Man Mountain writes...

Hey Greg. I was listening to Howard Stern this morning (4/28/08) and he just gave a quick, but rave review of your Spiderman series. He said he is embarrassed to be his age and watching Saturday morning cartoons, but said he loved it and would be watching. Just thought I'd let you know. Keep up the good work and thanks!

Algernon writes...

Spectacular Spider-Man

S
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Catalyst

You know what I love about this show? It's the consistency, seven episodes in and we've yet to get anything less the great TV. Even the best shows don't usually get this far without at least one mediocre outing, yet the Spectacular Spider-Man continues to go from strength to strength. This episode stands out in particular as we are introduced to two of the most important figures in the Spidey-mythos.

First up I absolutely love this version of the Green Goblin, cunning, creepy and completely insane. Steven Blum has already solidified himself in my mind as the definitive voice of the Goblin. I especially like his banter, it's cool to have a villain who can go toe to toe with Spidey on the quip front. Credit goes to Sean Galloway for the design of Gobby's glider, darn thing looks like it could bite somebody's face off.

This episode also marks our first real look at Mary Jane Watson. I really like MJ, she's a babe and she knows it but doesn't let it go to her head.

Tombstone comes across very well in this episode, calm and calculating even when facing down a super-powered psychopath. He also had a neat xanatosian moment near the end. God do I pithy those poor goons when Tombstone tracks them down. A few questions though…

1) It's interesting that your going with the whole mystery angle with GG identity, aren't you worried about your audience being already spoiled by the Spidey movies or previous cartoons?

2) Not so much a question as minor observation. I noticed a lot of glass breaking in this episode, which I understand is something of a S&P no no. your S&P people must be fairy laid back.

Anyway looking forward to the next episode with Doc Ock.

wolfvain writes...

will gaegoyles ever return to tv

Aldrius writes...

All right, starting this ramble about halfway through the episode. Don't have much to say about the first half anyway... and what I do...

That thing with Harry taking some sort of goblin formula strikes me as a bit of a red herring. But it might not be. (I think it is). But the fact that it might not be keeps me guessing!

Anyway, I guess that shows why Harry was grinning like the laughing fish in the last episode. But what makes me think it's Normy is the Big Man connection. Why would Harry care about the Big Man?

I'm gonna assume there won't be a relevation as to who it is by the end of the episode.

And poor Harry too. That was rude of that girl to take back her boyfriend on the night of the prom when she was with another guy...

I don't like how I can tell that the Green Goblin and his thug are voiced by the same guy. Oh well, not that big a deal.

Kevin Michael Richardsons PERFECT Keith David (wouldn't be able to tell if I didn't know) impression makes up for it.

'And Maybe call the Police' That was hilarious. Because I could see another show completely forgetting about even mentioning that.

Wow, Peter way to completely sacrifice the element of surprise. For someone who can't be surprised you sure don't value it very much.

Huh, that cut between the fighting with Green Goblin and Spider-man wasn't in the opening scene!

That little screech whenever a bomb goes off.

I think the goblin's 'bomb' is a bluff. Or not...

I think it's sweet that Jonah went back up with his son.

And it looks like the Mary Jane/Peter romance gets it's first step. But I'm still hoping we get to explore other avenues first. And of course, there's nothing saying that we can't.

Still think Harry's green vial is a big red herring, though. We'll see if I'm right soon. And of course Tombstone's 'you just did what I was gonna pay you for, for free' was great, and has me thinking. If Tombstone's just going to pay him for doing what he was already doing for free, why would he be surprised that he continued to do it? And why doesn't Peter just accept it? He'd be getting paid for doing what he's doing already. Obviously he doesn't, because well, you don't accept favours from 'the mob' and not expect to have to do something in return, at least that's what the Simpsons has always taught me.

But it intrigues me, because I could see Peter accepting Lincoln's offer down the road. And that interests me. That interests me greatly, and now I'm interesting in watching more, and seeing if that actually DOES happen, because I think it COULD happen.

In short, I'm hooked.

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

This isn't a question, it's really an answer to a question you once asked, and hopefully you'll find it useful or at least interesting.
Some years ago, somebody asked you if gargoyles are warm-blooded, and you answered:
<<"I guess so. Is there a third category?">>

Well, there ~is~ a third category, sort of. Animals can be partly warm-blooded and partly cold-blooded -- in-between, or "a little from column A, a little from column B," so to speak.

I'm sure you can imagine a mixture of warm-blooded-ness and cold-blooded-ness, but if you are interested in the details, they are on Wikipedia, in the articles "Cold-Blooded" and "Warm-Blooded." I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing you about science, so in short: being cold-blooded or warm-blooded are just the two most common combinations of six different metabolic traits, but other combinations do exist in nature. Just looking at canon and canon-in-training information, it appears to me that gargates have some cold-blooded traits (they absorb thermal energy, they apparently sleep in suspended animation, and they eat less than a mammal of their size) and some warm-blooded traits (they have hair, they're active in cold weather). I'm very interested in what your thoughts are about gargoyles, if you still feel they might be in a "third" category. I'm so curious about their biology.

wtchluver! writes...

where can u listen the full song of "The Demon In Me"?

Todd Jensen writes...

A brief review of "Catalysts".

I enjoyed this one a lot (like the other episodes I've seen so far). A few things that stood out to me most:

We got to see J. Jonah Jameson's better side, for a side. He's clearly proud of his son - and I think it's justified. (I was particularly impressed with the younger Jameson figuring out that the Green Goblin had planted his bomb on the chandelier, and promptly alerting Spidey.)

Did Keith David go back to doing the Big Man/Tombstone's voice? I thought it sounded more like his this time around, but I might be wrong. (And I liked his performance - especially when he's commenting that Spidey wound up helping him after all. I also enjoyed Spidey's disgust at having to help Tombstone, but doing it because he doesn't want all the bystanders to get blown up.)

I'm looking forward to the next episode, introducing Dr. Octopus. I'm especially eager to find out how he goes from the meek, timid little fellow he's been so far to a fearsome super-villain (and I don't just mean the physical changes).

Thanks for another good one, Greg.

Beth B. writes...

Dear Greg,

I was just wondering if you had seen the new Transformers: Animated show now airing on Cartoon Network... I checked back in the archives and found that no one had asked this yet, so I thought I'd give it a go.

It's interesting that it centers around five Autobots, "in statsis" for the past few decades or so that are suddenly reawakened when they are in need. The five include Optimus Prime (David Kaye), Rachet (Corey Burton ), Bumblebee (Bumper Robinson ), AND

Bulkhead (Bill Fagerbakke ) and Prowl (Jeff Bennett ) !!!!

I was pretty amazed when I saw this. Not only did the former voice actors from Gargoyles come back to do a show together but in relatively the same roles as they had played back in Gargoyles!

Jeff Bennett does a superb job as Prowl (a sleek cyberninja... kind of an outcast of the group= Brooklyn!!!), and sounds about as dead pan as Owen Burnett, which makes me giggle with joy. Bulkhead is... bulky and the bigger guy of the group (and voiced by our old friend Broadway!).

Even the others match up:
Rachet: old veteran 'bot, akin to Hudson
Bumblebee: smallest of the group: Lexington

So all that to say this: What do you think of your formula being used again in another hit show? I know we can't credit you coming up with the archetypes, but certainly perpetuating them in a way that many fans have grown to love. Have you seen the show? What are your impressions of the show?

Thanks again,
-Beth B.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"Catalysts" marks the first real appearance of my favorite Spider-Man villain, the Green Goblin. So, needless to say, I've been anticipating this one for a long time, and it did not disappoint.

I loved the Green Goblin. Cheeks' design looked great, like an updated version of Ditko's design that took out all the hokey aspects of it. I love the Goblin, but even I'll admit that Ditko's design was always very hokey looking. Steve Blum just nailed that voice. His cackle was as good as Mark Hamill's Joker cackle.

I think I'll take this moment to compliment the casting and voice direction on this series. Jamie Thomason is a genius. He, along with Andrea Romano, are the two best voice directors in the business. I'm loving what I've been hearing. Vanessa Marshall was terrific as Mary Jane. Very sexy voice. And I've been a fan of Steve Blum since I first saw "Cowboy Bebop" six years ago. As soon as I heard him on that show as Spike, I knew he was going to go places. Unfortunately, most of the time it seems he gets hired just to do the Spike voice, and it's a great voice, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to see what else he can do. The man has range. His Goblin was excellent, and blows every other Goblin voice actor out of the water. It's like the voice I always had in my head when reading the comics without ever quite knowing what that voice was. I felt the same way about Robert Englund's Vulture, come to think of it. Okay, tangent over.

This version of the Green Goblin seems to have just about everything that I love about the character going for him. Smart, cunning, insane, ambitious, and more than a match for the spectacular Spider-Man. This is the first villain (aside from Tombstone) that really, really, really felt like a real threat. Which is as it should be. The Green Goblin is an A-List villain. Him, Doc Ock, Kingpin, Venom and the original Hobgoblin have always been the elite of Spidey's rogues gallery. So, it is great to finally, after all these years, see him being done justice in one of the cartoon series. The 90s series didn't do him justice. Neither did the 80s series or "The Amazing Friends". The movie came very close but didn't quite nail it. But, between Blum's Green Goblin and Alan Rachins' Norman Osborn, I think we have a winner here.

