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Foxwolf writes...
Hi Greg
As someone who is interested in writing episodic stories, I was wondering if you could share your approach on how you write a season for a series like YJ. I remember seeing an image on Brandon Vietti's blog where he had post-it's on a board mapping out all of season 1.
1. Do you start with the season's overall story first, eg. "The Light wants to take control of the Justice League and Red Arrow is the mole who will help them" and then do you just come up with plot points/events that move the story forward and scatter them across episodes?
2. Do you come up character development separately or in tandum with the story? I ask because in my own writing I have growth of some characters mapped out but have struggled to come up with plots to tie that growth in with the overall story arc.
3. If you're able to recall, would you be able to share some of the content on the post-it's from a particular YJ episode?
4. And what are your thoughts on "filler story episodes". My interpretation was "Secrets" and "Performance" were filler, in that they didn't drive the overall season story forward, but did have character development. Do you think it's important in writing for a series to give the audience a break from the story arc at regular intervals?
Thanks for your time Greg on sharing your writing process.
Greg responds...
1. Yes, more or less. (For example, I'm not sure Red Arrow was the FIRST thing we came up with, as your example implies, but it was pretty early on.)
2. In tandom. Though we have a pretty clear idea of who all the leads are when we start.
3. Okay, first, not post-its. INDEX CARDS. Second, that board came down to make room for the Season Two board some time ago. And when I moved offices, even the Season Two board came down. That stuff's all boxed at the moment. But I do have issues #20-25 up on the board now. And since issue #20 has seen print, I'm willing to spoil THAT one here. Now the comic is slightly different. Particularly within this truly jammed-packed six-parter, my index cards literally broke things down page-by-page, and everything is color-coded to make it easier for me to refer to where a particular sub-plot left off:
I'll transcribe it all here, exactly how it's written on the index cards:
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION #20
"Players, Chapter One: Wheelbarrow, Shoe, Thimble"
PAGE ONE - WHITE - Y0 - Cave - DG's Bday. Z kiss on cheek. KF told Z.
PAGE TWO - YELLOW - Y5 - Blud - DG's Bday. WW, AC call. BK exits bedroom.
PAGE THREE - YELLOW - BK & Gotham Academy Yearbook.
PAGE FOUR - YELLOW - Cave - Splash, Logo, Subtitle. Nw, Sb, MM, Bb, LB, Rob, BBoy, Bg, WG, MD, W. Comp announces Z & Roc.
PAGE FIVE - YELLOW - Leaguers Z, Roc enter "slumming". Nw's ex Z Bday kisses Nw on mouth.
PAGE SIX - YELLOW - Ex Roc kisses Nw on cheek. Rob to join Bm. Roc pix of AE. Nw talks to SB, MM.
PAGE SEVEN - YELLOW - Sb, MM can work together. Nw starts briefing.
BLUE - Metro - Beta - Meg links Con, KB, BG in crowd. Camo'd B-S...
PAGE EIGHT - BLUE - Bored LB at helm. BBoy as warbler is on edge. NH fundraising. QB a threat.
PAGE NINE - WHITE - Y0 - Logan Sanct - GL, Monk watch TV re: RH's impeach. ML tells GL: Meg, Con here.
YELLOW - Y5 - El Paso - Alpha - Nw, WG, S-C.
PAGE TEN - YELLOW - New recruit WG glad to be w/Alpha, recruiting next recruit. Reveal Blue.
PAGE ELEVEN - BLUE - Metro - Beta - Meg alert, longing Con.
WHITE - Y0 - Logan Sanct - Meg, GL, Monk hang; Con w/Sumac.
PAGE TWELVE - WHITE - Meg kisses Con. Reveal Clark, JO interview ML.
PAGE THIRTEEN - WHITE - Intros. ML calls Meg her daughter. Clark & Con meet.
PAGE FOURTEEN - WHITE - JO intro. Clark requested Logan gig. Clark, JO cover impeach. Clark offers ride to get to know kids.
PAGE FIFTEEN - WHITE - Meg turns down ride. Clark may see them in Dhabar.
BLUE - Y5 - Metro - Beta - Clark greets Con.
PAGE SIXTEEN - YELLOW - El Paso - Alpha - DG, CS wait for and discuss Blue/JR.
PAGE SEVENTEEN - YELLOW - Blue into JR. CS greets JR. CS, DG confront JR.
PAGE EIGHTEEN - YELLOW - JR tw/CS, DG.
BLUE - Metro - Beta - JO, Meg, Con look no different. Clark linked, spots Dev. Clark to suit up.
PAGE NINETEEN - BLUE - Dev vanishes. Sm vanishes. Con vanishes. Meg reacts.
PAGE TWENTY - GREEN - Br Ship - Orb-One sends First Leader Ks' go ahead to Br. Reveal Br. Logo, Title, Credits.
