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simone writes...

Do you think if I call cartoon network on a regular and complain about how unfair they are for taking down YJ before we was able to have a 3rd/4th/5th season but yet they have all these other shows like bakugan still coming on.? Im not trying to down play them but seriously. ?! Why that play all the time but yet there is never a rerun of YJ .?? It came on on Saturday and Sunday morning. ..that's it.! I wouldn't blame the ratings if its so low.. who really wakes up at 8 or 9 to watch that show (could have came on at 10, not sure since it been so long) unless they know it was going to play that time.?

And that's another thing.. how is anybody suppose to know is there was gonna be another season if y'all don't advertise it.? I realized that y'all didn't do that for the 2nd season or if you was gonna have one (unless I looked it up on Google or something). There was times were I didn't know if a show was coming on that Saturday morning and I would have woke up for nothing ... just upset and sad.. I think that's another reason why y'all did not have that many ratings... we never really knew when it would come on unless we look it up. Please answer ... I really wanna know

Greg responds...

I've lost track of exactly what question you "really wanna know" the answer for. So I'll try to comment on what I can.

I think we can all agree that the series didn't receive as much promotion as we might have liked. Frankly, no show I've ever worked on has ever received as much promotion as I would have liked. None. (Although Star Wars Rebels may be the exception. Lucasfilm has quite the machine up and running to create buzz.) That's just the way things go in a business where promoting an animated series is an additional expense that most networks have decided they can't afford.

Whether you like Bakugan or not, keep in mind it's an acquisition, not an original series. It's considerably cheaper because the U.S. network doesn't have to pay for production, only for a license fee to air it in America.

Calling CN to complain daily does NOT sound like a good plan. Imagine if someone did that to you?

Response recorded on May 09, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

hi greg quick question ive just watched justice league war and I noticed some of the characters (T.O. Morrow Dr. Serling Roquette) have a striking resemblance to your own in young justice designs, his has also happened in the past in flashpoint paradox with kaldur, garath and tula.

so my question is

1) Do Dc just take your staffs work/designs since they own the characters or is it stored on some archive other projects can have access to.

2) also do you get some say in the matter? or compensation for the use of your work?

3) since dc seems to like copying your work so much why are they so reluctant to do a direct to dvd film to finish of young justice?

I hope you are allowed to answer and thank you in advance if you do

Greg responds...

1. I really don't know the answer, but I have a question: isn't Phil Bourassa the character designer on all these projects? If so, maybe it's Phil himself who is borrowing from himself or simply that what he's doing is similar for both.

2. It's not MY work. I can't draw stick figures with any competency. And, no, no say. Not that I need say.

3. Apples and oranges. One thing has nothing to do with another.

Response recorded on May 07, 2014

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Jackson writes...

1. Have you seen the Disney movies Tangled or Frozen?

2. If so, what did you think of them, and how do you think they compare to the other Disney movies?

Greg responds...

1. Yes and yes.

2. I enjoyed both but neither moved me as much as some of the older films did. I still like 101 Dalmations, Great Mouse Detective, Little Mermaid and Aladdin more. I do wonder if I find CGI distancing in a way that I don't find traditional cell animation. That seems ridiculous. And the odds are what I'm really responding to is not the type of animation but the script. But I do wonder.

Response recorded on May 01, 2014

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Algernon writes...

I know you've said before that you've never read any Lovecraft. But I wonder if you've ever tried any of Robert E. Howard's works or Robert W. Chambers' "King in Yellow" stories. And if so, what did you think of them?

Greg responds...

Long ago, I read a few of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. (And I read many of Marvel's Conan and Kull and Red Sonja comics.)

I remember liking Howard enough, but clearly not enough to keep reading.

I've never read Chambers.

I have seen True Detective.

Response recorded on May 01, 2014

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Blizzard Sprite writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman.

I hope you had a Happy New Year. Here is to 2014 being a year of prosperity and success. I had questions about some lesser known book series.

1. Have you ever read a series of books known collectively as Everworld? They were a set of twelve books written by the author K.A. Applegate and published between 1999 and 2001. If so, did you enjoy reading them and being immersed in the story?

2. Have you ever read a series of books known collectively as Spooksville? They were a set of twenty-four books written by author Christopher Pike and published between 1995 and 1999. If so, did you think they were a good read?

a. Have you seen the television series based off of the Spooksville book series? If so, what is your opinion about the program? And if you have read the books, do you think that they adhere closely to the material in the books or go in a different direction?

Thank you for your time.

Greg responds...

1. Nope.

2. Nope. (Is that Christopher Pike the former Captain of the Enterprise?!)

2a. I haven't seen the TV series either, I'm afraid. But my buddy Jim Krieg and many more of my favorite writers have worked on it. So I'm betting it's great!

Response recorded on April 30, 2014

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Uehara writes...

Have you watched Neon Genesis Evangelion? I was just struck by a lot of similarities Superboy had to the Clone Rei Ayanami, the white outfit, the alien/human hybrid, labeled inferior by others because of his clone status, the manipulation by a equivalent of a father figure to further his goals and the moon motif. But I'm pretty sure Lex still is a better father figure than Gendo Ikari.

Greg responds...

I think I saw the first episode back in the late nineties when I was working at DreamWorks. My memories are extremely vague. If it had any influence on Young Justice and/or Superboy, it would have to be entirely subconscious on my end. Can't speak for other members of the YJ crew, of course.

Response recorded on April 30, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

As a writer, what, in your opinion, is the reason that every child born to a major character in DC comics is killed-off, ret-conned into having different parents or out of existance entirly, or aged?
Think about it. Aquaman's son...dead. Wonder Woman's daugher...ret-conned to not even be hers. Batman's daughter...ret-coned out (albeit braught back, but now from a different reality). Batman's son...killed by his own clone. Arsenal's daughter, who had the potential to become a great character someday...dead. Flash(Wally)'s twins...first dead, then aged. And the list goes on.
Is it supposed to be common practice among comic writers so that they can maintain a static universe where the hero doesn't age over the years & a baby would force the story into progressing?
The main reason I quit reading comics is because it seemed that as soon as any characer was even beginning to progress, a new writer would come along and revert everything back to when they were a fan, including ignoring or killing off any other character that wasnt there back then, including children.

Greg responds...

I think you've basically answered your own question.

One additional factor: I know "writing" a baby or even a toddler or young child is tough. (Teens are relatively easy by comparison.) And weighing a character down with a child who is too young to fend for his or herself is always a challenge. The alternative of giving the lead a spouse or co-parent to help out, creates an entire family unit that imposes additional challenges for the lone wolf superhero archetype to overcome - once you've gotten past the endless "My family is in danger" stuff. So it's a writerly challenge, as well.

Now, that kind of content interests me tremendously. But when faced with pressure to keep heroes static and angsty and troubled, and couple that with the inherent difficulties of writing the character with ongoing familial relationships - and as you noted, the feeling that a new writer or editor might have that they want a shot at writing the character in his or her pristine, unencumbered form, and you can see why the trend exists.

But personally, it's a trend I despair of.

Response recorded on April 25, 2014

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Soraya writes...

Hi! Hope all is well and that Rain of Ghosts is selling well (I'm reading it on my tablet and it's awesome so far!) anyways a question I've wanted to ask for a while now was is the title for The Usual Suspects in season one of Young Justice in reference to the movie?

Thank you!

Greg responds...

If you mean Casablanca, yes. If you mean The Usual Suspects, not really, though of course THAT is also a reference to Casablanca.

Glad you're enjoying Rain. Hopefully now, you're done and have written a review on Amazon? Huh? Huh? ;)

Response recorded on April 02, 2014

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btgr writes...

Something I just want to let you know:

Ever since I've watched the Disney movie Frozen, I can never take any DC Comics ice villains seriously anymore. It's all because of the constant use of ice puns.

Greg responds...

Careful, an Ice Pun can knock you out at twenty paces.

CTD

Response recorded on April 01, 2014

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Harlan Phoenix writes...

I have a few questions about some of your unmade projects that've been mentioned in passing. Hopefully you'll be at liberty to discuss these, but I'd understand if not.

1. On a panel about developing television animation, you'd mentioned that your and Brandon Vietti's Green Lantern development "didn't even have the same lead [character]" as Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Though I'm very happy with how that show turned out, as it was left in very capable hands, I'm curious. Who was the lead in your Green Lantern development?

2. I was also surprised to hear you'd worked on a Space Ghost, as he's my favorite superhero. Though it didn't seem like you developed it for long, what was the general tone you and Vietti were pushing toward with that series?

2b.What was the cast like?

3. You mention working on a Thundercats reboot here (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=14819). Was it the infamous "rock band" development of the series, or a different one entirely?

4. At Dreamworks, you'd developed Small Soldiers: The Animated Series. Was the show meant to be a series about the continuing battle between the toys or was it going to be a show that used the mythology behind the toys (the battle between the Gorgonites and the Commando Elite) as the basis for its stories?

Greg responds...

1. Charlie Vickers. Though pretty much every Earth Lantern you can think of would have gotten in there eventually. (Plus a lot of extra-terrestrial Lanterns, as well.) Hal would have had a prominent role in the pilot.

2. Space Ghost is also a favorite of mine. General tone: action, mystery, fun. Lots of HB action characters, including another of my personal favorites: the Herculoids.

3. So long ago... Might have been a rock band though my one episode didn't feature that as an element. It was for Duane Capizzi, if that helps narrow it down.

4. Even LONGER ago. But both, I think.

Response recorded on March 21, 2014

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Diversity

Diversity in pop culture has always been an issue that concerns me greatly. I've tried to do my share to increase diversity on series like Gargoyles, W.I.T.C.H., The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice.

Now, that I've entered the world of publishing, my sister Robyn brought this article to my attention:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/where-are-the-people-of-color-in-childrens-books.html?referrer=

The article asks valid questions, and - yes, to toot my own horn - I'm going to provide at least a piece of the answer with my new books, Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam. Both feature protagonists of color. Rain Cacique is Native American, as is her grandfather Sebastian Bohique. Her best friends are Charlie Dauphin, who's African American and Miranda Guerrero, who is Hispanic-American. Many - if not most - of the other characters are also of color. This reflects the Caribbean setting of the novels, i.e. the fictional Ghost Keys and the actual mythology of that region.

The books are available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Ghosts-Greg-Weisman/dp/1250029791

and here:

http://www.amazon.com/Spirits-Ash-Foam-Ghosts-Novel/dp/1250029821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379977280&sr=8-1&keywords=spirits+of+ash+and+foam+a+rain+of+the+ghosts+novel+by+greg+weisman

I urge you to check them out, and to suggest them at schools and libraries.


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Kenny McCormick writes...

Thoughts about Black Spider-Man? Heard anything about him?

Greg responds...

It's all about execution, which I have not seen. So no, no thoughts.

Response recorded on March 13, 2014

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Michael Chabon knows Gargoyles

So in my car, I've been listening to the audio book of Michael Chabon's novel: TELEGRAPH AVENUE, read by the amazing Clarke Peters (of THE WIRE and TREME). I'm a little over halfway through the book, which is set (largely) in a used record store in Oakland in 2008 and revolves around a diverse cast of characters. It's full of all sorts of pop cutlure references, but I was still pretty stunned when suddenly the narrator starts talking about GARGOYLES. Not generic gargoyles, but our GARGOYLES televsion series.

I was going to try to cut and paste the section here, but Amazon won't allow that. So you can check it out yourself here: http://www.amazon.com/Telegraph-Avenue-Novel-Michael-Chabon/dp/006149335X/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=09RDPEC6XPYS8K9E3CQR

Or better yet, buy the book. I haven't finished listening to it yet, but so far it's definitely worth the price of admission.

The GARGOYLES' references begin on or about p. 293. (At least on the Amazon Look Inside function.) It's all pretty cool, and very specific. Though Keith David isn't mentioned by name, Goliath is, and his amazing voice is referenced, along with Goliath's backstory, etc. The character seems to have been part of a significant moment in the life of Julie Jaffe, one of the many protagonists of Chabon's book.

Chabon's written many books, including two particular favorites of mine: THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY and THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION. So the fact that our little series registers with him is fairly gratifying.


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Anthony Tini writes...

[Dexter Spoilers]

Well Dexter is over and I was very disappointed with the ending. If the series had ended with Dexter driving into the storm, then I would have been fine, but the whole lumberjack scene and the final season, in general, was horrible. I thought the characters acted very out of character. Of course there were exceptions to the rule and I thought Charlotte Rampling did a great job as Evelyn Vogel. Unfortunately, the story/writing was too convoluted for me to really enjoy her character but her acting was some of the best the show has ever seen.

In my opinion, this season didn't do anything to add to the overall story of Dexter, but I can't put all the blame on it. The show hasn't been up to the same caliber it once was. I really loved the first four seasons, but the last four didn't do the show justice. Sadly, it won't be a series I will recommend to anyone.

What did you think of the final season? What are your thoughts of the series as a whole?

Greg responds...

[Dexter Spoilers]

Personally, I enjoyed every season of Dexter to one degree or another, even this last one. It's hard to top the first season and the Lithgow season, of course, but I don't think that any of the other seasons were bad or even weak - except relative to those two stellar seasons.

There was a lot of great stuff in the final season, I thought, but it was highly flawed. And the last episode was, I agree, extremely disappointing. (And the fact that Breaking Bad's last episode was brilliant and perfect, didn't help poor Dexter in comparison.)

The main problem in the last season was the Brain Surgeon. There was good build-up, but he wound up being very uninteresting. Charlotte Rampling was great, as you noted, but her son wound up being bland. And bland is just no good for a series finale.

I also had a huge problem - not so much with Deb's death (though it did seem like too easy an out to me), but with the fairly ridiculous conclusions that Dexter drew from it, and the choices he made following it. Dexter had grown as a person through the seasons, so the backsliding at the end was horribly anti-climactic.

And there were other disappointments too. I had for years felt certain that the original showrunners were building toward the major revelation that Harry was Dexter's biological father. And that Dexter's brother was in fact his half-brother - and that Deb was his half-sister. Even now, I find it impossible to believe that that was not the original plan. So for me, the fact that that thread never played out was infuriating.

But again, I liked Dexter from the first episode to the second to last episode. And I would recommend the series to anyone who likes that sort of thing.

Response recorded on February 21, 2014

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Harlan Phoenix writes...

The Wizard of Oz references in Gargoyles are among my favorites when it comes to your various literary sources. My all time favorite literary allusion in Gargoyles comes from issues 3-5 of Clan Building, where Lexington's "post-modern Tin Man" is the very cyborg visage he possessed when losing his heart in the Future Tense scenario.

Given that the original book is in the public domain, was there any thought ever given to how the events of the Wizard of Oz related to the Gargoyles Universe?

Greg responds...

Like Frankenstein, I mostly thought in terms of references, rather than working the story into actual continuity. But you never know...

Response recorded on February 21, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

I know you said before that the New 52 has no effect on what goes on with "Young Justice," and to be honest confuses me still. I mean if the events of "Flashpoint" changes the entire history of the mainstream DC universe, then wouldn't that create some kind of domino effect that affects all other parallel Earths (including Earth-16) in some way or another, no matter how big or small that change could be? I mean, isn't the DC multiverse considered to be like a pyramid or a tree and the mainstream DC universe (Prime Earth) is the one that hold it all together in place?

Greg responds...

Oh, I see what you're asking. But I don't know how to answer THAT. Previously, I was asked whether the New 52 altered the production of YJ and/or influenced the creative choices we made, and it did not - because we were way too far along in production by the time we even knew the New 52 was coming, let alone by the time we had potential access to any of its creative content.

What it means IN-MULTIVERSE is a question that I guess you'd have to ask the folks at DC.

In my mind, it changed nothing. I would think that Earth-16 is still Earth-16, as Brandon and I envisioned it. But then again, I haven't had the chance to read Flashpoint, and the only New 52 issue I've read is the first issue of Justice League, so I'm very far from being an expert on the subject.

Response recorded on January 31, 2014

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A fan from far away writes...

Hi Greg!
I'm a huge fan girl of YJ from Singapore. I really love your show and hope to see more seasons if possible.
My favorite character in the show is Artemis, she really struck me in season 1 and her tenure as Tigress in Season 2 was really impressive. So I would like to ask a few questions about her.
1) What served as your inspiration for creating her?
2) Are any of her character traits inspired by strong female characters from other sources? Cos I noticed that she was rather similar to some of my other favorite ladies, such as Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games, Eponine from Les Miserables, Mulan, Ravager (Deathstroke's daughter), to name a few.
3) How abusive was Sportsmaster? Cos I figured he had to be pretty bad to his girls for Jade to pack up and abandon her younger sister.
4) Unrelated but... Will YJ be translated into Chinese? I'm ethnic Chinese and I would love to know their Chinese names.
Thanks for looking through my queries, though they may have been answered. Thank you for giving us fans a really wonderful show while it lasted!

Greg responds...

1. The DC Comics character.

2. Well, I'm not familiar with Katniss. I mean, obviously, I've heard of her, but I haven't read the books or seen the movies. I'm only passingly familiar with Ravager, though we had plans for her in YJ, given enough seasons. I would have done more research on her before bringing her in, of course. I don't really see much Mulan in Artemis, other than the fairly generic notion of a woman in combat. So that just leaves Eponine. And I can indeed see a bit of Eponine in Artemis. But if so, I wasn't conscious of the influence at the time.

