Following the release of his concept artwork for the abandoned Buffy: Animated series, illustrator Eric Wight has revealed more regarding his approach to the project.
"From the beginning there was a fear that the actors might not reprise their roles in the cartoon, so Joss wanted me to try and capture the essence of the character, rather than caricature the actor," revealed Wight, speaking to top Sarah Michelle Gellar site SMGFan.com. "That was by far the most challenging part."
Wight apparently turned to the work of Hellboy artist Mike Mignola for inspiration. "His dramatic use of blacks and simplistic design was a major source of inspiration," said Wright.
"I also wanted to capture the female cuteness found in Japanese anime and manga, so I spent a lot of time rifling through the book stores in Little Tokyo. I also went to all of the local cemeteries and took pictures. I watched a lot of Martial Art and classic monster movies."
Sadly Buffy: Animated was shelved due to lack of US network interest before any recording sessions or animation could take place.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the UK on BBC 2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer copyright Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.