Greg responds...

1. This sounds like a job for...
"Once upon a time there were three brothers..." PART FOUR
"Duff is still with us, will always be with us," says Kenneth. Malcolm
nods. The young former prince has been thinking a lot about birth and
death, since the family came to England four years ago. Since his mother
died. Malcolm misses her. Misses his eldest brother Duff too. And yet life
goes on. Down in the courtyard, Malcolm's nephews play at battle with wooden
swords and much gusto.
The year is 971. Lieutenant Robert has crossed enemy lines once again,
bringing news from home. And the news isn't good. King Culen finally has an
heir. Until now there had been hope. Culen was 49 and had had no sons.
That had left Scotland unsettled. That had left open the possibility that
Kenneth and the others would be called upon to secure the throne. But
Culen's queen had just given birth to Prince Constantine. The succession
was now secure. The unrest would soon fade. Unless...
Kenneth has a decision to make.
He and Malcolm have climbed the battlements of Northumberland Keep. But
neither has spoken since Kenneth raised the spectre of their late brother.
Still, Malcolm knows what Kenneth is thinking. Duff was the king. Kenneth
was always just the strong right arm. Now Kenneth is 39 years old. Is he
prepared to start a war over a crown he never truly wanted?
Malcolm waits in silence for a long time, but Kenneth doesn't elaborate.
Finally, Malcolm speaks: "I'm seventeen now, Kenneth. I'm not a child that
needs protecting. If you will take up Duff's crown, I will take up your
sword. And together we can secure our land for those boys down there."
Kenneth's head turns slowly. He looks at his brother, and then down at the
wee warriors below. His own son Maol Chalvim is a nine year old tyrant
lording his size over Duff's orphaned four year old boy. Not that little
Kenneth's complaining, mind you. Both are clearly having a grand time
playing at war here in England. But a real war in Scotland would be an
entirely different matter.
"Look at them, Kenneth," Malcolm continued, "If we raise them to be good
Thanes, then someday their honor will demand they recover what their
fathers and uncles have lost. It doesn't end with you and me. So your
choice is clear. Do we leave this struggle for Maol and Kenny and this
new Constantine to fight? Or do you and I take the battle to Culen now?"
Kenneth turns back to his brother. "Duff will always be with us," he
repeats, "Leading us to victory." And the brothers grasped each
others arms -- firmly and with newfound resolve.
Preparations are begun. Allies are secured. But Kenneth had been through
this sort of thing before. Three times before. He knows the Thanes are
fickle. They like to pick a winner, even if that means changing horses mid-
stream. Kenneth needs allies he can count on. Powerful allies.
And so it comes to pass that Robbie is once again slipping past the Scots
border guard and riding north by northwest. This time, however, Malcolm's
come along for the ride... and the mission.
Malcolm and Robbie approach Wyvern Hill alone. The sun is still out, and
they know they could walk among the frozen sentinels unmolested. Be among
the creatures already when they awaken. But that's no way to begin an
alliance. They wait a good mile from the cliffside. The sun sinks. Even at
this distance they can hear the cracking of stone and the roars. Malcolm
shivers involuntarily. He's seen gargoyles before. But at a distance. And
he's never had to ask one for a favor before. They leave their horses and
climb up the steep grade, taking pains to keep their hands in plain
view.
Suddenly, a sentry swoops down upon them. A huge winged demon with
shock-white hair and two great devil horns rising from his brow. The
creature speaks -- and Malcolm's terror fades: the voice is a low
earth-shaking rumble, but the cadence betrays excitement and inexperience.
This gargoyle is young, perhaps no older than Malcolm himself.
Robbie responds quickly. "We've come to see your leader. He and I have met
before."
"I remember you." The monster's tone makes it clear that he remembers
Robbie and only Robbie. Malcolm is still a stranger.
"He's my friend," Robbie states. "My greatest friend. I would lay down my
life for him."
The gargoyle seems impressed. Frankly, so is Malcolm. Not that Robbie's
statement was a revelation. But to hear it out loud like that. Malcolm
suddenly feels awed by his companion's loyalty.
The gargoyle crouches and says, "Follow me." And then races off like a beast
on all fours. After but a moment's hesitation, Robbie and Malcolm take off
after him. Passing through a gauntlet of Gargoyles 'til they've climbed
their way up... to the Rookery!
TO BE CONTINUED...

