Time for a Breather

So...

I've been trying to answer at least five questions a day here, every weekday, for quite a few months running. I'm still nowhere near coming close to emptying the queue.

But, as I'm certain some of you have noticed, the questions are, well, starting to grind on me. To get on my nerves. To tick me off.

Sometimes it's folks asking questions that are clearly answered by the material itself. On screen or on the page.

Sometimes it's folks asking for story spoilers, when that's clearly something I'm not going to reveal.

Sometimes it's folks ascribing motives for what I do that they can't possibly know.

Sometimes it's folks demanding that I acknowledge that my show sucks, with intense explanations for why I should do that. I'm okay with people not liking my stuff - wish they did, but you can't please everyone, all the time - but I resent people trying to convince ME that my stuff is bad. Maybe it's all in the phrasing, but it is, frankly, infuriating. Besides, I like my stuff.

Etc.

I don't know if I've just hit a bad batch recently, but I think what's more likely is that I'm just burned out on it. That I'm reading negativity into perfectly innocent or at least neutral questions and statements. It's very possible I'm over-reacting.

Either way, my responses recently have been ire-filled, and I don't like that. It's not what I want ASK GREG to be. It's not, generally, what I think it's been for the last couple decades plus. (Give or take a tirade or smart-ass response, here and there.)

I took a few days off, posting Hercules premises, and thought that might help. And it did, a little. But clearly not enough. So I'm going to take an extensive break.

I'm tempted to close the question asking function for a time. But Young Justice: Targets is still coming out. And the new Gargoyles comic launches in December, and I want folks to be able to respond to those. So I've decided to leave the function alone for now. I realize that means that the backlog is going to continue to grow. But such is life, I guess.

I'm hoping that in a month or two, I'll be ready to come back. But for now, I need a break. Thanks and sorry.

EMPTY QUEUE

Well, it took me YEARS, but I finally have cleared the ASK GREG queue. I'm going to take a bit of a break now, but we'll open the question asking function for DC FANDOME on October 16th. I honestly don't know what YJ will be doing for Fandome, but I assume we'll have some presence of some kind, and by then I should have had enough of a rest to jump back in.

Thanks for your patience.

Temporary Shut Down

Hello,

Just wanted to let people know that at the end of this month, we're going to shut down the ASK GREG a question function for the time being. I don't have anything new coming out any time soon, and I believe everyone has had time to respond to (or question) my latest output. And in any case you've got a little more than a couple weeks yet to get your burning questions in.

I've been very busy working on Season Four of YOUNG JUSTICE, and I simply haven't had times to answer questions at the rate any of us would like. And the back-log has just gotten ridiculous. So we'll cut off questions for the time being, and I'll try to cut down on some of that back-log in time for the release of YJ S4.

I'm not on Twitter that much these days either... and I've even cut down on convention appearances, but I still jump on Twitter when I'm at loose ends, so you can potentially find me @Greg_Weisman.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I've taken a bit of a break from ASK GREG, but I'm back. I also started a new job this week. (Can't wait to tell you what it is!) This means my schedule is a bit more regular, so I'm hoping to get back to answering questions here on a daily basis. But it may also mean that things may get a little crazy on occasion as I get acclimated, so I may also miss a few days here and there.

So... business as usual, right?

APOLOGIES

Hey gang,

I'd like to apologize for not getting to many of your questions recently. It's really due to all the travel I've been doing this summer - and the need to fit a LOT of work in between the trips.

Some of you have commented that the same excuses don't seem to apply to my Twitter account, and that's true. But the difference is that I can tweet from my phone at odd times and before bed - AND with little thought.

I've tried doing Ask Greg from my phone, but it's just too difficult. I'd rather give considerable thought and have the option of answering questions in depth. But if you want to make quick contact, by all means follow me on twitter at @Greg_Weisman.

The travel isn't over, either. I leave Monday for Ashland, Oregon, for my family's annual trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. For the curious, we're seeing the following eight plays over four days & nights:

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS by William Shakespeare
RICHARD III by William Shakespeare

THE TEMPEST by William Shakespeare
INTO THE WOODS by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine

THE GREAT SOCIETY by Robert Schenkkan
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA by William Shakespeare

A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'Engle and Tracy Young
FAMILY ALBUM by Stew and Heidi Rodewald

We're really looking forward to it.

Anyway, then I'm back for half a week, before the family takes another trip - this one to (a) drop my daughter off at college for her junior year and (b) take a road trip to look at five different colleges in five different cities with my son before he enters his senior year of high school. The entire trip will take eleven days, bringing me to the end of August.

But in September, my current plan is NO TRAVEL. (Stop #6 on the Gargoyles 20th Anniversary Tour is Long Beach Comic Con, which is driving distance. http://longbeachcomiccon.com ) So I should be back to answering a few questions every weekday regularly. Thank you for your patience.

Twitter vs. ASK GREG - To the Death!!!

Twitter vs. ASK GREG - To the Death!!!

So for the first time in nearly a month, I lurked on a few sites and someone was bitchin' (that's right, I said it) about the fact that I was tweeting a lot but hadn't spent much time here at ASK GREG.

Mostly, the responses that person received from other fans were dead obvious, but they bear repeating:

1. Twitter is a lot more convenient. I can tweet with my phone during downtime. (I tend to do it while I'm doing my isometric neck exercises.) I can also do Ask Greg with my phone during downtime (as I did yesterday when I was stuck at an airport), but (a) it's much more difficult because the screen is so small and (b) I have no access to the materials that some questions require. So Ask Greg answers done on the phone tend toward the short and unsatisfying.

2. Stop acting so entitled. Greg Weisman has NO obligation, explicit or implicit, to answer any questions on ASK GREG ever. Let me repeat that: Greg Weisman has NO obligation, explicit or implicit, to answer any questions on ASK GREG ever. I do it because I enjoy doing it (most of the time). But if for any reason I take a break for however long, that's life. I will not be made to feel guilty about it.

Those are the two main points, but there are a couple others:

3. I've been traveling A LOT. Since the end of May, I've taken four trips up north to Lucasfilm, one trip to Denver Comic Con, one trip to Oregon for their Shakespeare Festival and a family trip to EUROPE. I still have both San Diego Comic Con and New Orleans MechaCon (http://www.mechacon.com/) coming up in the next couple months, plus at least one more trip to San Francisco for Lucasfilm. When I travel, internet is a dicey prospect at best, and that's on top of the fact that the reasons for the trip tend to preclude me having the free time to post on ASK GREG.

4. I've been SWAMPED with work. That's a good thing. (In fact, these are all good things.) I have tight deadlines on Star Wars Rebels, a looming deadline on the second book in the Rain of the Ghosts series, plus a few other random freelance things that I'll mention (perhaps) when they're finished. Lots of work means less free time to post at Ask Greg.

As for Twitter, I'll admit I might be a little addicted, but the bald-faced truth of the matter is simply that I was basically coerced into joining Twitter by my book publisher, my agent/manager and my family. I am making an extremely conscious attempt to raise my profile there (and gain followers) for the sake of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS. I make no bones about that. I'm not trying to hide the fact AT ALL. I want/need the book to do well, and Ask Greg just was NOT reaching enough people. Hence Twitter.

Having said that, I have no interest in using or allowing Twitter to replace ASK GREG. Folks have asked me questions on Twitter, which I've either ignored or used as an excuse to nudge the askers over here. It's a tad difficult, since the ASK GREG Question Asking Function here is currently down until I catch up, but whatchagonnado? ASK GREG still matters to me, and Twitter hasn't changed that at all.

So really, the title of this ramble is a sham. The two resources are not in conflict at all. I'm hoping Twitter brings MORE people to Ask Greg and maybe, vice versa. (And maybe that's the real reason for this post. Heh heh heh.)

ASK GREG LIVE - Correcting the web

So, I still maintain that ASK GREG LIVE was a great success, but I've seen a few posts on the interwebs that... undercut that success a bit.

With the best intentions, I'm sure, people have attempted to relate what I said, and although they got a lot right, they also got a bunch of stuff wrong. They either misheard me or mistyped or related the information second-hand or whatever, but I'm going to try to set some of the misconceptions straight.

Myth #1: "Greg categorically stated that Wally West is dead and will never come back."

