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Bud-Clare writes...
Okay, this one I _know_ is a separate topic.
I've been meaning to mention this for months. After the last Gathering, you mentioned that you thought that RotG had gone over better than the script you had at G99. I did like RotG better, but I didn't bother to wonder why that was until after you mentioned it. Todd Jenson, for instance, would have liked RotG better (I think), because... that's just the type of story he likes better. (Sorry to drag you into this against your will, Todd.) I, on the other hand, have no preference between the two at all, as far as I can tell. There's nothing about the stories themselves that should have made me like one significantly better than the other. So, I gave a lot of thought to this, and I think that RotG was liked better because it was simpler. With RotG, we were able to easily follow everything that was going on, and even imagine the way it would have looked if it had been made into an episode. But with that script from G99, there were a lot more characters, and lots of action scenes, and it was just generally harder to follow. It's not that we weren't _able_ to follow it, it's just that following what was going on took enough effort that we didn't have any time to just enjoy it. In fact, I liked the beginning the best, which was before it really started to pick up. (Of course, this could be just me. Does anyone else agree with this?) So, I think if you just pick a less complicated script again this year, everything should be okay. But I could be wrong. Who knows?
Greg responds...
I think you may very well be right. (Though I think the throughline of RC:AM&L was clear, it did pick up a pretty huge cast along the way.)
However, the main purpose of these radio plays (at least to date and at least for me) is to create an audience for something that won't otherwise see the light of day.
I could (and it would certainly make some sense) pull out the script to an old Garg episode and we could perform that. But you don't need me for that.
So I'd rather give those of you who come to the Gathering something of added value. Something you CAN'T GET anywhere else. Like ROTG or my version of RC:AM&L. So that means the priority for this summer is to find something unique. It may or may not be the "Best Choice" if the goal is an ideal radio play. But it will be something special, something you can't find anywhere else.
(Have you made your Gathering reservations yet?)
Ambrosia writes...
One more quick thing... this is probably ridiculous, but there's someone named Jeffrey Bennett running for House of Representatives in California... do I even dare to hope...?
Greg responds...
Greg's response:
I'm fairly certain that's a different Jeff Bennett.
Erin responds:
I think you should say yes, because I am looking forward to meeting the actors that are playing the characters that I like.
Greg's P.S.:
Erin actually HAS met many of the actors already, but she was too young to remember them. But she'll get to see more at the Gatherings, including this summer's Gathering in Orlando, Florida. Daddy's friend Thom will be there, at least.
Robby Bevard writes...
Hey Greg, it's me. The Vinnie fanatic and the guy who voiced the psycho truck driver at G99. This is my first post to ya, and I'm not even asking a question! (Well, I am curious about where you got the name "Nashville", but thats a different matter, I'll ask about that in a bit.) This is in response to your rambles about the series, and you asking about our first impressions of it. Since you're covering Awakenings, I'll cover the first season, since you'll be well past that by the time you read this.
My first impression of the show came during the trailer in "Nightmare before Christmas" actually, and I was totally psyched by that. I could tell it was going to have that sort of feel "Beauty and the Beast" had. The live version, with Linda Hamilton. Mixed in with Batman and nifty looking creatures. Looked good.
My second experiance unfortunatley, was a Disney Adventures mini-comic, so I knew the characters names and that Xanatos and Demona were villains before I ever saw it, which is a real pity. Ah well.
Then came the airing of the first episode. I watched the firs... 5 minutes, mezmerized. Then, my dad told me I had a doctor's appointment, and I had to leave, without a chance to set my VCR. I argued and fought to stay, but had no choice but to leave.
The next day, a couple of kids in my art class were talking about it. I tried to join the conversation based on what I knew from the Disney Adventures comic, only to be told, "But they don't have names. You're making that up." Heh.
Then came the second episode, which I watched, enthralled. I think perhaps having Demona's shadowed hint was a bad move, but I recal watching it with a friend and going "wow" the first time I saw the gargs cape their wings. Strangely enough, that's the part I remember most clearly, them caping their wings and thinking it was cool. Wierd.
The next three episodes flew by in a blur, day after day, that was grand. I was hooked and amazed by this series, and since it came on after I came home, I didn't even need to set the VCR! Yay! All of Awakenings just sort of blurs together as one great experiance with romance, action, and lots of good things. I rather enjoyed the trio's experiances in modern day, including the kitchen and bike riding scenes. (Incidentally, circumstances CONTINUOUSLY made me miss the first episode, so I never saw it until Awakenings was released on video, so I had no idea there was cut footage at first!)
The next episode I saw was the first encounter with the Pack. I liked Lexington at that point and thought perhaps he could be my favorite character. I also enjoyed the concept of a really cheezy TV-show being liked by the gargs, but at the time, didn't like the Pack at all. This I suppose, is just because you brought in the five of them all at once, and it was a lot of new personalities to keep up with.
