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Tana writes...

"Or what if two interior digits fused into one?" was a response to somebody's post on gargoyle hands... I was playing around in my sketch book one day, thinking it would be cool to make an anatomical refrence book for gargoyles (okay you know you're too much of a fan when...^_^) But the idea of the fingers fusing together is what I chose to use, almost without thinking...that the way my diagram worked the gargoyle hand still has all 5 metacarpals, and the middle finger has two proximal phalanges rather than one per finger seen in humans...um, can you tell I've taken an anatomy class? I'll have to play around s'more and show you what I've done when I come to the gathering!

Aside from the wings (and therefore scapula), feet, hands, tails and brow ridges, would there be other differences you could think of between humans and gargs? Hollow bones (like birds) Perhaps a different rib structure... Not that you've probably thought about it, but like I said I'm really into anatomy.

Greg responds...

Unfortunately (for me), it's clear you know much more about anatomy than I do.

I don't see gargs as having two interior digits fused, and I can't help wondering if you aren't quoting me out of context. They evolved seperately from (and earlier than) humans with four digits, rather than five. So fusing doesn't make much sense to me.

I also doubt they have hollow bones like birds. Sure it would help explain how they glide, but the physical punishment that we've seen them absorb and dole out, doesn't suggest hollow bones to me. But I don't pretend to know this stuff. Still, I'd be very interested in seeing your work at the Gathering.

Response recorded on December 22, 2000

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zakhur writes...

Hi Greg, I was wondering, even though most gargoyles only have one egg at a time, is it possible for them to have more, what i mean is are their chances of having twins the same as humans, or is it rarer in gargoyles to have twins?

Greg responds...

Much, much rarer. Much.

Response recorded on December 21, 2000

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LSZ writes...

On Garg evolution:

Quote: As to their numbers, it's a chicken/egg thing. They reproduce so infrequently. I think that once upon a time there was a risk of Gargoyles being a species that threatened to overtake the world - as humans eventually succeeded in doing. Gargs were tough, intelligent, mobile, cooperative and nearly invulnerable- even when asleep.Maybe Mother Nature gave them some handicaps on purpose. Maybe humanity was created as competition.

*snip a lot of very interesting stuff on evolution occuring on a planetary scale and the role of humanity in it*

1) Were the gargoyles 'created' as competition for the Lost Race?
2) Were the fae 'created' as competition for any for humans or gargs, or both?
3) If so, it seems rather unfair to give humans THAT big a challenge vs. nearly unkillable godlike energy being-esque things..why is a challenge THAT big?
4) Will a challenging race arise on the planet to challenge the current three someday?

Greg responds...

1. Don't take that quote too literally.

2. Ditto.

3. See above.

4. There will be challenges -- from many sources.

Response recorded on December 21, 2000

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Duncan Devlin writes...

I'm not sure if this has come up before, but:

Do gargoyles turn back to flesh during a solar eclipse?
How about Demona's reversion.

Greg responds...

I've always wanted to do an eclipse story, so I'm going to choose not to answer this at this time.

Response recorded on December 01, 2000

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Tk writes...

hey,
Me again,
I have a question about age.
I hope this makes sense.

Ok,In the Avalon episode where they end up in Egypt. They said that gargoyles age at half the rate of humans, correct.
Well does that mean that they age at the same rate as humans but just live longer example

:a human child and a young hatchling born on the same day when the human is walking and talking so is the gargoyle.

or for they age a half the rate literally, for example

:a human 20 years of age and a gargoyle who is 40 years of a age but appears 20.

thank you for listening, if this is in the archives i am sorry but i couldn't find it.
thank you

Greg responds...

If I understand what you're asking, then the latter.

The Trio are nearly 40 years old in chronological years when we first meet them. But they have the maturity of guys in their late teens.

Response recorded on December 01, 2000

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LSZ writes...

Your stuff on the Earth's biorhythms sounds vaguely like Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis..especially the part about Gargoyles being more in tune with it.

1) Were the Lost Race even more in tune?
2) Is there any specific reasons that make humans less in tune than gargoyles?
3) What about fae?

Greg responds...

I don't know who Lovelock is.

1. I'm not answering this.

2. They make too much noise. They adapt their environment instead of adapting to it.

3. The fae are attuned to Earth's magic.

Response recorded on December 01, 2000

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Donald writes...

Hmm...with all this talk about the Phoenix Gate, I thought of an interesting question. Although it's hypothetical, I'm sure you won't mind answering it, since it doesn't really deal with characters, but "gargoyle science".

