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COMEBACKS 2007-10 (Oct)

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Moeen writes...

I've noticed that the price for the comic has now moved up (at least for this issue) to #3.95. Was this because Gordon Purcell was the artist, or is there some other reason?

Greg responds...

It has nothing to do with Gordon at all. I'm sure the reason is all about cost of production relative to return on investment.

Response recorded on October 31, 2007

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Phoenician writes...

Hey, Greg! I may be a week or two late, but here's my review of 'Clan Building: Chapter VI - Reunion!"

First off, I got the comic the first Saturday after it came out, and I'm positive the only reason I was able to still find a copy was that I asked my comic shop to hold one for me the previous Tuesday. That, and the clerk said, "Last copy, buddy!" I then asked if they were going to be carrying Bad Guys #1, and he said not to worry, they would have it when it comes out (I was so happy from this wonderful news I forgot to ask if they were ordering more of #6 . . . sorry!)

Anyways, won't go into everything, since it's mostly all been said, but here's what I enjoyed:

-LOVED the cover, we don't get many shots of Bronx, so it's pretty cool.
-Again another shot of the Eyrie Building, I may be a geek about it, but you can't deny it's beauty.
-Snow in New York again, the year's slowly quickly coming to a close, now that Halloween's over!
-Lexington still miffed about Brentwood . . . eh, can't blame him really for that.
-Thailog in a toga . . . I like it, in retrospect it kinda makes his battle armor more "Roman-y" as well.
-#9 Shari . . . though she's 'serving' Thailog, it's clear she's the one in control (more-so at the end).
-The return of the skiff!!! It feels like seeing an old friend.
-Nice continuity on returning to Angela's one piece wardrobe during the flashback.
-Elisa in a cloak . . . this is a rare sight to see (and appreciate!)
-Even MORE rare is a third-quarter moon when the World Travelers flee the Monastary. Any idea if that's in sync with the timeline?
-Hmm, Bronx was even growling when Coldstone "shifted" personalities, so I guess he fell for it too ('course it's mostly tone . . . he DID fall for Demona's smooth talk in City of Stone)
-Xanatos wearing a trenchcoat billowing in the wind . . . one of his cooler poses.

I am curious about one thing -- Are Thailog and Shari still at Nightstone Unlimited, or in a new setting altogether?

Finally, I actually think it's pretty in-character in how Othello tricked the World Travelers. other have previously said it was overly violent, but then again, Othello's back-story hints that he can lose his temper pretty easily, with just the right amount of pushing. Sure, this time he was acting as Iago (who is definitely violent) this time around, but I think it fits with his character.

Anyways, thanks again for another great story - some questions were answered, with a few new ones creeping up! Can't wait for 'The Rock' and the first Bad Guys!!

Greg responds...

I'm TRYING to get the moons in sync with reality. Trying.

Thailog & Shari are at Nightstone.

Response recorded on October 31, 2007

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TiniTinyTony writes...

Since Gargoyles #6 was a month late, it has been said by someone in the Comment Room who e-mailed SLG that Bad Guys #1 would also be pushed back a month and be released in November instead of October.

Therefore, going by the schedule you posted on Mon, March 05, 2007, should we just add one month to the months that you listed then?

The only reason I ask is so I can inform my local comic book supplier, in turn, giving him enough time to order the comics ahead of time, so I receive my copies when they are scheduled to be released by Diamond. Thank you.

Greg responds...

I don't have definitive answers nor any desire to speculate. There should be SOMETHING available for purchase every month from now on... I hope.

Response recorded on October 31, 2007

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dph writes...

I have a few questions about the Puck/Owen duality or rather who knows about it.

1. Outside of Goliath's clan living in Manhattan, David Xanatos, Fox, and Alex, how many others know about that duality?

2. Does Thailog know about that duality?

Greg responds...

1. Well, Oberon and Titania know. That's all we know for sure.

2. Why would he?

Response recorded on October 31, 2007

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Manu writes...

If gargoyles die without enough sunlight, wouldn't their adjustment to 12-hour sleep cycles in the poles kill them during the 6 months of night?

Greg responds...

"Kill them" might be putting it a bit on the strong side, but it's certainly a problem. Of course there aren't any gargoyles at the poles currently, so it's a bit moot.

Response recorded on October 31, 2007

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OCTOBER 31

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 31st...

1994
In part because both he and Elisa want to conceal the gargoyles' existence, Xanatos and the D.A.'s office agree to a plea bargain. He pleads guilty to the sole count of Receiving Stolen Property. He will be sentenced to six months in county jail including time served, with every hope that the sentence will be reduced to three months for good behavior.

1995
Xanatos confronts Fox and attempts to get the Eye back from her. She transforms in front of him and escapes. Xanatos intentionally involves Goliath and Elisa in an attempt to manipulate them into helping Fox and retrieving the Eye. Goliath quickly catches on and initially refuses to help. Later that night, the Trio, Goliath, Elisa, Vinnie, Brendan and Margot all attend a Greenwich Village Halloween block party. When the Werefox attacks, Goliath and Elisa agree to help Xanatos save Fox. Together, they manage to remove the Eye from the creature, which reverts to Fox. Goliath takes possession of the Eye.

1996
Matt Bluestone convenes a meeting of the Gargoyle Taskforce (including himself, Elisa, Officers Morgan & Travanti, Detectives Harris & Chung, Margot Yale and Martin Hacker). Hacker has Illuminati meetings with Matt, Xanatos and Castaway. Morgan asks Elisa on a date. After turning him down and spending time with Jason in the hospital prison ward, she goes to the Eyrie. The gargoyles awaken at sunset. Fox has Halloween costumes for Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway and Angela in anticipation of the Masque that Xanatos is throwing later that night. Elisa breaks up with Goliath. Demona recovers the Atlantean crystal that was at the heart of the Praying Gargoyle. In, the Labyrinth, Al is showing Shari around. Goliath and Brooklyn arrive. Brooklyn wants to ask Delilah to the party, but Goliath does instead. Goliath, Brooklyn and Delilah depart. Thailog attacks. Terry Chung, Billy Greene, Susan Greene and Sarah Browne trick-or-treat at Jeffrey Robbins' home, where Hudson and Bronx are visiting. Following Illuminati orders, Xanatos takes Fox and Alexander to a party at the White House. They chat with Ambassador Chung, and David meets Illuminatus Quincy Hemings. Meanwhile, Xanatos' Masque goes on without him at the Eyrie. Attendees include Judge Roebling, Doctor Sato, Brendan, Margot, Lexington, Brooklyn, Angela and Broadway. Elisa and Morgan arrive together, as do Goliath and Delilah. Thailog, having taken the male clones from the Labyrinth, arrives to collect Delilah and stabs Goliath.

1997
Xanatos' probation expires.


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Ricky writes...

I've gotta say to everyone who keeps complaining about the errors in #6...get over it, let it go. Stop bringing it up, it was a mistake, and in my opinion it didn't take away from what was a great story. It was nice to see this "lost episode" of sorts from the World Tour, really took me back to all those great episodes from the show, while still providing us with a bit of the new. I can't wait for the next issue, the stories are great. As for the errors, not to dwell on the topic, but personally, I'm just glad to have brand new Gargoyles stories back in my life, that's what I think we should be focusing on. Keep up the great work!

Greg responds...

"Stop bringing it up." Sound advice.

Response recorded on October 30, 2007

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dph writes...

To clarify a comment in my review of issue #6, when I said "The ending with Coldsteel was quite interesting and also quite trusting of David Xanatos.", I meant that Xanatos didn't appear to be wearing armor or have any visible security forces watching him when he was meeting with Coldsteel. In other words, it looked like David Xanatos left himself wide open to be attacked by Coldsteel unless there are unknown mechanisms in place to keep Coldsteel from attacking David Xanatos.

Greg responds...

I'm sure David's prepared for any contingency.

Response recorded on October 30, 2007

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Grey Wolf writes...

Sorry it's so late, the computer ate my fist copy. But better late then never I suppose.

June 21st

My mom had already left for work when I got up and, thank God, so had my brother. Dad and I had a quiet couple of hours before hitting the road. We actually went along the mountain range, so the scenery was pretty, but nothing too remarkable happened. We stopped by VA Tech so my dad could say hi to an old student, and show me the lamp post he ran into during a foot race. The memorial was still in the works when we got there.

It was almost sundown when we arrived at the cabin we would spend the night in. Dad pulled out a guide book and the convention schedual, explaining to me he had a few things he wanted to see and that I should prioratize when I wanted to be at the Gathering.
"Why didn't we do any of this today?" I asked.
"Because we're staying here tonight, and these are about 300 miles away in Tenessee."
"Oh, good point."
"But aside from that minor detail; we're on the same page, right?"

June 22nd

We left early, and despite spending hours in the car, I was suprisingly patient. Until we were only fifteen minutes away. There might still be finger marks where I gripped the door handle; I'll have to check.

Dad and I actually went to the convention before checking into our hotel. Our first lesson: Never, under any cercumstances, use the elevator!

We wandered about in the registration room and met some really nice people. Even Dad was impressed by the artwork and I was uncharacteristly talkative when I met the other con-goers. Dad tapped me on the shoulder...
"Hey, Rach, that guy in the t-shirt-- Isn't that your hero?"
I looked over my shoulder. Yeah, my dad was right, that was Greg Weisman.
"Go on, get his autograph," Dad urged. I stepped up to the table, greeted him, and managed to stutter something close enough to 'Could you sign this please?' that Greg could understand me. Heh, ^^;

I regained my composure in time for the Radio Play Auditions. I could do the Southern and Scotish accents okay, but after doing the Scotish, I couldn't make the British accent work. Dang. In line a met another girl close to my age who also had an autism spectrum disorder, it was easy to talk to her, so that was fun.

I got to stay through Opening Ceremonies, but had to leave before the music video contest.
The Team Atlantis episode was really cool, even if it wasn't all animated.

June 23rd

We missed the Radio Play Casting by a little, but I found out I was in it. The Mug-A-Guest with Greg was fun, and I asked a few questions my mom wanted to know too since she couldn't make it. Dad went out for lunch during the Radio Play Rehearsals, and just made it back in time for the Radio Play itself. I was Maggie the Cat; I got a little nervous, and the reason the grunt when the debris fell on her sounded so weird was because I acctually choked for a second. It work well though.

When Dad and I came back from having chili dogs, we ran into Greg and a group of con-goers by the crosswalk. I got really happy when I was told I did a good job, and I looked forward to telling my family they could see it on You-Tube soon. I kept my lips sealed about the content of issue 5 though.

End part one

Greg responds...

Glad you had fun.

And you're right -- better late than never.

Response recorded on October 30, 2007

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Moeen writes...

This question is actually not about Gargoyles.

I was wondering if you have seen or know about the animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender." If you have seen it, what do you think of it?

I've heard some people complain about how animation and animated shows in America have been in a decline since the 90's, but Avatar is actually the best animated show I've seen since Gargoyles. It came out a few years ago on Nickelodeon and is currently in it's third season.

The shows strong points are many that made Gargoyles such a great show, namely very complex characters, a complex plot and excellent pacing among other qualities. Like Gargoyles, it also appeals to many different age groups, not just kids.

You've mentioned how it would be difficult to air a show like Gargoyles these days with the current lack of S&P freedom, but the creators of Avatar have nonetheless managed to make a great show with an excellent storyline apparently without sacrificing anything, and it has become quite a hit.

So I thought you might be interested in looking into it, if you haven't already.

Greg responds...

I've seen clips from Avatar, but I haven't seen a full episode.

I've heard very good things, but it doesn't change my argument. Nick has Avatar and... and...

Myself and others I know have pitched shows to Nick, shows that might be great companions to Airbender, and yet... and yet...

Avatar seems to be the exception that TESTS the rule. But the rule seems to still be in place.

Response recorded on October 30, 2007

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

By the way, it was very kind of you to pass on SLG's apology even though none of the problems were your fault at all. It must be very frustrating to you, too. But as long as the property is still producing, we've come out ahead.

Greg responds...

Thanks.

Response recorded on October 30, 2007

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello again Greg,

I've been thinking about Greek mythology and the little glimpses we've seen of how it fits into the Gargoyles Universe (and hungering for more, of course! ;) ) I've gotten to wondering what books you've read about it, and which ones you liked the most? You've mentioned several times your particular fondness for Theseus (the bastard), and you and Todd have had conversations about favorite Arthurian books. Is Theseus your only favorite character in Greek Mythology, or are there any others?

I myself was first introduced to Greek myths as a child with the D'Aulaires book. I next read Edith Hamilton's book. Since then I've read bits and pieces of many books on the subject, but I've only read a few tragedies and the Odyssey from start to finish (I found the Odyssey pretty boring, at least in translation). So I guess I can't really say I have any favorite book on the subject.

Oddly, my favorite source for Greek Mythology I've used so far is not a book, but a website, www.theoi.com. (This will sound like an advert but I ~love~ this website) It's a very thorough collection of research and information about the Greek gods. It must have every god, spirit, monster, or giant ever, no matter how obscure. Perhaps this sounds strange (I hope it isn't presumptuous), but if you're ever looking for a great source about Greek Mythology for research, I think you'd find this website very useful.