I did not. Surprisingly, I was not even asked this question and thus never responded to it at all. Now, let me be clear. I also have not stated categorically that Wally West is not dead will definitely come back. And I'm not going to do either. Let me illustrate why with an example:

You've seen memorial holograms for Jason Todd/Robin and Tula/Aquagirl. There are four potential scenarios for those two characters coming back:

Scenario A) Both are going to come back.

Scenario B) Jason is going to come back, but Tula is staying dead.

Scenario C) Tula is going to come back, but Jason is staying dead.

Scenario D) Both are staying dead.

Break it down like this, and it becomes clear why I won't answer any questions about either character in this regard. Assume, just as a hypothetical example, our plan was Scenario C. Then someone asks me about Jason. They say, the show is over; if he's really dead, why not tell us. This sounds logical (in the moment), so I state that Jason is staying dead. No harm, no foul. I've only confirmed something that the show itself already stated. No big deal. That is, until someone else asked me about Tula. I don't want to answer this one, of course, because I want her resurrection to be a surprise. But I also don't want to lie. So I go for my standard "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT." But then someone realizes that I was willing to be clear about Jason, but not about Tula. Ipso facto, Tula must be coming back. And I've just spoiled my own show. Which, as I'm sure you know, I am quite LOATHE to do. Clear?

Myth #2: "Greg stated that they killed off Wally instead of Barry because Barry's death would be too telegraphed."

That's almost exactly the OPPOSITE of what I said. Rather, in response to comments I've seen that Wally's death was out of the blue, I said I found those comments to be ironic, because Brandon and I spent the whole season afraid we were telegraphing WALLY's death too much. We cut lines of dialogue from and about Wally because we thought it would send too obvious a signal that Wally was going to buy it at the end. (And this is NOT meant as a statement with regards to Myth #1 above. As far as Season Two is concerned, Wally is considered dead. What that may bode for the future, is something that I won't respond to for the reasons outlined above.)

We did - at the very beginning of the season's development - briefly consider taking out Barry instead of Wally. But we decided that Barry was too much of a minor character, and that his death would have no resonance for our audience, would exact no cost. I suppose, as some have argued, we could have spent the entire season bulking up Barry's part to make sure his end had resonance, but we didn't have either the screen time or, frankly, the desire to do that. Wally mattered to our audience. Even with relatively little screen time in Season Two, he MATTERED. And I think the proof that we made the correct choice is obvious in how it's torn fans apart over his demise. It hurts. It hurt us too. I still well up watching that scene - and I've seen it dozens of times by now. It is sad. It's supposed to be sad when a hero that we love dies. Given that, I don't have any regrets.

Myth #3: "Greg stated that Ocean-Master will have a huge roll in Young Justice: Legacy."

No, I didn't say anything of the sort. You guys have seen the villains who are participating in Legacy. You already KNOW he's not in there.

Myth #4: "Greg stated that Troia will have a huge roll in Legacy."

No, I did not. You already know the heroes participating in Legacy - except for the these-are-just-for-fun-and-don't-count-toward-the-canon-story characters. You already KNOW she's not participating in the story.

Myth #5: "Greg stated that Mary Batson is Lieutenant Marvel."

No, I did not. First off, I've never once mentioned anyone named Mary Batson. I have mentioned Mary Bromfield. But she is NOT Lieutenant Marvel. I did give a small spoiler about the Marvel Family at ASK GREG LIVE, but I'm going to leave it as a prize for those who attended in person.

Myth #6: "Greg stated that the plan from day one was to use Donna in Season One and Cassie in Season Two."

This is more of a half-truth. EARLY, early on, Donna was one of our leading candidates for Season One. This was before we had even narrowed things down very much. And BEFORE any true decisions were made, we were informed by our DC Liasons that both Wonder Girls were off-limits for legal reasons that were never explained to us. (So don't ask me.) So neither Wonder Girl was seriously considered. Then Geoff Johns came aboard and made both Wonder Girls available. Unfortunately, by that time, it was flat out too late to include Donna. So we decided we'd put Cassie in Season Two. And have Donna be one of the characters who joined and left the Team during the timeskip, and cameo her in Season Two. Unfortunately, for reasons reported fairly accurately from ASK GREG LIVE, we were unable to cameo either Troia or Mary at Rocket's bridal shower because there just wasn't time for Phil Bourassa to design FOUR new characters, i.e. the two girls in both their civilian and super-hero costumes. Had they appeared in "Satisfaction", then they would have also had cameos in "Endgame", since their designs would already have been completed. But since they didn't appear in the earlier episode, we weren't able to get them at all. This is a sadness to me. But there are realities of production that we're all subject to.

Myth #7: "Greg stated that rumors about DC wanting Wally killed off were 'complete horses#!t.'"

I NEVER used the term "Horses#!t" and never would. I clearly said "complete bulls#!t."

WONDERCON & ASK GREG LIVE

I'm declaring ASK GREG LIVE at WonderCon a success!!

We had about twenty or so people show up (including Masterdramon and Blaise). It was informal, fun (for me, at least) and, hopefully, informative. As expected, we mostly talked about YOUNG JUSTICE, but there were also questions about GARGOYLES and THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN and how to break into the business, etc. So it was a nice Ask Greg-ish mix.

Someone said they were waiting for me to say "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT." And I really did mean to say it, but I'm not sure that I ever really did. I don't think I spoiled very much, but I definitely revealed a couple things that I'm fairly confident I would not have revealed here on the website. I guess seeing the in-person faces of the fans melts me - at least a little.

I wasn't sure how many people would show up, so I had no idea how long it would run, but I had figured on about an hour. But we stood there - no sitting allowed in the Anaheim Convention Center Lobby - for over an hour and a half, and the time just raced by. (Special thanks to Matthew for holding up the ASK GREG LIVE sign for nearly the entire event.) At the end, we took a few photos, and I did an impromptu signing for anyone who had something they wanted signed. (Hadn't planned on that either, so I didn't have a pen. So thanks also to those who loaned me their sharpies!)

If you were there, I invite you to post about it here at ASK GREG tomorrow (i.e. Sunday, March 31st, 2013) or at the Station 8 Comment Room anytime next week. (I'll be stopping by to see what folks thought.) It's something I'd like to think about doing again. Perhaps at Denver Comic-Con or maybe even at San Diego Comic-Con (though that venue would present some MAJOR challenges). So even if you weren't able to attend, let me know if you'd like to see it happen again.

Back to answering questions...

As I'm about to start answering questions here on ASK GREG - post "Endgame" - I want to first reiterate what I've already posted here:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=1026

I will NOT suddenly be SPOILING stuff left and right.

The YJ questions that have the best chance of being answered are ones about process and decision making regarding the television episodes and comic book issues that have already aired or been released. Asking for additional content is not at all likely to be rewarded. NOT. AT. ALL.

And again, if you want to know why, read this:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=1026

WONDERCON ANAHEIM - ASK GREG LIVE

WONDERCON ANAHEIM - Who'd like to meet up?

My daughter Erin and I will be attending WonderCon on Friday, March 29th:

http://www.comic-con.org/wca

I'm not on a panel or anything official. I'm just going to look around, hang out, etc. But ASK GREG moderator Masterdramon is also going, and we thought it might be fun to organize a semi-impromptu ASK GREG LIVE event. I assume most folks would want to talk about Young Justice, which is great. But we can also discuss Gargoyles or the weather or whatever. Chris Jones and I did something similar a few weeks ago at a Doctor Who convention, and we had fun. I think about twenty or so fans showed, which was a nice number. We might wind up with a few more or less. Or, heck, maybe it'll just be me, Erin and Masterdramon, which is okay too. EIther way, we want to try to keep the thing unofficial, informal, casual, etc.

The main question I have is exactly when and where should we meet up? Has to be Friday the 29th, and because (a) I'm driving down there from Los Angeles and (b) it's the first day of the con, it probably shouldn't be too early. Likewise, I'm not staying overnight, and I have the drive home, so not too late either. So an afternoon meet-up, I'm guessing. Or maybe lunch? An early dinner? Linner?

And where do we meet? How do we find each other? (I'm not familiar enough with the Anaheim Convention Center to know exactly where a good spot might be.)

I'm definitely open to suggestions. I'm posting this here at ASK GREG, but also in the Station 8 Comment Room, which I'll be checking periodically between now and the con. If you have any thoughts on where we could meet, please post them there:

http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/index.php

It'll also help us gauge interest in how many people might actually be, well... interested in this sort of thing. So even if you have no suggestions but you plan on joining us, post anyway, so that we can begin to approximate a head count. It may influence where we meet up.

