Words...

Words

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 22:40:36 GMT

"I sometimes hold it half a sin
To put in words the grief I feel;
For words, like Nature, half reveal
And half conceal the Soul within."

- Alfred Lord Tennyson, Words About Words

What I Did This Summer - Part 2

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 20:56:52 GMT

Well, I didn't get back to working on my summer highlights. I may try to do something tonight. I know, promises, promises...

I did have a very enjoyable Labor Day, and spent my last day away from school with a leisurely trip to "Pirate's cove" somewhere in Maine.

Here are some pics of today's excursion...

"Pirates' Cove" - somewhere in Maine.

Morning glories in a decorative fixture.

A classic old-time Maine scene.

Observing the many forms of life teeming in the tidal pools.

Cool rock formations.

What I Did This Summer - Part 1

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 17:25:26 GMT

OK, as summer winds down and classes are about to begin, I often find myself reflecting on "what I did this summer." Sometimes I ramble about books that were begun and not-quite-finished, or projects that may or may not have gotten completed. I do have one BIG unfinished project that will need to be tackled with soon, since it won't be going away (brushing up on my algebra so I can pass the math requirement and move on to Statistics. Ugh! It's so boring that I loathe to mention it, but if I don't, I may let it slip my own mind.) Other than working on (but not finishing) my math refresher, I did attempt to read Aeschylus' "Persians" in ancient Greek, which I plan to continue during my next break (along with working on my algebra). But, enough of the boring stuff, and onto what I really did this summer, which was somewhat unusual for me...

I actually had some FUN! I hung out with friends and "family," and was the most social I've been in years. So now comes the process of picking out my favorite summer pics and writing out my tales. I'll see how far I get before classes start.

To begin the process, here are a couple of pics from one of my more recent adventures...

And just to be devilish, I'm not going to tell you anything about them...yet!

Heh heh heh...!

All she could ask for...!

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 15:18:50 GMT

I had a fantastic time at Plague again last night! Great music! Great belly dancing by Sybil! Ran into an old friend I haven't seen in years. What more could one ask for?

I danced up a storm too. Much more than usual. I couldn't help it. 8-Bit was playing "Chromium" by The Church when I came in, Dehuman8 summoned up "Warlocked" by Skinny Puppy (one of my personal favorites), and Terror.chic did a great mix of cool new music and some old favorites. All in all, another ghoulishly good time! That makes it 3 weeks in a row for me (a new record), in part thanks to my "partner-in-crime" J9, who was kind enough to shuttle me around last night, so I could have a couple of drinks and not worry about driving home.

Speaking of home, I proclaim Plague as my "home away from home". I don't think I ever had this much fun anywhere else -- except maybe Zoots, but I think I know more folks at Plague than I ever did at Zoots. Good people, good times!

I'm so grateful that Plague exists. Thank you so much, Amy! You totally rock!

Meow!

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:08:31 GMT

Your Score: Ceiling Cat

41% Affectionate, 45% Excitable, 37% Hungry

You are a master of stealth. They never see you coming. But you always see them coming. HEY-O!

To see all possible results, checka dis.

Link: The Which Lolcat Are You? Test written by GumOtaku on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Doomsday's Plague Setlist from July 20th

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 18:31:01 GMT

As usual, had a blast guest DJ'ing at Plague last night. Even though I planned on doing MOSTLY Old School, someone left a Projekt sampler disc in the CD player and started playing Android Lust's Dragonfly. Heh, heh, heh...

Thanks to MilkGoneBad and DJ Dehuman8 as always, and also to some friends who came out just to hear little ol' me spin. Yay! I also very much enjoyed DJ Lost Boy's set -- he played a lot of Old School tunes that I had wanted to play, but didn't. Great minds think alike!

