A Station Eight Fan Web Site
Ask Greg Archives
Unsorted
Archive Index
: « First : « 50 : Displaying #242 - #291 of 702 records. : 50 » : Last » :
Posts Per Page: 1 : 10 : 25 : 50 : 100 : All :
Anonymous writes...
Please don't answer some of the questions that would reveal way too much
about the Gargoyles universe, if you tell us everything, there will be
little interest left in the show. Instead, maybey you could drop clues
that only somone clever intelligent and observant could figure out.
Thanx, Jon
Greg responds...
Most of the time that's what I try to do. But like a lottery, I think it
keeps things exciting if occasionally and out of the blue I reveal a tidbit
of knowledge. For example, there's no way anyone could have guessed that
Brooklyn's son's name was Nashville. So at some point I either reveal it or
not. Now, revealing the reason behind the name isn't the same thing. But
someone clever, intelligent and observant could probably figure it out.
(GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hello again, I was watching the show today (I'm proud to say I have every
one with the exception of TGC on tape :) and I came up with a batch of new
Q's: 1a) In "Ill met by Moonlight" Titania says to Oberon "we'll reduce your
strength to that of a child's" or something like that. Does a fay's power
increase until adulthood and stop, or does a fay become more powerful over
time? 1b) or, does power run in the family, passed down through the
generations? Is Oberon one of the most powerful just because, or is he from
a royal line? 2) Will Puck be around in the Future Tense timeline or will
Owen (and therefore Puck) be dead by then? You said in the archives that
Owen "resets" whenever Pucks changes back into him, so will Owen eventually
grow old and die because of Oberon's restriction, or will he always look the
same because he becomes Puck to teach Alexander? 3) Speaking of Future
Tense...why does Goliath care if Puck gives the gate to Oberon? After all,
the gate came from Avalon originally anyway, so what's wrong with Oberon
having it? Does Goliath just hate Oberon or was he pissed that Puck used
subtrefuge to try and get it? 4) Another Future Tense Q...when the Talon
soldiers come through the city, they smash a woman's cart and we see her
holding a photo of Chavez. Is this woman her daughter? Curious minds want
to know... 5) One more Future Tense, is it a coincidence that Alexander is
wearing Coyote's armor, or was it just a cool design the art people reused?
6)and completely unrelated, is Demona's headpiece fashioned after Goliath's
brow horns, sort of a token from their happier days, or does it match
whatever horns she may have underneath? Does she even have brow spines? If
both parents did, you'd think Angela would have them too, but she doesn't.
7)One more. In several episodes the major underlying theme seems to be the
corrupting power of the big city (Bushido, Mark of the Panther, maybe Dracon
as a character?). This was probably intentional, but I was just curious
what your views on this theme were. Well that's all for now, thank you and
everyone else who worked on Gargoyles for such a wonderful show! Though I
know you can't read the fanfic, TGS is wonderful, and I think its because
you managed in only 66 episodes to create an entire universe for our
imaginations to explore. I don't think words can express our gratitude, so
I'll just say thank you, for everything!
Greg responds...
1a. Like most people, our abilities mature. Sometimes they continue to
mature. Sometimes they don't.
1b. That's not an either or scenario. Both.
2. Owen has a supporting role in 2158. Puck doesn't appear at all. You
can probably guess why.
3. We're mixing our future tenses here. Above, I assumed you were
discussing the proposed spin-off series. Here you seem to be talking
about the episode of the original series. Anyway, the Gate
is dangerous, and from Goliath's point of view, he'd rather no one used it.
4. Well, the whole thing is an illusion, but within the illusion, yes, that
was Maria's daughter. A little touch I threw in to add pathos, and help the
audience identify with an otherwise incidental character.
5. It's not Coyote's armor, though I see the thematic similarities, which
only makes sense.
6. Demona has some horns, similar to her tiara, though not exact.
7. I think your stretching, particularly by including Dracon. Both Dracon
and Elisa are New Yorkers born and bred. Doesn't prove anything. As to
Bushido, well sure the villain went off to the Big City, but we made a
point of saying that he had trouble learning the lessons of Bushido before
he ever left. And in Panther, Tea isn't corrupted by the big city at all.
She decides to go there and Fara gets her cursed because he wants her to
stick close to home. Again, the "Big City" is a neutral element. I don't
think life in a city is inherently more corrupt than out of one. Of course,
I grew up in Los Angeles, and I'm raising my kids here, so maybe I have to
think that. Anyway, I don't buy your logic on this one. (GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
Just thought of one more: Is the clocktower a real NY building?
Greg responds...
Nope. Though there are some that look similar. (GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hello!! I have quite a few questions, so please bear with me. (If at all
possible!!) Last time my qusetions got scrapped, so I'll omit any that I
think caused a problem (1) Does Oberon's law of noninterference in human
affairs physically prevent the fae from interfering, or do they only risk
Oberon's wrath as a punishment? (2) "Where" is Avalon ? i.e. could it be
placed on a map? (3) Are gargoyle clans extended families or are they
communities of gargoyle who choose to live together (or both)? (4) How does
Coldsteel heal itself ? (5) As the coldtrio are in mechanical bodies, are
they physically immortal, (i.e. can they die of old age)? (6) If the bodies
of the coldtrio were destroyed, could they be brought back "on-line?" (7)
What are the biological ages of the clone clan? (8) Why do some of the
clones have structural differences, such as Hollywood's huge fangs and
underbite? (9)In City of Stone, the Wyrd Sisters said that MacBeth and
Demona share "pain and anguish", does this include emotional pain and
heartache? (10)Why was Elisa's mother in Nigeria? (11)Are Jade and
Turquesa still on Avalon? (12) If the answer to No. 11 was yes, then where
do they live? (13)How did Mace Malone learn abouth the Illuminatti? (14)
Why was Jack Dane in the Witness Protection Program? (15) Would Lex
eventually have a mate/ (Any background info is appreciated!!) Thanks for
your time. Sorry if I repeated any questions already asked!!
Greg responds...
1. Both.
2. Depends on who made the map.
3. Both. I'm getting deja vu here. Are you sure your questions got
scrapped? I feel like I've answered all of these. Check the archives,
please.
4 - 15. Yeah, I've definitely answered these. Check out the archives, or
else maybe you were impatient, re-asking questions before we had a chance to
post the answers. (GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
How old is the oldest fey, I don't need specific years, you can round it to
the nearest hundred or so?
Greg responds...
Old.(GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
Dear Mr. Weisman, First of all, I'd like to thank you sooooo much for
taking your time to answer questions for all your fans! Gargoyles is a great
show, and opens up many new areas of imagination. I just have a couple of
questions. I'm sorry if they've been asked before! :) 1. In another
question, I heard someone mention Neil Gaiman. He is one of my absolute
favorite authors! Are you familiar with his works? 2. I've heard a bunch of
things about someone named Mab. Who exactly is she, just to clarify it? 3.
I don't know if you've answered this before, but who would be your favorite
character? Thank you so much! It's really great that you and Gorebash have
set this thing up!
Greg responds...
1. I read Sandman.
2. Read Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET. Mercutio has a whole monologue about
Queen Mab. That's where I learned about her. In the Gargoyles Universe, she
is also Oberon's mother. At least she is in my mind.
3. See the archives.
(GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
I just found out a couple of weeks ago that Gargoyles is not cancled on the
USA ACTION EXTREME TEAM! Its on at 7:00 in the morning. can you belive
that?
Greg responds...
Uh, sure, why not?
(GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg! Once again, thanks for taking the time to answer the questions of
a humble fan. I have three this time, numbered for your convenience :)
1) How long was Oberon the ruler of the fey (after Mab ceased to be ruler)
before he imposed the thousand year banishment? 2) I know you sort of
answered this one, but I will rephrase it. The question is: who is naught?
Is he just ment to be an "anybody" among the children, or did you have more
plans for him? 3) At what point in the series did Xanatos learn of
Owen's true identity? If he found out right at the beginning, why did he
not ask for Pucks help with some of the jams he got in? Pride? Again,
thank you for answering my questions, and thank you in a broader sense for
the Gargoyles themselves. Rarly has a show had the depth and maturity to
impress me the way Gargoyles did. Kudos to you.
