Richard Jackson writes...

Hi Greg,

I was wondering what country Sevarius is from? I checked the archives. Really, I did! The closest thing I could find was back in 1999 when someone asked you and you hadn't decided. So I hope there's a 10 year statute of limitations.

If you can't reveal what country he is from, do you recall what kind of accent you or voice director Jamie Thompson coached Tim Curry to adopt?

Grant writes...

In several episodes of Disney's Aladdin there featured a winged serpent character from a Mesoamerican rainforest who served the role of an antagonist to the characters. Though there are only surface similarities to the character of Zafiro in Gargoyles, both of them were voiced by Hector Elizondo. Were you aware of this? Was the casting a coincidence?

W. C. Reaf writes...

Hi Greg.

A fan from England here.

Not so much a question but I just wanted to let you know that thanks to my lovely University I’ve managed to book a lecture theatre once a week to show Gargoyles on a big screen to my friends, and watch it again myself on said glorious big screen. We should be finished at the end of summer.

Currently they’re enjoying it, some more than others, and it feels great to expose people to a real classic of western animation. We’ve even got a running joke about how Xanatos is behind everything. They’re not liking the rather varied Scottish accents, or takes on them at least, but I understand there’s only so much an American production can do to get proper accents right.

We’re just starting the Avalon World Tour and I’m curious to see what they make of the revelations in the Gathering. Specifically Puck’s role but also Fox’s heritage and Xanatos’ shift into not quite being such a bad guy.

Just thought to tell you that the Gargoyles love is being spread to people across the pond that never saw it the first time ‘round.

Brenda W writes...

Hi Greg, I hope everything is well with you. My question is: Is it possible to contact the 1994 cast members to come on board to assist us (Gargoyles fans) in convincing Disney to release the remaining 26 episodes? Do you think we have a chance?
Unfortunately, I have become very obsessed with this project. I think your ability
to create this type of animation is outstanding - it is sooooooo real.

Vivvav writes...

Hey Greg,
I'm rewatching Gargoyles on YouTube right now. I have to say that one of my favorite characters in MacBeth, if for no other reason than he's voiced by John Rhys-Davies. In the modern day with the comics, do you still imagine the characters' voices as being that of the voiced actors who played them all those years ago? Do you still imagine Goliath as Keith David, or as something else?

sanya writes...

Hi Greg,
i am wondering do you know which singers sang the song The will to love and The demon in me.
both of the songs have been sang in Witch episode s is for self part.

Clark Cradic writes...

What are your thoughts on The Princess and the Frog? I thought it was a wonderful throwback to the days of the Disney Renaissance.

PPL writes...

Hi Greg,

This isn't about Amazing Spider-Man #622, but is sort of related, and something I was wondering about for a while.

How did it come about that Tricia Helfer was cast as the voice of Black Cat on TSSM? I think most people would have known her from Battlestar Galactica, in which she plays a somewhat similar role*.

I noticed that she also voiced Black Cat in a Spider-Man game from 2008. Do you know whether she first did recordings for TSSM or for that game?

I ask because it doesn't seem like she's best known for her voice acting, but also that I wouldn't expect you to allow the casting of voice actors on one of your show solely based only on their reputation as a live-action actor.

*Or multiple roles, if one wants to get into that kind of discussion, but that hardly seems like the right thing to bring up here.

Derek writes...

Who would you have gotten to be the voice actor for Shari?

Derek writes...

What voice actor would you have cast for Constance? Is her voice supposed to gruff like a Kathy Burke or elegant like a Joanna Lumley.

Wolf E. Urameshi writes...

Um... about this... http://s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=11747

I really must apologize if I sounded the wrong way, I did not mean to anger you. Thank you very much for all of your answers Mr. Weisman. :D Good luck with all of your future projects.

Arthur Jr. writes...

Mr. Weisman, I just read your response about the amalgamizing of characters. I have some other questions here:

1. Though the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime is one of Spider-Man's enemies, they first appeared in "The Incredible Hulk" #3. I was wondering if that will prevent you from using Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime in any episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" in case you don't get the rights for the character.

2. I read on the archives that someone asked if Stan Lee will have more cameos in any proposed season of "The Spectacular Spider-Man." He's also voicing the Mayor of Super Hero City in "The Super Hero Squad Show" which is voice directed by Jamie Simone (who provided Akamaru's vocal effects in "Naruto"). In case you've seen the episodes that feature his characters, what do you think of Stan Lee's performance in that show?

