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COMEBACKS 2007-04 (Apr)

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Phoenician writes...

Hey Greg! Finally found the time to submit my tale/review on Clan Building: III - "Invitation Only." (I did a shorter version in the CR already).

Frankly, I was pretty anxious if I was going to be lucky enough to grab it on March 28, 2007, the day of the release. With the last two issues, the timing worked just right where I was able to buy them at my local comic book store in Phoenix. However, this issue was coming out while I was still at school in Los Angeles. Thus, I had to find a new comic shop QUICK. So the MINUTE I found out the release date, I asked anybody I knew if they had a reliable comic shop - and with a stroke of luck one of my buddies down the hallway in the dorm told me he went to one nearby for years, and was willing to give me a ride!

As I entered the shop, I rushed toward the wall where it said "New Releases" -- with a panic in my eyes when I DID NOT SEE IT!! Then a split second later, my good friend taps my shoulder and shows me a giant table where they place the new releases just released for all the customers to see . . . and right there, in the front of them all, was five or six copies of "Invitation Only." I snatched one quite quickly and ran to the register. My friend was quite amused by my giddyness (I've actually been showing him my Garg DVDs and we're currently at the point of "Protection").

I was able to restrain myself not to read my copy during the ride back so that I could thank him a bunch

Personally, I'm quite comfortable with Elisa sitting on the battlements, and thinking about it, after all she and Goliath have gone through, if she DID slip, Goliath - hurt or unhurt - would still jump to save her (he is a gentleman, after all).

I also loved Thailog's line at the end, clearly proving that radio announcer guy was COMPLETELY wrong! (In truth, I didn't notice this one on my own, until it was brought up in the Comment Room . . . nevertheless, I love it!)

Other random thoughts:

I love the invitation by the Xanatos family . . . I don't know, I just think the Eyrie Building rocks.

Alex is so cute in that costume (I'd love my kid to have one of those . . . heck, "I" want one of those!)

I do have a feeling Tri Chung is related to another Chung we may know one day . . . .

Love the clarification that it's Officer Morgan Morgan.

Love to hate Margot for being so "Margot-y" -- wonder what Brendan's doing??

Hacker is . . . wow. Cool to see him doing an Illuminati job of his that isn't just throwing Matt on wild goose-chases.

I'm curious if Jason is using his English or Scottish accent when talking to Elisa? Hmmm . . . .

Love the enchanted jewelry line -- Fox is such a great match for X.

Owen rocks, even though he's in just one panel.

I wonder where I can get a ring like Hacker's?? (and no, I won't visit the Hotel Cabal to earn one!)

I love the symmetric panel of Goliath and Elisa when talking about their relationship.

I love that little kid in the Labyrinth with the Superman "G" shirt. Wonder what that stands for?? :P

Love the whole flashback scene, and I know I'm going to be losing alot of those points in the Contest the CR had a couple of weeks ago . . . .

And finally, I enjoyed the more intelligent Castaway.

Once again, Greg, a thousand thanks for everything you've done for Gargoyles, even after ELEVEN years (I was eight when the show ended!) And seriously - May can't come soon enough . . . but after eleven years waiting, I think its possible, no?

Greg responds...

What the DJ meant to say was, "If he says Trick or Treat he's obviously a clone!" (Kidding, kidding.)

Jason is, from his point of view, no longer affecting any accent, i.e. to Elisa, it's Scotish.

I do hope people are liking Castaway better now from these first three issues. This is the way I had always hoped to characterize him. Of course, if anyone prefers his Goliath Chronicle characterization, then... just don't tell me!

Response recorded on April 19, 2007

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Julia writes...

Hi! In regards to Max Steel (which I love dearly), I've always wondered: where did Jefferson Smith's name come from? Is that an homage to 'Mr. Smith Goes To Washington', an amazing coincidence, or something else altogether? Thanks!

Greg responds...

I honestly don't recall. I was given many, many of the names when I joined the project. I just don't remember if that was one they handed me or one I came up with. (I'm guessing the former, as I'm rarely shy about taking credit ;)

Response recorded on April 19, 2007

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Harvester of Eyes writes...

