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Hello once more Mr. Weisman!
I have had some trite but ever so curious questions buzzing in my
scull for a while now! Ready? =D
1)Okay, let's just be blunt! Many have been beating around the bush
and circumventing this curious little question... Is Oberon Puck's
father????
2)Are all the Tricksters related (by blood)? They cirtainly have some
similar personality traits, particularly Puck and Coyote! =)
3)Why not put up a page giving some personal info on you to prevent
those ever so annoying repeat questions. You could list some of your fav
stuff on there! Fav Shakespeare play, fav garg character, ect... hmmm that was
more a suggestion. Oh well! =D
4)Wanna tell us who Brooklyn's mate is yet? PLEASE! (on hands and
knees here!)
5)What were you doing before _Gargoyles_?
6)Are you a Trekkie or X-philer? Ha Ha Ha! If you are both, which more
so? =)
1. No. Oberon is Merlin's father.
Hey, did someone say in the comment room that I had said that
Merlin was fully human? I never said that.
Here's what we know to date:
Queen Mab is Oberon's mother.
Oberon is married to Titania.
But Oberon has a son, Merlin, by a human woman.
That makes Merlin a human-fae hybrid.
Titania has a daughter, Fox (or Janine), by the human Halcyon Renard.
That makes Fox a hybrid too, but she was raised as a human.
Fox is married to David Xanatos (the son of Petros Xanatos).
They have a son Alexander Fox Xanatos, who is one-quarter Fae.
Puck/Owen, as far as we know, isn't related to anyone that we've
met to date.
2. No.
3. That page exists. It's called the ASK GREG ARCHIVES. I
realize it's a lot of material to slog through right now, but Gore has
long term plans to figure out a way to grant a greater ease of access to
it. Give him time.
4. See, now I know you haven't read the Archives. I gave that
away ages ago. Her name is Katana. She's a gargoyle that he meets
while TimeDancing in Feudal Japan.
5. I was Director of Series Development at Walt Disney
Television Animation.
6. I watch DS9, Voyager and X-Files. That's the extent of my
fan participation in those shows. (GDW / 4-23-98)
Dear Mr. Weisman,
I'll skip the standard "I love the series/It's the best thing ever/you
are God" introduction, because, although I certainly feel that way, I'm
sure you get hundreds of these things that have probably said it better than I
can. Anyway, on to the questions. I've got A LOT of them, so instead of
driving you up the wall by sending them at once, I'll be splitting them up
into smaller groups.
1) I've just spent about three days reading everything in the archive,
questions asked, and your latest responses, and a lot of the questions
seem to be on the topic of Demona's childbearing abilities. Stay with me
here, I think this is a new one. If gargoyles are only able to lay one egg
every 20 years (and you've already said that Demona could conceive in either
form), what are the specifics of this? I mean, could she lay an egg and then
get pregnant as a human in less than 20 years? Feel free not to answer
this if you think you've covered it enough before.
2) A question about the Pack: After "Upgrade," how did they get out of
prison? All of the ones arrested showed up in the world tour. Did
Xanatos bail them out of prison in return for their services (Jackal, Hyena, &
Wolf in Egypt and Dingo in Australia)?
3) About Mr. X's exoframes: I've noticed that his light exoframe ("Eye
of the Beholder"/"Double Jeopardy") bears a resemblance to the Steel
Clan-esque crimson one, especially in the hands and rocket pack area. Was this
just a result of similar art concepts, or is the big suit "assembled" onto
the light one (i.e. clip-on armor)?
Thanks in advance for answering these. There will definitely be more.
:-)
1. I don't know the answer to that for sure. I don't ever know
'til I set a story in stone, so to speak. But frankly, it's a moot
hypothetical. Demona doesn't give herself lightly. And I think she's
smart enough, even as a human, to use birth control, if for some reason
she decides to have sex.
2. He must have busted them out of prison. Again.
3. Both. (GDW / 4-23-98)
Dear Greg wiseman
first off thank you for Gargoyles the cartoon and I wish it was back
on the air! Cause it got me more wanting to learn more about Gargoyles their
heritage,customs, and pluse some side stuff. I was wondering if you
know of any books or refrences that you used when building the Gargoyle
universe and their backgrounds of these creatures. like any books you can refer me
too would be awfully apperciated and thanked!
No. Sorry. I made it all up. (GDW / 4-23-98)
I have only one question and that is: Why is Hudson the only Gargoyle
with a Scottish accent? All the rest were born and raised there, the people
around them had scottish accents, yet that failed to do so, why is that?
I've answered this before. Part of this depends on what kind of
answer you want. A behind-the-scenes answer or a within-the-world-of
-the-show answer.
For the latter, Hudson is the guy who spent the most time around
humans in the tenth century. He thus picked up their accent. The
others had a more neutral accent. (If you listen carefully, even the
trio maintain a more classic neutral accent until "Awakening, Part
Three"). That neutral accent was easily influenced by twentieth century
contacts and culture.
If you're looking for that behind-the-scenes answer, then know
that Hudson's accent carries symbolic weight. A reminder of where our
gang came from while allowing the younger characters to represent where
they are now. With Goliath's classic, dignified speech patterns and
neutral accent representing the middle, transitional ground. It's all
done to create another layer of tension, another layer of depth to the
characters.
In any case, this was not an oversight. We made a conscious
decision (for right or wrong) to take it this way. (GDW / 4-23-98)
1) Why do Xanatos' Steel Clan blow up everytime they get destroyed? Is
it a backup of his, or just a design flaw? o.O
2) In TGC, Brooklyn's reaction to Broadway and Angela's relationship
was to run away... but what were your plans? How were you going to have him react?
3) Where was Elisa's new police station going to be located? Anywhere
special?
4) Since Matt became head of the Gargoyle Task Force, was he going to
still have time to be Elisa's partner?
6) (I'm gonna leave out 5, just so I feel like I fit in. o.O ) Would
you tell us what names you had planned for your new Pack characters? (All
the wild dog names appear to be used up. o.O)
7) Would they have torn down or rebuilt the clocktower?
8) When Xanatos turns the dial on his suit... is that steam that's
dispersed, or is the suit locked air-tight?
9) I did the math for Samson, Artus and Gwenyvere... how were you
going to keep intrest with younger viewers in the proprosed spinoff when half
the 2158 Manhattan Clan sounds like they'd need artificial respiration to
fight crime? o.O
10) This isn't a question, but you should try submitting a question to
Gore's "The Box." (His topic discussion forum.) I'm sure you could
think up something interesting that's relative to the show.
5) (I felt bad about excluding it.) Are there any other shows on tv
that you'd like to write for, and why?
11) Are you going to guest write for any more shows, like you did for
MIB? (Good ep., BTW. The part where K's skeleton pops up and says, "I'm all
right!" was hilarious. :P)
12) How did you get started with writing?
13) What certain qualities do you think make a good writer? (Not an
average one, someone who could write something great - well, like Gargoyles.
No sucking up there, it's just a fact; Gargoyles is co-leader for being
the highest quality North American cartoon there is - Spawn being the
other co-leader.)
1. Maybe a bit of both.
2. TimeDancer.
3. Right where it always was. They were already rebuilding it
during the Journey.
4. Yeah. The task force wasn't going to be a full time job at
first.
5. What is the significance of o.0? If there's an icon in
that, I don't see it. :)
(Note from Gorebash: o.O O.O O.o are all faces. the o's are eyes and the .'s are noses. BUGEYES)
6. Nope.
7. Rebuilt it, but not necessarily to look exactly the same.
8. I thought it was steam.
9. You must be very young. At any rate, Samson's older
siblings would not have been regulars. He would have been the lead. An
elder statesman thrust into a crisis. Think of a slightly more
Goliath-like Hudson figure. But he wouldn't have been the only regular
character, and he would have been the oldest biologically, so I wasn't
too worried about AGISTS (like you :)) rejecting the show.
10. It's not really my forum. This is.
5. Oh, I think it would be fun to write for Buffy. It'd be
amazing to write for Homicide, although I don't know if I'm up to it. I
think I could do some interesting work on Highlander or either Star Trek
series. There are probably others.
11. That skeleton bit was actually written by story editor
Duane Capizzi. My version was slightly different. I've written a
Disney Hercules, a second MiB and am currently writing my third MiB.
12. In second grade, we had spelling words that we had to put
into a sentence. I ran all the sentences together to make a story. It
was fun. I got praised for it. So I kept at it. I started my first
unfinished novel in the sixth grade. Etc.
13. Read a lot. Write a lot. Read some more. Don't base your
work on other people's recent work. Don't base it on recent of
semi-recent pop culture. Look at the classics. Classics of literature,
of drama. Classic pop culture is o.k. too, but don't assume that
ANYTHING qualifies as an instant classic no matter how much you like it.
Write. Write. Read. Read. Proofread. Read aloud. Read your own
writing aloud. Never stop learning new things. Read. Write. Read
some more. (Get the idea?)
By the way, isn't it "la cabeza"? (GDW / 4-21-98)
Hi, Greg! This question was asked before but you sort of copped out
on it so here it is again but rephrased...
1. If you had a globe of the world (the types found in classrooms),
could you place Avalon on it?
2. If yes, where would it be more or less (i.e., in the Indian Ocean,
in the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire)? Thanks!
1. Not in any traditional sense.
2. See above. (GDW / 4-21-98)
Hello, Mr. Weisman. First of a big thanks for the fabulouse
show, a long story arc is a rare thing about most cartoons.
Now to the questions:
1.) In the Gathering it did strike me as odd, that Oberon
attacked the forceshield of Owens with brute force alone
for most of the episode, instead of blasting the unshielded
emitters, or diving through under it from the beginning
on. Since Titania seemed to have set this whole kidnapping
stuff up to get her Daughter to use magic, did Oberon
really attack in ernest, or did he see through this plot
and was just giving a performance?
2.) You mentioned earliere, that you planned to include almost
every myth around in the show. Was it just a coincidence
that Oberon after being hit by Petros with the iron harpoon
changed into something that could have easily passed as
count Draculas nephew?
3.) After the hit from the Harpoon, Oberon looked way old.
Is the more or less immortality of Oberons children
biological or just maintained by magic like shapeshifting ?
4.) About the gliding, You stated that the Gargoyls do store
up solar energy, as well as eating. How far are those
two processes interchangeable,
a) can a Gargoyl survive with solar energy onley, if he
uses very little of his strength, eg. doesnÝt fly, and
b) can he run with food alone, if he eats a real lot?
1. I think Oberon's attack was in earnest. SO MUCH earnest
that he didn't think of the best method of attack until later.
2. The Dracula-nephew thing is your interpretation, but the
transformation wasn't a mistake. Nevertheless, we'd have hit Drac
eventually.
3. Hard to say. Check the Archives for a more complete answer.
4. I think both processes are essential. Breathing too. (GDW / 4-21-98)
AWFUL MEMORY, AWFUL!!!
Well, here's a couple and I'M GONE!! Honestly.
1. Who takes care of the humor on the show? (heehee)
2. (this is a joke question) If Broadway got a job, what would it be?
(Besides sumo wrestling) {smile}
3. If Lex went on a chat room what name do you think he'd use? (Joke,
question, a joke...) {rolls eyes and smiles}
4. Are gargs born with hair?
5. Oh! Oh! Oh! I NEED an answer! Okay. On "The Mirror" when the humans
turned back to humans, did they remember their experiance?
6. I just noticed this, if Demona destroyed all the humans, she'd kill
herself cause' in the process she'd kill Macbeth. If the show comes
back, will she, like, figure that out?
1. Takes care of it? What does that mean?
2. Teacher, maybe?
3. Lex.
4. Some are.
5. Yes, but not any of the transformations. They were always
completely unaware of those.
6. It depends on her method of destruction of course.
Hi for Shinga. (How's that?) (GDW / 4-21-98)
Hi, Mr. Greg!
1) I was wondering if that Horse with Wings in The Gathering PART1, was named Pegasus?
2) If the Weird Sisters have any connection with the Moon or Sun?
3) If you were planning to introduce Atlantis in one of the World Tour episodes?
4) Are all the Weird Sisters doomed to spend their lives eternally
single if Oberon's Children are allowed to seek other members of Oberon's
Children?
5) Have you got a favorite anime series you like to watch? Thank
You!!!!!
