Matt writes...

Gargoyle Beasts

1. Back before humans became a serious threat to gargoyle clans, like lets say 5,000 years ago, did most/all clans have beasts members?

2. Why exactly did gargoyles "domesticate" the beasts? Did they actively bring them into the clan or have the two species always kinda stuck around together?

3. We've seen a beast member among the Ishimura Clan. From dialogue we learn that the clan has lived peacefully with humans for some time. Given that beasts reproduce sooner and more than gargoyles, why is the beast population of Ishimura so much smaller than the gargoyle population?

4. Did beasts evolve from winged gargates, merely losing their wings to become more terrestrial at some point? You've said before that beasts may have vestigial wing bones or something.

Thanks Greg!

dph writes...

Previously in Ask Greg - http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=10471 ,

dph writes...

Thank you for your previous response to my question about Ophelia. IYou have stated that the ability of a female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to become pregnant is tied to Earth's natural cycles. Are the abilities of female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to lay eggs also tied to Earth's natural cycles?
Greg responds...

Uh... probably.

Without getting to graphic, if a female gargoyle was artificially inseminated with the proper cells on the right day of the year but not in the right year, would her body start forming an egg so she could possibly lay an egg in an odd year?

Missi writes...

Kind of a random question, but when the Gargoyles lived in the clock tower, where did they use the bathroom? (Of course, this is assuming that they would need to considering they eat and it has to come out somewhere). While watching the show, I never saw some sort of random door or anything, so I figured I'd ask.

John writes...

I looked through the archives and you seem to get this question somewhat often but I would really like to know at least vaguely what the heights of the major gargoyles are (within half a foot would work). At the very least could you give the height of Lexington? He tends to not stand up straight a lot and its a little hard to tell.

If its really that bothersome forget it but as I'm sure you know the estimates from fan vary so much even a guess from you would probably be more accurate. I suppose even one height would help as I could just estimate from that...

I'd appreciate any help on the subject but I would blame you if you have better things to do.

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

This isn't a question, it's really an answer to a question you once asked, and hopefully you'll find it useful or at least interesting.
Some years ago, somebody asked you if gargoyles are warm-blooded, and you answered:
<<"I guess so. Is there a third category?">>

Well, there ~is~ a third category, sort of. Animals can be partly warm-blooded and partly cold-blooded -- in-between, or "a little from column A, a little from column B," so to speak.

I'm sure you can imagine a mixture of warm-blooded-ness and cold-blooded-ness, but if you are interested in the details, they are on Wikipedia, in the articles "Cold-Blooded" and "Warm-Blooded." I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing you about science, so in short: being cold-blooded or warm-blooded are just the two most common combinations of six different metabolic traits, but other combinations do exist in nature. Just looking at canon and canon-in-training information, it appears to me that gargates have some cold-blooded traits (they absorb thermal energy, they apparently sleep in suspended animation, and they eat less than a mammal of their size) and some warm-blooded traits (they have hair, they're active in cold weather). I'm very interested in what your thoughts are about gargoyles, if you still feel they might be in a "third" category. I'm so curious about their biology.

holly clark writes...

where do gargoyles come from?

Anonymous writes...

I got a question about Staghart. (No, not THAT question!) Are his antlers deciduous or do they stay on all the time like true horns?

melissa writes...

Hiya.
Little question about the stone healing. I noticed that some of your characters have piercings. Would they heal up if the rings weren't in when they went to sleep? Can gargoyles get tattoos? Also, do gargoyles have belly buttons? I'd think being oviparous means they wouldn't.
Thanks!

Chimaraz writes...

Is the practice of raising eggs communally based on tradition for Gargoyles, or is it more of an instictual biological imperative? The answer we usually get is that it's the Gargoyle way, but is it the Gargoyle way because they're told they've always done it that way, or is it the Gargoyle way because instinct tells them that if they lay an egg in the rookery, all eggs in the rookery are theirs? It is the most sensible course of action, based on their reproduction, but did the practice arise because of how they reproduce universally as a species, or do they reproduce universally as a species because of how they practice parenting?

... Chicken or egg?

dph writes...

Thank you for your previous response to my question about Ophelia. IYou have stated that the ability of a female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to become pregnant is tied to Earth's natural cycles. Are the abilities of female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to lay eggs also tied to Earth's natural cycles?

Anonymous writes...

Is there any gay or lebian gargoyles?

dph writes...

Previous in Ask Greg you've stated (from this page - http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=10195)

Matt writes...

I've been crunching some numbers concerning the Avalon Clan and their breeding cycles.

Now, the beasts on Avalon should have already started breeding by 1996. No eggs should've hatched yet, but there should be one egg on Avalon waiting to hatch in 2038.

The gargoyles however are another matter since they must be much older than beasts to reach breeding age.
Lets take Ophelia for example. In 1996, Angela and Ophelia (who hatched in 1058) are about 39 years old. The need to be about 50 before their first mating. For Angela, in the real world, this will come 11 years later when she concieves the egg containing Artus in 2007. For Ophelia on Avalon however, 11 more years will equal 264 real world years! Which means she wouldn't be old enough to mate until the year 2,260 AD (To get her in tune with the Earth rhtyms we'll say the fall equinox of 2,267AD.)

So, what I'm wondering is, you've said that the Avalon Clan would be bringing eggs to Queen Florence Island in 2198, but I think they are only gonna have a beast egg or two to bring since none of the gargoyles will be old enough yet, is this correct? What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks Greg.
Greg responds...

I'm not sure your premises follow...

I'm fairly certain Ophelia will lay an egg at the same time as Angela -- assuming she's alive at the time. The physical maturity to lay an egg may be reached before the planetary bio-rhythm is, if that makes sense.

The truth is... I've worked all this out in the past, but I just don't have the energy or the time right this minute to go back and confirm my math. But I think I'm right.

Also, previous in Ask Greg you've stated - ( http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=7564 )

Faieq writes...

A while ago I noticed a short ramble of yours entitled 'While I'm thinking of it...' It was rambled on Monday 4th March 2002. I won't repeat the whole thing here, however the beginning started off with you repeating an exchange between you and Aris Katsaris concerning the date Angela and the other eggs on Avalon would have hatched and underneath your response you wrote;

"With all this in mind...

I know I've established -- both here and in my own head (particularly with regards to G2198) that eggs hatch on the Spring Equinox.

But does anyone remember whether (and where) I've established what month the eggs are laid in?

I can't recall if this has come up yet.

Anyone know? And would this solve my problems at all?"

Recently I remember another question previously submitted on Friday October 13th by Aris Katsaris that may help you.

"Aris Katsaris writes...
A small tidbit that you revealed through the last contest was that the hatching of the eggs takes place in March 21st - the Spring Equinox, that is.

Now, I always felt it would be on an equinox or a solstice- those are the only dates that make sense really... Is the laying of the eggs also done on the Spring Equinox (ten years earlier ofcourse)?

How about the egg's conceiving? Have you decided how much time is spent between the eggs's conceiving and laying?

Greg responds...
That's interesting. Maybe.

As for conception, maybe I'll make it a six month term and put it on the fall equinox.

The truth is I chose March 21st because it's my son's birthday. But sometimes things in the Garg Universe just seem to come together. It's cool that way.
recorded on 10-20-00"

From your above response I assume that the eggs would be laid on the spring equinox, with the females being fertile on the fall equinox from the previous year.
I don't know whether this would clarify any problems over when the eggs hatched, but I hope it helps.
Greg responds...