Tombstone was great last episode and I am really enjoying him in this episode. I no longer lament the lack of the Kingpin. Tombstone is just fun. I love how cool he is under pressure, and how he's able to get Spider-Man to protect him like that. I also thought it was great how instead of fleeing, he stayed and helped Spider-Man look for the bomb.

But where would I be if I didn't discuss Mary Jane? I already said that Vanessa Marshall sounds great, and I love Cheeks' character design for her. I've called this the first time Mary Jane has appeared outside the comic book medium. The 90s series had a character named Mary Jane Watson, but that wasn't Mary Jane Watson. The movies turned MJ into Gwen-Lite. But here she was smart, witty, funny, and someone you'd want to hang out with. I also suspect that she already knows Peter is Spider-Man. Poor Gwen. Hell, poor Flash... he's going to have to dress up like a cheerleader.

And poor Harry. Glory used him to get back at Kenny. Now he's drinking "Gobulin Green #994" (Nice "Gargoyles in-joke there, Greg.) Also, nice red herring. But no, I don't think he's the Green Goblin, if that is what they're trying to make us think. For one, how would he know about Tombstone being the Big Man? For another, how would he know about the Tech-Flight glider? Besides, after Hammerhead tried to blackmail Norman in the last episode, taking out Tombstone would probably be at the top of Norman's to-do list. If anything, Harry taking the formula looks like a great way to tell the Harry drug addiction story. Cool. Also, Norman was more than conspicuous in his absence... except that he wasn't really absent.

"Randy?"
"Very!"
How did that get past Standards and Practices??? Nice!

Looking forward to Dr. Octopus next week. Come to think of it, I am beyond amused that Doc Ock makes his villainous debut in the eighth episode of the series.

Avalon writes...

Just watched the Spider-man episode "Catalyst" where Spidey took on the Goblin. However, something seems amiss. I thought I'm caught up with all the episodes, but did I miss a storyline somewhere? How did Spiderman figure out (or at least it was insinuated in the episode) that Tombstone is the "Big-guy" or even know who Tombstone is? (anyway, I thought the "Big-guy" would have been the Kingpin, but guess I was wrong...)

holly clark writes...

where do gargoyles come from?

Anonymous writes...

The Spectacular Spiderman is terrific Mr Weisman I hope it continuous to be a success. My question for you involves one of the characters particularly Liz Allen. I just want to know the reason for her ethnicity being changed from comics. Please don't take my question as a negative I'm just curious thank you.

Dichellddrwg writes...

Hi Greg,

Of course I have to be a fanboy and say thank you very much for all your work with both the cartoon, comic and everything else you've devoted to this series. And thank you for how accessible you make yourself your fans. I know how easy it could be to just churn this stuff out and let it speak for itself, especially in light of some of the creepy stuff an obviously small minority have been doing. But you do really do go the extra mile, and for that, I think we're all appreciative.

Anyway, onto the question, and please forgive me if it's been asked. How much control does Disney currently hold on the comic. So to flesh it out a bit, when it was the cartoon, I have no doubt they they were quite involved in setting the boundaries of where the series could go thematically, in terms of character development and in overall tone. For example I'm sure they didn't want you going out too far with violence, character relations or anything else that may run counter to its image. So now that they are licensing their IP, do they require approval of scripts, story arcs, art and the such? Are their broad guidelines? Or is it simply yours to run with and develop as you see fit?

Anyway, thanks for time and effort; it's really appreciated by a lot of us.

Anonymous writes...

I got a question about Staghart. (No, not THAT question!) Are his antlers deciduous or do they stay on all the time like true horns?

Vasy writes...

As A sPiderman fan through the ages...

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...
No show or movie has ever got it right with Venom...

He got the costume int he Secret Wars...which involves outer space and alot of Super heors and Villians

PLEASE DO IT THIS WAY

WOULD LOVE TO SEE OTHER MARVEL CHARACTERS IN THE SHOW.

THANKS

Matthew writes...

In "High Noon", MacBeth stops Demona from killing Elisa and the Gargoyles as they slept. Now I get Demona wanting to kill Elisa, but why did she want to kill the Gargoyles? That would be exterminating the rest of her species. I mean I could see her killing them to keep them from thwarting one of her plans, but just killing for revenge is a bit odd.

Matt H writes...

Suggestions for someone to write the intro for Volume 2:
I think it would be nice to have an opinion of the show from someone else in television animation, but unrelated to Gargoyles. Get Bruce Timm or Paul Dini and I'll be happy.

alex and Jemaa writes...

wats your name >?

Brenden Thoreson writes...

Hello Greg, long time fan of gargoyles, and most of my questions about the Gargoyles universe have been answered by browsing the archives but these questions.
I see from the archives that Angela and Broadway will raise their children in the traditional gargoyles fashion, and I am assuming that Brooklyn and Katana will try to do the same. But this has led me to some interesting questions about the relationships between generations of gargoyles in the same clan.

I have seen that from the first episode that gargoyles from the same rookery generation call one another rookery brother or rookery sister, or if there are close bonds just brother and sister. So my first question is do gargoyles have the same endearing names for an older or younger generation with in the clan, for example rookery mother, rookery father, rookery son, rookery daughter, or some other term like those? Yes I do know that Goliath's generation calls Hudson My Mentor, I am assuming that is so only because he was the leader and teacher of the clan before Goliath.

Another is I have noticed that Hudson has a stronger relationship with Goliath then any other of Goliath's rookery siblings, or at least just the ones we have met so far. I am assuming this is do to, that Hudson saw Goliath's potential as a successor and paid special attention to him to prepare him for the role. I have also noticed that gargoyles in one generation develop strong ties with a few siblings like Coldstone's and Goliath's relationship. My next question is do stronger relationships develop between certain hatchlings and certain members of the parenting generation or members of another older generation of gargoyles?

But in Mark of the Panther Goliath, who is having trouble dealing and even understanding Angela's unusual need for parents and her attachment to him after she finds that she is his biological daughter, says to Elisa's mother Diane "gargoyle hatchlings belong to the whole clan, I cannot hold one hatchling over the others." So are these kinds of relationships, I have asked about in the previous paragraph, taboo, shunned, frowned upon, or generally accepted as a part of the growing up process of young gargoyles, or are they just Goliath's personal words do to the fact that he is the clan leader?

Thanks for even putting up a general questions website, not many writers do that or post the site on there publications. I apologize for my long winded questions but it just the way I write. Just to let you know Gargoyles has been a huge influence in my own stories and don't worry I have absolutely no fan fictions of Gargoyles and I have never understood why people have to do them, they don't make sense to me any ways.
I can't wait for Brooklyn's little trip, especially the clan's reactions when he gets back five minutes later, they will be priceless. I might have to scan the images in and use them as a desktop. I just can't see Time Dancer done in six issues like I heard the spin offs will be done in, too much happening from what I have found on Ask Greg. Well I guess that is why it is third in line and thanks again.

Todd Jensen writes...

Inspired by your "It's not a cowboy hat" response to my review of "Gargoyles" #8.

I'd forgotten to mention this in my review, but on my way back from the Gathering 2001, the airplane I was on showed a movie called "Just Visiting" about a medieval knight and his peasant-servant who get transported via magic to the modern world. At one point, the wizard who sent them there followed them into modern times and changed into more present-day-looking clothing: the precise clothes that he wore looked (I recall) extremely similar to the ones that Merlin was wearing in #8.

At the time, the airline's choice of that particular movie startled me enough, since the notion of medieval people in the modern world fitted in so well with "Gargoyles" (the plight of the gargoyles, King Arthur - and, to some extent, Macbeth, though at least he got to live through all the changes and adapt to them instead of having to face them all at once). But when the Merlin of the Gargoyles Universe dressed that much like the wizard in the movie, that astonished me even more.

Just thought you might like to know about that.

Todd Jensen writes...

The other London gargoyles whom we've met (Leo, Una, Griff, and Staghart) all have names that reflect the animals which they most resemble. But Constance's name doesn't. Is this significant? (Of course, it obviously works as a logical name to derive "Coco" from.)

KingCobra_582 writes...

3 months of waiting. This issue made it all worth it, and then some.

GARGOYLES #8.

*SPOILERS ABOUND. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK*

Nice little touches with Shari and Thailog, and playing chess, no less. Somehow oddly fitting. I noticed that Shari gives two different versions of the Stone Of Destiny's arrival in Ireland. Which version, in your opinion, do you consider accurate?

Nice reference to Cu Challain. Props. Will Cu make a return in future issues?

Also, nice throwback to 'The Edge' with Thailog's 'I'd fire you if you did' in response to Shari's offer to pretend losing the Chess game.

Nice 'Monsters' reference as well. Damn, but this issue is stocked with references and episode homages. Geez. :D

'Coco'. Heh. Brought back memories of the "Original Broadway" when I read that. Again, props to you, Greg.

Staghart seems like a very cool (his crack about the kitchen sink at the end? LOL.) character.

