The interview is being broadcast tomorrow, but you can download the interview now as a podcast from iTunes. And when they got to the fan question part at 20:55, she was the first one up:

This is from Teresa Bridges, who I think must have sent about 5,000 questions, she would much rather be standing here than me, but this is the question: "Help us out, for all of us who are battling our obsession with you: give us a fault or two of yours."

Didn't get a conclusive answer from him to that question (although she did finally learn a new personal fact about Jon that she probably could have done without, and which she realized has been used as the promo for the show for the last few days) but as it turned out, out of the four fan questions Jones asked, two of them were actually from Teres because he mistakenly asked another of hers and attributed it instead to a fan from Edinburgh. Now she's conflicted about how excited to be, and feeling a bit bad for the fan who's real question didn't get used.

(Well, not too conflicted. She's still psyched. Hell, she's been bouncing off the walls for days ever since she got the e-mail response that her question was chosen and "Jon says hi.")

Personally, I think that if two of her questions were chosen out of the hundreds or thousands Jones received, she should get a crack at interviewing Jon herself. Well? Entertainment Weekly? Rolling Stone? Hello?

Note: the podcast may not be the entire interview, we don't know yet. There were a few places where it was edited, and it's supposed to run in four parts from Monday to Thursday, so it's entirely possible there are more questions than just the four. Still seriously cool, though.

Click here to read (or listen!) to the interview.

You have a knack for attracting obsessive fans. What do you think they see in your work?

An obsessive fan…

This is an obsessive fan asking that.

Yes, I am one, too. That’s what I am, that’s what I grew up as. The things I love, I love very hard. And that’s the kind of… and it’s usually genre stuff, which also attracts that type. You know, the world of imagination; when people enter any world that’s not our own they’re working in a different way than if it’s just a straight drama, no matter how great. It could be the “West Wing,” it’s great but there’s a different level when you add an element of fantasy. Particularly when you add song. It allows people to lose themselves, and [in an exaggerated arch voice] “find themselves.”

Yes, I am a new-age calendar. But I’m not wrong.

"Cosplaying," short for "costume playing," has grown from throwing on a Halloween costume to a full-fledged subculture of people who devote great amounts of time, money and attention on crafting their characters in every detail. Cosplayers often attends cons in themed groups, posing for pictures and role-playing their chosen characters as much as a convention center will allow.

For most cosplayers it's a fun hobby, but Yaya Han, professional costume designer, model and cosplay entertainer (and celebrity guest at this weekend's FX convention in Orlando), does it full time.  She spoke to me recently about being other people for a living.

Why dress up for a convention? What do you get out of it?

It started out as a way to express my fandom. At the beginning it was just fun to portrait my favorite characters and interact with other fans. Costuming makes the most bold statement about what your fandom is, anyone can see what show you like from across the hall. It's a lot more creative and eye-catching than, say, wearing a shirt with the show's name on it, and it brightens the whole convention hall, which without costumers would be just a bunch of people in T-shirt and jeans.

In the last several years costuming has become more than just fun, it's
turned into my career. I make all of my own costumes as well as design
for customers such as TV production companies, clubs, and
photographers. I also make regular guest appearances at conventions to
teach panels and workshops on costuming, judge and/or host contests,
and meet my own fans and sign photos.

On top of all that, I an an exhibitor (vendor) at over 20 conventions
per year, selling my hand crafted costume accessories and items to the
general public.

So simple dressing up has led to a solid, integrated presence in the fandom community for me.

How long have you been cosplaying? How did you get started?

My first anime convention in the US was Anime Expo '99, and I went as
an artist showcasing and selling my work in the art show. From seeing
photos of the convention beforehand I knew people dressed up in
costumes that weekend, so I brought a kimono to wear and with the help
of a friend sewed a really simple costume. That was the first time I
used a sewing machine!

After that I was hooked like crazy. Until then the possibility of
dressing as your favorite manga/anime character never occurred to me so
all of a sudden the flood gates opened and all I could think about was
who to cosplay next! lol.

How do you choose which costumes to do next?

For replicating an existing character, It's a combination of love for
the character and the design of the costume. There has to be both for
me to want to spend the time and effort on making the outfit. For
designing my own costume, I get inspired by almost anything – music,
books, artwork and photos, movies etc. Usually something strikes me and
I become obsessed with turning an idea into a costume, and I start
sketching and looking for materials immediately. Deciding on a new
costume to make is very exhilarating, and I love the process of making
a costume even more than wearing it.