Greg responds...
1. I haven't worked that out yet.
2. Plans. Plans. Plans.
3. Before you met him. And he couldn't get Puck's help, he had traded that
opportunity for a lifetime of service from Owen. So he didn't ask until the
Gathering, when the stakes were so high and things seemed so grim that he
felt he HAD to ask. And Owen said no. But then he changed his mind.
(GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
O Wise Creator of the greatest show on the planet-- Could you tell my
whether or not gargoyles eat? Broadway does, yet he is overweight. No one
else ever eats! Is it neccesary for gargoyles to eat, or even physically
comfortable?
Greg responds...
Yes, Gargoyles do eat, but as a supplement to their solar energy absorbtion.
(GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
A few questions that I forgot to ask: 1. Was Bronx part of the original
comedy development, or was he added in after you decided to switch to the
serious action-drama concept, like Goliath? 2. Does Titania know about
Oberon being Merlin's father? After all, Merlin was born long before the
"Great Divorce" (with apologies to C. S. Lewis) of 995, by traditional
Arthurian chronology. 3. In the Gargoyles universe, just how accurate is
Malory's account of King Arthur's reign? Did Sir Thomas get it pretty much
right, or did he "goof it up" the way that Shakespeare did with Macbeth's
story? 4. You said in your last response that you're currently reading
Christopher Marlowe's plays. How do you think that he compares with
Shakespeare? (The only Marlowe play that I've read is "Dr. Faustus", but I
think that it's quite good, especially the end where Faustus is horrifiedly
aware that in a few minutes, Mephistopheles and Co. are going to drag him
off to eternal torment and that there's nothing that he can do to stop the
progression of the clock towards that moment). 5. Was Owen's line about
out-Vogeling Vogel in "The Gathering Part II" inspired by Hamlet's line
about out-Heroding Herod in his famous speech to the Players? 6. In "A
Lighthouse in the Sea of Time", Macbeth says that Merlin's magic was
"stronger than anything, except the human heart." Was that "human heart"
bit an allusion to Lancelot and Guinevere's love (the traditional cause of
Camelot's downfall)?
Greg responds...
1. Bronx was a later addition.
2. I'm sure she knew. I'm not sure he knew she knew.
3. I'd hardly say Shakespeare goofed up. Same with Malory. But I think the
seeds of truth in Malory may not always have grown in the same direction as
in our series. Have to take it case by case.
4. I haven't finished reading his complete plays yet. Faustus is episodic
but impressive. Tamburlaine is very episodic, but certainly has some great
moments. That's all I've read so far. I just started THE JEW OF MALTA. Ask
me again later.
5. Hmmm. Maybe subconsciously, although I think you're giving us too much
credit this time.
6. Among other human hearts, yes.(GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hi, Greg. Thanks for taking time to answer our questions. 1)
Approximately when did Puck reveal himself to Xanatos? 2) When did Xanatos
meet Demona? 3) When/How did Fox and Xanatos meet? 4) If "The Reckoning"
had been a 2-parter what else would have happened? 5) Is Hudson half-human?
He's the only gargoyle with facial hair and his coloring is almost human.
Thanks again!
Greg responds...
1. Before you met either character.
2. Before you met either character. (Or at least before you met Demona in
the 20th century.)
3. Same answer.
4. Good question. I can't answer that with absolute certainty, but I don't
think much more would have been added from the standpoint of PLOT POINTS. I
just think we would have had more room to deal with Angela and Demona, with
Thailog, with each of the clones and our characters' responses to them.
5. No, of course not. And he's not the only gargoyle with facial hair.
What makes you think the others don't shave? :) (GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg, sorry to bother you again, but after watching the Avalon eps again,
something is bothering me. I realize that you created a paradox with the
archmage living, but he had to survive the first time to get the talismans
so he could save himself. (Im sorry if that isnt to clear, and if you like
Ill try and clear it up in the future) I'm interested in temporal
mechanics, and that has been bugging me for years. ( Basically I want to
know how the Archmage survived the first time so he could create the
paradox) Thanks for your time!
Greg responds...
I've discussed this a lot recently, both here and in the comment room. The
Archmage survives BECAUSE his future self saved him, which allowed him to
live and age so that he could come back and save his younger self. It's a
loop. Like the Revolution at SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN. (GDW/1-27-98)
MORE RAMBLINGS ON TIME TRAVEL AND FREE WILL:
Hey, Gary (and everyone)... You asked me further questions about time. The
answers all come down to Point of View. You didn't comment on the
"religious" aspects of my comments, but frankly, they seem unavoidable.
PoV. To Goliath, in the 1990s, the past seems fixed. The present and
future, not. To Goliath in 1940, the past and present seem fixed, and the
future seems fixed for a few decades, and then past the mid-nineties, not.
To Greg Weisman, in his capacity as god of the Gargoyle Universe, the past,
present and future seem fixed.
But what does this mean? It means we are bound by what we know and nothing
more. What does "fixed" mean? Goliath realizes that Griff can't return to
his clan in the forties, because he didn't return in the forties. But that
doesn't mean Goliath cannot affect their mutual futures, by bopping Griff
forward to the nineties.
Greg Weisman knows that something big happens in the year 2158. But he
doesn't yet know all the results of that. For that matter, Greg has a lot of
knowledge about what happened in 984. But what exactly happened between 984
and 994? I've got a basic idea, but there's room for movement. There are
facts I can't dodge, therefore facts that my characters can't dodge. But
that doesn't remove their free will.
Pre-destination does not NEGATE free will, unless the character abdicates
free will in the mistaken belief that he or she has none. And even then, the
"act" of abdication is a choice, an act of free will.
One other note: the Gettysburgh Address in my previous example could be
called a "time circle". Unbroken. No beginning or end. The Archmage is not
a circle, but a loop in a straight line. Think of a roller coaster. It goes
along straight for 100 yards. Then it begins a loop-de-loop. We travel up
and backwards and around and then the track flattens out again at the eighty
yard mark. For twenty yards the tracks run side by side, or put another
way, since the track is unbroken, lengths of the ONE track run side by side.
Then one length, "the younger length," heads back into the loop, while the
other "mature" length continues forward on the straight flat track.
Hope this helps. (GDW/1-27-98)
Anonymous writes...
How did Wyvern Hill get its name?
Greg responds...
Good question. The answer's pretty self-evident.
Yes, that's a hint.
(GDW/1-26-98)
Anonymous writes...
Why did you put Eliza as a love intrest for goliath instead of demona?
eliza and goliath now thats disgusting, but i still love the show!
Greg responds...
Well, Evelyn, I think you're in the minority on that one. But basically, we
had a Beauty and the Beast motif in mind from the beginning. (GDW/1-26-98)
Anonymous writes...
What episode did anibus appear in?
Greg responds...
Anubis appeared in "Grief."
(GDW/1-26-98)
Anonymous writes...
In "Avalon Part 2", I noticed that when it showed the young Princess
Katherine and Magus playing with the baby gargoyles (baby Angela and
Gabriel, it was daylight and not nighttime. Was that a mess-up? If it was,
it was a very big one!
Greg responds...
I've answered this before. It's not daylight. The moon is bright in Avalon
when it's full, and they were all framed by the moon and torchlight.
And, yes, of course, we messed up a bit, but since I've got the above
explanation, I'm gonna stick with it and pretend we didn't mess up at all.
At any rate, please don't think we didn't notice that the lighting in the
scene was too bright. We did but we couldn't fix it before it aired.
(GDW/1-26-98)
Here's a rambling:
There's been a little debate in the comment room, regarding the Archmage
time travel loop, time travel in general, and the subject of free will in
the Gargoyles universe. I posted my two cents, but thought I should include
it here too, in case anyone missed it:
Oh, I'm probably going to regret this, but...
Gary, Gary, Gary> Yep. There is a loop. And you're comparison to the
classic "Kill your own grandfather" chestnut doesn't parallel.
I could show you this pretty easy on a diagram, but it's a little more
complicated in type. But let me give it a shot.
