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POSTINGS 2008-05 (May)

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

A short response to Avator -- ~mammal~ red blood cells have no DNA, but gargoyles are not mammals. Other vertebrates have red blood cells with DNA in them.

Greg responds...

Hmmm... I'm looking smarter all the time, aren't I?

Response recorded on May 13, 2008

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Avator writes...

Genetics, from Gargoyles in 1994 to now!

This isn't so much a question as general very late reply to a few things I've seen here that had been posted years ago. (about cloning, and how it was done in gargoyles)

I've noticed people mentionned dr. Severino Antinori as being some sort of real-life version of our catroon "friendly genetecist". It's interesting to notice that Severino actually said he'd have a first human clone done around 2002 and then said it wasn't true. The guy actually seems to be generally creepy and even fake-starved himself in his homeland to protest the refusal of the country to allow human cloning. Either way, it can only be assumed that this fellow who really was a genycologist to begin with (and not a molecular biologist), never did a human clone. But the fact is that he's interestingly as "scary" in his actions and words as Savarius.

To this day, few can say they really succeeded at cloning humans. Dr. Zavos is probably the only one with some credibility. But that aside, onto results...

While it's impossible to say how "well" cloning would work with humans, it's well known that it doesn't work much if at all for primates and other animals like dogs. Yes, it's been done with cats, horses, cows, mice, mules, etc--- but here's the catch. Most cloning issues have to do with the mother (the one who will be pregnant with the clone). For example, dogs only can breed twice a year and it's impossible to change that. So timing this with the making of cloned embryos is just too far out. WIth gargoyles I could see an even bigger issue here--- but Savarius luckily managed to create "in vitro" type uterus environment. I think just this would solve a whole lot in terms of cloning difficulty for gargates (or even humans or primates or canines) So already, even more than 14 years after the episodes were written, it's interesting to still see some credibility in the story of the gargoyle clones. Of course we're far from replicating the environment of a uterus and it is known that embryos implanted -elsewhere- in a creature sadly ends into the embryos becomming aggressive cancers instead of lifeforms of their own.

No matter how clones are of have been done to this day, there's always one element that is required, the ovocyte. Which means a female subject is -always- necessary for cloning (at least so far). So unless, again, Savarius had broken the mold... then it seems plausible that he could have used some from Demona. Of course that'd mean putting her under and cutting her open to get them. (would she have been willing?) And it would also mean that all the clones would have her mitochondrial genome (as a perfect clone can only be done with females, males inherit the mitochondrias from whoever the ovocyte was taken from). Now the mitochondrial genome has very important yet small things.. it basically commands your cellular breathing. What's funny about this though is that IF that's how it was made, then Thailog and Demona shared at least.. part of a genome ;)
While this is all speculations, perhaps it could explain why Bronx wasn't cloned--- because they didn't have access to garg beast ovocytes because... no female was around! (how conveniently credible again!)

As a last point... which is slightly negative though, is the usage of blood to make clones. Now the best cells one can get their hands on are stem cells, to make a cloning procedure. From embryos this works great... from adults it's still better than nothing. (when cloning females though they were able to take cells from part of ovaries that seems to give the best result so far) Adult creatures still have stem cells around, some in the spinal cord for example... and even some in the skin! So it's sort of great that "Thailog" material came from a robot scratching Goliath. It can be assumed they used the skin material and not the blood... but sadly this can't apply to the robot musquitos that they used for the others.
Now why is that--- well red blood cells simply have no nucleus so they have no genome DNA. At all. And while you can still have white blood cells... which have DNA... well those simply give -awful- result for cloning so far. It's been done, yes, but with less than 0.3% even on animals easily cloned. Now I'm not sure how much blood those musquitos took but it seems very unlikely that they found enough material to even do a successful cloning with white blood cells in there.
Now with that said, and forward to the comic, it seems Thailog took consierable quantities of blood from each gargoyle again for genetic issues.... which would probably give a better yield than just a drop or two. Still we can say they got skin cells from it to work with... I like to think, in the light of this, that there's some sort misconception about how blood carries "life" in itself... and while this falls into psychology it's sort of silly since we know that "breeding" has little to do with blood, unless you're a vampire ;)

