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Hey Greg a timeline question or threerather.
1. You have detailed timelines for Young Justice and Gargoyls, do you do this for everything you do even when you havent built the universe from scratch like in your Captain Atom comics or WITCH?
2. When did you start this trait?
3. You have time and time again noted that YJ has no "canon year" and that 2010 worked for Year Zero as a math thing. So does that mean season two being in 2016 by that reckoning was a coincidence?
1. Not everything, no. I have a Captain Atom timeline from way back, but I'm sure it has no relevance to current DC continuity anymore. I don't think I ever did a WITCH timeline in the strictest sense, but I did make an effort to keep track of the backstories, etc.
2. In elementary school.
3. Heh heh heh.
I've recently been reflecting on your shows, and one thing that's really jumped out at me is that every one of them I've seen is extremely arc and continuity based, but also has, rather than a single "Big Bad", at least two core villains who contrast with and play off each other- Xanatos and Demona, Nerissa and Phobos, Tombstone and Norman Osborn, the Light and the Reach. Even the unproduced Stargate spin-off you posted about a while back had Osyros and Anubis. I was wondering if this was a conscious decision on your part to deliberately include this element in your shows, or if it's just something that flows naturally while designing a series?
Huh. You know, it's clearly not conscious, since I never noticed it before now.
Maybe it's about trying to world-build something convincing, something that logically plays out the consequences of the world created, which therefore sets up multiple responses from different antagonists to a set of circumstances. And perhaps it also comes out of my belief that nothing is truly monolithic. Even the bad guys aren't just a unified mass of evil. They have agendas of their own.
But honestly, you're guess is as good as mine at this moment.
VERY INTERESTING POST THOUGH.
Because I think I've done the same thing in RAIN OF THE GHOSTS without trying.
THANKS!!
What are your thoughts about:
1- The Gargoyles fandom?
2- The W.I.T.C.H. fandom?
3- The Spectacular Spider-man fandom?
4- The Young Justice fandom?
I'm not sure what exactly you're looking for here. Generally speaking, I love all four fandoms (and there's a lot of overlap). My life has - without a doubt - been enriched by my associations with the fandoms of the series' I've worked on. Some of the Gargoyles' fans are some of my best friends.
In person, the fandoms are almost without exception fantastic.
Sometimes on line, less so. I think that the anonymity of the internet does at times encourage bad behavior. And I think that's gotten progressively worse with each passing year. But that has more to do with the internet than with any individual fandom. And, yet, even with that caveat, I love interacting with fans on line. At least most of the time.
Sorry if these questions mean having to think way back. I've been reviewing the W.I.T.C.H. series, and now that I'm on season 2, I had a couple questions about developments in the show.
1. When season 2 first aired, rumors went around that Will's father was originally going to be written as unpleasant and manipulative as he had been in the comics, but due to resistance from Disney, this idea was scrapped. Is there any truth to this?
2. I absolutely loved how Matt ended up becoming Shagon. Did you plan from the beginning that this would happen, or did the idea come later on? Because this was brilliant.
3. Similar to the above, the relationship between Caleb and Nerissa. You hinted early enough into season 2 that the Mage might be Caleb's mother and that Nerissa was the Mage. Caleb was already very different from his counterpart in the comics. How did you decide that Nerissa should be his mother? It was such a surprise.
4. The final question is more of an opinion question. As I watch the series, I find myself wanting to feel sympathy toward Nerissa, despite the things she does throughout the series. What is your take on her?
Thank you and all the staff for doing an awesome job with this show, and for everything else you've worked on.
Actually, I'm kinda impressed I remembered as much as I did:
1. No. He was originally written as more at odds with Susan over custody, but we never were going to write him as a bad guy like in the comics. We were just going to have two well-meaning parents at odds, and then realizing that they were only hurting Will by fighting. But Disney didn't like Susan and Tony to even argue. So instead of the issue being custody, we made the issue Tony's new wife and Will's (mistaken) belief that she was really Nerissa in disguise. In a way, this worked out even better for our overall arc.
2. Well, I planned it from the beginning of my run, but keep in mind I didn't start on the series until Season Two.
3. It all seemed to fit with Nerissa having multiple identities throughout the cast. And, heck, the whole "Luke, I am your father" thing is still too tempting not to use.
4. That she's complex, interesting and fascinating with the tragic flaw of most great villains. Plus she loved and mourned Cassidy. And in her twisted way, loved Caleb and Julian too. And that makes her at least a little sympathetic. Though, of course, the fact that she killed Cassidy and used her, Caleb AND Julian also undercuts that sympathy more than a little.
Hey Greg I just wanted to ask you if you have ever thought on finishing writing all your stories in case you never got to finish them in your life time?.
I don't want to be pessimistic. But just like Moses wasn't able to be on the promised land...
I recall Tolkien had the same issue with his unfinished tales. It would be cool if you at least considered finishing gargoyles. Many of your fans would be grateful if we got to know the full story :)
I'm not sure what you mean by "finishing"...? I mean, just for starters, what medium are you referring to? It's not like I can just magically whip up some cartoons for ya.
But (1) let's start with this notion: it can't be done. Because my mind doesn't work that way. No matter how much I wrote on Gargoyles or Young Justice or SpecSpidey or WITCH or whatever, those stories and those characters would simply inspire new stories and yet more characters. To me, the universe (any universe) doesn't come to an end, so how could I ever bring any of theses sagas to an end?
(2) I gotta earn a living, pal. I don't own Gargoyles. For me to spend unpaid time writing stories that I can never publish, is, I hate to say it, even dopier than a doing post-production on a series for free. And there are limits to even my dopiness.
Hi Greg!!
First I would like to say i love Gargoyles and W.I.T.C.H.!
