Sylvester writes...

Ever since I heard the man behind Gargoyles would be working on a Spider-Man animated show, I knew it would be the best yet. The icing on the cake was learning you were also an avid Spider-Man fan. You've done a really excellent job.

I've got to ask though, where is the super strength and spider-sense reflexes? I've seen plenty of web shooting, wall-crawling, agility and did I say web shooting? I just feel those two traits were lacking in the fights he had with Ox, Fancy Dan, and just recently, Tombstone. I'm all for the hero being challenged and all, but not as a result of his powers being watered down. Will we get to see just how strong someone who possesses the proportionate strength of a Spider can be in future episodes?

Thanks

WolfCypher writes...

Since it never hurts to ask, and if I cross any lines, all you have to do is ignore that question, I'm going to get presumptuous with some of my questions.

1) I gotta know...what will drive Eddie to hate Peter/Spidey to the point of wanting to kill him?

1.1) Okay, that may be too much, so maybe I'll ask if Eddie's hatred will be towards only Peter, or Spider-Man, too...

1.2) Okay, okay, at least can you reveal by what episode will we see their brotherly bond breakdown and Eddie's dark side come out?

2) Will the opening feature the same animation in later seasons, or will the animation change, such as featuring season 2 characters in the opening?

3) Have there been any Gargoyle referrences in this show? Besides Max getting electrocuted by the eels in "Interactions"?

Well, it was an honor wasting your time with these nerdy questions. Seriously, big fan of Gargoyles, and I love your handling of 'Spec SM'!

Webhead2006 writes...

Hey Greg, first off i wanted to say i love the spidey show. Personally i think its the best out of all the past shows, i loved the early 90s one when i was a kid growing up with it. But now i see all the flaws it had back then and all that. So far SSM is great love the characters, the story, and the action all top notch. I wish you the best of luck with the show and i heard your podcast with spiderman crawlspace and i would love to see the show make it to 65 episodes or more and then also would love to see some direct to dvd films which would be great. I just had one question i was wondering if you can give me the answer to and here it is: Are you planning to have any other villains/supporting characters be mergered between two different characters like you did with shocker/montana? I was really just wondering because its something i wouldnt want to see happen alot/ to certain characters. Thanks again for any answer you may give me. Also P.S Could we expect any twists with foswell and the big man identity or is big man just going to be tombstone's alias.

Alex writes...

Hi Greg!

I just wanted to know when is each arc of The Spectacular Spider-Man supposed to be released on DVD?

Thanks Greg! :)

Chimaraz writes...

Is the practice of raising eggs communally based on tradition for Gargoyles, or is it more of an instictual biological imperative? The answer we usually get is that it's the Gargoyle way, but is it the Gargoyle way because they're told they've always done it that way, or is it the Gargoyle way because instinct tells them that if they lay an egg in the rookery, all eggs in the rookery are theirs? It is the most sensible course of action, based on their reproduction, but did the practice arise because of how they reproduce universally as a species, or do they reproduce universally as a species because of how they practice parenting?

... Chicken or egg?

p-tri writes...

are there any gargoyles in elkton maryland

Kenneth Chisholm writes...

I've read that you imagine your character on the ideal voice actor for it such as Morgan Freeman for Quincy Hemings.

I was wondering, what are the criteria for the voices you imagine. Do they have to be living? If not, have you ever imagined characters appropriate for major Star Trek actors that did not appear as voice on the series such as James Doohan, DeForest Kelly, George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney and Walter Koenig?

Kenneth Chisholm writes...

How much of Anton Sevarious was inspired by the Nazi scientist, Josef Mengele?

Todd Jensen writes...

I enjoyed the latest episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" this morning.

Rhino, despite being not all that bright, still proved himself a challenging adversary; points to Spidey for figuring out a clever way of finally taking him down.

The meeting with the Big Man/Tombstone was also a great scene. Not only is Tombstone himself tough, but he's even able to convince the police that Spidey's the bad guy, adding to his menace even more than sheer physical prowess can do. I also liked Spidey's comment that he's not looking the other way again (I assume that's another reference to the same incident as, in the first episode, "...the way I lost Uncle Ben").

Another touch I liked: Norman Osborn making a profit out of incarcerating the super-villains as well as making them, and his altercation with Hammerhead (which Harry overhears - I look forward to seeing how that develops). And it seems that Dr. Octavius is going to be in trouble soon.