Sorry, Sam. I know I've stopped right at the point where I might just be
starting to address your question. Frankly, even using this abbreviated,
time-telescoping style which I established with chapter one, it took me a
little longer to set up Malcolm and Hudson's first encounter than I thought
it would. So let me answer the rest of your questions now, and hope
you'll stay tuned (so to speak) for Part Five, which should at least touch on
life at the Rookery before the Castle was built.
2a. I'm certain there were and are gargoyle poets -- in the oral tradition.
The written word is a largely human invention. But gargoyles adapt. Maybe
the Ishimura or London clan have a writer or two in their ranks.
2b. Probably.
2c. Maybe.
2d. Probably. (Does Lex qualify?) A lot depends on how formal you want to
be about defining a composer or a scientist, etc. Does someone who dabbles
qualify? Or do they have to have made a career of it? And what qualifies as
a career to a gargoyle. Generally gargoyle philosophy works in terms of
"being." Popeye's famous "I yam what I yam" proves that Popeye would have
made a good gargoyle. If a gargoyle enjoys music -- or science or poetry or
whatever -- he or she simply engages this interest, without attempting to
let the activity define the individual.
3. Wars? I don't know. I doubt it. Battles? Sure. Fights? Plenty.
4. Currently, none of the Manhattan gargoyles worship the Judeo-Christian
God specifically, though they wouldn't recognize that God as being
inconsistent with their faith. And they do have a faith. Though I don't
think they've practiced it much since arriving in the twentieth century. I
don't think the particular group who survived the massacre included anyone
who was particularly priestly (except maybe Desdemona). (As with science or
music, a gargoyle might have pursued a spiritual interest, without letting
that interest define him or her as a priest or priestess.) This faith is
both monotheistic and pantheistic, though a gargoyle would not see any
paradox in that. "All things are part of the whole." Their most important
credo has to do with how they perceive their part of that whole: "A Gargoyle
can no more stop protecting the castle than breathing the air." Gargoyles
don't simply exist. They protect their community. It was a primitive belief
when our gang lived in the tenth century. Goliath found a modern application
by the end of our first season. But I think the credo will continue to have
validity even as our characters continue to redefine and evolve its
parameters. (GDW/12-10-97)

Greg responds...

1. Odin was swallowed, not eaten.
2. The Eye wasn't destroyed.
3. Sigh. I wanted Slep to have eight legs. But Frank Paur and Bob Kline
convinced me that it would just be too hard for our overseas animators to
draw. We agreed that a well-animated four-legged horse was preferable to a
poorly animated but accurate eight-legged horse. In my head, Slep still has
eight legs, but as a changeling himself, he can choose to appear with four
legs if he wants.
4. We thought we had AN accurate reading on the pronunciation of Cu's name.
I'm still not sure we don't. Someone in that session was pretty positive,
and there are always variations depending on locale and tradition. As for
Banshee, both spellings are correct, as far as I know. We went for the
simpler one.
5. Ultimately, it didn't.
6. The furniture is all disguarded junk (except for the t.v., which Elisa
did purchase as a gift). Xanatos donated the laptop back when they lived at
the castle. (Lex went back for it.) The big question is the food.
Gargoyles probably require less than you think, since they absorb solar
energy in their stone form during the day. Still... Fortunately, I can dodge
the question now, because it's moot. They're back living with Xanatos who
can afford it.
7. Other than Derek? No. Definitely not.
8. Let's afford them a bit of dignity and privacy, shall we?
9. Maybe in flashback.
10. Yes, she did. In streams and rivers, mostly. Though maybe she had the
opportunity to do a bit better than that in Paris and a couple other places.
11. From beginning to end, we always used a combination of Frank Welker
as well as some electronic enhancements. I've never noticed a significant
change over time, though obviously each roar was literally mixed on a case by
case basis, each roar required its own decision as to whether we were going
to use no enhancement, a little enhancement or a lot. It's possible that as
we progressed, Frank's familiarity with the nuances of the character required
less and less enhancement. But the policy never changed.
12. No. He's a New Olympian.
13. Right.
14. "Hate" isn't the right word. And that's not why he divorced her
anyway. But yes, there was a last straw incident. And incidentally, the
Titania of 1000+ years ago was not the same woman we met in our series.
(Wait, wait, she is the same person. I wasn't being literal.) She was
considerably less mature than the Anastasia/Titania you know today.
At the time, Oberon was substantially more mature than his mate, and
consequently "wiser". Over the millenium however, Titania really grew as a
person. Oberon, thinking he needed no improving, remained stagnant. Now
it's easy to see Titania as wiser and more mature. But she's the one who
changed, not him. And if you think he's bad, wait 'til you meet his mother.
15. That's "Oberon's Mirror" at the Gathering. Demona did smash
Titania's. But a long time ago, they each had one made at the same time.
16. They arrived in Manhattan after the spell was cast. Their bridge
may also have been protected by an energy field, which jammed Oberon's
magic, just as Owen's field protected David, Petros and Fox inside the
castle. (GDW/12-10-97)

Greg responds...