The grandfather thing is a "non-working" paradox. The timestream short
circuits. [No cheating, now. No "Well, it turns out the man I always
thought of as my grandfather wasn't really my biological grandfather" and no
"He had sex with my grandmother just before I killed him." None of that.] I
go back in time to kill my grandfather. He dies. My father's never born.
I'm never born, therefore I don't exist to go back in time to kill my
grandfather. Since I don't exist, my grandfather never dies. So my father
is born, and, subsequently, so am I, allowing me to go back in time to kill
my grandfather. And so on, and so on, and so on... It iterates without
fusing. Again, short circuit.
Compare another chestnut that I made up a few years ago. I am a historian.
My specialty is Abraham Lincoln. I travel back in time and meet him just
before he's scheduled to give the Gettysburgh Address. To my horror, I
discover that he's got writer's block. The most famous speech a president
ever gave, and Abe can't think of what to write. I panic. And "write" the
speech for him. Of course I didn't compose it. I simply write down the
Gettysburgh Address from memory. Abe loves it. Gives the speech. Reporters
transcribe it. Historians put it in history books. I study it and go back
in time. Time flows unbroken. It is a "working" paradox. A paradox that
doesn't short circuit the time stream. Now it raises a HUGE question? Who
composed the Address? Not Abe, he got it from me. Not me, I got if from a
history book. Not the historians or the reporters, they got it from Abe.
The answer is it was born with the timestream, created by God or the Big Bang
or whatever. It is mysterious. But it works.
The best example of a working paradox story I've ever read is Robert
Heinlein's "All You Zombies". It's a brilliant, subversive little piece of
work.
The Archmage (and/or the M.I.A.) loop has much more in common with the
Gettysburgh chestnut than the Grandfather chestnut. It is a working
paradox. Simpler even than Gettysburgh. You are the Archmage. Once upon a
time, you were a kid. Then you grew up to be a man, and you wind up falling
into a chasm. You're rescued by a "STRANGER" who looks something like you,
but not quite. The "Stranger" mentors you and gives you power and actually
changes you so that you look more like the stranger than like your old self.
Then the "stranger" sends you back in time to that point where you rescue
your old self. Now to that old immature version of you, you seem like "the
stranger". You mentor the old you, you give him power. Then you send him
back to effect the rescue. It's a loop, because you don't go back again.
You continue forward until Goliath does you in. There's a beginning and an
end and a loop in the middle. It IS a paradox. But it's a working paradox.
There's no short circuit. Time flows. THERE IS A BIG QUESTION! Where did
the Archmage get the idea to save himself. Well, he knows to do it because
his old self was a "witness" to the rescue. His old self was the rescuee.
But where did the IDEA come from? Again, a quirk of the timestream.
Many people have asked me why I made this the time travel rule in Gargoyles.
It's a very conservative approach. You can't change history. Period. Sure
we may not know the whole story. But what happened, happened. We can't
change it. That's the rule as I established it in "Vows," and as we stuck
with throughout the series. Why? Time travel is all theoretical. I could
have chosen any rule I wanted. I could have chosen no rules. Why did I
chose this rigid approach? Basically, cuz I thought it was MORE fun. I hate
feeling cheated at the end of stories. Time travel stories are easily
subject to this abuse. So many great Star Trek episodes full of time travel,
wind up wimping out in the end. Cheating. Using non-working paradoxes or
breaking any semblence of rules they've already established. I always felt
ripped off. I didn't want that for Gargoyles. Also it presents our
characters with a greater challenge. Griff vanished in WWII. Goliath goes
back in time to change it. AND HE CAN'T!!!!!! So he has to find another way
to solve the problem. It also explains why our guys just don't go back and
fix things so that the Wyvern Massacre never happened. Once you open a a can
of worms, you're stuck with a lot of worms (or worse, you pretend they aren't
there). That seemed lousy to me, so I made it clear that once an event is
absolutely known, you can't dodge it. Only work within it's frame. It's all
a matter of opinion, but that seemed like MORE fun to me.
And now...DAH DAH DAH. Predestination vs. Free will. This is an ancient
argument. God is omniscient. He knows what Eve is going to do. So she had
no free will, right? Well, most theologians would say she does. Eve is
created with free will by God. She doesn't have to take that apple. Cain
doesn't have to kill Abel. Sure, God knows that Eve is gonna take it, that
Cain is going to kill, but he doesn't impose that knowledge or his authority
on either Eve or Cain. (He's God. He can make those subtle distinctions in
his creations.) The fact that Mom tells you not to eat the cookies and
nevertheless knows you're going to, doesn't mean that you have no free will.
You could surprise Mom and skip 'em. Now you can't surprise God. He's God.
So he knows ahead of time what you're going to do. But it's still your
choice. Nothing touched your free will.
Now, I'll admit, that at times in Gargoyles, that distinction seems less
clear. I'm the main (though not the only) god of the Gargoyles Universe.
(At least I used to be.) But, obviously, I'm not GOD, and I don't have his
subtle powers of creation. But I tried. I suppose it's tough to figure how
the Archmage could choose not to save himself. But I think the key is that
he wouldn't want to choose anything other than what he did. So his free will
isn't touched. Griff chooses to fight in the Battle of Britain. He chooses
to risk his life. He doesn't know about Phoenix Gates or time travel. But
he knows the risks of war. He doesn't make it home for forty years. Maybe
that's a consequence he couldn't predict, but it's better than dieing. His
free will isn't missing from the equation just because the time stream (or
God or whatever you believe in) knows that he's not coming back even before
he departs. In GONE WITH THE WIND, Rhett Butler doesn't join the Confederate
Army until he knows the Confederacy is doomed. HE KNOWS. But that doesn't
effect his free will. We all make decisions. Maybe someone out there knows
the results. God. Or a psychic palm reader living in Petaluma. Or your
Uncle Ralph, who did the exact same thing when he was your age. But the fact
that someone else know, whether we know they know or not, does not effect our
free will.
Anyway, that's my two cents. (GDW/1-26-98)
Anonymous writes...
I've never really been a huge fan of fantasy myself, just wasn't that type
of guy. The only two people who have ever done fantasy that I really got
into are you Greg, and Neil Gaiman. I was wondering if there was a
possiblity of you two colabirating on a project of some sort.
Greg responds...
I doubt it. I've never met Neil, and God knows he doesn't need me to tell
his stories. Also we work in different media, and though we are both
interested in many of the same themes and topics, I think we have very
different approaches, very different tones, very different voices. I once
used his character of Death in an issue of CAPTAIN ATOM. I tried to be
respectful, but I heard through the DC Comics grapevine that he didn't care
for the appearance, though I never talked to him about it personally. But
Neil, if you're out there, I'd be willing to give it a shot.
(GDW/1-15-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg! You said that there are subdivisions within Oberon's Children. What
kind of subdivisions? Could you give some examples, please? Thanks! :)
Greg responds...
What was the context of my previous statement?
I'd say, as an example, that the old Norse Gods represent a faction reporting
to Odin, who in turn reports to Oberon. It's a fairly feudal system. Maybe
that's where we humans got the idea for feudalism. (GDW/1-15-98)
Anonymous writes...
I was going through your question/answer archive recently and a certine
question/answer caught my eye and sparked my interest. Someone else asked
"Will Owen ever have a life outside of Xanatos" or somethink like that, and
you answered "Who says he doesn't have one already" or something along those
lines. Hmm. . . 1) DOES Owen have a life outside of Xanatos/running a
multimillion dollar company/butlering? 2)If so, does Xanatos know about
this life? Some of it? None of it? All of it? 3) Considering that before
the gathering, Puck was free to use his powers as he wished, did he
mascarade as other people/gargoyles/beings/during the time he worked for
Xanatos, or was he striclty Owen? 4)Is Puck the biological son of Oberon
and Titania? Yes. . . Owen is my favoritie character
Greg responds...
1. Maybe.
2. Maybe.
3. When he was on duty, he was strickly Owen, cause that was the deal he had
with Xanatos. That didn't proclude him from messing around a bit on his off
time.
4. No. (GDW/1-15-98)
Anonymous writes...
