Controversial Characters: Buffy’s Dawn vs. Angel’s Connor

SPOILERS AHEAD

Whenever a show has a devoted fandom there’s always going to be something that, right or wrong, the fans aren’t happy about. The big controversies on Buffy and Angel were the late additions of two new characters, namely Dawn and Connor. Now that I’m re-watching both shows, I’m looking at both characters with fresh eyes, wondering whether they deserved the hate.

Dawn

Dawn was introduced at the end of the first episode of Season 5. “Buffy vs. Dracula” (a great episode, by the way). Her introduction was really well done, first with hints and foreshadowing going back as far as Season 3, then with her unexpected appearance in the episode. After years of being an only child, Buffy suddenly has a sister, and everyone acts as though she’s always been there.

After some perfunctory hinting that Dawn is this season’s Big Bad, it comes out that she’s actually a mystical, dimension-unlocking Key, put into human form by some monks with too much time on their hands, and given to the Slayer as a sister for protection from the Hell God (Glorificus/Glory), who needs the Key to get back to her hell dimension before her window of opportunity closes. Got all that?

Yeah, it’s a lot.

I really believe all the planning around Dawn went into the character’s concept, and very little into the execution. Dawn is supposed to be fourteen when she shows up, but she’s written like she’s eight. It’s both painful and annoying to watch this teenager smiling with her mouth plastered in ice cream. Or interrupting Buffy’s training sessions because she’s “bored.” Or threatening to tell their mom that Buffy slayed in front of her. At fifteen, Buffy, Willow, and Xander were fighting monsters, trading quips, and hanging out at the Bronze. Their characters were funny and interesting. But somehow at fourteen Dawn is too young to be left alone without a babysitter.

And yet by season six Dawn manages to get worse, alternating between whining that no one spends time with her, and screeching for everyone to get out of her room. Maybe this is a realistic portrayal of teenagers (I have my doubts), but nobody watches TV for realism. If we’re supposed to sympathize with Dawn, the writers made it really difficult, especially when she shows no empathy for what anyone else is going through.

(I want to add that none of this is the fault of Michelle Trachtenberg, the actress who played Dawn. She did a decent job, but just didn’t have much to work with.)

By the seventh and final season, Dawn’s over her annoying phase, and even proves herself useful and capable– but she also fades into the background. Season five was supposed to be the show’s last season, but since it ended up extended for another two years, I don’t think they really knew what to do with her once she was no longer The Key. Overall, I think the Dawn character had a lot of room for improvement, and the writers/producers repeatedly dropped the ball. The show could have been just as good, or better, without Dawn.

Also, she killed Miss Kitty Fantastico.

Connor

Connor’s origin story begins in season 3, and is almost as convoluted as Dawn’s. When two vampires hate each other very much (after spending centuries together as a couple), and unknown forces conspire to get them back together for a night, sometimes the mommy vampire finds herself nine months later going into labour in a back alley, where she finally just stakes herself to get the whole thing over with.

Connor is the human-ish son of Angel and Darla, both vampires, one with a soul. His existence is cause for much excitement, mostly by nefarious cabals who generally want to kill the kid. Despite Angel and co.’s best efforts to protect baby Connor, he ends up in the hands of Angel’s longtime enemy, a vampire hunter named Holtz. Stuck between letting Holtz take the baby or watching Connor fall into the hands of those who will definitely kill him, Angel chooses the lesser of two evils. Holtz escapes with the baby by jumping through a portal to the darkest hell dimension: Quor’toth. The portal is then sealed behind them with no way to open it.

Angel tries to get Connor back, but realizes it’s impossible. Once Angel accepts that he’ll never see his son again (it takes only a few days, apparently), another portal opens and out comes an armed teenager wearing a skin suit and trophies made of body parts. I’m not gonna lie– it’s pretty epic.

We soon find out that not only did Connor survive Quor’toth, but he can kick some serious ass. Besides impressive fighting skills, he has super speed and strength. He can easily jump on a moving bus and he’s got a vampire’s sensitive hearing (but none of the drawbacks, like a need to consume blood or intolerance to sunlight).

I thought he was an excellent addition to the show, but a lot of people disagreed. Connor was so hated by some fans that when rumours started about bringing Spike to Angel, people started urging (there may have been a petition– I can’t remember) the producers to kill off Connor and bring on Spike. Note: none of the characters actually had to die to add Spike to the cast. It should also be noted that the dislike of Connor spilled over into people specifically targetting Vincent Kartheiser, who played Connor. The actor did an awesome job and deserved none of what was directed at him. This is why fandoms have a bad reputation.

I never understood why people found Connor annoying. Yes, the character did a lot of questionable– and some downright wrong– things (same as pretty much all the other characters, I might add). What haters didn’t seem to get (or care about) is that Connor is a deeply traumatized kid. He was raised in a hell dimension, by a man who (rightfully) hated his father and manipulated him into wanting to kill Angel. And that’s only the start of what Connor went through. He’s a tragic character who manages to never be boring. He also undergoes a fair bit of character development, and a redemption that continues in the comic books (meanwhile Dawn in the comic books goes back to being annoying, but with added recklessness). Watching these episodes again, I’m finding I like and sympathize with Connor even more now. It’s too bad he was hated– he could have pulled off his own show.