My question about the show is
-when did Beast Bboy find out about M'gaan's true form?
-Is Zatanna single at the moment?
Keep it up with the amazing show, Young Justice!!
1. Between seasons.
2. Why, are you interested?
Hello, I'm a big fan of your work, especially W.I.T.C.H, which never seems to get the credit it deserves. So I've just a got a few questions on that front.
1. About how old is Phobos?
2. Was there ever a plan to show more about Elyon/Phobos's biological parents, and if so, what were they like, especially to Phobos?
3. I know this is a bit vague,so no worries if there's no answer. I like to write, but I always have a hard time coming up with villains. Any advice on how to create an interesting bad guy?
Thanks!
1. I don't recall, I'm afraid. SO LONG AGO.
2. They were decent people. Perhaps over-indulgent. And probably in some denial.
3. Start with your hero and hold a mirror up to some aspect of him or her. Then twist.
It isn't really much of a question, but all in all, I just wanted to say "Thank you". Thank you for all the high quality shows you produced that enriched my childhood and still give me intelligent and gripping entertainment in my favorite media, animated shows, as an adult.
Most off all, I also wanted to express my admiration for your resolve. While privately I may often joke bitterly about the "Weisman curse" whenever one of your shows gets unfairly canceled way too soon despite (arguably) having the best quality in the entire program. You will always have my gratitude for continuing to produce great shows despite all the stones placed in your way.
As for questions:
1. If you had the means to, would you do a Young Justice/Gargoyles Crossover?
2. Sorry to bring up this unfairly missed opportunity gain, but if you had remained on the staff for "The Roswell Conspiracies", do you think that show would at some point crossed over with Gargoyles?
3. In the spirit of question one, do you think Demona would make a good Red Lantern?
In any case, once again, thank you. Thank you for raising the quality and complexity of the already great W.I.T.C.H. cartoon, thank you for producing the best animated Spider-Man series to date, thank you for bringing Starshiptroopers to the screen in the way it should have been in the first place, thank you for doing such a great job with Max Steel, thank you for doing a huge part in keeping animated DC material extremely high quality, especially at the moment, and of course, thank you for Gargoyles, probably my favorite franchise ever, and I am rooting for you to one day get it back and do more wonders with it.
1. I don't think so. Maybe as a radio play. But I don't see the two universes as being particularly compatible.
2. No. Two different companies.
3. See, this kinda thing doesn't interest me much. If you think so, great.
Thanks for all your kind words.
Dear Greg.
My question is regarding the W.I.T.C.H. series and it would be greatly appreciated if you would take your time and answer my question. I will try to keep my questions as short as possible.
1. First of all, I loved the W.I.T.C.H. as a youth, it teached me important and valuable things in life. I would hope future generation can have the same opportunity to watch series like this. I think the series came to an abrupt end, when instead it was set for a new season, given introductionen of the new teacher. Why did it end like this?
2. Is there any chance that the series will see a resurrection?
3. What can I do as a fan, to affect the possibility of a resurrection?
4. Can you do anything to get all of us who wish that our dreams of a season, not just remain a dream, but a reality? If not, who can?
Once again, if you would answer, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Simon
1. It wasn't picked up for new episodes. I'm assuming because of low ratings, but no one ever gives me a definitive answer on this sort of thing.
2. ANY chance? Sure. But I see no indication of it currently, and I have no reason to expect it.
3. Honestly, at this stage: nothing. It's way too long after the fact. I mean, you can try to generate a groundswell by gathering a LOT of likeminded fans, but when I say a LOT, I mean a LOT!!!!
4. All I can really do is say that if they do bring it back, I'd love to produce more episodes.
4a. In theory, someone at Disney. But I have no idea who.
When I was watching W.I.T.C.H., I always wondered one thing. Does Mr.Huggles have some sort of increased intelligence when he's in his Regent form? Normally, he's just a regular dormouse. Napoleon was already magically enhanced, so does the same apply to Huggles so he understands when to regent up?
Sure.
When I was young i watched Gargoyles. My reaction? Meh. Fast forward, year 2009. TvTropes recomended The Spectacular Spider-Man as best animated Spidey show. I hate Spider-Man, but hey, let's give a try. My reaction? AWESOME!!! Hm, lets check other stuff this Weisman guy did. And i rewatched Gargoyles and W.I.T.C.H. My reaction? THIS WEISMAN GUY IS AWESOME!!! He's funny, creative and his villains are amazing. Hm, he's gonna produce Young Justice. Let's check it when it comes out. My reaction? GREG WEISMAN IS OFFICIALLY DEITY IN MY EYES!!! So thank you, Mr. Weisman for giving human kind such awesome cartoons! And now some questions:
1) If you have a billion dollar budget what movie or show would you create? (Shakespeare excluded. We know you would do Kennet Branagh style, 4 hours long, Hamlet)
2) Did you ever met Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman or Grant Morrison?
3) Did you ever considered writing again comics? P.S. Loved Captain Atom both in YJ and comics
4) Whom do you preffer: DC or Marvel? As world, not as a employer
5) Ever been in Europe?
Also, I'm kinda worried for YJ. It seems TV network can't endure your awesomeness, so they ruin 3rd seasons for your shows. That, and Teen Titans are back and new Batman show is in production. Of course, i could be paranoid. No matter what, your work will be always epic! Once again, thank you Mr. Weisman for your awesome work!
P.S. Steve Blum as Green Goblin and Josh Keaton as Spider-Man? BEST. CHOICES. EVER.
1. I don't know. Too many options. Too hypothetical.
2. I met Alan Moore once VERY briefly, in 1985 in San Diego. I've never met Gaiman or Morrison.
3. I'd love to write more comics. No one's asked.
4. ASKED AND ANSWERED. I have no preference. I grew up on both, love both and initially - when I was a kid - didn't even realize there were two different companies.