Let's say Goliath got his hands on the Phoenix Gate and decided to travel to a period in the past. However, the particular time he chose to transport to happened to be in the middle of the day. Would he immediately turn to stone since it was daylight, or is it the actual rising of the sun that triggers the transformation?

I suppose it would have made more sense if I had asked the question about Brooklyn with regard to his Timedancing, but you get the idea.

Thanks.

Greg responds...

I don't know if it would be instantaneous, but I guess he would turn to stone relatively quickly. It's a pavlovian response to some extent.

Response recorded on November 21, 2000

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Faieq writes...

About a week ago I asked if all gargoyles had black pupils or were there some gargoyles with a colored iris in their eyes. I'd forgotten that the iris controls the size of the pupil and therefore controls how much light enters the eye. Seeing as gargoyles are nocturnal creatures they would not need to control how much light enters the eye as they would get light from the dim moon which would enable them to see and their pupils would be dilated all the time.
But what about the Mayan Clan? Seeing as they don't turn to stone during the day, how do they control the amount of light that enters their eyes?

Greg responds...

I don't know. Magical compensation?

Response recorded on November 21, 2000

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Maria writes...

Um, one more gargoyle science question that I am stumped on; what the heck is this 'earth rythms' stuff? How are gargoyles insync to that?
And, do gargoyles generally need to - uh, well, how to put this as carefully as possible . . . Do gargoyles need to excreete waste like we do? Or is most of that done through stone hybernation? I seem to recall a similar question being asked eons ago, but I couldn't really find an answer.
Thanks.

Greg responds...

I've been dodging answering that question frankly.

As for the earth rhythms, what I'm positing is that the Earth has a certain bio-rhythm to it. Something that's part of nature as a whole. Something that we humans are generally too dense too get. But the Gargoyles' life-cycles are attuned to the cycles of the planet.

Response recorded on November 21, 2000

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Maria writes...

Hello again! ^_^
This is a gargoyles Science type question, and I'm not clear on how clear I'll come across. I'm starting to get tired now . . . it's almost 11:00 at night. ^_^
Anyway, I'm a little lost on the gargate/dinosaur evolution thing. There are hundreds, literally hundreds of different species of dinosaurs. And it seems that gargoyles have differences in their own species as well. Making them their own unigue species within a species.
But, what sort of dinosaur could have shared a common ancestory to evolve the gargoyles? What kind of dinosaur in your opinion would have been the better choice for their type of evolution? A theropod (T-Rex)? Ornithimimid (Galimimus)? Sauropoc (Brachiosaurus)? Or a teractosaur (Quetzaltous)?
I would think it would have to be a terycactyl type, don't you? I mean given the wings and the fact that a lot of the gargoyles have beaks. And the wings like Lexington. Most terydactyls' have wings that span the entire body length. Thus, the full body wing that Lex possess.
But am I wrong here? Am I confusing you? Wouldn't surprise me, I'm confused myself!! ^_^

Greg responds...

I just don't know. I'm not sure they weren't their own category from the get-go, frankly. I'm just telling you they evolved and predated standard mammals.

Response recorded on November 21, 2000

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zakhur writes...

Hi greg, thanks for answeering my last question.
my question are
1- Did you have a specific reason for giving the gargoyle eggs a ten year period for them to hatch? and if so could you please explain what were your reasons
2- Is a new born gargoyle more independent than a new born human?
thank you for your time, and such a wonderful show

Greg responds...

1. I'm sure I did. I'm not sure I remember exactly what that reason was. It may have been at least part a function of story necessity. I need the eggs laid before the massacre, and I needed them to stay eggs long enough to hatch after Avalon.

2. I've answered this already too. Yes, somewhat. At the very least they can lift their own head and neck.

Response recorded on November 15, 2000

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zakhur writes...

Hi Greg, i asked this question but it didn't show up
1- Are gargoyles in they're sleep made of real stone or something similar to stone?
2- if it's real stone, does it have anything to do with some spell, that made the race to stone by day, sometime in the past?
thanks for answering

Greg responds...

1. "An organic substance that closely resembles stone."

2. No.

Response recorded on November 15, 2000

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matt writes...

what color was hudson's hair before it went white or was it always white? did his mate have hair? do any female gargs not have hair?

Greg responds...

I'm not going to answer questions about his mate. I'm sure some female gargs have no hair, at least by choice if not by biology.

As for Hudson, I honestly haven't decided. I'm leaning toward his hair always being white, like Brooklyn's. But I may change my mind.