3. He was emotionally and verbally abusive. He was not sexually abusive. It's debatable whether or not you'd consider him physically abusive. He didn't beat them. But he did endless combat drills with them, and they took punishment from him. Given that he was a full-grown man and they were young girls, it's absolutely fair to say he was physically abusive.

4. No idea.

Response recorded on January 30, 2014

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Laura 'as astra' Sack writes...

And now for something completely different...
You mentioned you wrote a few episodes of Octonauts. My daughter loves that show. (Catchy tune… and who would have thought there was such a thing as a blob fish?) As far as I noticed the credits only list the head writer.

1. Which episodes did you pen?
2. Did they by chance explain what exactly Turnip and kitchen crew are?
3. On a less frivolous note-
I was thinking about shows like Octonauts or Doc McStuffins or Dora or Little Einsteins or etc, the shows aimed young, as opposed to the shows my kids think are on screen for them but are really for Mommy, like the action plot shows, or the crazy clever ones like Phinias and Ferb. Ironically, a lot of the little kid shows are in a way more realistic because they center on smaller things- "3 simple steps to tying your shoe" or being worried how your old and new friends will get along at your first big sleepover party. The fact that a panda is teaching you to tie that shoe, or you are now a princess in a castle and that's why you have old and new friends to invite to the castle is not something that needs particular explanation. And without having to explain those things you can leave the world gentle.

As you get older you require a setting to make the fantastic events explainable. You can cling to a wall? Radioactive spider! You put on a suit and fight crime from the shadows? You're a rich orphan with a mission to protect the world from suffering as you did! You're a giant scary looking flying 'monster' with the soul of a poet wandering around Manhattan? You a magically time lost nearly lone survivor of a horrible betrayal of a near extinct species! (And you can only glide, not fly!) In order to explain why your heroes act as they do, whole worlds are dreamt up in which the hero's action is logical. The fantastical setting makes the actions in them realistic or at least self-consistent. A side effect of that is to introduce a dark element into the world- parental units are murdered, crime or war is at the door, etc

Which leads me to the dilemma: When, in your opinion, do you begin to transition a small child from the world of Octonauts to the world of Young Justice? (Transition isn't the best word, since you can go on watching the old stuff.) It's not a question of comprehension. Kids can understand an awful lot. The question is; when do you make your child's world less gentle? When my eldest saw the TiVo grabbed an episode of Batman she wanted to watch it. With my luck it's the episode with the amnesia girl who turns out to have started out as a piece of Clayface. Great episode. It ends when she rescues Robin and gets reabsorbed. The show explicitly calls it a murder. Then I got to explain how it is murder, what is murder, to a 3 or 4 year old. What fun! I look forward to watching Gargoyles with her, but not it being her introduction to what a massacre is. ("Well it's just like what happened to your great grandparents...") It's not that you plan on sheltering forever, but small children deserve to be sheltered, and sometimes parents are better as the zone of shelter rather than source of disturbing imagery.

Yes, there is another set of cartoons that avoid the dilemma- she loves Tom & Jerry. But frankly, I can say- 'Wow you could really hurt someone if you did that in real life- but isn't it funny when it's fake? Isn't it funny how everyone overreacts!" And then I'm done. Watching Tom getting hit in the face by a rake doesn't make her life less gentle. Explaining why Tye Longfeather left home would.

There are parallels as kids get older. Harry Potter is age appropriate to whatever age Harry is in the book. So you give an 11 year old book 1. If your 11 year old is a reader he or she will want to tear through the series and might be at the last book before turning 12. The last book is appropriate for a 17 year old. Or as my friend complained that it is frustrating to have so many comics she can't share with her 13 year old - it's not that he isn't going to be reading things with mild sexual imagery, (or not so mild; she was considering starting reading Saga), but maybe it's best he not get it directly from mom. She knows he'd love Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, but he doesn't want to start the series only to stop before the 4th book with the aerial sex scene.

At least I only have to worry about it once : The younger one will see everything too early over her sister's shoulder :}

I guess this isn't so much a question as a ramble, but I was wondering your thoughts on the matter.

Greg responds...

1. My episodes haven't aired yet.

2. They seem to go out of their way NOT to explain. ;)

3. I may not be the right guy to ask. My kids grew up on Simpsons in utero. I remember watching Dexter with my 15-year-old daughter and realizing what a bad parent I must be. (And yet, I have great, great kids despite this.)

My kids learned at an early age how to figure out murder mysteries on television (hint: casting plays a major role), how to expect and anticipate surprises, etc. (We've evolved a system of high-fives when one of us correctly guesses a surprise revelation in advance.) They're fairly sophisticated television watchers. But that doesn't mean they didn't have their time with Barney and Friends. They did. But they probably graduated earlier than most. And there was a ton of overlap.

I myself had a television in my room literally from infancy - as my mother placed televisions in nearly every room of the house for her sake - with no restrictions on what I could watch. So I've always let my kids tell me (mostly) what was appropriate and inappropriate. NOTE: I'm NOT recommending this approach. Just explaining why I'm unqualified to judge.

But I have always believed that kids can handle/fathom more than is traditionally believed. If YOU feel good about (for example) Young Justice's moral center - than I personally don't think there's anything particularly problematic in the series, and that includes the reason Tye ran away from home. Teachable moments are worthwhile - even necessary (though perhaps that's unfortunate) - at even the youngest age, particularly in the world we live in today.

So I don't think it's too soon for your kids to watch Gargs or SpecSpidey or WITCH or YJ assuming it holds their attention and assuming you watch WITH them. But again, I'm no expert on parenting. So follow my lead at your children's peril.

Response recorded on January 10, 2014

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Vincent writes...

Bioshock infinite you playing it?/out tonight

Greg responds...

I don't know what those words mean...

