Greg responds...

You don't sound like a dope. It's a good question, but a thousand and one years is a long time and so there isn't one simple answer to the question. Sorry.

Greg responds...

The terrorist was hitting the bank to get money to fund her cause. That cause wasn't mentioned in City of Stone, because it didn't matter there. The terrorists' role was representative (of Demona). But that specific terrorist would have reappeared in BAD GUYS and her cause would have been revealed there.

Greg responds...

Yes.

Greg responds...

1. Well, you can ask me not to say "a lot", but it won't change much. I'm not going to sit down today and write a novel-length response to a question that took you ten seconds to type in. Leave it at this, Macbeth was on the side of the Allies.
2. Very good question. She died in 971. She had no name. She was a fierce warrior and a lovely individual.
3. He's afraid of things he can't control. He's afraid of death. (I can relate. I just seek for immortality in a different way. Through my writing and through my children. As long as I'm remembered, I live on. That's something David hasn't fully learned yet. But he's getting there.)
4. Not yet.
5. Well, I had a lot of plans for them in BAD GUYS. (There's that "a lot" phrase again.) Matrix had a lot to learn, and Dingo had a lot to redeem. And working for Robyn Canmore wasn't going to be a piece of cake either.

Greg responds...

At sunrise (more or less), the entire gargoyle body turns into an organic substance that resembles stone, placing the gargoyle in a state of suspended animation. The body does function to some degree. The organic "stone-like" substance absorbs solar energy. The internal biological clock continues to function. Healing takes place. Dreaming too. But to a large degree, a daytime gargoyle is for all intents and purposes a stone statue.
At sunset (more or less), the transformation reverses from the inside out, leaving only a shedable outer layer of "stone" that cracks off as the gargoyle awakens.

Greg responds...

No hope for a fourth season for this coming fall. But maybe some day.

I've been invited to come speak at the Gathering. I'm going to try to make it. Otherwise, I have no official connection to it.

Greg responds...

Because Goliath was the main character. Lex got his episodes, and he would have gotten more. But when you have a large ensemble cast, it's hard to give everyone enough moments in the sun, (so to speak).

Greg responds...

TIMEDANCER was a proposed spin-off series that would have starred Brooklyn.
Disney didn't go for it. I suggested that the idea be incorporated into GOLIATH CHRONICLES. I laid out a story for an episode. It never happened.
They went another way, a totally other way, and wound up with that RUNAWAYS episode of Chronicles.

Greg responds...

The notion of a universe of characters inspired me, ala Simpsons or Yoknapatawpha. Not any of the specific characters.

I'm not that familiar with Azrael. Is he the guy who was Batman for awhile?
I hated the notion that someone other than Dick Grayson might take over that role, so I didn't bother to read any of that.

I haven't sat down and counted all the Hunters. I won't pretend I know every detail about every Hunter. At least, not yet.

Greg responds...

I'd love to. As I've mentioned before, I've been working on a GARGOYLES ENCYCLOPEDIA on and off for years. I'm almost done. A "Making Of" book or a GARGOYLES COMPANION would be fun too. I don't know how likely publication is, though. Maybe when the movie comes out. We can keep our fingers crossed.

Greg responds...

It depends what you mean. Elisa tends to get involved with most things that involve her friends. But obviously, the point person for my next Illuminati story would have been either Matt or David.

Greg responds...

He's the founder.

Greg responds...

The organization that would eventually be known as the Illuminati was founded a century after the "death" of King Arthur.

Greg responds...

I don't know if Disney "officially" knows about the Gathering.

Greg responds...

I need to let Producer Tom Jacobson decide what information he wants "leaked". It's his movie. I'm just along for the ride.

Greg responds...

I had a lot of control vis-a-vis Disney Management. The executives largely left me alone to do the stories I wanted to do. Only one story ever got rejected, and even I have to admit it was a pretty risky endeavor.

But keep in mind, I didn't produce the show alone. Frank Paur was my equal partner from day one. Also Dennis Woodyard and Bob Kline had producing duties as well. We all worked together.

I also like to think we were open to input from anyone on the staff. A lot of great ideas originated from other sources.

But I did get to tell the stories I wanted to tell. 66 of them at least.
And I was the one guy who had been on the project from the beginning of development through the end of post-production, so I had a more comprehensive point-of-view.

But no, no matter how much it might have pleased (I mean embarrassed) me, no one ever referred to me as "God".

Greg responds...

I've read a lot of Arthurian stuff. The Mary Stewart books. Geoffrey of Monmouth. Roger Lanclyn Greene. Thomas Berger. T.H. White. John Steinbeck. Goodrich. I've skimmed Thomas Malory. These off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others too.

Although I know others disagree, for me adding Arthur was a natural step. I couldn't imagine going to Avalon and not seeing him there. The way we created the "Gargoyles Universe" everything was interconnected. Locked together by fate. The eggs are connected to Avalon which is connected to Arthur who is connected to the Illuminati which is connected to Xanatos who has a son whose grandmother is the queen of the fair folk who live on Avalon with the eggs, etc. How could I not include Arthur?

The Pendragon series would have featured King Arthur and Sir Griff. It would have begun with the Quest for Merlin. There were plans for one more regular: a female acquaintance of Arthur's from his past. The Illuminati would have played a prominent role, particularly the enigmatic Mr. Duval.

Greg responds...

Elisa's apartment wasn't targeted. They spotted Goliath there and investigated. But certainly Castaway wouldn't have had much trouble making the Elisa/Gargoyle connection. Moving really would not have been the answer -- not if she intended on keeping her job. And I can't imagine Elisa quitting the force. Precautions would have to be taken. But, heck, Demona's known where Elisa lives for over a year. Sometimes that information isn't enough.