I suspected that Staghart (having not known his name at the end of #7, I'd thought of him as 'that deer-like Gargoyle') = Amp. Nice to have confirmation of it. Although, for a time, I also wasn't sure if Lex was naming Staghart in that infamous panel from #7, or if he'd found a stray pet or something. At least I can stop wondering now.

Speaking of Staghart/Amp, I picked up on a few hints of a thing between him and Lex. Though I may also be reading too much into it.

More narrative time-jumping. I'm having trouble keeping the events of this arc chronologically straight. But then, that just makes it more interesting. Glad it's not a constant thing, however.

Great to see Griff again. Fighting the Steel Clan robots. Nice. He's even more bad-assed in the comics then he was in the series.

Knight's Spur. Very nice name for their habitat. How British sounding. I like it. And I also dig the panel with the London Clan in stone sleep, too.

Xanatos is at it again. No surprise to anyone who'd read the end of issue #6, but still... what is his game? And what IS the obsession with Fox's shoes? How do Fox's shoes play into the Stone of Destiny? *scratches head* You are evil, Greg. Keeping me guessing like that. EVIL. :P

More legend telling from Shari. Nothing I can say about it that I haven't already in my #7 review.

I knew Hudson would escape his dismemberment (Coldsteel = heartless bastard.) but that last panel with Coldstone and Coldfire, out of the blue but I really should've seen it coming, was a great plot twist.

That's all I really have to say about this issue. Fun to read, great story, and the new characters (Staghart) seem really cool. Great twists and nice characterization (Griff rocks!) all sum this up into one neat, nicely-written package.

Bring on #9.

melissa writes...

Hiya.
Little question about the stone healing. I noticed that some of your characters have piercings. Would they heal up if the rings weren't in when they went to sleep? Can gargoyles get tattoos? Also, do gargoyles have belly buttons? I'd think being oviparous means they wouldn't.
Thanks!

Armanda Rudeau writes...

I am asking the same question that many of the other people have been asking about when will Gargoyles season 2 Volume 2 come out and im also asking when Gargoyles Season 3 will come out? I know that you have had many other people ask the same question.

Anonymous writes...

I've been waiting with great anticipation for the Spidey cartoon since even before I attended the panel at last year's San Diego Comic Con. I never once feared that I would be disappointed, and I certainly have not been. Hats off to you and your crew for making the best animated incarnation of any Marvel Comics character I've ever seen. The show is fun, stylish, unforced, and very much in the spirit of the old Spidey comics. I actually get up at 9:00 am on Saturday mornings (when I'm not working) to watch a cartoon when I am not one who has much love for the idea of appointment television. So far, I've loved how you have handled every character, and I love how each episode is not simply a villain-of-the-week affair, but also further develops Pete's situation and even features the occasional surprise villain (that Tombstone appearance at the end of "The Invisible Hand" was fantastic). I love that we've seen Jean DeWolff and George Stacy without even having been told who they are yet. I just love a lot of stuff about this show. :)

I guess I do have a question, so forgive me for even MORE preamble: For some reason, I've always had a soft spot for Spidey's less popular, but strange and off-beat villains. I'm sure you've got plenty of stories to tell with the likes of the Goblins, Doc Ock, and other heavy-hitters, but are there any villains off the beaten path that you personally have lobbied to get included, or would like to at some point, even if it might require a big change in origin/design/etc? I'm thinking on the level of Man-Wolf, the Swarm, Stegron the Dinosaur Man, etc., just some villains that are a bit ridiculous but that still have their fans. I have nothing but confidence that you guys could put a cool new spin on guys like these and introduce them into the show in an organic and interesting way. And since I mentioned Man-Wolf: are we going to be seeing John Jameson at all in this show?

Again, apologies for my long-windedness, but this show has visions of sugar plums dancing in my head. :)

Anonymous writes...

Hello, Greg. How will "The Spectacular Spider-Man" show will be affected when Kids WB will be gone? Will the show still air at the same channel? Will the show continue normally?

webhead2006 writes...

Hello again Greg. I have a quick question i wanted to ask you. I was just watching the episode promo for ep 7 "Catalysts" and first off wanted to say goblin looks great in motion and i loved his signature goblin laught, the only thing i was wondering why did you make his regular talking voice sound like he is irish like the lucky charms elf?

Andrew writes...

Hi this question might have been asked before but...
Are there going to be any guest superhero appearances on The Spectacular Spider-man
I understand that it's probably too soon to tell it's only been 6 episodes
But are you planning any appearances for the future?
Thank you in advance...

neal writes...

i love the designs for coco and amp of the london clan!

i'm curious as to what Pog and Lunette look like?

Gipdac writes...

1. When was Princess Elena born?
2. How did Duke Rachard I (Elena's father) gain possession of the Phoenix Gate?
3a. How did Princess Elena die? 3b. When did Princess Elena die?
4a. How did Prince Malcolm die? 4b. When did Prince Malcolm die?
5. What were Princess Elena's feeling about the gargoyles?

Shadow Wing writes...

This is going to be a bit of an odd question, but...

Is the "a" in Shari's name pronounced as in "air" or "are"?

Gipdac writes...

Why were there so few gargoyle beasts in the Wyvern clan? It seems like there would only six (or three couples) breeding gargoyle beasts as of 988. I thought gargoyles beasts could reproduce more than the three standard eggs over their lifetime because of their rapid maturity. So why so few?

Gipdac writes...

How and when did David Xanatos' mother die?

Gipdac writes...

1. Did Hyppolyta ever have a mate?
2. Did Hyppolyta lay any eggs?
3. Roughly how many eggs were in Wyvern's 938 rookery?
4. I know you don't have much free time, and I do believe that your time is VERY important, but do you think you'll ever write "Hyppolyta part II"?

J writes...

There's something I've always wondered about Lexington; Was he substantially younger than the others, or was he just short?

Thanks

SpaceWay2007 writes...

Hello, Greg. I enjoy this new series of "The Spectacular Spider-Man." It's very interesting and funny to watch. You wouldn't believe how much I enjoy and look forward to watching this show. It's one of the reason why I wake up early just to watch this show. Great voice acting, great animation, excellent character development, and spectacular storyline. Keep up the good work!
Now, for my question, how come all of a sudden "The Spectacular Spider-Man" shows every other Saturday? Whatever happened to showing new episodes consecutively? And sorry if this question have been asked already, but will there be 13 or 26 episodes for the first season. Thanks for you time.

Philip writes...

Hello Greg.

I'm a long time Spider-Man fan, ever since I was a kid. And when I learned that the man behind Gargoyles would make an animated Spider-Man series, well, I was damn happy. So far, the show really is 'spectacular'.

Now, for my question; when is "The Scorpion" going to appear on Spectacular Spider-Man? And will the character's origin be the same as in the comics? From what I understand, the series is suppose to resemble the Lee/Ditko era, so I'm rather shocked that ol' Scorpie haven't appeared already :P

Chip writes...

It seems silly to ask, because it looks pretty obvious: but are the two stone gargoyles pictured in the shot of the London clan in issue #8 Old Pog and little Lunette?

Blaise writes...

GARGOYLES #8: ROCK AND ROLL

I didn't get my copy of #8 until last Friday (I was working the day it came out and by the time I got to Golden Apple, they were sold out--mostly because they had cut back on their orders). Well, I'm on a list now, so hopefully that won't happen again any time soon.
The extra wait was painful for me, but it was still worth it.

I enjoyed the "previews" of what was to come. "Knight's Spur" is a cool reveal, as is Hudson vs. Coldsteel (and their lines directly follow their initial exchange later in the book). And I was pleasantly surprised when Vinne showed up. I'm still wondering how he enters into this story, but we'll find out eventually.

Ahhh...I recall some people posting about different tales of the Stone's journey to Ireland, and now Shari starts telling them. I like how Thailog (speaking for the audience as well) points out that this contradicts her earlier story, and she is not fazed but subtley reinforces the "..who can say if it be true" bit.

Wow, Arthur and Macbeth share the same coronation day. Maybe they should throw themselves dual coronation day parties.
I don't know who called that Mac and Art would compare notes and then become chummy again, but they were right. I love how they suddenly panic that the gargoyles "will be at each others' throats" when, in fact, they're getting along like a house on fire.

I wonder what Xanatos's little button-thing is for. Like Phil, I'm half suspecting he may have summoned Colstone and Coldfire with it....
-I absolutely LOVED the scene where Mac and Art compare their immortal lives. Who knew Nightstone had coffe shops?
I did not miss that the second half of Mac's line, "Here's to the Immortals--there aren't many like us..." topped a page (and panel) of Shari...telling a tale of Chu Chullain.
I was surprised at how much like Rory young Chu Chullain looked here.

I enjoyed Hudson's objection to being called "yank." And kudos to whoever called the (nick)names.
Constance=Coco
Staghart=Amp
Cute.

Just as Coco says that no one calls Staghart "Amp," We flash forward to the big battle where Lexington calls him by that name. I'm not ready to say there's anything special going on yet, but it certainly seems like Lexington's already pretty close to Amp.
I was surprised that this particular section of the fight scene (very cool, BTW) lasted as long as it did (seriously, how often do we follow a specific time for more than a page?). I, too, noticed the Iron Clan robot alongside the Steel Clan one. I also like how Griff recognizes the resemblance to Goliath, and Macbeth knows the robots are Xanatos's. Just as Mac says the battle might be a diversion, he notices Arthur's gone. I thought I knew why he was missing, intially, but some theories have been flying around that make me wonder....

