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Ivana writes...

Look Greg I am a huge YJ fan more than you could know I live in abq USA I am a 12 year old girl.i thought every day how would it be like to bust and see you ask you in person some questions.i always thought what it would be like to play on young justice meeting all the voices and being one of them that always comes up in my mind I watched young justice over and over making sure I know everything they say and my best friend marlee she hated young justice until she watched it we now love it we talk all the time we always say stay whelmed to each other if you do get this please text me back iflores081@tanm.us

Greg responds...

I'm sorry, Ivana, but it wouldn't be responsible for me to text a twelve-year-old girl, specifically, or for me to break precedent and begin texting individual fans. I don't have time to have that kind of personal communication with everyone, and it wouldn't be fair for me to play favorites.

On top of that, I'm very nervous about you posting your information here. I wouldn't recommend anyone do that - especially a twelve-year-old. Please know that if anyone texts you and claims to be me, IT IS NOT ME.

If you have questions, you can always reach me here at ASK GREG. I know there's a delay to my responding - I'm currently four and half months behind. But most things can keep that long.

You can also follow me on TWITTER @Greg_Weisman

I'm currently taking a break from social media, but I tweet on rare occasions, and I'll probably come back eventually.

Response recorded on September 21, 2017

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Marvelman writes...

You recently responded to another poster who sent you his review of YJ season 1. Your response made me question what the point of doing something like that might be. I mean... I understand the poster probably wants to feel that his opinion matters, but what kind of response could he or she possibly expect from you? Did he think you were going to agree with him? Was there ever a chance that you were going to say, "You have made some excellent points, and I will take them into account as I am writing season 3"?

So, my question is: does audience feedback or reviews ever effect how you YJ in even a general way?

Greg responds...

Nope. Doesn't mean they don't have the right to express them. But Brandon and I have to follow our passions and instincts. Have to. We can't let either praise or criticism effect our plans. For starters, for every person who likes something, there's bound to be someone who hates it and vice versa. All we can do is write the show we want to see - and pray that enough people like our work to make it successful.

Response recorded on June 15, 2017

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Anonymous writes...

You often say that ideas minus their execution are subject to unfair second guessing and that you've learned this the hard way. Can you share the specifics of this realization? What story did you share that brought this about?

Greg responds...

Lots of Gargoyles stuff. The first thing that comes to mind is Nashville's name. But there were all sorts of things.

Response recorded on June 15, 2017

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Harry writes...

I noticed that there's been a lot of questions being asked on here about LGBT characters, whether they be homophobic or not. Not really a question but i hope you don't feel annoyed by them

Greg responds...

Well, I'm always annoyed by homophobia. Though I don't recall getting much of that here. (Twitter, on the other hand...) But I've got no problem with LGBTQ questions, as long as they're not (a) trying to suggest ideas or (b) asking for spoilers.

Response recorded on June 14, 2017

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zaq writes...

Is there question nobody has asked you yet that you wished somebody would?

Greg responds...

Nope.

Response recorded on March 21, 2017

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Peter writes...

1) Does Bruce Wayne fight crime? I mean economically and socially? Creating workplaces, factories etc? Fighting poverty? He has money after all, and it's a rational thing to do, it prevents people from becoming criminals. YJ!Batman is the most sensible Batman I've ever seen, it would fit his personality. Instead of spending all money on creating more ways to beat people
What is Gotham like? Dirty and rotten like in Batman Begins? Or more like Central City, because I imagine things are pretty good there? Though I think after 11/16 years of Batman things are much better than they were before
2) Love that Batman is a supporting character. No need for conflict for him, Gotham can be a safer place, criminals are locked up in Arkham and not escaping, his relationships with his partners are healthy, maybe he can even be happy. All of this is unlikely to happen when Bruce is a main character, and the last one is impossible. It irritates me sometimes, the guy just can't get a break, I don't care if he is Batman, everyone needs rest. And it's very irritating how he alienates his partners by being a jerk. Come on! It doesn't make sense!
3) Also I don't like when people say that Batman never got over his parents death and in his heart he is still a boy that lost his parents. Clearly not the case in Earth 16, where Bruce is a parental figure to Dick, especially when he says he doesn't want Robin to become Batman
4) Had adoption of Dick made Bruce more happy?
5) Would it be theoretically possible for YJ!Batman to be in a stable lasting relationship? Which is absolutely impossible when he's the main character. Like in the Mask of the Phantasm but without the need to break them up
6) Is he happy? On the one hand he doesn't want Dick to become him. Implies that Bruce doesn't see being Batman as a burden. But I can easily picture him being in a relationship. What do you think?

Greg responds...

I'm sorry, but you're really pushing the five question per post limit here. For starters, you have six numbered questions, and then you ask multiple questions within most of the numbers. Please follow the guidelines. It's only fair.

Response recorded on January 25, 2017

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Hello writes...

Why can't you accept the public's ideas on their newly created superheroes?

Greg responds...

Because I - or the company I work for - could get sued over it. I don't want to take that risk, and the companies I work for FORBID me from taking that risk. For more clarity, check out the introductory page of ASK GREG here:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/index.php

(I mean it's clear you skipped over it and asked your question without bothering to read it. Because the answer was spelled out right there.)

Response recorded on October 18, 2016

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GoliathFan223 writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman. Hope this post finds you happy and well. I love and admire all your work (Gargoyles was a huge part of my childhood and still inspires me to this day).

My question is related to Young Justice:

Would you or have you ever considered doing episode rambles on Young Justice one day?

Thank you for your time (:

Greg responds...

It's been brought up before. But I don't seem to have the time these days. But someday, maybe...

Response recorded on August 08, 2016

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Connor writes...

Hello,
Is asking if you are thinking of or are in the process of creating a new show count as a spoiler?
Thanks

Greg responds...

No. Not if you aren't asking for details.

Response recorded on July 07, 2016

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Kira writes...

I read the are Greg's answers etched in stone question in the FAQ and that got me thinking

#1 Are any answers absolutely set in stone
and
#2 Would you consider Retconing or Altering anything from the series (aside from the Goliath Chronicles)

Greg responds...

1. If you mean here at ASK GREG, then no.

2. Anything canon, like the first 65 episodes or the 18 SLG issues, is fixed. Mistakes exist in there, but we try to just incorporate mistakes into the universe. Is Sevarius' name misspelled on his briefcase? Yes. But we assume that mistake happened "In Universe" and that Sevarius got a discount because of the error. Of course, some things that you think you know from watching the episodes may turn out to be not as they seemed. For example, if you thought the Archmage died at the end of "Long Way to Morning" you were wrong. But not because we contradicted what was in the episode, but because when you see "Avalon, Part Two" you are presented with more information that changes what you thought you saw.

Response recorded on January 19, 2016

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Masterdramon writes...

CONVERGENCE 2014 CON REPORT

DAY 5 AND DAY 6

……………

SUNDAY, JULY 6
11:00 AM CDT

A few things happened in this hour, all of which I tried to get done as quickly as possible to make it in time for most of Greg's first panel of the day: "Protofeminists in Shakespeare."

The main thing was picking up my one successful acquisition from the charity auction: a coffee cup that Chris Jones had used at CONvergence 2013, with the caption…well, I'll just let the image speak for itself:

https://twitter.com/ChrisJonesArt/status/485468921923788800

I had, naturally, bid on the thing as a lark - more or less solely for the reason of being able to say I did. But apparently nobody else at the con shared my particular sens d'humour, because I was the only one who bid. So while I lost out on all the posters and plushies and whatnot that I actually WANTED…Chris Jones' residual DNA was mine.

Which should make the reason for my hurrying clear, I think. Because Chris was doing his final signing of the weekend right at that moment…and if I was gonna be known as the guy who paid $5 for his coffee cup, then I figured I might as well MILK it.

So in addition to getting my "Recruits" print signed, I asked Chris to go ahead and personalize the cup; perhaps, with something that'd commemorate just how crazy I was to pay ANY amount of money for a used coffee cup.

And that is how the cup signed to "Krazy Kevin" that can be seen in the Flickr photos I linked in my first post came to be.

Anyway, with all that out of the way and my farewells said to Chris, I headed back into the Edina room for the aforementioned panel. I'd caught the first ten minutes or so while I was waiting for Chris' line to shorten, and overall I managed not to miss more than about 5-6 minutes, thankfully.

The conversation itself was really quite fascinating - an intelligent, scintillating discussion on some of my favorite of the Bard's plays and characters. It reminded me of being back in college, actually…y'know, in a good way.

This was also where I first learned, through Greg's discussion of the strong women in Will's life and the influence that might've had in how he wrote female characters, what the premise of "Doc Shakespeare" would've been. I'd heard the name bandied about on Ask Greg for years, but I never knew what it was ABOUT.

But now I do. And I want it to exist so very badly. Damn you, Greg Weisman.

I asked one question myself, though as it was at the tail-end of the panel there wasn't much time to really go into depth with it. My question was whether the backlash that "The Merchant of Venice" receives - rightfully - in the modern day over issues of race diminishes Portia's status as a "protofeminist" character (seriously, she spends pretty much the entirety of the final act making everyone else in the play her bitch). The answer Greg gave was that being a feminist character is not mutually exclusive with being a terrible person…and considering he's written for Demona, Nerissa, and Queen Bee, he certainly can say he knows what he's talking about.

A fun discussion, overall, that gave me a lot to think about - something that's been increasingly rare for me since I graduated last May, unfortunately.

……………

SUNDAY, JULY 6
12:30 PM CDT

The last of the numerous, numerous events dedicated to Gargoyles that weekend was this "Gargoyles Fan Panel," composed of a mix of creators, long-time fans, and newer ones.

This one felt a lot more like the Harry Potter "panel" that'd started my weekend than anything else: an intensely, unabashedly geeky outpouring of gushing about how awesome the show was and still is, except with Greg Weisman happening to also be there.

I mean, Jennifer and Karine were up on the panel as well, but it was clearly in more of the capacity of "promoted fans" than as industry professionals. As Karine's epic Hunter cosplay made evident. :)

Favorite moments, episodes, characters; moments that made us laugh, and moments that made us cry; two decades' worth of stories of people discovering, falling in love with, and continuing to enjoy the series, even years after the last piece of canon material was published. All of it was shared, compared, and squeed upon in short order, in a space that felt perfectly safe to fans of all stripes.