And Peter's personal life (Aunt May, Betty Brant, and the introduction of Mary Jane) was well-handled too. Fine work on another fine episode.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Okay, first off... I never thought I would ever enjoy a Rhino episode that much. Rhino is a bug, dumb thug and those are usually not my favorite villains. Far from it. But this had to be the best fight scene they've done yet, even topping the Lizard subway battle. I loved how Spidey used his brain to defeat the Rhino. Steam, that clever.

While I'm on the subject of the Rhino, props to Clancy Brown. He's always been one of my favorite voice actors, whether he's playing Hakon, Wolf, Lex Luthor, Gorrath, or whoever. The man is very talented, and brought a real sense of menace to that Big Dumb Thug.

Big Man's identity was a surprise, but honestly, I am not entirely convinced. First off, Tombstone is a badass. But my eyebrow raised as soon as I heard Osborn refer to him as "Mr. Lincoln." This is not me being a comic book purist, far from it. If it is him, I'll be very happy with the decision. While it was fun in the 60s, a journalist leading a double life as a crime lord just doesn't seem like it would fly today. Why would a crime lord need that cover? That's what money and lawyers are for. But Foswell certainly seemed to know a lot about the Big Man... curious. I am expecting another twist here. But the Spidey/Tombstone scene was terrific, and damn, this series is beginning to get epic.

Norman Osborn is being paid to manufacture supervillains as well as imprison them. He's got quite the racket going on there. Good for him. But now that Hammerhead is threatening him, well... Norman obviously won't take that lying down, which makes a great lead in for the next episode, considering who the villain there is supposed to be.

Now, let's swing back to Peter's personal life.

Aunt May is an evil mastermind. So very manipulative. I loved it. Though I will admit, even knowing who was coming, I was kinda rooting for Peter and Betty. But, that all faded as soon as Peter opened the front door and who do we see? Mary Jane Watson, and we get that famous line... "face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot." As a long time fan, this pleased me. I am definitely in the camp that agrees that Mary Jane is Peter's one true love, but even there it annoys me how in most modern re-tellings, Mary Jane has been Peter's "It Girl" since they were toddlers. The movies did it, "Ultimate Spider-Man" did it, and it's refreshing to see the classic version here on screen.

It does make me wonder if Mary Jane fought with her Aunt Anna about meeting Peter Parker. "Their aunts are setting them up, this can't be good." Then again, in the comics, she knew Peter was Spider-Man before they ever met... she saw Spider-Man crawl out of Peter's window the night Uncle Ben died. Should be interesting to see if "Spectacular Spider-Man" follows this story or not.

I eagerly anticipate seeing Flash Thompson dressed as a cheerleader. BTW, Josh LeBarr as Flash cracks me up.

Aldrius writes...

Ramble on episode 6. (I'll be back with 5 soon)

That "Mr. Lincoln" was kind of a blatant drop. I guess it's to prove he's NOT one of the more popular spider-man characters?

Are these three thugs the... uh... there are no spider-man villains left that I can think of... I guess that must mean next week we're getting a biggie or an encore.

That Peter Parker is persistent.

And now his aunt is showing up to have coffee with her. Peter and Betty are moving so fast.

"She's 20 and hot". That line made me laugh.

And the Rhino is looking for Peter Parker. He really should use an alias for taking those photos, it's kind of an invitation for supervillains to go looking for him.

Now here will be the test if Jonah is actually a good man 'Dante's 9th circle' deep. Or if he's just a big mouth who's willing to do anything for money/his own life. I'm kinda hoping and betting he'll cover for Peter.

And I'm right. That's encouraging.

The Rhino sure is durable in this show. Peter can't even dent him. Makes for a good 'how's he gonna beat this guy' moment. But I think that's because the show has established a rather cool trend of having an interesting way for Peter to beat the bad guy.

I wonder what Peter's gonna do with the Rhino out in the open... furthermore, where is he gonna find an open unpopulated place from the middle of Manhattan? Central Park? I don't know New York's geography very well.

Ah, of course. BENEATH New York. That's a good explanation. And sweating him out of that suit was a cool idea.

Ouch, Peter Parker is a jerk... and apparently he gets off on pretending to be Rhino's mother. That's... interesting...

