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RIPOSTES 2006-12 (Dec)

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JEFFERTON writes...

Would the gargoyles need to sleep if they were in Alaska during the six months of night

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on January 04, 2007

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Jonny Modlin writes...

I wanted to know when will Gargoyles Season Two, Volume Two on DVD with the final twenty six episodes of Monsters to Hunter's Moon in what month/year? How were the sales for Gargoyles Season Two, Volume One on DVD? Thank you.
Jonny

Greg responds...

This has been answered before. Please check the archives.

Response recorded on January 02, 2007

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Torvik writes...

Hey Greg. My sister and I have NO PROBLEM shopping for each other at Christmas. We just get each other the latest Garg DVD release. (We won "Best Couple" at the Montreal Gathering ~ Fox & Xanatos a la 'Eye of the Beholder'.)
Watched/listened to the 'City of Stone' commentary last week. I think the BEST part was hearing you laugh. There was something about it that showed you 100% at ease. You were comfortable, and everything you were saying flowed unhindered from within you. No masks. No false pretenses. It was clear that you were really enjoying yourself, and that helped me to enjoy what you were saying so much more. Even if I had never met you, I bet I'd feel some sorta weird kinship with you, just because you were so personable. Every time you laughed, I couldn't prevent a smile from creeping across my face.

Thanks for the great work!
Alan

(The only thing I haven't really enjoyed from the 2 releases are the cheese-zoid 'animated' menus. Maybe the designers are gearing for a younger age, but I would be even happier with something more tasteful and simple, ya know? A bit more understated. But, that's just me :)

Greg responds...

I kinda liked the menus myself. Maybe I'm just immature. ;)

Anyway, thanks for the kind words. We were having fun.

Response recorded on January 02, 2007

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Vicky writes...

Hi

I live in the UK and I like to know when the Dvd's are coming out over here?

Greg responds...

I don't know. You might try asking at the S8 comment room. I think there are a few English fans, who might have the answer.

Response recorded on December 29, 2006

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I should be posting on the new dvd releases, I mean I (figuratively) ran out and got them the day they released, (a more literal description would be I preordered on Amazon), but I am ashamed to say I haven't rewatched them yet. Instead I'll ask about the new comics coming out through Slave Labor Graphics, for which I am waiting with bated breath-

Looking through comments already made and the questions waiting to be answered que I see you plan on starting from your last episode, though not making a big point of it. (Just as you said you would if you could make new episodes.) You also were reported as saying that Disney is aware that the comics will squew slightly older than the original main demographic. You were also reported as still being wary of doing a 9/11 related issue. I was wondering if your thoughts had at all changed on the matter. {If you are currently 2 years behind in Ask Greg, but are starting the comics at 1996, that gives time to answer.}

I am sorry if this question has already been asked. The search engine would not allow me to search for "9/11". Or any numeric queries for that matter. I tried other queries like "September" and "center", but I may have not thought of all possibilties.

thank you,
Laura A

Greg responds...

I am beyond wary about tackling 9/11. But I'll have to eventually. Just not yet. I'm now plotting issue #7, so things might change slightly, but issues 1-9 are all set in 1996. I won't even get to early 1997 until issue number 10.

But when the series gets to September of 2001, I will indeed deal. Can't not. But I'll admit it scares the hell out of me.

Response recorded on December 29, 2006

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Axem Gold writes...

These questions are about comics/comic related material:

1. Have you watched the following Marvel Films? If yes, what were your thoughts on them?
1a. X-Men 2
1b. Daredevil
1c. Hulk
1d. Fantastic Four
1e. Batman Begins
1f. Daredevil The Director's Cut (The novelization is closer to this version, than the theatrical)

1g. Not a Marvel Movie, but "Justice League Starcrossed The Movie"
2. What were your thoughts on Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends. Frank Welker did quite a bit of voicing for this one (Bobby Drake/Iceman, Flash Thompson, Ms. Lions and Matt Murdock).

3. I believe a copy of your resume mention you doing work on the Spider-Man Animated Series from Sony for MTV.
3a. What episodes if any did you help with?
3b. Any opinions on the series as a whole?

4. Did you get a copy of "The Batman VS Dracula"?

5. Last question. Did you think the DC Comics Universe was better with or without the Multiverse? I prefered the multiple earths. I recently picked up the Trade Paperback "Crisis On Multiple Earths The Team Ups", which made it possible to finally read Flash #123 (Flash Of Two Worlds).

Greg responds...

Geez, this could take me hours to answer...

1a. Saw it, and generally liked it. My main complaint on all three X-Men movies is the casting of Scott Summers. He's blown off the screen by Wolverine, and thus in X-2 is relegated to a very minor role, and in X-3 is unceremoniously killed off (for no good reason).

1b. Saw it on an airplane, and I'll admit I'm less picky on airplanes. Not a great movie. Was a bit disappointed in Kingpin. That guy so looks the part, but he seemed feeble to me.

1c. Haven't seen it. Would like to, actually. I'm curious.

1d. Ugh. AWFUL. Honestly, I've seen both the new version and the old version that was never released. Both are equally awful. Production values may have been better on this one, but the story is atrocious. The characterizations pathetic. And would it have killed them to make Johnny Storm blond? I mean Jessica Alba died HER hair. Also, Reed is horribly miscast. So is Doom for that matter.