How much does each one cost, and how long do they take to make?

They cost between $50 – $600+, depending on complexity, and I have
spent as little time as 6 hours on a costume, and devoted more than 5
weeks to one. I have become much faster at sewing and crafting these
days so outfits that used to take 2 weeks I can now finish in a few
days.

Which ones are your favorites?

I love all my costumes, and it's hard to pick favorites. But if I had
to, these following ones were especially fun to make or fun to wear:

Baelfir the Fire Fairy because I put so much time and love into the
costume, even when I had no idea what I was doing, lol. I would like to
re-make this costume with the knowledge I have now.

Lady Deathstrike (from the "X-Men" comics and movies) because it is so fun to take fighting photos with everyone at conventions!

Empyrean Eyes, my Peacock costume, is one of my favorite original
designs. It's really comfortable to wear and easy to get into, but has
many textures and layers. I feel very elegant in it!

Which one do you think is the closest to your personality?

Ada Wong (from "Resident Evil") because I love posing with guns and she's such a kickass character.

Do you mind when people stop you to take pictures?

Of course not. As with every costumer, getting your photo taken is part
of dressing up. About the only time I do not enjoy photos of me to be
snapped is while I'm eating lol. You'd be surprised how often that
happens actually, to all of us costumers!

With all the attention, do you ever get to relax enough to have fun at a con?

I always make time for fun! The greatest benefit of traveling to over
20 cons per year is to see and meet people, and I am a lucky girl who
gets to see many of her friends who are scattered across the country.
Yes, it can be insane, getting up at 6 a.m. to go set up a booth, then
sell all day, and meanwhile dress up in costume and take photos, etc.
But I enjoy the cons a lot and at the end of day there is always a
group of us heading to dinner and then to hang out and chill.

Will you be cosplaying this weekend at FX?

All three days! I am bringing costumes for general wear and for
scheduled photoshoots. You will be able to find me at booth #1019 with
CMI Toys, signing photos and in costume. I will also have items from my
cosplay store available.

What advice would you give beginner cosplayers?

Have fun for yourself, don't dress up in costumes for attention or to
fit in – those are not fulfilling reasons to put all this time and
effort into a hobby. Really try to find the joy in researching and
making your costumes – you can google for just about any crafting and
sewing technique these days and there are many tutorials.

Also, don't judge other people and their costumes, and don't let them judge you either. Just go have a blast!

You don't have to be a professional seamstress or model to cosplay, of course. At least month's MegaCon Crystal Rodriquez of Palm Coast became Mia the Unicorn, based on "Peter S. Beagle's Last Unicorn, the Unicorn Tapestries, and a little bit of My
Little Pony." Mia was her Rodriquez's first costume, and it changed her con experience dramatically.

"Normally I go to conventions in a t-shirt and jeans and always enjoyed shopping
and taking pictures of cosplayers," she said. "Megacon 2009 was Mia's debut and the
reception I got, I could never have predicted it would be that big. At one point
in the costume, a 5-minute walk took me 45 minutes because everyone stopped me
for pictures. I've never been the center of attention before and it was very
new, but I enjoyed every minute of it."

Christian Mercado, 18, from Apopka, cosplays at every convention he attends. "I wouldn't have it any other way!" he said. "It's definitely a completely different experience going in costume! It is so much more fun, in my opinion. And it's immensely satisfying when people come up to you to take pictures and compliment on your work!"

Which characters does Mercado cosplay? It might be easier to list the ones he has not. "Being a Star Wars junkie, my first costume ever made was my Darth Vader, which was used for a movie themed Christmas showcase in December of 2007," he said. His other costumes have included "the original Joker from Batman, Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Garindan from Star Wars, a New Republic Jedi from Star Wars, Mario from Super Mario Brothers, a Nazgul (Ringwraith) from Lord of The Rings, Rorschach from Watchmen, Luffy from One Piece, and Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. I have also made my own interpretations of characters from either books or series that have pretty generalized characters, such as the Thought Police from the book '1984,' The Pirate King from the musical Pirates of Penzance, a Robot based off the ones in the Animatrix, and a Hollow from Bleach. I'm also currently working on cosplaying Light Yagami from Death Note, Son Goku from Saiyuki, and Auron from Final Fantasy X!"

