New Amber interview at BBC Cult

[WebWarlock]

The same PR is posted here as well.

www.comicbookresources.co...gi?id=3226



This is looking really good for Chris and Amber!

I plan to be buying this stuff.



Warlock

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Web Warlock

Coming Soon to The Other Side, The Netbook of Shadows: A Book of Spells for d20 Witches

"Does anybody remember laughter?" - Robert Plant, "The Song Remains the Same"

[BBOvenGuy]

A few tidbits I picked up at this weekend's Gallifrey One convention in Van Nuys CA. Two producers from BBCi were there to talk about the Richard E. Grant Doctor Who webcast, "Scream of the Shalka", and they had some things to say about Ghosts of Albion as well.



First of all, the next GoA story is called "Embers". Those of you who have explored the website and played the game there will know more about this, but apparently there's some sort of mystery that ends with Tamara disappearing... Anyway, "Embers" is supposed to pick up on that storyline.



Audio production is being farmed out to Big Finish Productions, who have been making Doctor Who and other audio dramas for several years now. They collaborated with BBCi on the Colin Baker Doctor Who story, "Real Time" and also on "Shada", the Doctor Who script originally written by Douglas Adams in 1979 that was never made because of a strike at the BBC. This is good news. The folks at Big Finish know what they're doing. I wanted to ask if Amber would be directing again, but I didn't get the chance.



GoA isn't all that widely known yet, but it sure got people's attention today when the BBCi folks talked about it. You should have heard the oohs and ahhs when they mentioned Amber as one of the writers.



And there's an opportunity for BBCi to throw a lot of weight behind the series. "Scream of the Shalka" was originally going to be the launch of an all new web-based Doctor Who series. A second script was already in the works, and they'd lined up the money for three more webcasts after that. But when the BBC decided to re-launch Doctor Who on TV, all plans for Doctor Who webcasts at BBCi were scrapped. So there they are, all dressed up and no show to run. Could this be the chance for GoA? I think it's possible. Someone in the audience asked if "Legacy" would be released on DVD, and a BBCi producer said, "Ghosts of Albion isn't really big enough now, but as we do more of them we hope that will change." He also mentioned the new Del Ray Books deal and another deal that I'm leaving to someone else to describe.



So that was a nice bonus to my Doctor Who weekend - it looks like this could be very big for Amber and Chris!

"The stories we tell - that's us explaining how we think the world works. Once we speak it, once we say it aloud, that makes it real for us - and real for everyone else who hears it too. When we tell a story, we invite people to visit our reality. We invite them to move in. Our stories are the reality we live in." - David Gerrold, The Martian Child

Edited by: BBOvenGuy  at: 2/15/04 11:08 pm

[WebWarlock]

Thanks for that news Bob.



What can I say.....



Well yes, Eden is working on a Ghosts of Albion RPG. It will use the same ruleset (the Cinemanic Unisystem) that is used in the Buffy RPG, Angel RPG and Army of Darkness RPG.



Chris and Amber are both working on things for it.



The nice thing is you get a great game and the money goes to the guys and gals at Eden (who have always tried to support Willow and Tara when they could) and Chris and Amber.



I will post more when I can of course.



I *understand* development is going really well, with nice little tricks to the standard Unisystem game.



You can find Eden at www.edenstudios.net



Warlock

-----

Web Warlock

Coming Soon to The Other Side, The Netbook of Shadows: A Book of Spells for d20 Witches

"Razzle, dazzle, drazzle, drone, time for this one to come home." - The Replacements, "Hold My Life"

[kajo 2000]

There is a fairly recent interview with Christopher Golden at Tru-fate.com in which he discusses GoA and working with Amber.



The author asks for the interview not to be re-posted elsewhere so I am just linking to it instead. Please click on the above link if you wish read Chris's comments.

---------

"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

[xita]

Chris . Willow & Tara of course, as his favorite couple! I know someone who should have been writing the show

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Hard work often pays off after time but laziness always pays off now!"

[Warduke]

W/T, big surprise there



Like I have said many times before, Chris is the man!

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Firefox: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[kajo 2000]

You can pre-order the print-version of Astray from the The Subterranean Press:

Quote:

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Astray

By Amber Benson and Christopher Golden

(Preorder--not yet published)



Limited: $40

Lettered: $150



Amber Benson ("Tara" on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and acclaimed writer Christopher Golden have teamed up for an original novella.



Ghosts of Albion, a series of original twelve-minute animated shorts, was created and written by Benson and Golden, and directed by Benson. It featured the voices of Emma Samms and Anthony Daniels.



The online series won Special Commendation at the 2003 Prix Europa Awards, an award that recognizes the best in European television, radio and web production. Ghosts of Albion soon became a cult favorite, was listed by USA Today as a "Hot Site," and went on to generate an equally popular sequel, the original online novella Astray.



Set in nineteenth-century London, Ghosts of Albion revolves around William and Tamara Swift, siblings who must use their family legacy of supernatural powers to protect England from an ancient evil that threatens to destroy the world. To this end, they enlist the help of the mystical "Ghosts of Albion," a trio of restless and heroic spirits from England's past: Lord Nelson, Lord Byron and Queen Bodicea.



We're proud to announce the print-version of that novella, Astray, available only as a signed limited edition.



The Subterranean Press edition will be the only one available.



Limited: Deluxe hardcover edition signed by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden: $40



Lettered: 52 signed traycased copies with additional artwork: $150

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

[WebWarlock]

New one.

www.sequentialtart.com/golden.shtml



and reprinted here under the copyright terms.

Quote:

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Trading in Vampires for Ghosts

An Interview with Christopher Golden

by Wolfen Moondaughter

I previously interviewed Christopher Golden back in May of 2002. He'd made a few appearances in our chatroom, and charmed the pants off of everyone in the room. I finally got to meet him at Wizard World Chicago 2003, much to my pleasure — he was an absolute sweetheart. So I vowed, once I got con season and moving out of the way, that I would take the time to interview him again ...