1e. I've talked about this one elsewhere. I'll admit it's the best Batman movie to date, but I'll point out that that's not saying much. I found much to like. Much that raised the bar. But ultimately a movie that did not make it over the bar it raised. (Still, better to try and fail then not try.) The ending for me was particularly disappointing and non-sensical.

1f. Not sure what you're talking about here. But I guess I haven't seen it.

1g. Never heard of it.

2. I doubt I saw more than an episode or two and it was ages ago. I don't remember caring for it much -- Frank's work aside -- but then I wasn't exactly the target audience either.

3. I did briefly, but nothing I did ever made it on the air. My story editor on that show was let go, and the new story editor wasn't interested in pursuing anything with me.

3a. None. See above. I wrote one outline. But I'm not sure anyone ever read it, because my story editor was fired the same day I turned in my outline.

3b. I've never seen more than a couple of clips. No opinion.

4. Nope.

5. I preferred multiple earths. I think they made a classic error at the time. They would have been better off RENUMBERING their Earths. With what was then known as Earth 2 changing to Earth 1. The then current Earth 1 changing to Earth 2 and then SIMULTANEOUSLY launching Earth 3 in the eighties. The idea being that the "Heroic Age" begins anew on a new world every twenty years. That way they don't have to rewrite existing continuity, but they can still start fresh, i.e. have their cake and eat it too. And they'd still be able to do the occasional cross-over. (If you're stingy with this, it's really not that complicated.) They'd have two lines, but what's wrong with that? In essence, it seems to me, that's what Marvel did with Ultimates. The side benefit is that it also allows your characters to age naturally. It bugs me when characters can't grow. That's why Gargoyles is fixed in more-or-less real time.

Response recorded on December 22, 2006

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Axem Gold writes...

A few months ago at the library, I checked out the VHS Macbeth (Orson Welles directed and played the lead role). According to the credits, Malcom was played by Roddy Mcdowall (Proteus). Did you know about that?

Greg responds...

Yep. I have my copy of that version of Macbeth sitting right over there on the shelf. No, the other shelf. Yeah. See?

Response recorded on December 22, 2006

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Axem Gold writes...

Not too good doing reviews, so I'll post what I liked about Season 2 Volume.

Seeing the uncensored episodes.
Commentary for City Of Stone was fun to listen to. (I too felt the animation errors concerning Demona could be explained as the stress).

The music for the episode intros were creepy, but cool.

I kind of like the original ending of Vows. Even developed an explaination for that, which could be used for the flashback in Reawakening (You know, Hudson with his sword before the Viking attack?). Like some people who might dream about some memory, Goliath tend to have a lot on his mind when reminicing.

Anyway, thanks for helping to put the DVDs together.

Greg responds...

You're welcome. (And quite generous.)

Response recorded on December 22, 2006

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King Cobra3 writes...

Gargoyles, Season 2, Volume 1. My Personal Review, broken down into categories as any good review should be.

THE SOUND - It was very crisp. Very clear and 'new', considering that the episodes are now over 10 years old. The audio just floored me, from Goliath's opening 'speech' to the end credits. I felt very satisfied with the sound factor.

THE PICTURE - Very smooth. The animation was nicely done on TV, and it looks even better on DVD. Nice job there.

THE ACTING - Top notch. As usual, with Thom and Jeff excelling in the "voices" section. But then, Brooklyn and Lex were already my faves to begin with. *shrugs* Maybe for the next DVD set we could get "The Trio" involved in the commentary? :) *crosses fingers*

THE FEATUES - Great touch on the episode introductions, Greg. They were very cool and to the point in terns of each individual episode plot. The Cast and Crew featurette were very nice, and it was really cool seeing the VAs talk about their experiences doing the series, (Gotta feel sorry for Thom, though, since he doesn't know much about computers. :P) and I loved every second of it. I personally would've liked to have seen Laura San Giacomo, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Keith David, and Salli Richardson give their two cents, but that's just me. We can't have everything, after all. Though we damn near do with this spectacular set. :) Thanks for making these DVDs possible.

Sorry for the short short review, Greg, but I'm having a really busy day today, (and lately) and I only had a few minutes to write this review up. Hope you enjoy it.

See you at G2006.

King Cobra3

Greg responds...

Unfortunately, the two-day session to shoot the extras and record the commentary was scheduled on very short notice, and neither Frank, Salli, Keith, Marina nor Jonathan were available. I'm not sure they were even in town.

But at least we got Keith on the Season One DVD, and nearly everyone else on Season Two, Volume One.

Response recorded on December 22, 2006

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dph writes...

Was Merlin's conception/birth intentional on the part of Oberon? What I mean is did Oberon deliberately seek out to have a son who was half mortal in the case of Merlin?

Greg responds...

I mostly think he was hot for Merlin's mom.

Response recorded on December 21, 2006

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dph writes...

Could you please list the following events in chronological order:

1)Oberon overthrew Queen Maeve
2)in reference to City of Stone part 4 in the scene where Bodhe says the English rid their land of gargoyles years ago, the point in time in which the English thought they rid themselves of gargoyles
3)Merlin was born
4)Oberon married Titania
5)Atlantis fell
6)Last Member of the Lost Race died
7)Goliath, Angela, Bronx, and Elisa meet Nokkar

Thank you for answering this question.

Greg responds...

5.
3.
1. Although it's Mab in our continuity, not Maeve.
4.
7.

2 & 6 I'm choosing not to reveal at this time.