The week before the convention, I'll post the final specifics on where and when at ASK GREG and at Station 8.

Hope to see at least a few of you soon.

The Coming Deluge - Yet More Ask Greg Guidelines

The Coming Deluge - Yet More Ask Greg Guidelines

So, I truly hope I'm wrong, but I have to admit I'm anticipating a deluge of questions asking for SPOILERS after the airing of this Saturday's YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION finale. I understand the impulse: "The television and comic book series are over, so there's no reason for him to hold back anymore! It means anything and everything are now fair game! He can never say 'SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.' again"

But, see, that's not how I feel about it. So here's why, and here's how that should guide your future questions at ASK GREG:

1. Let's start here: OBJECTIVELY we're not over. YOUNG JUSTICE: LEGACY is due out in the fall, and it will contain new content - a SUBSTANTIAL amount of new CANON story content, based on ideas suggested to Little Orbit by Brandon Vietti and myself, and all vetted after the fact by us, as well, to make sure everything from dialogue to timestamps is consistent with the property as a whole. Now, LEGACY is set during the five-year-gap. So I'm not going to be inclined to answer questions that require me to reveal things that happened during our time skip. And not just Legacy related stuff either, because if I answer some questions about the gap but refuse to answer others, I'll be de facto spoiling. That I will not do, so please refrain from asking questions about the missing five years.

2. If I've learned anything from the long haul on GARGOYLES, it's that things sometimes DO come back. So SUBJECTIVELY I don't feel like we're over either. I still have hopes - however slim - of returning to Earth-16 one day. So there are secrets that I still may want to keep. Particularly about "Season Three". I'm not saying I'll never reveal anything. Sometimes a tidbit here or there helps keep fan interest alive. But I'm not going to wholesale give away the plans that Brandon and I came up with for what happens next. In general, I'm much more inclined to clarify what's already been shown then reveal what hasn't been shown. So try focusing your questions on what's aired or seen print and try to refrain from asking What Happens Next questions. When I feel like revealing something, I will.

3. ASK GREG is NOT a good format for me to tell creative stories. Any question, wherein the answer could fill an entire issue of a comic book or an entire episode of a television series or MORE will not be answered, because I will not short-change a story with a quick response, and I will not tell a story here at ASK GREG. So try to refrain from asking questions that would take an entire issue or episode to answer.

4. Brandon and I have many, many ideas for what happened before Season One, a few still left for what happened during Season One, many for what happened between seasons (including but not limited to Legacy), many ideas for stuff that happened off-camera during Season Two, tons of ideas for Season Three, and many, many, many ideas for beyond Season Three. BUT... ideas minus execution are subject to tremendous second-guessing. So I'm not inclined to give you new content. If I had told you before Season One that Red Arrow was the mole, minus how we executed that plot, it might have seemed quite weak. It's the execution that demonstrates whether or not an idea shines. And frankly, I don't need the second guessing and, well, nastiness that the internet encourages. So that's just another reason to refrain from asking what else we might have planned.

5. I will not lie to you here at ASK GREG, per this post: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=982 . But I also will not state things that I believe to be true if stating those things will pretty much guarantee that I won't ever work in this town again. I have a mortgage to pay and kids to feed and clothe, etc. So you will not see me bad-mouthing companies in this public space. So please refrain from asking questions that would force me to do that. The best you'll get is no response.

6. Keep in mind, I answer questions because I like to be in touch with the fans, and I think it's fun for us all. But that doesn't mean I somehow OWE you an answer. The more entitled you think you are to the answer, (I can all but guarantee) the less inclined I'll be to respond in any useful way. Maybe that's me being needlessly contrary, but I'm just going to admit up front that it rubs me the wrong way. So tonally, try to avoid a sense of entitlement in your questions.

All this is IN ADDITION to the FOURTEEN guidelines already posted here: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/ask.php I'll admit that these six new guidelines are perhaps even more subjective than the previous fourteen, but I guarantee you that we'll all be happier if you stick to them. And the happier I am, the more likely that I'll drop the occasional surprise here and there. Whereas, the more assaulted I feel, the more likely I am to get annoyed and clam up about everything. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Otherwise... thanks for stopping by. Seriously. The dark days at ASK GREG seem to have passed for the most part, and most days I enjoy doing it again. I just want to keep it that way. Thanks.

YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: EPISODE: 212: "True Colors": Premieres!

YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION: EPISODE: 212: "True Colors": Premieres!

A new mission! A new Teammate! And a new player in the game!! You won't want to miss our newest episode of Young Justice, premiering on DC NATION this Saturday (and Sunday), January 19th (and 20th) along with a new GREEN LANTERN and more new DC NATION super-hero shorts! Check local listings for times.

And also Saturday night on the SyFy Channel, check out this new original movie: TASMANIAN DEVILS, starring our own Miss Martian, Danica McKellar. That's right, the live-action Danica is kicking some Tasmanian ass and taking some Tasmanian names!!

Meanwhile, for those who have been wondering why I haven't answered many questions recently, here at ASK GREG, it's because I've (a) been out of town on a much needed vacation and (b) been swamped since I got back. I'll try to get back on the horse next week.

CAUGHT UP

Well, I've finally caught up and cleaned out the ASK GREG queue. We'll plan to reopen the site- at least briefly - when Young Justice: Invasion #23 hits the stands later this month. Then again, when DC Nation starts up with new Young Justice: Invasion episodes on January 5th, 2013.

I'm looking forward to reading your responses to the new issues and episodes - and to Black Manta's Celebrity Hot Tub. (If there seems to be a demand, I might be tempted to write more of the latter for this site.)

But right now... I'm going to take a short break.

The Truth about Ask Greg

Here is my manifesto:

I will not lie to you on ASK GREG.

Except by omission. I have, do and will continue to lie to you by omission whenever the need arises, I find it's politically expedient or I'm just in that kind of mood.

I will cheerfully - even gleefully - misdirect you, i.e. while technically telling the truth, I may consciously play to known biases and lead you down your own garden path. I may then lurk on other sites and chortle if I see my misdirection has been effective. I may also then get annoyed.

I will - hopefully not too often - answer sarcastically. I will make smartass responses, which are technically NOT true, but which I believe from context are obviously false, and thus should not be regarded as untruths in that any reasonable person will know that I was pulling legs. I will be the only arbiter of whether or not I am lying or kidding, in these cases.

I will, of course, be mistaken on occasion. Flat-out incorrect or wrong, even. If alerted to my errors I will endeavor to correct them. Obviously, I don't see being mistaken as willfully lying.

But with all the above caveats as givens, I promise that I will not intentionally make any untrue statements here on this website. I WILL NOT LIE TO YOU DIRECTLY.

Except on April Fool's Day. On April 1st, I'll lie my ass off.

ASK GREG UPDATE - VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

There is a NEWLY revised intro page at ASK GREG, and more importantly, a newly revised "GUIDELINES FOR ASKING A QUESTION" page. What's on it is SO important, I'm going to copy it below. But first a WARNING. In ONE WEEK'S TIME, I am going to authorize the moderators to go through the EXISTING QUEUE and retroactively apply these guidelines, DELETING any and every post that breaks even one of the guidelines. That's right, RETROACTIVELY.

I can justify this for a number of reasons:
1. NONE of these guidelines are actually new. This is the first time they've been gathered together on the question asking page, but I've been pleading for people to follow all of these guidelines for OVER A YEAR. So by now, anyone who spends even a little time at the site should be aware of them.
2. I'm giving folks a FULL WEEK to retrieve their non-guideline posts and RE-POST them PER THE GUIDELINES. Our biggest problem recently seems to be with folks who are hit and run posters, more interested in being able to post questions then in actually getting timely answers of any substance. Those folks may return in a few months (or whatever) to find their posts deleted, but anyone who's a regular here has plenty of time to correct their mistakes.
3. The queue currently has over a thousand questions and is still growing. No one's going to get ANY timely answers if something isn't done.

Please, keep in mind that (a) I take no pleasure in being this draconian and (b) this is WAY less draconian than it might be. Heck, their are fans advocating that I SHUT THE SITE DOWN entirely, which, frankly, is still an option on the table.