Nice Arthurian story bit, and we finally get our first true glimpse of Merlin. His design surprised me, I must say. I expected something like blue or grey garments with a hood, if not the typical pointy hat. But I really like this design (and the use of the word "clep'd"). Took me a minute to remember who Pelles was, though.

"All things are true...few things are accurate." "Aye. No bloody kidding." I enjoyed that exchange, and that Arthur's trying to catch up on his Arthurian literature.

London Clan 101. A very informative look at just how fricken' HUGE this clan is, along with other interesting tidbits (like "enforced isolation"--ouch!). Good reactions to Lex's question (whether Coco and Amp are mates), and also to Lex's unspoken query about beasts.

Nice bit with Loch Ness, but why is "story time" advancing by one minute each day? It seems too regular to be coincidence.

I liked Coldsteel's "no sign of life" quip. And it's confirmed that the Xanatos-head in Coyote's mouth IS a view screen. Good to know.
Like Demonskrye I recognized the Philip K. Dick reference.
I liked how we jumped from Lexington saying they weren't going anywhere until they figure out what Xanatos *and Fox* are up to (showing how much he still distrusts her) and we jump back to Fox buying her shoes. Now, about those shoes...at this point, they're starting to become a bigger mystery than anything else in this story.

Thailog doesn't like losing (or even getting close to it), but he's like his father (one of them anyway) when it comes to subordinates pretending to lose.
I thought Kenneth Macalpin looked cool.

Seeing Coco's happy reaction to the Iron Clan's "delimbification" coupled with her "Like I need a gun" line led me to believe she was dangerous. This impression lasted until I turned the page and saw that she was REALLY dangerous.

She's topped by Coldsteel, though, who's willing to do it to his own father. But his tentacles are melted before he can (and I am NOT used to seeing anything but a scowl on his robotic face, so his surprised look here caught me by...well, surprise).

Since the fire came, I knew Coldfire was there at least, so Coldstone couldn't have been too far behind. I second Amp's "Anyone order up the kitchen sink?"

All in all, I'm just waiting for the concluding chapter.

raimus writes...

was the child of oberon known as nought designed to resemble the phantom stranger? also what's his story and will he ever make an appearance in the comic? i just think he looked really cool.

Nicole North writes...

Firstly, thx much to all who've contributed to this excellent webpage; the quantity of Gargoyles show information is almost overwhelming (at least to a new fan like myself)! And thx especially to Greg Weisman, for creating such a truly unique and remarkably clever animated series.

I never watched Gargoyles in my younger years and now, thirty years of age, have become a total fan-- originally from just watching The Awakening movie (w/ some kids I was babysitting years ago), then eventually from buying the DVDs of the first season and the first half of the second season.

I've now watched the DVDs repeatedly and have become increasingly impressed with the complex storyline and character development, surprisingly clever dialogue, and cool action/fantasy animation. It truly is an awesome show, extraordinarily entertaining, even for adults.

I've been reading all the threads here and on Amazon about the reasons we haven't seen the release of the second volume of the second season. The situation for a fan like me (who's never watched the show on television) is that there's this utter blankness, after watching the shows on the DVDs-- without even the vaguest remembrance of how the story continues. It's like reading the first half of some very enjoyable book and then having the book cruelly yanked away from my hold! So unfair!

I am one of those people who doesn't have television at my place (just TV sets to watch DVDs) so I cannot even watch any repeats of the show on cable (although I am seriously considering *paying* friends who have TiVo to record any/all episodes of Gargoyles for me, that I might watch them on their TVs).

So my questions to Greg Weisman or anyone else who reads this (apologies for the lengthy background info) is: what might be the best way for a viewer like me to encounter the rest of the Gargoyles story? Do the comic books tell the stories I haven't seen yet . . . and if so, should I read them in a specific order? Or are there detailed episode descriptions somewhere online that you'd recommend?

I really wish it was not an unacceptable violation of creative copyright for me to offer a fan of Gargoyles money for VHS/DVD copies of the second half of the show-- because I so want to view the rest of the series!

Mr. Weisman: you must have access to all the recorded shows. So if you were offered a large sum (to be distributed among all who have a share of the Gargoyles copyright . . . including Disney, if it must be <g>) for DVD-R copies of the episodes of the second half of the second season of Gargoyles-- and perhaps the third season-- to be purchased by fans for private viewing only . . . that would be legal, right? (All right, I don't personally have a large sum . . . but perhaps fans here on s8.org could create a shared fund for this purpose . . . ?)

Confused Fan [Shocker Question] writes...

So, Montana was the Shocker.
Does this mean that Montana is Herman Schultz? :S
I think Montanas real name has never been told even in the comics?

Gipdac writes...

Seeing "Reckoning" when Demona was explaining to Angela how she survived over a thousand years made me think, how much does anyone really know about her immortality; for example during "City of Stone" she lied to Xanatos about it, so…
1. How much of Demona's true story (about MacBeth, her immortality, the Weird Sisters, her clan after Wyvern, the Hunter(s), etc.) does Angela really know?
2. How much does Thailog know about Demona's true story?
3. How much does Xanatos know about Demona's true story?
4. How much does Puck/Owen know about Demona's true story?
5. How much do Goliath and the rest of the Manhattan clan know about Demona's true story?

Sylvester writes...

Ever since I heard the man behind Gargoyles would be working on a Spider-Man animated show, I knew it would be the best yet. The icing on the cake was learning you were also an avid Spider-Man fan. You've done a really excellent job.

I've got to ask though, where is the super strength and spider-sense reflexes? I've seen plenty of web shooting, wall-crawling, agility and did I say web shooting? I just feel those two traits were lacking in the fights he had with Ox, Fancy Dan, and just recently, Tombstone. I'm all for the hero being challenged and all, but not as a result of his powers being watered down. Will we get to see just how strong someone who possesses the proportionate strength of a Spider can be in future episodes?

Thanks

WolfCypher writes...

Since it never hurts to ask, and if I cross any lines, all you have to do is ignore that question, I'm going to get presumptuous with some of my questions.

1) I gotta know...what will drive Eddie to hate Peter/Spidey to the point of wanting to kill him?

1.1) Okay, that may be too much, so maybe I'll ask if Eddie's hatred will be towards only Peter, or Spider-Man, too...

1.2) Okay, okay, at least can you reveal by what episode will we see their brotherly bond breakdown and Eddie's dark side come out?

2) Will the opening feature the same animation in later seasons, or will the animation change, such as featuring season 2 characters in the opening?

3) Have there been any Gargoyle referrences in this show? Besides Max getting electrocuted by the eels in "Interactions"?

Well, it was an honor wasting your time with these nerdy questions. Seriously, big fan of Gargoyles, and I love your handling of 'Spec SM'!

Webhead2006 writes...

Hey Greg, first off i wanted to say i love the spidey show. Personally i think its the best out of all the past shows, i loved the early 90s one when i was a kid growing up with it. But now i see all the flaws it had back then and all that. So far SSM is great love the characters, the story, and the action all top notch. I wish you the best of luck with the show and i heard your podcast with spiderman crawlspace and i would love to see the show make it to 65 episodes or more and then also would love to see some direct to dvd films which would be great. I just had one question i was wondering if you can give me the answer to and here it is: Are you planning to have any other villains/supporting characters be mergered between two different characters like you did with shocker/montana? I was really just wondering because its something i wouldnt want to see happen alot/ to certain characters. Thanks again for any answer you may give me. Also P.S Could we expect any twists with foswell and the big man identity or is big man just going to be tombstone's alias.

Alex writes...

Hi Greg!

I just wanted to know when is each arc of The Spectacular Spider-Man supposed to be released on DVD?

Thanks Greg! :)

Chimaraz writes...

Is the practice of raising eggs communally based on tradition for Gargoyles, or is it more of an instictual biological imperative? The answer we usually get is that it's the Gargoyle way, but is it the Gargoyle way because they're told they've always done it that way, or is it the Gargoyle way because instinct tells them that if they lay an egg in the rookery, all eggs in the rookery are theirs? It is the most sensible course of action, based on their reproduction, but did the practice arise because of how they reproduce universally as a species, or do they reproduce universally as a species because of how they practice parenting?

... Chicken or egg?

p-tri writes...

are there any gargoyles in elkton maryland

Kenneth Chisholm writes...

I've read that you imagine your character on the ideal voice actor for it such as Morgan Freeman for Quincy Hemings.

I was wondering, what are the criteria for the voices you imagine. Do they have to be living? If not, have you ever imagined characters appropriate for major Star Trek actors that did not appear as voice on the series such as James Doohan, DeForest Kelly, George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney and Walter Koenig?

Kenneth Chisholm writes...

How much of Anton Sevarious was inspired by the Nazi scientist, Josef Mengele?

Todd Jensen writes...

I enjoyed the latest episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" this morning.

Rhino, despite being not all that bright, still proved himself a challenging adversary; points to Spidey for figuring out a clever way of finally taking him down.

