April 05, 2005

Spike artwork

As long promised, the first few pages artwork (by Fernando Goni) for the upcoming Spike graphic novel from IDW is finally up, after the fold. As also promised, the story discusses the first meeting of Spike and Hallie, the Vengeance Demon. Enjoy.

spikecover.jpg

Spike-pag-001-GoNI.jpg

Spike-pag-002-GoNI.jpg

Spike-pag-003b-GoNI.jpg

Spike-pag-004-GoNI.jpg

Spike-pag-005-GoNI.jpg

Posted by Glenn Hauman at April 5, 2005 03:36 PM | TrackBack | Other blogs commenting
Comments
Posted by: J. Alexander at April 5, 2005 03:40 PM

Sigh. Looking at the pages made me mourned for the spinoff tv show thad did not happen with Spike and Faith.

Posted by: darrik at April 5, 2005 04:07 PM

even though I'm not a Buffy fan, this looks pretty good (personally, I would perfer to see pictures (atleast the cover) of Hulk 82. but, as I've said before, do whatever makes you happy, (as long as your writing comics!))

Posted by: DF2506 at April 5, 2005 04:29 PM


That artwork is really, really, really good! I definitly have to pick up this one-shot when it comes out!

DF2506
" Hopes that PAD will get to do some more Buffy or Angel stuff in the future! "

Posted by: J at April 5, 2005 04:38 PM

Wow, that is awesome! Some of the best comic likenesses I've seen! Go Goni!

Posted by: Jennifer at April 5, 2005 04:40 PM

Hmmm, is that supposed to depict something happening to the people at the party? Spike got his name from ramming a railroad Spike through someone's head and I was under the impression it was for the guy at the party who said (paraphrasing) "I'd rather have a railroad spike lodged in my head than have to listen to any more of his bloody awful poetry."

Posted by: Theresa at April 5, 2005 04:51 PM

[quote]Looking at the pages made me mourned for the spinoff tv show thad did not happen with Spike and Faith.[/quote]
Don't mourn - do something about it ;)

Spike movie buttons...
www.bloodyawfulpoet.com/movie_button/

We have several postcards up at the site. I typically have several thousand professionally printed and I pass them out at the Buffy conventions each summer.

www.supportspike.com/postcards.htm

WB E-mail: faces@thewb.com

USA Network (Cool Money): feedback@usanetwork.com

TNT (Angel repeats) tnt@turner.com

Kristen Veitch Email: tvdiva@eonline.com

Matt Roush Email: askmatt@tvguide.com

Michael Ausiello Email: michael.ausiello@tvguide.com

Additional snail-mail addresses are being added to the website this week.

Posted by: Jan at April 5, 2005 05:09 PM

Very good likenesses, particularly of James Marsters as Spike and William.

Posted by: arkady at April 5, 2005 05:27 PM

Wow -- incredible artwork! Surpasses my most optimistic expectations.


[quote='Jennifer']Hmmm, is that supposed to depict something happening to the people at the party? Spike got his name from ramming a railroad Spike through someone's head and I was under the impression it was for the guy at the party who said (paraphrasing) "I'd rather have a railroad spike lodged in my head than have to listen to any more of his bloody awful poetry." [/quote]

Understandable how you assumed it, but it was never stated as fact. It was awhile before William adopted the 'Spike' name, a few days after he was turned, at the very soonest, according to the events in 'Destiny.' That partygoer's comment probably just gave him the idea.

I love how this storyline apparently gives Cecily's 'You're beneath me' a whole new, much less devastating meaning. If only William had known. ::sniff::

Posted by: adoresixtyfour at April 5, 2005 05:36 PM

Woh...looks like a scene from "Horror Express"--and I mean that in a good way.

Posted by: sueworld2003 at April 5, 2005 06:04 PM

Excellent, just excellent!

Finally a comic where the lead characters actually look like their TV counterparts!

I'm really looking forward to this one!

Posted by: C.J at April 5, 2005 06:08 PM

I love the artwork. Segues into the episode 'Fool for Love,' beautifully. And the cover, wonderful !!!

Posted by: MasonK at April 5, 2005 06:16 PM

I love the cover. The rest looks good, but that *actually* looks like Spike. Very very nice.

Posted by: Bobby Nash at April 5, 2005 06:23 PM

Looks great, Peter. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Bobby

Posted by: Fred Chamberlain at April 5, 2005 06:36 PM

Great artwork with, what appears to be a gripping story! I am looking forward to reading the completed project.

Fred

Posted by: Jerome Maida at April 5, 2005 07:10 PM

The artwork for this project looks incredible!!