Picked up a copy of Issue #3 from a shop on Jefferson Davis Highway earlier today (I was out for another reason, and happened upon this place by accident). Read it as soon as I got home. What follows is a review:

First off, I have to say that I was more impressed with the coloring in this one. The coloring in the last issue was a huge nit with me, perhaps moreso than the pencils. I think the coloring in this issue has perhaps, more than the other two, best captured the feel of hopefulness that I know I heard someone mention on one of the bonus features on the first DVD (I can't remember if it was you or not; haven't watched the bonus stuff in a while).

Elisa and Goliath have the talk already, and Elisa actually brings up some good points. I think it was probably on Elisa's mind, but it had never actually been brought out in the open until now. Seems a little sudden, but Elisa's probably had a lot on her mind of late. I also found the chat between her and Jason interesting. For some reason, I always had the impression that Jason knew that the one Elisa was referring to at the end of "Hunter's Moon" was Goliath. But I think it's actually more interesting that he doesn't know.

It was also nice to see Hacker again. His conversation between him and Matt has me wondering if the Society had planned for Bluestone to head the Gargoyle Task Force. And I love how the Society "approves" of everyone's actions. Makes one wonder what their real agenda is.

I also liked Delilah's response to Goliath's invitation. Served as a subtle reminder that she was created to be Thailog's pet. Looking forward to hopefully seeing more dialogue between her and Goliath in the next issue.

The last panel was also quite good. Thailog with the dual guns. Thankfully, it reminded me of Spike from "Cowboy Bebop" and not a character from a John Woo movie. Don't think we've seen a gargoyle wield two guns before. I liked it.

I'm very much looking forward to Number 4 now.

Greg responds...

ME TOO!

Response recorded on April 18, 2007

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AMY writes...

HOW MUCH TRAINING IS NEEDED TO BE A QUALIFIED NURSE?

Greg responds...

I DON'T KNOW!!!!

(WHY ARE WE SHOUTING?!!!!)

Response recorded on April 18, 2007

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Shannon 'Shan' Muir writes...

Forgive me if this is in the archives and I couldn't come up with the right keywords. Is Goliath the first thing Elisa's ever had in the way of a serious relationship? Between the fact we know she was very job focused from the beginning, and the heavy amount of almost childlike naivete in how she describes her dreams to Goliath in Issue 3, I'm inclined to think that this is the case that she's never been anywhere near a balanced work-life relationship before. But I'm not certain.

Greg responds...

I guess it depends how one defines "serious relationship". I don't think she's ever been engaged to be married in the past. But she's had a serious boyfriend or three. Guys she was in love with. But I think she'd be redefining for herself what "love" meant now that she knows Goliath.

Response recorded on April 18, 2007

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Matt writes...

My Issue #3 Review, mostly a collection of random thoughts:

- First off, I have to say. I was (and still am) extremely excited to finally have the first canon story in 11 years! Ask my boyfriend, for the last couple days I've been running around the apartment, usually with the comic in hand, saying things like "It's TOO good." and laughing like a kid. I had no idea I'd be this excited. Thank you so much to Greg, the rest of the fandom, the comic staff and Disney. This is wonderful.

- The cover is very nice. Coloring is gorgeous and it is kinda cool having the group "pose" for the "camera. I do wonder, however, why Hudson is all darkly put in the background. It makes him look like he is going to be the villain in this issue or something.

- I noticed that the invitation to the White House states the month and day but not the year. That seems different from most invites, even when the year is understood. I'm guessing Greg didn't mention the year so as not to date the series much and keep it relatively "current". Of course, we sadly don't get a street address for the Eyrie, so I can't send them anything. Pity.

- Okay, Alex is adorable in his gargoyle costume. I was sad to no longer see the winged teddy bear that we saw in "The Journey" TGC episode, but Alex's costume more than makes up in the cuteness department.

- The radio (?) dialogue gives a nice sense of what the mainstream public is thinking about gargoyles. "Infested... monsters... can't talk, right?" Clearly the public is still uncertain what these things are, though the prevailing feeling is negative. "Humans fear what they do not understand." Too true. Also, I know Greg's writing well enough that when I read "So if the creature knocking at your door tonight roars "Trick or Treat", odds are you're safe!" I had a pretty good idea how the issue would end, though I wasn't sure exactly who would be saying the line... or whether they'd be friend or foe.