So please, read the following guidelines CAREFULLY. Reread your existing posts - or any new posts you might make - and confirm for yourself whether or not ANY ASPECT of your post busts a guideline. Because if even one little rule is broken, your ENTIRE post will be deleted mercilessly. (Feel free to ask for advice from the moderators at the Station 8 Comment Room, as to whether or not your post is within the guidelines and/or what you can do to get it guideline-safe.) Repost your question, if necessary. I realize that if you're near the front of the queue with a semi-non-legit post, it'll be frustrating to have to go to the back of the line, but keep in mind that in one week, the line is about to get WAY SHORTER, because nearly EVERY post breaks one or more guidelines.

GUIDELINES FOR ASKING A QUESTION
1. DO NOT REQUEST SPOILERS! All requests for spoilers will be met with "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT." or DELETION. Prefacing your spoiler request question by saying, "I hope this doesn't trigger a spoiler alert" or the like doesn't help. Think before you post. If you're asking for information about what is to come on a show, it's a spoiler. And Greg flat out will not answer. So all you're doing is clogging the queue.

2. Search the archives to make sure your question hasn't already been answered. Any question already answered will receive an "ASKED AND ANSWERED" response or be DELETED. Again, this only serves to clog the queue.

3. Check the unanswered questions queue before posting your question. It may not yet be answered, but if you can see that someone's already asked the question, then there's no point in asking it again. All you'll receive is another "ASKED AND ANSWERED" response or the post will be DELETED.

4. Consider asking your question from knowledgeable fans before posting it. For example, the folks at http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/ are very knowledgeable and can usually answer questions much faster than Ask Greg. The Gargoyles Wiki, the Young Justice Wiki, and the Station Eight FAQ are excellent sources of information as well and may contain the answers to your questions.

5. Please refrain from asking questions - even non-spoiler questions - that it seems obvious will be answered by the end of the season. One of the reasons the queue is so long is because it's filled with questions that have already been answered by subsequent episodes, even questions that one would reasonably assume would be answered by subsequent episodes. If at the end of the season, your questions still aren't answered, THAT is the time to ask them. Until then, your post risks DELETION.

6. If you are asking multiple questions in one post, please number your questions. And if you're asking more than five questions then create a separate post. But please, do NOT flood the queue. Show restraint or risk DELETION.

7. Please do not submit any original ideas, notions, concepts, or drawings of original characters. No stories, no fanfic, no teleplays, nothing. Anything like this will automatically be DELETED.

8. No original ideas masquerading as questions. Asking what Demona did during World War II is fine. Asking if Demona tried to assassinate Hitler during World War II is an idea masquerading as a question and is not all right. Again: automatic DELETION.

9. No requests for employment. If you want to ask generally about how one might break into the business, Greg will try to give his perspective, but this is not an appropriate forum for personal pleas for work and as such will be DELETED.

10. Please make separate posts for each topic you want to address or ask questions about. If you have 3 or so questions about one topic (for example, Oberon) you may post them together. But if you wish to ask about multiple topics (for example, Oberon AND Goliath and Elisa's relationship) please make separate posts for each topic or risk DELETION.

11. Please keep the language clean. This is more or less a PG website. Anything beyond the occasional 'damn' will result in your entire post being DELETED.

12. Rudeness is not appreciated. You don't have to like Greg's stuff. And negative comments are perfectly legitimate and will not be deleted simply for being negative. But that can be done without being rude or abusive. Keep it civil or risk DELETION.

13. Please do not bother making comments worded in such a way that they, in essence, CHALLENGE Greg to acknowledge how right those comments are about their criticisms of the program. Here’s the thing...you do NOT have to agree with Greg's creative choices, but aside from a few objective mistakes that he has ALWAYS been willing to acknowledge, you have to understand that if Greg and his creative partners put something in the series, the odds are THEY LIKE IT. YOU are NOT going to convince GREG that, for example, “Hello, Megan!” or Robin’s laugh or Superman’s response to Superboy or Wally’s flirting is bad for the show. Feel free to tell him you don’t care for these (or other) things, but stop phrasing these COMMENTS as questions or challenges. It grates. Any question that falls into this category will at best be answered with a: “WE LIKE OUR SHOW.” and in fact risks DELETION.

*PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW ALL GUIDELINES CAREFULLY*
Breaking any of these guidelines may result in DELETION. This means, for example, that if you ask four legitimate questions, but your fifth question does not follow even one of the guidelines, your ENTIRE POST may be DELETED. (Are you sensing a theme?)

Once a post is deleted, there is no cache where it is saved. There is no appeal. You can go to the S8 Comment Room and ask a moderator WHY the post was deleted FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, i.e. so that future posts will better observe the guidelines and hopefully not be deleted. But the moderator cannot reinstate your post. Also, keep in mind that sometimes the moderators delete posts. Sometimes Greg does, in which case the moderator may not be able to explain the decision. The moderators are merely following Greg's guidelines. Greg can delete a post on a whim.

In case it isn't clear, I'm not actually (let alone actively) trying to alienate fans. I wouldn't do ASK GREG at all if that were the case. But the system has been so terribly abused, that I feel it's this or we shut it down.

Disgruntled

TODAY, a disgruntled fan posted at the Station 8 Comment room: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/index.php.

Here's the post in full, and my response will be below it:

I posted this message on AskGreg but it was censored. I guess only sucking-up messages are allowed. Here it is:

Dear Greg Weisman,

I would just like to express my deepest outrage for what happened today (April 17). I'm talking about, off course, the new 5-questions-per-post limit you've pulled out of thin air with complete disregard for your most loyal followers. Yes, I realize AskGreg is not a right, but a privilege, like Greg Bishansky so well put it on the comments room (though he goes out of his way to kiss your ass on every turn), but WE are fans. YOURS, no less.

Basically, up until today the rule regarding the quantity of questions per post one could ask was TEN (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=925). Changing it after one month worth of answers seems like foul play. And this new limit comes off as a rather draconian and disproportionate edict, because there's no direct correlation between the number of questions and the required time to answer them. Say there is a post with 30 yes-or-no questions and another with only one that demands a more in-depth response. The former doesn't comply with the 5-questions limit, whilst the latter does. However, would the former really take up the same time to answer as the latter? How do reviews and rambles (that sometimes only prompt a three or five worded answer from you) get precluded from this? Don't they consume more of your time than answering 10, or even 20 short questions?

Also, it seems that forcing posters to spread their questions won't solve the problem, but only add to it, because instead of making one big post with 30 questions, they will make six. This will simply increase the influx of posts.

While I believe this to be illogical, logistically speaking, I understand it may seem like a good solution in theory (though I think I've just disproved it) and you feel the need to try something out. But what's really unfair is to enforce this rule as a blanket for all the approved 10-questions-posts that predate it. Those actually complied with your initially established 10 questions limit. How is this fair or even rational? Some posters ask stupid, shallow questions, but others actually take their time to think and write insightful queries, and, not unlike essays, those take time, and throwing them with such careless disregard is very disrespectful. Particularly so when those conformed to the policy, have been stewing for ONE MONTH and now have to be distributed into different posts and take the back seat at the end of a two months' waiting (or longer) queue. Wouldn't it be more logical to close the queue as you've done before so that you can clear it?

I do realize that this very post can be axed under the auspices of some new made up rule to cut down the number of questions, even after and if it gets approved. In case this does get through, I'm sure you won't see it until the next couple of months, and when you do, I'm sure you'll write some well composed answer making me come off as an ungrateful and obnoxious douche, and you'll have the last word, because I won't have a chance for a timely reply. But I felt like I needed to share my disenchantment for what seems to be a gross disrespect of your FANS. You know, the people who watch your shows, buy your merchandise and keep you on a payroll.

Sincerely,
Disgruntled
A disgruntled (former) fan.
posted @ Fri, Apr 20, 2012 12:46:02 pm EDT

MY RESPONSE:

Dear disgruntled (former) fan,

I agree with some of what you've written. Among other things, this post should NOT have been deleted by the moderators. And I'll make sure they know it. Comments, positive or negative, are fair game here. Always were and always will be.

And it's true, of course, that sometimes a post with many questions can be answered more quickly than a post with a single in-depth question, but I have NEVER wanted the moderators to judge or try to guess in advance the length of my response to anything, let alone gauge the time it takes me. Setting a question limit seems like a reasonable way to make things manageable.