5. Yes.
Ok, my question is about the "death rules" in your shows, AKA the conditions under which you could kill a character off (for example, you said in your Gargoyles' rambles that you could show Othello and Desdemona in "City of Stone, Part 1" because A)the audience already knew they were dead and B)it already knew they'd be back as Coldstone, otherwise you couldn't have personalized the victims of the massacre; you also said that, even though you killed off the Magus in "Avalon, Part 3", you couldn't actually say outloud that he was dead).
So, the question is: under which conditions you could actually kill a character off in Gargoyles, W.I.T.C.H. and Young Justice?
(Ok, fine, I suppose it counts as three questions)
Well, you seem to have already answered your own question vis-a-vis Gargoyles. And I'm not going to reveal anything along these lines for Young Justice.
That just leaves W.I.T.C.H. And I can't remember killing off anyone in W.I.T.C.H. Though we had characters who were already dead.
The first season of "Young Justice" takes place over the course of half a year, starting on the Fourth of July and continuing to New Year's Eve in the Season One finale (with episodes set on Halloween and Thanksgiving along the way). I remember that the first season of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" similarly stretched from the start of the school year in September to Thanksgiving (with a Halloween episode along the way), and that the second season got up at least to Valentine's Day. The time progression in "Gargoyles" was more vague, but we had two Halloween stories ("Eye of the Beholder" and the Double Date story) and three wintry episodes in New York ("Her Brother's Keeper", which ends with a snowfall, "Re-Awakening", and "The Price"), as well as a clear timeline for the Stone of Destiny story.
I like this sense of the year's progress through the seasons and landmark days (like the Fourth of July and Halloween), but it doesn't seem that common in animated series outside your own work. I've seen two speculations on why that element is so rare in animated series. One is that a lot of the people who engage in such creative work aren't big on continuity and change, far less than you are. Another is that most people involved in creating animated television series live in or near Los Angeles and other parts of California, where the climate is pretty much the same year around and there's less a sense of four seasons than in other parts of the United States. I was wondering what your thoughts were on these theories.
Both these theories seem valid to me, but they probably pale from the economic explanation: if you progress through the seasons then you have to redress backgrounds and characters, and that's expensive. Me, I believe it's WORTH the expense. But that's only true if you're really going to DO something with it. If you're not, then there's not much point. (We also did it on W.I.T.C.H. by the way.)
In W.I.T.C.H., why some of the Hearts, like Lillian and Elyon, have sentient forms, while others are simply majical objects?
That's just the way it works.
Hello, Greg! I have some W.I.T.C.H. questions.
1)In the series finale, when the C.H.Y.K.N escaped from the jewel, why did Nerissa remain young, while the reverted back to their original forms?
2)Why Cassidy stayed alive, instead of becoming a ghost again?
3)Does Nerissa know that her fantasies (when she remains trapped in the jewel) are just fantasies, at least deep down, or she really believes they're real?
1. Nerissa didn't ever really escape from the Jewel. But in her imagination, she was still young.
2. Because that magic had been accomplished. It was a done deal.
3. I'll leave that to your interpretation.
Hey Greg!
I recently saw this line from an interview with Steven Bochco in the early 80's, talking about Hill Street Blues (which currently has its first two-and-a-half seasons on Hulu Plus, by the way):
"Maybe the biggest problem with Hill Street, in terms of popular success, is that it is a show that demands to be watched. And most people do not watch television. They simply are in its presence."
I love that quote. What an insightful way to encapsulate about what was essential and great about Hill Street Blues, without going into all the details of what made it so outstanding. Just leave at this: unlike nearly anything before it, in many ways it was a show that demanded to be watched. I think that characteristic also applies to Gargoyles as well, no doubt due to the major influence Hill Street Blues had on the show (as you've often mentioned).
Nowadays, that quality, of being a show that "demands to be watched," is characteristic of so many excellent shows that appear on HBO, Showtime or AMC (before hitting DVD boxsets and iTunes), places where popular success isn't the one and only yardstick. And again and again, we've seen how this kind of series can flourish in the atmosphere of creative freedom offered by these outlets.
Can viewers hope that someday soon, that kind of environment will produce an animated serial drama that has the same level of quality, complexity and acclaim as these channels' current headline series? If so, what might it take for that to happen?
Hey, Zach. Long time no see. I'd heard that quotation about Hill Street before, and couldn't agree more.
I appreciate you think Gargoyles falls in the same category. It's flattering and certainly what we strived for. I don't pretend that we were as good as Hill Street Blues, but no one can accuse us of not going for it.
As to your question, I like to think that W.I.T.C.H., Spectacular Spider-Man, Young Justice and Young Justice: Invasion also qualify. At least at Gargoyles' level. So I think it's already possible. But that's just my - apparently not so - humble opinion.
Hey greg what's up I would love to ask you a questions regarding your story telling techniques
You have said in the past that you could go be telling stories forever if you wanted and in fact sometimes not even the tv show is enough for them hence the comics.
But have you ever considered in giving your characters and stories a Grand finale?.
I think something that has made me a bit sad is that in your past shows you have been cut short due to executive decitions out of your control and we have been unable to get anything resembling an ending that actually gives closure (w.i.t.c.h,Spectacular spiderman, gargoyles etc)
However it is always nice when a tv show character directly says goodbye to te audience(like batman the brave and the bold) or when every major plot point is solved at the end.
A big trait of western media in it's majority like tv shows and specially comics is that the characters "are frozen in time".