------------------------------------------------



Sequential Tart: Hello again, Mr. Golden! Since we last saw you, I see you've been hard at work on an animated web series for the BBC's website that you've been co-writing with Buffy's Amber Benson (Tara). I speak of course of The Ghosts of Albion, which started with the seven-act "Legacy", and continued with it's e-book sequel, Astray. For the sake of those who haven't seen it, what can you tell us about "Legacy"?



Christopher Golden: It concerns Tamara and William Swift, siblings in 1830s England who discover that their grandfather is the mystical Protector of Albion (England), just in time to inherit both his magic and his duty when he is murdered. They have the aid of a number of "ghosts of Albion," including several famous ghosts: Queen Bodicea, Lord Byron, and Admiral Nelson. Evil is rising and they've got to learn how to use their newfound magic quickly in order to fight back a threat from the Biblical demon Balberith.



ST: And how does Astray continue the series?



CG: It's quite different, actually. Smaller. Quieter. Someone or something is snatching babies in a small English village and replacing them with hideous changelings. William and Tamara have to get to the bottom of it.



ST: Why was Astray an e-book, as opposed to another animated series?



CG: We knew it was going to take a while to get another animated series off the ground, and Astray was written to reward the audience we had already built and to let them know GoA wasn't some one-off deal, that we would keep it going.



ST: How did the project come about in the first place?



CG: Amber and I had written several comic books together. The BBC were in the market for something new and they approached us. We didn't really want to do what they had in mind for several reasons, and so countered with the pitch for Ghosts of Albion.



ST: How different is it to write for web-animation, as opposed to working on a comic?



CG: It's more similar than you'd think. The structure is different, of course. The biggest difference, which is also the major drawback of watching it all in one go, is that because you're doing things in very short episodes, you've got to repeat yourself a lot. I hated that. In the next animated serial, if there is one, you can bet all of that redundancy will be gone.



ST: Who else was involved in the project, working on things such as the animation, the character designs, the voices, ect?



CG: Well, the animation was done by the wonderful Cosgrove Hall, the folks responsible for Danger Mouse, among other things. They did the design work as well. The voice cast were amazing, both the familiar names like Anthony Daniels and Emma Samms, to the less familiar, like Paterson Joseph (of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere), Jasmine Hyde and Rory Kinnear. One of the highlights was the presence of Leslie Phillips, a brilliant English character actor who is probably know best in the U.S. these days as the voice of the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter films.



ST: I was surprised to see that Ms. Benson didn't provide the voice for Tamara Swift in the series. Was there any particular reason why?



CG: Amber wanted to concentrate on the story and on directing. It was brought up, but never seriously considered.



ST: Is there any chance of Ghosts of Albion going to DVD?



CG: We hope so. There ought to be news one way or the other soon.



ST: What's in store for the future of Albion?



CG: Well, the situation with the BBC is up in the air at the moment. We hope to do a second hour long serial called "Embers", but we're trying to work out some details with them. However, regardless of what happens there, Ghosts of Albion is going strong. Amber and I will be writing a series of original GoA novels for Del Rey, with the first one probably out in late 2005, and Eden Studios is doing a role-playing game based upon the world we've created. Also, Subterranean Press are putting out a hardcover, signed, limited edition of Astray in a few months.



ST: How did Del Rey and Eden Studios get involved with the project? Who approached who?



CG: I mentioned it to Alex Jurkat from Eden at a convention. Without my knowledge, one of the people who worked for him — the guy writing the game book, Tim Brannan — was really interested in doing it. He was pursuing them independently to come to us. So by the time they actually did approach us, I had basically forgotten I had ever mentioned it to Alex. I think it's a great match, though. We're really looking forward to that. And, actually, I'm now working on another deal with Eden for a series of mine that shall remain nameless for the moment.



As for Del Rey, that was definitely a case of us going to them. We pitched GoA to several book editors, but all along I had the idea that Steve Saffel would be most likely to really see the possibilities here. He and I have been talking about working together for some time and we share a lot of the same sensibilities. This was a natural fit, and GoA seem quite excited about it. Amber and I have grand plans for Ghosts of Albion, and the novels are the centerpiece of those plans.



ST: The BBC website is now posting the Dark Horse Buffy comics, and one could argue that Albion is a sort of webcomic that moves. What are your thoughts on the future of webcomics and their effect on the industry?



CG: I think webcomics are a great testing ground. Some wonderful things have come from those efforts. But personally they'll never replace paper and ink for me.



ST: You've gotten a few Buffy novels under your belt since last we talked. What can you tell us about them?



CG: Hmm. I'm not sure which ones have come out since then. The two most recent Buffy projects, and the last ones planned for the foreseeable future, were Monster Island, the Buffy/Angel crossover novel I wrote with Sniegoski, and "Voodoo Lounge", a novella I did for Tales of the Slayers Vol. 3. It's sort of a sequel to my Spike & Dru novel, featuring the girl who becomes Slayer in that book.



ST: Not only did you co-write the script, with your old pal Tom Sniegoski, for the Buffy: Chaos Bleeds video game, but you did a comic adaptation as well. Tell us a little about the premise of the game, and how you came to create it.



CG: We had been brought in to script the first Buffy video game, but the story existed before we were hired. For the second round, they let us build it from the ground up. The basic idea is that Ethan Rayne has made a bet with The First, that they can each choose five champions to combat one another. If Ethan loses, he becomes a slave to The First, but if he wins, he gets all kinds of power. Ethan chooses Buffy and her friends, but The First cheats. He picks champions from all over the time space continuum, because he has the ability to warp time and space (or, at least he did until Mutant Enemy decided to completely change the idea of The First the way it was originally set up). The First is also cheating. Heh. And they end up in his realm, in a dark, alternate-reality version of Sunnydale.



ST: Was Dark Horse involved from the beginning?



CG: No. Fox got them involved, and Tom and I wrote the comic, which is actually a prequel.



ST: Writing for a videogame seems like it must be a very different process from writing a more linear work, like a novel. So how exactly does that work? Did you need to collaborate with the designers as you went, to see what you could do and what you couldn't? Did they give you a framework for certain things they wanted to have happen before you started writing?