Response recorded on December 09, 2013

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Todd Jensen writes...

This question was inspired by your mention of recently visiting a "Doctor Who" convention.

One of the episodes of the revived series (written by Neil Gaiman), had the Doctor getting to speak to the TARDIS when its essence is temporarily transferred into a human body, and saying "You never got me where I wanted to go". To which the TARDIS replies, "But I always took you where I needed to be". I wondered, if you'd seen that episode, what you thought of that exchange, which echoes Avalon's properties in "Gargoyles" down to the wording.

Greg responds...

I've seen it. It was cool. But I'm not feeling like we were copied or anything.

Response recorded on December 06, 2013

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Brella writes...

Hello!

Not a very significant question here, but I couldn't help noticing as I was watching Young Justice that there were a few little references to the film "Casablanca." I really, really love that movie, and I loved the recurring callbacks to it - the episode entitled "Usual Suspects," the exchange in "Insecurity" of "At least a kiss is still a kiss," "And a sai is just a sai!", and (though this one's a bit more tenuous) the whole "We'll always have Paris" implication that was in "Endgame."

It's just really great stuff. I guess I've been wondering for quite a while what the inspiration or reasoning was behind it, or if it was just for fun, or just a coincidence; I dunno! They were all great little Easter eggs and made me smile whenever they'd pop up.

YJ is (was) a spectacular series and really changed my life, no joke! Thank you so, so much for sharing it with all of us (and for taking the time to answer fan questions; wow).

Greg responds...

I'm a huge fan of the movie. Slipped a visual reference to it into Gargoyles even. But I don't think there was much of a plan here. Some of its dialogue has simply slipped into the vernacular.

Response recorded on November 27, 2013

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KenRD writes...

Im interested in reading your book Rain of Ghosts because of my respect and fondness of you as a storyteller. I have yet to pre-order it however because I have not yet been able to find a summary for the story, so I was wondering if you had any idea when the details would start comming out?
Speaking of books what are your favorite authors?
My favorite is Sir Terry Pratchett, have you read any of his books? If not I would always recommend them as he has such and interesting take on the world and twists things in the most wonderful way.

Greg responds...

By now, I hope you've seen the synopses of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS on Amazon and here.

http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Ghosts-Greg-Weisman/dp/1250029791/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377806211&sr=8-1&keywords=rain+of+the+ghosts

My favorite authors are William Shakespeare and William Faulkner. I'm also a fan of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, and many others.

I've never read Pratchett.

My genre of choice tends to be detective fiction. Among my favorites in that arena are the works of Ross MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, Michael Connelly, Walter Mosely, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle.

Response recorded on November 25, 2013

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DanM writes...

Hey there Greg, 1 - how are you?
DanM again here, I'd like to thank you for spending your time to answer my questions. Much appreciated.
I know quite a bit from the comics' market, industry and its works, and used to assume that it wasn't that much different from the animation universe. But your answer really enlightened me a lot about it. For instance it never crossed my mind that being a Producer would earn you nothing, financially speaking, this certainly made the level of respect I already had of you go way up to the stratosphere! And thank you for that! To me that doesn't just show how much you care for your stories and characters but also to you fans. Really man, thank you very much!
Said that, I do know that the characters and the show itself are not your property to do as you please, I just thought that you might have certain leverage w/ the guys at DC comics, you know, seeing how awesome and well received, for the comic fans, your work has been. I've gotta say that so far the New 52, for me at least, has been ok… w/ one or another good story popping up. But YJ bests them all easy. Seeing how Geoff Johns went on board w/ Ivan Reis to do that new Aquaman title, when the character wasn't really in DC's plan at all (That I DO know for a fact). It was really a shocker to me that he did not sign you to keep working w/ DC, you know w/ him being said to be the Chief Creative Officer and all. Especially when I could see the same kind of treatment both of you gave the characters. Well anyways, I'm really sorry your pitches didn't really hit jackpot, like I've said before I would certainly enjoy them.
And perhaps we all are mourning a bit more than it is healthy, but if the Teen Titans show is coming back, then to me there is still a chance for YJ too. Just hope that that chance doesn't come without you and/or your team.
I really wish you the best of luck on your upcoming novel and of course your work hunt, I'm sure it won't take long for you to land your next solid gig man! And as soon as Rain hits the shelves here in Brasil, you can count I'll definitely do my part to make sure you're properly rewarded. That's the least I can do for all your work in YJ, which gave me and the family lot of good times. 
Just so not to miss this opportunity here are a few more questions:
2 - Could I send you my copy for you to sign? (That is when I get it, of course).
3 - Do you work with movie scripts also?
4 - What do you think of Tolkien's work? Have a favorite?
That's all for now… Once again, thanks!!!

Greg responds...

1. I'm good.

1a. I clearly have no leverage at all.

2. I'm sorry. I don't give out my personal address. But I come to many fan conventions throughout the year. Maybe you could get it signed at one of those.

3. I've never had one of my scripts made into a movie, but I've tried.

4. I'm a fan of THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

Response recorded on November 25, 2013

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btgr writes...

Have you heard that Karl Urban is starring in a JJ Abrams TV show called "Human"?

Greg responds...

No.

Response recorded on October 08, 2013

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Matthew writes...

Since you are a big Shakespeare fan, I thought to ask if you've read A Midsummer Tempest by Poul Anderson? It's set in a world where all of Shakespeare's plays really happened?

Greg responds...

No. And I won't, so as not to crowd my head with other folks' ideas. Sounds really cool, though. We were trying to accomplish the same thing (among other things) on Gargoyles.

Response recorded on August 26, 2013

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Nevets22 writes...

If you had worked on the shows "American Dragon: Jake Long" or "Teen Titans", what would you have done differently?

Greg responds...

No idea.

Response recorded on July 10, 2013

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Whedonite writes...

