Today is the 50th birthday of Joss Whedon, geek icon extraordinaire. Without Whedon, the world of geekdom would have had no Buffy the Vampire Slayer, no Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, and no Firefly/Serenity. The mere fact that Firefly famously had only one incompletely broadcast series on TV, yet acquired such a following that a major studio was willing to produce a feature film based on it three years later, is testament to the kind of imagination, writing, and directing talents Whedon possesses. It’s worth noting, too, that without those talents Pixar might not have the stellar position in the world of animation it possesses, as Whedon co-wrote Pixar’s first feature film — I refer to Toy Story, of course — which was widely praised for the quality of its story and dialogue.
And now he basically rules the Marvel side of superhero movies. Avengers is the baseline against which all future team-up movies will be measured (including its sequel, which he’s making right now, thank goodness!). Plus, the Agents of Shield TV show totally sucked us in with its dramatic end-of-season twists and cinematic universe crossovers, getting us even more excited for what comes next.
Of course, the 50th birthday is a big one. Can you imagine what kind of party his friends and family are throwing for him? No, please, imagine it! Post your ideas in the comments!
So please join all of us at GeekDad in wishing Joss Whedon a very happy birthday, and many more to come!
