names of our favorite TV shows/characters or otherwise. Please follow up on Caroline's suggestion to donate whatever you can afford. And for those who have lost family members and loved ones in this latest natural disaster, my heart goes out to you.
palehorse | December 31, 17:02 CET
Anyway, thanks Joss for stopping by once again! Happy New Year to everyone!
jewel | December 31, 17:33 CET
giant, heaving sack of meat, gristle and hoof-parts, making some kind of horrible screeching and staring at us with its one bloodsoaked eyeball - you obviously saw my uncle Alan's arrival on Boxing Day morning!
And you know, everything now has peanuts in - best warning I ever saw was on a bag of salted peanuts - May contain traces of peanuts but...but...that's just not....
And thank you, for the generosity with which you spread your gift (because, well, your gift isn't death but something wonderous and creative!)
And on that note I am going to watch 'The Gift' right now - could never thank you enough for that special piece! Just watch that when you are depressed (and I mean end-it-all-for-real kind of depressed) and it will change your life - hell, it did mine, saved it really, and I owe you forever!
catalyst2 | December 31, 17:39 CET
marmoset | December 31, 17:56 CET
Catalyst2 - The Gift - yes it is a very special episode, but my sister already told me forget it, if it's her or me she'll choose her first.
What? No Santa?!? At least the Christmas Carol stuff happened, I knew that was to realistic not to be true.
I truely hope everyone has a Happy New Year for the whole year.
Passion | December 31, 17:59 CET
Simon | December 31, 18:11 CET
2004 sure turned out to be an e-ticket ride, didn't it? Here's hoping that all our 2005 surprises are good, and we all get the Serenity we seek.
wissxwe | December 31, 18:26 CET
leaveittoreaver | December 31, 18:41 CET
Willowy | December 31, 18:54 CET
And hey if I kidnap James Marsters or Vincent Kartheiser do you still react on demands?
Or do I have to kidnap a Writer like DeKnight? *g*
I would also send you an ear of someone... hey does the ear have to be from the person I kidnapped?
Princessofdarkness | December 31, 19:08 CET
but no matter:
I love you Joss! And I love the idea of you writing A LOT MORE!
Because much as I love 'Astonishing X-men'
(that is a nod to the original thread Joss hijacked)
it is NOT enough...not nearly enough!
(I still do want some Buffyverse...with Spike)
And I want to thank Simon & the mods here at Whedonesque;
I love the site...you always have the best news first!
cheers!
Maribeth (embers)
embers | December 31, 19:24 CET
I hope everyone has a great year and I hope that the next year will be better for the world. I did make a donation through another method than the one offered here (didn't see it until after I already did it) but I was pleased to see the offer here to make a donation. I wish I was rich and I could send more money but all us little people can send a little and it can make a huge difference to those poor people. The world can be a horrible place at times with all the wars but when a tragedy hits we all seem to come together and try to help out each other.
I'm hoping for a better year and a happier year, and I hope everyone here has a great year - we all know of one very bright time coming up near the end of September!! So Happy New Year to Joss and everyone here at Whedonesque.
Firefly Flanatic | December 31, 19:47 CET
I can't count how grateful we all are to have you in our lives (in a non-stalker way that is). Have a Happy New Year and I wish you all the luck a girl from Rhode Island could muster for the upcomming year. I don't know if Serenity will come out in theaters around here (because not all do), but if it doesn't...I defidently see a road trip in my future--school and senior year be damned! Thanks again for everything:)
MySerenity | December 31, 19:51 CET
And talking of money I donated to the appeal but didn't know about that tax thing Simon. I'll do another one using that, every time I turn the TV on the scale of what happened seems to have doubled.
zz9 | December 31, 20:06 CET
I'd be there every day.
Of course, the downside might be no new JW movies and/or TV, which would be bad. Maybe even Evil.
So forget about the blogging, Joss. Write another movie, and three more TV shows, and direct them. Find twenty more brilliant auxiliary writers like Marti, Jane, Tim, David, David, Doug, Drew, Drew, etc. Thank you!
