A Station Eight Fan Web Site

Gargoyles

The Phoenix Gate

Ask Greg Archives

Unsorted

Archive Index


: « First : « 100 : « 10 : Displaying #510 - #519 of 702 records. : 10 » : 100 » : Last » :


Posts Per Page: 1 : 10 : 25 : 50 : 100 : All :


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

One Quick question, Mr. Weisman. What is the possibility of a CD soundtrack being released of Carl Johnson's music for the series? I have often been quite impressed by the background music for many of the episodes, particularly the "City of Stone" and "Avalon" stories. I have submitted this question to Walt Disney Records, but that was months ago and they have not replied. I would hate to see such music remain on a recording studio's shelf, never to see the light of day. Thank you for your time.

Greg responds...

I love Carl's music, but I wouldn't hold my breath for the CD. You don't see a lot of CD's for animated series scores out there. (SIMPSONS being a notable and hilarious exception.) If enough people send requests to Disney Records, if they believe that they could make money off of Carl's work, then trust me they would release it. But it would take a LOT of letters from a lot of different people from across the country.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Eep. Sorry, but I don't usually think of all these questions at once.
Ahem, here goes:

1) Have you had any schooling as a writer (or in a literature) field? Just curious.

2) Did you do research for the stories (esp. the ones involving myths and legends such as the Golem, New Olympians, Anubis, etc.)?

3) How did you come to be involved with Disney? (Say aardvark if you've already answered this question.)

4) Will Capt. Chavez have a family as predicted by "Future Tense"?

5) What meanings, if any, are there behind Demona's golden plate, anklet, and shoulder... um, thing. Whew. Hope you can answer all that.

Oh, and one final question, if you can answer it... what exactly are the appearance differences between Owen Burnett and Preston Vogel? I know there are some but I can't notice 'em.

Greg responds...

1. Yes. A lot. I've been writing stories since at least 2nd Grade.
English has always been my favorite subject. I took eight full years worth of English courses during my six years of junior high and High School.
(Including AP English, American Literature, Modern American Literature, Creative Writing and Advanced Creative Writing.) I took a lot of history as well. I also took a Popular American Literature course at UCLA while I was still in high school.

I received a Bachelors Degree in English with an emphasis in Fiction Writing from Stanford University. (Coursework there included: The Short Story, Fiction Writing, Poetry Writing, Detective Fiction, Eighteenth Century Views of Women in Literature, Milton, Conrad & Faulkner, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Western Culture, Reflections on the American Condition, more Fiction Writing and Authorial Voice, among others. I also took courses in acting, dance, economics, physics, calculus and computer science, among others.
Plus I did a ton of theater -- on stage, back stage and behind the scenes.) I was a t.a. for Ron Rebholz's Shakespeare class. And I taught a seminar on the Mythic Hero in Modern Literature. At Stanford's Programme in Oxford, I took courses on the English Novel, Shakespeare and British Architecture.

I later received a Masters Degree from U.S.C.'s school of Professional Writing with an emphasis in playwriting. (Coursework included: Humor, Playwriting, fiction writing, screenwriting, etc.)

And after all that, I took a seminar on Story Structure from Robert McKee.

2. Yes. Although, I know a lot of myths and legends already, I still did research, or the other writers and story editors did. My assistant Monique Beatty did a lot of research for me, as did my good friend Tuppence Macintyre. Frank Paur also contributed a lot of research. The other producers, storyboard artists and designers also did tons of visual research.

3. While I was still at U.S.C. I started interviewing for jobs informally. I wanted to be a writer, but I also wanted to be able to pay my bills. Just before I graduated, Bruce Cranston offered me a job as a "Staff Assistant" in T.V. Animation's development department. One week after I started, Disney sent Bruce to Europe for six months and I was in effect the acting head of the department. It gave me the unique opportunity to show what I could do.
When Bruce got back, I was promoted. I moved slowly but steadily up through the executive ranks, until I developed GARGOYLES, at which point I chose to change careers (or rather to pursue the career I originally set out to get) and became a writer/producer.

4. She has a family now.

5. None that I'm currently aware of, but I reserve the right to discover otherwise later.

6. They wear a different style of glasses. Vogel wears a bowtie, Owen wears a regular one. They have different hair color. There may be subtle differences in their facial structure, but depending on the animation, that tends to be less than consistent. We strived to make them look very reminiscent of each other.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Here's a question for you: Greg, you mentioned that you made an episode for
Gargoyles that never made it to the TV screens because it was "too risky."
Can you please tell us about it.

Greg responds...

It was a very strange little two-parter.

[You guys should see me now. I keep typing things and erasing them. I'm really not sure I want to reveal this. I guess I still hope to do it someday, and I don't want to blow out the shock value. But another part of me kinda wants to reveal it. But not today. Sorry. Ask me again later.]


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

After due thanks you now must be tired of hear us repeating,
I would like - no I have to - ask this. Even though none of us here would
want even to contemplate it, there is still possibility that there will be
no - and I mean no - more seasons of Gargoyles (at least after TGC even
those in charge must have realized there is no point to do the show without
you). In this truly sad and stupid case, would you consider - or have you
already considered - carrying out your plan in a form of books? I mean,
not comics, not "Behind-the-scenes" kind of staff, but the saga going on
in another medium? Of course we would miss the voices of the cast and the
looks of the show, as I believe would you, but Gargoyles, unlike Power
Rangers, is a show where words matter immensely after all...

Greg responds...

I would absolutely LOVE to continue the saga in prose. Any publishers out there listening?