Response recorded on December 21, 2006

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Shannon "Shan" Muir writes...

About four years ago now, we had a lively discussion about the portrayal of disabilities in animation. With the queue briefly open, and with the episode initially featuring Jeffrey Robbins ("A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time") now out on DVD, I wanted to revisit that subject.

With the huge strides that have been made in Assistive Technology for those who are impaired, do you think that it provides more opportunities for storytelling? Or does it in any way reduce the level of dramatic opportunities available to you as a writer?

Greg responds...

I honestly don't know, as I haven't dealt with these technologies in story. Which may say something not-so-positive about how inclusive I've been in my storytelling recently.

Response recorded on December 21, 2006

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Shannon "Shan" Muir writes...

Greg,

What is the significance of Jeffrey having a middle name of "MacClaine"? I have only run across it twice, when you mentioned Paul Winfield's death in the archives, and also in the video introduction on the DVD. Nowhere have I found a reference to why it was chosen, or why he needed a middle name at all. I am very curious... thanks.

Greg responds...

Don't know. Either Lydia or Brynne (or I suppose maybe Michael) named Jeff. And they gave him a first, last and middle name. I liked the sound of it, so I consider it part of continuity, but I wouldn't go to far out of my way to include it artificially.

Response recorded on December 21, 2006

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Shannon "Shan" Muir writes...

Greg,

You asked for our comments on the DVD, and I think you missed the comment room the week I posted most of this information, so I've reposted here but tailored it to emphasize and de-emphasize areas as I think would better fit your personal interest and remove date specific wording. It also is presented in a single unit versus the three parts it originally showed up as in the Comment Room.

As to the "Gathering of the Cast and Crew" featurette, I think it was well edited though at times the backgrounds were hard on the eyes. This may just be a personal thing. The footage clips intercut throughout from the series fit incredibly and it really feels like they took the time to find the best bits. It drove me nuts at first that you were the only person facing screen right when everyone else faces screen left, but after multiple views I understood why. It's because you get the majority of screen time and they very likely wanted to create a balance between how often a person was on one side of the screen over the other. Your on screen percentage set it up that you logically should be the only one on that side. Had it been able to be more balanced as far as each person's on screen time, Michael Reaves and Frank Paur could have been on the same side as you, and the voice actors all facing the other way (sorry this is my Radio-TV degree training kicking in).

My favorite part is Frank Paur's ending on the whole thing about optimism. He said exactly why I think the show resonates with me, it's a lot like the way I try to look at life. One gets kicked, then get back up again and still believing there's got to be some good in the world. The most thought provoking line is Michael Reaves when he talks about most animation being people "just whacking each other on the head" and - all due respect to Mr. Reaves! - every time my gut reaction is to yell at the screen "then why don't you change it?" (Side note: it just makes me more aware of why I stay in the animation business and where my heart is).

As to the Introductions. Generally I think they work, especially as someone who didn't watch the series years ago and only caught up more recently on the Toon Disney airings. For people newer to the show, I think they help you feel "caught up" or refresh your memory if you haven't seen them all in order. I also like the fact you can select them in isolation without watching the episode, in case you didn't choose it initially but then want to back up and find out what he said after viewing. But... I'm sorry, but I find it hilarious you can watch just all the Introductions back to back. I mean, I like and respect you and all, but I don't see a point! My boyfriend Kevin had an awful lot of fun with this, making a joke along the lines not to watch it too much and get obsessed with Greg Weisman. (I couldn't let it pass without comment. I feel safe enough since you know both Kevin and myself, so I feel safe bringing it up just for you to ponder.) This is my one major question abotu the set: can you illuminate more as to why the option of watching all the Introductions was included?

As to the "City of Stone" commentary: Very good overall. Thought the wrong Demona model issue was a tad overemphasized, though I think this couldn't be helped because of the conversation between the three of you (which was a definite plus over hearing just one person's take). And to be honest, I wrote most of the animation errors off as a overstressed Demona and the effects of the loss of the last of her innocence by making the choice she made, I never really noticed until the three of you brought it up. And I'm usually REALLY picky about continuity, as it is part of my job when I work on shows. And I did learn some new things as well about the series, mainly from Mr. Reaves and Mr. Paur as fresh voices.

Overall, I am pleased with the sound quality and visual quality of the episodes compared to how I saw them aired on TOON DISNEY, with the obvious exception of "Vows". Mistakes happen, I know, but the wrong ending making the DVD submarines a powerful story, in my not so humble opinion. I say that as a writer even more than just a fan of the show. I know there's no real way to correct this box set, but I think there should be something addressing both endings as a bonus on the last disc (should it be made), talking about the whole situation of why the ending was changed for subsequent airings and presenting both endings. Provided of course, you can sell Disney on even addressing this (or that you even see this in time to make any impact on that level, given the queue backlog). It would (semi) satisfy those more knowledgeable of the series that have precisely forgotten the intended ending (though obviously not included in the episode), be more trivial bits for those into that kind of thing, and educational for those wanting more behind the scenes information about the animation process and the kinds of things that can happen. And I say that as an animation professional, a fan of the show, your former student, and someone who has written about the animation industry for non-artists.

Anyway, I hope that information and insight is of some help to you.

Greg responds...

I have no idea why the option of watching all the intros in a row was put in. But I have to admit, I like it. Cuz personally, I wouldn't want to watch me introducing (and sometimes spoiling) things. But after the fact, it's convenient to be able to just watch 'em all down and see what a goofball I am.

Response recorded on December 21, 2006

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Todd Jensen writes...

Here's a few comments on the second Gargoyles DVD.

One thing that I find a little startling is the "introduction sequence", which contains what may be the first case of 3-D animation that I've seen for "Gargoyles", in the form of a 3-D representation of Goliath in his stone sleep - which then breaks away to reveal a more conventionally animated Goliath beneath. It's certainly taking a little getting used to.

I've been watching the DVD, at any rate, and enjoying it, particularly its clearer animation than my old tapes enjoyed. The first thing that I saw, of course, was "City of Stone" with the audio commentary on. The comments from you, Frank, and Michael were mostly familiar information from "Ask Greg", though I got a kick out of the remark that the only ones happy about Demona's spell upon the city (besides Demona herself) were the pigeons! (I was also pleased that you allowed the audience to hear Demona's two most important lines in the four-parter - perhaps two of her most important lines in the series - "What have I - what have they done to you?" and "The access code is 'alone'.")

I also enjoyed the "Gathering" interview with cast and crew. (One bit that amused me was Brigitte Bako's comparison of Angela to such Shakespearean heroines as Desdemona and Juliet. Her particular choice of those two struck me as appropriate, since Angela gets possessed by Coldfire/Desdemona in "Possession" and she and Broadway are reading "Romeo and Juliet" in the library in "The Journey".)

And I certainly hope that sales will be good enough for Disney to come out with the final 26 episodes of Season Two this December (the December of 2006) so that we can have the entire set. At any rate, my congratulations for an enjoyable product, that definitely beats my old tapes from the nineties (except that they use the original ending for "Vows").

Greg responds...

Thanks. I'm still hoping for the new set to be released. But as I've stated we need to get Disney's attention ALL OVER AGAIN... by increasing sales on the first two sets so much that they can't imagine not releasing the third set. So SPREAD THE WORD!!

Response recorded on December 20, 2006

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dph writes...

1st, I want to thank Greg Weisman very much for answering my timeline question, even though by the time you read this post it will have been a couple of years since you answered it.

About the december dvd release

I loved the commentary on CoS. I was hoping for commentary on Avalon as well, but having it just on CoS was pleasing.

The only 'complaint' about the dvd release that I have is the lack of links to scenes within the episodes. That way I can jump straight to particular spots within episodes without having to fastforward through the episode.

I was very pleased on have unedited versions of quite a few episodes. I actually im'd GXB when I saw "Leader of Pack" because the tape I had of that episode had selected edits (Toon Disney) and I didn't remember what the original episode looked like towards the end. I also enjoyed watching "Eye of the Beholder", again, because of problems with the quality of the recording that I had with that episode.

Overall, I enjoyed/am enjoying the release of those dvds.

On the next dvd release, I would love to see commentary on both The Gathering and Hunter's Moon, but if I had to choose between the two, I would choose Hunter's Moon.

I am looking forward to seeing you in person at the 2006 Gathering of the Gargoyles.

Greg responds...

I would have loved to have done commentary on EVERY episode of the 65, but Disney didn't want to spend that money. I guess scene selection was also too costly. But, hey, the big prize is the episodes themselves. The rest is all gravy.

Response recorded on December 20, 2006

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Anonymous writes...

On the Gargoyles Season 2 Volume 1 DVD, what's up with the wrong ending of VOWS on the DVD? Was is just an error?

Greg responds...

Yes, it's an error. Don't know how it happened either.

Response recorded on December 20, 2006

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Greg Bishansky writes...

My thoughts on the DVD.

First off, I've been anticipating this set for a long time, my favorite episodes ("The City of Stone" Four-Parter) are on it, so having it on DVD is a real treat.

The episodes themselves all look great, the picture is sharp, and the sound is awesome, and keep in mind, prior to this, I was watching these episodes on decade old VHS cassettes, all from the original Disney Afternoon airings. So I was always hearing a sound effect I hadn't heard.

One little thing, I finally have all of "The Cage". I taped the episode when it aired, but the day I taped it, the cable decided to go out for fifteen seconds during Goliath and Elisa's talk at the Clock Tower at the beginning, and I never caught a re-run, so this was my first time seeing the entire episode.

I loved the audio commentary for CoS. Greg, Michael and Frank are all fun to listen to, though I am surprised that Michael (and for that matter, many fans) never noticed Demona was off model a few times in CoS Part One. I noticed... but then, I always payed very close attention to Demona ;)

Hmm, Greg things Demona was a little bit in love with Macbeth in the CoS Part Four flashback. Curious ;)

Overall, a very solid DVD release, Disney is being very good to us with these. The only thing that annoys me is the wrong ending for "Vows" being used for this set. But thankfully, I have found no further mistakes (Yaye, the mouth on Xanatos's armor isn't moving!), and that's a minor complaint (but hopefully one we'll see corrected for the eventual Blue Ray or HD-DVD release)

Of course I can't wait for next set. ::Crosses his fingers for Hunter's Moon commentary::

Greg responds...

I do hope, should we ever get the next release, that we'll have the correct "Vows" ending on it as a bonus.

And HEY, I made it to 2006. For one brief window, I am less than a year behind. So I'm gaining on you all!!!

YAY!

Response recorded on December 20, 2006

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Carol writes...