Seeing what another person wrote on the subject, I think it is interesting to note the difference between clones and clonee. It's true "calico" female cats cloned didn't always have the color of their cloned parent. That's because female calico cats have their color on the X chromosome and they have two X chromosomes like humans... and that randomly one X is inactivated at some point thus resulting sometimes in patched colors and sometimes not. This has nothing to do with DNA on it's own, but rather is something that happens well after an embryo is made. I'm fairly sure this means cloned -male- cats would effectivly be the same color than their "father". And unless gargoyles also have their colors on a simili-X chromosome in the same way humans and cats function, then there's no reason the clone would be another color except through epi-genetics (which genes activate and which don't or chromosome inactivation etc) or... as you said... something to do with Savarius' tampering. (So I think that explanation still holds really well and is probably the best)

But what I really enjoyed most of all in the show is how clones were really perceeved as nothig more than twin brothers (or a child) whose mentality had nothing to do with the person whose genes they inherited, but really with their education. Even to this day there's so many people trying to trick the population (specially those with money to waste) in thinking that their clones will carry their spirits, which is plain out ridiculous....

So all this was my two cents, or maybe two dollars ;) To say that I really love how cloning was tackled in the show, it's far more realistic than most would have had it.

Greg responds...

I'm glad... since of course I know NOTHING.

Response recorded on May 13, 2008

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The Spectacular Spider-Man #109

___________________________________________________________________________

The Spectacular Spider-Man
Ep 109: "The Uncertainly Principle"
Main and End Title Credits ___________________________________________________________________________
Main Titles
Executive Producers
STAN LEE
CRAIG KYLE
ERIC S. ROLLMAN
___________________________________________________________________________

Developed For Television By
VICTOR COOK & GREG WEISMAN

Created by
STAN LEE & STEVE DITKO

Opening Credits

Card #1
Supervising Producer and Story Editor
GREG WEISMAN

Card #2
Producer and Supervising Director
VICTOR COOK

Card #3
Producer
DIANE A CREA

Card #4
Written By
KEVIN HOPPS

Card #5
Directed By
DAVE BULLOCK
___________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
Closing Credits

Card #6
Starring
JOSH KEATON as PETER PARKER / SPIDER-MAN
__________________________________________________________________________
Card #7
Also Starring

STEVE BLUM as GREEN GOBLIN, DILBERT TRILBY
LACEY CHABERT as GWEN STACY
GREY DELISLE as SALLY AVRIL, BETTY BRANT
JOHN DIMAGGIO as HAMMERHEAD
ANDREW KISHINO as KENNY KONG, NED LEE
PHIL LAMARR as RAND ROBERTSON, ROBBIE ROBERTSON
JOSHUA LEBAR as FLASH THOMPSON

_______________________________________________________________________
Card #8
Also Starring

VANESSA MARSHALL as MARY JANE WATSON
DARAN NORRIS as J. JONAH JAMESON, JOHN JAMESON
ALAN RACHINS as NORMAN OSBORN
KEVIN MICHAEL RICHARDSON as TOMBSTONE
JAMES ARNOLD TAYLOR as HARRY OSBORN, FREDERICK FOSWELL
ALANNA UBACH as LIZ ALLAN

Card #9
Voice Casting and Dialogue Director
JAMIE THOMASON
__________________________________________________________________________
Card #10
Music by
LOLITA RITMANIS
KRISTOPHER CARTER
MICHAEL McCUISTION

___________________________________________________________________________
Card #11
Associate Producer
ERIC VESBIT

___________________________________________________________________________
Card #12
Staff Writer
KEVIN HOPPS

Apprentice Writer
RANDY JANDT

Card # 13
Storyboard Artists
VINTON HEUCK
IRINEO MARAMBA JR.
RICK MORALES
ADAM VAN WYK

Storyboard Revisionists
PAUL HARMON
JEFFREY S. JOHNSON

Card #14
Lead Character Designer
SEAN "CHEEKS" GALLOWAY
____________________________________________________________________
Card #15
Character Designers
PHILLIP BOURASSA
THOMAS PERKINS
GREG GULER
JOSE ZELAYA

Assistant Character Designers
JOSH BISHOP
WALTER GATUS
JEFFREY S. JOHNSON
JOEY MASON
KAY PARK

Card #16
Background Supervisor
VINCENT TOYAMA

Background Designers
KENNY McGILL
ART MORALES
BOB KLINE
TED BLACKMAN

Prop Designers
TAE SOO KIM
ANDY CHIANG
ART LEE

Card #17
Background Painters
JOEY MASON
MIKE INMAN
WEI ZHAO
FRED WARTER
LIN HUA ZHENG

Color Stylists
PAMELA LONG
DAVID SVEND KAROLL
CRAIG CUQRO
NANCY ULENE

Card #18

Supervising Timing Director
GORDON KENT

Timing Directors
BRIAN HOGAN
RICK LEON
SWINTON SCOTT

Animation Checker
SANDI HATHCOCK
__________________________________________________________________________
Card #19