4. There's no such thing as filler episodes on any series I've ever done. There ARE change of pace stories, but even they wind up playing into the larger tapestry. For example, one could easily view "Targets" as a change of pace, focusing as it does on Red Arrow, Sportsmaster and Cheshire with just a little Aqualad thrown in at the end, but obviously, it wound up being crucial to the season as a whole. Neither "Secrets" nor "Performance" were filler in our minds. Both advanced the overall story, the arcs of multiple characters, the dynamics between those characters AND held clues to what was still to come. They clearly drove the season forward. Having said all that, I do think it helps to have 'breathers' in there, where some plotlines and/or characters are rested, to allow time for growth, to build suspence, to let off-screen events take place, etc., etc.
nygma619 writes...
Hey Greg, I remember from one of your answers about Artemis that you’d discuss the question on why you made the creative choices with Artemis AFTER season 1 was over. And since I can’t find any question similar to this I’ll get this ball rolling on my 2nd favorite character on the show (Wally’s the first):
1.)What inspired you and your team to take Artemis Crock who was pretty much a villain in the comics and revamp her to being a hero and pretty much filling Arrowette’s place on The Team?
2.)How did you come up with the idea of making Chesire her sister, in this canon since she wasn’t in the comics?
3.)At what age did Sportsmaster start training her daughters?
4.)You can just respond yes or no to this question, but was there a specific incident that caused Artemis to NOT want to follow in her families villainous footsteps and walk a more heroic path?
Greg responds...
1. We liked her parentage and the opportunities that presented in terms of her having secrets to keep and lies to tell.
2. Seemed to fit. Cheshire - in the comics - has always been trying to figure out who her father was. Why not Sportsmaster? And again, it created a very interesting relationship and dynamic between her and Artemis. Plus we knew we wanted to add ethnic diversity to the Team, so by folding the Eurasian Cheshire into the family, it made it natural to make Artemis half-Vietnamese, half-Caucasian, as well.
3. Probably from birth.
4. Yes and no.
Mr. Curious writes...
When you organize your list of characters for use on Earth-16, do you categorize them as:
a.) Heroes, Villains, and Antiheroes?
0r
b.) Good, Evil, Neutral Good, and Neutral Evil?
Greg responds...
I really only had two lists that I actually TYPED UP, one for teen heroes and one for possible Light members or allies. But keep in mind, I also have literally decades of DC Comics trivia in my head, plus two complete iterations of WHO'S WHO on my shelves, a DC encyclopedia and e-mail access to the incomparable John Wells, DC expert extraordinaire! Plus, you know, my contacts at DC: Ivan Cohen (formerly), Geoff Johns, Mike Carlin and Sean Ryan - all of whom were VERY helpful. Plus most of the staff -and half the cast - are bigtime geeks also.
Of course, AFTER we went into production, I started new lists of characters that we were actually using. But those are broken down by episode, not by hero and villain.
Blake95 writes...
im just curious, in hindsight, are you happy with the timing of the s1 finale/s2 premiere, coming out in the same month as issue 14-5? im just saying caus we didnt know ocean master and orm were the same but orm was said to be on their side in the finale, and now we learned some cool things about lagoon boy too before his role expanded
another lagoon boy question - when you had him played by yuri lowental in downtime, did you already know you werre going to use him in s2?
Greg responds...
1. I'm not UNhappy with how it turned out.
2. I believe so. That is, we knew we were going to use Lagoon Boy. We didn't make a final decision on Yuri until just before we began auditions for our Season Two cast. That's not meant as a reflection on Yuri AT ALL. We simply didn't discuss who would be playing what until then, at which point Jamie Thomason and Brandon Vietti and I sat down to figure out which characters we'd need to hold auditions for, and which we were already good with, which of course included Yuri.
J the Drafter writes...
When Wally put the Helmet of Fate on his head, why couldn't he see what was happening in the outside world until Kent showed him? Do all of Nabu's hosts need to learn how to see what's happening to their body?
Greg responds...
Apparently.
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.
Marvelman writes...
Why did you choose the particular six leaguers that you did to tear up Rimbor? Was it a shout out to Bruce Timm's Justice League? Was it because many of them have proteges on the team? Or something else?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"But for example, the six Leaguers chosen to be missing for 16 hours was definitely influenced by the cast of the original Justice League series."
[Response recorded on September 12, 2012.]
Anonymous writes...
Is Dick Grayson half Romany?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"NO COMMENT on Dick's backstory for now."
[Response recorded on October 20, 2011.]
Akif Khan writes...
hi greg i was wondering when the complete first season of young justice will come out on blu ray. why is it taking so long.
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"I have no idea."
[Response recorded on October 20, 2011.]
Anonymous writes...
This isn't really about the show, I was just wondering what your opinion of the New 52 is? I personally think it's all horrible.