The meeting with the Big Man/Tombstone was also a great scene. Not only is Tombstone himself tough, but he's even able to convince the police that Spidey's the bad guy, adding to his menace even more than sheer physical prowess can do. I also liked Spidey's comment that he's not looking the other way again (I assume that's another reference to the same incident as, in the first episode, "...the way I lost Uncle Ben").

Another touch I liked: Norman Osborn making a profit out of incarcerating the super-villains as well as making them, and his altercation with Hammerhead (which Harry overhears - I look forward to seeing how that develops). And it seems that Dr. Octavius is going to be in trouble soon.

And Peter's personal life (Aunt May, Betty Brant, and the introduction of Mary Jane) was well-handled too. Fine work on another fine episode.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Okay, first off... I never thought I would ever enjoy a Rhino episode that much. Rhino is a bug, dumb thug and those are usually not my favorite villains. Far from it. But this had to be the best fight scene they've done yet, even topping the Lizard subway battle. I loved how Spidey used his brain to defeat the Rhino. Steam, that clever.

While I'm on the subject of the Rhino, props to Clancy Brown. He's always been one of my favorite voice actors, whether he's playing Hakon, Wolf, Lex Luthor, Gorrath, or whoever. The man is very talented, and brought a real sense of menace to that Big Dumb Thug.

Big Man's identity was a surprise, but honestly, I am not entirely convinced. First off, Tombstone is a badass. But my eyebrow raised as soon as I heard Osborn refer to him as "Mr. Lincoln." This is not me being a comic book purist, far from it. If it is him, I'll be very happy with the decision. While it was fun in the 60s, a journalist leading a double life as a crime lord just doesn't seem like it would fly today. Why would a crime lord need that cover? That's what money and lawyers are for. But Foswell certainly seemed to know a lot about the Big Man... curious. I am expecting another twist here. But the Spidey/Tombstone scene was terrific, and damn, this series is beginning to get epic.

Norman Osborn is being paid to manufacture supervillains as well as imprison them. He's got quite the racket going on there. Good for him. But now that Hammerhead is threatening him, well... Norman obviously won't take that lying down, which makes a great lead in for the next episode, considering who the villain there is supposed to be.

Now, let's swing back to Peter's personal life.

Aunt May is an evil mastermind. So very manipulative. I loved it. Though I will admit, even knowing who was coming, I was kinda rooting for Peter and Betty. But, that all faded as soon as Peter opened the front door and who do we see? Mary Jane Watson, and we get that famous line... "face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot." As a long time fan, this pleased me. I am definitely in the camp that agrees that Mary Jane is Peter's one true love, but even there it annoys me how in most modern re-tellings, Mary Jane has been Peter's "It Girl" since they were toddlers. The movies did it, "Ultimate Spider-Man" did it, and it's refreshing to see the classic version here on screen.

It does make me wonder if Mary Jane fought with her Aunt Anna about meeting Peter Parker. "Their aunts are setting them up, this can't be good." Then again, in the comics, she knew Peter was Spider-Man before they ever met... she saw Spider-Man crawl out of Peter's window the night Uncle Ben died. Should be interesting to see if "Spectacular Spider-Man" follows this story or not.

I eagerly anticipate seeing Flash Thompson dressed as a cheerleader. BTW, Josh LeBarr as Flash cracks me up.

Aldrius writes...

Ramble on episode 6. (I'll be back with 5 soon)

That "Mr. Lincoln" was kind of a blatant drop. I guess it's to prove he's NOT one of the more popular spider-man characters?

Are these three thugs the... uh... there are no spider-man villains left that I can think of... I guess that must mean next week we're getting a biggie or an encore.

That Peter Parker is persistent.

And now his aunt is showing up to have coffee with her. Peter and Betty are moving so fast.

"She's 20 and hot". That line made me laugh.

And the Rhino is looking for Peter Parker. He really should use an alias for taking those photos, it's kind of an invitation for supervillains to go looking for him.

Now here will be the test if Jonah is actually a good man 'Dante's 9th circle' deep. Or if he's just a big mouth who's willing to do anything for money/his own life. I'm kinda hoping and betting he'll cover for Peter.

And I'm right. That's encouraging.

The Rhino sure is durable in this show. Peter can't even dent him. Makes for a good 'how's he gonna beat this guy' moment. But I think that's because the show has established a rather cool trend of having an interesting way for Peter to beat the bad guy.

I wonder what Peter's gonna do with the Rhino out in the open... furthermore, where is he gonna find an open unpopulated place from the middle of Manhattan? Central Park? I don't know New York's geography very well.

Ah, of course. BENEATH New York. That's a good explanation. And sweating him out of that suit was a cool idea.

Ouch, Peter Parker is a jerk... and apparently he gets off on pretending to be Rhino's mother. That's... interesting...

Aha, so the Big Man is Tombstone. That's really cool too. And now he's bribing Peter. I kinda hope he accepts, just because that'd be really interesting in the long run. I have a feeling he'll end up accepting down the road at least. Maybe when the cops start putting the pressure on him every time he shows up.

What's with Harry's smirk? Is he just happy he's popular, or did he hear something while Norman and Hammerhead were talking?

And now we get Mary Jane. I saw that "Face it Tiger" coming from a ways away. But I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Mary Jane strikes me as coming a little too soon, I was hoping to develop the relationship between him and some of the other 'girlfriends' he's had before that, but just because she's here doesn't mean that can't happen. I have no idea if Mary Jane had been introduced after Gwen had died... I'm assuming she had been.

This was a good episode. I figured it was going to be more of a filler episode rather than anything major, but I learned not to listen to that assumption. Another good one, though I hate it because it was over too soon. :p

When you got the order for more episodes, were you able to re-organize your plans so the finale could be moved, or are we going to get a mid-season-esque "Avalon" soon?

Cody writes...

I just wanted to say thanks Greg for the fantastic story you've created here. I went on a nostalgic kick awhile back and revisited some series from my childhood.. most did not stand up so well, but I actually appreciate what you were doing with Gargoyles more now than I ever did back then and, in hindsight, recognize just how far ahead of its time it actually was.

The world you have crafted here is so vivid and interesting, it got me to thinking, have you ever thought about writing a novel about the Gargoyles? Or do you see Gargoyles always existing in a more visual medium, like animation or comic books?
Just to go a little further afield, what are your thoughts on "opening it up," Stars Wars style, so other authors can write the stories while you maintain tight control over canon? I think I know what your answer will be, but I have quite the appetite for more Gargoyles stories than exist at the moment, so I have to ask.

Thanks again.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Since you're doing Spider-Man and obviously have gone back and studied the mythos intimately while prepping to do the series, I've been meaning to ask. Which writer's run on Spider-Man has been your favorite?

In my case, I'm a big fan of Roger Stern's run on the character, especially his Hobgoblin stories.

CJ writes...

First off, I would just like to say that I am a huge fan of Gargoyles, and I look forward to any news on further DVD releases when it becomes available. With that out of the way, I'm curious as to whether or not Macbeth has any family ties to the Princess of Castle Wivern (I admit, I'm drawing a blank on her name). Are they both of the same royal bloodline, or are they from separate kingdoms within Scotland?

Anonymous writes...

As fan and amateur drawer I'd love to see the "original" Character Models and Character Sketches I suppose were done when you and the artists of your group were developing your wonderful cartoon and, now, the comic. Sadly the "official" images available online are terribly few: actually they are limited to the ones that can be seen in "Avalon archives" site (http://avalon.gargoyles-fans.org/gallery/official.html) - and even those pics are a bit poor, with just a pose (frontal) and no display of different facial expressions.

Do you think in the future the Gargoyles' fans will have the possibility to admire those drawings in some Gargoyle-related site (as Gargoyles wiki or the Imagery Resource, etc…)?

I suppose I'm not the only fan curious to know how a character is developed in a show production or what the gargoyles looked like in their earlier incarnations of the original comedy development (I've read of Amp, Lassie, Dakota, Coco or IsaDora, of the many faces of Elisa and so on).
My curiosity involved not only the old characters, but the new ones too (es. the London Clan and the ones will be soon introduced: I'm looking forward to discover Katana's look, but I think for this one in particular I only have to patiently wait).
My best regards and sincere compliments for your artistic projects.

film975 writes...

Let me just say that I am a huge fan of the show. I have both DVD sets and watch them all the time. It's just a shame that the rest of Season 2 didn't get released on DVD.

But I do have a question. If you ever got the chance to work on a Gargoyles live action film... how do you see the film being made? To me, it has tremendous potential as an exciting epic of a live action movie.

And with the success of recent films like Lord of the Rings and Transformers and other sci-fi/fantasy of films, I think Gargoyles would do just as well in that market. Since Disney has been itching for franchises lately, then they got a great one sitting right under their noses.

Aldrius writes...

And here's my ramble on number 4 and number 5 of le spider-man de spectaculare.

I've never really cared for the Shocker, so I had no real investment in his past identity, and his change affects me naught. I think it's cool that we saw like 5 pre-super villains in the first episode and only now are we starting to see them get their super powers.

Still like the theme song. Though I think I might get sick of it eventually. It's kind of repetitive. I love how in an animated show, it's always the characters that are credited, rather than the actors. It's kind of amusing.

