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Derek writes...

A response to your post on shocking moments in Gargoyles-
I was genuinely suprised by all three endings in the Hunter's Moon episodes. I saw PT 2 and figured the episode would be continued right as Robyn had her finger over the button, but then...SHE PRESSED IT!! The missile went off, the colck tower exploded! There was no going around that, they showed the explosion! I was in 8th grade at the time of it's original airing, and I remember sitting in my science class and wondering how they would ever get out of that situation? Where would they live now? With Elisa? I certainly NEVER would have guessed that Xantatos would show up and save them, but, it worked. I loved it. I was at the edge of my seat with my mouth open in awe, I couldn't wait until the GOLIATH CHRONICLES aired in January...
You did a great job, very dramatic story telling that took risks and still made sense. I loved it. Gargoyles is one of the finest television series ever. Because of you and Gargoyles, I have taken an interest in mythology, Shakespeare, Arthurian Legends, Animation. It covers EVERYTHING. I read T.H. Whites "Once and Future King" over the summer (while ASK YOU was down) just because I wanted to know more about these subjects that interested me in the show. I'm a Senior in High School and for my Senior Project, I'm Illustrating in comic book fashion 3 of shakespeare's plays...WHY? Because of Gargoyles. You have opened up so many doors to me, and I thank you.

Greg responds...

Thank you! You just made my night.

If the team and I introduced you to Shakespeare and White, then we really did something worthwhile. By the way, have you read White's "Book of Merlin". It's a wonderful final chapter to "Once and Future King". The scene with the hedgehog always breaks my heart.

Response recorded on March 19, 2000

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Robin Wynn writes...

Ok..the Arthurian survivors:
1)Arthur
2)Merlin
3)Lady of the Lake
4)Percival
5)Galahad
6)Morgan le fey
7)Blanchfleur
8)Pelles (Fisher King)

hope that's them!!

Greg responds...

By now you know the correct answers. Thanks for playing.

Response recorded on March 18, 2000

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Todd Jensen writes...

A fresh effort to do the eight Arthurian survivors correctly.

1. King Arthur
2. Merlin
3. The Lady of the Lake
4. Sir Percival
5. Blanchfleur
6. Morgan le Fay
7. Nimue
8. The Green Knight (the one whom Gawain had that encounter with)

Greg responds...

Eight points.

Thank you. Come again.

No, wait! Eight points. Eight out of eight. FINALLY, A WINNER! And Todd, I have to admit, I'm kinda glad it's you, since you've been the most dedicated to exploring the Arthurian angle here in ASK GREG.

As to the speculation of how they survived, well, I was gonna make another contest out of it, but I realized it would violate my NO IDEAS policy, so...

1. King Arthur Pendragon. Slept under a spell in the Hollow Hill.

2. Merlin. Son of Oberon by a mortal woman. Imprisoned in the Crystal Cave.

3. The Lady of the Lake. One of the Oberati.

4. Sir Percival. The Fisher King. Mr. Duval. Founder of the Illuminati. Spends a lot of time in Castle Carbonek, a sort of mini-traveling-Avalon, where time passes differently. Also uses the Holy Grail to maintain his youth, though at a very real physical cost, due to his, shall we say, sins.

5. Lady Blanchefleur. Percival's wife. Queen of Castle Carbonek. She lives there and uses the Grail. The only cost being her estrangement from Percival.

6. Morgana le Fay. A changling in the old-fashioned sense.

7. Nimue. A sorceress with connections to Merlin, the Oberati and Morgana. (Think about it.)

8. The Green Knight. An Oberati.

Anyway, the above revelations are a gift I'm giving all of you on Todd's behalf. Thank him. Todd, to claim your prize, have Gore or DemonaCrzy forward your e-mail address to me.

Response recorded on March 18, 2000

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Todd Jensen writes...

Just read your response to my "Arthurian writers" queries, and thanks. I've read all the ones on the list myself, and have copies of their books (except for Berger's "Arthur Rex", and I've read that one via a library copy).

I liked Green myself, and remember particularly the fact that he did a good job of restoring Gawain to some of his earlier heroic role before the later medieval writers such as Malory tarnished him - in particular, how Green gave Gawain a partial success on the Grail Quest. (He does keep on the bit at the end where Gawain wants to avenge Gareth upon Lancelot, and helps bring about the disaster, but it's an integral part of the story, and in any case, Gawain really comes across as more of a "flawed but decent" person there. I see it as closer to Goliath's desire to avenge Angela and Elisa upon the Hunters in "Hunter's Moon" than to Demona's wanting revenge on humanity or Castaway's wanting revenge on gargoylity - Gawain had the wisdom to not seek revenge for Agravain's death at Lancelot's hands because Agravain brought it upon himself via his own envy of Lancelot, and has a legitimate complaint with Gareth's death - Gareth was the innocent one who was Lancelot's friend and wouldn't betray him, so Gawain was at least avenging the right person there, if you can avenge the right person at all).