What I like most about theoi is that it gives information in the form of quotes (translated of course) from lots of ancient texts, and provides all the different versions of each story and genealogy. Different ancient writers told different versions of the myths, and had different ideas about who was the son/daughter of who, but most print sources I've read only provide the most common version of each myth, or the one or two versions preferred by the author. So this is a source in which the information is minimally interpreted, so to speak, by intervening minds.

The big downside of this website is that it has almost no information about the heros and mortals, and even less information from archaeology. The webmaster is only just starting to add hero information. (I myself find gods much more interesting than heros, so I don't particularly mind). However, for the gods the information is excellent.

Greg responds...

Theseus is my favorite character in Greek Mythology. I'll admit to having a fondness for bastards (in the literal sense) in literature/mythology. I'm fascinated with the archetype and its variations. Also the parallelism between Arthur and Theseus are quite startling to me.

The D'Aulaires' book is indeed one of my ALL TIME favorite books. Same with their book on Norse Gods & Giants. I still use both as a reference. Although I'm not generally a fan of Cliff Notes, I'll admit that their "Mythology" booklet is a VERY handy reference. I also have Robert Graves two volume book(s) on Greek Mythology, which has(have) been very useful. I've got a couple of geneology chart type books. But they're at home, and I'm at the office, and I don't remember the names of the authors or their exact titles at this moment. I've also read both the Iliad and the Odyssey. Probably liked 'em better than you did. A lot probably depends on which translation you read, I suppose. I might also recommend Isaac Asimov's Fantastic Voyage, a cool sci-fi take o the Odyssey.

I'm semi-familiar with theoi.com. I've used it on occasion. Though I guess I still prefer my books.

Response recorded on October 30, 2007

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OCTOBER 30

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 30th...

1995
After picking up her Halloween costume, Elisa encounters the Werefox in Mr. Jaffe's store.


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Broadway's Angel(a) writes...

You said in your FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) archives that Broadway and Angela would probably raise their children the gargoyle way, "children of the clan, not individuals," by not favoring biological children over the rest of the clan's children, but does that mean they won't identify their own biological children. I believe that if they didn't recognize their biological children, they wouldn't have been so particular about the naming of their own children (Artus, Gwenyvere, and Lancelot) after Arthurian characters in reference to Broadway and Angela's connections to Arthur, Broadway being inspired to read from hearing about the Scrolls of Merlin and Angela living on Avalon where Arthur slept. So, do Angela and Broadway recognize their biological children but attempt to parent all clan children instead of favoring their biological children, or is the naming of all their children after Arthurian characters coincidence?

Greg responds...

You're assuming that Broadway and Angela named them. Facts not in evidence.

Response recorded on October 29, 2007

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Galahad writes...

I know you don't want to go into the specifics of Samson's parentage because it doesn't matter in Gargoyle culture but from what I've read on GargWiki <http://gargoyles.dracandros.com/> about Canon-in-training characters, you've hinted that "Artus will most closely resemble Broadway and Hudson," "Gwenyvere may most closely resemble Angela and Demona," and Lancelot "may resemble Goliath to some degree." (Did they misquote you?) You've said that Samson would also resemble Goliath. Sense Lancelot, among Broadway and Angela's children, resembles Goliath the most, wouldn't it be logical for fans to assume that Samson is the son of Lancelot, who he probably resembles as they both resemble Goliath? You don't have to say if I'm right or not, just tell me whether or not my logic is flawed in some way.

Greg responds...

Well, it's not that your logic isn't... logical, but of course it is flawed. I'm sure people in most families can point to someone who doesn't particularly look like his or her parents, but could be a dead ringer for old photos of a grandparent.

Response recorded on October 29, 2007

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I Love Guatemala writes...

You said in the archives, in regards to the Guatemalan gargoyels, that "while the pendants are keeping them flesh by day, they age at the same rate as humans." If Zafiro II has the saphire amulet, how can he be the same age as Samson and Delilah if the pendant makes him age at the rate of a human, which is twice as fast as that of a gargoyle?

Greg responds...

As more recent archives will indicate, I've since gone with the notion that the pendants magically compensate, and the pendant-wearing gargoyles age at a normal gargoyle rate.

Response recorded on October 29, 2007

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Galahad writes...

Hi Greg, I'm glad the forum's back up because I have a question that's been nagging me. On the GARGOYLES 2198 CONTEST RESULTS Ramble, you said that, because Delilah II is part human, she feels "like she's not truly a part of either (species). Upon learning of her "heritage", humans seem to react with fear and even disgust. And Delilah has never been confident that the gargoyles she was raised with don't feel the same way." If Gargoyles raise their children without knowledge of biological parents, Delilah shouldn't know she's part human, as it would require her to know she's a biological descendent of the first Delilah. If gargoyles raise their children collectively, how does Delilah know she's part human. Does the Labyrinth Clan have different customs, having been originally led by Talon, a mutate that was once human and thus having founded the Clan on human customs? Or does Delilah notice qualities about herself that are human qualities and subsequently realize she's part human?

Greg responds...

I'm mostly inclined to leave this to your imagination for now, but suffice to say the Labyrinth gargoyles are aware of their history and origins, making some things obvious -- independent of immediate bio-parentage.

Response recorded on October 29, 2007

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OCTOBER 29

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 29th...

1995
Tony Dracon, Dominic Dracon and their men are taken into custody. Martin Hacker calls to see if Matt's all right. Matt asks Hacker to find the whereabouts of Mace Malone's stepson Jack Dane. Later, Elisa helps Broadway order a new Detective costume for Halloween to replace the one destroyed during the Silver Falcon case.

1996
At midnight, Travis Marshall begins to broadcast Nightwatch on WVRN in New York - in part as a response to the revelation that gargoyles truly exist. Vinnie Grigori and Gargoyles Taskforce leader Matt Bluestone, among others, are interviewed. Meanwhile, the gargoyles try to readjust to life back at the castle with Xanatos. Goliath departs to see Elisa. He turns to stone outside her apartment. John Castaway recruits Vinnie and other citizens into the Quarrymen. That morning, Taro, having seen Vinnie on Nightwatch, offers him a security job in Japan. Just before sunrise, Banquo and Fleance spot Goliath on Elisa's balcony. They contact Castaway who convinces Vinnie to join the hunt. Elisa manages to protect Goliath until sundown when he awakens. Goliath and Elisa flee. The Quarrymen give chase and injure Goliath's wing. Goliath and Elisa are forced to take to the rooftops of Manhattan in order to make their way back to the relative safety of the castle. At the castle, Hudson watches a special early edition of Nightwatch, with Travis Marshall moderating a debate between anti-gargoyle Assistant District Attorney Margot Yale and pro-gargoyle medieval scholar Lennox Macduff (actually Macbeth). Lex bonds with Alexander and declares a truce between himself and Fox. Mr. Duval of the Illuminati Society contacts Xanatos. David declines to take Duval's call. Angela and Broadway share they're first kiss, and Brooklyn realizes that he has no chance with Angela now. The Quarrymen pursue Elisa and Goliath to the ruined Clock Tower. Elisa and Goliath take most of the Quarrymen out one by one. But Castaway nearly succeeds in killing them both. At a crucial moment, Vinnie switches sides, giving Goliath time to recover. Castaway is forced to flee. Goliath and Elisa return to the castle.


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OCTOBER 28

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 28th...

1994
Xanatos anticipates being released by October 31st, the date of his next pre-trial appearance.

1995
Like Matt before her, Elisa questions G.F. Benton, unaware that he is really Dominic Dracon. She too heads for the old location of the Silver Falcon. Broadway is caught in a cave-in at dawn and turns to stone. Elisa is taken hostage with Matt by Tony Dracon and his henchman Glasses. When Tony fails to find the jewels Mace hid, Elisa bargains with him, offering to trade the true location of the jewels for her and Matt's life. That night, Elisa, Matt and Broadway manage to take down Dracon, his men and his grandfather Dominic.


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OCTOBER 27

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 27th...

1994
At the risk of his Cyberbiotics assets, Halcyon Renard determines to replace his destroyed Fortress-1 airship with a new Fortress-2 that is to be manned almost entirely by cybots.

1995
Broadway stops by Elisa's place to pick up the Trio's Halloween costumes and to watch a video of his favorite thirties gangster movie. Captain Chavez, concerned about Bluestone, contacts Elisa, who begins investigating Matt's disappearance with Broadway (who dons his Halloween costume for the case). They stumble on Pal Joey ransacking Matt's apartment, and Broadway rescues all three of them when a bomb Joey planted explodes prematurely. Elisa keeps Matt's rendezvous with Hacker.

1996
Robyn Canmore is arrested. Jason, who is also arrested, survives surgery but is paralyzed from the waist down. Xanatos tells Elisa that the gargoyles are welcome to stay at his castle. Just before dawn, Elisa and Goliath kiss for the first time. Jon Canmore contacts the Illuminati. In very short order, they set him up with a new identity, John Castaway, and put him in charge of the Quarrymen organization that they already had in the works. Macbeth's former minions Banquo and Fleance are hired to assist Castaway.


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TiniTinyTony writes...

I'm glad to hear that safety measures have been put into place. Just to be more clear, my anger lies with SLG, not you, and I probably should have never posted the question the way that I did. Emotion overtook logic. I posted before knowing the facts and before your apology and felt awful about it, but what's done is done.

I would like to apologize about the hyperbole from my earlier post. Just to clear the air, factually, my friend has approximately 2,000 comics and has been collecting them for 15 years of his life. Also, I misquoted him earlier. He has also seen WAY worse errors, but he's never seen that specific error.

You are correct to say that the virtues of the issue and the series as a whole still outweigh the errors. It's going to take more than a one page error to make me walk away from this comic or Gargoyles as a whole. My friends laugh and shake their heads when I hang The Gathering fliers, but I still do it because I love Gargoyles, I love the comic and nothing is going to change those facts. Just keep writing 'em, I'll keep reading 'em.

Greg responds...

Thanks.

And now... let's all just move on.

Response recorded on October 26, 2007

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Gargoyles Are Not Demons writes...

Okay, I did the math and considering how many levels there are in the Illuminati and the number of members in each level, there are 666 members in the Illuminati. Was that unintentional or is there some sort of Satanic thing going on in the Illuminati? If it isn't Satanic, what's the relevance of 666 in the Illuminati? If you won't reveal the relevance of 666 yet, can you at least say if the Illuminati is Satanic or not?

Greg responds...

It was intentional, but that's all I'm going to say.

Response recorded on October 26, 2007

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Don't Want to Give My Name writes...

What happened to the helicopter Lexington modified from the episode "Her Brother's Keeper"? It wasn't destroyed at the end of the episode so why don't the gargoyles continue to use it? Did they dismantle it off camera. If not, what did they do with it?

Greg responds...

They hid it. They generally don't have much use for it.

And personally, it's a source of frustration for me. We were ... shall we say... "encouraged" to put the helicopter in for Kenner. We jumped through hoops in that story to make it believable (to the extent that it is) and then Kenner never made that toy. I'm not saying it never existed, but I can't forsee bringing it back. Though that's not etched in stone.

Response recorded on October 26, 2007

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Todd Jensen writes...

While the notion of mists surrounding the skiff on its journeys from and to Avalon during the World Tour was something that the story needed anyway, to give the proper sense of mystery about travelling to Oberon's isle and back again, I've sometimes wondered whether that concept was also intended as a visual reference to the title of Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon". Do you know if the name of her book was an influence there (obviously not the book itself, since Bradley's Avalon is very different from the Avalon of "Gargoyles")?

Greg responds...

I"ve never read Bradley's book. It was given to me as a gift, but I've been reluctant to read yet another modern treatment of the legend, so as not to color my own. Of course, I do know the title, so it's theoretically possible it influenced me, but I think it's much more likely that the choice was a pragmatic necessity combined with a cool moody choice.

Response recorded on October 26, 2007

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Todd Jensen writes...

I want to apologize about returning to the production errors in the final paragraph of my review of #6. I should have looked over the whole thing before submitting it, remembered what I had said in the first paragraph, and omitted the comment on the errors in the end paragraph accordingly. I'm sorry if I upset you, Greg.

Greg responds...

No biggie. I was just cranky.

Response recorded on October 26, 2007

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Shannon 'Shan' Muir writes...

Clarifications on Elisa and relationships...

When I talked about Elisa flirting with Jason, that was acknowledging her actions in Hunter's Moon more than the comic but those actions impact what we see in Issue 3, where you are correct that they have stayed friends despite what transpired in Hunter's Moon though that's not in the comic. I should have been clearer about that.

And I never said Elisa flirted with Morgan, just the fact that she went on the date with him so quickly instead of taking a step back to focus first before doing anything after the speech with Goliath at the castle. Her actions just seem jumpy and rushed.

You'll probably still disagree with me and that's OK. I just want to make sure that you read me correctly.

Greg responds...

No, I think Elisa's actions were "jumpy and rushed". She felt she had to demonstrate a change. I'm not defending it, but I understand it (or, uh, obviously I wouldn't have written it).

Response recorded on October 26, 2007

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OCTOBER 26

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 26th...

1994
Vinnie's driver's license is revoked when he claims gargoyles smashed his motorcycle into a wall.

1995
Elisa receives the Trio's Halloween costumes. Matt, still in Dracon's custody, finds out that Mace's Silver Falcon letter has nothing to do with the Illuminati. But he decides that if he ever gets out of this situation alive, he'll continue his hunt for Mace.