Hmm... does Aunt May have a job? I guess she must be running off of Ben's life insurance or maybe she has her own retirement fund...

And 'ms. wonderful personality'. Teenage boys with super powers are so shallow. I mean he hasn't even gotten a look at her and already he's decided she's not worth his time. For shame, Peter, for shame.

I can never hear what Peter says when he's starts web slinging there... maybe I don't want to know...

Hmm... I'm not sure if I like Eddie. I think that's the first time I've ever heard the word 'emo' used in a cartoon anyway.

Team Weissman is sure keeping up with modern lingo.

I wonder if the slang will make any sense in 50 years...

Ah, Kevin Michael Richardson. I liked him as Gantu in Lilo and Stitch (the movie anyway) but he's never really stood out to me otherwise, always had an interesting, cool voice at least.

That Norman sure is a creep. Even when he's a nice guy he's still a creep. Kinda like Malcolm McDowell. Even when he's playing a good guy he's still creepy beyond reason.

And through that whole speech of Norman's, Harry is standing right there. Nice job, Norman.

Harry doesn't bother me in this episode as much as he did in the first episode. I think it's because he has more dialogue, and it allows for more emotional range. Rather than him just being the nerdy buddy. I still kinda hope he evolves into somebody who's a bit more... smooth... and less uh... nerdy. But from the looks of the next episode, that's a strong possibility.

That Harry sure is emotionally dependent on Peter... I guess it's fitting, Peter always has been pretty self-absorbed... or maybe that's not exactly the right word.

Ah, JK Simmons, where does your influence end? First Spider-man, then The Simpsons, now Spider-man... er... wait.

Ah, and now we meet Peter girlfriend number 2. Nice to see we're seeing some Spider-man girlfriends other than Mary Jane. It's more realistic. Outside of Harry Potter, it's extremely rare that someone marries their first girlfriend...

Shockers tough in this show... I bet all the hardcore fanboys are complaining about how he's not a loser.

Jeff Bennett sure likes his accents. I was surprised to hear him playing a serious villain in an older video game I played recently. Jennifer Hale was in that too, co-incidentially, and she played the Black Cat in the 90's show. Not sure if she ever played anyone in Gargoyles... wouldn't surprise me if she had, but I'm pretty sure she didn't.

Why do these villains always turn into jerks whenever they get super powers?

All joking aside on that matter, though, the theme of spider-man, and the theme of this show is really evident. Integrity, responsibility.

I like Robby, furthermore I like Phil LaMarr. So the two together should result in lots of... liking.

Hmm... even the camera salesmen in New York are irresponsible!

Aunt May is so easy at being a jerk when she's not trying to be.

And Flash is really annoying me. But as with everyone, I'm sure he'll develop down the line.

Peter is barking up the wrong tree I think. Asking an adult woman to your high school prom is just bound for disaster. Did he really expect her to say yes?

The way villains send messages to the heroes in these shows is just ridiculous. I mean I suppose Spider-man could just trail the tremors on his own, but Shocker is really counting on a lot.

Silly expositional dialogue. Rather straight-forward way to assess the villain's motivation, but I suppose it's fairly insightful, and it brings up that old responsibility angle. Even the Shocker is involved in that!

It's interesting the different ways the shocker can use his powers here. And more punny dialogue from Spidey. It's all very exciting and fun.

And more responsibility, with Norman this time. Though he is right. Don't blame other people for your problems.

Super-mercenary field? Is that a real field of business these days?

Kevin Michael Richardson is a good replacement for Keith David, I think. He sounds a lot like him, and while he lacks the resonance, he's got the edge.

I thought Peter got a new camera...

Hmm... that's interesting, Peter said almost the exact same line that Shocker did, when he was talking about responsibility. More of that mirror stuff, huh?

...and come to think of it, I'll write my ramble on episode 5 a little later.

Pretty good show this time around, not a huge amount of development, but more setting of the stage. A lot of necessary exposition and necessary introduction of characters, I must say, with this and a few other shows not out on the market, there's more than enough to keep my cartoon fandom happy this season.

Beto writes...

Hi all, just want to point out that I have greatly enjoyed the Gargoyles comics so far. I have been a fan since 1994 when the TV show came out. I have stuck with it up to now. If you do the math, this makes me a young twenty-something. This, I think, gives the title of "Gargoyles geek" (or most likely, simply just geek), and i'm cool with that. In reality if we are that old and still following an animated kid's tv show in comic book form, which one of us is not a dork. I do believe, though, that we have to take this awesome series for what it is...and awesome story line fabricated genius Greg Wiseman and co. There are more important things in life than to sit and figure out who laid what eggs at x point in the future, etc. Take Gargoyles for what it is: an older children's story transformed into a slightly more mature comic for us geeks. Sorry for the ramble, but I have seen many of this postings and half the time I wonder, "Where does all this come from? (I've watched every episode at least 5 times...literally and read all the comics to date).

Anyways as for my question. Any word on the Gargoyles license renewal? I'm really praying for other installments after Clan-Building and Bad Guys! Thanks

Todd Jensen writes...

Do you think that adapting a familiar comic-book figure from the medium of comic books to the television screen (as you're currently doing with "The Spectacular Spider-Man") is much like adapting a familiar legendary figure (such as King Arthur or Theseus) to a modern work of fiction (except, of course, that Arthur and Theseus have been around a lot longer than Spidey has)?

dph writes...

I have a question about the hours of daylight/dark on Avalon. Given that one year (365 days) in the real world is just over 15 days,
1) Do the hours of daylight and dark vary on Avalon? (ie. sunrise one day is 6:25am, sunrise another day is 6:35am)
2) Do the amount of hours of daylight and dark vary on Avalon? (ie. One day has 13 hours of daylight, another day has 13 hours of dark)

raimus writes...

in the episode "the gathering" when the children of oberon are lined up to greet him, just before oberon speaks with oden you see a caped figure wearing a hat. was he supposed to resemble the comic book character the phantom stranger?

Anonymous writes...

I have a question about my favorite character, Brook. 1.) Out of all of the Gargoyles, would you say Brooklyn has the most hot-headed personallity? If so, do you think his attitude has calmed down a little, over the course of the series, or flared up a bit more?

dph writes...

Thank you for your previous response to my question about Ophelia. IYou have stated that the ability of a female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to become pregnant is tied to Earth's natural cycles. Are the abilities of female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to lay eggs also tied to Earth's natural cycles?

sky_warrior17 writes...

Hey Greg,
Have to do a first time post finally, too many things in Gargoyles #8 that made me smile. Been a fan since it first came out when I was 7 or 8 and it stuck with me, but I'll keep it a short review.

First, noticed the thicker paper on the cover, more like the first one. Both ways are fine, but I'm hoping thats a good sign as to the success of the comic.

Second, noticed two of our heros drinking Nightstone Unlimited coffee. Made me smile, but also made me wonder, what all does Nightstone actually produce and own?

I liked that Hudson resented being called a Yank, he's a true Scott at heart and it shows.
All the back story on the English Clan was also great, all that kind of stuff is fascinating, and it was great to see a few more gargs, even as statues. Hopefully we'll get to see more of them awake, you've really left the openings for it there in a nice way. Did I miss somewhere where Griff may have met Hudson and Lex before? I thought he'd only ever actually seen Goliath, and the phrasing made me think they may have met in person at some previous point.

The bit where Thailog used Xanatos's line "I'd fire you if you did" actually made me laugh out loud. Loved that so much. I forget the episode, but remember the Judo match against Owen.

Also, I also must send praise for what Hedgecock is doing with the art now, he's on a great track and it shows that he's really learned the characters we love so much, and the new ones look great! This combined with Robby's coloring was a real treat. The only thing that even remotely bothered me was the inconsistency of Shari's nose, specially with all the closeups in this issue. Pg 4 and 20 she has a very prominent nose bridge, yet on 12 it's perfectly smooth. It also varies a bit in issue 7. Both ways are fine, but it would be nice to see just one for those of us that like to do our own fanart.

Overall, no major complains, and you continue to amaze and give more each time. Keep up the great work, it's really appriciated!

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

A short response to Avator -- ~mammal~ red blood cells have no DNA, but gargoyles are not mammals. Other vertebrates have red blood cells with DNA in them.

Avator writes...

Genetics, from Gargoyles in 1994 to now!

This isn't so much a question as general very late reply to a few things I've seen here that had been posted years ago. (about cloning, and how it was done in gargoyles)

I've noticed people mentionned dr. Severino Antinori as being some sort of real-life version of our catroon "friendly genetecist". It's interesting to notice that Severino actually said he'd have a first human clone done around 2002 and then said it wasn't true. The guy actually seems to be generally creepy and even fake-starved himself in his homeland to protest the refusal of the country to allow human cloning. Either way, it can only be assumed that this fellow who really was a genycologist to begin with (and not a molecular biologist), never did a human clone. But the fact is that he's interestingly as "scary" in his actions and words as Savarius.

To this day, few can say they really succeeded at cloning humans. Dr. Zavos is probably the only one with some credibility. But that aside, onto results...

