Spike : Asylum

Answering your questions about SPIKE: ASYLUM

Current mood: answery

I learned something very interesting this week. Being friends with Kevin Smith and also writing a SPIKE comic creates the perfect storm of internet awesomeness. If I was as popular as I was in high school as I am in my gmail inbox, I would have dated a cheerleader and not cried myself to sleep every night.

Once we announced SPIKE: ASYLUM was coming from IDW in September, a lot of people had questions. And the following are answers to the most oft-asked queries. Let’s have some fun, shall we?

1. When does SPIKE: ASYLUM take place?

That’s a good question, internet. And my answer is going to be vague: Spike is in Los Angeles, and he has a soul, and he’s up and about and able to touch (and punch and kick and bite...and also hug...I’d assume. Three issues in and he does not hug anyone. Maybe for SPIKE: ASYLUM summer annual). But beyond that, I’m just telling the best SPIKE story I can, timelines be damned . Pick up the series and you tell us when you think it is. The first correct answer gets a hug. From Spike.

2. What cameos can we expect?

I hate to have two "pick up the comic and see" answers in a row, but I hate when cameos or references are revealed beforehand. I mean, remember ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES came out? Sean Connery at the end, that was cool, right? Imagine if the internet existed at the time, you’d know about it beforehand and you wouldn’t have been excited.

Maybe you weren’t excited about that. I was. Hell, I was young.

But just know that Franco Urru and I are huge ANGEL fans and there are tons of things in the comic that will make you giddy. Especially that cameo at the end from Sean Connery. DAMMIT!

3. Do Jay and Silent Bob appear?

I’m gonna say no, just because they’re not part of this world (that we know of, anyway, though I always thought that Jay might be the first male slayer. He has the gorgeous hair for it).

Don’t cry about this, it’s actually a good thing, as humans don’t last long in Whedon’s shows. Think about it. Xander: lost an eye. Wesley: lost a couple girlfriends, and then died. Gunn: magic panther lawyer powers didn’t save him from getting nearly gutted in the finale. Fred: Oh, poor Fred. Remember when Andrew was shocked he lived? Yeah, so was I.

Willow traded up quickly and dabbled in magic to save herself, she was smart.

And before you get all "Giles lived" on me, well, Giles is the exception that proves the rule and Giles is awesome.

So no, Jay and Silent Bob don’t appear. Though Jack Bauer and the Ghostbusters do.

Kidding. Oh man that would be sweet.

4. Who are your favorite ANGEL and BUFFY characters?

The Loan Shark who was actually a shark, maybe? No? Okay then...

First and foremost, Spike has always been a favorite. The fact that he was introduced as a villain, and did (understatement about to happen) horrible things, but then became one of the biggest heroes on each series in a totally believable manner, shows you how talented the ANGEL and BUFFY writers are, and how great Marsters is. Wesley, too, go back and watch his arc and it’s quite amazing.

Beyond that, Lorne and Xander. I wrote a show for Nick Brendon and got to meet him to discuss it. He read the first two episodes and responded really well to it, our meeting was one of the highpoints of my move out to Los Angeles. He’s a swell guy and as funny as the character he played for seven seasons. The show didn’t get picked up, but I hope to turn it into a low budget movie or, maybe, a comic book.

5. Why do you sell so much stuff that never gets made?

I have sold a lot of scripts that are in various stages of development. What do you want, my Mom says I’m super talented and very handsome but Hollywood takes it’s time. And to show you what a comics fan I am, a chunk of the money I’ve made from the script sales have gone to doing a bunch of stuff for my site, angrynakedpat.com, including a bunch of comics, from MONKEY MAN UNLEASHED to PATCHOULI.

That said, if you want to see my handiwork, check out ROBOTS on dvd, I wrote some stuff for that movie that I’m very proud of. You can also check out SCARY MOVIE 3 but, you know, I understand if you don’t want to.

6. Can you put my name in SPIKE: ASYLUM?

I would love to name characters after fans of the show. I’m knee-deep into the third issue, but if any new characters pop up I would do that, yessir. But you have to promise to buy ten copies of each issue, and also to read each and every one front to back, and also buy every great IDW book that is advertised in there.

7. How cool is Chris Ryall?

Oh, very cool. He’s not just Editor in Chief of the comic company that handles ANGEL and TRANSFORMERS comics, he’s also the Eisner-nominated writer of one of the best comic series out there, THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW, adapted from a story by Mr. Clive Barker. Issue two just came out, and it is really dark and great and has a lot of boobies.

He also listens to his friend’s whining about writing a SPIKE series and gives in because he’s awesome.

So that’s it for now! Please order SPIKE: ASYLUM # 1 from IDW when it appears in the next PREVIEWS, I think you’ll all dig it. Franco Urru’s art is second to none, and hopefully the story ain’t half-bad either.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your interest!

Brian Lynch