Nothing new really came up, but it didn't have to. After a full weekend of bombshells and revelations, it felt good to kick back with the rest of the fandom and just CELEBRATE this show that has meant so much to all of us.

It's been a fantastic 20 years. And this mini-gathering was a great way to welcome many more to come.

……………

SUNDAY, JULY 6
2:00 PM CDT

This was the last space open for walking around that was really available before the end of the con, and I took advantage of it for one final walk around Artist's Alley and the Dealer's Room. And for the first time since Thursday, I did indeed find some art I felt was worth spending my money on: a couple of prints based on Vinyl Scratch from "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic," and a collage of various villains from the same.

Heading back upstairs, I wandered over for the final Gargoyles-themed signing to make my last rounds. Ironically, despite getting over a dozen items signed across the course of the con by him, I had nothing left for Greg Weisman (indeed, all I ended up getting at that time were Greg Guler's and Frank Paur's autographs to complete my radio play script).

But I said goodbye to all of them, and wished them well on their flights back home. Though ironically, it actually WOULDN'T end up being my last time speaking with one of them that weekend (but I'll leave that little nugget until the end).

Anyway, most of the rest of this time was spent waiting in line for the next panel, as it was taking place on the Main Stage and we wanted to be sure to grab good seats. Which we definitely did.

I spent most of it chatting with Brainiac, Chip, and Bookwyrm on numerous topics, from Yu-Gi-Oh! to classic video games to various anime.

But eventually, it was time for one last chance to grill the Wise Man for details. And oh, did we take advantage it.

……………

SUNDAY, JULY 6
3:30 PM CDT

This was the last actual "panel" of the day, but was certainly a great one to go out on: "Young Justice Q&A," with Greg, Chris, and Marina.

There were lots of details big and small dropped here, though there were just as many spoiler requests denied with the now memetic line. This naturally came full-circle when someone asked if Stephanie Brown would be showing up again; I mean c'mon, dude, what'd you EXPECT in response to that question? ;)

Of course, I got largely the same response when asking about the circumstances of Ocean-Master's disgrace, banking - obviously unsuccessfully - that he might be willing to share more about events that occurred during the timeskip by this point.

Still, he did at least share one little tidbit: that the reason Orm never got an episode to himself to be the Big Bad was because the "Under the Surface…Here There Be Monsters" two-parter from the tie-in comics was originally meant to be the A-plot of "Downtime," but the executives nixed it for some reason.

It worked out well enough, since subbing in Black Manta allowed them to build on that appearance in Season 2. But I still would've loved to hear Roger Craig Smith belting out Ocean-Master's great lines from those issues, which remain my favorite story from the comics run.

Other "SPOILER REQUEST; NO COMMENT" earners included Shining Knight (considering that one version in the original comics was married to Firebrand, AKA Red Inferno) and the aforementioned Steph. After a few of these, Chris was quick to re-term the panel "Young Justice Q, no A."

All kidding aside, though, there were a number of interesting details presented. When asked about the process of selecting the members of the Light, for example, Greg noted that he was tired of villain team-ups that essentially "defeated themselves" through infighting. As such, he wanted the Light's leaders to be characters whose temperaments would allow them to genuinely collude and work together toward a singular vision, without the constant mistrust and backstabbing previous comics/adaptations have taught us to expect.

Well…maybe except Klarion. But he can at least be kept in line with shiny new toys, LOL.

Speaking of Klarion, Greg also mentioned - in response to a very nice cosplayer of the Witch-Boy, stuffed Teekl included - that the reason he chose Klarion as a member of the Light was because he felt the main villains of "Young" Justice really should be composed of at least one kid (in appearance and disposition, if not literally.

Greg also dropped the bomb that he'd slipped a rather major YJ spoiler into the radio play, which he was EXTREMELY surprised nobody had asked him about to that point. Cue us all jumping to our scripts and flipping through without success…proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am selectively blind.

It wasn't until a few days after I'd returned home and reread the script that it became insanely, excruciatingly obvious; the spoiler was clearly in Tigress' line, "I left Roy at home alone watching Lian and J.W." Which I'd noted as a little odd every single time I read it, and then somehow promptly forgot about (several times in a row!) in the midst of all the action.

Not that it would've helped me much, of course, had I figured it out while I was still there. Because if my theory about the identity of "J.W." is accurate, then there is NO WAY IN HELL Greg would ever comment one way or the other on it.

At least, not without some serious pie-making skillz that I, unfortunately, sorely lack. ;)

Marina was (as always) an enormous hoot at this panel, butting into various topics to note that we were "the quietest and best behaved" audience of fans she'd ever seen…as well as that we tended to ask much more intelligent questions than she is used to. As she put it:

"If I get asked 'What's it like to work with Sir Patrick?' one more time…"

She also mentioned, when asked about her thought process in approaching the character of Queen Bee, that when she was initially cast she looked up the wrong reference image and actually thought she'd be playing a…well, a bee-person. So she asked during recording whether they wanted her to add a buzzing sound to her voice. XD

And finally, at one point she ended up going off on a random tangent involving comparing David Xanatos to Donald Trump (context has long since eluded me, though it didn't take much for Marina to go off-topic in the most delightful way). Greg took mock-offense to that, and she quickly noted:

"Of course not. Xanatos is much smarter. And he has better hair."

Since the topic we'd started at was the Light, I then couldn't help but shout from the crowd:

"SO DOES LEX LUTHOR!"

That got a lot of laughs. It was definitely one of my favorite exchanges of the con, and a great way to move toward finally wrapping it up.

……………

SUNDAY, JULY 6
5:00 PM CDT

This was it. The final hurrah. One last celebration of everything this weekend had meant to us, with a chance for the "actors" to take their bows before the "curtains" came down.

After we filtered out of the Main Stage, Chip and his brothers elected to return to the hotel room, while Brainiac and I got back in line to await the Closing Ceremonies.

There really wasn't any more reason to walk around - the artists and dealers were packing up, the panels were over and done with, and we'd run all the errands we needed to (such as grabbing a couple items we'd picked up for Station 8's Algernon, who lives in Ireland and as such couldn't be with us that weekend). So we mostly just stood around and continued to chatter on about video games.

Brainiac was the only one of us who'd attended the Opening Ceremonies (I was busy watching Madoka at the time), so he had a bit more of an idea what to expect than I did.

The festivities started with a sort of elaborate skit involving superheroes, hobbits, and Time Lords…little of which I understood, and almost none of which I found particularly interesting. But there were some good lines here and there, and I certainly didn't begrudge the con's organizers the chance to take a victory lap and enjoy the fruits of their hard work.

The guests would each be individually presented and celebrated at a later point, but as Marina had to catch an early flight she came on shortly after the skit to say her goodbyes. And to my surprise, after seeing her in all her frankness and bluntness (meant only in the best possible way, I assure you!) all throughout that weekend, she was…overwhelmed.

With not even the slightest trace of snark, she thanked us from the bottom of her heart for making her feel so welcome. And she made it clear that, while she wouldn't have considered coming to CONvergence without Greg recommending it, she was extremely glad that she did.

Okay…so there was a LITTLE snark. Namely that when saying goodbye to Connie, she actually started to tear up, and blamed our favorite robotic mascot for making her makeup run. But it was all in good humor, and I won't lie - it warmed my own heart to see it unfold.

Speaking of Connie, I really came to fall in love with that cute little gynoid as the Ceremonies unfolded, as she interrupted the ongoing presentation repeatedly to complain about traffic laws and the DMV; it WAS her Sweet Sixteen, after all. Her material was pretty much all pure gold, and it made me kind of regret not attending Opening Ceremonies, if only to see what she might've come up with.

Anyway, while every Guest of Honor got thanked and applauded by name - complete with Chris Jones-created logos for each one - Greg's was a bit more…involved.

One of the con organizers mentioned that Greg had shattered their record for total numbers of panels sat at a single con, with a whopping 26! A clearly exhausted but excited Greg then took the stage to give a great speech about how grateful he was that CONvergence had so graciously opened itself up to the Gargoyles fandom for our little "con within a con"…going so far as to say that, with the Gatherings retired for the foreseeable future, CONvergence was without question his favorite con to attend.

Then, in what can only be described as a grand exercise in good-natured humiliation, said organizer had Greg play a very weird game to guess the total attendance number for the weekend. Various people were holding up signs with various digits, and Greg had to determine which four to use and what order to put them in.

Obviously, the odds were pretty strongly against him getting it with only one shot, and indeed he did not. But it was certainly entertaining - if more than a little bit strange - to watch him make his best attempt.

And for the most part, that was it. There was lots more applause, both for the guests and for the numerous, wonderful volunteers. There were slide shows and videos from the con, including both the rather unfortunate picture of "the role of Lexington will henceforth be played by PILLAR" and the much nicer one of me "on stage" with Marina. There was more Connie, interviewing various congoers in her uniquely cheerful style.

And finally, there was the announcement of CONvergence 2015's theme, which will apparently be run by Connie's totally trustworthy "little sister" Connie Mk. II on account of good behavior. The maniacal laughter and crowd-chanting of "All hail Mk. II!" that followed were only mildly disconcerting.

I haven't yet made up my mind about whether I'm going to try to attend again; I had an unbelievably amazing time, and 2015's "dystopia" theme is right up my alley ("1984" is my favorite book of all time). But scrounging the money for even this year was difficult enough, so I'm not counting anything as a guarantee yet.

Still…I'm thinking about it. And that definitely means they did SOMETHING right.

……………

SUNDAY, JULY 6
6:00 PM CDT

We were informed during Closing Ceremonies that free pizza would be coming shortly, so Brainiac elected to stick around and wait for that. I, on the other hand, was absolutely starving after four days of eating basically only one meal of substance each, and so decided to return to TGI Friday's and splurge a bit.

This was a mistake.

I'll spare the gory details and just say that I had a wonderful ribeye steak that just so happened to give me severe food poisoning, which took me nearly two weeks to fully recover from.