1-12 & 15. Man, "Illuminator", bad timing. I just promised "Xanatos" I
wouldn't give out any Duval clues in this post. Ask me again later, and I'll
try to be a little more forthcoming.
13. He's a civil servant.
14. No.
16. Did I say that they had a son? Was that the word I used?
17. I believe in most everything, up to a point. But if the Illuminati (or
something like it) does exist, then I'm not too impressed with the results.
18. The first time I was at Tintagel was during the summer of 1981. I had
just graduated from high school here in Los Angeles. I went to France and
England with my Dad, Mom, my younger sister Robyn and my younger brother
Jon. I was really into King Arthur in those days and had gotten my father
interested as well, so our trip through England was something of an
ArthurQuest. Of course, we went to Tintagel. I remember I was wearing my
high school sweatshirt, you know the kind... big, over-sized, grey thing with
a hood. There was a light, very fine rain, so my hood was up. Tintagel is
impressive: it's location, it's scope, the ruins themselves. I climbed over
every inch of that thing. I intentionally moved off away from the rest of my
family, so that it would take some time to find me if they wanted to head
out. I climbed to the top of the cliff, overlooking the castle ruins. The
light rain continued above me, but the surf pounded below. And looking off
to sea, I could see that a major storm was literally sitting just off shore.
Lightning. Thunder. High winds. Rolling seas. Torrential Rain. The
works. And just in case that wasn't awe-inspiring enough, something else
happened. The black clouds parted directly in front of me, and the sun shone
down. Like a spotlight on the water. So I stood there, in the light rain,
and watched the sun shining down through the midst of a lightning storm. I'm
not sure how to describe what I was feeling. But "religious awe" is probably
the best I can do. It seemed to prove the existence of God to me. I removed
my hood and stood there. Then I knelt and touched the ground. I felt like
it was charged with some kind of power. Eventually, the storm died down and
the sun went away. And it was just another cloudy day in England. I walked
down the hill.
It would be easy for me to be cynical about this experience. Neither my
parents nor my siblings recall any weather phenomena that equates with what
I've just described. They weren't standing with me, but they were all on the
cliffside. It's certainly possible that I've exaggerated the whole thing
over the years. But in my mind, I saw the hand of God at work. I don't see
any reason to question that, even if I don't quite know what to do with it.
In 1992, I returned to Tintagel with my wife Beth. We stayed in a Bed &
Breakfast overnight so I went to the castle twice. First with Beth, and
then again by myself the next morning. I figured it wouldn't live up to my
memory of the place. But it did. I didn't see the big show-stopper again,
but I felt the same rush I had felt eleven years before. I also had the
opportunity to go through "Merlin's Cave" under the cliff, which I hadn't
been able to do in '81 because of the tide.
I'm told that every year, erosion removes a little bit more of Tintagel. I'm
told that Arthur could not have been born there. I'm told a lot. But I know
what I felt. For me, it's a place of power. There's only one feeling in my
life that has ever topped it: the love I feel for my wife and two children.
If Tintagel wasn't enough, than the fact that I found her and had them, is
all the proof I'll ever need of God's existence.
Now, are you sorry you asked? (GDW/12-8-97)

Greg responds...

1. Nothing I'm ready to talk about yet. Nothing that will definitely happen.
2. Yeah, I watch Seinfeld.
3. A lot.
4. You don't have to apologize. No, I don't watch B5. I did see the pilot,
and it didn't grab me. Later, a number of people recommended it to me, but
by the time I tuned in, I couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on.
Frankly, it made me nervous that GARGOYLES would have the same effect on a
new viewer.
5. I think I've pretty much given his identity away already, but I won't
give any clues in this post, I promise.
6. No. But there are a lot of subsets within Oberon's Children.
7. I wanted to open things up, bring more magic and mystery into things.
Create the opportunities for more stories, and more myths and legends to
reinterpret.
8. You don't want to hear about Duval, but you don't mind me revealing the
identities of Demona's last two great loves? That's too selective for one
post. :) (GDW/12-8-97)

Greg responds...

1. I had some imput, but the real credit should go to my partner Frank Paur
who oversaw design for the series. (And of course to whoever designed the
character for "The Mirror". I'd guess that was Greg Guler, but I'm honestly
not sure anymore.)
2. I knew I wanted Coyote to be reminiscent of both James Dean and a young
Peter Maza. Anansi was going to be a giant spider, so that was easy. Raven
had many forms, dictated by the script. Credit for how they actually looked
should go to Frank (and producer Dennis Woodyard and our designers).
3. Sure. But I'm not telling now.
4. I never said I wouldn't write it. In fact, I've almost finished writing
it, but I doubt I'll be able to find a publisher, which is what I said.
(GDW / 12-5-97)

Greg responds...