In the end, my opinion on these characters hasn’t really changed. Dawn didn’t improve Buffy, even though her initial season included one of the best villains ever. Meanwhile, Connor, despite having one of the cringiest storylines (him + Cordy = ew), was a great character and a solid addition to Angel. But what did you think of Dawn and Connor? Share in the comments…

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If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

[Originally posted on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

The Problem with Angelus

 

I’m still (re-)watching Buffy and Angel, and there’s something that’s been bothering me about Angelus…

Spoilers Ahead

First, we need some backstory.

in Buffy and Angel mythology, a vampire is made when a vampire exchanges blood with a human before killing them. The human’s soul leaves the body (presumably going off to the afterlife), and the soulless shell reanimates, inhabited by a demon that looks like the human, and has their personality and all their memories, but with an aversion to sunlight and a thirst for blood.

Angelus started out like any other vampire, but after killing the wrong girl he was cursed with a soul. Suddenly his body housed a demon and a human soul. This unnatural combination led him to spend a hundred years wallowing in guilt and remorse over what he’d done as a vampire, before finally deciding to become a broody, but useful, member of society. Oh, and he also started calling himself Angel.

But the curse had a loophole. If Angel were to ever experience a moment of true happiness, the soul would go and Angelus would return in all his murderous glory.

Over the course of both Buffy and Angel, we get to see both Angel and Angelus, and much as I enjoy the dichotomy, something about it bothers me. Angel is solitary, reserved, and thoughtful, but ready to kick ass when necessary. Angelus, on the other hand, is cruel, revels in violence, and is as meticulous in stalking and torture as the most evil serial killer. So how is this the same person?

The shows simply claim that it’s the difference between soul and no soul, but I’m not sure I buy that. The presence (or lack) of a soul doesn’t completely change your personality. At one point Angel claims he was a bad person as a human too, but from flashbacks we see he was mostly a shiftless, carousing layabout and terrible son. That’s pretty far from a cold-blooded killer (not to mention the other major personality shifts we see between Angel and Angelus). The Buffy episode “Doppelgangland” even tacitly confirms that a vampire’s personality is basically the same as the human they inhabit.

When vampire Spike gets his soul back (earned, not cursed), his personality doesn’t significantly change. He might be less likely to finish off a mortally wounded human once he gets his soul, but if you watched an episode featuring him without knowing which season it was from, you wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell whether he has a soul or not. Another vampire, Harmony, never gets a soul, but shows no significant change in personality before and after becoming a vampire. She even loves unicorns.

In the Angel episode “Eternity,” Angel is drugged so that he feels a chemical high (which they call “happiness” for the sake of the plot), Until the drug wears off he’s right back to being Mr. Murder-Death-Kill, as though a switch were flipped. You’d think he’d still be able to exert his own will, at least a little, to keep Angelus from completely taking over. He didn’t even lose his soul that time. Yes, it’s a TV show about vampires and demons, but it doesn’t make any sense. Not to me, at least.

Maybe having a soul forced on him was traumatic for Angel, causing his personality to fracture. Maybe the demon inside him is particularly strong and malevolent. Maybe it really is only human guilt that keeps Angel from totally going off the rails. Maybe I’m way overthinking this.

What do you think about Angel/Angelus and his split personality? Do you have your own theories about the difference a soul makes? Share in the comments…

Want more vampires? Download my books…

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If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

Buffy and Angel

I’m a Buffy/Angel fan going way back. They’re shows I reference frequently and re-watch whenever I can. I’m re-watching them now.

Spoilers Ahead

For those of you unfamiliar, “Buffy” is the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as the heroine’s name. Buffy (the character) is one of a long line of exclusively female vampire slayers magically imbued with powers like fast healing and super strength. The show started out as an allegory for the trials of high school and got more mature, and darker, as the series went on.

Angel (the series) is a spinoff of BtVS. Angel (the character) is the rarest of the rare: a vampire with a soul. Unfortunately, he loses his soul if he experiences a moment of “true happiness,” which he does with Buffy. If any of you were traumatized when The Doctor and Rose got split up, just know that it was nothing compared to the scene where Angel gets his soul back. Then prepare yourselves for heartbreak #2 when, at the end of Season 3 of Buffy, Angel realizes he and Buffy will never work, so he leaves her for good. He ends up in L.A., starting a new life as a private detective/helper of the helpless. Angel arguably has a better cast than Buffy, and aside from a few hiccups along the way, ended up as the more interesting show (imo).

I’ve just started Season 4 of Buffy (her first year of college) and Season 1 of Angel. Parts of the shows have held up well over time, other parts not so much. Buffy is especially problematic, with fairly minor– but still there– homophobia, fat shaming, slut shaming, token diverse characters getting killed off, and outright sexist dialogue. In one episode Buffy herself says Wesley (an adult man) screams “like a woman,” and compares Xander and Angel to a pair of bickering “old women.” Part of that was the culture at the time. You probably couldn’t find a show in the 90s that didn’t include some cringe-worthy dialogue or storylines. And most of us didn’t even notice. We were steeped in it to the point that it didn’t stand out.

