Post by Emmie on Aug 6, 2008 16:04:11 GMT -5
Hey SlayAlivers! Scott Allie has asked me to open up a discussion in honor of the release of Buffy Season 8 Issue 17. So let's get those questions rolling!
Let's start off with one question per post, please. As soon as we have five questions, I'll notify Scott and he'll come visit us to give those awesome answers.
Remember, try to avoid asking spoiler questions - there are some things he just can't reveal no matter how much we beg.
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1. Cowboy Guy: Scott, when can you reveal the title for Issue 20?
Scott: #20 is currently titled "After These Messages ... We'll Be Right Back!" but titles sometimes change.
2. trunktheslayer: Early on, Joss or someone of equal credibility said that we'd see most, if not all, "big characters" return in one way or another. Tara and Anya have already been stated as not returning, and we know that Oz will be showing up....but is anyone else due to make an appearance? Not even necessarily looking for names here (though that'd be kinda awesome), just wondering if there's anyone else from the past coming up. Of course there's that "Character(s) who started on Buffy, went to Angel but will return" line....which could loosely apply to Oz, but I doubt that so....I guess, does that "Character...." line give a yes to the above question?
Scott: Too spoilery for me to say more than this, but there will be more characters returning before the end of Season Eight. More than one.
3. iloveromy: Anything extra super special with the Buffyverse you can leak exclusively to us?
Scott: Nothing super secret I can reveal about the verse ... you know how it is.
4. hitnrun017: What is your favorite thing about being Editor for Buffy Season 8?
Scott: My favorite thing about working on the book is working with Joss, learning from him. I wish we worked more closely, so I was more into the process of how he works with his writers, but time and distance prevent it.
5. buffysmglover: What was your initial reaction when you heard Dark Willow would be returning from the future?
Scott: I wasn't too surprised about Dark Willow. Given what Season Eight is about, and where it's going, her appearance makes sense. Also gotta consider Joss's love of the character.
6. smashed: Once and for all, there has been a lot of debate over this, and I'm pretty sure you've already cleared this up, but theoretically, could Spike and Angel be used in the Buffy season 8? Or are they only "available" for cameos and such?
Scott: Spike and Angel can appear in Season Eight as much as we want. That's part of the deal that led to After the Fall—we can do whatever we want with characters from either show.
7. patxshand: You and Joss have both said that there will be a Season Nine. Recently, though, Joss has commented on how busy he is, what with Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible, Cabin in the Woods, and the issues he's writing down the line, which he's said might be hard for him given his busy, busy situation. When it comes time for Season Nine, has it been decided that Joss will still serve as Executive Producer?
Scott: Joss will definitely Exec Produce Season Nine, but he might write less of it than he has written of Season Eight. Also, we've recently discussed some break between Eight and Nine, and we'll just do whatever we need to do to tell the stories right.
8. bamph: Was a fake out actually planned by Joss and Dark Horse for issue 17 and making people think it was Dru when the woman was actually Dark Willow?
Scott: Yes—we were trying to trick you into thinking it was Dru, without cheating. I hope it worked.
9. underbuffysspell: Will the "meeting" Buffy had ever be brought up again?
Scott: "The meeting Buffy had ..." You mean in this arc? Yeah, we'll reveal more about that later. Might be a lot later. There are so many threads to untangle in this thing, the story is stretching in weird ways.
10. faithotvs: Now is it possible that a member of the scooby gang (a core or an honorary one) is or will experience a rather weird dream or hallucination?If so ten will it erase or contradict parts of the on-going series-season 8 or earlier ones?
Scott: Faith0tvs—I don't think I understand your question, but let me try this: Yes.
11. trunktheslayer: Ok, so I'll give a cliche question and cheat by making it a double: Which cover is your favorite thus far and why? And if it happens to be a cover we haven't seen yet, you can feel free to skip the "why" portion....though I guess technically you can feel free to ignore all of it but that would make me sad or something *pouty face*
Scott: Trunktheslayer—Possibly my favorite cover so far is the Georges cover on Buffy #15, with them in the field, a la Seven Samurai, because it was Sierra's idea, and it's great to see her taking off as an editor. My other favorite right now is the cover to #22, because it's just one of Jo's best, and Kennedy looks so goddamn hot.
12. eriktheslayerboy: Is there possible death in the feature for any of the cherecters?
Scott: Eriktheslayerboy—Yes, it is possible that a major character will die before Season Eight is over. Speculate away, but keep in mind that the question doesn't really ask anything ...
13. mikey: We know that Buffy is someone that Twilight knows very well, but is Twilight (behind the mask) someone that Buffy knows very well?
Scott: Mikey, you know I'm not gonna answer that, right? You get NO hints on Twilight! None!
