Volume 2 Issue 4 | April 2014
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Buffyverse: The Birth of Whedonism
We love all things Whedon here, I mean, who doesn’t? We look at Buffy, where it all started.
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Buffy: A Period Piece
Remember the 90’s? Is it possible Buffy will shape how future generations view the 90’s? What does the show say about a decade?
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Lesbian Gay Type Lovers
We view how the relationship of two main characters from Buffy flipped network television on its head. This is the legacy of Willow and Tara.
Reader Submissions
Letter from the Staff Greetings and Salutations, Welcome to April’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer themed edition of The Anglerfish.
Katherine Taylor Sr. Design Lead
Issuu - www.issuu.com/theanglerfish Tumblr - theanglerfishmagazine.tumblr.com Twitter - www.twitter.com/anglerfishzine Facebook - www.facebook.com/theanglerfish
Managers & Editors Brandon Dannenhoffer Eric Cole Jason Stack Keren Moros Jordan Kahle David Pantoja Eefje Savelkoul Katherine Taylor
Graphics & Design Mayela Gutierrez Hayley Pike Jackie Files Vaiki Tress Sarah Lowe
Writers Marissa Hubelbank Alyssa Nabors Cecily Dreyfuss Sarah Mills Melissa Heineman Lucy Pegg Joie Ling Kaya Mendelsohn Ruth Tirado Pallavi Pillutla Jacob Lambrecht David Harris
Social Media/ PR Mert Keceli Tristan Dane Megan Manzano
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Founder Co-Editor in Chief Co-Editor in Chief News Editor Reader Submissions Art Director Sr. Design Lead Sr. Design Lead
Designer/ Illustrator Illustrator Illustrator Illustrator Illustrator
On March 10th 1997, a television show aired by the then relatively unknown Joss Whedon introduced us to a teenage girl named Buffy Summers from the Valley who just happened to be a vampire slayer. With the help of her Watcher (protector and guardian) Giles, and her new best friends Willow, and Xander they kick the blood sucking butts of Vampires all over California. In an age where most female protagonists were busy falling in and out of love with their male counter parts all over TV, Buffy became a great beacon for little girls like me. Our articles explore the importance of this series on girls, boys, and the LGBT community. Though this well beloved show ended eleven years ago, it still holds the hearts and minds of many people today. This issue explores, from many points of view the effect that this one show about a teenage girl truly had. This issue also has three great book reviews, how science is trying to actively engage girls, the basics of vampire hunting for all you amateurs out there, and the birth of the Whedon Universe. Great reads, and great insight into all and more! If you’d like to contact the magazine you can hunt us down through facebook, twitter, and tumblr. Let us know what you remember about Buffy, or maybe what your older siblings or cousins remember and what impressions you may have of this thing that would eventually lead to Firefly. Have art of literature you’d like to share with the world (or at least our other readers)? Drop us a line with your loves of labor and it could be featureD in the next issue! Just remember it’s Vampyr, not Vampire. Katherine Taylor
Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer
Social Media Social Media Social Media
The Anglerfish | Issue 12 January 2014
Sr. Design Lead
CONTENTS On On The The Cover Cover
Buffyverse: The Birth of Whedonism
04
We love all things Whedon here, I mean, who doesn’t? We look at Buffy, where it all started.
10 Lesbian Gay Type Lovers
Buffy: A Period Piece
Remember the 90’s? Is it possible Buffy will shape how future generations view the 90’s?
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We view how the relationship of two main characters from Buffy flipped network television on its head.
070809091113-
Boys will be Boys Something Old, Something New Book Review: Fangirl The Graveyard Book Haunts You Fangs for the Reboot Strong Independent Woman
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Finding the Potentials Vampires 101: A Beginner’s Guide Art & Literature
Fandom
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The Anglerfish | Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014
Fandom
The Birth of Whedonism Eleven years after the end of Whedon’s first masterpiece, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Whedonites, Scoobies, and fans who don’t conform to titles, as Whedon respects, still can reflect on the longlasting series, what it represents, and on his works that followed. by Melissa-Lynn Heineman Buffonia. Slayerettes. Scoobies. Whatever name registers with you, or even if one doesn’t at all, these all tie into Buffyverse and its components: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff, Angel. The show, created by Joss Whedon, was an attempt to mend his first Hollywood manuscript, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, released as a feature film in 1992. The film was not as dark as Whedon intended, instead a rather campy and fluffy teen drama that happened to be composed with supernatural elements. Whedon had even stated, “I finally sat down and had written it and somebody had made it into a movie, and I felt like — well, that’s not quite her. It’s a start, but it’s
not quite the girl.” So what did Whedon do? He recreated the world he had written into a seven-season cult classic TV show, rebirthed from a film with a roughly 33% approval rating. Buffy the Vampire Slayer encompasses the trials and tribulations of Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), the personal demon-slayer of Sunnydale, California, and her friends (and some foes). Sunnydale sits on a hellmouth, which is a portal to demon dimensions and a supernatural hotspot, making it a breeding ground for all things evil, from demons to witches to vampires. Slayers are people with supernatural strength and agility, gifted as such to fight the evils of our world, and may only emerge when another slayer dies. Buffy’s friends, make up the Scooby Gang, who fight and together protect Sunnydale and each other. Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon), a regular mortal, Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan), a witch, and Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), Buffy’s “watcher,” or mentor, make up the gang that are with her throughout the series. The other original members were Angel