- The Gargoyle Taskforce. It is so exciting to see this group developed more. Elisa and Morgan are members, which is pretty cool, but we also have Margot and Hacker, so we know there is plenty of opportunity for conflict within the group. Then of course there are the new characters, who knows what they'll be like. Can't say much about Detective Harris yet. Tri Chung makes me think or Terry Chung, though I doubt Greg is gonna reveal the connection there is any at this point. Officer Travanti looks familiar. Is he Morgan's partner, the guy we saw with Morgan in "Temptation"? Are Harris and Chung partners as well?

- Looking at the Gargoyles Taskforce, I can't help but get the sense that Season 3 is going to be a big one for Matt Bluestone. Heading the Taskforce with both his current police partner and former FBI partner as members is interesting. Moreover, I think having him pulled in the different directions (allegiance to Chavez and the NYPD, friendship with the gargoyles, membership in the Illuminati) will really be hard for him, and a lot of fun for us fans to watch.

- As for Hacker himself... well, honestly, I can't help but think about the Weird Sisters. See, when we first saw the Sisters in "City of Stone", they seemed so benevolent, like they were trying to help. They definitely seemed like the "good guys". Of course, we come to find out that things and people are not often so black in white, not in real life and not in Gargoyles. Hacker in "The Silver Falcon" seemed like such a good guy. Trying to help Elisa out and all that. In the beginning of "Revelations" he still seemed like a pretty good guy until the ending, where I began to feel like maybe he had his dark side too, or at least his dark secrets. Now in "Invitation Only", I'm really feeling the same "Is he a good guy or bad guy?" feeling I had with the Sisters. He seems to be yanking a lot of people around. Is he just "following orders"? I dunno, Hacker has me worried now. The Illuminati is up to something, and I don't know whether to feel sorry for Hacker or not.

- Having Jason in the episode was nice. It seems that in a lot of ways he understands Elisa a lot better than Goliath does. I think this is largely a cultural issue. Goliath thinks like a gargoyle. Elisa is like his mate. Jason knows that Elisa is human and has human needs and wants. This is all very heart-breaking. Jason loves Elisa but doesn't feel like he can give her what she wants, and maybe has felt he lost his chance. Goliath loves Elisa and is starting to realize that he may not be able to give her what she wants either "You do not want a mate. You want a husband." Ugh, brutal, Greg, brutal! And Elisa herself may be starting to wonder what it is she really wants in life. It's sad stuff, and I must say that I've never been as interested in the Goliath-Elisa relationship as I am right now after reading "Invitation Only". Can't wait to watch the development. I'm only happy that at least Goliath and Elisa are finally talking about their feelings, even if they might be holding back a little too.

- I remember saying something to the effect of "Poor Brooklyn" when I reviewed "The Journey". I have a feeling I'll be saying that a few more times... Poor Brooklyn. Even before Delilah enters the picture you could see that he is still very distracted by Angela and Broadway. And then this episode really stabs him hard. He goes to the Labyrinth and gets to see Maggie... with Talon and then sees Delilah... and she goes off with Goliath. He must feel that life is terribly unfair. I keep wanting to say, "Stick it out Brooklyn, keep the faith! She is out there... somewhere."

- Demona's first real appearance in Season 3. Nice to see what happened to the Praying Gargoyle remnants, and nice to have the crystal inside be recognized as canon.

- One thing about this episode... it has SOO many characters in it. I have the feeling the reason we didn't see TV episodes with this many characters in it was the cost of all the voice actors, and now the pages are exploding with characters. By the time I was half-way through the book, I was beginning to think I'd turn the page to see Oberon or Zafiro or Nokkar or Dracon! It is kinda fun to have such a big cast in this one though. Gives us a lot to think about. It is fun to see Al again, and fun to see him take a more prominent position in the Labyrinth. I love his omission of Fang when he is talking to the new girl. Who is she anyway? We also hear a mention of Chaz, who apparently is a Quarryman now. Swell. It's a lot of fun to see the Mutates and the Clones. I noticed the weird black teeth are gone from the Clones. A lot of fans actually suspected this would change in time for purely biological reasons, so it is cool to see they have more normal mouths, like Thailog. The cloning must've really weirded up their hormones. All the male clone's eyes glow red and Delilah's glow white. I'm really interested in Burbank. It is fun to see a younger version of Hudson, though I sometimes feel that with the beard this isn't neccesarily visually obvious.