Aha, so the Big Man is Tombstone. That's really cool too. And now he's bribing Peter. I kinda hope he accepts, just because that'd be really interesting in the long run. I have a feeling he'll end up accepting down the road at least. Maybe when the cops start putting the pressure on him every time he shows up.

What's with Harry's smirk? Is he just happy he's popular, or did he hear something while Norman and Hammerhead were talking?

And now we get Mary Jane. I saw that "Face it Tiger" coming from a ways away. But I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Mary Jane strikes me as coming a little too soon, I was hoping to develop the relationship between him and some of the other 'girlfriends' he's had before that, but just because she's here doesn't mean that can't happen. I have no idea if Mary Jane had been introduced after Gwen had died... I'm assuming she had been.

This was a good episode. I figured it was going to be more of a filler episode rather than anything major, but I learned not to listen to that assumption. Another good one, though I hate it because it was over too soon. :p

When you got the order for more episodes, were you able to re-organize your plans so the finale could be moved, or are we going to get a mid-season-esque "Avalon" soon?

Cody writes...

I just wanted to say thanks Greg for the fantastic story you've created here. I went on a nostalgic kick awhile back and revisited some series from my childhood.. most did not stand up so well, but I actually appreciate what you were doing with Gargoyles more now than I ever did back then and, in hindsight, recognize just how far ahead of its time it actually was.

The world you have crafted here is so vivid and interesting, it got me to thinking, have you ever thought about writing a novel about the Gargoyles? Or do you see Gargoyles always existing in a more visual medium, like animation or comic books?
Just to go a little further afield, what are your thoughts on "opening it up," Stars Wars style, so other authors can write the stories while you maintain tight control over canon? I think I know what your answer will be, but I have quite the appetite for more Gargoyles stories than exist at the moment, so I have to ask.

Thanks again.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Since you're doing Spider-Man and obviously have gone back and studied the mythos intimately while prepping to do the series, I've been meaning to ask. Which writer's run on Spider-Man has been your favorite?

In my case, I'm a big fan of Roger Stern's run on the character, especially his Hobgoblin stories.

CJ writes...

First off, I would just like to say that I am a huge fan of Gargoyles, and I look forward to any news on further DVD releases when it becomes available. With that out of the way, I'm curious as to whether or not Macbeth has any family ties to the Princess of Castle Wivern (I admit, I'm drawing a blank on her name). Are they both of the same royal bloodline, or are they from separate kingdoms within Scotland?

Anonymous writes...

As fan and amateur drawer I'd love to see the "original" Character Models and Character Sketches I suppose were done when you and the artists of your group were developing your wonderful cartoon and, now, the comic. Sadly the "official" images available online are terribly few: actually they are limited to the ones that can be seen in "Avalon archives" site (http://avalon.gargoyles-fans.org/gallery/official.html) - and even those pics are a bit poor, with just a pose (frontal) and no display of different facial expressions.

Do you think in the future the Gargoyles' fans will have the possibility to admire those drawings in some Gargoyle-related site (as Gargoyles wiki or the Imagery Resource, etc…)?

I suppose I'm not the only fan curious to know how a character is developed in a show production or what the gargoyles looked like in their earlier incarnations of the original comedy development (I've read of Amp, Lassie, Dakota, Coco or IsaDora, of the many faces of Elisa and so on).
My curiosity involved not only the old characters, but the new ones too (es. the London Clan and the ones will be soon introduced: I'm looking forward to discover Katana's look, but I think for this one in particular I only have to patiently wait).
My best regards and sincere compliments for your artistic projects.

film975 writes...

Let me just say that I am a huge fan of the show. I have both DVD sets and watch them all the time. It's just a shame that the rest of Season 2 didn't get released on DVD.

But I do have a question. If you ever got the chance to work on a Gargoyles live action film... how do you see the film being made? To me, it has tremendous potential as an exciting epic of a live action movie.

And with the success of recent films like Lord of the Rings and Transformers and other sci-fi/fantasy of films, I think Gargoyles would do just as well in that market. Since Disney has been itching for franchises lately, then they got a great one sitting right under their noses.

Aldrius writes...

And here's my ramble on number 4 and number 5 of le spider-man de spectaculare.

