Thursday, August 16, 2012

Adventures at Comic-Con: Part 3 - A Buffy Grand Finale

Nicholas Brendon signing autographs at Comic-Con 2012.
My last day at Comic-Con unintentionally celebrated my favorite show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Confession: I am listening to the movie soundtrack as I write this).  I stopped by a booth where actors Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and J. August Richards (Charles Gunn, Angel) were taking pictures and signing autographs.  Also at the booth was Eddie McClintock who plays Peter Lattimer on Warehouse 13 - also one of my favorite shows!

This was followed by a great panel on Buffy Turns 20, which encompassed the Buffy Universe from its start as a cult favorite movie starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry to its fame as a television series and its comic book continuity at Darkhorse.  The panel was moderated by Clare Kramer (Glory) and featured Dark Horse Editor Scott Allie, writer/producer Jane Espenson, illustrator Georges Jentry, and actors Nicholas Brendon, James Marsters (Spike), and Randall Batinkoff (Swanson's movie boyfriend Jeffrey Kramer).  It also opened with a Buffy Turns 20 tribute video. 

Buffy Turns 20 Tribute Video

The audience heard a number of interesting stories from the panel including how the series shifted into comic book format and favorite lines from the panel.  Espenson's favorite line is Willow's "You do doodle too" while Marsters met a cheering crowd with saying very slowly "Out for a walk..."

There was much discussion on the enduring nature of the Buffy universe and how integral it is to the rising prominence of strong female characters today.  When asked about why the show has continued to be popular, Jane Espenson perhaps stated it best: "Because high school is still hell."  The crowd also had the added treat of seeing Nicholas Brendon do the Snoopy dance, which was his responsne to favorite plot point or moment.

Following the panel was the Buffy Musical Sing-A-Long where I met up again with Nerdlush Hostess Elizabeth Ann.   The musical opened up with some musical medley remarks from Nicholas Brendon.

We were also given "Grr Argh" Mutant Enemy-esque finger puppets for the show which set the perfect mood to join in with a room full of people given plenty to sing about.

It was the perfect closing to a great Comic-Con 2012.

-Charity Tran

Grr.  Argh.

No comments: