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Gargoyles

The Phoenix Gate

Comment Room Archive

Comments for the week ending April 19, 2010

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Jurgan > My thoughts exactly. Just because we wouldn't see every single moment doesn't mean it wouldn't be boring. I just don't see how I could stay engaged in storylines containing only Brooklyn, Mary, and Finella (and any villains they might deal with) over an extended time period. Seems like it would start to feel stale after a while. Even if we wouldn't see 10 years worth of stories from that time period, we'd probably still see quite a few, because dropping him off and then skipping ahead 10 years would feel really cheap.
Rebel

This afternoon, the local PBS station in St. Louis ran a documentary on the Jewish cemetery in Prague that included a discussion of Rabbi Loew, the legend of the Golem, and the synagogue in whose attic (according to legend) the Golem is kept.
Todd Jensen

Bishansky> I wasn't comparing him to Vader okay? You all seem more concerned with one true remark I made about Walt Disney than you about what happened to SSM. Let's talk about that now okay?
Merc with a Mouth
Wade Wilson

<<That's not what I meant. I wasn't calling him a cold blooded Sith.>>

Darth Vader wasn't a cold blooded Sith. Darth Vader was a moron. I don't think Walt Disney was a moron. Walt Disney probably also had more personality than a burlap sack.

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

Harlan Phoenix> That's not what I meant. I wasn't calling him a cold blooded Sith. I merely said we should have put Vader's breathing mask on him to keep him alive. The rest I was just joking around.
Merc with a Mouth
Wade Wilson

No worries, everyone, Greg B.'s theory probably isn't correct. Brooklyn's bringing Mary and Finella to the 1970's and Brooklyn's interactions with the beginnings of the Xanatos/Demona alliance happen in two seperate dances as Greg says here:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=1806

Matt - [ewoks11 at hotmail dot com]

I think the idea of having Brooklyn stay in one time for very long would get kind of dull, even if we didn't see all of it, and especially one so close to the modern day. I thought the concept was, essentially, that he'd be in a different time every episode. But we already know he'll spend a lot of time in 2198 and on, and he'll probably stay in Japan for a while as he gets to know Katana. Doing that again just seems to limit the stories that can be told.
Jurgan - [jurgan6 at yahoo dot com]

Merc> You just compared Walt Disney to a character who would destroy planets without any remorse and had murdered a bunch of children who dedicated themselves to a religious order.

Just throwing that out there.

Rebel> There's no guarantee that we'd see EVERY SINGLE MOMENT of Brooklyn's various multi-year stays. Only the important bits. Which strike me as probably not boring.

Harlan Phoenix

REBEL> <<But, it just seems like having him stay there for so long would be really boring.>>

Why do you think we'd see the entire thing?

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

Darth Disney would take charge with an iron fist and force choke everyone who had lame ideas. As Vader would say "Today's Disney employees are as lazy as they are stupid"
Merc with a Mouth
Wade Wilson

I suppose it would be rather "convenient" for the Phoenix Gate to take him away instead of forcing him to stay in New York with Mary and Finella for 10 years. But, it just seems like having him stay there for so long would be really boring.
Rebel

Bishansky > Isn't it possible that Brooklyn might have been whisked away by the Phoenix Gate sometime between the late 1970s and 1991, had other adventures, and then the Phoenix dropped him with Mary and Finella again sometime closer to 1991? As I see it, it's certainly possible that he spends the entire decade+ living with Mary and Finella in New York, but it's also possible that the Phoenix takes him away and leaves them to fend for themselves for a while.
Rebel

Darth Disney would look at some of the stuff the company is churning out and scream "NoooooOOOOOoooooOOOOO!"
Patrick
"I don't believe it." / "That is why you fail." - Luke Skywalker / Yoda

Patrick > Online petitions aren't written on paper.

Which is probably your case in point. :)

Paul - [nampahcfluap at yahoo dot com]

Don't you guys pay attention? It would be a perfectly preserved Disney finally awake after being in stasis. That or Darth Vader Disney lol
Merc with a Mouth
Wade Wilson

Zombie Disney? Please, that's a stupid idea.

Now, a cyborg Disney that feasts on Cuban children, that actually happened. Until the whole Elián González thing, of course.

http://video.adultswim.com/robot-chicken/walt-vs-elian.html

Brainiac - [OSUBrainiac at gmail dot com]
There is balance in all things. Live in symmetry with the world around you. If you must blow things up and steal from those around you, THAT'S WHAT RPGS ARE FOR!

Online petitions aren't worth the paper they're written on.
Patrick
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." - Willy Wonka

Harlan Phoenix> He'd be pretty old lol. However to term he used for employees whose work he didn't like was deadwood and he would always say "They're deadwood get rid of them" according to one of his former employees. Disney would not have the crap they do (with some exceptions) if he could stop them.
Merc with a Mouth
Wade Wilson

Merc With a Mouth>"If Walt were alive today he'd say "Today's Disney employees are all deadwood get rid of them"."

If Walt were alive today then he would be a zombie and he wouldn't care about what the company produced as long as he could buy brains to eat.