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"...I have NOT had the time to read the New 52, so I will not comment on that specifically. Whether or not it works creatively depends more than anything else on execution. Since I haven't seen the execution, I can't respond to how it works creatively. But I KNOW that commercially it's been a HUGE hit. I like to believe that it wouldn't have done quite so well, if it wasn't executed well too."
[Response recorded on February 15, 2012.]
Anonymous writes...
So is Mercy a robot...or does she just have a weapon for an arm?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"Cyborg."
[Response recorded on September 20, 2011.]
Anonymous writes...
Queen Mera's fighting style resembles waterbending from Avatar. Did you draw inspiration from there or it's a coincidence?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"Well, not really, because I've seen that stuff for years before I was exposed to A:TLAb. For example, W.I.T.C.H. But you know, it's all in there, I guess."
[Response recorded on January 10, 2012.]
longbowhunter writes...
Has anyone mentioned or planned Full-Season DVD releases for YOUNG JUSTICE?? I would LOVE to get the show collected in some nice season sets with a ton of extras....I am NOT a big fan of the DVD's with just a few episodes on them.
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"I have no control over what appears on the DVDs. None."
[Response recorded on July 24, 2012.]
GH writes...
1. When did Wally and Artemis started to have feelings for each other?
2. When did they realised it?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"To begin with, I think you need to go back to Artemis' introduction in 'Infiltrator'. She saw a cute boy enter and that made her insecure, so she cracked a joke. He reacted VERY badly to being embarrassed, and that put them at odds, but I think that both were attracted to each other from moment one. We tried to show that without telling it - or at least without being on the head about telling it.
Then they challenged each other. Not just her challenging him, but him challenging her. And I think she came to admire his intellect - even when it was misdirected, as in 'Denial'. There has to be a reason that she kept at him. If he was of no interest to her, why would she bother? Then you have Kent Nelson. Both Wally and Artemis HEARD what Kent had to say, and it wasn't lost on them. But they didn't want to cop to it, because both felt the other didn't like him or her. So that insecurity pushed them both further into denial.
Then you have 'Bereft'. Here, as I've discussed before, they meet again for the first time without the negative first impression. They genuinely like each other, trust each other and are attracted to each other. When their memories return, so do their insecurities - neither will risk being the first to admit they like the other. But it's not like they forgot that (positive) time spent together. And it's not like their deaf to Robin's 'Get a room' line either.
And so on. Artemis saved the day in 'Homefront'. But she couldn't have done it if Wally hadn't provided the science. (And given her interest in science, revealed in "Denial", I think that would mean something to her.)
Plus, let's not forget the double-whammy of 'Failsafe' and 'Disordered'. Here we reveal just how intensely Wally feels for Artemis, and just how much interest each has in the other. The trick is neither is prepared to take a risk. Rejection from Superboy (such as it was) is nothing compared to the fear Artemis has over being rejected by Wally.
Wally meanwhile is afraid to admit his strong feelings for Artemis, so maintains focus on the safer Miss Martian. Artemis does the same toward Superboy. Both then have to be disabused of the notion that their crushes are viable. I tend to think that deep down, the revelation about Conner and M'gann's relationship was less of a shock to each then it seemed. They didn't want to admit to themselves what they were probably sensing deep down. One reason for Artemis' extreme reaction to the knowledge, I think, is that she was trying SO hard to think that Superboy was a possibility BECAUSE Wally clearly seemed NOT to be, and so she wanted to have something she could use to push Wally out of her mind.
So in 'Coldhearted', Wally learns some big lessons. Miss Martian is out of the picture - and that helps clear his mind. But mostly, he matures solidly in the episode. Now he's ready to behave differently. And in 'Insecurity', he's willing to take a risk. And Artemis rewards that risk taken, by meeting him part way. But she has other bigger insecurities in the way, and they REALLY get in the way, so that by the time we get to the beginning of 'Usual Suspects' - they're still at odds. But one of the reason they are SO at odds, is because for them, the stakes seem very high.
So when the truth finally comes out, it's a HUGE relief. She sees that he accepts her. He doesn't even have to say it. She can see that he does. And he sees that the reason she's been a pain have little to do with him. The deck is cleared.
Then they partner up in 'Auld Acquaintance', and they're a good team. All of which leads really easily into the kiss on New Year's Eve. (Another excuse to do something that they otherwise might have been scared about.)
From there, it's fairly clear sailing. I'm not saying there weren't any ups and downs during the five year gap, because there were. But they both know they have a good thing now. And they stick with it.
The irony is that a lot of fans seemed to think this was about opposites attracting. But we never saw it that way. In fact, we saw it as quite the reverse. Artemis and Kid Flash had so MUCH in common, it was nearly impossible for them to get together. But once they did, it felt very right."
[Response recorded on August 29, 2012.]
Basil writes...
Do Atlanteans consider blond hair bad/cursed/unlucky in Earth 16?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"Not in my mind."
[Response recorded on January 4, 2011.]
Anonymous writes...
