Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello Greg,

I have a question for you about the half-mortal, half-Third Race hybrids. I know that the Children of Oberon cannot use their magic directly on iron. But can half-mortal hybrids use Third Race magic to directly affect iron?

Thank you!

Matt writes...

Hey Greg.

In "Heritage" Natsilane battles Raven using a shield and spear. In the course of the battle, we see Nick wield the shield almost as if it was a magical force field and he shoots some sort of lighting bolt from the spear.

Are the spear and shield themselves magically powerful? Or are the just ordinary battle gear that have channeled magic because they are being used by Natsilane the Chief of this Haida tribe? In other words, is the magic coming from the tools themselves or from Natsilane due to his heritage?

Thanks Greg!

Gold writes...

How does magic work in the Young Justice cartoon? Is it similar to how it worked in Gargoyles?

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello again Greg,

A while ago, before I got a hold of Clan Building vol. 2, I asked you this question:

<<Following up on what Clark asked, how is it that such a powerful artifact, the Phoenix Gate, is used by such a simple incantation that even Goliath, certainly no trained sorcerer, quickly learned it? Maybe I'm conditioned by role-playing games to assume that more powerful magic will always be harder to learn than relatively weak magic, but it seems quite strange to me that the Phoenix Gate incantation, and for that matter the incantation to enter Avalon, are so quickly learned when they seem to be quite powerful spells.>>

You replied:
<<It has to do with the nature of the Gate and of Avalon. I don't want to go into too many details (particularly on the former) when we're so close to the release of the Trade.>>

Reading the vol. 2 trade paperback nicely cleared up for me why the Phoenix Gate is so easy to use and just how dangerous it is! In fact it makes me wonder whether the "incantation" is really an incantation in the usual sense... However, the other half of my question doesn't relate to the Gate, and if there was something in the trade paperback that answered my question... I missed it. Now that the three trades have been out for a while and the Phoenix Gate's nature has been (partially) revealed, I hope that you are in the mood to answer the other half of my question:

What is the reason that the Avalon incantation used by the Magus and Tom, seemingly a quite powerful spell, is so easy to use and to learn? Angela and Goliath seemed to pick it up rather easily.

Thanks and have a nice day.

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello Greg. Congratulations on clearing out that gigantic queue, and thank you for opening for more questions.

I have a question or two in response to answers you gave relatively recently here.

Rebel asked you if Lexington and Hudson got to watch the sun rise in London due to jetlag, and you said yes.
http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=11957

That must have been an awesome and memorable experience for them. I remember Hudson remarked at the end of The Mirror that he wished he could have seen the sun, just once, before changing back into a gargoyle. Goliath actually spent a whole day awake thanks to the Eye of Odin, but I don't imagine he's eager to describe that particular experience to the others...

I wonder about Brooklyn, Katana, and Nashville, too -- whether they ever saw the sun. Unless the Phoenix took care to deposit them during the same time of day that it plucked them from every time it moved them, they probably experienced at least some jetlag. For that matter Goliath, Angela, and Bronx must have had jetlag during the World Tour. Or did Avalon compensate for that somehow?

Wendel writes...

I still don't understand how magic works in the world of the Gargoyles?

Human magic seems to be incantation based, but mystical beings/creatures also could use incantations or thought magic at whim?

Is there a difference between magic users' power if they speak a spell versus just thinking of it, kind of like the old English belief in word magic?

I was watching the Magus fighting against the weird sisters and it looked like they were evenly matched with the Grimorum giving the Magus an advantage over them.

Todd Jensen writes...

In "The Gate" and "Tyrants", Brother Valmont summons up fiery arrows with the word "Saeth". Is this word an invention of yours, or an actual word from some ancient language (presumably Gaelic, by the look of it)?

Paul writes...

1. Does Demona absorb thermal energy while in human form, the way other gargoyles absorb thermal energy while in "stone" form?

2. If not, how has Demona adapted?

Anthrokid writes...

For the Mayan Clan, those who wear the magical prevention-turn-to-stone pendants, how does sleep work for them, or is it no longer needed? Also, to follow this how do they contain their gargoyle strength with out stone sleep?

Lauren writes...

Hey, I was just curious as to the exact incantation and the proper spelling of it for the Phoenix Gate, I've seen many different versions and I just want to know which is the true one. I've scoured the archives and I've seen nothing on that specific topic and I apologize if I missed it. Thanks so much!