Not that I realized it at the time, of course. After my dinner, I returned to the con to meet up with the rest of the gang - Chip and Dragonlord having returned due to the promise of pizza. We had a last round of chatting with other congoers and saying goodbye to the Doubletree as we waited, before finally driving back to spend our final evening together.

With all the action over with, we occupied ourselves with more Yu-Gi-Oh!, a few rounds of "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" (all of which I won handily, suck it Brainiac), and general geeking out about our various hauls.

Those still hungry ended up ordering in calzones for delivery, while I headed to the Crowne Plaza's business center so I could check my e-mail and Skype one time before takeoff.

I got most of my packing done once the games were over with - not that I really had all that much to pack - since I would be the one leaving first in the morning. Then at around 1:00 AM, we finally all turned in.

Not that I could fall asleep, myself, given what was beginning to happen with my stomach. Yeah, I'll leave out the details, but…let's just say I didn't end up getting to sleep until a couple hours later.

……………

MONDAY, JULY 7
6:00 AM CDT

Unfortunately, since my flight was at 8:48 AM, I needed to get up fairly early to be sure the hotel shuttle would get me there in time to board. Skimping on sleep didn't exactly do wonders for my already precarious health, and by the end I was pretty much limping out of there, hoping my stomach would hold for the journey ahead.

The trip held no surprises - good or bad - until I finally made it to the gate, where I was extremely shocked to run into Susan and Karine. Both proceeded to point out the Wise Man himself, whom they were dropping off there and whom I had somehow utterly failed to notice, despite sitting only a few meters away.

For in the strange but happy coincidence to end all strange but happy coincidences, we were going to be heading back on the same flight to Los Angeles; only a couple rows apart, in fact.

Despite feeling utterly like death by that point, this one last chance to speak one-on-one with the man gave me the energy to keep going. It was, to be sure, utterly surreal - only a few years ago, meeting Greg Weisman was this mystical, unattainable thing. And now we were just holding a friendly chat as we awaited our (naturally, delayed) plane.

It was, I suppose, one last opportunity to wrangle answers to the countless questions that I hadn't gotten a chance to ask that weekend…though I didn't really take advantage of it. Mostly because I was WAY too out of it to remember any of the questions I still had burning within me, but also because that really wasn't how the encounter "felt."

Instead, we talked about his kids. About his rather grueling con-schedule that summer. About how Rain was doing, with encouragement that I was excited as all hell for Spirits. About "Young Justice: Legacy," Scooby-Doo, and our impressions of how the radio play had gone.

Not nearly for the first time that weekend, I also reiterated my interest in having him as a guest at Kawaii Kon 2015, and he reiterated his interest in coming. So far, not much has come of my attempts to push the organizers I know on the issue, but it's an ongoing process and I hope to have something more concrete to report soon.

It was an extremely low-key conversation, not the least because we were both pretty exhausted (he, Chris, and co. had made a run on Denny's at 3:00 AM the previous night, which "seemed like a good idea at the time, not so much now"). But it was exactly what I needed at the time.

The entire exchange truly underscored what I loved most about that weekend: that Greg and the rest of the Gathering alums had seen fit to really make me feel like one of their own, rewarding all the effort I've tried to put into Ask Greg with kindness and acknowledgement.

I initially volunteered to help out when Todd reached out in the Comment Room because I so appreciated everything that Greg's work, and Ask Greg itself, had done for me over the years. But no matter how grueling dealing with the umpteenth "Where is Season 3?" or angry rant about Wally can be, I absolutely feel that I've gotten ten times more out of it than I've ever put in.

And that means the world to me.

I said as much to Greg, at least to the degree that I had the energy to articulate it. But all good things must come to an end, and eventually the plane arrived and it was time to board.

We wished each other safe travels, and said our farewells.

And with that…CONvergence 2014 truly came to a close.

……………

MONDAY, JULY 7
9:00 AM CDT

I'll be brief here, just to give an idea of what the aftermath of the con was like.

I flew to LA feeling like hell. I had an hour layover there, in which I felt like hell. I had another, longer flight back to Honolulu, if anything feeling worse than hell (since I hadn't eaten anything I'd kept down for well over 24 hours).

Eventually, though, I made it back home and was able to get the long rest and digestible foods I needed. I managed to make it back to work by Wednesday, though I'd be at least mildly off my game for the next couple weeks.

I called the Friday's in question to let them know about my situation, and calmly requested a full or partial refund; they called back at 6:00 AM two days later to tell me their investigation into the matter showed that they "did everything right that night" and so they wouldn't be able to accommodate my request.

I was too sick to really be willing to argue the point, but rest assured that I won't be visiting that particular restaurant again, should I ever return to CONvergence. And I urge any fellow attendees to do the same.

On a more positive note, Spirits arrived just a couple days after I got back, so once I was sufficiently recovered I got to reading. Once again, I'll be putting together a detailed review for Amazon/Ask Greg as soon as this report is finished and edited….but suffice to say, I dug the hell out of it.

Algernon got his package soon after as well, and was very happy with what we'd managed to find (a figure of Irish deity Brigid, a signed "Recruits" print, and a cuddly pink plushie of Cthulhu). And everyone else managed to get home with their own hauls without too much issue, thankfully.

Overall, despite the rather crappy end, I have little but positive things to say about the whole experience. I'm very proud of what I got to do, who I got to meet, and what I got to bring home…and it's definitely something I'd love the chance to do again.

It was my first "Gathering," such as it was, and it exceeded each and every one of my expectations.

Here's hoping it won't be anywhere close to the last.

NEVER THE END!

Greg responds...

For the record: It was Brandon Vietti who wanted Klarion in the Light. Not that I disagreed, but my initial choice had been Wotan. But Brandon pointed out we needed a "kid" on our villain team, and as usual, Brandon was right.

Md - Thanks for this. And for all the work you do, here, at ASK GREG!

Response recorded on January 13, 2016

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I've taken a bit of a break from ASK GREG, but I'm back. I also started a new job this week. (Can't wait to tell you what it is!) This means my schedule is a bit more regular, so I'm hoping to get back to answering questions here on a daily basis. But it may also mean that things may get a little crazy on occasion as I get acclimated, so I may also miss a few days here and there.

So... business as usual, right?


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radiofriendlybox writes...

CTD? check the date?

Greg responds...

Um, probably? Maybe?

What are we referencing?

Response recorded on November 12, 2014

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Shola Akinnuso writes...

Greg, do you have any plans to post ANY of your scripts online? Your writing is clear, and structurally, they're a fantastic resources for writers trying to break into animation. The way you use sfx as action is a illuminating!

Currently, the ONLY way to see one of your scripts is to go all the way to The Writer's Guild in Los Angeles, and even there, you're not allowed to copy the script. Even if you feel uncomfortable showing the whole script ( just an act or two is all we need), posting it as a media resource on the site - perhaps as a .pdf so it is difficult to copy - would give peace of mind? It doesn't matter if the script is from YJ, Gargoyles, or Spider-Man...

Greg responds...

There's no way to post a script here at ASK GREG with the correct formatting. I know. I've tried.

Response recorded on September 30, 2014

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APOLOGIES

Hey gang,

I'd like to apologize for not getting to many of your questions recently. It's really due to all the travel I've been doing this summer - and the need to fit a LOT of work in between the trips.

Some of you have commented that the same excuses don't seem to apply to my Twitter account, and that's true. But the difference is that I can tweet from my phone at odd times and before bed - AND with little thought.

I've tried doing Ask Greg from my phone, but it's just too difficult. I'd rather give considerable thought and have the option of answering questions in depth. But if you want to make quick contact, by all means follow me on twitter at @Greg_Weisman.

The travel isn't over, either. I leave Monday for Ashland, Oregon, for my family's annual trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. For the curious, we're seeing the following eight plays over four days & nights:

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS by William Shakespeare
RICHARD III by William Shakespeare

THE TEMPEST by William Shakespeare
INTO THE WOODS by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine

THE GREAT SOCIETY by Robert Schenkkan
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA by William Shakespeare

A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'Engle and Tracy Young
FAMILY ALBUM by Stew and Heidi Rodewald

We're really looking forward to it.

Anyway, then I'm back for half a week, before the family takes another trip - this one to (a) drop my daughter off at college for her junior year and (b) take a road trip to look at five different colleges in five different cities with my son before he enters his senior year of high school. The entire trip will take eleven days, bringing me to the end of August.

But in September, my current plan is NO TRAVEL. (Stop #6 on the Gargoyles 20th Anniversary Tour is Long Beach Comic Con, which is driving distance. http://longbeachcomiccon.com ) So I should be back to answering a few questions every weekday regularly. Thank you for your patience.


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Masterdramon writes...

ASK GREG LIVE! - WONDERCON 2013 REPORT

First, a little background. I'm going to quote a section from the introduction I made to to Station 8 Comment Room, waaaaaay back in July 2010:

"Given that I was three when Season 1 of 'Gargoyles' first began airing, I was obviously quite outside the target audience at that point, and if I watched any of the episodes on first airing I definitely don't remember them. Rather, my first clear memories of 'Gargoyles' were watching it during the late 90s when Toon Disney was first starting up. This produced some interesting experiences; for example, I never saw and indeed never even had a clue that 'Deadly Force' existed until Toon Disney started airing it again in 2002 or so.

At the time that I first was watching this show voraciously it was amongst a litany of dozens of other cartoons, some well-written ('Batman: The Animated Series,' 'Darkwing Duck,' etc.) and some...well, not so much (here's looking at you, 'Captain Planet'). To an eight year-old, there was little differentiation between the relative qualities of these shows, and it was not until a few years on that I really began to appreciate what a true gem 'Gargoyles' was.

I'm not entirely sure when my perspective changed, though it might have had something to do with the aforementioned first viewing of 'Deadly Force.' By this point I was a pre-teen, and old enough to understand the basics of S+P...so to see one of the protagonists shoot another one in the chest accidentally, nearly causing her to die was an absolute revelation to me. Around this time I began watching the entire series with new eyes, and what I saw astounded me.