1. Possibly. I'd have to see him again.
2. The moon, yes.
3. Not in the World Tour per se, but eventually, yes.
4. I'm not sure I understand the question.
5. Anime, specifically? No. I don't think I've seen much
current anime. I used to like Lupin. Does Speed Racer count? (GDW / 4-21-98)
Greg,
As you may or may not know, Gargoyles reruns are now showing on USA
cable network. However, USA has a really idiotic intro that they show
before and after each commercial break. In order to make time for it, they have
taken the liberty to cut out parts of the episodes that they consider to be
unimportant. I will admit the parts that are cut out are usually not
essential (I stress the word USUALLY), but it makes the episodes look
choppy. Can they do that? From a legal standpoint, I mean. Does USA have the
right to edit your work?
I assume they do, or they wouldn't. Keep in mind, it's not
legally "my work". Gargoyles was written and produced as "Work for
Hire" and the official, legal author of the program is the Walt Disney
Company. So USA can do anything within the limits of their deal with
Disney. Having said that, you of course must know that editing reruns
for extra commercials (and etc.) isn't exactly new. Absolute TV
classics like THE HONEYMOONERS, I LOVE LUCY, THE SIMPSONS and HILL
STREET BLUES among others (many, many others) have all been edited in
this way. So at least I'm in good company.
I don't get USA, so I haven't seen their cuts, but I already
know they'd annoy me. Sometimes that's just a fact of life in this
business. Oh, well.
(GDW / 4-21-98)
Hello Mr. Weisman! More questions. Yippee.
1. How did Princess Elena's father get a hold of the Phoenix Gate and
why did he want to give it away as a wedding present?
2. How did Excalibur and the stone dragon get to Brooklyn?
3. Why are Lexington's eyes so big?
4. So how did Wyvern Hill get its name?
5. Have you decided who the little man on the skiff is?
6. Is Cuchullain human of one of Oberon's Children?
7. What did Titania do to get all the Children banished?
8. Would you like to continue "Once upon a time there were three
brothers..."? Feel free!
9. Have you ever considered sainthood for yourself? Boy, do you
deserve it. :)
1. How he got it is a story for another day. He gave it as an
heirloom, unaware of it's magical time-travel potential. It was part of
Elena's dowery.
2. Uh, they flew there...?
3. The better to see you with, my dear.
4. The short answer is fairly self-explanatory. The long
answer isn't appropriate for this format.
5. You mean the carving? Nope. Not yet.
6. Human.
7. She added the straw that broke the camel's back.
8. Ah, I'd love to, but I don't have time right now. But leave
me another reminder and I'll try to set some time aside.
9. Uh. No. But I appreciate the sentiment. (Misplaced though
it may be.) (GDW / 4-21-98)
Hiya! Here's my q's!!
1. Excactly how 'big' is broadway!?
2. when did this whole gargoyle thing start??
3. when did demona come along?
4. why wasn't patrick stewert ever on the show!? (i'm just kidding)
5. you know that guy who plays lex? is he on any other shows or
movies?
6. is there a live action garg-movie coming out!?
7. how come owen and that dude (?) look alike?
8. would you consider brooklyn a smart allic?(duh)
9. does lex play sega!?
10. does he have nintindo 64!?
11. here's a question i'm just puttin' in for the heck of it. why is
lex so dang cool? (my sister 'likes' him:) okay, that's all for now, greg-person!
1. How big does he look?
2. 1991.
3. Early on.
4. I've answered this before. Check the archives.
5. Yep. Check out Under Siege II, for example.
6. Maybe.
7. What dude?
8. Sometimes.
9. I dunno.
10. I dunno.
11. Hatched that way, I guess. (GDW / 4-21-98)
OH NO!!! I'm back!! BWA HA HA HA!!! EVERY BODY BEWARE!!! Okay, now, I
can shut-up. Here's some more!! (well, duh)heehee
1. I heard that a gargoyle looks only half his age right? Right. Well,
in one episode, Xanatos mentioned Hudson was 1100 years old. I know 1000
of those years were spend in stone so he was 100 when the spell was cast.
Well, he didn't look any younger than 100! Can you explain this for me
pwease? {smile}
2. You know the spell the magus cast? How excactly do you spell that
out?
3. Do gargoyles have the same tolerances as us to heat and cold?
4. Do you know who's gonna play in the live action movie or what?
5. Can gargoyles learn things quicker than humans? Cause' Lex learned
a lot! Fast!!
6. If a gargoyle spends a lifetime without anyone trying to kill
him\her, or anything like so, could he\she live forever? The thought occoured
cause' on "The Gathering" he (Oberon) told mortals to sleep, and the gargoyles
weren't asleep. IT'S CONFUSING, I KNOW!!
7. They're were episodes, you made up that didn't air, right? Well, if
so, what were they about?
8. Here's a dumbell question! How long is Demona's hair??
9. You know the eye-glowing thing? Well, is the red-glow strictly
female or can a male's eyes glow red?
10. About how many gargoyles did you make up?
11. Did you ever make up silly episodes, knowing from the begining
they would never air, but for the heck of it, made it up anyway? Speaking
of silly.... (What a question!)
Well, I guess I'll.... think up more later and surf the net while I
can. {Smile} Seeya later, Greg the Almighty!!
1. In 1995, at the time of "The Price", Hudson was 1117 years
old. Subtract 1000 for the long nap, and you've got 117. Divide that
in half, since he ages at half speed and you have a guy who's about 59
years old, which seems about right to me.
2. Which one?
3. I'd guess it would depend on where they were brought up.
Our Manhattan gargs (being from Scottish stock) do all right in the
cold. They can handle heat, but dislike it more. I'd guess the
Guatemalan Gargoyles might feel differently.
4. No.
5. Some can. Some can't. Same with humans.
6. The Gargoyles didn't sleep because Oberon had sworn that his
magic would no longer have a direct effect on Goliath's clan. They are
not immortal.
7. It depends what you mean. We didn't write any episodes that
didn't air. I have a bunch of ideas for episodes that didn't air, but
I'm not going to list them all here.
8. Just below shoulder-length.
9. Red is for females. White is for males. Though forced-aged
clones don't conform to that rule.
10. You want me to count for you? Shinga, it feels a bit like
you're struggling to think of questions to ask. Anyway, we know quite a
few from the Scottish/Manhattan, Avalon, London, Ishimura and Guatemalan
clans. I don't know if you want me to count actual characters we've
explored, or literally every gargoyle that appeared on screen or every
gargoyle that's ever crossed my mind. So I'll leave the first two tasks
to you. And the third I'll keep a secret, even from myself.
11. We had a lot of silly notions. But silliness doesn't
preclude an idea's inclusion, witness "Vendettas" among others. (GDW / 4-21-98)
1. just wonderin'. who came up with the gargoyles show in the first
place?
2. this one is nagging. (to me) would a garg like broadway need more
wind then lex to glide or what? (dumb question i know)
3. fox is half fae right? then does she have all the fae abilities or
just half or a little or... you caught on right?
4. are all the trio the same age or are they diff ages? and answer how
old they are. please.
5. one more i need to get off. exactly how tall can a garg get? and
how small? i mean lex is about 5ft and goliath is 7ft. ya' know. so how
tall can they get? that's it i'll probably think of more. (AHH!) {smile}
1. Me, mostly. But I had a lot of help. I've answered this in
more detail in the past. Check the Archives.
2. I suppose, but he also has a larger wingspan, so he'd get
more lift from the wind that was there.
3. She's half-fae, but her abilities were never nurtured and
thus became stunted. She has almost no magical ability, and less
control. Her toddler son is a more proficient practitioner than she is.
4. They're all the same age, give or take a day or so. As of
December, 1997, they are all chronologically 1039 years old. But given
their 1000 year sleep and the fact that they age at half the speed of a
human, they are all about 20 years old biologically.
5. Goliath is tall as Gargoyles go, but not a giant. Lex is
small, but not a midget. There's a fairly large range. (GDW / 4-21-98)
A couple of final questions that I forgot to ask in my last postings
(I've got to write all of these things down BEFORE I start submitting
them:):
1. In "The Hound of Ulster", Rory Dugan turned out to be a
reincarnated Cuchulain. Just out of curiosity, how common a phenomenon do you see
reincarnation as being in the Gargoyles universe? Was Rory's case
unique, or are there others out there?
2. You stated once that you had plans to bring the Holy Grail into the
series. Had you worked out any plans to keep its presence from being
too controversial (given the fact that the Grail is traditionally
Christian, so that including it would be a lot trickier than including, say, Odin's
lost eye)? (I won't ask about the details of the plans themselves, just if
you had ever made such plans).
3. Was Diane Maza's story about the panther queen in "Mark of the
Panther" a genuine Nigerian legend, or something that the production team had
dreamed up?
4. If the series had continued, would the Loch Ness Monster ever have
resurfaced?
5. A few times in the series, characters mentioned vampires and
Dracula (such as Demona's thugs in "The Mirror" asking, "Who lives here,
Dracula's daughter?" or Princess Katharine mentioning that silver was a defense
against vampires, the same as iron against faerie-folk). Were these
foreshadowings of something that you had planned for the series, a la
Elisa's mention of Loch Ness in "The Edge"?
1. I'm sure there are others, but I don't see it as that common
-- or at any rate that useful -- a phenomena. Nokkar proves it's a big
universe, so if a soul could be reincarnated as anything, anywhere, then
the practicallity of reincarnation as having any true meaning to the
majority of our cast is slight. Having said that, Rory proves that
certain figures of legend have souls that remain tied to a bloodline or
location or both.
2. I had some plans, but I wasn't sweating them too much. The
Grail's role as part of JESUS "mythology" has been largely overshadowed
by it's role as an integral part of Arthurian Legend. Which makes it
fair game I believe.
3. Mostly, I made it up. (Lydia wrote the words.) I did base
the tenor of the myth and the personality of Anansi on other stories and
research that we had done, but the tale itself is original.
4. Maybe.
5. Yep.
(GDW / 4-21-98)
Greg, Do you think that you'll ever be able to make more "Gargoyles"
cartoons? I know that you have many more ideas that you would like use. Would you
start another show that is similar if "Gargoyles" couldn't be brought back
for some reason? Thanks,
Well, I hope so. Though I must admit it's a long shot. As to
"starting" another show, I've been trying to do that for over two years.
If I can, I will. (My livelihood depends on it.)
(GDW / 4-21-98)
Hello! Hope all is going well with you. Here's a couple questions:
1) After the scene in Awakening pt 5 where Demona tells off Goliath about the
humans and he realizes she is not the angel he once knew and tells her so and
goes to see Elisa, any speculation on what the other gargoyles, whom heard
the entire thing, thought about it, or spoke to Demona about it? [Hoping
for a cut scene here *laughs* ]
2) In the Eye of the Beholder, as Xanatos and Elisa confront Fox in
her were form, her eyes shift back to normal and she sees Elisa as her former
self, and then attacks her. Is this because the Eye is trying to completely
subvert her so it makes her want to attack her former self, some sort
of subconcious killing of her last vestige of humanity? I realize I'm
probably reading WAY to much into this, but just wondering if you had an
opinion. Thanks!
1. No cut scene, of course. But I'd guess the response would
be similar to kids listening to their parents fight. They've met Elisa
and know that she's all right. But Demona is one of them. It's awkward
and not a little upsetting.
2. That's exactly it. Though I'd credit the Eye less and her
own subconscious more. There's a bit of self-loathing going on here. A
further insight into her true character.
(GDW / 4-21-98)
Hiya Greg!
I just have one question for you.
1)Who was your favorite chachter on the show?
Just wanted to know, but if you wish to keep it
a secret thats ok.
Sigh. Check the Archives for a full response.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
****With a the sound of a thunderclap, Blaise appears.**** Greetings
again, Mr. Weisman. You probably don't remember my last set of questions, so I won't bug
you with any references to them. Frankly, I'm suprised at how many of our
questions you do remember. I mean, I just read over the "Questions
Submitted" section, and I was rather suprised at the amount of repeat
questions there. So I guess that would make my first question:
1) How can you stand it all?! I mean, you seem to have a great deal
of patience with all these repeats. As for the other question I have:
2) One recent feeling among the commenters is that the Broadway/Angela
relationship (though good) seemed rushed. What are your feelings on
this? Do you agree, disagree?
I thank you for your time Mr. Weisman. Have a nice day! ****Blaise
disappears in a flash of green light.****
1. I'll admit, it get's a bit annoying at times. But I realize
that the Archive is currently rather large and not too wieldy. So I
have some sympathy for people who don't quite have the patience to read
the whole thing before posting. And I'd like them to maintain
excitement about the site. So I struggle for patience.
