Joss on the Future of Season 8

[nerd4hire]

Some recent words from Joss on how Season 8 will be written coming up.

Speaking of Buffy, in issue #3 of Season 8, it was mentioned in the letter column that this run could go as along as 40 or 50 issues. What’s the status?

The status is that we’ve got [it planned] to exactly 40. We know almost every bit of who’s doing what and the main points of what we need to hit, where it’s going, what it means, what the big climax is, who the villain is and mostly who the writers are for each bit.

Will it end there?

No, no, no. The last two arcs will be plotted out by me and Brad Meltzer. And he’s going to write the first one; I’m gonna write the second one. [Issue] #40 will be the final issue of Season 8 and that will be absolutely the end of it until the beginning of Season 9.

How did Brad Meltzer join the team?

We’ve become e-friends a little bit. I’ve written the intro to the hardcover of Identity Crisis because I was so blown away by it. And so when I started this thing, I sent out an e-mail to every great writer that I knew, both from the shows and from comics. And Brad was the shocking, “Yes.” You send these things almost sheepishly, like, “I don’t want to waste your time, sir…” But he was, like, “Dude, I’m in!” [I was] like, “Wow.”

When you write the Buffy comic, do you consciously still think of the original actors’ voices who played them?

They’re so ingrained in my brain, it really helps the writing. It makes it so much fun. I can always hear them talking. Tom Lenk [who played Andrew on “Buffy” and “Angel”] confessed that he reads his aloud when he’s alone. So, yeah, absolutely. It really helps.

What’s up next for you in comics?

I need to clear my plate a little bit. Buffy is still a constant and I’m writing the arc after Drew [Goddard’s]. After I help him with his comic I’m, like, “Okay, now you gotta help me with mine!” But it is sort of a natural part of my life, to be working on Buffy. The other things, you know, I just need to clear the boards just a tiny bit.

Source (http://www.wizarduniverse.com/021108whedon2.html)

[GATEGOD]

40 Issues! That's great! haha I love how he has 40 issues already planned out when they're are only 11 out. Loved the Season 9 bit. Things look great for the Buffyverse in comics..

[Joyce Summers]

Maybe he's going to keep the Buffyphile's dream going of having Buffy never end...haha.

And I *love* that Tom Lenk reads his out loud! That really made me laugh. Especially since it said he only does so when he's alone. haha

[palabravampiress]

Good to know Joss is still spoonfeeding us more Buffy.

The Buffy being a continuing presence in his life thing kind of reminds me of Jane Austen. I once read a letter to her sister in which she mentioned having seen some things at auction (a portrait, I think, or maybe some dresses) that reminded her of Pride and Prejudice's Lizzy and Jane. I can't remember the exact words, but she said one would have been just the thing for Mrs. B. (Jane) and that the other would have suited Mrs. D. (Lizzy). Lol. I think Joss got the Buffy characters stuck in his head the same way. lol.

Not that I'm a Jane or a Joss, but I do that, too. During a recent trip to Big Bear, we passed a storefront that was emblazoned with the last name of one of my characters. I was like, "Ooh! Like Katie!" Hubby was like, "Wait. Katie who?" Heck, sometimes Alexis Denisof, as Wesley, does things that remind me of another character of mine, George Reynolds. Every once in awhile, when I'm watching Angel, I just crack up and go, "That's so George of him!" My hubby thinks I'm nuts. I guess I am. In those moments, I totally forget that not only are my characters not real, but that they're not published, either, so no one else has any idea what I'm talking about. Hehe.

Okay, I'll stop babbling now.:lmao:

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

sweet.... thats like...$120 for the entire season if you think about it haha ok sorry to be depressing. at least it only goes in $3 increments!

[Spike Angelus]

More Buffy is good. I wonder what season 9 will be like?

[justanotherjen]

When does he have time to sleep? He always seems to be doing 20 different things at the same time. I'm all for more Buffy, though. Of course I'll always be behind in the comics because I have to wait and buy them in TPB. Oh well.

