Comments | liz_marcs: I Am, It Appears, Easy to Please

liz_marcs

I Am, It Appears, Easy to Please

Jan 09, 2007 20:26

God knows everyone on my FList linked to this piece of Guh! (Spoilery for the BtVS comics since it's the Issue 2 cover.)

What d'ya know. It went from Web page to desktop wallpaper in .02 seconds flat.

What? Stop looking at me like that ( Read more... )

el jay: icon, el jay: flist, fandom: buffy the vampire slayer, el jay: gift

Comments 48

aaalex55 January 10 2007, 01:42:57 UTC

I know. Its hard not to squee. The artwork is interesting to say the least. I'm not sure if it quit resembles NB or not but he still looks good. Honestly, I'm more suprised they would put Xander on the cover with Buffy. I thought those spots were only reserved for JW's favorites like Spike and Willow. To see Xander up there looking all manly and moody (and up front ahead of Buffy none the less!) does make me go Hmmm.

Have you seen the reaction around the buffy verse sites? It ranges from OMG! Squee! To Who the heck is that? To Oh yeah that's the Xander we all know and love! To OMG I can't believe that little back stabbing bastard is on the cover with Spike's woman. How dare he be in Spikes spot! (that last bunch of peeps sure make life funny)

liz_marcs January 10 2007, 01:45:27 UTC

I have learned long ago that when it comes to the character of Xander I stay safely hidden in certain corners of the Internet.

Although I have to say one thing for people pissed about Xander on the cover: Dude, let it go already! Fictional character!

huzzlewhat January 10 2007, 02:00:57 UTC

I posted a warning on my LJ to the effect that when it comes to comics, cover art != interior art, and that they're being done by different artists.

I should also probably have posted a warning to the effect that cover art != interior story, and that the cover sometimes has little if anything at all to do with the plotline. It's basically just pretty (and in this case, so pretty) to sell the book.

Of course, not posting about that gives me freedom to watch all the various fen get their pants in a bunch about the outrage of having Xander on the cover, standing in front of Buffy, and just think, "Heh. Comics newbies. So cute."

liz_marcs January 10 2007, 02:04:26 UTC

Heee! You missed my comments below about how cover art! =/= story.

Ahhh, yes. This ol' comics collector and comics shop sales clerk knows the game. Yes, she does.

I'm almost tempted to ask where people are getting their panties in wad over the Xander cover. I've been borne up by the overwhelming squee on the Flist and in comments to people on the Flist. I've mostly seen nothing but squee, even from self-professed fans who weren't fond of Xander.

Thread 5

a2zmom January 10 2007, 01:44:49 UTC

See I knew better than to try to pretend I wasn't Joss' bitch. The man just sucks me right back in every time.

liz_marcs January 10 2007, 01:46:27 UTC

*melodramatically puts back of hand to head*

I am weak like veal. I'm just gonna enjoy teh pritteh for awhile.

a2zmom January 10 2007, 01:46:24 UTC

To OMG I can't believe that little back stabbing bastard is on the cover with Spike's woman. How dare he be in Spikes spot! (that last bunch of peeps sure make life funny)

People are saying that? Wait, of course, there are idiots saying that. (Especially since we all know it's Angel forever.)

liz_marcs January 10 2007, 02:01:24 UTC

BWAH!

I've come down in the camp that I hope there's never any B/X because I think they'd be not-so-great for each other in a romantic way. They're too much alike in some ways, and too different in others.

I'd dig a close friendship though. God knows the two of them could actually use a close friend.

a2zmom January 10 2007, 03:17:39 UTC

Yeah, I'd love a close friendship.

B/X has never worked for me because I think of George Bernard Shaw's author's notes at the end of his play "Pygmallion" where he explains why Liza marries Freddie and not Professor Higgens. Would she rather do the fetching of the slippers or have her slippers fetched? Same with B/X. I'd rather he be with someone who thinks he's the hero (which is why I actually liked Anya with him. As weird as that relationship was, she worshipped him.)

(The comment has been removed)

liz_marcs January 10 2007, 01:56:45 UTC

I think it's more a case that none of the cast really looked the ages of the characters at they were supposed to be playing (NB, for example, is a decade older than Xander, I believe). I think the drawing of NB anyway looks reasonably close to how he looked in S1/S2 - which would put the actor in the same age-bracket as the character.

Although in most comic tie-ins, the comic versions of the characters rarely look all that much like the actors playing the characters. It's SOP for a number of different reasons, some of it for artistic reasons, some for legal reasons, and some for licensing reasons.

ros_fod January 10 2007, 03:34:55 UTC

Oh! Interesting! I'd been having a discussion in my journal and with Huzzlewhat about translating live-action characters to comics and I'd been responding on the principle that comics are an artform and that artists interpret with the visual medium and strive to come up with a way to keep the characters "recognizable" without falling into the trap of portraiture. As an explanation of why this guy on the cover doesn't look *exactly* like NB.

But you say there are legalities involved as well? Is it, for example, that someone wouldn't be able to use NB's exact image without NB's permission? Like that?

liz_marcs January 10 2007, 04:06:50 UTC

The legal issues (if I remember right) are two-fold:

One has to do with licensing (i.e., FOX owns the Xander character, not the actor), so it's a way of the license-holder to make its claim clear. That's why action figures, comics, and other licensed media produced by third parties look slightly off from the actors if their photographs aren't being used for marketing purposes (stills, book covers, DVD covers, etc.).

The bigger issue is that the artists do have to get permission from the actors to use an exact likeness. If the likenesses were exact, the actor could demand and get compensation. I think they can have several focus points so the characters seem like the actors, but it can't be photo-exact, i.e. a distinctive hairstyle, style of clothing, or some physical features. It's sort of like hinting at the actor without portraying them.

The reason I remember this is because back in the 70s when I was a wee one and just getting into comic books, there was a huge uproar among Battlestar Galactica (1978 series) fans that the ( ... )

Thread 9

sunnyd_lite January 10 2007, 01:53:07 UTC

The cover honestly makes me squee THIS is why I love fandom. The world needs more things that make you go SQEEE! It just makes life better!

(and I totally agree that it was squeeworthy...not sure if the next part of sekrit project is, but it should be winging its way to you soon)

liz_marcs January 10 2007, 01:57:54 UTC

No worries! I figured with the holiday and various commitments you had to shelve the sekrit project for a bit. (Actually, you just saved me from sending you an email.