2. I disagree, of course. Not much has happened through THE
JOURNEY. They met in GATHERING ONE, were attracted to each other. Had
a real moment in POSSESSIONS, and kissed in THE JOURNEY. All of which
happenned over the course of months. Taking months to get from meeting
to first kiss doesn't seem rushed to me. I certainly moved a bit faster
when I met my wife.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
Hi Greg.
One question has been buzzing inside my head for the past few days so
I decided to finally ask you it.
I know that some people have asked you questions concerning any
possible religion that the Gargoyles may have. My question is slightly
different but runs along the same lines.
1.When a Gargoyle dies do the other's hold some kind of funeral
ceremony?
2.What are a Gargoyles beliefs concerning death, do they belive in an
afterlife as such?
1. There is a Wind Ceremony. Not a funeral per se, but a
farewell to Stone and Flesh.
2. Sort of. They believe that death and life is all part of a
whole. One passes through stages, but nothing ever dies.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
A few more questions.
1. How much of Demona's video in "City of Stone" would you have had to
watch and listen to in order to be affected by it? Would just a casual
glance be enough to petrify you, or would you have to look at an entire loop?
2. Can members of the Third Race be killed permanently? Both the
Banshee and Anansi were apparently permanently killed in the Avalon World
Tour, yet appeared at the Gathering alive again, which prompts me to wonder
this.
3. Bearing on the previous question, if the Weird Sisters were somehow
permanently destroyed (which, I will be the first to admit, is a very
big IF), would Demona and Macbeth still be magically bonded to each other?
4. One of the things that I've most enjoyed about "ASK GREG" is your
periodical mini-essays on gargoyle biology, culture, world-view, etc.
I rather like the fact that you actually extended the work of
"sub-creation" on them to such a level, fleshing them out into a unique "fantasy
species". If you were to ever get your "Gargoyles Encyclopedia" published (and I
truly hope that you do), would there be more information of this sort about
them in there (as long as it didn't give away your ideas for what happened
to Goliath and Co. after "The Journey")?
5. Thailog's alias in "Sanctuary" is Alexander Thailog - he thus bears
the same first name as Xanatos's son, and Thailog sees Xanatos as one of
his fathers in "Double Jeopardy". In other words, both Xanatos's literal
son and his figurative son have the same first name. Was this deliberate
on the production team's part, or just a weird coincidence? (If the latter,
I think that it's positively spooky).
6. Speaking of Alexander, was there any particular reason why the
production team chose this name for Xanatos's son, any significance similar to
making Xanatos's first name David (in reference to his struggle with
Goliath), say? (I have two ideas of my own as to why "Alexander" would be an
appropriate name for the kid, but because of the guidelines, I won't tell them
here).
1. Seen the whole loop at least once through.
2. Yes. But not easily.
3. I guess it would depend on how they were destroyed.
4. Yeah, some. Though a lot of it I've already given out here.
And frankly, the purpose of this particular encyclopedia is as a
reference for the 66 episodes that aired. Not as a treatise on theories
that never played out on screen.
5. It was very deliberate. How could I not have noticed?
6. For both David (and Fox) and for Thailog, it was an
Alexander the Great reference. David wanted his son to be "Emperor of
all he surveyed." Thailog wanted that for himself.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
1. In Hunters Moon, did Sevarius know that Dominique was Demona?
2. How did you conceive of the name Dominique Destine? I can only
guess
that it's a play on her conviction that she is fated to rule.
3. Who are Demona's future great loves? I'm assuming from your
previous
answers that you were refering to mates. Naturally she'd also care
for Angela and any of her descendants.
4. This is more of a comment than anything. Still, I'd love to hear
your opinion. After all that Demona has been through and the grief(that's
certainly putting it mildly) that she has brought upon herself and
others, I'm surprised that Demona isn't overtly suicidal. Hate is a good
motivator, but is it really enough for her to want to carry on. After so many
failures its a wonder she still gets out of bed in the morning, much less
continuing to plot new schemes. Ending it all would seem like a deceptively
simple solution and Demona's track record suggests a rush to judgement
without considering the consequences. I guess it all boils down to how
hopeless her view of her existance is. Considering all that has happened to
her just in the past three years, I've got to think that it is a daily struggle
for her to justify her continuing on. Especially now that her 500 year
brainchild was foiled. Even without considering all of Demona's
other reasons for felling miserable, there is the inevitable problem coping
with a neverending existance while watching those you love gow old and die.
Gargoyles grow old and die. That is the natural way of things. Why
should she be any different? At the very least, Demona might derive some
satisfaction, however fleeting, from acting on those murderous
feelings she has towards MacBeth. Oh well, I'm probably just being overly
pesimistic, but it sees to me that Demona would be near the end of her rope by
now.
1. I'd guess so.
2. I wanted a D name for starters. Some human equivalent to
Demona. Something that evoked the same emotions in the audience.
Something that sounded vaguely French, since the first time we used it
was in SANCTUARY, and she was posing as a French native. Something that
sounded like something Demona would pick for herself. Eventually we
wound up with Dominique Destine. It worked for me.
3. Right.
4. Maybe. But Demona possesses one "gift" that renders a
considered suicide next to impossible. A stellar sense of
self-deception. Nothing's ever her fault. Nothing's ever going to stop
her. No one matters to her THAT much. (It's not true, but she believes
it.) And to be honest, Angela's existence would also preclude suicide.
Angela, in Demona's opinion, needs her too much.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
Short and simple. What did Titania whisper to Fox in "The Gathering:
Part Two
I'm not telling.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
OK, it's weird thought-association time, and although this is,
strictly speaking, a yes-or-no question, any elaboration would be appreciated:
Was the BAD GUYS series concept in any way inspired by DC Comics' "Suicide
Squad"?
I'd guess they both shared a common inspiration: THE DIRTY
DOZEN.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
Hi. Just wondering if you were thinking about introducing more Members
of the Third Race? Also, was who was Avalon created by? Did Avalon exist
from the start of time? Thanx.
1. Eventually, yes.
2. Avalon is connected to the Earth. It's creation came about
in much the same way as the rest of the planet's creation -- if you
substitute magic for land.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
Hi Greg!
Im sorry for not numbering my q's last time, but this round should be
better =)
1. Did Katherine EVER love the Magus like he loved her? In Scotland
and in their beginning years on Avalon it looked like she did, but
appearently he never told her how he felt?
2. Im terribly sorry for asking you to basically write a novel for me
in .txt format =P that was quite inconsiderate of me.
3. This one has plagued me for a while...and since you have never
given even so much as a hint to it I hope you are in the mood to answer it...What
was The Magus' real name?
3. A Gargoyles RPG would rule...have you ever talked to anybody at
TSR, now owned by Wizards of the Coast, about making one? Or does Disney still
have ALL rights held with an iron fist?
4. Why did Magus have white hair? He was only in his early twenties i
believe?
5. Magus ruled. You Rule. Any connection?
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions....and should you
ever decide to make up some cool history thing on The Magus and crew..i would
certianly buy a copy =)
1. No. Not the way he loved her. I think as a child, she
might have had a crush on him. I think that she grew to respect and
admire him. And I think they shared a guilt that bonded them. But he
LOVED her. Worshipped her. Was in love with her. And I don't think
she ever felt that way. The fact that he refrained from speaking to his
feelings may have been the only thing that made that triangle tolerable.
Which is horrible, I'll admit. But true.
2. 'Sallright.
3. I don't know yet.
3. (Another 3). Disney has all rights of course, though I'm
sure they wouldn't be adverse to making money on their rights. If
TSR/Wizards or whoever were interested, I'm sure Disney would be too.
And no, I've never contacted them.
4. Late twenties. Twenty-eight when we first met him. Some
people go gray prematurely. It may also be related to the toll of
casting magic spells.
5. Uh, well, yeah. (GDW / 4-20-98)
Greetings, Greg!
1. How did Demona come to be the Archmage's apprentice in the first
place? Did she approach him with a desire to learn, did he go to her, or
what? And does Demona have a special magical ability that most other gargoyles
don't, or could anyone be taught to perform magic?
2. Would Elisa become a famous figure as the Manhattan clan is exposed
to the world, known in history as "the woman who introduced the world to
gargoyles" or some such thing? I have trouble seeing how her
attachment to the clan could escape public attention . . . or her attachment to
Goliath in particular. I know you had almost nothing to with _Chronicles_, but at
the end of "Angels in the Night" Elisa is standing with the clan, right
next to Goliath, in front of a cheering crowd, and I think people are taking
pictures and everything.
3a. With the movie in the stages it's in now, is it reasonable to say
that the chances are great that the entire project could be scrapped
between now and the time it would get into a more certain stage (ie script
written, director found and actors cast, etc.)?
3b.If the movie is made, will Disney pound it into the ground as much
as they do with their animated films, like _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_
and _Hercules_ (with all the Burger King toys and movie trailers running
25 hours a day), or will it be less forcibly advertized?
4. How old would Katana and the children be when they returned with
Brooklyn from Timedancing?
5. Lastly, some comments. First I wanted to say that I loved the MiB
episode you wrote, "The Big Sleep Syndrome." It was one of my favorites, and
not just because you wrote it. I liked the scene where they were icing the
monsters. Will you continue to write episodes for the series? (Huh, I
guess it turned into a question after all.)
6. My next comment is on the Archmage's Time Loop. I lurked for a bit
during the Comment Room discussion, and read with amusement your repeated
attempts to explain the paradox, but it never seemed complicated or confusing
to me. Same with the MIA loop. (I always wondered why Elisa was having
trouble following when she asked Goliath to explain the whole thing to her
again at the end.) I've never had much difficulty in rationalizing time
paradoxes, and I tremendously enjoyed the few you wove into Gargoyles. Too bad
that they, shall we say, threw so many viewers for a loop. *grins at her
bad pun* Well, thank you for all your time. Until next time, farewell.
1. Different people have different apptitudes, but I don't
think her ability to perform magic is itself a magical ability. It's
about talent, study, etc. Like any discipline. As to who approached
whom, I'd guess Demona would have had to have approached him.
2. I had NOTHING (not almost nothing) to do with Angels in the
Night. As far as I'm concerned, Elisa's secret would have stayed a
secret for the forseeable future.
3a. It's certainly possible.
3b. I would hope for the POUNDING. It would increase
awareness, and my opportunity to do another pass at the show.
4. Oh, I have that written down somewhere. Ask me again, some
other time.
5. I've written an episode for season two: "The Big Bad Bug
Syndrome," and I'm currently working on another one for season two:
"The Star System Syndrome". That'll be it for this year. Oh, and I
wrote a Hercules for Disney entitled: "Hercules and the Grim Avenger".
Just out of curiosity, since MiB doesn't use their titles on air, how do
you know which episode went with which title? "The Big Sleep Syndrome"
was the Dream episode, by the way. The one with the Vermax.
6. I don't have much problem with it either, most of the time.
Occasionally, I get bogged down. Usually when I overthink. Elisa's
reaction, however, was an honest tip-of-the-hat to all those people out
there (and there were many within Disney at the time even) who don't
find all this quite as facile as we do. If enough bright people have
trouble with something, then that suggests to me that people are
hardwired differently and that the subject may be legitimately difficult
for some intelligent people to grasp. It's easy to diagram visually on
paper, but it's hard to express in words. SO Elisa's reaction is just
playing fair. (GDW / 4-20-98)
Hello, Greg!
I'll make this as brief as possible;
you have got to be very busy with all
the questions asked here!
1) Does Thailog want the clones back?
2) Does he know where they are?
3) Is he interested in recovering Delila?
4) I heard a rumor that Thailog would have been
the "main" villan in the 3rd (or 4th?) season; was this
true?
5) What were your plans for him as a villan? (i.e. would
he remain "evil" all his life, or do an about-face alla Xanatos??)
6) Who came up with the idea of an evil clone??
7) If Elisa hadn't been with Goliath in "Double Jeopordy"
and stopped him from attacking Thailog, would Goliath have killed him?
8) Was Goliath's comment about Thailog being an
abomination (sp?) the deciding factor for Thailog not
to "care" about his Father?
9) Does Goliath still (after "The Reckoning") consider
Thailog his responsibiliy?
10) How does Goliath feel about Thailog? (i.e. Sad, hates his guts?)