The best description of my job is Writer-Producer. I'm responsible for story
and script. But I also oversee voice and play a major role in watching
over the entire production. In other words, I produce. I don't direct.
Although you should keep in mind that directing in Animation is very
different from directing in live-action. The end result (and much of the
brainwork) is the same, but the process is very different. (I did voice
direct one episode, but that's not the same as directing.)
I did a lot of reading on myths and legends, cuz the topic fascinates me.
Much of this began in school. I was rarely bored in my English and History
classes in school. I was lucky. I had great teachers almost without
exception in those two subjects. But I also WANTED to learn, even on those
rare occasions when my teachers weren't that great. I don't mean to
lecture, but if you're bored in school, fix it by finding
something you'd like to learn about and pursuing it in a serious and
passionate fashion. Myths and legends are as good a place to start as any.
I think Goliath went through some changes, but they were subtler than the big
obvious changes that, say, Brooklyn or Xanatos went through. But I will
admit that Goliath acted as an anchor for the series. He was a strong,
basically optimistic and capable leader. He didn't require as much change
as some of the others did. Still, I had plenty of plans to continue to
evolve the character. The changes might still have been subtle, but taken
over the run of the series, I think you would have seen a substantial
evolution.
I haven't seen Clerks, and I'm not sure I know who Kevin Smith is... did he
direct Clerks? (I have two very young children. My wife and I don't get
out to movies very often. Am I boring or what?) (GDW / 12-5-97)

Greg responds...

Nope. Sorry. (GDW / 12-5-97)

Greg responds...

1. I'm not saying right now. I didn't plan on revealing Mab right away
either. You're just getting ahead of me.
2. Yes.
3. Mab is more powerful. No one else.
4. Nokkar's race IS one of the other two. (And keep in mind, I said
three races were the main players in the conflict. I never said
there were the only players.)
5. No. There were other events, but they were more cummulative than
defining. Wyvern is still the defining moment. She wasn't genocidal
immediately after Wyvern, because I don't think genocide occured to her. She
was alone (largely) and hunted. I don't think she felt that powerful. Her
brief alliance with Macbeth only confirmed her feelings about humanity. But
it also gave her immortality. The ability to start making some long term
plans. As I said, other things happened. But nothing as devastating as
Wyvern.
6. Samson will be born in 2058. The inciting incident of that
proposed spin-off series was to take place in 2158. I'm sure you can do
the math. (GDW / 12-5-97)

Greg responds...

Puck wanted to devastate Goliath enough that he would be willing to turn over
the Phoenix Gate. Death makes for great devastation (which is why we
included it in the story). Goliath didn't immediately react to Angela's
death, because (frankly) he didn't know he could at first. (GDW / 12-5-97)

Greg responds...

It's a law he must follow which makes him physically unable to become Puck...
unless he can think of a loophole. (GDW / 12-5-97)

Greg responds...

When push came to shove, Puck/Owen cared about Xanatos, Fox and Alex.

Thanks for numbering your questions, although when you only have one, it
isn't that necessary. (GDW/12-5-97)

Greg responds...

Elena got the Gate from her father. The Gate exists, like the protagonist of
Robert Heinlein's "All You Zombies". Goliath, Elisa and the Avalon clan
learned of the link after the death of the Magus and before the good-bye
scene at the beach. The rest of the Manhattan Clan learned of the link when
Goliath and Angela returned to the Tower, sometime after saving Alex from
Oberon. As I've said before, Hudson knew Demona and Macbeth were immortal.
That's obvious. They're not dead. They're really old. He didn't know any
details about the how or why. He didn't know about the link, though their
behavior did suggest a connection of some sort. Why would Hudson know
Brooklyn's future? I'm skipping the Titania question on purpose. Oberon is
Merlin's dad.
In the future, please number your questions. (GDW/12-5-97)

Greg responds...

Eventually, way, way down the line, I see Elisa and Goliath addressing the
issue of children. All sorts of options are available, except natural
procreation between two widely and wildly divergent species. Elisa could
never be pregnant with Goliath's child without assistance from science or
magic. I've already stated that I don't see them going that way. But I do
see them raising a child together. But not without serendipity (and
some tragedy) playing a role. I don't want to say anymore right now.
As to Bronx and Boudicca, of course they could have offspring. One every
twenty years if they saw each other at the right times. I'm not sure what
"explanation" you're referring to that would lead you to believe otherwise.
And yes, hatchlings do turn to stone during the day. The lighting in the
scene you're referring to is misleading. It's night time.
In the future, please number your questions. (GDW/12-5-97)

Greg responds...

1. I've already explained the working time paradox that allowed the Archmage to save himself. If you haven't seen the explanation, check the archives for this page. If you have.... well, all I can say is that it seems pretty straight-forward to me, though you're not the only one who didn't get it. In any case, his "mentor" was not a look-alike. He was the more powerful Archmage of the future. And from my point of view, no "creative license" was taken, unless you count time travel itself as creative license. The classic story of this kind of time travel working paradox is by Robert Heinlein.
It's called "All You Zombies". Maybe reading that would help clear up "Avalon", Part Two for you. It's worked for others.

