Mutant Enemy end-of-credits logo.
Mutant Enemy Productions is the production company created in 1997 by Joss Whedon to produce Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The company also produced the television shows Angel, a Buffy spin-off; Firefly, a short-lived Space Western, and Dollhouse.
Its offices (made out of glass bricks) were on the lot of 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles, previously the home of Chris Carter's Ten Thirteen Productions. According to March 2006's issue of UK magazine The Word, the office (and thus the company) were closed not long after Angel was cancelled (though a date was not given). The film Serenity credits Barry Mendel Productions instead, though Dollhouse still credited Mutant Enemy Productions.
The name "Mutant Enemy" is taken from the song "And You and I" by prog rock band Yes, of whom Whedon is a confessed fan. It was also the name Whedon had given his first typewriter.
Members
Staff members of Mutant Enemy, all of whom have writing and/or production credits on at least one of the above shows, have included, in alphabetical order:
- Jeffrey Bell
- Elizabeth Craft
- Steven S. DeKnight
- Ben Edlund
- Jane Espenson
- Sarah Fain
- David Fury
- Drew Goddard
- Drew Greenberg
- Rebecca Rand Kirshner
- Tim Minear
- Marti Noxon
- Doug Petrie
- Mere Smith
- Joss Whedon
Logo
The company's end-of-credits logo and mascot is an intentionally poorly animated zombie cartoon figure crossing the screen from right to left and saying "Grrr. Argghh." It was drawn and voiced by Whedon himself. However, there are certain episodes of Buffy in which the animation was changed:
- "Becoming, Part Two" - He says "Oooh, I need a hug" instead.
- "Amends" - He wears a Santa hat while bells jingle in the background.
- "Graduation Day, Part Two"- He wears a graduation cap.
- "Storyteller" - He sings a line from the episode, "We are as Gods."
- "Once More, With Feeling" - He sings the line in falsetto.
- "Chosen" - He turns and pulls a face at the viewer.
The episode "Bargaining, Part One" references the end-of-credits logo. Tara gives Giles a small rubber monster and says "Grrr. Argghh."
In season seven of Buffy, there is a species of ancient Vampires called "Turok-Han" or Ubervamps. They look like more detailed versions of the Mutant Enemy.
Robot Chicken parody
The Adult Swim show Robot Chicken featured a parody of the Mutant Enemy logo at the end of the episode "Rabbits on a Roller Coaster". After the show's credits a parody of the Mutant Enemy logo appears, with Joss Whedon providing the voice of the monster. Suddenly, the monster is shot, but it retaliates, and the violence rapidly escalates until a whole city is ablaze in a mutant enemy attack. The scene cuts to reveal Joss is merely playing with mutant enemy dolls and was imagining the entire scenario. A man enters and says to him "Come on Joss, that's why you were kicked off Wonder Woman."