- And finally, Thailog makes his first appearance since "The Reckoning". What is after in the Labyrinth? The Clones? Delilah in particular? Maybe even revenge? I dunno, but I find it interesting that he enters with laser guns blazing. The homeless can't get a break...

So, thats my thoughts on this episode. I'm excited to learn what is coming up next!!!!

Greg responds...

Hudson on the cover - It's simply a composition thing of Guler's. Don't read too much into it.

Travanti is indeed Morgan's partner from "Temptation" and "Upgrade". And Harris and Chung are indeed partners. (FYI, the real Cedric Harris and Tri Chung were my freshman roommates. In real life, however, neither are currently members of the NYPD or their Gargoyle Taskforce. )

"Stick it out Brooklyn, keep the faith! She is out there... somewhere." Didn't you mean "someWHEN"?

Quantity of characters... my artists HATE me. Wait until you see issue #7. Talk about cast of thousands.

Response recorded on April 17, 2007

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Liz writes...

Okay, I read Issue #3 the day it came out, and my only complaint is that it's too short! ;) I do have a few questions about Angela, and in part, Broadway.

1. Angela is sort of like a good version of Demona, the two of them occupying opposite ends of the Good/Evil spectrum. She's somewhat naive, where her mother is wise and jaded: she's a sweetheart who can sometimes have a temper, but Demona's bitter and angry. I have noticed that there are some subtle similarities between the two of them, though. In the comic, Angela seems annoyed and insulted that they have to disguise themselves, and like Demona she seems to have a lot of pride in the fact that she's a gargoyle. Demona's younger self wasn't unkind, but she resented the fact that her kind didn't fit in with humans and yet they had to protect them anyway. Angela grew up loving humans, but had a rude awakening when she entered the 'real' world, and was treated like just another monster. What I'm getting at is, what are the odds of Angela becoming bitter towards humans in the future, even if it's the distant future?

2. Did you notice that Angela's lips are red on the cover of the comic, like in the cartoon, but inside they're purple? I was wondering if you knew whether or not this was intentionally done. Personally, I think she looks better with red lips, like Demona, and if they were going by skin color Demona's lips would be blue, hehe...Sorry if it sounds like I'm nitpicking, because I'm not, I was just intrigued.

3. I'll try to keep this as polite as possible, I know this is a touchy subject for here. As of Issue #3, has Angela been intimate with Broadway, other than kissing? I'm not asking for specifics, just a yes or no. :) I just noticed that they were holding hands a lot, and basically seemed to be joined at the hip!

Really enjoying it so far!

Greg responds...

1. I'll let you set the odds.

2. I didn't notice. Being color deficient sucks, I guess.

3. I don't think they've had sex yet, if that's what you're asking.

Response recorded on April 17, 2007

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dph_of_rules writes...

Thanks for answering my earlier questions.

In a previous response to my question, you mentioned most of the police members of the gargoyles task force are from the 23rd precint. 1)Is this coincidence or by choice?

2)If a future issue of the comic will deal with this question, please ignore it: Aside from Matt Bluestone's membership in the society, were there any other factors that led to him being put in charge of the gargoyles task force?

Greg responds...

1. Choice.

2. Proximity, trust, etc.

Response recorded on April 17, 2007

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Blaise writes...

INVITATION ONLY

Here are my thoughts on the FIRST NEW STORY IN OVER A DECADE!
Mostly, it's a repost of my thoughts from the Comment Room, with some new thoughts and responses added in.

I picked up my copy at the Golden Apple comic book shop on Melrose and La Brea. Had a bit of difficulty finding it, though. When I picked up Issue #2, it was shelved in the "Alternative" section with the rest of Slave Labor's titles. This time, it was in the "Kid's" section. I was kind of miffed about that, but oh well.