Harlan Phoenix

Link doesn't work just use google for it. Google spectacular spider-man cancelled for information on that.
Merc with a Mouth
Wade Wilson

Here's a link
www.petitionspot.com/petitions/thespecspiderman

Merc with a Mouth
Wade Wilson

<Patrick then explain all the announcements I found all the stuff I found on Google about it it was confirmed two days ago not several. There is a petition to keep the show google spectacular spider-man petition and it's the second one down.
Merc with a Mouth
Wade Wilson

Thanks for "informing" us of things we knew several days ago. By the way, you won't be able to Google up any "announcement" of the show being canceled. There's been no official announcement about anything being canceled, just all the fans with more than half a brain using their "reading between the lines" skills to figure out that if there's a new team developing a new Spider-Man series, SSM must be over.
Patrick
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." - Willy Wonka

I regret to inform of all of you that on Thursday Spectacular Spider-Man and Wolverine and the X-men. have been cancelled. SSM is with an Ultimate Spider-Man TV series. I don't know what's happening with X-men. I read it on Wikipedia but I'll check Google and see what I can find on this in case it's a prank. A little suspicious considering it says it was cancelled as soon as Disney bought Marvel but was just announced two days ago. If Walt were alive today he'd say "Today's Disney employees are all deadwood get rid of them". My eyes are glowing right now I'm about to turn green and burst into Disney and smash the entire studio.
Merc with a Mouth
Wade Wilson

So, I think I may have figured out aspects of the next "TimeDancer" story. The one where Owen introduces Xanatos to Demona, and Mary and Finella give Xanatos the Grimorum... and we know Brooklyn would be in this.

So, I watched "Outfoxed" again today, and did an Ask Greg search on Renard. In the results, I found an old answer from, 1998 I think, where Greg said that Owen became a Cyberbiotics employee in 1989, and left to work for Xanatos in 1991.

We also have those Februry 28th and March 1st [withheld] dates in the timeline. I don't think this is a coincidence at all.

Greg has always said in the past that Brooklyn, Mary and Finella ended up in 1970's America after leaving 997 Scotland. He has also said that Brooklyn was present in the story where they give the Grimorum to Xanatos (even if he wasn't present at the actual exchange).

So, it looks like Brooklyn spends over a decade with Mary and Finella in the U.S. before the phoenix comes to send him to another time period.

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

Hey, how long has that wiki search bar been on the right of this page? That's so cool.
Supermorff

Well, the Illuminati knows he has connections to the gargoyles and is helping to protect them and I'm sure they have surveillance from the Hotel Cabal. How could they not know that Matt helped Goliath escape? The fact is that Matt got the Illuminati a gargoyle as they asked. No one had ever escaped the Hotel Cabal before Goliath. Whether Matt helped Goliath is unimportant. Mace let this one get away, perhaps he should've prepared better for the possibility that Matt wasn't entirely trustworthy. He called him a "Judas", but didn't suspect that treachery could go both ways. He failed.
Matt - [ewoks11 at hotmail dot com]

But he's got no reason to lie to Matt, though. Unless there's another reason they recruited him that they don't want Matt knowing just yet. Or they just wanted to make Matt to think that he can keep secrets from them.

They also might not have cared that Matt helped Goliath escape. Or that he betrayed Malone. He'd proven that he could get results regardless of both of those facts.

Having said that, I don't really think they knew that Matt had betrayed Malone and helped Goliath escape. At the time at least. They might have suspected such a thing, or figured it out later, though.

Aldrius

Re-read "Invitation Only," Hacker told Xanatos, Matt, and Castaway three contradicting stories. He's not above lying.
Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

To be fair (and Hacker said this), it was only Bluestone's job to get Goliath to the hotel, and it was Mace's job to keep him there. I suspect that the Illuminati knows that Bluestone helped Goliath escape, I even think it is likely that Hacker knew it, but the point is that Bluestone performed him duties, Mace didn't and that makes Bluestone more valuable to the Illuminati.
Matt - [ewoks11 at hotmail dot com]

Greg B: Hacker said that it wasn't Bluestone's fault that Goliath got away from the Hotel Cabal, even though it actually was. So either Hacker didn't know, or he was lying.

Granted, the Illuminati does keep its lower-echelon members in the dark, and 32 is a pretty low rank. Maybe the upper-echelon members knew, even if Hacker didn't.

And as I think about it, the upper-echelon members of the Illuminati would probably applaud Bluestone's trickery, if they knew about it.

Paul - [nampahcfluap at yahoo dot com]

Why would gargoyles be interested in car insurance? They don't even need cars; as Goliath said, they supply their own transportation.
Todd Jensen

How do we know Goliath doesn't make a deal with Shatner to save on hotels and airfare, or with a gecko to save 15% or more on car insurance? "So easy a gargoyle can do it!"
Patrick
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." - Willy Wonka

As I said, the deal could be with just about anybody; all that we know is that Goliath's making the deal with *someone*. I'd thought of the possibility of it being Titania as well, though here linked to Queen Mab's escape (assuming it takes place so soon). Oberon and Titania might be desperate enough to seek the aid of the gargoyles - even though Goliath might be cautious about working with them after the events of "The Gathering". (Of course, if Mab got out, the Avalon clan - which Goliath sees as part of his clan - would be danger, and from there, eventually the entire world.)

Since the Illuminati clearly approve of Matt being the head of the Gargoyle Taskforce, they probably are aware of his loyalties to them. (I'd even suspect that they had something to do with his getting the job, except that in one of the "cut for time" parts of "Hunter's Moon Part Three", Chavez is the one who appoints him, and we don't have any evidence that she's one of the Illuminati.)

Todd Jensen

I always figured the 'deal' Goliath made was with Titania for some reason. Wasn't that Goliath Chronicles episode with her based on one of Greg's ideas? Or wasn't it?

Obviously I don't expect it to be 'It's a Wonderful Life' like the GC storyline, but I don't know. Just strikes me that Titania's involved with that for some reason. Maybe that's just my distaste for the Illuminati talking, though.

Aldrius

Disney won't spend the relatively small amount of money it would take to release the remaining episodes of an EXISTING show on DVD. I'd have to say the chances of them ponying up funds to produce a NEW season of Spectacular Spider-Man purely for DVD are somewhere between slim and none. Besides, from what I've read, it sounds like this would be Sony's call, not Disney's.
Patrick
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." - Willy Wonka

And who knows. If the DVDs were popular enough, the series may end up like Family Guy did in getting put back on the air in spite of previous cancellation. Seems like a good plan all the way around.
Steel_Beowulf - [djm1superhero at yahoo dot com]
"We believe what we want to believe. It's all we ever do" - Flemeth.

Greetings everyone. Having heard about the bad news concerning The Spectacular Spider-Man, I was wondering if there was any possibility that Greg could wrap up the series in the form of DVDS (which I understand was the original plan). Possibly four 2 hour TSSM movies covering every main thing Greg wanted to cover. This seems feasible and would no doubt be quite profitable for Disney while simultaneously having no problem with the eventual release of Ultimate Spider-Man.
Steel_Beowulf - [djm1superhero at yahoo dot com]
"We believe what we want to believe. It's all we ever do" - Flemeth.

Who's to say that the Illuminati pins & rings aren't tracers so the Illuminati doesn't know where all their members are at all times. I find it hard to imagine Goliath agreeing to becoming a member. That would really compromise his morals-at least to me. Though what the "Bargin" is all about concerns me - I'm dying to know. Hope Greg doesn't make us wait too long on that one.
Wingless

As a side note to this conversation, I always found it interesting that Matt Bluestone was seeking to prove the Illuminati existed and expose them and that suddenly they recruited him. It is fascinating how quick Matt goes from wanting to expose the Society to becoming a member. Revelations is a really interesting episode.
Matt - [ewoks11 at hotmail dot com]

PAUL> <<Matt Bluestone is an Illuminatus, and he's also friends with Goliath. On the other hand, the Illuminati probably don't know that Matt and Goliath are friends, since none of them except Mace and Matt knew exactly what went down in the Hotel Cabal, and Mace and Matt aren't talking about it.>>

Again, the Illuminati are not stupid.

They know Matt is partnered with Elisa. They know Elisa is involved with the gargoyles. They know Matt is running interference for them with the Taskforce.

Who says they aren't more aware about what happened at the Hotel Cabal than we think? Again, they're not stupid.

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

Matt Bluestone is an Illuminatus, and he's also friends with Goliath. On the other hand, the Illuminati probably don't know that Matt and Goliath are friends, since none of them except Mace and Matt knew exactly what went down in the Hotel Cabal, and Mace and Matt aren't talking about it.

If Matt had a friend in the Illuminati (even at the 36th rank, like himself), would his hands be as tied as they are now?

Paul - [nampahcfluap at yahoo dot com]

DANIEL> <<Would Goliath really agree since Thailog and Xanatos and other devious people are in it though?>>

Does Goliath know they are in it? Just because we know doesn't mean he knows.

Keep in mind, the Illuminati is not stupid. If they wanted him in, they'd approach him at a time when they'd think they had the advantage and he had no other choice. If they felt they held the cards and had something to offer.

This isn't a GI Joe vs Cobra innocuous 1980's cartoon, afterall.

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

BISHANSKY: Would Goliath really agree since Thailog and Xanatos and other devious people are in it though? I really can't see him in it. I also don't see how it could help the Illuminati that much. They might have better control over part of the gargoyles, but not much political power.

I don't even know if Goliath is smart enough to be a part of all that intrigue in the first place. He's always been a little bit one-track minded. On the other hand, he does know Macbeth and King Arthur very well, and their mission does seem to be focused around that. I guess I could see them offering him admission, but they would have to be sneaky about it to get him to join...which they already are in the first place...

I wonder if Lex will eventually get in there after he gets into business. What would be really cool though is it Brooklyn got in there, or even was already in the Illuminati during his timedancing.

Daniel
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psalms 30:5)

BISHANSKY - Fascinating idea, and I suspect that the Illuminati might indeed approach Goliath at some point.

Though we don't know yet specifically whom he makes the bargain with; it might not have anything to do with the Society.

Todd Jensen

They seem like a great match considering Goliath's leadership and influence among gargoyles both home and abroad. The Illuminati played so many angles in Clan-Building that I'm sure they could find a use for him. He's an element they don't yet control, Xanatos' tenuous relationship notwithstanding.
Landon Thomas - [<- Gargoyles News Twitter Feed]

Does anyone else think Goliath is going to be offered membership in the Illuminati?

I keep coming back to:

July 19, 1997: Goliath makes a bargain.

The Illuminati have influence in the Taskforce, the Quarrymen, Thailog, and Xanatos... it almost seems like a noose closing around Goliath and his clan.

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

Greg Weisman has stated in a few places that while he still hasn't heard anything straight from the horse's mouth, he is pretty convinced that the announcement of Ultmate Spider-Man means that Spectacular Spider-Man is done.

Additionally, Marvel Animation Age was able to squeeze some slightly more definitive statements from Marvel Animation and Sony. Marvel Animation is saying that the show /is/was a Sony production and that it was up to Sony whether or not they wanted to try to continue the show. (They would, of course, have to renew the license with Marvel and it's definitely not a sure bet that they'd be willing to sell at this point.) Sony replied that they currently have no plans to continue the show and that production has ended for the foreseeable future.

I wonder if part of the reason it took so long to get anything close to a straight answer was because there were two companies involved and each wanted to see if the other would blink first. Sony may not have wanted to pronounce the show dead until they were sure that Disney/Marvel wasn't interested in letting them produce another season for Disney XD and Disney/Marvel may not have wanted to close the door on a new deal with Sony, just in case they were willing to hand them ungodly amount of money to renew the license.

Marvel Animation Age also announced that Wolverine and the X-Men will not be getting a second season, which makes me think that Disney wants to close the books on all of the Marvel deals made before they acquired Marvel and start fresh. I don't really follow Iron Man Armored Adventures, but I wouldn't be surprised to see thatending soon as well.

Original article:

http://marvel.toonzone.net/news.php?action=fullnews&id=518

Demonskrye - [<---Bolt at The Ink and Pixel Club]

I think Todd is dead on. Of what little we've seen of the Illuminati, it always seems to boil down to control for them. They have a degree of control over organized crime, the Hotel Cabal was designed to break people's minds, thus giving the Society dominance over them, Quincy Hemings gives the society at least SOME influence over the President, Hacker told each of the Thirty-Sixes he met with either what they wanted to hear (probably to keep them in line) or what the Society wanted them to do. It's all about control.

In other news, EvilChicken25 has posted his fourth Gargoyles Abridged episode. Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peq_CqJ5Ous

Brainiac - [OSUBrainiac at gmail dot com]
There is balance in all things. Live in symmetry with the world around you. If you must blow things up and steal from those around you, THAT'S WHAT RPGS ARE FOR!

PAUL - I think you took my coffee remark too seriously.

I'm still curious, for that matter, about the Illuminati's motives for supporting the Quarrymen; I think it safe to assume that they were lying to Castaway about wanting to wipe out the gargoyle race. (They might be unscrupulous, but they're certainly not wasteful.)

Whatever the reason, I hope it won't turn out to be "We could use the Quarrymen to wipe your kind out, Goliath, but if you and your clan will agree to start looking the other way when the organized crime syndicates carry out their rackets, and maybe even run some errands for us when we choose, we could keep them restrained." It would work if this was Lex Luthor or the Big Man, but I think that the Illuminati have to be something more than a multiple crime boss.

Maybe they suspected that the gargoyles were going to be exposed to the public before long (the evidence is that they were planning the Quarrymen before the events of "Hunter's Moon"), correctly guessed that *someone* would form an anti-gargoyle organization, and wanted it to be someone whom they could control, so that they could control the anti-gargoyle organization's actions and keep it from doing anything that might run counter to the Illuminati's goals.

Todd Jensen

Todd: "(As I commented once, the Canmores' awareness of Demona's connection to Nightstone Unlimited - even if that connection is a thing of the past - makes it unlikely that either the Redemption Squad or the Quarrymen will be drinking NightStone Coffee.)"

Hunter and Castaway certainly wouldn't drink NightStone coffee, but only they know about the connection between gargoyles and Nightstone Unlimited. Castaway could effectively have the Quarrymen boycott the company by telling them that a gargoyle is its boss, but I don't see what Castaway would gain by doing so. (It could potentially tarnish the Quarrymen's reputation, too, if any of them decided to sabotage the Nightstone headquarters; Castaway has already shown that he prefers to avoid even the possibility of such an embarrassment.)

The Redemption Squad might be boycotting NightStone coffee, though; Dingo is the only member whom we ever see drinking coffee, and the logo on his cup (as seen in Bad Guys: Chapter Two) doesn't match the NightStone logo (as seen in Clan Building, Chapter Eight). Then again, it might be a non-issue for the Redemption Squad; they seem to have more pressing concerns than who gets the few dollars that they pay for their coffee.

Paul - [nampahcfluap at yahoo dot com]

"Which is why I hope we eventually get to see what the Illuminati has planned. They have to be setting him up for something, I can't think of any other reason such a high-ranking member of their society is working for a lower echelon."

Of course, knowing Thailog, he's probably setting them up for something, too. Now THAT would be an interesting conflict to watch unfold.

Jurgan - [jurgan6 at yahoo dot com]

Sorry. Forgot to add earlier:

Matt: <How did he know that there would be anything left to find?>

Maybe Thailog was looking for Waldo. ( ;

Harvester of Eyes
"If I went to some Mayan-speaking communities and asked people what is going to happen in 2012, they wouldn't have any idea. That the world is going to end? They wouldn't believe you. We have real concerns these days, like rain" -Jose Huchm

TODD> I don't think Demona knew Robyn was a Hunter when she made that call to her. I think she may have figured it out at Saint Damien's Cathedral, though. Or shortly after.
Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

Demona's suspicion (or certainty) that Robyn Correy was one of the Hunters certainly ties in with the scene where she, in her Dominique Destine persona, gives her videophone message to Robyn, starting with "Ah, Robyn, I thought I'd find you here" - directly after Robyn blew open the safe where Demona had been keeping her Operation Clean Slate components.

(As I commented once, the Canmores' awareness of Demona's connection to Nightstone Unlimited - even if that connection is a thing of the past - makes it unlikely that either the Redemption Squad or the Quarrymen will be drinking NightStone Coffee.)

Todd Jensen

HoE> That and Robyn was arrested and in the hands of the authorities (before the Director's agency got a hold of her). I think the names and faces of the Hunters were released to the public... there's a reason Jon changed his name and appearance.

But yeah, Demona knows she had a Hunter inside Nightstone Unlimited.

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

It makes sense that Demona would have deduced that the Canmores discovered her human persona. I'm sure it hasn't escaped her mind that the Hunters somehow knew where she would be on the night of October 26th.
Harvester of Eyes
"The minstrel in the gallery looked down on the rabbit-run. And he threw away his looking glass, saw his face in everyone." -Ian Anderson

I feel bad most of all for Greg, if indeed TSSM is cancelled. I saw only a handfull of episodes, but I could spot Greg's handywork right away. And I enjoyed them. :(
Battle Beast - [Canada]
I have started a movie challenge whereby I am wtching all 475 Best Picture nominees and winners in 365 days. I am on Day #35 and movie #41... wish me luck!

TODD> <<Demona would certainly want to abandon her "Dominique Destine" alias all the more if she knows, or even suspects, that the Canmores figured it out. (Did she ever guess, I wonder, that Robyn had really joined Nightstone to investigate her?) Not only would they know about her true identity behind the Dominique mask, but they could inform others (though there's no hint that they've done so).>>

Todd, at one of the Gatherings, or maybe over lunch at one point, Greg said, and I am repeating this from memory, that Demona definitely figured out that the Canmores found out her civilian identity. She knows that "Robyn Correy" was one of the Hunters. She has no idea if Robyn told anyone else or not. So, she's still laying low.

And Thailog is running Nightstone Unlimited, not just sneaking in and out.

MATT> Demona told Thailog HOW TO KILL HER. I think at that point, she trusted him enough to fill her in on her plan, on the Praying Gargoyle, and the Atlantean Crystal inside it. I can't think of anything else Thailog could have been searching for in that rubble.

Greg Bishansky

Here's what I want to know. Now, since Thailog has access to Nightstone Unlimited, he probably found out all about Operation Clean Slate. He knows what Demona needed to accomplish it, he knows where she planned to go and he knows the whole thing failed. But we see him searching St. Damien's Cathedral with Shari and Brentwood. It doesn't seem like a stretch to imagine he is searching for some component from Demona's failed plan, but how does he know any component would have just been left there by those that stopped her? Surely he would know that our heroes wouldn't leave the vial or the Medici Tablet or the Praying Gargoyle behind. Now, the Praying Gargoyle WAS left behind (or rather the pieces of it were), but how did Thailog know THAT? How did he know that there would be anything left to find?

That's what I'd like to know. Where is Thailog getting his information (both about the Praying Gargoyle's powers and the detals of the events of Hunter's Moon, 1996)?

Matt - [ewoks11 at hotmail dot com]

GREG B> I tend to agree with you that Demona really doesn't have the patience for running something as complex and unwieldy as a human corporation, especially if it doesn't directly tie in with her main goals. Just having to deal with humans on a constant daily basis would probably have driven her to shooting up the whole place with an Uzi sooner or later.

That said, I can't see her turning a blind eye to Thailog's antitcs for long. We've seen how Demona handles betrayal whether real or imagined. From Demona's perspective, whether Nightstone is of any practical use to her is entirely secondary to the fact that Thailog toyed with with her feelings, stole her property and should die a slow gruesome death just on general principle.

Algernon

Demona would certainly want to abandon her "Dominique Destine" alias all the more if she knows, or even suspects, that the Canmores figured it out. (Did she ever guess, I wonder, that Robyn had really joined Nightstone to investigate her?) Not only would they know about her true identity behind the Dominique mask, but they could inform others (though there's no hint that they've done so).

I don't think it's surprising that Castaway hasn't (as far as we know) informed the Quarrymen about it. They (and the general public) take gargoyles seriously now, since everyone knows after "Hunter's Moon" that they exist? But a gargoyle changing into a human in the daylight hours due to magic? I think Castaway would see that as sounding so far-fetched that his audience would never believe it without proof, and so decided not to bring it up.

Todd Jensen

Speaking of Dominique, one thing I've always found interesting about most fanfiction is the idea that Demona's human half becomes an integral part of her identity. I think she spelled it out for us in the episode "High Noon": she considers herself a gargoyle. THAT'S who she is. She acknowledges the usefulness of being human, but merely as a means to achieve an end.

As far as Thailog is concerned, I think I mentioned to someone after the Radio Play in 2007 that it didn't surprise me that Thailog left himself a means of gaining access to the company. I consider him one of the smartest characters in the Gargoyles universe. He's pulled the wool over the eyes of several other characters who are all intelligent in their own right (at least, Demona is very cunning when her judgment isn't impaired by emotion), and has successfully faked his death twice. Which is why I hope we eventually get to see what the Illuminati has planned. They have to be setting him up for something, I can't think of any other reason such a high-ranking member of their society is working for a lower echelon.

Harvester of Eyes
"The minstrel in the gallery looked down on the rabbit-run. And he threw away his looking glass, saw his face in everyone." -Ian Anderson

Subject change to something a little more "Gargoyles" related.

I remember when "Bash" was first released, and most of us were surprised to see Thailog just walking around the Nightstone Unlimited building. Most of us assumed Demona, or rather "Dominique Destine" would have locked him out. Greg had to update us that "Dominique" has abandoned Nightstone after the events of "Hunter's Moon," and is laying low.

But, honestly, it kind of makes sense to me. Demona may have a lot of skills that she has acquired over the centuries, but running a major corporation? It doesn't jive. Not to mention I doubt she'd have the patience to do it. It's just not her style.

Now, Thailog was programmed by Xanatos, so it's not hard to believe that running a major corporation is exactly his style... I'm sure he was the one making decisions while, for a while, "Dominique" acted as the public face... but remember that Alexander Thailog does legally exist, and she never had him declared legally dead after "The Reckoning."

Also, keep in mind that for a good portion of the time the company was set up, she was imprisoned in the Labyrinth. So, Thailog obviously has a means of running the company without her.

Demona is very intelligent, and extremely cunning. But I just can't imagine her in a board room negotiating with other businessmen, or looking over stock portfolios. For her, Nightstone Unlimited was probably for little more than developing the CV-1000 for her genocide scheme.

She is not "Dominique Destine." That's just a mask. It's not an identity. Not like John Castaway is a new identity for Jon Canmore, or anything like that. She is Demona.

Now, would she ever want to seize Nightstone back from Thailog? Sure, if she had some use for it. But it would probably be for one of her many schemes against humanity, and Goliath. I honestly don't really see Nightstone Unlimited staying in business very long with just her at the helm.

Thailog, on the other hand, seems to want to compete against Xanatos. He's got this whole oedipal thing going, and in addition to Nightstone Unlimited being a great base for his various schemes, I'm sure he relishes in the idea of beating Xanatos at his own game.

So, we know that the Lexington-Xanatos Corporation survives to 2198. We know the Illuminati and the Quarrymen survive to 2198. But, I'm not holding my breath for Nightstone Unlimited.

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

Considering the image of Hulk-Goblin is in the promotional poster's background? If this was a rebranded Spectacular, that would mean Mr. Roman had one hell of a vacation.

Probably a new show.

Harlan Phoenix

I don't suppose it's to much to hope that "Ultimate Spider-Man" is just Spectacular Spider-Man slightly rebranded ala The New Batman Adventures?
Algernon

I wish I could say it's unusual for a show to run for a season or two and then quietly disappear without anyone ever actually saying "canceled"... but it's not. In fact, that's pretty much par for the course.
Patrick
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." - Willy Wonka

Sorry to hear the news. I only got to see the first season of "The Spectacular Spider-Man", but I thought it was well-written and a lot of fun - and certainly enjoyable even for someone like me with only a nodding acquaintance with Spider-Man.
Todd Jensen

The announcement for the animated Ultimate Spider-Man makes absolutely no sense to me and I feel bad for Greg and his spectacular team. It's completely redundant to start an entirely new series only ONE YEAR after the last episode of the previous series ended. Heck, less than that.

Is there any chance at all that we can convince Eric S. Rollman (Marvel Animation Studios head) to just continue on with Spectacular Spider-Man, instead? It just feels completely redundant to do this.

ThatNickGuy - [nick_piers at hotmail dot com]

Whoops, should clarify my last statement. I was thinking of an earlier Newsarama article that implied Yost and Rollman said TSSM show is dead, which Rollman later withdrew. I guess it's not clear who was at fault for the misinformation.
Landon Thomas - [<- Gargoyles News Twitter Feed]

I wonder if Greg was even asked or considered to write for "Ultimate Spider-Man"?
Anthony Tini

"When asked about the fate of the recent The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series from Sony Pictures Television, which ended its second season last year on the Disney XD network, Marvel Animation Age received no official comment from Sony Pictures Television, Disney XD / Disney Television Group or Marvel Animation."

Are they terrified to pull the plug or something? I guess these days most execs prefer to "never renew" rather than "cancel".

Newsarama calls TSSM "scuttled": http://www.newsarama.com/tv/Ultimate-Spider-Man-TV-Series-100413.html

But this wouldn't be the first time they've written about the show's cancellation without any actual sources.

Landon Thomas - [<- Gargoyles News Twitter Feed]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this does not look very good:

http://marvel.toonzone.net/news.php?action=fullnews&id=516

Yes, no one had any direct comment on the future of SS-M, but it seems highly unlikely to me that Disney or Marvel would want to have two competing Spider-Man TV shows on at the same time, ley alone two Spidey shows on Disney XD.

Now in a world of possibilities, I do think that a direct-to-DVD continuation of SS-M has at least a better shot of happening than the moon falling out of the sky. It's not the direction that Marvel is going in with their direct-to-DVD releases right now, but if the show continues to have a following and Disney and Marvel think there is still money to be made, it's at least less of a long-term commitment than another season, and more likely to happen than another season after time has passed since the last episode aired.

Again, sorry to disappoint anyone who was still hoping to see a season three, but I think that this pretty well puts an end to that possibility.

Demonskrye - [<---Bolt at The Ink and Pixel Club]

PAUL> "Anyway, maybe there is a connection between Anubis and Hermes, between Hermes and Mercury, and between Mercury and Odin."

Your not too far off there Paul, Odin is actually a more developed form of the ancient Germanic chief deity Wōdanaz whom the Romans equated with their own Mercury. Hence Julius Caesar writes of the Germanic tribes as worshipping Mercury above all other gods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wodanaz#Odin_and_Mercury

Algernon

Paul> "Well, Greg Weisman did say that Anubis and Odin were both death gods, and Hermes/Mercury does have some sort of job escorting dead souls to the Underworld."

As I said, Hermes was a psychopomp, much like Anubis. Death gods are interesting, especially since you often have multiple forms of them. There are guides for the deceased (psychopomps like Hermes and Anubis), rulers of the dead (Osiris and Hades), and personifications of death itself (Thanatos, Nephthys, or even the modern Grim Reaper).

Brainiac - [OSUBrainiac at gmail dot com]
There is balance in all things. Live in symmetry with the world around you. If you must blow things up and steal from those around you, THAT'S WHAT RPGS ARE FOR!

At least nobody's as likely to be asking for crossovers between "Gargoyles" and the DC universe, with DC Comics connected to Disney's competition. (And the gargoyles wouldn't fit in the DC Universe any more than in the Marvel one.)
Todd Jensen

Brainiac > Zeus' parents were Kronos and his sister Rhea, and I don't think that siblings can be of two different races.

Unless it's one of those myths that is true but not accurate...

Something else just occurred to me. Apparently there is some connection between Odin and Mercury; Wednesday (Odin's Day) is called Mercoledi (Mercury's Day) in Italian. I don't know about any of the other Romance languages, but I assume that they have similar words for Wednesday as well. (I know that the French word for Tuesday, Mardi, is similar to the Italian word, Martedi, and both are named after Mars. But the connection between the Germanic god Tiw and the Roman god Mars is more obvious.)

Anyway, maybe there is a connection between Anubis and Hermes, between Hermes and Mercury, and between Mercury and Odin.

Well, Greg Weisman did say that Anubis and Odin were both death gods, and Hermes/Mercury does have some sort of job escorting dead souls to the Underworld.

It's something to think about, at least.

Paul - [nampahcfluap at yahoo dot com]

JURGAN> Thanks.

The Radio Play was still a shit ton of fun, though. ;)

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

Greg B: Crossing over those universes is such a self-evidently bad idea that I never thought there was any need to explain why. But you did a good job, nonetheless.
Jurgan - [jurgan6 at yahoo dot com]

Creamcheesealchemist> It's already it's own universe. That would be redundant.
Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

RE: Marvel and Gargoyles... What if Gargoyles was a universe/continuity unto itself, not part of the 616 universe of current Marvel comics or the zombie one, its own universe inside the Marvel multiverse?
Creamcheesealchemist

Paul> Not necessarily. Atlas is indeed a Titan, but Pleione, Maia's mother, was not (according to myth, she was an Oceanic nymph). Thus, it's possible that Maia could be a halfling and Hermes could be a lineal equivalent to Alexander. Of course, we also lack the official word on whether or not Zeus was fully of the Third Race (and considering the presence of Jove in The New Olympians, there is definitely a question there).
Brainiac - [OSUBrainiac at gmail dot com]
There is balance in all things. Live in symmetry with the world around you. If you must blow things up and steal from those around you, THAT'S WHAT RPGS ARE FOR!

Greg Weisman said that the Titans were Children of Oberon, meaning that Maia (one of Atlas' daughters and Hermes' mother) was also one of the Third Race. Unless Zeus was a New Olympian rather than a Child of Oberon, Hermes must also be a Child of Oberon.

And if Zeus was a New Olympian, then Hermes might also be a New Olympian.

Paul - [nampahcfluap at yahoo dot com]

Matt> Yeah, I know. It's the flaw in the quote from TVTropes. The ironic thing is that Odin got out of practice dealing with mortals when, in the Gargoyles universe, he was banished from Avalon, along with all of the Third Race, to learn humility and benevolence towards mortals. Of course, with the Christianization of Scandinavia and the Ragnarok that likely occurred around that time (which is totally a guess, but it would make sense), it would explain a lot of why one of the more human-centric members of the Aesir would get out of practice dealing with mortals over that milleinium despite Oberon's decree. However, considering the trade he made that lost him his eye in the first place, I find Odin's reacquisition of that item to be a larger annoyance to those familiar with the mythology (to say nothing of his apparent survival of Ragnarok).

One thing I did find amusing was a statement concernign Gargoyles playing fast and loose with multiple mythologies from around the globe ("Odin, for example, bears absolutely no connection to Anubis or Oberon"). It would have been ironic had they said Hermes rather than Odin as, due to the interaction between the two ancient cultures and their similar duties as psychopomps (look it up), there actually WAS a hybrid deity known as Hermanubis at one time. Presuming Greg did not plan for Hermes to be a halfling (which, considering he's one of Zeus's many children from someone other than Hera, would make sense), this makes me wonder if members of the Third Race become Avatars of one another.

Brainiac - [OSUBrainiac at gmail dot com]
There is balance in all things. Live in symmetry with the world around you. If you must blow things up and steal from those around you, THAT'S WHAT RPGS ARE FOR!

ComicsOnline interviews Greg on Mecha-Nation: http://comicsonline.com/node/983

Issue #3 is now in Previews for shops to order from: http://apecrew.blogspot.com/2010/04/april-2010-previews-catalogue.html HeavyInk has a June 30th release date: http://heavyink.com/comic/13974-Mecha-Nation-3

Landon Thomas - [<- Gargoyles News Twitter Feed]

Odin> If memory serves, Odin never said he was inexperienced dealing with mortals, but rather he was out of practice dealing with mortals. There is a difference, I think.
Matt - [ewoks11 at hotmail dot com]

10th
vickyuk

9th

Greg hasn't answered any questions since 4/1. Anyone know what he's currently working on?

Anthony Tini

Eighth!
Phil - [p1anderson at go dot com]

BRAINIAC - Good point about Odin; he was the only one of the Norse gods who seems to have regularly interacted with humans (even intervening a few times, in his one-eyed wanderer guise, in such hero-legends as the Volsung Saga). Most of the Norse gods only involved themselves with the other mythical beings (giants, dwarves, monstrous creatures like the Fenris-wolf and Jormungand), and scarcely meddled with humans.
Todd Jensen

Seventh!
Matt - [ewoks11 at hotmail dot com]

At last, I am perfect (or sixth, if you prefer). Ah, math humor.

As to Marvel/Gargoyles fusion, I agree to it being a bad idea and pretty much impossible to properly unify. The aforementioned Norse myths are indeed one of the major sticking points (especially since Greg stated an equivalent to Ragnarok has already occurred in the Gargoyles universe, mostly to avoid Thor). As to the whole Oberon over Odin thing, I understand entirely why that can be grating to some. Indeed, some of the depictions of various mythological figures can be distracting to those intimately familiar with the real-world counterparts. As a commenter on TVTropes said, "More jarring is Odin's comment about not being experienced with mortals, when he was one of those most in contact with us. Makes this Odinist follower kinda fearful to see how the rest of the Aesir have handled a mere millennial hiatus."

Brainiac - [OSUBrainiac at gmail dot com]
There is balance in all things. Live in symmetry with the world around you. If you must blow things up and steal from those around you, THAT'S WHAT RPGS ARE FOR!

HARLAN PHOENIX - Thanks for your analysis of the non-linear format of "Gargoyles" #7. I hope we get to see your analysis continued for #8 and #9 soon.

BISHANSKY - Thanks, also, for your blog on "Gargoyles" and the Marvel Universe, and I think it's a good one. You certainly make well-reasoned arguments for why the two worlds aren't compatible.

I definitely agree with you that the juxtaposition of the two worlds would make the public panic towards gargoyles less convincing; not only would they be more used to such things in the Marvel Universe, but they'd probably be expecting the Avengers or the Fantastic Four to handle the gargoyle problem, meaning that there would seem less need to solve it themselves by joining the Quarrymen. And I also agree that the two universes' treatment of different real-world legends (such as Norse mythology; I know that Marvel's also done the Arthurian legend, and from what I've read of it, the Marvel treatment would be difficult to reconcile with "Pendragon") is another obstacle. (Most of all, as you also point out, is the Marvel Universe's tendency to push the reset button.)

(Your comment, in particular, on how Marvel's creative staff would handle Goliath and Elisa, reminds me of a scene in Hal Foster's comic strip "Prince Valiant", when Val and Aleta are married. Foster writes in the panel depicting the wedding ceremony "Now here, according to approved writers of romance, the saga of Prince Valiant should end. But the winning of Aleta is one thing, costing Val no more than his heart, but living with her is another story... and we think the story worth telling." And he proceeded to depict the joys and vicissitudes of married life over the next few decades of the strip (until he retired). Clearly the approach that Greg would take with Goliath and Elisa.)

I might confess that I'm one of those whom you mentioned who had problems with Odin subject to Oberon's authority at first - the ruler of the Norse gods taking orders from a "mere" fairy king? - but have come to accept it (or at least, not be as disturbed by it); and in a world where "All things are true.... not all things are accurate", it should not be so surprising that Odin has Oberon as a superior.

Thanks for sharing the blog with us, Bishansky.

Todd Jensen

Fourth!

Marvel/Gargoyles: The only time I ever entertained this thought was when I went to the Gathering Radio Play last year. As you pointed out on your blog, however, Spectacular Spider-Man is not THE Marvel Universe, but a more streamlined version (I'm recalling Greg's Four Cs for Spec Spidey: coherent, cohesive, contemporary & classic). Count me in as someone wanting the two universes separate.

In my opinion, wanting a Gargoyles/Spectacular Spider-Man crossover was really just a testament of how much we enjoyed Greg making a Marvel series his own, and our curiosity in how he'd handle THE Marvel Universe (I still have to pick up that issue he wrote about Flash Thompson, btw).

Frankly, instead of mixing the two series together (which, while definitely entertaining it was certainly a bit of a stretch), I'd be more intrigued if Greg and his awesome crew of Spec Spidey give the Four C's treatment to other Marvel properties.

Now, I'm not one of those people who has been bugging to see guest stars from other titles in Spectacular Spider-Man . . . quite the contrary, I definitely agree with Weisman that the Spidey corner of Marvel is loaded with TONS of fascinating villains/heroes, many of which we've only had a taste sample of by the end of season 2.

But if the series were to live long enough (how long can we keep our fingers crossed? >_<), I wouldn't mind seeing Greg's thoughts of the other Marvel heroes in Spec Spidey's universe come into fruition . . . if I remember correctly, Greg's mused on podcasts and interviews (which I recognize is probably even MORE CiT than Gargoyles CiT, hehe) that by the end of season 2, the Fantastic Four is around but dealing with big, cosmic stuff, Captain America is still in an iceberg, Xavier's just starting his school, Hulk's an urban myth at best, and Daredevil and Tony Stark haven't had their origin stories yet. Thor and Ant-Man are also around, but I currently forget to what extent. Basically classic 1960s Marvel made uh, cohesive, coherent & contemporary ;)

To sum up (what I think has been a tangent), Greg got me hooked to Gargoyles & Spidey (and I enjoyed the moments of season 2 WITCH I was lucky to catch), I have no doubt that - if given the chance - he can get me hooked to some other series as well. :D

Which reminds me, Mecha-Nation's coming out soon, right?

Phoenician
"The suspense is terrible, I hope it lasts" -- Willy Wonka

Since so many people love to ask Greg if he has any interest in merging "Gargoyles" with the Marvel Universe, now that Disney owns Marvel, I figured I would blog on this topic.

http://gregxb.blogspot.com/2010/04/gargoyles-in-marvel-universe.html

Thoughts?

Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?

Third~!!
The One Known As Mochi - [shogi dot keima dot 08 at gmail dot com]
Current Mood: (>^^)> 3D Dot Game Heroes...

Reposting to make sure it gets seen. Because I am a whore.

http://harlanphoenix.blogspot.com/

A commentary on the Stone of Destiny arc, will be finished whenever, in an attempt to explain and decipher the various themes that were explored in its composition as interpreted by me.

Weee!

...Second?

Harlan Phoenix

First, I guess.
Greg Bishansky
"Personally, when it comes to rights, I believe we have unlimited rights or no rights at all. Personally, I lean towards unlimited. I feel I have the right to do anything I please. But, if I do something you don't like, I think you have the right to kill me. Where will you find a fairer deal than that?