Storyboard Production Manager BRIAN G. SMITH

Production Art Supervisor JOHN DIAZ

Production Coordinator SHERRIAN FELIX

Episodic Casting Supervisor MATTHEW C. OTOSKI

Production Assistant BEN MALONEY

Post Production Assistant JENNIFER L. ANDERSON

Production Accountant NATHAN HARAMOTO

__________________________________________________________________________
Card #20

Associate Producer for Marvel
JOSHUA FINE

Production Coordinator for Marvel
ADAM TOOTLA

__________________________________________________________________________
Card #21

Recorded at
STUDIOPOLIS, INC.

Dialogue Recording Engineer
ERIC LEWIS, C.A.S.

Dialogue Editor
TERRY REIFF

Track Reading
SOUND BYTE, INC.

__________________________________________________________________________
Card #22
STUDIO POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR
JHG BOYAN

Editors
RALPH A. EUSEBIO
BRUCE A. KING

Assistant Editors
MYRA OWYANG
CHUCK SMITH

Digital Effects Supervisor
ULYSSES ARGETTA

Card #22

Music Engineers MARK MATTSON
MAKO SUJISHI

Post Production Sound Services ADVANTAGE Sound Services

Sound Designer ROBERT POOLE II

Dialogue Editor ROBBI SMITH

Foley Artist CRAIG NG

Foley Mixer MARY ERSTAD

Digital Audio Transfer ROBERT PRATT

Re-Recording Mixers MELISSA ELLIS
FIL BROWN
Card #23
Main Title Theme by
THE TENDER BOX

Main Title Directed by
VICTOR COOK

Main Title Storyboard by
PHIL WEINSTEIN

Main Title Color by
JOEY MASON

Main Title Animation Production by
HANHO HEUNG-UP CO. LTD

___________________________________________________________________________
Card #24
Animation Production by
HANHO HEUNG-UP CO. LTD

___________________________________________________________________________
Card #25

This Motion Picture is protected under the laws of the United States and other countries, and its unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution. Many of the characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious, and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

"The Spectacular Spider-Man, the animated series (C) 2008 Adelaide Productions, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Spider-Man and all related characters TM & (C) 2008 Marvel Characters, Inc."

Adelaide Productions, Inc. is the author of this film/motion picture for the purposes of Article
15(2) of the Berne Convention and all national laws giving effect thereto.

___________________________________________________________________________
END LOGOS

MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT CULVER ENTERTAINMENT

SONY PICTURES TELEVISION


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Peter Sunnergren writes...

Hi Greg, thank's for the answers to my previous question about prodcuing/writing a comic!

A few more questions have come in to my mind.

1: What kind of format do you use when you write a script for a comic? I have been considering a treatment form such as;

-// Open up on John sitting at the desk in his office. He is on the phone. His expression suggests that he he is stressed and afraid. He says "What? How long?". John drops the phone and looks at a clock on the wall, which shows 12:56. He bolts for the door and exists //-

In that example (which is totally random by the way, it has nothing to do with my, or anyone else's work) I would just describe things; what they are, how they look and what happens, but not how it is presented in framing and paneling, leaving that for the artists.
I have also considered writing as a film script (similar to the treatment form but with different formatting for actions, names and spoken dialogue.) Another possibility I can imagine would be a storyboard. Like a "doodled" version of the page showing what I would like the framing/paneling/positioning to look like.

What are your thoughts on these different approaches?

2: On average, how much time passes on between you starting to write a comic and it goes off for printing?

Thanks! I'm off to the post office to pick up the latest issue of Gargoyles (curses England for having tiny mail slots that comics won't fit through)

Greg responds...

1. I do something like this...

PAGE ONE

PANEL ONE
Describe the action here as specifically as possibly.

1. GOLIATH: I SHOULD SAY SOMETHING SHAKESPEAREAN NOW.

2. ELISA: THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT THE FANS ARE EXPECTING.

3. SFX: BOOM

PANEL TWO
Describe what we're seeing in this panel now.

4. ELISA: DID YOU HEAR A 'BOOM'?

5. GOLIATH: I DID. I DECIDEDLY HEARD A BOOM.

6. SFX: BOOM

7. ELISA/GOLIATH (UNISON): THERE IT GOES AGAIN!!
etc.

Usually takes a couple months at least for stuff to get drawn/letttered/approved etc. Sometimes much longer.