2. Hudson had had the most contact with Scotish humans.

3. In the movie version of "Awakening", which we originally produced for the DisneyWorld Premeire, my boss decided that references to the eggs slowed down the film and raised questions that "the movie" would not even attempt to answer. Since we were cutting the length down for time anyway, I reluctantly agreed to remove egg references. I had no idea that Disney's Home Video Division would later decide to use this edited version for the video. As to "Vows", I've mentioned before that mistakes were corrected in that and many other episodes after they first aired. (6-23-97)

Greg responds...

1. We do the voice work first. Animators animate to the voices, not the other way around.
On extremely rare occasions we did something called ADR (short for Automatic Dialogue Replacement). This is something done as a last minute fix in both animation and live action. In that case, we do have a screen. The actor (usually, one at a time) looks at the lip movements, practices getting the rhythm down that he or she needs to match, and then speaks the line (cued by an electronic tone which tells the actor exactly when to start speaking).
ADR is a tremendous pain in the rear, so we avoided it whenever possible.
2. I've answered this... in the same answer where I listed Elisa and Demona's old names. I'm not sure how you could have missed it. No other names for Angela. No other names for Goliath that we considered for more than a minute or two. The trio had names like Coco, Lassie and Amp in the original comedy development.
ANOTHER RAMBLE FROM GREG:
"Once upon a time there were three brothers..." PART TWO
[Disclaimer: I should have mentioned this somewhere before or after Part One. The historical framework for this story is all true. Most of the details, on the other hand, I'm making up.]
The year is 962. King Indulf is 58 years old. Prince Culen is 40. Neither are happy men. Culen is childless. He is heir to the throne, but it's beginning to look like Indulf's dynasty will end with his only son. Assuming it even lasts that long.
No one likes Indulf very much. The main problem is that everyone knows that he has kept (the former Queen) Katharine and her young son Malcolm prisoner in Edinburgh Castle. This alone is enough to make people believe that he is a tyrant. After that, any little infraction on Scottish liberty is viewed as more evidence that Indulf is unfit to rule. Honestly, Indulf wouldn't mind dumping both prisoners, but, aye, there's the rub. Katharine and Malcolm are the only insurance Indulf has against Malcolm's older brothers Duff and Kenneth.
And as Indulf's popularity has waned, Duff's has waxed. Even noblemen who had once helped Indulf to the throne approach the fifty year old Duff and his thirty year old brother Kenneth and pledge their support if only Duff will act. But Duff stubbornly refuses to risk Katharine or Malcolm's lives. What kind of King would he make if he can't even keep a vow made to his own father on the man's deathbed?
Malcolm isn't exactly a happy child. He's eight years old, and he's never been outside the walls of Edinburgh castle. He has only one friend. A peasant boy named Robbie who's twice his age. Robbie's a short, stout lad with a face like a bulldog, but he's loyal and helps Malcolm with some petty acts of ceremonial sabotage that would only earn Malcolm a reprimand if he was caught, but would certainly cost Robbie his life.
Malcolm's mother Katharine is a strong woman but she knows the situation is intolerable. She conceives a plan, and through Robbie, sends a letter to Duff. Duff and Kenneth consider her proposal. They argue about it. But, ultimately, they agree. They summon Robbie, who knows nothing of Katharine's plan. They give him no details, only a date. They send him back to Katharine. Then Duff and Kenneth gather their forces.
Word of Duff's rebellion reaches Indulf, but he's slow to react. After all, he has his hostages, safe at hand. But then on the pre-arranged date, Duff and Kenneth march on Edinburgh Castle. They demand Indulf's unconditional surrender. Indulf orders his guards to bring Katharine and Malcolm to him. Soon, Katharine is dragged before the king. But Malcolm cannot be found. Indulf orders Culen to personally search every inch of the castle. Duff and Kenneth and their armies settle down to wait.
Culen searches for hours. Katharine seems anxious. Still, Malcolm cannot be found. Indulf draws his sword and threatens to cut Katharine in two if she doesn't reveal Malcolm's whereabouts. She hesitates, but finally agrees.
She leads them to the tallest tower in the castle. Malcolm isn't there.
Indulf threatens to throw her off the ledge, but she points to the ground below. There in the moonlight, Malcolm can be seen riding away from the castle, his purple cape flapping in the breeze, toward the safety of Duff's camp.
Indulf is furious! But he still has Katharine. Duff still won't attack.
But Katharine doesn't agree. Her tone becomes threatening. She commands Indulf to open the castle gates and let Duff's troops enter. He laughs at her. Why would he do that? "Because," she tells him as she climbs out of his reach onto a battlement, "If you don't open the gates, I will jump off this tower." Indulf starts to laugh again, but the impulse catches in his throat. It all becomes clear. If Katharine throws herself to her death, than his last hostage is gone. Worse, his last hostage is martyred. Duff and Kenneth will lay siege to Edinburgh and in time, they would ultimately triumph and then... And then things might go very badly for a tyrant.
He makes a quick decision. He and his son will be granted safe passage to Ireland immediately following his "voluntary" abdication of the throne to Duff. Culen protests, but Katharine agrees to his terms. She remains on the tower's battlement until the gates are open and Duff and Kenneth are at her side. "Hurry," she says, and rushes with her step-sons to the Castle's small cemetary.
Robbie is already there, still wearing Malcolm's purple cape. He is digging up a fresh grave. Some of Duff's men are helping him, but Duff and Kenneth push them aside and personally begin to dig. Katharine falls to her knees, pulling dirt aside with her hands until a waiting woman is brought to comfort her. The coffin is unearthed. Robbie has a crow, and snaps off the lid with the kind of bull-like strength he would one day be famous for. Malcolm lies still in the grave. Suddenly he gasps for air. He is alive. He had been buried alive with a slim wooden tube to provide air. But he had spent hours below ground. And the tube had been only barely sufficient. Much longer and he would have succumbed. But now the brave boy rocks back and forth in his mother's arms. He smiles at his good friend Robbie. And then he is introduced to his two older brothers for the very first time. He has worshipped them from afar his whole life. But it is they who are impressed.
Duff, soon to be King Duff, lifts Malcolm to his feet. "Prince Malcolm," he says, "I am honored to be your brother."
TO BE CONTINUED

