I was first introduced to Firefly by Penny Arcade. Just after it had come out on DVD, they mentioned it either in a comic or as part of the context for a comic (sadly, I can’t find the post or specific comic in question.) Intrigued by the “space western” description, I picked up a copy of the series and proceeded to have my mind blown. I shared the series with all my friends who hadn’t heard of it, and when the Serenity movie was announced, we stood outside a theater for hours in costume, holding up signs as part of a bid to get tickets to an advance screening. We were successful, Serenity was amazing, and we even got to sign a huge “Happy Birthday” card for Joss Whedon. I mention this because of the incredible Firefly animated series trailer that has just been released.

The Firefly Animated Series Trailer

No, sadly, it’s not for an official Firefly project or a planned new animated series. It’s merely an amazing look at what might be. The trailer comes courtesy of Stephen Byrne, a comic book artist and animator who struck a nerve in November of 2014 when he produced a heartbreaking 2 and a half second GIF of Zoe and Wash. That GIF, and the incredible amount of effort that went into making it can be seen in this video from Byrne:

Pretty incredible, right? Well, roughly two years later, now we get to enjoy a full trailer:

This isn’t the first time Byrne has done this sort of thing or even the first time he’s taken on a Whedon property. His first foray into this world of “animated series trailers” was a piece celebrating Doctor Who:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer came next:

Followed by a pitch-perfect Batman v Superman video:

And now, most recently, Firefly.

@PeterBanner1 @DanSlott it’s as real as your heart wants it to be. But no, it’s not real. — Art of Stephen Byrne (@StephenByrne86) August 15, 2016

As Byrne says, it may not be for a real series, but the incredible amount of work that went into it is real, and the nostalgia and fond memories it inspires are real. So, well done Mr. Byrne, and I believe I speak for most people when I say we’re absolutely looking forward to whatever you decide to tackle next. And for anyone interested in keeping tabs on Byrne’s work, here are links to his Facebook page and Twitter page.

Featured Image: Stephen Byrne, Firefly Animated Series Trailer