Did Wally and Artemis ever have a tiny break up during the 5 year gap, or have they been going strong for 5 years?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"From there, it's fairly clear sailing. I'm not saying there weren't any ups and downs during the five year gap, because there were. But they both know they have a good thing now. And they stick with it."
[Response recorded on August 29, 2012.]
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg
1) I was wondering, do you visit, or keep tabs on any young justice fansites? I got the feeling you're pretty internalized on how the fans feel, but do you visit, or does someone in the crew visit and report?
2) How does that work in terms of getting feedback, or do you just use ratings and comments here to gauge the fans' reactions?
Thanks
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"I've lurked at a number of sites, including but not limited to Toonzone, YoungJustice.Net, Superherohype, Comic Book Resources, Jinxworld and others.
A lot depends on how much I'm procrastinating."
[Response recorded on November 16, 2011.]
"Ultimately, what people post on any other site is really none of my business. I may lurk there and find myself frowning, but that's on me. I've been doing this long enough that I can (generally) let most of it wash off my back. Some of the criticism is valid, of course. Some of it is only valid in the moment. Once the critics sees the bigger picture, they may or may not change their minds. Some of the criticism is, in my opinion, flat-out ridiculous. (But that's just my opinion.) And some of it is flat-out wrong, for example when they criticize us for something we literally didn't do, or criticize us for not doing something that we objectively did do."
[Response recorded on December 9, 2011.]
Louissa writes...
Hey, Greg, why don't you do a site like this for Young Justice too? I mean, with a blog and all. It would be awesome for us, fans(And many fangirls, we have an army. I'm serious, I've created an army of fangirls from all around the world)
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"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.]
Louissa writes...
Um, hi, again, I've asked a question before, I have another one(no, duh!). What's with the number 16? I mean, it's because of the fact that the events take place on Earth-16? I can tell many moments when number 16 was used. And it's the hiatus going to last 16 weeks? Just wondering and doing simple maths, I came up with that result.
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"<chuckles evilly>"
[Response recorded on August 16, 2010.]
Joe! writes...
Why did the League allow the team to keep an artifact as powerful (and as potentially malicious, considering the whole body stealing thing) as Fate's helmet in the cave? Wouldn't it have been more secure locked up in the Watchtower?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"It's dangerous to have it anywhere."
[Response recorded on December 28, 2011.]
Guy McLimore writes...
Will the Young Justice comic stay in the early-team time period for awhile, say, until YJ-INVASION is aired in total? It would be a nice way to see some of what happened during the missing five years...
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"*Issue #20 hits the stands this week. It's the start of a six-part story that is BIG. REALLY BIG. It updates the book, bringing in our Season Two cast, and is set one month prior to the start of Season Two with flashbacks to a couple untold - or only hinted at - tales from the Season One era, plus, by the end of the six-parter, a little story from immediately after Season One. Christopher Jones is just doing some stellar work on the book. And I'm pretty proud of the story and script, if I do say so myself."
[Response recorded on September 18, 2012.]
Maki P writes...
How long has Martian Manhunter been on Earth?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"It was a Zeta-Beam accident that took place during an experiment conducted by Dr. Erdel (the namesake of the Erdel Initiative where Adam Strange and Eduardo Dorado, Sr. work). This was in 1955, i.e. almost half a century before the founding of the Justice League in 2003."
[Response recorded on July 27, 2012.]
Anonymous writes...
Could you post the episode ratings for Young Justice?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"That's not a consistent prospect.
I don't know.
I don't know this either. We occasionally get ratings reports from our bosses or from CN. But that's inconsistent too."
[Response recorded on September 26, 2012.]
Fan21 writes...
Will the comics show what happened during the time gap or it will go stright to season 2
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"*Issue #20 hits the stands this week. It's the start of a six-part story that is BIG. REALLY BIG. It updates the book, bringing in our Season Two cast, and is set one month prior to the start of Season Two with flashbacks to a couple untold - or only hinted at - tales from the Season One era, plus, by the end of the six-parter, a little story from immediately after Season One. Christopher Jones is just doing some stellar work on the book. And I'm pretty proud of the story and script, if I do say so myself."
[Response recorded on September 18, 2012.]
Anonymous writes...
The DCU has such a long, rich, diverse history, with so many changes so why do some people even come here to demand you need to write something this way or that way? Nothing is written in stone. Boy, it aggravates me when I read people trying to tell creators how to do their jobs.
I think this is an excellent show. I am just going to add my voice here with some others. I think you should do a Justice League series but based on the new 52 and with the new versions...eg Superman is the social crusader and little brasher and tougher in Action Comics and Justice League. Have you read the new Justice League btw?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"...I have NOT had the time to read the New 52, so I will not comment on that specifically. Whether or not it works creatively depends more than anything else on execution. Since I haven't seen the execution, I can't respond to how it works creatively. But I KNOW that commercially it's been a HUGE hit. I like to believe that it wouldn't have done quite so well, if it wasn't executed well too."