One thing I can definitely say about "Gargoyles"--I don't mind when it proves me wrong. I am of course referring to the upcoming "Double Date" story that will probably be in the next issue. This issue laid the pipe for it.
As you may or may not know Greg, I was hesitant to commit to the idea that this was the Double Date. Everyone else seemed so certain, but I wasn't so sure. From the way you described it WAY back when ASK GREG opened, I thought that it would take place a little further down the line.
That said, you pulled it off well.
I had wondered how Elisa would go from the one "date" in THE JOURNEY to breaking up with the big G. To me, it seems that the two major catalysts for Elisa's decision to break-up with Goliath (though they've only REALLY officially been together for a few DAYS) are 1) Morgan (a normal guy) asking her out on a date (and calling it such), and 2) Jason's little statement, "You need to be with a man who can give you everything you've ever wanted!" And we know that isn't quite Goliath. So, you made that part work, Greg. I mean, Elisa was probably thinking about going out with Goliath that night until Morgan asked her out and prompted her to really think about things. Even that may not have been enough without Jason's little inspirational.
(One thing I just thought of on my second readthrough...does Jason know that Goliath is Elisa's "mysterious boyfriend?" He knows the gargoyles are her friends, but does he know THAT particular piece of information?)

I love the opening spiel (on the radio?) where the announcer jokes about how to tell "real" gargoyles from people in costumes. In a way, I found it a bit outrageous how easily people assume the "beasties" can't talk.
Still, I have to say, it makes perfect sense that a gargoyle would be the most popular costume at this time (and Alex's costume is cute).

The new "Gargoyle Task Force" where we've got two new faces. I just KNEW Phil Tavanti was Morgan's partner from several episodes of the show (voiced by Jeff Bennett as I recall). I'll also be very interested in the way Matt handles things--especially with Margot watching him.
(And if I'm not mistaken, it looked like Phil was giving Morgan a bemused look while the latter was asking Elisa out.)

Hacker and the Illuminati. Manipulators of even the master manipulator (Xanatos). Like Todd, I love the way he changes his story with each visit. It's interesting to compare and contrast his..."scene partner's" reactions to him--Matt is clearly unhappy (and slow to use the "address numbers"), Xanatos seems amused (even when he finds out he's off to the White House), and Castaway is just pleasant and quiet (after all, they are his benefactors).
Oh, and by the way, Greg (in response to your voiced worries about the last bit with Castaway)--yes, Hacker's last statement (about destroying the gargoyles) did kind of feel like that was supposed to be the "real" story, but I thought that was intentional (I thought it was a great touch, in fact). I mean, it's an EXCELLENT red herring! Sure, the "long time fans" know it doesn't jibe with the Illuminati's M.O., but to the (always important) new fans it would be an excellent piece of misdirection. At least, I think so.
Like others, I also wonder at the significance of the numbers, and the fact that Matt/Xanatos/Castaway greet with the higher number, while Hacker responds with the lower number. Frankly, I was surprised that Castaway responded with a number at all--I knew he was involved with the society, but I didn't know they made him a full member!
One last thing: I loved Hacker's hand tightening on Matt's shoulder when he repeated, "don't be coy."

I loved Goliath and Elisa's discussion, and got a good laugh from Goliath's reaction to Elisa's "I realize your options are limited." Yeah, they're limited all right--to one (unless you want to count the genocidal maniac on the next page).
In a way, it's rather cruel the way Elisa does this--he just woke up and all is...well, not right with the world, but he's got Elisa for tonight (Halloween) at least. Then...he doesn't.
Poor bastard.
It does feel a bit abrupt, but in a way that works for it. Elisa may be voicing doubts she's had for years in regards to any relationship with Goliath, but ultimately she JUST decided to break it off completely with him ("go cold turkey" in a way). So it's sort of abrupt on both ends.

Great walk-on (or "glide-on") for Demona.