11) Thailog had to have known that Demona would eventually
turn against him (after he'd betrayed her); but he can't kill her. In
"The
Reckoning" how did he plan on dealing with that?
12) As a villian, Thailog seems to have far less luck then Xanatos,
yet he was trained by him, and has the same "smarts". Why does Thailog's
every plan collapse on him??
13) I know that the "clone virus" was a creation of the
third season, and that if you were able to continue the
series you would have to work around Thailog's "death".
My question is, how would you bring him back?
13.1) Would you bring him back?
13.2) What did you think of Thailog's "death scene"?
1. Probably.
2. I guess it depends whether or not you're counting the events
of the Goliath Chronicles.
3. Generally, yes.
4. Certainly one of the main villains, yes.
5. "All his life" might have been a long time. But I had a lot
of fun with his "evil" nature, wasn't in any hurry to change him. And
I don't see that he'd have any motivation to change.
6. Me. Although it's not exactly the most stunningly original
idea I've ever come up with.
7. Killed him? Probably not. Goliath has to get pretty damn
mad to kill. Madder than he was in that episode.
8. It sure didn't help.
9. Yes. Up to a point.
10. Frustrated. Sad. Angry. Etc.
11. Imprisonment, maybe. He might have been hopeful he'd
eventually get her to see reason.
12. Xanatos didn't fair much better. Thailog came out of
Double Jeopardy all right. Better than all right. He didn't get
Macbeth's wealth in Sanctuary, but he still had access to Demona's, and
he had Nightstone. Reckoning was a bit of a mess for him, but who knows
what he would have done on his return. (I don't have any comment on the
TGC events.)
13. I'd definitely bring him back. I haven't thought about
how. I thought the death scene was pretty good. It's hard to top that
Keith-Keith chemistry. That's why I created Thailog in the first place. (GDW / 4-20-98)
1. In his recruitment speech in "The Journey", Castaway used the word
"alone" a lot. Did you intend this as a deliberate echo of Demona (I
feel pretty certain that you'd intended Jon Castaway to be a human
counterpart to her)?
2. In your opinion, do the bulk of the Quarrymen realize that
Castaway's real plan for the gargoyles is genocide, or have they been deluded
into thinking that it's some sort of "neighborhood watch" organization?
3. If you ever got to relaunch the series again, which one element of
"The Goliath Chronicles" do you suppose would give you the most amount of
trouble in returning to your planned continuity?
4. Had Puck planned on making "Evil Lex" the villain of his "Future
Tense" nightmare from the start, or had he originally planned Xanatos as the
villain, and then changed his mind halfway through?
5. I noticed that, both in the episodes following "Future Tense", and
in your announced plans for the series' future, there were a number of
"Future Tense" echoes (the birth of Alexander, the destruction of the clock
tower, Brooklyn's TimeDancing adventures lasting for 40 years, the formation
of the Ultra-Pack). Were these echoes deliberate?
5. If Demona had released the contents of the plague vial, what would
have happened to Oberon's Children, the New Olympians, and Nokkar? Would
they have perished alongside the humans?
1. Yep. Yep, yep.
2. Some of each. Keep in mind, that I wouldn't have taken as
much for granted as the staff of TGC did. As far as humans knew,
Gargoyles weren't a race. They were monstrous beasts (or maybe even
demons). Extermination would be the appropriate word to many of the
naive and fearful people he recruited. But in general, I tried to
indicate in "The Journey" that the Quarrymen ran the gammut from the
Neighborhood Watch types through mercenaries, and everything in between.
3. I dunno. I'd have to watch them again -- which would be
kind of painful. Some things would be ignorable. I had an
Alexander-is-kidnapped story in mind. Totally different from what was
done on TGS. If no executive objected, I'd probably just do my story,
ignoring theirs. I guess one thing that would be a real pain is their
trial episode. It took so much for granted. I had plans for Margot.
Hmmmm. Ugh. I don't even like to think about this.
4. If Puck could have gotten Goliath to turn over the Gate to
"Brooklyn" in the first five minutes, he would have stopped it right
there, and the Lex thing would never have been revealed. But I'm sure
he was prepared to continue his escalation as far as necessary. He's a
tricky guy.
5. Yes.
5. (Another #5). I don't know about Oberon's children, who are
creatures of magic, not biology. Or Nokkar, whose biology may be so
vastly different. But I think the New Olympians would definitely have
been in trouble, except for the New Olympian citizens who happen to be
Gargoyles, who would have been protected by the Praying Gargoyle Statue.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
A few questions and comments:
1. First off, I agree that with you that the term "goof up" wasn't
quite an accurate description of how Shakespeare did "Macbeth". He had his
artistic reasons for changing the story (plus, James I was a descendant of
Duncan and Canmore, so Will obviously had to whitewash those two in order to get
the play staged :). I was just speaking informally. At any rate, thanks
for answering my question about how accurate Malory's version of Arthur's
reign was in the Gargoyles Universe.
2. Why was Oberon so upset about the scorn that his "Children" felt
towards humans that he banished them from Avalon for a thousand years? He
showed a LOT of scorn towards humans himself in both "Ill Met By Moonlight" and
"The Gathering".
3. Does the non-interference edict forbid Oberon's Children to meddle
in the lives of gargoyles, or does it just extend towards humans?
4. Where (generally speaking) do you see the cave where the two
archaeologists found Merlin's Scrolls in "A Lighthouse in the Sea of
Time"?
5. What places do you see King Arthur and Griff visiting on their
quest for Merlin?
6. What inspired the idea of the head of the Illuminati Society being
a friend of Arthur's? (If answering this question would give away
Duval's true identity, please ignore it).
7. How involved in the day-to-day work of the Illuminati is Mr. Duval,
in your opinion? (I'm asking this because I can't help wondering how
appropriate it is for the Fisher King - which you said that Duval was
- to be involved in such things as working with organized crime, running
the Hotel Cabal, or funding the Quarrymen. It strikes me as a real
conflict of interests).
1. You're welcome.
2. Everything's relative, and besides, Oberon isn't exactly a
model of self-analysis.
3. Mortals includes humans and gargoyles.
4. Wales.
5. Some obvious ones. Stonehenge, Tintagel, etc. Some less
obvious. South Pole, for example.
6. Mostly it came out of some long term thoughts I have always
had about which members of the "original cast" of Arthurian Mythology
would still be alive in the twentieth century. I came up with seven
names, including Arthur, Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. In thinking
about what would have happened to these seven individuals during the
intervening years, it became clear to me that the Fisher King could very
easily have brought the Illuminati into existence. It just seemed
right.
Let's have another contest. The first person to post -- here at
Ask Greg -- a list of all seven individuals from Arthurian Legend who I
believe have in some way survived into the late twentieth century will
receive... absolutely nothing, accept an acknowledgement of correctness.
Post seven names. I won't give anymore hints. (Heck, I've given you
three out of the seven names one paragraph up.) If you don't get ALL
seven names correct, I'll just tell you that you blew it, and I won't
say which names are right and which are wrong. (Todd, I'm expecting
great things from you.) Have fun.
7. Well, to analyze conflicts of interest you need a clear
sense of an individuals goals and methods. I don't think I've given you
either. I'd say there's very little the Illuminati does that Duval is
unaware of, but that doesn't mean he micro-manages everything. (GDW / 4-20-98)
Heysas, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Now for a
fewlittle morbid ones of my own. :)
1) How is it possible that the Archmage was rescued by his future
self? In "Long Way to Morning," after he falls in the chasm there is a distinct
noise of something like a body hitting the bottom, yet in "Avalon" there is
no such occurence. I think this may be where all those questions you've
gotten about a start to the timeloop come from.
2) In Puck's prophecy, how was evil Lexington able to destroy Demona
if she's immortal? Is there a limit to how much physical damage the
spell's hosts can suffer at one time before it unravels?
3) On a related note, just how strong is the link between Demona and
Macbeth? In "Avalon" Demona says that they need to get farther away
from each other to lessen the pain they suffer when the other is injured.
Is there a distance beyond which one could be injured or temporarily
"killed" and the other wouldn't even feel it?
1. I've answered this before. Check the archives. Something
hit the ground, but it wasn't the Archmage. Trust me.
2. It was all an illusion. Some of it might have been
prophetic, but some of it clearly wasn't.
3. Yes. (GDW / 4-20-98)
I would like to thank you for both Gargoyles and for answering
questions. I only have a few:
1)How often do you watch Gargoyles
2)I'm sorry if you've answered this already, was Owen always Puck, the reason I ask is I was wondering how Puck was trapped in the mirror if he was? (I was never really sure)
3)Were ColdStone's gargoyle parts flesh or animated stone?
4)Which one of the characters from Gargoyles can you most relate to?
1. Not very often. I remember most of it quite clearly. If
something strikes me, I might pull an episode out, but I'm not, like,
watching one a day for 66 days and then starting over.
2. He wasn't trapped in the mirror. He was summoned through
the mirror. Does that clarify things?
3. Animated stone.
4. Check the Archives, I've answered this in detail before.
(GDW / 4-20-98)
Mr. Weisman, thanks for answering my previous qs.
1. In TEMPTATION, did Demona choose to see Brooklyn because she knew his personality and thought that he would be the most likely to listen, or was it just chance, as Brooklyn was there?
2. What is the name of the Manhattan jogger?
3. How big is the Gargoyles Task Force at the time of THE JOURNEY?
4. We know that Xanatos is one of the lower members of the Illuminati, but in terms of influence/power etc. how do Matt and David compare?
5. This is big, but... *P L E A S E* tell the story about Coldstone in the Himalayas. Even just bit by bit (as with ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WERE THREE BROTHERS). Please?
6. When does the ?weird little 2-parter? that you have mentioned fit in with the current 66?
7. Is Queen Mab the same as the one Mercutio talks about in Romeo & Juliet?
8. You said that two of the new characters for the New Olympians series would be like Romeo & Juliet? Do you mean in similar circumstances (like the Cold Trio and Othello), a reworking of the story (like Macbeth), or just using the same characters with a gargs twist (the Children of Oberon)
1. Maybe some of each.
2. Doesn't have one yet.
3. Not huge.
4. Matt's a novice. Xanatos isn't.
5. Someday. It's written already (as a comic book script for
an unpublished issue of Marvel's defunct GARGOYLES comic), but I'm
afraid I don't have time to transcribe it today.
6. It doesn't, because we didn't make it. If I ever got the
chance to do it, I'd just fit it in wherever that opportunity arose.
Already, because of things that happened in "The Gathering," I've had to
change the villain for the peace. But I actually think it works better
now.
7. Yep.
8. The first thing.
(GDW / 4-1-98)
Heylo. Firstly, thanx for making the greatest show ever aired. I don't
know how many others have told you that, but it's TRUE!!! (Just needed to
pound that into your head a little more.)Okee.. down to business.
1. As an AZ native, I just gotta wonder some stuff.
a) How far out of Flagstaff was the carving supposed to be located? The turrain here doesn't change for about 15 miles or so.
b) Was Beth's university's name written as University of Flagstaff or were you going to use one of the REAL colleges? (Northern Arizona University would be my guess, since they're the only ones with a pool)
c) Are there any real buildings used in this episode? Beth's apartment complex, fro example? (I know Pulliam Airport is real, as are the San Francisco Peaks in the background.)
d) Who transplanted all the cactus to northern AZ? (No, we don't have saguaros that far north.) Okay. Just wondering about that. :)
2. I've noticed that Gabriel looks a lot like Coldstone. (well now, THERE's a slaughtered quote) Is he Othello and Desdemona's biological child?
3. Are there any other blood-relation gargs I should be keeping an eye out for? (Ophelia's relations maybe?)
4. The series focusses on a lot of tricksters.. Puck, of course,and Anansi, Coyote, Raven.. any specific reason? Were they easier to develop plots with or what? Is it an in joke??
5. I've heard several versions about the "movie." Will it deal with Clan Manhattan, or some other gargoyle/s? And when will it be in theaters?? Do tell!!
1a. I don't know. Fifteen miles?
1b. I don't remember.
1c. I think the pool area was taken from photo reference. But I'm not sure.
1d. The background painters, I guess.
2. Yes.
3. I think I've mentioned Hudson and Broadway, but I wouldn't
read too much into it. Broadway's childhood was spent being raised by
the entire clan. Hudson is but one of his parents.
4. I like Tricksters. They certainly aren't easy to write, but
they are rewarding.
