cool. I'll be sending mine; can't hurt.

Harmalicious | May 29, 20:55 CET

Yeah, me too.
I think that it's nice that we get some outside coverage about our campaign for a Spike movie.

sethsky | May 29, 21:12 CET

The link on The Sitch will remain there for a bit anyhow so I've edited your thread to reflect that.

Simon | May 29, 21:43 CET

Thanks for the update... I will do my part!

Simpleba | May 29, 22:01 CET

I will send my cards for sure.

kathylovesspike | May 29, 22:15 CET

I still say we should focus some cards to Mike Dunn president of FOX Home Entertainment. Cause you have to ask what is Gary and Dawn insentive for doing a Whedon based straight to DVD release? Where is the money going to come from to make this? Is the investment worth it for them, what is the potential for revenue for them? Who has the most to gain from a straight to DVD release? Who would be more impressed or pay the most attention to the postcards.

RavenU | May 29, 22:23 CET

Sending cards to both targets is fine by me...I'll do whatever.

kathylovesspike | May 29, 22:48 CET

I hate to be the rain on this parade, but at this point isn't there a good chance that this will just be annoying? And somehow reflect negatively on JW? I'd rather save our thunder for when it would be really noted. I haven't seen any indication that these projects are even close to being green-lighted.

OK, slinking away now...

cronopio | May 30, 00:22 CET

I'm going to have to say that I'm not sure of the point either. Sorry to all those in favour, but presumably all the execs know of the fan desires for a Spike movie - that's never been in question. The question is surely that of wider interest from outside the fanbase.

mjwilson | May 30, 00:59 CET

Way I see it, it's better to do something than talk online about "oh it's a shame that nothing is happening". And a postcard campaign seems most sensible to me. Internet petitions are a waste of space, an email campaign almost falls into the same category and campaigns for fans to raise money for a new show are just ludicrous pie in the sky ideas.

And I can't see how a polite postcard campaign from Joss' fans would reflect negatively on him.



Sometimes I would wonder about that. I really do. The execs have a great franchise on their hands. It would do no harm to remind them that hey "there's a chance you guy could make some new Buffyverse stuff, it'd be great if you did".



Getting new people into the Buffyverse has always been a firm belief of mine but there is somewhat of an urgency about the campaign. The last thing Joss said about the matter is that he's waiting to hear back basically about the Spike movie.

I'd rather we tried to do something than just sat around twiddling our thumbs. It may not work, it probably won't but if there's a slim chance it will, I say go for it.

Simon | May 30, 01:21 CET

Talk about annoying...I think it must have been much more annoying when studio mailrooms were flooded with tabasco bottles in an effort to "Save Roswell". Yet when the dust had settled,the fans got a lovely letter from Jason Katims thanking them for being responsible for that series getting another year...twice!
So,yes,I think there is a chance that this will do some good, and whether it does or not, I am campaigning for a "Spike" movie until they pry that postcard from my cold,dead hand. :D

Berry | May 30, 01:34 CET

Well, Berry, I do see a significant timing difference between a show teetering on the brink of another season, and one whose writers/actors/showrunners are all committed to and involved in other projects, but hey, send away. I'm clearly in the minority here, and I'd be tickled pink if this effort actually yielded something.

cronopio | May 30, 01:55 CET

Obviously, there's not much chance of this actually having an effort, but it doesn't hurt to remind execs of market demand. Executives see things from a certain perspective, and it doesn't hurt to smack them in face with a different one from time to time (figuratively speaking).

gossi | May 30, 02:45 CET

I agree that if the campaign consisted of sulking angry postcards that said "I want a Spike movie now!", it might be annoying for Fox.

However the guidelines provided by supportspike.com suggest:



Our aim is actually threefold:

(1) Thank Fox for allowing seven seasons of Buffy, and five seasons of Angel
(2) Show that there is a loyal and dedicated audience - as mentioned this is probably a given anyway.. but a reminder can't do any harm.
(3) Attempt to communicate that there is also a wider audience. We can emphasise the "quiet majority" who would buy such a movie, and the profitability of such a project.

I have faith in the intelligence of Buffyverse fans to make sure their postcards are polite and appreciative. The fanbase is merely showing their support and their willingness to cough up more money for this franchise. How can this campaign have a negative effect on the possibility of future Buffyverse endeavours?

Incidentally, it maybe in our interests to also give Buffy Animated a mention in our postcards.

[ edited by paxomen on 2006-05-30 00:50 ]

paxomen | May 30, 02:49 CET

I agree with paxomen. Emphasizing the $$ to be made with fans worldwide purchasing the DVD movie might remove doubts the executives have about just how much interest there is and hence just how much $$ the movie will make. It would not hurt to remind them that other studios do this with children's movies. They release several sequels straight to DVD and these are very popular with families.

angel fan | May 30, 02:59 CET

I'm usually with cronopio 100% that fan efforts don't seem to have much effect after all the sets have been torn down and the producers and writers and actors have moved on to other projects, just based on past experiences.

However, I like what paxomen has to say about this being a positive message. It does not sound annoying (like tabasco bottles or a vamp-related object), and it does not sound like something that would be practically meaningless to network executives (like an Internet petition). It also has one specific focus: one day in June. That sounds a lot better than an ongoing bombardment of the network mailbox.