14. kingofcretins: Scott -- Season 8 by its nature unfolds much more slowly than the televised seasons. As such, fans have more time to react. Tough question: even if you can't say what, has fan reaction at any point this season caused you and Joss and the other creative people involved to *alter* any plans for Season 8?
Scott: Kingofcretins—Yes, but I'm only gonna give you a little one. Joss was surprised more people didn't figure out the Satsu-lipgloss thing immediately, so he added a bit more explaino to make it clear. He didn't think he'd have to hit it that hard, but frankly I thought it was too subtle for people to grasp. And you could say that Oz's upcoming appearance is fan driven, but the fact that we're doing the book at all is sort of fan driven, so ...
15. Emmie: Scott, Joss was recently quoted in the Hollywood Reporter commenting on his involvement in Buffy season 8, stating that he's "finishing the Fray arc and then a couple of other people are stepping in and I have a plan to do one more arc before the end of the season. Although I'm looking at that with a cold eye; maybe I should just oversee that because I'm late with an issue, and it gets harder and harder."
Any comment on Joss' possible re-consideration of writing the last arc? If Joss were to re-assign the final arc, is there a list of other writers that may be considered to join Dark Horse in creating Buffy season 8 or possibly season 9?
Aw, Em, you saved the worst for last. Yes, Joss and I have talked about the possibility of someone else closing out the storyline. I've made my preference clear, but there is nagging ol' reality to consider. He hasn't decided yet, and I know he wants to do it, but he is drowning in work. There are a couple possible solutions, and whatever he wants is cool with me. Though I hope he's able to do it.
16. El Diablo Robotico: When working with an amazing storyteller like Joss (as well as all the other great writers he's bringing in for this project), do you just stand back and let him do his thing, story-wise, or do you try to keep an eye on things, and make sure the plot makes consistent sense all the way through, and that nothing goes off-track or gets lost along the way (which was sometimes a problem on TV, for both "Buffy" and "Angel")?
Just as an example, we were having an interesting conversation here a couple of weeks back about a certain character's role in the season, and we went back and forth examining that character's actions (so far) in detail, trying to figure out how they do or don't fit a particular theory. So I'm wondering if you do that with each new script, looking for any cases of, "Hey, we can't have Character X do this, because it doesn't make sense with the actions planned for him/her later on."
Scott: El Diablo Robotico—I mostly get out of the way, but I try to pay attention and flag something if it bothers me. It doesn't happen much. Plans are pretty complex regarding each character, but I think it's all working.
17. skytteflickan88: Scott, I have questions about Anywhere But Here. Willow's line "I was never naughty here. I don't even.. Robin, has this happened yet?"
Which vision does it refer to? I have to know, because if it refers to the snake-lady-vision, it probably means that that vision hasn't happened (so no cheating Willow) but if it refers to another vision, I have some people who needs to tell me "I told you so". Also, Saga Vasuki, that's the snake lady, isn't it? ~Thanks.
Scott: Skytteflickan—Yes, Saga Vasuki is the snake woman. As for the line from Willow, I think you're misreading it. Go back and reread the scene. They've just arrived in this particular room, Willow says that, and then they see Buffy on the floor. Think it through, ask again if you need to.
18. sla: Scott, can Fray go to the past with Buffy when she go back in time? she's gonna get back to her time, right?
Scott: Sla—Buffy will return to the present. No saying about Fray just yet.
19. brandonr: What's the decision maker re: retailer incentives like posters? I'd really love to have a poster size image for the 19 cover because it's so striking. Anyway that can happen?
Scott: Brandon—retailer incentives happen as they're needed, and it's unlikely we'll do anything special with the #19 cover. Sorry. There are a lot I'd like to see as posters.
20. bamph: I think Jo Chen's covers for season 8 are gorgeous.Is there any chance that when season 8 ends,Dark Horse could put out a Cover Gallery book featuring all the season 8 covers and not just Jo Chen's either but all the varients for each issue and the fill ins by Jon Foster? I would certainly buy that.
Scott: Bamph—Eventually I want to do another Buffy Panel to Panel book. I don't know if we'll do one for Season Eight; might wait and do one for Eight and Nine together in one.
21. smashed: Scott: Willow's not choking Buffy on the issue 19 cover, is she? Some fans think that she is.
Scott: Smashed—Will's not choking her, but she's not singing her love songs either.
22. kingofcretins: Scott, you said earlier that it was intended for us to guess Drusilla instead of Willow in 8.17. That begs the question -- with so many more mysteries being built into Season 8 than previous seasons (i.e. Twilight's identity, Satsu kissing Buffy, Buffy's secret meeting, the identity of the mole/traitor), do you guys on the Season 8 team feel obligated to leave "clues" in the story to give the audience a chance to "solve" these mysteries? Or are textual hints, like the ones that set up the twist of Willow's reveal, never inherently trustworthy for us?