I agree, it helps. Thanks.

I also don't know if it fixes my math problems, but I'm hopeful. And I like the idea of females being in heat at the fall equinox and laying their eggs in the spring (and the eggs hatching ten years later in the spring). For a race, that is so attuned to the bio-rhythms of their planet, it just feels right.

I don't think that literally all the eggs are conceived on the EXACT same night. Same with laying. Same with hatching to some extent too. There's probably something like a three night window for these things (say, two nights on either side of the equinox).

Now, here's my questions: Assuming that the fall equinox of 2008 is at night time on Avalon,
1)is the window of opportunity for Ophelia to became pregnant on Avalon a few hours or a few days? I know this sounds rather dumb, but given that time passes more slowly on Avalon and the in real world, you've there a window of opportunity of 2-3 days before and after, I was wondering if that window of opportunity was shortened on Avalon because of the difference in the way time passes.

2)Normal gargoyle pregnancies are 6 months. If that time was spent on Avalon, that amounts to 6 months * 24 Avalon time differential to equal 144 months or 12 years in the real world. If Ophelia was to become pregnant in 2008 and stay on Avalon the entire duration of her pregnancy, her egg wouldn't be ready to be laid until 2020. 2020 is 2 years after eggs normally laid in 2008 would normally hatch. Would Ophelia be able to lay the egg in 2020 or would she have to wait until 2028 to lay the egg?

Woods writes...

In the Rock Hudson and Lexington wake up at 7:45 this is accounted to jet lag but in New York it would only be 2:45pm, so wouldn't have made more sense for Hudson and Lex to wake at elevenish in London

Rebel writes...

Unfortunately, my comic book guy didn't get the TPB in yet, so I'll have to wait until next week to offer my praises. *sigh* So far I've heard good things from everyone else who already has it.

In the meantime, I do have a question about #7 that I meant to ask before. After Brooklyn decides to stay in Manhattan, Goliath says that Hudson can lead the expedition in London. I know Brooklyn has great leadership skills (after all he is the second) and Hudson is a proven leader, but to me that line made it seem like Goliath doesn't think any of the other clan members could be leaders, if given the chance. Surely Broadway and Lexington have SOME leadership capabilities, even if they are not as suited for a leadership role as Brooklyn. And if I had to guess, I would say Angela could DEFINITELY be a good leader, given an opportunity. After all, she's smart, intuitive, and she's got great parentage as well as her experience as second-in-command of Avalon on her side--though her leadership "style" would certainly be different than Goliath's or Brooklyn's.

So basically what I'm wondering is:
1. Does Goliath think any of the other clan members have leadership abilities?
2. Do YOU think any of the other clan members have (or will have) leadership abilities?
3. If any of them do, do you think they'll ever get a chance to show it?

I know it's kind of a silly question since the Manhattan clan already has a second-in-command, but I was just wondering. I informed a lot of my internet friends about the TPB, and many of them are now making plans to buy it :).

simon jardine writes...

are there any homosexsual Gargoyles, if not is it posible for there to be any?

Matt writes...

I've been crunching some numbers concerning the Avalon Clan and their breeding cycles.

Now, the beasts on Avalon should have already started breeding by 1996. No eggs should've hatched yet, but there should be one egg on Avalon waiting to hatch in 2038.

The gargoyles however are another matter since they must be much older than beasts to reach breeding age.
Lets take Ophelia for example. In 1996, Angela and Ophelia (who hatched in 1058) are about 39 years old. The need to be about 50 before their first mating. For Angela, in the real world, this will come 11 years later when she concieves the egg containing Artus in 2007. For Ophelia on Avalon however, 11 more years will equal 264 real world years! Which means she wouldn't be old enough to mate until the year 2,260 AD (To get her in tune with the Earth rhtyms we'll say the fall equinox of 2,267AD.)

So, what I'm wondering is, you've said that the Avalon Clan would be bringing eggs to Queen Florence Island in 2198, but I think they are only gonna have a beast egg or two to bring since none of the gargoyles will be old enough yet, is this correct? What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks Greg.

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Greetings, Greg.
I've been waiting a while to post this.

This summer at my Grandma's house I watched a National Geographic Channel special called "The Science of Dogs." Do you get that channel? The scientists wanted to find out how dogs can be bred to look so different from one another, so they started sequencing DNA. They found out that all canids have certain sections of their genomes that mutate easily and rapidly, and can create large physical differences with only small mutations. Apparently other mammals don't have these genes. Because of this, dogs can be bred to look very different from wolves, while other domestic animals like cats and cows all look pretty much the same.
So it seems that "chameleon genes" (or "dog genes"?) already exist in real life! Though gargoyle variation is rather more dramatic than the differences between dog breeds. I think wolves and other wild canids all look the same as their siblings, despite their "chamelon genes," because each species is optimally adapted to a particular habitat and niche, and each individual needs to be as well-adapted as possible. I wonder why it is that gargoyles (and beasts), instead of all having the same adaptations to where and how they live, look so different from one another.
So I don't find the "chameleon gene" idea implausible. I think it is highly unusual but still biologically plausible. I also watched a nature show (long time ago) that included a segment about a plant in Hawaii which basically has exactly that. No two plants look alike, they can be anything from a tree to a tiny herb or weed, or a long vine. Though I don't remember what that plant is called.

Tanya writes...

As answered in a previous question, Gargoyle females (can) bare eggs at 'biological ages 25, 35, and 45'. What about the males; what's the age limit for their potency? Also, does age difference play a great role in choosing a mate or is it mostly love and good genes? Finally, how common is it to take a new mate after a previous mate has passed away?

K9 the First writes...

"""Greg responds...

Family's good, thanks.

Camouflage... I don't know. Maybe that helps, but you don't need it to explain stone sleep evolution."""

True, but I'm the kind of guy who soaks this kind of stuff like a sponge. I guess I was pseudo-inspired by that Animal Planet documentary 'Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real', where they figured all the dragon stuff out from Evolutiary relatives(crocs and gators) to Fire breathing.

"""Stone sleep is a huge protection against predators in the pre-tool age. Claws and teeth don't bite through stone (or rather the organic stone-like substance that Gargoyles turn into). Even scent is altered. A stone gargoyle is of little interest to and in almost no danger from other animals. It's not until Humans developed tools -- thousands of years after Gargoyles evolved -- that stone sleep became a liability."""

Yes, I figured as much. Though the scent thing is surprisingly new to me. Why, I do not know. *shrugs*

K9 The First writes...

I appologize ahead of time for and all spelling/grammar errors.

[i]Derek writes...

How could Zafiro and Obsidiana mate, anatomically there completely different?
Greg responds...

You mean one's a guy and one's a gal?[/i]

*chuckles* Okay, I think what he meant was: How could Zafiro and Obsidiana mate, if Obsidiana was humanoid from the waist down, but Zafiro was serpentine from the waist down.

And I'm not sure if you've dwelled on this, or even thought of it, but Zafiro is technically the only gargoyle to be shown fully naked in the show. (which, considering the location and the traditional dress of the deep inner jungle natives, it's not that shocking really)

Anonymous writes...

Greg, does the Greek god Priapus smile on Gargoyle males with large beaks?

By that I mean, does the rumor about men with big feet/ears/noses hold true with gargs like, say, Brooklyn?

Manu writes...

If gargoyles die without enough sunlight, wouldn't their adjustment to 12-hour sleep cycles in the poles kill them during the 6 months of night?

