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A Fan writes...

I'm curious exactly how magic casting works. It seems to be established that humans and gargoyles need a magic object and/or a magic spell to do magic.

But Oberon's Children seem to not have to use spells. Although Puck seems to. How do you explain that?

Greg responds...

How do you want me to explain it?

How about in writing?

Look, Fae magic and Mortal Sorcery are two different things. With Mortals, most of the magic comes from without. With Fae, most of it comes from within. Fae are made of magic.

After that clear distinction, the specifics depend on control, style, training, power, i.e. lots of factors. Anansi spins his spells. Puck rhymes his. Oberon is so powerful he just has to speak his will. But rhyming helps, so he does that too sometimes. Most Fae rhyme, but there are plenty of exceptions.

Mortals need something to gather and focus energy. A place, a talisman, a spell.

I'm not exactly sure if that answers your question. If you need more specifics, post again.

Response recorded on June 29, 2000

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Kayless writes...

Hey Greg, I have some religious questions for you.

1. Since you are seemingly very well versed in religious doctrine, I'm curious as to how you feel about the Judeo/Christian scriptures that prohibit wizardry. Deuteronomy 18:9-18:12 (Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord) makes it quite clear that God brooks no wizards in his fold. Is there a conflict for you since so much of the myth Gargoyles is based on revolves around magic?

2. What about the uncanny resemblance between gargoyles and demons? Why do the two look so much alike? Did dybbuks manifest themselves in the form of gargoyles in order to sow discord with humanity, hence the current demonic stereotype and poor human/garg relations?

3. How do the Fae feel about the whole God business? They seem a rather worldly lot, though some might be old enough to remember biblical events.

4. Why is Percy still using the grail? The Holy Grail is a sacred artifact, not your run-of-the-mill magical maguffin. Why would it continue to grant its power to Duval, who has since proved unworthy? I know you said it was costing him a high physical price but I find it odd that it should be giving him any kind of benefits at all (Anybody see what happened to the bad guy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?).

5. Last one. Is the Judeo/Christian God the supreme ruler of the Gargoyle universe? Given the plethora of Gods and Goddess on the show, I'm just wondering what your views on this are (I prefer to think that He's the one in charge, but I had to ask).

Thanks for your time, as always. Now I must return to the Vole Wars…

Greg responds...

1. I'm clearly less "versed" than you seem to think. I won't comment on your citation in a vacuum. And I don't have a bible here in the office to check the context.

When you ask if I'm conflicted, I'm not clear on your question. Are you looking for my opinion on the bible? Personally, I think the bible is an astounding piece of literature with much to teach us. But I see the hands of man all over that book. And although it might lose me some fans, I cannot believe that God authored it. Inspired it maybe, but authored it, no. At any rate, I think many things in the bible are subject to interpretation. Often multiple interpretations.

2. Where do you get the idea that there is ANY resemblance between gargoyles and demons? From Medieval painters? Look, we haven't seen any demons in the series. We haven't seen any demons in the gargoyles universe. No angels either. I'm not saying whether they exist or not. But you're question assumes facts not in evidence.

3. The whole God with a capital G business? Like humans, every Child of Oberon is different. I try not to make monolithic generalizations.

4. Assumes facts not in evidence. A. Who says he's still using the grail? I said he still had it. B. And in any case, your question asked "Why". Why wouldn't he if he could? C. Who said the grail can "grant" power? D. If it can, who said it is? E. Who said Duval has proven unworthy?

And I certainly refuse to use "Last Crusade" as an authority.

I will say that the Grail is part of the reason that Percival and Blanchefleur are still alive. And that a price for that has been paid. But don't oversimplify.

5. As you may know, I'm Jewish. Most of my fellow Jews would not consider me to be religious, though that's something I might argue with. Personally, I believe in God with a captial G. Whether that means he's the Judeo/Christian God seems like a parochial question to me. Almost an elitist question. I also believe that God is REAL BIG on free will. His miracles are many but subtle, and all come with a free scientific explanation -- because if he simply manifested like George Burns on trial, then where's the free will? So why should things be any easier in the Gargoyles Universe. The Gargs believe in a God that is the sum total of all things. They are monotheists and animists all at once. I don't think that's inconsistent with Judeo/Christian beliefs, but I also don't think you're going to see any purely objective evidence on the show, ever. Take to the Gargoyles Universe what you will. And it should, if I'm doing this right, give you something back -- whatever you do, or don't, believe in.

Look, I know it seems like I'm blowing off your questions. I'm not. But try reading them with a fresh eye. They're almost impossible TO answer in a straightforward manner, because they are extremely complex, and yet they take for granted so many things as fact that have not been established either in the cannon or here at ASK GREG. These are all interesting topics and I encourage you to pursue them. But break your questions down. It'll help you avoid making assumptions.

By the way, what's a Vole?

Response recorded on June 29, 2000

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Wing writes...

Fae/Oberati have complete control over their appearance, but do they have this as newborns?
If not what would a newborn fae look like?
Not wishing to give any ideas or anything, but I've heard legends, ya know...

Greg responds...

A cross between whatever his or her parents truly look like.

Response recorded on June 28, 2000

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Lexy writes...

