Buffy the Vampire Slayer 20th Anniversary Extravaganza

Get ready, Scoobies. Buffy the Vampire Slayer debuted on TV 20 years ago this month, and Fox is slaying it with anniversary plans. There are contests (you could win a trip to this year’s San Diego Comic Con!), new merchandise, Buffy back on your TV, and more!

On March 10, 1997, Buffy the Vampire Slayer blessed us with its existence. The WB show was revolutionary, mainly for its main character, Buffy Summers, who is the epitome of “strong female character”. During the day, she was a peppy, pretty high school student who wanted to hang out with her friends and join the cheerleading squad. At night, she patrolled cemeteries and staked vampires through the heart. Buffy proved that you could kick ass and still be girly, something that female characters still sadly struggle with today.

To commemorate the anniversary, tune in to Pop on March 10 at 9am to watch the two-part pilot episode (to find your local channel, click here), and BoxLunch has partnered with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products with an exclusive promotion on their website and across all their US retail locations. Products hit shelves and their website on March 10, and when you buy from BoxLunch, every $10 you spend helps feed a person in need.

It’s not just BoxLunch, though. Get prepared for a whole host of new Buffy merchandise to hit stores. In addition to a line of books and comics, fans can expect clothes, jewelry, accessories, games, and housewares all inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

“Decades after its television debut, Buffy the Vampire Slayer continues to stake its ground in pop culture,” said Jim Fielding, President of Consumer Products and Innovation at 20th Century Fox Consumer Products. “As one of the studio’s most memorable programs, we are thrilled to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary alongside the devoted Buffy fan community.”

Highlights of the merchandise are below:

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Board Game (Jasco, available now)
• A unique fashion collection celebrating the style of some of Buffy‘s core characters, including Buffy’s trench coat and Willow’s 90s sweaters, as well as tops featuring some of the show’s iconic quotes (Hot Topic & AC/DC Apparel, available this summer exclusively at hottopic.com)
• A full line of t-shirts for men and women available at major retail outlets, as well as Amazon (Ripple Junction, available now)
• Legendary: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Deck Building Game, for 1-5 players (Upper Deck, available August 2017)
• A jewelry and accessory line (SG@NYC, available soon)
• A full line of drinkware, desktop accessories, fleece blankets and much, much more! (Surreal Entertainment, available May 2017)

Bibliophiles, I haven’t forgotten about you! Giles and Willow would salivate at the list of new books Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans can expect to see coming out this year. Here are some of the highlights:

• 

  BtVS adult coloring book (Dark Horse, available now)

• BtVS Season 11 and Angel Season 11 comic series (Dark Horse, available now)
• Buffy: The High School Years – Parental Parasites (Dark Horse, June 2017)
• BtVS Omnibus Season 8 Volume 1 (Dark Horse, September 2017)
• BtVS: Big Bads & Monsters adult coloring book (available Fall 2017, currently available for pre-order)
• BtVS: The Watcher’s Guide 20th Anniversary Edition (Simon & Schuster, October 2017) – Volumes 1-3 have been combined in one hardcover collection with new exclusive content, including never-before-seen interviews with the cast and crew.
• BtVS Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to the Buffyverse (Harper Design, September 2017) – Written by Buffy experts, this full-color encyclopedia compiles all the important information on characters, demons, weapons, and running gags.

• 

  BtVS: The Official Grimoire (Insight Editions, October 2017) – Narrated by Willow Rosenberg (with commentary from the rest of the Scoobies), this is a comprehensive collection of every magical moment from all seven seasons.

• BtVS: The Definitive Visual Handbook (Insight Editions, October 2017)
• BtVS Vampyr Stationery Set (Insight Editions, August 2017) – Includes a 192-page blank pocket journal, 20 blank notecards featuring iconic Buffy quotes, envelopes, and 20 Hellmouth sticker seals enclosed in a collector’s box designed to look like it came from Giles’s library.
• BtVS Vampyr Hardcover Ruled Journal (Insight Editions, August 2017)
• BtVS Sunnydale High Hardcover Ruled Journal (Insight Editions, August 2017)

But WAIT! There’s MORE! I mentioned a contest, right? BoxLunch is sponsoring the Sunnydale High School Yearbook Contest. Participants are encouraged to share their high school yearbook photos with their best Buffy captions as their “senior quote”. The grand prize is a trip to San Diego Comic Con 2017, and you’ll be able to find the contest details and rules at BoxLunch.com once the contest officially launches March 10.

BoxLunch is also behind a “drawing in” campaign for fans eager to wish cast and crew a happy anniversary. On Friday, BoxLunch and the official Buffy Facebook page will publish a selection of complimentary pages from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer coloring book. Fans can color these pages and submit personal anniversary messages, and you’re all encouraged to share these across social media using the hashtag #BuffySlays20.

Here is a list of the official Twitter accounts of the cast and crew of Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

• Sarah Michelle Gellar @SarahMGellar
• Joss Whedon @joss
• Alyson Hannigan @alydenisof
• Anthony Stewart @AnthonySHead
• David Boreanaz @David_Boreanaz
• James Marsters @JamesMarstersOf
• Charisma Carpenter @AllCharisma
• Amber Benson @amber_benson
• Emma Caulfield @emmacaulfield
• Eliza Dushku @elizadushku
• Danny Strong @DannyStrong
• Michelle Trachtenberg @RealMichelleT
• Seth Green @SethGreen
• Nicholas Brendon @NicholasBrendon
• Kristine Sutherland @thekutherland
• Tom Lenk @tomlenk
• Armin Shimerman @ShimermanArmin
• Juliet Landau @julietlandau
• DB Woodside @TheReal_Db

Whew! That’s a lot to take in! What are you guys most excited about? Personally, I can’t wait for that grimoire, and I’ll probably be picking up that stationery set as well!

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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