Or, better known as...


So, see, a few days ago, I thought I was going to sit down and re-read BtVS S8 #1-30 plus the Willow one shot to see if it was as bad as I remember it being when I was reading month to month. The first issue wasn't as bad as I remember, but everything after that went right back down the toilet. I was keeping tally of all these important plot questions from way back then, and as I was reading, I was hoping to stumble upon some answers that maybe I missed the first go around. I was wrong. Very, very wrong. Scott Allie says that those plot points aren't important. I guess they might have distracted from the toobular boobular joy of Centaur Dawn or the submarine.

I've been more entertained by the IDW comics. Those comics feel right to me. Don't get my wrong; there's been some writing mistakes over there too. I'd love to take Aftermath and throw that out the window, but it was only five issues, and I forgive them because as a whole the story has been solid (note the lack of plot holes... and ignore Aftermath). Also, I forgive them because they have a giant floating telepathic Betta fish that brings me so much joy I cannot fathom (oh, and did I mention Spike has friends? Like actual friends that are just his? Yeah, that hits the spot.) :D

I can set aside my anger for the ridiculousness that this latest plot development with Twilight will probably turn into. I can overlook all of that and get right down to the business of business.

Spoilers maybe ahead.

And now for the past few days I've been dealing with going between outrage, seething hatred, amusement, and back to seething hatred over the whole Twilight reveal. It's called PROFESSIONAL COURTESY when you want to play a little game of title character musical chairs, Mr. Whedon. According to the licensing rights, IDW could take Buffy and make her the new Big Bad in one of their series since she's appeared in A:ts episodes. They're not going to do that of course because Chris Ryall is a gentleman. Hell, even though IDW wanted to use Harmony in After the Fall, they didn't do it once they thought that Darkhorse was using her because they didn't want to mess with their story. That's PROFESSIONAL COURTESY. Over two years Joss has had this big master plan. Maybe he could have spoken one or two words about it to Brian Lynch at least?

Also, for the demeaning "fanfic" comments out there, that's just downright mean. There's a big difference between professional writers getting paid to write for characters they have the rights to, and fans writing for pleasure. Now, sometimes the fans get it more right than the professional writers (Lord knows I've read better fanfic than Season Eight), but it's like Bill Willingham said- You don't call "The Dark Knight" fanfic just because Bob Kane didn't write it. It's a franchise by a company with licensing rights to certain characters that they hand-pick writers to do storylines for; it doesn't matter what medium they originally came from, be it print or screen. Is Joss Whedon writing "fanfic" for Marvel with the X-Men series? Hell, no, it's a series he's writing in one of the Marvel continuities. Just because it's like an alternative universe off the main storyline doesn't discount it. Continuities for comics get rewritten all the time, retold, because it's interesting to see the story told from another writer's perspective and artistic vision. That's not "fanfic;" it becomes part of the history for the company and for the fandom.

I bet the original Darkhorse writers who worked on the first set of Buffy comics would LOVE to hear how they were just piddling around writing fanfiction all day. If it takes Joss Whedon coming down off Mount Martyr-Me to be considered the almighty "canon" of the series, then that means that only a handful of episodes and comics make the cut. Although, apparently, Joss has to write and "executive produce" a comic for it to count because there's a lot of folks who discredit After the Fall even though Joss outlined it and had his name on the book.

If I got a job tomorrow writing CSI comics for Make Believe Publishing, I would be mad as hell if One Trick Pony Press comes along and says "We're just going to borrow Grissom and put him as a serial killer in our CSI: Miami comics. You don't mind, right? We'll be sure to make it jibe with your story." I would also be mad as hell if the various warring CSI fans told me that I was just writing fanfic because my company didn't have Jerry Bruckheimer "executive producing" my comic. It's my comic, my writing, my art. It means something to the people who put a lot of work into it. Hypothetically, if I spend a few years writing an arc in a comic, putting the characters through trials and tribulations, building them up, getting them where they need to be, and then another company comes along and snatches that out from under me, turns my hero into a villain after all the work I'd done, then, yes, I deserve to be angry and I deserve to feel hurt. I don't deserve the bile and bitterness of people who didn't get their ship to turn out right or who have some problem with my writing or my company. Don't negate my work so that the other company can have it's final hurrah because it's lost 50% of its original readership in the past two years. If this happened, hypothetically, I would ignore the other set of comics and continue on as I had been, following through with my plots and such.