I have a quick comment: in the Avalon episodes, the Magus seems infatuated
with Princess Katherine. Is that my imagination or was the Magus just very
loyal to the Princess? I liked the way Katherine became strong while the
Magus seemed foreever unsure of his magical powers. Thanks you.
Greg responds...
It's not your imagination. In fact, the Magus pretty much, as I recall, came
right out and admitted to Elisa that he loved the Princess. She loved him
too, but not in the same way. (GDW/1-15-98)
Anonymous writes...
How long was/is the Gathering on Avalon to last? If your immortal it has to
last longer than the traditional week or so.
Greg responds...
It's still going and it's been over a year.
(GDW/1-15-98)
Anonymous writes...
Greg, I think you had mentioned earlier that some of the original manhattan
clan would still be alive by the time of Future Tense (2158). Who would
this have been, besides the timedancing Brooklyn?
Greg responds...
I don't think I confirmed that absolutely. I'm still not going to.
(GDW/1-15-98)
Anonymous writes...
How can Demona wear the same clothes that are over a thousand years old?
Wouldn't they have disintigrated in a thousand years? How come in "Hunter's
Moon Part 1" and in "Sanctuary",Demona was a human (not wearing her
headband), then she trasformed into her gargoyle form, and she was wearing
her headband?! That's either bad editing, or that Demona is more magical
then I thought!!
Greg responds...
You probably don't want to hear this, because among other things, I'm sure
you know it, and yet you asked the question anyway. There are limitations to
our resources in making an animated series. One of these limitations is not
to redesign a character's clothing for every episode. So Elisa always seems
to wear the same outfit and Demona dresses in the same rags for a millenium.
As for the headband, there was some confusion with our animators, partially
because Demona has horns behind that headband. But there was nothing wrong
with the editing.
Come to think of it, this may be exactly the answer you were looking for,
since I'm sensing you just wanted me to cop to the fact that our process was
flawed.(GDW/1-14-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hey Greg, 1. On a visit to the movies not long the other day I saw a
poster for a movie by Dreamworks animation, called The Sons of Egypt (I
think). Did you have anything to do with that movie? If so can you tell us
anything about it? If not What are you working on (I know you've been asked
this before, but I thought that there may be a chance that by the time you
read this question you might be able to talk about whatever it is your
working on)? 2. Are the mutates now considered a race or just a freak
experiment? 3. How many races are there? I know that Broadway said there
were three, but then "what does he know?" 4. On a scale of one to ten, ten
being absolutely sure and one being no chance, what is the possibility of
Gargoyles actually coming back? I also realize that in a way you've
answered this question before as well, but I want a better idea of the
chances. 5. (notice I didn't forget the five!) Using the same scale what
are the chances of the movie actually making it to the theaters? I realize
you may not have any idea about this one. 6. Humans evolved from monkeys,
gargoyles evolved from beasts, but what did beasts evolve from? Dinosaurs?
Pterasaurs (I notice that that pterasaurs glide just like gargoyles)? What?
thanks.
Greg responds...
1. That's PRINCE OF EGYPT. And, no, I have nothing to do with it. I know
it's the story of Moses, but it's being done by the Feature Animation
Division in a completely different building, in a different part of Los
Angeles. I've got nothing new to report on my own work. Wish I did. I'm in
development hell.
2. I don't think they qualify as a race, but I think any reference with the
word "freak" in it might not be politically correct.
3. He knows what he was taught. It depends on how you count of course.
We've met beings of four separate races on the show. Humans, Gargoyles,
Oberon's Children and the New Olympians. The latter, as I've mentioned
before are an ancient hybrid of Oberon's children and mortal humans. We've
also met Nokkar, who's a member of an alien race, and he's mentioned the
Space Spawn, who are still another alien race. I'm not counting "animals"
like dogs, panthers, gargoyle beasts, loch ness monsters, etc. I'm also not
claiming that this answer is definitive.
4. The odds are against us. But it isn't impossible. I don't know how to
quantify beyond that. I guess I'd have to say three or four.
5. I have no idea. 6? 2?
6. Humans didn't evolve from monkeys. Both monkeys and humans evolved from
a common ancestor. Same with Gargoyle Beasts and Gargoyles. I don't know
enough about dinosaurs et al to answer this question. At least not yet.
(GDW/1-14-98)
Anonymous writes...
Greg:Do the gargoyles have their own "language" or tounge? I assume they
picked up English when the castle was built. What did they speak before
then?
Greg responds...
Sorry, you assumed wrong. Gargoyles had interaction with humans long before
humans were building castles. So they "picked up" the native human tongue
long, long ago. They have no living spoken language of their own.
(GDW/1-14-98)
Anonymous writes...
(Insert standard declaration of praise and
gratitude here.) After seeing the World Tour and observing how various
world religions were incorporated into the Gargoyles universe, I am led to
ponder the following questions. (1) Do gargoyles have any sort of a
religion? We know that the dictum "Gargoyles Protect" makes up a
consderable portion of their worldview, but do they have any such thing as
creation myths, legends, commandments? (2) I also noticed that the gods of
other cultures (Anubis, Anansi, Odin, and the Cloud Fathers) were revealed
as Children of Oberon, but no mention was made of any major Western faith.
What about characters like Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha? Were their
omissions oversight, or was it decided that the other gods were
sufficiently "exotic" that no one might be offended at their portrayal as
"merely fae"? (You don't meet a whole lot of Odin worshippers
nowadays.)
Greg responds...
1. Yes. I've answered this before, at least in part. Check the archives.
Gargoyle myths and legends would probably differ in different parts of the
world, just as human myths and legends do. But I'm sure there are thematic
consistencies.
2. Mohammed was a prophet, not a god. But basically, there was no point in
even proposing stories that we knew we could never get on the air. Your
evaluation may therefore be correct, though I admit to balking at it a bit,
because it sounds like we were condescending toward these other
cultural icons. I hope that's not the case. We tried to treat each
character with respect, but it may be that I have to cop to being more
presumptuous toward deities with less "political" power. (GDW/1-7-98)
Anonymous writes...
1.How does your brother feel about being John Castaway's namesake? 2. How
long would Demona and Macbeth have lived? 2a. Would they ever have come to
peacefull terms with eachother? 3. Who was Merlin's mother? 4. When did the
Archmage recruit Demona as his apprentice? 5. When and why was the Archmage
banished? 6. When and why did Demona get kicked out of the Archmage's
apprenticeship? 7. When did Xanatos start construction of the Eyrie? 8. How
long did it take to move the castle and reassemble it on the building? 9.
What year did Xanatos and Demona first meet? 10. What year did Demona and
Puck meet for the first time? Thank you for your time. Good luck with the
magazine. Good luck with the movie. Good luck with life. Be seein ya
around.
Greg responds...
1. I think he likes it, but you'd have to ask him.
2. At least into the 22nd century.
2a. Maybe, maybe not.
3. I forget her name, but you can look it up, I believe, in Geoffrey of
Monmouth. Or read about her in Mary Stewart's THE CRYSTAL CAVE.
4. Prior to VOWS.
5. Prior to LONG WAY TO MORNING, for plotting against Prince Malcolm.
6. The Archmage thought Demona had betrayed him at the end of VOWS. He
wasn't completely wrong. That ended their professional relationship.
7. 1994.
8. A few months.
9. I'm not revealing that yet.
10. Ditto. (GDW/1-7-98)
Anonymous writes...
oh great and illustrious creator, how and why did goliath get his name?
were you the one how named the three that are coldstone, coldsteel and
coldfire?
Greg responds...
We had been struggling to name all the characters for some time (with the
exception of Demona). I came up with the New York names and the rationale
that they had no names in the past. But that didn't seem to work for
Goliath. So we went with something classic. It appealed to me that Goliath
was named by the humans for an evil giant. A perfect indication that humans
didn't understand him (or gargoyles in general) at all.
I don't remember who chose the Coldstone name. It might have been me. Or it
might have been Michael Reaves who suggested it (or almost anyone on the show
for that matter). I know I came up with the Coldsteel and Coldfire names.
In early drafts of POSSESSION, Coldfire was called Goldfire, which was
another name I came up with. Finally the Coldfire name occurred to me.