Response recorded on May 08, 2008

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello Greg,

In #8 we learned that there are no gargoyle beasts in London. This surprised me, since the clan is large, I had assumed that all of the large clans had beasts. It is very unfortunate for the beast species, and really drives home the point that they are much worse off than the gargoyles.

We know that the Xanadu, Manhattan, Ishimura, and Avalon clans have beasts in 1996, and the Mayan clan will hatch some in 1998. The London and Labyrinth clans have none.

1. Does the Pukhan clan have any gargoyle beasts?
2. Does the Loch Ness clan have any beasts?
3. Does the New Olympian clan have any beasts?
4. We're told that by 2188 the gargoyle population will have grown, with all the clans reaching a "full" size. a. What will the beast population be like in 2188: larger than in 1996, smaller, or about the same?
b. Will every clan have beasts in 2188?

Greg responds...

Hey, I'm sorry, but I'm just not going to answer these questions at this time.

Response recorded on May 08, 2008

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Antiyonder writes...

One point that Todd Jensen has voiced about The Goliath Chronicles episode Generations is how viewed by itself it would give Demona some validity as it contained no decent human throughout the episode (The major human characters appearing were some Quarrymen and an Assassin that planned to exterminate Goliath and clan as well as double crossing Demona). So I was wondering if the inclusion of a human protagonist (Someone proving that not all humans are a threat to the Gargoyles) in any Demona story was always a conscious decision you had or just one of those ideas that write themselves (something that came naturally).

Greg responds...

A little from column A and a little from column B.

Response recorded on May 08, 2008

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Dylan Zimmerman writes...

Hi Greg I have been a fan of Gargoyles since I was a kid and I have a comic book I am writing that I will be sending to Darkhorse soon and I was wondering if you would take the time out of your scedule and check it out now I am sure you get asked this millons of times a day so if no responce I get it no harm no faul but I would love an honest opinion from someone experenced if you want to contact me outside of your website my Email is Madprofecer340@aol.com but please leave it out if answer my question

Greg responds...

Sorry, Dylan, but I don't have time to do all the stuff I'm being paid to do. But good luck.

Response recorded on May 08, 2008

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Craig writes...

I must make a brief comment on the terrific advances David Hedgecock has made since this series has begun. A lot of fans were quick to criticize his early work. Unfortunately, now that his art has improved by leaps and bounds, I have not seen a corresponding amount of praise.

Right off the bat, we have the cover. Since I was ten, I've thought Hudson was the coolest looking gargoyle, and Hedgecock and Jorge Molina prove it in style! I was really disappointed to hear that Guler would no longer be doing the covers, so I was biased against Hedgecock in that regard...but even with that bias, I feel that this is the second coolest cover, after #5!

Other highlights for Hedgecock this issue: Thailog's victorious grin (and subsequent contrite look) upon catching Shari in a lie, and then being reminded of her disclaimer. Macbeth's look when he talks about "sleep-walking" (what a PERFECTLY written scene, by the way!). The wide-eyed optimism in Lex's eyes when he asks about the beasts, and the sadness in Griff's face when he replies (this exchange is odd and without context at this point, and yet Hedgecock lends it exactly the right tension and emotion to make us curious for an explanation). The design of Merlin...precisely the right balance of benevolence and mystery. And our first foggy glimpse of Castle Carbonek...! What a thrilling moment for us Illuminati nuts, after all these years of waiting.

I never thought Hedgecock's work was "bad" by any standard. However, I think the improvement from issue one to the current issue is comparable to the difference between a TV episode animated by Sun Woo and one animated by Koko...the art goes from supporting the story to elevating it. This is a massive testament to Hedgecock's commitment to this project...I cannot begin to imagine the hours he must have put into exploring this world, not to mention the new characters he has to learn for every issue. So I hope that you will forward this comment to Dave as some small motivation to keep up the terrific work. And as always, Greg, thanks for making all of this possible, and for bringing David and the rest of us to your world!

Greg responds...

I've always been a fan of Dave's, so you're preaching to the converted over here.

Response recorded on May 08, 2008

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BLESSING USANI OTU writes...

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF AULTAL SPECTRUM DISORDER,WHAT IS THE CAUSE, WHAT ARE THE SYMTOMS, HOW IS IT TREATED, WHO CAN SURFFER IT

Greg responds...

Ahhh, yes, the tragedy of A.S.D.

Really, I shouldn't joke. Cuz I have NO IDEA what the heck it is, but it doesn't sound funny.

Response recorded on May 07, 2008

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Anonymous writes...

Is there any gay or lebian gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Yep.

Response recorded on May 07, 2008


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