[Response recorded on February 15, 2012.]
Evan writes...
I know this is a weird question, but did Lex Luthor lose his hair naturally, or did he shave it? Or maybe something happened during a battle with Superman?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"Well, at this point, I think he shaves."
[Response recorded on October 26, 2011.]
Make a 6 Inch Miss Martian Figure!!!!!!! writes...
What is the Team's name?
I know the show is called "Young Justice" but Dick & co. are always just referred to as "the team".
Batman, Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan, etc. are the "Justice League".
Vandal Savage, Klarion the Witchboy, Black Manta, etc. are "The Light".
Does "the team" even have a name? "Teen Titans"? "Young Justice"? "Team Venture"? ...anything?
PS. Season 1 was awesome. *ahem* Cheers!
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"Young Justice is the title of the series, NOT the name of the Team, which is simply called 'The Team.' As it's not a public team, there's no need for a fancy name. Besides, we figured all those folks who are still mad at us because we're not doing the comic book Young Justice might appreciate that we weren't compounding the mistake by referring to the Team by this 'unearned' name. Though they probably won't appreciate it."
[Response recorded on May 16, 2011.]
TG90 writes...
Hello Mr Weisman, congratulations for YJ, it is an amazing show keep up the good work.
I would like to ask you a question, what is Rocket's real name(full name)?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"...Ditto for Dick Grayson - and I'll even stretch that to include Raquel Ervin..."
[Response recorded on September 7, 2012.]
Kell writes...
Hey Greg! I'm an absolute huge fan of Young Justice. I'm probably the only sorority girl in the national who wakes up every Saturday morning to catch it on cartoon network. You've done a great job reinterpreting the characters of my childhood (I grew up on the DCAU and now I'm an avid comic fan). The thing is I'm also a huge fanfiction fan. I find that it helps hold my attention for the show from week to week, and more importantly through the long hiatuses that Cartoon Network likes to put us through. So here's my question. What's your opinion of fanfiction? And do you support the creation of fanfiction (with nonprofit, no infringement intended stories) of your works?
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"I'm very ambivalent toward fanfiction. On the one hand, it's very gratifying. I've created something that has taken on a life of it's own. That people like enough to invest their time into and create anew. On the other hand, I have a territorial instinct that exhibits a kind of knee-jerk negative reaction to seeing other people controlling the destiny of my characters. (That's the main reason why Goliath Chronicles was so painful for me to watch.)
For example, I know that TGS is doing their own TimeDancer spin off. That's very cool, but somebody mentioned (though I don't know if this was the final word) that they're not naming Brooklyn's son Nashville, because they think the name is silly or because they hate country music or whatever. I can't help resenting that. (I know it's not rational, but I'm trying to be honest about my emotions here.) I haven't explained the Nashville name. I don't intend to explain it yet. Obviously, I have no intention of making Brooklyn into the next Garth Brooks, but I'm not in the mood to go into my reasons yet. But when someone else decides that GREG THE GARGOYLE MASTER made a misstep regarding the name of a character, I bristle.
But going back to the first hand, I have to acknowledge that once a thing is created and sent out into the world, it no longer belongs to the creator, but to the interpretations of those who received it. If a fan believes that Gargoyles were created by fey sorcery, then to that fan they were, no matter what I might say to the contrary in a comment room. Fanfiction is the ultimate example of fans interpretating (and extrapolating upon) what they've seen."
[Response recorded in the Station 8 "Gargoyles" FAQ, Section XXXIV.]
Anonymous writes...
I really enjoyed much of season one of Young Justice, but I was... disturbed by the Wally/Artemis relationship and its resolution. Though Artemis had many great storylines at the forefront regarding her family, the Wally/Artemis storyline seemed to focus mostly on HIS feelings and not really hers, which combined with Kent Nelson's comments about how Wally needs to "find his own spitfire" gives the relationship a very bitter taste of using a female character and her romantic attention as a tool to aide a male character's growth and/or something to be consumed to make him a better person.
We're never really given much reason to understand what appeal or advantages the relationship holds for her. I mean, the narrative hints/tropes are there and so I suppose there follows an audience expectation along the lines of "two people fight to mask their sexual tension" but I don't think just having the trappings of the trope without examining any kind of deeper emotional connection or commonality works. As it stands, it mostly just seems like they hooked up because That's How These Things Go and we were supposed to cheer for it for those same reasons.
Emotionally, it felt hollow and, frankly, problematic for the reasons I mentioned.
My apologies if this isn't the proper forum for criticism, but this has really been bothering me for a while.
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"To begin with, I think you need to go back to Artemis' introduction in 'Infiltrator'. She saw a cute boy enter and that made her insecure, so she cracked a joke. He reacted VERY badly to being embarrassed, and that put them at odds, but I think that both were attracted to each other from moment one. We tried to show that without telling it - or at least without being on the head about telling it.