CG: There were some meetings. There were things they told us from the outset that they didn't have the time or technology to do. Unfortunately, there were also things they bailed on during the process, so massive changes had to be made midstream. Tom and I were pretty disappointed, actually, both with that and with both the combat abilities and the camera action in Chaos Bleeds. I still think it's a very good game. It's fun. But it should have been a hundred times better than the first one, and I actually think the first one is better.



ST: Admit it, you logged in more than a few hours of game-playing as "research", didn't you? What are some of the games you like to play?



CG: Hmm. In modern video games, there are not many I've enjoyed. I like the current Indiana Jones game. Obviously the Buffy game. And with my kids I play Amped and Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, which is just fantastic.



ST: You seem to be taking a bit of a break from the Buffy world, in both the comics and novel universes. Have you retired from it completely, or do you have any plans for another go-round?



CG: Sniegoski and I have this huge, massive crossover thing called Dark Congess that we'll probably never do. That's the last Buffy/Angel related thing that I wanted to do, but with everything else on my plate at the moment, I don't see it happening. Never say never, though. It could happen. Tom might do it. Or we could do it in comics, but Dark Horse seems to be trying to figure out what to do with Buffy now, so ... time will tell.





ST: Having co-written a few Battlestar Galactica books with Richard Hatch (Apollo), what is your take on the new Sci-Fi Channel series?



CG: I didn't watch it. It just didn't grab my interest enough to make the time for it. I took Edward James Olmos's advice, I suppose. I was a fan of the original, and Richard is my friend, so I stayed away.



ST: You told us in the last interview that you were a big fan of The Lord of the Rings. Now that the movies are over, what was your impression of Mr. Jackson's interpretation? Given a chance, is there anything you would have handled differently?



CG: That's like asking what God got wrong.



ST: You've done work on Hellboy. Were you involved at all in the making of the film? Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share with us on it?



CG: Me? Nah. I've really enjoyed my relationship with Hellboy. I wrote two novels, The Lost Army and The Bones of Giants, both of which were just released as mass-market paperbacks, and edited the anthology ODD JOBS. Sniegoski and I wrote BPRD: HOLLOW EARTH with Mike Mignola. I certainly see it as possible that I'll write future Hellboy or BPRD novels, perhaps. But the movie is another world away from me. Mike is the father of Hellboy. I've just gotten to babysit once in a while.



ST: Tell us about the more personal, "disenfranchised" creations you've been working on of late. What can we look forward to from you?



CG: Well, the big one is my new novel, The Boys Are Back In Town, which hits right about now in bookstores everywhere. Go, buy, read. You'll enjoy it. Trust me. It's about a guy named Will James who goes to his tenth high school reunion weekend and over the course of the weekend, realizes that someone is altering the past, and it's royally fucking with his present-day life. Now, of course, Will has to fix it all. Beyond that, this summer you'll see Outcast: The Un-Magician, the first book in a new series of fantasy novels for young readers that I'm doing with Sniegoski. Tom and I are also writing a series of adult dark fantasy called The Menagerie. The first book in that, The Nimble Man, will be out this fall.



ST: Thank-you, Mr. Golden! Let me wrap up by saying that watching The Ghosts of Albion while working on questions for you was the most fun I ever had doing research ...

---

Hmmm... kind of neat really.



ETA: Here is another one.



www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=12138&mode=thread&order=0

Quote:

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GTS 2004: Ghosts of Albion RPG announced

Posted 2004-03-14 18:27:40 by damonwhite





Anonymous Reports: Albany, New York (March 14, 2004) – Eden Studios is delighted to announce an agreement with Amber Benson and Christopher Golden for the design, production, and distribution of the first ever Ghosts of Albion roleplaying game. Currently in development, the game is slated to hit shelves in 2004.



“There are things in this world that do not belong here—evil things.



Supernatural creatures that are neither myth nor legend. They are, in fact, quite real.



“These Enemies of Humanity would like to claim the world for themselves. Yet, in every corner of the globe, there are those who stand in their way—mystical guardians who protect the primeval essence of the Earth.”



—From the Journal of Tamara Swift, Protector of Albion



Created and written by Benson and Golden, and directed by Benson, Ghosts of Albion originally launched on BBC online last March as a series of original twelve-minute animated chapters, and featured vocal talents such as Emma Samms and Anthony Daniels. The online series became a cult favorite, listed by USA Today as a “Hot Site,” and went on to generate an equally popular sequel, the original online novella Astray.



Set at the dawn of the Victorian age, Ghosts of Albion roleplayers fight to keep the ever-present forces of evil at bay. Players can join the fight as normal humans, ghosts, or mysterious faeries. They can even wield the magic of the Protectors themselves. The Ghosts of Albion roleplaying game includes new material from the creators themselves, a variety of character options, full Unisystem rules, details from the current Ghosts of Albion storylines, and a complete, ready-to-run adventure.



Along with the roleplaying game and on-line stories, the Ghosts of Albion brand will be featured in a series of novels under a newly announced license agreement between Benson, Golden, and Del Rey Books. 2004 should prove a banner year for Ghosts of Albion.



“With Amber’s amazing TV work, and Christopher’s quality writing (including the foreword for Eden’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer roleplaying game), we’re huge fans here at Eden,” explains George Vasilakos, President of Eden Studios. “The Ghosts of Albion storyline is a terrific collaboration between two wonderful talents. We are excited to be working with both Amber and Christopher and look forward to producing a great roleplaying game together.”



“Working with Chris on Ghosts of Albion thus far has been a great experience,” added Amber Benson. “The fan support for Legacy and Astray [the stories on the BBCi web site] has been tremendous. Now with the new series of novels and the roleplaying game agreement settled, I’m really looking forward to sharing more Ghosts of Albion stories. We’ve created this world with infinite possibilities, and I’m thrilled to start exploring them further. We have so many ideas that we can’t wait to get to. Some will be in the form of online material, others in the novels, and even more in the roleplaying game. Ghosts of Albion as a concept covers every region of the world and thousands of years of history. It’s a big playground, with some very cool toys.”