It was obviously a better name, and I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of
it first. So I switched it. That was a bullet I dodged. (GDW/1-7-98)
Anonymous writes...
Thank you in advance for answering my questions. 1. In an earlier "Ask
Greg", you said Brooklyn's first trip with the Phoenix Gate would be to the
year 997. I'm assuming that would be to Castle Wyvern. Why would Brooklyn
want to go to the time and place that would drudge up painful memories? 2.
While we're on the subject of the Phoenix Gate, how does Brooklyn get his
hands on it in the first place? Isn't it supposed to be lost in the time
continuum when Goliath tries to make sure no one can get in "Future
Tense"?
Greg responds...
1. You assumed wrong. But at any rate, Brooklyn is not in control of the
Gate, so he's got no choice where and when it sends him.
2. The Gate pops open in front of him. He reaches for it and falls through
the rabbit hole BEFORE he can get a grip on it. (GDW/1-6-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hello!! I have white a few questions, so please bear with me, (if at all
possible!!) (1) Does Oberon's law of noninterference in human affairs
physically prevent the fae from interfering, or do they only risk Oberon's
wrah as a punishment? (2)Is Avalon part of Earth, a different dimension or
planet, or none of the above? Please explain this concept to me. (3) Can
alines perform "human magic"? (4) Does Castasway consider Jason Canmore a
traitor? Would he be willing to harm Jason to kill the gargoyles? (5) Are
gargoyle clans extended families or are they communities of gargoyle who
choose to live together (or both)? (6) How does Coldsteel heal itself (7)
As the coldtrio are in mechanical bodies, are they physically immortal,
(i.e. can they die of old age)? If their bodies were destroyed, could they
be brought back "on-line?" (8) What are the biological ages of the clone
clan? (9) Why do dome of the clones have structural differences, such as
Hollywood's huge fangs and underbite? (10)In City of Stone, the Wyrd
Sisters said that MacBeth and Demona share "pain and anguish", does this
include emotional pain and heartache? (11)Why was Elisa's mother in
Nigeria? (12)Are Jade and Turquesa still on Avalon? If yes, Do they live
with the Avalon clan in the castle? (13)How did Mace Malone learn abouth
the Illuminatti? (14) Why was Jack Dane in the Witness Protection Program?
(15) In Turf, Brooklyn asked Goliath when the rest of the clan would get
their world tour. Was this an oblique hint at something? (16) Would Lex
eventually have a mate/ (Any background info is appreciated!!) (17) How did
Hakon escape Wyvern in the axe? Is he now permanently gone? Thanks for your
time. Sorry if I repeated any questions already asked!!
Greg responds...
1. Both.
2. It's part of Earth, but it's location isn't reached in a three
dimensional manner. It's magic. A nexus of native Earth magic.
3. Is "alines" a typo for "aliens" like Nokkar? If so, the answer would be
that they could in theory with study and practice and the right equipment.
4. I think he considers Jason to be a victim, not a traitor. I don't think
he would intentionally hurt his brother, but as we've seen, there's a bit of
a gap between Jon's actions and his intentions.
5. Both.
6. The animation wasn't great in that scene, but the idea is that the robot
body has a small internal repair function. Mini-robots (less sophisticated
and much larger than the nanotechnology used for Matrix) enact repairs.
7. Well, is any appliance immortal? I'd say time takes it's toll on most
things, but obviously they don't age in the same way an organic creature
does. So they have a greater immortality potential. As to their restart
capabilities, that would depend on how they were destroyed, I guess.
8. In 1996, all the clones (including Delilah, Malibu, Burbank, Brentwood
and Hollywood, but excluding Thailog) were biologically aged into their early
twenties. Thailog was aged into his late twenties to match Goliath.
9. Speed-aging has side effects. Also Hollywood is biologically older than
Broadway.
10. Metaphorically, yes.
11. She had studied their culture, and the village had invited her to be
story teller at the festival of the Panther Queen. This was a great honor
that she had been preparing for for years.
12. No. In my mind, they eventually returned home.
13. That's a story for another day. Not a short answer question.
14. He testified against the Dracon family.
15. More of a smart-ass remark, but it was a vague foreshadowing of
Brooklyn's TimeDancer adventures.
16. Someone asked this already. See my earlier response.
17. The axe had absorbed a lot of magic. And yes, he's permanently gone. I
figure the character is now spent. (A lot of people felt he was already
spent went he appeared in Vendettas.) (GDW/1-6-98)
Anonymous writes...
I only have one question right now, and I'll try to phrase it
appropriately. Have Demona and Macbeth ever been, um, intimate, excluding
the time she was masquerading as Domenic Destine? Hope this doesn't break
rules or offend.
Greg responds...
I don't think they've ever had intercourse, if that's what you're asking,
including when she was his fiancèe. That was part of her mystique as
Dominique. (GDW/1-6-98)
Anonymous writes...
Oops. I'm so sorry! I asked a question that someone else had asked. I
didn't mean to. Please forgive me. *sobs in remorse* ...Halloween candy is
my friend. *bounces off nearest wall* Sorry. I'm calmer now. I think that
the magazine is a very cool idea, and I hope that you get to do it. Um, I
suppose I should ask a question. (Like I haven't asked enough.) All right,
you won't tell us how or when Puck and Demona met, but would you tell us
WHERE they met? Please? Thanks! (whether you tell me or not.)
Greg responds...
No. (GDW/1-6-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hey almighty ruler- er, Greg. Thanks for taking the time to answer my
questions- that is, if they're being answered:) Moving on... 1. Which
buildings on the show are real? I know the silver falcon is real... it's in
a mattress ad!!! 2. In "Awakenings" the Magus said that the gargs were
un-natural creatures. Did he mean that in prejudice, or did it mean that
they were actually un-natural? Well, that's all I
can think of right now. Thanks,
Nausika
Greg responds...
1. Give me a list of buildings your curious about, and I'll let you know
which ones, to my knowledge, are real. Eyrie Building is not of course.
Cloisters are. (There, that's a start.)
2. Prejudice. (GDW/1-6-98)
Anonymous writes...
I'm sorry again. You will be pleased to know that I've seriously cut back
on my candy consumption. I just have one more question (that I can
remember), and then I promise to go away... for awhile, at least. How did
Oberon, Titania, and Puck react to A Midsummer Night's dream? Thanks! Bye!
Greg responds...
I haven't given that much thought yet. So at the moment, It's hard to
divorce my answer from the issue of the comic book SANDMAN that dealt
with this exact subject and which I read some time ago. That felt pretty
close to right for me. Having said that, if I ever got around to telling
my version of that story, I'd probably take our characters in a very, very
different direction, because I wouldn't want to be copying Neil Gaiman.
(GDW/1-6-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hi, Mr. Weisman, I really enjoyed the show. My question is a lot of
attention has been spent on the significant others of Broadway and
Brooklyn. What about Lex? Did you plan for him to have a mate, or would
he have turned as some celibate computer geek? Thanks!
Greg responds...
I do have plans for Lex's significant other, but they are tied into other
long-term plans, so it doesn't make much sense to reveal the details now.
(GDW/1-6-98)
Anonymous writes...
You once said that Demona was capable of conceiving a child. 1) Is this
so in both gargoyle and human forms? 2) If she concieved a child in
gargoyle form, would the child survive her sunrise/sunset
transformations? 3) Ditto for if she (Demona) concieved as a human. 4) I
define immortal as this: having a lifespan capable of lasting
infinately. Now, are Fox and/or Alexander Xanatos immortal? 5)
What does Katana look like? (Hope ye answer this one, grin!) Thank
you very much for giving your time to those of us who are obsessed with
your show. Especially me. (She bows low, acknowleging your superiority.
Greg is all-knowing...Greg is omnipotent...I am not worthy! Arigato.)
Again, thanks. Arlee
Greg responds...
1. I would think so, yes.
2. I'd guess that the magic that generates her transformation would also
allow the child to live.
3. Ditto.
4. We honestly don't know. (See the Archives for a more complete answer on
the immortality of Oberon's Children.)
5. She hasn't been designed. I have a vague (extremely vague) picture in my
mind, but I wouldn't want to pin anything down here. Sorry. (See I'm
neither omniscient nor omnipotent. I'm rarely even omnipresent.) (GDW/1-6-98)
Anonymous writes...