Adding to all the con journals before Gore closes the door... Here are a couple thanks from G2005 guests:

...please post a note to all the fans expressing my heart felt thanks for their well wishes and especially for the Get Well Card.  I look forward to seeing them all next year.  In the meantime I plan to work on some Gargoyle Flipz books.

Dennis Woodyard

I had a nice time at the Gathering and I am looking forward to bringing in the best book we can possibly do for those fans.

Dan Vado

And just another thanks to all our great guests at G2005. Greg, and The Weisman Family, Thom Adcox, Dave Schwartz, Dan Vado, and though he could not make it in person Dennis Woodyard, who joined us in spirit.

Carol
G2005 Guest Coordinator

Greg responds...

Thanks, Carol!!

Response recorded on December 20, 2006

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BrooklynX writes...

As requested, here is most of my Gathering report.

Thursday, July 29th:

Despite trying to sleep in, all three of us got up early. After eating, we packed up our small bags that we were taking up before folding the CD covers. Once we had everything ready, we packed up the cars. I was taking mine, while Arno rode in Beedoo's (since six of us were coming back from Las Vegas).

After filling up my gas tank and getting some ice, there was a mix up and I ended up hitting the road before they did. We met up at a rest area and then got moving again. About ten miles out from Kingman, we ran into a lovely thunderstorm that was pretty decent in size.

About an hour later, we stopped at the Hoover Dam. After taking a few pictures, we hit the road again for the last bit of the drive into Las Vegas. One thing I did notice on the drive was despite being close to the exit for the hotel, it sure seemed to take forever. Finding our exit, we discovered that we had to get over four lanes to make the turn into the parking lot.

We got over two, but missed the turn. I think we went another three or four blocks before turning around and pulling in. We checked in, found the room and a few minutes later, was greeting by another thunderstorm that included hail. It must have followed us up.

At some point, we brought all of our stuff in and discovered Dubble, Jade Griffin and somebody else's name that escapes me.
After storing stuff in the room, we hit the buffet for dinner. After getting back, we noticed my room key didn't work. Ooops. I think around midnight or a little after, we called it a night.

Friday, July 30th:

The lot of us in Beedoo's room started waking up around 8 am or so and started taking our showers. By 10:45, we wandered downstairs to get breakfast. Of course, we got there at the tail end, so we got charged for breakfast, but got to sit down for lunch. Ooops.

After our food, we started to pick up our packets and then Beedoo and I went to get the keys fixed since two worked and the other two didn't. After that, I think we found Rob and put his stuff in our room. Once that was solved, I think we wandered for a bit before I ended up tagging along and watching the first Clan Olympics event. They tried to draft me, but I was just going to watch.

It was pretty funny and after that, I believe I ran into Mandolin and we went to a writing panel for a little while. Later on, I ran into Countess downstairs just after she ran her toe over with her luggage. Took her up to the room so she could deposit her stuff.

More wondering around and then we had dinner at Subway or the buffet. I can't remember which. Attended opening ceremonies, where I never get tired of everything Greg presents, even if it is the same year after year. After it was over, I did my pre-registration for next year.

The rest of the night is a blur, though at we saw Abram Wintersmith and later on, Maui showed up. I conked out early and woke up at some point to say hi for a few minutes before passing back out.

Saturday, July 31st:

Once again, getting up took the lot of us quiet a while, even though we tried to all meet at 9 for breakfast. We got downstairs around 10 to discover that it was brunch and rather pricey. We then went to the café and had breakfast there.
From there, I tagged along and watched another part of Clan Olympics, the Trivia Torture. I then hit the art show for a little while, though I didn't view all of it. After talking with Siryn and a couple others for a little while, I tried to find out if there was a nearby art store so I could pick up a sketchbook. Digging out the yellow pages, I found out there was one about a mile up the road.

Finding the place was no small task since it was buried in the back of this fairly decent sized plaza. After picking a couple up, I stopped at the Vons that was in the same center for some more bottled water since running out earlier in the day.

After dropping things off, I met up with Norcumi and Quindar so we could make a dinner run. I think it might become a tradition for the three of us. I drove us to the TGI Friday's where we talked about the insane construction projects going on at our college campuses among other things. Once we got back, we ended up watching the poker tournament.

That was a fun game to watch. I ended up chatting with Silver for a while as she drew and inked one of my gargoyle characters, Eagle. I think we called it a night just after midnight.

Sunday, August 1st:

Unlike everybody else in the room, I woke up around 11am. I guess I really needed the sleep. I ended up getting Subway for breakfast/ lunch. I ended up talking to Tigrse for a little while. From there, I went up to the dealers' room where I found Silver and she finished color the Eagle picture.

Jade Griffin drew it next, followed by Liz while I voted in the art show. I also got dragged into helping meet part of the scavenger hunt by saying something along with a few others and then running down to my car with Rob so they could use my ice scrapper.

Moved my car a little closer since I had to park farther out after the dinner run the night before heading back inside to then pass the book over to the Kythera. She drew and colored a naked version of Gadget who looked like she was stalking Chaos off screen for some, uh, adult fun.

And the last person to draw in there was Dreamie, who did another sketch of Chaos. Then the art show started closed up, so I tried to hunt down the rest of the Arcadia clan that wanted to hit the Rainforest Café. Sadly, I didn't find them, so I watched Law and Order in the room while relaxing. I fetched subway for dinner, since I didn't have the money for the banquet until a few days before the Gathering started.

Countess swung by the room and I chocked on my food that I tried to scarf down so I could see the masquerade. After getting there, I tried to get a picture of Flanker, only to find out my batteries were dead (and they were supposed to be new). Ran back up, got some new ones that worked and make it back down with a couple minutes to spare.

Once that was over, I pretty much hung out and talked with Thom and Flanker for a while before watching a few others throwing balls at various circles with points on them in another room. After watching for a little while, I called it a night.

Monday, August 2nd:

Got up early and started packing all of my things around 8 am. Around 9:30, we got breakfast. While a few went back to finish packing, I ran into the art room to pick up the art I had bid on. From there, we loaded up both of the cars and finishing, realized me missed the shuttle out to the strip.

A trip on the shuttle, followed by one on the monorail, we hit the Star Trek Experience. The first ride some of us went on was the Klingon one. It was quite cheesy, but we had fun and laughed how part of Las Vegas surely got wrecked. Near the end, I yelled out "Vegas will never be the same again!" which got a few laughs.

Realizing we lost part of the group, we waited around for a bit before doing the Borg 4D. I would have to say that was cheesier than the other one. Of course, one of the probes nailed me right in the spine and the 3D glasses didn't fit very well over my regular glasses.

After that, it was dinner at Quark's Bar. The Klingon guy ruled. At one point, he came by and said, "Six girls for two guys. You are true warriors." Later on, he asked which one of us was the leader. Sadly, all good things come to an end. Rob, Beedoo, Arno, Countess, Delfine and myself said goodbye to Dubble and somebody else (who were staying the night) before we headed back to start the drive home.

The drive was pretty decent and we were treated to a nice light show from a thunderstorm. About 20 miles out from Kingman, I had to pullover and stop for a couple minutes because the rain had gotten so bad, I couldn't see more than 3 feet in front of me. And I think Rob chewed up about half of his battery power trying to take pictures of the lightning. I don't remember what time we got in, but about ten to fifteen minutes, we were all asleep.

All in all, I had fun at the Gathering and look forward to next year.

Greg responds...

"Farewell, my enemies!"

Response recorded on December 20, 2006

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Allaine writes...

July 30, 2005
Day Four

It appears that Summer, like Mooncat, is an early riser, which means more trouble for Alexandria and I.

We didn't have any plans until noon, when MC and Alexandria hosted their Othercon Adult Round Robin. Naturally Summer and I came along. It was held in one of the hotel suites, so there was one of those beds that lowers out of the wall. I was still tired, so I probably spent half the panel lying in the bed (and much of the rest of the time pacing around the room). The panel attendee list was a lot like last year - Spacebabie and Malkavien were there for the second time, along with Alexandria and I (who hosted it last time). There was also Mooncat, Summer, and Efrainman.

Imagine this - seven writers in the room, and a majority of four was best known for writing femslash. Everyone writes the names of two characters from the show, puts the slips of paper in a pile, and then the characters are randomly selected.

The first name chosen was Demona. Later I discovered three different people used her as one of their choices.

The second name chosen was Fox . . . in her were-Fox form from Eye of the Beholder.

I looked directly at Summer. No words were necessary. Who else could it have been?

When I looked at all the slips of paper afterwards, I discovered only two male characters had been written down - Matt Bluestone and Jon Canmore. Spacebabie was the obvious culprit. Still, she was vastly outnumbered by we slashers, and a second straight year with a f/f pairing at the Adult RR was inevitable. Note that last year, we got Fox and gargoyle-Elisa. What is it with the Adult RR and characters in their altered states?

Anyway, we had a real blast doing this RR. We went around three times, coming up with an interesting little story where Fox changed INTO a were, BACK into a human, and then two more times again! Always, conveniently, Fox was a human when it was Summer's turn. Just reward for her. She was okay. While others spoke, she and MC drew naughty sketches.

Afterwards, we didn't really have any other panels that we were excited about, so we spent the entire day at the Strip. Part of the day we took Summer to the casinos she missed the first time, especially the Luxor. Summer likes jackals, obviously, and there was a nice store inside that sold Anubis-jackal figurines which we knew she would like. We also returned to the Excalibur, the MGM, etc. While we were at the Luxor we also rode one of those motion rides that makes you feel like you're on a roller-coaster when you're not (like the Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios). The ride was fun, although the movie that came with it was laughably bad.

Then we went back to the Tropicana and took the hotel shuttle to the Fashion Square Mall. We walked around there for a while, then checked out the Treasure Island before heading to the Mirage with its "secret gardens".

For just $15 you could enter a very nice animal habitat with a few specific kinds of animals. They had several dolphins in one part, and in the other part there were white lions, white tigers, white striped tigers, orange striped tigers, regular lions, an elephant, jaguars, and a very odd-looking turkey. I was able to get some really nice pictures, but really this was a special moment for Summer and Mooncat. Suckers for big cats, they are. I think they left only because it was closing time.

We also took in the outdoor Sirens show in front of the Treasure Island that night, which I thought was pretty lame. It was very hot, incredibly crowded, and there was a short show with some pyrotechnics as a gang of pirates fought against a gang of strippers. Well, sirens, but they were strippers of course. Before it started, I took a few minutes to check out the new Wynn, which is a very high-class hotel. I also got a couple pictures of the Manolo Blahnik store, just because someone asked me to. (Not the last time I'd take pictures of a shoe store that weekend!)