I've never really cared for the Shocker, so I had no real investment in his past identity, and his change affects me naught. I think it's cool that we saw like 5 pre-super villains in the first episode and only now are we starting to see them get their super powers.

Still like the theme song. Though I think I might get sick of it eventually. It's kind of repetitive. I love how in an animated show, it's always the characters that are credited, rather than the actors. It's kind of amusing.

Hmm... does Aunt May have a job? I guess she must be running off of Ben's life insurance or maybe she has her own retirement fund...

And 'ms. wonderful personality'. Teenage boys with super powers are so shallow. I mean he hasn't even gotten a look at her and already he's decided she's not worth his time. For shame, Peter, for shame.

I can never hear what Peter says when he's starts web slinging there... maybe I don't want to know...

Hmm... I'm not sure if I like Eddie. I think that's the first time I've ever heard the word 'emo' used in a cartoon anyway.

Team Weissman is sure keeping up with modern lingo.

I wonder if the slang will make any sense in 50 years...

Ah, Kevin Michael Richardson. I liked him as Gantu in Lilo and Stitch (the movie anyway) but he's never really stood out to me otherwise, always had an interesting, cool voice at least.

That Norman sure is a creep. Even when he's a nice guy he's still a creep. Kinda like Malcolm McDowell. Even when he's playing a good guy he's still creepy beyond reason.

And through that whole speech of Norman's, Harry is standing right there. Nice job, Norman.

Harry doesn't bother me in this episode as much as he did in the first episode. I think it's because he has more dialogue, and it allows for more emotional range. Rather than him just being the nerdy buddy. I still kinda hope he evolves into somebody who's a bit more... smooth... and less uh... nerdy. But from the looks of the next episode, that's a strong possibility.

That Harry sure is emotionally dependent on Peter... I guess it's fitting, Peter always has been pretty self-absorbed... or maybe that's not exactly the right word.

Ah, JK Simmons, where does your influence end? First Spider-man, then The Simpsons, now Spider-man... er... wait.

Ah, and now we meet Peter girlfriend number 2. Nice to see we're seeing some Spider-man girlfriends other than Mary Jane. It's more realistic. Outside of Harry Potter, it's extremely rare that someone marries their first girlfriend...

Shockers tough in this show... I bet all the hardcore fanboys are complaining about how he's not a loser.

Jeff Bennett sure likes his accents. I was surprised to hear him playing a serious villain in an older video game I played recently. Jennifer Hale was in that too, co-incidentially, and she played the Black Cat in the 90's show. Not sure if she ever played anyone in Gargoyles... wouldn't surprise me if she had, but I'm pretty sure she didn't.

Why do these villains always turn into jerks whenever they get super powers?

All joking aside on that matter, though, the theme of spider-man, and the theme of this show is really evident. Integrity, responsibility.

I like Robby, furthermore I like Phil LaMarr. So the two together should result in lots of... liking.

Hmm... even the camera salesmen in New York are irresponsible!

Aunt May is so easy at being a jerk when she's not trying to be.

And Flash is really annoying me. But as with everyone, I'm sure he'll develop down the line.

Peter is barking up the wrong tree I think. Asking an adult woman to your high school prom is just bound for disaster. Did he really expect her to say yes?

The way villains send messages to the heroes in these shows is just ridiculous. I mean I suppose Spider-man could just trail the tremors on his own, but Shocker is really counting on a lot.

Silly expositional dialogue. Rather straight-forward way to assess the villain's motivation, but I suppose it's fairly insightful, and it brings up that old responsibility angle. Even the Shocker is involved in that!

It's interesting the different ways the shocker can use his powers here. And more punny dialogue from Spidey. It's all very exciting and fun.

And more responsibility, with Norman this time. Though he is right. Don't blame other people for your problems.

Super-mercenary field? Is that a real field of business these days?

Kevin Michael Richardson is a good replacement for Keith David, I think. He sounds a lot like him, and while he lacks the resonance, he's got the edge.

I thought Peter got a new camera...

Hmm... that's interesting, Peter said almost the exact same line that Shocker did, when he was talking about responsibility. More of that mirror stuff, huh?

...and come to think of it, I'll write my ramble on episode 5 a little later.

