Need Buffy Artifacts

September 29, 2008 12:16 PM

I need help creating a complicated, buffy-themed christmas present for my girlfriend. Problem: I know very little about Buffy. I'm looking for a list (and photos, if possible) of buffy artifacts.

I saw this post regarding the kickass alice-in-wonderland themed birthday present, inspired by the art of alex cf.

I'd like to put together a sample kit that was assembled during an investigation into the big Sunnydale explosion that ended the Buffy franchise. I'm trying to collect a list of artifacts to be displayed, and hopefully a format for a map of Sunnydale, as well as fragments of an assembled report. I especially need photos, and suggestions for what the sample tags might say. Help make for an awesome christmas gift.

posted by craven_morhead to grab bag (22 comments total)

Going super-nerd here, but Sunnydale didn't explode, it caved in; and the franchise continued in Angel and continues still in Fray and Buffy - Season 8.

The central Buffy objet in the last season and the post-show canon is the scythe, and you can get images and replicas mini- and full-sized of that. (It was made by the same ancient mystical dickheads who created the Slayer, and its power was tapped by Willow to repeal the one-Slayer-at-a-time rule so that Buffy and the Slayers-in-training could win the big fight that collapsed the Hellmouth.)
posted by nicwolff at 12:55 PM on September 29, 2008

Well for women, anything-Buffy is not complete without the famous Sushi pajamas.
posted by elendil71 at 1:09 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

I am so jealous of your girlfriend. You should be able to find plenty of replicas of actual props online, depending on how much you're willing to spend. Also, are you looking for things from just the 7th season, or from the series as a whole?

I got beat to the scythe, but, yeah, that's a must.

So, apparently Sunnydale is near (or is) Santa Barbara, so that's probably a good starting place for maps. The footnotes in that article will point you towards the relevant episodes -- you should easily be able to find screencaps for any of them.

"Get It Done" (season 7, ep 15) features some slayer artifacts in the form of a bag that gets passed from slayer to slayer and the shadow puppets inside it.

Other recognizable artifacts would be Mr. Pointy (the stake Kendra gives Buffy in Becoming Pt. 1), Mr. Gordo (Buffy's favorite stuffed animal). A Sunnydale High yearbook would probably also be a good addition.

Also, you should probably read some episode summaries, especially of the 7th season, so you're not doing this blind. Watching would be better, but that'll take too much time.

I'll be back with more as I think of it.
posted by natabat at 1:14 PM on September 29, 2008

Random stakes would be easy. I think you can also order a copy of the Sunnydale High yearbook that is appropriately scorched. A fragment of kitten fur and a playing card (for kitten poker). A slug scented candle from the Magic Box. A stuffed pig (Mr. Gordo). A business card from Xander's construction company. A UC Sunnydale student ID for Tara or Willow. A wanted flyer for Faith. A band flyer from the Bronze (Nerf Herder or Dingos Ate My Baby) Voodoo barbies of cheerleaders (from way back in the first season). A box of Hot Pockets (Andrew ate them a lot).

Man. I should be able to think of much much more, but I'm drawing a total blank. Regardless, this is an ubersweet idea and you are a very good boyfriend for doing it
posted by teleri025 at 1:18 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

Maps will be difficult. Two entirely different maps were using onscreen during the show. There was a Sunnydale High yearbook cover made. MeMail me - I have some duplicate novels I'd be happy to send to you via the post. You could cut them up for the color plates and use them in the "report."

Ah, as to the Scythe - it was created by the Guardians. The Shadowmen were the "ancient mystical dickheads" who created the Slayer.

*goes back to his Visio document for the virtual circuit diagram of a transwarp core subcomponent*
posted by adipocere at 1:24 PM on September 29, 2008

I think you need to create a replica of Buffy's Class Protector umbrella award. It was a little sparkly mini umbrella. The other students gave it to her at the prom as their way of saying thanks for everything she does -- even if they weren't entirely sure how she was doing it or why. It's from "The Prom" episode in season 3. It ends up being one of her prized possessions. Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time finding a web page with an image or clip that isn't a geocities site.
posted by awegz at 1:30 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

First off, awesome idea-- especially narrowing it down to a season because the show is just so damn rich that if you didn't choose something to focus on, this would be a gift you could spend many holiday seasons planning.

The Buffy and Angel Trivia Guide is a freakishly exhaustive compendium of episode info, factoids, mythology, and assorted miscellany and might just help as a point of reference. Like, check out the entries for Season 7. The site literally catalogs everything ever said on the show of any significance. Also helpful especially if you need more synopses of episodes and descriptions of what is going on when is the Complete Buffy Episode Guide.