Response recorded on November 14, 2000

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matt writes...

why is it that we saw so few gargoyles with lex's wing structure? only one briefly in awakening and lex. there wern't even any on avalon (that we saw)!

Greg responds...

It's not as common.

Response recorded on November 14, 2000

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Aris Katsaris writes...

More cycles stuff... It seems that the gargoyles in Avalon have a mating season every ten months of their time. (sorry if I am making a wrong assumption here)

a) Have any (or many) eggs been laid and awaiting hatching in Avalon?
b) What do you feel this will do for the generations? Avalon alone from all the clans in the world will have eggs in the rookery set to hatch at different times, and gargoyles that are only ten months apart in age... There will probably be few "rookery siblings" with the earlier definition of the term...
c) How often would a female be able to conceive (Avalon-time)?

And finally...

d) How does Princess Katherine feel about the frequency of the mating seasons? :-)

Greg responds...

You are making an incorrect assumption. It's every twenty years for them too. Or at least close to that. But they also attune to the closest outside world cycle.

The cycle is both internal and external. It is theirs. But tied to the earth's bio-rhythms.

All things are true. Which makes the math very damn complicated.

Response recorded on November 14, 2000

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Aris Katsaris writes...

You've revealed to us (through chronological info) that the gargoyles' twenty-year cycle is "attuned to the earth" rather than something which is mostly internal (as I had earlier assumed).

How did this affect Katana during her timedances? Her and Brooklyn's two children are twenty years apart in age, as if the cycle had been internal for her, affected only by the time which passed for her, rather than affected by the "earth's cycles" and the different times she would journey to.
Is that simply a coincidence? Did she just happen in her travels to journey to two mating seasons, with a period of twenty years inbetween as subjectively perceived by the timedancers?

Greg responds...

As I've stated recently, very little is truly random in the Gargoyles Universe. My mind just doesn't work that way.

Response recorded on November 14, 2000

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Maria writes...

Okay, got another question for ya. But it doesn't focus on
one character in particular. But rather on all gargoyles in General.
What sort of enzyme or bacteria in a gargoyles eye would cause his/her eyes to glow the way they do? How does that work?

Greg responds...

I don't know. Then again, I don't know what causes yawns in human beings either. But I know they happen.

Response recorded on November 09, 2000

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Almighty Hat writes...

AH-- Hey, is Griff (or any other Garg) fuzzy all over?

GW-- By fuzzy, do you mean furry?

Yeah, I kinda do. So... Is there an answer in sight here, or is Gargoyle hirsuteness too personal? (Is "hirsuteness" even a word?)

Greg responds...

Leo's furry. Una too.

Response recorded on November 09, 2000

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Almighty Hat writes...

Hey, is Griff (or any other Garg) fuzzy all over? Just curious.

Greg responds...

By fuzzy, you mean furry?

Response recorded on November 02, 2000

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Maverick writes...

Greg;
Something you mentioned from the Ep "Silver Falcon,":

'Elisa nearly shoots brodway.'

1) What would happen if a bullet go lodged in Broadway? Would it vanish at dawn with the wound or would it stay there forever? [Apu on the Simpsons has something like 8 in his body.]

2) If *Elisa* was *Showing* Broadway the gun (In deadly Force) and it went off, hitting him, how bad would the wound be? Life threatning like Elisa's wound was, or would he have much more stamina to survive untill dawn like Goliath did in 'Long way 'till morning'?

3) When a gargoyle gets shot in the wings, are there nerves that allow it to feel the shot?

4) Can gargoyles, during the day, stop a bullet, [assuming they are stone]? Would it just bounce off him, or actually make a hole?

B) Would the gargoyle then wake up?

Greg responds...

1. It wouldn't vanish.

2. It depends where he was shot. It could kill him instantly.

3. Yes.

4. Probably make a hole, but it depends on other factors like range, caliber, etc.

B. No.

Response recorded on November 02, 2000

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Siren writes...

I might spark a debat in the comment room on this one...but it's a free country!...
Are there gay and lesbian gargoyles in the Gargoyles Universe?

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on November 01, 2000

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Aris Katsaris writes...

A weird biological comment:
I read that in almost all vertebrates (with the exception of newts and salamanders) digits II and III are formed first, then IV and finally I and V (digits being numbered from the thumb and moving to the pinky)

Now, when in the course of evolution a species of animal loses a couple of fingers, it's always done in the *reverse* order (because losing an "early" digit would destroy the development of all the following ones). So in evolution, when individual digits are lost, it's always either the "thumb" or the "pinky" first, followed by the other, then IV, and then II and III.