Geoff writes...

Did all the foreign people & gargoyles in "The Green" & "Bushido" that got to speak know how to speak English or are Goliath, Angela, & Elisa for some reason trilingual? (It just piqued my curiosity that you couldn't really have everyone speak English without some explanation for dubbing purposes.)

This also kinda raises a question on why the Emir read the scroll to capture Anubis in English instead of Arabic. (Unless the scroll weren't written in Arabic. Was it?)

Clark Cradic writes...

Can no magic, in the Gargoyle Universe, bring the dead back to life? Even Oberon's? I ask cause I remember while Anubis said he wouldn't bring the Vizer's son back to life (it would upset the natural order) I don't remember if he ever said he couldn't.

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Following up on what Clark asked, how is that such a powerful artifact, the Phoenix Gate, is used by such a simple incantation that even Goliath, certainly no trained sorcerer, quickly learned it? Maybe I'm conditioned by role-playing games to assume that more powerful magic will always be harder to learn than the weak magic, but it seems quite strange to me that the Phoenix Gate incantation, and for that matter the incantation to enter Avalon, are so easily learned when they seem to be quite powerful spells.

Nelio writes...

Thank you again Mr. Wiseman for answering these question from your fans. I have two related questions for you this time.

1. In regards to stone sleep, I had always imagined that the Gargoyles always biologically shift into "stone". The Gargoyles wiki talks about how when gargoyles are "stone" they are not actually stone but just really hard material that resembles stone. Assuming this is all true, I was wondering if then in the case of a broken statue, if you would be able to see the internal biology of the gargoyle such as bones, organ, blood vessels, etc. Granted they would be stone, but would they still be there?

2. This relates to Cold Stone and the stone pieces of his make-up. It was stated in the show that Cold Stone is made up of stone from three different gargoyles. Assuming that the various parts of the gargoyle anatomy would still exist in a stone state, would these not be visible upon inspection of Cold Stone's body?

3. When Demona turned the citizens of Manhattan to stone in City of Stone, was their stone sleep the same or similar to the Gargoyles? More importantly did their anatomy stay in tact like I am imagining the Gargoyle's do when they undergo stone sleep?

I have a lot of cool, though slightly morbid imaginer in my head about all of this. As always, I look forward to your response.

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello Greg,

I have a question about language and translations.
Concerning the language "issue" in the Avalon World Tour, and the fact that everybody encountered by the travellers seems to speak English, you once wrote,
<<"Avalon compensates when it sends people to where they need to be...">>

From your response to my "Reunion" review, long ago, it appears this is still the case in canon-in-training. But is this also why Angela can apparently speak English? She seems to speak English in Manhattan. At least, she and Elisa understand one another. It also seems that something was happening when Tom came to New York, and spoke to Morgan and Elisa. Likewise, King Arthur is able to speak to Griff and the Manhattan Clan. And the Avalon clan and their human parents had no trouble talking to Elisa. King Arthur, Tom, the Magus, and Katherine all went to Avalon before the Norman Invasion of England, so they cannot possibly have learned anything resembling modern English before they went there.

1. What is the reason that Angela, Tom, and King Arthur can communicate with modern English speakers?

2a. Do they notice they (or the people they are talking to) are speaking a different language?
b. Did Elisa, Goliath, and Angela notice the language changes during the World Tour?

3. Yes or no: Is this effect(s) on Angela and/or King Arthur permanent?

OTHELLO writes...

In the "City of Stone" Part 1. How does Demona restrain Owen into a chair when shes speaking the "Stone By Night" spell?

dph writes...

Is the way that a member of 3rd race uses magic versus the way that a normal human uses magic akin to the way a chess prodigy plays chess versus the way a learned man plays chess?

Katie writes...

I just watched a rerun of "Mark of the Panther" and it made me wonder about the exact interactions between lycanthropes and gargoyles in the gargoyles universe. I'll just limit it to a few questions, though.

1. Is Demona techinically a were-goyle/were-human? And is it possible for her to pass this condition on either through natural heredity or exchange of blood?

2. Can gargoyles become lycanthropes? If so, what gargoyle features would they retain, if any, when in wereform?

3. Is it possible to clone a lycanthrope and have the copy retain the original's 'abilities'?

Thanks a ton for taking the time to read this! I really appreciate it!