Spiderman for instance will always be a young man that fights crime and the story won't go beyond that,same for superman and batman. When the story gets after a certain point we as fans tend to get reboots reapeaing the smae story.
I would like to ask you if given the chance will you give us a finale to your works like gargoyles.
Will we ever see the closure of them?
Do you believe in "grand finales"?
Or do you want simply to never give them a real ending o your shows and simply give the idea that the story will be around forever?
Yeah, I'm not so much into Grand Finales. Probably why I'm more of a television or comic book guy than a movie or graphic novel guy. I believe (whole-heartedly) in the on-going story. That's what LIFE feels like to me.
Gargoyles is a perfect example. Characters come; characters go and some even die, but the world goes on. I even know (but don't ask) how Goliath dies, but I don't see it as the end of that world. It's only A FINALE, because there is no THE FINALE.
I suppose if one was writing a story with a single lead, a la Spider-Man, and either (a) one killed him off or (b) one really ran out of stories to tell, then I could see staging that big Grand F before you waved goodbye forever. But that assumes there isn't a new Spider-Man waiting in the wings and/or that a guy like me would actually run out of stories. And that hasn't happened to me, at least not yet.
Dear Mr. Weisman,
Thank you for all the wonderful work you've done from Gargoyles, to Spiderman, to Young Justice. Been a fan for years.
1) From your experience, what was more enjoyable to work with? Working on a show that was completely yours to control - Gargoyles - from character development, plot, and storyline? Or Spiderman and Young Justice where the basics has already laid out?
2) Was there more pressure to succeed working on Gargoyles because it was original and the creativity was your to control? Or was there more pressure to work on an adaption on Spiderman and Young Justice because the bar has already been set?
1. They're different. Gargoyles is my baby. But in terms of the actual work, I don't think I had any more or less fun working on SpecSpidey, W.I.T.C.H. or YJ.
2. I think the pressure rises with each series, but I blame the internet more than anything inherent in the series. (I blame the internet for a lot, which is not to say I could go back to living without it.)
This is...going to be an odd post.
Six years ago, I was a lonely and bored kid surfing the Internet for pretty pictures of one of my favorite shows, WITCH. I stumbled upon my first fanfiction. I was eleven and hooked. I've managed to bond with many people because of that discovery and self-published some of my writing.
Fast forward to December 2010. I heard of this fantastic new show, Young Justice, and unfortunately missed the premiere due to my DVR not working. I decided to surf the Web and stumbled upon an anonymous writing meme for Young Justice. It's still the most interactive, fun place I've been online, and it got me out of a slump I'd fallen into with my writing. In fact, the Young Justice fandom is the most active and interactive fandom I've ever been in.
I have Asperger's Syndrome- I find it difficult to connect with people at all. So...thank you. Thank you for making such great shows that people love so much that we can all connect to. It's really made my life so much better.
You know, I really don't think I know the definition of "meme".
Otherwise, you're very welcome!!
Only two episodes of your run on WITCH, namely the first and last, have your writing credit (if my research is correct). Was there anything about WITCH's production that prevented you from contributing more scripts personally or was it a creative choice?
Honestly, I don't remember. Did I really only write two myself?
I love how badass Aqualad and all the other Atlantians are on YJ! Usually, Aquaman is considered kind of a joke by a lot of people, but you made them so cool and powerful on the show, which is great. I was wondering, was some of the water controlling powers Aqualad use inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender?
Well, not really, because I've seen that stuff for years before I was exposed to A:TLAb. For example, W.I.T.C.H. But you know, it's all in there, I guess.
Hey Greg
I heard that you wrote the lyrics for the will to love and even though the full song was never released, the lyrics for the full version were released. recently i have been learning the song by ear and have been making a tab for it. the one problem is that even though i can learn almost all of the song from 'S is for Self' the bridge is quite a problem for me. i would be quite happy to create my own chords and melody for it but i would much rather write it with the correct chords and melody. i was wondering if you would know any of the chords from the bridge or know anybody who might know them? just the chords will do because i will be able to create my own melody ontop. Please don't just look over this question as this project means quite alot to me as it is my first one.
Thanks!
Charlie
I'm not sure how to help you. The entire song was recorded, even if it wasn't all used. But I don't have a copy of the sheet music.
Though I know your mind isn't the kind to play favorites, but given how you acknowledge The Mirror as your favorite/the best episode of Gargoyles, I think this might be able to fly.
Do you have any particular episodes of WITCH or The Spectacular Spider-Man that, if it wasn't your favorite necessarily, you felt was the best of those shows? And for what reasons, if so?
At the moment, I can't think of just one for either series. But it's been a while since I've watched them.
This is about pretty much all the series you've worked on. I've noticed that most of your series has a large cast of recurring characters (and that despite this characters tend to be very well delineated.) Now for Young Justice, WITCH, and Spectacular Spiderman that may be just because they were pre-existing properties and already have large casts. However, Gargoyles also had a large cast.
Was this a because of conscious choice?
Do you perfer working with a large cast of characters?
I do. I like creating worlds that feel real and populated.
I know I wrote to you about a year ago with some thoughts on âW.I.T.C.H.,â but I just went through the series for a second time, and rather than just watch it, I was able to study it, catch all the clues and pieces of foreshadowing and other things that I missed.
Last year, it took me two weeks to make it through the first season, and twenty-four hours to make it through the second season. This time, well, I wanted to let the second season breathe a little more, which is why it took twenty-seven hours to make it through this time.
What can I say, itâs addictive.
I think Iâll start with the large cast, which seems to be a feature in every series you produce. I donât feel like anybody got the short end of the stick. Will, being the lead, of course got the most time. Everyone else was well balanced also. Casts this big can be pretty hard to juggle. Five main characters, and so many supporting characters, recurring characters, villains, etc.