Greg responds...

Jason is a parapalegic. Why must he have fully recovered in order to go on a date? I think Jason was released on probation. In my mind, he spends a lot of time failing to save his brother's soul.

Greg responds...

Ever is a long time. Not for centuries at least. Oberon isn't exactly forgiving.

Greg responds...

Merlin isn't Duval. And Arthur's been asleep for some time, so he isn't presently on any kind of terms with anyone from his past.

Greg responds...

"Future Tense" the episode or the proposed spin-off series?

I had a lot of plans for the clones, too many to relate them all here. As you all may be noticing, when I'm asked a question THAT large, I'm less likely to give a worthwhile response. I'm not saying you can't ask, just that this Q&A format may not be the best forum for questions that require novel- length responses.

Greg responds...

Good question. I'd have to ask them, but I'm pretty sure we're looking at an only child. And a handful.

Greg responds...

1) We tried to make it clear, but I can see how it would have been tough to catch it. Phoebe is the blonde, pleasant one. Seline is the raven-haired hardcase. Luna is the silver-haired mystic.

2) Carefully.

3) A lot. (Actually, I think someone did ask this, and I gave the same response. Well at least you got one worthwhile answer.)

Greg responds...

You can't reach your mother who has an apartment in Manhattan. You drive into the city. Traffic is at an absolute standstill. It isn't barely moving -- it's flat-out stopped. You begin to worry about your mom so you abandon your car. You move toward the car in front of you. It's empty, because the person in front of you had the same impulse. But what's really weird is that the car in front of that car has a stone statue sitting behind the wheel. What is this, some kind of gag? You keep going, heading for a subway station. Cars are either empty or filled with statues. For a second, you ask yourself if these could be people turned to stone. But come on, that's just too crazy. There are a few other people running around the streets in a similar state of confusion. Some of them are hysterical. You get more determined to reach your elderly mother.

You head down into the subway station. Loaded with stone statues. No people. No trains. You wait. And wait. But it's damn creepy down here at night with all these statues. You decide to walk. It's twenty-nine blocks, but if that's what it takes....

The further into the city you go, the fewer people you see. The fewer non-statues you see. The conclusion is inescapable. Everyone has been turned to stone. Just then a woman runs up to you. Clearly homeless. You like to think of yourself as open-minded, but you can't help having a visceral reaction to her odor. You're nearly overwhelmed by the unwashed urine-soaked smell. She yells something about "the T.V.'s". And runs off.
She's the only living human in sight, and still you can't help being relieved that she's gone.

Finally, you reach your mother's apartment building. Now, you know. There's Joe the Doorman. You've known Joe for fifteen years. He's a sweet old guy, who never drinks on the job, except a nip now and then when it's really cold. And he's a statue. That face. That twinkle in his eye. It's Joe. And he's stoned -- literally.

Fortunately, Joe's frozen on the job. He's holding the door open for you.
You swallow hard and enter. There's a little girl in the lobby with her parents and a poodle. They're all stone statues. You press the elevator button. The doors open immediately. There are five statues facing you calmly. One of them is Mrs. Vasquez, you're mother's neighbor. Suddenly, you realize that you are more pissed off than frightened. With a new determination you get on the elevator and press the button for the eighth floor.

The doors close. You've had to squeeze in, because the five statues aren't exactly making room for you. You turn to Mrs. Vasquez. "Nice weather we're having," you say grimly. Finally, the elevator opens. You squeeze out, struggling for your key ring.

Your hands are sweating. You have trouble getting your mom's key into the lock. Then it slides in. You mentally prepare yourself. The odds are good that Mom is a statue. You turn the key. Enter the apartment. The television is on. You move into the living room. There are tears in your eyes, even before you see mom, sitting with a bemused expression on her face in front of the t.v. She's frozen in stone on the chair, which seems to be buckling under the weight. You suddenly panic that the chair will break, that your mother will fall to the floor and... and... what? Break?
Shatter? You can't take the chance. You dry your palms on your shirt and then ease her frozen body out of the chair. She seems to weigh a ton, but YOU WILL NOT DROP HER. Slowly, you lower her to the ground, on her side, still frozen in the sitting position.

It's only then that you focus on the sound coming from the t.v. Gibberish?
You turn to look. There's some kind of... creature, speaking, what? Latin, maybe? You move closer to the t.v. Suddenly, the video skips and the image repeats from the beginning. And that's the last thing you remember.

In the morning, you help your mother up off of the floor. She's extremely confused. Did she pass out? Have a heart attack? How'd she get on the floor? When did you get here? You don't want to worry or panic her and even as you start to form the words, it all seems too crazy to say out loud.

The television is still on. Travis Marshall is on, reporting on how everyone in Manhattan seems to have experienced blackouts last night. Your mother mumbles something about pollution in the water. A woman is interviewed. She says that everyone in Manhattan was turned to stone. You can hear your mother snort, but you don't dare look at her now. The reporter looks at the woman. And you know what that look means. He asks her dubiously why she wasn't effected. She responds by saying that she never watches television. Marshall, nods. A nod that clearly means that he thinks she's nuts.

Interviews follow with government officials, psychiatrists, hypnotists, etc.
Every theory in the world is offered up. But no one else says anything about stone statues.

So what kind of person are you? Do you make it your life's work to make sure everyone knows the truth? Do you try to convince yourself it was all a hallucination? Do you just shut your mouth and keep it shut? You're mother offers to cook you breakfast. She'll cut the french toast into a little house with a chimney, windows and a door. Just like she did when you were young. "Yeah, Mom," you say, "That would be nice." While she's cooking, you go into the bathroom and throw up.

As to why Xanatos and Demona didn't cast their spell over the whole world, the answer is simple: They couldn't.