****Blaise takes on solid form in the "Ask Greg" room.**** Greetings, Mr.
Weisman. I do have a few questions for you, but they can wait for a little
bit. I am happy to hear about your idea for a magazine. If you choose to
do it, good luck to you! May it be accepted, good, and profitable. Now
then, as for my questions...well, the first one kind of takes some
explaining. 1) I may just be jumping to conclusions here but...when
Bronx, Angela, and Goliath first met Raven in his gargoyle form, they
seemed somewhat wary of him to me. However, when they meet the real
gargoyles, Leo and Una, Angela recognizes them as gargoyles right off the
bat. My question; is there any signifigance to these differing reactions?
2) This second question may be offensive, and I apologize if it is, but I
want to ask it. You have answered a lot (and I mean A LOT) of questions,
and it's obvious a lot of thought went into some of the answers. However,
are there ANY questions which you've just thought up of quick answers to
right when you're asked? By this I mean several odd show nits, or various
internal show devices...aw heck, even I have trouble understanding what I'm
asking! 3) Last, you are very friendly with us fans. Has there ever been
any time in which we have been too...I don't know. Too something? (like
too inquisitive in the case of so many questions) Well, I numbered my
questions and (if I pressed Enter the correct number of times) should have
them spaced apart (if they aren't, I apologize). Thank you very much for
all your time, Mr. Weisman. Farewell. ****Blaise becomes energy and flies
off.****
Greg responds...
1. I think you're reading in more than is there. Bronx is a good
instinctive judge of character, but Goliath and Angela aren't particularly.
I think Goliath largely did trust Raven right off. Angela was suspicious,
but that was because his story didn't make sense to her, although not
necessarily for the right reasons. As for Leo & Una, I think Goliath, Angela
and Elisa were all trying to solve the mystery of the War Memorial and were
too distracted to have too much of a guard up.
2. Some answers are spur of the moment. Some are not. Some answers are
part of my overall thinking but have never been articulated before. Are you
wondering about anything in particular?
3. Never too inquisitive. I don't always feel like giving an answer, but I
don't mind the questions. I don't think it's a secret that I've found a
couple of commenters a bit presumptuous. Assuming they know better than I
what went on behind the scenes in the making of our show or even what is or
was going on inside MY head. That's annoying, but not exactly tragic. I'm
also not too fond of rumor spreaders, who take advantage of fans by
spreading false info so that they can feel superior. But generally, the
fans have been incredibly courteous and enthusiastic. We haven't always
agreed on everything, but I don't expect the fans to goose-step in line
behind me. And it has been great to see how you all have responded with so
much passion for the series. (GDW/1-6-98)
Anonymous writes...
That Gargoyles magazine is an excellent idea, Greg. Good luck with it, and
if it does go through, I hope you make at least a modest profit on it.
Now for some Q's... 1) Is Officer Morgan's name really Morgan Morgan? I
mean, he gets called Officer Morgan at work, and people call him just
Morgan outside of work.. 2) Are you in the mood to reveal the identity of
the Director? (I have a pretty good guess as to who it is, but saying it
would be breaking the ground rules...) 3) What about Mr. Duval? Feel like
telling us who he is? 4) What would Tachi's, Nashville's and Katana's
approximate ages have been? 5) Would Fox still be alive in 2158? 6) If
#5 is yes, then how old (biologically) would she have been? 7) How far
would the Coyote program have evolved? Would he eventually become sentient,
and not tied down to 'what he was programmed with' ? 8) What MiB episode
did you write? 9) Do you think that if the Gargoyles magazine goes
through, relatively high sales from all us garg fans will prompt Disney to
actually consider making new Gargoyles episodes? (Or at least bringing back
the reruns to afternoons, or putting them on the Family Channel with the
rest of their shows.)
Greg responds...
1. Yes. I went to high school with a guy named Morgan Morgan. His full
name was Morgan Lord Morgan III. He had nothing in common with our Morgan,
but I always thought he had a bizarrely cool name.
2. Um, I'm not sure what you mean. I'm not going to reveal his given name,
but it wouldn't be of any particular significance to you. He's not an
existing character, if that's what you're thinking.
3. I've basically given this away already, but I think I'll maintain a bit
of mystery here.
4. When?
5. Not saying.
6. See above.
7. Sorta.
8. It's called "The Big Sleep Syndrome". I just watched a tape of it today
for the first time. It hasn't aired as of today's date, but probably will
have by the time you read this post.
9. Disney on the Family Channel? I think you're confused. Magazine sales
would have to be enormous for it to effect programming decisions. I got
less than 300 responses to the poll. That barely qualifies as a drop in the
bucket. (GDW/1-5-98)
Anonymous writes...
The magazine sounds like an excellent idea! :D I hope you do eventually get
to publish it. 1)Would we, as fans, be permitted to submit articles or
artwork for inclusion in it? (no fanfic, of course. We would leave the
storytelling up to you) You have stated that Oberon was Merlin's father.
2a)Was Oberon aware of that fact? b)Was Merlin? c)What was the
relationship between them?(ie. did they get along?) 3)Is Merlin on Avalon?
(This may have been asked before, but it *is* a yes-or-no question, so I
hope you won't mind) 4)a)Who was Morgan LeFay? Some accounts of the legend
of King Arthur refer to her as the Queen of Avalon. b)What was her
relationship to Oberon and Avalon? c)Was(is?) she part fey? 5)Just a
small matter I wanted to clarify: Is Puck incapable or merely forbidden to
use magic when not teaching or protecting Alex? 6)You mentionned in
response to an earlier question that Xanatos had been fully developped
*before* Jonathan Frakes was cast in that role. How is that
possible??!?!?!?! They are virtually IDENTICAL!!! 7)Inquisitive am I not?
That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll come up with more. Thank you in
advance for your reply.
Greg responds...
1. Letters to the editor certainly. I'd have to check the legalities on the
rest. Of course, it's all looking mighty moot now, but maybe someday.
2a. Yes.
2b. Evenutally.
2c. Complex.
3. Not at the moment.
4. I'm not going to reveal that right now. Sorry.
5. Both.
6. Kismet? I'm not saying that we didn't write to Jonathan's strengths, and
certainly Jonathan brought a great deal to the role. And he was clearly
perfect for it. But the character was designed and developed before Jonathan
came aboard. Before he even occurred to us. The only character from the
original group of regulars that was developed with a specific actor in mind
was Hudson. (And, yes, that actor was Edward Asner.)
7. No more than most. (GDW/1-5-98)
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg! I promise I'll try to ask fewer questions this time. 1) Why did
Owen freak out when Anastasia mentioned that she had remarried her first
husband? 2) What did Titania do to provoke Oberon into exiling everyone
from Avalon? 3) What were the exact terms of the exile? 4) Just how upset
is Owen/Puck about being eternally banished from Avalon? 5) Does Owen ever
accidentally hurt himself with that stone arm? Like maybe turning over in
bed and whacking himself in the forehead? 6) How much time passed between
"Ill Met By Moonlight" and "The Gathering"? 7) Why did Owen return to help
Xanatos in "The Gathering"? 8) Does Owen just have one tie, or does he have
lots of identical ties? (I like pointless questions. Sue me.) 9) If Puck is
only allowed to use his powers when teaching or protecting Alex, how did he
change back into Owen at the end of "The Gathering"? 10) Could you please
try to clear up the whole Owen/Puck thing? (*sigh* Let me try to clarify
that. People have lots of different ideas about the exact nature of
Owen/Puck, like just how separate they are, (or if the term "they" would
even appliy to "them")... Ack! I don't think I can explain what I mean any
better without breaking the rules! I really hope you understand what I
mean.) Would you believe that I actually came in here to ask *one*
question? Sheesh... Anyway, thanks!
Greg responds...
1) He knew her first husband was Oberon.
2) I'm not revealing that right now.
3) I'm not sure how exact a guy Oberon was (or is). Basically, it was get
out there and live among the mortals 'til I gather you back. Which I
probably won't do for about 1000 years.