But part of it might also have had something to do with the showrunner, Joss Whedon, who– if you haven’t heard– has had several accusations of bullying/abusive behaviour levelled at him by actors, including some that worked on Buffy and Angel. I believe these actors– they have nothing to gain by coming forward. What sucks for the fans, though, is that Buffy was groundbreaking at the time. A female lead who…kicked ass? What’s commonplace now was new and awesome back then. Whedon claimed to be a feminist, and the fans thought he was an ally. We were wrong.

I don’t, however, think we should give up on these shows because of an association with an allegedly awful person. Besides, Whedon was far from the only person working on his shows, and to ignore everyone else’s contributions is basically throwing out the baby with the bath water. I know I’ll always keep watching. l now notice the problematic and cringey parts, but I’m still here for all the good parts (which are the majority). Because, even after all these years, Buffy still kicks ass.

Were/are you a fan of Buffy and/or Angel? How do you think they’ve held up? Share in the comments…

Want more vampires? Get my books…

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
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If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

(Originally posted on my official site: https://aspasiasbissas.com/2022/02/12/buffy-and-angel/)

Dracula!

Although Bram Stoker wasn't the first to write about vampires, his character (and book) started an ongoing obsession with vampires, inspiring countless variations over the decades, including dozens of versions of Dracula alone. Many of what we now consider essential characteristics of vampires: aversion to sunlight and garlic, lack of reflection, supernatural powers, vulnerable to a stake through the heart--all came from Dracula. A few have been discarded over the years too--how many modern vampires have hairy palms or need to keep the soil of their homeland handy? If you're a vampire fan and you haven't read Dracula yet--drop everything and get yourself a copy.

Nosferatu is an early, unauthorized, movie based on Dracula. The names were changed (Dracula became Count Orlok, for example) but that wasn't enough to keep Stoker's widow from suing (and eventually giving up after the film company went bankrupt and copies of the movie got out anyway). You can't beat Nosferatu, or Max Schreck's Count, for atmosphere, dramatic visuals, and general creepiness.

 Although Bela Lugosi may be the definitive Count Dracula (and no one is disputing that he did a great job), but Christopher Lee gets my vote for best film Dracula. Imposing and intense, it's hard not to agree that Lee is pretty awesome in this role (I'm not sure he really needs hypnotic powers--he'd do fine all on his own).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV39nnA8mGc?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Go to video

I have to admit I'm not a fan of Coppola's version, Bram Stoker's Dracula (an inaccurate title, by the way), but I do enjoy Gary Oldman's performance in it. He seems to embrace the character, especially when he surreptitiously licks Harker's bloody razor, which is my favourite moment of the entire film:

Here's the entire scene if you want some context:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzxXCjeMV2A?rel=0&start=00&w=560&h=315]

 Go to video

One of my absolute favourite portrayals of Dracula is in Buffy in the episode "Buffy vs. Dracula." It's a great episode overall (who doesn't love Xander as Renfield?) and Rudolf Martin does a fantastic job as Dracula. Aside from the show, Dracula makes an appearance in several Buffyverse comic books (scroll down to Appearances for the full list). It's well worth tracking them down (if for no other reason than to find out whether Spike ever gets the eleven pounds Dracula owes him).

And lastly (on what is by no means a comprehensive list), what's not to like about Community's Troy attempting to put together a cool Halloween costume by becoming a "sexy Dracula"? ;)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_AViiBbkBw?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Go to video

What's your favourite version of Dracula? Share in the comments...

Cheers,

Aspasia S. Bissas

 

 

 

A Few Problems with TV's Supernatural

 

Spoilers Ahead

I'm not exactly a fan of Supernatural, the long-running (and recently concluded) series featuring the monster-hunting Winchester brothers (Sam and Dean) and associates. I am, however, a fan of several of the characters, which is why I've stuck with the show. I'm currently re-watching older seasons in anticipation of catching up on the last couple I haven't seen yet, including the series finale.

The thing is, no matter how much I try (and I have tried), I just can't pretend this show doesn't bother me on numerous levels. I'm not trying to ruin anything for the fans out there (who I'm sure far outnumber detractors like me), but someone needs to say it. Supernatural has problems. Here's four of them.

1. "Librarians"

In season 8 Supernatural introduced the "Men of Letters," a secret society that, among other things, made a point of amassing and preserving vast stores of occult and magical knowledge. Sounds pretty cool, right? You'd think so, but apparently the show's writers disagree, as multiple characters repeatedly refer to the Men of Letters as "librarians." And it's never a compliment.

First of all, fiction is full of librarians who could hold their own in the Supernatural universe. Secondly, the show itself establishes that the Men of Letters were also men of action-- they just put a little more thought into their actions than the Winchesters and their fellow "hunters" tend to. More importantly, though, is that real-life librarians deserve better than this kind of casual derision. Yes, they spend an inordinate amount of time with books (not sure why that's a bad thing), but they also help people and improve lives on a daily basis (here's a story from last year as just one example). Librarian as an insult? You're only showing your own ignorance.