(David Boreanaz), a vampire with a soul, Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter), a mean girl who becomes Xander’s girlfriend, and Daniel “Oz” Osbourne (Seth Green), Willow’s first boyfriend and a turned werewolf. The former two left the show for Angel. The later members of the Scooby Gang are Tara Maclay (Amber Benson), another witch and Willow’s girlfriend, Anya (Emma Caulfield), a
high points and low points. In the first season, we see Buffy struggling to balance her social life, school life and slayer life. The season leads up to a battle with The Master, an ancient vampire. The second season deals with the arrival of Drusilla and Spike, two evil vampires who cause problems, along with Buffy and Angel’s relationship. The two become closer until the curse that gave Angel his
The show, beyond being entertainment, resonated with “Scoobies” everywhere, people initially feeling alienated in their societies based on interests, religion, and all forms of preference. The show said it’s okay to feel like a misfit, because you’re not, and you can kick ass no matter who you are. former vengeance demon and Xander’s girlfriend, Spike (James Marsters), an evil vampire turned good, and Dawn Summers (Michelle Trachtenberg), Buffy’s younger sister. The show had its
soul back breaks, causing him to revert back to the darkness. The third season focuses on Buffy rediscovering herself as she and Giles are ripped apart and she is given a new watcher. On top of this, Faith (Eliza Dushku), another slayer,
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Fandom
switches sides, becoming the partner and heir of the evil Mayor who plans to “ascend” and become a pure demon to rule Sunnydale and beyond. Season four brings in new characters (Riley Finn, Buffy’s boyfriend, and Tara and Anya) as old ones leave (Angel and Cordelia). This season settles in to Buffy’s new college life, the involvement of “The Initiative,” a government agency that specializes in the study, experimentation on and defense against demons, and Frankensteinian villain Adam. Season five introduces Dawn, a character severely hated by audiences, proclaimed in lists as one of the worst characters of all time, and villain Glory, who needs Dawn, “The Key,” to break the barriers between hell and Earth. Season 6 deals with Buffy’s struggle to regain her humanity after being brought back to life, a mutually abusive relationship with Spike, becoming her sister’s caretaker, and dealing with The Trio, a group of nerds determined to kill Buffy and control Sunnydale. The season leads up to Willow becoming “Dark Willow,” an evil version of herself. The seventh and final season deal with the uneven balance between good and evil, and the rise of other potential slayers. The big bad is a combination of Caleb, a preacher, and an ancient set of vampires, which leads to the Scoobies descending into the hellmouth to defeat them, destroying Sunnydale in the process but saving mankind. The show, which Whedon
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affectionately noted as something like a cross between The X-Files and My So Called Life, was not only succeeded by Angel, which ended in 2004, but by its franchise and fans. Other than companion novels, the series had longevity due to the Buffy/Angel magazine that ran from 1999 to 2007, and “Season 8” and “Season 9” whose stories were told through graphic novels. The Buffyverse also produced roleplay games, video games, and card games. Other proposed media were suggested,
on many levels, Willow Rosenberg being a symbol for feminism and pro-homosexuality while being one half of the first lesbian relationship on television and a rare Jewish character in media. Beyond being entertainment, the show resonated with “Scoobies” everywhere, people initially feeling alienated in their societies based on interests, religion, and all forms of preference. The show said it’s okay to feel like a misfit because you’re not, and you can kick ass no mat-
Season five introduces Dawn, a character severely hated by audiences, proclaimed in lists as one of the worst characters of all time, and villain Glory, who needs Dawn, “The Key,” to break the barriers between hell and Earth. but never made it to the screen. These include separate series based on Spike, Giles, and Faith, respectively, and an animated series. As far as the fandom is concerned, there are countless forums, fanfiction pieces, and even fan films, but also it, like Harry Potter and Star Trek, has become a study in of itself. Beyond creating new ideas and canons in the supernatural universe, the show is used for psychological, sociological and philosophical studies. The show is considered an early gateway for equality
The Anglerfish | Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014
ter who you are. This is a message clear in much of Whedon’s media, whose fame has skyrocketed since the rise of Buffy. He has a number of known and beloved works, including Firefly, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, Dollhouse and The Avengers. His fans are affectionately call themselves Whedonites, and many of the aspects that made Buffy shine stand out in these other works. He seamlessly works together comedy, drama, angst, and Shakespeare into science fiction, supernatural, action, dystopian, and
even space-western settings, always calling to attention the importance of fighting against adversaries. Many consider him an inspiration in that aspect. For example, my favorite quote comes from Buffy’s season 3 episode, “Passion”. Paraphrasing, Angel states: “If we could live without passion, maybe we’d know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Without passion, we’d be truly dead.” Or perhaps, you can use the line from Firefly’s theme, “The Ballad of Serenity”: “I don’t care/I’m still free/You can’t take the sky from me.” Whedon’s work always has a few key features: reusing frequent cast members, such as Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof; killing off beloved characters; ensemble casts; and themes of anti-authoritarianism, feminism, existentialism, selfempowerment, and passion. He successfully conveys his beliefs to better our world, often through pieces that display a fight past disaster, internal and external alike. And his ideas stick with his viewers as they speak the truths we are unwilling to admit and grateful to hear.
