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WEISMANSWERS 2009-03 (Mar)

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Masterdramon writes...

Hi! In the interest of not flooding the queue, I'll restrain myself and leave this as my last question for the day.

One thing that really stands out about "The Spectacular Spider-Man" is how much it contrasts from the current state of the Spidey comics. Many fans have not been entirely happy with the direction that the comics have taken since the "Civil War" story arc. Given your position as a clear fan of the comics yourself, I was wondering what you though about all of this.

1) Have you read "Civil War"? If so, what was your opinion of it? Which side do you think was "in the right" with regards to the Superhuman Registration Act?

2) Have you read any of the "One More Day/Brand New Day" storyline (where Peter makes a deal with Mephisto to save Aunt May's life in exchange for erasing his marriage to Mary Jane from the timeline)? If so, what do you think of this "re-setting" of the timeline, and how Spider-Man has been handled within it?

Thank you for your time, and good luck with your work!

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!!!!

1. I haven't read it.

2. I did read "One More Day" and I read the first year or so of "Brand New Day" before my workload overwhelmed me. It would be pretty hypocritical of me to rant against the resetting of timelines, since in essence that's what I've done on this show.

Response recorded on March 31, 2009

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Stuart Green writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman,
It's been a while since I got to ask you some questions. I'm glad to see Ask Greg is back up again. I don't want to take up too much time and slow down the answers to the other previous questions other people have asked, but I have a lot to say. I'll try to keep this as brief as possible.

Now I must say from the beginning that I don't get Disney XD, so I'll be waiting longer than most to see all thirteen new episodes from season two. I've also noticed in the Unanswered Questions that people have seen it elsewhere and so I'm being very careful not to catch any spoilers, because I want to be surprised.

Anyway, my questions and comments in regards to the inevitable, but sadly still not picked up, season three:

1.) I know that this is simply just waaaaay too early to talk about season three. I know that, you know that. I also know you can't spoil anything in regards to season three. But I would like to say a few things about the villains we've seen in season one and will see in season two. Besides, it never hurts to ask, right? Anyway, I would love to see the Lizard come back in season three if possible, as he's only been in one episode so far on your show. I would also love to see the Chameleon make an appearance or two in season three, since he's only gotten one episode in season one and it was confirmed he will appear again in season two somewhere. Other villains I'd personally love to see more of in season three are Mysterio, Venom, the Vulture, Sandman, the Rhino, and of course, my favorite Spider-Man villain of all Doctor Octopus. I especially hope that Peter MacNicol pops up for multiple episodes in season three as Doc Ock like he did in season one. He's done a brilliant job on your series. I also love the design for Mysterio on your show and look forward to seeing what he does in season two. As I said before, I also love the Sandman/Rhino friendship you introduced on your show. Clancy Brown and John DiMaggio do a wonderful job as Rhino and Sandman. I know that you guys have only discussed ideas for a third season and, as of now, are awaiting a confirmation for a new season. But still, I just wanted to say that I'd love to see more of the current villains since several new characters always get introduced every new season of a popular show, and I just hope that certain already-seen villains don't get lost in the shuffle when there's a third season. I know I'm way ahead of you on this topic and on the next two below, but I just thought I'd mention to you while I can while you're still answering questions and commenting here.

2.) In regards to new villains in season three and beyond:
I know season two has introduced a lot of new villains, and that a few more will be in season three. I know that you confirmed that the Scorpion and the Hobgoblin will be introduced in season three. I've also read online that fans hope guys like Hydro-Man, the Prowler, Man-Wolf and Carnage, among others, are possibilities for season three too. However, I wanted to say that I hope that, eventually, we'll get to see some of the other comic villains on the show that have rarely been on any of the previous Spider-Man cartoon series. Villains like Swarm, the Beetle and the Owl haven't been on a Spider-Man cartoon show in years. In fact, Owl has only appeared once on only one Spider-Man cartoon show to date (in the season premiere episode for season two of Fox Kids' "Spider-Man" cartoon series) and has never even spoken. Other villains, like Jack O'Lantern, the Rose and Man-Mountain Marko, have never appeared on a Spider-Man animated series at all and I hope they get to appear some day (though in Rose's case, that maybe unlikely considering that villains like Kingpin are off-limits from appearing on your show). Again, I know you can't comment on who will be back and who will be introduced for the new villains because, as mentioned, there is no season three pick-up yet... but I really, REALLY hope there is a confirmation soon. I'm not saying that you have to use all of these guys I mentioned, but I'd love to see at least some of the lesser-used villains on your show, is all.

By the way, thank you for finally introducing some of Spider-Man's classic villains on "The Spectacular Spider-Man", since I've read that the show will introduce the Tinkerer and Molten Man in season two. It's nice to see that they will finally appear on a Spider-Man animated series.

3.) Do you think we could see the Sinister Six at least once every season on this show? Also, would you be open to the idea of using one of the Sinister Six rosters from the comic books on your show (like Doc Ock, Mysterio, Vulture, Electro, Sandman, and sixth member Kraven or Hobgoblin)? Now I know that you can't give away any spoilers, but still, I think it'd be neat to see the Sinister Six pop up again.