Your faithful scholar-flan,
Maeve | December 31, 20:22 CET
A Happy New Year to everyone, including Mr. Whedon. Firefly and Fray were on my Christmas list this year but Santa didn't get me either of them - but I've since ordered both online. Fray arrived yesterday, and was very good.
May 2005 hold considerably more writing from you, Joss. And Wonder Woman? Hmm.
Gonnas | December 31, 20:56 CET
Cheese popcorn is just wrong on so very many levels! more evil than Reavers or The First or The Circle Of The Black Thorn. More evil even than William The Bloody at his most poetic. It should be slain and expunged from the face of the planet. The only real popcorn is salted or buttered , or if it's a holiday, both .
Happy New Year to the best board on the web
And here's to lots of Joss on our screens and in book form in 2005 .
debw | December 31, 21:14 CET
I am heading to Oxfam office today for an extra donation. START PITCH Actually I'm long-time monthly supporter and urge others to consider that. It doesn't take much really. The organization is more about giving locals a foundation to develop their businesses and services and they do not have ulterior motives such as, well, let's keeep this clean. END PITCH Donate early, donate often to the southeast Asia disaster relief cause.
I thank you all for your tireless and informed commentary -- it's vastly more entertaining than what you can see and hear on TV -- and wish you all a serene New Year.
Drifter | December 31, 21:17 CET
Just a heads up to anyone thinking of donating. Try and find out what percentage of the donation actually goes to the victims. I saw a news story that said 60% and under was really bad and anything over 70% was very good. OxFam gives 78% of their donation directly to the cause and the Red Cross was over 80% (can't remember the exact amount). The part that doesn't goes to their costs for paying employees and advertising.
Debw, I like cheese popcorn, espicially Smart Food brand - but I also enjoy a tub of buttered & salted popcorn too!
Firefly Flanatic | December 31, 21:29 CET
Simon | December 31, 22:19 CET
Thanks, Joss, for spending some of that writing time typing to us, here. And for all that writing time you do, well, in whatever form, 'cause, well, we win again.
And I'll jingle a few coins into the "Whedonesque rocks" bucket, hoping that no one notices I'm going to start sounding like everyone else. I'll risk it. This is a great site. Thanks to all the mods, and to the posters for making this site extraordinary.
I think I'm relieved to found out that Santa Claus is a lie. Doesn't he disembowl children?
I'm refraining from adding coins to flan. It doesn't taste as good with metal.
But coins in the general direction of the tsumami victims, also a good idea. It's good to know such a generous fandom. Or is that flandom?
Happy New Year to everyone!
k8cre8 | December 31, 22:31 CET
A couple of questions and somewhat random observations:
-- Contributions: I contributed to the earthquake relief via CARE, but am ashamed to admit that I didn't check it out as thoroughly as you folks (I chose from a list at NPR.org). (Update: CARE's web site says that "Less than 10 percent of expended resources go toward administrative and fund-raising costs." So I guess it was a good choice as well.) Oxfam does wonderful work.
-- J.J. Abrams: Is he partially obscured by shadow, and always has a white Persian cat in his lap? Does he have an isolated, mysterious island? (Aha!) Does he look like Donald Pleasance or Charles Grey? (I refuse to take Telly Savalas seriously.)
Well, OK then.
-- Cheese Popcorn: Sounds like we need to do a good comparison of available options. While I love the white cheddar kind, the old yellow-gets-all-over-your-hands kind is particularly endearing -- but difficult to find. Cheetos used to have this kind of cheese popcorn, but it disappeared right before the election. (Coincidence? You be the judge!)
-- Bionic Arm: Not all they're cracked up to be. Like dishwashers, the control boards give out every 3 years.
-- Comics: While I'm in complete agreement with the reviewer about K. Smith (and J. Whedon's AST-XM (fun to pronounce it that way)), I think he's being hard on Bendis.
Yes, the man needs to step back a bit; but he continued to do some very good work on his DAREDEVIL and ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN series (yeah, I miss Gwen too); and THE PULSE has been great. POWERS is sort of up-and-down, but I think it'll end with some Oomph (and the letters page is fun, if profane beyond all belief). And while I mildly disliked the AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED (some dissassembly required) issues -- chaotic and noisy -- the Finale was nice, and the NEW AVENGERS series looks promising.