5. I have no new info about the movie. Sorry.
(GDW / 4-1-98)
Hello again! Before my questions, I'd like to make sure of something. It
is my understanding that both Oberon and Titania [poor spelling, I know)
live on Earth in human form for around 1001 years correct, OK, since that is
out of the way, on with the questions! (
1) Has Oberon's human form been shown to us yet?
2) If so, is he a main, suppoting, or minor role?
3) I know Puck chose the fore of Owen after seeing Vogel. What did he appear as before that?
4) Did Owen, Oberon, or Titania ever change forms?
5) Does Oberon's non - interference law apply to himself?
6) I know at least Owen con not [so far at least], but could a Fay use magic, either human or Fay, while taking on a human form. For example, could Oberon's human self be a sorcerer? In reality, human - Oberon is *real* human [it is only a self created counterpart], however would he still be considered a Fay?
7) If he could use magic, how much weaker would he be than on Avalon? I know Avalon made the Magus even stronger, so what wuldhe opposite effect be? Oberon did not seem to hindered in the Gathering, at least.
2) And I know this has been asked, but not to recently what happened to the Magus?
Note: I was going to give some goofy April Fool's Day responses
here, but I had a vision of them all getting quoted out of context.
Shudder. So here's with the straight answers. Or at any rate, as
straight as I ever am.
1. We've seen Oberon looking human in "The Gathering, Part
One". But I wouldn't assume he's only ever taken one form.
2. What do you mean? Oberon's a recurring character.
3. Lots of things.
4. Yeah. (Am I missing something here?)
5. Yes, but he interprets that law.
6a. In theory, sure. But why bother?
6b. I don't understand the question.
7. Ditto.
2. (Don't ask me why this was numbered 2.) He died.
(GDW / 4-1-98)
Mr. Greg--Two questions concerning the skiff:
1) Did the skiff return the World Tourists to Avalon after each episode, or merely keep sending them where they needed to be (until Ill Met by Moonlight, of course, when Avalon *was* where they needed to be)?
2) Since the Guardian had been using the skiff every hundred years or so since his arrival... was there anyplace *he* needed to be? (The answer to this one's probably going to be a flat "Yes," but I had to ask.)
1. They returned between each episode. Generally, only
briefly. We didn't bother showing you that.
2. Yes. Everywhere he went.
(GDW / 3-24-98)
1) Elisa said to Jason Canmore, "there's someone else who wil always come
first" So did he know it was Goliath?
2)In our favorite Hunter's Moon Goliath/Elisa lovey dovey scene, she was so alluring. In all seriousness her sexy appearance with the eyes, the flowing hair, the deepened whisper, was whose idea?
3)WHile we're on the subject, who else contributed to that famous 30+ second Goliath/Elisa Kiss scene?
1. I think by that time, he'd have been able to guess.
2. Whose idea? To draw her pretty and alluring? I'm not sure
how to answer that. Me. Michael Reaves. Frank Paur. The storyboard
artist. The Animator. The assistants. Obviously, it was our intent
for her to look like a woman in love. But whose idea? Nothing's that
simple in a collaborative medium.
3. What do you mean? The series staff? Look at the credits
for the episode to see who did what.
(GDW / 3-24-98)
Dear Grag, I have been a fan sense the show started and I just love it!! I have also
been reading some of the third season redoes and I was wondering why you
chose to change the show so much. True! Some of the third season shows
where pretty bad! But others I REALLY liked! Such as Bronk's tail and the
one where Hudon went blind. I was really looking froward to reading then in
a good fan fic style but I have not seen any of them. Did you not want to do
any of the origanl shows? If not what? Are you planing to do some of them?
If so PLEASE let me know I really want to read them! A great fan,
Talise, I don't have a clue what you're talking about. Other
than "The Journey", I didn't have anything to do with the third season
a.k.a. THE GOLIATH CHRONICLES. I have no idea what "re-dos" you're
referring to. If you're talking about fan fiction, I have nothing to do
with that either. Nothing.
(GDW / 3-24-98)
What exactly is Fae (Fay)? I missed that part of the show.
Fae is another synonym for the "Children of Oberon".
(GDW / 3-24-98)
1. Did Hudson have a beard since hatching?
1b) why is Hudson the only garg with facial hair (or is he?)
1. No.
1b. He's not.
(GDW / 3-24-98)
Thank you Greg, for taking this time to communicate with the fan base.
Your continuing interest in this series is greatly appreciated.
1. What do the Japanese gargoyles' names mean in English? (Kai, Yama, Sora)
2. Why did Thailog want Demona and Macbeth's money for (in Sanctuary)?
3. In "The Green," if Jackal had succeeded in carving Goliath's face into a likeness of his own as Goliath slept (like he planned to do) what would have happened to Goliath when he woke up?
4. Are you willing to tell us some of the times/places you'd have sent Brooklyn to (and any of which events in history his visits would affect)?
5. What is Delilah's intelligence level compared to that of the other clones?
6. Do Una and Leo know where Griff is? (considering he left England at the beginning of Pendragon)
1. Yama means mountain, I remember that. Story Editor Gary
Sperling told me what the others mean, but to be honest, I've blanked
out on them. Anyone else know?
2. He wanted to be able to build a corporation to rival
Xanatos'.
3. Death.
4. I've mentioned a few already. Check the Archives. That'll
have to do for now.
5. None of the clones are unintelligent. Rather, their
education is extremely limited. Delilah was "programmed" with better
communication skills, but she's no more or less intelligent than her
genetic make-up allows.
6. He phoned them.
(GDW / 3-24-98)
1)From what I gather on the Phoenix Gate, it is traveling
through time
endlessly, opening in random points. If my assumption is right
wouldin't it
eventually consume all matter within time?
2)Is there a limit to where the gate could go?
3) In the world travel parts, why is it that no one got any
exoctic
diseases? Most people have to take antibodies to keep from
catching those
when they go to place such as Africa and such.
Thank you for your time and effort.
1) Why would it do that?
2) Planet Earth.
3) Elisa got amnesia. Is that exotic enough for you? Bronx
risked infection? I don't know how to answer this question, other
than to say that it wasn't a story we were interested in telling.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Greg,
I just heard that you and Disney are headed into some sort of
lawsuit. Does
it have anything to do with Gargoyles? If it does, is it
something that you
can explain/talk about? Thanks!
Some jerk is attempting to sue Disney (not me) claiming to have
created Gargoyles in '93 two years AFTER I can document that my team
and myself created it in '91. It's annoying as hell, but what are you
going to do. That's all I know.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Mr. Wiesman,
A question about the limits of the regenerative powers of
the wierd Sister's immortality spell on MacBeth, and Demona.
What are the limits? This spell must have limits to the
amount of damage it can repair. By this I mean if in an
extrem if Demona took a direct hit from a nuke, I'm quite
sure she would be dead for good. I don't think the Wierd
Sisters had nukes in mind when they caste that spell. So
the question remains, how much damage can the spell cope
with before it's limits are reached? Another question,
does Elisa have a dark side to her, if so what would be needed
to bring this
out?
Thank you for your time.
What does it matter whether or not she could survive a nuke if a
nuke never hits her? Besides, I'm not sure I agree with your
assessment. In any case, I've addressed this before too. Check the
archives.
As to Elisa's dark side... well, I guess we all have one. But
this is another one of those questions that would require a good 39
pages to answer. Not gonna happen in this format.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Hello Mr. Wiesman! First off, I'd like to start by
congradulating you on
the success of GARGOYLES. Second, I would like to ask your
advice on
something. I am creating an group of fans with the hopes of
returning
GARGOYLES to television. I was hoping you could give me advice
on
how we should go about doing this. Also, anyone reading this
who is
interested in joining please E-mail me at IAmKeevan@juno.com.
Thank you
for your time.
Keevan, I've addressed this in detail all over the place. Check
the archives, newsgroups, etc. An organized and respectful
letter-writing campaign wouldn't hurt. But you'll need strength in
numbers. Lots of people participating in unison and individually.
Good luck.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
I'm sorry for not numbering my previous questions, but i will
now. just two quick ones.
1) what's the story behind goliath's name, was there a story
behind it or were you just playing of the "david and goliath"
thing?
2) if and when the live-action movie comes out, would you like to see
the original cast or are there others you think should be in the roles? (i.e.
patrick stewart playing someone like oberon, i just find it odd that the
one how has done shakespeare isn't a part of the cartoon.)
thanks for everything!!!!!!!
1) I wanted a name that connoted strength. A name that had a
certain weight. A name of some classic appeal. A name that we could
believe would be given to a tenth century gargoyle. Goliath seemed
perfect. I could just see humans naming the huge gargoyle Goliath.
They name him for an evil giant, despite the fact that this Goliath
protects them. It spoke immediately to the human/gargoyle
relationship. The idea to give Xanatos the first name David came
later. It was obvious. In fact it was so obvious, I hesitated to do
it.
2) Other than Goliath and Elisa, I doubt any of the other
characters will appear in the movie. Salli would be great as Elisa.
Keith would be outstanding as Goliath.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Greg- I just wanted to say that I love(d) your show! I don't
like to watch much TV, but I like shows that make me think. I could sit and
imagine stuff about gargoyles for hours! I think it can really make you
smarter to watch TV, if you put the show's messages to life! Anyway, I had a lot
of questions when I first found this page, but I had to wait and
try to read the archives first so I didn't ask duplicates. I can't think of
all of them right now, so I'll just post a few.
1) I read somewhere that Elisa's birthday was Dec. 31, 1969.
Did you write that, or is it just a lie masquerading as the truth?
2a) Is there any place in particular at Disney that we should
write to? Any specific department?
2b) Would it be helpful to write to Disney magazines, too, like
Disney Adventures?
2c) Is there anything that Disney stockholders could do? I
know a few. Would their words have more weight? Well, that's all I can think
of right now. I'm sure I'll be back.
Thanks for answering our questions and for creating the only TV
show I've ever become addicted to!
1) I definitely didn't write that. In fact, Elisa was born in
1968, although I've never bothered to pinpoint the month or day.
2a) It depends what you want to accomplish exactly. I assume
(but am not really sure) that BVTV controls the old episodes. You'd
need a distribution source like ABC to generate interest in new
episodes.
2b) Again, it depends what you want to accomplish exactly. It
couldn't hurt.
2c) It couldn't hurt for them to send letters, I suppose.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Heya Greg. I love the show, man, needless to say :) Kay, I've got
some questions that I've had tearing through this head of mine for a while.
1) Those gargoyles that Demona led in Macbeth's time, where did they come
from? There seem to be an awful lot for a bunch of stragglers
2) How old is Puck in human years?
3) Okay, okay, this is WAY confusing: If Owen Burnett
revealed his real identity as Puck to Xanatos before the gargoyles
were even brought back to life, and he gave Mr. X a choice as either a lifetime
service as Owen or a wish from the Puck, why did Mr. X choose Owen?
Why didn't he just choose a wish to be immortal like he's always hoped?
It would've saved him a lot of trouble.
4) Why did Xanatos bring the gargoyles back to life anyway?
5) Why did Mace Malone and the Illuminati care about gargoyles, anyway?
6) Why does Bluestone care about the Illuminati? Just some sort of
compulsive disorder or what? :P 7) What does Coyote (the Trickster)
really look like? I've been wonderin' 'cause he's supposed to be
impersonating Elisa's dad in all the eps we've ever seen him in, so what does he
really look like?
8) Lastly, how did you come up with this show anyway?!?
It's so cool! Did you and the other producers sell the rights or were you
already working for Disney or whatever ...
9) BTW, when I grow up, I want to do cartoon animation. How do you
get into the business? Do you have to go to a college? My guess is you
do 'cause I guess they wouldn't just let anyone come in and start drawing.
Thanks, man :D
1. Remnants from various other Scotish clans. And there
weren't that many. Less than twenty total.
2. Old.
3. But then he wouldn't have had Owen. He wanted both.
4. A multitude of reasons, but the most immediate was there use
as covert operatives for him. They were simply harder to manipulate (or
at least control) than he anticipated.
5. Another source of power and influence. Another random
element to control.
6. That, but also, I don't think Matt likes the idea of someone
controlling people's lives from behind the scenes.
7. How do you define what a shapeshifter "TRULY" looks like?
Do you know what Oberon or Puck "TRULY" look like? Or do you simply
know the form they most often prefer to take?