Greg responds...

1. This is too big a question to answer here.
2. 11 issues worth of stuff. I consulted on the comics, but I'm hardly an authority on them, so you'll have to look to another source for that information.

Greg responds...

Demona is always alone, even in a crowded room. But basically, the answer to your question is a story (actually many stories) for another day.

Greg responds...

From the beginning, yes, though that doesn't mean he wasn't physically attracted to her.

Greg responds...

"Faeries" is one name. The Fair Folk is another. So is Dark Elves.
Changelings. Fae. The Children of Oberon. The Third Race. The Aesir Gods. (The Vikings took certain very powerful Children of Oberon to be gods. For that matter, so did the Egyptians. So did at least two Native American tribes and the Hauka tribe of Nigeria. (At least, that's how we played it in the GARGOYLES Universe.)) The generic name doesn't matter so much. Because it changes depending on who you're talking too.
As to their immortality, it depends on how you define it. Certainly they are extremely long-lived. Certainly they are difficult -- but not impossible -- to kill. Certainly, they are almost all shape-shifters, so no matter how old they are, they can always look as young as they desire. So, again, it depends on point of view.

Greg responds...

[Questions numbered to make life easier. As usual, no other editing.]

1. Hi? Uh, hi back to you.
2. The development team? None. Well, me. Keep in mind, the team that developed the show was largely not the same team who produced the first two seasons. The unsung (read largely uncredited) people who worked on the development of the series included the following:
Greg Weisman - Director of Series Development (Greg went on to be Supervising Producer of GARGOYLES.)
Bob Kline and Dave Schwartz - Development Art Directors (Bob later became a Producer/Director of GARGOYLES in its second season.)
Paul Felix and Greg Guler - Development Artists (Greg became lead character designer for GARGOYLES in its second season.)
Fred Schaeffer, Paul Lacy, Kat Fair, Cindy Chupack, Ellen Gurney - Development Associates.
(I hope I'm not leaving anyone out; we had a lot of development
associates at Disney, and I'm not 100% sure if any of the others worked
on GARGOYLES specifically.)
Also Gary Krisel and Bruce Cranston - my bosses, who were very involved in
developing the show.
And Tad Stones - who provided some important conceptual advice.
After the show was developed and sold, we began assembling a production team for the first season, most of which was pre-produced and produced in Japan.
I was still a development executive at the time. I asked to be switched over to Producer, but my bosses wanted me to prove that I could do the job while I simultaneously held down my Executive slot. So that's what I did.
We went through a couple of writers who didn't work out, and then Michael Reaves was brought aboard as writer and story editor.
In Japan, Kazuo Terada, Saburo Hashimoto and Takamitsu Kawamura were brought on as directors. Kazuyoshi Takeuchi was our lead character designer. And that's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Japanese talent that worked on the show. (But I don't want this answer to turn into me just rewriting 66 episodes worth of credits down here.)
Back in L.A., Frank Paur was hired as our producer. Jamie Thomason was brought on as voice director. Laura Perrotta was our production coordinator. Dave Witting was our production assistant. Denise Byrne was our script coordinator. And Carl Johnson was our composer. Again, a lot of other people were involved, but that was the basic team for the first thirteen episodes.
Some of you may have noticed that I don't have a credit on the episodic television version of "Awakening". That's because, I was still officially an executive, and Disney executive's don't receive credit. The decision to allow me to officially move over from Executive to Producer came after the pre-production of the first season was completed. In fact, it came during post-production. As a matter of fairness, it was decided that any work that I had done as an executive would still not be credited. Frank Paur posted the five part "Awakening" by himself, while I posted the "Movie Version" for our Disneyworld Premiere. So I was credited as co-producer on the "movie" (which later became the home video) and on the other 8 episodes of the first season. Co-producer because I hadn't participated in pre-production except as an executive. I received no credit on any of the five parts of the television mini-series "Awakening" because my pre-production contributions were as an executive and
my post-production contributions were minimal, because I was busy on the "movie".
The second season was a whole other story. We did 52 episodes and the crew expanded geometrically. Most (though not all) of our pre-production was brought back to the U.S. We added Bob Kline and Dennis Woodyard as Producer/Directors. Lisa Salamone was brought on as Associate Producer.
(Laura Perrotta left Disney around this time.) Tom Pniewski was added as another Production Assistant. Greg Guler became our lead character designer. Butch Lukic, Patrick Archibald, Doug Murphy and others were brought aboard to storyboard and design, etc.