4.) For a third season, would you be interested in doing more with Peter's supporting cast, like J. Jonah Jameson and his son John, Mary Jane Watson and Joe "Robbie" Robertson? I'd especially love to see Peter's relationship with M.J. get developed more and see Robbie get more of a storyarc, maybe a Robbie/Tombstone story since they know each other in the Spider-Man comics. Then again, maybe this will happen in season two.

I also wanted to answer two previous false casting rumors about "The Spectacular Spider-Man" from the archives for you, because you said you didn't know where the rumors were first reported. The summer 2008 movie preview issue of ToyFare Magazine said that Cam Clarke was picked as the voice of Molten Man (while that was incorrect, the issue did get the other voice actors right, like Josh Keaton as Spider-Man and Peter MacNicol as Doctor Octopus), and the Comics Continuum website said that Charles Napier had been cast as Montana/Shocker, respectively. I hope that helped.

Finally, I just wanted to say that I have a Spectacular Spider-Man Fan Site, in case you or anyone else would like to check it out. There are no images on the fan site yet and it's still a work in progress, but if you're interested, you can find it here:
http://specspideyfansite.synthasite.com/

Thanks for your time and patience reading this, and thanks for any answers. Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Weisman.

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!!!!

1. If a third season happens (and if I'm still in charge of story) we will introduce new villains, but we will also play existing villains as well. That's all I'll say at this point.

2. I know I don't have access to the Owl for the same reason I currently don't have access to Kingpin. Beyond that, no comment.

3. The Six would be back eventually.

4. We'll give as much attention to the supporting cast as we have room for.

Thanks for all your support!

Response recorded on March 31, 2009

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Antiyonder writes...

Since you mentioned having not seen The Incredible Hulk tv series for quite a while, I thought you might want to check the page: http://www.hulu.com/the-incredible-hulk

Has the first 3 seasons of the show as of now for viewing.

Greg responds...

Thanks, but I just don't have the time right now.

Response recorded on March 31, 2009

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Masterdramon writes...

Hi! Nice to see you back from your "AskGreg" break; I hope that things are going well for you.

Like many fans I have seen "The Spectacular Spider-Man" Season 2 via YouTube already (though I'll still be watching the series as much as possible on television in order to support the ratings). One of the coolest extras (without getting into too much spoiler territory) of the season was hearing you voicing Donald Menken, Norman Osborn's right-hand suit. You did a very admirable job at portraying a very flat, all-business character, which is exactly what I would expect from Menken (even though most Spidey fans probably have no idea who he is).

Given that (as far as I know) your only previous foray into voice acting was the commando who says "Nice mask!" in "Awakening Part II," how did you end up being selected for this voice role (which was obviously a lot more significant than the commando; in episodes 21 and 26 in particular the character played a vital role)? Did voice director Jamie Thomason ask you to play Menken, or did you volunteer? Or was there some other circumstance altogether?

Thank you for your time, and good luck with your work!

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!!!!!

I've done a bit more voice acting than just "Nice mask!" Some work in video games and anime, for example.

As for how I got Menken. Um... the Supervising Producer and Story Editor pulled rank and pretty much just stated that I'd be playing the part. That meant Jamie was stuck with me. He did the best he could with what he had to work with.

Response recorded on March 31, 2009

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Matthew writes...

I hope this question hasn't been asked before. I looked over the archives, but there are a lot archives and I may have missed it. Is Owen vulnerable to iron? I know in his Puck form he is, but as Owen he's basically human.

Greg responds...

He's no more vulnerable than you or I, though he might... shy away from it, unconsciously.

Response recorded on March 31, 2009

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cyrus troche writes...

1. what are the chances of tssm geting a season three?
2. any tssm dvd news. have you done any extras

Greg responds...

1. Good, I would think. But there's no guarantee.

2. We have done many extras. None have been used so far.

Response recorded on March 30, 2009

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bob writes...

Hello I was just wondering if you could help me with something I know you've answsered questions like this before but this one is different. I think that I would like to write lyrics and get paid for it haha I was just wondering if this is a real job? I know your not in the musuc bussiness but you are a writer and have written music before so any help would be apprciated. Were would I go with this? And who do I talk to to make this Happen? Thank you very much for your time and any help you can give, I really appriciate it!

Greg responds...

I wouldn't personally want to do it for a living, but it's fun to do every once in a while. But I'm afraid I have no career advice to give in this area beyond confirming, that yes, some people do lyric-writing for a living.

Response recorded on March 30, 2009

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Kyle Tonarella writes...

sorry if that question sounded rude and for my poor spelling. Anyway I'm going to watch the show on disney XD to show my support and love for the show. I just don't want an awsome show with nice writers,producers,actors to end with just 26 episodes. I hope you guys get a season 3 so you can continue to expand on such a Spectacular show {pun intended}.

Greg responds...

Thanks!! Me too!!

Response recorded on March 30, 2009

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Greg Bishansky writes...

"Destructive Testing"

First off, let me get this out of the way. I always thought that Kraven the Hunter was the lamest of the classic Spider-Man rogues. He just always seemed out of place to me. An attempt to do a comic book version of Richard Connel's "The Most Dangerous Game." I just never bought him as all that imposing a supervillain in the Spidey corner. Not when he had guys like the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Electro, Mysterio, and so many others. Okay, Kraven was better than the Living Brain, but that's not saying much.