While it's impossible to say how "well" cloning would work with humans, it's well known that it doesn't work much if at all for primates and other animals like dogs. Yes, it's been done with cats, horses, cows, mice, mules, etc--- but here's the catch. Most cloning issues have to do with the mother (the one who will be pregnant with the clone). For example, dogs only can breed twice a year and it's impossible to change that. So timing this with the making of cloned embryos is just too far out. WIth gargoyles I could see an even bigger issue here--- but Savarius luckily managed to create "in vitro" type uterus environment. I think just this would solve a whole lot in terms of cloning difficulty for gargates (or even humans or primates or canines) So already, even more than 14 years after the episodes were written, it's interesting to still see some credibility in the story of the gargoyle clones. Of course we're far from replicating the environment of a uterus and it is known that embryos implanted -elsewhere- in a creature sadly ends into the embryos becomming aggressive cancers instead of lifeforms of their own.

No matter how clones are of have been done to this day, there's always one element that is required, the ovocyte. Which means a female subject is -always- necessary for cloning (at least so far). So unless, again, Savarius had broken the mold... then it seems plausible that he could have used some from Demona. Of course that'd mean putting her under and cutting her open to get them. (would she have been willing?) And it would also mean that all the clones would have her mitochondrial genome (as a perfect clone can only be done with females, males inherit the mitochondrias from whoever the ovocyte was taken from). Now the mitochondrial genome has very important yet small things.. it basically commands your cellular breathing. What's funny about this though is that IF that's how it was made, then Thailog and Demona shared at least.. part of a genome ;)
While this is all speculations, perhaps it could explain why Bronx wasn't cloned--- because they didn't have access to garg beast ovocytes because... no female was around! (how conveniently credible again!)

As a last point... which is slightly negative though, is the usage of blood to make clones. Now the best cells one can get their hands on are stem cells, to make a cloning procedure. From embryos this works great... from adults it's still better than nothing. (when cloning females though they were able to take cells from part of ovaries that seems to give the best result so far) Adult creatures still have stem cells around, some in the spinal cord for example... and even some in the skin! So it's sort of great that "Thailog" material came from a robot scratching Goliath. It can be assumed they used the skin material and not the blood... but sadly this can't apply to the robot musquitos that they used for the others.
Now why is that--- well red blood cells simply have no nucleus so they have no genome DNA. At all. And while you can still have white blood cells... which have DNA... well those simply give -awful- result for cloning so far. It's been done, yes, but with less than 0.3% even on animals easily cloned. Now I'm not sure how much blood those musquitos took but it seems very unlikely that they found enough material to even do a successful cloning with white blood cells in there.
Now with that said, and forward to the comic, it seems Thailog took consierable quantities of blood from each gargoyle again for genetic issues.... which would probably give a better yield than just a drop or two. Still we can say they got skin cells from it to work with... I like to think, in the light of this, that there's some sort misconception about how blood carries "life" in itself... and while this falls into psychology it's sort of silly since we know that "breeding" has little to do with blood, unless you're a vampire ;)

Seeing what another person wrote on the subject, I think it is interesting to note the difference between clones and clonee. It's true "calico" female cats cloned didn't always have the color of their cloned parent. That's because female calico cats have their color on the X chromosome and they have two X chromosomes like humans... and that randomly one X is inactivated at some point thus resulting sometimes in patched colors and sometimes not. This has nothing to do with DNA on it's own, but rather is something that happens well after an embryo is made. I'm fairly sure this means cloned -male- cats would effectivly be the same color than their "father". And unless gargoyles also have their colors on a simili-X chromosome in the same way humans and cats function, then there's no reason the clone would be another color except through epi-genetics (which genes activate and which don't or chromosome inactivation etc) or... as you said... something to do with Savarius' tampering. (So I think that explanation still holds really well and is probably the best)

But what I really enjoyed most of all in the show is how clones were really perceeved as nothig more than twin brothers (or a child) whose mentality had nothing to do with the person whose genes they inherited, but really with their education. Even to this day there's so many people trying to trick the population (specially those with money to waste) in thinking that their clones will carry their spirits, which is plain out ridiculous....

So all this was my two cents, or maybe two dollars ;) To say that I really love how cloning was tackled in the show, it's far more realistic than most would have had it.

Peter Sunnergren writes...

Hi Greg, thank's for the answers to my previous question about prodcuing/writing a comic!

A few more questions have come in to my mind.

1: What kind of format do you use when you write a script for a comic? I have been considering a treatment form such as;

-// Open up on John sitting at the desk in his office. He is on the phone. His expression suggests that he he is stressed and afraid. He says "What? How long?". John drops the phone and looks at a clock on the wall, which shows 12:56. He bolts for the door and exists //-

In that example (which is totally random by the way, it has nothing to do with my, or anyone else's work) I would just describe things; what they are, how they look and what happens, but not how it is presented in framing and paneling, leaving that for the artists.
I have also considered writing as a film script (similar to the treatment form but with different formatting for actions, names and spoken dialogue.) Another possibility I can imagine would be a storyboard. Like a "doodled" version of the page showing what I would like the framing/paneling/positioning to look like.

What are your thoughts on these different approaches?

2: On average, how much time passes on between you starting to write a comic and it goes off for printing?

Thanks! I'm off to the post office to pick up the latest issue of Gargoyles (curses England for having tiny mail slots that comics won't fit through)

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello Greg,

In #8 we learned that there are no gargoyle beasts in London. This surprised me, since the clan is large, I had assumed that all of the large clans had beasts. It is very unfortunate for the beast species, and really drives home the point that they are much worse off than the gargoyles.

We know that the Xanadu, Manhattan, Ishimura, and Avalon clans have beasts in 1996, and the Mayan clan will hatch some in 1998. The London and Labyrinth clans have none.

1. Does the Pukhan clan have any gargoyle beasts?
2. Does the Loch Ness clan have any beasts?
3. Does the New Olympian clan have any beasts?
4. We're told that by 2188 the gargoyle population will have grown, with all the clans reaching a "full" size. a. What will the beast population be like in 2188: larger than in 1996, smaller, or about the same?
b. Will every clan have beasts in 2188?

Antiyonder writes...

One point that Todd Jensen has voiced about The Goliath Chronicles episode Generations is how viewed by itself it would give Demona some validity as it contained no decent human throughout the episode (The major human characters appearing were some Quarrymen and an Assassin that planned to exterminate Goliath and clan as well as double crossing Demona). So I was wondering if the inclusion of a human protagonist (Someone proving that not all humans are a threat to the Gargoyles) in any Demona story was always a conscious decision you had or just one of those ideas that write themselves (something that came naturally).

Dylan Zimmerman writes...

Hi Greg I have been a fan of Gargoyles since I was a kid and I have a comic book I am writing that I will be sending to Darkhorse soon and I was wondering if you would take the time out of your scedule and check it out now I am sure you get asked this millons of times a day so if no responce I get it no harm no faul but I would love an honest opinion from someone experenced if you want to contact me outside of your website my Email is Madprofecer340@aol.com but please leave it out if answer my question

Craig writes...

I must make a brief comment on the terrific advances David Hedgecock has made since this series has begun. A lot of fans were quick to criticize his early work. Unfortunately, now that his art has improved by leaps and bounds, I have not seen a corresponding amount of praise.

Right off the bat, we have the cover. Since I was ten, I've thought Hudson was the coolest looking gargoyle, and Hedgecock and Jorge Molina prove it in style! I was really disappointed to hear that Guler would no longer be doing the covers, so I was biased against Hedgecock in that regard...but even with that bias, I feel that this is the second coolest cover, after #5!

Other highlights for Hedgecock this issue: Thailog's victorious grin (and subsequent contrite look) upon catching Shari in a lie, and then being reminded of her disclaimer. Macbeth's look when he talks about "sleep-walking" (what a PERFECTLY written scene, by the way!). The wide-eyed optimism in Lex's eyes when he asks about the beasts, and the sadness in Griff's face when he replies (this exchange is odd and without context at this point, and yet Hedgecock lends it exactly the right tension and emotion to make us curious for an explanation). The design of Merlin...precisely the right balance of benevolence and mystery. And our first foggy glimpse of Castle Carbonek...! What a thrilling moment for us Illuminati nuts, after all these years of waiting.

I never thought Hedgecock's work was "bad" by any standard. However, I think the improvement from issue one to the current issue is comparable to the difference between a TV episode animated by Sun Woo and one animated by Koko...the art goes from supporting the story to elevating it. This is a massive testament to Hedgecock's commitment to this project...I cannot begin to imagine the hours he must have put into exploring this world, not to mention the new characters he has to learn for every issue. So I hope that you will forward this comment to Dave as some small motivation to keep up the terrific work. And as always, Greg, thanks for making all of this possible, and for bringing David and the rest of us to your world!

BLESSING USANI OTU writes...

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF AULTAL SPECTRUM DISORDER,WHAT IS THE CAUSE, WHAT ARE THE SYMTOMS, HOW IS IT TREATED, WHO CAN SURFFER IT

Anonymous writes...

Is there any gay or lebian gargoyles?

Darren writes...

Which cartoons did YOU watch when you were younger? Did any of these inspire you?

dph writes...