Galahad writes...

I know you don't want to go into the specifics of Samson's parentage because it doesn't matter in Gargoyle culture but from what I've read on GargWiki <http://gargoyles.dracandros.com/> about Canon-in-training characters, you've hinted that "Artus will most closely resemble Broadway and Hudson," "Gwenyvere may most closely resemble Angela and Demona," and Lancelot "may resemble Goliath to some degree." (Did they misquote you?) You've said that Samson would also resemble Goliath. Sense Lancelot, among Broadway and Angela's children, resembles Goliath the most, wouldn't it be logical for fans to assume that Samson is the son of Lancelot, who he probably resembles as they both resemble Goliath? You don't have to say if I'm right or not, just tell me whether or not my logic is flawed in some way.

coloer writes...

if a green and blue gargoyle mated would the hachling skin color be yellow

Demon@ writes...

Hello Greg!
We were discussing gargoyle`s anathomy a few weeks back and while commenting that gargoyles are the only vertebrates with 6 limbs I wonder about dragons. We have only seen one in the series and it certainly was a magic thing, though not related to Oberon`s children.
Do you have something about dragons in the gargoyles universe? Like what are they or if they are common? Or to whom they are related?

Thanks for any answer you give me :) Bye

Kathy writes...

Does the gargoyles age same way with human? I was thinking that gargoyles age slowing as human does, could you give me sample please. I have search in the box by typing age too many but not the right one. Old same way and included more letters attach to the word old. I remember seeing an tv show on Gargoyles "Grief" was confused by what Goliath said to Eliza. Forgot what he said.

Rebel writes...

Okey dokey! In my previous post, I had far too many topics in one question, so I am hoping that I have made this particular question inclusive enough to make the cut.

Anyway, hi Greg! I have some questions about hair in Gargoyles (insignificant topic, I know). Why do the artists keep making Angela's hair brown? In the show it looks black. Brooklyn has white hair in youth, whereas in "City of Stone", Demona's red hair turned white with age...so...was Hudson's hair always white or did it change with age? If it changed, what color was it; I would like to know this for possible fan art. Will any of Demona's descendants inherit her spiky red hair? I love the color and the spiky-ness of it and I'm really hoping a major future character gets it (note I am not asking you to specify WHO gets it, just whether *someone* will). And finally, will Brooklyn's children have black hair? It seems like most of the Asian gargoyles have black hair but I'm really hoping Brooklyn's children don't, as it seems kinda over-done in the Gargoyles universe.

Charisma82 writes...

Hey! I understand the difference between having a biological and a rookery brother/sister/father/mother and so on and so forth. Gargoyles do not recognize their biological parents as their parents like we (humans) do; they have many parents. I also know that most gargoyles (at least the ones we see the most) find a mate that was born/hatched at the same time as them, but this is not the case for all of them (like Yama and his mate). I've also come to assume that gargoyles don't look for ways to relate themselves to each other biologically (I remember you saying that Broadway doesn't know Hudson is his biological father, and wouldn't have need to think so). So, I'm thinking that it could be possible for two gargoyles that were closely related biologically (like a brother & sister), could end up as mates. If they had children, wouldn't the children have deformities? So I'm wondering, would gargoyles try to stay away from other gargoyles that look a lot like them, so that they won't become mates and therefore won't have children so that their children wouldn't end up looking deformed and have problems in life? I'm having a difficult time trying to get this question put into words here, so I hope you get what I'm saying.

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

mike myers writes...

are gargoyles apart of the reptilian species or something else?

Bazell writes...

Is there any specific, ritualized behavior associated with Gargoyle mating habits (as in, different from humans)?
I'm not trying to ask any, um... dirty questions here, but are Gargoyles anatomically equipt the same (or analogous) as humans?
Speaking of which, Gargates are mammals arn't they? What else would breasts be for, if not for suckling young?

Bazell writes...

In "A Long Way To Morning," Demona, Hudson and Goliath do not turn to stone until the clouds clear and the sunlight shines through - with the sun clearly well over the horizon, suggesting a bit of time has passed after sunrise. However, in "The Silver Falcon," Broadway turns to stone even though he is in a basement, cut off from the light of the sun, suggesting a circadian rhythm. Was it simply an animation error in "A Long Way To Morning," or is there a reason for this. (I assume it's the animation, but I was curious)

Grey Wolf writes...

Can gargoyles be born with mental dissablities such as autism (or aspergers)?

P.S. I did have a gathering journal, but my computer froze up and ate the file. I'll try to make a new one
P.P.S. I didn't mind playing Maggie in the radio play. I kinda saw it comming, actually...

Bazell writes...

"Gargoyles protect." It's fairly straight-forward, but how did this cultural tradition begin? As the credo exists throughout the world, it was obviously some instance that happened very early in the evolutionary history of the Gargate species. Was it a pact made by the original gargoyle clan with a single human or community? Is it a biological urge (doubtful though, i.e. Demona, Thailog)? Or is it a tradition orally passed from generation to generation from the earliest of times by a single, extremely noble gargoyle/clan?

Derek writes...

Will we ever see the biological parents of Demona, Goliath, Lexington or Brooklyn in the comics in Flashbacks?

Derek writes...

How could Zafiro and Obsidiana mate, anatomically there completely different?

brooklyn the red one writes...

are gargoyles affekted by the summer and winter sulstist/longest day/nignt of the year

racheal writes...

what substance were gargoyles made of in the medieval times

Turner writes...

A gargoyles science related question: you have previously said that gargoyles derive their energy from the sun while in their stonesleep so where do they get the basic elements needed to create the essential organic chemicals and compounds such as proteins and amino acids?

K9: The First writes...

Hello Mister Wiesman, How's your family?

There, I asked a question, I actually wanted to do a ramble of sorts based on my observations on Gargoyle biology. Sort of like someone else did with Gargate genetics. (I'd post what they said, but it's very very long)

STONE SLEEP

Now, obviously at first, this seems to not make a lot of sense. If you're in mid-flight and you turn to stone, you're out of luck. And if a predator or some natural disaster hits you while you sleep, you're not going to have a good chance of making it.

But if one thinks about it, it makes perfect evolutional sense. Of the two main responses to danger from a predator, Flight or Fight, the one that uses the leeast energy and usually has the least chance of injury is Flight, or avoidence from the Fight response for as long as possible, and the best way to avoid Fight is to hide, a.k.a.: Camouflage.

Think about it, if a Gargate, or several Gargates(a Clan) were to either scruntch as tight as possible, huddle close together, or grab hold of a cliff face and make themselves as unnoticable as possible, they would simply look to be nothing more then another rock, or a part of the cliff. This would make them nigh impossible to be found by most predators, and if one finds one or more stone Gargates, it may just walk on by with little care for the prey. But if it dosen't, and still trys to eat the Gargate, it'll be detered from trying again due to either any injuries the predator gets from chomping of the stone, or from the fact that stone doesn't taste very good.

I have another Ramble on Wings, but since I worry as to weather or not it would cause this to be banned, I'll post it separatly.

Personperson123 writes...

What do gargoyles eat?And would they kill or hurt humans?

Samson2197 writes...

Why do Gargoyles only lay eggs once every twenty years?

Purplegoldfish writes...

In "Avalon pt. 1", Princess Katharine tells Constantine that gargoyle eggs need to be turned or they'll crack too soon. So I was wondering-do gargoyle eggs actually need to be turned? Or did Katharine just make that up as a cover to explain why her and Mary were carting the eggs around?