Irma was probably my favorite of the Guardians. She just had so much spunk. A huge sense of humor. I enjoyed how she often seemed like she would be the most fun to hang out with, but at the same time, probably the meanest when she was in a bad mood. Cornelia at her worst has nothing on a pissed off Irma. Very scary. God help you if you push her to anger. Iâve known people like that in real life, but I find that TV seldom ever does it well. So I have to commend a series that can take someone so likeable and make them nasty without losing their likeability.
The theme of the season seemed to be growing up. Hay-Lin and Taranee change and grow the most this season. Cornelia does well too, learning to be a better sister to Lillian. Will growing in her powers, as a leader, in her relationship with her parents, and their new love interests, and in her own relationship with Matt.
Ironically, Irma seems to change the least over the course of the season, but thatâs okay, because she still got a lot of characterization.
Surprising nobody, my favorite character in the series was Nerissa. She always kept me guessing. Going through the series for the second time, I could really see her master plan and all the pipe-laying for her. I probably shouldnât mention season one, but I paid much more attention to Trill this time, as well as the Mage. Nerissa just seemed to be everywhere, pulling everybodyâs strings. I liked the twist that she wasnât really out for vengeance, which is a twist that made sense. Watching it the first time, I asked myself why would she want to avenge Phobos, she wasnât there. Well, she was, but you know what I mean. The Knights were all a distraction, and the second time, that seemed much more obvious. But I enjoyed how cold and intelligent she was. She was always scheming; always Machiavellian; and two steps ahead of everyone; all the while carrying around a mountain of repressed guilt. I once described her to a friend with the following words: âimagine if Xanatos and Demona had a baby together, that child would be Nerissa.â I thought Kath Soucie did a magnificent job.
I must also say that the twist that Nerissa was Calebâs mother was brilliant. As I understand it, this was not the case I the original comic book. But I enjoyed it; I thought it worked quite well. It also made things even more chilling in that, when you think about it, she essentially raped Julian. Rape by deception is still rape, and thatâs not something you see often in a cartoon. It almost reminds me of Merlin helping Uther deceive Igraine in order to create King Arthur.
And then there was Prince Phobos. Itâs impossible to discuss what was done with him in the second season without talking about the first. I thought he was pretty one note throughout the first season, but season two did something far different with him, and you really felt how this guy could have held the entire world of Meridian under his control for so long.
I felt the same way about Lord Cedric, he got old really fast in the first season, and when he finally gets out of his cell in season two, heâs not doing much that he didnât do in the first season until what had to be the shock moment of the entire season. I wonât say anymore, but it was nice to see a character I thought so poorly of get that moment. What inspired that twist, I wonder.
The Shagon mini-arc was very well done too. It seems to be a theme in Weisman produced shows to have a character change into something else, all under the control of a villain. David Xanatos turned Derek Maza into Talon; the Green Goblin turned Mark Allan into Molten Man; and Nerissa turns Matt into Shagon. What I also enjoy is just how different each of these scenarios really are. Shagon was a nice personal antagonist towards Will. As I understand it, this is another case where the TV series deviated from the comics for the better. Turning Matt into Shagon just gives that character a lot more chemistry with our heroes than he otherwise would have had.
Would I have liked to see a third season? Sure. But aside from the mystery of who this new teacher was, I thought it was all wrapped up very well, and didnât leave me âneedingâ to see more the same way âGargoylesâ and âSpectacular Spider-Manâ did. It was great television, and Iâm sorry I didnât get to see it when it was originally airing.
Thanks. I was really proud of the work we did with WITCH. Tried to stay true to Season One and build in more material from the comic, and take it all to a new level. Would have loved to have done another season, but...
When working on WITCH, did you ever meet or otherwise communicate with the creator of the original comic?
Nope.
Silly little question- Do you ever feel the urge, (or give into the urge), to slip something into a script purely because you know something about the actor? Like writing a song into a scene because you know the actor sings, (but maybe not telling them that they're going to be doing Sondheim or Gilbert & Sullivan till after they agree to sing 'some ditty'), or make them speak a foreign language because someone is fluent (but perhaps has a horrid accent)? Someone has a great cackle? Find a reason to have it come up. Someone is afraid of canaries? Put on on the character's shoulder for the whole episode. etc The only example I can think of now would be to have M'gan spout a long series of made up equations to see if Danica McKellar's head explodes in the face of nonsensical math. (Or replace of a series of made up equations with her own theorem at the last moment and wait for her to notice.)
Or does "Jalapeno!" qualify as such evil?
Jalapena definitely qualifies.
Thailog qualifies in general. (How can I write for Keith David and never give him the chance to laugh?!)
I would have loved to do musical episodes of Gargoyles and/or Spectacular Spider-Man, but in the former I couldn't think of a smart way to make it work (pre-Joss Whedon's "Once More With Feeling") and in the latter, we didn't get enough episodes...
But it was fun doing the two musical episodes of W.I.T.C.H.
Hey greg,first of all, you're awesome, i remember when i was only 5 and i would re enact your gargoyles haha good times.
If you were to compare Young Justice and your other works, would young justice be in the top 5?
How many views are you having on Young justice ?
Wow, did you just make me feel old...
Yes, YJ would be in my top five, along with Gargoyles (of course) and in no particular order, Spectacular Spider-Man, W.I.T.C.H. and Captain Atom.
Is the Green Arrow short in continuity with Young Justice since you were/are involved with both?
I was also involved with W.I.T.C.H., Starship Troopers, Gargoyles and the Spectacular Spider-Man, and none of those are in continuity with Young Justice.