8. I was already working for Disney. Check the archives for a
more detailed answer.
9. School isn't mandatory, but I sure as hell recommend it. If
you want to draw, learn to do it at a professional level. Me, I can't
draw a lick. But I like to think I can write.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
I enjoy epic tales with heroes to look up to and relate to
in the warrior arts. Thank You for providing my little
brothers and their friends with fabulous heroes in wonderfully woven
tales. A new generation of children have been influenced. They, and my adult
friends always wonder two things: are the creators of Gargoyles
trained in the warrior sciences (oriental or occidental)...and were the stories
created by playing a role-playing game of some sort?
This is not a suggestion to do either and I will not hold You legally
responsible since this is not an original idea.
Neither.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Hiya Greg!
I was just wondering what are your current projects?
(as in what are you working on now?)
I hope you can answer my question but if not thats ok!
Thanks fo the shows and ideas!
Bye!
Can't talk about anything yet. I don't have a go project. I
have done a bit of freelance writing for Men In Black and Disney's
Hercules.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Hello Greg,
First, Thank you for such a creative, engaging,character-driven
series.
My question is: How did Elisa ever explain Derek/Talon's transformation
to their family? I can't imagine a close-knit family like the Mazas
wouldn't "check in" regularly, especially since most of them have such
dangerous jobs as police officers.If this was written into an episode, please let me
know which one.
When Elisa brought her parents and sister down to the Labyrinth
to see Derek, she and Derek told them the truth -- minus the Gargoyles'
involvement. This was visually hinted at in the last few seconds of
"The Cage".
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Hi. It's really nice of you to answer these questions.
1. Is Owen Burnette an aide-de-camp or is he a major domo.
2. What is Owen Burnette's job title? Thank you.
1. Both and more.
2. Executive Assistant.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Mr. Weisman,
Thank you for taking time to answer this. It is a great honor. I just
have one simple question...
Phoebe, Selene and Luna-WHO'S WHO?
Thanks again, and may luck be with you in the future!
Again? I could give one of my standard "Check the Archives"
responses, but it's just as quick to answer the question, I suppose.
Phoebe - Blonde hair.
Seline - Black hair.
Luna - Silver hair.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
Okay, I know that I already asked some questions but I thought of some
more. I don't mind if you can't answer some things. Thanks again in
advance.
1. I understand that gargoyles mate for life. If so, how would other
clans react to Goliath's relationship with Elisa? (Not counting the
Manhattan Clan).
2. If there are some humans that hate gargoyles, are there gargoyles
that hate humans (not Demona)? For instance, I assume that many humans
would ostracize Elisa for her friendship with the clan. Are there clans
that would ostracize Goliath and company becuase of their friendship?
3. You asked in the archives that we make this a kind of comment
room, too. I was watching my tape and came across "The Mirror." I just wanted to
say that I always liked this episode. As I may have mentioned before
(although you probably don't remember!) I like shows that can make me ponder the
possibilities. I loved Elisa/Goliath's last lines in "The Mirror"
becuase it was the first definite hint that there would be a relationship
between them. I'd suspected all along but I was never quite sure. When I saw
this episode I had lots to think about. Congratulations on a great effort,
even by Gargoyle standards. I guess there's no question here.
4a. Okay, I thought of something else. Why do Gargoyles treat all
hatchlings as their children, instead of a family setting?
4b. Have they always lived this way, or did they change their customs
for some reason?
5. How old was Princess Katharine when Goliath and clan were turned
to stone?
6. How old was Tom (at the same time)?
7. In "The Mirror," Puck said something about Demona "still carrying
a torch" for Goliath. I know people have asked about this before, but I
don't understand completely. What are Demona's feelings for Goliath? (I
don't mind a short answer if this is really long).
7b. Is she really aware of these feelings, or does she just deny
them?
Okay, I guess that's enough now. I'll probably be back later.
Thanks!!
1. Clan by clan, gargoyle by gargoyle, I imagine the reactions
would differ greatly. Though it isn't hard to figure that most would
have a knee-jerk negative reaction to the romance.
2. It's hard for a clan to ostracize you from a great distance.
But yeah, I'm sure there are gargoyles out there who hate humans. They
have reason.
3. That's o.k. I appreciate the comment. "The Mirror" is one
of my all time favorite episodes as well. Everything just seemed to
come together in that one.
4a & b. It is a family setting, but it is a large communal
family. It's considered bad taste to take pride in one's biological
children specifically, since every member of the clan is responsible for
helping to raise every child. Perhaps this is the result of the high
Gargoyle mortality rate. Perhaps it's instinctive.
5. She was eighteen in 994.
6. Eight.
7. Her feelings are confused and unresolved. Goliath has some
closure (with a few loose ends). Demona does not.
7b. Denial. Big time denial.
(GDW / 3-20-98)
I have a question related to the Magus. In the Avalon 3 parter, King
Arthur was awakened from his sleep. According to legend, King Arthur was
mortally wounded and that's the reason why he was sent to Avalon (whether this
is true or not in the Gargoyles continuincy, well, only you can tell us
for sure). So King Arthur's sleep was like a rejuvination, a lazarus
chamber of sorts.
When the Magus "died", he told Katharine that he was very tired. If
the chamber had any magic left in it, couldn't it heal the Magus's
pain/wounds that were inflicted while fighting the Weird Sisters? In my mind, it
makes sense that if the chamber worked for King Arthur and still have magic
in it (and since it's part of Avalon, it probably would) then it can do the
same for the Magus. Is anything that I've said true or is the Magus dead
and that's the end period?
What you say does make a certain amount of sense. But the Magus is
dead. I strongly believe that war has costs. The Magus' life was the
cost of that war.
(GDW / 3-19-98)
Hi Greg! Thanks in advance for answering my questions.
1) You said in an earlier response that Avalon is part of the earth but cannot be
reached in a three-demensional manner. Does the same concept go for "New Olympia"?
Or is it just a place no human discovered? Or none of the above???
2) I was also wondering if Oberon knows about the New Olympians?
3) Do the New Olympians know about Oberon?(Sorry if someone already asked 2 and 3!)
4) Why did it take Maggie a long time to get used to/trust the gargoyles? It didn't
take a long time for her to get used to Xanatos. Thanks again for answering
all our questions!!!
1) No. New Olympus (Olympus, not Olympia) is protected by a
shielding device that projects an illusion that has masked its
location. But the Island does have a physical location on our Earth
plane, as Elisa and the Gargoyles discovered while aboard the skiff.
2) I don't know. Possibly.
3) They know of them, I'd think.
4) Maggie had trouble adjusting to strangeness in her life. Xanatos
was human. That made him familiar. The Gargoyles seemed like
monsters to her. She had a lot to learn, obviously.
(GDW / 3-19-98)
Hey again Greg. Just another question I'd like answering,
thanks for taking the time to do it. I'd just like to know,
if you can't change the past does that mean that the future
can't be changed either? Is everyones future written? Are
their destinies inevitable?
Thanks.
Check the archives for a more complete response. But the short answer
is that the future's only written if you know what that future is.
And even then, you're only limited by the correct tidbits that you
know. If the information is mistaken, no problem. If there's a way
to work around the tentpoles of your knowledge (as Goliath did in
"M.I.A.") then all you need is smarts, luck and pluck to defy the cast
of that future if not the facts of it.
(GDW / 3-19-98)
I hope I'm correct in saying that Brooklyn's first trip with the
Phoenix gate was to 997(correct me if I'm wrong).
(1)Is it any of a coincidence that the year Brooklyn went back is the
year Constantine's was killed?
(2)On a side note who did kill Constantine(III I do believe), in your
books? Some people say Malcome did it. Others say Kenneth did it. So who
was it?
(3)What inspired you to go into writing(I you haven't answered this
one before)?
1. Coincidence or destiny. You decide.
2. In my books?
3. Always wanted to be a storyteller. I love stories. Wanted to be
a writer at least since 2nd grade. I did have a number of teachers,
starting with my 2nd Grade teacher SANDY VOYNE who encouraged me a
great deal. I also had two parents who were very supportive.
(GDW / 3-19-98)
This idle Web surfer was attracted to _Gargoyles_ by its incredible
fandom! I stumbled on some fanfic and fan art that was so memorable, I just
knew the show that inspired them had to be something special. Then I found
plot lists, quotes, and screen captures, and now I'm hunting for tapes and
rerun air dates. Wow. This is GREAT STUFF. So I guess this is a double
compliment: To you, first of all, for creating a story that has me eager for more
after a mere glimpse; and to all Gargfans everywhere, for having made a fan
of someone who still hasn't seen a second of the actual show! (This,
however, is a sore lack I intend to remedy very soon.)Now, on to my question:
How are gargoyle wings structured under the skin? Are they batlike,
pterodactyllike, birdlike (I apologize if that's dumb, but I don't
recall what the bones of a bird's wing look like), or something entirely other?
Thanks for the compliments. (I think they're the first I've received
from someone who hasn't seen the show.) As to gargoyle wings, they
seem to vary greatly. There may not be one answer to that question.
(GDW / 3-19-98)
Hey Greg,
1. Are gargoyle warm-blooded? Their tollerance to weather would
suggest it.
2. Female gargoyles appear to have the same exterior sexual organs as
humans, do they take care of their young in the same way (ie do they
breast feed)
3. Do gargoyles believe in a god? If so who or what?
4. If Demona had a child would it turn into a human during the day
and a gargoyle at night (ie would Pucks spell affect it after it has
hatched)?
4a. How would that work anyway? At night Demona would hae a
developing avian-like egg and at night a human fetus?
5.Demona has been alive for more than 1000 years, does she have any
offspring other than Angela? If so who?
6. When asked if Fox would be alive in 2158 you said no comment, why?
You already told us that Xanatos, a far more important character, would be
dead. Why not tell us about Fox? And by Fox do you mean Fox (Reynard)
Xanatos or Alexander Fox Xanatos? So my question is this: Will a male Fox of a
female Fox be alive in 2158? Ifso which one?
7. What is your favorite play of Shakespeare?
8. Oh and that Dreamworks movie I askedg about was called Prince of
Egypt. I think I said son of Egypt.
1. I guess so. Is there a third category?
2. Yes. Collectively.
3. Check the archives for a more complete answer. Their beliefs are
both simple and complex. Animistic, pantheistic and yet, ultimately,
monotheistic. But they don't personify their god the way we tend to.
Their god, no surprise, has no name. He/She/It cannot be limited or
defined by a mortal word.
4. I doubt it. A lot would depend on the identity of the biological
father, and, I suppose, what form Demona was in at the time of birth.
Keep in mind, Demona doesn't give herself lightly. And as a gargoyle,
she's only fertile once every twenty years. So this whole discussion
is largely moot.
4a. I suppose their could be a magical "pocket" within her womb.
It's possible that the "baby" wouldn't change with Demona. I really
don't know yet. It's also possible that she'd miscarry, because the
spell didn't account for a pregnancy. Maybe she would need Puck's
help. And Puck is largely unavailable, unless he can use this bit of
magical OB to teach Alex a lesson. Frankly, this is a lesson that I
believe Alex is a little young to learn.
5. No. She doesn't.
6. No comment.
7. Wow. That's a tough one. My favorite character is definitely
Edmund from KING LEAR. But I love so many of the plays. Some of my
favorites are influenced by great productions I've seen. (HENRY V, A
WINTER'S TALE, ROMEO & JULIET, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, RICHARD III,
HENRY IV, PART ONE, TWELFTH NIGHT.) Some of them I love because I've
got my own ideas for them. (HENRY IV, PART ONE, KING LEAR, ROMEO &
JULIET, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, MACBETH,
TEMPEST, HAMLET, LOVE'S LABOURS LOST.) PERICLES and A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT'S DREAM literally turn me on. (I'm sure you didn't want to
know that.) Others simply fascinate me because of the connections
between them. (KING LEAR and CYMBELINE, for example). There are many
I just like a lot (OTHELLO, for example). Others that I find
problematic (TAMING OF THE SHREW, A MERCHANT OF VENICE). Others I've
never seen and can't imagine how they'd work (TIMON OF ATHENS).
Sorry, I just can't decide.
8. Yeah, I know. (GDW / 3-19-98)
Just one question I found myself thinking of. When you did "City of
Stone", what was the response of the production team to a version of the
Macbeth story that made Macbeth into a sympathetic figure and Duncan into a
villainous tyrant? Were a lot of the people who worked on it
surprised at the role-reversal from Shakespeare's play in the story? (For my own
part, I had read a fair amount about the historical Macbeth before "Gargoyles"
ever came out, so I wasn't particularly taken aback, but I was curious as to how
the people who worked with you on that story - which I very much liked, by
the way - took it).