After that, my schedual made it so that I saw episodes out of order, and both "Temptation" and "Reawakenings" I inintially saw only the last few minutes of.
Temptation however, I loved. It locked Brooklyn into place as my favorite character, and was the first episode I taped on the second run through. The way Brooklyn reacted to Demona was great, and she was also an interesting character as well, particularly in the little hints she dropped. The first time around I totally missed the fact that the bikers had failed to notice Brook was a monster until after he took his helmet off, I just knew it was a cool bike, and a cool attitude.
Long way till Morning- It was just cool to see Hudson kick butt and Demona be totally evil and sadistic. "Fine, I'll just shoot everything in this room." Man, I miss Demona being that nasty.
I suddenly forget the name of the episode where Broadway shoots Elisa, it'll come to me as soon as I post this... The first Dracon, didn't really care for him in that episode, he was much more interesting later. All I remember clearly is, Broadway firing, seeing Elisa on the ground, and then the cut to a commercial break. I stood up, stared at the screen, and went "NO! You can't do this!" Particularly effective since Gargs was so different from every other show on the air, it was actually possible a main character could die right then and there. I was scared for Elisa's life.
Enter Macbeth- All I remember about that one the first time is "Ouch." Vrooo. "Ouch." Vrooo. "Ouch." Hee hee... That's still probably the best bits of the series. In retrospect, I was really impressed with MacBeth at the time. Cool voice, cool outfit, cool sense of honor. I *LIKED* him.
Her Brother's Keeper- Wasn't too thrilled with this one the first time. It was another Pack episode, and I still didn't really care about them. (Later viewings made it out to be a much better episode than the original impression gave.)
ReAwakenings- ANother one I originally saw the last few minutes of first. However, another of the best lines in the series, "It's alive! Aliiiive! I've always wanted to say that." still cracks me up to this day.
Hmm. I've missed an episode, but for the life of me, I can't recall which one it was. It'll come to me... And I've probably rambled on enough already considering I think I'm one of the first to ramble back at you...
Greg responds...
You forgot "The Edge". But that's o.k. Nice to hear from you. You were a great Psycho Truck Driver. Hope to see you again in Orlando.
Regarding the "caping of the wings"... That was Gary Krisel's idea, and initially I was against it because it felt too Batman to me. But at some point, I became a true convert. We sent a bunch of faxes to Japan to make sure they'd cape the wings whenever it was emotionally appropriate. That would give us opportunities to cape and uncape for various dramatic effects. Plus, hell, it looks cool.
Lexy writes...
Dear Greg,
Just thought..while I was here I should write this since it has been nawing at my since I left Texas.
You know when everyone sat down for that tex-mex dinner and we had Q&A time? Well, When I asked you my Q I honestly thought that you had paused to explain something to someone at the table..I _think_ it was Thom who stopped you and wanted to know who Sampson was? Or was that someone else? I wouldnt know..cuz well I didnt wear my glasses. Which was the problem, I _thought_ you were explaining that frist part to someone else..and I couldnt _see_ if you were looking at me per say so I just let you ramble on for a while...by the time I realized you WERE talking to me..I was to shy to interrupt..and so..I sorta ended cutting you off like that with the, "acutally that wasnt my question", thing. *shudders* I AM SO SORRY about that! I _have_ been meaning to appologize..I hope this dosnt get tossed. Thank you for putting up with my question at the Q&A. Sorry if I embarrased you or came off as a brat.
Lexy;)
Greg responds...
You neither embarrassed me nor came off as a brat. I'm sorry if I in any way made you feel bad.
If there weren't a few faux pas in a Q&A it would get very boring. We all got a good laugh out of it.
Lynn writes...
I got to watch "Awakening" for the first time last night(!!), which was broadcast after the final TGC episode "Angels of the Night". Man, could I really see the difference between the two! I mean, there's the sense of the mythological story present in the first episode not found in TGC.
As far as your question on whether we thought Demona might really be dead, I can't really say for myself, since I had seen the series through (for the most part). I probably would have wondered at least a little, considering she wanted to follow Goliath on his hunt for the Vikings.
Anyway, I'm excited about the series running again, and I promise not to miss a single ep...thanks for such a terrific tale! gives me goosebumps ;)
Btw, are there any other Texans in this group? Yes, I'm a CowGoyle (sorry, couldn't resist), actually a HorseGoyle--most texans don't ride cows... :P
Greg responds...
Lynne, I'm not sure this is the right forum to quiz for fellow Texans, though of course I know from last summer's Gathering that there are a few. Spike comes to mind, for one.