Which means that since Gargoyles have four digits in each hand, (and since they *do* have a thumb) it means that most probably it's the "pinky" that they are missing, and not one of the three fingers inbetween.

Now, was that more about digit evolution than you ever wanted to know? :-)

Greg responds...

Uh. Actually that was kinda fun.

But what if instead of "losing" a digit, they never had one in the first place?

Or what if two interior digits fused into one?

Response recorded on October 26, 2000

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Faieq writes...

1)How many sets of teeth do gargoyles have? Humans have two sets: their milk teeth and their adult teeth, (three sets if you count false teeth.) Do gargoyles have two sets of teeth as well, or just one set of teeth? Or do they have more than two sets of teeth?
2)At what age do the hatchlings start to teeth?

Greg responds...

1. I haven't given it any thought.

2. Born with teeth, I'd think.

Response recorded on October 26, 2000

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Faieq writes...

Are their any gargoyles that have eye color or do all gargoyles just have black pupils.

Greg responds...

Pretty much

Response recorded on October 20, 2000

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Aris Katsaris writes...

A small tidbit that you revealed through the last contest was that the hatching of the eggs takes place in March 21st - the Spring Equinox, that is.

Now, I always felt it would be on an equinox or a solstice- those are the only dates that make sense really... Is the laying of the eggs also done on the Spring Equinox (ten years earlier ofcourse)?

How about the egg's conceiving? Have you decided how much time is spent between the eggs's conceiving and laying?

Greg responds...

That's interesting. Maybe.

As for conception, maybe I'll make it a six month term and put it on the fall equinox.

The truth is I chose March 21st because it's my son's birthday. But sometimes things in the Garg Universe just seem to come together. It's cool that way.

Response recorded on October 20, 2000

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icemann writes...

Just one question I've been wondering for a while

What would happen if a Gargoyle were to go into space (on a shuttle or something)? would it go into stone sleep until it came back to earth?

Greg responds...

No.

Response recorded on October 19, 2000

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Skylar writes...

1. When I asked if there are any Gargoylebeasts whith wings you said they involved without. So if it is all an evolving thing and if there are only two kinds of gargoyles (the human like and the beast like), how does it come, that some gargoyles look totally different to the others and seem to have other bones, a much different skelleton?
For example Lexington looks much different (for example his bones in his wings) and a much more distinct example is Zaphiro. He seems to have no legs at all.

1b) How should I imagine Zaphiros skelleton? Is his "foot" exactly like a part of a snake or have the two legbones grown together into one?

2. Are there any other gargoyles out there that look much different than the rest? (as much as Zaphiro does)

3. How about feathers? Have some gargoyles feathers at their wings? Is that normal? Or is it maybe a genetic characteristic you find just in the genetic resources of the gargoylepopulation of some specific lands and not all over the world?

4. Do all Ishimura-Gargoyles have black hair? Is it normal, that in all countrys where the hair color of the native population is black, the hair color of the gargoyles is black, too?

4b) How about the Guatemala-Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

1. I think I said "evolved". You've never seen Zafiro's skeleton. The differences are superficial. The limb count is the same. Even Beasts, may have small vestigal wing bones, I suppose. But that doesn't mean there are flying beasts.

2. Yes.

3. Some have feather-like things on their wings, for example Zafiro and Griff.

4. Not all.

4b. What about them?

Response recorded on October 19, 2000

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J.K. writes...

Hello again..

So how developed are baby gargoyles at birth? Are they, say, as helpless as a human infant, or more along the lines of a deer or foal-able to walk shakily an hour or two later (bipedal or all fours.) Any other info will be appreciated. For that matter, how long might it take for a healthy hatchling to escape from the shell? Any bird can take several hours, just curious:)

Greg responds...

When he or she is ready, it's fast.

They are slightly more advanced than human infants. They are able to support their own heads for example. They start crawling much quicker. But mentally, they aren't that much further along.

Response recorded on October 05, 2000

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Kelly L Creighton / Kya White Sapphire writes...

gargoyle biology:

these may have been asked, but i couldnt find them. i wont be upset if you yell at me and tell me to look harder. ^_^

1. does a garg's vision change when their eyes glow?

2. if not, do they know theyre glowing just like ppl know when theyre blushing?

3. the stone sleep heals everything? i mean, if they started catching a cold one night, would the stone sleep cure it? i have strep throat right now (again. its my anual strep) and id REALLY like a lil stone cureall ^_^

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. Not consciously, no.

