Buffy : Season 8

We’ve been dying to interview Sierra Hahn, Dark Horse editor extraordinaire, for quite awhile, but as you’ll see below she’s a very busy bee, juggling a lot of titles both Whedonverse and beyond. So we finally had the chance and it definitely stood up to the hype! There is a great energy and passion in her answers to our queries. It’s always nice to know that the creatives are just as enthusiastic as the fans.

Buffyfest: Let’s start off with an introduction. You’ve worked in comics for a while, starting at Vertigo before moving to Dark Horse. How did you get into comics in the first place?

Sierra Hahn: I started reading comics as a kid, probably around five or six years old. My oldest brother has always been a comics fan and I would accompany him to the comics shop every week. While he was picking up Watchmen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and X-men, I was clamoring for DC Comics’ Amethyst, and Marvel’s Ewoks. My interest in comics petered out over time until my big brother introduced me to Vertigo Comics’ Y: The Last Man and 100 Bullets—two series that I still love, love, love—and suddenly I was adding comics into my regular reading habits. I had been missing a lot of great comics over the years and some catching up to do.

After I completed my undergraduate degree in English, I applied to a publishing crash course at Columbia University. Best decision ever, and it got me in the door at DC Comics where I met Karen Berger (editor of the original Amethyst and head of Vertigo). We talked comics, and she suggested I apply for an available job doing publicity. I applied, got the job, and spent an amazing couple of years promoting some of my favorite comics. But my heart was in editing, and I eventually made the leap to Dark Horse to explore a different side of the industry.

Buffyfest: What titles do you edit at Dark Horse? What are you working on at this moment?

SH: I edit the Dr. Horrible comics and Terminator both with Zack Whedon as writer. I worked with Janet and Alex Evanovich on a unique project called Troublemaker where we took characters from two of Janet’s best-selling novels and continued their adventure in comics format. I’m also editing a graphic novel about a real life police detective who pursued a serial killer from the Pacific Northwest—the Green River Killer—for twenty years. It’s written by Jeff Jensen, an entertainment reporter for Entertainment Weekly, whose father was that detective. It’s been an incredible project to be involved with—part autobiography, part true crime... It’s a very unique and special book.

On a lighter note I’ve been working with the incredible Jill Thompson to bring her Scary Godmother stories back to print. And I work closely with Scott Allie on Buffy(one of the reasons I couldn’t pass up the job at Dark Horse), and other Joss Whedon books like Serenity, and Sugarshock.

Buffyfest: Can you tell us a little bit about your specific role in the “Whedonverse” division?

SH: My duties vary quite a bit. Most of the time (along with assistant editor Freddye Lins) I’m pestering writers and artist to hit their deadlines. Sometimes I provide notes on scripts and artwork. I write a lot of the promotional copy—the text on back covers or in catalogs. Going into Season 9 and having the Angel titles, I’m offering input on writers and artists that would be great for the line books. This general role I play with any of the Joss-related titles with the expection of Dr. Horrible, which became my darling over the last year.

Buffyfest: How has your experience been working on the Whedon titles? Have you had much interaction with the fandom?

SH: I love working on Buffy. I love working with Joss, and all of the wonderful writers from the show. I’ve learned a lot from everyone who has worked on the series thus far—what makes a great story, and how to have characters that shine and are distinctive, how to make a reader feel like he or she is a part of the journey.

I haven’t had much interaction with Buffy fans except at San Diego Comic Con during Joss’ signings and panels. Over the past few years I’ve had some involvement with the Portland Browncoats’ annual “Can’t Stop the Serenity” event, which is always a fantastic affair.

Buffyfest: Were you a fan of Whedon’s shows before they were revived in comic form?

SH: When I was in high school my family had a satellite dish that aired Buffy at 5 PM. As a result I would bail on all of my after school activities and time with friends to rush home and watch Buffy. I loved the show before it even aired. My whole family would tease me about watching the show—they thought the premise was pretty goofy, but then, over time, my two older brothers started watching, my parents started watching, my brother’s girlfriend starting watching... and everyone became very loyal right up until the end. I’m still recruiting Buffy fans.

Click on the link for more :

http://buffyfest.blogspot.com/2010/10/buffyfest-interview-with-dark-horse.html