Then they challenged each other. Not just her challenging him, but him challenging her. And I think she came to admire his intellect - even when it was misdirected, as in 'Denial'. There has to be a reason that she kept at him. If he was of no interest to her, why would she bother? Then you have Kent Nelson. Both Wally and Artemis HEARD what Kent had to say, and it wasn't lost on them. But they didn't want to cop to it, because both felt the other didn't like him or her. So that insecurity pushed them both further into denial.
Then you have 'Bereft'. Here, as I've discussed before, they meet again for the first time without the negative first impression. They genuinely like each other, trust each other and are attracted to each other. When their memories return, so do their insecurities - neither will risk being the first to admit they like the other. But it's not like they forgot that (positive) time spent together. And it's not like their deaf to Robin's 'Get a room' line either.
And so on. Artemis saved the day in 'Homefront'. But she couldn't have done it if Wally hadn't provided the science. (And given her interest in science, revealed in "Denial", I think that would mean something to her.)
Plus, let's not forget the double-whammy of 'Failsafe' and 'Disordered'. Here we reveal just how intensely Wally feels for Artemis, and just how much interest each has in the other. The trick is neither is prepared to take a risk. Rejection from Superboy (such as it was) is nothing compared to the fear Artemis has over being rejected by Wally.
Wally meanwhile is afraid to admit his strong feelings for Artemis, so maintains focus on the safer Miss Martian. Artemis does the same toward Superboy. Both then have to be disabused of the notion that their crushes are viable. I tend to think that deep down, the revelation about Conner and M'gann's relationship was less of a shock to each then it seemed. They didn't want to admit to themselves what they were probably sensing deep down. One reason for Artemis' extreme reaction to the knowledge, I think, is that she was trying SO hard to think that Superboy was a possibility BECAUSE Wally clearly seemed NOT to be, and so she wanted to have something she could use to push Wally out of her mind.
So in 'Coldhearted', Wally learns some big lessons. Miss Martian is out of the picture - and that helps clear his mind. But mostly, he matures solidly in the episode. Now he's ready to behave differently. And in 'Insecurity', he's willing to take a risk. And Artemis rewards that risk taken, by meeting him part way. But she has other bigger insecurities in the way, and they REALLY get in the way, so that by the time we get to the beginning of 'Usual Suspects' - they're still at odds. But one of the reason they are SO at odds, is because for them, the stakes seem very high.
So when the truth finally comes out, it's a HUGE relief. She sees that he accepts her. He doesn't even have to say it. She can see that he does. And he sees that the reason she's been a pain have little to do with him. The deck is cleared.
Then they partner up in 'Auld Acquaintance', and they're a good team. All of which leads really easily into the kiss on New Year's Eve. (Another excuse to do something that they otherwise might have been scared about.)
From there, it's fairly clear sailing. I'm not saying there weren't any ups and downs during the five year gap, because there were. But they both know they have a good thing now. And they stick with it.
The irony is that a lot of fans seemed to think this was about opposites attracting. But we never saw it that way. In fact, we saw it as quite the reverse. Artemis and Kid Flash had so MUCH in common, it was nearly impossible for them to get together. But once they did, it felt very right."
[Response recorded on August 29, 2012.]
Mike Priest writes...
Heya, Greg. Big fan of...well, virtually everything you've worked on.
I just have a Q or two about the Season 2 premiere.
Is Captain Atom acting chairman/leader of the Justice League now? If so, how exactly does the League leadership structure work in this show?
Thanks!
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"As of Season Two, yes."
[Response recorded on September 24, 2012.]
"He was formally elected."
[Response recorded on February 2, 2011.]
"The leadership rotates."
[Response recorded on October 26, 2011.]
"Length of service is generally a year. Though there are exceptions."
[Response recorded on February 22, 2012.]
Cole writes...
Hey Greg
Do you happen to know the ratings of each episode, does cartoon network tell you them,becuase I checked the wiki and theres nothing about the ratings. Not that I care about the ratings, I am sure they are really good but I would just like to know becuase I want Young Justice to stay on air for a long time.
Would ratings effect how long the show will stay on air?
Thanks
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"That's not a consistent prospect.
I don't know.
I don't know this either. We occasionally get ratings reports from our bosses or from CN. But that's inconsistent too."
[Response recorded on September 26, 2012.]
Allan calderini writes...
I am sorry if you answer this question that I ask but I think you are going to erase my past post so.
First Hi Greg I am a big fan of yours from Honduras.My little brother love your show his favorite character is Superboy. I am new to this stuff so please be patience for the questions I ask.
1I know this is not an anime but are you going to ever release an album containing the soundtracks ,sounds, and background music that is use in young justice?Because they are some that I love.
2Do cartoons series release albums that contains music like the openings and endings?