Christopher Golden matched Amber’s enthusiasm. “Everyone knows Amber’s a fantastic actress and those familiar with her film Chance know she’s also a wonderful writer and director. Creating and writing Ghosts of Albion with her has been a great experience, but we’re just getting started. We have huge plans for this world, and Eden’s a big part of that. Eden Studios has consistently published great, and great-looking games. Their work on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel roleplaying games was brilliant. Amber and I are thrilled to have them on board producing a roleplaying game based on Ghosts of Albion. From the beginning, they’ve asked that Amber and I be intimately involved in the production process. Obviously they don’t know us very well, or they’d realize that they couldn’t keep us out of the process if they wanted to. [Insert evil laugh here.]”



EDEN STUDIOS makes cool games. Their latest hits, the Angel roleplaying game and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer roleplaying game, continue to delight fans of the show and gaming. All Flesh Must Be Eaten, the premier zombie survivor horror roleplaying game, is currently on its fourth printing. Eden also produces CJ Carella's WitchCraft, the roleplaying game of dark secrets and magic, Conspiracy X, the roleplaying game of aliens and government cover-ups, and the Eden Odyssey line of d20 system game products. On the lighter side, Eden Studios offers HACK!, a humorous card game based on the Knights of the Dinner Table™ comic book by Kenzer and Company, and Abduction, the fast and furious game of alien abduction. Check out all the Eden Studios products at http://www.edenstudios.net.


AMBER BENSON was born in Birmingham, Alabama where she enjoyed an

imaginative childhood before moving to California to pursue a career as an

actor, writer and director for film and television. Though best known for her three seasons portraying the white witch “Tara” on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she also appeared on television as Brian Dennehy’s daughter in a trio of Jack Reed tele-films. Among her film credits are The Crush, Bye Bye Love, Imaginary Crimes, Latter Days and Steven Soderbergh’s King Of The Hill. In addition to her acting roles, Ms. Benson wrote, directed and produced the romantic comedy Chance, in which she also stars, and is the co-writer and director of Ghosts of Albion: Legacy, an hour-long animated BBC serial. Ms. Benson lives in Los Angeles with her family.



CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the author of such novels as The Boys Are Back in Town, The Ferryman, Strangewood, Of Saints and Shadows, and the Body of Evidence series of teen thrillers, and co-author of the youth fantasy series OutCast. He has also written or co-written a great many books, comic books, and video games related to the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. In the comic book field, he has written tales of Batman, Spider-Man, Doctor Fate, and Hellboy. Please visit him at http://www.christophergolden.com.




The BBC’s Ghosts of Albion site is http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ghosts/

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Warlock

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Web Warlock

Coming Soon to The Other Side, The Netbook of Shadows: A Book of Spells for d20 Witches

"Razzle, dazzle, drazzle, drone, time for this one to come home." - The Replacements, "Hold My Life"

Edited by: WebWarlock at: 3/15/04 6:28 am

[WebWarlock]

New post because this is different.



Chris and Amber have put together a new story set in the Ghost's universe called "Illusions" and it deals with vampire Nigel Townsend. It is on the BBC's new cult page on Vampires.



www.bbc.co.uk/cult/vampir...nson.shtml



Nice insight to Nigel and Ludlow's relationship.



Warlock

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Web Warlock

Coming Soon to The Other Side, The Netbook of Shadows: A Book of Spells for d20 Witches

"Razzle, dazzle, drazzle, drone, time for this one to come home." - The Replacements, "Hold My Life"

[helpful information perha]

www.thealienonline.net/ao...6&iid=2253



[And here's another (sort of...) Actress / writer / director Amber Benson and Bram Stoker Award winner and comic book writer Christopher Golden have sold their first two original novels based upon their popular BBCi animated online drama Ghosts of Albion, "a period supernatural drama set in 1830s England about two siblings who who inherit from their murdered grandfather the responsibility to become the magical Protectors of England, with the aid of the ghosts of historical figures including Queen Bodicea, Admiral Nelson and Lord Byron" to Del Rey (US), for publication in late 2005. A roleplaying game from Eden Studios is also apparently in the works.]

[BytrSuite]

Thanks for that link, Tim.



Ooh, a RPG. I could never get into those. They're much more my brother's speed.

________
"...the sharks got smarter."

[urnofosiris]

A rather belated thanks to Tim for posting the info on the RPG. I am looking forward to this.

[kajo 2000]

From BBC Cult:

Quote:

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Illusions

25 March 2004



Read our new Ghosts of Albion story.



As part of the Cult website's brand new Vampires Magazine, authors Amber Benson and Christopher Golden have contributed a new Ghosts of Albion short story - Illusions.



The story explores character's from 2003's webcast Legacy - Ludlow, the Protector of Albion and his protegé Nigel.



When Buffy actress Amber and Christopher first brainstormed Ghosts of Albion, they were as interested in Ludlow's tenure as Protector of Albion as with the first story's key character's William and Tamara.



Christopher explained in his notes: "We've always intended to tell stories about Ludlow, and this is the first time we've had the chance," he said.



"As one of the early stage magicians, despite his wealthy heritage and class status, he's a fascinating character."



Click this link to read Ghosts of Albion: Illusions.

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

[WebWarlock]

www.icv2.com/articles/news/4532.html

Quote:

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Eden Studios' Ghosts of Albion RPG

Del Rey Has Novels



March 31, 2004

Eden Studios, creators of the Angel and Buffy RPGs, announced an agreement with Amber Benson and Christopher Golden for the design, production, and distribution of a role-playing game based on the Ghosts of Albion property. Currently in development, the game is slated to hit retail in the fourth quarter of 2004. Benson and Golden originally created Ghosts of Albion as a series of original 12-minute animated shorts, which appeared on the BBC online service, and which proved to be very popular. In addition to the agreement with Eden Studios for the RPG, Benson and Golden are writing a series of Ghosts Of Albion original novels for Del Rey, the first of which is due out in 2005. Benson, who played the white witch Tara on Buffy, also has several impressive writing credits, while Christopher Golden is a Bram Stoker Award-winning novelist, who has also written Buffy and Angel tie-in novels as well as comic book stories for Batman, Spider-Man, Doctor Fate, Punisher, and Hellboy.