I also, as I've stated before, see the unfairness in me reducing the limit from ten to five without warning and applying the rule retroactively to posts that contained 6-10 questions. As I've admitted, I screwed up there. I thought I had said five in the past, and instructed the moderators to erase all posts with more than five. By the time it was pointed out to me that I had said ten in the past, it was too late to recover those questions. TOO LATE. We don't keep a record of disallowed questions, so that's it. I screwed up and admitted it, but it's done. So from here on out, the max is five. And some posts were lost unfairly. And that does suck. And I do sincerely sympathize with your frustrations and disgruntlement, up to a point.

But here's that point: you don't seem to get or acknowledge (or perhaps care) that I'm currently on the verge of shutting down the site entirely. ENTIRELY. You don't have to praise me, my work or Ask Greg, but I'm trying to take measures to make me want to keep doing this AT ALL. Some of these measures, are indeed, as you've noted, 'draconian', forcing you to - horrors - repost your questions and wait even longer for the answers you do seem to feel entitled to. But again, the alternative is you NEVER get your answers. EVER. Now if this response, makes you "come off as an ungrateful and obnoxious douche" - well, I don't know how else you would expect me to respond. But this doesn't have to be the "last word". Normally, I only occasionally stop by the S8 comment room, but I promise for the next week or so, I'll stop by there every weekday and at least once on the weekend, which should give you "a chance for a timely reply". Any post there (like this one) that seems relevant to the current conversation will get pushed right to the front of the line and be published here at ASK GREG in a ramble (like this one).

That's my compromise. It's probably less-than-satisfactory, but it's the best I can offer at this time.

[I also want to state, that you've NOT been privy to the discussions between myself, Gorebash, Masterdramon and Todd. I have RESISTED taking even more draconian measures suggested by them and/or by others at Station 8, because as much as possible, I'd like ASK GREG to remain the open free-flowing forum it has been for like a decade or more now. The measures we are taking, draconian as they may seem, are still less draconian than they might be. But if I am forced to truly make the site rigid, then the fun will go out of it for me in the other direction, and I'll still wind up shutting it down anyway.]

Obviously, I'm not in the business of taking fans and making them "disgruntled (former) fan[s]", but I'm hoping you're a fan of THE WORK I do, more than a fan of me anyway. I mean, face it, you don't know me. I could be an axe-murderer. But if you like Gargoyles or W.I.T.C.H. or Spectacular Spider-Man or Young Justice (or whatever), then the work is the work is the work, and I'd hope you'd remain a fan of that work whether I'm a big of a jerk or not, whether Ask Greg existed or not and certainly whether or not I get to the answers to your questions in one month or six. I mean there have been times when I've been TWO YEARS (or more) behind in answering questions. This lag is nothing in comparison to that. But somehow the discourse associated with the whole thing seems... meaner. And I'm really, truly trying to keep my desire to maintain this site below the boil-over point.

More Ask Greg Angst

Okay, I clearly messed up. Previously, I posted a guideline mandating a ten question max per post, and yesterday in my mind I changed it to five - and guilty of what I accuse others of - I did not check to confirm. So I'm here to (a) admit my mistake and (b) live with it - as we all will have to from here on out.

If in my head, the number shrank from ten to five, it's most likely because my patience has ebbed since I posted the ten question limit. Ten seems like a huge amount now - though lower than the twenty-questions-in-one-post that triggered the current guideline change. Frankly, FIVE seems like more than plenty per post, but I realize it's silly to require multiple posts on the same topic when questions are closely related, and five (or thereabouts) seems like a reasonable number.

So I do apologize for the error. But I'm not changing the new policy.

I have talked to Gorebash and our two moderators about updating the rules/guidelines on the front page, and that should be done in the next couple days.

ASK GREG angst

I just posted the following on the Station 8 Comment Room Page, and thought I should post it here too:

Just to be clear, there's NO point in being angry with the ASK GREG moderators. They are simply doing what I asked them to do. So be mad at me, not them. And, frankly, please don't be mad at me either. Try to remember that I'm doing the best I can dealing with an increasingly difficult situation.

And by the way, I have said MULTIPLE TIMES, including RIGHT BEFORE we reopened the queue to new questions, that I didn't want more than five questions per post. There's simply no way anyone could have posted any questions in the current queue before I stated this guideline. I'll admit that this is not listed on the rules on the front page - and we should probably update that when Gorebash has the time - but it has been stated by me over and over again. And I have asked people to check the archives before posting, so it seems to me, that this guideline was available. So maybe I should feel more sympathy, but I just don't.

I'll admit one reason I'm getting harsher on this - and feel less sympathetic towards even folks who are attempting (but failing) to obey the rules and guidelines - is as an alternative to something worse. Yes, all this is due to the abuse of the system by some people, and, yes, there's no doubt that all are suffering for the abuse of some. But there are worse alternatives, I would think. As I find myself getting more and more frustrated and more inclined to shut ASK GREG down entirely, I feel like being a bit more draconian about the rules and guidelines is the lesser of two evils.

And I have NOT outlawed the age questions. But I don't want lists of them. It's EXTREMELY time consuming, because I have to look it up, since I don't keep that information in my head. I can't just answer off the cuff in my free time. I get the value of the question, and I've tried to answer them. But someone posting a list of TWENTY characters and asking for ALL their ages is abusing the system, in my opinion. And ultimately, on ASK GREG, everyone needs to get used to the idea that my opinion matters. I don't have to do this. I used to enjoy doing it, and at times I still do. But the whole thing feels like it's gotten out of control, and I begrudge it more and more these days. So unless the goal is to TRY to push me over the edge, i.e. to try to exercise the power of the internet to force me to SHUT the site down, then everyone needs to live with the ups and downs of the thing, even as I am struggling to do the same.

To be clear, I AM not looking for feedback on this post - even positive feedback. Churlish as it may sound, I'm not looking for a bunch of cheerleaders to say "YOU TELL 'EM, GREG!" Because I'm not taking any pleasure in taking this site into an area of more and more rules. I LIKED that we used to have a few simple guidelines, and that otherwise the thing was more free form. It kills me EVERY TIME I have to add to the restrictions. That's not what I ever wanted Ask Greg to be. But I suppose times have changed, and the site has to change with them.

Finaly, I have NO interest in having a "PREVIOUSLY DELETED QUESTIONS" page. Feels like a legal problem just waiting to happen.

But back to the start, please do not take out your ire on the moderators. They're simply doing what I've asked.

SPOILER NASTINESS

Hello,

I've given the ASK GREG moderators permission to DELETE any question that refers to or spoils episodes of Young Justice that have NOT YET AIRED in the United States.

Personally, I think it's bad enough folks are spoiling things FOR THEMSELVES, when they will soon be able to see the episodes in English and at a decent quality within a matter of a few short weeks. (And the blame-Cartoon-Network excuse holds ZERO water for me, as these people are still CHOOSING to view episodes ahead of schedule. No one is holding a gun to their heads.) But the fact that they are spoiling things for folks who are trying NOT to get spoiled is just outrageously obnoxious.

I'd like the ASK GREG queue to be a safe place. I NEED people to be able to read the queue to see if someone ahead of them has already asked the question they're intending to ask. In fact, I've pretty much DEMANDED that people check the queue before asking a question, so forcing them to check something that will spoil their enjoyment of the series is flat out unfair.

Thus the deletions.

And this is all beside the fact that asking a question HERE at ASK GREG to get an explanation of something in an episode that wasn't understood because it was not in English is, well, IDIOTIC. At the length of the current queue, it'll be months before I get to these questions, and the episodes will air here in the U.S. in a matter of weeks. So by the time I get to these questions, the answers will no longer be required - so all that is really being accomplished is that folks have found yet another way to bog down the queue. In fact, this practice is SO idiotic, I'm having trouble believing the questions are being asked with any sincerity. It seems more like a demonstration of power. Trolling, pure and simple.

Either way - whether this is due to naivete or trolling - please just STOP. Please.

ASK GREG is back, MARCH 3, 2012.

So I've finally gotten through the queue. I could definitely feel myself getting cranky again by the end here, so I'm going to take a short break.

Young Justice resumes airing on Saturday, March 3, 2012, and we'll reopen ASK GREG's question/posting function on the same day.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE follow these simple guidelines BEFORE posting.