Then, J.M. DeMatteis wrote a classic story in the late 80s where Kraven shoved a shotgun into his own mouth and pulled the trigger. He's been dead ever since and replaced by three cheesy knock-offs. The Grim Hunter; Al Kraven; and I hear there's a new, female Kraven now. But, really, I don't think Kraven would be remembered nearly as well if he didn't commit suicide the way he did. In fact, I've been looking for an excuse to post this...

http://destroyblog.com/2009/01/05/kravens-last-hunt-in-30-seconds/

I didn't much care for Kraven in the 90s series either. And the Steve Irwin take on Kraven in Ultimate was okay... and then they kept bringing him back. So, needless to say, I was skeptical. Greg Weisman, Vic Cook and their team have done a phenomenal job on the series so far, even with Venom, a character whom I hated. So, would lightning strike twice? Could they make Kraven work? Let's find out.

Kraven's voice actor, Eric Vesbit, whom my close friend, production assistant, Jennifer L. Anderson has been raving about really sold Kraven with his performance. The guy was tough, the guy was imposing. The guy was primal. I enjoyed him. The opening scene in Africa was a great introduction to him.

I thought the battles between him and Spidey were very done. I especially liked how the first one ended, which summed up why Kraven needed an upgrade to really take Spider-Man on.

Miles Warren, boy is he a piece of work. He's an opportunist of the highest order. He carries a gun on school property. He lies with the best of them. He seemed pretty normal last week, but now we're getting to see him at work, and well. His brother Aaron seems like a nice, warm and friendly guy. But Miles, take all of the above, and throw in that he's going behind Connors' back conducting experiments on mutation and Miles is just a jackal.

Oh, cool. Debra Whitman. Is she Miles' assistant? I was expecting Anthony Serba. But hey, cool.

As with last week, Liz is all over Peter. I don't think she's using him either, I think she genuinely likes him. But, Pete really should talk to Gwen. We'll see where this goes.

"Come on, Flash! You can do it!!! Can't believe I just said that." - Peter. Loved that line.

I also loved the return of the Itsy Bitsy Spider ringtone.

And the Master Planner plot line continues. And we get a new Sinister Six next week. I still say the Master Planner is either the Chameleon or Dr. Octopus.

Now, the one con. I think Kraven's decision to mutate himself seemed very sudden. As if we were missing a step in between. This is not like buying a new car. While I do think mutating himself is completely in character, I just think the set up should have been done a little better. The Pack didn't get an upgrade in their first appearance in "Gargoyles." It was after two or three humiliating defeats that they chose to alter themselves like that. Aw well.

Great episode. I liked last week's better, but this was still good.

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!

"I thought the battles between him and Spidey were very done. "

That they were. No way we'd leave 'em undone!

Response recorded on March 27, 2009

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Kyle Tonarella writes...

hey greg I gto doen watching season two and you know what I LOVED IT. This shows that you have repsect for the characters and source materials you incorperate in the show. Anyway here is is my question are there any special features on the season set that will make the fans very happy ?

Greg responds...

I don't know yet. But I'd think so.

Response recorded on March 27, 2009

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Chris England writes...

Is there going to be a Season 3 of Spectacular Spider-Man??? And if so, what Villains are U planning to introduce?

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!!

We don't have a pick-up yet, but I hope we get one eventually. If so -- and if I'm still in charge, the only two villains I'm confirming are Hobgoblin and Scorpion. But obviously there will be more.

Response recorded on March 27, 2009

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Ed Reynolds writes...

Hey Greg,

Been meaning to thank you for putting my letter into Bad Guys #3. I don't always post issue rambles because by the time the comics cross the pond you usually have a lot queued up (and I don't always have time to read them through to make sure I'm not saying the same old things). Until the trade, suffice to say I've been having a blast with 'Bad Guys'.

But I wanted to talk about 'Spectacular Spider-Man' Season One. Which I adore. It is, again, old news, so I've tried to boil down a season's worth of rambles into eight specific, personal observations/comments/questions/recollections/gripes/quips/geek-outs.

1. THE BIG MAN

Whisper it, but in a way I'm sort of glad the show is "limited" (ha) to the Spidey cast. Kingpin -- despite being born to ASM -- never felt to me ideal as a Spidey villain. The best Spidey villains are weird, lurid, misshapen, often animalistic and generally have some kind of duality. Kingpin's great but he's... a big man who's a big man. But Tombstone? He looks unusual, but he's smart, he's collected, he's got great lines and conveys a real sense of power. I love the "I've already peeked under the mask" discussion in "The Uncertainty Principle". And he has a terrific voice actor (with a nice warm-up by Keith David too). I'm sure if Kingpin had been on the table this show would have delivered up a great iteration, but Tombstone as The Big Man just has a real electricity to me. Alongside Green Goblin, he may be my favourite of the villains.

2. "MARKET FORCES"

The episode I fell in love with the show. It just encompasses all the spheres of Peter's life. His troubles at school, his money troubles, the Bugle, his relationship with Harry and Gwen and May; plus lots of Norman and the Hammerhead. The conspiracy to create supervillains reminded me of the kind of interconnectedness we'd see on 'Gargoyles'. Along the way, we get Shocker, a villain I'd no recollection of at all but who has such fun lines, and Marko and O'Hirn who are a hoot. There are plenty of great banner episodes this season, but I want to single this out because it's not such an obvious candidate but is still jam-packed with tiny, human stories, with emotion and humour and a bit of a moral lesson too. (For the same reason, "Economics 101" is my favourite arc all told.)

