Whedon’s World

A new show from the creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

From the New Yorker

Joss Whedon, the creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” its spinoff “Angel” (which was co-created with David Greenwalt), “Firefly,” and a new Friday-night show on Fox called “Dollhouse,” has a fan following that is probably more clamorously devoted than that of anyone else in the business. In interviews, he freely discusses his creative process and his frustrations with certain aspects of the entertainment industry, and acknowledges the give-and-take he has with his fans, with whom he communicates far more than famous TV figures usually do. When you look into Whedon’s world—Whedonians have a large footprint on the Web, and there is much information and analysis to take in—the image that comes to mind isn’t of worshippers before an idol but of a chatty gathering of like-minded souls, who have come together to form a community. Which isn’t to say that he isn’t duly idolized: he is, after all, often referred to on Web sites as a god, and there are those who wear T-shirts to comics conventions that say “Joss Whedon Is My Master Now.” Paradoxically—for Whedon is an avowed atheist—what they worship is his questing humanism.

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