1996
With Lex's help Goliath tracks the Hunters to an upstate hydroelectric dam. Goliath and Broadway battle the Hunters. Elisa tries to break up the fight, but she and Jason seemingly fall off the dam to their deaths. That day, Robyn and a vengeful Jon manage to decrypt Demona's disk and learn about her plan. The Praying Gargoyle will protect her and her kind, while the Medici Tablet, the D/I-7 and the CV-1000 will blend science and sorcery to destroy humanity. Meanwhile, some distance below the dam, Jason manages to pull Elisa to safety. The night of the Hunter's Moon, Demona, the Hunters, the gargoyles, the NYPD's Gargoyles Taskforce (GTF), the press and many bystanders all converge at St. Damien's Cathedral in Manhattan. While Demona prepares her spell, the Hunters and the other gargoyles fight. Jason and Elisa arrive, trying to call a truce. But Jon refuses. He shoots at Goliath but badly injures Jason instead. Jon flees. Goliath stops Demona by destroying the Praying Gargoyle, forcing her to abandon her plan or die herself. Demona flees, but the GTF has the rest of the gargoyles dead to rights. Suddenly, Xanatos shows up and rescues them.


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Shannon 'Shan' Muir writes...

Follow up to your question about Shari and Claw in my Issue 3-5 review:

Why I thought Shari and Claw should have left together is that the last time we see them in Issue 4, Claw is slumped over Shari's shoulder. Her reference is "And since Claw here isn't much of a storyteller, I'll go." The fact she is visually carrying Claw implies an intenet to take him as visual proof of what has happened, but she'll be the one to provide the words, especially given her emphasis on Claw in the panel's dialogue besides just supporting him physically. It certaintly wasn't required, I suppose, but somehow I had expected this to be what Shari would do.

Greg responds...

Well... Claw isn't exactly a subtle visual aid...

Response recorded on October 25, 2007

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Michael N writes...

I really enjoyed issue #6 even with the missing page.

Angela telling Colstone her assumption about his biological children seemed a bit forward, but that's part of who Angela is. Did she have any knowledge about who Coldstone was before she met him?

Coldstone's immediate reaction to the news of his son, as well as his later reasonings for attacking Goliath and company, seem to show some genuine care and concern specifically towards his biological child. That surprised me. When Goliath first meets Angela he expresses that gargoyle children of the clan and not of individuals. Angela feels the biological relationship carries more weight; probably influenced by the humans who raised her. Coldstone wasn't raised by humans, but by Gargoyles. (I'm assuming that, but it seems a safe assumption. Is it?) Why doesn't Coldstone have a similar view to that of Goliath? Did many others in the Wyvern clan share Coldstone and Angela's feelings or is it a small minority? Would/Could such feelings be openly expressed (in the Wyvern clan)?

Thanks for all the time you put into us fans. It's a really unique and special thing. Good luck with Bad Guys! I can't wait!

Greg responds...

Presumably, Angela had by this time in the World Tour heard many tales of Manhattan, so may have known about Coldstone.

I'm not sure I agree with your characterization of Coldstone and his reaction to Angela's statements about Gabriel.

Response recorded on October 25, 2007

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Algernon writes...

Hey Greg, long time reader, first time asker. I just had a few "behind the scenes questions about the new Gargoyles comic.

1) Have you ever considered inviting back writers from the TV series, such as Cary Bates or Michael Reeves to do guest writer shots on the comic?

2) Beyond drawing the covers, how much involvement does Greg Gruler have with the comic? For example, does he have any input on the design of new characters?

Greg responds...

1. There really isn't enough money to afford to pay me to edit and anyone else to write. So as cool as it would be to have Cary or Michael, you guys are stuck with me.

2. It's inconsistent. Greg is a busy, busy guy. Mostly, David's been designing his own new characters, including Shari. Nir designed Quincy.

Response recorded on October 25, 2007

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coloer writes...

if a green and blue gargoyle mated would the hachling skin color be yellow

Greg responds...

Why does that follow?

Response recorded on October 25, 2007

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Sabina writes...

Good Day,

I got Gargoyles Issue #6 yesterday and just pre-ordered the collection of the first six issues.

It was a nice breather issue, well somewhat, they still got into a fight.
Thailog as a Roman having grapes fed to him, someone is getting a bit megalomanic :D
The world travelling trio ending up in a big cooking pot just to find out they are in an icy climate.

The Monks where interesting, I hope we see them again.
And did these monks belong to Shambhala or is the monastery in another place?

Greg responds...

This particular monastery is not in Shambahla.

Response recorded on October 25, 2007

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OCTOBER 25

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 25th...

1994
Officer Morgan is transferred to the 23rd Precinct.

1995
Matt Bluestone questions G.F. Benton, unaware that the man is really Dominic Dracon. Matt follows a lead from "Benton" to the location of the old Silver Falcon speakeasy, where he's captured by Tony Dracon.

1996
The Hunters trace Goliath back to the Clock Tower and blow it up. One of the Hunters pulls Elisa from the police precinct. She removes his mask and recognizes her new partner, Jason. He drugs her and leaves her in her apartment. Meanwhile, the explosion causes Maria Chavez to break her leg. The gargoyles barely survive, and Hudson and Lex are badly injured. Jon Canmore has the opportunity to destroy them, but he allows them to flee the Clock Tower. Unfortunately, Robyn forces Jon to blame the gargoyles for the Clock Tower's destruction on the television news. Now the entire city knows they exist and is hunting for them. The gargoyles hide out at Elisa's loft. That day, Elisa and Matt meet with Maria Chavez in her hospital room. They've discovered the Canmore siblings' true identities. Robyn breaks into Demona's vault, but Demona has already emptied it of everything but a computer disk. That night Goliath goes in search of the Hunters.


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Rebel writes...

Hey Greg,

I was just curious as to how you went about choosing the villains for Bad Guys. Please note that I am completely pleased with the current Redemption Squad line-up, so I'm not complaining, I'm just curious. What was it about these guys that helped them make the cut, whereas other villains in the Gargoyle universe didn't make it? Where there some other villains who nearly got included but didn't quite make the cut? If so, who are they and why'd you decide against them? Feel free to volunteer any other interesting tidbits of information about how you went about picking the Bad Guys villains.

Greg responds...

I've answered this -- and recently. Check the archives. Or maybe I covered it in a recent interview. Ask around the comment room. I'm sure someone'll know where to direct you.

Response recorded on October 24, 2007

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David writes...

Hey Greg,
Do you have any stories planned centering arounds Hudson? If so any chance you'd give us a rough idea of when we'd see it, issue wise?

Thanks,

-D

Greg responds...

Yes and no. Though Hudson gets a bit more play in upcoming issues.

Response recorded on October 24, 2007

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Purplegoldfish writes...

My review/comments/thoughts on #6- "Reunion"

I'm not going to go into the errors-it's already been talked about and I know it's being fixed. I did notice the page 12 error right away.

Art is nice-Gordon Purcell did a good job and I wouldn't mind seeing him working on the book again. He's especially good with the human characters. The only complaint I have is that the pencil lines are a little too unfinished and choppy in some panels. It distracted me a few times and interrupted my train of thought from the story.
And hats off to Dustin Evans for his coloring work-great color palette and he did a good job with the lighting and shadows.

Story:
Good story, it fits in nicely with previous episodes and comic issues. A lot of people have said that the story feels too rushed. I don't think it feels rushed so much as we're only seeing just a small snippet of what happened.

I guess the first two pages are there to assure the audience all is well with Goliath and Maggie. But it feels a little awkward to me. I don't understand why Angela is in such a good mood-sure nobody died, but they were attacked and essentially driven from their home-as Brooklyn says, that's not really cause for celebration. (Also, how did they find out about Maggie?)

Shari and Thailog- What the heck is going on there? :P. Lol, I love the toga! Acting out the part of a Roman Emperor-Hilarious.

The travellers-
heh, and I thought the pool in Arizona was weird!

I like Elisa's line about Hawaii and her aggravated stance on the next page. It's pretty clear that by now Elisa is pretty fed up with the World Tour-and it seems like this isn't one of her favorite adventures. That girl deserves a tropical vacation.

This place must be COLD if Goliath, Angela, and even Bronx feel the need to dress warmly. It's cool seeing Goliath wearing something other than just his loincloth, and I love Bronx's doggie vest :)

Yetis, lol. I thought we were going to get to see real ones ;)
Master Dawa is an interesting character who has some good lines-I hope we see more of him...But how did he and Sangpo get to that cave before Goliath and company lol?

I like Goliath's concern for Elisa in the cold-reminiscent of "Eye of the Storm"

YES! Jalapena rears its head yet again ;) Who's saying it though? I'm guessing it was Elisa. (I don't think Angela has said it in the series yet)

I like Coldstone's reaction to Angela's telling him about Gabriel. I can't help wondering if there is some interest in the biological part, considering what he/she/they have become.

I'm disappointed in Coldstone/Othello here though. I thought his actions were too violent and unnecessary-particularly with grabbing Elisa by the neck. I understand his reasons, but I don't understand why he couldn't just have a long talk with them about his plight and why he can't go with them. (It's not as if they can force him anyway).

I guess Coldstone and the monks shipped the travellers off to Shambahla. I had no idea this was a mythical place until people in the comment room brought it up. I love learning about new mythical places though, and I've since looked it up.

I also wonder along with thailog what will come of this adventure. And I'm ashamed to say that I'm curious to know if Shari took a peek under his toga after he turned to stone ;).

I don't think we've heard from the Scarab Corp. since "Awakenings." Nice little touch.

Xanatos working with Coldsteel. I'm not surprised. After all, if he built those robots just for Goliath, Othello, and Desdemona's benefit, he wouldn't even have built a robot for Iago. I'm guessing this has something to do with Xanatos' Illumniati assignment.

Overall, a good story which leaves a lot more questions in my mind. I like how the past and present stories intermingle nicely, and it all fits together rather well. Really looking forward to number 7! Great job, Greg! And keep em' coming :D

Greg responds...

A little time has passed, enough to have learned about Maggie's condition.

"Driven from their home"? I don't see that, really. Freed from being trapped in their home, I think.

I'm not sure Elisa was truly fed up; all of us grouse -- it's human nature.

Dawa and Sangpo will reappear.

And they didn't get to the cave before Goliath and company. Not sure where you got that...?

Elisa said Jalapeña.

The travelers can't force Coldstone to go with them, but if they see it as their quest, they can refuse to depart without him.

RECAP was also from Scarab.

Thanks!

Response recorded on October 24, 2007

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Liz writes...

Do the other clones resent Brentwood for going with Thailog?

Greg responds...

We'll have to ask them.

Response recorded on October 24, 2007

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OCTOBER 24

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 24th...

1994
Reconstruction of the Eyrie Building's Castle is completed.

1996
The Trio and Bronx fail to stop Demona from stealing the D/I-7. Worse yet, Goliath, Hudson and Angela are attacked by the Hunters. Angela is badly wounded. The gargoyles reconvene at the Clock Tower but are unsure if Angela will survive until dawn. Goliath vows vengeance on the Hunters. Elisa arrives just before sunrise and performs CPR, saving Angela's life. Later that morning, Dominique Destine introduces Robyn to Dr. Sevarius, who's created a carrier virus called CV-1000. Dominique places a sample of the virus in a vault beside the D/I-7, the Medici Tablet and the Praying Gargoyle. That night, Angela wakes from her stone sleep, healed. The gargoyles leave the Clock Tower to search for the Hunters. Elisa, having missed the Gargoyles, invites Jason to her loft for dinner. From her balcony, Goliath watches Jason and Elisa kiss. Angered, he, Brooklyn and Lex board the Hunter's craft alone. Once inside, they find Demona is also after the Hunters. All four gargoyles are captured, but allowed to escape.


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Koala writes...

How did the Avalon travellers in issue 6 get from the wash basin of the monastery to Shambhalla? Is there suppose to be another unpublished part in the adventure that the ending is teasing about?

Greg responds...

Uh, yeah.

Response recorded on October 23, 2007

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Demon@ writes...

Hello Greg!
We were discussing gargoyle`s anathomy a few weeks back and while commenting that gargoyles are the only vertebrates with 6 limbs I wonder about dragons. We have only seen one in the series and it certainly was a magic thing, though not related to Oberon`s children.
Do you have something about dragons in the gargoyles universe? Like what are they or if they are common? Or to whom they are related?

Thanks for any answer you give me :) Bye

Greg responds...

I have some notions.

Response recorded on October 23, 2007

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Shadow Wing writes...

How long has Demona had the "Dominique Destine" persona?

I assume she's used it as an alias for some time (the deed for her mansion, hiring those goons to steal Titania's Mirror, etc.).

Greg responds...

"For some time" sounds about right.

Response recorded on October 23, 2007

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Shadow Wing writes...

You've said that "Dominique" does have a navel. So, out of curiosity...

Innie or outie?

Greg responds...

Innie.

Response recorded on October 23, 2007

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Shadow Wing writes...

Like several others, I'm willing to forgive the printing errors on Issue 6. In fact, the only one I even noticed was Page 12, and even then just the bottom panel.

And Coldstone's decision didn't surprise me. He'd already made a choice when he left the Manhattan Clan in the first place. This one wasn't all that different.

And so, to you and to all of the Comic Clan...keep up the good work.

Pleasant dreams.

