Joss part 2

I haven't heard of someone with such a good attitude to fans as Joss. Series finals of Buffy and Angel have been screened in cinemas and advertised through the relevant websites. There have been more test screenings of 'Serenity' than I can poke a stick at (not just Syd, Bris and Melb but out to Perth too) - the one tonight in Sydney includes a Q&A session with Joss afterwards.
So an email went out on the weekend because Joss had a gap in his schedule, so he figured that going out to have beers with people would be a nice idea. All work and no play makes Joss a really cool guy. He was there from 5:20 til 8:20 and was totally knackered by the end.

I read Meg's text at 1:15 which had the relevant details of the Orient at 5; and the subsequent phone conversation confirmed she didn't want to face the nerds alone. And I didn't blame her. Certainly when I got there I could see the nerds all heading out the back. I loitered inside to text that I had found their hive and I needed back-up. As I looked out into the roiling mass of black clothes and ponytails I saw Henry of AngryLittleMan waving at me.
I went in. It wasn't so bad at all really. Particularly as Kate from AngryLittleMan is, to put it plainly, a total babe.
We all left to go upstairs to a function room and collected Meg and more beers on the way.

At 7:31 I called Anti-Ob to brag that he was a fool for doubting we wouldn't get to talk to Joss. We had about 25minutes of him to ourselves.

The question I had to ask the man was from an LP thread (that I can't find) concerning the young neo-cons holding up Buffy as a prime example of cool culture subscribing to their ideas of the battle between good and evil. I argued with some guys on the thread that the battle between good and evil was completely peripheral to what Buffy was about and that it served merely as a familiar framework in which to play with characters. Of which I firmly believe Joss to be a master. I explained with examples that the themes of Buffy, Angel were love and redemption. The idiot I was arguing with wouldn't accept that because it would actually mean thinking about something.
So, I put this to Joss. And, unsurprisingly, he agreed with me.
He wasn't aware that the young neo-cons had done this and continued his answer with 'There's always a problem when your stuff gets co-opted by Nazis...."
But what do you expect from a libertarian humanist!?

The best question of the night was from Kate who asked: "Did you want to kick FOX in the balls? Because I did!" He laughed delightedly. (And before anyone gets any bright ideas I have baggsies on any identical twin sisters Kate has hidden away somewhere.)

Interestingly enough he is concerned about piracy, which surprised me because I would have thought that he has such a devoted following that it wouldn't impact. Certainly the incredible sales of the DVD set of Firefly was enough to give the movie a push in the right direction....

With regard to the death of characters in his work, our table exploded with demands. I may have got carried away when I thumped the table and said "because he's a fucking bastard!" But Joss agreed that the character died "because Joss hates you." I should have got audio of that.

I have the coasters that Meg and Kate organised with "JO" and "SS" on them to put on the seat we'd set aside for him. If you're good I might even let you touch them. I touched him on the leg with both hands. And I surrendered my beer to him.
I'm merely waiting for him to call his nerd army to arms and do his bidding.
I have decided that my first born son will be Raif Warnose Joss Simpson...or Raif Joss Warnose Simpson. If she is a girl then it'll be extremely similar - perhaps Josephine Joss Warnose Simpson.

being the cool nerds that we are we made fun of the non cool nerds, particularly with regard to how many beers they were drinking, and how most left before the man did! Henry explained that it was because they had LAN games to go to, or curfews. When he left at 8:20 I pinted out that it was still 40minutes til bedtime.
But, oh, you should have seen the faces when Joss left to go have a slash. I was coming back from the toilets myself and all the faces were turned my way as he walked passed me. I haven't seen that look apart from puppies at the pound. "Oh! Don't leave! He'll come back. He has to come back!"
Not that I didn't hang around at the door within easy crash-tackle distance or anything...

So, thanks Meg - that was totally cool.
I had a lot of fun.
I met one of my heroes.
I wasn't disappointed at all - quite the opposite.
And most importantly: I was right.