I liked your comments on Stewart. Re Mordred in "The Wicked Day" - I will confess that I prefer to see Mordred as a villain myself, rather than as a maligned figure. But I did understand Stewart's decision. One thing that always bothered me about the traditional legend was Arthur putting Mordred in charge of his kingdom in his absence, in spite of the fact that Mordred's an open villain who's been doing all sorts of evil deeds (such as helping to murder Lamorak or expose Lancelot and Guinevere) for years - to me, it feels like Goliath making Thailog his second-in-command, aware all the while of Thailog's track record in "Double Jeopardy", "Sanctuary", and "The Reckoning". Stewart's version made Arthur's behavior less blatantly stupid there. (Of course, in Geoffrey of Monmouth, Mordred's record has been apparently blameless before Arthur puts him in charge of the kingdom, so again, it doesn't come across as such an unbelievable blunder there either).

Greg responds...

Gawaine is a particular favorite of mine. As I've mentioned, I have an affinity for BASTARDS. (I think I must have been one in a former life. No cracks please.) Arthurian legend is full of bastards, but most don't fit the THESEAN profile. (Sure Arthur and Theseus have a lot of superficial traits in common, but their personalities are night and day.) Gawaine does. I can't help wondering whether the archetypal bastard thought he was taking a vacation by reincarnating as a legitimate first born son. It made him particularly obssessed with family honor (compensating, you know) and otherwise didn't change his personality at all.

Green, I'm sure had an influence on me. And don't forget, Gawaine tried to repent his quest for vengeance against Lancelot. I like the guy.

As for Mordred, I have no problem with the notion of trying to humanize him. He was a human being after all. But doing it at the expense of other figures? It felt like cheating.

Response recorded on March 17, 2000

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Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

1.Arthur
2.Merlin
3.Lady of the Lake
4.Perceval
5.Garlon (the invisible knight from Le'Morte de Arthur)
6.Morgana
7.Blanchfleur
8.Nimue

Greg responds...

Seven.

tyca

Response recorded on March 11, 2000

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Todd Jensen writes...

You said that King Arthur had some prior acquaintance with gargoyles during his reign. I imagine that you would have gone into greater detail with this had you done the "Pendragon" spin-off, but a couple of questions on this matter that I'd like to ask you anyway:

1. Was Arthur's contact with gargoyles fairly secret - like Elisa's for example, or was it some sort of public alliance, like that of Macbeth with Demona's clan or Prince Malcolm and Princess Katharine with the Wyvern clan?

2. How did Guinevere and the leading knights of the Round Table (such as Lancelot) feel about gargoyles - and about Arthur's familiarity with them (assuming that they were aware of the latter)?

Greg responds...

1. Some of each.

2. Too big a question, Todd. Think of all the characters the phrase: "Guinevere and the leading knights of the Round Table" includes.

Response recorded on March 11, 2000

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Eric Lindberg writes...

I think I have solved the riddle of the Arthurian survivors:
1. King Arthur (Obviously)
2. Merlin (Imprisoned in the Crystal Cave)
3. Nimue (Trapped with Merlin)
4. The Lady of the Lake (A faerie)
5. Perceval (Heir of the Fisher King and thus preserved by the Grail)
6. Blanchefleur (Same extended to Perceval's wife)
7. Morgan le Fay (Preserved by her magic)
8. Queen Mab (Usurped by her son Oberon but imprisoned somewhere on Avalon)

The last is the uncertainty. You have already stated that she exists in the Gargoyles Universe but I have been wracking my brain to remember if she was an Arthurian character. I know she was a figure of British mythology and was in a great many poems (The Faerie Queene, Le Belle Dame Sans Merci) but her connection to Arthur is tenuous. So how about it? Have I guessed right?

Greg responds...

7

Though I won't comment on your parantheticals. Some are correct, some are not.

tyca

Response recorded on March 11, 2000

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Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

1. King Arthur
2. Merlin
3. Lady of the Lake
4. Perceval
5. Palamedes
6. Morgana
7. Blanchfleur
8. Nimue

Greg responds...

7tyca

Response recorded on March 11, 2000

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niner writes...

Hello again Mr.Weisman, I thought I would take one more stab at this Arthurian contest:

1)Arthur
2)The Lady of the Lake
3)Merlin
4)Percival
5)Morgana Le Fey
6)Nimue
7)Galahad
8)Cundry

Thankyou very much.

Greg responds...

6

tyca

Response recorded on March 11, 2000

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Kar -kwannon@yahoo.com writes...

Arthurian Survivors:

1. King Arthur
2. Merlin
3. Lady of the lake
4. Morgana le Fey
5. Percival
6. Nimue
7. Galahad
8. Pelles

Greg responds...

six points

TYCA (Thank you. Come again.)

Response recorded on March 11, 2000


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