I am glad that you were able to enjoy the series, even though you didn't see it in order the first time through. We tried to write and produce it so that seeing the eps in order would give added value. But we also tried to make sure that every episode stood alone enough so that you could join and enjoy the series at any point. Some people have told me that we failed in the latter attempt, so I'm glad it worked with you.
Joe writes...
Hello Greg, first of all, since this is my first time submitting a question to you, I'd like to thank you for creating Gargoyles, and taking the time to answer questions.
Now that that's out of the way....
1) I'm not clear on copyright laws and such, but is there anyway you can have the leica reel of "Bad Guys" published on the web? I'm interested in seeing it, but am unable to attend any Gatherings.
2) I know I should probably watch it and see, but does "Max Steel" contain any Gargoyle references?
Greg responds...
1. Whether or not I'd get in trouble with Disney, isn't the main issue. I DON'T WANT TO PUT IT ON THE WEB. This final mixed version is something special that only I have. I show it at GATHERINGS as a special treat and as a way to encourage people to come. For now, that's how it's going to stay.
2. I'm sorry, Joe, but questions on separate topics must be posted separately.
Oberons Child writes...
Hi Greg,
Well hopefully , you're fairly close to catching up with all the posts by the time you read this!! I just want to (again) say thanks for helping keep Gargoyles alive and kicking (or at least twitching!!)
Anyway, I just have to know: Being from Ireland, I can't go to the Gathering in the USA, so I was wondering if you could put the leica reel of BAD GUYS or some other things from the gathering on the 'net somewhere. Maybe on s8.org!!
Or if you have another suggestion, I'd be glad to listen ( oberons.child@oceanfree.net ) . Please help me out somebody!!
Thanks in advance,
Stephen. (The only irish garg-fan, according to the fan registery!!)
Greg responds...
No. Sorry. I don't WANT to do this. Disney owns BAD GUYS. But I possess the only copy of the final mixed and edited version of the Leica Reel. That's because Disney refused to pay the last $250 bucks to get the thing mixed and I did it out of my own pocket. I need to control this unique item for that reason, on principle. Showing it at each GATHERING is specifically designed to be incentive for people to make the Gathering a destination. It's a little thing, but the exclusivity is important to me, and I'm sure, to Gathering organizers.
Hopefully, someday, you'll either host the convention yourself, or you'll make the trip.
Jodi A. writes...
Dear Greg~
This isn't so much a question as it is a kudos. i'd been watching Starship Troopers from the beginning, (and yes it stinks that they aren't in order *sigh but such is how the universe works)and was thoughly impressed with the CGI animation. It also helped realizing that Bill Fag...( I can never spell his last name) was doing a charcter voice also added to the attraction. Anyways, to make a long post shorter, a few weeks ago I was watching on a mini tv while brushing my teeth and nearly choked on my toothbrush when I noticed your name on the credits. Of course as I was rushing to get ready for work, I had to wait all day in order to ask Jennifer if it was really your name I'd seen. I've been very impressed with the entire show and knowing of your involvement with the show makes it that much more enjoyable. I look forward to seeing more of your works and hopefully getting the chance to meet you at G2K in Orlando this summer.
Greg responds...
I'm looking forward to Orlando and hope to meet you (all of you) there as well.
Troopers has been a very rewarding experience for me. Next to GARGOYLES, nothing I've done on television makes me prouder.
I wasn't the mastermind behind this one, but I did story edit ten episodes.
I did the entire five episode TESCA NEMEROSA jungle planet arc, all of which have aired at this point. I wrote one of those. It was the one where Rico was in a coma and flashbacked to high school and basic training, while the Roughnecks battled a monsoon in the real world. I think it came out great.
And I also edited the final five episode arc set on Earth. I wrote the first of these five, set in the Colorado Rockies. I'm very proud of it. The second was set in Hawaii. My brother wrote it, and it also came out great. Neither of these have aired yet, but they're both completed, so any day now...
Unfortunately, the last three episodes I edited, also set on Hawaii, the ones that end the war, were never produced for economic reasons. These were great scripts by Lydia Marano, Cary Bates and Michael Reaves. I hope some day they make them as a home video or something.
AWAKENING, PART TWO
Watched the episode again last night.
Little things....
My two year old son is fascinated with Tom. And misses him in the second act after he's gone. Misses him in other episodes too. Kinda puts the lie to the strongly held belief I've always had that contrary to Network Executive Dogma, kids don't need animated shows to be about kids. Of course, my son is just two. My five year old has no problem with their being no "little girl" in the show.
Goliath says "What sorcery is this?" for the first time. We wound up using it over and over in the series, til it became something of an in-joke. But the truth is, we could never come up with a better line that said the same thing.