3. If Courtney B. Vance reprises Roderick Kingsley in the proposed Season Three, will you use another voice actor to voice Hobgoblin like you did with Alan Rachins voicing Norman Osborn and Steven Blum voicing Green Goblin? I think something like that also occurred when you and Jamie Thomason casted Clancy Brown to voice Ox in "Survival of the Fittest" and later casted Danny Trejo as Ox in "Probable Cause." Do you have any comment on that?

Mark C writes...

I noticed a lot of the Voice actors from Gargoyles appear in Spectacular Spider-Man. Once you finally get the chance for more episodes, do you plan on getting more Gargoyles actors to play a role in the show? If so, which do you have in mind?

Arthur Jr. writes...

Hey Greg, here are some questions:

1. If Season Three is announced upon the ratings for the "Final Curtin" episode that aires on Disney XD, I would think that Bill Fagerbakke would reprise Morris Bench if you plan an episode that brings about the introduction of Hydro-Man. Right?

2. If the series is successful after Season Three and you managed to make it to a season that deals with Peter Parker attending Empire University, what season do you predict that will occur in?

3. I have seen your Rambles of the Spider-Man/Gargoyles crossover that Keith David reprised Goliath and Tombstone in. Now that was humerous in some parts, don't ya think?

4. I was wondering if you have seen "The Super Hero Squad Show" (adapted from the "Marvel Super Hero Squad: toyline) yet? Though Spider-Man doesn't appear in the TV series yet, he will be featured in video game adaption.

Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

You wrote that Marina Sirtis remembers her audition differently than you do. What were the differences?

A long time ago I remember you saying that it was so hard to imagine "Deana Troy" as a villian that you were surprised to see her trying for the role of Demona. But then an episode of Star Trek TNG in which Deana was possessed by a villian and did quite a credible job came to mind. Have you ever heard of her work as Demona helping convince others she might make a good villian despite being most known for Deana Troy?

Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Sneaking in a question or two at work lest I start falling far behind again. I apologize if I overlap anything already asked, I've been trying to avoid Spiderman spoilers. I have a stack of set aside responses for after the rest of the season airs. (Though I wonder if I should have bothered; what I didn't pick up just skimming I probably read checking the 'waiting to be asked' que. Oh well...)

First- Love the show.

I did have that first reaction to still art some did thinking it looked a little young, but between prioritizing fluidity of motion for the web slinger on the one side, and not getting that overly static look from being too faithful to the comic art on the other, I am completely won over.

Also, I am not terribly well versed in Spidy lore. (It's too expensive to get hooked on two major comic universes and I started on DC first.) Despite not getting all the references, the deference shown to the history, right down to mining the comics with the intent of not creating a single new character, really shows. Very impressive.

Second-
I thought it was particularly classy to post the credits of the episodes because they went by too quickly to be seen on screen. I assume people like working with you because they know they are not taken for granted. (Just like changing the "Staring..." in the opening credits shows respect to the characters. Love that.) I do wonder -

1- If each episode is written by a particular person or team, what do the staff writers do?
2-If you already have a voice director, what does 'casting' do? Or does the voice director not choose talent too? (I think this question was more involved when I scribbled it on my note sheet months ago, but I didn't write out the details and no longer remember.)
3- How did Cheeks Galloway end up with that nickname? I took a glance at his website and saw his autobigraphy is named "Cheeks Unclenched" Much mirth followed.

David B. Jacobs writes...

Just felt like throwing this out there:
TSSM's cast are all BRILLIANT Shakespearean actors! Pass it on.

Blaise writes...

GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES
CON-JOURNAL

DAY 2
SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2009

I'm glad I don't have to get up at 4:50AM every day. I wanted to give the dog a fairly long walk that morning because I knew I wouldn't have time that evening.

I got to the Hilton at a little after 9AM and signed up for Josh Keaton's Mug-A-Guest (I had considered Keith David's, but that was already full). Josh was cool, and I'm not just saying that because we share the same first name (and I finally learned how they avoided confusion when both he and Josh Lebar are working on the same day). One thing both he and Ben Diskin had in common, they both started acting at a very young age (3 for one, 6 for another), largely because they already had some family member in the business. I mention this only because I'm around the same age as them and I'm still trying to break into the darn business.