Greg responds...

Thanks.

Response recorded on October 23, 2007

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Adam writes...

Hi Greg. Great work on the new series. Can't wait to see Bad Guys. Anyway, I checked the archives and couldn't find a answer to my question. Was Demona the only member of her clan to have a name when she was allied with Macbeth during his reign as King of Scotland? After all, she said that she liked her new name, so did any other members get names? Thanks.

Greg responds...

She was pretty much the only one.

Response recorded on October 23, 2007

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OCTOBER 23

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 23rd...

1996
Just before dawn, Elisa and the gargoyles rescue a subway train full of passengers (including Brendan and Margot) from a street gang. That morning, Captain Chavez temporarily reassigns Elisa to the dayshift and partners her with Detective Jason Conover. Elisa and Jason are immediately attracted to each other. Together, they prevent thieves from stealing containers of D/I-7 from a Xanatos warehouse. That evening, Dominique Destine hires Robyn Corey as her personal assistant at Nightstone Unlimited and discovers that the thieves she hired failed to acquire the D/I-7. That night, Matt questions Xanatos about the D/I-7 and learns it is a potent but theoretically harmless disinfectant. After Matt leaves, WVRN reporter Jon Carter questions Xanatos about the gargoyles. Meanwhile, Elisa tells the gargoyles about her day with Jason. She asks for their help, and they agree to watch over the two locations where the D/I-7 is stored.


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Chi writes...

Dear Greg,

My friend and I have been Gargoyle fans for years! We're so excited to see your universe in print, and are thrilled to hear about Timedancer and Pendragon becoming comics as well!

However, my friend is blind. It is very difficult to translate the comics for him (now that there is no voice acting or sound effects from the TV). Do you have the original comic scripts that you give to your illustrators? If so, would you be willing to post them after the issue is in print? I buy the comics faithfully, but translating them for him is a lot of work!

Thanks,

Chi
chiv@cs.unc.edu

Greg responds...

Hey Chi, I'm not necessarily opposed to doing this... with some massive delay involved so that the posting of the scripts doesn't undercut the sales of the issues or trade paperback, but you're going to need to explain to me why translating a script is easier than translating the comic itself. I'm not big on work product standing in for finished product, so you'll need to give me a reason as to why this makes sense.

Response recorded on October 22, 2007

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lonewolf writes...

Hi greg I'd like to know what made katana fall in love with brooklyn and why did she go with him

Greg responds...

You'll have to wait and see.

Response recorded on October 22, 2007

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odd baller writes...

what is your opinion on gargoyles xxx rated content??

Greg responds...

It depends on the context. We're not going to put even single x rated content in the series. But if fans want to do it, well, more power to them. I won't be reading it, as I don't read any fanfiction, but I've got no problem with it.

Response recorded on October 22, 2007

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Kathy writes...

Does the gargoyles age same way with human? I was thinking that gargoyles age slowing as human does, could you give me sample please. I have search in the box by typing age too many but not the right one. Old same way and included more letters attach to the word old. I remember seeing an tv show on Gargoyles "Grief" was confused by what Goliath said to Eliza. Forgot what he said.

Greg responds...

Hey Kathy,

You should know that if your search doesn't work, it's always a good idea to try posting your question in the Station 8 Comment Room. The fans there are VERY knowledgable and could have answered this very quickly.

Bookmark this address: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/index.php

Anyway, as I've answered many, many times before, gargoyles age at half the speed of humans. A twenty year old gargoyle is the biological equivalent of a ten year old human.

Response recorded on October 22, 2007

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Billy Kerfoot writes...

Hi again Greg. Just wanted to let you know (and get to my question) that I just bought the five comics available and they made me cry. Seeing the continuation of your brilliant series was overwhelming, even if it's not on TV. I even introduced my brothers to the series thanks to my DVDs as well after showing them how much of a retro guy I am (I've been TiVo-ing the episodes that haven't been released). Although they still prefer Ducktales as their favorite Disney cartoon ever, they really dig Gargoyles!
My main question is: After "Leader of the Pack", why weren't there any more Lexington-centered episodes? I know he had some key moments in some of the later episodes but the next episode that truly revolved around him that I know of would be "Ransom" and that's not a real episode of course.
Anyway, great comic so far Greg, keep up the good work!

Greg responds...

We have a very large cast to service, so I'm afraid, sometimes characters -- as involved as they might be in the action -- lie fallow for periods of time as other stories seem hotter. Lex will get his turn in the spotlight, as soon as issues #7-8.

Response recorded on October 22, 2007

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Jarrod writes...

Hi Again Greg!

In Gargoyle Society, You have stated that Clans would use Banishment as a form of Punishment. You have stated that Iago was Banished before the Massacre, but then came back to the clan, and I believe you have mentioned that it was because he set Othello against Goliath over Desdemona. Did Gargoyles who were banished, and without a clan have a lower chance of survival than those in a clan? Would clans let other nearby clans know about those who were banished so that they would not assist them during their Banishment. (Of course this would only apply if there were nearby clans.) Would Temporarily Banished Gargoyles always return to the Clan at the end of their sentence? Or would the majority stay away and find a new Clan, Home, or Protectorate? What sort of things would constitute a Banishable Offense?

Thanks for Reading, Writing, and Answering!

Greg responds...

Gargoyles aren't generally solitary. So any clan who saw someone stumble in, would pretty much know the score... unless that person weaved a tale... a tale that would be pretty easy to prove or disprove. Generally, gargoyles don't like being banished, so they'd tend to come back when their sentence ended. But I'm sure there have been exceptions, and not all sentences were temporary. Lot's of potentially banishable offenses. Use your imagination.

Response recorded on October 19, 2007

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Jess writes...

In my previous post I referred to your upcoming Spiderman cartoon as Ultimate Spiderman instead of Spectacular Spiderman by accident. Whoops! Once again I plead midterms, because they ate my brain. With ketchup.

Greg responds...

No biggie. But yeah, it's THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN. With a hyphen. Everyone always forgets the hyphen.

Response recorded on October 19, 2007

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JanAlexandra writes...

Where was Fox's former residence before she moved into Eyrie Building(except Rikers Island:-)?

Greg responds...

Haven't thought about it specifically to be honest. I'm sure she had a very nice place.

Response recorded on October 19, 2007

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OCTOBER 19

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 19th...

1995
Matt Bluestone contacts his former F.B.I. partner Martin Hacker and asks for his help to authenticate a Mace Malone letter. Hacker agrees. They are to meet at Cleopatra's Needle in New York on October 27th at 10pm. Matt overnights the letter to Hacker.


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Chip writes...

Not so much a question, but an answer. Some time ago someone wondered why the Emir bothered to translate the Ancient Egyptian Papyrus of Thoth into English (or Arabic, since Avalon seemed to be translating everything for them) instead of reading it in Egyptian.

The Egyptian language has not been spoken aloud in 1,500 years. The Egyptians did not have Heiroglyphs for vowels so no one knows how the words were really pronounced. Cat and Cut, Ham and Home. They'd all be spelled the same in Egyptian and context was the only way to tell them apart.

If he hadn't translated it, the spell could have gone terribly wrong. Ironically it did anyway. Jackal-Anubis anyone?

Anyway that's my two cents, hope it helps.

-Chip

Greg responds...

It very much does. Thank you!!

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Chip writes...

AAAAHHHH! Coldsteel's back in town.

Coldstone and Coldfire can't be far behind. I often wondered why Xanatos would create such a powerful body for "Iago" but I realized, Remembered in this issue that Xanatos may not be directly working against Goliath, that doesn't make him friendly. (My mind flashed back to "Our enemies conspire together for control of this body")

On to the comic...I think that that was THE weirdest Avalonian arrival I have ever seen. (Though I'm sure that Tom prolly went through a few odd ones in his quest for Goliath over the centuries)

Sangpo wouldn't know a yeti if it bit him on the butt :) Master Dawa was a very amusing monk, and mentally I picked out a set of voice actors I like to "play" them in my head.

The red and white eyes told me it was Coldstone. (That and the fact that I realized that this was the "lost" Marvel Comics story)

The misprinted scene was distracting for me, but I was able to descern from the dialog what was supposed to be happening. I hope that you post that address for the replacement comic or something.
"Biological Son" that's what did it. I think that Coldstone might have been willing, and certainly wanted to come with G and the Avalon crew, but the thought of putting his children in danger...it was just too much for him. So he posed as Iago.

Shambala!!! I know that here in the west we call it Shangri-la! Did anything interesting happen there, or did Elisa take them straight back to Avalon.

Thailog's amusment amuses me. That Shari girl is scary, she knows just how to get his goat right before he turns to stone. On a side note, for some reason he didn't see his Toga as part of him so it didn't go stone? He'll have to get a new one at sunset, and they can't be cheap.

Guess that's all for now, at least on Reunion. Can't wait for Bad Guys. (Mid November?)

Greg responds...

You asked if anything interesting happened in Shambahla...?

I like to think so.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Kerry writes...

Hi Greg. ^_^ First off, I want to thank you for your incredible patience and willingness to deal with us and get Gargoyles in some form back into circulation. I think you're doing a great job.

If you could clarify something for me, I'd very much appreciate it. I'm not trying to catch you out or nitpick, I'm just kind of confused about one aspect of the Mayan clan's pendants: how they affect the wearers' aging process.

In September 2000, you stated that the cost of wearing a pendant was that the gargoyle aged at the human rate. A year later, you said that the pendant compensated, but I'm not quite sure what that means. The only other reference I can find states that the pendants partially compensate the wearers for their lack of sleep. Would you be willing to shed a little more light on this?

If the gargoyles do age faster, does that speed up their breeding cycles too, or is that something else the pendants compensate for? I know that in the current situation it's not as much of an issue, but I also know that the four wearers aren't always each other's mates.

Anything you can tell me would be fantastic, but if you'd rather clear it up in the comics, that's fine too. I can wait. ;P

Greg responds...

I think the math is just too hard -- or I'm too lazy -- to have them age at human rates. And we've seen many occasions when magical talismans (or spells) compensate. (How's that for honesty?) So I'd say they still age (and breed) at regular gargoyle rates.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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lonewolf writes...

what made brooklyn wan't to bring fu-dog with him

Greg responds...

Wait and see.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Shannon 'Shan' Muir writes...

Greg, a timeline question. When you laid out Alex's timeline, did you know at the time the series was being done at what point he wound up being conceived (i.e. was that intentional) or is that something you figured out later as you put the bigger timeline together? Not that it matters per se, but with all the fiction I've been doing of late of my own projects being so timeline oriented due to the massive amount of intertwined events and the epic scope, these are the kind of issues I've struggled with myself and wonder how much was done originally and how much you learn along the way. This is just a very specific example I can cite. Also, you pointed out before (in the "Eyes of the Beholder" ramble) there was enough about Fox and Xanatos' relationship that you are surprised that you got away with at all. Thanks.

Greg responds...

I didn't "do the math" until years later. Nowadays, since I have the timeline, I tend -- TEND -- to be much more circumspect.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Queen of Night writes...

Hi Greg,

I forgot a question that I meant to ask (that random #4 at the bottom of the post).

Coldstone is made from the shattered pieces of Othello, Desdemona, and Iago. Other than the Shakespear reference how was it possible that the pieces of these specific gargoyles to be used and no others? How did Demona get them anyway? I'm sure she didn't carry pieces of her rookery siblingings with her through the centuries.

Thanks!

Greg responds...

They were in a pile at the castle, as the three gargoyles were in close proximity when they were shattered. Or more accurately, some of Desdemona and Iago's pieces got mixed in over the centuries with what was mostly a pile of Othello. I don't think there was an intent on mixing three gargoyles together when Coldstone was created.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Battle Beast writes...

Greg:

I never even noticed the errors in Issue #6. However, I know we all want as great quality as we can get in the book.

I appreciate EVERYTHIGN you do for the fandom, and just to have Issue #6 (Number SIX yet!) in my hands is wonderful enough! I can take an error or three. With issues comming out, I can live again! (Bad pun, I know.)

From the very bottom of my fandom heart, here is a fond THANK YOU for all you have done for us this past year!

Greg responds...

You're very welcome.

I'd just like to move the conversation beyond the production errors now. What's done is done.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Antiyonder writes...

Thanks for informing us about #6. I do not blame you in the slightest, nor does it ruin my enjoyment of the story. It's pretty interesting to finally have "The Lost Marvel Tale". In all seriousness, I managed to obtain all of Marvel Comics Gargoyles.

Comments and Questions:
1. Angela's opening line reminds me of Hudson's line from Avalon Part 1. Not sure if that was the intent, but nice.
2. Probably answered my own question, but Dawa also known as The Zen Master, correct?
3. Like some of the other comments, I liked Dawa's line "If that doesn't work, I'll translate later".
4. I had a feeling, Coldstone was going to find out about the rookery eggs when I heard about this story. It was still worth reading, especially since we have his relation to Gabe as offical canon now.
5. Aside from the scenes taking place in the present day, are there any other differences between the story when it was first written to the finished product (Any scenes dropped)?

Good job on the story. Also, Gordon's artwork was pretty good as well.

Greg responds...