3. THE SYMBIOTE ARC

I love all the episodes individually in this arc, especially the last two which get me misty-eyed in places (which isn't too hard cos I'm a huge sap, but still). But my vague problem with the arc for a long time was that it feels like a zero sum game where Peter is the object of the story and not the subject.

Through a sequence of terrific luck the symbiote smashes into John's ship, ends up in the ESU lab (which has been trashed twice in two months) and when Spidey arrives just in time to foil Black Cat and Chameleon, it hitches a ride. Dicey, but I'm in there. Then the symbiote makes Peter think things he'd never normally think (but are amplifications of his id?) and wins fights for him. Pete realises the thoughts aren't his and, duh, removes the symbiote. A valuable lesson learnt? Well, he was grateful for "this amazing woman" looking out for him in episode 1, and doesn't seem especially more clued into where his friends are at in episode 13. He embraces his spider-side at arc's end too when he sees May in the hospital and asks the fantastic question, "shouldn't my first responsibilities be to the people who rely on Peter Parker?"

I appreciate playing the symbiote as kind of lubricant for a host's id makes sense in light of Venom. It's much better executed than the last film (which I hated), and produces a slew of amazing scenes. But it still feels a bit of a cheat somehow...

It does work for me though as a contrast to Eddie who has all Peter's knocks -- lost parents, lost job, lost 'bro' -- and makes the wrong choices. (I was a bit sad we didn't get a chance to see Eddie's memories like we saw Pete.) And as I say, the episodes individually are brimming with wonderful moments.

4. THE CHARACTER DESIGNS

When this Venom was revealed at the end of 'Intervention' my brother wowed. It took me until next episode to get on board 100% because the tongue action felt extreme even for Venom but I love Cheeks' version of the character. I love that he's chunkier, wider, that the horror trappings are used to interesting effect (such as the chest-mouth) rather than just being lots of icky goo and slimy teeth. Cheeks and all the character designers really rock their subjects in this show. Electro is just genius, taking a silly-looking design, preserving what makes it classic and rendering it utterly cool. Betty feels really fresh. And I'm a big fan of the ethnicity-switches -- just in terms of distinguishing the cast at a glance, making Liz Hispanic is great sense, and Ned Lee has a memorable look whereas I just plain don't recall what Ned Leeds looked like, despite having read issues with him not so long ago.

5. MARTHA CONNORS

Another quiet triumph of the show. I've not read that much Spider-Man but I don't really recall the original Martha doing much except crying (and dying, apparently). But this one's a smart, professional woman and mother with a tough love attitude and a bit of cynicism next to Curt's dreamer. I particularly like her scenes with Gwen.

6. ITUNES

I was delighted they put all the episodes on UK Itunes. Less delighted that two had the sound a second out of sync and a handful more have occasional colour glitches. More delighted that they refunded me for the faulty episodes. Less delighted that several months on, they still haven't been fixed. Bleh. But episodes 4, 6 and 8-13 look stunning...

7. DVDs

I have mixed feelings about the idea of the edited-together movies. Granted, I LOVE the way the arcs play... but week-to-week. A climax and a new arc always just around the corner. And the end-of-episode mask is one of my favourite staples of the show. And the titles! I remember a bunch of words and phrases I first heard on cartoons or comics as a kid. "Frozen assets" I first came across as the title of a 'Ducktales' episode for example. "Introspective" was a word I first heard on 'Gargoyles'. I hope today's kids carry these titles with them like I did. "The Uncertainty Principle" is a particularly clever one if you buy into "it was Norman all along" theory: in the process of looking for something ("I know you're Norman Osborn!") it changes. And "The Invisible Hand" -- genius!

I hope the box set has some cool extras. I'm keeping my fingers crossed especially for commentaries and the audio/storyboards for cut scenes which weren't animated.

8. THE BACKGROUND PEOPLE

One thing I love most about the 'Gargoyles' universe is that these tiny little background characters turned out not just to be footnotes but rounded, interesting people just waiting to step into the spotlight. People like Vinnie and the Jogger and Sarah. SSM has a bunch of these that have caught my attention:

- The family with the fair-haired comic-reading boy and purple-dress girl who appear repeatedly, not least in the title sequence. Spidey rescues the mother in "The Invisible Hand" (the music and direction on that scene are excellent, btw -- I got a real adrenaline buzz from it!)
- Norman's bald heavies with dark glasses.
- The couple Spidey webs together in "Reaction"; the guy at least turns up in "Nature vs Nurture".
- Tombstone's bodyguards.
- Hammerhead's driver!

Plus, characters I don't think have recurred but who I think were pretty nifty:

- Gobby's goon in "Catalyst".
- Aunty Em's nephew who'll rob the piggy bank but won't touch the cookie jar (hilarious!).
- The Big Man's goon with the binoculars who follows Spidey in "Market Forces".
- John's space shuttle crew -- one of them looks like she could be related to Glory.
- The kid who videos Spidey in "Interactions".

I know you've declared an intention not to make any new "named" characters though. So will these guys be nameless wonders until a precedent crops up, or the Blue Fairy puts them in ASM; or is there a chance for any of them to break out if the show survives long-term?