Entertainment
Bo
e B B l l i o W ys ys
I know literally nothing about Buffy the Vampire Slayer; I have never seen a single episode. This was my reaction to this issue’s fandom being announced by my colleagues here at The Anglerfish. Thinking about it, I realized that the vast majority of television series I have watched, films I have seen, books I have read, and video games I have played feature a male character in the starring role. I’ve just gone through my computer and had a quick glance around my university room for counter-examples and have come up with The Fault in Our Stars (obviously), The Hunger Games, Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder… and both Portal games. Strictly speaking. I don’t think a mute protagonist counts for much. Off the top of my head I can add to that list Jennifer E. Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, and the Metroid games (although again, the protagonist is mainly mute – except in Other M, of which we must never speak). This, of course, pales in comparison to the entertainment media I have consumed in which the central character is male. Indeed, even in video games that carry the slightest element of character creation, I always make avatars who posses a Y chromosome. Why is this? Well, one answer is that books, films, and games with leading women are far scarcer; that is its own problem, and not the one I want to address here (not because I don’t think it is important, but because it would just turn into a page-long rant). The other instinctive answer is that I am a boy, and it would therefore just feel weird for me to try to get inside the head of a female character. But this is hardly a rational response. In the case of books, for example, part of the attraction is that they enable you to identify with people who are different from you
Even in video games that carry the slightest element of character creation, I always make avatars who possess a Y chromosome. by letting you experience life from their point of view. Likewise, video games allow you to be someone else – literally “play the role” of another person – and often the scenarios are so strange and wonderful that a male character would be just as
Illustration by Jacquelyn Files
My engagement with female-centred entertainment is practically nonexistent. Why is this? By David Harris
unfamiliar to my own life experience as a female one. And as usual when you start thinking about this sort of topic, you encounter massive double standards. From a young age, girls are forced to identify with male characters, but boys learn that reading a book with a girl in it – sometimes even one written by a woman – is a source of embarrassment. And this situation is self-perpetuating, because it means that male-focused media “appeals” to an audience twice the size of female-focused media, whether we like it or not. Now that I stop and think about it, I cannot find any rational justification for not engaging more with female-centered entertainment. In fact, I am quite in favor of the idea. So excuse me while I go create a female character in Skyrim.
Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014 | The Anglerfish
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Books
Something Old & Something New:
Fight Club and Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock Here we have two great novels, both of which share similar ideas on the relationship between wellness and destruction; we hope you enjoy! by Marissa Early-Hubelbank Something Old: It may hit you hard when you realize that Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club was written nearly twenty years ago. Receiving several awards since its release in 1996, Fight Club is a book which is told through the eyes of a thirty-something nameless narrator. The first rule of fight club is that you don’t talk about fight club. The second rule of fight club is that you do not talk about fight club. This is a story about a man consumed by loneliness, emptiness, and insomnia, and how he at first finds peace through group therapy sessions for a variety of terminal illnesses he doesn’t have. Not much further into the story, he meets a man named Tyler Durden who introduces to him a new release - you might guess what this is. Fight Club is a story about “inherent worth” and what we choose to value; it is also a passionate narrative of how one might find peace and healing through their own self-destruction. It was freedom. Losing all hope was freedom. (This is also happens to be one of the most deliciously quotable books of all time.) Anybody who’s ever seen the movie Fight Club will tell you what a rush this story is, and the book is certainly no different; it’s written with punch, haltingly alternating between short and run-on sentences that impress upon the reader an air of inner monologue. Its narrative style manipulates our sense of time in a way that creates an intense and efficient storytelling technique. It is unfortunate that, being the more popular of the two, the movie version of Fight Club makes this novel one of the most spoiler-unfriendly stories of all time; and thanks the certain aspects of this visual narrative, it is understandable why some would feel turned off from reading the book afterwards. That being said, anyone who at least likes the idea of this story should definitely give the book a try. Its unorthodox style can be a bit slow to get used to, and may serve as a conflict to those who liked the style of its adaptation. However, standing alone - or even standing next to the likes of Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter the book Fight Club is its own great work of art.