I loved your Spectacular Spider-Man TV series. It was far by the BEST interpretation I've seen of Spdier-Man in any of the movies/Televison

1. have you seen The Amazing Spider-Man? Did you notice the little elements they used from SpecSpidey? Like the satchel and the blue shirt? What are your thoughts on that?

2. Would you work on a Spider-Man or a MARVEL show in general again?

Greg responds...

1. I don't know if it's fair to cite the blue shirt. I mean, it's a blue shirt. You might as well say "shirt". Even the satchel is pushing it. I did notice little things that seemed to come from our series, but the operative word is SEEMED. Everyone is working off the same source material, so the notion that two groups of creators might independently come up with similar approaches makes a lot of sense.

2. I'd love to. I love those characters. All Marvel has to do is ask.

Response recorded on May 16, 2013

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Feedback writes...

Regarding Dexter, I still think Deb poisoned herself. I think having Hannah admit it was her was the actual red herring.

Hannah took the blame because Dexter had already betrayed her. What's done is done. Dexter wouldn't have believed her even if she said the truth. Why even bring it up?

She was already planning her escape. She doesn't need Dexter's help or acceptance. Now that she escaped, I'm guessing she will get revenge on Dexter, and when Dexter finds out about Deb's deception, it will be a turning point in the 8th season. You think this is plausible or do you think I'm reading too much into it?

P.S. I loved the season, but I would have liked to see a little more development on the fact that Debra helped Dexter kill Jordan Chase. Dexter should have brought it up every time she complained about his killing.

Greg responds...

That thought has crossed my mind too.

Response recorded on May 15, 2013

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Liam writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman,

Sorry to hear about Young Justice not being renewed for a third season. I really enjoyed its entire run, just as I enjoyed the two seasons your previous shows were given. I look forward to the next two we get as well.

I'm kidding, of course; I certainly hope you get more than two seasons in whatever project you work on next. It is frustrating, however, that shows of the caliber that you produce are consistently robbed of a longer run. No matter what happens in the future, I know your fans can rely on you to give us some quality entertainment.

On that note, consider your book bought, by the way. I very much look forward to reading it.

My question to you is this: Have you gotten a chance to see the film Cloud Atlas? I ask mainly because Keith David has a few supporting roles in it, which i found very enjoyable. From my own family and friends' reactions to it, I'd say it is rather a "hate-it-or-love-it" film, but I liked it, and I'd think you might, too.

Thank you, and good luck.

Greg responds...

I didn't see it. I did read the book some time ago. There was a lot I loved about it, but a few things I had problems with. Enough that I didn't run out to see the movie.

Response recorded on May 13, 2013

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Anonymous writes...

For real? Young Justice is being replaced by Teen Titans, Go...For real?

A much as the fans may feel like theyre getting slaped in the face so some three year olg can get a good giggle...you must feel like Cartoon Network just took a big ole' dump on your face...

As much as I'm sad that YJ is almost over, I feel 10 times worse for you. I mean, I know youll go on to create something else prpbably just as incredible that we'll all fall in love with...but...for real? Teen Titans, Go. For REAL?!

Which imbicil(s) at CN that decided this should be fired and never allowed to work in television again.

Greg responds...

Wow, such pleasant imagery.

Anyway, I'd give TTG a chance. I haven't seen it, but there are some great people working on it. It's not meant to replace YJ, nor is it even vaguely meant to be the same kind of show. But that doesn't mean it won't be terrific in its own way.

Response recorded on April 30, 2013

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Anonymous writes...

If each member of the Team on Young Justice were to be replaced with a character from Marvel Comics (regardless of which universe they are from) who would act as their potential equivalents (in terms of similar skills/abilities), who would they be and why (in one sentence per character)?

Greg responds...

Why are you asking me this?

If this is an exercise that interests you, go for it. But I have no inside information on something so arbitrary.

Guys, please, I appreciate that you want to have fun with these kinds of things, but that's not what ASK GREG is for. Creating make-work for me - because, I can only assume, you think I'll enjoy it - is not going to get a positive response here. And all it really does is clog the queue.

Response recorded on April 16, 2013

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CGYJ writes...

Hello, Mr. Greg Weisman,

I thought I might want to let you know about this. It's seem kind of funny when I think about it.

It seems that anything DC Comics-related is recently making the strange use of the number 5.

How do I know this? Well, to recap things:

A. Following the events of the DC universe-changing Flashpoint on 2011, it is stated that the age of heroes began FIVE years prior to the present day (which would be about 2006).

B. The first issue of "Earth 2," which was released on May 2012, also took place FIVE years prior to the present day (which is about 2007), and then the rest of the series takes place in the present day.

C. The time-skip between Seasons One and Two of Young Justice was FIVE whole years, a period of time of which whatever happened to our heroes (both old and new) remains mostly a mystery (probably about 90% unsolved by my guesstimate)...

D. Recently, DC Comics has just started a prequel comic for the upcoming video game called "Injustice: Gods Among Us" which will comic out in April. The first chapter (which was released digitally) came out the week prior to the date of this posting (on a Tuesday). The events of the prequel comic happens to take place FIVE years prior to the events of the game.

Does it seem like a coincidence that the number 5 is being used in such a manner by DC Comics?

Thanks for taking the time to read this posting. I'm interested to hear your opinions.

CGYJ

Greg responds...

It seems like five is a nice round number for a time skip.

Response recorded on April 16, 2013

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Clark Cradic writes...

You said that Macbeth found the play bearing his name to be rather amusing in how it got most about him wrong. What do you think his view on the Highlander film would have been?

Greg responds...

I think he would have found the notion of Sean Connery playing an Egyptian Spaniard, while Christopher Lambert played a Scottish Highlander, hilarious.

Response recorded on April 12, 2013

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Eclectic Emma Ellason writes...

Hi Greg,

I have no idea if this has been asked or answered before but, have you read/watched the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling? And if so, what Hogwarts Houses do you think the Team (2010 and 2016) belong to?