The depth, the complexity, the characterization was unlike anything else I had ever seen on the small screen, live-action or animated. The little things that escaped me on the first, second, or even tenth viewing (yes, I watched a LOT of Toon Disney) suddenly rared to life and showed me how amazing this show was, is, and always will be. Everything from the sheer emotion that Tony Shalhoub brought to the show's single greatest cameo role to the little nuances about Lexington that made me think, 'Oh, of course!' when I learned that Greg considered him to be homosexual all became clear to me, and clearer and clearer with each viewing.

'Gargoyles' did much for me over the years. To take a particular example, when I first began really reading Shakespeare during mandatory reading times in high school, I went with 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' then 'Macbeth,' and then, after the obvious 'Hamlet,' moving to 'Othello.' It shouldn't take too many guesses to figure out what attracted me to those plays specifically.

I have many obsessions in my life, some that have faded and some that have stayed with me forever. 'Gargoyles' stayed with me forever, and by the time I was about 13 or so it overtook virtually all of my other obsessions to become forefront in my fiction-dominated mind. I began searching around the internet for various little tidbits and behind-the-scenes stuff, and was blown away when I first discovered Greg's Master Plan. That someone could have so intricately designed such a massive and complex fictional universe intrigued me to no end...particularly 'Bad Guys,' since Dingo was at the time my favorite character.

On one of my frequent revisitings of the Master Plan in 2004, I ended up clicking around some links that brought me to the FAQ...and consequently to AskGreg. If the Master Plan had blown me away, then this site caused my mind to spontaneously combust. So many hints and clues to what the future might hold for the series, should Disney allow it to somehow continue...straight from the mouth of the creator himself! In all the years since that I've been up and around the world wide web, never have I again seen such a direct, easy-to-access method of communication to the artist behind such a masterful work.

Over the years, I have read virtually every single post in the AskGreg archives, some of them several dozen times. It is one of the websites that I frequent several times a day without fail, and I have gained an uncountable amount of enrichment from reading it constantly. It was through this site that I first learned of the DVDs and comics, all of which I purchased as soon as I could possibly get my hands on them, and of the Gathering, the scope of which shocked and awed me.

One of my greatest regrets is that I was never able to attend one of these amazing events; convincing your parents to let you fly out of Hawaii to the mainland for a convention on a 90s cartoon isn't the easiest thing in the world. And although I WAS actually in town for the final one, Gathering 2009 happened to fall on the EXACT same weekend as my college orientation. If the Gathering had been just one week later, or my introduction to Pomona College just one week sooner...but I guess it's pointless to deal with hypotheticals.

In any event, my praise goes out to all of you unbelievably dedicated individuals who kept it alive for so long. If ever you are able to arrange some sort of smaller event in the future, you have my word that I will attend.

AskGreg also gave the chance to really get to know Greg Weisman (or at least, as much as this is possible without real-world contact), and he is currently one of my absolute greatest heroes in all of entertainment. I am not using hyperbole when I declare him to be the single most talented writer in animation history, and in my mind absolutely anything he touches turns to solid gold. I avidly watched 'W.I.T.C.H.,' 'The Spectacular Spider-Man,' and the various episodes he freelanced for favorite shows of mine like 'The Batman,' 'Kim Possible,' and 'Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!'...many of which turned out to be some of the best in their respective series. And I wait with bated breath (and fanboyish panting) for 'Young Justice.' Spider-Man is my favorite Marvel superhero and DC is my favorite comic book universe...so to have Greg interpret both with his usual flair for complex, multi-layered story arcs and deeply involved character development has left me positively salivating."

Now, as you can probably tell from these words, this was a moment I've been waiting on for nearly 10 years. So as you might expect, I was...anxious. Despite my personal contact with Greg over the past couple years due to my moderating duties here, as well as friends who had met him previously who assured me that he was a really nice guy in-person, I was still a little worried I'd screw this up somehow.

Thankfully, ASK GREG LIVE! turned out to be a great experience, and truly the highlight of the weekend. There was somewhere between 15-20 guests in attendance, including myself, my girlfriend, and Blaise (whom it was awesome to meet in person). Kudos to Matthew for holding up the event sign for over an hour, and to whoever it was that cosplayed as Batgirl.

We pretty much just jumped straight into an hour-and-a-half of questions, which I hope I didn't hog too many of. A few highlights from the revelations presented therein:

- Following the Season 1 finale, Vandal immediately called up Hugo Strange and told him, "Open all the doors." Which explains a lot. Now, Greg W. ALSO said that by Team Year Five, Belle Reve was fairly full again...but at least it explains why so many imprisoned villains were walking the streets again in Season 2.

- The Joker was originally considered to appear in "Auld Acquaintance," controlling the Justice League. But for a variety of reasons (mainly budgetary; they needed Klarion anyway for the "magic stuff"), they switched him out for Klarion.

- Greg also responded to my question about whether the Joker of Earth-16 knows he's in a cartoon show by saying, "I think he's crazy enough to believe that, even if he's NOT."

- Lieutenant and Sergeant Marvel were originally considered to be on the Team in Season 2. But with only 20 episodes, several intended arcs were cut or reworked to have occurred during the Time Skip: a Marvel Family arc, a Red Tornado arc, and a Zatanna arc. With nothing to do anymore, Mary and Freddy were slotted into the Time Skip.

- He hinted pretty damn strongly that we'll be hearing more about "poor, disgraced Ocean-Master." Presumably in "Legacy," which I am personally excited as all hell for.

- Clone!Roy, post-"Satisfaction," is a stay-at-home-dad. For the most part. He and Cheshire are "trying to make it work," to the degree that people like them can.

- I asked if working on YJ had made him give more thought to who the 16 Sixteens in the Illuminati are. He basically said, "not really," while adding that he's got most of the major players in the Illuminati pretty well figured out, and has for a while. Which isn't to say he doesn't leave a fair few slots open for moments of epiphany.

- Darkseid has been the Light's silent partner since Season 1. Which most of us had assumed, but it's nice to have firm confirmation.

- Victor Cook did a fly-by. No time for questions, just said hi and name-dropped "Mecha-Nation." But still...really cool.

- He described Jason Spisak's last recording with them. Jason came up afterward and said that it was rare for an actor to be able to end his role on such a great, final note, "instead of just flying off into the sunset, with no one having any idea if you survive or not." Having now seen "Dark Matter," Greg believes that may have been coded snark.

- Oh, and surprising no one with a head on their shoulders...Greg disproved the rumor that DC wanted Wally killed off because of the New 52. Though it WAS amusing to hear him call those rumors, and I quote: "Complete horse"...baloney.

- He said he's deliberately keeping mum on "Rain of the Ghosts" until he knows if his publisher is doing any advertising. If they don't, he may start teasing some plot tidbits on Ask Greg.

- He talked a bit about availability issues...about how it came to be that Wentworth, Kittie, and George were replaced toward the end of the season. Just a whole lot of REALLY bad luck regarding other projects. But he also revealed the replacement that almost was...if it wasn't for the fact that no one on Earth could do an impression that did justice to him.

That's right...they once almost lost Tim Curry.

He was shooting something or another toward the middle of the season. They simply could not get him before the episodes had to ship. So what they did...was Greg recorded the lines. Taaaaaaaaalking liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis sooooooooooo thaaaaaaaaat theeeeeeeey cooooooould AAAAAAADR iiiiiiiiiiiit aaaaaaaaafteeeeeeer theeeeeeey reeeeeetuuuuuuurned froooooooom ooooooverseeeeeeeeeeas.

Which they would NEVER do otherwise. For no one but Tim Curry. Greg had to do a bunch of takes, because Jamie kept having to stop him and shout, "SLOWER!" Needed the mouth movements SO exaggerated that no one would notice it was ADR'ed. Which I don't think anyone did.

- I think those are all the big revelations, but there was lots of real fun little stuff on Greg's writing process, the backroom thinking that went into Darkseid's cameo, and Greg's hopes for the future. As he said at one point, "I still haven't given up on Gargoyles, and that's going on 20 years at this point! Why would I give up on a series that ended THIS month?"

Beyond that, it was just an incredible experience to be in the presence of the guy - to hear him speak, to ask questions (even utterly silly ones) directly answered to our faces, to shake hands, and to be personally thanked for my years of hard work on Ask Greg...which, needless to say, was incredibly gratifying.

The atmosphere was great - casual, friendly, and with no pressure on either the askers or on Greg. We chatted, we laughed, and we got to hear Greg at his absolute "frankest." Which is to say, a little...off-color. And oh it was glorious.

At my request, we also did an impromptu signing at the end; I got my Clan-Building Volume 1 trade, my SpecSpidey Season 1 DVD, my Young Justice Volume 1 trade, a Captain Atom comic, and the essay I wrote for Contemporary Political Theory last semester (and submitted to Ask Greg afterward) signed, and pretty much geekgasmed into the floor. SOOOOO utterly wonderful.

[If you want to see pics of said signed stuff and/or other stuff I snagged at the Con, you can go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/94547312@N04/sets/72157633137324644/with/8608204054/].

We also got to chat a bit privately, which was of course very good fun. And he even indulged my stupid, silly, obsessive request...to pose with my Fluttershy toy and say, "Fluttershy is best pony." His response was golden, too.

Greg: I have no idea what that means.

Me: I didn't expect you to.

Greg: Nah, what I mean is, am I saying something that will get a thousand angry bronies coming after me?

Me: No, most bronies tend to agree that Fluttershy is best pony, anyway.

Unfortunately, my girlfriend's phone appears to have recorded only the first second of the line. But I still posted it to YouTube because the image is gold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qVVtIsNeb4

Overall, my first in-person meeting with Greg Weisman proved to be everything I was hoping for it to be, and more. He's a massively cool guy who doesn't operate on any pretense; he is what he is, and what he is is a genius at writing/interpreting fiction.

It was truly an honor to spend that time with him, and I very much hope it won't be the last.

Greg Weisman, you rock (woo-hoo!). Don't let anybody tell you different. Because this kind of treatment of your fans makes me truly proud to be involved with helping out here.

Thank you for ASK GREG LIVE!

Thank you for all the wonderful shows you've brought us over the years.

And thank you for never giving up hope. I await "Rain of the Ghosts" with bated breath, and I can't wait to here the announcement when you get your next television gig.