As far as specifics go, if you can get a recording of the folk song that is Spike's trigger ("Early One Morning"), that would be great because it's a huge part of the season and the Scoobies figuring out how to battle the First.

Several significant fight scenes take place in the wine cellar occupied by Caleb, the proxy for the First (the season and arguably the show's ultimate big bad). We see red wine bursting out of shattered barrels quite a bit. It might be cool to give a bottle of red wine and re-make the label to something referential.

You definitely need Spike's amulet. I'm not sure if you can find an imitation online somewhere or if you should make one, but it's a must have for sure.

When I think of more, I'll come back!
posted by sneakin at 1:36 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oh! Another significant part of Season 7 and integral to the First's increasing threat to the Scoobies and, I guess, the world, is the fact that the Council of Watchers is blown up. This is not specific to the explosion at the school that you're talking about, but it's definitely a huge deal for the season and the series and arguably leads to the final stand down at the school. It might be cool to recreate some kind of Council document and burn the edges a bit so it looks like it was retrieved from the wreckage of the explosion. I'm not sure what that would be, exactly but maybe other folks have ideas. Or you can MeMail me and I'll brainstorm.

Also, I see you asked for photos of stuff. The best one I can find online of Spike's amulet is the fourth image from the top here. That might not be so helpful, sorry. And I can't seem to find a prop replica of it anywhere.
posted by sneakin at 1:55 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

Also, check out this previous question.
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 1:58 PM on September 29, 2008

Best suggestion would be to watch the last episode, and try and identify pieces unique to that episode that you could "find" fragments of. I would enclose the whole thing in a cold steel/military/area 51-ish case, as if the investigation was being done by some "black" government or military agency, rather than in an old leather-style case (which would look cooler, but not be as accurate). Military-style tagging of items (bright steel cable attaching some kind of laminated, laser-printed card with unique ID tags a UPC code on it, maybe, and a description of the item on the back? Something along these lines as an ID marker?

-Fragment of some signage from the high school -- a parking sign or something? (perhaps a description on the tag that mentions that few fragments were found from the school, possibly identifying the school as the epicenter of the "incident"). Or, perhaps a part of a Sunnydale Yearbook?

-The bloody (non Mr. Pointy) stake you can see in this video summary (unique as an evidence-y type piece because most stakes don't get bloodied) at 6:21, used to kill one of the slayers. Perhaps a reference to the blood type/DNA on it being altered in some way that could be unique to slayers?

-Map-wise, you can see the map of Sunnydale on the wall in the principal's office in Dead Man's Party (3.02) and in 3.19, and it's apparently very similar to the map of the county of Santa Barbara. (pulled from the Sunnydale Wiki page)

-Using some notable Buffy weapons that could have conceivably been in her house or in the town when the town collapsed (for instance, the Hibben knife used to stab Faith in season three, though I can't remember what happened to it afterwards).

If I think of others, I'll come back.

@sneakin: Spike's amulet would be VERY cool, except that Lindsey dug it up and sent it to Angel, thereby bringing Spike back on Angel, so it would be impossible to actually have it in the evidence.

/nerd :P
posted by liquado at 2:03 PM on September 29, 2008

@liquado Good call but it's too bad because it's so important to the show. Also, damnit, I still haven't watched season 5 of Angel. SPOILER ALERT. (just kidding--thank you for out-Buffy nerding me. P.s., let's be best friends now)

I wonder if getting a prop replica of the D&D map that Giles, Xander, Amanda and Andrew are playing on in the episode Chosen. Only because it seems at first like they are planning the siege on the school and it turns out they're playing a role-playing game. It might be a fun gag gift-within-a-gift thing. Or, maybe that's WAY too meta.
posted by sneakin at 2:11 PM on September 29, 2008

Any strong thoughts on liquado's suggestion of making it more black-ops, less steampunk? I was thinking labels along the lines of a typeset form filled out long-hand, attached to each piece.

