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Georges Jeanty final Slayalive Q/A for Buffy Season 8 is up.

*COMPLETE* [SPOILER] Q&A with Georges Jeanty Session 18

*COMPLETE* [SPOILER] Q&A with Georges Jeanty Session 18

Hey all!

Rules are simple: Maximum of three (3) questions per member until I submit your questions to Jeanty. I will post a note to let you know when I send off questions to reopen the floor. As always, there is a possibility of a delay, so thanks for your patience. Keep it clean, keep it civil. Simple right? Entries are welcome until I post a closing post. Questions regarding Twilight NO LONGER HAVE TO SPOILER-TAGGED! (Thank goodness... it was a pain having to make sure that the appropriate questions/answers were spoiler-tagged).

This is for the final issue of S8, and Georges told me to let you all know to go nuts. Within reason, of course. No questions that are meant to simply further your agenda (especially in shipping!). Everything else is fair game, but be respectful of each other AND the man who's gracious enough to take your questions.

Anyone who's reading this and not a member, I'm accepting questions at wenxina[AT]slayalive.com. Feel free to send me your questions and I'll add them to the queue with credit to you.

Don't forget to check out our exclusive interview with Georges HERE and if you missed it, our latest Q&A with Scott Allie can be found HERE.

Alright... GO!

1. Enisy: Now that everything's said and done, which was your favourite story in Season 8?

Georges: What's my favorite story? That's a hard one, they were all so good. Hmmm. I loved the “Wolves at the Gate” arc because I'm such a giant monster fan and the scenes with Dawn in Tokyo were great, but I really like the Faith arc, “No Future for You.” It was just a really well-written story. “A Beautiful Sunset” was really good. Joss just has a way of tapping into who Buffy is.

2. Enisy: Which was your favourite scene to draw in Issue #40?

Georges: Again, I love all the human drama stuff. I will say I thought I nailed it when Buffy and Xander are talking in the “Twilight” arc at the beginning. I loved the conversation that Willow and Oz have in “Retreat” when she is upset about where her life is going. I just love those moments because I'm such a fan of the show! I would love to hear what some of you guys favorite moments were. Maybe SlayAlive can set something up where people can write in? Hint. Hint.


3. Enisy: Has your perception of any of the characters changed (for better or for worse) because of Season 8? (Maybe because of their actions, or maybe just because they were a cakewalk/a pain to draw? )

Georges: My perception in terms of character arc would certainly have to go to Dawn. I think it's subtle but she has grown so much in Season 8 alone that I plan on paying particular attention to her when I do Season 9. Buffy always seems to have a wide arc, and the end of Season 8 brings her back to a beginning of sorts so it should also be interesting to see her in Season 9. All the characters have gotten easier to draw but no less trying. I hope with the next season you can see a difference or maybe more of a maturity to the way I draw the characters. I'm certainly looking forward to it!

4. AndrewCrossett: There's a panel where Simone has pictures on her wall, apparently of people she intends to kill. One is the General, scratched off, and one is Buffy, not yet scratched off. Who was the other man who's been scratched off? He looked kind of like the "suit" that was working with Gen. Voll back in the first arc.

Georges: That's it! I didn't think anyone would get that, but you're right. That deserves some kind of prize! Those last few pages gave you a glimpse into some of Season 9!

5. AndrewCrossett: Why does Angel have blood on his face when we see him at Faith's place? This is quite some time after the battle in the Hellmouth, so it can't still be from that, can it?

Georges: That was in the script Joss wrote. All I can say is I think there was a fight... and Angel kind of got his ass kicked...



6. AndrewCrossett: Why did Simone care enough about the General to kill him? We never even saw the two of them meet before. Does this mean my theory is correct that Simone was working for Twilight?

Georges: That's a good question. Are you going to be back for Season 9?

7. Bamph: Great job on the issue and the season as a whole.What were the challenges of drawing this issue versus the rest of this last arc?

Georges: This issue was pretty easy. Now that we've come to the end, I finally felt like I was getting it right. And going from one of Joss' scripts is always a joy! I loved the way he tied up all the loose ends and set stuff up for next season. He's just a really good writer. The only challenges were establishing locations that will show up next Season. I don't know how they'll be used, so it was a little daunting to establish stuff not knowing how you're going to use it in the future.