After another bagel for lunch, I attended Crispin Freeman's "Anime Mythology" panel on "Knights and Dragons." Being a dragon fanboy, this one was a joy. I had already known about the differences between so-called Western and Eastern dragons, but this was the first time I heard somebody actually analyze what these creatures say about the cultures they sprang from, and how they influence their respective media. I was surprised when he pointed out how a difference in dialogue between the Japanese script and the English dub of "Spirited Away" showcased this difference. I was also pleasantly surprised when he brought up "Vision of Escaflowne" as one of his favorite animes (it's one of mine, too!).

After this, I attended BOTH voice acting panels. The "Gargoyles" one was special not for the number of guests it had, but because it was the first one attended by Marina Sirtis, the voice of Demona herself. Of course, there were also Greg Weisman, Jamie Thomason, Thom Adcox (naturally), Keith David (with his GREAT laugh) and, a little later on, Elisa Gabrielli. I got to ask a question (or rather series of questions) that I usually put to all the voice actors at these things: "What episode/scene was the most challenging/fun/fulfilling?" Greg W. reminded me that the series was 15 YEARS AGO, so that might be a difficult question to answer. But Marina had no trouble stating what annoyed her the most: "The effing impact grunts." I learned something very important in that panel: if you do something she does not like, she will throw Jolly Ranchers at you. And Thom stated, yet again, his reasons for why he did not care for the Avalon world tour arc: largely, that he wasn't in most of those episodes (in his own words, "Avalon SUCKS!"). Well, that'll teach him to go out and buy a new car. Keith got to say a couple of his favorite lines ("I've been denied everything..."), though not with as much volume as I'm sure he would have liked. Also, Marina and Greg have two different versions of how she was cast as Demona (she maintains she came in on two separate days, he says it was just the one). There was also the story of how Jonathan Frakes was briefly fired by Greg's bosses because the cast recorded at a hell-hole of a studio. It was great fun.
So was the "Spectacular Spider-Man" panel. There were...a LOT of voice actors for this one, including a few who overlapped from the "Gargoyles" panel. In fact, there were so many that I couldn't help but feel that there weren't enough questions to properly involve all of them. I thought the revelation that Daran Norris needed two microphones when he was recording both the Jamesons (because J. Jonah is SO LOUD) was fascinating. I asked those who did multiple voices what their process was for differentiating them. Phil Lamarr talked about the difficulty of making two voices (those of the Robertsons) sound distinct and yet related (something Daran Norris had to figure out, too), while Steve Blum mentioned that he just had so many voices in his head that he needed the work to get them out.

I forgot to mention that, in between the panels, I went to check on the cast for the radio play. Since EVERY ONE of the voice guests said yes, there were only a handful of roles for the fans. I was quite happy to get one of them, and after the panels, the rehearsal began.
It was a Gathering-Original script. A crossover between "Gargoyles" and the "Spectacular Spider-Man" written to take full advantage of ALL 16 GUESTS who said they would do it. I was quite surprised to find that I was cast as Zaphiro (a character with a Spanish accent!). We only had enough time to run through the 78-page script (that's FEATURE LENGTH) once, and then a quick break before the beginning of the radio play.
It was a BLAST! The script was full of in-jokes (a lot of them breaking the fourth wall), but even managed to pack in an excellent bit of drama. But no where else will you hear Lexington mention porn on the internet, or hear Demona refer to Elisa as Goliath's "human whore." Steve Blum talked to himself, as did Thom Adcox (I hoped people picked up on the slight difference between Lexington and Tinkerer--and I loved when Lex mentioned Homunculus #5's annoying voice--said Homunculus ALSO voiced by Thom). For my part, aparantly I managed to pull off the Spanish accent well enough. Elisa Gabrielli was kind enough to offer me some pointers on a particular line of Spanish (yeah, I also had a few words and lines entirely in Spanish).
At the end I got kudos from many fans, and even a few of the pros.

I had really wanted to attend the panel on "Rope Bondage 101" but I needed to hurry back to my canine charge to feed him his evening meal if I wanted to make it back in time for the Blue Mug. I just barely managed to make it, and got to ask one question that I felt was appropriate given that this was the last Blue Mug: how it all got started. The short answer is it grew out of the regular Mug-A-Guest when they wanted to keep that family-friendly. Anyway, about an hour in, Greg had to hit the bathroom, and that bastard Edmund Tsabard seized the opportunity to come in and make the Blue Mug about "Blue Mug Productions." The one thing I got from his section of the panel was that if you want the smut, you have to "SPEND THE MONEY!" All I can say about the third page of "Last Tengu in Paris" is, "GREAT GOOGLEY MOOGLEY!" Anyway, about an hour later, after the questions dried up, Edmund left and Greg FINALLY came back. Unfortunately, it was about 11PM and I had to get back to my friend's house to be there to greet him and give over care of the dog. He came in at 1AM, and I was back in my own home and asleep by about 2AM.