"It's just so much fun walking into a hall or (dealers) room and seeing people scramble to take pictures of you and your friends," Mercado said. "Good memories and tons of fun!"

You can find more about cosplaying and plenty of pictures of Yaya Han in costume — along with details on the characters and what each costume entailed — at her website AngelicStar.net. Don't miss seeing her (and many, many other cosplayers) at this weekend's FX convention at the Orange City Convention Center in Orlando. And if you're interested in giving it a shot yourself, you can check out sites like cosplay.com or even my own tips on cosplaying here.

All Yaya Han images © AngelicStar.net and the respective photographers, used by permission. Mia image © C. A. Bridges. Rorshach image © Christian Mercado.

Well, you wouldn't, actually, because trying to boil it down to a single word would probably do nasty things to your brainmeat. But then again, so does his work. It might be easier to describe the sorts of things this Australian commercial-artist-turned-comics-superstar does, and let you draw your own conclusions.

- Artist and co-creator with Steve Niles of "30 Days of Night" (and many spinoffs), about a vampire gang living in Alaska. Became a movie with Josh Hartnett, Melissa George and Danny Huston. Nominated for an Eisner Award, comics' highest honor. Won the Spike TV Scream Award for Best Comic.
- Creator of "Wormword: Gentleman Corpse," about an extra-dimensional sentient maggot that embodies corpses in order to drink Guinness and, occasionally, save the world. Hardback collection made the New York Times Bestseller list.
- Artist for "Fell," written by Warren Ellis, about an honorable detective in a city gone feral. Nominated for an Eisner Award three years running.
- Creator of "Welcome to Hosford," where a prison run by Russian werewolves gets a new inmate/hunt victim named Ray Delgado, who turns out to be just the right kind of delusional murderer to fight back.
- Artist for "Groom Lake," written by Chris Ryall, about the day-to-day job of keeping UFOs secret.

Templesmith will be attending the FX convention in Orlando this weekend, and took a moment to talk to me about it.

Vampires, werewolves, corpses, inexplicable Nixon-mask-wearing nuns… Is the inside of your head a safe place to be?

Absolutely. It's the guys that draw cutesy crap, the Mickey Mouse guys, who you need to worry about. They internalize everything, until it all boils over. Me? I get it all out onto the page, so I'm honestly a nice guy if you were to meet me face to face. Well, except for my small baby eating habit.

How did you get started in comics?

An art director for
Todd McFarlane Productions ( He's the guy that created Spawn, etc ) saw
my work online at my website and offered me a job. That's it in a
nutshell.

Are there any artists that have influenced you? I see a bit of Sienkiewicz in there…

Can't
claim to be a huge Sienkiewicz fan. Didn't grow up looking at his work
at all really. I did however, grow up admiring people who were heavily
influenced by him, so I'm more second generation on that. However, my
real early influences are Ralph Steadman and Victor Ambrus, two non-comic guys.

What attracts you to the comics medium? Do you have plans to do more work with movies?

For
me, it's about telling stories. To be able to control the visuals, the
pacing and get your ideas out there in rather pure form. It's most
definitely my medium of choice but I am, these days, looking at other
media. I get asked about doing things elsewhere all the time now though
I'll always go back to comics.

What's your typical work day like?

Right
now, until June, I actually work out of one of my publisher's offices on actual office hours, which kills me. (I'm a night owl usually) So I
wake up at an ungodly early hour, grab a coffee, head into work around
9 a.m., sit there and draw/paint/twitter etc until 6 p.m., then go home
and collapse or simply do a bit more work. My natural work flow for
years has been to wake up around 12 p.m., chill out, grab some food
then work through til the early morning at my home studio, crash into
bed, then repeat the next day. I'm no good at the standard office
hours.

And your con day?

Not as fun an answer.
Wake up, ungodly early (since I was probably out late drinking with pro
friends the previous night), drag myself into the con, sit at my booth
and proceed to draw commissions and meet fans. That's really about it.
I rarely leave my booth since I get a steady stream of people to meet
and greet, then when the con closes all the pros go out and catch up.

Why do you go to cons? Do you primarily come to sell, to meet fans, or to see colleagues? Or is it a soul-gathering thing?