8. Bamph: Is there anything in Season 8 you would do over if you could?

Georges: The first few issues. I was still learning about the Buffyverse when I started, and there is so much more I could have put into those issues! I would have done the characters better and had more of an understanding of who they are.

9. Bamph: Any new news yet on you working on Season 9?

Georges: Yes! It's a go!

10. usagianddarien: Where was Giles buried?

Georges: I want to say it was London. I talked to Joss about all that stuff and he said Giles had a few places over the globe and his estate is in London and he had a flat in the city. That's where Faith and Buffy are when Faith gives Buff the Vampyr book; it’s the flat he has back in Issue 7.

11. usagianddarien: Who designs Buffy's wardrobe for the comics?I want to say you do a wonderful job and I hope to see more of your work with Season 9!

Georges: That would be me. I have a lot of links to clothing sites and I get a bunch of catalogs regularly not just for Buffy but for all the characters. It's funny, I'll be out in a mall and I'll see a pair of women's shoes that I think Willow will love and I pick them up and look at them and I can only imagine what the people around me are thinking!


12. ThatEvilLawFirm: Hey Georges! Thank you so much for doing this, I'm a BIG fan! I've already asked Scott Allie the same question, but I'm interested in your take on this.So I'm probably in a really unique group, I think the Scythe is AWESOME, and I was sad when it was destroyed (not as sad as watching Giles die...). My question for you is, was the Scythe the only thing that could destroy the Seed? It seems to me that Giles went specifically looking for it to take back to try and break the Seed. If so, how did Giles know that it was needed to break it?

Georges: While I don't think Giles knew specifically the Scythe would end it all, I think he knew the magical powers of the Scythe and in the fight where magic was all around, it was a safe bet that the Scythe would be able to do something. He's been around that kind of stuff for a while so it was more of an educated guess.

13. Nathan: Congratulations Georges, you've done a fine job. You should be proud!On the page where Buffy discovers that Giles left almost everything to Faith, the last panel is so beautifully and horribly (in a sad, NOT bad art way) drawn. It's a close up of Buffy and she looks truly mortified. Can you explain what it said in the script for this panel, and how you went about drawing that?

Georges: Joss was pretty specific on that panel. In the script it says “close up on Buffy who has her head down, her eyes are red from crying, are wide when she hears the news.” The rest was me and the colorist Michelle, who I think nailed that scene! The only thing I mentioned was that the caption be over Buffy's head so that the reader will understand that her eyes are wide because of the news she just heard.

14. Nathan: How much do you know about the mysterious stranger with red glasses and blood stained clothes right after the Simone panel? Has Joss spoken to you at all about him and his Season 9 relevance?

Georges: As far as I know he's the big bad for Season 9. What he is, what he's about, or if he's even human is still a mystery...

15. Nathan: The page when Buffy goes patrolling, the part where she is literally leaping from tall buildings and sitting catlike on the edge of them. It seems very Fray-esque, did you model it off Fray? And was it specified like that in the script?

Georges: It was specified in the script and no, I didn't use the Fray scene as reference. Had I known about it I probably would have, or at least given it more of a similarity. I think Joss had mentioned he wanted Buffy to be more Batman-y in that scene. She's getting back to her Slayer roots!

16. Shikki: I never see enough attention given to Andrew in these sessions! So, here were the burning questions on my mind.Will we get to see more of Andrew in Season 9?

Georges: I hope so. I don't know what became of Andrew after the fight in Sunnydale. I assume he's still alive, but with Joss you never know. I would love for him to come back. I have a fondness for Andrew and Tom Lenk.

17. Shikki: How many members of Italy Squad survived the final battle and how did he take the overall losses?

Georges: That would be a question for the historians. I have no idea. And careful, Shikki, your geek is showing much in the same way die hard Star Trek fans want to know if William Shatner knew the combination to Kirk's safe in episode blah, blah, blah...

18. Shikki: Is Andrew going to be continuing his work as a Watcher, or is he, like the rest of the Scoobies, going to try for a normal life?

Georges: I think with all the Slayers going their own way, Andrew may need to find something else to do. But he may still be helping out girls with the power on an unofficial basis.