3. Yeah, it's a wish-fullfilment thing.

Response recorded on September 27, 2000

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J.K. writes...

Hi Greg!

Here's my questions: how do gargs behave during the female's season? You did suggest in the archives that the female gives off a scent, so does this scent affect a male, and if so, how? (needn't get too detailed, heh.)Is there aggression on the part of either gender? I somehow doubt clan males would fight, but maybe some generic shoulder shoving and bullying type behavior? Is there a ritual of sorts? Fanfic authors have some often alarming ideas of season behavior, and I wanted to know the real deal:)

Greg responds...

No shoving. Keep in mind, gargoyles mate for life. By the time a female is fertile, she's generally already chosen a mate. And the scents are VERY specific.

Response recorded on September 26, 2000

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Gengar! writes...

Does goliath ever go to the bathroom

Greg responds...

Some decorum, please.

Response recorded on September 25, 2000

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ILyssa writes...

Hello again I have another question about gargs.

1. Are Gargoyle hatchlings able to stay up in the daytime cause in Avalon pt 3 we saw Gaberial and Angela do so.

Greg responds...

No you didn't. You saw a bright moon-lit night. Or something where the color choices were bad, whichever explanation you prefer.

Response recorded on September 25, 2000

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Faieq writes...

1) You said that twins are a rare thing in gargoyles. Is it as rare as octoplets are in humans or more rarer or even less rarer?
2) When the rare occasion of twins happens, would the female lay two eggs or would both hatchlings be in one egg?
3) Do hatchlings have, an egg tooth to help hatch out of their egg or do the parents help the hatchling out?

Greg responds...

1. Very rare.

2. They'd both have to be in one egg.

3. Neither.

Response recorded on September 25, 2000

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Heidi Doeing writes...

Ok, this is the first time i'm posting, but not the first time i'm reading, so i checked the archives first.

Do the "fingers" of some gargoyles' wings have any mobility?

If yes, how much?

Greg responds...

Yes. Some.

Response recorded on September 21, 2000

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Dracolich writes...

Here's another question that might be alittle nitpicky.

I noticed that, when you refer to the ages of the Manhattan Gargs, you always add the 1000 sleep period in their age. Why? I thaught Gargoyles don't age when they sleep.

Greg responds...

Only when I refer to their chronological age do I add the 1000 years. That is when I'm making a reference to how long they have been on this earth.

When I'm talking about their biological age, I subtract the 1000 years from their chronological age, and then divide the result in half.

Unless I'm being a smartass.

Response recorded on September 21, 2000

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Lexy writes...

(Questions on Yama and Sora)

1) In "Bad Guys" you had planned on Yama being part of the crew. But I doubt that will occure exactly that way if the regular "Gargoyles" series ever comes back. So..
Did you plan on having Yama try to redeem himself in some other way?

2) You mentioned that Sora was going to be one of the females included in the Manhattan Rookery. Why did she go all the way there to lay her egg? Was it do to some clause in Bushido? (I personally don't think that gargs have a hang up on dishonor being passed down ..but thought I'd ask)

Greg responds...

1. No. If any garg-related series ever came back, I'd find a way to incorporate Bad Guys into it.

2. I categorically did not say that. I said they'd all be laying eggs around the same time. Not the same place.

Response recorded on September 16, 2000

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Matthew Smith writes...

If a gargoyle turns to stone in a place where the sunlight cannot reach him, would he be fully healed when he wakes up? If I'm not mistaken, a gargoyle heals itself by storing up solar rays, right?

Greg responds...

Yes. But it's o.k. to miss a meal on occasion, isn't it?

Response recorded on September 14, 2000

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Melissa writes...

Hey again,

When I first saw that Demona had red glowing eyes (unlike the others who had white) I thought that was intended to be a hint that she was on the evil side. Usually in children shows, the evil characters are dressed in darker colors (i.e. black and red) while the good guys are dressed in lighter colors (i.e. white, light blue). I know the show is deeper than that, but was that the initial reason why Demona had red glowing eyes, or was it planned that female gargoyles would have red glowing eyes all along?

Thanks a bunch!

Greg responds...

Both.

But I had no problem giving Angela, etc. red glowing eyes later, even though they weren't evil.

Response recorded on September 09, 2000

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Justin writes...

Greg,
Once again thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.So here goes.
Angela is the almost a carbon copy of Demona physically. Except for her coloring which is like Goliath's. Would I assume that if a gargoyle's offspring is female she looks like her mother but with her father's coloring, and if male than he looks like his father but with his mother's coloring?
I used to use this as a rule when I drew gargoyles. But then I learned of Gabriel and Broadway's parentage and that threw me off. Hope youcan clear this up. Thanks!