Because it's coming. And I look forward to watching the hell out of that show, whenever it comes.

Greg responds...

Wow. Dude, do you really want to stoke my ego THAT MUCH?

Anyway, it was great meeting you too. You're contribution to Ask Greg has been invaluable.

I hope you're thinking about coming to ConVergence this July for the Gargoyles Reunion convention within a convention. More details on that should be forthcoming this month.

Response recorded on January 06, 2014

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A Flash Fan writes...

Terribly sorry to ask a few more questions Greg...

1. In the Arctic was it an oversight that the Team, particularly Artemis and Nightwing, were not wearing warmer clothes than their regular costumes? Even for a short time it must have been freezing I think, and they were in warmer costumes in the simulated mission in Failsafe.

2. At the beginning of the Season 2 we learned Superboy did not change externally but internally, however we never heard about it again toward the end. Does he still age in this fashion? Was it just mentioned to add some info or is there something else?

3. Does Superboy not like mirrors because it reminded him too much of how he is yet isn't like Superman, and does he use mirrors in Season2 or eventually?

4. Before you answer the oldest posts do you on occasion look at the latest questions of askGreg? I ask because I understand everyone is expressing their love for Wally, or wants to know
about Darkseid, or some other stuff, but they don't follow the
guidlines to not repeat questions. Do you ever plan onn giving a single post to just stop these ongoinv qustion into one?

Thanks

Greg responds...

1. There wasn't time to change.

2. Why would it have changed?

3a. Pretty much. Though I don't think he would have articulated it that way.

3b. Don't think he cares much about mirrors one way or another.

4. I don't. I have moderators for a reason, i.e. to protect me legally. It would defeat the purpose if I went ahead and read unmoderated posts.

Response recorded on November 13, 2013

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Cowboy_Garlicbreath writes...

Greg-

I loved the show; thanks to all of you for doing a great job- I'm going to miss it(and GL)allot.

1. Do you have any irons in the fire for any more older-audience DC superhero animated shows,like GL and/or YJ?

2.How do you deal with the fan-crazy and headcanonry without popping a blood vessel in your brain? I admire your tolerance, sir!

To the next project(raises glass)!

Greg responds...

1. Not me. (Though I did write one episode of Beware the Batman.) Not that I wouldn't love to, but it's not my sandbox and no one at DC or WB seems too interested in having me work on these characters right now.

2. I do pop the occasional vessel, but mostly it's rewarding and worth the time.

Response recorded on October 09, 2013

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Mark writes...

Not much of a question but a comment.

I find some of your responses to be highly condescending, being called "Ask Greg" leaves yourself open to a multitude of questions being answered - yes people should be very aware of your rules and they should be respected, but I believe the questions that get through your moderators and you feel you can't answer adequately should just be ignored rather than given a snarky remark.

I respect your work and the shows you make have brought many people joy, but sarcastic comments like "aren't you glad you asked" following you belittling someones curiosity is rude. Some of these questions are being asked by young children and while I do believe that your time is valuable, I think you're wasting more of it by being, for a lack of a better word, a "jerk".

Again your rules are clearly stated and should be adhered to, but be the bigger person and be cordial - some don't believe that they're "breaking the rules/guidelines" (some may, but putting intent behind action that you understand is immature) so I believe that each person deserves some of the comments you give, maybe you're being frank, but frankly I read it as being annoyed and insensitive.

tl;dr - You deserve respect, but so do the readers/fans of "Ask Greg". Great shows and great work.

Greg responds...

Mark, you have a VERY good point. And I will strive to be more patient.

But, dude, it's REALLY hard sometimes. REALLY hard.

For example, I had a knee-jerk negative reaction to your comment, because it still smacks of entitlement to me. That somehow just because they post something here, fans have a right to my patience. As opposed to the reverse notion, which is no one MADE them post here, and posting opens THEM up to whatever response they get.

But I made an effort to step back, and I do see that you're basically right.

So I'll try to do better. The negativity and snark may sneak out sometimes, but I will make an effort. And the occasional reminder to keep me honest is a good thing.

(Of course, the fact that I know CERTAIN fans LIKE my snarky responses doesn't help. Still, I shouldn't be playing to THAT audience, I know.)

Response recorded on August 29, 2013

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Twitter vs. ASK GREG - To the Death!!!

Twitter vs. ASK GREG - To the Death!!!

So for the first time in nearly a month, I lurked on a few sites and someone was bitchin' (that's right, I said it) about the fact that I was tweeting a lot but hadn't spent much time here at ASK GREG.

Mostly, the responses that person received from other fans were dead obvious, but they bear repeating:

1. Twitter is a lot more convenient. I can tweet with my phone during downtime. (I tend to do it while I'm doing my isometric neck exercises.) I can also do Ask Greg with my phone during downtime (as I did yesterday when I was stuck at an airport), but (a) it's much more difficult because the screen is so small and (b) I have no access to the materials that some questions require. So Ask Greg answers done on the phone tend toward the short and unsatisfying.

2. Stop acting so entitled. Greg Weisman has NO obligation, explicit or implicit, to answer any questions on ASK GREG ever. Let me repeat that: Greg Weisman has NO obligation, explicit or implicit, to answer any questions on ASK GREG ever. I do it because I enjoy doing it (most of the time). But if for any reason I take a break for however long, that's life. I will not be made to feel guilty about it.

Those are the two main points, but there are a couple others:

3. I've been traveling A LOT. Since the end of May, I've taken four trips up north to Lucasfilm, one trip to Denver Comic Con, one trip to Oregon for their Shakespeare Festival and a family trip to EUROPE. I still have both San Diego Comic Con and New Orleans MechaCon (http://www.mechacon.com/) coming up in the next couple months, plus at least one more trip to San Francisco for Lucasfilm. When I travel, internet is a dicey prospect at best, and that's on top of the fact that the reasons for the trip tend to preclude me having the free time to post on ASK GREG.

4. I've been SWAMPED with work. That's a good thing. (In fact, these are all good things.) I have tight deadlines on Star Wars Rebels, a looming deadline on the second book in the Rain of the Ghosts series, plus a few other random freelance things that I'll mention (perhaps) when they're finished. Lots of work means less free time to post at Ask Greg.

As for Twitter, I'll admit I might be a little addicted, but the bald-faced truth of the matter is simply that I was basically coerced into joining Twitter by my book publisher, my agent/manager and my family. I am making an extremely conscious attempt to raise my profile there (and gain followers) for the sake of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS. I make no bones about that. I'm not trying to hide the fact AT ALL. I want/need the book to do well, and Ask Greg just was NOT reaching enough people. Hence Twitter.

Having said that, I have no interest in using or allowing Twitter to replace ASK GREG. Folks have asked me questions on Twitter, which I've either ignored or used as an excuse to nudge the askers over here. It's a tad difficult, since the ASK GREG Question Asking Function here is currently down until I catch up, but whatchagonnado? ASK GREG still matters to me, and Twitter hasn't changed that at all.

So really, the title of this ramble is a sham. The two resources are not in conflict at all. I'm hoping Twitter brings MORE people to Ask Greg and maybe, vice versa. (And maybe that's the real reason for this post. Heh heh heh.)


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Kyle M. writes...

Hi there! Greg I have a little request more than a question for you...and since you could easily answer me that you could but won't do it, I would like you to see it as a challenge;
Could you describe how would it be the last scene of the last episode of Hello, Megan? Please??? And thank you :)

Greg responds...

No, I'm sorry. But I don't know it off the top of my head. So I'd have to figure it out, and I don't figure out that kind of stuff lightly. So it would take time. And I don't have that time. And, as I've said here before, I'm not looking for Ask Greg posters to come up with CHALLENGES for me. It's incredibly presumptuous, for starters, and it puts me in the awkward position of having to write up something like THIS, which makes me look like a jerk for not rising to your challenge. Thanks.

Response recorded on May 13, 2013

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Alan writes...

I know you dont like hypotheticals, and if I asked who would win if Lobo, Despero, & Mongul were put into a three-way cage match I would get a response about a fight between Hulk & the Thing. Now, I never read Marvel, but that response seems spot on & thought through...it makes me wonder why you dont answer the actual questions with that kind of simple but logical reasoning, that doesnt give a definative conclusion, but still offers a clear comparison of each's strengths/weaknesses in relation to one another.
I understand that any fight is situational, and if Despro was wearing a patch on his third eye, or Lobo was caught unarmed (as if), or Mongul had the flu, any one of those thigs would offer vastly different outcomes...but none of those things were part of the question, so there is really no reason to consider them in the answer. For example, your Hulk/Thing response itself would be rendered illogical by any number of "what ifs"...like, "what if the Thing was being mind controlled" would negate him keeping any kind of wits about him...but that was obviously not part of the imagionary question, so the point is moot.

And I know your not going to tell a story on this forum...but the Hulk/Thing example answers such a question (if it were ever actually asked) without telling a story.

So my question is...did you come up with the auto response of the Hulk/Thing, or did you get it from somewhere else?

Greg responds...

You write that you know I don't like hypotheticals, and yet then you try to make an argument for why that shouldn't matter to me.

I'VE SAID IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. These "Who would win?" questions flat-out do not interest me. And if it doesn't interest me, why would I bother answering? Simply because someone asked? Entitled, much?

As for where the Hulk/Thing thing came from, it's simply the classic version of the question going back fifty years or so. It's evolved here at Ask Greg as a stock response, like "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT." or "ASKED AND ANSWERED".

Response recorded on May 01, 2013

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Anonymous writes...

If each member of the Team on Young Justice were to be replaced with a character from Marvel Comics (regardless of which universe they are from) who would act as their potential equivalents (in terms of similar skills/abilities), who would they be and why (in one sentence per character)?

Greg responds...

Why are you asking me this?

If this is an exercise that interests you, go for it. But I have no inside information on something so arbitrary.

Guys, please, I appreciate that you want to have fun with these kinds of things, but that's not what ASK GREG is for. Creating make-work for me - because, I can only assume, you think I'll enjoy it - is not going to get a positive response here. And all it really does is clog the queue.

Response recorded on April 16, 2013

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SHAZAM! writes...