The Ghosts of Albion property is set at the dawn of the Victorian age. In the RPG, players fight to keep the ever-present forces of evil at bay. Player can choose to be normal humans, ghosts, faeries or even the "Protectors" themselves, the brother and sister team who enlist the help of the mystical Ghosts of Albion, a trio of restless and heroic spirits from England's past, (Lord Nelson, Lord Byron, and Queen Bodicea) to protect Great Britain from an ancient evil that threatens to destroy the world.

---

As usual you can get to Eden at www.edenstudios.net



AND



Chris Golden and Amber Benson are up for Stoker Awards!

Chris is a past winner.



www.horror.org/stokerballots.htm

Quote:

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ALTERNATIVE FORMS

The Goreletter (email newsletter) by Michael Arnzen (gorelets.com)



From the Files of Matthew Gentech (role-playing game) by Bruce Ballon (Silver Age Sentinels)



"The Crow Is Dismantled in Flight" (poem) by Bruce Boston (Miniature Sun Press)



Ghosts of Albion (webcast script) by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson (BBC Online)



"Hugo Schizophrenica" (poem) by Charlee Jacob (Miniature Sun Press)



Twilight Tales the Webzine (webzine) edited by Tina Jens (Twilight Tales)



Horror World (webzine) edited by Nanci Kalanta and Ron Dickie (Nanci Kalanta and Ron Dickie)



The Stars As Seen from this Particular Angle of Night (poetry anthology) edited by Sandra Kasturi (Red Deer Press)



3000 MPH in Every Direction at Once by Nick Mamatas (Library Empyreal)



"The Jackie Sexknife Show" (stage script) by Martin Mundt (n/a)



Sound & Vision by John Urbancik (Lone Wolf Publications)



October Rush (poetry anthology) edited by Doyle Wilmoth (SpecFicMe)

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Warlock

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Web Warlock

Coming Soon to The Other Side, The Netbook of Shadows: A Book of Spells for d20 Witches

"I am the god of hellfire! And I bring you Fire!" - Arthur Brown, "Fire" The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

[kajo 2000]

Edited to add: Oops, I didn't realise WebWarlock had already included this info in his post immediately above mine. Sorry for the duplication.



Chris and Amber have been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Ghosts of Albion - excerpt from the Horror Writers Association:

Quote:

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Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot for Works Published in 2003





ALTERNATIVE FORMS



The Goreletter (email newsletter) by Michael Arnzen (gorelets.com)



From the Files of Matthew Gentech (role-playing game) by Bruce Ballon (Silver Age Sentinels)



Ghosts of Albion (webcast script) by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson (BBC Online)



Horror World (webzine) edited by Nanci Kalanta and Ron Dickie (Nanci Kalanta and Ron Dickie)

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"I want to be Byron... because I want to date young boys." Amber Benson

Edited by: kajo 2000 at: 4/19/04 12:20 pm

[urnofosiris]

That's ok Kajo, this deserves an extra plug. Good publicity for them and well deserved.

[WebWarlock]

Anyone see this before?



www.imdb.com/title/tt0396614/



IMDb's page for "Ghosts of Albion".



Very neat.



Warlock

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Web Warlock

Coming Soon to The Other Side, The Netbook of Shadows: A Book of Spells for d20 Witches

"D&D doesn't teach children that monsters exist. Children already know that monsters are real.

D&D teaches them that monsters can be defeated."
- Unknown

[urnofosiris]

Yes it surely is, but she looks kinda lonely there in the writing credits.

[WebWarlock]

Yeah, that is a tad wierd. Well. As great as the IMDb is, accuracy is not their strongest point.



Warlock

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Web Warlock

Coming Soon to The Other Side, The Netbook of Shadows: A Book of Spells for d20 Witches

"D&D doesn't teach children that monsters exist. Children already know that monsters are real.

D&D teaches them that monsters can be defeated."
- Unknown

[dekalog]

I submitted an update to add Chris's name (have to stick up for those big hairy lesbians ) should be posted in a day or two.

[WebWarlock]

Cool.



I would suggest we all also vote for it.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0396614/ratings



ETA 7/01/04

More Ghosts news at www.filmthreat.com/Interviews.asp?Id=837



* New Ghosts animation on the way!

* Possible DVD!

* And that way-freaking-cool Ghosts RPG!



Warlock

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Web Warlock

Coming Soon to The Other Side, The Netbook of Shadows: A Book of Spells for d20 Witches

"D&D doesn't teach children that monsters exist. Children already know that monsters are real.

D&D teaches them that monsters can be defeated."
- Unknown

Edited by: WebWarlock at: 7/1/04 11:25 am

[Rosenberg]

Here's an article I ran across today about Ghosts:



CHRIS GOLDEN AND THE "GHOSTS OF ALBION"

by Mike Watt (2004-06-28)





Best-known for his novels, including Strangewood and Straight on 'til Morning, Christopher Golden entered into the realm of uber-pop culture with his contributions to the mythos of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", working on both the popular comic book and tie-in novels (as well as writing the storylines for the two X-Box video games). It was on the comic series that he first collaborated with "Buffy" actress Amber Benson, with whom he wrote the best-selling one-shot issue entitled "WannaBlessedBe". Shortly thereafter, the duo was contacted by the BBC to create a brand new flash-animated series for the multimedia giant's internet arm, BBCi. Originally, the team considered the BBC's proposed storyline to be "too 'Buffy'-ish", and came up with their own supernaturally-driven alternative-history story. Ultimately, with Benson directing the voice talent (which consisted of such luminaries as Anthony Daniels and Emma Samms), the resulting Ghosts of Albion received record-number hits from surfers across the world.