Hello again Greg:)

You know how in Cloud Fathers we see Coyote? ,the 3rd Race dude I mean. Well I know for that perticular episode he assumed the form of Peter Maza. He needed to for motivational purposes. But then later on we see him again in The Gathering Part 1 and he _still_ looks like that. I guess you could just say, "Hey, so the guy likes the look. Problem with that?", and that does work. But I was just wondering ..

1) What does his real form look like?
IE: Puck when hes NOT playing the role of Owen.

2) Has he taken a liking to that form and uses it more often then not?

3) In the episode you just kinda take it for granted that our trickster is appearing as young Peter. I mean..it had to be so for the episode. But behind all that had Coyote actually been watching and or aware of the Maza's before hand? Peter's mom and dad and such? Or did he just need that painting to be intact and quickly just assumed Peters' old form? Was he trying to remind Peter of his heritage?? Or was it just cuz??

Thanks!

Greg responds...

1. Kinda coyote-esque.

2. He's currently fond of Peter Maza's "Native American James Dean" look.

3. It's all in there.

Response recorded on June 26, 2000

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Philosopher writes...

Couple of question's about the fairfolk:
1)Are they supposed to be spirits?
2)If the answerer to number 1 is yes, how can they die? Spirits can't be killed even with cold iron.
3)Was Annibus actually Death incarnate or was he just playing the part, like most of the pagen "gods"?

Greg responds...

1. How are you defining spirits? As another word for fae or as ghosts? They aren't ghosts.

2. Refer to question 1.

3. Again, you're not defining your terms well, or at any rate, your questions make assumptions not in evidence. The answer is both. Or neither. Or either. Or something else again, depending on how you define these things.

Response recorded on June 26, 2000

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Anonymous writes...

Are there other sentient races living on the Earth besides fay,halflings,humans and gargoyles?

If so could you name them.?

Greg responds...

Well, Nokkar.

And the New Olympians (though they're a spin-off race of the fae).

Otherwise, no.

Response recorded on June 26, 2000

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Todd Jensen writes...

A question here about Owen/Puck. In the original legends about Puck, under his "Robin Goodfellow" alias, he's portrayed as a sort of household spirit, helping to look after the home in which he dwells and assisting the humans who live there in the upkeep of their home. Now, it's recently occurred to me that Owen's duties to the Xanatos household could indeed be viewed as almost a mundane equivalent to those of Robin Goodfellow, the way that he similarly looks after Xanatos's home and keeps it running well. Which consequently makes the fact that Owen and Puck are really the same all the more appropriate.

Is this something that you've noticed before, that Owen serves as almost the "mundane equivalent" to a household spirit for Xanatos?

Greg responds...

GREG SAYS:
No. Not really, because, obviously, I'm more familiar with Shakespeare's Robin "Puck" Goodfellow, then the one you refer to.

BENNY SAYS:
I want to say that Mama likes Bigtime and Iggy and I like them, but I shoo them. And I'm sorry about that.

Response recorded on June 25, 2000

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Aris Katsaris writes...

Hmm... more of a comment here. In 'City of Stone' we saw the Weird Sisters take different attires depending on the date - in modern times they wore modern clothes, in medieval times they wore medieval ones...

I rather liked that. A bit like Gaiman's Endless I'd like to see the outside appearance of supernatural entities move with the times. (one of the reasons I especially liked Coyote's modernity - Coyote's quite possibly my favourite fay with Odin coming in second...)

But from the very next episode where the Sisters appeared, their clothing went medieval throughout, whether in Avalon or in the outside world... And well, even though it was such a small detail I found that rather disappointing...

Comments on why this was done?

Greg responds...

Basically, we paid more attention to it in CITY OF STONE, because it was more of a plot point, plus we were trying to define them and their abilities a bit. After that, we figured they had a preferred appearance, which they would alter as needed. (Thus they appear as three Desdemona's in "High Noon".) We didn't see them "in public" after that, so they maintained their preferred appearance. But had we seen them wandering the streets, you would have seen them in modern dress. And their age and species would have again depended on who was looking at them.

Still, I understand your disappointment. For starters, shouldn't Goliath have still seen them as little girls? Either that just got by me, or else I took so much crap for how quote-unquote-confusing the Sisters were in "City" that I just gave in out of exhaustion. I honestly don't remember which was the case.

Response recorded on June 23, 2000

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Chris writes...

A couple of questions

1)How powerful could Alexander become with Puck training him? Could he become as powerful as Puck?

2)Would Alex be a bit of a trickster himself since Puck is the person training him?

Thanks, and once again congrats on such a great cartoon!

Greg responds...

1. Probably not if we're talking pure power. Alexander's only a quarter fae. But Puck isn't Alex's only teacher. Take a quarter of Titania's power, and give it the kind of focus that comes with being a Xanatos or a Renard. What da ya think ya get?

2. Sure. But again, not just because of Puck. Don't forget that Alex's parents are a fox and a coyote at heart.

Response recorded on June 23, 2000

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LSZ writes...

Do any fae have a higher resistance to iron than others? Because when thinking of all the smith-gods of mythology like Hephaistos, it seems odd that they could be harmed by iron..

Greg responds...

I think some do. For example, Oberon was able to recover from being hit with Petros' iron harpoon. (That, I believe, was a flaw that we barely get away with because, well, Oberon is Oberon.) I think a lesser fae would have died. And I think Oberon came closer than he'd ever admit.

Response recorded on June 23, 2000


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