1. Where did you come up with the idea for a Green Beetle? DId he exist previously?
2. Is the reach responsible for the fall of the martian civilization?
3. Who is the black beetle? Wasn't he Jaime's friend Paco in the comics, is there a reason he isn't?
4. Is the Green Beetle a red, white, or green martian?
5. Why is lex trying to help the reach conquer earth? In the comics he honestly beleives he's trying saving the planet, not doom it...

Greg responds...

1. ASKED AND ANSWERED.

2. Assumes facts not in evidence.

3. I think it's pretty clear from the show who Black Beetle is. Why in the world would you think it's Paco?

4. Green.

5. Okay, I'm aware that you wrote up these questions before the end of the series, so I have a question for you: WHY DID YOU WRITE UP THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE THE END OF THE SERIES? What was your hope here, exactly? That I'd get to it before all was revealed and answer "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT" Or that I'd get to it (more or less) now and simply refer you back to the episodes themselves.

Look, SHAZAM!, I don't mean to single you out, but this is symptomatic of an on-going problem here at ASK GREG. All you've really succeeded in doing is CLOG UP THE QUEUE.

Please, everyone, THINK before posting.

Response recorded on April 11, 2013

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ASK GREG LIVE - Correcting the web

So, I still maintain that ASK GREG LIVE was a great success, but I've seen a few posts on the interwebs that... undercut that success a bit.

With the best intentions, I'm sure, people have attempted to relate what I said, and although they got a lot right, they also got a bunch of stuff wrong. They either misheard me or mistyped or related the information second-hand or whatever, but I'm going to try to set some of the misconceptions straight.

Myth #1: "Greg categorically stated that Wally West is dead and will never come back."

I did not. Surprisingly, I was not even asked this question and thus never responded to it at all. Now, let me be clear. I also have not stated categorically that Wally West is not dead will definitely come back. And I'm not going to do either. Let me illustrate why with an example:

You've seen memorial holograms for Jason Todd/Robin and Tula/Aquagirl. There are four potential scenarios for those two characters coming back:

Scenario A) Both are going to come back.

Scenario B) Jason is going to come back, but Tula is staying dead.

Scenario C) Tula is going to come back, but Jason is staying dead.

Scenario D) Both are staying dead.

Break it down like this, and it becomes clear why I won't answer any questions about either character in this regard. Assume, just as a hypothetical example, our plan was Scenario C. Then someone asks me about Jason. They say, the show is over; if he's really dead, why not tell us. This sounds logical (in the moment), so I state that Jason is staying dead. No harm, no foul. I've only confirmed something that the show itself already stated. No big deal. That is, until someone else asked me about Tula. I don't want to answer this one, of course, because I want her resurrection to be a surprise. But I also don't want to lie. So I go for my standard "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT." But then someone realizes that I was willing to be clear about Jason, but not about Tula. Ipso facto, Tula must be coming back. And I've just spoiled my own show. Which, as I'm sure you know, I am quite LOATHE to do. Clear?

Myth #2: "Greg stated that they killed off Wally instead of Barry because Barry's death would be too telegraphed."

That's almost exactly the OPPOSITE of what I said. Rather, in response to comments I've seen that Wally's death was out of the blue, I said I found those comments to be ironic, because Brandon and I spent the whole season afraid we were telegraphing WALLY's death too much. We cut lines of dialogue from and about Wally because we thought it would send too obvious a signal that Wally was going to buy it at the end. (And this is NOT meant as a statement with regards to Myth #1 above. As far as Season Two is concerned, Wally is considered dead. What that may bode for the future, is something that I won't respond to for the reasons outlined above.)

We did - at the very beginning of the season's development - briefly consider taking out Barry instead of Wally. But we decided that Barry was too much of a minor character, and that his death would have no resonance for our audience, would exact no cost. I suppose, as some have argued, we could have spent the entire season bulking up Barry's part to make sure his end had resonance, but we didn't have either the screen time or, frankly, the desire to do that. Wally mattered to our audience. Even with relatively little screen time in Season Two, he MATTERED. And I think the proof that we made the correct choice is obvious in how it's torn fans apart over his demise. It hurts. It hurt us too. I still well up watching that scene - and I've seen it dozens of times by now. It is sad. It's supposed to be sad when a hero that we love dies. Given that, I don't have any regrets.

Myth #3: "Greg stated that Ocean-Master will have a huge roll in Young Justice: Legacy."

No, I didn't say anything of the sort. You guys have seen the villains who are participating in Legacy. You already KNOW he's not in there.

Myth #4: "Greg stated that Troia will have a huge roll in Legacy."

No, I did not. You already know the heroes participating in Legacy - except for the these-are-just-for-fun-and-don't-count-toward-the-canon-story characters. You already KNOW she's not participating in the story.

Myth #5: "Greg stated that Mary Batson is Lieutenant Marvel."

No, I did not. First off, I've never once mentioned anyone named Mary Batson. I have mentioned Mary Bromfield. But she is NOT Lieutenant Marvel. I did give a small spoiler about the Marvel Family at ASK GREG LIVE, but I'm going to leave it as a prize for those who attended in person.

Myth #6: "Greg stated that the plan from day one was to use Donna in Season One and Cassie in Season Two."

This is more of a half-truth. EARLY, early on, Donna was one of our leading candidates for Season One. This was before we had even narrowed things down very much. And BEFORE any true decisions were made, we were informed by our DC Liasons that both Wonder Girls were off-limits for legal reasons that were never explained to us. (So don't ask me.) So neither Wonder Girl was seriously considered. Then Geoff Johns came aboard and made both Wonder Girls available. Unfortunately, by that time, it was flat out too late to include Donna. So we decided we'd put Cassie in Season Two. And have Donna be one of the characters who joined and left the Team during the timeskip, and cameo her in Season Two. Unfortunately, for reasons reported fairly accurately from ASK GREG LIVE, we were unable to cameo either Troia or Mary at Rocket's bridal shower because there just wasn't time for Phil Bourassa to design FOUR new characters, i.e. the two girls in both their civilian and super-hero costumes. Had they appeared in "Satisfaction", then they would have also had cameos in "Endgame", since their designs would already have been completed. But since they didn't appear in the earlier episode, we weren't able to get them at all. This is a sadness to me. But there are realities of production that we're all subject to.

Myth #7: "Greg stated that rumors about DC wanting Wally killed off were 'complete horses#!t.'"

I NEVER used the term "Horses#!t" and never would. I clearly said "complete bulls#!t."


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WONDERCON & ASK GREG LIVE

I'm declaring ASK GREG LIVE at WonderCon a success!!

We had about twenty or so people show up (including Masterdramon and Blaise). It was informal, fun (for me, at least) and, hopefully, informative. As expected, we mostly talked about YOUNG JUSTICE, but there were also questions about GARGOYLES and THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN and how to break into the business, etc. So it was a nice Ask Greg-ish mix.

Someone said they were waiting for me to say "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT." And I really did mean to say it, but I'm not sure that I ever really did. I don't think I spoiled very much, but I definitely revealed a couple things that I'm fairly confident I would not have revealed here on the website. I guess seeing the in-person faces of the fans melts me - at least a little.

I wasn't sure how many people would show up, so I had no idea how long it would run, but I had figured on about an hour. But we stood there - no sitting allowed in the Anaheim Convention Center Lobby - for over an hour and a half, and the time just raced by. (Special thanks to Matthew for holding up the ASK GREG LIVE sign for nearly the entire event.) At the end, we took a few photos, and I did an impromptu signing for anyone who had something they wanted signed. (Hadn't planned on that either, so I didn't have a pen. So thanks also to those who loaned me their sharpies!)

If you were there, I invite you to post about it here at ASK GREG tomorrow (i.e. Sunday, March 31st, 2013) or at the Station 8 Comment Room anytime next week. (I'll be stopping by to see what folks thought.) It's something I'd like to think about doing again. Perhaps at Denver Comic-Con or maybe even at San Diego Comic-Con (though that venue would present some MAJOR challenges). So even if you weren't able to attend, let me know if you'd like to see it happen again.


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Back to answering questions...

As I'm about to start answering questions here on ASK GREG - post "Endgame" - I want to first reiterate what I've already posted here:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=1026

I will NOT suddenly be SPOILING stuff left and right.

The YJ questions that have the best chance of being answered are ones about process and decision making regarding the television episodes and comic book issues that have already aired or been released. Asking for additional content is not at all likely to be rewarded. NOT. AT. ALL.

And again, if you want to know why, read this:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=1026


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WONDERCON ANAHEIM - ASK GREG LIVE

WONDERCON ANAHEIM - Who'd like to meet up?

My daughter Erin and I will be attending WonderCon on Friday, March 29th:

http://www.comic-con.org/wca

I'm not on a panel or anything official. I'm just going to look around, hang out, etc. But ASK GREG moderator Masterdramon is also going, and we thought it might be fun to organize a semi-impromptu ASK GREG LIVE event. I assume most folks would want to talk about Young Justice, which is great. But we can also discuss Gargoyles or the weather or whatever. Chris Jones and I did something similar a few weeks ago at a Doctor Who convention, and we had fun. I think about twenty or so fans showed, which was a nice number. We might wind up with a few more or less. Or, heck, maybe it'll just be me, Erin and Masterdramon, which is okay too. EIther way, we want to try to keep the thing unofficial, informal, casual, etc.

The main question I have is exactly when and where should we meet up? Has to be Friday the 29th, and because (a) I'm driving down there from Los Angeles and (b) it's the first day of the con, it probably shouldn't be too early. Likewise, I'm not staying overnight, and I have the drive home, so not too late either. So an afternoon meet-up, I'm guessing. Or maybe lunch? An early dinner? Linner?

And where do we meet? How do we find each other? (I'm not familiar enough with the Anaheim Convention Center to know exactly where a good spot might be.)

I'm definitely open to suggestions. I'm posting this here at ASK GREG, but also in the Station 8 Comment Room, which I'll be checking periodically between now and the con. If you have any thoughts on where we could meet, please post them there:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/index.php

It'll also help us gauge interest in how many people might actually be, well... interested in this sort of thing. So even if you have no suggestions but you plan on joining us, post anyway, so that we can begin to approximate a head count. It may influence where we meet up.