A few thousand politely written postcards in late June? Sounds like it really can't hurt. Whether it gets the job done, that I couldn't possibly predict. Good luck! :-)

billz | May 30, 04:10 CET

I think ultimately, if there is one sane or intelligent mind in the board room, what they're going to see is a lot of letters, our proverbial tabasco sauce, and they're going to see $$ instead of annoyance. Yes, it might have been annoying -- but anyone can tell that if fans are willing to send bottles of hot sauce to a network office, they're sure willing to pay for a DVD.

YellowBear | May 30, 04:43 CET

Check out this idea from RavenU:

Spike cash

EDIT: The image may need to be saved onto your hard drive to view it at it's proper size (so the writing is readable).

[ edited by paxomen on 2006-05-30 02:59 ]

paxomen | May 30, 04:57 CET

That's a cool idea. Very creative.

cheryl | May 30, 06:27 CET

To go along with the "Joss Whendon is my Master" t-shirts, perhaps someone at CafePress can whip up some "In Whedon We Trust" shirts?

YellowBear | May 30, 06:33 CET

RavenU, that is very clever.
Can I make a suggestion? I would prefer "In Joss We Trust" just cause it has the same cadence as the original.

Also, something to keep in mind in terms of message is that the Buffyverse fanbase is GROWING, even now. I didn't have any interest in Buffy either when it was on, or immediately after it ended. But I was looking for something at Best Video that I could watch to keep me distracted while working out on an exercise machine. And so here I am, a woman who for decades didn't even own a television, I went out and bought a DVD player SOLELY in order to watch Buffy, I own all seven years of BtVS, all five of Ats (and Firefly and Wonderfalls for good measure), I carry DVDs with me when I visit friends and family in order to drag them in, I've completely converted the boyfriend who no owns Firefly and Serenity, and only doesn't own the rest because he's not allowed to watch them outside my presence, (at least 'til we get to season 4), completely converted a former room-mate, who on the strength of my knowledge of his taste, based on my recommendation bought the complete Buffy and Angel sets. I'm currently working on my friend, the Congregational minister, explaining the religious interest, and just waiting for an opportunity when we are together somewhere a dvd player is available. I suspect I am one of many engaged in grass-roots proselyting. So the target audience for Buffyverse DVD movies is a growing one, and can continue to grow indefinitely.

barboo | May 30, 09:26 CET

I, too, have been spreading the word about the shows, converting the non-believers, etc. as well as getting the word out about the postcard campaign and the SupportSpike website. And I'll be sending my postcards to Dana, Gary & Mike, as outlined above. As Simon points out, if there's even a slim chance this might work, it's worth a try, and it certainly feels better than sitting around twiddling my thumbs and bemoaning the lack of forthcoming 'verse stuff.

I already have the cards and stamps. All that is left is to try to compose persuasive, witty, charming, polite and entreating paragraphs on all two dozen of them. Uh oh.

SangChaud | May 30, 12:54 CET

I agree with Simon and Paxomen....if we do nothing we have no one but ourselves to blame and complain to. If we do something and it works...well hell...GREAT!!!!!
I understand that some suits may find this type of thing 'annoying', but really the way I look at it, the entertainment industry needs to know what the viewers want to see. I am willing to shell out my hard earned dollars for things that interest me. It can't hurt to remind them that without our bucks they could very well be out of a job.....

kathylovesspike | May 30, 15:54 CET

I still think we should raise money and send all of the executives mentioned in the discussions of this campaign a bouquet of flowers with a card asking for the Buffyverse movies. While postcards are nice, I fear they won't actually reach the intended recipients.

killinj | May 30, 16:43 CET

I don't think annoyance is an issue. These are executives who don't even throw out their own garbage. How hard can it be to throw out postcards? I think that it can even be considered a compliment of sorts that we recognize that these people have the power to make a decision like the one we are asking them to consider. Also, we are saying that we recognize and appreciate the decisions that have been made in the past. Finally, we respect their intelligence and insight, and we expect them to make solid future decisions. If we state our requests respectfully, there shouldn't be a problem. If they are annoyed, they can solve the problem with a flick of the wrist. Why not give it a shot?

cmbackshane | May 30, 18:52 CET

When writing our postcards, be mindful that the cards are small and the people reading them may lose interest quickly when confronted with lots of tiny writing. I believe it might increase the chances of getting our message across if we limit it to a few short, precise sentences emphasizing the most important ideas: SPIKE DVD, WHEDONVERSE FANS, PROFIT, THANKS.

anindoorkitty | May 31, 02:15 CET

Very good point anindoorkitty...key words that grab their attention is always good!!! Thanks for the suggestion!!!!!

kathylovesspike | May 31, 03:49 CET

Paxomen's quote:


Some people wanted the resized versions for the different postcards.

4"x6" Postcard

5.5"x8.5" Postcard

RavenU | May 31, 04:36 CET

Thanks a bunch RavenU.

kathylovesspike | May 31, 05:15 CET

Ravenu, I love the Spike cash. It's just fantastic. Thanks.

annieb | May 31, 06:54 CET

Love the Spike cash, but I have one comment/question. Shouldn't it be a $20 bill? I mean do we really want to suggest that we want them to charge $100 for the DVD?

Just a thought...

newcj | May 31, 08:26 CET

I honestly don't care what they charge as long as they make it....I'll buy it!!!!!

kathylovesspike | May 31, 15:51 CET

Me, too, kathylovesspike! I'll just have to save up a bit if the price goes very high--but I'll do it!!

I was already planning to keep the postcard messages brief, keeping to the idea of thanking them first, then pitching my pleas. . . . It feels good to be doing something whether or not it works.

And RavenU, the Spike cash is great! Thank you!

SangChaud | May 31, 16:30 CET