19. MikeB: In the reading of Giles' will, Faith is dressed in a nice powersuit. Did Faith already have this suit, did Buffy buy it for her for the meeting, or did Faith buy it for the meeting? It was surprising to see Faith dressed that way and the scene makes her look more mature and businesslike than BuffySo, maybe this is also a clue to her role in Season 9.

Georges: I think since it was a black suit, Faith had no problem getting it. I thought when I drew it, that maybe Faith went out and got clothes for the funeral not really knowing what to wear but knowing that it had to be black. Also, with that scene when I read the script, I thought it would look better if Faith was perceived as a little more in control than Buffy to really hit home how helpless Buffy was feeling. Besides, Faith was never really one to wear dress, was she?

20. MikeB: Do you know why in her conversation with Spike Buffy cried (or whatever) at the end and quickly went back in the apartment?

Georges: I thought she's still a raw nerve of emotion and is given to fits of tears and one of the last people she wants to be vulnerable in front of is Spike.

21. MikeB: I assume that was General Voll who Simone shoots in the face. But Simone had 3 pictures on the wall. I assume that Voll is the second pic, but who's supposed to be the first one?

Georges: That was already asked and answered. No prize for you, Mike. Keep up! Love.

22. sosa lola: I'm gonna miss you in S9. You do expressions really well. I cried at that panel when Buffy was shocked that Giles left her nothing. That was so sad. What did you feel about Giles leaving everything to Faith and nothing to Buffy, Xander, Willow and Dawn? (I know he left Buffy the book, but I'm talking about some of his money and belongings.)

Georges: I know! I thought it was odd but also fitting. What do you do when you want to bring a person back to their roots? You take away everything from them. As I'm sure we all know, Giles didn't do this cruelly. He did this to show how important Buffy really is to the world with or without thousands of Slayers in it.

23. Moscow Watcher: First of all, congratulations with a great issue. You did a great job portraying Buffy as a character who went through heartbreaking experience and, while staying true to herself, has changed in many important ways. It's subtle, but it's hard not to notice that this is an older and wiser Buffy who still keeps her feisty and indomitable
spirit.

Questions:Were you given any specific instruction how to draw the guy in sunglasses on the penultimate page? Was his eye color, him wearing gloves and beads, him being in a close-up, him having blood on his face and clothes - was it specified in Joss' notes? Was the red color of his sunglasses your contribution or it was supplied by Joss too? (I'm sorry for asking about so many details, but it looks like we'll have at least six months to speculate about that character -- and this is our last chance to find out anything useful before a long break).

Georges: Yes. Yes to what, I can't be more specific. Take these 6 months or so and wonder. I know I will be. I have no idea who the guy is. I gave Joss a few drawings of someone he gave me a few lines about in description and anything more will come about in Season 9.

24. Moscow Watcher: I adore all the little details in the scene in Dawn's kitchen. The idea that Dawn and Xander, who live in San Francisco, have the Golden Gate on their calendar while the actual view from their apartment is typically urban is particularly funny and inspired. Are we supposed to look for deeper meaning of that fact or it's just a funny observation without additional subtext? Also, I'd love to know about the Cookie Monster on Dawn's kitchen. Was it Joss' contribution or yours? If it was your contribution, were you alluding to Buffy's speech about her being cookie dough in "Chosen"?

Georges: I think that 'cookie dough' conversation was what I thought about when I drew the Cookie Monster. Or maybe it was that the Cookie Monster is a monster and I thought it funny if Buffy ever had to hunt him. Along the same lines I drew Buffy wearing a “Count” shirt some issues back. I just like those little juxtapositions. I wanted the reader to really get that Dawn and Xander live here so I just put stuff in the apartment that I thought would fit. That's another thing, I don't know how much this apartment plays in to Season 9, so I didn't know how much to put in.

25. Moscow Watcher: Buffy/Spike scene on the fire escape. I remember you comparing it (maybe jokingly) with Tony and Maria love scene in "West Side Story". Were you discussing that scene with Joss and did he give you any notes about the overall mood of the scene as well as about the characters emotions? Who has decided that Spike wears a white shirt in this scene? Was it Joss who selected the place their conversation takes place, and is it supposed to bookend the scene in the first arc, where Buffy stands on the castle wall, all alone?

Georges: Wow. That's pretty deep. Joss established the scene in the script and I just played off of the whole West Side Story thing. I wasn't aware of any parallels, but that was a good one. The mood was obvious, but I will say, while drawing that whole scene it didn't occur to me that Spike couldn't come inside the apartment. I just thought it was a nice scene on a fire escape. Spike's shirt was up to the colorist.