Scott: King—I think mainly the clues are planted in the way that they are not so you can solve it, which you cannot, but so that when it's all over you'll say, Wow, Joss is really smart! Frankly, there are a lot of clues, but the way Joss does it, I just don't see anyone figuring it out. It's not that kind of mystery. The mystery is all inside the characters. That's what should fascinate you the most.
23. Emmie: Scott, can you walk us through the process of creating a Buffy Season 8 comic? And how much opportunity do you have to collaborate with Joss as well as the other writers and artists during this process?
Scott: Emmie—I don't want to get into too much detail about the process. My role isn't really to contribute to the story; where I do have a role in story is mostly really far out. Joss will break the stuff down for me way in advance, and we talk about it then, and I might have some small influence in that regard, but mostly the story happens between him and his writers. Georges's love of Godzilla had a certain influence on Wolves at the Gate. But mostly it's Joss coming up with mad plans and his writers adding to it and fleshing it out.
24. xmadxscientistx: For some reason, I thought Emmie's post was starting with, "Scott, can you walk through walls?" I'm really distracted. Scott, throughout the buffyverse, there's been an underlying message, starting with Highschool is Hell. Can you tell us anything about the underlying message of Season 8?
Scott: Xmad—I CAN walk through walls. But I don't really believe in messages. I think more in terms of questions, or themes. Maybe Joss does see it in terms of messages, but I think he's exploring a theme here. If it's not apparent what that is yet, I think it will be before too long.
25. gooberman: Dawn's so much cooler in these comics, what with the mythical creatures thing and all. The blurb for the next issue says she'll change again. Is that true, or is it just referencing the centaur change from #16?
Also on the subject of Dawn, will her changes have relevance to the overall plot, or are they just a sub plot purely for character development (and the odd city stomping)?
Scott: The way her thing is gonna play out, I don't know if you'd say it relevant to the overall plot, or if it's simply its own subplot. It's a pretty major subplot, and the way Joss weaves it all together, everything's essential. But I guess I'd describe it more as subplot.
26. michamon: Hi Scott, after "Tales of the Slayers" and "Tales of the Vampire" have you ever considered the possibility of a "Tales of the Watchers" comic?
Scott: Michamon—We've considered Tales of the Watchers—I'd say that one of the stories I wrote in the prose Tales of the Slayers book was more of a Tale of a Watcher—but it just hasn't risen to the top of priorities, and will probably continue to take a backseat to Season Eight, Nine, and however far beyond we may go.
27. vampmogs: Scott if given the opportunity would you ever consider turning season 8 into an animated series after the comics are finished? As in- same stories, same dialouge.. just animated?
Scott: Vampmogs—I don't work in animation, so I don't think like that. If it were to happen, I'd hope that it would happen with a great team. I wouldn't want to see it done just to get the story into another medium, but to do something special with that medium, as I think we're doing with the comic.
28. wenxina: Hi Scott. Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Mine was should S9 come to fruition (and believe me, I'm a giant pretzel for this), are there plans to keep the current art team together? I thought I read somewhere that Jeanty would continue to do pencils, but I was curious as to whether the rest of the team would stay together for the most part. Thanks again!
Scott: Wenxina—We haven't talked about the realities of Season Nine much yet. It feels very far off. In my mind, I see the same creative team, as much as possible, but you never know. It might not be possible to keep them together; it might do everyone some good to shake it up. A big unknown ...
29. lorneisaboltsfan: Nice job with the Drusilla fakeout, I was still thinking it was her up until the last page. Here's my question: Are there any plans to actually bring Dru back? (I'm not sure if you'd have an answer if it was planned for an Angel or Spike comic, but I figured I'd try asking).
Scott: Lorne—No spoilers, can't tell you if we have any plans on Dru.
30: El Diablo Robotico: My question last month was about Satsu, and if she'll be back at any point, and the answer was "yes". ( ) So I'm just wondering if there's any chance we might get to see her featured on a Jo Chen cover?
Scott: El Diablo—Jo has done a cover with Satsu that you'll see very soon.
31. kingofcretins: Scott, how do the decisions get made over what "spoilers" will be released or not? Such as confirming Oz' return explicitly, or the "vampires becoming vogue" spoiler?
Scott: King—how do we decide about which spoilers to announce—usually Joss just starts talking at a convention. That's mostly how it's decided. Sometimes there's a conversation, and we take covers into account—sticking the cover out there a couple months early, what does that force us to spoil? But mostly it's the boss.
32. sla: Scott, what do you think about the slayer's strong? How much strong is a Slayer? Level? Tons? like superman?
Scott: Sla—I think a Slayer is just slightly stronger than a human in really good shape could possibly be. That's as specific as my thinking on it goes.
33. hitnrun017: We know there are around 1800 Slayers in Buffy's time, with 500 working with them. Are we going to find out what is going on with the other 1300 Slayers out there?
Scott: Hitnrun—Yes, we are going to find out about what some of those other, non-affiliated Slayers are up to. Not all, but some. The non-affiliated ones aren't working together, so we haven't time to hit on all 1300 of them ...
34. faith0tvs: Now we know that Buffy is in the future, i can assume that she will find out about what happened in that last battle or in the lastfew years before the end of magic -through Melaka or the Watcher's Diaries, can we assume that this knowledge will affect her future actions once she returns from the future as in accelerating things or re-evaluating some situations? Whatever those might be?
Scott: FaithoTVS—Can't answer that one for you.
35. thomas: One of the things that's bothered by about Buffy, when it was a TV Series, was that the only character from Angel to appear on Buffy was Angel. Is there any chance of any of the Angel characters, besides Angel and Spike, to appear in Season 8 or 9?
Scott: Thomas—Any character from Angel that we want in Buffy is free to appear in Season Eight, but I would not expect to see ones that did not start on Buffy.
36. narflet: In regards to the canceled tarot deck, the images that were released and that we saw were fantastic and I think it'd be a shame to not see the rest of them. Was the art work for the deck completed? If yes, is there any way you could feature them in the issues...as pinups perhaps? If no, it'd still be nice to see what was done in some way because that really was some super artwork.
Scott: Narflet—I wish we could share the tarot art, because it was great, but we cannot. The entire deck was not completed, but a large portion of it was.
37. partyking09: As we know technically Faith is the slayer because of Buffy's death. Buffy died twice - the first time Kendra was called and when Kendra died Faith was called. The second time Buffy died there wasn't a slayer called, making me believe that she wasn't really a slayer anymore when it came to passing her powers -Faith was the actual slayer. Is Faith the only one who can actually pass her powers? In season 7 was that Faith's power that was passed to the potentials? Since the potentials are now slayers, can they pass on their power?
And with this whole queen, prince and princess thing going on, should we rule Faith out because she is a slayer and the only ones being speculated about are Melaka and Buffy. And it's been said we will be seeing more of Faith before the end of s8. So your thoughts?
Scott: Partyking—if Slayers were real, they'd be considered a mystery, in the magical sense. Powers like this should not be thought to operate like rules in a video game. What happened with Buffy and Kendra and Faith was probably unprecedented. What's happened now with the Slayers is definitely unprecedented. I don't think there can be any doubt that in any meaningful sense, Buffy IS the Slayer, and has been since she first assumed the power, even though other girls were called. I'm not gonna address the Queen, Prince thing, sorry—
38. NileQT87: Fray says that Buffy has been dead for possibly over 200 years (we've heard the 200-year thing before), which means the Fray timeline is circa 2200 A.D. Has Joss decided on anything more specific than that? Like an actual year?
Also, speaking of timelines, we've been told that season 8 starts in late 2004--Dawn's 3 months in college with Kenny means that the series would start in November. The problem is that the Daniel Craig/James Bond reference actually specifically dates the season to the 2006-2007 season. Is there any reason why the authors believe this is 2004 (like, say, if After the Fall influences an eventual date meet-up), or is there any reason to believe this doesn't take place in 2006-2007?
39. Emmie: Since Buffy Season 8 has started off roughly a year and a half after the end of Chosen, can you give us a sense of the 'when' of the season? Someone has said that Buffy's birthday was referenced in interviews as occurring around A Beautiful Sunset - Is this the case? Are there any significant Time Markers you can point out to us lining up in the comic (in what month season 8 started, Buffy's birthday, season summer/winter/spring/fall, holidays passing, etc)?
Finally,Thomas, Nile, and Emmie—I don't think much about what year Season Eight takes place in, or how time is passing. I can't tell you the year of Buffy's death. Season Eight does take place about a year and a half after Season Seven; but I don't necessarily think of Season Seven having been in 2003. If you need to see it like that, and can believe in a world full of Slayers and vampires and demons, would you believe Casino Royale came out in 2004? In Season Six, the kids weren't reacting to 9/11 the way every actual person in America was. Believe me, editing comics, reading comics, if you think too much about what year a comic takes place in, it drives you nuts. Read the stories. Sometimes more time passes between issues than others. Sometimes more time passes within an issue than in others. Everything you need to know to enjoy the story is in there. Timelines kill the spontaneity of a comics story. We recently did a massive timeline for the Hellboy comics, and I couldn't regret it more, because it's hemmed in all sorts of things that never needed for story purposes to be hemmed in.