By then it was already 9 PM, and we'd been on the Strip for seven hours. We took the Shuttle back to the hotel because I had to meet with Lynati and Aaron again to plan for the game show. This time there were a lot fewer disruptions, and we edited and suggested questions until about three in the morning. And we still weren't done! We agreed to come back the next night after the Masquerade for the last push.

And then - well, it was 3 AM. I was exhausted. I went to bed.

July 31, 2005
Day Five

I think by now I was trying to forget that my vacation was over halfway done. I'd been waiting a year for this trip, you see.

I crawled out to breakfast because I had to be at the Anthology Signing at 10:30 AM. Glad I went. I don't remember how many books I signed for, but Ellen was there, and Greg Bishansky and Mandolin and Summer and Lynati and Aaron and Lauren Balestrino . . . a lot of talented writers and artists, let's say. It was a lot of fun :)

I don't remember what I did for the next hour. Walked around, talked to people, I imagine. Eventually I went to the W.I.T.C.H. panel in the Con Suite, which was (no offense, Greg) more interesting than I thought it would be. Plus by now everyone had heard about the infamous "Is Irma a lesbian?" discussion at the Blue Mug-a-Guest the other night.

My day got a lot busier after that. I hosted my first of two panels that afternoon, the "Reading Aloud" panel. Everyone got to read from their own stories aloud. I read the first chapter of "The Forty-Seven" with help from my roomies and Ellen. Alexandria, Tigris, Lynati, and Summer all read. I forget who else read aloud, but I have it all on tape, so they've been recorded for eternity. It went very well, I thought.

From here we went right to the Radio Play. This time around Greg unveiled a non-Gargoyles script he'd written as a TV pilot. There was a definite fantasy element to it, and despite it being something wholly original and not in the least fandom-based, it was quite entertaining. After that was the Banquet. By now Alexandria and I basically have a tradition of not attending, so we had dinner with Mooncat and Summer instead, which was just fine by me. We came back for the Masquerade, though. The costumes were very good. My favorite was Cindy as the Banshee. At one point I was mugged by "A Fan", who was dressed as Mace Malone - I think. He was a gangster, I know. No, really, I was mugged. He shoved me into a corner and ordered me to stop taking pictures. True story.

Anyway, after that they had the art awards to hand out. Much to my shame, I never really got around to voting, but there was some really great art this year, and even _I_ could tell that the Zodiac pieces were the best of them all.

By this time my roomies had gone out to the Jacuzzi with Alex Garg, while I waited at the awards with Ellen Stolfa and my camera. I think the very last award they gave out was the "Editor's Choice Award for the Gathering Anthology", which surprised me because I wasn't aware such an award existed. It didn't last year.

While I was still digesting this, they announced I was the winner. I was pretty much floored. Ellen got up and hugged me, which was nice, and everyone applauded, and I'm sure I didn't express just how grateful I was for the applause, just as much as I was for the award. I kinda hugged Lynati too. I received a large stone gargoyle statue, which is looking down at me right now.

There wasn't much else to do after that except track down my roommates and heap scorn on their heads for relaxing in a spa and missing my big award. Then I went back to the Con Suite once Lynati and Aaron were ready, and we worked on the Game Show. Emambu was there for a while too, and we talked for the second time of the Convention (the first was when he and Ellen were in the lobby the other day). Us Philly guys have gotta stick together.

We finally finished the questions, if not the printing, at 3:30 AM. I schlepped back to my room and passed out.

Greg responds...

"Trophies!"

Response recorded on December 19, 2006

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Haley writes...

What day,year,month was Brooklyn born.

Greg responds...

Brooklyn, Lexington & Broadway all hatched in 958 on or about the Spring Equinox... so around March 21st.

Response recorded on December 19, 2006

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Darkmoonight89 writes...

I recently visited the CreatureComics.com sita and was wondering when they go on sale can I order one off line or do I have to go to a comic store? If so what store?

Greg responds...

I'm gonna suggest you check the local yellow pages for your nearest comic book store. I don't know whether or not they'll have copies (though issue #2 should be on sale NOW), but they can definitely order copies for you. The book can also be ordered on line at Amazon and other places, but it could take longer to get to you.

Response recorded on December 19, 2006

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Winterwolf writes...

2005 Gathering Convention Report

So this year for 2005 I was on staff as the Dealer Coordinator. In the end I think that went well but I feel like I should have had twice the dealers we did have. Go me for volunteering myself last fall. lol I should have gotten dealers starting with the end of the 2004 con. You live and you learn.

With the past two conventions of me on staff and for the most part feeling responsible to work the Art/Dealer room I don't really have much to talk about. Did I have a good time? Yes I did. Let me elaborate. For the most part I'm skipping over people's names because this thing would be way longer and I'd feel bad as I'm likely to miss someone.

Friday, July 22, 2005

The Gathering for us starts a full week before the official start. After a full day of work we go pack up our car late Friday night. Why were we leaving then? Because of our plan to attend Sea Dog Nights! For those not in the know, Sarah and I belong to a pirate entertainment/reenactment group called BOOM which is short for Brotherhood of Oceanic Mercenaries. The website, which Sarah and I did much of the work on, is http://www.BOOMPirates.com

So we packed up our pirate stuff and our Gathering stuff which included my laptop, my printer and my sword. I left my pistol behind to be on the safe side. ;)

We left home at around midnight and drove from just south of Seattle to just south of Portland until I felt I needed a nap.