It's okay if you aren't that knowledgeable about it and don't want to delve into that specificity, but I - as a fan - am just curious. :) Love your shows!

Greg responds...

1. I have read all seven books (and the Deathly Hallows follow-up), listened to all seven books-on-tape and seen all eight movies.

2. Your guess is as good as mine.

Response recorded on April 05, 2013

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LOVE AND CAPES

I should have posted this days ago, but I just want to strongly recommend Volume 4 of LOVE AND CAPES (subtitled "What to Expect") by Thomas F. Zahler.

I'm a huge fan of Thom's work, and this book is just great.

I wrote the introduction to the volume, so I won't repeat it here, but I will say that this saga of super-heroes and romance just keeps getting better and better. Other fans include Mark Waid and Kurt Busiek, two of the best writers in comics.

You should really check it out.


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Tyler Chun writes...

Hi Greg, as a big fan of your work, Id love to hear your opinions on certain films I love:
-Terminator 2
-Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula
-Fight Club
-Silence of the Lambs
-The Shawshank Redemption

Hope to hear from you soon and thank you

Greg responds...

Terminator 2 - Best movie ever!!

Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula - Did not once induce uncomfortable snickers!

Fight Club - I've seen it!!

Silence of the Lambs - Did not care for the lambs.

The Shawshank Redemption - Was that the one with Dingo, Matrix, Yama and Fang?

Of course, I would have thought all this was obvious from watching the show. I mean, dude, note the timestamp.

Response recorded on April 01, 2013

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Donna writes...

hi!
Is it a possibility that you can make a comic out of the Steam Lantern storyline/Universe?

Greg responds...

Me? The YJ guy? Um. I suppose anything's possible, but (a) that wasn't my story or my series, so (b) I have no connection to it other than being a viewer who enjoyed that particular episode of GLTAS, which suggests that (c) I wouldn't be the guy to pitch it to DC, and in any case (d) it's not at all up to me.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

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A Flash Fan writes...

These 2 are related...

1. While on the topic of inspirations I have a question about your series Gargoyles. When it originally came out I really don't remember it because I was really young, but I did always know of its existence. When I learned that you, who are producer of YJ, also created Gargoyles I was motivated to watch the series and I am doing so know (soon I hope to see SSM too!). It is very interesting and I really like your character portrayals and interesting plots. Now the question I have about inspiration is did you derive anything of Gargoyles from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, and if so what? I apologize if the question seems strange, but I notice how both series were produced in the close time frames, they both take place in NYC, and in essence both show are about groups of outcasts by society who in turn fight crime. I think what merely stood out for me is that when I see Elisa Maza and her friendship with the gargoyles it kind of reminds me of April O'Neil and the turtles. Besides there are mutants in both series, most cool stuff happens by night (for the turtles so they won't be seen); Gargoyles because they don't have a choice, etc. Anyway these are the similarities I see and I just wanted your opinion on them.

2. While on the topic of the TMNT, have you seen the new CGI series, and if so what do you think? I think it's a cool adaptation.

Greg responds...

1. Not so much, because as you say, both were being produced at more or less the same time. There may have been some influence in little things, like when we started saying Jalapeña all the time - though the origin of that (as discussed elsewhere) was nevertheless very different. And I won't deny the two series have things in common. But just as often we tried to AVOID having things in common with Turtles. If the series started to veer in that direction, there were plenty of people (Frank Paur, especially) who would make sure to course correct.

2. I haven't seen it - or, frankly, most any version of TMNT. That's not meant as a critical comment. I just haven't had the opportunity.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

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Marvelman writes...

Who are your favorite legionnaires?

(Mine's Matter-Eater Lad with Arm Fall-Off Boy a close second.)

Greg responds...

Hm. It's been so long since I've read any Legion of Super-Heroes books. Always liked Ultra Boy, I guess. But I liked a LOT of the Legionnaires.

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

No question, just wanted to say I noticed your name on the Spiderman 700 cover. (Well, on the Comic News Insider with the full size image of the cover.) It's a nice acknowledgement.

I meant to tack this on to another post but kept forgetting. Since the last time I saw a similar nice reference I took so long to remember I totally forgot I realized I should just post it on it's own. (The last had something to do with either Love & Capes or Lions & Tigers & Bears, but for the life of me I can't remember which or what it was.)

Greg responds...

I'm guessing it was something to do with Love and Capes, which I'm a HUGE fan of, as opposed to Lions & Tigers & Bears, which I'm completely unaware of. (The latter's not a value judgement. I just don't know anything about it.)

The Spidey 700 thing was nice. I feel honored to be included, particularly since I've only ever written half of an issue.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

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btgr writes...

1. Favourite Simon Pegg movie besides JJ Abrams' Star Trek movies? My favourite is Hot Fuzz.

2. Favourite Karl Urban movie besides JJ Abrams' Star Trek movies? My favourite is Out Of The Blue. Out Of The Blue is a 2006 New Zealand movie that was based on the terrible 1990 Aramoana Massacre. If you do watch the movie on youtube, keep an eye out for a police officer named "Nick Harvey", that is in fact Karl playing that officer. Plus in 2008 Karl won a New Zealand Film and TV Award for his role in that movie.

Greg responds...

1. Um. Well, I haven't seen Hot Fuzz. I'm going to have to probably say Narnia, because I haven't seen a lot of Simon Pegg films.

2. Haven't seen Out of the Blue. I guess The Two Towers.

Clearly, I don't get to the movies very much.

Response recorded on March 20, 2013

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Props to GLTAS

I just want to extend my congratulations to a great season of Green Lantern The Animated Series.

I had no involvement in it, other than as a fan. I watched it every week on DC Nation, and really enjoyed it. And I think their last episode was just killer. I've been really impressed with the work that Jim, Giancarlo, Bruce and the rest of the crew has done all year, and with a core voice cast of Josh Keaton, Kevin Michael Richardson, Jason Spisak and Grey Delisle, it just doesn't get any better.