I know they are silly questions but can you answer them please.:)
An Ask Greg Helper responds...
Greg Weisman says:
"Not currently. But hopefully someday..."
[Response recorded on September 25, 2012.]
Kevin writes...
1. What is the difference between a wizard/witch and sorcerer/sorceress in the Young Justice Universe?
2. What is an alchemist in the Young Justice universe?
3. Is it more difficult for a magic user to use nonverbal spells then verbal spells on Earth 16?
4. What type of magic users are Zatanna and Zatara before he become Doctor Fate?
5. What were the main influences in how you decided to portray magic in Gargoyles and Young Justice?
Greg responds...
1. There is none.
2. Someone who practices alchemy.
3. Depends on too many factors to answer cogently.
4. These seem like semantic concerns that I'm not sharing.
5. Mostly logic.
Rachel writes...
Hey Greg,
If M'gann is a white martian, why is Gar green?
Greg responds...
She was green when she transfused him... assuming there's any connection there. ;)
Anonymous writes...
Hey Greg,
Actually, I don't have a question. I just wanted to commend you on the outstanding job that you've done on Young Justice and Young Justice: Invasion. Please don't let the fanboys and fangirls get to you! Continue to do what you do best--write and produce an excellent animated t.v. show! :D
Greg responds...
Thank you.
Marvelman writes...
Greg, I'm really sorry about how some of the fans have been talking to you on this web-site. I think that world of comics and animation and sci-fi fandom is populated by a lot of misfits who don't seem to fit in anywhere else. For these people, Young Justice is their happy place, and when you mess with their happy place, they get mad. This is especially true of the "shipping" fans. Mess with Wally and Artemis and they'll bite. I'm not excusing it; I've just been pondering the vociferous reaction of some fans to the changes in Young Justice cast. And I have come to the conclusion that these kinds of fans are not going to go away. This psychological make-up is what makes them fans in the first place. If it is any consolation, you and Brandon have managed to create something that people obviously care about.
2) Paula, Artemis' mom, was once a super-villain. Did she fight any current Leaguers? If so, which ones?
3) M'Gann's brain blast which we saw her use in "Image" is a formidable power - especially since most super-villains (or heroes) don't have a defense against that kind of power. Why doesn't she use it more often? Wouldn't it solve a lot of problems?
4) This is a spoiler request, but it's soooo benign... One of your designers drew this great picture of Wally and his mom at his kindergarden graduation but it was not ready in time to be included in "Coldhearted." I wonder if it still might appear on the show at some point?
Greg responds...
1. Thanks. There hasn't been a lot of vitriol - so I'm assuming that the moderators dinged the rude questions/posts as per the guidelines. It's fine to post here with negative feedback if one can do it respectfully.
2a. Yes.
2b. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
3. It's pretty violent and not reliable.
4. It may have. I can't remember.
Psyspir writes...
For some reason my brain has a fascination with Martian culture currently...
1.) Does sarcasm exist on Mars?
2.) Could you please list some other (as in not the one from Images) Martian children games?
3.) Did Miss Martian have any trouble learning to use Terran based tech because her main source of information was outdated?
Greg responds...
1. I'd have to think about that.
2. Ditto.
3. She's a bright kid.
Anonymous writes...
I just read a comment there about shows being leaked on youtube. Not taking away from what you creative guys do but I think a lot of the blame should go to how the industry is structured. Taking Young Justice for example, If you live somewhere like America were Young Justice is screened on tv, catch up service on the Cartoon networks website(probably), available for purchase digitally from Itunes or Amazon or on a region 1 DVD, then there's no excuse. But due to international copyright laws that's not the case for those outside of the US, the show hasn't been made available to purchase in any way.
And it goes both ways. There are popular european tv shows, particularly british shows that US citizens want but can't purchase due to the DVD region system. Or if they can they are expected to wait for two-three years possibly, indefinately. Look at Gargoyles. It's only been partially released in the US, there's been zero releases to the rest of the world.
The best way to discourage piracy, in my opinion, is to make content available universally, so people are actually able to purchase the SAME content at the SAME time. If not through DVDS then digitally. I don't know why the entertainment has such a problem with this?
Greg responds...
I'm very much in favor of entertainment companies making their product available.
Jesse quick writes...
Do you think m'gann and Conner ever had sex during the time they dated,or to a lesser extent ,seen eachother naked?
Ditto for spitfire
Just out of love,not like for "enjoyment" or "fun"
Greg responds...
I think I'm better off professionally if I leave that topic to your imagination.
Bothergirl writes...
Don't listen to the nasty comments about the time skip. It only made me more curious about the progress of the series. I promise, you won't lose a fan in me;)
Anyway, I haz a question. In the episode 'Auld Acquaintance', why did Red Arrow wanted to know something about Aqualad that he hadn't told anyone else, and how did he know that someone broke his heart? Silly detail, but I like silly details^^
Greg responds...