Saturday through Monday

We got in the last of some great piratical fun. There was Sea Dog Nights which was interesting as it was filled with SCA and other performer types. That was down near Eugene, OR. We also had a extra good time entertaining at a private party Sunday in Vancouver, WA and spent Saturday and Sunday night with friends in Portland.

Monday morning we said our good byes and made the trek to Las Vegas. We had planned to go through Ashland, OR which is just at the southern end of Oregon. Since we slept in it was about 6PM when we got to Ashland. Since it felt like we missed a lot by getting in to Ashland so late we figured we'd stop back this way again.

The car didn't like Mt. Ashland which put a bit of strain on the breaks with several miles of 6% down slope. The car just kept speeding up so I had to break every so often so we didn't speed down to the top speed of 110 which is on my speedometer. I've only gone up to 80 in it before. We continued south on I5 until we passed Sacramento then found a place to sleep for the night.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

We continue on and on through California down to Bakersfield then go roughly east from there to Las Vegas. We probably should have found someplace to stay along the way but we both were looking forward to getting into Las Vegas so we went all the way to the Palace Station. Our reservation was for Wednesday with check out on Monday. Well it turns out there was a huge furniture convention in town so all the rooms were booked. What?!?! Oh yeah and this furniture convention is not open to the public. It's dealers only and wow they've filled up all the remaining spaces we have. So 6 hotels later we find a motel 8 that has rooms available in nearby Boulder City. I should have just called my aunt and uncle and said we had no place to stay. Oh well. Maybe we will next time. :)

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Checked into the Palace Station and got all our stuff in the room. Then I dropped my car off to get the AC fixed and the front brake pads replaced as I wasn't going to have the time myself. I spent time fixing up the database and getting everything ready for the Art Show this would be a recurring theme tweaking, updating or enhancing to get the most out of the Access database with all the art show information. For dinner we met with my aunt and uncle and had a very rich and tasty French meal. That was quite enjoyable.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

The big activity Thursday other than working on getting everything ready for everyone that registered for the convention was the Tournament of Kings. It was a good show. Unfortunately Greg and Thom were stuck in a snafu of airline issues so they were unable to attend. We were in the Dragon section so it was amusing when the evil dragon knights would come out and kick ass. It happened far too infrequently if you asked me.

Friday, July 29, 2005

Frantic day with much setup. Fortunately we had set the room up last night so it was manageable. The dealers were ready to go quickly. I had to really scramble to find an electric screwdriver. We had peg board, 2x2s, screws and an electric screwdriver with no screw bits! Noooooo! Do not want!!

Aaron saved the day finding and asking a maintenance worker to borrow his electric screwdriver. We were behind schedule an hour but we worked hard and got all the art up quickly after assembling the art display boards.

I got a $3 cup of hot water and tea bag for Dreamie so she'd have her morning tea and not feel like total crap anymore. It was a necessity but I must say curse you Starbucks! I could get a 100 count box of tea bags for that price. ;p

Saturday, July 30, 2005

The celebrity poker tournament was entertaining. I stood behind Thom and watched in horror as he went all in when he didn't have the cards to back it up. It was entertaining to watch and in the end it came down to one hand between Chris Rogers, Greg Weisman and Gorebash. Chris won.

After that I wandered a while and then dropped in on Hudson's Rant. It was funny and I'll leave it at that.

Sunday, July 31, 2005

The two big things about the day I remember are the masquerade and the banquet. I enjoyed the food and ambiance much more than the hotel buffet. The food was far better and the atmosphere was comfortable and inviting. Mix in that every table had a few door prize winners on top of everyone getting a gargoyle candle holder and it just was perfect. I had mixed feelings about the dessert happening as the masqueraders were entering the room but that was probably due to the fact that I took pictures of all of them before getting into the room. So I didn't get to sample everything but I did get some good treats. I hear I missed the best chocolate stuff. D'oh!

There was a great Brooklyn this year that won best of show and it was well deserved. There were many great costumes this year of which I have pictures of them all. I was a pirate as had been the case for the past 3 years now. :)

Monday, August 1, 2005

Until we closed the Art and Dealer room it was all about selling anything that was left. Over time artist filled in and picked up their artwork that hadn't sold. For the most part it was a blur of me filling out receipts, taking payment and getting people out with there items.

It was a relief to get all the Disney art packed up and safely out of the Art Room. It was fantastic to have at the convention and a wonderful show of support by Disney. Still I felt the need to go and check that the priceless works were okay every so often.

I also managed to get a few minutes to extend my checkout time by an hour. And get all my stuff into the car as we planned on leaving later in the evening.

That night we decided to go with the rest of the staff and see Penn and Teller. It was a great show. Thanks Chris! We had a good time.

I could go on now about the trip back but I'll just say it was a non stop drive back to Seattle, WA that took 21 hours and left me wanting lots and lots of sleep.

I know this all doesn't sound like much but it was a great time and I'm glad I was on staff for the 2005 Gathering of the Gargoyles convention. :)

Greg responds...

"Farewell, my enemies!"

Response recorded on December 19, 2006

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Janelle writes...

When is the "Gathering" coming to Chicago?

Greg responds...

When is Chicago going to put in a bid?

Response recorded on December 18, 2006


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