Obviously, I wish they were making more, but that doesn't change the fact that what they already accomplished was stellar!


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Rob In Chicago writes...

Hey Greg,

Once again, you and your team are incredible. Each new episode of YJ is better than the last. I'm sure that you are bummed about the unscheduled hiatus, but I (and I'm sure everybody else who has followed you since Gargoyles) will be there Jan 5th, feeling like it is Christmas morning. Perhaps absence will make the heart grow fonder. But enough of the propers, as I've had a question that I've been wanting to ask you for months.

1) Have you seen Looper? If not I STRONGLY suggest that you do. I would imagine it is right up your ally.

2) If so, I wanted to hear your take on the time travel aspects. How does its interpretation of multi-verse/multiple timelines mesh with your working theory on Gargoyles. You have talked at length about working vs non-working paradoxes. As the movie suggests, "I don't want to talk about time travel because if we start talking about it then we're going to be here all day talking about it, making diagrams with straws." So, let's face it, it isn't an exact science.

2)Obviously, it doesn't hold true to your interpretation, based on the ending (I'm not going to spoil it for anyone here), but do you think that it implies a working or non working paradox? If you see it and are like "WTF?", there is a great piece online, where they actually lay it out with straws that I would suggest.

Just wanted to see if you had checked it out and get your spin.

Thanks once more to you and your team (and The Team) for Young Justice. I have a feeling that it is going to come back to serious fanfare and you'll be answering questions about Bibbo's blood type for years to come. At least I hope so.

Happy New Year! I know this next one will be a big one for you!

P.S. You teased something about Gargoyles a few weeks ago... anything? Just a tiny taste? A morsal for a long time fan?

Greg responds...

1. I have not.

2. (You had two question twos.) But since I haven't seen the movie, I can't respond to either.

P.S. I did? I seriously don't recall. What did I say?

Response recorded on March 12, 2013

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Jakon writes...

Hi greg,

As you worked on spectacular spiderman, i assume that you're a fan of spiderman comics and how do you feel about peter parker's death in the ultimate comics and miles morales taking up the mantle as the new spiderman?

Greg responds...

I haven't read it, so I have no opinion.

Response recorded on March 07, 2013

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Clark Cradic writes...

Do you remember what the first superhero comic you ever read was?

Greg responds...

Nope. It'd be cool if I could though.

Response recorded on February 28, 2013

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Anthony Tini writes...

*** Dexter Season 7 spoilers ***

Hey Greg,

After two lack luster seasons of Dexter, I thought Season 7 had some great writing and I really enjoyed all the call backs to previous events. Most of the episodes had me on the edge of my seat especially during the Dexter/Deb scenes and during the later Dexter/Hannah scenes. I was fairly certain that Deb took a page out of Dexter's book of deception and poisoned herself to frame Hannah. I felt that the writers were building toward the complete corruption of Deb, but I never realized that it would be in the way that it would happen in the finale. I loved how Dexter used Hannah's words on Deb which felt like honesty with a hint of manipulation. The overall theme of the latest season laid the groundwork for the final season while still providing great satisfaction with each plot element. Sadly, the season was not without flaw as while the main characters shined, the minor ones did not get that same opportunity. I really have no idea how the show is going to end and I like that. I want to be surprised. I don't want to see it coming. What did you think?

Thanks for taking the time to respond and good luck with the second half of season 2 of Young Justice: Invasion. Take care.

- Tony

Greg responds...

Well, for starters, I wouldn't agree that the last two seasons of Dexter were lackluster. I enjoyed both thoroughly. But I also thought this season was great. I thought it was structurally VERY odd - with characters building to less (and even more) than you'd expect - and like you, I thought Deb had poisoned herself, but I think that was a red herring that they wanted us to think.

I do wish that in the very last scene, both Dexter and Deb had been wearing a change of clothes, but...

Response recorded on February 21, 2013

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Arthur Lias writes...

This will be risking DELETION huh?S
Spectacular spider-man ended...but it was an awesome show that adapted the great elements about spider-man.I don't have a problem with Ultimate spider-man but your show was amazing,SPECTACULAR even. Also love Young Justice!The five year time skip was surprising but the writing is great.Hope superboy doesn't punch reality;)That would be really surprising.Anyway, in a vain attempt to not get DELETED I will ask a question:
1)How do you feel about 52 joker
2)How about him,um,uh,losing face
Yours questioningly,
A.Lias

Greg responds...

1. Haven't seen it.

2. I don't know what you're referring to.

Response recorded on February 21, 2013

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Pimping John Wells

John Wells, as many of you may have noticed on the credit lists I've posted for Young Justice, has provided invaluable research on the DC Universe for those of us working on the YOUNG JUSTICE comic and television series.

He's written a book: American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960-1964, and he's recently been interviewed by KC Carlson about the book, his secret origins and the work he's done in and for the industry. (Coincidentally, KC was - once upon a time - my associate editor on CAPTAIN ATOM.)

Anyway, here are links to the three-part interview:

http://comicsworthreading.com/2013/02/11/interview-with-john-wells-comic-historian-part-1/
 
 
http://comicsworthreading.com/2013/02/12/interview-with-john-wells-comic-historian-part-2/
 
 
http://comicsworthreading.com/2013/02/13/interview-with-john-wells-comic-historian-part-3/

Check 'em out! And congratulations, John!


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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.


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the greenman writes...

1) Reading the Stargate bible, have ever considered a Star Trek animated series? I know Paramount is very strict on that property.

2) Will you ever do another series of your own creation?

Thank you very much. Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Greg responds...

1. I'd love to do one, but no one's asked me. (Keep in mind, I was asked to develop Stargate. I don't just go out and independently develop series based on properties that somebody else owns.)

2. Again, I'd love to, but no one's bought anything original that I've pitched in a VERY long time.

Response recorded on December 28, 2012


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