1. DO NOT REQUEST SPOILERS!! All requests for spoilers will be met with "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT." Prefacing your spoiler request question by saying, "I hope this doesn't trigger a spoiler alert" or the like doesn't help. THINK BEFORE YOU POST. If you're asking me for information about what is TO COME on a show, it's a SPOILER. And I flat out will not answer. So all you're doing is clogging the queue.

2. CHECK THE ARCHIVES to make sure your question hasn't already been answered. Any question already answered will receive an "ASKED AND ANSWERED" response. Again, this only serves to clog the queue.

3. CHECK the UNANSWERED QUESTION queue before posting your question. I may not have answered it yet, but if you can see that someone's already asked the question, then there's no point in asking it again. All you'll receive is another "ASKED AND ANSWERED" response. Really, the amount of times I was asked Zatanna's age was just preposterous. If I'm taking the time to answer your questions, the least you can do is LOOK to see if your question was already asked before posting and clogging the queue.

4. CONSIDER asking your question from knowledgeable fans BEFORE posting it. For example, the folks at http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/ are very familiar with my work and can usually answer stuff much faster than I can.

5. If you are asking multiple questions in one post, please NUMBER your questions. And if you're asking more than, say... ten... then create a separate post.

6. But please, do NOT flood the queue. Show restraint.

7. Please do not submit any original ideas, notions, concepts, or drawings of original characters. No stories, no fanfic, no teleplays, nothing.

8. No original ideas masquerading as questions. Asking me what Demona did during World War II is fine. Asking me if Demona tried to assassinate Hitler during World War II is an idea masquerading as a question and is not all right. I'm sure you can all see the distinction.

9. No requests for employment. If you want to ask generally about how one might break into the business, I'll try to give my perspective, but this is not an appropriate forum for personal pleas for work.

If these guidelines are followed the results benefit us all:

a. The queue doesn't bog down. I'll get to questions faster.

b. I'll be happier, which means I'm more likely to expand on the questions I can answer, instead of being so fed up that I speed through those too, just to bring down the size of the queue.

I know I must sound like a curmudgeon here. AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I AM! (ASK ANYONE!) But you can help reduce my curmudgeonliness by following these guidelines.

Thank you

See you in a week(ish).

ASK GREG & YJ UPDATE

ASK GREG & YJ UPDATE

Gorebash, Todd and I will be opening up Ask Greg for questions and comments again on September 16th, 2011 - i.e. the day that the next new episode of Young Justice airs.

I would, as usual, ask a few favors...

1. Please check the, ASK GREG FAQ, the ASK GREG ARCHIVES AND the questions in the queue ahead of you BEFORE posting. It only slows down the queue for everyone if I get the same question asked over and over again.

2. To save more time, both for you AND for me, consider asking your question FIRST of the knowledgeable fans at the STATION 8 COMMENT ROOM: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/index.php

3. Resist the urge to ask for spoilers. I'm not going to spoil my own show. So asking only slows down the queue.

4. Please be polite. You don't have to like my work, but you should be able to critique it without being rude. And please REFRAIN FROM ASSUMING that your argument is going to be SO convincing that I will admit that my own work sucks. WE LIKE OUR SHOW. You don't have to, but you're not going to convince me that I don't.

YJ UPDATE
FIRST SEASON
101-109 have all aired.
110 was previewed at Comic-Con and will premiere on Cartoon Network on September 16th.
111-119 are also in the can, i.e. totally completed and ready for airing.
120-123 are all in post-production. Today we previewed the music for 120, and spotted the music for 121.
124-126 are still being animated.

SECOND SEASON
201 is shipping to Korea at the end of the week.
202 is in timing.
203 is in storyboard clean-ups.
204 is waiting for board notes.
205-206 are in storyboard.
207 records tomorrow.
208-210 are all in script.
211-220 have been approved into production. Brandon Vietti, Kevin Hopps and myself spent the last week (including Saturday) breaking the last six episodes (one per day). We are pitching the arc of the season to DC, CN and WB this Wednesday. Assuming that goes well, we'll have our first writer's meeting to assign 211-214 on Thursday. I have beatsheets completed on 211-216. Have to write up the beatsheets for 217-220, but I've got all the beats on index cards, so it's just a matter of finding the time to transcribe them into a document.

That's it for now. See you all on the 16th of September!

gdw

SO WHERE HAVE I BEEN? Updates & Debunks

Hello everyone,

Haven't posted here in a while, and since I did a bit of message board lurking this morning, it seems to have led people to believe all sorts of odd things, so...

Where have I been?

Well, in early June, my family and I went to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon.
We saw seven plays in four days. Six of them (Henry IV, Part Two, The Language Archive, To Kill a Mockingbird, Julius Caesar, Love's Labours Lost and Measure for Measure) were just stellar productions. Everyone was great, but I'd like to particularly single out Susannah Flood in both Language Archive and Mockingbird, Dee Maaske in Mockingbird and Michael Winters as Falstaff in 2HenryIV.

Coming back from that, I was understandably swamped and didn't have time to post.

Next, I went to Minneapolis for the always great ConVergence convention. I did about thirteen panels. Some of which, like Gargoyles and Spider-Man and Young Justice, I felt qualified to be on. And some, like Dexter and Galaxy Quest, my only qualification was being a fan of whatever we were talking about. This was my third ConVergence, and it continues to be the best run convention I've ever attended. And now that the Gathering of the Gargoyles is no more, it has become my FAVORITE convention to attend.

Returning from ConVergence, I then got quite ill. In fact, I'm still home sick today. (Home sick as opposed to homesick, clear?)

So THOSE are the reasons I haven't posted. Nothing nefarious.

Next topic: YOUNG JUSTICE UPDATE.

We have aired episodes 101-109 (i.e. Season One, episodes 1-9).

(Yes, episode 110 accidentally was posted on Cartoon Network's website, but I'm going to pretend that never happened.)

Episodes 110-115 are in the can, i.e. they are completed and ready to air.

Episode 116 awaits only the final on-line, i.e. the final review of the episode. This has been delayed ONLY because I've been out sick this week.

Episode 117 will have it's sound mix on Friday. (I hope to be back at work by then.)

Episode 118 has been edited and work progresses on scoring and sound effects.

Episode 119 is ready to begin post-production.

Episodes 120-123 are being animated in Korea.

Episodes 124-126 are in layout in Korea, while we finish the final color models here in the States.

Episodes 201-202 (i.e. Season Two, Episodes one and two) - Are fully recorded and are in storyboard. (201 was written by me. 202 by Nicole Dubuc.)

Episode 203, written by Kevin Hopps, is almost fully recorded. We have one actor left to pick up, who has been out of town. It is also in storyboard.

Episode 204, written by me, will record this week. It is also in storyboard.

Episode 205 - Brandon Vietti, has turned in his draft of the script. I have to read and edit it.

Episode 206 - The outline, written by Peter David and edited by me, went out Monday for notes, which are due tomorrow.

Episode 207 - Kevin Hopps turned in his outline, which I need to read and edit.

Episode 208 - I'm writing this one. I'll start the outline, after I've edited the outline to 207.

Episode 209 - Jon Weisman turned in his outline, which I need to read and edit.

Episode 210 - Kevin Hopps is working on his outline.

We do NOT yet have a pick-up beyond episode 210, but our bosses have told us to start blocking out episodes 211-220 in anticipation of one.

Episode 211 - We've broken this story. I still need to find time to write up the Beat Outline, though I have it all on index cards.

Episode 212 - We've got the basics of this one down, but we (i.e. myself, Brandon and Kevin) still need to finish breaking the story.

Episodes 213-220 - We've got a very clear sense of the arc and what things need to happen, but we haven't started on these yet.

NEXT TOPIC: DEBUNKING YJ RUMORS

False Rumor #1: YJ IS A GREG WEISMAN PRODUCTION
Everywhere on the Internet, all I see is that YJ is Greg Weisman's show. That's just blatantly false. This is a VIETTI/WEISMAN production. Just as Spectacular Spider-Man was a COOK/WEISMAN production and Gargoyles was a PAUR/WEISMAN production. I am not, nor have I ever been, a one-man show on ANY project I've EVER worked on. EVER. And in particular, on YJ, it's extremely unfair to Brandon to leave him out of consideration. Brandon is heavily involved in every aspect of production, INCLUDING SERIES DEVELOPMENT AND STORY. He's been right there with myself and Kevin Hopps breaking every single episode. It's been a team effort from day one. Many of the series' best ideas came/come from Brandon. And this is aside from the fact, that of course, Brandon can write - but I cannot draw, which arguably makes him MORE important to the production than I. I am exceedingly proud of this series and my own work on it - though certain very vocal fans seem to think I shouldn't be - but that doesn't change the fact that Brandon and I are a team.

