EXCLUSIVE: Writing 'Buffy' Comcis Was 'A Rude Awakening,' says James Marsters [UPDATED]
Published by Silas Lesnick on Tuesday, April 21, 2009
[EDITORS NOTE: This post has been edited to correct several inaccuracies re: comic book projects' status and creative teams. "Spike and Dru" publisher Dark Horse Comics has also provided Splash Page with an official response to James Marsters comments - RM]
Though its been off the airwaves for years (and this is back when TV had airwaves), the Buffyverse lives on today in comic book form. James Marsters, 'Dragonball Evolution" actor who played vampire-turned-hero Spike in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" recently shared some thoughts with MTV News about his experience working with "Buffy" comics and how he tries to keep up with his vampiric alter ego.
"I like what I see," Marsters told MTV News of IDW's "Angel" series.
With ongoing "Buffy" and "Angel" comics currently published by two separate companies (Dark Horse and IDW), the character of Spike is, at the moment, making all his appearances in the latter. But when both series were still on the air, Dark Horse controlled the complete Buffyverse and actually hired Marsters to co-write a one-shot comic book, "Spike and Dru," an experience that the actor confessed wasn't one of his favorite memories.
"I thought that if I wrote a comic, I'd have ultimate power over everything," said Marsters. "It was a rude awakening to ding out how little power writers have."
The real bone of contention was with Dark Horse's choice of artist Ryan Sook, who drew everything in a dark, gothic style that, while he liked the art, Marsters insists just wasn't right for the story.
"[He] drew it in a real Goth style that made [Spike and Dru] both look feral and ugly," explained Marsters. "I thought that was kind of cool for me, but Julet Landau didn't write this and didn't want her character drawn like a hideous beast... This is a twisted roamance. They have to be characters that the audience wants to kiss."
Marsters said he complained to Dark Horse, but it was too late to make any changes and Marsters was left with a comic that he's not entirely proud of. On the flipside, though, he takes some glee in the fact that, afterwards, all of Dark Horse's Spike appearances were, in his mind, overly handsome.
"Every time they do a comic," he laughed, "they're probably worried, 'That James Marsters, he's going to give us a call.'"
Al Norton: You've done plenty of physical work before but had anything you'd done compared to this shoot?
Dark Horse Responds to 'Buffy' Actor James Marsters' Comics Comments
Published by Rick Marshall on Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Earlier today we posted some comments from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" actor James Marsters regarding his experience writing (and reading) the various comic books that further the adventures of the "Buffy" cast of characters - specifically, Marsters' villain-turned-hero vampire Spike.
In describing his experience co-writing a one-shot story for Dark Horse Comics focused on Spike, Marsters called the project a "rude awakening" and criticized the work of artist Ryan Sook, who he claimed made the characters Spike and Drusilla (played by Juliet Landau in the television series) look "feral and ugly". Marsters told MTV News hw voiced his complaints too late in the process for anything to be changed.
However, Dark Horse has provided MTV News with an official repsonse to Marsters' comments regarding the 1999 "Spike and Dr" story he co-authored, as well as the choice of Sook as the book's artist. According to the book's publisher, the choice of artist came directly from the "Buffy" creator himself, Joss Whedon.
"The artist James was referring to was Ryan Sook, and he was someone Joss really liked," explained Dark Horse Senior Managing Editor Scott Allie. "When James expressed his concerns about Ryan, Joss talked to James for me, and told him this was how he wanted the book handled. I talked to Juliet about this recently, and she had no problem with any of it - she'd seen the book and thought it was fine."
"Looking back, I wish I'd been more sensitive to James' feelings at the time, but the main problem was a difference of opinion about the tone of the book," added Allie. "To Joss and me, it was a horror story, focused on two of the best villains from the show - this was before Spike's redemption. We wanted it to feel like a horror comic."
As for Sook, Allie voiced support for the artist - a support the publisher apparently shares with Whedon himself - and told MTV News that Sook almost became the full-time artist for the ongoing "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight" comic book series published by Dark Horse, too.
"Joss liked Ryan;s work so much, we used him for "Buffy" TV writer Doug Petrie's graphic novel, and Ryan was Joss's first choice when we launched the Angel series, although we weren't able to get him," said Allie. "When we were starting 'Season Eight,' Ryan was one of the first artists Joss suggested."
"This being a licensed book, Dark Horse is beholden to not only the writer, but also to Joss Whedon and Fox," added Dark Horse Publicity Coordinator Jacq Cohen. "One of the best aspects of the 'Buffy' comics is that each story line is a collaborative effort between several creative forces, not unlike the 'Buffy' TV series."