Let's start off with one question per post, please. As soon as we have five questions, I'll notify Scott and he'll come visit us to give those awesome answers.
Remember, try to avoid asking spoiler questions - there are some things he just can't reveal no matter how much we beg.
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1. Cowboy Guy: Scott, when can you reveal the title for Issue 20?
Scott: #20 is currently titled "After These Messages ... We'll Be Right Back!" but titles sometimes change.
2. trunktheslayer: Early on, Joss or someone of equal credibility said that we'd see most, if not all, "big characters" return in one way or another. Tara and Anya have already been stated as not returning, and we know that Oz will be showing up....but is anyone else due to make an appearance? Not even necessarily looking for names here (though that'd be kinda awesome), just wondering if there's anyone else from the past coming up. Of course there's that "Character(s) who started on Buffy, went to Angel but will return" line....which could loosely apply to Oz, but I doubt that so....I guess, does that "Character...." line give a yes to the above question?
Scott: Too spoilery for me to say more than this, but there will be more characters returning before the end of Season Eight. More than one.
3. iloveromy: Anything extra super special with the Buffyverse you can leak exclusively to us?
Scott: Nothing super secret I can reveal about the verse ... you know how it is.
4. hitnrun017: What is your favorite thing about being Editor for Buffy Season 8?
Scott: My favorite thing about working on the book is working with Joss, learning from him. I wish we worked more closely, so I was more into the process of how he works with his writers, but time and distance prevent it.
5. buffysmglover: What was your initial reaction when you heard Dark Willow would be returning from the future?
Scott: I wasn't too surprised about Dark Willow. Given what Season Eight is about, and where it's going, her appearance makes sense. Also gotta consider Joss's love of the character.
6. smashed: Once and for all, there has been a lot of debate over this, and I'm pretty sure you've already cleared this up, but theoretically, could Spike and Angel be used in the Buffy season 8? Or are they only "available" for cameos and such?
Scott: Spike and Angel can appear in Season Eight as much as we want. That's part of the deal that led to After the Fall—we can do whatever we want with characters from either show.
7. patxshand: You and Joss have both said that there will be a Season Nine. Recently, though, Joss has commented on how busy he is, what with Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible, Cabin in the Woods, and the issues he's writing down the line, which he's said might be hard for him given his busy, busy situation. When it comes time for Season Nine, has it been decided that Joss will still serve as Executive Producer?
Scott: Joss will definitely Exec Produce Season Nine, but he might write less of it than he has written of Season Eight. Also, we've recently discussed some break between Eight and Nine, and we'll just do whatever we need to do to tell the stories right.
8. bamph: Was a fake out actually planned by Joss and Dark Horse for issue 17 and making people think it was Dru when the woman was actually Dark Willow?
Scott: Yes—we were trying to trick you into thinking it was Dru, without cheating. I hope it worked.
9. underbuffysspell: Will the "meeting" Buffy had ever be brought up again?
Scott: "The meeting Buffy had ..." You mean in this arc? Yeah, we'll reveal more about that later. Might be a lot later. There are so many threads to untangle in this thing, the story is stretching in weird ways.
10. faithotvs: Now is it possible that a member of the scooby gang (a core or an honorary one) is or will experience a rather weird dream or hallucination?If so ten will it erase or contradict parts of the on-going series-season 8 or earlier ones?
Scott: Faith0tvs—I don't think I understand your question, but let me try this: Yes.
11. trunktheslayer: Ok, so I'll give a cliche question and cheat by making it a double: Which cover is your favorite thus far and why? And if it happens to be a cover we haven't seen yet, you can feel free to skip the "why" portion....though I guess technically you can feel free to ignore all of it but that would make me sad or something *pouty face*
Scott: Trunktheslayer—Possibly my favorite cover so far is the Georges cover on Buffy #15, with them in the field, a la Seven Samurai, because it was Sierra's idea, and it's great to see her taking off as an editor. My other favorite right now is the cover to #22, because it's just one of Jo's best, and Kennedy looks so goddamn hot.
12. eriktheslayerboy: Is there possible death in the feature for any of the cherecters?
Scott: Eriktheslayerboy—Yes, it is possible that a major character will die before Season Eight is over. Speculate away, but keep in mind that the question doesn't really ask anything ...
13. mikey: We know that Buffy is someone that Twilight knows very well, but is Twilight (behind the mask) someone that Buffy knows very well?
Scott: Mikey, you know I'm not gonna answer that, right? You get NO hints on Twilight! None!