26. Bamph: What were your directions for handling Angel's mental state visually and was it left up to you to keep Buffy off page while she's talking to Faith about helping Angel?

Georges: That was all Joss. He wanted the two girls to talk and only at the end do we know that Angel is in the flat.

27. Bamph: What was the most difficult issue of Season 8 to draw as a whole and what was the easiest?

Georges: The whole 'Retreat' arc. Like, everybody was in there, and there were a crap load of military guys and army stuff to draw! It was exhausting. I love the way it all came together and Jane Espenson is a great writer, but there was just so much to draw.

28. Bamph: Where would you like to see things go in Season 9?

Georges: I would love Season 9 to focus on Buffy and the Scoobies and where they are in their lives at this point. I would love to see Season 9 go more into what Slayers are now that the world at large is aware of them. Pay close attention to Willow, she's going to be very interesting next season...

29. Tyler Austin: I love you, Georges.I have a simple question (kind like one of those questions that people ask their favorite bands "what were you thinking when..." "what did you to do..." etc.).I can't stop staring at the panel of Buffy's reaction to Giles' will. It's really the only time I stopped, took in the art, felt an emotion, had to put the book down, breathe, and pick it back up. It's truly incredible. Kudos, kudos. Now, you captured Sarah's facial expressions (especially when she's crying) extremely well. Almost too well. How did you prepare to draw this? Did you go and watch episodes of her crying? Because Sarah does this thing with her eyes that not many actresses do. She makes them big and opens them when she cries as opposed to squinty and closed. So yeah. What were you thinking when you drew that panel? Was it given to you in the script (or your free will)? Did you look at pictures/videos of Sarah crying on screen? The end Thank you!(I mean, look at the liknesss: http://www.screencap-paradise.com/ca...16/Body161.jpg)

Georges: Yes. I have a payload of pix from the show and I reference them often. I like to think I have got a lot of the mannerisms down of all the characters. Some come across, others not so much so, but I always read a scene and ask myself was it in an episode somewhere. Yes, Sarah's eyes get really big when she cries almost as if she's surprised and she has those large tears, no small drippy ones. I've said it before but I'll say it again, I have to hand it to Sarah Michelle Gellar. She brings her A-game to every episode of the series! Even on Angel when she came on for “I Will Remember You.” The script was good but Sarah Michelle sells it as she does every time. When I read the scripts I always picture what the characters are doing in my head.

30. Bamph: What was going through your mind while drawing the sequence where we see the state Angel is in and Buffy not being able to be around him now?

Georges: I wanted to make sure that readers knew where they were and that the flat was somewhere we've been before. I wanted Buffy to feel like she was in a strange place and that Faith was very comfortable with it, so much so, that she's started to throw around her clothes. I felt I could have done the panel where Buffy holds the book a little better. It just doesn't pack that punch I would have liked.

31. Bamph: Favorite and least favorite sequences that you drew in Season 8?

Georges: Least favorite were the Army fight scenes in ''Retreat' and favorite were all the intimate moments with the characters. That's the stuff I love.

32. Bamph: Your hopes for Season 9 as a fan of Buffy now? Thank you for all your hard work on the season. I read lots of comics where books run late due to the artist or we get many fill ins so the fact that you did this marathon and drew the majority of the season is a real credit to your work ethic. You did an amazing job.

Georges: I agree. Thanks! I try and keep a solid work ethic and get stuff done in a timely manner, although my editor might disagree. It's not easy, and no one person is responsible for all of it. It is a collaborative process and everyone has a say in it. That's what makes this book so good. There are a lot of Buffy fans producing it. I can only hope that Season 9 is as dedicated!

33. Nathan: Were there any suprising changes from when you first got the script for an issue to what we saw printed and drawn as a comic book.

Georges: I almost never saw the inks to the book before it was printed so there were times where I thought some of the strokes I would have changed, and there were times where I thought the inks enhanced the pencils.

34. Nathan: Which writer do you think pushed you to to work harder with challenges they set out in their writing?

Georges: Joss. Not so much where he set me out but because, c'mon, this is Joss Whedon we're talking about. It was always intimidating when he came in. At first I was intimidated about suggesting things but after a few issues I felt comfortable suggesting stuff. He was always very giving but you always have it in the back of your mind the magnitude of who this guy is you're working with.