I thought the reintroduction for the Labyrinth and the Mutates and Clones was very well done. I recognized Al immediately. The "new kid" looks fascinating. I wonder what her story is (probably a runaway or something). For that matter, I can't help wondering who her VOICE would have been (or what her name is, since you cut Al off before he could introduce her!).
Knowing you, Greg, I really should have seen the "SEND IN THE CLONES" bit coming. Even then, the panel itself is a bit surprising (the clones actually look like they're about to attack). It's also fascinating, in the next panel to compare and contrast Brooklyn and Malibu (maybe it's an art thing, but Malibu has a bigger snout).
One thing I noticed this second readthrough: in the first panel with all the clones, Delilah's eyes are glowing. But instead of the normal, feminine red color, they're white. Was this a glitch or intentional? (Personally, I think it adds to Delilah's "otherness" as a hybrid).
I actually like Al's backstory-telling. It's well done, we get some nice panels (I particularly liked the one with Sevarius where half of his face is seen through a glass container of liquid and thus looks distorted and practically demonic--almost like a vampire, actually). I also noticed Al stopped short of mentioning Fang. He also never mentioned Xanatos by name--just called him "rich dude."

Let me just echo, along with several other people, poor Brooklyn. He was actually going to ask Delilah out and Goliath (unknowingly) shuts him down! Actually, this is another thing I kind of expected--Brooklyn attempting to hook up with Delilah, I mean (not Goliath doing it at the same time, though).
I like the look on Brooklyn's face afterwards, too. It's like he's disappointed, but not all that surprised at the same time (he's jinxed when it comes to the ladies, and he knows it).

I haven't seen the two TGC episodes featuring "the other" Castaway for several years now, but this version does seem to have some sense. He probably would love to give the go ahead to use hammers (and damn the humans stupid enough to dare dress as those evil monsters), but he knows it would be better in the long term to avoid that. In a way, this makes him more dangerous.
And count me as another who realized the "Chaz" mentioned is Fang's former crony from KINGDOM. Heck, I figured the guy Castaway was talking to on the phone was probably the other crony from the same episode (with the moustache, cap and shades--Lou, right?).

And I KNEW Thailog would show up at the end and have the last line (and a pretty good one, too). Great reveal (and a chilling final close-up). Did anyone else notice that he isn't actually firing those two big guns he has? The lasers are actually aiming lasers.

One thing that struck me about this episode--er, issue--Greg, is the way you fill the audience in on all the necessary backstory, but don't try to explain everything. Demona appears, but her name still hasn't been mentioned in the comic thus far, and prior to this we've only seen her in a brief "flashback" panel. And only those of us "in the know" realize the significance of the crystal. Nor is Castaway's being Jon Canmore revealed, or his relation to Jason. In fact, there's no indication Jason even has siblings, and no hint to his exact crimes (or the legacy of the Hunter, for that matter) is brought up. WE know the answers, sure, a good many of us were there from Day One of the series. But thinking of how a "new reader" might look at this, I find your handling of this to be very well done.

If I have any big complaint in regards to this issue, it's only that I have to wait at least two months for the next one.
(Frankly, I was also a bit worried about how this much awaited new story would measure up to expectations...I'm pleased to say, I like the way things are going.)

And that's my ramble on the first new story (I'm goint to wait until after your last few episode rambles, Greg, to put up my thoughts on the first two issues--I want to ramble on them alongside the TV version).
Can't wait for the next one.

Greg responds...

I picked up my copy at Golden Apple the same day. We should coordinate next time!

Delilah's eyes do glow white when they glow.

Response recorded on April 17, 2007

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Todd Jensen writes...

This is also a comment, rather than a question.

I saw, not too long ago, the episode "Artifacts" that you wrote for "The Batman", and very much enjoyed it. My favorite part of it was the scenes where the archaeologists in the future are speculating about Batman's history and come to several wrong conclusions (such as that Thomas Wayne was the Batman and Bruce was Robin, or that the wheelchair that they found in the Batcave belonged to Alfred). It reminded me, incidentally, of my favorite part of Stoppard's "Arcadia" (which I read after you spoke highly of it in the Station 8 comment room some years ago): the part where the modern-day professor was convinced that the events in the Regency period of the play were connected to a scandal involving Lord Byron, and was deliberately ignoring all the evidence that didn't fit his theory!

Greg responds...

Stoppard's "Arcadia" was the absolute inspiration for the entire episode. Call it an homage.

Of course, as we got into it, the work of Frank Miller inspired the near-future segments, which I thought turned out nicely. But for me, the real appeal of the episode was the far future stuff, which was very much Stoppard-inspired.

Still, it's fun when your influences range from Stoppard to Miller.

Response recorded on April 17, 2007


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