Here is my setlist for those who care about such things:

1. Mission UK - Wasteland
2. Patti Smith - White Rabbit (definitely not Old School, but very spooky)
3. The Cure - Other Voices
4. Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up
5. Cocteau Twins - Blood Bitch
6. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Cities in Dust
7. Joy Division - Glass
8. Sex Gang Children - State of Mind
9. Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Crawling Mantra
10. March Violets - Snake Dance
11. Love & Rockets - It Could Be Sunshine
12. Revolting Cocks - Attack Ships on Fire
13. Virgin Prunes - Pagan Love Song
14. Sisters of Mercy - Lucretia My Reflection
15. The Cure - Fight

Mount Fuji in Red

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:12:39 GMT

Recent news events made me think of this segment of Akira Korisawa's movie, Dreams. It is titled "Mount Fuji in Red" and can be found at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTg3D1PoyUE

Can you believe that Japan has 55 nuclear reactors? Not a smart thing to do, especially being a nation of islands on top of an active seimic area...

Living up to my nickname,

- Doomsday

Achilles' Last Stand

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 00:42:55 GMT

Haven't heard this in a while...

Achilles' Last Stand

(Page/Plant)

It was an April morning when they told us we should go
As I turn to you, you smiled at me
How could we say no?

With all the fun to have, to live the dreams we always had
Oh, the songs to sing, when we at last return again

Sending off a glancing kiss, to those who claim they know
Below the streets that steam and hiss,
The devil's in his hole

Oh to sail away, To sandy lands and other days
Oh to touch the dream, Hides inside and never seen.

Into the sun the south the north, at last the birds have flown
The shackles of commitment fell, In pieces on the ground

Oh to ride the wind, To tread the air above the din
Oh to laugh aloud, Dancing as we fought the crowd

To seek the man whose pointing hand, The giant step unfolds
With guidance from the curving path, That churns up into stone

If one bell should ring, in celebration for a king
So fast the heart should beat, As proud the head with heavy feet.

Days went by when you and I, bathed in eternal summers glow
As far away and distant, Our mutual child did grow

Oh the sweet refrain, Soothes the soul and calms the pain
Oh Albion remains, sleeping now to rise again

Wandering & wandering, What place to rest the search
The mighty arms of Atlas, Hold the heavens from the earth

The mighty arms of Atlas, Hold the heavens from the earth
From the earth...

I know the way, know the way, know the way, know the way (2x)
I used to know the way

Oh the mighty arms of Atlas, Hold the heavens from the earth.

Goth Fly A Kite!

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 21:32:42 GMT

Last weekend was quite the Goth-fest for me. I actually had four "costume changes" throughout the weekend.

The fest began with Plague's anniversary on Friday night, and lots of good music spun by DJ Darkhart, Dehuman8 and 8-bit. The night was wonderful, though I had to pass on the tasty-looking cupcakes.

The next day was Goth Fly A Kite. J9 did the first shift, then left after Thor's appearance. Then I came along and stayed until the sun threatened to come out, which would not be good for my pasty complexion. And coincidentally met someone with a Thor derivative in their name. How synchronistic!

That evening I managed to drag myself out yet again to the Goth Fly A Kite Afterparty. Though the music was good (I loved hearing Miss Kitten's "Professional Distortion") and many familiar folks were there, I found myself feeling a bit tired, and left after an hour or so.

The next day, I continued to keep with the Goth theme, and the damp weather allowed me a chance to wear my favorite black velvet outfit one more time before the summer heat makes that impossible. Of course my niece was also wearing black, so Auntie Doomsday didn't seem so out of place. ;-)

Here are some pics of my outfit changes... Of course it was Siouxsie's birthday week, so I had to dress accordingly!

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 21:43:04 GMT

Had a fabulous time at Rites of Spring this year. The weather was spectacular! The food was pretty good... But the people were amazing!

Only managed to do one workshop with Sylvia this year -- a variation of the Tantric Breathwork Ceremony. Clearing the chakras gets easier and easier every year. I even bought a copy of Sylvia's book to remind me of her invaluable words of wisdom. The title is "Dancing in the Eye of Transformation" -- and boy is it good! Here is a link for a preview -- http://tantricshamanism.com/toc

Was so grateful to Dave A. and Arana F. for letting us use their sound equipment. That makes four different set-ups I've used. It would be nice to have my own equipment -- maybe in the fall... The Goth Night was a little more well-attended than the Dark Light Lounge, but the rain probably had something to do with that. Goth Night was awesome! We had all sorts of folks stop by (most on the way to Leather & Lace), and I got a half-dozen requests for various Goth songs, ranging from Android Lust to Siouxsie -- and I was able to fill all of them! How cool is that?! I did a 3 hour set, with one bathroom break (those long songs are good for that). I had a lot of fun co-spinning with LowGuppy at Dark Light, though that event was a little more low-key. (What's more fun than one Gemini spinning -- why, 2 Gemini's spinning of course -- making a total of 4 DJ's instead of 2).