John Rhys-Davies expressed some surprise. Called me
"revisionist" as I recall. I explained that the traditional legend that
Shakespeare followed was in fact revisionist, and that we were hewing
closer to the "historical truth". Once he heard that, he got very
enthusiastic about it. Generally, John loved playing all the history
stuff. I didn't get much response from the rest of the crew on this
point. Most were aware of the research that Monique and Tuppence had
done. It all seemed to fit our series so well, it was like kismet.
(GDW / 3-17-98)
Okay, a few quick ones: 1)In "legion" Coldstone says "There is only
one other I have missed more..." Was he talking about Desdemona? If their
in the same head, couldn't they see eachother like in later eps? 2) I've
noticed that the Magus looks a lot like Puck (white hair, blue eyes,
facial structure)and in many shots he has small points to his ears. Noy only
that, but he was able to tap into Avalon magic, which as I understand it one
needs fey blood to use. mmm...okay
I'll come right out and say it. Does Puck have any kids (living or
dead) and do they include the Magus? 3) Another Magus Q; In the USA cut of
Awakening, they put back in the little scene where the Magus is
flipping through the Grimorum. What was he looking for, and does have anything
to do with the spell he casts on the gargoyles? 4) In connection, it appears
to be the Magus that rides out to the Viking cave. Was he in on the attack,
and if so, why? That's all for now, good luck on the mag!
1) He was talking about Desdemona, but he wasn't yet aware that
she shared bodyspace with him.
2) Puck may have kids, but the Magus isn't one of them. He's
fully human.
3) He was looking for a spell to neutralyze what he perceived
to be the gargoyle threat. He bookmarked the page with the spell. The
counterspell was on the facing page. So when Hakon opened the book, it
naturally opened to the bookmark. Hakon started ripping pages,
beginnning with the counterspell page.
4) No. That was the Captain. Not the Magus. (GDW / 3-17-98)
Did any gargoyle (besides Demona) study under the Archmage that the
fans might know? Thanks.
Nope.
(GDW / 3-17-98)
(1) I believe you mentioned that, because of other obligations,
Patrick Stewart was unable to contribute his talents to Gargoyles. Had he
done so, though, which part would he have played? Someone during the first two
seasons (like Mace Malone), or someone we haven't met yet (like Mr.
Duval, or the Director)?
(2) In my earlier post, asking whether more "Western" deities, like
Jesus or Buddha (Mohammed being a prophet) were also Children of Oberon, I
didn't mean to imply that the show was condescending toward those that were
so represented, and I apologize. I guess this one wasn't a question.
Thanks a lot for being such a mensch and putting up with all our
obsessive nitpicking. Of course, we wouldn't be doing all this brooding if you
hadn't come up with such creative, compelling stories in the first place. So
maybe you deserve it, after all ;)
1) That's not what I said. We couldn't meet his agent's
standard price for voice over work. We discussed asking Jonathan or
Marina to make a personal appeal to Patrick directly, but we decided
that that would be an unfair request. We briefly considered Mr. Stewart
for at least three parts. All three were eventually cast with great
people. I have no regrets. Two of the characters were originally
introduced in the first season. One was intoduced in the second.
Frankly, I think at least two of the three are obvious. So let's start
a contest. The first person to name (by posting here at ASK GREG) the
three parts that we considered Patrick Stewart for will win... well, a
lot of personal satisfaction and gloating privelidges. No credit for
partial answers, and I won't be giving hints. Enter as often as you
want.
2) No apologies necessary. I didn't take offense. But it's
nice to have someone point out unconcious biases occasionally.
(GDW / 3-17-98)
Hi Greg, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. I just
have three morbid questions ;) -
1) In "Long Way To Morning", when the Archmage falls in the chasm
there is a thud sound, as of a body hitting the floor of the chasm. Yet in
"Avalon" the future Archmage saves him and there is a distinct lack of a thud.
What gives?
2) How was evil Lexington able to destroy Demona in "Future Tense" if
she's immortal? Is there a limit to the immortality?
3) Macbeth and Demona's pain seems to affect the other less the
farther away from each other they are (like in "Avalon", Demona says they need to
put some distance between them). Is there is a distance beyond which if
one of them was attacked or killed the other wouldn't be affected?
Thanks for your time!
1) I don't recall the thud, but it might have been the result
of a rock or something hitting the soft dirt. It wasn't the Archmage.
2) It was all an illusion of Puck's.
3) Killed, no. They are destined to die at each other's hands.
But yes, the pain thing decreases the farther apart they are.
(GDW / 3-17-98)
Heh heh. Oh, I forgot my number two on the last message. So here it
is.
#2) Oberons wording was that Puck was eternally banished from Avalon.
Since his wording wasn't something like "Eternal protector of
Alexander"
would Puck eventually be able to get his powers back? Thanx.
2) He hasn't lost his powers. And Puck is a Trickster. But a trick
involves more than just ignoring specific intent. See POSESSION for an
example of the Puck at work under his restrictions.
(GDW / 3-16-98)
Mr. Greg Wiesman. Its an honor if you get to read this. I first have a
couple questions. *makes a scroll appear from thin air* Okay what have
we here.....
1) Where do you get your references to the almighty Trickster Puck?
Or more specifically can you list your sources of material if you've indeed
found any? (besides Midsummers and Pooks Hill)
3) According to past references I've found, Puck was the biological
offspring of Oberon and a Maiden. Is this also true in the Gargoyles
universe?
4) Oh yes. Does Puck know more than he lets on too? We all know he's
actually very mischievous, but he always seems to be in the middle of
everything.
5) Is there any way to contact you besides this infernal message board
where if you say something wrong you might not even get heard?.... and in
continuity with your one worded answers.
6) How would we get in touch?
7)a)Can you tell us your loyal followers how Demona first met
Puck/Owen (not sure which) b)Will you with this response?
And last but not least.
8) a)What characters shall be in the Gargoyles movie? Is it just
going to be the basic plot of say the episodes Awakening?
Well thats about it. And if you can in ANY way contact me about
references of Puck, please do so. Anyone in fact who reads this. My E-mails
Puck40@aol.com or RobinGoodfellow@Mailcity.com
1) Mostly, I got him from Midsummers and a lot of books about that
play. I don't recall reading any specific independent source.
2) You didn't ask a #2.
3) No.
4) He'd have to, since he lets on to so little. But honestly, I 'm not
sure what you mean.
5) Generally, no. Keep in mind, I'm intentionally isolating myself to
protect myself legally. Sorry, but I really don't feel I have any other
choice. "If you say something wrong" I don't want to be exposed to it,
because I don't want to see you across a courtroom five years down the
road. (And don't tell me that wouldn't happen, because though it may be
true with you, I can't begin to try and evaluate who it might or might
not apply to. Disney's already been sued twice over Gargoyles. I don't
need any more hassles.) As to the one word answers, that depends on how
rushed I am and on how free I feel with information. It's not like I'm
doing it by accident. Having said all that, I occassionally stop by the
COMMENT ROOM, and on even rarer occasions, I stop by the CHAT ROOM. I
also hope to attend this summer's GATHERING in NYC, if we can work out
the details. Maybe I'll talk to you there.
6) See above.
7) Not now.
8) I have almost no info on the Gargoyles Movie. Last I was told
(literally months ago) the movie would feature Goliath and Elisa. I
don't know the story, and I don't know if they've even got a script.
(GDW / 3-16-98)
dOne or two quick questions, after "The Gathering" is Owen allowed to set
foot on Avalon? I know that Puck is not, but does that restriction apply to
both personas?
I don't think Oberon makes those kind of subtle distinctions.
Puck, i.e. Owen, might consider it a loophole and attempt it (whereas
Puck as himself is magically restrained from even the attempt), but if
he got caught, I'd hate to be in his shoes. (GDW / 3-16-98)
Hi Greg. I saw an episode of the Men In Black cartoon written by you
yesterday (11.10.98) (hopefully, it WAS you and not someone by the
same name) and I'm glad we can see you get into other stuff while Gargs is
on the backburner. So that's the topic of my questions..
1) What other shows did you write for? (including previous eps of MiB
if any)
2) Are you planning to write more eps of MiB or any other show for
that matter?
3) How DID you get to write for MiB anyway? Do they just take scripts
from anyone who wants to write them, or is it because Frank Paur was the
director, or what?
4) I know you're not supposed to read fanfic or stuff with other ideas
and suggestions in it, so do you go to pages that have only stuff from the
shows? Like screenshots, episode synopsis, and so on.
That's all I can think of for now.
1. I wrote one Men in Black for its first season. I just finished
another for its second. I've also written an episode of Disney's
Hercules series. Before that, I wrote and produced on Gargoyles and
Goliath Chronicles. Before that I was an executive. I story edited
the last four DuckTales episodes. A long time before that, before I
was really in the industry, I co-wrote an episode of Jem & The
Holograms. Mostly, in those days, I wrote and edited comic books.
2. See above.
3. My agent helped get me the first job, but mostly it comes from the
long-standing relationship I have with Duane Capizzi, the
Producer/Story Editor on that show. Duane and I worked together on
Gummi Bears, Talespin, Darkwing Duck and especially on the wonderful
but ill-fated original development for BONKERS. Frank didn't know I
was writing the script until after I had gotten the gig, but he really
did well by it in board.
4. I don't surf that much. I've seen a few pages, here and there.
(GDW / 3-4-98)
Is Desdemona directly related to Brooklyn?
Not that I know of.
(GDW / 3-4-98)
Hi,
1. Any new news on the Gargoyle movie?
2. You said that by the time Future Tense took place Xanatos would be
dead. This, I take it, means Xanatos will not become immortal, right? (darn)
3. Future Tense takes place in the year 2158 (right?) was there any
reason why you chose this date (significance?)?
4. Who or what is/are the Angels? What is the name of the force they
fight against?
5. Elisa's sister goes to Arizona State (their football team sucks.
Huskers #1) besides the events in Cloud Fathersis there any reason for
this choice?
6. Do you watch College football? Who is your favorite team? (Sorry
about this question but I'm hyped about Nebraska's National Championship and
the fact that I got an A in chemistry)
7. What was Xanatos' mother's name, what year did she die?
8. What country did Xanatos' father come from?
1. No. At the moment, they're not returning my phone calls. Maybe
they're busy.
2. In my opinion, his character is dependent on his mortality. Just
as Goliath's is dependent on his Gargoylity, and Elisa's dependent on
her humanity.
3. Yes.
4. Huh?
5. I knew I wanted her at a Southwest school (reflecting her father's
heritage) and picked the state of Arizona at semi-random in "Deadly
Force," the first episode in which Beth is mentioned. I was probably
influenced by the mystery novels of Tony Hillerman. I think either
Lydia or Brynne must have chosen Flagstaff as the actual location for
the campus.
6. These days I almost never watch college football. If I do, I root
for STANFORD first, UCLA second and USC third. After that, I lose
interest. I'm really more of a Major League Baseball type of guy.
7. Ask me some other time.
8. Greece.
(GDW / 3-4-98)
Hi, Greg!
1) Does Servarius know that Demona is Dominique Destine?
2) What does the title "The Reckoning" mean?
3) Who are Titania's parents?
4) Who are Puck's parents?
5) Who was ruler before Mab (Oberon's mom)?
6) What impact, if any, did Demona have on Xanatos' decision to awaken
Goliath and the clan?
1. Maybe. Working with Thailog and Demona during that whole "The
Reckoning" period, he might have found out. Maybe.
2. Look it up in a dictionary. It's pretty self-explanatory. A
final calling to accounts so to speak.
3. Don't know yet.
4. Not saying now.
5. Don't know if there was a ruler before Mab.
6. She told him her story and how the Gargoyles EN FORCE would be of
use to him.
(GDW / 3-4-98)
Hello, Mr. Weisman. Thank you again for this opportunity.
Before I begin with my questions, I'd just like to mention that
I saw the episode of MiB you'd written, and I thought it was quite good,
definitely one of the better episodes so far. Now, on to the questions...
1) What is Brendan's last name?
2) What is Taro's full name?
3) What is the name of Nokkar's alien race?