If Jerry Bruckheimer knocked on my door and apologized for what had happened, that he didn't give me fair warning, of course I'd shrug it off. What can you do? Hope for a fruit basket and soldier on is what! I'd stay strong in knowing that my comic was superior and better illustrated. I'd have a smile on my face because at least I didn't turn Katherine into a centaur! I'd cackle with glee as I plotted how I would reveal that Horatio was really the serial killer not Grissom in my comics! Horatio has, after all, appeared in an episode of CSI, which means he's fair game for the next round of title character musical chairs.

You'll never know who will be where when the music stops. ^_~

God, I love a good rant at 3:30AM. Quickens the blood! Where's Spike with my coffee?

And now... Mr. Conway Twitty.

From: [identity profile] kidcyclone.livejournal.com


I have to say, I wouldn't mind too much, getting paid to write and draw 'fanfic'.

Oh, and JW is a completely arrogant wanker, but everybody already knows that, don't they?

From: [identity profile] kidcyclone.livejournal.com


Perhaps he is jealous cos JM's initials are so close to his- after all an M is a W doing a headstand.

And the fact JM is handsome and fawned over...

From: [identity profile] fenderlove.livejournal.com


Poor Joss, jealous of James's cheekbones.

Joss: "Look at you! You actors! With your good looks and those... those cheekbones!
James: "But I'm wearing the clothes you picked out... I'm saying the lines you wrote... If I look cool, it's because of you! You've got the creative genius! Do you want to trade- cheekbones for writing ability and respect in the Hollywood community?"
Joss: *storms off in a huff*

And, yes, that's a true story. XD

From: [identity profile] angearia.livejournal.com


May I ask, what are the important plot questions you feel haven't been answered?

I'm trying to write up some meta about this and I'd love your perspective to balance it out - I've mostly talked with pro-Season 8 folks.

From: [identity profile] fenderlove.livejournal.com


I'll type up my list and post it, if you're interested. I must state that I put effort into trying to like S8. I have now read it several times all the way through, but it wasn't compelling or engaging to me. I also wonder how my experience could have been different.

From: [identity profile] angearia.livejournal.com


I'd really appreciate reading your thoughts! Especially in regards to plot questions that were raised that you feel need to be answered or touched upon?

From: [identity profile] fenderlove.livejournal.com


I posted them here: http://fenderlove.livejournal.com/252752.html#cutid1

There's a lot of questions. Some may be a bit nit-picky, I'm aware, but they were still questions that I had.

From: [identity profile] lilithbint.livejournal.com


My comic guy asked if I wanted the Buffy comics. I laughed and said no, there was no Spike in them so I wasn't interested. I'm absolutely certain I can continue that assumption for many years to come.

As far as I'm concerned if someone pays me to write for their franchise then I'm not writing fan fiction anymore (even if it is as bad as the Torchwood tie in novels)

From: [identity profile] fenderlove.livejournal.com


I wonder how one goes about writing novels and such for a franchise. I mean, do you write the novel first and shop it to the publishers who have the rights? And what of franchises that aren't quite franchises yet? I would LOVE to write a High Plains Invaders set of sci-fi books! Steampunk sci-fi alien bugs in the Ooooooold West... with James Marsters as Outlaw Sam. :D

From: [identity profile] lilithbint.livejournal.com


normally they have to approach you, at least with television shows I know that's how it goes because if you send them something unsolicited they won't read it in case one of their writers comes up with something similar and you claim copyright.
With High Plains I'm not sure how it would work to be honest... Hmmm...

From: [identity profile] fenderlove.livejournal.com


Yeah, it's like, do I contact Muse Entertainment or SyFy Channel? I think that Steampunk has really taken off, and a series of Steampunk/Gaslight Western Sci-Fi books would be fun for the market. Then again, I'm not a publisher, so it might not be. XD

From: [identity profile] lilithbint.livejournal.com


These guys might be a good place to start Science fiction and fantasy writers association, they have lots of good tips
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/information-center/ written by some pretty big names in the industry.
.

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