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Greg, as always, thanks for being a part of Gargoyles and being gracious
enough to answer our questions. Anyway... after acting in A Midsummer
Night's Dream and looking at the animation in Gargoyles, I came up with a
question. Shakespear's Puck thinks of Oberon as his idol. He always tries
to imitate Oberon to be "more like him." Owen and Oberon look pretty
similar... is this an accident, following Shakespear's characterization of
Puck or something different? Thanks.

Greg responds...

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of the Oberon/Puck dynamic in Midsummer. Do Owen and Oberon really look alike? I don't really see it.
Although, I think it's funny, because for months (between the first airings of "Awakening, Part Two" and "Avalon, Part Three") all I heard was how much Owen looked like the Magus.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

I have two quick questions:

1. Is Proteus one of Oberon's children?

2. Why is Puck considered Oberon's servent, and not one of his children?

Greg responds...

1. No. He's a New Olympian.

2. The term "Oberon's Children" refers to all the fair folk, including Puck and even Oberon. But Puck was also Oberon's personal servant. Was.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

How does Angela feel about the close relationship between Goliath and Elisa?

Greg responds...

I think she loves it. She wants her father to be happy, and whatever hopes she might have for Demona's redemption, they don't include a reconciliation with dad. And Angela loves and respects Elisa tremendously. Besides, when she first met Goliath and Elisa, they were already a couple, and everyone knew it, except maybe for Goliath and Elisa.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Greg, I've heard from my pal, that there may be a two hour Gargoyle movie
thing made strait to video. Is this true. Plus why did you make Demona
blame all her mis fourtune on Goliath? Can't they be lovers again?

Greg responds...

I don't work at Disney anymore, but I can all but guarantee you that your "pal" is shining you (or at least passing on bad info). There are, as far as I know, no plans to make a direct to video. And I have friends at Disney and a very well-connected agent who would let me know if those plans existed.

Keep in mind that "City of Stone" and "Hunter's Moon" were both originally planned as direct to videos. "City of Stone" was rejected because the powers-that-be felt it focused too much on the series' villains and not enough on the heroes. "Hunter's Moon" was rejected months later because those powers made a strategic decision not to do a direct to video for Gargoyles. They felt it wouldn't sell enough units to justify the cost and/ or opportunity cost. (I'm not saying I agree, but that's what they decided.) So I can't imagine what could have happened between then and now that would change their minds. The ratings failure of GOLIATH CHRONICLES? I don't think that would do it.

Demona doesn't blame all her misfortunes on Goliath. Just some. Mostly she blames humanity. As to Goliath and Demona getting back together... well, I think that ship has sailed. Goliath loves Elisa now. And it's a more honest and mutual love, less naive, if slightly more impossible.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

That was a good story explaining off City of Stone. However you forgot
to consider one point. What if you were out of New York proper, say in
suburban New Jersey or Conneticut. You could see the spell casted by
Demona on television, but not the 'fire in the sky' to counteract it. Or if
a cable system miles away from New York carried a station to show a New York
sporting team. A good example would be that until recently, here near
Washington DC, the cable company carried WWOR of New York City. If someone
watched that station, they would be subject to the same spell. It would be
a little more noticeable since less people would watch NY television. And
they wouldn't be released from the spell by the combustion of the gas.

Greg responds...

NO ONE GOT TO SEE THE "FIRE IN THE SKY". Nobody. They were all frozen in stone. The terminal condition of the spell doesn't require a visual trigger. It just has to happen. So...

You live in Washington D.C. You turn on your cable box and channel surf around the dial. Once, twice. Man, there is NOTHING on. Wait a minute.
What the hell is that? Is that make-up on that woman? Or is that CGI? It looks so real, you really cannot tell. What language is that? Great looking monster, but nothings happening. So you shut off the t.v. You've got a date tonight, so you get in the shower as the sun sets. Suddenly the water is freezing. You leap out of the shower, with shampoo still in your hair.
Great. Just great. You glance at the clock to see if you've got time to run to the gym and shower there. 5:41 AM? WHAT???? You run out of the bathroom. Your answering machine light is flashing. You press the button.
That's your date on the line, pissed off about being stood up. You're freaked to say the least. Eleven hours of your life, just gone.

And so on... Basically, once Xanatos met the terminal condition, the spell is broken. Anyone effected by it is cured, no matter how far away they are.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

How much exactly are you restricted from saying about gargoyles?
Does Disney keep you from revealing your plans to us?
Do you ever talk on the gargoyles chats?
If so, do you use a handle, or just Greg?

Greg responds...

I'm not restricted from saying anything by Disney or anyone -- other than myself. There are two reasons (or three) why I'm not always forthcoming.

(1) I may get to do GARGOYLES again someday. I hope so, anyway. So let me ask you all a question: Do you guys really want me to reveal all the secrets? Would you still be as involved in new episodes if you ABSOLUTELY KNEW that they held no surprises.

(2) If I never get to do GARGOYLES again, I may canabalize some of my Gargoyles ideas and use them in a new project. (I probably shouldn't admit that, but it's true.) I wouldn't want people watching my new stuff and being able to predict outcomes and/or feeling like it was second-hand stuff because I mentioned it in passing on the www.

(3) I'm not in the mood.

I already am quite sure that I've given away more than I practically should have. But truthfully, it's hard to resist. I so want to formulate and tell these stories, I can't resist dropping clues.

I have occasionally stopped by Gore's chatroom. I generally announce it in advance, and I always use my own name.



: « First : « 100 : « 10 : Displaying #510 - #519 of 702 records. : 10 » : 100 » : Last » :