Now, with a planned DVD release of the original series, the BBC approached the pair to do a sequel, which should begin production later this year. "What's happening with the "Ghosts Of Albion" BBC situation?", Golden parrots back to me, gathering his faults. "We have been delayed for several months by some difficulties the BBC was having in pinning down an animator. And Amber and I were reluctant to sign off on a contract and begin work until we knew who that animator was going to be. Because, you know, we're concerned about the quality of the material. Not that we have any doubt that the BBC will do their best, but because the choice of animator is going to be a major business situation there. I believe we have resolved all outstanding issues. We're just waiting to see a sample of that animation so we can sign off and get to work. If all goes well and if all goes as planned, we should see the second hour serial of "Ghosts of Albion", which is called "Embers", in September. Or October at the latest. They may do some things (other than techno-friendly Flash animation). Even in the time since we did the first one there have been certain advancements. The basic facts of the matter are, yes, many of us have much greater access to technology, but they still have to make it accessible to people who are less caught up with things. But let's face it, it's online. It's never going to look like Pixar as long as it is online. That said, Amber and I are looking to developing it in other forms as well."



There have been some members of the so-called "literati" who have scoffed at Golden's teaming with a lowly actor. After all, he's a world-famous author with a dozen published novels to his credit. Then again, the same scoffers have turned their derision towards his work in the comics industry, so there's just no pleasing some people. Golden's collaboration with Benson was actually his second high-profile "Buffy" team-up-the first was none other than James Marsters, who played the fan-favorite "Spike" character on both "Buffy" and it's spin-off, "Angel". But it was Benson with whom he really clicked, almost rivaling his long-standing creative relationship with writing partner, Tom Sniegowski.



"What's interesting is anytime you're dealing with an actor, people automatically assume that they're idiots and that they can't write or they can't do all of these things. Amber really came to her creative career looking to do a number of different things. She is an actor and a writer and a director and a producer. And she's done all of those things. At the time when I first met her and the subject of writing came up, her mother was there and she mentioned that Amber had written several plays. And I said that I would love to read one, and they sent me a play of Amber's called "Albert Hall". Which was actually produced in L.A. last year. And I read that and said, 'Wow! Okay, she's capable of doing all of this stuff.' And from there we wrote comics. I think mainly due to the comics the BBC approached us and asked us to do something as a team. Subsequently we did a (Ghosts of Albion) novella serialized online that will be available later this year as a limited, signed hardcover through Subterranean Press. And then they just announced the deal we did with Del Rey Books. We're doing a series of Ghosts of Albion novels. And any moment now Eton Studios will be announcing the deal we made for them for a role-playing game. So there will be a core book with the game-it's just going to be loaded. It's really steamrolling now. Obviously we're hoping that this will end up with some TV or film situation, but who knows?"



Many fans (as well as detractors) have cited the many similarities between "Ghosts of Albion" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". "Ghosts" tells the story of a brother and sister-Tamara and Ludlow-who inherit from their father the responsibility of protecting Victorian England from the onslaught of demonic forces, aided by the ghosts of such luminaries as Queen Bodicea, Lord Nelson and Lord Byron. By the broadest comparisons, anything that involves a strong female character battling the supernatural will be compared to "Buffy" without fail.



"There are people who bring it up, but you can stretch it and make the comparison to a lot of things," Golden says. "I enjoy the same things that influenced ("Buffy" and "Angel" creator) Joss Whedon, so none of this is new to me. People are always comparing my original vampire novels, the Shadow saga, to "Angel", because my character, Peter Octavian, in the first book (Of Saints and Shadows) is a vampire detective. And yet I conceived Peter Octavian in 1988. The first novel was written in '94. Again, it's just a matter of the influences that led to my creating Octavian led to Joss creating Angel. The flip side of that, (in) "Ghosts of Albion", it's not Tamara alone, and she's not chosen. The duties and responsibilities are given to her, and her brother as well, by her grandfather. So, you could do that-you could go through all kinds of places. Let's put it this way, the idea of somebody inheriting the power to protect the world supernaturally did not originate with us and did not originate with Joss either. You could compare it to so many different things."



With the whirlwind nature of production, Benson and Golden had a surprising amount of control over the BBC series, the design of the characters, etc. More control is always preferable, but Golden seems to have few complaints. "We had veto power. We made a great many suggestions, but beyond that - we described the characters in the script and we had veto powers over the finished product. I had a good comfort level there with (animation studio) Cosgrove Hall because Steve Maher and I sat and talked, and he described to me the palate they were going to use because of Flash, they had to use a lot of blacks and so on. And as he described it to me, I said 'Oh, that's kind of cool. It reminds me a lot of Hellboy. I don't know if you're familiar with Hellboy." And he laughed. Not only was he familiar with Hellboy, but he'd read the Hellboy novels that I'd written. So I knew right there that we were in good hands and that he was going to go for a certain look that I was going to appreciate."



One of the chief design influences that fans have noted is the striking resemblance that lead character Tamara has to Amber Benson. This seems to have been lost on Golden. (It is largely a long-distance writing relationship, however, so he can be forgiven for not having a strong idea of what his partner looks like-I'm kidding, Chris!)



"You know what's funny? A number of people have said that and I don't see it. I don't. Maybe it was on purpose. But I honestly don't-the character of Ludlow looks exactly like Leslie Philips, the character who played him. Beyond that, I'm not sure how much of that modeling they did. I don't know. You'd have to ask Cosgrove Hall."



The original "Ghosts of Albion" is constantly entertaining. It contains a dense, thrilling story, a richness of character and real sense of history. As an animated series, it leaves a bit to be desired, but such is the limitations of Flash. But the BBC has been responsible for keeping radio drama alive for the English-speaking world, and no one does this area of entertainment better. So it's no surprise that "Ghosts" comes across more as a visual radio play. This, too, was planned.



"I think the difficulty in watching it in one sitting to me is that it was written-by order of the Queen herself!-no, by order of the BBC, it was written to be accessible by audio only," Golden says, referring to the many fans who would be accessing the site through dial-up modems. "And in addition to that, it was written in that serial format. That caused two problems. First, to my mind, is that there are bits of dialogue that are completely unnecessary, and things that are overstated so that you can listen to it without the visuals. So that hampered us a little bit in the rhythm we would have preferred with the dialogue. And then the second bit is that it was broken down serially, if you're watching it in one go, you have a lot of repetition. Now, generally, they're not the same words, but there are a lot of things that are repeated three or four times. And when you sit and watch it in one go, it's very obvious. We're going to do our damnedest this time to avoid that. For a couple of reasons: one, we're going to assume that people who saw part two saw part one. And more importantly, the audio component is no longer an issue. We're going to write it for video and it isn't necessarily something that has to be accessible for audio-only audiences. Right there that frees us up a bit."