2. Mary Shelley Didn't Create Frankenstein

Season 10 brought us the ill-conceived Styne family, an ancient clan into all kinds of evil, including murder, Nazism, and really poorly stitched body modification (seriously, this is your thing-- learn how to sew). But-- big reveal-- it turns out the family's name was originally... Frankenstein (groan), and that their family friend Mary Shelley, after spending a few days at their estate and seeing what they were up to, wrote her book to try to warn the world. In other words, Frankenstein isn't a work of Shelley's vibrant imagination (and one of, if not the, first works of science fiction), but rather non-fiction based on something she witnessed.

Seeing as how women writers throughout history have been consistently ignored, suppressed, forgotten, and denied credit, for Supernatural to come along and discount the achievement of one of the few who did receive her due... let's just say that Supernatural owes Mary Shelley a huge apology.

3. The Writers vs. Castiel

Introducing angels to the show is generally acknowledged as being one of Supernatural's smarter moves. Castiel especially turned out to be a great character, with some decent development over the seasons. Unfortunately, the writers backed themselves into a corner with angels. Debuted as incredibly powerful beings who can destroy a human just by existing in their natural state, the writers subsequently were forced to find ways to make angels far weaker than they started out. As the Winchesters' protector/friend Castiel gets the brunt of this-- the writers spend the rest of the series finding excuses to take away his power. Poor Cas loses his mind, gets stuck in purgatory, is put under the control of another angel, and even becomes human, among other things. Even when he is at full strength, the writers ignore the extent of his abilities, inexplicably render them useless ("I can usually heal anything, but not this..."), or simply pretend he doesn't exist. He can be summoned by phone or by prayer, yet he often "isn't answering," or more often, the Winchesters don't bother calling. There are so many times when Cas could easily have dispatched demonic enemies or fixed an unfortunate situation (like, say, bringing Charlie back to life), but it's inconvenient to the story, so he's nowhere to be seen. What all this amounts to is a lot of poor and/or lazy writing that ultimately lowers the quality of the show. F for effort, guys.

4. Sucky Vampires

Vampires aren't the focus of Supernatural, and it's a good thing because the ones on this show are awful. From the hideous rows of fangs to their bland personalities, I have to wonder why the show bothered including vampires at all. Mercedes McNab, who brilliantly played student-turned-vampire Harmony on Buffy and Angel, shows up as a vampire in one season 3 episode of Supernatural. Her character mostly spouts exposition and whines about being hungry before Dean finally beheads her. Other vampires throughout the series are similarly unremarkable (although there was one storyline that had potential, about vampires taking advantage of the Twilight craze, but it ultimately missed the mark). Even Benny, who befriends Dean in season 8 and actually gets a story arc, serves mostly as a source of tension between Sam and Dean. Not every vampire is going to be a Dracula or a Spike, but it takes some skill to make all of yours forgettable.

There are other problems with Supernatural (like Sam and Dean's casual willingness to murder innocent people just because they're possessed-- remember when they used to at least try an exorcism first?), but I'll leave it here. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my points? Share in the comments...

Want to read something that's all about the vampires? Get my books!

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FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
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If you prefer a good paperback to an ebook, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

Originally posted on AspasiaSBissas.com

 

 

 

 

Dracula 2020

Have you had a chance yet to watch the new Netflix/BBC Dracula? I was pretty excited to watch it, especially given the involvement of Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. These two have done some amazing work on shows like Sherlock and Doctor Who (Moffat in particular is responsible for some of the best episodes of Doctor Who, ever, and is the writer of the brilliant episode "Blink," which introduced the nightmare-inducing Weeping Angels).

So, yes, excited for Dracula.

And it was...meh. Some great moments that didn't seem to go anywhere. Weird pacing. Pointless scenes. And I wasn't enthralled by Claes Bang's portrayal of the Count. I mean it was okay, but just okay...much like the rest of the show.

As a reminder of how scary (and fun) Dracula can be, here are some of my favourite portrayals of this most classic of all vampires...

I have to start with the original, Stoker's Count. Although Stoker wasn't the first to write about vampires, his character (and book) started an ongoing obsession with vampires, inspiring countless variations over the decades. Many of what we now consider essential characteristics of vampires: aversion to sunlight and garlic, lack of reflection, supernatural powers, vulnerable to a stake through the heart-- all came from Dracula. A few have been discarded over the years too-- how many modern vampires have hairy palms or need to keep the soil of their homeland handy? If you're a vampire fan and you haven't read Dracula yet--drop everything and get yourself a copy.



Nosferatu is an early, unauthorized, movie based on Dracula. The names were changed (Dracula became Count Orlok, for example) but that wasn't enough to keep Stoker's widow from suing (and eventually giving up after the film company went bankrupt and copies of the movie got out anyway). You can't beat Nosferatu, or Max Schreck's Count, for atmosphere, dramatic visuals, and general creepiness.

Count Orlok, Nosferatu

Although Bela Lugosi may be the definitive Count Dracula (and no one is disputing that he did a great job), Christopher Lee gets my vote for best film Dracula. Imposing and intense, it's hard not to agree that Lee is pretty awesome in this role (I'm not sure he really needs hypnotic powers-- he'd do fine all on his own).