Thank you for sharing with us a year's worth of Today In Gargoyles Universe History. It was very interesting. I have one question about an event not on the calendar so far. What year did the Pack first start airing on television?

TAMEKA writes...

DO U KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AND OLD MOVIE CALLED THE DUNNY WITH LEVAR BURTON STARING IN IT

Matt writes...

Hey Greg, just thought I'd say you are doing are great job with the new Spider-Man show. I'm sure you get that alot, but just felt like thanking you for bringing a version of Spider-Man that feels true to the comics. Sure you've put your own spin on a few things but it still has the feel of classic Stan Lee/ Ditko era. Being a longtime Spider-man and Gargoyles fan I was thrilled when I heard you would be heading this new show. Oh and FYI "616" refers to the main Marvel universe, as opposed to the Ultimate universe. I believe it was Alan Moore who coined the term that the main Marvel universe, instead of being universe 1 or universe 2 as seen in DC, would be some random universe so he had it assigned universe 616. Anyways thanks again for making Spectacular Spider-Man truly Spectacular.

Rob writes...

Regarding action figures. I'm a collector of the Gargoyles action figure line and a fan of the cartoon. There is a knock-off action figure line that was released around the same time as gargoyles that have He-man type bodies. I have 4 of them. Do you know the name of this action figure line?

Algernon writes...

Hey Greg, just thought I'd clarify something I read in one of your recent responses.

On the 14th of March you wrote "I'm not sure I know what 616 means". As I understand it in the context of Marvel's fictional multiverse, Earth-616 refers to the mainstream Marvel Universe that read about in the comics every month. As opposed to the various alternate universes like Ultimate Marvel and those old issues of What If? The term was allegedly first coined by Alan Moore in an old Captain Britain story.

samantha writes...

i would like to know how to get rid of a gargoyle that is hanging over a little girl as it is not a good thing it is scarring her even thow she can not see it . i am not sure what to do thank you samantha

Algernon writes...

Finally got to see the latest episode of Spectacular Spider-Man so here are my semi organised thoughts...

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
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A
H
O
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COMPETITION
Funny thing about me, as much as I like to see superheroes struggling with real life problems, I could never really stand the kind of Dawson Creek High School Drama that so many shows featuring teen superheroes seem hell-bent on ramming down our throats. It's one of the main reasons never really got into X-Men: Evolution and probably why despite seeing a couple of episodes of Smallville and thinking it was kinda okay, I could never maintain any prolonged interest in it. Even Batman Beyond which I did enjoy down to the ground left me kinda cold when they focused to much on that side of Terry's life (beside wasn't grouchy old man Bruce the real star of that show?)

So it has come as pleasant surprise to me to find that I'm greatly enjoying the Midtown centric subplots particularly in how they tend to parallel Pete's adventures as Spidey. It just validates my own belief that weather a character is fifteen or fifty, single or married doesn't mean a damn thing if he doesn't have a quality writer backing him up, but that's a rant for another day.

It seems Harry has taken his dad's advice to heart. Now that he's one of the in-crowd I suspect that he may start drifting away from Peter and Gwen. It's also neat to see said in-crowd being injected with a little much needed depth via Kong and Gloria.

You know for such a science wizz, Pete isn't the most observant guy. Poor Gwen is practically throwing herself at the dumb git and he barley realises she's there, funny, funny stuff.

Moving on to the darker end of the Spidey-spectrum we see a lot going on with the rogues' gallery. Sandman is comes across quite nicely here played with great panache by John "bite my shiny metal ass" DiMaggio. The animation on Sandman's transformations is both fluid and creative; I especially liked him morphing his whole body into one giant fist. Speaking of which; the Spider-Man vs. Sandman battle's were pretty brutal weren't they? (At least by the standards of a Saturday morning cartoon). I don't think I've seen such cringe inducing action in a mainstream superhero cartoon outside of Bruce Timm's DCAU. Not that I'm complaining mind you, after the weak pallid affairs that the 90's Spidey-toon euphemistically termed "fight scenes" its a welcome change of pace.

Norman is of course in top form, exuding an almost reptilian calm and utter callousness; it's going to be interesting watching him make the leap to cackling madman. Walloping websnappers, is that Emily Osborn? It's a pretty radical departure from Spider-lore but I have faith that you wouldn't have made such a drastic change unless you were going somewhere cool with it.

The Big Man has apparently been reading the Super-Villain Handbook as revised by David Xanatos. Using super powered thugs to keep Spidey distracted from his real operations is just the kinda scheme to make old Mr. X proud. Also we get our first real taste of Dr. Otto Octavius. This timid and rather meek portrayal is certainly a far cry from the egomaniacal mad scientist we all know and love.

Last we come to the little people, those seemingly inconsequential bit players whose 'blink and you'll miss it' screen time belies their hidden potential. One of the many joys of this series for me as a Spidey-fan is wondering which obscure figure of spider-lore you're going to sneak in this week. It's fast getting to the point where I'm going to have to start freeze framing crowd scenes just to see if that tiny blob in the bottom left hand corner is supposed to be Cletus Cassidy (though frankly, a two second walk on cameo is probably more then he deserves). This episode marks the low key debut of Hobie Brown and judging from what I've heard about the rest of the season we're going to see a lot more of him in the not to distant future.

There are also a couple of nice moments from Tom Wilson's Stan Carter, did anyone else pick up a hint of barely concealed frustration and contempt as he was forced to let Marko and O'Hirn go. Also Carter's comments later in the episode seem to mark him as a Spidey sympathiser, which will be interesting down the road.

This was yet another solid episode that builds on what came before while laying the groundwork for future stories. I can't wait till this comes out on DVD in the form of a season one box set so I can see the grand tapestry as a whole.

P.S. Was Osborn's female Chauffeur a supposed to be an homage the Mercy Graves from Superman TAS?

Jesse Betteridge writes...

Hey Greg,

I'm a huge fan of Spectacular Spider-Man so far, and I have to admit am a bit concerned about the show's future after the demise of Kids WB. I know there are a lot of options for where the series may move to and a lot of factors determining what decision is made. However, given that there has been some confusion about the HD broadcast status of the show through KidsWB, I thought it might be appropriate to ask if that may be a determining factor of where the show goes? As far as I know, Cartoon Network is the only option that will offer a feed that will guarantee an HD broadcast for the series, so that may be the ideal option.

Also in regards to the series' longevity: I know you want to keep Spidey in high school for 65 episodes (ie: what will likely be the show's full run), but is there any chance that we may see some sort of college-based continuation of the series, should it continue to remain successful?

Kenneth Chisholm writes...

Pardon me if this has been asked before, I've had no luck finding an equivalent answered question in the archives

How precedented is something like Goliath and Elisa's relationship in the history of Scottish gargoyles? The casual acceptance of it by the rest of the Manhattan Clan obviously suggests some comfort with the concept, but what was it like in the 900s?

For that matter, how do the various other Clan cultures feel about this kind of thing?

Quexinos writes...

Hey Greg, thanks for answering my last question. Or at least giving an answer which was "I don't have an answer" but it was nice that you at least said that =P

Because you didn't have the answer, I decided to do some deep research about the Weird Sisters and found out some very interesting facts:

1. The first toy product ever advertised on television was Mr The Weird Sisters Head.
2. Half a cup of The Weird Sisters contains only seventeen calories.
3. Three seagulls flying overhead are a warning that The Weird Sisters are near.
4. The Weird Sisters can be found on a Cluedo board between the Library and the Conservatory!
5. The Weird Sisters are often used in place of milk in food photography, because milk goes soggy more quickly than The Weird Sisters.
6. Worldwide, The Weird Sisters are the most important natural enemy of night-flying insects.
7. If your ear itches, this means that someone is talking about The Weird Sisters.
8. In the 1600s, tobacco was frequently prescribed to treat headaches, bad breath and The Weird Sisters.
9. The Weird Sisters can fly at an average speed of fifteen kilometres an hour.
10. Without its lining of The Weird Sisters, your stomach would digest itself!

Okay i got it from here:
http://thesurrealist.co.uk/trivia.pl

But it really made me laugh and thought you might get a kick out of it.

The One Known As Mochi writes...

Wow... So many people have posted questions and comments for you. By the time you get around to my post I'll probably have Gargoyles #8 and the trade paperback (I hope...). Normally, I would have a question for you, but it seems I found the answer in the archives. The question I would've asked was in regards to the episode 'High Noon'. I wondered how Macbeth wasn't being knocked around when Demona (in human form) and Elisa were fighting. Someone had already asked and you responded, so I don't have to worry about that.

What I really wanted to do is comment on Spidey. I've managed to watch all the episodes so far and I have to say it's very well done! I seem to think that there's an intensity present that doesn't let up when it comes to the story and the action taking place. Spidey's quips reminded me of the cartoon from the 90s, though I only vaguely remember watching it at the time (I was preoccupied with a lot of other cartoons...even Gargoyles ;) ). I really like the character designs and the animation is very fluid. Overall, I can tell this Spidey series is going very far and I can't wait to see what you and Victor Cook have planned for all the characters.

I have to admit it's been a long time since I've had to wake up early to watch a Saturday morning cartoon that's this good.

Thank you for such awesome work on Spidey and keeping Gargoyles alive!