But for the technological limitations, neither Benson nor Golden limited themselves in terms of the depth of the storytelling, and both partners worked hard, and in conjunction with Cosgrove Hall, to create a believable world in which these characters can live. It was important for Golden to believe that they were recreating Victorian England in order for the story to work. "Let's face it, 1830 was not that long ago, in the great scheme of things, and I think that people have an image of that period of time being one in which people did not travel the world. Maybe it's true that most people didn't, but that's one of the most magical things about that era. Anybody who got on a boat, or went for a long journey, was discovering things that they could not possibly have any familiarity with. It's so difficult for us to conceive of such a thing today. I mean, I was saying to my wife today, the media is so up-in-arms about this bird flu. Bird flu has been around for years. But the reason we're so up-in-arms about it-two things: a) the media are all over the world, it's an international media; and b) it is something that can travel now, because there isn't a corner of the world that is untouched by business and travel. So it's just that we're losing the mystery of foreign-ness of the world. And that's what we're trying to capture, not only in the animated "Ghosts of Albion" but in the first novel. I can't really give away too much about it, but there's a great deal about the mystery of foreign-ness in it. One of the things we were trying to explore with the character of Nigel is: here's a guy who is clearly English, but he's clearly not-only English. He's traveled a lot and there's a lot more going on with him than is immediately evident. Thankfully, a lot of the visual research was done by Cosgrove Hall, and character-wise things developed over time."



The titular ghosts of the title, Lord Byron, Lord Nelson and Queen Bodicea, are spectral bodies who aide and guide our heroes through the treacherous realm of the demonic forces. For some, it is this trio that truly make "Ghosts of Albion" what it is, in terms of reaching entertainment heights. For this reviewer, Daniels' pompous-yet-commanding Nelson comes off the best, while Samms' too-English Bodicea leaves a bit to be desired. At the very start of the idea, the writers had not even locked down which famous ghosts would appear.



"The BBC had suggested a few and Amber and I went back and forth. I believe-and this is the thing with collaboration, it becomes difficult to remember who suggested what-but I believe that Amber was the one who suggested Byron. Which I thought was a wonderful idea. Byron was a character that Tim Powers used in The Stress of Her Regard. Our Byron is quite different, obviously, but that book made me interested in Byron as a character. Our Byron is used quite a bit for comic relief. The magical origin of Byron in our mythology is actually pretty cool, and I hope that we get the chance to delve into that a bit at some point. Nelson-and I could be completely wrong in this-but I believe he was my idea. And then, Bodicea was originally not going to be the queen we used-we had a different queen in mind, but the story editor who was working with us at the BBC suggested Bodicea, who I up until this point had never heard of. And Amber and I independently of each other went off and researched Bodicea and came back and said 'Oh, yeah, we have to use her! She is just way too cool!' So we jumped on that right away. And as we go forward we will see a lot more ghosts as well, but not all of them will be famous."



As for this reviewer's niggling complaint: "Well, we had Emma Samms, you know? So she sounded like Emma Samms to us."



For all the difficulties and smaller problems, the partners are very happy with the finished project (obviously, or they wouldn't be considering pursuing it further). The satisfaction in Golden's voice just pours through the phone. "You know what, I actually think that it came out really well. If you can watch it all the way through and keep in mind its origins, I think it's pretty damn cool. There's never been anything like it on the 'net. I enjoy watching it quite a bit. I think we did all the things we wanted to character-wise and story-wise. I think it's pretty horrific and gruesome, I think there are some great characters. I wish we could go back - again - and edit the script a little bit for those issues that I mentioned before. There are some areas that I would speed up a bit, I think. But all-in-all I'm very happy with it. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to hone it."



Having finally reached a point in his writing career where, he says, "I no longer have to take on work-for-hire", Golden has been concentrating on finishing his latest novel, The Boys Are Back, beginning the next draft on another called Lost Girls, as well as countless other projects with his longtime partner Sniegowski-including a fantasy series for Aladdin books called The Outcast. With all that on his plate, he is still looking forward to collaborating further with Benson, on the next Ghosts of Albion series and beyond.



"It's really funny, I've always been interested in film, I've always been interested in television, but writing novels and comics is, sometimes, how I make my living. And as a family man, I don't have the luxury of throwing it all to the wind and spending half a year writing scripts that may not ever get bought. That said, Amber and I have almost completed the first draft of an original horror screenplay. It's almost done. Actually, I think this morning I think I worked out a spot in the third act that we felt was missing something. I think I worked out what that missing something is. Tom Sneigowski and I wrote a spec TV pilot a few years back that we're still thinking about. And I have a manager out there who's working on a few things in my favor. And - how can I say this? I got a phone call - an inquisitive phone call from a cable network executive last week that could lead to something really interesting. But all of that stuff is so completely up in the air it's barely worth mentioning. Am I interested in film and television? Yeah, I always have been. But novels are not only my first love and my passion. They're also how I make my living."

[Garner]

That's supposed to be "Eden Studios" not Eton. Not a big deal, just thought I would correct that. Nice Post Rosenberg!



Garner

[BFR from Paris]

Also, the DVD release is not a done deal (said BHL on the Amber forum )

[WebWarlock]

www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/c...4885.shtml



(With Zombie Monkey Picture!)



Ghosts of Albion returns

New animation and treasure hunt start soon.



Magical siblings William and Tamara Swift return to Cult this autumn in the second animated instalment of Ghosts of Albion - Embers.



They'll be battling zombies, necromancers and demon monkeys in a global quest to find a mystical artefact.



As a bonus, fans will be invited to take part in a national treasure hunt to win the artefact. We're not going to tell you what it is yet, but it's rather cool, and very shiny.



A kind of Da Vinci code with demons, the treasure hunt has been developed in association with Britain's foremost enigmatologist, Chris Maslanka. Visitors to the site will be asked to solve a series of puzzles that will lead them around the country to find the answers.



