Happy Birthday, Bits!!

And what a better way to celebrate than with your favorite thing... Charisma Carpenter's hiney! xoxo

1000 Posts

I know, people prolly think, "What's 1000 posts to these people? It's nothing, it's 1000. Big whoop, 1000 is a blink. Whatever, no big deal."

Meanwhile, what we're feeling is, 100 posts: "Man, we really love the Buffyverse, imagine we could...?" 200 posts: "What if others could connect with...?" 300 posts:  "Dr. Horrible-what? Joss is silly." 400 posts: "Do you think the creators would agree to an interview?" 500 posts: "When Buffy was still on the air, Did Joss finish it the way he wanted to?"

600 posts: "Should we go to Comic Con this year?"

700 posts: "Is Brian Lynch going to keep writing for Spike?"

800 posts: : "Why do we care about this? Oh yeah, because Scott Allie announced something amazing today."

900 posts, "Wow, this blog has become a part of our family. It's the family dog."

1000 posts....

1000 posts. Yes, that's where we are today. We started this blog because we needed a homebase. We already had a community...we already had the party. But how can you keep the party going without a venue? We just needed a place to break bread, it's as simple as that. It could've been a Livejournal page, if I knew what that was at the time. Or a locked private forum. But what it ended up being was a weblog. A blog chronicling a few crazy days in the lives of a few crazy people.

This is what it is....and we call it Buffyfest. Thanks so much for stopping by. Why not hang out for a spell? :)

'High Stakes' Buffyfest 2010 Recap

With this year's Buffyfest not too far away, it occurred to me that we never recapped last year's festivities!

Our 5th annual Buffyfest was held over 4th of July weekend last year. Aptly named "High Stakes Buffyfest 2010", we were very happy to be reunited with our West Coast people for this special Kitten Poker themed event. We had been planning for months, figuring out the themed foods and all the usual tasks. A few weeks prior to the event, we put the following categories to a vote:

"Best Season Premier Episode" - Winner: Buffy S.3 episode "Anne"
"Best Spell Gone Wrong" episode - Winner: "Doppelgangland"
"Best Giles Episode" - Winner: "A New Man"

So after everyone arrived, we ate, drank Fangtastic Frozen Dacquiris (garnished with fang ice cubes!) and mingled. We then passed out the gifts. This year's Swag Bag was actually a collectible Casino Coin Cup filled with: a deck of now-vintage Buffy Series 1, 2, or Angel licensed playing cards, a personalized visor in "Buffy" font and of course, enough kittens for the poker playing.

After gift disbursement, we watched the episodes, but decided to eliminate "Doppelgangland" for a multitude of reasons. We then moved on to a Kitten Poker tournament which lasted at least 5 hours, due to the sheer amount of players. Strangely, but fittingly, the 3 of us who run this site ended up facing off as the final 3 players. Bitsy ended up cheating winning the entire tourney and a Barnes & Noble gift card for his victory!

Click the collage below for all of the photos from this event:

'Twas a great Buffyfest and no one got too drunk or ate any real kittens! Clem would've been proud. Next up, The Buffyfest Brunch...

Happy Birthday, Michelle!

May this year be abundant in fun, health, money, friendship and joy! Everyone, join us in celebrating Michelle's birthday with this little ditty below!

Buffy Jones Soda: A Tasteless Tasting

Some time back, the fine folks at Fox (yes, that's what I said) sent us a box full of carbonated beverages designed with the young slayer in mind.  Since Tara and I are clearly chosen ones (sorry, Michelle!), we knew what had to be done.  For the curious in the audience, the event was captured on film.  The moment was so profound, that it knocked the audio out of sync.  Our apologies for being that awesome.  Without further ado, please for to be enjoying the Buffy Jones Soda tasting.

Tara's review list in order of preference:
#1 - Xander's Strawberry/Lime
#2 - Dawn's a Centaur! Root Beer
#3 - Willow's Green Apple Witch's Brew
#4 - Twilight's Old Moon Orange & Cream
#5 - Buffy's Blue Bubblegum
#6 - Giles's Grape Potion

Bitsy's review list in order of preference:

#1 - Giles's Grape Potion

#2 - Dawn's a Centaur! Root Beer

#3 - Willow's Green Apple Witch's Brew

#4 - Xander's Strawberry/Lime

#5 - Twilight's Old Moon Orange & Cream

#6 - Buffy's Blue Bubblegum

As you can see, our opinions/favorites differed quite a bit but eh, to each his own. Have you sampled the ye olde Jones?  What did you think?

www.myjones.com/limited/buffy

Winner of the Buffy Birthday Bash Costume Contest!