False Rumor #2: YJ WAS RUSHED INTO PRODUCTION
Another blatant misconception. Look, Brandon and I are both perfectionists. Neither of us would deny that we'd LOVE to have more time on each and every episode. But that's not the same as being rushed. Let's make a comparison: on Spectacular Spider-Man, I basically had one week to develop both the series and the entire first season. Then Vic Cook came aboard, and we raced to get into production in less than two months. Brandon and I had seven months to develop the series, break the first season (which granted had twice as many episodes as the first season of Spidey) and head into production. The show isn't and never has been rushed. That's not to say the schedule isn't tight. But we haven't aired a single episode that wasn't ready to air. And we won't.

False Rumor #3: YJ ISN'T AIRING NOW BECAUSE WE'RE REWORKING EPISODES BASED ON INTERNET CRITICISM
This is my favorite. I love it the most because the first person I saw who posted this rumor also said that I'd deny it. So here I am denying it, which of course serves to PROVE that he or she was correct, see? Let's be clear: for better or worse, this series is COMPLETELY unaffected by internet criticism BECAUSE of schedule. Everything of any significance was set and DONE before even the pilot movie aired last November, so we couldn't address fan concerns even if we wanted to. And, honestly, we don't want to. We don't in part because there is way less consensus than some people seem to think. For example, for every post I see expressing hatred for "Hello, Megan!", I see a post that likes it. And personally, I like it. Brandon likes it. So why would we change it, even if we could? In fact, even Season Two is moving forward more or less disregarding "fan" criticism. Brandon and I always had very clear ideas for what we wanted to do in Season Two (and even Season Three, should we get one) and those ideas haven't changed. As with every series I've co-helmed, all we can ever do is write and produce to OUR OWN passions - and then just cross our fingers and hope enough people share our passions to make it a success. Anything else is doomed to failure, because if we're not passionate about it, it'll show in the work, and then no one will like it. And just to make it clear: WE LIKE OUR SHOW!! Doesn't mean you have to - but don't try to tell me I don't.

So why aren't we airing new episodes now? That's a fair question that I don't have an answer for. After all, we have six unaired episodes in the can, with four more on the verge of completion. It's a Cartoon Network decision. Some fans have argued that they shouldn't have started airing ANY episodes until ALL episodes were in the can. But that too is a decision above my pay grade.

My best guess - and that's all it is - is that CN will air new episodes - starting with 110 ("Targets") - in September. The good news is that the later they wait, the more weeks they can go uninterrupted by reruns. I do know that Season Two (i.e. "Young Justice: Invasion") will begin airing as part of DC NATION in March of 2012. And by then ALL of Season One will have aired. So do the math.

People have asked me if I'm bummed about losing momentum by this delay. But the thing is we've ALREADY lost all momentum. So as long as they PROMOTE us whenever they finally do start airing us again, then pragmatically I'm good. Yes, I'll admit to a certain level of frustration in that I want our stuff to get out there, but if CN has a plan to make the most of the episodes, then more power to them.

Anyway, I think that's it for now. I'll get back to answering questions on ASK GREG as soon as I can find the time. (But keep in mind that San Diego Comic-Con is fast approaching. Note: Young Justice has a panel scheduled for Sunday, July 24th at 10am, with a signing to follow. I'll also be signing Gargoyles comics (and whatever else anyone might want) at the SLG Booth from 11:30am to 12:30pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (July 21, 22, 23).

GargWiki

We're back, baby!

That's right. The official GargWiki has been down for quite some time with server issues. But Gorebash, our host here at Station 8 has provided a new home for us. So check out: http://gargwiki.net/Main_Page

Most of what you might want to ask me (and thus needlessly crowd the queue here at ASK GREG) about Gargoyles is already easily available in this very smart-looking and user-friendly wiki.

I myself participate in keeping it honest and utilize it as a resource all the time.

Again, that's:

http://gargwiki.net/Main_Page

Worth the look.

ASK GREG

Finally, a word about Ask Greg.

I've asked Gorebash to shut down the question asking function until either (a) I catch up with the huge backlog of questions currently in the queue or (b) we have a new episode airing (whichever comes FIRST).

In the meantime, I'm going to try as usual to wade through the backlog. I'll admit, the questions lately have made me a bit cranky, and I want to avoid that, so I'm breaking down three categories of questions that get on my nerves and will from now on ONLY receive stock answers, both to keep me sane and to speed up the process.

1. Questions that have been asked before are really bogging down the queue. It would be MUCH appreciated if folks would follow the guidelines before posting and try (1) checking the Ask Greg Archives to see if their question has already been answered, (2) check the unanswered questions already in the queue to see if the question has been asked already and will get answered before I get to theirs and (3) try asking the question in the Station 8 Comment Room (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/). The fans there are VERY knowledgeable and may be able to get you an answer LONG before I reach your question. Any question that falls into this category will simply be answered with the following: "ASKED AND ANSWERED."

2. Questions that ask me to SPOIL my own show are exasperating. As I've said over and over, I'm just NOT going to do that. Why would I? Even obvious stuff can't be addressed, because if I acknowledge anything, the stuff I don't comment on is spoiled by default. So please, please, please refrain. Any question that falls into this category will simply be answered: "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT."

3. Finally, I have NO problem with people commenting on the series. And I get that not everyone is going to like everything (or even anything) that they see. But for some posters, commenting doesn't seem to satisfy. Instead, they phrase their comments in the form of a question, and in essence CHALLENGE me to acknowledge how right they are about their criticisms of the program. But here's the thing... you do NOT have to agree with me, but aside from a few objective mistakes that I'm ALWAYS willing to acknowledge (e.g.. the incorrect timestamps), you have to understand that if Brandon and I put something in the series, the odds are WE LIKE IT. YOU are NOT going to convince ME that, for example, "Hello, Megan!" or Robin's laugh or Superman's response to Superboy or Wally's flirting is bad for the show. Feel free to tell me you don't care for these (or other) things, but stop phrasing these COMMENTS as questions or challenges. It grates. Any question that falls into this category will simply be answered: "WE LIKE OUR SHOW."

Now, I realize that all of the above sounds fairly negative, but that's not the intent. In fact, the intent is to get any and all negativity out of the way HERE, so that the rest of Ask Greg becomes more manageable and pleasant for myself and all of you. I hope that makes sense.

ALL CAUGHT UP

Hey gang,

I'm finally all caught up on the ASK GREG queue. Gonna take a short break, but we'll open the queue again on September 27th, 2010 in preparation for the release of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse which also contains the DC Showcase Green Arrow short that I wrote.

As always, I urge you guys NOT to flood ASK GREG with questions. Check the archives. Check the FAQs. Ask questions of the loyal fans in the Station 8 comment room.

AND, please, THINK BEFORE YOU POST. I am NOT, for example, going to SPOIL "Young Justice" before it airs. I'm not going to SPOIL "Gargoyles" either since I still have hopes of bringing that back. I'm not even going to "SPOIL" Spectacular Spider-Man, because I don't see any real point in revealing future plans and ideas independent of their execution.

Happy to talk process. Happy to talk about what's ALREADY aired or been published. Happy to talk about Mecha-Nation and many other things. But. NOT. GONNA. SPOIL.

Thanks,

gdw

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2010 and ASK GREG

Hey gang,

Well, I've finally caught up with the backlog here at ASK GREG. I'm going to take a short Ask Greg vacation, and then we'll be reopening the site soon... i.e. on the Monday (July 26th) AFTER San Diego Comic-Con 2010.

As always, I ask that before you post a question you do your best to make sure it's not a question that's been answered in the archives already AND that it's not a question that someone posted just before you. You can also try asking your question first in the Station 8 Comment Room, as the fans know a LOT of answers already.

We're just trying to avoid flooding the site with so many questions, that I'm immediately backlogged again.

Meanwhile, I will be at Comic-Con next week. Subject to change, here's my current schedule:

THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2010
10 - 11:30am - Mecha-Nation signing at the Kizoic Booth. (We'll be premiering the first issue.)

FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2010
10:30-11:30 am - Brave and the Bold/Young Justice Panel. (We'll be premiering our first Young Justice footage in a mini-panel jam-packed with revelations!)

2 - 4 pm -Mecha-Nation signing at the Kizoic Booth.

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010
11:30am - 1pm - Gargoyles signing at the SLG Booth.

3 - 4 pm - DC Showcase panel. (We'll be previewing some footage from the Green Arrow DVD short that I wrote.)

5:30 - 6:30pm - DC Showcase signing. (Location TBD).

SUNDAY, JULY 25, 2010
10-11am - Mecha-Nation signing at the Kizoic Booth.

11am - 12:30pm - Gargoyles signing at the SLG Booth.

Please stop by and say hello!

Reopening Ask Greg/Amazing Spider-Man 622

Hey gang,

It caught me off guard, but it seems my issue of The Amazing Spider-Man (i.e. #622) is out. So I've asked Gorebash to open Ask Greg to allow comments and questions about it. Normally, we wouldn't reopen this soon, given that I still am about 200 questions behind -- so don't assume it'll stay open long -- but I figured I should give you all the opportunity.

FAIR WARNING

ASK GREG's question-asking function will temporarily go off line at the end of November to allow me to catch up on the over 400 question backlog.

ASK GREG is back, MARCH 23, 2009.

Ask Greg will once again open for question submission on March 23, 2009, which is coincidentally the date of The Spectacular Spider-Man's premiere on DisneyXD. (Okay, so maybe it's not exactly a coincidence.)

I would ask -- even beg -- that you carefully read the submission guidelines before posting here. In particular, PLEASE check the archives and the questions-already-asked sections before posting a question that's already been asked and/or asked AND answered. Try to avoid FLOODING Ask Greg, as it will only serve to slow down my ability to respond in a timely fashion. As always, comments are encouraged and appreciated... on Spidey or Gargs or whatever.

Thanks in advance...

UNSOLICITED SUBMISSION

To the person who sent Gargoyle story ideas to my house...

1. Okay, first, I don't know how the hell you got my home address, but I'll say it was VERY disconcerting to be receiving unsolicited materials there. Please do NOT do this again. I ask everyone NOT to search out my personal information. I don't post them for a reason. I know in this day and age it's not that hard to find, but why look? Just to creep me out and make me regret being as open as I am with fans?

2. As soon as I realized what I had in my hand, I put it through the shredder without reading it. This is nothing personal. I do NOT read fanfiction or look at original ideas based on Gargoyles or any other properties I may be involved in. I have my own ideas -- tons of them; I don't need yours. But the main reason is to protect myself from lawsuits. You send me an idea. I don't use it, don' t even read it, but later something similar appears in the comic and you think I've ripped you off and you sue. The ONLY protection I can have against something like that is to have a BLANKET policy NEVER to read this stuff. As long as EVERYONE knows I NEVER read this stuff, if it came to court, I have some measure of safety.

So please, for both the above reasons, DO NOT DO THIS AGAIN!! And for anyone else considering this approach -- and/or thinking I've just given them a great idea... CONSIDER AND THINK AGAIN!! Obey the ASK GREG rules and please keep the correspondence ON ASK GREG where it belongs.

Thank you,

GREG

DONE... for now...

Wow. They said it couldn't be done! But I did it! I caught up!!!!!

The ASK GREG queue is empty! I'm going to take a week or so off. Then we will open the queue again in time for the release of issue #3 of the Gargoyles comic book on March 28th. How long we leave it open will depend on how quickly the site floods.

I'll talk about this more when we open, but please question responsibly.

CHRONOLOGY REVISED

CHRONOLOGY REVISED

In the wake of completing the script to issue #3 of the comic book, I decided to take a careful look at my Gargoyles Timeline.

I wound up doing a whole new draft of the document. (It's now 249 pages long.) I actually incorporated some corrections suggested here at ASK GREG by folks like Aris and Matt and Todd and Kathy. Aris, as a few of you may recall, pointed out an error in my math, that shifted Angela's hatching back to 1058 from 1078. So I fixed that.

Other things have changed as well. BUT NOTHING CANON HAS CHANGED, i.e. nothing has changed from the first 65 episodes of the T.V. series or the first issue of the comic (or the second or third either, frankly -- though you guys haven't seen them yet). Even "The Last" (Team Atlantis episode featuring Demona and on view at Gatherings) is still holding its own. And I didn't change anything just for the sake of changing things -- not even to surprise you despite the spoilers I've already given out.

But some things have changed. So old info currently in the Archives at Ask Greg may or may not be dead on accurate now. But I think the biggest change is that 1058 thing. So nothing too major, change-wise. Lots of new stuff added. Hopefully fun stuff.

Just thought I should let you know.

BACK IN BUSINESS... briefly

Happy New Year!

Gorebash, Todd and I are briefly opening the submit function here at ASK GREG. I plan on posting some ramblings soon on "The Gathering, Part One" and "The Gathering, Part Two" and "Vendettas". And I'd love to get your rambles on those episodes as well.

More than that, I'd like to get your response to the new DVD that came out last month.

I also don't mind getting a few legit new questions, but PLEASE... be reasonable. As of now, I'm still nearly two years behind in answering questions. Gore is planning a major retrofit of the site, but until then, it doesn't help to flood ASK GREG with questions that have already been answered or that could be answered much more rapidly in the comment room.

We'll be closing the submit function down at the end of January, 2006. (I don't want to get too much further behind.)

Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you about that DVD,

Greg

REBORN!!

As I'm sure many of you have noticed, Gorebash has rebooted ASK GREG in a major way. It's still a work in progress, so feel free (politely) to offer your input to Gore.

But don't forget to thank him as well for his hard, hard work.

Thanks, Gore! It's very much appreciated.

Gregs

Announcement for August...

Hey gang,

Just wanted to let everyone know that Gorebash, Todd & I will be re-opening the Question Submission function for the month of August 2004.

Gore is working on revising the whole site. We're not 100% sure that the new version will be ready by then, but either way, you'll be able to submit questions and rambles from August 1st to August 31st.

I'm going to ask (and pray) that people NOT post frivolously. I'm still over two years behind on answering questions. Try and do your homework just a bit before posting a question. Check the Archives or at least the FAQ. Heck, it wouldn't hurt to pre-post your question at the Station 8 Comment Room. Give your fellow fans a chance to direct you to the answer, before you post it for me. Keep in mind that it will take me a LONG time to get to your questions, so if you can get them answered another way, it'll be MUCH FASTER for all concerned.

But with that caveat in mind, I'm very pleased to be reopening the site to you, if only for one month. In particular, I'm anxious to get as many GATHERING 2004 DIARIES as possible. Seriously, we have close to 200 people attending this year, and my goal is to get at least 100 diaries posted at ASK GREG as an historical record. So please, that's one kind of post that I'm really looking forward to. So don't hesitate.

Thanks,

Greg

Heading out of town...

I'll be out of town tomorrow and all next week.

No internet access while I'm gone, so I'll be back here at ASK GREG on 2/23/04.

Have a great Valentine's Day,

Greg

GATHERING 2003 JOURNAL - Or how I spent my summer vacation...

Before I start, I just want to say...

1. I had a blast. Thank you, everyone for another phenomenal and memorable event in my life.

2. Now that the posting function here at ASK GREG has been re-awakened, I'd like to ask everyone who attended the Gathering to post their Gathering journals/diaries/logs here at ASK GREG. If you've got them posted elsewhere, please cut and paste them here. (Do not provide a link.) One, I'd like to read them eventually. And I even think it'll be kind of fun to be reading them months from now. I'll be nostalgic. Two, I think we should have a record here for con virgins and other newbies about just how much fun the Gathering can be. Thanks, in advance.

3. As I'm going through my journal, I'm flat out bound to forget some things and even some people. I apologize in advance. There are so many names and faces, it sometimes takes me a year or two to process people (just ask Spacebabie).

4. I'm not just going to post about the Gathering (i.e. about June 27-29th). My vacation started on June 20th and didn't end until yesterday, July 6th. So I'm going to post everything Gathering related that took place over that period. Hopefully in chunks.

5. I won't be answering any more questions until I get this done, but I'm hoping to have it done by the end of the week.

6. I'm also hoping to getting back to rambling about episodes -- about one ep a week, starting next week or the week after. That's the plan, anyway.

7. And again. Wow. Thank you all.