Primarily
it's to meet and greet the kind of people who buy my work which allow me
to pay my rent. Recently I've brought stuff to actually sell, which
people seem to like. Meeting fellow pros is also a highlight as
generally comics can be a rather solitary profession, notwithstanding
the internet chats.

Do whimsical horror writer/artists get a different class of fans at cons?

No idea. I get some very friendly and dedicated people. A particular niche demographic I guess. I'm lucky to have anyone!

Has anyone come up to you in a Wormword costume?

More
and more. About 5 now. Each time, they get better and better, so the
most impressive one was at my last con. No one has yet dressed up as
any of the demonic strippers with living tattoos as yet though. (Hint
hint hint…)

What's your favorite con experience, either as guest or fan?

Coming
from Australia, I never grew up going to cons, so my only convention
experience was as a professional basically. As a guest, I don't have to
pay to get in, I know that!

Will you be at the Drink and Draw event Friday night?

If it's at a bar, no doubt I will be. I am Australian, I think I lose my citizenship if I *don't* turn up.

You can find more about Ben Templesmith at his site Templesmith.com, and you can probably find out far more than you ever wanted to know about Ben Templesmith by following his frequently updated Twitter account. And be sure to look for him — and over 170 other artists and writers including Special Guest of Honor Michael Golden ("Batman," "Vampirella," "Captain
America," "Micronauts"), Olivier Coipel ("Thor"), Mark Texeira ("Moon Knight," "Ghost Rider"), Frank Brunner ("Doctor Strange," "Conan the Barbarian," "Red Sonja," "Vampirella," "Man-Thing," "Silver Surfer") and many more.
Avatar Press will be making its first U.S. convention appearance, with
limited edition comics made especially for this FX con, and editors
from Marvel Comics will be holding panels and making announcements. And
don't miss Creators Alley filled with more than a hundred artists of
all disciplines displaying their work. — this weekend at FX 2009.

(All images © Ben Templesmith and/or IDW Publishng, used by permission)

As we get closer to FX 2009, the massive pop culture convention coming to the Orange County Convention Center this weekend, it's time to dig a little and see what you can expect. First up, a few words from FX's Director of Exhibitions Michael Herz.

It's been 20 years. How did FX get started?

The first show was actually in Tampa in 1989, it was promoted by Bruce Zalkin and called the Tampa Toyfest. Meanwhile, I was promoting the Character and Collectible Show in Maryland. Bruce and I got together in 1990 and in 1991 changed the name to the Florida eXtravaganza (FX). We ran it together until 1997, and I bought it back from him in 2004. In 2007, the show became to big for me to run myself anymore and I took a corporate partner, that's when it became FX International.

What have your attendance numbers since it started?

We've gone from maybe 300 in 1990 to 10,000 in 1996, to 3,500 in 2004 and back up to an expected attendance this year of at least 20,000.

How do you set yourself apart from MegaCon and other scifi/comic conventions in the area?

My dream has always been to be different from the other big events. We want FX to be everything for everyone: A collectible toy show, a comic-con, a sci-i-fi show, a horror show, a sports show, with anime and gaming events and panels and celebrities,your basic pop-culture overload circus! I have always strived to bring in new and different genres and cutting edge activities. This year we have added the celebrity poker challenge, the Drink and Draw, The Disney Pin event, the Sports Pavilion and Project Vinyl has been amped up from prior years. I am always very interested in anything that supports art and artists of any genre, so we have a lot of art-centered events this year.

What's the biggest hassle of organizing what is essentially a small town in an even smaller room?

That's
a good analogy! There are a lot of hassles involved with promoting an
event of the size and scope of FX. I think the biggest one is that
everyone waits until the last second to get involved. Dealers,
industry, sponsors all wait until we become a blip on their radar,
which in most cases is in the last 60 – 90 days before the show. So our
staff is heavily involved in logistical tasks that could have been done
many months earlier, rather than the promotion and advertising. It
makes the last days before the show days of high stress and no sleep.

How much of the con is handled by volunteers?

We
have a huge group of wonderful, talented and loyal volunteers, I'd
adopt them all if I could. They make up about two third of the show
staff.

How do you decide which guests to invite?