Posted by: david race at April 5, 2005 08:15 PM

How many pages in the completed book?

Posted by: Ken from Chicago at April 5, 2005 08:37 PM

WOW!

-- Ken from Chicago

P.S. IMPRESSIVE!

Posted by: Gisele at April 5, 2005 09:45 PM

Spike told Angel "Its Spike now" during the Boxer Rebellion. Wasn't that in 1902?

Posted by: Greg at April 5, 2005 09:47 PM

Excellent. It must be fun to write a franchise that can still draw out the fanboy in you--which, gathering from your Cowboy Pete Roundups, Buffy and Angel were definitely able to do.

Posted by: Sharon at April 5, 2005 09:50 PM

Oh, wow, this is going to be uber-awesome! Spike looks great! Can't wait!

Posted by: hazydavy at April 5, 2005 09:58 PM

"Finally a comic where the lead characters actually look like their TV counterparts!" This comment made me laugh, because I thought the same thing about JJJ and his movie counterpart--esp. when I saw the cover for Pulse # 7.

Posted by: Jamierose at April 5, 2005 10:15 PM

Oh wow, that's just better then I ever dreamed. Go Cecily, nail though arrogant smucks that laughed at sweet William.

Posted by: Scott Iskow at April 5, 2005 10:18 PM

A graphic novel and not a one-shot comic? Even better!

Posted by: Radia at April 5, 2005 10:18 PM

Spike told Angel "Its Spike now" during the Boxer Rebellion. Wasn't that in 1902?

Boxer Rebellion was 1900. :) And actually, he says that during the scene where they're hiding in the mineshaft, which was in 1880. But his hairstyle is a little different, so I take it that it was probably a few months after his turning.

But wow, gorgeous artwork. Can't wait for this.

Posted by: April at April 5, 2005 10:30 PM

OMG!!!!!!!!!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!
graphic novel? not a one shot????
woooo hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

Posted by: Nytwyng at April 5, 2005 10:51 PM

graphic novel? not a one shot????
woooo hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

If their various CSI books are any indication, IDW's one-shots (the licensed ones, at least) are in prestige format, and, as a result, graphic novels. :-)

This one looks great. Can't wait!

Posted by: JosephW at April 5, 2005 10:59 PM

Before anyone gets too excited over the book's being designated a "graphic novel" as opposed to a "one-shot", bear in mind that a large number of comic book publishers have opted to refer to any book longer than 32 pages and/or carrying an over $5 cover price as a "graphic novel". Moonstone's been doing this, especially with their "Kolchak the Night Stalker" standalone books (the "Tales of the Night Stalker" series is still considered a comic book) and, if memory serves, Image did the same with the "Spawn: Simony" one-shot (which translated an authorized French-produced "Spawn" story).
IDW, I believe, is one of these companies which classify their one-shots as "graphic novels" (the company's recent "24 Stories" one-shot registered on Diamond's Top 100 Graphic Novel list rather than its Top 300 Comics list. This means, of course, we shouldn't be surprised if "Spike" never shows up on Diamond's best-selling comics list.

Posted by: Queen Anthai at April 5, 2005 11:46 PM

So, does anyone have any questions for the Pope, since I've just DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN?

Posted by: Michael Pullmann at April 5, 2005 11:55 PM

I'm petty enough to point out that I got to see these last night at MoCCA.

Anywho, pretty stuff, and I'm looking forward to this one-shot.

Posted by: XSaraXPoeX at April 6, 2005 01:12 AM

YAY! I'm so GEEKED for this! :)
~Sara

Posted by: gary at April 6, 2005 01:13 AM

looks great
looking forward to it
nice job

Posted by: drb at April 6, 2005 01:47 AM

Wow. I can tell I've seen Fool For Love multiple times when I'm recognizing not only Spike and Cecily, but the other partygoers as well.

The caption on the Yorkshire scene where William tells Angelus that "it's Spike now" said 1880, but apparently that was a typo that they didn't notice until it was too late, and it was supposed to be 1888. At least that's what the writers say, and that fits in with the flashbacks that we saw in Destiny and The Girl In Question. And while Giles said that he got his name from torturing his victims with railroad spikes, he also said at the same time that Spike was barely over 200 years old, which turned out to be wrong. So the "known" origin of his name could also be incorrect.

Are all the Angel and Spike comics going to be without any dialogue? I must say, it's quite effective here. It's actually more chilling to see someone scream and not have a caption balloon that says "AAAAAH!"