Congratulations are in order for our Cosplay-ing Willow who dressed circa Season 2's "Halloween" episode (sans slutty outfit underneath....or was it?) She is the proud winner of a Jo Chen signed print. Make sure to email us at Buffyfest@aim.com to get your prize!

Costume Contest from Buffy's Birthday Bash

So when we celebrated Buffy's Birthday a few weeks ago, Forbidden Planet offered a discount to anyone who dressed in a Whedonverse costume for the event. To sweeten the pot, we decided to throw a little contest with a big, fat prize. Who wins is up to you! Please vote on who you think dressed best for the occasion. The winner will receive a fabulous print of Buffy #1 signed by the artist herself, Jo Chen.

Contest ends on Friday night at midnight! Click the photos to enlarge:

Buffy's Birthday Bash Recap

Jeff Ayers, General Manager at Forbidden Planet was approached by a shopper wondering "What's happening tonight?" All around her, people stood, some in costume, some talking, some singing, interviews were being held but what was happening?

"It's Buffy's Birthday", Jeff replied.

"Oh", the comic shop denizen replied. "Is she here?"

Only in a comic book store, ladies and gentlemen.

Yes, we held us a shindig at the much beloved and ballyhooed Forbidden Planet and, for once, nothing bad happened on the day of our young Miss Summers' birth. There were cookies, there were giveaways, people wore silly costumes and sang along to both Doctor Horrible and Once More with Feeling. It was, in short, a delight.

Dark Horse did us a sweet solid by supplying a number of signed comics to give away and so, with great frequency, we held drawings based on a myriad of Buffy trivia and, lo, many a Buffy fan walked away a victor.

Bitsy on the Mic:

Buffyfest's Tara and Bitsy (channeling his inner Spike) with friend-of-Buffyfest Ian Klein.

Some fab photos from the event taken by Lawrence Brenner.

More photos

Check out Buffyfest tomorrow where we'll be holding a costume contest from the event. You'll get to vote and choose the winner! The prize is a fabulous Jo Chen Buffy cover print signed by the artist herself.

Reminder: Buffyfest's Buffy Birthday Bash at Forbidden Planet Tonight!

If you're in the New York area, come down to Forbidden Planet where we'll be celebrating Buffy's birthday and the release of Season 8's Finale Issue. Dark Horse sent us a box of fun prizes, there will be a Buffyfest Booth, a Costume Contest and more! Click hree for the deets. or here for the Facebook event page.

If you're not around these neck of the woods, check around because there are Buffy Birthday events happening all around the country tonight! Here are some resources:

Dark Horse Facebook Announcement

GeekGirlCon

Happy Birthday Buffy!

Buffyfest Presents: Buffy's Birthday Bash at Forbidden Planet NYC

To celebrate Buffy's birthday and the release of Season 8's Finale Issue, we've teamed up with long time friends, the legendary Forbidden Planet, in New York City for a Paaarrty! Dark Horse sent us a box of fun prizes, there will be a Buffyfest Booth, a Costume Contest and more! See below for the deets:

The Where:
Forbidden Planet NYC
13th Street and Broadway

The When:
Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
6 pm to 10 pm

The Fun:
6 pm - Buffy's Birthday Party begins!

Forbidden Planet will be having amazing sales all day. All back issues of Buffy Season 8 will be $1. If you come in Whedonverse Costume, they'll be 50 cents! Additional sales to be announced!

7 pm - Costume contest! Winner to be announced on Buffyfest the following day.

8 pm - Trivia, Prizes & Fanterviews: read the issue, get the final word on Season 8

9 - 10 - "Once More, With Feeling" Sing-Along

Swing by, eat some cookies, buy some comics, do the wacky. It'll be a time. More details as they come.

You can RSVP here.



See you there!

Happy (Belated) Anniversary, Buffyfest!

I was online all day yesterday and we all spoke so not sure what happened, but we missed our Anniversary! 3 years this place has been our home...it feels like both 3 months and 3 decades at the same time. I don't think any of us had any clue the fun that was in store when we created this place and we're so happy to share it with you all. Happy Anniversary to Michelle, Bits, Ivan, Ryan, Michael, Jen and anyone who has ever contributed to this blog and our events. Thanks for being part of Buffyfest!