I have to admit I'm not a fan of Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (although after watching Gatiss and Moffat's version, Coppola's ranks a little higher now), but I do enjoy Gary Oldman's performance in it. He seems to embrace the character, especially when he surreptitiously licks Harker's bloody razor, which is my favourite moment of the entire film:




Here's the entire scene if you want some context:



One of my absolute favourite portrayals of Dracula is in Buffy in the episode "Buffy vs. Dracula." It's a great episode overall (who doesn't love Xander as Renfield?) and Rudolf Martin does a fantastic job as Dracula. Aside from the show, Dracula makes an appearance in several Buffyverse comic books (scroll down the link to "Appearances" for the full list). It's well worth tracking them down (if for no other reason than to find out whether Spike ever gets the eleven pounds Dracula owes him).





And lastly (on what is by no means a comprehensive list), what's not to like about Community's Troy attempting to put together a cool Halloween costume by becoming a "sexy Dracula"? ;)



What did you think of Netflix's Dracula? Who's your favourite version of the Count?  Share in the comments...

Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas

[Reblogged from AspasiaSBissas.com]

London Film & Comic Con

July, while not a vampire-event-heavy month, does at least host the London Film & Comic Con. Although vampire-specific content is somewhat low in 2014, this is still a great con to attend. Buffy/Angel fans might find it worth stopping by to see Juliet Landau aka Drusilla; Summer Glau (who made her debut as the Prima Ballerina in the "Waiting in the Wings" episode of Angel); and T.J. Thyne (spotted as a lawyer/employee at Wolfram & Hart). All three will be available for autographs.

Beyond Angel alum, there are plenty of interesting classes on offer, many relating to the writing and art of comics. There are also classes on creating a graphic novel and storytelling. In addition you can look forward to Q&A with various guests (some free), zones for specific interests (books, anime, comics, video games...), cosplay, and an extensive marketplace.

London Film & Comic Con 2014 takes place from 11 to 13 July. More info here.

Upcoming Events; Slay-a-thon & Blood Vengeance

Want to watch episodes of Buffy and Angel for a good cause? Sign up for this year's Slay-a-Thon (21 June, in Chicago IL) and raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Illinois. You'll also get to participate in games, Q&A, a raffle and an auction. Best of all, the special guest is James Leary, aka Clem the demon. Somebody needs to challenge him to a poker game (or at least a round of D&D). Just leave the kittens at home.

More info here.

On the other hand, if you find yourself in Glasgow, Scotland on the weekend of 19 to 24 June, you might want to check out Blood Vengeance. This unofficial Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, & Twilight convention features meet & greets, photo ops, workshops, and themed parties. The event will be hosted by Jamie Christlow, known as Ian Somerhalder's doppelganger. Guests will include Nathaniel Buzolic, David Alpay, Trent Ford, and Alex Meraz.

More info here.

Eventful

It's been a while since I last posted on Blood Lines, but fear not, faithful readers; things are about to pick up around here, starting with some info on upcoming Cons.

For Vampire Diaries fans, there are three unofficial TVD-themed events to look forward to.

If you're lucky enough to be in Rome, Italy, on the weekend of 30 May to 1 June check out Love & Blood ItaCon 2.0, a Vampire Diaries & The Originals fan gathering. Guests include Paul Wesley, Steven R McQueen, Matt Davis, and Nathaniel Buzolic.

More info here.

On the other hand, if from 31 May to 1 June you're in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, you might want to attend Vampire Attraction Con. I don't speak Portuguese so I couldn't read the info (hint, guys: include a translation option on your site), but I did gather that the featured guests are Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, and Rick Cosnett.

More info here.

Lastly, from 13-15 June, Insurgence 6 is taking place in Birminham, UK. Guests include Paul Wesley, Steven R McQueen, Rick Cosnett, Zach Roerig, Todd Stashwick, and Michael Malarkey.

More info here.

Each of these cons offers its own unique activities but you can generally count on photo ops, meet & greets, and autograph opportunities. Also be aware that the scheduled guests are subject to change.

Anyone looking for an event with a wider scope should definitely plan to attend Terror Con, taking place in Providence, Rhode Island, from 7 to 6 June.

Terror Con features tons of guests from all branches of horror, sci fi, fantasy, and the paranormal (and for some reason professional wrestling), but the vampire-specific ones include Nicholas Brendan (Buffy), Fred Williamson (From Dusk Til Dawn), Vincent M Ward (True Blood), and Bobby Campo (Being Human).

A highlight of Terror Con has to be Karaoke with Nicholas Brendan. How perfectly Xander is that? The Scoobies would definitely approve.

There are also going to be psychic readings, panels, a costume contest, a live sideshow, and a film festival.

More info here.