Definitely going to buy multiple copies of this. And then buy one more extra to hit Scott Allie (the editor of the BtVS comics at Dark Horse) over the head with. "See? THIS is what you SHOULD have been doing with the characters!" (And for those who take things too literally, no, I'm not actually going to physically hit anyone with a comic book, but I would love to give those in charge at DH a piece of my mind about squandering the characters for years, while heaping praise at IDW and Peter David's feet.)

Posted by: mike weber at April 6, 2005 04:07 AM

Posted by: Jennifer at April 5, 2005 04:40 PM

Hmmm, is that supposed to depict something happening to the people at the party? Spike got his name from ramming a railroad Spike through someone's head and I was under the impression it was for the guy at the party who said (paraphrasing) "I'd rather have a railroad spike lodged in my head than have to listen to any more of his bloody awful poetry."

Just a little nitpick -- even if we didn't know it had been, that line was obviously written by an American, because (A) In Britain, they have railways, not railroads and (B) railway tracks are fixed to the sleepers (not "ties") with bolts, not spikes...

Posted by: marajade at April 6, 2005 04:36 AM

Great work! Really gorgeous artwork. I am so looking forward to this.

Posted by: Deborah Marwaha at April 6, 2005 06:39 AM

That artwork is awesome, and I'm sure that when the wording is added the story will be awesome too - even though I've really no interest in Cecily, whether she was Halfrek or not. However, this is very interesting, because it looks like she was actually doing William a favour by driving him out of that party, if she meant to kill everyone else there.

Can't wait for this. When is it out again?

Posted by: kathy at April 6, 2005 07:48 AM

I think this looks great. Any ideas on who will offer it for sale? I have never bought comics before, and I do not want to miss out on this. Please....do more Spike novels and comics as well, but I am longing for a future Spike story....post NFA. Great artwork though and I am definitely going to get this.

Posted by: Jennifer at April 6, 2005 10:03 AM

I agree Kathy. I'm really longing for a future Spike story too. It seems everything we get in the novels is pre-soul Spike, so I was hoping the comics would take place later in his history since these are supposed to be based on the ANGEL series and he had his soul on the show.

Posted by: Moscow Watcher at April 6, 2005 10:40 AM

Oh, what a sweet torture for a spoiler 'ho - seeing the pics without captions and trying to figure out the scene!

Did male partygoer say something that triggered Hallie's anger or she actually came there to kill them all and, in the last moment decided to save William by making him leave?

I agree - the artwork by Fernando Goni is great and very true to the original. Not only William and Cecily - all the partygoers are exactly the same as in the show.

And - in the script the incident in the mine shaft happens in 1888. That's what is written in the script

INT. MINING SHAFT - 1888 - NIGHT
P.O.V. shot - scary one, too. ANGEL - flanked by DARLA and DRUSILLA, is
holding us by the throat. Deadly pissed off. Calm.
SUBTITLE: YORKSHIRE, 1888

You may check all BtVS scripts here
http://www.unreliablenarrator.net/buffyverse.asp

Posted by: Peter David at April 6, 2005 12:52 PM

Two things to be noted: First, I should emphasize that we're still awaiting approvals from the studio (the story's been approved, but naturally the full script and art also have to wend their way through), so the material presented here may be different in final form.

Second, just so no one's confused, there WILL be words on it. This is just the unballooned artwork.

PAD

Posted by: kathy at April 6, 2005 01:31 PM

Peter...do you think you will be doing any more Spike issues. I think so many of us would love to see more Spike in any form. I do hope we will see future Spike though, hopefully post NFA, and maybe also see him in the Angel comics.

Posted by: darrik at April 6, 2005 03:11 PM

"So, does anyone have any questions for the Pope, since I've just DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN?"

but if your dead how will you answer our questions?

Posted by: riam at April 6, 2005 06:08 PM

i'm sooo gonna buy this novel of my favorite character: Spike.
Hope there will be other comics,novels,tvmovies involving spike post-not fade away.

see ya

Posted by: Lauren at April 6, 2005 08:42 PM

Oh - I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who recognized that the same actress who play Cecily was the same one that plaid Halfrek. What a wonderful way to bring this story together!!

Posted by: Queen Anthai at April 6, 2005 11:28 PM

but if your dead how will you answer our questions?

Ouija board, yo. :)

Posted by: Beth at April 7, 2005 08:44 AM

It looks great, Pete. I'm sure it will be a great story. You are great at filling in the blanks between established things in a way that makes sense. Proud of you ;-)
-Beth

Posted by: Naomi at April 7, 2005 01:14 PM

Oh, wow. I'm intriguied. Also, I'm a total geek, because the bleeding from eyes, fingernails, etc, totally made me think of the Blue Handed Men from 'Firefly'!