The week before the convention, I'll post the final specifics on where and when at ASK GREG and at Station 8.

Hope to see at least a few of you soon.


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The Coming Deluge - Yet More Ask Greg Guidelines

The Coming Deluge - Yet More Ask Greg Guidelines

So, I truly hope I'm wrong, but I have to admit I'm anticipating a deluge of questions asking for SPOILERS after the airing of this Saturday's YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION finale. I understand the impulse: "The television and comic book series are over, so there's no reason for him to hold back anymore! It means anything and everything are now fair game! He can never say 'SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.' again"

But, see, that's not how I feel about it. So here's why, and here's how that should guide your future questions at ASK GREG:

1. Let's start here: OBJECTIVELY we're not over. YOUNG JUSTICE: LEGACY is due out in the fall, and it will contain new content - a SUBSTANTIAL amount of new CANON story content, based on ideas suggested to Little Orbit by Brandon Vietti and myself, and all vetted after the fact by us, as well, to make sure everything from dialogue to timestamps is consistent with the property as a whole. Now, LEGACY is set during the five-year-gap. So I'm not going to be inclined to answer questions that require me to reveal things that happened during our time skip. And not just Legacy related stuff either, because if I answer some questions about the gap but refuse to answer others, I'll be de facto spoiling. That I will not do, so please refrain from asking questions about the missing five years.

2. If I've learned anything from the long haul on GARGOYLES, it's that things sometimes DO come back. So SUBJECTIVELY I don't feel like we're over either. I still have hopes - however slim - of returning to Earth-16 one day. So there are secrets that I still may want to keep. Particularly about "Season Three". I'm not saying I'll never reveal anything. Sometimes a tidbit here or there helps keep fan interest alive. But I'm not going to wholesale give away the plans that Brandon and I came up with for what happens next. In general, I'm much more inclined to clarify what's already been shown then reveal what hasn't been shown. So try focusing your questions on what's aired or seen print and try to refrain from asking What Happens Next questions. When I feel like revealing something, I will.

3. ASK GREG is NOT a good format for me to tell creative stories. Any question, wherein the answer could fill an entire issue of a comic book or an entire episode of a television series or MORE will not be answered, because I will not short-change a story with a quick response, and I will not tell a story here at ASK GREG. So try to refrain from asking questions that would take an entire issue or episode to answer.

4. Brandon and I have many, many ideas for what happened before Season One, a few still left for what happened during Season One, many for what happened between seasons (including but not limited to Legacy), many ideas for stuff that happened off-camera during Season Two, tons of ideas for Season Three, and many, many, many ideas for beyond Season Three. BUT... ideas minus execution are subject to tremendous second-guessing. So I'm not inclined to give you new content. If I had told you before Season One that Red Arrow was the mole, minus how we executed that plot, it might have seemed quite weak. It's the execution that demonstrates whether or not an idea shines. And frankly, I don't need the second guessing and, well, nastiness that the internet encourages. So that's just another reason to refrain from asking what else we might have planned.

5. I will not lie to you here at ASK GREG, per this post: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=982 . But I also will not state things that I believe to be true if stating those things will pretty much guarantee that I won't ever work in this town again. I have a mortgage to pay and kids to feed and clothe, etc. So you will not see me bad-mouthing companies in this public space. So please refrain from asking questions that would force me to do that. The best you'll get is no response.

6. Keep in mind, I answer questions because I like to be in touch with the fans, and I think it's fun for us all. But that doesn't mean I somehow OWE you an answer. The more entitled you think you are to the answer, (I can all but guarantee) the less inclined I'll be to respond in any useful way. Maybe that's me being needlessly contrary, but I'm just going to admit up front that it rubs me the wrong way. So tonally, try to avoid a sense of entitlement in your questions.

All this is IN ADDITION to the FOURTEEN guidelines already posted here: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/ask.php I'll admit that these six new guidelines are perhaps even more subjective than the previous fourteen, but I guarantee you that we'll all be happier if you stick to them. And the happier I am, the more likely that I'll drop the occasional surprise here and there. Whereas, the more assaulted I feel, the more likely I am to get annoyed and clam up about everything. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Otherwise... thanks for stopping by. Seriously. The dark days at ASK GREG seem to have passed for the most part, and most days I enjoy doing it again. I just want to keep it that way. Thanks.


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Anonymous writes...

When you say, "i'll leave it up to your imagination", does that usually mean yes?

Greg responds...

No. It means "I'll leave it up to your imagination."

Response recorded on March 06, 2013

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J writes...

I was just reading through the recently answered questions, and something struck me as a little odd. You seem to be interested in the specifics of things that are activly shown on-screen (eg. a charactors background in gymnastics as opposed to acrobatics, and how that difference is portrayed), yet there is an "Ask Greg helper" who answers questions for you with your quote "I'm not personally intetested in those type of specifics" which was your answer to a comoletley different kind of question (probably something like "what is Superboy's favorite type of pie")....my question is:
How much discression do you give your helpers to answer questions with responses that a) conveys your personal opinion AND b) you have not already answered and was never revealed in the show?
Specifically, I am refering to a question about how much water Aqualad's pack holds...how does your helper know your not intetested in that? Was there a meeting in which this topic was discussed?
The reason your stories are so good is because you pay so much attention to the details of things on-screen (in my opinion, anyway), and that seemed like a perfectly legitimate question to something regularly appearing on-screen, and given that, would most likley intetest you, at least a little (ie. I would think that you would write Aqualad keeping in mind there cold only possibly be a finite amount of water in his pack).

An Ask Greg Helper responds...

[A NOTE FROM AN ASK GREG HELPER: You are operating under a false assumption. We will only answer a question if Greg has answered that same question in the past. This was the case with the question about Aqualad's Water-Bearers. Here is the full context.]

DC Hero writes...

"How much liter's can Aqualad's water bearers hold."

Greg responds...

"I'm personally not interested in being that specific."

[Response recorded on March 29, 2011.]

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=13155

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=17885

Response recorded on March 03, 2013

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YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: EPISODE: 212: "True Colors": Premieres!

YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: EPISODE: 212: "True Colors": Premieres!

A new mission! A new Teammate! And a new player in the game!! You won't want to miss our newest episode of Young Justice, premiering on DC NATION this Saturday (and Sunday), January 19th (and 20th) along with a new GREEN LANTERN and more new DC NATION super-hero shorts! Check local listings for times.

And also Saturday night on the SyFy Channel, check out this new original movie: TASMANIAN DEVILS, starring our own Miss Martian, Danica McKellar. That's right, the live-action Danica is kicking some Tasmanian ass and taking some Tasmanian names!!

Meanwhile, for those who have been wondering why I haven't answered many questions recently, here at ASK GREG, it's because I've (a) been out of town on a much needed vacation and (b) been swamped since I got back. I'll try to get back on the horse next week.


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CAUGHT UP

Well, I've finally caught up and cleaned out the ASK GREG queue. We'll plan to reopen the site- at least briefly - when Young Justice: Invasion #23 hits the stands later this month. Then again, when DC Nation starts up with new Young Justice: Invasion episodes on January 5th, 2013.

I'm looking forward to reading your responses to the new issues and episodes - and to Black Manta's Celebrity Hot Tub. (If there seems to be a demand, I might be tempted to write more of the latter for this site.)

But right now... I'm going to take a short break.


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gargoyles fan writes...

Hey Greg I have been meaning to ask this for a while, and I did check the archives but couldn't find anything on this, but I was wondering why do you answer fan questions? Its not a complaint I was just curious. Thanks for your time.

Greg responds...

I've answered this often, most recently here: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=17563

Response recorded on December 17, 2012

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Nicole writes...

Troll means to purposely do something mean for your own enjoyment. When people on this site call you a troll, they pretty much mean that they love the emotional roller coster you put them in when they watch Young Justice. I noticed on some responses that you became frustrated wen people called you a troll. Just wanted you to know that you're amazing and thank you for bringing us Young Justice. Congrats to you and your team! :)

Greg responds...

Hmmm. I thought to troll meant to try to create strife - which I do NOT think that I do. I also don't think I'm ever trying to be mean, certainly not with the show and not even on this site. I can get mischievous. I can be a smartass. And, God knows, I can get annoyed as hell. But I still don't see how any of that rises to the level of trolling. So thanks for the kind words, but I still object to the term being applied to me.

Response recorded on December 13, 2012

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Irritated writes...

Some people who ask questions are so RUDE! They demand, they want to tell you how to answer, how to run your own blog, they whine...They claim to be fans but act with no respect. Greg, why/how do you put up with it?

Greg responds...

Some people say to me: "You have the patience of a saint." But anyone who knows me, knows THAT'S not true. The ugly truth is probably closer to this: "He has the ego and insecurities of a petty dictator." Generally, ASK GREG helps feed that ego and assuage some of those insecurities. Most of the time, anyway.

Response recorded on December 11, 2012

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Olga writes...

Hello Greg!
I was wondering what's Mal Duncan role on the Team? Thanks for amazing series, it keeps getting better and better!

Greg responds...

It's stated in "Happy New Year". STATED. OUT LOUD. Not to mention, SHOWN (DEMONSTRATED, CLEARLY REVEALED), as well.

Olga, I don't mean to pick on you per se, but FOLKS, please do not come here to ask questions that the show has ALREADY objectively answered. You're just clogging up the queue and slowing things down for everyone.

And apropos of nothing, I've also noticed that sometimes the questions asked seem only to be asked for the sake of having something to ask. Like people are stopping by the site and TRYING to come up with a question that no one else has asked - even if they have no real interest in the answer - just so they can participate in the... "fun". Even if NOBODY could possibly have any real interest in the answer. Please do not do this.

Response recorded on December 05, 2012

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Anonymous writes...

Okay who is moderating these? Perfectly normal questions I've asked get deleted and then I see ridiculous grammatical monstrosities approved...?

Greg responds...

Incorrect grammar is not (currently) a criteria for deletion. Plenty of other things are. And you can and should (a) review the rules to see if one of your questions broke one or more of them, or if that provides no clarity, you can (b) go to the Station 8 Comment Room and ASK one of the moderators why your questions were deleted. Be polite, please.