Looking forward to doing some more guest gigs at Plague. The next one will be Old School Night on June 22nd, and possibly August 10th (I'm too poor to go to Black Sun this year. Wahhhh).

I must admit, my goth "nieces" were quite impressed that Auntie Doomsday is getting out and about (pics from Goth Fly a Kite will be on my next post). I'm so proud of my "nieces" -- I attended two graduation parties to support their independent ways, and hope that I will continue to be a "dark" influence on them. You go grrrrls!!!

Thanks so much for GoSeaDogs for holding down the fort (and actually missing me -- what a sweetie).

Well, that's enough for the quick update. Will be posting more soon.

Rites of Spring - Let the Goth Dances begin!

Sun, 13 May 2007 19:41:42 GMT

Well, I am extremely psyched to learn that the folks at Earthspirit approved the PSA's proposals for not just one, but two dark events at Rites of Spring this year.

The first gig will be a Goth Coffeehouse, where DJ Doomsday Jones (aka moi) will be spinning a dance-able mix of Old School, Death Rock, Dark Wave and Industrial, with a few surprises thrown in (of course).

The second gig will be the Dark Light Lounge, which will be held on the last night of Rites. I've been working up several different sets -- Dark Ambient, Pagan/Renaissance/Folk, a Dark Trance set, and of course some Dark World with plenty of Raqs Gothique music.

I'm sure with help from my PSA peeps, both events will be a success. We even managed to get the two locations we wanted for the events -- the Coffeehouse and the Boathouse, which has a beautiful beach that's perfect for dancing under the starlight.

This should be a good Rites of Spring. I've heard that my guru Sylvia will be back again this year. Yay! Tantric workshops and Goth Nights! And tribal drumming at fire circles. Combined with spending a week in the woods, this is the only place to do some of my favorite things in one beautiful location.

Ahhhhhh. Vacation....

Tragedy Final Finally Over -- Whew!

Sat, 12 May 2007 15:05:22 GMT

Survived my final exam, which was a stage performance of my adaptation of The Eumenides. There were a couple of small glitches, but otherwise it went swimmingly. I'm sure I received an "A" for the whole shebang.

Kudos to J9 for her awesome performance as one of the "Followers of the Old Ways." Next time this is staged, she'll be playing Ms. Athena, the shrewd lawyer who presumes to be the "best negotiator on Mount Olympus."

My technical person did up an awesome program, and managed to squeeze in my favorite Nietzsche quote:

"Under the magic of the Dionysian, not only does the bond between man and man lock itself in place once more, but also nature itself, no matter how alienated, hostile, or subjugated, rejoices again in her festival of reconciliation with her prodigal son, man. The earth freely offers up her gifts, and the beasts of prey from the rocks and the desert approach in peace. The wagon of Dionysus is covered with flowers and wreaths."

The play's purpose seemed to go over pretty well, especially with my favorite teacher, Prof. JDU, (though the exception might have been the two Christian gals who did a Christian perspective on Antigone -- of course, they must have been even more horrified by the Pagan version of Job, which I thought was brilliant. Hmmmm. And wasn't I the one who mentioned the Book of Job as tragedy in class to begin with? <grins>). For those who might be curious, here is the purpose:

"In this work, Athena is depicted as a lawyer who is negotiating with the Furies as to their future role in society. It is implied that those who follow the Old Ways (i.e, Pagans) are necessary to keep the Furies in check. By persecuting the Furies' followers, the forces of 'Zeus and his allies' have brought on the Furies' anger, which is why the world is the way it is today."

I tried to have a little of everything -- a few comic moments with Athena, a spooky chorus of Furies' voices, sound effects (spooky winds and thunder), and the crowd seemed to really appreciate the effort. My inner drama queen is quite pleased. Thanks to GoSeaDogs for his moral support!

Here is the cast and crew picture from the event. The video should be up on my MySpace page later today.

Doomsday's Setlist from Plague on 4-20

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:28:37 GMT

Once again, had a blast guest DJ'ing at Plague last night. Thanks to my "peeps" who came out to dance. It was great meeting thelemurgod in person. Had so much fun socializing after my set, listening to DJ's Static and Dehuman8 spin some cool tunes!

Here is my setlist from last night:

1. Incus - Deadwood
2. Lumin - Stiga
3. Irfan - Peregratino
4. Unto Ashes - Bathsheba Rising
5. Solace - Ceremony of the Skull
6. Christian Death - Angels (Laibach mix)
7. Unto Ashes - Drei Todesarten
8. Abney Park - Stigmata Martyr
9. Najma - Justice Coming
10. Disciples of Astaroth - Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove
11. Drumatic - Earth As In Heaven
12. The Creatures - Around the World
13. Switchblade Symphony - Dissolve
14. Android Lust - Wicked Days
15. Seven Sunless Days - Eternity's Charm

Thanks again to Plague for letting me "cut my fangs" in the 9-10 pm spot!

DJ Doomsday strikes again!

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:12:26 GMT

Had a blast guest DJ'ing at Plague last night. Thanks to my buds who came out of the "goth closet" to support my wicked ways...! Thanks also to Gothic Maine for giving me the opportunity to spin my favorite Old School tunes.

Here is my setlist from last night:

1. Nick Cave - Red Right Hand
2. Joy Division - She's Lost Control
3. Siouxis & The Banshees - Trophy
4. Ministry - I'm Falling
5. Bauhaus - In Fear of Fear
6. Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Spinning Round
7. Clan of Xymox - 7th Time
8. The Cure - One Hundred Years
9. Christian Death - Cervix Couch (yeah, I know it's technically "Death Rock", but the Old School police weren't being too strict)
10. The Sisters of Mercy - No Time To Cry
11. Tones on Tail - War
12. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Slow Dive

I really enjoyed DJ Lost Boy's set as well. Kudos to DJ Dehuman8 for his technical and musical expertise.

Here is a few photos of my best Robert Smith impersonation:

Vegan Soup Recipe!

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 20:04:21 GMT

I just made a yummy vegan soup for the PSA's latest Soup & Bread Sale. Thought that some of my friends out there might want to try it.

Morghan's Moroccan Vegetarian Tagine

1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 T. garlic
1 T. finely chopped ginger
1 T. tumeric (less if you don't like spice)
1 t. Cayenne pepper (less if you want)

Saute the above ingredients in a little oil of choice (I use safflower or olive oil)

After the onion mix is cooked through, put in a cooking pot with the following:

1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas
2 vegan bouillon cubes
Assorted cubed veggies (I like to use a couple of Parsnips, a couple of Carrots, some Turnip, some Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes)
2 T. turbinado or brown sugar
A handful of Raisins
4-5 Turkish Apricots
1 Bay leaf
1 Cinnamon stick
3 Whole cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
Can of tomato paste

Add enough water to cover, then simmer slowly. It's done when the veggies are cooked through.

Serve with rice or couscous, and enjoy!

If anyone tries this, please let me know how you like it. This is a recipe I've been working on for years.

History Repeats Itself -- Helen = WOMAD?

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 23:04:32 GMT

Had another interesting day in Tragic Hero class today.

We were discussing Euripides' play "Helen," which is a retelling of the (in)famous Helen, in which the Greeks turn out to be chasing a phantom of Helen, while the real one is living in Egypt. A fan of the Homeric version, "The Illiad," was quite astonished at this revelation, and asked where Euripides could have gotten such a story.

Like Horshack in "Welcome Back Mr. Kotter," I raised my hand enthusiastically, and recounted Herodotus' version of the story as told in his account, "Histories." In Herodotus' version, Helen never made it to Greece (she got waylaid in Egypt), and that the Trojans told the Greeks that, but the Greeks either a) didn't believe them, or b) wanted to plunder Troy anyways, so thus the Trojan war began. After sacking Troy, the Greeks never did find Helen (because she wasn't there -- duh!), and so Euripides, clever political writer that he is, created his version -- which probably pissed off a lot of people.

I mean, imagine -- a country going to war over a phantom. Hmmmm. Images of "Weapons of Mass Destruction" started whirling through my head. So, that's what this "war" is all about -- chasing phantoms for political reasons. But what about the sacking of those museums in Baghdad, and all the countless lives that were lost over a "phantom".

Do we ever learn from our mistakes? Sometimes it seems that we don't, despite having writers like Euripides and Herodotus, whose works survive, to learn from. Now I understand the futility of Classics (and other) teachers -- and despite those obstacles, this Cassandra wants to teach. I think I have a new direction.... Librarians rock, but Classics teachers...they are the modern oracles. But maybe the next generation is listening. Judging by the discussion in class today (myself and another 40-something among a room mostly full of 20-somethings), they are! Maybe there's hope after all.

...and a bottle of rum!

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 14:57:01 GMT

you are...
A Pirate
You scored 4 Honor, 6 Justice, 6 Adventure, and 7 Individuality! Arr matey. You may belive in honor, and justice, and you certainly have a sense of adventure. But mostly, you play by your own rules. Your code is your own and you are flexible in most situations.

Dress flamboyant and look into a parrot. I think you'll do fine.

The Cowboy-Ninja-Pirate-Knight Test
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=14911521259611283941

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:30:26 GMT

Did anyone else catch the "Lost Tomb of Jesus" show the other night? Not being well-versed in the intricacies of Aramaic, I couldn't quite determine the accuracy of the theories. Now, if it was in Ancient Greek or Sanskrit, I might attempt to offer an opinion...

Someone who did offer an opinion was a relation of GoSeaDogs -- who I believed confirmed the spelling of the names, but didn't subscribe to the whole shebang.

I think it's definitely a subject worth further investigation. I've always been more inclined to believe in the Gnostic version of Yeshua's life anyways. I have always had a penchant for Gnostic texts -- if a book is banned, it makes me want to read it all the more -- especially when it's a book left out of The Bible. (I could never understand why the Book of Wisdom was taken out of Catholic Bibles as recently as the 1940's). I am more inclined to believe that Yeshua lived and died a relatively normal life, and that his "resurrection" was not physical, but spiritual. Stories about "ascension" are grand myths (unless a UFO is involved), and seem to be popular in many cultures -- whether it is the Virgin Mary ascending into heaven, or Medea flying off in her chariot. It makes for a dramatic ending.

So, in addition to being pegged as a Feminist Classicist in class, I am now considered a heretic as well after I asked if Job was exhibiting hubris when he presumed to know the mind of God. Heh, heh, heh....

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 16:27:38 GMT

I had a great time spinning at Plague last week. I definitely want to do more guest spots when they come up.

I'll be guesting at Old School night on March 23rd. I can't imagine what I'll play that night [insert sarcasm here].

Here is a rough set-list from my last gig at Plague on February 23rd. The loose theme was Angels and Devils, which I had a lot of fun working with.

1. Rozz Williams - The Beast
2. Infusion - The Lucifer Scale
3. Rasputina - Transylvanian Concubine (the Marilyn Manson mix)
4. Nine Inch Nails - Sin
5. Kommunity FK - 23rd Curse
6. X-Axis - Occident
7. Christian Death - The Angels (Assassin Mix)
8. Eva O - The Devil
9. Deathride 69 - State of Decay
10. Skeletal Family - Delirium
11. Attrition - Dream Time Collector
12. David J - The Enochian Angel of the 7th Aethyr
13. The Creatures - Exterminating Angel

Kudos to MilkGoneBad for inviting me to guest at Plague, and to DJ DeHuman8 for showing me around the equipment!

Rasputina touring East Coast

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 16:14:34 GMT

I am so there...!

April 2007, East Coast Tour!

Rasputina will be on tour in April, hopefully in your neck of the woods!:

April 6 - Gramercy Theatre
New York, New York

April 7 - The Trocadero
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

April 9 - WAMC Performing Art Studio
Albany, New York

April 10 - Higher Ground
South Burlington, Vermont

April 11 - Regent Theatre
Arlington, Massachusetts

April 12 - Narrows Center for the Arts
Fall River, Massachusetts

April 13 - Iron Horse
Northampton, Massachusetts

April 21 - SUNY Purchase
Purchase, New York

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 19:21:17 GMT

'Buffy' creator Joss Whedon has the heroine returning for a comics-style Season 8.
By Kate Aurthur, Times Staff Writer
March 4, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-ca-whedon4mar04,1,7255326,full.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews&ctrack=1&cset=true

Buffy moves to the comics pages

WHEN audiences last saw the cast of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in May 2003, Buffy and her friends had won a nearly apocalyptic battle between good and evil. Their hometown of Sunnydale, Calif. — also known as the Hellmouth — was a gargantuan pit as a result. After peering into the crater, Buffy, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, walked away with a smile, and the television series came to a close after seven seasons.

On March 14, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" will return in comic book form. Joss Whedon, "Buffy's" creator, has written the first five issues and will oversee — or "executive produce," he says — the whole arc as if it were a television show. Whedon has enlisted former "Buffy" staff writers, along with a few writers from the comic book world, to join him in continuing the story, which is scheduled to run for at least 30 issues to be released monthly. Whedon, the show's fans and the series' publisher, Dark Horse Comics, have deemed it "Buffy Season Eight."

"When you create a universe, you don't stop living in that universe — I know a lot of the fans didn't," Whedon said. "But I was surprised to find myself back in it so firmly as well."

It's yet another reinvention for "Buffy," which Whedon turned into a TV series after being disappointed with the results of the frothy 1992 movie, starring Kristy Swanson, that he had written. So, in summary: "Buffy Season Eight" is a comic book run like the television series from which it came, which itself evolved out of a feature film — a classic evolving specimen for this era of ever-shifting media platforms.

The common element is Whedon, 42, the movie-TV-comics auteur behind "Buffy," "Angel," an "X-Men" comic series, the screenplay of "Toy Story," and the flop television show "Firefly" as well as its movie resurrection, "Serenity." In recent years, he has expressed frustration with both the television and movie businesses, but the less pressure-filled world of comics has been a constant.

Scott Allie, senior managing editor at Dark Horse Comics, knows his company is benefiting from Whedon's urge to create more "Buffy" stories. Excitedly and without hesitation, Allie said, "Oh, it's gonna be huge."

A moderate ratings success on the WB and for its final two seasons on UPN, "Buffy" nevertheless inspired as worshipful a cult as you can find in the pop landscape. It told the sneakily dark coming-of-age story of a young woman who was special, in that she was chosen to save the world from vampire-led evil, but yearned to fit in. Buffy was surrounded by loving friends and family, bad boyfriends, and demons. Her high school was literally hell, she died a couple of times during the series, and as her tombstone once read, "she saved the world — a lot."

Since the show ended, "Buffy" fans have made do with what was left to them. Across the Internet, the show continues to be parsed: its feminism, its use of language, its influence on current shows such as "Lost," "Heroes" and "Veronica Mars."

More concretely, a public sing-along of the show's musical episode, "Once More With Feeling," has grown so popular that its inventor, a film programmer from Brooklyn, is planning a "Rocky Horror Picture Show"-like national tour. Penguin recently published "The Physics of the Buffyverse," a book in which science writer Jennifer Ouellette explains the principles of physics using examples from "Buffy" and its spinoff, "Angel," which ran from 1999 to 2004.

"It really was like being home again," Whedon said wistfully about returning to "Buffy." " 'Oh, here are my old friends. They're so funny!' You can hear their voices so specifically. It was a comic spoken in the voices of actors you worked with for seven or eight years."

Whedon, interviewed over lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, looks like a ruffled college student. A third-generation television writer, he has a deadpan delivery but affects voices as he talks to illustrate or emphasize important points. "Buffy" was known for its characters' tone and banter, and hearing him is like listening to the show — making its translation into comics reliant on, or at least greatly enhanced by, a reader's familiarity with the original.

Or, as Jane Espenson, a former writer and co-executive producer of "Buffy" who has signed up for comic book duty, put it: "The voices of those characters are in my head forever and ever. The reason characters talked like that on 'Buffy' is they talked a bit like Joss — and we all ended up talking like Joss."

Season 8 begins

DARK Horse's Allie said that the voices come through in the comic's dialogue, and the visuals will reward fans. "You don't have cute Sarah Michelle Gellar running around, but you've got good-looking characters and much better-looking monsters."

Oregon-based Dark Horse, one of the country's largest comic book producers, has published works by Frank Miller and Mike Mignola and also many tie-ins with Hollywood, such as "Star Wars," "Alien vs. Predator" and "The Mask." Dark Horse published the ancillary "Buffy" comics that came out during the show's run, which Whedon had little to do with. There were "Angel" comics too. Later, Whedon co-wrote a series that bridged the gap between "Firefly," his canceled Fox show, and "Serenity," the movie rebirth of it in September 2005.

All the while, Allie was interested in a "Buffy" comic that "replaces the TV show in a way we never could do before." A year ago, he opened an e-mail from Whedon, and it unexpectedly contained the script for the first issue of "Buffy." Allie remembered thinking, happily, "Oh, OK, so you're going to write this?"

Until then, Whedon had been hopeful that a series of TV movies based on "Buffy's" costars would be produced by 20th Century Fox Television, the studio behind the television show. The movie spinoffs would be able to get around the inconvenient truth that Gellar no longer wanted to play Buffy by sending fan-favorite characters like Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Spike (James Marsters) on their own adventures.

"It was a pipe dream ultimately, because I think the studio thought they could do this for no money — that everybody would show up because we're all buddies," Whedon said. "But I don't think they noticed that everybody seems to have careers. It was an unrealistic business model. And once I realized that, I just decided, 'I can find a man to draw them instead!' " (20th Century Fox Television declined to comment.)

In the year since Whedon wrote the first issue, he and Dark Horse worked on finding the right artists and assembling a team of writers. From the "Buffy" world, Espenson, Drew Goddard, Drew Greenberg, Doug Petrie and Steven DeKnight have said they will contribute; from the comics side, Jeph Loeb and Brad Meltzer joined the project; and Brian K. Vaughan will write the four-arc series after Whedon's first five issues.

Vaughan's series will focus on Faith, a recalcitrant slayer who was Buffy's friend, then her nemesis and finally her ally. "When I sat down with Brian to talk about his arc, that was the closest I'd been to a writers' room since I left television," Whedon said. "You know what? It felt so great."

Espenson said she'd like to write "comedic stand-alone" issues throughout "Buffy Season Eight." She said: " 'Buffy' was a show that Joss ran from top to bottom. I liked working for Joss as a show runner, and I hope he's really, really running this." She paused, and laughed: " 'Tell me what to do, Joss, and I'll do it!' "

Some work situations run more smoothly than others.

As Whedon was getting "Buffy Season Eight" up and running, he was supposed to be writing and then directing a high-profile comic adaptation: the movie version of "Wonder Woman" with Warner Bros. After having been associated with the long-gestating project since March 2005, Whedon announced he was quitting last month on the fan site Whedonesque.com, writing, "We just saw different pictures."

When asked to elaborate, he didn't really. "I don't want to go into it too much, because they still own that script," he said. And then: "I cannot tell you what they wanted. Because they never told me what they wanted. When I asked them, 'Well, what is it that you want?' They said, 'We cannot tell you.' I can tell you what they didn't want: Me!" And then: "And they treated me extremely well; I'm not trying to slam." (Warner Bros. declined to comment.)

Many roads ahead

BUT Whedon is clearly unhappy about the experience and the time wasted: "You know, when you get into a giant thing like 'Wonder Woman,' to add up to nothing — it's going to be four years between projects. I don't have that many four years."

He said he will now focus on "Goners," an original screenplay he wrote and is developing to direct for Universal that he called "a ghastly tale of female empowerment — something new for me!"

He would also like to return to television, after telling Variety in 2004, "I have a bitter taste in my mouth with where TV has gone in the past five years." Whedon said the experience he had with "Firefly," which was canceled after 11 episodes, taught him what guarantees he would need to go back. "I don't want another 'Firefly.' I can't do that. It hurts too much," he said. "I'll learn to golf or something instead. And that, by the way, is not going to help the golf world.

"But because of the new media, because of DVDs, because of the Internet, there are so many new avenues that basically I feel like I can go back to TV when I have the power to set up a paradigm wherein I know I can complete a story."

For now, he has more "Buffy" stories to tell. Espenson said that, knowing Whedon, she was not surprised he came back to "Buffy."