Goliath's "suicide" at the end of Act One, is still one of the most startling things I've ever seen in a cartoon. That was Gary Krisel's idea (my boss Bruce Cranston's boss). And I've always admired him for it. It's also the reminder I use to keep me humble when I'm listening to notes from the higher ups. Michael Reaves and I were just going to have the Magus offer to cast his spell on Goliath as something of a consolation prize. "Best I can do" kinda thing.
Love that Chernabog moment where Goliath says "I've been denied everything, even my revenge!" Man, Keith David is great.
The way it's edited you'd never know the problem the last fight in the Viking's camp caused me vis-a-vis Broadway. As you may recall from Part One, during the Viking's initial attack, Broadway stopped for a snack, and then opportunistically used the turkey leg to bonk a Viking. A nice little comedic beat. Well, in Part Two, we wanted to contrast that by having Broadway land in front of the roasting spit by the fire -- so that the audience again thinks he's just thinking about his stomach. But that after the massacre, the much more serious Broadway immediatlely starts using it as a weapon. That's pretty much what you see. But that's not what we received in Animation. What we got was a virtual replay of the scene from Part One. Broadway lands with a big grin and starts to eat. Then he gets attacked and uses the spit as a weapon. It took judicious editing to keep Broadway from feeling too one-dimensional. And even then as the series progressed, we started to downplay Broadway's appetite (another good Gary Krisel suggestion). We brought it up again in Hunter's Moon, Part Three to show how far the character had come. Yeah, great kitchen, but an even better library. That kind of thing.
We had a similar problem with Hudson's sword. We were supposed to make a big deal of him using it for the first time in the battle at the Viking camp. But some of the animation in both Parts One and Part Two showed him using the sword and/or having it by his side before that. That's what retakes are for, I guess.
Xanatos' first appearance... I'm really curious to know how many people, seeing this for the first time knew that Xanatos was the bad guy. I thought it was a little too obvious myself. There's a look he gives Goliath when he's taking the gargs' questions in the Great Hall that I thought absolutely tipped his hand to the audience. But we did try to create a guy who looked like he should be the hero of the show. Handsome athletic Bruce Wayne type up against scary monsters. And Jonathan Frakes is terrific.
(There was a while when Gary Krisel thought maybe we should have Xanatos -- or another rich guy, a pre-Renard if you will -- actually be the gargoyles modern benefactor. I'm glad that's one bit of advice I didn't take from Gary.)
We also get the first look at Owen. Jeff Bennett. Man. What a great cast we had. Wasn't Owen just fascinating from moment one? I didn't know he was Puck way back then, but I sure did know there was a story behind him.
Love that moment when they all Shatter out of stone near the top of Act Two. The sky spinning behind Goliath. The rotating camera for the others. Bronx leaning into the foreground. Still gives me a little thrill. Don't disappoint me Xanatos said. Well, it worked for me.
The first time we got the animation back on that sequence, their stone skins didn't really EXPLODE off them. In fact the first version of the footage had no stone at all. Those of you who have been to the GATHERING have seen that footage. We really had to push to make that concept of them exploding to life every night play visually.
There's an intentional this-ain't-Batman moment during the fight with the Commandos. Goliath gets tossed off the building. He's falling and he grabs for a flagpole, just like Batman would. But Goliath is so heavy, he rips the flagpole right off the building, and he has to use his claws to save himself. Back in those days, everyone was terrified that GARGOYLES was going to be perceived as a BATMAN rip-off. I actually had to write up a memo for the Marketing Department, listing all the significant ways the shows were different. This flagpole bit was our (me, Frank, Michael's) conscious reaction to the constant comparisons.
There's a moment during the fight where Goliath is facing a Commando, and from off-stage Xanatos rescues Goliath by firing his laser at the wall and dumping the masonry on the commando. But that scene gave us nightmares, because it looked like the laser beam was coming from Goliath's eyes. Like he was Cyclops of the X-Men. This made us nervous, because the concept was so new, we were afraid that the audience would think that maybe Gargoyles have all sorts of "cool" super-powers like that.
One line got cut from Part One that would have helped a bit in understanding Lex's character. In Part One, during the initial battle with the Vikings, we had Lex investigating a catapult, fascinated with how it works. That little scenelet got cut from the script for time. But I still miss it.
Anyway, please feel free to post your own responses here on the episode. Both how you felt when you first saw it, and what strikes you now looking at it again.
Steven writes...
Hay Greg,
I read you've been working on a few projects lately like Starship Troopers and Max Steel.But,would creating a new series from scratch be totally out of the question?
e.g. new plot, characters etc of your own....
Greg responds...
No. I've created many new series, as anyone who's attended the Gatherings and our Radio Plays can attest to. But selling those is another matter. I haven't (as yet) had any luck selling another new series.
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