For that matter, do they ALREADY have names from the canon? I know a couple more of the school's background characters get names and identities in Season 2, I've seen plausible speculation for someone on the second list, and I have my own Big Theory for someone on the first list.

Also, is Benny at the Bugle from somewhere or is he a tribute to your son?

Thanks for a great, great series Greg (and to everyone else involved). I really hope the show gets picked up and as many of the team as possible can come back.

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!!

1. I still hope to do Kingpin some day, but I'm very glad things worked out the way they did. Now, if we ever do get Kingpin, we'll have TWO great characters.

2. Thanks. It's all part of a whole to me.

3. Well, without the symbiote, we'd be missing two VERY significant revelations for Peter, i.e. Peter would not have learned without it. 1. His decision to pour the gene cleanser down the drain is a revelation. 2. His own feelings for Gwen is a revelation.

4. Thanks. We're beyon happy with Cheeks' stuff. And I'm feeling pretty good about the choices we all made.

5. Thanks, we like Martha too. Of course, much credit should go to the wonderful Kath Soucie, who provides her voice.

6. Ugh.

7. Well, the business plan for the DVDs changed at some point, so the second and third releases contained only the as-aired episodes, despite the fact that we edited movies for the first five arcs. They also plan to release a season set this summer.

8. Keep your eyes peeled for the couple he webbed up in "Reaction". Their story is NOT over. And the kid who tried to get the picture of Spidey in episode 2 has been revealed in episode 17 as: THE MANAGER OF THE SILVER SPOON!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Anyway, some of them have or will get names from the canon. Some never will. But I do think having recognizable faces and unexpected connections are fun for the audience. Well, in any case, they're fun for me, so I'm gonna keep doing it. As for Benny... well, Benny and Erin (and Vic's kids Hannah and Jack) are, uh, from the canon, of course. Really Marvel, they are! Honest! Put the paddle away!!

7.

Response recorded on March 27, 2009

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Jesse B. writes...

As I've been following the second season on Teletoon for the past few months, "The Spectacular Spider-Man" has been the first thing to come along in my entire life that has actually made me look forward to waking up Sunday mornings. That alone is no small accomplishment. What is an even greater accomplishment is that the first two seasons of this phenomenal show have established a new definitive interpretation for the character. While the series hasn't quite finished here in Canada, I will still highlight the fact that the event that ends the second season has effectively made these twenty-six episodes equivalent of the original Lee-Ditko run of The Amazing Spider-Man. For decades those issues have been the central foundation upon which all interpretations of Spider-Man have drawn from. These first two seasons, however, have shattered that foundation and created a new standard for the character. Even if SSM is not continued (heaven forbid), I sincerely hope that all future incarnations use the first two seasons of your series as their basis. I simply can't accept anything less at this point.

I have a few comments and questions from season two which I had hoped to share with you, but I'm sure that you'd rather keep your column free from major spoilers as the series airs in the States. As such, I'll submit more questions as each arc airs on Disney XD. For now, here are a couple of more general things:

1) I realize that this series has an enormous cast to juggle, but what on earth happened to Robbie Robertson? I don't think any major character has gotten the shaft as badly as he has! He has some interplay with Jonah, but we don't see any scenes of him interacting with Captain Stacy or even his own son! Is this going to be rectified soon?

1)Is it just me, or are Jean DeWolff and Stan Carter the only two cops in the Midtown area? I understand the need to to build familiarity with those characters for future stories, but their overexposure has been a bit silly. I also noticed in one episode that Jean referred to Stan as “Sarge”, which got me thinking: what are the current police rankings for these two characters? Jean would have to be a lieutenant by now if there's any hope of her becoming a captain within the span of this series, but her comment gives me the impression that this isn't the case.

That's all for now! Here's hoping that season 3 has a pick-up by the time you reply to this message!

Greg responds...

Thank you for the kind words. They are very gratifying, truly. But I can't agree that we've SUPPLANTED the original Lee-Ditko run. In fact, that seems patently preposterous. I'd hope any future incarnation of Spidey would return to the source material, as we did on this show. A copy of a copy quickly loses any sense of true definition. No matter how good we may think the original copy was.

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!!!!

1. Uh... look... I don't think Robbie got short shrift if one views the series with any sense of proportion. Granted we have a LARGE and quite wonderful ensemble. But this is NOT an ensemble show. This is a show about Peter Parker. Period. Keep in mind we have less than 20 minutes of new content per episode. With that as a given, the storylines we choose to deal with and depict on screen must effect Peter, either directly or indirectly OR they must be about us laying pipe for things that will eventually effect Peter down the road. I like to think in our limited screen time, we find moments to characterize a TON of characters in small ways that are independent of our lead. But that's gravy. At this point, Robbie's life isn't intersecting much with Peter's life. And I can't spare screen time for a conversation between Rand and Robbie that's ONLY about Rand and Robbie. And of course, this doesn't just apply to Robbie. I'm sure everyone's got his or her favorites, and in some ways there isn't a single character that hasn't gotten short shrift. In fact, there isn't a single character that I wouldn't like to spend more time on. If these were one hour episodes, we'd have a lot more breathing room. But they're not. And, yes, I can already here someone out there saying, "Hey, I could have done with less of [fill in the blank] in order to afford more time with [fill in the blank]." But the obvious problem there is that one man's [fill in the blank] is another man's [fill in the blank]. All I can do as head of story is try to keep my eyes focused on the main goal: THE EDUCATION OF PETER PARKER, and then try to do as much justice to everyone else as I can.