I really enjoyed these first preview episodes of Young Justice. And perhaps even moreso than that i enjoyed to hear Crispin Freeman to return back to your services: i think he made fantastic work as both Speedy and Guardian, and eventhough you can still hear a bit that it is the same actor, he made it possible for those two characters to be divided and personified from one and another.
He was excellent as Electro, and i was fan of him before that(i came hooked sometimes around i first saw first few episodes of Wolf,s Rain).
From what i,ve been able to gather, he seems to be not only true professional, but also smart, intelligent guy with great thoughts, coupled with sharp and delightful sense of humor. I have seem him to appear in many of Gatherings(often paired with good old Thom Lexington Adcox), and i,ve heard that he was fan long before your paths crossed, often discussing with his fans about serie,s themes.
If it isnt too much trouble, could you give little bit of greenlight how you two met, and how your cooperation began?
Hopes for better to your work from fan from far-off-land Finland: maybe there arent too many Finnish Gargfans, but i am one of them.
Pidä lippu korkealla!/Keep your spirits high!
I met him through the Gathering, actually. 2001 in Los Angeles, I believe. He was a guest of the convention, giving his mythology seminar. We first worked together on a pitch for Mecha-Nation, i.e. he did us a favor and recorded a bit of dialogue for us. The first paying job I could offer him was on the very last episode of W.I.T.C.H.
I hate to say it, but I was extremely disappointed in the Young Justice premiere. Don't get me wrong--the animation was gorgeous, the dialogue entertaining, the story intriguing. But the gender imbalance was a huge turn-off for me.
Why was it that the women of the Justice League were only shown in the last five minutes of a two-part pilot? Why did the male sidekicks get to go on a rebellious adventure and force the League to accept them as a team of their own, while the first girl is only added to "Young Justice" at the very end, introduced by her uncle and guardian like some sort of token?
I expect that the women will have a lot more to do in the episodes to come, but I still find it profoundly problematic to introduce the characters in such an unequal manner. I believe there are too many men in the world as it is who see women as mere supporting players in their stories. Why reinforce this stereotype for a whole new generation of superhero cartoon fans?
It's a legitimate gripe. And I doubt my answer will satisfy you, but it came down to a couple factors that we at least found important: (1) practicality and to a lesser extent - but intertwined with - (2) tradition.
Let's start with practicality.
You asked why there were no female Leaguers until the end. But where would they have fit? There are no female Leaguers with traditional first generation sidekicks. So Batman, Green Arrow, Aquaman and Flash could not be replaced by Wonder Woman, Black Canary or Hawkwoman. That leaves the four Leaguers introduced at the Hall of Justice. I needed Martian Manhunter to be there to set up Miss Martian. I needed Red Tornado there to set up his interest in the teens. I needed Superman there to set up Superboy. That leaves only Zatara. He was certainly replaceable. But then I would have had to hire another voice actress to read ONE LINE. I couldn't afford to do that. We have budgets. (And you'll notice that Red Tornado never speaks in the episode. Couldn't afford giving him a line either. None of which had anything to do with gender.)
There was NEVER any intent to introduce Artemis this early in the season for story reasons. Wouldn't make sense for her character. And I think the reasons why will become clear as the season progresses.
As for Miss Martian, yes, in theory, we could have introduced her sooner. Manhunter COULD have brought her along at the beginning. But then I'd have had FOUR characters running around the first half hour and FIVE in the second. That steals screen time and characterization from everyone. I think the entire production would have been weaker for adding another character -- ANY other character (gender notwithstanding).
Of course, that begs the obvious question - why not ditch one of the boys in favor of her to create a little balance.
But it seemed to us that would create balance at a cost.
There are FOUR TRADITIONAL sidekicks: Robin, Speedy, Aqualad and Kid Flash. To leave one out seemed wrong to us. Which brings in the Tradition argument, which I'll admit is somewhat feeble, but as an old comic book geek, I'll also admit it matters to me and to everyone else here.
The very first Teen Titans story ever in Brave and the Bold featured only THREE heroes: Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash. Wonder Girl did not join until their second adventure. So we felt there was a precedent for beginning with Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash and saving the real introduction of Miss Martian (beyond hellos) for OUR second adventure.
For what it's worth, if you give the series another chance, starting with episode three (i.e. the one immediately following the pilot "movie"), I think you'll see that female characters including Miss Martian, Black Canary, Artemis, Wonder Woman and MANY others will be playing ESSENTIAL roles in the show as we progress. I think the balance - and then some - is absolutely present in the first season when viewed in its entirety.
Yes, the pilot was very boy-centric, but that's not the rubric for the series. Personally, I love writing female characters, and if you're at all familiar with my past work, you'll know I have a history of doing them justice. (At least, I think so.) Gargoyles, for example, is FULL of strong female characters, including Elisa, Demona, Angela, Fox, etc. WITCH was nearly ALL female leads. Even Spider-Man had a strong female supporting cast, in my opinion at least.
If we did "reinforce a stereotype" (which I think is overstating it) then perhaps we've lured in kids that we will reeducate over the course of the season - organically without forcing it.
So I'd beg a little patience, a little indulgence... maybe even a little trust that we'll do right by this issue.
But judge for yourself.
Who would you rather be trapped in an eight hour car ride with; Demona; Nerissa; or Green Goblin?
Nerissa, I guess. She'd have less reason to kill me at random. She might even appreciate the company.
Hi Greg, i've heard about some unaired 15-minute pilot episode of W.I.T.C.H. with a different story on halloween and i know they wore made for some test or something like this. I've heard on a topic on a forum that they are on a tape and it was just one copy of that. Now i was wondering if you can tell me were can i find those 15 minutes, because i didn't find anything on internet or maybe you know were it is or you can find that copy and share it with me. I really want to see those 15 minutes.
Sorry. I don't know where you can find it.