He wanted to confirm that Aqualad was controlling Aqualad's body. And he knew about Tula because Aqualad had told him.
The irony for me is that Red Arrow didn't understand how the Starro-Tech worked. If Aqualad HAD been possessed, Klarion would have had access to all Aqualad's memories and would still have been able to answer the question.
WAIT A MINUTE!! DOES THAT MEAN AQUALAD IS CURRENTLY POSSESSED BY STARRO-TECH?!!!
No. It doesn't. Red Arrow just got lucky. (The preceding has been some reemptive Ask Greg question answering.)
Triela D. writes...
So, if Vandal Savage does not consider himself a villain...does he believe he is a hero of some sort? I know he was a hero in the past, but does he still believe himself to be a hero now? If not, what is he? In the middle?
Thanks! :)
Greg responds...
He thinks of himself as a visionary and a a leader. Heroics don't really enter into it.
Sizzle Shorts writes...
Hello Greg, my question concerns Blue Devil's coloring. When he first appeared in "Revelation," Blue Devil had white hair and yellow horns. His next appearance in "Agendas" shows him with black hair and white horns, which matches up with how he appeared in the comics. Was there a production error, or was this intentional? What color are his hair and horns supposed to be? Thank you.
Greg responds...
I don't have access to that info where I'm sitting currently, and I'm embarrassed to say I don't remember. Sorry.
Anonymous writes...
Out of curiosity, did Rocket get added to the team before the finale so Aqualad wouldn't be alone when the ball dropped? =P
Greg responds...
No.
Anonymous writes...
1. If you could be a super hero from the Team or Justice League, who would you be and why?
2. Have you seen any Young Justice fan art before and what'd you think about them?
3. What was your favorite episode to create?
I just wanted to know your opinion. I don't think anyone's asked this yet...as far as I've checked at least.
Greg responds...
1. I have my own heroes.
2. Most of it is great. (Every once in a while it's disturbing.)
3. I don't really have a single favorite.
Harmony writes...
I notice both Garth and Lagoon Boy are voiced by my favourite all-time VA, Yuri Lowenthall. Is there a connection between these two or did you just select Yuri because he did the best voice for Lagoon?
Greg responds...
Uh, Yuri played La'gaan in Season One, when all he had was one line. We were paying him for Garth, and we get a second voice free.
So now, Season Two comes along. La'gaan is older, so we had the option of recasting, because his voice could have changed. But who better than Yuri, so why recast?
Anon writes...
Would you ever consider doing an Earth-16 Arrow family spin-of?
Greg responds...
I already HAVE considered it! I'd love to do it. But right now we're focused on the show, not any spinoffs.
Anonymous writes...
1) Is Mal Duncan an Authorized Guest or a Team member?
2) How long has Batgirl been fighting crime?
3a) Can Garth and Tula speak English? Everything spoken in Atlantis from just after the Aqualad/Aquaman conversation in "Downtime" was an English translation of the spoken Altantean I believe, so I'm curious as to whether Garth or Tula can speak English. It would be a shame if Garth couldn't even communicate verbally with Robin or Kid Flash.
3b) If Garth and Tula can speak English, did they know a fair bit in "Downtime" or did they only learn some in the months/years afterwards?
Greg responds...
1. He's support staff, but he has an A-designation, if that's what you're asking.
2. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
3a. They learned to speak English.
3b. Mostly after.
Todd Jensen writes...
I read your interview about "Young Justice" at http://tv.ign.com/articles/122/1223871p1.html last evening. I enjoyed it, but the part that stood out to me the most was your comments on Vandal Savage and his fellow members of the Light as seeing themselves as the heroes and the Justice League as misguided people holding the world back from its proper direction.
That reflected one thought I'd had about the Light for a while (even though I've still only seen the first eight episodes of Season One on DVD, and read about the others on the Internet). Their name had gotten my attention, because the word "light" customarily has good connotations. And their talk in the episodes that I'd seen about "seeing the light" strengthened my suspicions that their goal wasn't conventional super-villain taking over the world, but something more - that these were people with some kind of vision for what the world ought to be like, which they were ready to achieve by any means possible, no matter how moral or ethical those methods were, a kind of "for the greater good" mentality (as "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" put it). Your interview strengthened that suspicion about the Light - which will certainly make it a group of interesting antagonists.
Greg responds...
I like to think so anyway.
Anon writes...
1) Did you hear about Artemis Crock appearing in the DC reboot with the Teen Titans?
2) Did you know they based her off her Young Justice animated series counterpart, like what was done with Aqualad in the old DCU?
So congratulations to the Young Justice series staff on reimagining a character so awesomely that some of the changes made it into the DCnU.
Greg responds...
1. Well, I heard about an "Artemis" appearing there. But I haven't seen it.
2. I'm not sure that's true. I'm not sure it's not either. I just don't know. No one at DC has mentioned it to us.
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