1. (You used the number 1 twice...). Stan is a sergeant. Jean is an officer. And, yes, I'm aware of the repercussions of that statement. As for your objection, I don't know what you expect me to say. Rather than agreeing that how we're executing this is silly, I think your objection is, well, silly. We've seen other cops. Alan O'Neil, Vin Gonzalez to name two that I actually CAN name. But of course, we're always going to start with Captain Stacy, Jean and Stan. Again, with limited screen time, why would I want to split the very, very few moments of characterization that I have for cops among so many that in effect no one gets any real screen time. And frankly how unrealistic is it that when 90% of our adventures are set in the Midtown area of Manhattan, that we have our two cops on the Midtown beat show up? We've tried NOT to use them when the adventure was clearly happening outside of Midtown. Have they been in the background in some of those cases? Maybe. We only have the budget to design so many characters, so if we needed to fill out a scene with cops, they may have been included even if they didn't belong. But they certainly didn't have any lines in that case.

I just reread the above, and it reads harsh - and given your praise of the show, vaguely churlish, even -- which isn't my intention. But the simple fact is the show can't do EVERYTHING. It has to pick its shots. I remember reading that Joss Whedon always felt bad about how little he used Buffy's dad. And he had 22 hour-long episodes per season. If it's any consolation, when we start any new season, we have index cards on the board for EVERY member of our large and growing cast as a reminder to track what is going on each of their lives. When those moments intersect with Peter (again directly or indirectly or with a view toward the future) I promise, we'll find some way to fit it in. That's the best I can offer.

Response recorded on March 27, 2009

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Jack-Pumpkinhead writes...

Dear Greg,
First off, le me say that I am ecstatic to see you back answering fan questions. This kind of connection with fans is why you and Bill Willingham are two of my favorite writers. Now then, on to a question or two;

What kind of cases did Bluestone and Hacker work in the FBI? From what I've seen on TV and what my mom has told me (she's a forensic scientist), the FBI has numerous smaller bureaus for fraud, kidnapping, behavoir analysis, etc.

Greg responds...

I'm not answering that at this time.

Response recorded on March 26, 2009

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Marjorie writes...

Hi Greg,

Just finished season two of Spider-Man, and it was amazing. My question is, how do things look for season three? Do you have the green light yet? And more importantly, is there anything the fans can do to help the show out? I plan to buy the DVD sets when they're released and I tell all my comic book friends about it. Anything more we can do?

Greg responds...

If you have a Nielson Box (and even if you don't, but especially if you do), watch the show on Disney XD, so that our ratings soar. Buy SpecSpidey DVDs and Hasbro toys. We're all hoping for a third season pick-up, but it hasn't happened yet. (The ratings for Monday's airings should be out today. Hopefully, they'll help not hurt our cause.)

Response recorded on March 26, 2009

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Landon Thomas writes...

In 'The Mirror', I appreciate the real-world reason why the human-form Manhattan Clan gargoyles look the way they do, namely that they more or less represent their respective voice actors. But I also like the cohesiveness it gives the Gargverse when you give a canon/in-show reason for something. In that spirit, when Goliath turns into a human analogue, why does he have darker skin--or appear to be of a different racial group--than the others who appear to be more Scottish?

Greg responds...

Elisa.

Response recorded on March 26, 2009

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Greg Bishansky writes...

"Blueprints"
Okay, so the second season of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" will be airing hear in the U.S. in March. However, Canada premiered it today. I saw it, and now I'm reviewing it. How did I see it? ::shifty eyes::

Okay, it's snowing, and I am reminded of why I'm glad I live in Los Angeles and not New York City anymore. I hate that weather. Spidey is pondering what to do about Gwen, when all of a sudden he's attacked by Venom. But wait, wasn't Eddie Brock separated from the symbiote at the end of season one? Yes. This was a nightmare. But a really cool one.

And this week's villain is both one of the cheesiest, and a personal favorite of mine. Mysterio, and I love this take on him as a faux sorceror, complete with "Gargoyles" style Latin incantations. I just love the way he's talking in this. Summoning tiny little gargoyles and holographic wyverns.

"It seems Mysterio is the master of talking about himself in the third person." -Spidey. Yeah... that's Dr. Doom's job.

Spidey jumped into the freezing East River, and I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

Is that Miles Warren? Keep the lecherous old creep away from Gwen, please. We all know what that will lead too.

And Peter gets reinstated in the Conners' lab. Money talks, all Norman Osborn needs to do is speak. I love how he's now playing mentor to a reluctant Peter Parker. This is going to be interesting.

I loved the battle sequences between Spidey and Mysterio. He's so cheesy, he's great. That's what's great about Mysterio, you can just go crazy and have fun with him.

Mysterio shouted "Fulminos venite!" and lightning struck. That made me happy.

The climax, when Spidey unmasks Mysterio, and has no idea who he is had me in stitches. Quentin Beck is more of a ham than Anton Sevarius. Like Mason said, "actors..."

"As the waaaaiiiiiter..." Beck needs to go back to acting school.

Liz is all over Pete, and he hasn't spoken to Gwen yet. Uh oh.