Oh, and some other comics people who should get attention for 2004:
- Ed Brubaker: GOTHAM CENTRAL, CATWOMAN (which he just left), SLEEPER. Wonderful stuff!
- Darwyn Cooke: DC: THE NEW FRONTIER was operatic. The JFK speech at the end was heart-breaking -- given the quality of politician (I will not say statesman) we currently have in office.
- Peter Tomasi and Peter Snejbjerg: The LIGHT BRIGADE mini-series was the damndest mix of old EC war comics and your usual Vertigo "faux Dante" supernatural bit -- but it works. Looks just great.
- And BLUE MONDAY, EX MACHINA, PLANETARY, and QUEEN AND COUNTRY. And God Bless THE GOON -- it makes me larf. Hard. Painfully hard, actually.
OK, it time for my meds. Bye!
[ edited by bookrats on 2004-12-31 21:32 ]
bookrats | December 31, 23:28 CET
Rogue Slayer | December 31, 23:30 CET
Here's hoping 2005 is the year when 'Serenity' is *the* breakout movie. And may many more follow. As for Wonder Woman....eh, if Joss makes it, I'll watch it.
Oh and of course Santa Clause exists people, he's just misrepresented by our commercialized society. As I recall he does visit children, but eats them.....
EdDantes | December 31, 23:37 CET
We debate this at length and all you can give us is a Hmmmm??
But the New Year's present of writing more, YES!
Can it be novels? I know you said you can't write novels but I don't believe that. And if you use your bionic arm, you can do it quickly.
And good choice, BTW. A bionic leg would just be so lame. heh
Lioness | December 31, 23:49 CET
Ummm is that like Percy or something?
Happy New Year to Joss and all his minions!
Mal'sGal | December 31, 23:57 CET
I saw that too. I'm guessing it's about the shorts and the blazer and the handing out of detentions for not having your socks pulled up to the elbow type thing that Joss is known for in acting circles. There may be spanking involved, but I went to varsity a year early so never actually found out (for which I am somewhat grateful).
Peace out, Whedonesquers. HNY.
giles (yes, it is my real name) | January 01, 00:28 CET
Joss- so, gonna bring Tara back in 05? Have at it! :-)
Astonishing X-Men got me back into comics after years away. And I am way too old, gosh darn it. Cannot wait for Serenity. Need more Buffy, need more Angel. Grr argh!
Best wishes to all, be safe tonight, and healthy all year.
Dana5140 | January 01, 01:05 CET
cal | January 01, 02:23 CET
Lioness | January 01, 02:35 CET
Is anyone else get hungry??? Hmm, maybe it's just me.
... I'd like to share a little of that with you all, unless you are under the age of eleven or between the ages of twenty four and twenty six.
Your talking actual phsyical age, right? Cause mentally, there might be a few issues.
(May contain peanuts.)
Hungry again, I'll bring the jelly and marshmallows. Or were you talking about Snoopy and Woodstock?
Flans:
Hehe, he said flans.
And they retain the shape of the ramekin when you turn them over, like jello does.
And some of us jiggle like jello as well. I want to be strawberry.
Happiness: Nothing is more wonderful than the sight of your own baby in your arms. And nothing is more annoying than people who tell you that.
Speaking of babies, another annoying thing, have you heard anything about Amy and hers. She was due around Dec. I'm just curious about how mommy, daddy, and baby are and hope they are happy and healthy.
Kill Bill: Long.
Agree by 1/2.
Cheese popcorn: Still important.
Yes but Carmel popcorn even more important. **stomach now growling, grr argh**
Serenity: uhh... nothing comes to mind. Doesn't it mean, like, peacefulness or something?
Actually I thought it was a brand of adult diapers.
April: Amazingly enough, actually IS the cruelest month.
Ok just because I was born in that month, doesn't mean it's the cruelest month .... ok, well maybe it does.
I'm not perfect (I'm prefectly PROPORTIONED, which is where that confusion comes in).