Do
you remember when you were a kid throwing sharpened pencils at the
ceiling tiles to see how many you could make stick? Same thing. We all
brainstorm and come up with an A-list, then I start making offers. I
probably wind up making 8 – 10 times as many offers as I get in final
guests. I try to bring in guests from vintage entertainment that I
would consider icons. I also strive to bring in fresh hot stars and
guests from cult favorites. No matter who we get, I like for them to be
fresh newcomers to the show circuit.

Do you have a favorite guest story (that you can tell us)?

I
have quite a few of my favorites that I can't tell you! When I retire
from this business call me and we'll write a book. I have a couple of
sharable faves. One involves Hayden Panetierre. I was sitting with her
as her handler (actually at the New York Comic Con) when a young man,
probably 18ish, approached with his photo to be signed and he was
trembling and I don't mean slightly, this guy was shaking from head to
toe. He handed her the photo in a motion that looked like he was
fanning her and she said, "you're shaking, are you OK?" He replied back
that he was nervous meeting her.

Hayden gently took his hand
in hers and said that there was no reason to be nervous that she is a
person just like him. He almost immediately calmed down. The encounter
obviously made his month. She is great with the fans.

Another
favorite involved Nathan Fillion at FX last year. A handicapped woman
on a motorized scooter had just gotten her autograph from Nathan. He
very nicely asked if he could borrow the scooter for a moment, she said
yes, and he proceeded to tear around the exhibit floor on it, it was
very funny. Some of the ride was captured on video and is available on
YouTube. Nathan's the best all around guest we've ever had at FX.

Do you get the sense that FX attendees are a community unto themselves?

Yes,
it is like a reunion every year. I think that log distance friends plan
to get together to attend each year. It is the same with our staff.

FX
runs from Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19 at the Orange County
Convention Center on International Drive in Orlando. You can find more details here, and schedules, guest lists, and ticket information at fxshow.com

New Orleans:
What is the force of a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick?

John Hodgman: The force of a single roundhouse kick from Chuck Norris=one American Chuck.

In England, however, they use the old Imperial Chuck, which is the equivalents to 1.34 American Chucks. 

That is all.

Kidd talked to Time.com about his work, his love of books, his deep and abiding affection for bizarre Batman memorabilia, and his own favorite work:

Aside from ones you've worked on, what are some of your recent favorite book jackets?

The cover for James Frey's A Million Little Pieces. Since all that's happened with that book, the cover is the only aspect of it that has emerged with its dignity intact. The cover works regardless of whether it's a novel or a memoir or what have you.

Ben Mund, that is, he of the amazing Firefly and Serenity replicas. Light years ahead of most of the replica designers through his attention to detail and personal style, Ben devised his own stuff for years, often featured here and sold through eBay. His work, unofficial though it was, was even admired by Geoff Mandel, graphic designer for Serenity. Ben was later snapped up by QMx to make even better (and licensed) stuff because QMX are not fools.

Ben talked to the Sending a Wave podcast crew for a satisfyingly long time about his inspirations, how he does what he does, and his love for all things versy.

Fortunately, laughing comes easy when Jane's around. Her writing for Buffy, Angel, and Firefly always included wonderful character moments and plenty of humor mixed in with the drama — she wrote the Firefly episode "Shindig," for those of you coming in late — and in the first book she edited for BenBella's SmartPop line, "Finding Serenity," she brought together writers, fans, psychologists, and even a ship's engineer to talk about what Joss Whedon's worlds meant to them. Now this one — written with the knowledge gained from the movie — calls on more writers, more fans, a physics professor, a CG guy, and the captain himself to open up a little. (Check out my chapter-by-chapter review here) She stopped by SerenityStuff on her blog tour to answer a few questions for us. Hi Jane!

SS: For "Serenity Found," did you have a theme in mind? Apart from, you know, "Serenity"?
 
Jane: I can't say there was a conscious theme, although I think everyone involved was focused on the idea of perspectives, if you want to call it that.  The idea was to get intelligent points of view from as many different angles as possible.  I'm really pleased with how there isn't  overlap between the essays — some see the show from the inside, some from the outside, some with an eye to artistic analysis, others to political or social analysis, some looking to fit the show/movie into its larger place in history or sci-fi literature… Every essay has a really different reason to exist and a very individual point to make.  So yeah, let's say "Perspectives." 
 