"I figured Jonah would never unclench enough to..." Was there an edit here? Feels like it.

And why is Norman peeling an egg so creepy?

Spot the voice actor: Stan Lee as... himself. Well, Stan the Dock Worker. Loved that.

Greg Weisman as, I assume, Donald Menken... he was Norman Osborn's bespectacled assistant in the comics for a time, and a Hobgoblin suspect. Nice Owen Burnett impression, Greg.

The Tinkerer finally speaks, and he's Thom Adcox. I love Thom, and I'm glad to hear him here. But if the Tinkerer drops his pants and kisses Electro, I'm going home. ;)

Nice cliffhanger with the Master Planner. Either he's Doc Ock like in the comics, or he's the Chameleon. We'll see. I'm hoping for Ock.

A good beginning for the new season.

Greg responds...

SPIDER-SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was no edit. Pete was simply interrupted.

Response recorded on March 26, 2009

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Arthur Jr. writes...

Hey Greg, the second season had aired in Canada in January and I was able to see it on YouTube. You even did a good job when you joined the cast as Donald Menken.

Cletus Kasady and Morris Bench were featured in Season Two. While Cletus was featured as an inmate at Ravencroft in "Reinforcement," Morris Bench (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke) was Norman Osborn's demolition expert as seen in "Shear Strength."

If you get the okay to have Season Three made, I'd be interested in your plans for Scorpion and Hobgoblin. Courtney B. Vance was casted as Roderick Kingsley. If you plan Scorpion, I'm guessing Farley Stillwell (the one who created Scorpion on request of J. Jonah Jameson) will also be included.

The spores John Jameson was infected with in "Growing Pains" did occur in the comics. Sometime after that, he found the Godstone (an other-dimensional ruby) on the moon which caused him to turn into Man-Wolf when it grafted onto his throat. When I asked a Man-Wolf-related question which you answered "no comment" to, I was hoping that you might be able to get Frank Welker to provide Man-Wolf's vocal effects since Dee Bradley Baker is already doing Lizard if the Man-Wolf is used in your proposed Season Three.

Greg responds...

Was there a question in there?

Response recorded on March 26, 2009

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Demonskrye writes...

Approaching an old question from a different angle.

If you were to tell us right now what Titania whispered to Fox, would we understand what she meant? Or is it something that requires some background information, without which only the two of them would understand it?

Greg responds...

A casual viewer might not immediately get it, but I think a longtime fan would... and would at this point be thoroughly disappointed.

Response recorded on March 25, 2009

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Anthony Tini writes...

************* SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN SEASON 2 QUESTION *************

Greg,

If it's not too much trouble, and you have the script handy, for fun it would be cool to see Mysterio's Latin dialogue and its English translation if you wouldn't mind typing that up for us fans of the Latin language. Thanks.

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!!!!

ACT ONE
Dormite! = Sleep!

Denique diatem efficacem inveni! = I have finally found an effective diet!

Credo Elvem ipsum etiam vivere! = I believe Elvis is alive!

ACT TWO
Dormi! = Sleep!

Fulmina venite! = Come lightning!

Tibi gratias agimus quod nihil fumas! = Thank you for not smoking!

Chelicerata. = Spiders (etc.).

Dormite! = Sleep!

Credo Elvem ipsum etiam vivere! = I believe Elvis is alive!

Elvem! = Elvis!

Dorm-- = Slee--

Nullae satisfactionis potiri non possum! = I can't get no satisfaction!

ACT THREE
Denique diatem efficacem inveni! = I have finally found an effective diet!

Tibi gratias agimus quod nihil fumas! = Thank you for not smoking!

Fulmina venite! = Come lightning!

Fulmina veni-- = Lightning co--

In toto ancto es! = You're in for a world of hurt!

Dormi! = Sleep!

I won't pretend I personally know for a fact that all of the above is 100% accurate, but we did consult multiple sources on both translation and pronunciation. It's as accurate as we could make it.

Response recorded on March 25, 2009

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Martin writes...

Hi, Greg. Since I'm from Bulgaria I've already watched season 2 of Spectacular Spider-Man - and I must say that you and the whole Spidey crew did AMAZING job. This show actualy got me up every Saturday and Sunday morning, and that pretty hard, believe me. Officialy the best Spidey series ever. Anyway, the finale rocked, and now I have so many questions I dont know where to start. First of all, I'm a lil bit worried about season 3. Does Sony need the ratings for the second season to pick up third or the rating for the first few weeks? Second, can you use Beetle and The Rose in the series? I think Beetle is Spider-Man foe. Third, if the show doesnt get 3rd season will you release the designs for Hobgoblin and Scorpion? Regarding Hobgoblin (personal favourite) I really hope that you will take as source material Stern/Romita Jr.'s run on Amazing Spider-Man. (ASM #238-251). Any plans about this (the Hobgoblin thing).

Thats for now. Again, AMAZING SHOW. Thank you all for doing it.

Greg responds...

I don't have any sort of specific threshold that Disney XD, Sony and Marvel need to renew the show. Obviously, it needs to do well. And I think it will. But in this economy, I don't know what qualifies as "well".

Simply put, I have every reason to think they'll pick the show up, but (a) there are no guarantees and (b) I have no idea when this will happen. But I'll keep you posted here.