[FYI, if incorrect grammar WAS a criteria for deletion, I could kick this question too, which has multiple grammatical errors in it.]

Response recorded on December 04, 2012

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CGYJ writes...

Hello Mr. Greg Weisman,

Today's posting is in regards to the closing moments of the episode "Alienated." The episode had shown us just exactly what the missing six members of the Justice League did on the Planet Rimbor. On January 26, 2016, these six members intended to go to Rimbor to stand trial for their actions while under The Light's control. Accompanying them are Icon, who is knowledgeable in intergalactic trial law (as stated by Wonder Woman), and Hawkman, who wants to accompany Hawkwoman for obvious personal reasons.

I'm sure you understand that the decision for these eight Justice League members to leave for Rimbor was probably not without causing complications. While it is shown that some heroes like Miss Martian and Superboy are covering for members like Superman and Martian Manhunter as best as possible, there is also another problem. I'm sure you know that we, the fans of the show and comic, understand that most, if not all, of the eight Justice League members have secret identities. The problem with these eight members is that with them leaving for another world, and given enough time, the public would probably ask questions like "Where is Clark Kent?" or "Where is Bruce Wayne?"

While I'm sure that each of the eight Justice League members probably DID have a plan to handle this unique situation before they left for Rimbor, can you please tell us in some detail just what EXACTLY each Justice League member (the ones who left for Rimbor) did to cover for the "disappearances" of their secret identities/alter egos so that the public would not become suspicious enough to believe that they vanished off the face of the Earth? I'm hoping my question doesn't confuse you. Your response might shed some light as how the eight Justice League members resolved this problem before leaving off-world.

Thanks,
CGYJ

PS. I did two postings on 9/29/12. One was about Darkseid, and the other was about Jason Todd. That night, I noticed both postings were approved, but on this day, they appeared to have been removed. What happened? Did I do something wrong or something else?

Greg responds...

You basically answered your own question. They each had time to prepare and did there best to cover. I'm not going to go into any further detail: at best it's a spoiler request.

As for why your questions were deleted, I have no idea. I never saw them. But you could ask the moderators at the Station 8 Comment Room.

Response recorded on November 28, 2012

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Anonymous writes...

Why do you love to troll us?
Greg, if I didn't like you so much, I would hate you! Bye and good job Master of Trolldom!

Greg responds...

When have I EVER trolled anyone?

Maybe I'm confused, but are you sure you're using the term "troll" correctly?

Cuz by the definition I know, I'm not even sure if it's possible for me to troll on MY OWN DAMN WEBSITE.

Response recorded on November 15, 2012

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Anonymous writes...

has anyone who worked with you called you a troll? and have you ever intentionally decided to troll fans?

Greg responds...

1. Not that I know of.

2. No. (Unless a "smart-ass response" here and there counts as trolling.)

Response recorded on November 09, 2012

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J31 writes...

Have you ever coinsidred making another blog?(this one is kinda backed up.
Is it a nightmare when you see all the questions in the unanswered section,or does it make you feel nice knowing you have so many loyal fans?

Greg responds...

1. How would THAT help?!

2. Not a nightmare. Occasionally overwhelming. And it is nice (most of the time) to see that folks are watching/reading/giving a damn.

Response recorded on November 06, 2012

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Reverse Flash writes...

I love that you keep such an open dialog with your fans.

Greg responds...

Thanks. When it works, I love it too.

Response recorded on November 06, 2012

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The Truth about Ask Greg

Here is my manifesto:

I will not lie to you on ASK GREG.

Except by omission. I have, do and will continue to lie to you by omission whenever the need arises, I find it's politically expedient or I'm just in that kind of mood.

I will cheerfully - even gleefully - misdirect you, i.e. while technically telling the truth, I may consciously play to known biases and lead you down your own garden path. I may then lurk on other sites and chortle if I see my misdirection has been effective. I may also then get annoyed.

I will - hopefully not too often - answer sarcastically. I will make smartass responses, which are technically NOT true, but which I believe from context are obviously false, and thus should not be regarded as untruths in that any reasonable person will know that I was pulling legs. I will be the only arbiter of whether or not I am lying or kidding, in these cases.

I will, of course, be mistaken on occasion. Flat-out incorrect or wrong, even. If alerted to my errors I will endeavor to correct them. Obviously, I don't see being mistaken as willfully lying.

But with all the above caveats as givens, I promise that I will not intentionally make any untrue statements here on this website. I WILL NOT LIE TO YOU DIRECTLY.

Except on April Fool's Day. On April 1st, I'll lie my ass off.


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Feedback writes...

Can you edit the site so there are different sections for questions? One for "Gargoyles", another for "Young Justice", another for "Spectacular Spiderman", another for "Young Justice: Invasion" and a final one for "Other questions"?

Like that, you could answer the questions in a more organized manner. Plus, you could answer the types of questions you want to answer whenever you want (i.e. You're sick of YJ questions, so you'll start answering Spiderman ones)

Overall, I think you should implement this or a similar system so the archives and unanswered questions can be easier to navigate for you, for the mods and for the fans.

Greg responds...

The archives are ALREADY broken up exactly that wayr. What other 'organized manner' is required? First come/first serve seems fair to me. And I don't have any particular preference as to which show I'm answering about.

Basically, I am not having any navigation problems. Neither are the moderators. And if you've spent even five minutes looking at the site, neither would you or any other fan. Navigation was never the issue.

Response recorded on October 03, 2012

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Rich... writes...

Hey Greg, Not a question but a comment... You and your team are amazing with what you did with Young Justice so far, and I cant wait to see what tricks you guys pull out of your bags next. Also, you "Ask Greg" forum is funny as hell! I love the way you punk people off when they ask you stupid @$$ questions!

Thanks, and may Young Justice live for years to come! Rock on, homie!

Greg responds...

Thanks. I'm not sure I'm trying to 'punk' anyone though - no matter how frustrated I might sometimes get.

Response recorded on October 01, 2012

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Anonymous writes...

I just want to apologize for all the rude comments you are getting from some of the Young Justice fans. Just reading some of these comments makes me embarrassed. I enjoyed the first episode to season two. It was great and exciting and I can’t wait to find out what is awaiting us. Sorry again on behalf of the YJ fandom.

Greg responds...

I'm not seeing a lot of rude comments these days. I don't know if the ruder ones got deleted by the moderators, or if the new rules (and vague threats) I posted have kept them at bay.

Response recorded on September 20, 2012

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Bashir Bin Ali writes...

Wow. Reading through the unanswered questions, no wonder you've gotten so angry over people constantly asking for spoilers.

Good job with the opening for season 2. I heard something about a time skip but didn't expect it that far into the future. It seems like an odd choice but I have faith in you and the others to keep it glorious. Well, I guess y'all already have been, the season opener was real good.

1.) What was this site before it became AskGreg? Was it just another Gargoyles fansite or something like that?

Greg responds...

1. ASK GREG has - since its inception - been part of the larger Station 8 site. I believe S8 began as a more general fan site, but I'm afraid Gargoyles slowly but surely took it over. But really that's a question for Gorebash, who has graciously allowed me to park here on HIS PROPERTY and rant for over a decade now.

Response recorded on September 19, 2012

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J writes...

Not so much a question as food for thouht...I'm still doing my research and reading through every past Q&A (tangent here...cant anybody do something about all the repeated posts? There are far too many "askef & answered"s...but leave the "spoiler requests" - they actually give some information sometimes) & I've noticed that you are obviously one of a large number of people who dont like "spoilers" - and you tend to berate those who activly post/seek them out. Now I realize this is your forum, so basically what you say goes...but are you aware (or even care) that there are just as many people out there, like myself, whose enjoyment of most media precludes our knowing how it turns out? Ill give you an example...I will wait YEARS before watching a critcally acclaimed Hollywood blockbuster until I know for sure its worth investing even two short hours (ie. I refuse to watch a movie where the main character/animal dies senselessly at the end... as its a waist of my time and insulting - and the "sometimes death is senseless" argument doesnt work for me...reality IS senseless enough, thats why I like my fiction to make some sense at least...its called "escape" and nit "the eavening news" for a reason).
understand that you definatly would not agree with me, but is it really that hard to understand why some people would get more enjoyment out of your work if they had more to look forward to than the old (an eternally frustrating"just watch and see"? - I cant even tell you how many times Ive up and left the room when everybody else has seen the movie and nobody will answer a simple yes or no question because they didnt want to "ruin it" for me, when in fact they just did.
Basically what im getting at is, could you please not villify those who hust want to know a little more than your giving...Im not asking you to give more, but just because someone doent think like you, doesnt mean they are thoughtless.
Thank you for your time and talent.

Greg responds...

I think "villify" is an awfully strong word from what I've done. I'm often stunned by the desire for spoilers and appalled by those who SPOIL without any thought to those who don't want things spoiled and/or to the CREATORS who put in so much effort to create some surprise in their work. But it hardly rises to the level of hate speech.

And, no, I can't understand it. If you want a 100% guarantee out of your entertainment before you see it by knowing all that's coming... than we have very little in common.

That doesn't mean you're a bad person or that you're "thoughtless" for wanting the spoilers you want. But your thought processes defy my understanding. DEFY. MY. UNDERSTANDING.

But those differences are what makes the world go 'round, right?

Response recorded on September 19, 2012

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JAC writes...

Mr. Greg,

I was just wondering...where do you draw the line between "speculaton", "story ideas", and "spoiler reqests".
It seems to me like this is a pretty vauge gray area (even a spoiler reqest could be either of the former in question form)...almost any question/comment that does not pertain to precicley what has already happened could potentially be labled "story idea" or "spoiler request". But seriously, who watches/reads anything without wondering what the circumstamses surrounding the events on screen/panel

Greg responds...

Ultimately, it doesn't matter too much. Spoiler requests won't be met. Story ideas are forbidden. So that just leaves speculation, but this isn't really the forum for speculation. That's better suited to a discussion forum like this one: http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?297208-quot-Young-Justice-quot-News-amp-Discussion-Thread-Part-20-(Spoilers)

Response recorded on September 18, 2012


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