Fun fact: we had our very first Buffyfest party in 2006. It was a bit crazy and we watched way too many episodes for one group to handle, but it some ways it's my favorite event of them all. Here's the original invitation the attendees received:

The Top Ten Whedonverse Moments of 2010

Majors spoilers for Season 8 if you're not completely caught up...

Time really flies when you're having a Whedon-filled year and this one was no exception! Over the course of the year, we conducted 35 interviews and published tons of exclusive content and images. But well beyond this place we call our home, the fandom was hit with a slew of information and news this year, both good and bad.

Here's a look back at our Top Ten Whedonverse Moments of the year. Happy New Year to all!

#1 - The Death of Rupert Giles
The wounds are still fresh, but we couldn't leave 2010 behind without acknowledging our favorite Watcher. Giles is a beloved character here at Buffyfest and he will be sorely missed.

#2 - San Diego Comic Con
Seriously, no words can express this experience. There was laughing and excitement one minute and then something akin to four deers caught in the headlights another. No matter what, the hard work paid off because we got to mix and mingle with the "who's who" of the Whedonverse.

#3 - Twilight-Gate
The spoiler heard round the world. That is all.

#4 - Jane Espenson Interview
We were humbled when Ms. Espenson talked with us about all things Buffy and to be honest, we're still feeling a little gitty in the after-glow of that interview.

#5 - Buffyfest 2010
This year we gambled it up with kittens, of course! The annual Buffyfest celebration was "high stakes" with all the usual fun, food and a dash of debauchery for good measure.

#6 - Other Cons without Michelle (NYCC, Big Apple Con, and Philly Comic Con)
It was a busy year for us as we navigated the Convention scene all along the northeastern sea board. With Michelle living in Sunny Los Angeles, these had to be handled East Coast style by Tara and Bits.

#7 - License-Gate IDW has treated Angel well, but with the news of the move to Dark Horse next year, Angel's unlife will be in the hands of 2011's Season 9 umbrella. It was another one of those "-gates" that rocked the fandom hard.

#8 - Joss and The Avengers
The demise of Dollhouse opened the door for Joss's huge directorial debut on The Avengers. We broke the news in San Diego and can't wait to see what Joss has in store for this elite super hero bunch. We still think Buffy could kick all their asses. 

#9 - Space Sex
It was certainly something to talk about. Well, it was porn on paper. Buffy and Angel porn on paper. In space.

#10 - Buffy Movie Reboot
It's possible that by this time next year, the reboot release will be a rumor of the past, but no matter how you feel about this news, shocked or awed, a big screen Buffy movie has to make it on this list. Funny thing is that a year and a half before this news broke, we did our very own recast of a Whedonless Buffy movie.

Sexy Santa Smidge has a Snuggie in the Box.

A very warm and Merry Christmas to all of our fabulous readers and Whedonites everywhere. Thanks for your company these past years. May 2011 be your best year yet!

With love, from everyone at Buffyfest.

Micro-Interview with TV Night Organizers Jeremy & Michael

Last week we attended Brooklyn's Knitting Factory for their TV Party that's held every Monday night. The special event: both "Once More, With Feeling" AND Dr. Horrible sing-alongs! They also showed some other Buffy eps, had fantastic games and even a customized menu. Check out the cocktails:

BEFORE THE DAWN - tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup
BLOODY BUFFY- tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce
Faith's Shot to the Heart - Malibu® coconut rum and peach schnapps
BLACK FROST (turns you into a caveman) - Guinness and Lemonade
The Cordelia - Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry Juice
Team Spike - captain morgan's spiced rum, raspberry liqueur - on ice
Team Angel - whiskey, lemonade, maraschino cherry
The Evil Willow - vodka, Jagermeister liqueur, grenadine syrup, raspberry liqueur

We personally preferred the "Team Spike" over the "Team Angel," which is worth noting. Bitsy decided to stake me with a rather large umbrella in a contest to try and win a free "Team Spike". Thanks a lot, Bits. For people in the audience that weren't Whedonites or never watched Buffy (there were a few!) organizer Michael put together this fantastic vid of all 7 seasons of Buffy. Reminisce on the good times:

After the show we caught up with organizers Jeremy Pollet and Michael Austin for a micro-interview. Check it out:

Buffyfest: What made you add a Buffy themed event to your TV night lineup?