Hey Greg,
Long time fan, first time asker. Iâve actually been posting over on in the Comment Room on and off for the past couple of years. I would have posted something here on Ask Greg sooner but frankly I could never think of anything particularly interesting say other then various permutations of âYOU ROCK!â
Anyway Iâve been a huge âGargoylesâ fan since I first saw âAwakenings Part Oneâ waaay back in â94, and I loved âThe Spectacular Spider-Manâ throughout itâs glorious yet tragically brief run. Needless to say, Iâm eagerly looking forward to âYoung Justiceâ.
Yet up until recently, Iâd been grossly negligent of the forgotten middle child of your career. A few weeks ago I got the chance to watch season two of âW.I.T.C.H.â and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even going back to watch season one and then re-watching season two all the way through again, just so I had all the back story.
Season two was a wonderfully crafted epic that managed to be true to the established continuity of season one yet at the same time managed to elevate and expand it into something truly astounding. I was especially impressed with the characterisation of Nerissa, she seemed to combined some of the most dangerous qualities of Demona and Xanatos, obsessive and vengeful yet at the same time very cool and calculating.
It really is a tragedy that this show isnât better remembered, Iâve actually spoken to hardcore âGargoylesâ and âSpectacular Spider-Manâ fans whoâve never seen it. Personally, Iâd heartily recommend it to anyone whoâs a fan of your better known toons.
Thank you.
We were VERY proud of the work we did on W.I.T.C.H. There was some great story craft there by a diverse group of writers, some of whom would be very familiar to Gargoyles and Spidey fans, including Cary Bates, Andrew Robinson, Kevin Hopps, Greg Weisman, Jon Weisman and Nicole Dubuc. Also involved were Sam Bernstein (writer of the movie Bobby's Girl) and Steve Peterman (one of the show-runners on Hannah Montana). And our great boss Justine Cheynet.
Iâve heard you mention several times that you have had very good luck with S&P over several series, praising people who really understood the series and were more interested in showing consequence than keeping any violence off screen. When they put their foot down it was generally to avoid what a child can copy, even willing to have a different violent action in place they couldnât. Did you ever have bad experiences? (Either on a series you were running, or one you freelanced on.)
Yes, I've had many. Some completely inexplicable. Others explicable, but still wrong-headed.
Taranee on W.I.T.C.H. was a constant problem, as her power was fire and the S&P executive was very uncomfortable with... I'm not quite sure... the notion that we were encouraging child pyromania? The possibility that kids would use magic to generate flames?
I can't think of a really funny example just this second, though God knows I have more than a handful.
Hi Greg,
i am wondering do you know which singers sang the song The will to love and The demon in me.
both of the songs have been sang in Witch episode s is for self part.
Jason Marsden, who played Matt Olsen.
Greetings Greg!
First off I wanted to say what a huge fan I am of your series. Gargoyles was by far one of the greatest cartoons back in the day. Now that I'm done fangirling, on to my question. I've read up on various sources saying that the comics may no longer be published due to Disney's iron grip on the Gargoyles franchise. I understand that there will no longer be any comics returning any time soon. My real question to you is WITCH related. Is there going to be a season 3 or any continuation of the series? I'm a huge fan of the original comic's and it seems like shame Disney would cancel it.
I don't know anything about the status of the WITCH comics. The t.v. series was not picked up for a third season.
hi, mr. weisman if many people sign on sds.org to save witch will it have a chance to go back on tv or witch will be gone forever.
It's a bit late, I think, to save W.I.T.C.H. (Although I don't know what sds.org is.)
hi greg,did you wrote lyrics "will to love"? ...when i searched the lyrics i found
the the full version...wich is a lot more than it was sang on tv...why? heres the rest of the song:I figured Iâd stay on the shelf.
Truth be told, didnât trust myself:
Always fade, donât make the grade, too afraid
Of rejection. Ohâ¦
I didnât think I had the strength
To find a girl on my wavelength.
Just a runt, always punt. No will to hunt
For perfection.
Then everything changes.
Sheâs there. Life rearranges.
Winged angel from aboveâ¦
Helped me find the Will⦠the Will to loveâ¦
The Will to love⦠The Will to loveâ¦
Gameâs full of surprises.
Live our share of compromises.
Still when push comes to shoveâ¦
Sheâs just the Will to love.
Sheâs just the Will to love.
I found the Will to love.
And everything changes.
Sheâs here. Life rearranges.
Winged angel from aboveâ¦
She is just the Will⦠the Will to love.
The Will to love⦠The Will to love⦠Ohâ¦
The Wïll to loveâ¦
We put as much of the song in the episode as there was time for. And, yes, I wrote the lyrics. The full version can be found in, of all place, the Gargoyles: Bad Guys trade paperback, available now from Amazon.
Hey, Mr. Weisman, I have a question.
You spoke that you still had scenario of 3 parts "W.i.t.c.h.". If the project have closed. You could not give us the scenario? It would be desirable it to study. And fans would be very glad.
I am sorry for the bad English language.
I did have plans for a third season of W.I.T.C.H., but I'm afraid that was years ago, and I've forgotten most of it.
ummmmmmmm you probably cant answer this but who is in charge of putting witch back on tv
i was just gonna form a petition and see if we can get it back on the air and i had numerous amounts of ideas for episodes.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
PS
how many signatures would be needed to get witch back on the air if u can email that back to me
email is Olasehinde12@gmail.com
I'd guess it's someone at Disney, if you're talking about the reruns. But I don't think there's any real chance of new episodes getting made at this point.
Hey, Mr. Weisman, I have a question.