Pretty good show this time around, not a huge amount of development, but more setting of the stage. A lot of necessary exposition and necessary introduction of characters, I must say, with this and a few other shows not out on the market, there's more than enough to keep my cartoon fandom happy this season.

Beto writes...

Hi all, just want to point out that I have greatly enjoyed the Gargoyles comics so far. I have been a fan since 1994 when the TV show came out. I have stuck with it up to now. If you do the math, this makes me a young twenty-something. This, I think, gives the title of "Gargoyles geek" (or most likely, simply just geek), and i'm cool with that. In reality if we are that old and still following an animated kid's tv show in comic book form, which one of us is not a dork. I do believe, though, that we have to take this awesome series for what it is...and awesome story line fabricated genius Greg Wiseman and co. There are more important things in life than to sit and figure out who laid what eggs at x point in the future, etc. Take Gargoyles for what it is: an older children's story transformed into a slightly more mature comic for us geeks. Sorry for the ramble, but I have seen many of this postings and half the time I wonder, "Where does all this come from? (I've watched every episode at least 5 times...literally and read all the comics to date).

Anyways as for my question. Any word on the Gargoyles license renewal? I'm really praying for other installments after Clan-Building and Bad Guys! Thanks

Todd Jensen writes...

Do you think that adapting a familiar comic-book figure from the medium of comic books to the television screen (as you're currently doing with "The Spectacular Spider-Man") is much like adapting a familiar legendary figure (such as King Arthur or Theseus) to a modern work of fiction (except, of course, that Arthur and Theseus have been around a lot longer than Spidey has)?

dph writes...

I have a question about the hours of daylight/dark on Avalon. Given that one year (365 days) in the real world is just over 15 days,
1) Do the hours of daylight and dark vary on Avalon? (ie. sunrise one day is 6:25am, sunrise another day is 6:35am)
2) Do the amount of hours of daylight and dark vary on Avalon? (ie. One day has 13 hours of daylight, another day has 13 hours of dark)

raimus writes...

in the episode "the gathering" when the children of oberon are lined up to greet him, just before oberon speaks with oden you see a caped figure wearing a hat. was he supposed to resemble the comic book character the phantom stranger?

Anonymous writes...

I have a question about my favorite character, Brook. 1.) Out of all of the Gargoyles, would you say Brooklyn has the most hot-headed personallity? If so, do you think his attitude has calmed down a little, over the course of the series, or flared up a bit more?

dph writes...

Thank you for your previous response to my question about Ophelia. IYou have stated that the ability of a female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to become pregnant is tied to Earth's natural cycles. Are the abilities of female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to lay eggs also tied to Earth's natural cycles?

sky_warrior17 writes...

Hey Greg,
Have to do a first time post finally, too many things in Gargoyles #8 that made me smile. Been a fan since it first came out when I was 7 or 8 and it stuck with me, but I'll keep it a short review.

First, noticed the thicker paper on the cover, more like the first one. Both ways are fine, but I'm hoping thats a good sign as to the success of the comic.

Second, noticed two of our heros drinking Nightstone Unlimited coffee. Made me smile, but also made me wonder, what all does Nightstone actually produce and own?

I liked that Hudson resented being called a Yank, he's a true Scott at heart and it shows.
All the back story on the English Clan was also great, all that kind of stuff is fascinating, and it was great to see a few more gargs, even as statues. Hopefully we'll get to see more of them awake, you've really left the openings for it there in a nice way. Did I miss somewhere where Griff may have met Hudson and Lex before? I thought he'd only ever actually seen Goliath, and the phrasing made me think they may have met in person at some previous point.

The bit where Thailog used Xanatos's line "I'd fire you if you did" actually made me laugh out loud. Loved that so much. I forget the episode, but remember the Judo match against Owen.

Also, I also must send praise for what Hedgecock is doing with the art now, he's on a great track and it shows that he's really learned the characters we love so much, and the new ones look great! This combined with Robby's coloring was a real treat. The only thing that even remotely bothered me was the inconsistency of Shari's nose, specially with all the closeups in this issue. Pg 4 and 20 she has a very prominent nose bridge, yet on 12 it's perfectly smooth. It also varies a bit in issue 7. Both ways are fine, but it would be nice to see just one for those of us that like to do our own fanart.

Overall, no major complains, and you continue to amaze and give more each time. Keep up the great work, it's really appriciated!