Neat! And the art is spectacular!

Posted by: Tom F at April 9, 2005 10:45 AM

The present-day part of the story takes place before Halfrek's death, right...?

Before Spike gets souled...?

Late season six seems to me the only point that it could fit in :)

Posted by: Irishwoman39 at April 9, 2005 06:02 PM

The art work is phenomenal,I cant wait to get a copy.

Posted by: Irishwoman39 at April 9, 2005 06:07 PM

Thework is phenomenal.aone shot deal,cant wait to get a copy.

Posted by: Fernando Goni at April 9, 2005 08:34 PM

Wow !.. thanks for the complements on the artwork, I'm really trying to do this the best I can for the Buffy/Angel fans.

Posted by: C.J at April 10, 2005 05:00 AM

Thankyou Fernando, for your superlative artwork - The reponse to it has been very enthusiastic and deservedly so !

Posted by: fpvs at April 13, 2005 05:05 AM

Wow! I'll be combing the net/stores when this comes out! The art is utterly impressive!

On Cecily, I always got the impression she was human here. Plus, note she has no pendent? What I've always wanted to know was HOW she became a demon, after William the Bloody {awful poet} was turned.

Posted by: Pat at April 15, 2005 06:36 PM

When does the Spike: Old Times come out?

Posted by: Irishwoman39 at April 20, 2005 07:49 PM

This is the best in comic book I have yet to see.The likness of Spike aka James marsters is right on.I will be getting my copy, at this one shot deal.

Posted by: Tony at April 26, 2005 12:00 AM

PAD:
What drew you to want to write about Spike? Affinity for the character? Chance to write anything Buffy related? Or did IDW come to you wanting a story about Spike and you came up with one?

Posted by: Kate at April 26, 2005 01:47 AM

When does this come out and where can I get it? :) Was Joss consulted on the storyline (or is that not how things work?) and will this be canon?

Posted by: GeminiLove at May 11, 2005 07:01 PM

I agree. I checked out IDW's site and can't find anything about a potential release date or how to purchase. Any word?

Posted by: Elvira at June 5, 2005 12:11 PM

Hi! I´m Elvira ,I'm from Spain and I'm actress and I love James Marsters' work and I think that Spike is an incredible character. I WISH YOU THE BEST LUCK IN THE WORLD. LOTS OF KISSES FROM SPAIN

Posted by: Sandra at June 12, 2005 04:28 PM

Yeahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's truth
I'm from spain too and I think he's the best.
My name is Sandra and I will be an actress.
I don't know how to say in english what I think 'bout this but in spain it wold be something like: este material es wapisimooooooo.

Posted by: jenny at July 14, 2005 11:39 AM

Yes i love spike he is fit and the fit that is a great painting of him i love it! luv jenny xx

Posted by: estefania at July 15, 2005 02:07 PM

hola soy de españa y eres genial sigue tienes un talento imcreible yo soy fan de buffy desde siempre adios.fani 15 años.

Posted by: Jody at July 29, 2005 01:53 PM

Yay! I bet Helfrek (Cicley) was perhaps half sticking up for William, but I bet the guy said something about her to piss her off, knowing her. The art couldn't be better. I have every confidence that you will respect and add to these characters and Slayerverse just by the storyline that was chosen. I will buy this when it first comes out as well as anything else you do with any other character. But...just to be an annoying geek I'd also like to say I'd LOVE it if you would do anything with Faith or a Spike/Faith interaction post NFA (in the future). What do you have to do to get approval for that? Is it/was it hard to get approval for this story line? Would getting approval for post NFA stories be harder? Just curious.


Jody AKA Strange Bint

Posted by: Rober_Tito at August 5, 2005 08:15 PM

Hello from Spain!! My name is Rober and I have 17 years old. Sorry because my english is very bad. I love "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" and I love Buffy, Dawn, Spike and Angel, and I know that is a really good idea made a comic to Spike... It will be interesting. Somebody can write me a e-mail, please? (For to talk Buffy) Thanks!! Buffy 4Ever!! Bye!!

Posted by: tina at September 12, 2005 01:21 PM


The artwork's really great.Characters look just like the ones in tv.Hope the story's even better.I wish there'll be more Spike books in future.What's the book's title?

Posted by: Polia at December 8, 2005 02:50 AM

I cannot wait fir this to come out!!! I am happy for now with a Spike comic.. it will keep me going untill the movie comes out. *keeps fingers tightly crossed*

Love the art work!!!