K9 The First writes...

Are there any genetic disorders in Gargates? You know, like Cystic Fibrosis, Down Syndrome, Cri du Chat, etc. in humans?

SomeGuy writes...

What does gargoyle meat taste like?
My guess is chicken.

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

It's really great that you answer all these questions from the fans, Greg. There must be a few thousand in the archives and I know plenty of them are FAQs, repeats, or just silly. But this website is a wonderful gift to fans. If all the authors of stories that I liked did this (if all of them were still alive...) I would be in heaven! So thank you for taking the time for this website and all of our annoying questions.

Questions about Gargoyle biology

1. Are there any wingless gargoyles other than the garg-beasts?
I mean, are there any wingless members of the "sentient" gargoyle species? (the species that have opposable thumbs, can talk, and who (usually) wear clothes) Not Bronx's species, but Goliath's species.
Also I mean born wingless, not wingless because of injury.

2. Do gargoyles see in color? Do garg-beasts?

3. When gargoyle (and garg-beast) babies hatch, do they suddenly burst out of their eggshells in the evening, just like gargoyles explode out of stone sleep, or do they hatch more slowly?

4. a. When birds lay eggs, occasionally one is "bad" or dies or something, and doesn't hatch. Does this ever happen to gargoyle eggs?
b. If so, do the clan hold a Wind Ceremony for the eggs that don't hatch?

Laura writes...

What happens when or if an of-age female gargoyle does not mate during the breeding season? Does she lay an unfertilized egg, or cycle more like humans do, or something else entirely? And if something else, what?

Thanks!

Nelio writes...

I have a biological question regarding the Gargoyles, one that I have been curious about for a long time. To ask it simply, do Gargoyles (or Gargates in general) have nipples? It is obvious that through out the entire series no nipples were detailed on male gargoyles, and where they would appear on the female body is covered. Further more, there are at least two times in the series in which two human males (Officer Morgan and Wolf) have been seen without shirts yet they had their nipples detailed.

Is this some sort of decency issue within the animation department, or do gargoyles actually lack them? A few other things that stick out to me is when the gargoyle clan was changed into humans by puck, they still lacked them, thus leading me to believe it was a animation issue. I also wonder if males lack nipples while female retain then, after all human males only have them because they develop on the fetus before sex is determined. Perhaps in gargoyle biology, development happens differently?

Well, thank you for reading my strange question, I really appreciate the time you put into this site and your product. I can only wish that the other programs I have a mild obsession with would have a wonderful site like Ask Greg to answer all my questions.

Anonymous writes...

I don't know if you've though about Gargoyles genetics at all, but do you know what characteristics are genetically dominant (ie, what wing structure, horns, beaks, hair color, skin tone)?

ColdFusion writes...

'Lo Greg
You've said a few times that gargoyles probably don't have hollow bones, on the basis of their strength.. I just wanted to point out that all bones are hollow. Ours are full of marrow, birds' have marrow and also a big chamber for air. Depending where the bone is, it might have blood vessels in it too. I don't think you'd have to sacrifice strength to say gargoyles had hollow bones if you wanted to (or even bones full of lighter-than-air gas. Hey that's a good idea!) I think they're even starting to say some of the strongest dinosaurs had hollow bones too, but don't quote me on that.
Can't wait til the comic's out! I'm buying each one as they come out on Amazon :)

ColdFusion writes...

Reading the archives it's apparent you believe Sevarius' theory that gargoyles absorb sunlight during the day while in stone form, reducing their need to eat like the huge beasts they are. I've wanted to point something out for years, but now you have to be really quick about asking questions before Ask Greg closes again.

The thing is.. unless I'm mistaken, Sevarius came into that theory because:
A. he had mutates to make, and gave them bat wings they needed to flap
B. he realized he couldn't keep 6-foot furries in the air on bat wings without them eating him out of house and home, and
C. he figured the answer was in how the real gargoyles did it.

When I heard him explain how he thought gargoyles got the energy to fly, I didn't believe it for a second. obviously he didn't do his homework, because gargoyles DON'T FLY, they don't -flap- at all, they glide effortlessly (more or less) on air currents, and that doesn't require flapping of wing muscles. So.. the sun-absorbing-stone thing isn't necessary (at least for the reason Sevarius presented. Of course now I've read that the reason you had gargoyles glide was so they'd require flying vehicles for kenner to build).

I realize that episode was kind of frought with bad science (electric eels produce electricity, so their genes mean you don't need as much food energy? ... and then whatever extra energy that presents they discharge as lightning bolts anyway?), and that it doesn't matter because it's just an animated drama and you wanted to give the mutates a cool weapon, but.. I dunno, I've been hearing you base your (mostly wonderful) theories on the assumption that sevarius was right, when he got such a major detail wrong in developing it.. it kind of bothers me.. I mean, if gargoyle babies need to absorb sunlight too, their parents should probably stop putting them in caves and buildings... maybe I'm just naturally distrustful of scientists. I mean, when sevarius said "unfortunately nothing like this exists in the animal kingdom so I can't go to the gene store and get some" my first thought was "that's because you pulled that answer out of your ass, gargoyles are more well-thought-out than that". I generally wonder when scientists put out an unprovable theory like that, how plausible they think it is that a person could come up with the correct answer to a mystery like that with limited evidence. No matter what they come up with, it's surely not very likely to be correct!

Wow, when did this comment turn into a ramble? Sorry, heh. Anyway, I trust what you say more than what Anton Sevarius says, and in my opinion you don't have to agree with him just because he's a scientist and you're not. the theories you come up with to explain gargoyle science don't seem to mesh very well with Sevarius, so... perhaps we ought to keep in mind that the gargoyles aren't aware of any of them anyway. Keep up the good work!

JEFFERTON writes...

Would the gargoyles need to sleep if they were in Alaska during the six months of night

Nick Gawel writes...

If Samson is Goliath's great grandson in Gargoyles 2198 wouldn't Samson look more like Broadway since males look like their dad?

Anonymous writes...

I am trying to adapt some of the Gargoyles characters into a role-playing game, where they can interact with the likes of Spider-Man or Batman. In preparing to integrate the Gargoyles, I was wondering how strong the five principle Gargoyles are? From what I see, I am guessing that Goliath is the strongest and can probably lift somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 tons, while Lexington is the weakest, and can probably lift only a few hundred pounds.

Zel writes...

Ok, now for some tiresome "what if" type questions.
1. What happens if a Gargoyle is injured in thier sleep? Like a deep scratch, because I'm pretty sure a beheading is fatal.
2. If an ear or finger breaks off, will there be an open wound at sundown? A healed over nub? A partially regrown apendage?
3. How much damage can a sleeping gargoyle sustain before they just won't wake up at all?
4. If a severed limb or digit were held in place untill sundown, would the limb "wake up" too? Assuming a clean break and a snug fit.
5. would such a limb finger or nose, or whatever, ever be good as new?
6. While we're on the topic of stone healing, Why did Hudson's eye stay scarred?
7. Do gargoyles have a regular immune system as well? Not sure how that would ever come into play, but to somehow take their petrifying ability away biochemicaly or magicly, would they have normal defences against disease and injury? Do Guatamalan Gargs have to deal with this problem?
I'm suprised these issues haven't come up in the show, I mean, The main six guys were trapped outdoors in the elements for a thousand years. And correct me if I'm wrong but Scottish weather isn't always gentle. Thanks for making a show worth nit-picking over 10 years later, Greg

Tyler writes...