Greetings From the Hell Mouth

When I say greetings from the hell mouth, I don't mean so much a physical location as a state of mind. But rather than get into that I'll just point you in the direction of this shirt, available from Shirt Punch until midnight tonight. I'm not affiliated with this company, but I do buy a lot of shirts from them and am a fan, so they get the Blood Lines seal of approval. Of course I've already ordered my Sunnydale shirt, as well as these past vamp-themed designs:

All designs are also available in hoodies, buttons, posters and a slew of other products. By the way, you can expect to start seeing regular(ish) posts on Blood Lines once more. Huzzah!

Death's Excellent Vacation

Spoilers Ahead

It's been awhile since I've read any short stories. I'm not generally a fan of the genre--you have to be Alice Munro to really pull it off (if you haven't read her Open Secrets, I highly recommend). But when Penguin sent me a review copy of Death's Excellent Vacation, a collection of paranormal short stories, I was excited to get into it. Unfortunately, I ended up disappointed.

First things first: out of the fourteen stories included, only five involve vampires (and in one of those there's only minor vamp action). Nevertheless, it's worth reading some of the other stories as well even if you're in it mainly for the vampires (particularly "The Innsmouth Nook" by A. Lee Martinez and "Meanwhile, Far Across the Caspian Sea..." by Daniel Stashower).

The first vampire story is "Two Blondes" by Charlaine Harris (who is also one of the editors of the book). Yes, it is a Sookie Stackhouse story (previously unpublished). Too bad it's also awful. The story revolves around Pam and Sookie (the two blondes of the title) spending a weekend in Tunica, Mississippi. What's supposed to be a vacation turns out to be a dangerous errand. Besides the preposterous premise, Harris spends way too much time on exposition and--worse--novel recaps. Given the limited number of pages you'd think it would have been obvious that more time should have been spent on story development. While the majority of "Two Blondes" is simply boring, the conclusion seems like it was created for (or by) skeezy high school boys with overwrought masturbatory fantasies. It's just bad. Harris didn't just phone this one in--she texted it.

Fang File: Pale humans with fangs that extend or retract at will. Sleep during the day and can't tolerate sunlight. They greet one another by nodding (no hand shaking). Elf blood is toxic to them.

Text Bite: "Pam put on her blinkers (she was an excellent driver) and following the signs, we pulled up in front of the casino/hotel where we had a reservation."

The next vampire story, "One for the Money" by Jeaniene Frost, is--thankfully--much better. In fact, it's my favourite story of the bunch. An offshoot of her Night Huntress novels (which I think I'll need to be checking out soon), "One for the Money" has vampires Cat and Bones teaming up with Cat's mom (a recently turned vampire) protecting a spoiled brat heiress from the various nasties out to kill her. This is one of the better-paced stories in the anthology, which is probably a big reason why it's also one of the better stories. It also doesn't hurt that it's an interesting story with decent tension and engaging characters. Clearly Frost can work as well in shorter form as in her longer pieces. Buffy fans might get a kick in seeing Ohio described as a "supernatural hotspot" (of course it is--there's a Hellmouth in Cleveland). And although I didn't get a real sense of it here, on her blog Felicia Day has described Bones as a Spike-like character (works for me).

Fang File: Heightened senses, super strength and speed. Ability to compel humans. Ability to see ghosts. Different vampires have different skills (Bones can fly, Cat can shoot flames from her hands). Sun, crosses, and stakes don't affect them. To kill you have to destroy a vampire's heart with silver.

Sound Bite: "Right. And we shrink back from crosses, can't travel over water, can't enter a home unless invited, and always get staked in the end by the righteous slayer. Really, who'd be afraid of a creature like that? All you'd need is a Bible, a tanning bed, and some holy water to send us shivering to our dooms."

Story number three, "Safe and Sound" by Jeff Abbott, isn't the most creative story I've ever read. It's about an obnoxious reporter named Nancy Grace Nora Dare who works for CNC ("Constant News Channel") and is obsessed with the case of a college student (Jason Kirk) who disappeared one night while on vacation on a Caribbean island. She's determined not to drop the story until Jason is found. None of the characters are exactly believable, especially when they're so exaggeratedly good or bad. It also seems to go on for too long and then rushes to the conclusion. But at least, unlike poor Natalee Holloway, Jason Kirk's story ends on a somewhat more positive note.

Fang File: Vampires only come out after dark. They can feed on animal or human blood. Ability to hypnotize humans and alter their memory.

Text Bite: "Nora had to decide whether to play that comment as a hurtful blow to the Kirk family or as an exciting, intriguing new twist in the story's worn fabric. She tilted her head again--she was known for the beauty and forcefulness of the head tilt--and decided the audience was hungry for a bit of the inspector's flesh."

"The Heart is Always Right" is an intriguing concept--the life of a gargoyle--marred by a poor execution and a predictable, cheesy ending. At least our hero (a nameless gargoyle) is interesting and sympathetic. Vampires make only a brief appearance.

Fang File: Vampires are minions of the "Big Bad" and are always found in the presence of kolthulu (squid demons). They can't speak when their fangs are out so they emit a whistling hiss instead.

Text Bite: "The lights were out here in the corner of the lot. That was the first wrong thing. The next was the thickness in the rainy air, like rancid soup. Last was the shadows crowding around, and the red pinprick lamps of eyes blinking on and off. What the hell? I dropped my plastic bags and my trueform shredded out through the mask of disguise."