"It's about youth. It's about feminism," she said. "Strength and learning who you are. It's hard to imagine a franchise that captures as much of Joss' soul as this one does."

But in reflecting on it himself, Whedon wonders. "I was like, 'Am I really an artist of integrity, or am I just grieving for my mom? What's going on here?' I have so many questions about why I do that — why I go back to that well when I could be moving forward." He hesitated, then said: "But the fact of the matter is when you work with people you love, you want to work with them more. Same goes with characters."

kate.aurthur@latimes.com

Transylvanian Concubines, anyone?

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 22:13:17 GMT

Working on my set list for my guest DJ spot at Plague this coming Friday, and came across a tune by Rasputina -- one of my new favorite bands. I managed to find a raucous-yet-catchy tune by them that was mixed by Marilyn Manson. The song's title is "Transylvanian Concubine."

Is anyone else out in LJ land into Rasputina? They have a very different sound than a lot of bands -- integrating cellos into their music. Is it Goth? I'd say so, but I have a very WIDE range of Goth. (Are they NeoRomantic mixed with Hard Rock? Don't you love all these sub-definitions?)

Here is a little bio from their website, http://www.rasputina.com/

"Rasputina is a 'cello-rock' ensemble. Founded by Melora Creager in 1891, they have long held true to their mission of enlightening the common man as to the power and versatility of the mighty cello. Historically influenced, and constantly costumed, Rasputina keeps a small legion of incredibly passionate admirers enthralled with their earnest musicianship."

I think the dating is intentional. And I love how they describe their fans as a small legion. Legion of what...? Check them out!

I love deeply weird bands...

Painting...

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:36:19 GMT

Or, maybe it's more of a drawing. I sketched it out with watercolor pencils, then painted it over. It felt good to do something creative again (other than beading necklaces). I seem to get inspired in the winter -- I love the white surroundings, but I get the urge to draw or paint things involving color. Do any of the other artists out there experience this?

It's definitely an improvement over my previous efforts to paint flowers. This one I created with Devotion, dedicating the work to Ma Kali. I think that has a lot to do with the way it came out.

Jai Ma!

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 00:00:15 GMT

Having to write a paper on the subject, "What is tragedy," we were assigned some interesting readings. While reading Aeschylus' Oresteia, particularly The Eumenides, I pointed out in class that the transformation of the Furies into the Eumenides, and the masculinization of Athena, making her a goddess without a mother (where is Metis?), seemed to be the victory of the newer culture over the older, more darker, matrifocal one. The older Chthonic gods were usurped by the newer Apollo and Zeus. My teacher gave me brownie points for having the chutzpah to bring such things up in class, and now upon reading a paper that discusses Nietzsche's view on tragedy, I realize that what I am perceiving is similar to what Nietzsche defines as the Dionysian/Apollonian split, and the reconciliation of this split temporarily in the acceptance of the Furies, though in a more benefic form (as depicted in Eumenides).

In the paper, Nietzsche is quoted as saying:
"As a 'rational' being, he [Western man] now places his behavior under the control of abstractions [read, rationalism]. He will no longer tolerate being carried away by sudden impressions, by intuitions."

So, that's what's wrong with the world today. Aha! I definitely need to read more Nietzsche!

Another quote I wanted to share was from the other paper we were given for a source, this one from Aristotle's "Poetics" (not sure on the translation), in which he describes the nature of the poet, who at the time was the one who wrote Tragedies and Epics.
"Hence it is that poetry demands a man with a special gift for it, or else one with a touch of madness in him; the former can easily assume the required mood, and the latter may be actually beside himself with emotion."

No wonder that those of us, (men and women), who can write really capture the dark and sublime have a touch of madness -- it seems that even the ancient Greeks knew it was a prerequisite for doing the job well. (Poe, Lovecraft, Rice and Blake come to mind -- and I think all of them were just a wee bit "touched.").

I don't feel so alone....

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 23:04:47 GMT

Tee hee. That was a fun one...

You Are 77% Misanthropic

Here's the truth: Most people suck. You are just lucky enough to know it.
You're not ready to go live alone in a cave - but you're getting there.

How Misanthropic Are You?