Oh, ok that explains it and here I thought you were perfectly PARTITIONED. **smacks self in forehead with heel of hand** (for some strange reason I'm now craving a veggie drink and I don't know why)
And maybe have some protien shakes, ...
Again with the food, man I'm starting to salivate. **Stalking off to the kitchen to forge.**
Wonder Woman: Hmmmm....
Wouldn't that be your wife. :)
Thank you all for a great year made greater by your community.
No thank you for sharing so much your internal musings that seep from your brain emmissions and over flow out through your fingerstips and onto screen and paper. Live long and prosper proportionally.
Seaonal Greetings to all and to all a good night. ;)
RavenU | January 01, 02:45 CET
Caroline | January 01, 03:00 CET
Still 4.5 hrs to go here in Toronto. (Can't say Canada since it's 5.5 time zones wide -- and feels like it some times.)
Drifter | January 01, 03:32 CET
Grounded | January 01, 04:22 CET
The First Weevil | January 01, 04:26 CET
Craig Oxbrow | January 01, 07:30 CET
SeanValen | January 01, 07:42 CET
eddy | January 01, 12:27 CET
Thanks for the message Joss. I really just discovered your work in 2004 and have been devouring it all year. I look forward to what 2005 will bring.
newcj | January 01, 12:50 CET
2004 ended on a sad note in Sweden as well, far to many holiday travellers will never return from Thailand.
Here's to a better 2005 with a lot of new Joss written material to enjoy.
Kill Bill : Long
Not compared to one of the regular Buffy marathons that takes place at my house.
WonderWoman : Hmmmm....
Thats just cruel, but I can take that, I will start to cry when the answer is yes though.
jpr | January 01, 13:37 CET
(and to Joss : you're the first person to make me so happy and laugh this much this year (well, you and the lot of alcohol I drank last night) : I love you ! By the way you're a God. (but I think you know that by now).
Remember, always be yourself. Unless you suck (© You)
RampaLemy | January 01, 21:40 CET
And I've wondered what the remains of Joss Whedon think of Kill Bill for quite a while. that whole kick-ass, subversive feminist genre-busting love note to B movies stuff and all.
<3!
orphea | January 02, 00:37 CET
(Hey I never said I was that 'him')
"And I've wondered what the remains of Joss Whedon think of Kill Bill for quite a while. that whole kick-ass, subversive feminist genre-busting love note to B movies stuff and all. "
And to tell you the truth, I'm still kinda wondering!
EdDantes | January 02, 01:16 CET
-Thanks to the mods for all the wonderful work you guys do.
-Thanks to all of you for keeping the discussions mature and thought-provoking.
-AND thanks to Mnemosyne and Zeus's lost master-of-a-storyteller son, Joss Whedon, who continuously makes all this possible.
May this year bring peace to the world and to everyone here.
rsfayez | January 02, 05:49 CET
Actually, the first AXM TPB was published over here early December. I think it was either the first or second Thursday of the month.
Outsider | January 02, 16:18 CET
Grounded | January 02, 17:33 CET
Simon | January 02, 17:57 CET
nixygirl | January 02, 19:19 CET
There is no comic book where I live...
Grounded | January 02, 20:24 CET
Best Wishes,
Kellie
Jossfan_21 | January 02, 21:21 CET
Well, I guess this solves the problem of nobody posting to a comic book thread, huh.
:)
RavenU | January 02, 23:19 CET
And I'm a huge comic book geek....and yet I too did not post in many comic threads here....I hang my head in shame. I must be beat......flogged.....(preferably by a girl who looks and dresses like Faith!)
EdDantes | January 02, 23:24 CET
SpikeBad | January 03, 03:38 CET
sasja | January 03, 13:21 CET
I am 25, and I read it. Damn it. You think there will be repercussions???? ;)
Miko | January 04, 20:58 CET
DC All-Star Wonder Woman? They got Frank Miller back for Batman.
Simon | January 08, 02:47 CET
I hate to beg, but I am! Please make it so...
BuffyBot | January 08, 13:54 CET
catalyst2 | January 08, 15:14 CET
BuffyBot | January 08, 15:32 CET
catalyst2 | January 08, 16:12 CET