I'm fairly certain that the Beetle is not a part of the Spider-Man license. I think the Rose is. But I'm not 100% sure of either statement.

There are, to my knowledge, no designs yet for Hobgoblin or Scorpion. Things were busy enough on the first two seasons, that I doubt Sean ever got around to designing characters that weren't slated to appear yet.

I have a lot of plans for Hobgoblin, but I'm not spoiling them now.

Response recorded on March 24, 2009

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello Greg,

Thank you for taking questions again!
I have been waiting a while to continue this conversation about the Third Race. Honestly I have so many questions that I've been waiting to ask for the longest time, but I have generally held back so I wouldn't flood the queue.

A while ago, I asked you <<"Are Children of Oberon vulnerable to steel, since it contains iron?">>
You responded:
<<"I think pure iron is what they're MOST vulnerable, but who wants to take chances?">>

I think it makes sense that they're _most_ vulnerable to pure iron (wrought iron). However, it doesn't make sense to me that steel has no effect _at all_, yet this appears to be the case, judging from the ineffective-ness of Hudson's sword in The Gathering, and that spear in Mark of the Panther. Steel is stronger than wrought iron and holds a sharper edge, but chemically there is very little difference between steel and pure iron.

I did some research, and steel (including ancient steel and most modern steel) is 98%-99.5% elemental iron -- almost as pure as wrought iron. Cast iron is actually less pure than steel, it contains less elemental iron. Modern stainless steel is even less pure than cast iron.
It also turns out that all of what is marketed as "wrought iron" today is actually steel.

1. I have a question. Children of Oberon can be seriously harmed by being cut or stabbed with pure iron, but does it harm them just to touch it? Was Puck harmed (even just getting a rash or a minor burn) by having those chains on all night (in the Mirror)? They were touching his skin, but he didn't seem physically uncomfortable, just annoyed at Demona.

Greg responds...

I don't think it causes hives, but I suppose it varies from individual to individual.

Response recorded on March 24, 2009

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CMoney writes...

I know from various panel reports that you are aware that by now season 2 of Spidey has aired in full in certain non-US countries. If you are unwilling to take questions about episodes that have yet to air States-side, I understand. If not, I'll just say that there are spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't seen episode 2 of season 2, and for them to stop reading now.

I was wondering what your motivation was for the Kraven transformation in episode two. I'm not complaining about it, and think that it was a nice stepping stone for Miles Warrens' assumed path towards villainhood, but I am definitely curious about the thought process and reasoning that went into the decision.

Greg responds...

<sigh>

Well, that dilemma didn't take long to raise its ugly head.

1. Do I respond to posts about episodes that haven't legally aired in the U.S. yet?

2. Do I delete these posts without responding?

3. Do I let the posts themselves stand, but refuse to comment?

You'd think I'd be ready with a plan -- but I'm not.

<sigh>

Obviously, if you're reading this, I decided not to go with option 2, which leaves 1 or 3.

<sigh>

What the hell!

SPOILERS

Frankly, I just liked the idea of a mutated Kraven from Ultimate. Didn't like the Crocodile Hunter pastiche done there, but the animal mutation made sense to me for the character. We tried to design something for the mutation that felt more Kraven-y, and, yes, it did seem to dovetail nicely with our plans for Miles (though I would never have done it for that reason alone). Of course the boarding, direction and animation on the first Spidey/Kravinoff battle came off so well, that mutating him may have seemed unnecessary in hindsight. But even before the episode was animated, we had further (Season Three) plans for Kraven that will make the change seem worthwhile. Well, to me, anyway.

Response recorded on March 23, 2009

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Todd Jensen writes...

I was recently rereading Roger Lancelyn Green's retelling of the Arthurian cycle (it was the January 2009 book for an Arthurian book club that I recently joined), and found this passage at the end of the section on the Quest for the Holy Grail:

"But when the last battle had been fought and the realm of Logres was no more, Percivale's kingdom made still a little light in the darkness of a Britain conquered and laid waste by the barbarians." (p. 248 of the old Puffin Books edition I bought as a boy).

Was this passage the inspiration (or at least, *an* inspiration) for your idea of Percival/Duval founding the Illuminati?

Greg responds...

Probably.

Response recorded on March 23, 2009

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ASK GREG is back, MARCH 23, 2009.

Ask Greg will once again open for question submission on March 23, 2009, which is coincidentally the date of The Spectacular Spider-Man's premiere on DisneyXD. (Okay, so maybe it's not exactly a coincidence.)

I would ask -- even beg -- that you carefully read the submission guidelines before posting here. In particular, PLEASE check the archives and the questions-already-asked sections before posting a question that's already been asked and/or asked AND answered. Try to avoid FLOODING Ask Greg, as it will only serve to slow down my ability to respond in a timely fashion. As always, comments are encouraged and appreciated... on Spidey or Gargs or whatever.

Thanks in advance...


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Latest bit of news...

Hey gang,

Back from WonderCon. Had a nice Spidey panel, among other things. (I enjoyed the screening of the Wonder Woman direct to DVD.)

Also talked to Dan Vado. He assures me that the two trades (GARGOYLES: CLAN-BUILDING, VOLUME TWO and GARGOYLES: BAD GUYS: REDEMPTION) will both be out in time for this summer's Comic-Con in San Diego.