35. Nathan: When drawing an issue of Buffy, do you draw up how the panels will appear on the page and then draw or do you draw it and then they digitally placed the panels together?

Georges: No. I draw everything on the page. I have to see it laid out so I can get a feel for the storytelling. That's the most important part, and the part I spend a lot of time on. I want the reader to understand what's going on above anything else. When you look at the original pages (some of which you can by on my site!) you see where all the work is put.

36. twilight: Will Satsu have a role in Season 9?

Georges: I hope she does. I don't know the details of any of the other supporting characters.

37. twilight: Will we see any of Leah or Rowena also?

Georges: Again, I don't know the fate of any of these guys. I would love to draw them all again.

38. Luigi: Hi Mr. Jeanty! I think that this issue (#39) was one of the best you have drawn!

One question... In this issue we have seen that only the Scythe was able to break the Seed. We have also seen that in the future Dark Willow has been killed by Buffy with the Scythe. Does it mean that when Willow became the protector of the Seed, she has become part of it (becoming also immortal)?

Georges: That's a good question and one more suited for Joss, but when you're dealing with all this time jumping you are going to run into paradoxes, not the least of which 2 Scythes at once as in “Time of Your Life.” Willow will have a dark path ahead of her and I think you'll start to see some of that start happening in Season 9. So please, come back!

Visit Georges' website:




Also Georges has done an interview with Slayalive about season 8 and hints for season 9.

EXCLUSIVE: Georges Jeanty talks "Buffy Season 8" and teases "Season 9"

EXCLUSIVE: Georges Jeanty talks "Buffy Season 8" and teases "Season 9"

With Buffy Season 8 finally behind us, it was time to talk to the guy who carried the immense responsibility of drawing most of the sprawling 40-issue (more, if you count the ancillary material) "season" that spanned almost four years in its telling. Ladies and gents, I give you the ever gracious, Georges Jeanty.

SlayAlive: So, Georges… here we are, almost 4 years since the release of Buffy Season 8 #1. How does it feel to have run the gauntlet and survived? Any sexy scars and battlewounds you want to tell us about?

Georges: Any battle scars I had have long since healed. I am most impressed with being on the book for as along as I have. And the fact that I've drawn 40 covers for the series, a feat which I would have never thought I could pull off in the beginning! I love all the people I've come to meet and call friends while on this book. I have been very fortunate to travel as much as I have because of Buffy. I can't wait to see what the new season holds! (Probably a coronary!)

SlayAlive: Let’s start with some easy questions. The coda was definitely something that was right up your alley, given all the quieter character moments that you excel in. How did it feel wrapping up the tale, checking in with familiar faces, and seeing where they are now as compared to where they were when you started the series?

Georges: I finally felt like I was drawing the characters the way they should be. Like I found my groove, just to quit for a few months! I certainly feel I'm much better about this series than when I started. I never thought in the beginning that I was ever going to get any of the likenesses right!

SlayAlive: Which was your favorite segment of Issue 40?

Georges: I was most happy with the way the Buffy/Kennedy scene turned out. That was something I think I hit dead on.


SlayAlive: Did you cry while drawing some of those scenes? I mean, the scene between Buffy and Faith… that probably made Chuck Norris cry.

Georges: I was really emotional when I read it, and I remember being in a slight funk the rest of the day, but no tears. When you have to draw the scene you start to break it down so much and you have to look at so many things that will make an emotional impact. You guys are lucky, like in movies, all you have to do is sit and be affected by what you're watching (reading). It’s my job to make sure you feel something.

SlayAlive: Going through Issue 40, I noticed a few callbacks, either to earlier issues, or even to the non-canon earlier run of Buffy comics. There were the Eeyore sweatpants that Buffy wore in “Wolves at the Gate,” Hoopy the bear (he even makes two appearances). There was fight between the three Slayers and Buffy, which calls back the sparring match between Buffy and Leah, Rowena, and Satsu from Issue 2. The General’s execution is remarkably similar to Ethan Rayne’s death. Were those decisions made by you, or specified in the script?