14. kingofcretins: Scott -- Season 8 by its nature unfolds much more slowly than the televised seasons. As such, fans have more time to react. Tough question: even if you can't say what, has fan reaction at any point this season caused you and Joss and the other creative people involved to *alter* any plans for Season 8?
Scott: Kingofcretins—Yes, but I'm only gonna give you a little one. Joss was surprised more people didn't figure out the Satsu-lipgloss thing immediately, so he added a bit more explaino to make it clear. He didn't think he'd have to hit it that hard, but frankly I thought it was too subtle for people to grasp. And you could say that Oz's upcoming appearance is fan driven, but the fact that we're doing the book at all is sort of fan driven, so ...
15. Emmie: Scott, Joss was recently quoted in the Hollywood Reporter commenting on his involvement in Buffy season 8, stating that he's "finishing the Fray arc and then a couple of other people are stepping in and I have a plan to do one more arc before the end of the season. Although I'm looking at that with a cold eye; maybe I should just oversee that because I'm late with an issue, and it gets harder and harder."
Any comment on Joss' possible re-consideration of writing the last arc? If Joss were to re-assign the final arc, is there a list of other writers that may be considered to join Dark Horse in creating Buffy season 8 or possibly season 9?
Aw, Em, you saved the worst for last. Yes, Joss and I have talked about the possibility of someone else closing out the storyline. I've made my preference clear, but there is nagging ol' reality to consider. He hasn't decided yet, and I know he wants to do it, but he is drowning in work. There are a couple possible solutions, and whatever he wants is cool with me. Though I hope he's able to do it.
16. El Diablo Robotico: When working with an amazing storyteller like Joss (as well as all the other great writers he's bringing in for this project), do you just stand back and let him do his thing, story-wise, or do you try to keep an eye on things, and make sure the plot makes consistent sense all the way through, and that nothing goes off-track or gets lost along the way (which was sometimes a problem on TV, for both "Buffy" and "Angel")?
Just as an example, we were having an interesting conversation here a couple of weeks back about a certain character's role in the season, and we went back and forth examining that character's actions (so far) in detail, trying to figure out how they do or don't fit a particular theory. So I'm wondering if you do that with each new script, looking for any cases of, "Hey, we can't have Character X do this, because it doesn't make sense with the actions planned for him/her later on."
Scott: El Diablo Robotico—I mostly get out of the way, but I try to pay attention and flag something if it bothers me. It doesn't happen much. Plans are pretty complex regarding each character, but I think it's all working.
17. skytteflickan88: Scott, I have questions about Anywhere But Here. Willow's line "I was never naughty here. I don't even.. Robin, has this happened yet?"
Which vision does it refer to? I have to know, because if it refers to the snake-lady-vision, it probably means that that vision hasn't happened (so no cheating Willow) but if it refers to another vision, I have some people who needs to tell me "I told you so". Also, Saga Vasuki, that's the snake lady, isn't it? ~Thanks.
Scott: Skytteflickan—Yes, Saga Vasuki is the snake woman. As for the line from Willow, I think you're misreading it. Go back and reread the scene. They've just arrived in this particular room, Willow says that, and then they see Buffy on the floor. Think it through, ask again if you need to.
18. sla: Scott, can Fray go to the past with Buffy when she go back in time? she's gonna get back to her time, right?
Scott: Sla—Buffy will return to the present. No saying about Fray just yet.
19. brandonr: What's the decision maker re: retailer incentives like posters? I'd really love to have a poster size image for the 19 cover because it's so striking. Anyway that can happen?
Scott: Brandon—retailer incentives happen as they're needed, and it's unlikely we'll do anything special with the #19 cover. Sorry. There are a lot I'd like to see as posters.
20. bamph: I think Jo Chen's covers for season 8 are gorgeous.Is there any chance that when season 8 ends,Dark Horse could put out a Cover Gallery book featuring all the season 8 covers and not just Jo Chen's either but all the varients for each issue and the fill ins by Jon Foster? I would certainly buy that.
Scott: Bamph—Eventually I want to do another Buffy Panel to Panel book. I don't know if we'll do one for Season Eight; might wait and do one for Eight and Nine together in one.
21. smashed: Scott: Willow's not choking Buffy on the issue 19 cover, is she? Some fans think that she is.
Scott: Smashed—Will's not choking her, but she's not singing her love songs either.
22. kingofcretins: Scott, you said earlier that it was intended for us to guess Drusilla instead of Willow in 8.17. That begs the question -- with so many more mysteries being built into Season 8 than previous seasons (i.e. Twilight's identity, Satsu kissing Buffy, Buffy's secret meeting, the identity of the mole/traitor), do you guys on the Season 8 team feel obligated to leave "clues" in the story to give the audience a chance to "solve" these mysteries? Or are textual hints, like the ones that set up the twist of Willow's reveal, never inherently trustworthy for us?