1. I didn't have that in my conscious mind, but it's all swirling around in my head, so who knows?

2. He's "Master Dawa". I don't know that I'd call him "The Zen Master".

3. Thanks. He's fun to write.

4. Cool.

5. Yes. To fit the Thailog/Shari and Xanatos/Coldsteel stuff in, I had to cut some business with a couple mountain climbers, plus a little Twilight Zone kicker at the end.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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bluewyvern writes...

Hi, Greg,

I just bought the Season 1 DVD and watched Awakening for the first time in years. Delightful as ever, but I found myself very confused by Demona's behavior.

I understand her anger at Goliath for what she saw as his short-sightedness, thwarting her plans to get the clan away from the castle and exposing them to the massacre, and her fury that he refused to support her. The confrontation at bazooka-point made sense. She failed to sway him, and at that point he became her enemy. But why was she scheming against the clan from the start? They had only just awakened, she hadn't really clashed with Goliath yet and she should have seen herself as still belonging to them -- why lie to and deceive them? Why the sinister "I'm up to something evil" look when she first saw Goliath? Shouldn't her reaction have been pure joy at being reunited with gargoyles after being alone for so long? Sure, the centuries made her bitter, but apart from revenge against humans all she ever wanted was the company of fellow gargoyles again, and they hadn't yet shown that they were against her.

It doesn't make sense to me that she would be cooperating with a human and deceiving the other gargoyles, who should have been more precious to her than anything. I can see her being wary about revealing all her history right away, thus the lie about her awakening. But what could her motivation possibly have been for colluding with Xanatos to bring the Steel Clan online? A replacement for gargoyles, to benefit humans and make gargoyles truly disposable? How does this possibly suit her ends? I was truly shocked when she proposed siccing the robots on the gargoyles. Even if she suspected that Goliath wouldn't join her and she was angry with him for his naivete, what beef could she have with the others? She wants to destroy humanity and preserve the gargoyle race at all costs. What on earth was she thinking, standing back with Xanatos and Owen and watching as the clan fought for their lives?

Thanks for taking the time to answer. I thought I had Demona pretty well sussed, but I can't make any sense of this.

Greg responds...

If she hadn't cooperated with Xanatos, the castle would never have been raised above the clouds. She had no choice. Also a thousand years of suspicion and hedging her bets is a tough habit to break. She's bitter and vengeful and suspicious and her own worst enemy. She assumed that the others would follow Goliath, and that once he was down, she could step in and take charge. You learn more about her in "City of Stone". But if it doesn't work for you, I guess it doesn't work for you.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Antiyonder writes...

Since it was brought back up, I too am sorry about your cat. Had a few cats we've had to say goodbye to ourselves.

Greg responds...

Thanks.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Shan Muir podcast

Friend, fan and pro, Shan Muir -- who some of you may have met at past Gatherings -- has been interviewed on a podcast promoting her new book on the animation biz. Check it out.

http://www.catchdacraze.com/episode94.html


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The One Known As Mochi writes...

After searching through the archives for a couple of hours (while reading your ramblings on Future Tense...one of my favorite episodes, and also some past con journals from various people), I couldn't find the answer to a question I had in mind. My question is in regards to Hudson.

Knowing that Hudson is fond of Celebrity Hockey, would there be any particular celebrity he would want to see play?

By the way, Future Tense did a great job of keeping my jaw on the floor. I had to clean up a puddle of drool as a result. LOL. Aside from Future Tense, City of Stone and Deadly Force were also my favorite episodes. Want to know my top ten episodes? :D

Greg responds...

Sure. Sock 'em to me.

As for Celebrity Hockey, I have made a conscious effort not to include any living real life people in Gargoyles, so Hudson's favorite celebrity would be someone that to you and I would be fictional...

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Todd Jensen writes...

I should probably have mentioned this much earlier, too, but I'm sorry about the passing of your cat Bigtime. Especially since I remember what it's like to lose a cat whom you've lived with for a long time.

Greg responds...

Thank you, Todd. Bigtime was a great cat and the first pet that Beth and I got together as a couple after we were married.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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Charles Logan writes...

In the sixth and latest issue of the new gargoyles comic the same page is used twice. This page is the one where Goliath and Coldstone meet up in the cave and Coldstone throws Goliath over his shoulder. The first time we see this page the dialogue does not seem to correspond with the picture, was this a mistake? Will you be reprinting the comic with the correct pages and dialogue? If not will we be able to see the page online? Should questions about the comic be left at AskGreg or will there be a place to do this at Creature Comics? I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the new adventures of the gargoyles and cannot wait to start reading Bad Guys. I read somewhere that Bad Guys might become a new animated series, is this true?

Greg responds...

By the time you posted this, I had already responded to all these questions. I'd once again like to ask EVERYONE to read responses/archives/faqs and even check things out at the Station 8 comment room before posting here. I'm trying to avoid creating a huge backlog here.

As to Bad Guys becoming a new animated series... no, it's not true. Where did you read this?

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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David writes...

I just read your apology for Gargoyles #6. Yes, I think it was the weakest comic thus far, and yes, I'm glad to know it's not unnoticed by SLG and yourself. But that being said, you seemed really down about it, and I wanted to give you at least one fan's response to your apology. I really appreciate your integrity,(Nice to know you stand by Renard's words!)and I won't pretend that the issue was as well done as the others. That being said, it's in a very very large part of you that we have an issue #6. Or an issue #1, or anything after Hunter's Moon Part Three. You mention not expecting our unlimited patience, but you need to know, you already had mine. Ten years from the last good episode of Gargoyles, you came through in spades. You did the impossible, and you brought Gargoyles back to me, and all the Garg fans out there. Thanks to your hard work, I finally got to see Goliath and Elisa proclaim their love for each other. A moment that brought me closer to tears then anything else in years. Thanks to you I've seen a little more of what would happen to the Manhattan Clan after finally reclaiming their old home, and forcing an alliance of sorts with Xanatos. I saw more of the Illuminati, and perhaps the best Thailog story to date. And soon, thanks to you, I'll see Bad Guys, and quite possibly the other Gargoyles spin offs that I honestly never thought would happen after the show's cancellation. As I write this I see that a lot of that is, in fact, thanks to YOUR "unlimited patience" as well as your refusal to give in and let Gargoyles die. Believe me, if you never write another Gargoyles story again, I'll consider these six issues a worthy return on my patience. Please know that all you have done for Gargoyles and it's fans is far from unnoticed. And while I can only speak for myself, I think all Gargoyles fans would agree me. So what? You stumbled a little along the way bringing us something we had all but given up hope of ever seeing. YOUR "unlimited patience" has shown us the impossible is possible. Why would we give you anything short of our own in return?

Greg responds...

Just to be clear, I'm apologizing for production errors. When you say the issue was not "as well done as the others" or "the weakest comic thus far", that's not an opinion I share, though of course you're entitled to yours.

Otherwise, thanks for your kind words.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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dph writes...

I do not know if you realize this or not, but you have done "This day in Gargoyles' Universe History" for over 6 months now. Thank you for doing this for us, the fans.

Greg responds...

You're welcome. It's kinda fun for me too.

Response recorded on October 18, 2007

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dph writes...

My review of issue #6

Where do I begin? This is obviously an immediate follow-up to the previous issue, which I enjoy. I enjoyed seeing Thailog in yet another change of clothes. It seemed quite plausible for the Society to be aware of the travelers' trips around the world and put together that Avalon was sending them places. I found the entry point for the travelers to be quite . . entertaining. It was also nice for humans to be treating gargoyles with respect, even if that was an order. It was nice to see Coldstone's reaction to seeing Angela and Coldstone's natural curiosity about how he was found. It's nice to know that Angela recognizes Coldstone as Gabriel's hatchling. At this point, it's nice follow-up to High Noon that Coldstone does not want to rejoin his clan out of fear of causing them injury. The way that he convinces them that the evil one has taken over is quite good. It's interesting the way that Coldstone brought them down. Then it's nice to learn where they really were as well as nice to add another mythic place to the gargoyle's universe. Also, it's very nice for Thailog to be outsmarted for once, showing that he can be. The ending with Coldsteel was quite interesting and also quite trusting of David Xanatos.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. When I picked up comic book, I inquired about being the only one in my area who ordered Gargoyles comics. I had a pleasant surprise to find there was one other. Next time I go to the comic book store, I plan on leaving contact information so this other person can contact me.

Greg responds...

Xanatos? Trusting?

Response recorded on October 17, 2007

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OCTOBER 17

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 16th...

1996
When the real Hudson and Goliath return to the Clock Tower, they find Coldstone and are soon convinced that Othello controls his body. They follow Coldstone back to the Eyrie. Minutes later, Iago, Othello and Desdemona return to the Tower in their appropriated bodies. They free Lex, who surmises that Iago must now be in control of Coldstone and has tricked Goliath and Hudson into declaring war on Xanatos. The real Iago, still posing as Brooklyn, suggests that they destroy the Coldstone body once and for all. Othello agrees, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that this action would strand the various souls in their new bodies. At the Eyrie, Puck uses the Coldsteel and Coldfire robots to capture Goliath and Hudson. The others arrive soon after. Iago knocks Lex unconscious to take him out of the action, but when Lex recovers, the spirit of Alexander enters his body. Puck, meanwhile, uses Coldstone's body to take down Angela/Desdemona and Broadway/Othello. Brooklyn/Iago tries to make off with Desdemona, but Puck uses Coldsteel and Coldfire to stop him. After some further conflict, Lex/Alex transfers Iago, Othello and Desdemona into Coldsteel, Coldstone and Coldfire, respectively. Coldsteel flees, and Coldstone and Coldfire take off in pursuit. Puck returns Alexander to the nursery and transforms back into Owen just before Xanatos and Fox return.


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Todd Jensen writes...

My thoughts/review on #6.

It's unfortunate that this one was plagued with production errors (especially the wrong pictures on one page), and I hope that future issues won't have that problem. But you've already covered that part, so I won't say more about it.

The flashback story felt a little hurried, in order to get it into one issue, but was still interesting. Master Dawa made a good new character; I especially liked his verbal wit with such lines as "Their souls are fortunate that their bodies are such lousy shots" and "Listen with your heart, Sangpo... if that doesn't work, I'll translate later."

The revelation that Iago hadn't taken over Coldstone's body, but that Coldstone pretended that he had to prevent Goliath from bringing him back to the clan (and thus potentially endangering the other gargoyles when Iago *did* succeed in taking over Coldstone again), was also well-handled.

And I was amused by the opening of the flashback, with the skiff arriving in a laundry pot, since it reminded me of a few discussions that I'd seen in Gargoyles forums as to how small a body of water Avalon could transport one to.

While the "present-day" part of the story wasn't advanced much, we still got some enjoyable tidbits. It seems that Thailog has finally met his match in Shari, something which makes this new character all the more interesting. And I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how things go between Xanatos and Coldsteel. (It seems that his motives for providing robotic bodies for the other two souls inside Coldstone weren't as altruistic as he claimed. Though, knowing Xanatos, that shouldn't be such a surprise.)

At any rate, a good story; I just wish that there hadn't been as many production errors. And I hope that we don't see any (or none of this magnitude) in future issues.

Greg responds...

Just had to end the post with another mention of the errors, even though you already mentioned them -- and as you said I already covered them -- and you wrote " I won't say more about it." at the top of the post.

You guys are going to make Cranky Greg return.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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Sanguinarius writes...

I thought I'd follow up on another questioner's comment, on the huge problem with issue 6. If you've seen a print copy of it (not sure if you get one gratis or not), pages 12 and 16 are identical, picture-wise: only the dialogue and captions differ. And considering the dialogue for page 12, it's obvious that this was not intentional. I realize it's not your department, but I figured you'd know who to inform. I just hope SLG hasn't started printing the trade paperback yet, with that mistake still in it...

I should probably ask a question, since that's what this board is for... But I don't have any questions (at least no sane ones) at the moment. But thank you so much for whatever backdoor dealings you engaged in to get Gargoyles stories going again! I'm absolutely loving the series, especially with the offhand comment of adding another specie-of-legend to the mix with the Yeti... The mythology you've created is what made me fall in love with Gargoyles originally, and I'm very very glad to see you haven't lost your touch in the meantime. Thanks again!

Greg responds...

You're welcome.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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Shannon 'Shan' Muir writes...

Hi Greg,

Originally I promised I wasn't going to review 3 - 5 until I saw them as a group, and go figure when I finished this was RIGHT when the queue closed. So here it is, though with added time of reflection.

REVIEW OF GARGOYLES ISSUES 3 - 5
by Shannon Muir

As I've stated previously, I didn't want to comment on the comics until I could see the whole story in one piece, which to me feels like I'm reading a half hour episode adapted to three comics with one comic per act. I'm largely going to talk about the story as I think it unfair to review three different artists artwork indepth in one piece. However, broadly speaking I liked issue #5 the best artwise and issue #4 the least (mainly because I couldn't follow the fight scenes in that style which in turn impacted my ability to follow story, though the style itself was interesting).

Now, here's a breakdown of each story arc and my observations --

THE ILLUMINATI: It's nice to finally get a sense of the Illuminati structure as more than just this nebulous organization represented by just a couple people in the show. Castaway, Bluestone, Xanatos, and Thailog all at lowest run almost implies some sort of "race to the top". Both Quincy and Shari I find extremely interesting, and Thailog being a member was a turn I didn't expect. Also that Shari's symbol isn't the ring like all the men wear. (What jewelry does Thailog have I wonder, though I know you can't/won't answer). There's enough here I'm interested in what is going on in their infrastructure. Thailog's goals are, however, at this point a little bit predictable. What is more of interest is the consequences of the pursuit of said goals with Sevarius.