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Something New: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock was written just last year by YA novelist Matthew Quick (whose novel The Silver Linings Playbook was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film). The story begins as such: “The P-38 WWII Nazi handgun looks comical lying on the breakfast table next to a bowl of oatmeal.” It is Leonard Peacock’s birthday, and instead of expecting to receive any presents, he is going to give four away: one for each person he calls friend. Then, he tells us, Leo plans to shoot his former best friend in the head before turning the gun on himself. In this well-paced novel, we are given a day in the life of an isolated young man who brings us through his relationships and into his past. This book gets its own trigger warning right off the bat for taking its readers into the mind of someone who is actively suicidal its entire length. It is emotionally difficult to read; this is especially true considering that in this novel, Matthew Quick spares his readers from the hokey cliches one would expect from most those who write about depression, murdersuicide and the like. The fact that Quick writes in this way also happens to make this book remarkably good and strangely refreshing. (One might also wonder if this story pays certain homage to David Foster Wallace in its excessive footnoting.) Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is smart, strangely funny, and emotional present. Anybody who wants to read fictional stories on subjects like depression and suicide, and who might be tired of the same old products, should definitely look into getting this book.
Books
Book Review: Fangirl Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl is the book everyone seems to be talking about and, for once, the praise fantastically justified. by: Lucy Pegg In most cases, I don’t believe the amount of time it takes to read a book has any reflection on its quality, but Fangirl might be an exception. I read Rainbow Rowell’s novel in under 24 hours because it utterly engrossed me, from the first chapters right until the very end. For many readers - myself included - I think the initial appeal of Fangirl is its subject matter; how often do we get to read about fanfiction and fan culture in the mainstream media without it being the butt of a joke? Rowell deals with this element of the narrative brilliantly and I think it will seem genuine to anyone who’s been part of a fan community, particularly an expansive one like the Harry Potter fandom, which is continually referenced throughout the book - much to my delight. But though fandom may be the reason readers flock to Fangirl, it is by no means its only merit. The fiction trope of college romances still seems fresh in Rowell’s hands, and the supporting characters add real depth to the world she created. I was also surprised by how many serious issues are explored alongside the romantic fluff; from mental health problems and the dangers of alcohol, to reading difficulties and splintered families, there is a serious side to Fangirl that I was not expecting. Fangirl seems to me to not be about moving on from fandom, but about how to take it with you into your adult life, and the different role the stories we relied upon as adolescents play when we have to enter the real world.
If you enjoyed Fangirl, why not take a look at: • • •
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by David Levithan Starter for Ten by David Nicholls
The Graveyard Book Haunts You With a Terrific Tragedy Dressed up with a larger font and decorative pictures is Neil Gaiman’s 2008 award-winning novel that’s anything but a children’s book. When you begin this twisted interpretation of Gaiman’s imagination, you arrive in the home of a happy British family, only to find that they have all been brutally murdered by a man named Jack who will continue to hunt down the single infant he failed to kill. by Erica Croft The infant escapes to a graveyard where some friendly ghosts help secure his safety. The child’s place in this new home isn’t necessarily agreed upon by all of the deceased residents; however, he begins his life there and wins over their trust and affection. The novel continues to follow the lonely life of a living child coming of age in a graveyard of the dead. Appropriately named “Nobody” and nicknamed “Bod”, he struggles to find meaning to his existence and successfully feel accomplished in achievements despite rarely seeing the outside in fear of his own murder — while of course battling a new force of evil responsible for the death of his family. This fantastic novel appropriately received a Newbery Medal and a Carnegie Medal, the British equivalent, and is a brilliant addition to Gaiman’s collection of beautifully twisted tales. It is indeed a book which young adults and an older audience can enjoy equally, filled with suspense and great ideas about how we understand each other with more empathy and understanding. The Graveyard Book is memorable and exciting, and it continues to teach us that “wherever you go, you must take yourself with you.”
Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014 | The Anglerfish
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Entertainment
: A Period Piece?
By Vaiki Tress
On March 10, 2014 Buffy the year in which the show first aired - may only seem like the recent past, but the Vampire Slayer celebrated its world in which Buffy and the Scooby Gang seventeenth birthday. It’s a show that most of us would automatically fight the forces of evil is a very different place than that we live in today - and I’m categorise as a contemporary drama, not just talking about the lack of glitter in set in the modern day and our the vampire community. current time period. But when a Arguably, it’s the technology which most obviously dates Buffy. Everything from programme is pushing twenty, does the huge, clunky it actually need computers - which The themes the to be relabelled nobody besides as a period piece show presents Willow seems to be of television? able to work comby Lucy Pegg
are still universal. High school was hell in 1997 and, as far as I’m aware, it still is today.
The ever-reliable Wikipedia defines a period drama as a ‘piece in which elaborate costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambience of a particular era’. Though our gut reaction to this may be full of images of men in breeches and women struggling with their crinolines and corsets from countless Austen adaptations, can we actually deny that Buffy the Vampire Slayer does not fit such a description? 1997 - the
petently - to people using wired house phones would probably seem alien to anyone born much after 2002. The episode “I, Robot... You, Jane”, in which Willow accidentally releases a demon into the internet and then unwittingly dates it via instant messaging, is so outdated that the plot seems beyond ridiculous. Whilst clearly a parable on the dangers of communicating with strangers online, its lessons are so obvious to a modern audience that the entire episode takes on a slightly tween and patronising air.
