Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Festival pays tribute to show

Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic

Craig Younger and Nancy Textor are helping organize a Buffy The Vampire Slayer festival for fans in Chandler. Younger, who owns the three cardboard characters, says the show has "excellent mythology."

Craig Younger and Nancy Textor are helping organize a Buffy The Vampire Slayer festival for fans in Chandler. Younger, who owns the three cardboard characters, says the show has "excellent mythology."

’Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ will not die

Edythe Jensen The Arizona Republic Jan. 14, 2004 12:00 AM

he television show may have been canceled, but East Valley Buffy The Vampire Slayer fans are making plans to pay tribute to their science fiction heroine at local happenings and discussion groups.

"The show has excellent writing, good characters, excellent mythology," said Chandler Public Information Officer Craig Younger, a 40-year-old fan who once stood his three life-size cardboard Buffy characters in the front window of his house.

"People walking by would wave," he said.

Younger and the library staff are organizing a city-sponsored Buffy festival in March or April with costume, trivia and art contests. The event will follow a private convention Feb. 15 at the Mesa Hilton.

Fans have signed up to help in Chandler; among them is science fiction author Jacqueline Lichtenberg, 62, of Sun Lakes; Chandler electrical engineer Cherri Muñoz, 51; and Tempe city worker Jennifer Elton, 31.

A contributing author to the book Seven Seasons of Buffy, Lichtenberg has been writing science fiction for three decades. Her 1975 book, Star Trek Lives!, is in its eighth printing, she said.

"I was totally sucked into this show by the relationship of Buffy and Angel," Lichtenberg said. "It’s a unique blend of horror, comedy and action . . . a new genre I call intimate adventure."

Fans, she said, are intellectuals, "not just a bunch of people being silly."

Lichtenberg says she doesn’t own Buffy collectibles, but not because she wouldn’t like to.

"My house is up to the ceiling in Star Trek stuff," she said.

Women say they love the relationship between the Buffy characters.

"My husband watched the show, and I always thought it was a cheesy high -school thing," said Elton, who has volunteered to help with the Chandler event. "But then I gave it a shot, and I really like it.

"It’s kind of like a Beverly Hills 90210 with the supernatural thrown in."

Muñoz said she has videotapes of all the Buffy shows.

"I love anything to do with vampires, but I especially love the fact that Buffy was blonde and could go out and kick anybody," she said.

Younger and Lichtenberg say they plan to attend the "Salute to Buffy & Angel" convention Feb. 15 at the Mesa Hilton. The Creation Entertainment event will feature appearances by some of the show’s secondary characters, but not "Buffy," Sarah Michelle Gellar. Admission fees are $15 to $65 and based on seating, meals and access to celebrities. Photos with the actors are $30 to $40. Information about the convention is available at www.creationent.com.

To volunteer for the Chandler event, contact Younger at (480) 782-2701.