Jeremy Pollet: My friend Michael [Austin] and I decided to host TV Parties, because, well...why watch TV at home alone when you can have a TV Party instead? And who better to party with than Buffy fans? Two of my all time favorite women on this planet, my sister Alison and my pal Elisabeth, are both Buffy fanatics, and I have always loved watching episodes with them- laughing and engaging with the show (pointing stuff out, explaining the connections, interpreting the meanings). So, it seemed obvious. Must throw a Buffy party.

Michael Austin: Women

Buffyfest: How did you get into Whedon?

JP: My sister has introduced me to a lot of great things in this world. Whedon is one. She forwards me links to articles about him, essays by him, and general Whedon news. So I give her full credit. Her influence is all over TV Party's 2010 line-up. She showed me Freaks and Geeks (which we're doing in Nov.) and Twin Peaks (Dec.) and she's taught me how to make a mean tuna melt (which I'm doing sometime soon, I hope. With cheddar).

MA: 75% of my friends in high school watched Buffy and Firefly and I was kind of on the fringe watching an episode here or there. Definitely way more of Buffy. I definitely watched the first 3 seasons in their entirety as a kid. Watched more when I got older. especially when my college roommate had the entire series on DVD. He also had the complete Golden Girls...not sure what that's about. Oddly enough I got into Whedon more watching Angel as a kid. Dr Horrible sealed the deal and now that he's directing/writing The Avengers movie we're super tight.

Buffyfest: Favorite episode?

JP: I know it's not very original to say, but...Once More With Feeling.

MA: I always liked the Halloween episode myself. Xander turning into a bad ass military guy, Willow as a ghost and all that fun stuff. Although I do have a new found appreciation for Once More With Feeling now that I know what "You make me complete" is actually referring to. Don't know how I missed the implied sex the first time around.

Buffyfest: Favorite Whedonverse character?

JP: Buffy!

MA: Dr. Horrible! (Although Penny=crazy hot in my book so also a fav)

And there you have it! If you want to check out TV night, tonight they are holding an X-Files event and an Arrested Development one is in the works! Check out the Facebook page here:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=144105848963314

Bits as he falls into the Hellmouth.

Episode 2 of Buffyfest's Halloween Guest Spot on Joss'd

Halloween is drawing near and once again the kick-ass crew over at everyone's favorite Whedon podcast, Joss'd, invited us to guest on a series of special spooky eps. In this second part we discuss the very Halloweeny Season 4 episode "Fear, Itself". Listen in on us cracking up at Giles' sombrero, Anya's bunny costume, Xander's insecurity and more at www.Jossd.com.

Oh and if you missed part 1 where we discussed the classic S.2 episode "Halloween", click here.

Thanks again to everyone at Joss'd for including us in this very festive fun!

Sorry to Interrupt: SDCC Edition

A big thanks to Ivan from everyone at Buffyfest for all the help with filming and editing (not to mention carrying and carting!) at San Diego Comic Con. "Thank you, thank you.......thank you." Ha! Well, you'll laugh at that last bit more after you watch the 2 short videos below.

Overheard quotes at the Marsters Panel:

First of all, before they opened the doors to the con attendees, the staff decided they needed to open the sliding doors on either side of the panel room to TRIPLE it's size/capacity. And they really needed to
because the whole thing has filled up!
 
Overheard quotes at the Marsters Panel so far:

"I may start crying"
"I would risk damage to be in this panel"
"I didn't come here to buy nothing else, just get this signature. Get
this signature....or die"

12:08 James Marsters arrives!

Stay more tuned!

James Marsters Panel Crowd is Filling Up

So we've arrived at Philly Comic Con and went straight to the James Marsters Panel Area where the fans are in a heated argument about the line formation. But don't worry about us! We have nice cozy Press seats in the front so we'll be live blogging with pictures in the next hour or so. Stay tuned!

Kittehs Cant Wait for teh Buffyfezt

...little do they know they are running toward their doom.

Happy Birthday Bitsy!

Bitsy is commemorating another year on this planet today! Join us in celebrating the fun that is Bitsy Belle with a resurgence of Buffy's Swearing keyboard from rathergood.com. Come on, you know you want to swear at Bitsy for his birthday, but chances are he wants to swear at you even more!

Happy Birthday Bits!