4) It's a real blow. He didn't want to go back now, but that's not the same
as being banished from your home forever.
5) Owen is much too competent for that. Don't you agree?
6) Not too much. Ask me again when I've done the whole timeline thing.
7) Basically, he cared too much not to.
8) He has a few ties, but he favors a certain style.
9) That's his "non-powered" form. The one he's stuck with when he isn't
teaching or protecting Alex.
10) I think I've answered this a lot, so I'd recommend checking the
archives for a more complete answer. Basically, Owen is one of Puck's many
identities. A persona Puck created. Owen is, however, a persona that Puck
has a lot invested in. They ARE one guy though. I hope that answers your
question. I don't really think it's that confusing. Are you sure you're not
over-thinking it? It's pretty much what Puck said it was in "The Gathering,
Part II." (GDW / 12-24-97)
Anonymous writes...
I would like to thank you for reading my response. I have a few
questions that have been nagging at me for a while. 1. What happened to
the clocktower after the Hunters blew it up? Was it demolished or
rebuilt? 2. Did/will the gargoyles find out that Canmore and Castaway
are the same person. 3. Did anyone at Internal Affairs wonder where Dect.
Maza was at during her "World Tour"? 4. Not to mention how she got shot?
I feel that I should inform you that you made a mistake. The assault on
the 23rd precienct was a terrorist act. Such actions are a federal
offense and the handling of these cases is under the jurisdiction of the
FBI. The NYPD CANNOT create the "Gargoyle Task Force" without proper
authorization. I find it very hard to believe that the FBI does not have a
larger role in these things. They don't take these things
lightly(believe me, I checked). Sorry for sounding picky. Thank
you.
Greg responds...
1. It was under reconstruction during "THE JOURNEY", though I'm not sure if
that was clear in the episode. It was, at least in my mind, being rebuilt.
2. Yes.
3. I don't think there was an Internal Affairs investigation, but Elisa had
to tell Chavez something when she got back. And there was a Missing Person's
Report filed. That case was closed.
4. Elisa told them it was an accidental shooting. There was no evidence to
the contrary, so they let it pass. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that Elisa has a
fairly stellar record, not to mention that she's the daughter of a police
sergeant with an equally clean record.
And, Tim, I don't think I did make a mistake. Who said the FBI
DIDN'T get involved? I never did. I just didn't depict it. But don't tell
me that a local police force cannot create a Task Force at the drop of a
hat. The LAPD does it all the damn time. I'm sure it's no different in
NYC. They don't need the FBI's permission to launch a task force. Just
the Police Commisioner's permission (and no veto from the mayor). And don't
tell me that FBI juristiction or no, the NYPD isn't going to be very
territorial and involved in any investigation into the destruction of one of
their precinct houses. Cops get very intensive when it comes to attacks on
their own. Very intensive. Sorry for sounding prickly. (GDW/12-15-97)
Anonymous writes...
Hello! I just have one question for you. 1)Why doesn't Elisa even shed a
tear when she finds out (or thought she knew the truth) that Hudson died in
the episode when Macbeth was a robot? I'm REALLY sorry, but I forgot the
title of the episode. If your too confused with this question, I'll
understand if you don't answer it! Thanks.
Greg responds...
1. THE PRICE. And I just don't think there was time to take it all in,
before the real Hudson showed up. (GDW/12-15-97)
Anonymous writes...
Hello again Mr. Weisman. You mentioned that The Goliath Chronicles moved
"too fast" with public acceptance of the gargoyles, and that's certainly
true. My question is this, by the time "Bad Guys" rolls around (that
leika was AWESOME!), Yama is a member of this covert team. What is his
"status"? Does the mysterious group behind this Dirty Dozen-esque team
grant him any legal rights or acceptance, or is he considered along the
lines of a trained animal, more like Hunter's property than a sentient
beast? Just curious, thanks for answering (if you can)!
Greg responds...
The Director and the Hunter both know that Yama is fully sentient. That
doesn't mean that they choose to recognize that he has any rights. As with
Dingo and Fang, they basically blackmail Yama into joining the team or
else. The Squad's operations are, at least in theory, covert, so there
wasn't any need for a public stance on this point. Good question though.
(GDW/12-15-97)
Anonymous writes...
Mr. Weisman, I?m sorry that there are so many questions, but watching the
repeats on the Disney Channel (in England at least) has given me a lot to
think about. At the time of writing I can?t find the answers to these in
the archives, but ignore the question if that has changed or I?m wrong. 1.
How long do the New Olympians generally live for, naturally? 2. One of my
favourite shows was HERITAGE, but it is the only one that nobody seems to
talk about. A) Whatever happened to Raven? B) Would he have featured again?
3. How and when did Demona come to know that Puck and Owen were the same?
4. I might be reading too much into this, but through the first two seasons
Xanatos and Demona were the two main recurring villains. Xanatos changing
some, if not all, of his views seems to set him up to be a character on
either side, as it suits him (like Macbeth). Castaway, after THE JOURNEY,
can hardly be less than a major villain. A) Is my analysis correct, at
least partially? B) Would having two main villains driven by hate and guilt
make the stories start to seem repetitive? 5. When (ie. The year and maybe
month) would the New Olympians make themselves known? 6. In THE PRICE, out
of all the villains, why did Xanatos choose to make a robotic version of
Macbeth? He knew that the weird sisters took him away in CITY OF STONE, but
presumably didn?t know about HIGH NOON. To him, Goliath would have been
suspicious. 7. Why did Goliath not show himself when Elisa introduced the
Mutates to the Mazas? Although he is a different species, the Mazas would
probably not have noticed until he turned to stone. That way Goliath could
have had the support of the Mazas. Goliath had no problem with Derek
knowing in HER BROTHERS KEEPER. 8. Were the human gargoyles and gargoyle
Elisa how the clan would have looked had they been human or was this only
Puck?s interpretation? 9. You once mentioned that the World Tour was
?laying seeds.? What were they? New Olympians, Pendragon and Matrix for
their series, Hakon, Brod and Griff for other stories in the season and the
clan in Japan was presumably setting the stage for Katana. All these are
obvious. What about the Loch Ness Monster, Raven, Anubis, Odin, Cucullain,
the Guetamala clan and the were-panthers? 10. Was it just chance that
Demona chose to speak to Brooklyn or did she pick him knowing his
character? 11. One of the Weird Sisters mentions, in AVALON PART TWO that
the Eye of Odin was forged on Avalon. Was she referring to Odin?s birth?
12. Would there ever have been any truce or even friendship between Demona
and Elisa? Thanks for doing ?Ask Greg? and especially if you can bear all
these questions.
Greg responds...
1. They're all pretty different, but I'd guess it ranges from between 13 and
250 years.
2. Raven was present for the Gathering on Avalon, where he's currently
residing. I did have more stories planned for Raven.
3. Shortly after Puck created Owen.
4. As far as it goes, your analysis is correct. I'm not particularly
concerned about having both Castaway and Demona as villains. I wasn't
concerned about having Xanatos and Thailog as villains, and their motivations
were fairly similar. I'm making no attempt to have a quota on the number of
Major Villains, Minor Villains, Swing Characters, etc. I try to be true to
each individual and allow them to grow if they're capable of it.
5. I can't answer that. It depends on when, if ever, I get another chance
to tell their story. It's intended to be a contemporary event however, if
that's what you're asking.
6. Xanatos chose Macbeth presumably because he served as believable
misdirection. David guessed correctly. Goliath did believe that Macbeth had
a magical powder that could keep Hudson frozen in stone.
7. I don't think Goliath wanted to intrude on their moment of reunion. They
had enough to deal with, without having to hear Elisa's whole history with
the Gargoyles on top of everything else. And yes, Goliath probably could
have passed for a Mutate, but I doubt he'd want to lie to Elisa's parents,
even by ommision. Also, I'm sure Elisa had input on the decision, and as we
know, Elisa wasn't big on sharing that secret with anyone.
8. Uh... How do I answer that? Both. I mean, how would you look if you
were born a platypus? How would a mule look if he were born an anteater?
9. Yes.
10. When?
11. Maybe. Or maybe to his eye being transformed into the jeweled form we
were familiar with.