ELISA AND GOLIATH: I have to be honest, this was the arc that I liked the least. To me, the question of Elisa's family plans opened on the castle rampart is a "tentpole" question that should launch a much larger arc and not be thrown away in the equivalent of a half-hour episode. The fact Elisa flirted with Jason, and did take Morgan on the date, cannot be erased in one night no matter how life-threatening. Couples have conflicts but they also need to work through them, and issues of this magnitude take time. I hear rumors later issues will continue with this theme, but even what I've seen here seems just too fast. I know comics by nature need to be time compressed to some extent, but still.

I for one hope that though Elisa's re-recognized her feelings for Goliath in the heat of a pressure moment, the struggles don't end here. Those are some powerful words Elisa told Goliath back at the castle in Issue 3 about the life she wanted, and I truly feel some more examination of this is required instead of a simple daytime soap opera-esque "we'll find a way to work it out" and let it rest until it resolves itself. It has always been one of GARGOYLES' hallmarks to deal with tough issues head on and give them the treatment they deserve - whether it is single epsiodes with undertones of social issues like DEADLY FORCE or LIGHTHOUSE or the complicated psychcological examination of Demona and Macbeth of CITY OF STONE. That, to me, is what makes GARGOYLES... well, GARGOYLES.

As is, it feels like this was "rushed through" to take Elisa and Goliath to some sort of "next level" in their relationship in order to move along other plot elements. I strongly hope this isn't the case.

BROOKLYN, BROADWAY AND ANGELA: Poor Brooklyn just feels alientated by everyone. This was done in plausible contexts that made sense. I know what it is ultimately to lead to (in the most general of senses, as we've been told before), but the question is how long will things go until we get there? I hope they don't drag out but go at a natural pace. As to Broadway and Angela, I think they are handled very subtly in the background, their relationship is reconfirmed as a contrast longside Brooklyn's alienation.

LEXINGTON: Not too much to say here as Lexington is Lexington. However, what is key is his confrontation with his clone, it reveals a lot about his character as he confronts his "dark side" when the clone chooses Thailog over siding with Delilah.

THE CLONES, THE MUTATES, AND THE POWER OF FREE WILL: Maggie standing up and Delilah taking charge were both turns I applauded and worked well, Delilah's especially though I would have liked to have overseen her hearing the conversation where Goliath mentions her. Though, where did Thailog learn about Norma Rae? It took a minute to remember where she overheard Goliath's comment. This was my second favorite arc to Hudson and Robbins (see below). However, we still don't know what happened to Maggie or to Claw. We see Shari at the end of Issue 5 talking to Thailog, and supposedly she took Claw with her when she left the Labrinyth in Issue 4. Where is he? Did I miss something? (I hope so.)

HUDSON AND ROBBINS: The smallest subplot in the arc but it accomplishes volumes in just a few pages. It got a major revelation out of the way - that Robbins has suspected Hudson's identity for some time - but it didn't feel rushed or forced. It felt like every step was completely appropriate and the handshake at the end before Hudson left was the perfect cap. A total contrast to the Elisa and Goliath arc. Even Gilly and Bronx resting together was a nice touch.

BRENDAN AND MARGOT: Margot was predictable but funny, yet the interesting part here is getting a better sense of Brendan. Timing makes it clear he got Dr. Sato to help Goliath, but did he realize Goliath was what he was or does he think Goliath was just a man in a really good costume? Again, you can't answer that one but I'm letting you know the answer interests me.

DEMONA: I know she's a setup for later, but she seems out of place in these three issues if taken together as one story. Not much to say as there's not much of her around. I am left wondering if that page might have been able to be done some other way or at some other point to have better been utilized for this story.

CAMEOS AT THE PARTY: Fun if you remember the show enough. I recognized some and had to research others. I flat out did not recognize the Judge and guessed who he was simply because I had to think of what episode used a Judge. Seems too off model to me, even compensating for the costume.

OVERALL: Would I keep reading at this point? There's enough to keep me interested, but how Elisa and Goliath play out may be a real sticking point. We'll see.

ADDENDUM REGARDING ISSUE #6:I don't have Issue 6 yet (got stuck too late at work to go out the day it came out), and to be honest after hearing about the technical art gaffe I may just hold out for the trade in hope it gets corrected there and I can follow the story properly, especially since it is a stand-alone. I haven't decided. If I do get it and the queue doesn't close, I'll consider a review.

Greg responds...

Well, I don't agree with all your comments, but of course you're entitled to your opinions. A couple things I do take issue with:

I don't see Elisa as having flirted with Jason at all. She is trying to comfort him as a friend, and although I like to leave interpretations up to individual readers, I don't even see where that interpretation comes from. Frankly, I don't think she flirted with Morgan either.

I also don't have any idea why you think Shari took Claw with her.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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TiniTinyTony writes...

My friend, Dan, collects thousands upon thousands of comics and he has seen his share of mistakes, but never to the magnitude of the production error that occurred on page 12 of Gargoyles #6.

I know you're the talent when it comes to the Gargoyles comic and seemingly have little to no control over the production of it once it's in SLG's hands, but is there anything that can be done to prevent the continuation of mistakes? Is shopping around for a different publisher an option at this point?

4 mistakes in 6 issues is 2/3 mistakes. If my TV only worked 1/3 of the time, I would return it and never buy that brand of TV again.

Greg responds...

--Shopping around for a different publisher is neither an option nor a desire on my part.

--Your friend Dan may have thousands upon thousands of comics, but I've been in and around this business for twenty-four years, and I've seen WAY worse errors... which is not meant to forgive or even explain why we had so many in this issue... but I could do without the hyperbole, thanks, as well as the completely bogus math.

--As for what can be done, we've put some safety measures in place to try to insure that this sort of thing never happens again.

--Finally, I do appreciate your patience, and I like to think that the virtues of the issue (let alone the series as a whole) still outweigh the errors. But at the end of the day, if you feel like we're too defective to put up with, then I'll understand and watch you go with much regret.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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Anonymous writes...

how are gargoyle and dragon relations,good/bad?

Greg responds...

You're assuming facts not in evidence.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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Greg Bishansky writes...

Gargoyles #6

Okay, let me get this out of the way. I thought this was the weakest issue so far. I understand you've been wanting to use this script for a while, and I'm sure the pay-off will be worth it, but this one just didn't quite add up for me.

First off, there seems to be a problem with page twelve. Goliath is attacking Coldstone while the monks are speaking. Is this a mistake? Because on the next page, Goliath is talking to Coldstone calmly, and the panel is repeated later.

I also did not care for the coloring. I did like Purcell's pencils, but the Evans' coloring just did not do it justice. Sorry.

Okay, with that out of the way... I liked a lot. I enjoyed finally seeing the Coldstone in the Himalayas story. Although I am wondering why Avalon sent them there, as they did not accomplish much. The monks were fun.

Thailog really amused me, though. I see he likes playing Roman Emperor. Which one? Not Caligula I hope? ;) What I also liked was, after seeing Thailog play Xanatos, Sevarius, Goliath, Demona, Macbeth, and everyone. He outsmarted everyone, we finally see Shari being able to almost make him flinch. She's playing him, it's obvious, all while she feeds him grapes and pours him wine.

Speaking of Shari. Okay, I know she's very high in the pyramid, but how does she know about the travelers' visit to Tibet? I know you won't answer, but I'm beginning to think she's the most ominous of the new characters you've introduced. Quincy may outrank her, but there's just something about Shari that is frightening.

I enjoyed the ending. Xanatos and Coldsteel. *Que ominous music* Well, who said Xanatos was a good guy? I like this, I often wondered why he gave Iago a powerful body like that, now we know. He obviously gained something... Goliath is not going to like this.

Sorry if I was hard on this issue, I did enjoy it. But, if I don't criticize when I need to, I can't be honest when I praise.

Greg responds...

I find it interesting that you only noticed that the panel is repeated as opposed to the entire page.

Anyway, the issue is problematic from a production stand point, as I've already noted. But I'm glad you found things to like in it.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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Asatira writes...

Hi, Greg! Glad to finally get the issue 6, and to finally see something we fans have known of for a while, but never got the details. So that's what Coldsteel was doing all this time. And good to see another place from legend exists in the Gargoyles universe, I just wish there was more space and time to see more. Ah well, each medium has its pros and cons. There's a number of other things I liked about this issue, that can be summed up with one word: characters. For instance, I found the demand from Thailog to Shari for a story, and her feeding him grapes, rather funny because she outranks him. I think she's just mollifying him for now. I am glad that Angela recognizes the differences about parental concerns about biological relationships, but still barrels ahead with her guess about Gabriel's relationship to Coldstone. And his follow-up comment, quoting the "biological" but still saying son, which was most important. I kind of wonder how much Desdemona overheard and if some of that pause was her taking it in as well. Reminded once again, when Coldstone mentions his concern about children with the image of Angela, how important the clan's eggs really were to the clan. I'm like many on the site and curious about the revelation at the end. What could Xanatos have to do with Coldsteel, and will the later be cooperative?

Greg responds...

Hang tight. You're just an issue away from learning more about your last question.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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Rebel writes...

Hi again, these questions are about Brentwood. Will he always remain loyal to Thailog? Will he eventually get a little...er...more educated, or always be more of a goon for Thailog? Since Brentwood chose to join him, and since Thailog no longer has a "clan", will he start to treat Brentwood with more respect or still more like a slave? If Thailog makes another "clan" with the stolen genetic material from #5, would Brentwood have any sort of authority or preferential treatment in it, or would he be treated just like the others? And finally, if Lex is gay, is Brentwood gay too?

Ok, that's enough questions from me for now. I do have some more questions, but I'll hold off on them until tomorrow or a few days from now.

Greg responds...

Rebel, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I'm not going to reveal future... well, revelations. Why scoop myself when we now have the comic?

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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Jonny Modlin writes...

Hi Greg,
I am very excited about getting Gargoyles Comic #6 by Slave Labor. I will get the remaining Gargoyles comic books by Slave Labor of 7-12, Bad Guys, Pendragon, Timedancer, The New Olympians, Gargoyles 2198, Dark Ages, etc. I NEED to know how the sales of Gargoyles Season One and Season Two, Volume One DVD sets are doing! How are the sales for Gargoyles Season One and Season Two, Volume One? I need to know if Season Two, Volume Two of Gargoyles will come out, so I can complete the entire series of Gargoyles on DVD with Season One, Season Two, Volume One and Season Two, Volume Two containing 65 episodes. Thank you.

Greg responds...

I have no new news to report. And I never get sales figures. Disney treats those like state secrets.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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Rebel writes...

This question is in regards to the LXM Robots. How closely will they resemble Lexington? Will they resemble him to the extent that Coldfire resembles Desdemona, or to the extent that the original Coyote resembled Xanatos? If they do resemble him closely, could a timedancing Brooklyn accidentally confuse one with Lex? If they do look a lot like Lex it has occurred to me that something like that might happen. I've noticed in the wiki it says they will be five feet tall, but I have no idea what Lex's height will be when he fully matures or how tall he is if he stands up straight, so I don't know if that means they will be a lot bigger than him or about the same size. Thanks for giving any info you can!

Greg responds...

They look like metal Lexington's -- kinda like chrome Lexington's. Brooklyn couldn't confuse one for Lex himself, though he couldn't help noticing the resemblence. They sound like Lex too.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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KingCobra_582 writes...

My issue #6 Review.

Thanks for another great issue, Greg.

**SPOILERS**

STORY - First off, kudos on the story. Having Coldstone show up was a great idea, and well executed. I liked the expression on his/her/its' face upon learning about Gabriel, and I didn't see the twist coming. I had thought his emotions there HAD made him actually turn evil. Good plot crunch, that.

For a minute there, I actually thought he was going to kill Elisa. Brutal. But that's 'Coldsteel' for you.

I was also curious as to his (Coldstone's) exact connection with the natives, and what their relationship was, not to mention their treatment of him afterwards, but maybe someday, we'll learn more in a future issue.

Thailog was as kickass as ever.

It seems to me that Brooklyn was still a little depressed, seeing Angela and Broadway like that. He made the excuse about 'Thailog still out'. Is that the real reason he walked away, or was he lying to them? Either way, I have to say, Poor Guy.

Once again, story threads were left hanging for future issues, and I can't wait to see where they go over time. I recall hearing somewhere that this issue was based on a script you'd written for the old Marvel Comics series. Is that true?

art - Not as perfect as Issue #5 was, but better then #3 and #4 were. Decently drawn, and the coloring works primo. Nicely done. Hats off to Stephanie Lostimolo and Dustin Evans.

Bottom Line? Nice, sensible, one-shot, with, as usual, hints of future plotlines contained within, and great characterization. Thailog continues to reign highly as one of my favorite villians, and having a flashback to a previously unseen Avalon tale was clever. Hats off to an excellent story. The art, though not the greatest. was still pleasing to the eyes. If awards could be presented for artwork, Evans and Lostimolo would deserve to win big.

And you, Greg Weisman, would, once again, be #1 in 'Best Writer'.

Until #7. :D

Greg responds...

Thanks.