Greg responds...

There is no rule. But it's commonplace. Gabriel looks a bit like Coldstone with Coldfire's coloring.

But there's no rule.

Response recorded on August 23, 2000

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Gencie Salter writes...

A couple ?'s on gargoyle traits and characteristics:

1. Are there any aquatic gargoyles? Meaning, gargoyles who live primarily underwater.
2. Are there any gargoyles who can fly instead of glide? Perhaps if their wings were disproportionately large and stronger compared to their body mass?
3. Do all gargoyles turn to stone? Are there some who might turn to other things such as wood, or some substance similar to?

Greg responds...

1. Can't say.

2. No.

3. Stone only. And not really stone either.

Response recorded on August 22, 2000

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LSZ writes...

Are there any specific gargoyle-only diseases?

Greg responds...

Not that I'm currently aware of. But I reserve the right to come up with them later.

Response recorded on August 22, 2000

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equation writes...

yes, it's me again...

just another bio (actually physiology) question, concerning another one of my interests, biomechanics...

I was wondering if you, or any member of the team that did the series ever made an attempt to create a representation of the gargoyle skeletal structure... I thought it might be a possibility considering that it would make certain aspects of their animation easier... I have been trying to figure out this little problem myself, and am somewhat stumped as to how the wing arms integrate with the rest of their upper body structure... considering the general similarity to the torso structure of humans (from the way they are drawn, it can be inferred that the muscular and skeletal structures of humans and gargs are almost identical, with the main difference being the presence of the wing arms, and the different number of digits on the hands and feet), there doesnt seem to be a lot of space for their bones and connective tissues to fit -- this is obviously the main reason for their inability to actually fly, as the wing muscles cant be attached similarly to birds... from the artwork I have seen which shows the back area (admittedly not much does), would it be a reasonable assumption that the wing arms have their own 'collar' bones and 'shoulder' blades, independent (or mostly so) from the main arms?

thanks...

Greg responds...

I don't know. But it works.

Response recorded on August 22, 2000

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Gencie Salter writes...

Hi Greg.
1. Any idea where gargoyle civilizations started? Like, human civilizations started in Mesopotamia, Indus River Valley.?
2. Were there always gargoyle clans all over the world or did they migrate from wherever they started?

Greg responds...

1. Clans and civilizations don't have that kind of parallelism.

2. There must have been some migration.

Response recorded on August 22, 2000

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equation writes...

ok... I'm back with my bio q's...

1) well, this first one is more related to the canonicity of their biology... as their reproductive rate was never actually defined in the series, is their reproductive cycle as you have described it set in stone (proverbially speaking), or is there some significant leeway for further development of the specifics, perhaps going so far as to allowing for a faster cycle, still slower than humans, but perhaps more dynamic, maybe along the lines of kangaroos, the females of which can store male genetic material for a number of years (advantageous if one's mate is killed, and substitutes are unavailable or otherwise unsuitable), and choose the best time for pregnancy?

oops... that might be more than 1 question... 8P

2) now for a directly pertinent q... do the eggs experience stone sleep between the laying and the hatching, and if so does it correspond to the adult cycle? given the garg 'rookery' behavior, stone sleep doesnt seem to be necessary, as the rookery is always guarded at night, and very few predators large enough to handle garg eggs (there arent many able to bust an ostrich egg, and gargs' are bigger still) would be able to get into a sealed rookery, given that gargs tend to block the entrances with _big_ rocks! even if the behavior dates back to the dinosaur era, when there were predators able to eat them, they would have been hard pressed to get into the kinds of spaces gargs have been shown to place the rookeries...

3) and this'll be my last for now... as to the gargate question... they had to have a lineage to branch from... is it unreasonable to think that they are, however long ago, branched from certain known dinosaur groups? perhaps they shared a common proto-garg/dinosaur ancestor...

Greg responds...

Oh, good, more bio questions...

