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Allexander writes...

As the creator of Gargoyles, what exactly did you do, did you write stories? Draw pictures?

Greg responds...

Isn't this old news? Anyway, to toot my own horn yet again:

I headed the development team that created the series and came up with many of the characters and concepts myself.

I came up with all 66 original springboards (i.e. the story ideas for the first two seasons + "The Journey"), though many people contributed nuggets of ideas.

I supervised all the writing. In essence, I story edited the story editors.

I also wrote and story edited one episode myself ("The Journey").

I supervised all the voice recordings. And I voice directed one episode ("Vendettas"), plus a few pick-up and phone patch sessions. I even performed the voice for one of Xanatos' Goon Squad (the guy who says "Nice Mask!").

I had input on all aspects of design and direction

I co-supervised all post-production, except the tele-cine process, which involves aspects of color too subtle for my color-deficient eyes.

I was the one person involved with the show from it's inception through the end of the third season, though my involvement in the third season (after "The Journey" was voice recorded) was limited to consulting work. And much of my consultations were ignored.

I have no credit on the television version of the pilot 5-parter because I was still an executive when those were posted, and at the time executives did not receive credit. I do have a Co-Producer credit on the Movie/VHS version of the pilot, because I supervised the post-production on that.

My official credit on the rest of the first season was "Co-Producer".

My official credit on the second season began as "Producer". Later it became "Supervising Producer" when two of our directors were promoted to Producer.

I'm also the credited "Writer" and "Story Editor" on "The Journey" and the credited "Voice Director" on "Vendettas".

I was supposed to receive a credit on the third season, but I waved it because it seemed dishonest as much of my advice wasn't taken.

Having said ALL THAT, Gargoyles was the work of literally hundreds of talented people, all of whom contributed to making it the success that it was. I think of it as my baby, and I'm often credited as it's creator. But I never lose track of the fact that it was a team effort.

Response recorded on April 29, 2004

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Congratulations, Monique!

Went to a wedding today.

My good friend Monique Beatty married Tim Eldred.

Monique, as some of you may know, was my assistant and a script coordinator during the Gargoyles years. She was literally invaluable to me then, keeping my schedule (known then as "Greg's Nefarious Plan to Take Over the World") and keeping me on track. Among other things, she offered tremendous moral support. She's now a Line Producer at Nick. Tim is a story board and comic book artist.

They are both, great, great people. And I am so happy for them.

It was also nice to see Deirdra, Shan and Kevin at the wedding.


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Vic writes...

Hi again.
I was just wondering how much of yourself you tend to put into characters you create, on average. Or how much you tend to empathise with or even envy them in a way.
Eg: I wish i was Brooklyn, sharp, lean, predatory looking bastard who could probably get the females (or males if so inclined) easily.
Hope this question makes sense.

Greg responds...

It makes sense enough.

I put a lot of me into every character from the best to the worst. Sometimes, I get pretty literal, as with Vinnie's last speeches in "The Journey".

Usually, it's not quite so on the nose.

I tend not to envy them much. My life (if not my career) is pretty darn great, so there isn't one of them I'd like to change places with. But I do empathize with them a lot. A lot.

Response recorded on February 25, 2004

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Entity writes...

Hey, Greg!

In your memo for "Upgrade," you mention the following line:

"MONTAGE vs. NO MONTAGE
Sorry. After cuts were made for both S&P and for things that I did not want to reveal, there wasn't anything left. So out it went."

I thought S&P didn't really play a role in GARGOYLES. Do you remember what the cuts were?

Greg responds...

Nope.

And I never said that S&P didn't play a role. I said we had a common sense S&P person, Adrienne Bello, whom we respected and who respected us and what we were trying to do.

That didn't mean that she'd let us show Sevarius amputating Hyena's arm on camera.

Response recorded on February 02, 2004

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Noorie writes...

Can't you move the show to like...channel 20, in canadian time setting....thing... well, it's just that my family dosnt have "Disney Channel" and i used to watch Gargoyles when i was little, and i remember, me and my little brother used to tape all the shows! i loved the show until it went off, and i never got around to finding out why it got off...well, this is my first time craving to see the show again! it's just that i found out that the shows going to be starting again from the beginning, and i dont have that channel! :( i'm 14 years old right now, and i'm totally getting into mythical creatures and things like that, and i hardly know anything like that...
Cant you just change it into some...common channel? I mean, it could get you more people to watch it, rather then getting better cable JUST to watch the show..(hope i'm not offending you!! i just really loved that show!!) lol, well, i hope my plea's got to you, you're probably like.."R....ight, what a weirdo!" heh, well, im no weirdo..anyways...ya..! k, gotta split! ;)

Greg responds...

You're not a weirdo, you simply don't seem to understand that I have absolutely no control over when and where the reruns air.

Response recorded on January 29, 2004

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Mark: PRJibaroPapi69@aol.com writes...

Hey Greg! Long time fan first time posting! I was wondering, you said that Gargoyles is the total property of Disney. Does that mean that even though you are the creator, you can't do anything with the series unless they give the okay? If so, does that mean your unable to buy ALL the rights to the show? If not, do you ever plan to reair the show with all new episodes in the future? The reason I ask these questions is because Disney was stupid in pulling the plug on the series just because they wanted to move on to something new. But if your able to buy the rights, I'm sure there's more than enough studio's out there who are so eager for ratings that they'll finance the reintergration of the show back to television. The WB would definatly welcome the show to it's programing as it was aired on that station in New York. Is there anyway that, at the very least, you can create a book series of Gargoyle novels that bring a close to the storylines that were never closed while the series was on the air? I just think that if Gargoyles will never make a big TV come back that comic books or novels should be made in it's place that bring a big close to the universe once and for all. Well... an official close because we all know that Gargoyles will always live on in fanfiction. That's all I guess. Thanx for writing such a wonderful series. One more questions, although it's not documented, in your most best thought opinion since the Gargoyles are the guardians of Manhattan, how do you think they reacted when, upon waking up from their stone sleep, they saw a big gapeing hole and a huge smoke screen on what used to be the world trade center on September 11th??? I, and alot of the fans, would really like to know.

Greg responds...

Yes. Again. Disney owns 100% of Gargoyles. They don't sell their properties, and even if they did -- WHICH THEY DON'T -- the cost would be way prohibitive.

I don't know if they were stupid to pull the plug after Goliath Chronicles. I'm not sure they exercised much smarts in pushing me out the door prior to Chronicles, but that's a VERY complicated story and in any case, should be attributed to individuals who no longer even work for the Mouse. Including me.

I also think, unfortunately, that you're wrong about other networks like the WB wanting the show. It's a moot issue, because Disney won't sell, but I see no indication that there is a single network out there looking for something like Gargoyles. No indication at all. Gargoyles has the greatest fans in the world, and I'm hoping that the DVD release will make enough of a splash and attract fans, both old and new, to wake people up to the possibilities that the series represents.

In the meantime, I haven't given up trying to get the property up and running again in some way, shape or form, and publishing (comics or novels) is something I'm extremely interested in.

As for the fans, the best thing they can do -- at least until the DVD's release -- is to come to the Gathering (our annual Gargoyles Fan Convention), this August, 2004 in Montreal.

Check out their website:

http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/

The more fans that show up to the convention, the greater our collective voice, the more likely that Disney takes notice.

Finally, I've answered the 9/11 question many times. Check the archives.

Response recorded on January 28, 2004

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White writes...

Hello again.
It's been a long long time that I've been waiting to post this.. You probably don't remember, but a long time ago, I asked you if you knew why there were sound differences between the reruns and the original episodes.
( by original, I mean the first time they showed an episode )
You were wondering if I was talking about the movie or an other language.. but I'm not.
and now.. I have the proof.
So, I wanted to show it to you, perhaps you could then tell me if you know why they changed what some people said.
I made waves with episodes that I recorded on TV.
Not the movie, I also have the movie and I know there are more differences.
Sooo... if you could just go and listen to those waves.
I posted them on a page that has nothing else, except explanations of what those waves are.
I know I should not post URLs in here.. but It's the only way I can show this to you.. Unless I ask someone to put the sound waves on this website...
Hope you'll give me news about that.. because I find this quite odd :)
( http://gargoyles.topcities.com/odd.html )

Thank you

Greg responds...

Well, I don't usually go to links, but I did this time. But of course two years have passed (or nearly) and the page is no longer there.

So I don't know what to tell you. We made occassional changes, but not many sound changes between first airings and the subsequent reruns in syndication. But maybe you're comparing first airings with cable airings -- all of which aired AFTER I left Disney.

Both USA Network and Toon Disney edited the shows themselves, (the former for length and the latter for S&P). That may have forced them to make some sound changes, though it seems unlikely that they'd spend the money on a new mix.

Response recorded on December 16, 2003

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Shawn Asbury writes...

Mr Weisman,
It is true that Gargoyles was a very innovative and popular animated series. However, I would like to know why you chose for it to be as such. It seems to me that the concept and storyline of Gargoyles was severely restrained by the childishness and politically correctness of the Disney Co. If you really wanted it to be an animated series, why didn't you opt for a network such as HBO? This would have allowed for some more authentic character emotion and less g-rated cuteness due to the allowance of violence, blood, nudity, and swearing (All of which are real believable occurances. At the very least, Gargoyles could have made an epic collection of Novels which would have elaborated on the development of the characters and and would have made for some great dark gothic mental imagery.

Greg responds...

Gargoyles would not exist without Disney. Period.

You speak as if Gargoyles existed in a vacuum -- perhaps in the vacuum of my mind?

In fact, Gargoyles was created by me and by my development team while I was a development executive (Director of Series Development) at Walt Disney Television Animation. Aside from the fact that Disney owns the show, it also was the catalyst for the series' very existence.

After the fact, you could say: "Gee, how much more freedom might you have had on HBO." But that assumes so much. (1) That HBO would have wanted it. (2) That HBO would have actually given me more freedom than Disney did. (3) That I wanted more freedom. I doubt the first two would have been true. I know the last one is not.

With very, VERY few exceptions, I got to do what I wanted on the first 65 episodes of the show. I think we made an epic collection of episodes.

I'd love to write GARGOYLES Novels if I could find an interested publisher. I haven't been able to.

Response recorded on December 10, 2003

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matt writes...

in "The Price" after Hudson's statue was destroyed was the Clan in effect beginning to perform the Wind Ceremony on Hudson when they were standing around talking about him?

also, in the credits of that episode there was a mention of parts of the episode being inspired by material in the comic books (presumably the Gargoyles comic books) any idea what thats about? i have a few of the comic books and i have no idea what the credits are referring to...

Greg responds...

No. They were just trying to get their heads around his death. The Wind Ceremony would have come later.

The story was inspired by an idea by Lee Nordling in a Gargoyles story he did in an issue of Disney Adventures Magazine. It was his idea (though he used Goliath, not Hudson) to have Xanatos replace a sleeping gargoyle with a stone statue to fool the rest of the clan.

That was the only thing from his story that we used, and I've never even met Lee, but it was a great idea.

Response recorded on November 21, 2003

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Todd Jensen writes...

This is something that came to mind after reading your comments about how you and other folks at Disney were worried that "Gargoyles" might be seen as a rip-off of "Batman: TAS", and which I finally remembered to post something about.

I saw an episode of "Batman: TAS" once (after "Gargoyles" went off the air) called "Avatar" which did strike me as having a certain similarity to "Grief", in which Batman went to Egypt to stop Reis al-Ghul from coming into contact with an undead sorceress-queen from ancient Egypt who had "power over life and death". What struck me about it was the points that it had in common with "Grief": the Egyptian setting, the word "avatar" (in the dialogue in "Grief", in the title of the "Batman" episode), and the ancient being with power over life and death (Anubis in "Gargoyles", the Egyptian sorceress-queen in "Batman"). The similarities could have been just a coincidence, but I thought that I'd mention that here.

Greg responds...

The similarities aren't entirely coincidental, in that both were written by Michael Reaves.

As I recall, the springboard for "Grief" was mine, but Michael ran with it -- putting some stuff in "Grief" that he had WANTED to put in "Avatar" but which had NOT made it into the final version of that episode.

Response recorded on November 06, 2003


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