If you’re a fan of the sci-fi genre then the name Joss Whedon needs no explanation but now that ‘The Avengers’ has  topped box office records, Whedon has become a household name. Some may worry that being this mainstream may suppress the creatively that is Whedon’s trademark but in an open letter to his fans, Whedon continues to be his “Whedonesque” self as well as thank them for their continued support.

The letter was posted on Whedon’s official fan page, aptly called Whedonesque. In it he talks about the journey that has taken him to this point, his hopes for his dream project to finally be realized (the reboot of ‘Air Bud’ – that was a joke for all new Whedon fans), as well as provide a comical faux Q&A. Below is just a portion of the letter:

Dear Friends,

Well, it’s been quite a weekend. Someday, long from now, I will even have an emotional reaction to it, like a person would. I can’t wait! But before I become blinded by this “emotion” experience, there’s a few things I’d like to say. Well, type.

People have told me that this matters, that my life is about to change. I am sure that is true. And change is good — change is exciting. I think — not to jinx it — that I may finally be recognized at Comiccon. Imagine! Also, with my percentage of “the Avengers” gross, I can afford to buy… [gets call from agent. Weeps manfully. Resumes typing.] …a fine meal. But REALLY fine, with truffles and s#!+. And I can get a studio to finance my dream project, the reboot of “Air Bud” that we all feel is so long overdue. (He could play Jai Alai! Think of the emotional ramifications of JAI ALAI!!!!)

What doesn’t change is anything that matters. What doesn’t change is that I’ve had the smartest, most loyal, most passionate, most articulate group of — I’m not even gonna say fans. I’m going with “peeps” — that any cult oddity such as my bad self could have dreamt of. When almost no one was watching, when people probably should have STOPPED watching, I’ve had three constants: my family and friends, my collaborators (often the same), and y’all. A lot of stories have come out about my “dark years”, and how I’m “unrecognized”… I love these stories, because they make me seem super-important, but I have never felt the darkness (and I’m ALL about my darkness) that they described. Because I have so much. I have people, in my life, on this site, in places I’ve yet to discover, that always made me feel the truth of success: an artist and an audience communicating. Communicating to the point of collaborating. I’ve thought, “maybe I’m over; maybe I’ve said my piece”. But never with fear. Never with rancor. Because of y’all. Because you knew me when.

If you think topping a box office record compares with someone telling you your work helped them through a rough time, you’re probably new here. (For the record, and despite my inhuman distance from the joy-joy of it: topping a box office record is super-dope. I’m an alien, not a robot.) So this is me, saying thank you. All of you. You’ve taken as much guff for loving my work as I have for over-writing it, and you deserve, in this our time of streaming into the main, to crow. To glow. To crow and go “I told you so”, to those Joe Blows not in the know. (LAST time I hire Dr. Seuss to punch my posts up. Yeesh!) Point being, you deserve some honor, AND you deserves some FAQs answered…

It’s quite admirable that the man behind ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, ‘Angel’, ‘Firefly’, ‘Serenity’, ‘Dollhouse’, and ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing- Along Blog’ is still very humble enough to acknowledge the importance of his fans and appreciates the loyalty that follows him. That’s what makes him such a great director/writer/creator and why he needs to helm the recently comfirmed ‘Avengers 2.’

If you’re a fan, make sure you head over to Whedonesque and read the letter in full. For all you longtime Whedon fans, has this alleviated your fears of him going mainstream?