1. No.

2. Is there a question here? If so, I think the answer is yes. But you lost me.

3. It's possible. Though it could be the other way around, you know?

Response recorded on August 21, 2000

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equation writes...

hey Greg... this is not so much a question as a correction to one of your earlier answers regarding gargs in space... the poster asked how a garg -- in the flesh as opposed to stone sleep -- would fare if exposed to hard vacuum (space) without a spacesuit... I hate to say it, but animals dont explode under those circumstances -- although attempting to hold ones breath would prove fatal (but not instantly so), as the alveoli in the lungs would rupture, making it impossible for the blood to absorb oxygen if the person were returned to normal atmosphere. if one were to _not_ hold their breath, the oxygen in the lungs would just go out of the circulatory system in reverse, leading to unconsciousness in about 30 seconds, and death by oxygen deprivation about 90 seconds later. side effects include burst capillaries at the skin surface, swelling of skin and other tissues,joint inflammation and dehydration

and just in case anybody else asks, one cannot freeze instantly in a vacuum either -- that was stupid F/X in M2M...

I do have a few questions on garg biology, but those will be posted separately...

Greg responds...

What's "M2M"?

I was actually thinking about a Sean Connery movie called "Outpost" or "Outland" or something.

Anyway, I'll take your word for it, but let me ask, HOW DO YOU KNOW? Have you tested this on someone?

Response recorded on August 21, 2000

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Duncan Devlin writes...

This just hit me after watching the first season finale of a TV show about a certain Vampire Slayer, then Hunter's Moon.

Your ramblings on the wind ceremony did not have a little point about what happens to the corpse of a Gargoyle if it
is not cremated by morning.

Something tells me that the dead would not turn to stone at dawn. Since I seem like a jerk with this question if that assumption is wrong... I don't know.

What happens if a gargoyle experiences clinical death and crosses the threshhold of dawn while still in a state of death?
Will the Gargoyle turn to stone while dead, or what?

Assuming the gargoyle remains flesh after dawn, what will happen if he or she is revived.

Greg responds...

No. It's a biological process. The dead would not turn to stone at dawn. Because the bodies dead. Not breathing. Not doing any of the things a live gargoyle would do, like turn to stone.

As to your last question, it's not very likely, and in any case has never been tested...

Response recorded on August 21, 2000

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Dracolich5 writes...

I just read your answer to my first question about the clones (thanks!) Just to clarify the question you made, the clones who spoke had digitized voices. Brentwood, Hollywood, and Burbank had brief phrases, digitized. So maybe this will help in the explanation. Now, here's just a few questions on garg biology:

1: Do gargoyles have similar vocal cords to humans, or something different?

2: Are gargoyle bones (especially the wings) made of bone or cartilege? Gargoyle wings are pretty flexible.

3: HOW DO GARGOYLES DO THE COOL EYE-FLARE THREAT???!!!

OK, that's it. Until next time!

Greg responds...

I do not recall any futzing on the voices. I'll have to listen to the episodes to confirm what you said. No one had "digitized voices" or put another way, they all did, since they were recorded digitally. But as I said, I'll check some day.

1. They have two sets of vocal cords, one for talking, one for roars, etc.

2. There's bone in there, but I don't know how many joints.

3. Unconsciously.

Response recorded on August 19, 2000

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Mary Mack writes...

Okay, so we all know that garg eggs are laid in even-decade-8 years (948, 1988, etc.) and hatch in odd-decade-8 years (998, 1958, etc.), and we all know that gargoyles age at about half the human rate, so that a 42-year-old garg is old enough to go to bars, but! what I want to know is at what approximate (human equivalent) level of development gargs hatch? The females lactate, so I'd guess most hatchlings don't start with teeth, but at a ten-year incubation period, it seems likely that garg hatchlings are more developed than human newborns. How much more, if any?
(By the way, this is my first post, and I read the whole Archive first. Aren't you proud of me? ;P)

Greg responds...

I'm so proud. They hatch at what I'd describe as just post infant. They are strong enough to hold their own heads errect. But not much more advanced than that.

Response recorded on August 19, 2000

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg.

Despite the fact that I'm hopelessly behind in my planned attempt to respond to all you episode rambles, I'm gonna take some time out to ask you a few questions I've been thinking about. This set is about gargoyle-beasts.

1. Would the Manhattan clan refer to Bronx as a "gargoyle-beast", a "gargoyle", or something else entirely. In other words, do they use a different name for Bronx's species than their own?

2. We know that Bronx is at least as smart as a very intelligent dog, possibly smarter. He's at least capable of thoughts such as "That is a big dangerous monster. I should most likely attack it." ("The Hound of Ulster") and "That is a robot. I may therefore maul its face, though this may not be permissible on a human being." ("Leader of the Pack") Something along those lines, though maybe not with such flowery language. Anyways, about how smart IS Bronx, or the average gargoyle-beast? Are the beasts in fact as intelligent as regular gargoyles, but simply unable to speak? As smart as chimpanzees? Not nearly as smart as I seem to think they are?