Scott: King—I think mainly the clues are planted in the way that they are not so you can solve it, which you cannot, but so that when it's all over you'll say, Wow, Joss is really smart! Frankly, there are a lot of clues, but the way Joss does it, I just don't see anyone figuring it out. It's not that kind of mystery. The mystery is all inside the characters. That's what should fascinate you the most.
23. Emmie: Scott, can you walk us through the process of creating a Buffy Season 8 comic? And how much opportunity do you have to collaborate with Joss as well as the other writers and artists during this process?
Scott: Emmie—I don't want to get into too much detail about the process. My role isn't really to contribute to the story; where I do have a role in story is mostly really far out. Joss will break the stuff down for me way in advance, and we talk about it then, and I might have some small influence in that regard, but mostly the story happens between him and his writers. Georges's love of Godzilla had a certain influence on Wolves at the Gate. But mostly it's Joss coming up with mad plans and his writers adding to it and fleshing it out.
24. xmadxscientistx: For some reason, I thought Emmie's post was starting with, "Scott, can you walk through walls?" I'm really distracted. Scott, throughout the buffyverse, there's been an underlying message, starting with Highschool is Hell. Can you tell us anything about the underlying message of Season 8?
Scott: Xmad—I CAN walk through walls. But I don't really believe in messages. I think more in terms of questions, or themes. Maybe Joss does see it in terms of messages, but I think he's exploring a theme here. If it's not apparent what that is yet, I think it will be before too long.
25. gooberman: Dawn's so much cooler in these comics, what with the mythical creatures thing and all. The blurb for the next issue says she'll change again. Is that true, or is it just referencing the centaur change from #16?
Also on the subject of Dawn, will her changes have relevance to the overall plot, or are they just a sub plot purely for character development (and the odd city stomping)?
Scott: The way her thing is gonna play out, I don't know if you'd say it relevant to the overall plot, or if it's simply its own subplot. It's a pretty major subplot, and the way Joss weaves it all together, everything's essential. But I guess I'd describe it more as subplot.
26. michamon: Hi Scott, after "Tales of the Slayers" and "Tales of the Vampire" have you ever considered the possibility of a "Tales of the Watchers" comic?
Scott: Michamon—We've considered Tales of the Watchers—I'd say that one of the stories I wrote in the prose Tales of the Slayers book was more of a Tale of a Watcher—but it just hasn't risen to the top of priorities, and will probably continue to take a backseat to Season Eight, Nine, and however far beyond we may go.
27. vampmogs: Scott if given the opportunity would you ever consider turning season 8 into an animated series after the comics are finished? As in- same stories, same dialouge.. just animated?
Scott: Vampmogs—I don't work in animation, so I don't think like that. If it were to happen, I'd hope that it would happen with a great team. I wouldn't want to see it done just to get the story into another medium, but to do something special with that medium, as I think we're doing with the comic.
28. wenxina: Hi Scott. Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Mine was should S9 come to fruition (and believe me, I'm a giant pretzel for this), are there plans to keep the current art team together? I thought I read somewhere that Jeanty would continue to do pencils, but I was curious as to whether the rest of the team would stay together for the most part. Thanks again!
Scott: Wenxina—We haven't talked about the realities of Season Nine much yet. It feels very far off. In my mind, I see the same creative team, as much as possible, but you never know. It might not be possible to keep them together; it might do everyone some good to shake it up. A big unknown ...
29. lorneisaboltsfan: Nice job with the Drusilla fakeout, I was still thinking it was her up until the last page. Here's my question: Are there any plans to actually bring Dru back? (I'm not sure if you'd have an answer if it was planned for an Angel or Spike comic, but I figured I'd try asking).
Scott: Lorne—No spoilers, can't tell you if we have any plans on Dru.
30: El Diablo Robotico: My question last month was about Satsu, and if she'll be back at any point, and the answer was "yes". ( ) So I'm just wondering if there's any chance we might get to see her featured on a Jo Chen cover?
Scott: El Diablo—Jo has done a cover with Satsu that you'll see very soon.
31. kingofcretins: Scott, how do the decisions get made over what "spoilers" will be released or not? Such as confirming Oz' return explicitly, or the "vampires becoming vogue" spoiler?
Scott: King—how do we decide about which spoilers to announce—usually Joss just starts talking at a convention. That's mostly how it's decided. Sometimes there's a conversation, and we take covers into account—sticking the cover out there a couple months early, what does that force us to spoil? But mostly it's the boss.
32. sla: Scott, what do you think about the slayer's strong? How much strong is a Slayer? Level? Tons? like superman?