SS: There has been a surprisingly large amount of excellent essays and commentary written on this half-season show and movie. Are there any more elements of Firefly/Serenity you'd still like to see explored?
 
Jane: How about a book about a second movie?  Who's with me?!
 
Actually, I'm pretty much serious about that.  I'm always even more interested in the extension of a world than the analysis of it.  
 
But in terms of analysis, the thing I'm still waiting for is more from Joss about how *he* sees the show now as he looks back at it.  For now, we'll have to glean it from interviews and such, but some day I hope he writes down his take on the show, the movie, and the robust fandom that still thrives. 
 
SS: If "Firefly" had not been cancelled, how would you have worked Jonathan in?
 
Jane: Ah, Jonathan.  It's hard to get him into space, I guess.  But the actor — the delightful Danny Strong — would've been great as some sort of surprisingly dangerous foe — maybe an unexpected man from Zoe's past.   Of course, Danny's all busy now, writing big movies for HBO.   
 
SS: Staff and actors from Whedonverse shows have been spreading out through other TV shows. Have you noticed Joss' influence on storytelling spreading? Is it some kind of cult thing?
 
Jane: Hee!  I always talk about how Buffy fans, unlike any others I've encountered, indulge in the "Cult of the Writer" — how a lot of us continue to get outsized fan love because of our connection to Buffy, in a way that doesn't happen with alums from other shows.  And, yeah, the Dear Leader of that cult is Joss — he's the one who determined what a Buffy episode was, and in fact, shaped every single story.  He sent us all out into our subsequent jobs asking "What's this story *really* about?"  "Why are we telling this story?"  "What is the emotional impact of this story on the main character?" "How is our hero taking a heroic action?"  So, in that way, certainly, the Buffy Way has spread.  
 
It's also spread, of course, without any one Buffy alum having to be there to do it.  Some Buffy *fans* have shows of their own now, of course, since TV writers were among those who loved the show.  I think you see this reflected in the number of pilots that are being written and purchased now in which drama and comedy and a certain self-aware whimsy are mixed.   
 
SS: Were there essays you didn't use? Enough for, say, a third book?
 
Jane: I think all the berries went into the pie.  If there's going to be third book ("Serenity Regained", anyone?), then we'll have to go out and pick some juicy new essays.  I don't think we'll run out.  There seem to be many ways to look at a firefly.

—————————

"Serenity Found" is on sale now, available from Amazon, from BenBella Books, and from your local bookseller.

Unless, of course, your name is April Norton. In that case you just won a free copy of "Serenity Found," signed by the Jane herself. Congratulations! And thanks to BenBella Books for setting this up. And, you know, for publishing the books. More, please.

Jane is off to her next blog tour stop — here's the full list — but you can find even more Jane at her blog, one of the best off-the-cuff resources for any screenwriter, aspiring or professional. Several times a week she gives you inside tips on writing spec scripts, answers questions about the industry, and occasionally lets slip some fun tidbits.

It's called "Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby?" and if you've ever made a friend online you will not be able to read this book without smiling. Allyson is not just a fan, she's a fan who can mobilize other fans. She started the Posting Board Parties for Angel, led the postcard campaign and wrote the famous Variety ad for "Firefly," and offered support for countless numbers of people she never actually met. And in 17 essays she captures the feel, the love, the responsibilities and affections and fun and manic behavior and cheerful obsession of fandom. She talks about organizing cons, mail-in campaigns, parties, and last-minute weddings. You'll find out how to handle trolls, deal with sock puppets, and argue with uppity showrunners. You'll see the transcript of the night a group of people on a forum abruptly decided to raise money to bring a much-loved, never-met friend over from Israel and the speed with which the thought became the deed will look awfully familiar. You'll laugh and get sniffly and most of all, you'll recognize the people she's talking about because you are the people she's talking about. Sometimes literally, especially if you've ever hung around The Bronze or Whedonesque…
 
Q: You wrote a freaking book! How cool is that?
 
I’m having a hard time letting it sink in. I’ve always had this romantic view of writers, all smart and mysterious behind their typewriters. And then an idiot like me gets published. Standards have gone down the toilet, obviously.
 
I’m so pathetic that I went to Barnes & Noble the day after they shelved it so I could stare at the endcap display and try to burn it into my brain, just in case I never sell another book. I was on the same display with Woody Allen, Gabe Kaplan, and The Big Book of Jewish Humor. I’m on the Jewcap. My people are a funny people, apparently.