Yes, most of this issue was written originally for the Marvel book (which I was scheduled to take over) before it folded along with all of Marvel's Disney licenses. I adapted it to fit our current continuity. Glad you liked it.

Response recorded on October 16, 2007

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OCTOBER 16

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 16th...

1996
Xanatos and Owen make a third attempt to transfer the souls of Iago and Desdemona into independent robot bodies. It too fails. Later, David and Fox go out for the evening, leaving Alexander in Owen's care. Owen decides to teach Alexander his first lesson in magic. Owen transforms into Puck, then glamours himself and Alexander into dead-ringers for Goliath and Hudson. They "liberate" Coldstone from the Eyrie and take him to the Clock Tower. There, "Goliath" convinces Angela and Broadway to allow the souls of Desdemona and Othello to take up temporary residence inside their bodies. Coldstone is emptied of all three souls, and the Iago soul secretly enters Brooklyn. "Goliath" and "Hudson" then depart, leaving "Brooklyn" in charge. Iago convinces Othello and Desdemona to try out their new bodies. He then follows them to the Statue of Liberty, where he hints that they might keep Broadway and Angela's bodies for themselves. Meanwhile, Puck and Alexander enter Coldstone's body; they grab Lex, tie him up in a corner and gag him.


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Rebel writes...

Okey dokey! In my previous post, I had far too many topics in one question, so I am hoping that I have made this particular question inclusive enough to make the cut.

Anyway, hi Greg! I have some questions about hair in Gargoyles (insignificant topic, I know). Why do the artists keep making Angela's hair brown? In the show it looks black. Brooklyn has white hair in youth, whereas in "City of Stone", Demona's red hair turned white with age...so...was Hudson's hair always white or did it change with age? If it changed, what color was it; I would like to know this for possible fan art. Will any of Demona's descendants inherit her spiky red hair? I love the color and the spiky-ness of it and I'm really hoping a major future character gets it (note I am not asking you to specify WHO gets it, just whether *someone* will). And finally, will Brooklyn's children have black hair? It seems like most of the Asian gargoyles have black hair but I'm really hoping Brooklyn's children don't, as it seems kinda over-done in the Gargoyles universe.

Greg responds...

Angela and Goliath both have dark brown hair. Sometimes colorists emphasize the brown... sometimes the dark, which makes it look black. Personally, I prefer when it's nearly black myself, but it is brown.

Brooklyn's hair is white.

Whether Hudson had white hair as a youth is something that we'll have to wait and see about.

And I'm hardly likely to reveal or even commit to hair colors for Demona's descendents or Brooklyn's children. Why tie the hands of my colorists down the road?

Response recorded on October 15, 2007

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Antiyonder writes...

Something that came to mind a while back. You mentioned in your rambling of The Mirror:
That the original dialogue from Demona was "You serve him, you can serve me". That was changed due to fear that "him" would be mistaken for Satan.

Kind of funny considering your ramble on "Her Brother's Keeper":

"Derek thinks Elisa thinks Xanatos is the "Prince of Darkness". "He practically is!" she responds. <SIGH> Tricksters are always being confused with Satan."

"But that was more irony. It's not the demonic-looking gargoyles who are being compared to Satan. It's the handsome, rich Bruce Wayne-esque playboy. I guess the goatee helps."

Makes his membership (666 members) in The Illuminati all the more fitting.

Greg responds...

Yep. Fun stuff, I think.

Response recorded on October 15, 2007

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tyler writes...

I love this website!!!!!!!

I have some questions about gargoyle beasts

1. what do other beasts of other clans look like. like london, mayan, loch ness ect.

2.i noticed the picture of the blue gargoyle beast of the gathering of 2004 looks a lot like it could be bronx and budecca offspring. i was wondering if it was designed to b their child or if it was desinged after them? if it was to be their kid whats is it's name, gender ect. ( sorry if u dont know what im talking about i cant think of the word, mascot maybe, it was on there web site and in a few different places in different positions)

gargoyles # 6 comes out today o ya

Greg responds...

I'm glad you love it, tyler, but without being too judgmental, I wish you'd make better use of its archives.

1. I'm not going to tie my hands -- or rather my artists hands -- by committing to something visual before we choose to depict it.

2. You'd have to ask the designer of the mascot. Mascots are fun -- but they aren't canon.

Response recorded on October 15, 2007

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tyler writes...

If there r 36 eggs in the avalon clan then how r there 80-100 in the wyvern clan wouldnt that mean that almost every female has to lay an egg. even the ones that have already had 3 eggs? (sorry if i missed something)

Greg responds...

Me too. I've answered this before. Check the archives or the comment room.

Response recorded on October 15, 2007

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Charisma82 writes...

Hey! I understand the difference between having a biological and a rookery brother/sister/father/mother and so on and so forth. Gargoyles do not recognize their biological parents as their parents like we (humans) do; they have many parents. I also know that most gargoyles (at least the ones we see the most) find a mate that was born/hatched at the same time as them, but this is not the case for all of them (like Yama and his mate). I've also come to assume that gargoyles don't look for ways to relate themselves to each other biologically (I remember you saying that Broadway doesn't know Hudson is his biological father, and wouldn't have need to think so). So, I'm thinking that it could be possible for two gargoyles that were closely related biologically (like a brother & sister), could end up as mates. If they had children, wouldn't the children have deformities? So I'm wondering, would gargoyles try to stay away from other gargoyles that look a lot like them, so that they won't become mates and therefore won't have children so that their children wouldn't end up looking deformed and have problems in life? I'm having a difficult time trying to get this question put into words here, so I hope you get what I'm saying.

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

And I've answered this before as well. Check the archives or ask in the comment room.

Response recorded on October 15, 2007

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tyler writes...

how do gargoyles decide the clan leader? and y is the leaders mate usally second in command? ( by this i mean clans like avalon or ones without current leaders to chose)

Greg responds...

I'm confident I've answered this before. Check the archives -- and/or ask in the comment room. I'm sure the friendly folk there (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/index.php) can direct you to the correct answer.

Response recorded on October 15, 2007

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tyler writes...

Can broklen have a 3rd kid? if not y and if he can y doesn't he? and if he does what is it's gender, name, ect.?

Thanx love the show

Greg responds...

Again, not revealing this here.

Response recorded on October 15, 2007

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tyler writes...

Do Maggie and talon ever have kids and if so how many, what r there names ,genders and would they be more human or mutant like?

Greg responds...

Did you really think I'd reveal this here now that we have the comic?

Response recorded on October 15, 2007

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Charisma82 writes...

Hey! I was reading up on the episode Hunter's Moon part 3 last night on GargWiki and when I was reading the part about Broadway giving Elisa a lift to where Goliath was fighting the hunters, I started wondering about something. Why was it that Broadway was the one to take Elisa and not one of the other gargoyles? I have some ideas on why it was him and not one of the others, like the fact that he and Elisa are somewhat closer than she is with the other members of the trio, and if she asked him to take her, he probably would. I also wondered why not Brooklyn since he's the leader while Goliath is gone, and then I thought that since he is the leader, he wouldn't want to go against Goliath's wishes. But I want to know what your reason was for having Broadway take Elisa, and not just me guessing at it. Now that starts me thinking on which of the gargoyles thought it was okay for Broadway to take Elisa and which ones didn't agree that it was the right thing to do. Do you think any of them were against them going, which would be going against Goliath's command? Could you please shed some light on this for me?

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

I guess I could, but frankly I don't think I should. This isn't some big secret, but I think we're all better served letting what exists stand on its own, leaving it to your (pretty valid as far as I'm concerned) interpretation.

Response recorded on October 15, 2007

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OCTOBER 14

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 14th...

1066
Harold Godwinson is killed at the Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror conquers England.


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OCTOBER 13

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 13th...

1996
When Demona refuses to allow Thailog to kill Angela, he reveals an additional clone: Delilah, created from a combination of Demona and Elisa's DNA. Demona frees Talon, Goliath and the clan. They manage to recapture Fang and take down the clones. But while fighting each other, Demona and Thailog seemingly perish in a fire. Talon offers to take the other clones back to the Labyrinth where he promises to teach them to think for themselves.


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Charisma82 writes...

Hey! Why is it that once Fox put on the Eye of Odin that it took 2 days before she started to transform and that the Eye transformed Goliath right when he put it on?

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

Proximity to Odin?

Response recorded on October 12, 2007

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Charisma82 writes...

Hey Greg! It's great to be able to ask questions again. Sorry, but this has nothing to do with Gargoyles at all, but with one of your other great shows, WITCH. I just watched the WITCH episode U for Undivided (which is one of my favorite episodes; it also happens to be the one with Brenda and Marco). I had stopped watching WITCH after the 2nd season ended, so this was the first time in a while that I've watched it. It was too bad it wasn't continued, because it was a really good show. If fact, I'd say that it has been one of the best shows to come around since Gargoyles. Anyways, on to my question. In this episode we learn that Cornelia's little sister is the heart of earth and that it was because of this that Cornelia was made a guardian. We also learn that each of the guardians have a reason for being picked to be a guardian, though we only find out why Hay-Lin and Cornelia are guardians, and we are left in the dark about the other three. What I am wondering is, since I've never read the comics, did you come up with this idea or was this an idea that came from the comic books? If it was from the comic books, do you know if they ever mention why the other three guardians were chosen to be guardians? If it was you, did you plan out why the other three guardians were chosen? If so, would you enlighten me on the subject, seeing as there will not be any more seasons of the show?

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

I think it was me. I had a notion for Irma, involving her birth mother and brothers -- an idea inspired by the comics, but not from them per se.

I had not yet worked out reasons for Taranee or Will, but figured they'd come to me eventually -- had the show continued.

Response recorded on October 12, 2007

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg, I am interested in seeing some of the early character designs for the Gargoyles characters. Is there anywhere online that we can view them? And if not, could you possibly make them available?

Also I have been thinking about the upcoming trade paperback. TPBs sometimes have extras in the back, so if you don't make the character designs available online, is this something you might put in the TPB?

Greg responds...

I don't have access to this stuff either. It's all in the Disney archives somewhere, I assume. There have been a few years where former guest coordinator Carol Wagner arranged for exhibits of old designs at the Gathering. And of course some of the old designs are visible on the extras for the DVD. The TPB will also have extras but they're not likely to be old designs from the show. Again, I have no access.

Response recorded on October 12, 2007

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Matthew writes...

A Xanatos questios:

Has Xanatos ever had someone killed? I tend to think that while he was ruthless enough to do so, I think he wouldn't because the risks would out way the benefits. Off course, if he had no other way to achieve his goals he might so it would probably depend on the situation.

Greg responds...

I'll leave this to your imagination for now.

Response recorded on October 12, 2007

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Landon "Lumpmoose" Thomas writes...

Hello, long-time reader, first time asker. I just caught "Ken 10" and loved it. I think it's one of the best Ben 10 episodes yet, and that's saying a lot. I love seeing the shades of Gargoyles in there with your fearlessness in shaking things up, adding drama, introducing new characters, and playing with the time line. It makes me all the more excited for Spectacular Spider-man (congrats on the 26-episode pick-up, by the way).

I'm currently pondering a career in sound design/editing/engineering. Animation is my passion and that's what I'd like to work with, at least partially (i.e. I can't draw). You've mentioned Advantage Audio in the past as the Gargoyles post-production house. Advantage Audio looks like a great place to work, but it surprises me that Disney television animation would contract out for audio work on one of their flagship products.

1) I know smaller animation studios usually contract out for audio post-production, but how often do the big studios, like WDTVA, WB, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon, use external post-production houses?

b) Do they even have in-house audio teams? If so, how often do they use them?

c) Just out of curiosity, what does Culver Entertainment do?

2) The thing I'm worried about most is being 'merely' a tech grunt in the audio production field. In your opinion, how much creativity is there in the audio post-production field?

b) How closely do you, as a writer/producer/director, work with audio teams? Do you just pass the work on and expect an end-product?

3) This is a personal, limited-in-scope question of which you may have no opinion. I'm currently in Minneapolis with a BA in theatre, minor in computer science, and very little audio experience. I'm pondering going to Full Sail for a trained-by-the-best kind of thing. Does that school stick out for you or would a local tech school and/or experience be good enough to break into the big time?

Thanks for any help! I know questions weren't strictly Gargoyles-related, but Gargoyles was what inspired me to steer into the entertainment industry in the first place!

Greg responds...

Thanks for the congrats.

1. None of the studios I've ever worked with in Television Animation have their own post houses.

b. Never.

c. Each show is different, but as far as Spidey's concerned, we'll probably make a decision in the next couple weeks as to which audio post house we'll be using.

2. Tons. But it depends on what you mean by creativity. Obviously, you're coming at the piece near the end of the process. You're not writing the story or animating the picture, but you are breathing life into it with sound, and there are a tons of choices to be made. The producers (if not the executives) have final say of course, but a great engineer or sound fx designer makes all the difference in the world.

b. I discuss things with the team, they go to town and then I'm present for the mix (at the very least). I don't just hand it off and cross my fingers that I'll like what comes back, but I also don't stand over their shoulders while the sound is being designed.

3. I've never heard of "Full Sail", but frankly I don't know this arena very well, so don't judge by me.

Good luck!

Response recorded on October 12, 2007

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OCTOBER 12

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 12th...

1995
Xanatos acquires the Cauldron of Life and prepares to test it by ordering the construction of a pair of Macbeth robots and a statue of Hudson. He also begins looking for a sword that will match Hudson's to be used with the statue.

