Attention Joss Whedon!

A couple weeks ago while being interviewed on the Wired blog Joss Whedon had the following exchange:

Wired.com: To what do you attribute the far-flung coverage and buzz about Dr. Horrible, considering there's been little to no press for the series?

Whedon: Fact is, there's been some buzz, but it hasn't reached the places it would normally. Where's our write-up in Crocheting Monthly? (I did a very sexy shoot for that one.)

Joss was joking and meant his comments in good fun. As a result Crochet Me has been inspired to unite crafty Whedon fans to show Joss just how much love he has in the crochet world and in the craftyverse in general. They're also hoping to snag an interview with the man himself so he can see how devoted and fun (and not scary!) we crocheters can be. You can read their detailed plan here and also learn what you can do to help. Among their suggstions: blog about the situation to help spread the word (done!), tell people you know who know people who know Joss, (working on it!) and show off your own crochet and other crafty projects that have been inspired by Joss's work (done!)

Currently I don't have to much Whedon related crafting to show off. I knitted a Jayne hat once, but I don't have any pictures of it. Pictured here is my Browncoat Snowman that was one of my first amigurumi projects. The idea was that he'd be something geeky I could put out at Christmas with all the more traditional holiday decorations, but truth be told, he's so cute he actually sits out all year round. Way back when I posted him on Craftster some people were actually a bit confused. Was there an episode of Firefly that they had missed in which the crew builds a snowman? Sadly, no. There's no secret missing episode that only I have access too. A girl can dream...

Anyways, I love the work of Joss Whedon and I think this a great little project that Crochet Me has going on. Joss may have made the comment jokingly, but I think he actually does get a lot of publicity (and admiration) from crocheters. I'm certainly not above using this blog to promote Joss's favourite charity or his latest amazingly, brilliant creation, Dr.Horrible. Seriously, this thing is great, if you haven't seen it yet, check it out. It's well worth the couple of dollars you'll have to spend on iTunes, I promise.

Can't Stop the Serenity!

"There are two ways to fight a battle like ours. One is to whisper in the ear of the masses, try subtlely and gradually to change the gender expectations and mythic structures of our culture. That's me. The other is to step up and confront the thousands of atrocities that are taking place around the world on an immediate, one-by-one basis. That's a great deal harder, and that's Equality Now. It's not about politics; it's about basic human decency." -- Joss Whedon

I'm taking a detour from the usual crochet and crafty talk to tell you a little about a charity event that's very important to me. Each June, on or near Joss Whedon's birthday, thousands of fans gather in movie theaters around the world to watch a little movie Joss made called Serenity. Proceeds from the day's screening go to Equality Now, Joss Whedon's charity of choice. In 2006, Can't Stop the Serenity raised over $65,000 for Equality Now. In 2007, that number went up to $114,000. This year the goal is to raise $155,000 and host events in 55 cities globally.

If you're a fan of the projects that I feature on this site then I'm guessing that you're probably also a fan of something Joss has done whether it's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly or his recent work in the comics Astonishing X-Men or Runaways. Attending a Can't Stop the Serenity screening is a way to give a little something back for all the wonderful things Joss has given us. Plus, you get to see Serenity on the big screen again. How cool is that?

I will be attending the screening that's taking place on June 22 in Vancouver. To keep up with the planning and order tickets for that screening visit the Vancouver Charity Screening of "Serenity" blog. To find out where else in the 'verse screenings are taking place in 2008 or how you can help host an event in your area, visit Can't Stop the Serenity.

Need a little more incentive to get out of the house and meet fellow Joss fans? Take a few minutes to check out Equality Now and the amazing work they do throughout the world or go to YouTube and watch Joss Whedon's Equality Now Speech. It's only 8 minutes and I guarantee it will make you laugh at least once. It may also inspire you to act. Attend a screening. Make a donation to Equality Now. Tell others about the event.



Want the Pattern?

Finally, I'd hate to send anyone off to a screening underdressed. You can make your own knit Jayne Hat using this free pattern available on Craftster that was created by Emisanboo or this one that's available through the Vancouver/Firefly Serenity Meetup Group.

See, it always comes back to crafty stuff in the end!