Georges: The Eeyore sweats were mine. I also wondered if readers would get that Dawn in her scene with Buffy is wearing the bottoms of the PJs that Xander wore way back in Issue 2. Hoopy I think was Scott Allie's suggestion. That bear has been around before and he asked me to put it in somewhere, I think. The General's execution was specific and Joss wanted it to parallel Ethan Rayne’s death.

SlayAlive: That final image of Buffy flying into action is beautiful. It’s a reminder that even without her crazy superpowers, Buffy is still a superhero in her own right. It’s also a beautiful callback to when we first see Buffy in #1, jumping out of a helicopter flanked by her Slayers. Was that specified in the script, or did Joss trust you to just “get it”?

Georges: Y'know, that was just a fortunate happenstance. It wasn't written in the script. I didn't remember the helicopter jump. If I did I would have tried to make it look more similar, but I love that people are saying it is. It makes me look like a genius!

SlayAlive: In the preview pages that you showed me, even without the letters, the content of the pages was clear. For example, I guessed that Xander and Dawn had moved in, based on the page of Buffy and Dawn talking in the kitchen. There’s just so much interesting detail in those pages. The shelf of Xander’s nerd toys, Buffy’s The Thing mug, the Cookie Monster cookie jar. How much time goes into putting in details like that, and why do you bother?

Georges: Well, I bother for the very reason you mentioned them. People like that stuff. I like that stuff. That's why it takes me a while sometimes to do a page because I'm always thinking what I might be able to put in that will take it to the next level.


SlayAlive: Random pop culture question: The “Mutant X” scrawl on the tram, was that a nod at the X-Men? I only ask as you had previously done a homage cover, and at one point or another (I’m not really up to date with my X-Men reading), they operated out of San Francisco.

Georges: Yeah, I think that was supposed to be a poster, but I don't think it comes across like that. I wanted to put more advertising on the trolley but there wasn't enough time.

SlayAlive: We see Simone with a hit list pinned on a wall. Two of the targets have already been executed, it seems. One of them is the General, but who is the other guy? What about the guy with red glasses that’s covered in blood? Things that’ll be explored in Season 9?

Georges: The other guy was the general's assistant (the “suit”) in the first few issues and the glasses guy... well, you'll just have to keep reading!

SlayAlive: Switching gears here to something more retrospective. So, in comparing your earlier work on the series with the later stuff, there is a distinct change in style, especially with the characters. Your pencils seemed to get looser, more relaxed. Was this something that was necessitated by time constraints (damn deadlines!) or was it a deliberate choice, as you got more familiar with drawing the characters?

Georges: I just felt I was a little more comfortable with the subject matter. I finished drawing a Teen Titans issue right after I did Buffy and I had the hardest time getting out of 'Buffy' mode. I ended up drawing Wonder Girl with Buffy's face and Superboy with Xander's. So I don't know where all the residual information goes when you've been on a series so long, I do know that I miss drawing the gang and can't wait to get back on!


SlayAlive: As a fan of the series now, which parts of Season 8 do you think were absolutely perfect in the conception and execution? Any particular arcs, issues, moments come to mind? How about ones that you think could’ve been improved?

Georges: I think the Faith arc was solid. Easily an episode on the show. As well as “The Chain.” So much of Season 8 was interrelated it's hard to think of it on TV without context, but most of the stand alone issues would have made great episodes.

Where I think we need more was in the planning. It was never planned as a 40-issue extravaganza and I think there should have been a little more exposition for people who maybe weren't die-hard fans. I would have loved to have seen a crossover here and there (probably next Season) and I think we lost sight of some characters or didn't give them enough play. Rowena and Leah were supposed to have bigger parts that never happened, and I would have liked to have seen more of Robin Wood.

SlayAlive: So, what’s next for you? Is there life after Buffy? New projects lined up, more Buffy sketchbooks, Con appearances… Tell us, what does the year 2011 look like for you?

Georges: All of the above! I just finished a Teen Titans fill-in that should be out February 23 as well as various Cons and hopefully more Sketch books. I know Dark Horse is putting together new editions of Season 8 and there is the motion comic, so there will be a lot of stuff in 2011. You can keep track of me at my website kabalounge.com.

Thanks for doing this, Georges. You have been amazingly gracious with your time, and on behalf of SlayAlive, thanks for all the hard work you’ve put in.

Visit Georges' website: