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Anonymous writes...

You mentioned a "Prospero" in one of your replies. Who is he? Is he related to any of the character's we know? If not, have any of the characters met him previously? Is he good or evil? And last, but not least, did you plan for him to
actually help with a hybrid, or just want to?

Greg responds...

I'm not talking.


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Anonymous writes...

Why did Oberon (excuse my spelling) banish the feys from Avalon?

Greg responds...

Arrogance. Theirs and his. And your spelling is fine.


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Anonymous writes...

If the trio is all the same age then why does Brooklyn act like he's a few years older?!?

Greg responds...

Maturity and chronological age don't always go hand in hand.


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Anonymous writes...

I was wondering if you could give a little detail on how so many Star Trek actors got cast in the show. It seems a little more than coincidence, since you had appearances from nearly the entire cast of The Next Generation, and (as far as I can tell) at least one actor from every other Star Trek series.
Thanks!

Greg responds...

I've answered this before. But in a nutshell, it began with Marina. She auditioned for Demona and was perfect immediately. Jonathan was later cast as Xanatos. After that when we were thinking about who to cast in various guest rolls, it was hard not to think of Star Trek when we had two of their actors sitting there in the room with us.


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Anonymous writes...

Where did gargoyles come from - were they created, did they evolve or what. What exactly are the origins of gargoyles?

Greg responds...

I've answered this before too. Gargoyles were created in the same way humans were. If you believe in human evolution, then you should believe in Gargoyle evolution. If you believe that humans were created by a higher power (like God), then so too were the Gargoyles. Personally, I don't find those ideas mutually exclusive.


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Anonymous writes...

Was Gabriel Coldstone and Coldfire's son? Why was Coldfire a robot and not a cyborg like Coldtsone? Also, who thought up the "jalapena" exclamation? (It's actually pronounced "jalapeno")

Greg responds...

Gabriel was there biological son, yes.
There were no gargoyle pieces left to make a second (or third) cyborg for Coldfire and Coldsteel. Robots were the best Xanatos could do.
Jalapeña (which we altered on purpose, I know how to spell and pronounce jalapeño, thank you very much) was basically added to the show on a dare.
Anyone who was at the Gathering this past summer heard Keith David tell the story of the Blues singer who used to say "¡Jalapeña!" instead of "Halleluia". Keith took the habit from her. (I wish I could remember her name.) Our voice director Jamie Thomason bet me I couldn't find a way to work it into the show. I took that bet. Worked it in and fell in love with it. Everyone else on the show hated it.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello, Greg! The ritual thanks for all your time and help...on to the questions.
1. "Griff and Leo were involved in the 40s..." This is a direct quote from you. *Leo*? Are you sure you didn't mean *Una*? (I know the answer to this one--I hope--but I decided to bug you anyway.) 2. This has been asked twice or more before, but I've decided to ask it the right way. *In the Gargoyles universe*, who created the Phoenix Gate? One of the Sisters says that it was forged on Avalon, but by whom? Also, why would Puck try to bribe Oberon with it? Isn't Oberon powerful enough to traverse space and time under his own power? I do have a theory, but to pose it I think would violate the rules of this Q&A.
3. What is the correct order of the three races? Are gargoyles the first, humans the second, and fae the third? This is the order that Broadway gives, and Oberon refers to himself as Ruler of the Third Race. But in one of your answers you said that the fae would probably consider themselves first. Is there any definitive answer, or does it depend on the race of the person you ask?
4. How is that guy's name spelled...Brendon, Brendan or something else? Is he Margot's husband or boyfriend? (I apologize if that has been already answered.)
5. About Sevarius' name-- you said in another answer that the spelling I just used was the correct one, but in--I think it was "The Cage," Elisa holds up his briefcase and the name on it is "Servarius"--was this an oversight, then? Whoever personalized the briefcase goofed, and Sevarius got mad at them? (But used the case anyway.) 6. Is the spelling of the Princess' name Katharine or Katherine?
7. How did the New Olympians come to have such advanced technology?
8. Does Broadway still have the Sun Amulet? If so, why did he keep it?
9. When Jade and Turquesa went to Avalon, did they have to leave their amulets at the gate, or what? They wouldn't have been allowed to take them to Avalon unless the Sun Amulet was fae magic. It wasn't, was it? Or were the amulets allowed, since they weren't really the source of the magic, just extensions of it?
10. Were there plans to ever have Alexander on Avalon? For any of the trio or Hudson to go? For any other Avalonian gargoyles to leave, and perhaps come to Manhattan? (Besides Angela and Boudicca.) Again, thank you very much. I also wanted to say it was great seeing you at the Gathering, and thanks for signing my card. :)

Greg responds...

1. Yes. A mental typo. Griff and Una were involved. Later Leo and Una mated. Griff and Leo were just friends. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clear that up.
2. Thanks for exhibiting restraint. Oberon has a lot of power. But Time Travel requires a lot of energy. It may be beyond his abilities. It's certainly beyond his ability to do with the kind of ease the Gate allows. As to the Gate's origin, I'm not at liberty to divulge that right now. (Well, I am, but I don't feel like it.)
3. Depends on who you ask. When did Oberon refer to himself as Ruler of the Third Race? If so, it must be a colloquialism he adopted. Certainly he doesn't place the two "mortal" races ahead of his own.
4. Brendan is Margot's husband.
5. I don't remember that. But if you're right, and it wasn't corrected in a later retake, then you're explanation is as good as any. Sevarius is the correct spelling.
6. Katharine. Michael Reaves spelled it that way. At the time, it struck me as unusual, but that just made it special. Later everyone (including Michael and me too sometimes) kept spelling it Katherine. Turns out that the original spelling was probably a typo. Michael had no specific memory of it. But that's how the first episode credits went out, so that's what I stuck with.
7. They developed it themselves over the centuries.
8. He kept it to keep it out of trouble. He didn't know what it was for.
After Goliath et al returned, I'm sure they recognized it and filled him in.
9. Good questions. I hadn't really thought that out. The pendants were definitely created by human sorcery. Maybe they left them with Zafiro and Obsidiana until they returned.
10. I had some plans for Angela and Broadway to go to Avalon, at least for a visit. I didn't have specific plans for any of the others, but I did have more story ideas involving the Avalon cast, and as the stories required, I wouldn't have hesitated to move people around a bit.


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Anonymous writes...

One more more Gabriel: would he have come back if there had been a Season Four? Can you tell me about Reuben Santiago-Hudson(his voice actor)?

Greg responds...

I had more ideas for Gabe. He would have been back eventually.

Reuben is a very nice and extremely talented guy. You can see him currently as a regular in the new CBS t.v. series MICHAEL HAYES, which stars David Caruso. Keith David introduced us to Reuben. They're old friends. They were both in SEVEN GUITARS together. Keith had the lead role. Reuben won a Tony award for best supporting actor in a play for his role. He's married with children.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg, did any one else notice this??? One of Dracon's henchmen is "Pal Joey". In sister Act, one of the thugs is called Pal Joey. Was that an inside joke?

Greg responds...

Not in the sense you mean. We probably both got the name from the movie "Pal Joey".


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Anonymous writes...

Could you give me the dates on which the major Gargoyles events took place..the Awakening, Hunter's Moon, the beginning of the Avalon trip, the Gathering, etc...?

Greg responds...

Not right now. After I'm done with the encyclopedia, I'm going to sit down with all my disparate notes and work out the timeline.


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Anonymous writes...

Who is Nought?

Greg responds...

Who isn't?


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Anonymous writes...

Hey, again! I have to say, your "City of Stone" short story was delightful! We clannies have been going into gargs withdrawl over the past few months - not fun I assure you. But when I read that brief little passage, it was like seeing a new ep again. My question is this: You've mentioned scenes dropped from several eps ("Hunter's Moon", "Avalon II", etc.) and dismissed them as being unimportant. Still..would it be too much trouble to write just a few of them out? You wouldn't be giving anything away, and it'd be a real treat for the fans. *gets down on knees* PLEASE!!!

Greg responds...

I'm glad you liked that stuff. I've included a couple of missing snippets from "Hunter's Moon, Part Three". The "Avalon, Part Two" stuff would be harder to reproduce without reproducing the entire script. I don't have any way of doing that now, short of retyping the whole thing in. And guess what, I'm not going to do that. Sorry. Maybe someday.


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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg, I know Macbeth is strong but he has taken on the Gargoyles in hand to hand combat. Since Gargoyles have inhuman strength one would think this is impossible. How exactly is Macbeth able to take on the Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Superior fighting skills and armored clothing. You'll notice he doesn't arm- wrestle Goliath. He uses Goliath's own momentum etc. against him.


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Anonymous writes...

Heh, Sorry Greg. Just read the board on why. Nevermind my last question.
Here's a real one. So Demona is 35, eh? Is that Gargoyles oR Human Years? Cause if it's Gargoyle, then that would make her a ripe 17 1/2 year old equivalent (And
she DOES look like it)

Greg responds...

She's biologically 35. That is the human equivalent of 35. And before you say how she doesn't look THAT OLD, remember that I'm 34 myself.


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Anonymous writes...

You mentioned writing a "Gargoyles Encyclopedia." Can you give us some general idea of the contents? (P.S. I hope that you can publish it someday; I'd gladly buy a copy).

Greg responds...

It's just what it sounds like. Look up "Boudicca" or "Avalon, Part Two" or "Brooklyn Botanical Gardens" and you'll get as much pertinent info as I could figure to include.


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Anonymous writes...

If there are three races on Earth according to the Gargoyles , then what are the New Olympians?

Greg responds...

A hybrid. But keep in mind who told you that there were only three races.
It was Broadway. What the hell does he know?


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Anonymous writes...

Have you ever thought about doing a REAL Gargoyles Movie, not just AWAKENING on tape? After all, a movie that answers all of the questions you left hanging might just save the show...or at least satisfy we fans.

Greg responds...

I'm not sure what you mean. Answers "all" of the questions? Everytime I answered any question, I made a conscious effort to raise a new question. As to the Movie thing -- well, there is a live-action movie in the works that I have some very limited peripheral involvement in. Both "City of Stone" and "Hunter's Moon" were originally planned as "movies" for home video, but neither were picked up for that format, so we made them into episodes.


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Anonymous writes...

Before I ask anything I'd like to thank you for coming to the Gathering and putting up with our enthusiastic attention so well. Now to questions. I meant to ask this at the con, were there every any notable times where the animators goofed completely without misdirection being at fault? [I was thinking of things like (maybe) the scale of the Cloisters in Temptations, I am not tall, but in that place I bump my head on doorways, or my favorite pet peeve, the scarflike prayer shawl in Golem- (most of the ones I have seen are about the size of a middling to large flag, and strike a far more romantic image when worn). Another question I would have asked at the con had I remembered it at the time: Are you ever surprized at certain strong preferences common in fandom? Things like preferring the 5 part opener to straight to video version, or the original ending of Vows instead of the intended one that replaced it in later showings?
Thanks.

Greg responds...

You're welcome. I had a great time.

The animators made tons of mistakes. Only natural given our extremely tight production schedules. Most mistakes were fixed with retakes. Some slipped by us.

Surprised? Yeah, sometimes. Preferring the 5-parter to the video doesn't come as a shock. As I've mentioned before, the video was put together for one specific purpose, and a home video wasn't it. The Vows thing does surprise me. It's such an obvious error. Like the kind you mentioned in your previous question. They put the wrong background in.
It infuriated us at the time. I don't know why anyone would prefer this mistake. I'm not sure I understand the "interpretation" that fandom has read into that mistake that makes it more attractive than the true intent, which was Goliath remembering that one special moment when he and Demona exchanged vows.


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Anonymous writes...

Like, hi, and stuff. One question. *loud clanking and yelling as he looks for the list* Ah, here it is. *clears throat* 1. Why am I constantly hearing "Gargoyles is Cancelled, Gargoyles is cancelled!"?
2. Is it cancelled?
3. If so...WHY?! A TON of people love this show, man!
4. General comment here...could you tell the higher ups in Disney that A.
John Smith was a jerk B. That Quasimodo was a NUT. and C. JOHN SMITH.
NEVER. GOT. SHOT!
5. Um...are there scripts fer eps you kin buy?

Greg responds...

1. Uh. Cuz it was.
2. Depends on how you define "cancelled" I guess. They aren't making new episodes. Reruns are now showing on USA. But by any standard definition, yes, Gargoyles was cancelled.
3. Define "TON". Ratings weren't high enough to keep it on the air.
4. No.
5. No.


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Anonymous writes...

A couple of questions for one of the greatest showbiz guys I've communicated with.
1. In a previous answer, you mentioned negative recommendations for the Goliath Chronicles (suggestions taken the wrong way, things you said not to do that were done, etc.) What were some of these negative suggestions?
2. If you ever had the chance to tell us the story you had in mind about the clocktower (also mentioned in a past question), would you?
3. If a publisher wanted to do your Gargoyles encyclopedia, would you?
4. Would you someday tell us more about the original (comedy) premise?
5. What was the inspiration for "Future Tense"? I think that's all for now. Thanx in advance for answering these.

Greg responds...

1. I think you misunderstood. I gave them a loose outline of what I was planning for season three. They took that info and ignored some of it and went other ways with the rest of it. "Timedancer" for example became "Runaways". An idea for a multi-trickster story became "Ransom". But when I talked about negative recommendations, I was referring to my paid consultancy work on the series. I had a contractual consultant's credit, which I waved, because I felt I hadn't made any real ADDITIONS to the content of TGC. I did kibbitz on their premises. When it seemed to me that characters were behaving out of character, I advised them not to do that out-of-character thing. In particular, the original premise of "Angels of the Night" (or whatever it was called) had the Gargoyles abandoning Manhattan at the end.
Elisa changed her name and moved to Chicago with Goliath. Lex and Brooklyn went on their own world tour. I forget what happened to everyone else. I advised them NOT to do that. They took that advice, thankfully. Still the only contributions that I made of any real merit were negatives. "Please don't do that." Things you didn't see on the screen, because I advised against it. Giving me credit for what you did see seemed unfair, both to me and to the people who actually did the work.
2. Given the opportunity and the resources and the time, I'd eventually tell all the stories I had, until I just didn't have any more.
3. Of course.
4. There isn't too much more to tell. It didn't go, so we didn't develop it further.
5. "Future Tense" the episode or the proposed series idea?


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Anonymous writes...

All right, one more that I had forgotten about. Sorry about the numerous
posts. I write fanfic in my spare time, and this has been driving me nuts.
So, I figured I'd go straight to the expert... Fay? Fae? Fey? How the
#%$^%*$@#$ is it spelled?????

Greg responds...

All of the above, I figure. I'm not even sure we used that word in the
actual series. Did we? I remember referring to Oberon's Children as
"The Fair Folk". I think that's as close as we came, or am I forgetting a
mention or two? By the way, my original name for "Oberon's Children" was
"The Oberati," but Brynne and Michael Reaves thought that sounded like an
Italian Sports Car, so we switched. (GDW/ 12- 8- 97)


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Anonymous writes...

Merry Christmas Greg, 1. What do you think Xanatos would have transformed
into if he had worn the Eye of Odin (For eample: Fox became a werefox,
Magus became a powerful sorcerer, and Goliath became a bigger gargoyle)?
2. What aspect of his personality do you think would have been personified
(Fox=hunter, Magus=intellectual, Goliath=protector)? 3. When it became
available to him, did Macbeth ever go to college? If so, what was his major
and what college did he attend? 4. If you didn't use any of the Gargoyles
main charecters, could you legally make a Future Tense show, or does your
contract with Disney forbid you from doing anything remotely like Gargoyles?
5. Why did Disney take creative freedom from you? Gargoyles was YOUR
creation! Without you the show never would have made it (even though i know
there were other brilliant minds on the show as well)! Did they think that
by refusing you creative freedom they could better the show? I don't carry
a grudge and I don't blame anyone for the show's downfall, I just would like
to know there reasoning behind this decision because if you would have
stayed on for the last season with complete creative freedom, at the very
least, the last season of TGC would have been better than it was. Thanks
for your input! Bye! Happy Holidays!

Greg responds...

1. We'll never know.
2. Ditto.
3. He's probably studied at multiple universities over the years.
4. It depends what you mean. Future Tense wouldn't be Future Tense without
the characters I had planned to use. If you're asking me whether or not I
could do a series set in the future, the answer is yes, of course I can,
assuming I could sell it somewhere.
5. They didn't take creative freedom away from me. I never said they
did. They wouldn't promise me creative control, which is very
different. Had I stayed, I might have been able to wrangle that
control, but I bailed. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't. Where's the
Phoenix Gate when you need it.(GDW/ 1- 26- 98)


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Anonymous writes...

Do the fey have blood? Since iron is deadly to them, they can't use it in
their hemoglobin, if they have any. So how does oxygen get around in them?

Greg responds...

The Children are creatures of pure magic.


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RANDOM THOUGHTS

I did have Ed Asner/Lou Grant in mind when I was writing the character description for Hudson. The last line of the description was "Hudson hates spunk."

Jason Canmore has a younger sister Robyn and a younger brother Jon.
So do I. But my siblings don't have much else in common with his.

I knew I didn't want the show to be filled exclusively with gargoyles and white male humans. So we intentionally tried to present a more honest, inclusive version of America (and the world).

Xanatos is the kind of villain I like to write. Anyone interested in seeing his precursor (and Owen's) should check out General Eiling (and Captain Allard) in back issues of the DC comic book CAPTAIN ATOM which I used to write with Cary Bates.

Goliath is the kind of hero I like to write. Noble and flawed. Not a guy who's as bad as or worse than the bad guys he fights.

As to whether I was disappointed...

The short answer is honestly, NO. Not a bit. I'm very proud of all 66 episodes and our entire ensemble of characters.

The longer answer is that there are plenty of little things that I wish I could fix. Most of them are ticky-tack things, many I'm sure you wouldn't even notice. There are even two story things (one each in "Grief" and "The Hound of Ulster") where I feel like I missed a peace of the "true" story.
There's also material that got cut for time that I wish I had been able to include, particularly in "Avalon, Part II" and "Hunter's Moon, Part III".
There was a great scene in the clock tower between Elisa and Jason the morning after the Hunters blew the place up. It was really gorgeous stuff. But the script was way too long.

The only other regret I have is that I opted not to write and/or edit the GOLIATH CHRONICLES. I had good, sound reasons at the time, but in retrospect it was a mistake.


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GARGOYLES: THE LOST MOMENTS

(First in a series.)

The following is a scene from "Hunter's Moon, Part Three" that was cut because the script was way, way too long. It was written by Michael Reaves, who was also the story editor. As usual, I did the final pass on it. We did record the scene with Salli Richarson and Deidrich Bader as Elisa and Jason, but I can't remember if we did storyboards for it. I know we never shipped it for animation. There isn't any lost footage. But I thought you all might get a kick out of reading it. Imagine Jason speaking in his true Scotish accent, not in the phony American one he generally used with Elisa. (Also note: I'm just typing this in without bothering with teleplay formatting.)

This scene would probably play better in context. So if you taped "Hunter's Moon, Part Three", then watch it right through "Robyn Correy's" video-phone conversation with "Dominique Destine". Dominique tells Robyn to enjoy life because it's so fleeting. The screen goes dark. Robyn nervously holds up the disk. Now pause the tape. Imagine one of our trademark "Claw Wipes" and read...

EXT. CLOCK TOWER RUINS - DAY

Elisa picks sadly through wreckage, occasionally placing something in a cardboard box. She bends to pick up a charred photograph.

TIGHT ON PHOTO

It is a snap-shot from last Halloween: Elisa in her "Belle" gown arm in arm with Goliath. Both very happy.

ON ELISA

A tear rolls down her cheek. A shadow falls over her. Elisa turns.

ANGLE INCLUDES JASON

behind her on his sky-sled, in Hunter garb except the mask, aiming a tranq gun at her. Elisa drops the box and reaches for her holstered gun.

JASON: "Please don't. I'd just have to tranq you again, and I came here to talk."

FAVOR ELISA

She lowers her hand slowly. But she's still on guard.

ELISA: "Okay. Let's talk about what a monster you are."

JASON: "I never meant to hurt you --"

ELISA: "You really are a piece of work. Using me to get to the gargoyles."

JASON: "No! I admit I infiltrated the twenty-third because there were so many gargoyle sightings here. But I never planned--"

ELISA: "Lies. Everything was part of your plan. That phony accent... even that phony kiss..."

ON JASON

He looks desperate and vulnerable, despite the gun in his hand.

JASON: "That kiss was real. And I never planned on falling in love with you."

FAVOR ELISA

This hits her hard.

JASON (CONT'D): "The hunt's been my whole life -- I never realized how lonely I was...

ELISA: "But why are you hunting them?"

ANOTHER ANGLE

We see a flash of Jason's fiery determination. Elisa responds in kind.

JASON: "Those monsters killed my father!"

ELISA: "Those 'monsters' are my friends!"

FAVOR JASON

He looks shocked and disgusted. This, he was not expecting.

JASON: "What?!!"

ELISA: "And they couldn't have killed your father. When he died, they were in Scotland, frozen in stone by a magic spell."

JASON: "So they weren't personally responsible. They're still evil! All gargoyles are! My family has been hunting them for generations!"

FAVOR ELISA

Trying desperately to reach him.

ELISA: "BUT WHY? What started this blood feud?"

FAVOR JASON

He's stumped. His fury won't help him on this one.

JASON: "I -- I don't know. It doesn't matter."

Elisa senses his uncertainty, presses her attack.

ELISA: "Of course it matters. You hate an entire race and you don't know why! Listen, Jason. You've been lucky so far. No one's been killed. Give up the feud. Turn yourself in. It's not too late to walk away from this."

TIGHT ON JASON

He hesitates, then shakes his head.

JASON: "Yes, it is."

WIDE

He revs up the skysled and takes off fast. Elisa draws her gun, but she does not fire -- it's ambiguous whether that's because he's already too far away or because she feels too much for him to shoot him in the back. Her arm drops to her side. PULL BACK to show her forlorn and surrounded by rubble.

DISSOLVE TO:

Now restart your VCR and pick up back at Elisa's apartment, where Elisa is trying to stop Goliath from playing vigilante. As she failed with Jason, she fails with Goliath, which leads to events at the dam, which propels things to their tragic (if semi-hopeful) conclusion.

Please don't hesitate to post comments on this scene at "ASK GREG", I'd be curious to read what you thought of it. It was always one of my favorite moments, and it broke my heart to cut it. Yet, ultimately we felt it wasn't crucial, and since we had to cut something, this seemed like the thing to go.



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