 
Q: So, why get so obsessed over a TV show, anyway?
 
People like to get lost in a good story, they always have. There’s a sort of ying and yang element to good storytelling of both escapism from one’s own life, and engaging in another life, even if it’s a fictional one. It’s the same with film, books, any medium of storytelling. Television shows are mostly serialized, so you’re getting a story in chapters, over a long period of time. There’s the anticipation of waiting for the next chapter that I think makes it appear more obsessive. It’s just like people waiting for the next Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movie. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. The anticipation leads to speculation, and speculation leads to obsessing. The medium itself is prone to obsession.
 
Television gets a bad rap for some odd reason I don’t understand. Whether I’m reading a book, watching a film, or watching television, I’m still making the same assgroove on my couch and experiencing a story in the same way.
 
Q: Why do you think people get looked down upon for being an active fan of a TV show and not, as you noted, for being an active fan of a sports team?
 
In the book, I’m specifically discussing scifi television, and not, say, “Rescue Me” or “Friday Night Lights” or even “Dexter.” Those shows also feature lots of people talking and having feelings and such, but they take place in the “real” world. And I think that’s where the disconnect is. Like there’s something wrong with being able to suspend so much disbelief as to get all torn up by a story about a morose vampire. There’s a different level of imagination going on.  That said, I’m an active fan of the Red Sox, and going to a game brings the same sort of emotions. Every game is a story, with drama, suspense, heartache, and joy. Sports writers are more eloquent on this matter than I.  I didn’t really answer your question, but I used lots of words so that should count for something.
 
Q: Reading the book, I get the feeling that you could have gone on for eight or nine more books. How did you decide which stories to put in?
 
Well, there are lots more stories, but some are more private anecdotes that I just like to keep for myself. Some stories would hurt people’s feelings, and I’m not out to do that. With this book, my main concern was explaining one of the actual positive uses of the Internet; enabling relationships to bloom between people who wouldn’t otherwise know each other, because geography isn’t a factor. I pulled together the stories I felt would strike that particular chord.
 
Then some things are just anecdotes. Right around the time "Serenity" was released, I was in the grocery store and I overheard a group of fans by the dairy case talking about the series. They walked past me and one guy was passionately defending his theory by throwing down about something Tim Minear said on the DVD commentary. I called Tim and said, “Dude, some guy in front of the Oscar Meyer lunch meat is PISSED at you.”
 
It’s a cute anecdote, but it’s not really a whole essay, and there wasn’t anywhere I could hammer it in without it reading awkward.
 
Q: I remember reading the "Firefly" essay a few years back. Initially you didn't like the show, but you praised some of the later episodes. Now that we've seen all the shows and the movie, have you changed your opinion of the early episodes?
 
No. I’m not a big fan of "Firefly," and "Serenity" made my eyes roll out of my head and down the theatre steps. I liked "Out of Gas," "Objects in Space," and "War Stories." I know, it’s some kind of blasphemy to say that in some quarters. I didn’t love the show, but I loved the people who made the show. When it was dying, I wanted to save it because Tim loved it so much, and I focused on its good qualities. I think of it as Tim’s ugly child. I felt bad for the poor noodle and wished it a happy life, but I just couldn’t look at it for very long.
 
Q: Has online fandom changed any since you've been here?
 
It’s bigger, of course, so it makes it seem crazier. There’s always been a crazy contingency, but as computers and internet connections got cheaper and more common, a lot more crazy people had access to let their crazy hang out for all to see. The existence of Fandom_Wank, the community that exists to celebrate the craziest of crazy fans didn’t exist back then, so we thought our drama was all VERY SERIOUS and not wank at all. When I read through their threads, I’m laughing just as hard at my own fannish behavior. I remember behaving like an ass. I still do. Fandom hasn’t changed since paper ‘zines. It’s just gone global.
 
Q: Most new shows work hard to try and generate fan buzz, with varying degrees of success. Do you think targeted cult status is effective, or is that something that just happens?
 
Targeted cult status doesn’t work for the same reason that little kids run screaming from clowns and large adults in Winnie the Pooh or Santa Claus costumes. It’s obviously phony, and more than a little creepy. Cult status is achieved through authenticity. Trying to force people to sit on your crappy show’s lap for a Polaroid usually ends in tears and piss-soaked pants. If I knew how cult status could be synthesized and bottled, I’d be a rich woman.
 