12. I'm not sure yet.
(GDW/12-15-97)
Anonymous writes...
1) How did Puck decide on the name Owen Burnett? 2) What does Owen do in
his spare time? 3) Who are Puck's parents? 4) Who told Shakespeare the
story of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and why? 5) How accurate is AMND? Is
it more accurate than Macbeth? 6) What is Puck's real name? (I'm hoping
that that IS his real name, but...) 7) Xanatos does pay Owen, doesn't he?
If so, how much? 8) Does Xanatos ever let Owen take a vacation, and if so,
where does he go during his time off? 9) Why is the window in Owen's
office up so high? 10) What happened to Queen Mab after Oberon overthrew
her? 11) Whenever people ask you if Oberon's Children are immortal, you
get kind of evasive, so I'm going to rephrase it. Do Oberon's Children
eventually die of old age? 12) You've also pointed out that since they're
shape-shifters, Oberon's Children can look any way they want to. Does Puck
really look the way he usually appears? What about Oberon and Titania? 13)
Did the events that occured in "The Gathering" happen exactly the way
Titania planned them, or just generally the way she planned them?
Specifically, did she expect Oberon to eternally ban Puck and take his
powers away? I guess I'll stop now. Thanks for putting up with me. :)
Greg responds...
1. I'd have to think about that. I'm sure he was looking for something that
had the feel of Preston Vogel without actually sounding so close as to arouse
suspicion. (They already looked so much alike.)
2. What spare time?
3. I'm not telling.
4. Ask me again later.
5. Less at stake, so in its way, probably. But the play is heavily
anachronistic and analocalistic (a new word), so it's not exactly a
documentary.
6. Puck is ONE of his many "real" names, others include Owen Burnett and
Robin Goodfellow. In fact we briefly considered using the latter name or
just plain Goodfellow instead of Puck because a couple people were nervous
that Puck would be mistaken by parents for another word which it happens to
rhyme with. Ultimately, we figured that we'd go with the name that the
character was most famous for and just make sure we were really careful with
our enunciation.
7. Yes. I don't know the exact amount. Quite a bit, but he's worth every
penny.
8. Xanatos would let Owen take a vacation, but I don't think Owen's
requested one yet.
9. Design fluke?
10. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh.
11. I honestly don't know, because they don't know. I'm not trying to be
evasive on this point. Here's what we do know: (1) they are, at the very
least, extremely long lived; (2) none of them have died of old age YET;
(3) They are shape-shifters, so they don't ever have to look old, and most
choose not to. Even the ones who do choose to look old, like Grandmother for
example, don't age visibly, they simply maintain an elderly form. None of
this is evidence against the evenutal possibility of dying of extreme old age.
12. Who knows? I doubt Puck does. Or Oberon or Titania for that matter.
When you can choose any form, who's to say which form is the "true" form?
I'd say Puck, Titania, Oberon et al are in their "true" forms because those
are the forms they most often choose to be in.
13) You'd have to ask Titania, but I wouldn't bet against her.
(GDW/12-15-97)
Anonymous writes...
Some questions and comments: 1) I was wondering if you think Disney would
consider licensing the comic book rights to Gargoyles to an imprint other
than Marvel (ie. Dark Horse, WildStorm, Topcow, ect.) and would you
consider taking on writing duties if they did? Marvel didn't do a great job
with the series because it didn't have the same quality of art and
story-telling that the cartoon had at the time. Without a T.V. series to
compete with, a Gragoyles comic could continue your stories with adequate
sales. Just a thought. 2) To your knowledge, were any of the other
Gargoyles videos edited down from the original broadcasted version? 3)Did
they include any new scenes? Although "Awakening" was cut down a lot, I
noticed a new scene where Goliath answered the airship captain's question
of "What are you?" with "Your worst nightmare", a cliche that kind of
deserved to be edited out. 4) I just want to say that I'm glad your staff
put out such a great animated series without resorting to adding the
pointless violence that your Mighty Morphing competitors survived on. There
are only a handful of children's shows nowadays that rely on true
story-telling, but they seem to be getting cancelled all of the time in
exchange for mediocre programming. Thanks for your time.
Greg responds...
1. I think Disney would consider that. The question is, how do you get a
new comic company interested, when Marvel's version poisoned the water from a
sales standpoint. Still if you guys could convince a comic company to take
it on, I'd love to write the book. Again, I was poised to take over the
writing of the Marvel book (and I had already scripted one issue) when the
mag was cancelled by Marvel. Incidentally, I think the art was generally
pretty strong on the book. The stories suffered because they were tangential
to my series continuity, but I don't think it was a bad effort. The main
problem was that it was marketed poorly and/or incorrectly.
2. To my knowledge, they were not. Though I didn't watch them. I'm just
confident that they didn't spend the money to do any editing.
3. There were no new scenes. Even that wasn't a new scene. As you noted
the two (nearly) simultaneous edits of "AWAKENING" and "THE HEROES AWAKEN"
were done by two different sets of people who had two different sets of
marching orders.
4. Thank you and you're welcome. (GDW/12-15-97)
Anonymous writes...
A few questions, all fey (fae, fay, whatever) related. Thank you in advance
for your responses. 1)a)Does Oberon have any biological offspring other
than Merlin? b)Who are they? c)Which of the above, if any, are also
Titania's children? 2)Where was Puck during the late 15th century? (I am
not asking WHO he was or WHAT he was doing, since you are unlikely to
answer such questions. All I want is the name of a city - or country, if
you would prefer not to be more specific.) 3)You mentionned that Queen Mab
was Oberon's mother, and several people have asked who his father was, but
who were TITANIA's parents? 4)Just out of curiosity, have you read the
novel "The Mists of Avalon"?
Greg responds...
1a. Yes.
1b&c. I'm not telling.
2. Around.
3. I'm not telling.
4. No. Though I received it as a gift while I was working on the show, I
haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Right now I'm in the middle of
reading the plays of Christopher Marlowe. After that, I plan on reading the
complete works of William Faulkner. In between, I generally fit in a Tony
Hillerman book here and there. Everything else is in line behind those three
authors. (GDW/12-15-97)
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg, thanks again for answering all our q's. 1)You said in one of
your responses that one of the main, gargoyle characters would die
violently. In another response you said that Castaway might (in the future)
kill a gargoyle. I don't want to break your rules by assuming any of my own
opponions on this, but are these two responses any way related? 2)How
long ago was the Guatemalan clan mostly killed out? 3)What happened to
Pendragon's son that Oberon needed to owe him a favor? 4)I know you
told us "Let me surprise you" on the ceremony between the commitment of
Elisa and Golith's relationship, but I'm just wondering one thing...Were
any of their friends there, or were they in privacy? 5)You said that
you had 10 monthes to produce/make the first 13 episodes, but I heard
before that it took a year to make the final copy of an ep. Am i wrong? If
I am, how long should it take to produce a great final copy? 6)I have
noticed that while watching TGC (and I'll take this from the first ep that
you did) the sound affects, and the animation is strikingly similar to the
sound affects and animation the the cartoon, "Spiderman". Was their an
animation/company change between the 2nd and the 3rd season? 7)In
another response you said that Elisa and Goliath barely had a realtionship.
Was the "date" that Elisa and Goliath were planning to have, before being
ambushed at her apartment, in "The Journey", considered to you, part of
thier progress in their realtionship? Thanks for your time! I greatly
appreciate it!
Greg responds...
1. I'm not sure that I said exactly what you're reporting here. I don't
remember. At any rate, I'm not responding to this.
2. Not very.
3. Huh? Oberon owed his own son Merlin a favor.
4. Friends and relatives will be in attendance.
5. "Final Copy"? I'm not sure what that means. From premise to air can
take as little as six months to as much as two years, depending on schedule,
staff, money, etc. Obviously, the more time, the better the odds that the
quality will be high in the end result. Time is no guarantee of quality, but
it sure helps.
6. Yes.
7. I'd say it was progress, though aborted progress. You'll notice
Elisa did dress up for it. (GDW/12-15-97)
: « First : « 50 : Displaying #242 - #291 of 702 records. : 50 » : Last » :