[nerd4hire]

And I *love* that Tom Lenk reads his out loud! That really made me laugh. Especially since it said he only does so when he's alone. haha

I'll bet he's not the only one. He's just the one who's confessed.

[GATEGOD]

New plan: Get Anya resurrected! :silly: That would make a great season 9 ;) Or just seeing anya again I'd jump up and down! If he's only got all of season 8 planned, a season 9 goal is reasonable

[FaithyFivebyFive]

Aaah I love the sound of that... 'Buffy - Season 9'... Music to my ears. It's so brilliant to say there WAS an 8th Season, but a ninth? It's a real comfort knowing I will have a new Buffy fix for some time now. :)

[tommy]

Neat. Nice to know there's no end in sight. If Season 9 ends up being the same number of issues, that puts us where, 2014 for the finale? And will Season 9 even be the last?

[Allycat]

I like the thought of that, although I don't think that the Buffyverse has the potential to sustain such a large Expanded Universe as Star Wars for instance. But I do believe that it could go on indefinitely, especially if Joss Whedon gives more writers like Brian Lynch clearance to write new canon-material.

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

I think though that Star Wars, encompassing a whole galaxy and so many races and characters just naturally has more places to go than Buffy would. But i wouldn't want too many expansions off the main series.

[nerd4hire]

I like the thought of that, although I don't think that the Buffyverse has the potential to sustain such a large Expanded Universe as Star Wars for instance.

Do you mean in physical area, or details. Isn't the Buffyverse already more detailed than the Star Wars verse?

[goldenboy]

I wonder if Buffy Season 8 will be a true "Season", and Buffy will be roughly 9 months to a year older at issue 40 (which will take...over 3 years from start to finish?). As a comic character, she'd be in her twenties for many more years, it would seem. But time is moving forward.

Then you've got the traditional superhero comics, where heroes are basically ageless..or they just reboot the character, start again.

[The Chosen]

Do you mean in physical area, or details. Isn't the Buffyverse already more detailed than the Star Wars verse?

Please, crawl out of the rock you live in...the Star Wars universe is bigger than the Internet itself! :lmao: Nah, but it's HUGE!!

[WatcherByBirthright]

Jesus! Fundamentally, both the expanded universes of Buffy and Stars Wars are so different it's absoloutly BONKERS to even begin to compare them! ;) Personally, the Buffyverse (be it in the form of Seasons Eight, Nine, After the Fall or a Ripper mini-series) has my vote to long continue. :D

[nerd4hire]

I'm almost tempted to start a new thread comparing the two universes for complexity, and depth. :) Ha, that might be fun.

[Allycat]

It might be fun, but I have to agree with The Chosen... Star Wars is much much larger. But such a thing is to be expected. That verse started 30 years ago, Buffy (canon) only exists for 10 years. More importantly, the fanbase for the former is significantly larger.

That is why I said that Star Wars can sustain a larger Expanded Universe. There is such a stellar amount of fans that they can churn out a lot of different series and there's always some fans reading it.

Another thing that helps Star Wars expand its universe is their definition of canon. Everything that doesn't contradict George Lucas or anything that has been published before... is canon. But in the Buffyverse, everything needs Joss' seal of approval. Which means a lot of work for Joss if he needed to check everything if it can be canon or not. I think we're stuck in a world with below-average non-canon spin-off novels.

[Allycat]

I'm not going to hijack this thread you'll have to take my word for it. I can counter every argument made.

Bring it on ;)

Expanded Universe: Star Wars vs the Buffyverse - Buffy-Boards (http://www.buffy-boards.com/showthread.php?t=36739)

[TabulaRasa]

So long as he keeps doing them, I will keep buying them.
I just got off the phone with my comic shop and they told me the buffy comics sell very very well there. Lots of fans. I was so pleased.

Atleast we know we are not along in reading the comics and doing the actual actors voices. It's great!

[Spike Angelus]

The Buffy and Angel comics are selling very well here too. So much that the store I buy them at had to put aside a special section just for Buffy.