This brings us to our final vampire story, "Pirate Dave's Haunted Amusement Park" by Toni L. P. Kelner, the other editor of Death's Excellent Vacation. The story, which does in fact feature an amusement park and a Pirate Dave, revolves around a newly turned werewolf visiting the amusement park of her childhood vacations and discovering a whole lot of sabotage going on. Teaming up with Pirate Dave (who turns out to be a vampire) they solve the mystery and find romance. There are no real twists to the concept and the pacing leaves something to be desired. The introduction is all right but everything after that is way too rushed, with no tension or build up of the story. It is, however, nice to see vampires and werewolves getting along for once. I think Kelner and Harris's stories serve to prove that editors should not include their own work in anthologies.

Fang File: Human appearance. Ability to glamour humans. Super speed. Can only come out at night.

Text Bite: Joyce: I thought we could go out for a bite. And for dessert we can come back here for a bite.
Vampire Pirate Dave: Prepare to be boarded.

Overall this is a book with a few decent stories and a lot of poor ones. If you're a diehard fan of the paranormal (there's a bit of everything to be found here, from squid monsters to gargoyles to leprechauns and even super heroes), borrow it from the library. The rest of you can feel free to give it a pass.

Death's Excellent Vacation, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner. From Ace Books (Penguin).

Trailer: Renfield the Undead

Speaking of anti-glitter vampires, prepare yourselves for Renfield the Undead, the latest take on the Dracula mythology, this time centred on Dracula's servant (and now successor) Renfield. Personally, my vote for the best version of a Dracula "sequel" goes to Buffy, both the show (Season 5 premiere episode "Buffy vs. Dracula") and the Season 8 comics (various issues). But that's not to say I'm not happy to check out all the latest additions to the Dracula mythos. Bring them on!


Renfield The Undead Trailer

Angel #26 "Boys and their Toys: Part 1"

Spoilers Ahead

It's been too long since I've had a chance to read any comics. Bad blogger--bad! But I have to say, after keeping busy with Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, it's good to take on something that approaches vampires from the other perspective, in this case Angel #26. Besides, I've missed my favourite fanged brooder. Well, I miss the whole Buffyverse in general, but you know what I mean.

I have to start by commenting on the cover art (by Stephen Mooney): Love it! I've seen some good covers in my day but this has to be the first simulated action-figure package . And really--how can you not love the Swivel Arm Battle-Grip Angel? Or that he comes with a blood packet, and that the dragon is sold separately (if you've been reading IDW's "After the Fall" Angel comics, that last part will make sense)? The cover of Issue #26 speaks directly to the geek in me, which is exactly the point, as I found out as soon as I turned the page.

I don't even know where to start with the win in this issue. The long anticipated (by me) return of Spike (and prominent role of Groo). The Hollywood take on LA going to Hell (with Spike as a chick). The sci-fi convention and requisite fanboys and girls. The group of demonic assassins in teddy bear costumes. The return of Janus-worshippers (although sadly not Ethan Rayne, RIP) and cursed costumes (as originally seen in Buffy Season 2, "Halloween"). Yeah, this issue left me giddy.

The basic story is that Angel heads to a sci-fi con to look for the flaming sword that formerly killed him and is now up for auction. Between the fans and assassins, there's a lot of interest in said sword, and Angel wants to know who ends up with it. Lucky him--he's got help in the form of Groo, Spike, and Jeremy (from Spike: After the Fall). Disguising themselves in the free costumes being handed out at the door, wackiness ensues when Janus is invoked and everyone turns into whatever they're wearing. Suddenly the place is awash in super heroes, ninjas, cuddly bears, and Angel himself. Want to guess which costume Spike was wearing when the spell hit? I always thought Spike was at his funniest when mocking Angel. It's not any less funny when it becomes self-mockery.

To say I can't wait to read the next issue is an understatement. Maybe the Buffyverse isn't so far away, after all.

Text Bite

Angel: Now he's going to move in and--
Giant Teddy Bear: Hugs are the key ingredient in a love casserole!
Angel: Um, he's going to move in and cuddle me within an inch of my life. This day just took the weirdest 180.

Angel Issue #26 "Boys and their Toys: Part 1"; art by Stephen Mooney and written by Brian Lynch. From IDW Publishing.

Angel #25

Spoilers Ahead

Wow--when I reviewed Angel #24 way back in August, I had no idea it would take me this long to get to issue #25. Hope it was worth the wait...

When we last saw Drusilla, she was in the process of escaping the confines of a pre-Fall LA insane asylum, on her way to unleashing her psychotic self on an unsuspecting city. Well, she never quite makes it outside the asylum. After indulging in a minor massacre, interspersed with memories of Angelus killing her family and turning her, Dru is suddenly overcome with visions of LA's imminent trip to hell. For some reason she decides to start drawing everything she's seeing, which is strange as that's hardly Drusilla's M.O. I'm also not really enjoying it as a plot device, but I think that's just me more than anything. It's actually pretty brilliant in a comics context. In a Drusilla context, however, I don't think it works (part of her immense charm is her speech).