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The fashions worn are very much of the time, too. In fact, there are multiple blogs dedicated to sharing the now amusing outfits that the cast wore throughout years. No matter how much of a comeback 90s fashion may be having, zig-zag hair partings and hideous off-shoulder jumpers don’t seem to be filling the catwalks this season. The youth of today wear hoodies and skinny jeans, and though Whedon’s dialogue may be famed, even he couldn’t predict the advent of such pearls of language as YOLO and selfie. Ultimately though, perhaps it doesn’t matter if Buffy is a period piece; yes, it makes us all feel old, but isn’t the nostalgia a little bit of what is great about Buffy, even if we only have childhood memories of the 1990s? The themes the show presents are still universal. High school was hell in 1997 and, as far as I’m aware, it still is today. The presentation of a female character who is both physically strong, capable of a whole spectrum of human emotion, and is then surrounded by equally empowered women, is perhaps even more relevant today than it was seventeen years ago. Maybe Buffy is period, but it’s also timeless - no matter what the spaghetti strap tops may be saying otherwise.
Games
Fangs for the Reboot In the past, if TV viewers wanted to get some serious vampire and demon action, they would have looked for some slayer action on Buffy; we gamers would have looked to Castlevania. Much like Buffy, the Belmonts are a lineage of male and female slayers that seek to put an end to the evil on earth - the worst evil of all being Dracula. by: Jason Pantoja In the early installments of the Castlevania series, the gamer would just about always find themselves traversing Castlevania to find its master and tear his heart out. The series of games would generally follow a basic format, a new Belmont would venture to Castlevania to kill Dracula and banish him and his darkness from the world and or for revenge for killing their Belmont predecessors. As a fan of the Castlevania series, the games were all too familiar until the “Lords of Shadows” saga was released. The “Lords of Shadow” series is a reboot of the Castlevania that fans had come to know and love, and unlike most reboots in pop culture, Castlevania did not
disappoint. (Note: Minor spoilers for the “Lords of Shadow” saga follow, so read on at your own risk!) Castlevania: The Lords of Shadow is an example of how a reboot can be done so well. Konami knew what they were doing when they took the gameplay and story and flipped on its head. The gameplay has changed from the oh-so-familiar former plot into a God of War-esque 3-D hack-and-slash. As you traverse the world as Gabriel Belmont, you will use all of your tools and skills to take on the Lords of Shadow. When you finally get your hands on the Prince of Darkness,Dracula you take what you know about controlling Gabriel and add some real power. Though the game follows a style already done before, Konami has made the controls simplistic and smooth, making your combos that much easier to pull off. There are still some difficult things to pull off at times, but all in all, you will never feel like you aren’t in full control of your powerful character(s). While you will need to play part 1 and 2 of the series to control the two key characters, you will want to because of the compelling story. The story for the rebooted series is not only interesting, but it amazingly delivers across two completely different platforms and two well-thoughtout DLCs. The first and second game of the
series was released for PS3, Xbox360, and PC; however, the story gap between the first two is filled in on the Game Boy 3DS. This is possibly one of the first times I can say that I have been compelled to visually downgrade a gaming experience and play on my Game Boy so that I can see how the story progresses. Before you run out to track down a copy of this game, it isn’t required to understand the most recent game in the series, but it does one good job of filling you in. Also, don’t forget the two extremely well-developed DLCs for the first “Lords of Shadow”, as these are some of the best story-based DLCs I have ever played and, more to the point, they will give an origin story on the Prince of Darkness. Castlevania: The Lords of Shadow was an extremely well-thought-out reimagining of a classic series, and unlike many reboots, I loved what I played and saw. Since the stories of the original Castlevania games were either convoluted and misunderstood or just lacking, the “Lords of Shadow” series does a bang-up job putting things together for true ‘Vania fans. In a world where zombies roam across our TVs, movies, and gaming systems, I would strongly recommend you get some quality vampire action in your life and check out the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow saga.
Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014 | The Anglerfish
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Human Interest
Strong Independent Woman Who Don’t Need No Man: The Lessons Buffy Teaches Us About Feminism and Femininity You may think Angel or Spike when you think of Buffy, but it’s impossible to forget that she whooped both their butts on multiple occasions - and that much of the time, Buffy was just fine on her own. Though she arose in the same time period as Xena, the Spice Girls, and other grrl power evangelists, Buffy was successful in teaching many lessons about power and gender in a truly unique way. By: Alyssa Nabors Joss Whedon has always been a fan of strong female characters, and I actually mean strong as in solidly and wonderfully shaped, diverse and three-dimensional, and nearly everything we have always been asking for. When Buffy was new, she was not the first woman to appear on the TV screen kicking butt and looking good doing it - but she might’ve been the first to have homework and cheerleading practice to deal with at the same time. Over the course of seven seasons, we did watch Buffy grow up, but from the beginning, it was clear that she knew how to take care of herself - no damsel-in-distress syndrome here. That’s not to say that Buffy was all-powerful or never needed help, or that she never got the assist from the guy she was crushing on, but it was
always Buffy’s story. There was no question however low or misguided they might have of sitting around and waiting for someone been, keep her from being herself and else to solve the problem - Buffy had to doing what she wanted to do. save the world. As a matter of fact, most of the powerful people in the series were One of the most important lessons Buffy women, gave us was even if you both good feel like it’s completely There was no and bad. up to you to save the question of sitting world, you don’t have The best to be perfect, even if around and lessons we it seems like everyone waiting for someone else expects you to be. She learned from Buffy was the Chosen One, to solve the problem were not but she had a mind of Buffy had to save big, bold, her own. She had her and laid out own moral compass the world. in flaming that she was faithful to, letters on and she was a normal the side of a mountain; they were snuck person: forgetting stuff, accidentally sleepin like whatever nutrients they manage to ing in, and procrastinating. There’s a lot force into Lucky Charms. of pressure for women to be practically First: being strong doesn’t make you less superpowered these days, and it’s nice of a woman. Buffy could literally destroy all to be reminded that we’re allowed to be the boys in her high school … and a few of human. Buffy was the best kind of feminist them did end up needing to be destroyed. because of how closely its characters and However, she still enjoyed getting dressed their growth mirrored that of real people up to go out with her friends, running for which is everything that we want. homecoming queen - nothing about being fast and strong kept her from loving cute clothes and flirting. Which brings us to our next lesson. Liking girly things doesn’t make you stupid or misogynistic. Buffy may not have been as into school as Willow, but she was smart and capable. She never let other peoples’ opinions or expectations of her,
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Human Interest
Lesbian, Gay-Type Lovers: The Legacy of Willow and Tara
Buffy revolutionized TV, but perhaps its most significant contribution was the inclusion of LGBT characters, in particular the relationship between Willow and Tara. Nearly two decades on, what is the legacy of Willow and Tara today? by Lucy Pegg In 1998, a year before Willow and Tara’s relationship was introduced in season four of Buffy, a GLAAD “TV Scoreboard” listed 25 US TV shows as featuring LGBT characters, only 12 of which were regular roles. Until 1992, a queer character had never featured in a recurring role on network television. Of those characters who did exist, not all were positive representations of LGBT lifestyles; there were suicidal teenagers, people rejected and abandoned by their loved ones once they decided to be open about their sexuality, and far too many stereotyped personas. Lesbian and bisexual women were virtually invisible, particularly in committed long-term relationships. But Buffy changed this with the introduction of the Willow/ Tara dynamic. What set Willow and Tara’s relationship apart from other rep-
The real triumph of Buffy was that it encouraged its viewers to explore their sexuality - both in 1999 and right now in 2014 resentations of queer women was its normality and the fact that two teenage girls - one of whom was a core member of the show’s cast - were shown to be in a happy and loving relationship. Willow and Tara were two of the most relatable characters of the entire show, and this was carried through to their romantic lives; yes, they argued and dealt with issues only the Hellmouth could throw up, but they also babysat Dawn and sang cute sappy songs to each other. Compared to Buffy’s liaisons with vampires and Xander’s attachment to a certain ex-vengeance
By Vaiki Tress
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The Anglerfish | Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014
demon, the union of the two witches was perhaps the healthiest romantic relationship on the show at the time. Whilst censorship meant that their relationship was far less sexual than those of the heterosexual couples in Sunnydale, the use of magic as a metaphor for sex created a unique and intimate relationship that was truly beautiful for an audience to see develop. By the final season even this had been overcome, when Willow and Kennedy’s love-making in “Touched” became the first lesbian sex scene on primetime television in America. With such a lack of realistic lesbian relationships in the media, those that did exist were under constant scrutiny and Buffy didn’t handle LGBT issues perfectly. But the real triumph of Buffy was that it encouraged its viewers to explore their sexuality - both in 1999 and right now in 2014. Whilst there is still a dearth of LGBT women in today’s television landscape, writers, producers and network executives are increasingly choosing to portray same sex relationships and the invisibility of queer women is fading. In 2013, afterellen.com counted seventy queer fictional women in TV, on top of the many real-life women such as Ellen DeGeneres, whilst shows such as Orange is the New Black, The L Word, Orphan Black and Lost Girl have transformed the way LGBT women are portrayed. No, these depictions are not perfect, but they exist and in greater and less imperfect ways every year. This is the legacy that Willow and Tara - and their counterparts across television have left behind.
Technology
Finding the Potentials:
How You Can Encourage Young Girls To Be Their Best You want more women in STEM fields? Of course you do! Just like <SPOILER> Buffy hunted down the surviving potentials in season seven </SPOILER> we need to go out and find the next generation of Lady Scientists, train them, and protect them from the big creepies who want to keep them from saving the world. You want to get involved? Or are you, perhaps, the one we’ve been looking for? Here are a bunch of organizations that can help out! By: Alyssa Nabors
FabFems connects young women interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with professionals in the field, and also connect professionals
You want more women in STEM fields? Of course you do! to other educational organizations. Their website allows STEM professionals to submit profiles to a public directory. Black Girls Code is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing girls of color the opportunity to be exposed to technology and computer skills at a young age to get them excited about technology. They hold workshops and classes on topics like building web pages, javascript games, and mobile apps, working with local tech communities for volunteers and funding. Rails Girls is a global organization that exposes young women to technology, specifically allowing them to create projects using the Ruby on Rails programming language. DIY Girls is a Los Angeles-based organization the runs after school programs and field trips. Their goal is to get young women excited about STEM with hands-on experience creating hardware projects. First Bytes is a week-long camp at the University of Texas that allows high school girls to experiment with multiple kinds of programming projects, meet women in the Austin tech community, and see some of the work UT grad students are currently engaged in.