1996
Relieving Talon, Goliath takes his shift guarding the Labyrinth prisoners. Thailog busts Demona and Fang out. Talon and Goliath pursue them to Coney Island. Goliath departs and quickly returns with Angela, the Trio and Hudson. All are captured by Fang, Demona, Thailog and his clones: Hollywood, Brentwood, Malibu and Burbank (made from the DNA of Broadway, Lexington, Brooklyn and Hudson, respectively).


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W. C. Reaf writes...

Hi Greg

Long time fan first time questioner. I'm eagerly anticipating the Spectacular Spider-Man series and I know it'll be good with your amazing writing talent in charge. I know you can't really talk about it yet so I won't be asking any questions on it now.

I've got a question on the public perception of Gargoyles in the Gargoyles universe. Why does the public see them as wild beasts and monsters but they don't notice they don't notice or comment on the fact that they're wearing loincloths that are meant to cover their modesty?

No other animal wears clothes just for that purpose so that shows at least the Gargoyles are more than the average monster in the public eye.

Greg responds...

Frankenstein's monster wears clothes. Doesn't make him less of a monster in the eyes of the public.

Look, if they didn't wear clothes, people would notice and be further scandalized/horrified/whatever. But the fact that they are wearing clothes doesn't necessarily register. Given their basic anatomy, I think it's largely taken for granted. Do a few people stop and say, "Hey, they're wearing clothes..." Well, yeah. No response is monolithic. But the majority don't pay particular attention.

Response recorded on October 11, 2007

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Bazell writes...

Yay! Question time! I was sad we couldn't post for so long, however working on a comic and having an upcoming television show demands alot of time I'm sure. Having fun?
Anyway, what are your plans for future Gargoyles stories? No! Just kidding!!!

Fox was understandbly bitter towards her mother at the end of The Gathering. Is there a planned reconciliation in the near future, or at least a confrontation? Or is that far off still?
Furthermore, what are Zanatos' feeling about her. I'm sure he harbors some resentment, but as someone who made a living out of schemes and plots, does he have a bit more... understanding (even if not appreciation)?

Greg responds...

I am having fun, thanks for asking. I'm really tired though.

I'll leave everyone's feelings up to your interpretation for now. Eventually, we'll get to everything, but I'm trying to avoid scooping myself too much.

Response recorded on October 11, 2007

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Yay the queue is open! I'm happy you're taking questions again. (and I'm of course excited to get #6, which I'll be ordering asap). I hope you don't mind questions unrelated to reviewing the comic... those Children of Oberon always make me so curious.

1. a. So Ragnarok already occured in the Gargoyles Universe. When did it happen? (If you don't want to give a year or decade, can you please say what century it happened in?)
b. Did any of the gods survive Ragnarok, other than Odin? If some did, who?

2. You've also told us that the war between the Titans and Olympians was a real event in the Gargoyles Universe. What happened to the defeated Titans afterwards? (I don't want to assume it is the same as the myths, or to ask more specifically for fear it would be an idea)

3. When was Oberon born? (If you don't want to give the year or decade, please say what century?)

Greg responds...

1a. Yes, it occured, but no I'm not going to hint at a date (even a century) at this time.

1b. Yes, a few others did. But I'm not revealing who at this time. (Though the myths themselves are a good hint.)

2. I'm not answering this at this time.

3. Ditto.

Response recorded on October 11, 2007

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Phil writes...

I'll volunteer to be one of the first to ask a question. I'll be picking up my copy of the comic this afternoon, so I can't comment about that. But I want to ask about your "Blather" ramble.

When you first posted it a year ago, many were mystified and confused, but I recognized it immediately as a secret message just waiting to be decoded. I spent several months working on it, but to no avail. So I gave up.

Then, a few months ago you posted it again in the comment room. This cemented in my mind that there is some kind of meaning to this. Otherwise, why would you bother? So since then I have renewed my efforts to make some kind of sense from your Blather, still with no success.

Here are my questions:
1) Am I wasting my time? Is "Blather" just an entertaining but ultimately meaningless exercise in stream-of-consiousness writing?
2) Is there some deeper meaning in "Blather"? Is it a coded message that perhaps reveals a heretofore hidden tidbit of Gargoyle lore?
3) If the answer to number 2 is yes, could you please offer some kind of a hint or clue? I feel like I've been down every dead end at least twice. I'm not looking for an answer; just point me in the right direction.

Thanks for the time you put into the fandom. I'm looking forward to picking up issue 6 today!

Greg responds...

1. Well, it is stream of consciousness. But it's not meaningless -- not to me anyway. Whether or not you're wasting your time isn't for me to say, though.

2. Blather is only tangentially connected to Gargoyles. It does have a number of secret messages -- and I hope a deeper meaning, but it won't tell you, say, the name of Lex's mate or anything like that. It's not in code.

3. No, I think you are heading down the wrong path. It's an interpretive piece. There's no hard key or hint that I can give you. It's... art. (I'm not saying it's great art -- though I am somewhat proud of it, but it's function is artistic.)

Response recorded on October 11, 2007

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<SIGH> Gargoyles #6

<SIGH>

Okay. I'm embarrassed. As many of you already know, there are a number of production errors in issue #6. I have already received what I believe is a heartfelt apology from SLG, and I'm personally passing this apology on to you fans... and adding one of my own.

Here, as far as I can tell, is the rundown of the errors in Gargoyles #6:

PAGE ONE. The logo and title ("Gargoyles Clan-Building Chapter Six: Reunion") have once again been left off the book.

PAGE TWELVE. Although the correct lettering overlay was used, the art is incorrect -- and is in fact a reprint of page 16.

PAGE TWENTY-THREE. An uncorrected version of the page with the wrong "SCARAB" logo was used.

BACK COVER. The add for the trade paperback leaves Nir Paniry's name off, which is frankly inexcusable. Also Stephanie is still listed as doing tones on Bad Guys, but Karine did her own tones.

ETCHED IN STONE. In addition, the blurb for issue #7 lists Dustin Evans as that upcoming issue's colorist, but the colors for #7 are now being done by Robby Bevard. Dustin was colorist at the time I wrote that Etched in Stone, but since then the situation has changed. So that's not really an error... just consider this an update.

Guys, believe me, I am well aware how unprofessional all this makes us look. I recognize that the fans are NOT expected to have unlimited patience with all our screw-ups -- be they production errors or late deliveries. I've been told that SLG is going to reprint the issue and that exchanges will be possible. In the meantime, I'm looking for a way to post the correct pages (which exist, I swear) somewhere practical on the internet so you guys can at least see what you've missed. And of course, everything WILL be correct in the Trade Paperback (though that's hardly the inducement to buy that I was looking for).

All I can say is that we will try to do better. Truly. I know that must sound hollow, but I'll now be looking over galleys personally. Honestly, if ALL the mistakes on the book were mine, I'd feel a LOT better. And as always, I'm ready to take full responsibility for any creative stuff you don't like. That is on me.

Finally, for the record, Angela's costume on the cover is NOT an error but a creative choice made by Greg Guler (i.e. the man who designed BOTH versions of her costume). He was aware that the "scene" he was depicting was from a flashback but made the creative decision to go with the new costume on the cover. Note that covers are not canon. Covers are the FINAL ADVERTISEMENT/INDUCEMENT to get people to buy the book. Greg felt that the new costume would make for a better inducement. We discussed it, and I agreed.

Again, I'm so sorry about all this.

Greg Weisman
October 10th, 2007


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OCTOBER 7

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 7th...

1994
Xanatos used the data on the disks to activate his Steel Clan Robots, which he and Demona immediately set against the gargoyles. The attempt is ultimately futile; the robots are destroyed. Demona, however, gets the drop on Goliath. She reveals her name and her complicity with Castle Wyvern's Captain of the Guard. Elisa prevents Demona from killing Goliath. And Goliath once again saves Elisa's life. Demona disappears. Xanatos is arrested and thrown in jail, initially on multiple felony charges that include grand theft and industrial espionage. Due to his wealth and international connections, he is considered a flight risk and held without bail. Repair work begins immediately to restore all damage to the castle.


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OCTOBER 6

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 6th...

1994
Elisa discovers that gargoyles turn to stone during the day. She's forced to lead the Commandos away from a stone Goliath in order to protect him. She then waits by his side throughout the day, cementing their friendship. That night the Trio takes the names Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington and gives Bronx his name as well. Xanatos then reunites Goliath with Demona. Together, Demona and Xanatos convince Goliath and the clan to "retrieve" the computer disks from Cyberbiotics. Goliath and Demona attack Cyberbiotics' airship The Fortress-1, costing Vinnie his Cyberbiotics' security job in the process. The gargoyles are successful in recovering the disks. But the Cyberbiotics Underground Base (under the leadership of the Cyberbiotics Commander) is badly damaged by Hudson and Bronx. And Goliath grows disconcerted with the changes in Demona, particularly after she causes the destruction of Fortress-1. Elisa is able to convince Goliath that Xanatos has been using him, revealing that the disks were actually Cyberbiotics' property and that the Commandos were working for Xanatos.


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OCTOBER 5

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 5th...

1994
Elisa investigates, encountering first Owen, then Xanatos, then Bronx and finally Goliath. Frightened at seeing a live gargoyle for the first time, she backs away and falls off the building. Goliath saves her life, introduces her to the rest of the clan and agrees to meet her the next night. Early that morning, Xanatos asks Goliath's help to get his disks back. Goliath is reluctant to help. And unbeknownst to him, Xanatos and Demona are planning something. That night, the Trio leaves the castle to explore the city and accidentally trashes the motorcycle of a man named Vinnie. Goliath and Hudson keep the rendezvous with Elisa, who more or less gives Hudson his name. Hudson retreats to the castle with Bronx - where they discover television and lounge chairs. Meanwhile, Goliath and Elisa rescue an ungrateful Margot Yale and Brendan Quarters from muggers, before being attacked in Central Park by the Commandos from the night before.


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OCTOBER 4

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 4th...

1994
The final touches on the castle are completed. It now sits atop the Eyrie Building, high "above the clouds", thus fulfilling the condition of the Magus' spell. The Magus' curse is broken, and Goliath, Hudson, the Trio and Bronx awaken to a brave new world. Minutes later, a group of Commandos attack and seem to steal three disks from Xanatos. This attracts the attention of New York City Police Detective Elisa Maza. Elisa also meets Officer Morgan for the first time.

1995
The werefox is first sighted in Manhattan.


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OCTOBER 3

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 3rd...

1995
After wearing the Eye of Odin for two days, Fox begins transforming into a werefox.


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OCTOBER 2

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 2nd...

1995
In anticipation of Halloween, Elisa helps the Trio order costumes through the mail. Broadway chooses a detective costume. Brooklyn, a pirate. Lex, a pilot.


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OCTOBER 1

This day in Gargoyles' Universe History....

October 1st...

994
Just before dawn, Goliath and Hudson discover that they have been following only a small contingent of Vikings; the rest must be preparing to attack the castle. The two gargoyles turn to stone before they can get back. Simultaneously, Demona nearly warns Othello and Desdemona, but changes her mind as she sees the Vikings approach. Instead, she hides at the foot of Wyvern cliff, where she turns to stone as the sun rises. Hakon attacks. The archers' sabotaged bows are useless, and the Captain opens the main gate, allowing the Vikings to enter Castle Wyvern, which is sacked. The humans, including Katharine, the Magus, Mary and Tom are led away bound. Hakon then sets about to destroy the gargoyles, including Othello, Desdemona, Iago and Hyppolyta. The Captain is "unable" to stop him. When the sun goes down again, Demona awakens to discover that the Wyvern Clan have been massacred. When she sees Goliath and Hudson returning, she cannot face them and flees before they can discover the massacre. The only other survivors seem to be the Trio and Bronx, who were in the Rookery. The survivors head for the Viking camp to take their revenge. When Hakon and the Captain hear the gargoyles approaching, they take Katharine as a hostage. The Magus mistakenly assumes that the Princess is dead. Blaming the gargoyles, he casts a spell on all but Goliath putting them to sleep "until the castle rises above the clouds." Meanwhile, Goliath confronts the Captain and Hakon atop a cliff. He rescues the Princess, and the two villains fall to their deaths. But when Goliath discovers that the rest of his clan has been turned to stone, he asks the Princess to watch over the eggs in the Rookery and asks the Magus to cast his spell one more time. Goliath is turned to stone with the others and placed atop Castle Wyvern. Demona later returns to the castle to find Goliath frozen in stone. She watches the Magus, Tom and Princess Katharine removing the eggs from Wyvern. She departs for good. Katharine dubs Tom the Guardian of the Gargoyle Eggs. Katharine, the Magus, Tom, Mary and the rest of Wyvern's human inhabitants take the eggs and leave the cursed castle to live under the protection of Katharine's uncle, King Kenneth II. Seconds later, three time travelers arrive in 994: the Demona of 1995 has brought the Demona of 975 along with the Goliath of 1995 to see the results of the massacre. But the 1995 Demona fails to convince the 975 Demona to take up her evil cause. The time travelers depart, returning to 975.

1995
Xanatos proposes to Fox and gives her the Eye of Odin as an engagement gift. She accepts both his proposal and the Eye. Alexander Fox Xanatos is most likely conceived on this night.