3. The other gargoyles in the Manhattan clan seem to realize that Bronx has a fair degree of intelligence. Lexington and Brooklyn tell him to "go get help" rather than "go find Goliath" or even "go back to the castle and bark". (Okay, so he did end up running down the street and causing havoc. But he understood.) Goliath tells him to "help Angela", not "move the roccks off of Angela".
How much does the clan think Bronx understands. Just commands like these? Or does Hudson think he understands every word he says when he talks to him?

Greg responds...

1. Generally, no. Which doesn't mean they aren't aware of the distinction. They do call him a beast on occasion.

2. They're pretty darn smart. They understand something like "FIND GOLIATH!" But they couldn't understand. "Hide in the dark for five minutes and then FIND GOLIATH!" The first part of that sentence would be gibberish to them. And they'd immediately take off in search of Goliath.

3. Simple commands only. Find. Help. Protect. Etc.

Response recorded on August 18, 2000

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Vashkoda writes...

Hi Greg. I don't mean to be annoying, but with all the studying I've been doing for my Boards exam, biology has sort of taken over my life. I know that stone hibernation is unknown in the rest of the animal kingdom, but gargoyles still have to obey fundamental biological laws, on which my questions are based:

1a) When gargoyles turn into the stone-like substance, does this include all of different cell types in their body (muscles, nerves, blood, bone)? 1b) I've seen their hair and nails transform as well. How do you explain this, as these cells are already "dead", and shouldn't respond to any signal made by the body? 2a) What happens to the water inside gargoyle's cells when they turn to the stone-like substance? 2b) What happens to the water in the gargoyle's blood when they turn to the stone-like substance? 2c) If the blood or nerves have solidified into the stone-like substance, how is the gargoyle "biological clock" able to send signals to the rest of the body that tell it when to transform? 3) Are cells that have turned into this stone-like substance active in any way? Please explain this in terms of how: a) gargoyles supposedly don't age when they sleep b) gargoyles can still dream when they sleep c) gargoyles can convert sunlight into a storable form of energy when they sleep d) gargoyles can heal wounds while they sleep. 4) If you said there is no water in the blood and tissues, there can be no diffusion of vital ions and molecules into and out of cells. How then are they able carry out the processes mentioned in question 3? 5) Gargoyles are obviously frozen and cannot move their lungs to breathe when they sleep. Therefore, where do they get the gases needed to feed the cells that are working so hard to store solar energy while they sleep? 6) Are you still certain that gargoyles turning to "stone" is a process done naturally and without magic (except their clothes and personal items)? =)

Greg responds...

1a. They all turn into an organic monochrome stone-esque substance, but that doesn't mean it's all a single substance. Maybe there are differentiations. I don't know. But none that you'd notice with the naked eye.

1b. Maybe their hair and nails do.

2a, b, c. Don't know. Hey, I've got an idea! Instead of using your bio-knowledge to nit-pick, why not use it to come up with an explanation!! (I know that sounds snide, but I'm serious.)

3. Probably.

a, b, c, d. Don't know. (As you can tell, I'm NOT studying for my boards.)

4. Huh?

5. Got me.

6. YES. Look, Vashkoda, this post is INCREDIBLY ANNOYING, despite the fact that you claimed you didn't want it to be. It's also BEYOND arrogant. I admit I know next to nothing about biology, but do you really think that you or even modern science is currently aware of EVERY POSSIBLE PERMUTATION that evolutionary paths COULD have taken? Look at all the miracles in nature which we take for granted because we're used to the idea. Chameleons. Electric eels. The EYE. (These just off the top of my head.) You will say, "Yeah, Greg, but those conform to the fundamental biological laws." To which I respond, that the fundamental biological laws have been written and rewritten to include this stuff. And they're constantly being rewritten again, almost every day. Cuz almost everyday, I see an article in the L.A. Times about some knew startling discovery about dinosaurs or deep-deep sea life or whatever. So don't tell me that the Gargs don't fit "fundamental biological laws". Aside from the fact that they are fictional, my response is that science hasn't caught up to them yet. Didn't have a reason to or an awareness to even try until after "HUNTER'S MOON, PART THREE". And even then, they haven't had a lot to work with.

I've said it before. Gargoyles are a species native to this world. The basic processes they go through are organic and natural and have nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with magic. Unless by magic, you mean the miracle that life exists at all.

Sorry, for the rant, but it felt like you were writing JUST to try to push me in a corner and make me admit a "mistake".

I apologize if your motives were pure.

Response recorded on August 18, 2000


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