Embers is again co-written by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden, with actors Jasmine Hyde, Rory Kinnear, Anthony Daniels, Emma Samms, Paterson Joseph and Roy Skelton all reprising their roles.



"As usual, working with the BBC has been a wonderful pleasure," says Amber. "Chris and I were delighted that we could bring our internet fans the next instalment of the Ghosts saga. Embers will be even better than our last effort."



"Amber and I have been itching to get round to the next Ghosts of Albion," adds Chris. "There's an upcoming roleplaying game and a new series of original novels, but it's a thrill to have joined forces with the BBC and our wonderful cast to bring Embers to life."



Embers will feature innovative animation from Flash specialist Nick Hilditch and post-production by audio drama specialists Big Finish.



"Being invited to direct the second Ghosts of Albion adventure was very exciting but also a little daunting," says producer/director John Ainsworth. "Amber had done a really good job directing the first story, and the actors had clearly enjoyed themselves immensely, so I felt I had a lot to live up to.



"Happily I was able to meet with Amber in Los Angeles to discuss the project and I think we both felt more comfortable about my taking the helm as a result. We got some great performances on the day and I feel that the finished production, with some excellent sound design, music and animation, is a worthy successor to the original adventure."



Embers begins on 1 November 2004. While you're waiting for it, follow the link to check out previous Ghosts of Albion adventures.



Warlock

Edited by: WebWarlock at: 10/15/04 11:38 am

[Kajun]

Great news! Ya gotta love demon monkeys and zombies, heh. I’m glad ‘Embers’ will be animated. Yah! The shiny artifact quest should be really fun. Didn’t a certain Kitten win one of the previous contests? I’ve been watching Legacy again so now there are just a few weeks to finish the last two chapters and run through Astray and Illusions once more before Embers starts. If you haven’t seen GOA yet.. Go check it out. Damn Good stuff!

[WebWarlock]

Reminders....



- New "Ghosts of Albion: Embers" starts on Monday.



- A sneak peak at the new "Ghosts of Albion Role Playing Game" from Eden Studios.



Happy Halloween!



Warlock

Web Warlock, web.warlock@comcast.net, The Other Side.

Liber Mysterium: The D20 Netbook of Witches & The Dragon and the Phoenix: New Adventures of Willow and Tara

"Are you kidding me? 'Trainspotting' is the 'Citizen Kane' of Scottish heroin movies!" - My friend Al.

[BFR from Paris]

There's a preview here : www.bbc.co.uk/cult/tamaraswift/



Happy Halloween everyone!

[Warduke]

From AICN...

Quote:

---

Amber’s EMBERS!!

GHOSTS OF ALBION Sequel Launches!!



I am – Hercules!!



“Ghosts of Albion: Embers” is not a TV show, but it’s got pictures and sound and it’s serialized and it’s free …



Okay, maybe it is a TV show. But you don’t need a TV to watch it!



It’s written by my pals, actress-writer-director-producer Amber Benson and award-winning novelist Christopher Golden.



Beginning Monday, you can watch it yourself here.



Want to learn more while waiting for Monday to roll around? Look! A press release!





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: GHOSTS OF ALBION: EMBERS



Following the success of their first adventure, magical siblings William and Tamara Swift return to bbc.co.uk this Autumn in "Ghosts of Albion: Embers", the latest adventure from BBC Interactive Drama and Entertainment.



The second installment of the Prix Europa-nominated drama begins on the 1st November 2004, starring BBC Carlton Hobbs award-winner Jasmine Hyde as Tamara and Rory Kinnear (Second Coming) as William as they battle zombies, necromancers and demon monkeys in the quest to find the pieces of a mystical artifact scattered across the globe!



As well as being able to watch six new episodes, fans across Britain will be invited to take part in a treasure hunt to win the golden crown, as featured in the story. A kind of Da Vinci code with demons, the treasure hunt has been developed in association with Britain's foremost 'enigmatologist', Chris Maslanka. Visitors to the site will be asked to solve a series of puzzles to discover the location of five crown pieces.



"Ghosts of Albion: Embers" has been co-written by the original team of Amber Benson and Christopher Golden. Benson is best known to Cult fans as Tara in the hit TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She was also the writer, director and producer of the award-winning independent film "Chance" and is currently working on a second feature. Christopher Golden is the L.A. Times best-selling author of such novels as "The Ferryman" and "Strangewood" as well as a Bram Stoker Award winner.



"As usual, working with the BBC has been a wonderful pleasure," said Benson. "Chris and I were delighted that we could bring our internet fans the next installment of the Ghost's saga. I think that "Embers" will be even better than our last effort."



"From the moment we finished recording the first Ghosts of Albion serial, Amber and I have been itching to get round to the next one," added Chris. "'Embers' takes Tamara and William around the world, introduces new characters and deepens the mythology of the series. Even as we broaden the scope of Ghosts of Albion with the upcoming roleplaying game and the new series of original novels, it's a thrill to have joined forces with the BBC and our wonderful cast to bring 'Embers' to life."



As well as new storylines and characters, the series will have innovative animation from flash specialists Meafmania and post-production provided by audio drama specialists Big Finish.



Sophie Walpole, BBC Head of Interactive Drama and Entertainment said, "The original episode of Ghosts of Albion was a real success, and proved to be a great example of bbc.co.uk working together with talented script writers, actors, actresses and production teams to provide really great content on the web. Embers continues to develop a new form of 'webtainment' on bbc.co.uk, fusing audio drama with comic-strip animation to enhance the internet viewing experience. We hope that visitors to the site will enjoy the next episode and look forward to developing more great drama for everyone to enjoy in the future".

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Firefox: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[WebWarlock]

Embers is now up and ready!



www.bbc.co.uk/cult/tamaraswift/



Enjoy!



Warlock

Web Warlock, web.warlock@comcast.net, The Other Side.

Liber Mysterium: The D20 Netbook of Witches & The Dragon and the Phoenix: New Adventures of Willow and Tara

"Are you kidding me? 'Trainspotting' is the 'Citizen Kane' of Scottish heroin movies!" - My friend Al.