I was justwondering what are some of gargoyles sex moves?

Brian writes...

If I could pet a gargoyle's wings, what's the closest thing they would feel like?

The Tigress writes...

Hello Greg,

As a long time Gargoyles fan, I wanted to point out that the way you came up with how Gargoyles climb and can puncture stone/metal..etc with their talons is absolutely fascinating. Even to this day I marvel at how well that was excecuted throughout the show.

My question is how did you come up with the idea of having Gargoyles climb that way?

Othello writes...

Do all Gargoyles, have the same level of Superstrength? or are some, like Goliath Stronger?

Daniel writes...

Hey, Greg. Both me and my two brothers picked up the first season on Tuesday. Awesome stuff, just as I remember. Now, my question: How much do the primary Gargoyles weigh in their night form? A couple of humans from the first season (Like Wolf in 'Leader of the Pack' seem able to toss Goliath around when he couldn't possbily weigh less than 500 pounds (Unless you say so, of course). On the other hand, in 'Awakening, Part 5' Brooklyn struggles mightily to carry the injured Lexington, and it seems Lex couldn't be more than around 200. So yeah, clarification would be great.

Thanks in advance for your eventual answer and fantastic series.

Watson writes...

Dear Greg-

I've been wondering something about Hudsons' wing structure. Are the "tatters" around the edges of his wings an old injury (like his eye) or just a normal sign of aging among gargoyles?

Justin writes...

Dear Greg,
I was wondering something about gargoyle biology. As know from Future Tense, Broadway hasn't fully mutured physically, and will grown more horns as he ages. I was wondering if in some instances gargoyles act the same as other horned animals in the animal kingdom. Like infant gazelles are not born with antlers, they grow as the animal matures, perhaps horned gargoyles like Brooklyn, or any gargoyle for that matter, are hatched virtually hornless?

Thank you for your time.

GargFan1995-Present writes...

Two questions about Gargoyles' stone healing:

1.) If a Gargoyle had one of its wings cut off, would the wing grow back in stone sleep or would it be gone forever?

2.) If a Gargoyle had something cut off in its stone sleep (an arm or a finger), would it wake up with or without an arm or at all?

Thanks!

Lucas Truman Williams writes...

Are you saying (in your ramble) that Gargoyles have the potential even now to have psychic powers the way Fox even now has latent magical abilities?

Puck writes...

Since Kaylle has opened the line of discussion on things related to gargoyle sleep, I might as well ask...

Do gargoyles dream of stone sheep?

Kaylle writes...

You know, of course as soon as I was in the same room as you, I couldn't remember any of the questions I meant to ask. And as soon as we got in the car to come home I recalled all of them, but when I sit down to ask them here once again they escape me...

At any rate, the one I do remember is this: We know the gargoyles sleep in stone during the day. But I wondered if they can also sleep like humans/animals do, maybe take a nap during the night if they're just overexhausted or bored or whatever? We have a few instances where they're knocked unconscious, but that's not really the same thing.

Patrick writes...

Gathering Diary - Day 3
Friday, August 6

I woke up around 7:30 am, mumbled good morning to Laurean as she was on her way out the door to the gym, and scored the first turn at the shower since everyone else in the room was still sleeping. Then I napped until about ten minutes before nine, woke up again, and went up to the con suite to see what the plan was for breakfast. Karine led us all to a diner nearby that had pretty good food at pretty good prices, but they also had the slowest service ever and we were running a half hour behind the schedule printed in the program by the time we got back to the hotel.

I was on Art Show setup duty, assisting Cindy, so the two of us headed up to the room on the Mezzanine level and enlisted anyone who was willing to help unload the van and move the art show display materials up to the room. About six people offered to help, so it took only about ten minutes to get everything up from the parking garage and into the room where the Art Show would be. Alan joined in to help with assembly, and the plastic pipe frames went together quickly, until we suddenly realized we were short two to the 90-degree elbow pieces.

Karine gave me some quick directions to the nearest Home Depot, and then I was off on an emergency run. As I learned at The Gathering 2002 in Virginia, there's nothing quite as fun as driving around an unfamiliar area at top speed, searching for a destination you're not quite sure of. But finally I spotted the familiar orange sign, and ran inside to the plumbing section to grab the pieces we were missing. On a hunch, I also grabbed another pack of zip ties for attaching the pegboard to the frames, which should earn me a psychic friends network membership card because when I got back I discovered Cindy had tried to call me on my cell phone - which I didn't have on me - to tell me that they needed more of those, too. So for about 15 seconds, I was a god for saving the day, and then I went back to work getting the remaining display put together.

I spent most of the rest of Friday afternoon in the Art Show / Dealer's Room, helping Cindy with setup and then sitting guard duty at the Auction display table for a spell. I wouldn't have gotten lunch, but Alan asked me if I wanted anything from Subway, so I gave him money and he brought me back a soda and the best roast beef sub I've ever consumed in less than two minutes. Later in the afternoon, I attended Cindy's costuming seminar. I learned how to take care of wigs, and I'm pretty sure I was the only guy in the room except for when the DVD crew came in to do some random filming.

Right after Cindy's panel was over, Karine or Carol informed me that Keith David had been delayed to a later flight, so I would be picking him up around 11:00 pm instead of Karine's husband Adam picking him up around 6:00 pm. I was fine with that, even if it meant having to remain alert enough to drive at that late hour, so I ran upstairs to the con suite to record the revised flight details in my notebook. Before we knew it, it was getting near time for Opening Ceremonies, so I headed down to the ballroom to see if my help was needed with anything. I had been told we were getting a screen measuring 4'x3', so it was quite a surprise to see they'd given us one about three times bigger. Rob and Karine were still trying to get sound and picture to come out of the projector at the same time when I walked in. I'm not sure what button it was that I pushed, but suddenly there was a picture. A few moments later, we found the volume control, too, and everything was ready.

Greg showed up with his stack of videotapes, and I was given the complex job of sitting next to the VCR, loading tapes, and pressing play. For me, Opening Ceremonies seemed to go by in a blur. Karine welcomed the fans and introduced the staff, then Jen presented the Fan Guest of Honor award to Gorebash. Next, Chris Rogers came to the podium to talk about Gathering 2005, and then Liz came up to make some announcements, which was when Abram and Maui "interrupted" for the first Clan Olympics event. After all the chaos had settled, Greg's part of the Opening Ceremonies began. First he played an audio tape containing the voices of Ed Asner, Keith David, and a number of other people associated with the show that Carol had helped compile the week before. Then he showed the traditional series of videos, and ended with the audio tape of the voice recordings for the never-completed "Team Atlantis" episode "The Last."

After Opening Ceremonies, we handed the room over to Jade Griffin for the "Mystery Gargoyles Theater 3000" event and debated what to do about dinner. Half of the staff wanted to trek out into Montreal again, and half of us were too tired to want to do all that walking. As a few of us were discussing it in the lobby, Greg came up to me and said he had good news and bad news. The good news was I wouldn't have to pick up Keith at 11:00 pm. The bad news was Keith's flight had changed again, and he wouldn't be arriving until 6:00 pm the next day, Saturday.

Greg then joined up with the group Karine was leading out into the city, but I decided to give my feet a rest. I joined Jen, Alan, Tim, Christine, and Becca, and the six of us had a late dinner in the hotel restaurant. Tim told us all about his misadventure earlier in the day where he'd been hit by a car while crossing the street. He was mostly okay, but he still made sure to put some alcohol on his injuries in the form of a shot of tequila and two white russians. I stuck with cola because I was drowsy enough already, and I had a pretty good hamburger followed by a nice slice of cheesecake.

After dinner, Jen, Christine and I went back up to the con suite to await Greg's return for the Blue Mug-a-Guest. We were joined shortly by Anthony and Andrea Zucconi and a few other fans who had not hooked up with the huge group that had gone out with Greg to dinner. Exercising the ancient rite of "first come, first serve," we claimed the chairs and left the floor to the latecomers. Greg arrived only about ten minutes behind the scheduled 11 pm start time, and within a short amount of time the room was filled to capacity and then some.

For a Blue Mug-a-Guest, the overwhelming majority of the discussion was pretty tame. A lot of the questions focused on the DVD and what could be done to make sure that Season 1 will sell well enough that we get Season 2, and so on. Some ideas were floated about using the internet to coordinate the fandom's efforts, such as having everyone purchase the DVD from Amazon.com on the same day.

There was one question that was asked about how the fay copulate and reproduce which Greg apparently misheard at first, as he began talking about gargoyle egg-laying. He remarked that the eggs are soft and flexible when they are laid, and also that they start out small and grow bigger. This elicited a "Ha-ha, I was right, I told you so," comment from someone I had debated this same topic with in one of the online comment rooms a few months ago. Not the most mature of reactions, and bad science to boot. It made me wish I'd been able to attend the Gargoyle Biology panel on Sunday morning, because as much as I respect Greg, I still firmly believe that it must be recognized that there is absolutely no precedent at all in the animal kingdom for hard-shelled eggs that grow in size from the time they are laid to the time that they hatch.

Anyway, sorry to digress, but this was still bugging me when I went to bed that night, so I felt it worth mentioning. I can't remember very many of the other specific questions that were asked, though I do recall that when Greg was asked about whether the tip of a gargoyle's tail was especially sensitive, he deferred the question to Christine Morgan. Greg also blew a whole bunch of fanfic out of the water by saying that in his mind, Angela was a virgin when she arrived in Manhattan, and that gargoyles as a species were not promiscuous. I'm not quite sure these revelations are going to slow down any of us who've written stories to the contrary, though.

Friday night finally came to an end at around 2 am on Saturday morning, when Greg got up to answer the call of nature and Karine decided it was time to clear everyone out of the con suite. That included con staff, as well, so I headed to my room to grab a few more hours of sleep.

Allan Ecker writes...

This isn't a journal, I guess. It's just a shout-out. It isn't a journal because I didn't get to the Con, but if it had been anywhere within, oh, a 500-mile radius of me, I would have been there, so I feel justified in at least writing that I would have been there. (Heck, if I weren't moving around so much due to internships and such, I'd have gone anyway.)

I just need to give applause to Gargoyles. It was beautiful, cool, and fun, truly a jem of animation. The Shakespearian references layered over deep characterization and even deeper character -development- truly light my heart afire. I'm aching for this DVD. I can garantee that, unless all the copies are snapped up in, say, the first week of them hitting the market (which I honestly hope for, since that will likely mean more would be on the way), I will get it. I have two other friends who will do the same, -almost- as much to show support for the incredible talent (and any applicable forces of managerial mojo) involved in producing Gargoyles as to have DVD-quality sound and picture as opposed to our moldering, commercial-break-laiden, misordered VHS's.

Gargoyles, is, in my humble opinion, the single best animated series American animation has to offer. Gargoyles is better than the sublime Batman animated series and the inspiring X-Men Evolution, both of which have been released on DVD already. It has also done what I previously considered the impossible in unseating Tale Spin from the pinnacle of my Disney Pantheon of Good Shows.

Gargoyles didn't find me until long after it had stopped airing. In fact, you might say I walked in just in time to see this pivotal moment in its growth. I just wanted you to know, Greg, that I will be voting with my wallet (possilby twice) to get Gargoyles the recognition it deserves.

To Greg, and to all who gave Xantos, Goliath, Brooklyn (and of course, PUCK!) life, thank you.

PS, an actual question:

Just how "voluntary" is stone sleep? You mentioned in a recent (well, two years ago by now) response that sunlight was "a powerful psychological cue". Could a gargoyle fight off stone sleep for as long as (or longer than) thirty seconds? Would this have any short- or long-term side effects?

Also, sometimes gargoyles roar after waking, others not. I take this to mean that it is semi-voluntary, like yawning and/or stretching. Is it more or less voluntary than yawning? Will some circumstances make a gargoyle less or more likely to roar upon waking?

Jasmine writes...

Why do gargoyles lay egg's? They have
hair so they are mammals?

Tom E writes...

If a Gargoyle had something happen to him when he was stone during the day, like say someone shot at him and the bullet got lodged in there, or a spear went through a wing and was left that way, would it still be stuck that way when night came?

Audra writes...

Hey Greg. Earlier tonight, when I was in the car with my mom and sister, and my sister was saying how one of her friends moved to Alaska. She said how weird that would be, because in Alaska, half the year it would be dark, and the other half, there would light. If gargoyles lived in Alaska, would they sleep for 6 months, then be awake for the other 6 months? That seems kind of weird to me. Like for the 6 months they would be awake, wouldn't they be tired? I mean because of being awake for so long with no sleep. Would they sleep every once in a while like humans do? I know this is kind of a silly question, but that kind of interests me! What do you think Greg?

Zel writes...

If a gargoyle's finger breaks off at night, and you hold it in place untill morning, what will happen? Will the finger remain stone? Will the gargoyle have an injured but attached finger, or will the finger be fully healed?

mike writes...

Do Female gargoyles go through the same female things that humans do like pms?

Scott Mercure writes...

Hello. I have an interesting question that I could not find answered in the archives. What, if any, are the differences between female gargoyles and human females when it comes to pregnency. Do they carry the egg for a length of time (and if so so long?) before laying it? Is it apparent when a female gargoyle is carrying an egg?

Maybe this question seems odd but it is something that's been rolling around in my head for a long time.

Thanks!!

Macbeth Or Macduff writes...

Would Gargoyles turn to stone by day , if they are in a cave or another place where you can not see the sun , day or night .

The Tigress writes...

I have a question regarding the stone sleep of the gargoyles and the changes in the O-zone layer due to pollution:

Since gargoyles get their energy from the sun's rays while in stone sleep, I was wondering if the difference in the O-zone layer from one thousand years ago up to the present has any positive or negative effects to the amount or the kind of energy the gargoyles recieve? Or if it even has an effect?

Punchinello writes...

As long as I'm on the subject of clones...
I've noticed you've been fielding questions about the clones unique coloration. I think at least one person made the observation that there were other structural differences as well. Different types of horns or fins. Different types of builds to the extent that you could interpret some skeletal differences. And maybe I'm crazy, but I would swear I remember Lexington's clone having a spiked ball at the end of his tail?

Now, I don't read fiction (even in a cartoon) in a manner that compels me to think the author must have some kind of explanation for this change. I interpreted it as artistic license. The clones looked like creative variations on a visual theme. They were fun. Interpreting the show as reality, set to film, inspires people to demand to know exactly what obscure feature of "gargoyles science" makes this happen though. I don't think I really like the way it's assumed that a clone of an organism would replicate the donor organism in every detail. That's probably another idea borrowed from star trek.

The concencus right now seems to be that the clones features were altered by a side effect of being rapidly aged in tubes. (They do that with beer now, you know.) However, it's occurred to me that there might be a much more plausible and more interesting explanation. The clones features could have far less to do with the fact that they're clones, than it does with the fact that they're clones of gargoyles.

When an organism is being put together at the molecular level, the process is working against certain forces. Most obviously, gravity, but other forces as well. So there are certain mechanical limitations on the way an embryo can form in the womb. Biology confronts that by developing tissue in various ways. From a mechanical perspective, bone tissue develops by an accretionary process which is technically similar to the way a seashell would form. Muscle tissue forms a gauzy scaffold though, and then develops vasculature into the scaffold.

Ultimately, all of these mechanical processes are compelled to action chemically, by the properties of DNA. That doesn't mean that the final result would be identical for every conceivable circumstance though. Many highly ordered, developmental processes and simple, dumb forces impinge upon our development in the womb, besides the chemical synthesis of our DNA. So while my genes inform the shape of my nose, for example, they are not the only thing which begin to inform it. And some structural features in an organism are more rigidly dictated by genetics than others.

Our genes are more of a blueprint for a theme. We're one theme. I'm not suggesting that the variation could be extraordinary, as I don't want to imply that we are less indebted to our genes than we are. The variation I'm talking about amounts to some subtle changes in morphology. These changes would not always be conspicuous, but sometimes they can be glaring. The coloration of domestic cats, for instance, while informed by their genes, is the product of several developmental forces. And when you clone a domestic cat, you usually get a cat with completely different coloration than the donor. You can easily end up with a calico when you clone a black cat.

If it had been a documentary instead of a cartoon show, I would have suspected that you would get unique results from cloning a gargoyle.

Seeing a gargoyle would be professionally interesting to anyone involved in the biological sciences. But seeing a group of three or more gargoyles would be extraordinary. Even though we define species in terms of reproductive isolation these days, we still use morphology to identify them. And gargates exhibit morphology unlike any other reproductively isolated species in nature. I've mentioned before that the most interesting aspect of the gargoyles, to me, is not the "turning to stone thing," but the fact that you have the morphology of Lexington, Brooklyn, Griff, Una, and Zafiro within one reproductively isolated group.

All members of a species exhibit morphological differences. All tigers and giraffes conform to their species respective morphologies to subtly different extents. We don't usually observe the differences outside our own species, but even when we examine our species differences from person to person, barring aberrations, the changes are never more than minor cosmetic distinctions. Mostly it amounts to slightly different fatty tissue distribution in the face or melanin content in the skin. When racial confirmation is examined, it is only in terms of proportional averages of the length of the limbs to the dimensions of the torso. Even where sexual dimorphism is concerned, the primary characteristics are actually variations on the same organs. This applies to almost every animal on the planet.

When we look at the gargoyles though, they look like Darwin's grab bag. When you compare Brooklyn and Lexington, two members of a species from the same regionally isolated set of genes, you see extreme morphological differences. There is simply no way their skulls can be variations on a single blueprint. There are obvious features that they seem to have in common with each other, and with other gargoyles, that help begin to identify the common origin of their morphologies. The way their lower limbs are designed, their tails and their abdomens seem consistent. But their wings are definitely not. These could _never be_ cosmetic distinctions. These are major structural differences. The way their wings connect would necessitate completely different musculature in their upper bodies, and that, in turn, would require differences in their skeletons to provide structure for the different muscle insertions.

When you add Una and Zafiro to this picture, everything we know about the morphology of species is thrown out the window. I couldn't look at this group and reasonably expect that they even have the same number of vertebrae, let alone be members of the same species. They are unlike anything in nature. But that's not bad. It's fascinating. It gets me speculating about what cicumstances such a creature could emerge from.

One region of speculation I've been entertaining, is that if you had a species with these characteristics, it might be because their genes are arranged into a hierarchy which is different from other organisms.There could be a level of organization to the passing down of their genes beyond just sexual recombination. I'm wondering if genes could be organized into a hierarchy of sets of discrete packages. Sort of like a kit of parts. So that their genes might actually contain blueprints for morphologies for each organ, but have these blueprints disassociated from one another.

From a gene's eye view, it might appear that they were not using gargoyles as a vehicle to perpetuate themselves, but rather, a certain variety of gargoyle tails. Or a certain variety of gargoyle skulls. And each package of genes was pursuing it's reproductive agenda independently of the others, even while multiple packages end up becoming the blueprint for a single gargate.

So I'm thinking... maybe... if external pressures can be a determinant in how genes get expressed in an animal, leading to different tissue distribution in a persons nose or something, then maybe external pressures can have an effect on which "package" gets used for a tail or a set of horns in gargates. Maybe the spiked ball on the end of that clones tail (assuming I was not imagining it) is an alternate package for a tail structure which is as much a part of Lexington as the one we're used to seeing.

The point is that for tissue to take on structure as sophisticated as a spiked ball or a pair of ibex like horns, there would need to something predicating it. It couldn't just happen by accident. So I would be inclined to suppose that some feature of gargate physiology is responsible for such major morphological changes, when cloned, and that their physiology would be unique in that the expression of genes for such radical changes are as much a matter of chance as the extremely minor variations other organisms are subject to.

I have not even begun to consider how a species can exhibit morphological features which seem to be specific replicas of other creatures which they are not related to. How do you get a lion headed gargoyle?

That's sure to be an interesting thought experiment.

matt writes...

Gargoyle Beasts

ok, i've been wondering about this for a long time. you've established the Gargoyle reproductive cycle and how it works and i must say its a really well constructed system. its great how a couple produces their last egg and in the following rookery their first child has its first child. works out very well.

on the other hand, you havn't given as much information on how the Gargoyle beast reproductive cycle works. you've said that Gargoyle beasts can produce children after only one generation has passed. for instance, you said that even though Bronx hatched in the rookery right before Angela's he can already mate, and Boudicca is old enough to mate with Bronx. you've also said that Gargoyle beasts can not only start breeding sooner, but also produce more than three offspring as Gargoyles do. and obviously, Gargoyle beasts have pups in the same 20 year intervals.

so my questions are, what is the Gargoyle Beast breeding cycle? how many offspring does a typical Gargoyle Beast pair produce if conditions are normal and healthy? is a pair still birthing pups in the same rookery as their older children are?

thanks alot Greg!

Marz J.S. writes...

I looked at the FAQ page & I don't think this was asked. I was wondering, I'm curious to this, do female gargoyles have periods? You know, a monthly visiter? I've always wondered. Thank you for your time.

Vinnie writes...

Do you remember the episode "Metamorphosis". In it Servarious theorizes that Gargoyles store solar energy during the day. However no one ever found out if it was an acurate theory or not, could you expand on this?

Maelgrim writes...

How much can Goliath and Demona actually lift? thier strengths seem inconsistant as in one episode Demona yanks a rock bigger then she is out of the floor yet Eliza can overpower her! as for Goliath he has to many inconsistancys to list here !

ross writes...

where do gargoyles come from

Stanley writes...

One more about the stone form...

I noticed that often times there are shots of the rising sun, but the Gargoyles remain flesh until the light rays actually hit their body. This seems to imply that it is the actual physical impact of the sun rays on their bodies that turn them to stone. But by that token, a gargoyle hiding inside a dark room with no windows would remain flesh during the day. So instead, do they have some sort of biological clock, in tune with the rotation of the earth? But that seems even too complicated for a gargoyle. I'd like to hear anything you had thought out concerning the specifics of this idea.

Seneth Somed writes...

Greg,
After reading a few posts in the archives concerning
whether a gargoyle's weight changes during stone sleep, I
thought about it, and I figure they stay the same weight.
For example, in the very first episode Goliath hauls five
stone gargoyles from the Viking camp to the top of the
castle. Yeah, Goliath's strong, but could he carry a ton
of uneven weight several miles, then up several flights of
stairs, then do it four more times without getting winded?
Maybe I should ask you, so

1. How strong was Goliath? Could he lift a ton? Maybe
two? Ten?!?

A better example of a stone gargoyle's weight is Broadway
turning to stone midair. Seems more plausible for a 350
pound statue to survive such a fall than a 1500 pound
statue. But enough speculation.

2. Do gargoyles stay the same weight when in stone, or do
they gain weight?

3. This has probably been asked before but... do gargoyles
change to stone through their whole bodies, or do they just
have a stone shell?

Thanks for your time. You really show some dedication by
doing this. I hope it pays off. I still can't wait to see
what happens next.

matt and others in the Comment Room writes...

we were wondering if a gargoyles urge to protect is a natural urge or something they are taught by older generations to do, or a combination of both?

Babs writes...

Ok im not gonna ask to many questions, I know your probably going crazy from all the other questions that everyone else is asking. I was reading through the archive and FAQ's to hunt to see if what I was going to ask was already answered and over 2-3 hours later when I lost all felling in my butt(shut up ;p) and my eyes about to pop out; to my dismay I didnt find the answers, unless my dumbass just didnt see them which that is probably more likley. We'll here they are
1) hmm how can I put this (no not a sex question) I was wondering what the Gargoyles skin is?... uh ours is flesh , lizards are scales, bears are fur. Now some Gargoyles you can tell what thier skin is just by looking at them, so I guess this is leaning more towards the Scotish Clan. Depending on what breed of animal they are the skin would be more harder to puncher.
2)Darn forget what episode , We'll it's the one when Owen stuck his hand in the pot of life and it turned into stone, I took notice in the rest of the shows his hand pretty much stayed in the same postition, but when watching "Broadway goes to Hollywood" he was holding a book with that hand. So my question is can he move that hand as if it wasn't stone or was that just a glitch in that episode ?
3)Regarding to question #2. When Owen turns into Puck his hand is not stone anymore, since they are 2 different people im guessing that when he's Owen he has a different body and Puck the same , but they still do share the same body, is that Pucks magic changing his hand to flesh for teaching shake ?, you can just say , sure whatever you think for this one. I don't quite know what I just asked either.

I'm one of those people that analyze everything kinda goes with the territory with having a slight case of O.C.D, ya notice things that no one else does, but kinda miss the things that are right in the open.
Danke for taking the time to answer my questions.
Gargoyles Forever !

DPH writes...

Since you have updated your timeline since you last answered the question about Angela and Ophelia possibly being "in heat" in 2008 (02-02-00), I thought I would ask that question again since that part of the timeline might have changed.

1)When is the earliest time that Angela and Ophelia could have laid an egg?

2)Will Angela, Ophelia, or both of them be capable of laying an egg in 2008?

Another Angel writes...

If the gargoyles were not to know who their parents were... how did they prevent inbreeding?
Oh, and the Gathering was so much fun this year- can't wait for 2003!

Will writes...

Dear Greg, I was wondering how can the gargoyles gilde , like 5 feet away from lava?

Joseph writes...

what would be the science behind how goliath and his clan glide,and climb almost anything except solid steel?

Faieq writes...

A while ago I noticed a short ramble of yours entitled 'While I'm thinking of it...' It was rambled on Monday 4th March 2002. I won't repeat the whole thing here, however the beginning started off with you repeating an exchange between you and Aris Katsaris concerning the date Angela and the other eggs on Avalon would have hatched and underneath your response you wrote;

"With all this in mind...

I know I've established -- both here and in my own head (particularly with regards to G2198) that eggs hatch on the Spring Equinox.

But does anyone remember whether (and where) I've established what month the eggs are laid in?

I can't recall if this has come up yet.

Anyone know? And would this solve my problems at all?"

Recently I remember another question previously submitted on Friday October 13th by Aris Katsaris that may help you.

"Aris Katsaris writes...
A small tidbit that you revealed through the last contest was that the hatching of the eggs takes place in March 21st - the Spring Equinox, that is.

Now, I always felt it would be on an equinox or a solstice- those are the only dates that make sense really... Is the laying of the eggs also done on the Spring Equinox (ten years earlier ofcourse)?

How about the egg's conceiving? Have you decided how much time is spent between the eggs's conceiving and laying?

Greg responds...
That's interesting. Maybe.

As for conception, maybe I'll make it a six month term and put it on the fall equinox.

The truth is I chose March 21st because it's my son's birthday. But sometimes things in the Garg Universe just seem to come together. It's cool that way.
recorded on 10-20-00"

From your above response I assume that the eggs would be laid on the spring equinox, with the females being fertile on the fall equinox from the previous year.
I don't know whether this would clarify any problems over when the eggs hatched, but I hope it helps.

Jimmy writes...

What's up with Desdemona's (Colfire's) wings, how come no other gargoyles have wings like her's.

Firebird writes...

Okay, I've looked but can't find the answer.
You said that gargoyles get energy from the sun, but they also eat (at least, Broadway does), so what kind of dietary requirements would they have? ie. would a gargoyle food pyramid of what they need to eat look like one for humans (lots of starches/carbohydrates on the bottom, fruit and veg. next etc), or should they eat proportionatly more of one thing than us and less of others?

folklore writes...

Dear Greg, great job you deserve more compliments than i can offer, but my question is why were the gargyles from the different regions of the earth so different except for the japanese and your staring characters? well thanks for your time if i get it. bye

Joshua writes...

What *exactly* makes the gargoyles turn to stone and break away from stone? They've been stone indoors, in sunlight-deprived places, and even outside in overcast. So it can't be sunlight directly... and when travelling the world, since time zones are different, it became apparent that it's not a 12-hour schedule. So it seems to be the *knowledge* of sunlight being out there... is that true?

demona writes...

I was wondering how exactly does a gargoyle breed??

Siren writes...

1.)Did Magus, Tom, and the Princess know Angela was Goliath and Demona's daughter?
2.)Did they know Gabriel was Desdemona's and Othello's son?
3.) Did we ever meet Ophelia's parents? Besides the Britain Clan and Zafiro, she is one of the most interesting looking.

Joshua writes...

I apologize if this has been asked (I couldn't find it skimming): Were the Gargoyles supposedly created through evolution or magic?
If via evolution, can you explain how their "ability" to turn to stone evolved?
If via magic, when, where, how, and by whom?

Demi writes...

How many of the clan's eggs were Goliath and Demona's??

Mooncat writes...

Hello Greg,

The subject came up in the Adult comment room on the Gargoyles Fan Website, on wether Goliath and Elisa would ever be able to become mates. Physically.

So the main question is, can they become mates, in a physical sense, without physically harming Elisa?

How well endowed is Goliath (beneath the loin cloth)?

How well endowed are Brooklyn, Broadway, and Lex? Yes, inquiring minds want to know *^_^*. If not exact sizes, some general indication would be appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to consider the question.

Mooncat >^,,^<
and the peeps in
the Adult Gargoyles Comment Room