Confessions of a Liberal Puritan

I just got this email informing me that the 5th issue of Watcher Junior, the journal for undergraduate work in Buffy studies, is up on the web, along with a new blog feature to allow readers to give feedback on the articles. (I'm still on the editorial board -- though I notice I need to update my bio on their website -- but they haven't had any papers submitted in my areas of expertise in the past year or more, so the latest issue is all news to me.)

I've re-printed the general editor's introduction to the three new undergrad research papers published in this issue below, for those who might be interested.

You'll notice that the paper the editor seems most excited about includes an analysis of the visual depictions of Buffy in the Season 8 comics, which I might have to go take a look at myself. There's also a Jungian analysis of BtVS episode 4.22 "Restless" and a paper on alternative readings of 'drugs' and 'addiction' in the Buffyverse.

The long-awaited fifth issue to Watcher Junior is here! (http://www.watcherjunior.tv/05/). It's already been picked up by Whedonesque and we're getting slammed with visitors, which is great news. I'm particularly pleased because I think the quality of this issue is outstanding. In particular, I'd point you to The Many Faces of Buffy, whose innovative use of graphic design analyzes the comics in innovative ways. To facilitate dialogue between the readers and the student writers of our peer-reviewed scholarly journal, I’ve done a blog post introducing each one so that readers can use the comments to give feedback. You can find those blog posts here: http://blog.watcherjunior.tv/, although they are included here for your convenience.

“The Many Faces of Buffy” is the most formally inventive article to be published thus far anywhere in the Whedon scholarship, bar none. Featuring copious illustrations analyzed by a professional illustrator, this submission is a must-read for anyone interested in the eighth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or any of the prior comics associated with the series. Lauren Schumacher examines the various Comic Book Buffys in light of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s iconic features—her nose, eyes, hair, and muscle tone. There are also multiple Television Buffys, as Gellar’s own body changes as she ages from 20 to 27, which leads Schumacher to ask whether Gellar herself is an approximation of an Ideal Buffy. Her article presents a close analysis of the work of various Buffy illustrators: Cliff Richards, Georges Jeanty and Jeff Matsuda. The ultimate question these artists grapple with is what the essential meaning of Buffy (and Buffy) is. And that’s something all our readers and writers are interested in. Take a look and let Lauren know what you think at our blog!

Jo Latham’s article is on a topic near and dear to my heart: the representation of addiction in the Buffyverse. I’ve written on this issue before in "Buffy and Angel Conquer the Internet", examining how the Alcoholics Anonymous ethos is used in the redemptions of Faith and Angel, then transformed with Andrew’s struggles with media addiction. Latham tackles an issue I’d largely avoided: Willow’s addiction to magicks in season six and seven. She finds that Buffy the Vampire Slayer reflects the complexities of how we use the terms “drugs” and “addiction” and how those meanings have further varied historically. Drawing on Jacques Derrida and a variety of Whedon scholars, she observes that the series uses Willow to reference and undermine popular stereotypes of drug users as weak, dependent, irrational and deviant. Instead, she finds that the long form of serial television allows the series to investigate the role of social position and group dynamics in drug addiction, thus questioning the bias towards individualism in contemporary drug narratives. It’s a fascinating article that sheds new light on the value of the series’ dark seasons in contemporary culture. Use the comments at our blog to tell her what you think!

Laura Kessenich returns to Watcher Junior with “‘I’m beginning to understand this now’: Explicating Restless”. This article uses Jungian dream analysis to examine Willow, Xander, Giles and Buffy’s dreams in the season four finale. Kessenich takes the reader through the basics of Jung’s theories, providing concise explanations of the role of dreams, the collective unconscious, the Self, the shadow and the animus and anima in us all. Next, she provides a very detailed reading of each dream, one which is distinctly different from the literary analyses of Rhonda Wilcox and Matthew Pateman. What role does Tara play in Willow’s dream? Why can’t Xander sit still in his dream? Why is Giles obsessed with time? How is Buffy prepared for the darkness of the last three seasons in her dream? Share your speculations and provide feedback in the comments at our blog.

Finally, as editor, I’d like to thank our publisher, the Whedon Studies Association, for the opportunity that this publication offers these writers. There’s very few publishing outlets for academic writing by undergraduates, and virtually none for undergraduates in the arts and humanities. In addition, I’d like to thank Kristen Romanelli, our web editor. Lauren Schumacher’s article shines in the online format. Laura Kessenich’s piece would have to be chopped down to a tenth of its size to make it into print or she’d have to get a book deal. These two pieces needed both the Whedon Studies people and Kristen to find their audience.

Best wishes,

David Kociemba
Editor, Watcher Junior, peer-reviewed journal for undergraduate media writing: www.watcherjunior.tv