Scott: Sla—I think a Slayer is just slightly stronger than a human in really good shape could possibly be. That's as specific as my thinking on it goes.
33. hitnrun017: We know there are around 1800 Slayers in Buffy's time, with 500 working with them. Are we going to find out what is going on with the other 1300 Slayers out there?
Scott: Hitnrun—Yes, we are going to find out about what some of those other, non-affiliated Slayers are up to. Not all, but some. The non-affiliated ones aren't working together, so we haven't time to hit on all 1300 of them ...
34. faith0tvs: Now we know that Buffy is in the future, i can assume that she will find out about what happened in that last battle or in the lastfew years before the end of magic -through Melaka or the Watcher's Diaries, can we assume that this knowledge will affect her future actions once she returns from the future as in accelerating things or re-evaluating some situations? Whatever those might be?
Scott: FaithoTVS—Can't answer that one for you.
35. thomas: One of the things that's bothered by about Buffy, when it was a TV Series, was that the only character from Angel to appear on Buffy was Angel. Is there any chance of any of the Angel characters, besides Angel and Spike, to appear in Season 8 or 9?
Scott: Thomas—Any character from Angel that we want in Buffy is free to appear in Season Eight, but I would not expect to see ones that did not start on Buffy.
36. narflet: In regards to the canceled tarot deck, the images that were released and that we saw were fantastic and I think it'd be a shame to not see the rest of them. Was the art work for the deck completed? If yes, is there any way you could feature them in the issues...as pinups perhaps? If no, it'd still be nice to see what was done in some way because that really was some super artwork.
Scott: Narflet—I wish we could share the tarot art, because it was great, but we cannot. The entire deck was not completed, but a large portion of it was.
37. partyking09: As we know technically Faith is the slayer because of Buffy's death. Buffy died twice - the first time Kendra was called and when Kendra died Faith was called. The second time Buffy died there wasn't a slayer called, making me believe that she wasn't really a slayer anymore when it came to passing her powers -Faith was the actual slayer. Is Faith the only one who can actually pass her powers? In season 7 was that Faith's power that was passed to the potentials? Since the potentials are now slayers, can they pass on their power?
And with this whole queen, prince and princess thing going on, should we rule Faith out because she is a slayer and the only ones being speculated about are Melaka and Buffy. And it's been said we will be seeing more of Faith before the end of s8. So your thoughts?
Scott: Partyking—if Slayers were real, they'd be considered a mystery, in the magical sense. Powers like this should not be thought to operate like rules in a video game. What happened with Buffy and Kendra and Faith was probably unprecedented. What's happened now with the Slayers is definitely unprecedented. I don't think there can be any doubt that in any meaningful sense, Buffy IS the Slayer, and has been since she first assumed the power, even though other girls were called. I'm not gonna address the Queen, Prince thing, sorry—
38. NileQT87: Fray says that Buffy has been dead for possibly over 200 years (we've heard the 200-year thing before), which means the Fray timeline is circa 2200 A.D. Has Joss decided on anything more specific than that? Like an actual year?
Also, speaking of timelines, we've been told that season 8 starts in late 2004--Dawn's 3 months in college with Kenny means that the series would start in November. The problem is that the Daniel Craig/James Bond reference actually specifically dates the season to the 2006-2007 season. Is there any reason why the authors believe this is 2004 (like, say, if After the Fall influences an eventual date meet-up), or is there any reason to believe this doesn't take place in 2006-2007?
39. Emmie: Since Buffy Season 8 has started off roughly a year and a half after the end of Chosen, can you give us a sense of the 'when' of the season? Someone has said that Buffy's birthday was referenced in interviews as occurring around A Beautiful Sunset - Is this the case? Are there any significant Time Markers you can point out to us lining up in the comic (in what month season 8 started, Buffy's birthday, season summer/winter/spring/fall, holidays passing, etc)?
Finally,Thomas, Nile, and Emmie—I don't think much about what year Season Eight takes place in, or how time is passing. I can't tell you the year of Buffy's death. Season Eight does take place about a year and a half after Season Seven; but I don't necessarily think of Season Seven having been in 2003. If you need to see it like that, and can believe in a world full of Slayers and vampires and demons, would you believe Casino Royale came out in 2004? In Season Six, the kids weren't reacting to 9/11 the way every actual person in America was. Believe me, editing comics, reading comics, if you think too much about what year a comic takes place in, it drives you nuts. Read the stories. Sometimes more time passes between issues than others. Sometimes more time passes within an issue than in others. Everything you need to know to enjoy the story is in there. Timelines kill the spontaneity of a comics story. We recently did a massive timeline for the Hellboy comics, and I couldn't regret it more, because it's hemmed in all sorts of things that never needed for story purposes to be hemmed in.