In 1997, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” premiered on the WB. I recall my friends and I all mocking a commercial, though we then quietly agreed we would indeed be tuning in. Buffy captured my heart immediately. We were the same age going through the same experiences in life – with one difference. After her daily high school routine, she had the duty of slaying vampires and other things that go bump in the night. As it turned out, not only was this new campy show loads of fun, it also began to reflect deep mythical imagery and powerful modern-day psychological issues.
During my twelve year love affair with “Buffy” and the “Angel” spin-off, I have earned a black belt in martial arts and written a master’s thesis on the series: “The Hero’s Journey Revamped in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
This week, McFarland Publishers publishers told me they are ready to offer me a contract to write a book. This book will include my master’s thesis on “Buffy” and I will expand it to include “Angel.” I have been in a dialogue with McFarland since March and am still bursting with enthusiasm knowing this project is actually going to come to fruition.
This blog is going to be about my journey as a writer.
A special thank you to Shannon Sloan-Spice for the title of my blog. I am taking a leave of absence from Pacifica Graduate Institute while I work on this project, and she refered to my time away from her and my peers as me being in the underworld of the otherworld, the otherworld being the realm outside of Pacifica. To the E-Track – you are all in my hearts!
E-track misses you, but we’re all thrilled about the book! (Which kinda was the point of going to Pacifica anyway, wasn’t it? You just skipped ahead!)
By: Jody on July 2, 2009
at 5:13 pm
My darling Nix, You are well on your way! Love the art you chose for the blog; a perfect blending of double horizons. We are all with you, on this incredible journey.
Go Monad!
By: Shannon on July 2, 2009
at 6:52 pm
So proud of you! Good luck on your new journey,
Love you
By: "Your father he is" on July 3, 2009
at 10:32 am
WOW, I’m so impressed with you. Good luck on the book. I know a real live author! Loving you. YTS
By: Tia Sharon on July 4, 2009
at 8:42 am
I love the “reVAMPed” part of your thesis title… I know this was intended… I love creative pun-ish titles.
(mine was Different Shades of Brown. I compared the different sides of William Brown’s personality & purpose shown in his autobiographical works)…
By: Melissa on July 6, 2009
at 12:37 pm
Oh cool. Love your title too! Puns are fun.
By: pinkazalea on July 6, 2009
at 3:11 pm
Thanks to my friends and family for all the support!!!!
By: pinkazalea on July 6, 2009
at 4:31 pm
Long time no talk, we spoke once on the tvshow boards for Angel and Buffy. Since then I have read more on the following comic seasons, although I’m only maybe 1/4th through on each. Although Buffy is interesting, once again Angel proves to be the more interesting.
Did he really do any good? Hell A.? Yikes, how many innocents have died so Angel could make his stand with Wolfram & Hart? Who knew they had that kind of power to warp reality so? Godlike, indeed. To be continued…
I really hope we get the big three back together again, I’d also like to see Illyria “training” with some of Buffy’s slayers and Buffy herself (giving her a lesson in humility in front of Spike who I think is her current “pet” as well as Angel and co.)
Also Willow encountering Fred/Illyria again would be cool.
Connor could meet Dawn, both could relate to their odd existences. Buffy could meet Connor, etc. All the things that should have happened but didn’t.
Really that is all I could ask for is one big more crossover, spanning like 6-12 issues in a cross-seasonal event that covers possibly this grand apocalypse. Then whoever shanshus (or if neither does) they could go back to their season 9/7 and so on and so on. I personally want to do an Angel 2085 that deals with part science, part mystical.
Buffy is now a major power, and the trans-humanist movement is taking place, human beings all over are gaining vast knowledge, and physical strength (this is a real ideology that is scientifically becoming a possibility, exciting yeah? Really, it is a human, and natural evolution if it is to come). But I want this to be one of the first to input that into a futuristic setting. Intead of seeing an old Buffy that still moves and groves like a slayer (ala old Spidey, Batman, Supes, etc.) we see a Buffy that is looking to be in her mid-40s and damn good. As a Slayer/trans-human she has extra perks, same as her chosen.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t humans stepping up to the challenge. In the past 50 years Angel and Spike have grown fairly close, Spike winds up with Faith, and Angel and Buffy are both brooding. On top of this Connor is now showing massive potential, with his brother-in-law, son of Spike and Faith, David (heh, reference to the show, up for change). The two are considered to be male-slayers and work with the female slayers, although there is obvious sexual tension and the whole “anything I can do you can do better” thing going on. With Faith, Angel, Buffy, even a slightly wised-up Spike trying to calm them down.
All the while a big bad is coming, of course. This would be sort of an unauthorized Buffy/Angel/Spike Trinity: The End, type of deal. Could be considered canon, of an elseworld type of deal.
I know it is risky posting a premise like this for others to snag, good or no, but e-mail me if you’d like. I really just came up for it now as I am starting to become extremely into both series. Re-watching them 2x over right now, first time I mised a few so this time I’m crunching 13 years of stuff in the next week or two so the ideas will be flowing, the memories will be fresh. The comics will be caught up on (what I can get my hands on, including the older stuff that took place during the series, as well as flashbacks!)
What would you think of further complicating, expanding, and helping me make one of our favorite verses go out with a whoopin’ bang? Even if only until the next big idea (never say never, even on a “the end” premise”)
Contact me through http://www.myspace.com/boxerjoemanning if you can, if not yahoo hoboboxerjoe or through my e-mail. Or just through my e-mail, although I forget to check that a lot. I would LOVE to do this with you as I am completely disabled and have nothing really cool to do with my time lol. Sorry for the super-long message, I get like this when I’m on my pain meds sometimes, and now I’ll feel stupid for saying that later….
By: hoboboxerjoe on November 6, 2009
at 4:56 pm
Thanks for thoughtful comment. I’m unfortunately way behind on the comics right now, so I had to skim it to avoid spoilers.
. Thanks for visiting my blog. Sorry to hear of your struggles. Stay strong.
By: Nikki Faith on November 7, 2009
at 1:10 pm