DarkFae writes...

Since Demona turns into a human by day, courtesy of Puck in "The Mirror" (awesome episode), would she still lay eggs like a normal gargoyle or have liveborn offspring? Would it depend on her form at the time? What she mated with?

Kristin writes...

Gargoyles when always turn to stone to 'sleep' but Why? and what sort of effect does the removal of such sleep (such as Puck's 'human form spell on Demona) do to their bodies? Demona turned into a Gargoyle when the sun went down, but does it mean she has a human or a Gargoyle sleep cycle, or does the change 'restore' her body as if she slept?

Jack-Pumpkinhead writes...

Dear Greg, I am curious, what are Thailog's opinions on magic?

Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Here's more scattered, random reactions to the comics, in lieu of actual reviews. So because I already posted a lot about it in the comment room, and I'm lazy, I'm skipping a review of 3-5 for now and going on to review the latest issues that I bought. Starting with #6, others coming later. How many times can I post in a row without being rude?

SPOILERS (if you haven't got #6 yet)
The art in this issue mostly looks really good, once I got used to the pencils, but Lexington and Brooklyn and some of the early frames of Angela looked wrong.

I noticed that the pictures of Gabriel and Iago were copied directly from specific shots in the animated series. That's interesting, they were immediately recognizable and I thought it was cool, it indicates that the artists are getting a hold of the episodes and paying attention to the art in them. I do wonder if they are supplied with the character model sheets, though.

I'm surprised that you changed the Avalon situation so that the magic does not translate. It is definitely cool to see the language issue addressed, but I thought that the magic translateion was more probable than that every single person they met on the other Tour stops spoke English, and well. Now I wonder how Angela, Tom, and King Arthur are able to communicate with English-speakers.

Lots of new mysteries. How do the Illuminati know about that World Tour stop? And what "seeds" were "sown" at that time? No doubt Xanatos is up to something...

Landing in a giant cooking/laundry pot is definitely a new way to travel.

Shari feeding Thailog grapes while he's dressed like a Roman emperor is... intereting. She should be careful about taunting him, though.

I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't see real yetis, but since All Things Are True, they are probably out there somewhere.

I enjoyed all the issues I've read so far and although this wasn't quite as fun as some of the others, it was still good.
SPOILERS (if you haven't got #6 yet)

Chelle writes...

I scoured the appropriate archives and couldn't find the answer, so here goes nothing: feel free to snark me if you already answered it, and I'll go a-hunting some more.

So Oberon's Law works both as an actual restriction on ability (as in it can't be broken) but also as a rule (as in it can be bent), but I'm curious as to how halflings like Alex and Fox might be affected by Oberon's Laws. How tightly are halflings expected to adhere to Oberon's edicts and does it change depending on whether Oberon knows they exist?

Oberon seems to make some distinction depending on situation, as in the line: "As I see it, Fox has turned out to be regrettably human, and so we cannot interfere in her life. But the boy is of our blood..." He stands as the interpreter of his own laws, but now that Fox has proven that she is less "regrettably human" than he originally thought, does this change what laws Fox might have to obey? The non-interference rule is tricky for full blood children, and I can only imagine the loopholes are even easier to find when you're half mortal, but would there still be some applicable scenarios for Fox and Alex where this rule that can't be broken might apply? Like perhaps with the Phoenix gate-- would Alex be able to take the gate, or would someone have to give it to him? I'm especially curious about Alex, seeing as Oberon considers him "of our blood" and that Alex will be trained to use his powers.

I am likewise curious about Merlin. In order to guide the boy Arthur to become King Arthur, did Merlin have to "bend" the rules at all? Or did the No Interference rule not apply to him? What about the halfling New Olympians?

I wonder perhaps if there is some natural loophole in not knowing the law exists or not knowing the law applies to you. Or in Oberon not knowing you exist or that the law applies to you. With neither Fox nor Oberon knowing Fox was a halfling, that in itself might have been enough of a loophole for her. Now that they both know, I suppose it's all up for interpretation: whether or not Fox thinks the rule applies to her and (probably more importantly) whether or not Oberon think the rule applies to her. Ditto for Alex, and I can see how the "rules" that might not apply to Fox might still apply to him.

I imagine this is a matter of degrees and semantics. But maybe not, so I thought I'd ask.