Q: Has last year's Flanvention II meltdown (which later became the fan-salvaged Browncoat Backup Bash) had any effect on how fan events are handled?
 
I’m unsure. I only know how I handle events. I’ve thrown some great ones and some stinkers. But I’m very egalitarian about fan parties. They should be affordable. I don’t pay actors to attend. I like fans to feel like they’ve stumbled in on a wrap party, and that the show is part of the process, it should feel like an honor for both the fans and the cast and crew. Plus I feel like it’s a bizarre thing to have to pay to shake someone’s hand and tell them I love their work. One thing that didn’t make it into the book was that when we threw the LOST party a few years back, JJ Abrams and Brian Burk refused to let us pay for the bar. We had underestimated it, and it was going to come out of our pockets. While we were chewing our nails about our future credit card bills, word traveled and I heard JJ’s wife say, “No, they’re not. JJ will pay it." And he and Brian Burk argued over who got the honor of the bar bill. Meanwhile, Greg Grunberg was borrowing a fan’s cell phone to call the fan’s mom and say hello. That’s as it should be. A partnership of sorts. It’s that authenticity I was talking about earlier. I have a distaste for the con/party combo. Pick one idea and do it well. Don’t spend more than you can afford to lose. I hope that’s the lesson that comes out of it for any future planners.
 
Q: What shows are you watching now?
 
I’m anxiously waiting for Dexter’s return. That’s about it. My neighbors and I just fixed up the garden in back of our building, so I do a lot of my writing outside, where there’s no television. Randomly, I wish someone would make a series out of Max Brook’s "World War Z." Do you know anyone who could get on that? Zombies never get a series. It’s so unfair.
 
Q: How many distinct fandoms are you actively participating in these days?
 
I’m not really active in any current fandom. I read Warren Ellis’ chunk of the Internet a lot, but I don’t really actively participate. I think I’ll be tethered to the BtVS/Angel fandoms for the rest of my life, but I’m okay with that. We don’t talk about the shows much anymore, but the board I participate in daily started out as a Buffy thread at Salon.com. It’s more like something we shared in common, once. The conversations evolved into who we are rather than what we watch.
 
Q: You've visited the sets of "Firefly," "The Inside," and "Drive." Are you carrying a curse? And could you visit "According to Jim" next?
 
My first stop is "John from Cincinnati." Oh David Milch. WHY?
 
Q: Have you ever seen a show go down that you weren't a fan of, and thought, "Yeah, I coulda saved it…"
 
No. I’ve never saved a show, so there’s no reason for me to get my ego on.
 
Q: If I wanted to save a show today, what would I need to do? What should I avoid?
 
Trying to save a show.
 
Q: You mentioned that sending studios iconic items (like sending blue gloves to FOX) is useless and potentially damaging. What did you think about the apparently successful Nuts for Jericho campaign?
 
I think if you scratched the surface, you’d find that "Jericho" wasn’t saved by nuts any more than "Roswell" was saved by Tabasco. It’s a business, and it’s lovely PR to say that there were just SO MANY fans watching they weren’t aware of, and so of course they had to order more episodes and then they purchased the biggest goose in the window for Tiny Tim. Or, I’m cynical and nuts really did save "Jericho." God bless us, every one.
 
Q: If the book is successful, will there be more?
 
Yes. I’m working on the next book, now. It’s not unlike a television series where if the numbers are good, you get renewed.
 
Q: Does Joss know your name now?
 
No. But he once sent me a handwritten thank you card for a gift I organized when his son was born. We sent him a basket of children’s books and donated a chunk of money to a charity that gives books to kids who can’t otherwise afford them. He loved it, and was especially grateful for the charity donation. Plus, in all fairness, he frequently forgot his Whedonesque password, and it was his wife’s name (since changed)(the password, not the wife).==========================

"Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby?" is scheduled to be released August 1, but you can get it at your local Barnes & Noble or at barnesandnoble.com right now, and you really should. Or if you prefer you can preorder it at Amazon. Paperback, 272 pages. Allyson is a lot of fun to read, even if she does have odd tastes. "Tim’s ugly child," indeed. Mutter, mutter mutter…