The Gatekeeper writes...

Hi Greg,

To refresh your memory, you answered the following question posted by Slylar on 7/26/00.
Question:
More a comment than a question: When once one person asked, if there are any cat-like or just dog-like gargoylebeasts, I think he meant more the looking than the behavior *g*
Answer:
Does Bronx really look like any dog you know or does his behavior make him seem more dog-like?

I would like to add my comments about Bronx. To me, his appearance and mannerisms are very much like that of a English bulldog; except that most modern bulldogs are generally unaggressive. Most of his gentle moments are matched by the actions of my own bulldogs.
The primary comparison, which I think is why most people think of him as a gardog or doggoyle etc., is in how he looks. Bronx has the extended lower jaw, the very heavy chest with slender hindquarters, and the stubby tail that one normally associates with an English bulldog. I was surprised when in "The Mirror" Puck changed him into an Irish Wolfhound. As you said in one of your rambles, "a bulldog might have been more reminiscent", though less of a threat; the bulldogs I've known would have just knocked Puck over and covered him with slobber.
I liked the animation sequence was at the end of Leader of the Pack where Bronx was howling as the water got closer to him. That was extremely cute. I also thought it particularly significant that it was Goliath that came back for him. Of course, as leader, he should have, since Bronx is part of the clan; but it also shows that Goliath has that special affection for Bronx that we humans have for our own pets.

Aris Katsaris writes...

I read one of the early memos you just posted, and this bit in particular : "Bronx, the gargoyle-dog does not have wings. His ears allow him to hover a bit for short periods of time."

I really have to wonder. How the hell were you envisioning this? His *ears* allow him to hover? He flies with his *ears*? Was this some kind of Dumbo reference? I'm really amazed that something like this would have been thought of in the dramatic version of gargoyles.... :-)

Warrioress writes...

Here's a thought:

What breed of cat is Cagney? Russian Blue? Korat?
Did Elisa get him at a shelter or from a breeder?

;-)

Todd Jensen writes...

This is a sort of addendum to my "Lighthouse in the Sea of Time" response, since there were a couple of things in it that I'd meant to say but forgot about at the time.

One little touch that I always liked in this one was the brief scenelets with Bronx - first, when Lexington is yanking a magazine out from underneath him with great difficulty, and then when Hudson calls him, and Bronx jumps up, bounds over to Hudson's armchair, and lies down beside it again.

I don't recall having any problems over misinterpreting the "sealed by my own hand" part, but it is interesting to note that the closed captioning that I saw on my taped copy put Macbeth reading the Scrolls' inscription within quotation marks, indicating that they did recognize that he was reading the writing and that it was Merlin who'd sealed the Scrolls. (I just thought that I'd cite a case where the folks in charge of the closed captioning correctly interpreted something).

I was a bit surprised by your account that the lyre's music was caused by the wind blowing through it; I'd always assumed that it was playing by itself through some sort of magic (particularly given the way that it was shimmering). Thanks for clearing up the account of the visit to Merlin's cave.

(And, regarding Merlin's inscription on the chest, one reflection that I had about it was that the Scrolls truly would be valuable only to the "seeker after knowledge" and not to the "destroyer", as Macbeth found out at the end when he actually read them).

Anonymous writes...

In Hound of Ulster was Cuchulainn lying when he said he use to have a hound similar to Bronx? According to Celtic myths he never owned a hound, but he did kill one.

Todd Jensen writes...

In "Awakening Part Four", when Hudson and Bronx are watching television, Bronx is up on one of the couches in the room. Just what is the clan's policy regarding Bronx on the furniture? Is he generally allowed up on it? (Of course, then again, if Bronx wants up on the couch, who's going to tell him that he can't get on it? :)

Siren writes...

A little question from The Gathering eps
With Boudicca (sp?) and the Oberon thing...
Is she just very obidiant or did he place a spell on her?

Todd Jensen writes...

Re your bit on "Turf" and "Vendettas" happening simultaneously:

You're correct that the finished product doesn't quite fit that element, for one reason. In "Vendettas", Goliath and Hudson are on their own. In "Turf", they have Bronx off with them. Guess that must have somehow crept in in the course of making the episode.

Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg.

Despite the fact that I'm hopelessly behind in my planned attempt to respond to all you episode rambles, I'm gonna take some time out to ask you a few questions I've been thinking about. This set is about gargoyle-beasts.

1. Would the Manhattan clan refer to Bronx as a "gargoyle-beast", a "gargoyle", or something else entirely. In other words, do they use a different name for Bronx's species than their own?

2. We know that Bronx is at least as smart as a very intelligent dog, possibly smarter. He's at least capable of thoughts such as "That is a big dangerous monster. I should most likely attack it." ("The Hound of Ulster") and "That is a robot. I may therefore maul its face, though this may not be permissible on a human being." ("Leader of the Pack") Something along those lines, though maybe not with such flowery language. Anyways, about how smart IS Bronx, or the average gargoyle-beast? Are the beasts in fact as intelligent as regular gargoyles, but simply unable to speak? As smart as chimpanzees? Not nearly as smart as I seem to think they are?

3. The other gargoyles in the Manhattan clan seem to realize that Bronx has a fair degree of intelligence. Lexington and Brooklyn tell him to "go get help" rather than "go find Goliath" or even "go back to the castle and bark". (Okay, so he did end up running down the street and causing havoc. But he understood.) Goliath tells him to "help Angela", not "move the roccks off of Angela".
How much does the clan think Bronx understands. Just commands like these? Or does Hudson think he understands every word he says when he talks to him?

Siren writes...

Hey Greg, just a question Bronx and the Mirror
When Puck turned Bronx into a dog, why did he look so much like a blue retriever or even an Irish Wolfhound? I had always pictured Bronx as bulldog/pit bull/and or boxer type of dog. He is so robust and bulky, more like a giant bulldog then anything else. Being pit bulls and boxers are usually tall and slender, but powerhouses all the same. Is that how Puck invisioned him or would Bronx really be like that as a real dog?
BTW, Mirror is my fav ep, I love the animation and Elisa was the most beautiful gargoyle. Her colors were just so cool.