By Vaiki Tress
By Vaiki Tress
all aimed at educating girls and getting them excited about the sciences. For Girls In Science conducts weekend and summer camps for girls of all ages, sponsored by L’Oreal. And the always dependable, trustworthy, honest and fair … The Girl Scouts of America have been teaching girls leadership skills for decades, but recently they have added badges in the categories of of Naturalist, Financial Literacy, Innovation, Digital Art, and Science and Technology.
Girlstart conducts year-round afterschool programs, weekend workshops, summer camps, and an annual conference
Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014 | The Anglerfish
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History
Vampires have existed in myth and legend for centuries. But they haven’t always been the impossibly beautiful creatures of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, or the sparkly day walkers of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (shudder). From the ancient Greeks to the silver screen, this is a helpful list of hints and tips on telling one blood sucker from another and how to kill them most efficiently. Happy hunting! by Katherine Taylor
Bhuta, vampiric or evil spirit Bhuta is the vampiric or evil spirit of a man who has suffered an untimely death. It can wander the earth animating the corpses of the dead to attack the living. They are known to appear in a phantom like state, as well as balls of light, and can transform into mists, bats, or owls. Bhuta in particular cannot cast shadows because they cannot settle on this earth or rest in peace. There are no documented means of killing this being. However, offerings of food can prevent an attack and lying flat on the ground can stop an attack.
Throughout the history of the myths, vampires have not always been creatures of flesh and blood. In fact, many versions of what we could consider to be vampires are spirits, which means finding ways to kill them becomes infinitely more complicated. Some could simply require nailing the coffin shut, while others may require burning and even an entire ritual. Let’s start off with the creatures of the nights of antiquity.
Required means of defeat: Exorcism.
Required means of defeat: As a demigod, she could be killed by a god, and no other.
Lamia, demigoddess, servant of Hecate She was a queen of Libya and then turned by Hera into a Daemon, a form of demigod. She became a child eater. In another myth, Hera took all her children, and in her grief and madness turned into the Daemon and devoured the children of others. She is said to have a serpent’s tail below the waist. Required means of defeat: As a Demigod, she can only be killed by a god.
Mormo, demigoddess, servant of Hecate
The Ekimmu, or Departed Spirit First appearing in the Epic of Gilgamesh, The Ekimmu, unable to find rest in their afterlife, they seize the souls of the living. They are physically described as being severely rotted, demonic, and phantom-like. It is said that they can attach through gusts of wind. They are sometimes confused with the banshee of the British isles. An Ekimmu can result from a violent or premature death by murder, battle, or dying very young. Also, possibly dying before a fulfilled love, improper burial, being left to unburied, or dying while pregnant. Instead of blood, they feed on terror, and wish to make their family join them.
With hair of fire and and brazens for slippers, she was a fearsome sight.
Required means of defeat: most likely a Hindu ritual.
Empusa, demigoddess, servant of Hecate Often grouped with the demigoddesses Lamia and Mormo, she would seduce and drain the blood of young men as they slept, then eat their flesh.
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Mostly known for being a spirit who bites bad children, she drains the blood of those who misbehave. The name became a byword for female vampirelike creatures all over the ancient world. Her story claims that she steals children in revenge of Queen Laestrygonian (queen of the giant cannibals) who devoured her own children. Required means of defeat: As a Demigod, she can only be killed by a god. Jumping to the middle ages, many pagan cults believed that Christianity was vampiric. From the outsider’s perspective, the idea of drinking the blood of a God that has returned from the dead is pretty strange. Christianity
History
became a prime soil for sowing the seeds of vampire folklore.
Draugar “Again-Walking” also “Meteor” Draugar live in graveyards, often guarding buried treasures that they had originally been buried with in their graves. They are animated corpses, and are therefore a physical form. There are Draugar that dwell on land and Draugar who have died at sea. They possess superhuman strength, increase in size at will, and their stench is overpowering. They retain some semblance of intellect and like to wreak havoc on the living. So basically they are zombie Vikings. They have a terrifying power that involves entering the dreams of victims. They are invulnerable to sunlight, but they are extremely dangerous. Iron can injure but not kill them. Required means of defeat: Their heads must be separated from their shoulders and burned.
A Revenant “Returning” A visible spirit or ghost who terrorized the living. Vivid stories all over Western Europe feature stories of revenants, most famously tormenting the families of those who had done them wrong or even their own families. They are also known for spreading disease and death. They attempted to eat bloodied meat. They only appear at night. Required means of defeat: Easily disposed of by digging up the graves, cutting off their heads, and placing them between their legs. Sometimes the hearts are burned for good measure.