Other suggestions I've collected from another buffy fan (I could use photos of the tougher-to-imagine bits if people can track 'em down):


cross

holy water

Mr. Pointy (Buffy's stake)

Celtic ring (given to Buffy by Angel, season 2)

Mr. Gordo (stuffed pig)

Class Protector parasol (Prom, season 3)

box of voices (Hush, season 4)

band candy

harmony's unicorn

dagon sphere (glory)

hand wipes (from the mayor)

spider creatures - box of gavrock (in fermaldahyde)

mayor meat in a jar

master bone fragments

sage (magic weed)

pages from the books of ascension / pages of the spell to restore angel's soul

lock of troll hair

russian revolution gloves with blood

sample of Black Frost beer

ear from the chumash indians

cocktail napkin from the bronze

cammo fabric - initiative

spike's chip in a jar

cigarette butts from spike collected from rivello drive

baby doll with a blindfold

news clipping - dead german kids

kid drawing of der kinderstadt

map of sunnydale

werewolf fur/tooth

mark of eyghon

dreadlock from the first slayer

stilletto heel from glory

veruca's werewolf tooth

orb of thesula (angel's soul)

flower / crystal - tabula rasa

doublemeat (vegetable) sample

merlot from the vineyard
posted by craven_morhead at 2:42 PM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

If you go black ops, then the guy leading the expedition should really be Riley Finn (Buffy's boyfriend in seasons 4 and 5 and soldier in The Initiative, a secret government operation investigating demons and such). Bonus points for including a reference to Sam Finn, Riley's wife and fellow demon hunter.

Or, go with the leather and paper and have it be from the remnants of the Watcher's Council (or a replacement group) -- very old-fashioned and British. You could make a strong case for either.

More ideas:
troll hammer (Triangle from season 5)
Xander and Anya wedding invitation (you'd have to make this up)
SHS Razorback costume (for a pig...poor Herbert) (The Pack from season 1)
chains (as worn by Oz or Spike)
high tech military gear from the Initiative
the knife Andrew used to kill Jonathan (Storyteller from season 7)
posted by natabat at 3:53 PM on September 29, 2008

May I suggest you contact the site admins of Whedonesque at whedonesque AT gmail DOT com and ask them if they'll post this question? The fans there are rabidly (in a good way) Buffy- and Angel-fans, and you will get more answers and ideas than you possibly could dream of.
posted by WCityMike at 6:30 PM on September 29, 2008

I have nothing to add except that you are clearly the best. boyfriend. ever.
posted by mewithoutyou at 6:42 PM on September 29, 2008

Oh! Do the Catherine Madison trophy!

Find a Barbie-sized doll with drown eyes. Tape over its eyeballs, then dress it as a cheerleader and spraypaint it gold. Let it dry, then remove the tape. Finally dirty it up with charcoal so it looks like it's been fished from the ruins.

If you can find a way to make the eyes move, you will win a special awesome award, but just having them be brown instead of gold will be enough to show what its supposed to be.

Reference pictures are here, here and here.

The label should refer to the eyes appearing to move and the statue ocassionally emitting strange stifled noises.
posted by the latin mouse at 5:49 AM on September 30, 2008

Whendonesque contacted. For the record, latin_mouse has demonstrated exactly the sort of response I was looking for.
posted by craven_morhead at 6:47 AM on September 30, 2008

BUFFY COMIC SPOILER







Warren and Amy survived "Chosen" and are found living but trapped in the rubble. Not sure what you'd do to show that but it's kind of wickedly cool in a horror genre way. Especially since Warren is alive and skinless after we all thought he was dead. If she's a pretty big Buffy or Whedon fan and enjoys meta humor (i.e., a nerd), some sort of custom-made CHARACTER DEATH RETCON card styled like a strategy game might be amusing for her.

CHARACTER DEATH RETCON
Get Out Of Flaying Free
Card valid for one shocking character reveal following a mystical death.
posted by Tehanu at 9:34 AM on September 30, 2008

More concrete ideas: a Boba Fett figurine and an exercise wheel from a rat cage. Mess them up a bit.
posted by Tehanu at 10:02 AM on September 30, 2008

-Map-wise, you can see the map of Sunnydale on the wall in the principal's office in Dead Man's Party (3.02) and in 3.19, and it's apparently very similar to the map of the county of Santa Barbara. (pulled from the Sunnydale Wiki page)

Andrew also draws one on a whiteboard in Season 7. In that case you go for humor more than accuracy. He's not known for accuracy.
posted by Tehanu at 10:04 AM on September 30, 2008

Hey all, this is A, Craven's girlfriend. Thanks so much for all of your help. The final product is amazing! Craven will post a link to some pics in a bit. I'm glad to know their are still rabid buffy fans out there (and that I'm not the only one). Cheers!
posted by craven_morhead at 5:30 AM on January 14, 2009

Here's the list of photos, and a quick description of the final product.
posted by craven_morhead at 7:23 AM on January 14, 2009