I officially shared producer credit (later supervising producer credit) with Frank. Michael remained a story editor and Brynne Chandler Reaves, Cary Bates and Gary Sperling were added as additional story editors. Lydia Marano became a regular writer on the series. My assistant Monique Beatty made the move with me and joined the Gargoyles team as a script coordinator.
Since I was no longer an executive, new executives were assigned to oversee the show. Jay Fukuto was director of current programming. Initially, he had Ellen Gurney watching the show. Later, my former development associate Kim Christianson took over. Adrienne Bello was the S&P executive from day one.
Again, refer to episode credits for a fuller listing of people.
GOLIATH CHRONICLES was a whole different animal. I wrote and story edited one episode only. Jamie Thomason remained the voice director. Denise stayed on as script coordinator. Tom Pniewski was promoted to Production Coordinator or Manager (sorry, Tom, I get those credits mixed up). Cary Bates wrote a couple episodes. Lydia wrote one. Another of our writers, Adam Gilad wrote one. Jay and Kim were still overseeing the scripts, but otherwise Pre-Production and Post- Production were moved to Nelvana in Canada. A new Supervising Producer, Scott Thomson was brought in. A new story editor, Eric Lewald, was brought in. Officially, I was a consultant, but I had my consultant credit removed, because I felt I hadn't been consulted enough
to earn that credit. I believe Frank Paur may have consulted a bit as well, but I'm not sure. For the most part, it was a complete turnover in creative personnel. I've always thought that hurt the show.
But there were also other problems that I've gone into before, (and this "answer" has gone on long enough). I should say, however, that Goliath Chronicles is probably still an above average cartoon show. Any problems with it are probably relative.
3. When Gary Sperling and I were working on the episode "Turf" we realized that we needed to know who, if anyone, Angela would wind up with. We talked about it. In some ways, Brooklyn did seem like the obvious choice, but it soon became clear that he was the wrong choice. It had to be Broadway.
Nothing else made sense. There are some subtle clues in "Turf". For example, Broadway never refers to Angela as Angie in that episode, despite the fact that he had been the first one to call her that in "The Gathering, Part Two". By "Turf" he had already realized she didn't care for the nickname. Lex and Brooklyn didn't figure it out until she told them (at high volume).

Greg responds...

1. Yes.
2. Brendan & Margot were in "Awakening". They had lines. They were in the script. The animation is done last. In other episodes we began using them as background characters. That became amusing to us. So we kept using them as recurring. We made a particular effort to parallel their appearance in "Hunter's Moon" to their original appearance in "Awakening". Later, I decided to make more use of Brendan & Margot in the third season -- develop them beyond their cliches, which is why Margot had such a prominent role in "The Journey". But then I didn't do the rest of the third season, so I had no control over how Margot was used or how Brendan wasn't. But the animators only put in the characters we told them to use. As far as I know.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND (aka GREG'S ABOUT TO RAMBLE):
"Once upon a time their were three brothers..." PART ONE
The year is 954. The King of Scotland, Maol Chalvim I, is 66 years old. He is very ill.
He has two sons. They are half-brothers. (Maol is the father of both, but they had two different mothers, both of whom died in childbirth.) The eldest son, Duff, is 42 years old. The youngest, Kenneth, is 22 years old. Despite the twenty year age difference, they are the best of friends.
Maol Chalvim also has a new, young wife. Very young. And very pregnant.
She is 18 years old, and her name is Katharine.
On his deathbed, Maol begs his sons to support each other and to protect his third wife and their child. The brothers vow to do just that. Duff assumes he will be the new king. Kenneth assumes he will be Duff's strong right arm.
Indulf has other ideas. Indulf is a 50 year old nobleman and is, himself, a descendant of kings. He has a 32 year old son named Culen, and hopes to launch a dynasty of his own. While Duff and Kenneth wait by their ailing father's bedside, Indulf makes alliances. While Duff and Kenneth close their father's eyes for the last time, Indulf gathers his troops. While Duff and Kenneth take their father to be buried on the holy Island of Iona, Indulf has himself crowned King on the Lia Fail at Scone.
Needless to say, Duff and Kenneth aren't too pleased. They prepare for battle, but Indulf pulls his trump card. He has Katharine. And he will kill her if they raise a sword against him. Bound by their vow and their sense of honor, Duff and Kenneth retire to a family stronghold and wait.
At Edinburgh, Katharine gives birth to a boy. She names him Malcolm, (which is a more modern variant on the name Maol Chalvim). Indulf is now willing to return Katharine to her step-sons. But the babe will stay in his custody as insurance. For obvious reasons, Katharine chooses not to leave.
TO BE CONTINUED...