4) Is there a 'official' name for Xanatos's lightweight exoframe
(the one in
"Eye Of The Beholder" and "Double Jeopardy")?
5) After 'TimeDancer,' what would've been done with the Phoenix
Gate?
6) What are the names of some of the other alien races involved
in Nokkar's people's war with the SpaceSpawn?
7) In the Gargoyles universe, who created the Phoenix Gate?
8) What was the intergalactic war begun over?
9) Are Boudicca and Bronx related?
10) Would we have possibly seen the Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot, or
the like in the series?
11) Would New Olympus be known to the human world in 2158?
12) In the Gargoyles universe, who created the Cauldron of Life?
13) In the Gargoyles universe, who created the Eye of Odin?
14) During TimeDancer, would there have been journeys to
prehistoric times, or the future beyond 2158?
15) After TimeDancer, would Brooklyn and family have stayed in
New York with the Manhattan Clan?
Well, I think that's already enough. Thanks again!
1. I don't know yet.
2. Ditto.
3. Double ditto.
4. Lightweight Exo-frame?
5. Eventually it would have started its journey from scratch --
part of an unending loop.
6. Don't know yet.
7. I did.
8. Don't know yet.
9. They may be distant cousins.
10. Yeti for sure. The others... eventually, probably.
11. Yes.
12. Michael Reaves, I think.
13. Patrick Gilmore, then of Disney Interactive, I think. (I
know, I know, I'm being a smartass. It's Odin's eye. His parents, I
guess.)
14. Not the future beyond 2158. But sure, we'd have to do some
dinosaur action.
15. Yep. (GDW / 2-23-98)
Sorry, I have a few more questions...
1) What would have prompted Queen Mab to return?
2) Is Vinnie's last name Barbarino or Gregarino? I've heard both
used.
3) Was the spell on Goliath (from "Temptation") removed, or
circumvented? If it was only circumvented, could it be activated again somehow?
1) Escape.
2) Vinnie Barbarino is a character from "WELCOME BACK, KOTTER."
Gregarino is a joke name I came up with. At the moment, Vinnie has no
official last name, though I might go with Gregarino if I couldn't
come up with something I liked better.
3) It was circumvented, which means that it could in theory be
reactivated. But not easily. (GDW / 2-23-98)
Oh, yeah, on more thing. Who is your favorite, all time,
bestest of the best, you just think he/she/it ROCKS, character? Your favorite
of the fave? And why? :P Thank you!
Check the archives. I've answered this in detail.
(GDW / 2-23-98)
Hello, Mr. Weisman!!!! One thing has been bugging me.
a)...Is the Isle of Avalon the only place where Fey/Fae call their
homeland...or are there any other places...the Isle of Avalon acts as a
person, If Avalon felt that its current Lord was going put it(the Isle) in
Jeopardy or the earth, do you think it will give him more power to do so...or like teach
him..Do you see what i am getting at...does Avalon have a right to say what
should or shouldnt be done...Or does it always even through the dreadest
times have to listen to her(Avalon) so-called Lord??? Im sorry if this is
confusing...its just that I am intrigued by this isle!
b) if you made a series spin-off would one be off Avalon
and its contents? ThanX!
Avalon is HOME. Homebase. But obviously some of Oberon's
Children have their own local set-ups.
I never said Avalon was a person, per se. It's not that
objective a concept.
I believe Avalon works better in small doses, so there was no
specific Avalon spin-off planned.
(GDW / 2-23-98)
1. Will there be anymore Gargoyle cartoons?
2. And if so when?
3. If not, why?
4. If there will be any new seasons will they feature my
main favorite character, Puck? (I really want some more Gargoyle cartoons,
please.)
1. I hope so, but...
2. ...None are currently planned.
3. Disney doesn't see the profit in it, I guess.
4. Puck would have his appearances.
(And I'd like more too, please.)
(GDW / 2-23-98)
Dear Greg,
First let me say right off the bat, thank you for helping to
create what I believe is one of the best shows ever to hit TV! :) You can
tell that to ANYONE else involved in making Gargoyles, too.
All of you deserve a giant KUDOS for your hard work! Okay, now
onto the questions!
1. Gargoyles is now out of production, right? So, technically,
aren't you out from under contract and could therefore read fanfic? Just
curious... don't worry, I have asked no questions regaurding any stories
that have been posted! :)
2. Were there any plans to expand the relationship between Puck
and "the royalty" (Oberon and/or Titania) into something more than a Lord
and servant relationship? This seems to be something many Garg fans
ponder...
3. How did the idea to use Shakespeare characters come to be?
4. Why was only first season released on video?
5. Were there any plans to devise a way to get Puck back his
powers and rights to Avalon?
6. Were any of the visions generated in "Future Tense" going to
be brought into the plot a little at a time?
7. Have you figured out that I am a HUGE Puck fan yet? :)
Okay, I think that's it! Thanks for taking the time to read and
respond to this! Best wishes!
Thanks.
1. I've explained this a LOT. My contract with Disney was
NEVER what precluded me from reading fanfic. I don't read fanfic in
order to protect MYSELF from frivolous legal suits.
2. I'm not sure what you mean.
3. I love Shakespeare. Macbeth seemed ideal. The rest
followed suit.
4. The videos didn't sell enough to encourage the Home Video
division to release the second season.
5. Nope. I like his predicament.
6. Some already have been. Others never would. Others might.
7. Uh, sure.
(GDW / 2-23-98)
Heya, Greg! I'm 14 and started watching your show in 6th grade. My first
thought: Hey, this show rocks! It beats Power Rangers! (I've hated that
show with a vengeance since I was like 9 years old). Gargoyles has this
whole family theme that's really heartwarming but doesn't have a mushy
feeling that is real sickening. Okay, here's the questions:
1) How old is Puck, both numeroligically and in human years? (If you don't
know exactly, can you give me a close estimate?)
2) I got confused over the whole Coldstone eps. Who is that bad guy,
Coldsteel? Was he originally a gargoyle killed in the Wyvern
massacre?
3) who are these Desdemona and Iago everyone's talking about in this
archive?
4) Was Lex supposed to have a girl by show's end?
5) I dunno if this is a little sacriligious tying the little guy down,
but ever considered anyone for Puck/Owen? (Sorry, just had to ask that).
What was his own social life like in the past? (I know that must be a
little broad since he must be ancient by now, but gimmesome main pointers,
pleasey?)
6) Is Puck even remotely sad about the whole permanent exile and
stripping of his powers? He doesn't show it. Then again, I guess after losing
his magical rights, he wouldn't want to lose face by breaking down in
front of Daddy O.
7) Aren't cars, planes, helicopters, ect, ect made of iron, along with
tons of modern day technological stuff? So how come Anatstasia and
especially Owen don't seem to looked all that fazed whenever they're around
something that's made of iron (i.e. Owen near limo, piloting chopper...).
8) Is it true there's a Gargoyle's movie coming out? Do you have
anything to do with it?
9) How'd you guys come up with the gargoyles idea? It's so original.
Were you all just sitting around and all of a sudden POOF or did you get an
idea and then sell it to Disney, or Buena Vista, or whatever (y'know, all
this legal stuff is confusing)?
10) Will Oberon ever consider lightening or lifting Puck's sentence?
*looking hopeful*
11) Are Fox and Alexander Xanatos immortal (or at least have longer
lifespans by a few centuries) because they're of Fey blood?
12) What happens to Puck after he's done training Alexander and after
Xanatos dies? He's not technically under contract, then, right? So
what happens to him?
13) Did Titania know (or at least get a good idea) that Oberon would
give Puck the boot in the Gathering eps? She didn't look all that shocked
when Oberon passed the sentence.
14) What'd she whisper in Fox's ear at the end of the Gathering
anyway?!?
15) Why was Oberon so darn strict in the Gathering? He exiled Puck
and took away his right to do magic. Why was he so ... harsh?
That's all the Q's I got for now. I'll write back if I think of
something :) Thanks for your time, almighty Greg!
Hey, Aerie. Good to know we had at least one fan who was within the
target age group.
1) He's pretty old. Over five hundred years at least. Honestly,
though, I'm not sure.
2) Yep. A rival for Coldfire's affections, who tried to get
Coldstone out of the way by tricking him into a fight with Goliath.
3) Desdemona is another name for Coldfire. Iago is another name for
Coldsteel. They were never used in the body of the show, but we used
them in the credits to identify the actors who supplied their voices.
4) By which show's end?
5) I had and have plans for Owen and Puck. Not gonna reveal them
here though.
6) Yes. As you may have noticed, he tried to protest, but it was
clearly futile, so he reverted to the ever-stoic Owen.
7) In human form, iron's no more dangerous to them then it is to us.
Besides, it doesn't give off radiation or anything.
8) It's true there's a film in development. I'm officially attached
as a co-producer, but I haven't had much luck getting info about the film, let
alone contributing to it.
9) I worked for Disney. Someone came up with the idea to do a show
about Gargoyles and my team and I ran with it. (It's more complex than
that. Involves Gummi Bears and lots of other stuff. Check the archives for
a more complete answer.)
10) Anything's possible. Oberon isn't exactly Mr. Consistency.
11) Maybe. Maybe not.
12) Damn good question.
13) I'd say she had a premonition or at least a healthy dose of
intuition.
14) What do you think she whispered?
15) He felt abused and betrayed. Considering his orignal intentions,
I think everyone got off easy. (GDW / 2-10-98)
Hi Greg For some reason, I really related to the Magus, and was wondering
some things about him! In a former question, someone asked if Magus was
Magus real name, to which you replied "No" I was wondering what it is, and
myabe if you could supply some backround about him, that hasn't been given
before, like his name, some stories about his schooling in the art of magic,
why he didnt try and find another teacher etc maybe some stories about him
when he was going to King Kenneth's land with the princess or some stories
about adventures on the island On another note, How did Tom cast the spell
to return from Avalon? He, to the best of my knowledge, ad no training in
magic, and there was no conduit, like Magus' Grimoum, or source like Avalon,
for him to draw off of. If Magus lost his magic, surely Tom wouldnt have
had any. Also, if Magus knew that he could tap Avalon for power, why didnt
he try before, to a lesser extent so he could wield it properly? Did Magus
have any of Oberons childrens blood in him? ( like his greandfather or
father was 1/2 or something)? I ask this because the Wierd Sisters, in
Avalon part 1 after Magus told them to stand aside,told him he should have
known better than that, like he should have known Avalon was closed off, and
especially that he shouldnt have brought human magic to the island. Also,
Avalon aided him in defeating one of her own children, but perhaps that was
because Oberon didnt want them there yet? Or was it because he was partly of
avalon? If you wouldnt mind. instead of trying to answer my question into
Magus' history, if you wouldnt mind making a txt file into a story of sorts
that would be more than appreciated. Im a big fan of the series, and was
thourghly dissapointed with its cancellation Thanks for your time!
In the future, please number your questions.
The Magus is one of my favorites too. But this isn't the forum for me to
deliver a novel-length response on his history. And I'm definitely not
making any text files. Keep in mind, this is a Q&A location. I get paid
to write stories. (I know that doesn't sound very altruistic, but neither is
requesting me to do a lot of work without compensation.)
Tom had centuries to learn one or two simple spells from the Magus that would
allow him to travel back and forth from Avalon.
The Magus may have tried using Avalon's magic before as an experiment here or
there, but he generally met with little success. Fortunately, there was no
crisis to require a greater need (or effort) until the Archmage showed up.
The Magus is fully human. (GDW/1-27-98)
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
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)
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!
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)
Just thought of one more: Is the clocktower a real NY building?
Nope. Though there are some that look similar. (GDW/1-27-98)
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!!
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)
How old is the oldest fey, I don't need specific years, you can round it to
the nearest hundred or so?
Old.(GDW/1-27-98)
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!
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)
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?
Uh, sure, why not?
(GDW/1-27-98)
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.
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)
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?
Yes, Gargoyles do eat, but as a supplement to their solar energy absorbtion.
(GDW/1-27-98)
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)?
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)
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!
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)
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!
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)
How did Wyvern Hill get its name?
Good question. The answer's pretty self-evident.
Yes, that's a hint.
(GDW/1-26-98)
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!
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)
What episode did anibus appear in?
Anubis appeared in "Grief."
(GDW/1-26-98)
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!
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)
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.
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)
Hi Greg! You said that there are subdivisions within Oberon's Children. What
kind of subdivisions? Could you give some examples, please? Thanks! :)
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)
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