Anyway, she apparently missed a couple of the doctors on her killing spree and they suddenly show up and start psychoanalyzing her through her drawings. Never mind about restraining her or--better still--keeping their distance from the woman who just slaughtered an entire hospital full of people; no, no--let's stop and look at the pretty drawings instead. She does warn them to run and save themselves, but of course they think it's all part of her delusions. Somehow she then has time to create an elaborate, full-colour drawing of a group of people glaring out at her. I recognize a few people in the group: her chaos demon ex, a doctor she killed in the last issue, the Anointed One, and--although it's hard to tell for sure--the nerdy vampire minion Dalton whom she handed over to The Judge in the Buffy episode "Surprise." I guess these are all supposed to be people she's wronged. The next thing we know she's vamping out and the entire group from her drawing is in the room--which seems to have attained warehouse-like proportions--with her.

The end is left ambiguous. Is Drusilla in her own hell? Has she somehow made it to to a more pleasant afterlife? Is it all just part of her insanity? Will we see her again? If there are answers to these questions, we're not about to find out anytime soon. There's also a repeated focus on a jewelled pendant in the flashback scenes--will it end up being important in future issues? Maybe, maybe not--but it didn't seem to go anywhere in this issue.

The artwork is nice in issue #25, particularly Franco Urru's cover; I can't get over how perfectly he's captured the essence of Drusilla. Inside, colour is used to full advantage, using limited palettes for the present and past, almost lurid colour for Dru's drawings, and light-filled tones for the ambiguous ending. Very nice indeed. There's some interesting framing, as well--you won't get bored looking at this issue, that's for sure.

There's also a few bonus pages of Juliet Landau photos where she's trying on different characters (the female Tyler Durden ones are great, but the ones of her as a blonde make me want to break out the black hair dye on her behalf). There are a couple of bonus pages of artwork too.

I have to say, though, that I found this issue fairly unsatisfying overall. Although the focus was Drusilla, there didn't seem to be enough of her. It also didn't resolve anything (like how did she end up in an insane asylum in the first place?) There are a lot of advantages to storytelling in comic format--namely the ability to have anything happen--but there are disadvantages as well. In a universe as elaborate as the Buffyverse, all too often we seem to be left with gaps and loose ends. To think you can capture all the storytelling ability of an episode of Buffy or Angel in one or two issues of a comic is ludicrous. I'm really hoping we have fewer one-offs and asides and more issues to do with the overall story arc. It's tiring to always be left with unanswered questions.

Text Bite

Drusilla: I wonder how long this will last?

Angel Issue #25; art by Franco Urru. Written by Juliet Landau and Brian Lynch. From IDW Publishing.

Angel vs Frankenstein

Spoilers Ahead

Let me start off by saying I'm not a fan of the concept of this issue. Do fictional characters really need to meet up with every other character from the same genre? Okay, I liked Dracula in the Buffyverse, but that made sense and fit with the overall mythology. I could even see another Frankenstein-like monster (à la Daryl Epps in Some Assembly Required) but the Frankenstein? This isn't Scooby Doo, people. But apparently someone felt the need to pit one prominent brow against the other, leaving the rest of us to ponder the mashup that is Angel[us] vs. Frankenstein.

That being said, the story is actually pretty good. Well-written (aside from a definite overuse of exclamation marks) and compelling, it left me wishing it wasn't just a one-shot. Angelus has a penchant for screwing over everyone he encounters, a "courtesy" he extends to Frankenstein's unnamed monster. Vowing vengeance against the vampire, the monster's best-laid plans go awry when Angelus proves to be more of a challenge than expected. The conclusion is satisfyingly punctuated with a question mark.

The artwork is also really well done, particularly the monster. Deviating from the classic green-skinned, bolted neck look, the monster is much more zombie-like in appearance--which is pretty much how you'd expect a reanimated corpse to look. It works. And unlike the average zombie, he also elicits a lot of empathy; I could easily read a comic devoted solely to this character. As someone not that into Frankenstein in any form, that's saying something.

Back to the artwork, the colouring is good, managing a lot of depth and mood with a limited palette. It's perfect for a Victorian monster tale. I also like the paper the comic is printed on: heavy and matte, it makes the comic feel more substantial. IDW has used this paper for a few other issues of Angel; they can feel free to use it more often.

Okay, so did Angel really need to share space with Frankenstein? Probably not, but I'm kind of glad he did. After so many recent disappointments with other comics/books/movies/TV shows, this one turned out to be an exceptionally pleasant surprise. Well done.

Fang Files

Appearance: Pale human until the vampire chooses to show their "true" face: bumpy, animalistic features; yellow eyes; prominent fangs. Staked vampires turn to dust.

Strengths: Super strength, super speed, no need to breathe, enhanced sense of smell, awesome martial arts skills.

Weaknesses: Sunlight, stakes.

Mythology: Need to be invited into a private home (but not public spaces like inns).

Text Bites

The Monster: (after Angelus pulls them both into the river) You fool! The current is carrying us toward the villagers!
Angelus: That frets me not at all! I don't have to breathe!


Angel vs Frankenstein one-shot. Art and story by John Byrne. From IDW.