I know you served as the director for W.I.T.C.H's second and final season. Many people attribute the fact that W.I.T.C.H never really caught on as well as it could have to it's first season, which deviated heavily from the spirit of the source material. As I've heard you made it a big goal to do better with that in the second season, I'd like to ask: if you had been working on W.I.T.C.H from the start (the first season), what would you have done differently? How would the whole Meridian/Phobos/Elyon storyline have gone under your direction?
Thanks.
I served as Supervisory Producer for the second season of W.I.T.C.H. I was not the director.
Your question is impossible to answer. There are too many "IF"s in that hypothetical. If I had been in charge. If Disney had told me it was a comedy show for the Disney Channel set in a high school with a little magic thrown in and then halfway through production changed their collective mind to make it a fantasy action show with a little comedy for Jetix instead (which is what happened to the Season One producers). Etc.
Do you think you would ever post the actual scripts of the shows you've worked on? W.I.T.C.H. , Gargoyles, Spiderman ect. I would love to read them. I've never actually seen a cartoon script and I was wondering the major differences format/process wise vs film scripts.(which seem easy to find off the internet, but I don't know any sites that offer libraries of animation and comic formats)Thanks!
PS love the new spiderman episodes!
Different issues for different shows.
For Spider-Man, the answer for the time being is no. The show is (hopefully) on-going, and posting the scripts -- even first season scripts -- might reveal secrets I don't want revealed.
For Gargoyles, I don't have electronic copies of most of the scripts. Really, I only have "The Journey". And I definitely don't have the time to transcribe them.
W.I.T.C.H. is more of a possibility. But you're asking about Format and all formatting would be lost if I posted the script here at ASK GREG.
Hi! One of the greatest pleasures of visiting AskGreg when you were rambling about each episode of "Gargoyles" individually was seeing the production memos and other behind-the-scenes documents that gave us all a long peek at exactly what went into producing the episodes that eventually aired.
Given this, I was wondering if you would be willing to post any of the memos that you might have with regards to the production of "W.I.T.C.H." and "The Spectacular Spider-Man." I have greatly enjoyed both shows, and I would absolutely love to see some of the thinking that went into them.
On a related note, since a third season of "W.I.T.C.H." is apparently (and unfortunately) never going to see the light of day, are there any ideas that you would be willing to share as to how Season 3 would have been if you had worked on it? Evidently Raphael Sylla would have been involved, but what other characters/storylines did you have planned?
Thank you for your time, and good luck with your work!
I'm not going to put up any internal documentation on Spidey while the show is still alive.
Which suggests, I might be willing to do it on WITCH, since it's not. I'll think about it.
I have to admit that my memory on WITCH's never-happened third season are a bit vague now. But Sylla and Riddle were very important, and Taranee and I think Martin and Cornelia would transfer to Riddle's school. The Guardians would take on a temporary new member, as in the comics. There were other elements from the comic, including characters I can now picture in my head -- but whose names I can't immediately call to mind. But Irma's mom would have been very important.
Hello.First i sorry for the bad English but I'm Bulgarian and I'm still young.I wanted to ask you if there is going to be a 3th season of W.I.T.C.H. ? i know this question was already asked but i hope Disney changed there minds.This anime is the greatest and i really hope it continues.
Thanks.
George:your biggest fan.
to your work:keep it going YOU ARE THE BEST ;)
and sorry if i didnt wrote something not write
To my knowledge, there are no plans for a third season. Sorry.
Hi Greg, would you know anything about if Disney truly is planning to release a W.I.T.C.H movie possibly in the next two years and if it will be live action or animated?
Also thank you so much for writing "The Will to Love". It's definitely one of my all time favorite songs.
I have no information on this one way or another.
i know this is not a question but it's a helpful way to save shows. if any one would like to save a show and get it aired again such as *hint hint* WITCH then go on this web http://help.savedisneyshows.org/ and follow the instructions also get as many people as possible to go on http://help.savedisneyshows.org/ and follow the instuctions (it says it was made by a greg, and im not sure if thats coincedental or the same person)
remember save great shows *hint hint* such as WITCH from not being aired ever again thank you
a public service announcement -- all in lower case to save money, I suppose -- from save the show.
Hey! just wanted to know if you could talk to disney over making more WITCH or could i a fan do so, also wnated to know that if disney say no could another company make a differnt spin on witch such as jetix, 'coz back here in england WITCH is played on jetix not disney
any help would be appericiated
thanks Liz
It was Jetix here too. See my previous response.
orry for the double comment but i just read the rules again, if i broke any sorry! i'm not looking for employment or mascarading any idea's i jus wanna know if W.I.T.C.H is ever gonna continue and if theres any specific reason or any reason at all why
sorry again if i've made a mistake Ollie
You're fine. See my previous post.
Hey Greg, im a fan of another programme you directed called W.I.T.C.H, and I've read the introduction to this website so i know there's a chance that you won't respond, but i might aswell give it a shot! I was wondering if you would ever continue the W.I.T.C.H series and if you would you could use the ideas from the comic books (i can't sure you if you deccide to use the comic ideas as i did not right them). I'm not sure if there is a specofic reason why the W.I.T.C.H series stopped and if it had anything to do wih ideas for the show, anyway i would be really greatful for a reply and if you need any story lines you can contact me (and i promise not to sue!) on my email; mrdudeman@live.co.uk
or if you want to reply to this message seperatly (as it has nothing to do with Gargoyles - which i totaly love aswell!)
Thanks Ollie
To be clear, I didn't "direct" WITCH. I was the Supervisory Producer, Story Editor (head writer) and I wrote multiple episodes.
I'd love to do more WITCH. I had plenty of ideas (all based on the comics) for a third season. But the ratings didn't support a pick-up, I'm afraid. And just in case it's not clear, it's not up to me whether or not they do more.
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