Greg responds...

As usual, I've added numbers to your questions to make them easier to answer. No other editing was done.
1. Thanks for not breaking the rules. Jade & Turquesa eventually returned to Guatemala after dropping the plants off in Avalon and making a couple of other quest-type stops. I had plans for Zafiro to come in search of the Sun Amulet, which is still in Broadway's possession.
2. I'm glad your glad, but let's take everything one step at a time.
Nothing much has been done on the movie yet. We'll see how truly involved we are when the thing gets rolling.
3. Where? In the movie? If we had done more episodes? I guess the answers probably yes, either way.
4. I didn't exactly decide. I realized Owen was Puck about 12 hours after I decided to put Puck into the series. At almost the exact same time, Lydia Marano and Brynne Reaves realized the same thing independently. That confirmed we were on the right track.
5. I've answered this fully elsewhere. My favorite single episode is "The Mirror", but I like all 66 that I worked on, particularly the multi-parters.
6. I'm not going into this now.
7. Maybe.
8. That was a joke.
9. Yes.
10. Mortal Sorcery. Fae magic. Talisman magic. Location magic. Ghostly illusions and telikinetics. Just to name a few.
11. Until they die.
12. Gargoyle hatchlings are taught in the rookery that there are three races. Gargoyles. Humans. And Oberon's Children. The fae are the third race from the Gargoyle point of view. (To themselves, I'm sure the fair folk feel that they're number one.)
13. Why would they? Why give up something with long-term income potential?
And by the way, who exactly is lining up to buy the rights? No one with nearly enough money, I'll tell you that.
14. Sort of. Xanatos' orignal name was Xavier, which we dropped because of Professor X from the X-Men. But I still wanted a name that had that same kind of sound to it. It's a subjective thing, but I liked it. I thought of Thanatos, which is the name of the Greek God of death, which seemed cool. X and TH sounds are often exchanged. So I tried Xanatos.
Everyone liked the sound of it. Later, I checked the phone book, and the name was there, (different first name though). It all seemed to fit. The name David was chosen because Goliath's name was Goliath. The hero/villain role reversal of David & Goliath was too perfect to resist. I have on occasion abbreviated the above story by simply saying I found it in the phone book. But usually I only do that when someone says the name sounds phony or cartoony.
15. It wasn't planned. I think I've answered this, but who remembers?
Marina nailed her audition right out of the gate. Jonathan had a more competitive field, but after a few false starts he got the job. After that, it was natural when we were casting new characters to think about the gang from the various Trek shows. Michael, Brent, Nichelle, Colm, Kate, Le Var, etc. They did great work for us.

Greg responds...

You didn't. But that's o.k. Dakota was a bland comedy heroine who was transformed into a much more interesting comedic traitor and villainess named Demona. The reason for the name change is probably obvious: Demona sounds more villainesque than Dakota, which is kinda generic, and certainly has no particular gargoylean feel to it. 6-10-97)

Greg responds...

No spin-offs were planned for Demona, though I had hopes to tell more flashback stories about her life. She would have remained a recurring character in GARGOYLES and she would have been a regular in both DARK AGES and FUTURE TENSE. And she would have appeared at least once in TIMEDANCER.
All of that is moot for now, but maybe someday...
I basically enjoy villains a lot. I think the villains in our show were very unique, particlarly Demona and Xanatos. Much of Demona's character came so easily and fit together so well, I hesitate to take credit for it. Demona was out there in the mist ready to be revealed to the world. At any rate, I certainly must share credit with everyone else who worked with the character, in particular Michael Reaves, who wrote "Awakening". Still, from the beginning of our second phase (read non-comedy) development, we already knew Demona was a traitor who had meant well initially but could not face up to her own guilt. Though I hadn't worked out all the details of "City of Stone" from that early point of pre-Awakening development, I also knew that she had not slept through the centuries as Goliath and the others had. She would have had to live through 1000 years of persecution and prejudice. I knew that she was Goliath's lost love. How he viewed her defined both who she was
and who she wasn't. I knew she was a tragic figure. I didn't want the audience to forgive her actions, but I did want them to understand.