Jiangshi or “Hopping” vampire Known throughout Southeast Asia, they are reanimated corpses characterized by
outstretched arms and hopping. They hop because their muscles and joints are stiff. They kill and absorb the qi “Life force” of their victims during the night. They also rest in coffins and hide in caves and other dark places. Required means of defeat: Weaknesses include mercury and mirrors as they are terrified of their own reflections. Items made from the wood of a peach tree. Jujube seeds, fire, vinegar, and the hoofs of black donkeys are all also known weaknesses. Not the biggest threat to a beginning slayer, but you still should keep your wits about you.
Nosferatu Known for its corpse-like appearance, long fingers, fingernails, and fangs, they have been known to not be weakened by sunlight and hunger for blood. Not innately evil, they are torn between pain, thirst, and disgust. They have been known to show compassion. They do not cast shadows and tend to favor the blood of noblemen but will drink the blood of peasants. They enjoy company, preferably of their own kind and enjoy dark places. Required means of defeat: Can be killed with a stake to the heart, or burning.
Anne Rice Vampires Known to be selected for wealth, beauty, intelligent, or sometimes random attack, they are smart, fast, strong, and incredibly dangerous. They can sometimes read minds, control the wills of others, have a calming almost soothing effect on their victims, or kill them with fright. Holy symbols do not work, nor does walking into holy places.
Blade Vampires Similar to the vampires of Anne Rice’s world, they are intelligent, social, talented, and extremely dangerous. In this world, there are two kinds, those made vampires, and those born as vampires. When bit, you have 72 hours before the vampiric virus takes you over. They are extremely sensitive to sunlight and in this world there is a scientific explanation for the blood lust: they do not produce enough hemoglobin. With vampirism, they also gain superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes. They age, but at a much slower rate than humans. Required means of defeat: Stake through the heart, fatal allergies to silver and garlic, and decapitation. Threat level is medium. Not recommended for first beginner slayers.
Twilight vampires With superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes, they do not have a weakness to sunlight. However the sparkling is a dead giveaway. They are famous for only feeding on animals, and their yellow, red, or orange eyes. They seem to be nearly indestructible; human weapons cannot harm them, neither can sunlight, garlic, silver, stakes, or crosses (cough, cough, copout, cough). They can only be killed by being ripped apart and burned. If they are so indestructible though, how you can rip them apart in the first place is beyond me. Required means of defeat: Fire and lots of it. With these helpful hints and tips, be careful and well prepared. Don’t mess with the demigod vampires and you should live to see the sunrise.
Required means of defeat: Sunlight, and failing to feed can kill them, along with fire, and stakes in the heart. Not recommended for beginner slayers.
Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014 | The Anglerfish
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Art & Literature Our Faulty stars a TFiOS based poem
They burned, they turned, They left us behind, They fell downhill, With that roller coaster, You and I used to ride. They tickled through your nose, They flooded in your chest. Then lit up my weak bones, a decoration for Christ. they ran through our veins, they dug through our bones, and they gathered in our lungs... to bury us in stones. I stand upon them now, I look at you and stare... And I think about our stars... how faulty and unfair... let down their mistakes... on our shoulders to behold... Pains, grieves, and aches... and stories untold...
By David Pantoja
Above: Kidthulu, below: Day of little death
But you and I did stand... within our numbered days, we.. we were grand... In all possible ways... we offered our hearts for break, and we made our choices, The eye-contact we make, and the phone’s static noises. I loved you, can’t deny it, you loved me, present tense, you and I were oblivion, ...a... hot... damn... mess...
By eyebrow-raising-gaki.tumblr.com
Submit your art or writing to us at theanglerfishmagazine@gmail.com or our Tumblr! It doesn’t have to be Nerdfighter related, share what you want to share. Have you submitted something and it’s not in The Anglerfish? Don’t worry, we’re probably just saving it for a future issue.
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The Anglerfish | Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014
Art & Literature A series I. “and there she sits all by her lonesome the famous one to be” they all say. until one day they said “and there she sat all by her lonesome before -it-” euphemisms galore.
II. and there she sat all by her lonesome though surrounded by loving friends a shell: empty and vapid save for her anger cracking its vengeful whip on anyone who tried to crack the shell, empty and vapid.
III. and there she sat all by her lonesome the library’s shelves engulfing her tiny hands she grips the books and wonders “why are they always named ‘Nancy’ or ‘Sarah’? why aren’t they named ‘Esperanza’ or ‘Angeli’?” and there she sat all by her lonesome vowing to name them Fatima or Ji.
By Eefje Savelkoul
An exercise in drawing a portrait in the Paper app on my iPad.
IV. and there she sat all by her lonesome pondering the effects of depression the word alone anguish cause she hurts inside because that word eats up those she loves
V. and there she sat all by her lonesome content book in hand cat on feet tea in mug content and there she sat all by her lonesome.
By David Pantoja
By Geeta These ramblings are a series of poems that display different aspects of (female) life as I see it.
Volume 2 Issue 4 April 2014 | The Anglerfish
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Entertainment
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