Ming writes...

You've established that you mentally cast actors for some of the new characters in the Gargoyles comics, such as Quincy Hemmings played by Morgan Freeman (or someone who can sound like him i.e. Kevin Michael Richardson). Anyway, do you have any voices in mind for some of the Illuminati figures (Percival, Duval, Shari, et al.)? What about Katana and Tachi and some of the characters from the Phoenix Gate arc?

Wolf E. Urameshi writes...

Hey Greg, thanks again for answering my questions. But I'm afraid I need to ask again in regards to this one: http://s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=11500 (the one about "switching" voice actors.)

You didn't answer my question. You evaded it with another question, didn't you? :P Considering today's voice acting market, which now has a lot of great actors and is becoming saturated, there is always a chance that at least one or two of the actors involved with the original Gargoyles show may not be able to join it. I ask again, if you have any alternatives in mind (of course the original actors are better :D, this is a just in case), what would they be? Just mention one or two examples if you're comfortable with it.

Janus writes...

Well Greg, I'm a big fan of Jeff Bridges and after seeing him on Iron Man as Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger and hearing that he will be reprising his role as Kevin Flynn/Clu for Tron Legacy, I was wondering. Did you ever wanted to or even thought about casting Jeff Bridges a part on Gargoyles? He has a connection to Disney with Tron. And it would be so awesome to hear his voice on Gargoyles. So if given the chance in the past would you cast Jeff Bridges to be on Gargoyles?

Tomi writes...

Greetings from Finland!
Thank you for such a wonderful series!
I was just recently wondering:
Stone of Destiny speaks with voice identical to Dr.Claw, both voiced by Frank Welker. I was just wondering, what that something you and others decided to do, as some sort of homage to Frank,s other characters/admirers, or did he used that voice himself purposfully?

Anonymous writes...

You stated Hobgoblin will be in season 3. Do you know who will voice the hobgoblin persona. I personally think Kevin Michael Richardson will do great. The voice he did for the Joker in Batman was incredible, and you do have him included on the show already so...Anyway can't wait for more Spectacular Spiderman.

Mo writes...

One more I forgot to ask: How does the process of casting voice actors work? Do you have a specific actor in mind when a character is concieved? Is it an open audition process? Or does it vary from role to role?

Wolf E. Urameshi writes...

Third question as per instructions:

C) If you were given a chance to work on a new Gargoyles cartoon but with different actors if you were ever unable to bring back the originals, what actor(s) would you call in?

Clark Cradic writes...

Was it your idea to get Rober Englund to play the Vulture? Was it hard to get such a big star to accept a role on the show?

? writes...

Hi Greg! Now that I’ve watched Season 2 of The Spectacular Spider-Man, I have a few more questions. But first regarding the last set I asked:
I. Sorry about spelling your last name wrong, I didn’t realize it until it was too late.
II. With my 3rd question you did answer that you avoid biasness regarding characters which is great; I did mix the “parts” of my question together though (sorry about that again), so I was wondering if you liked the character of Venom? Most (not all) people I’ve met who said they don’t like Venom grew up in the “Stan Lee Era”. I understand you grew up during the “Lee/Romita Times”, but I also know that the “Greg hates Carnage Rumor” is false (I’m not a fan of Carnage, but I don’t hate him either, I’m “neutral/take or leave” to Carnage).
III. Thanks for answering my last batch of questions!
Alright, now onto the new batch of questions:
START OF SPIDEY SPOILERS!
1. I remember you said in an earlier post that you saw a little bit of the 90s Series but not enough to give a “true opinion” on it. My question is: Do you remember which episodes of the 90s series you saw? It’s OK if you don’t know the episode names; the villains from the episodes will suffice. I ask, because I noticed that the Symbiote arrives on Earth on John Jameson’s space shuttle in The Uncertainty Principle. This idea was 1st used in The Alien Costume Part I.
2. Why did the local authorities put Dr. Octopus in Raven Croft Asylum after Group Therapy when they had him in Rykers Prison before he escaped in that episode? I figured the “behind the scenes” reason was for your production crews’ plan, but what’s the “in story” reason (if you get what I mean)?
3. What was Eddie Brock doing during the Master Planner Arc? The most I can tell is that he was working out (he’s buffer then he was in Season 1) and that he made his own web shooters and costume. So where was he hiding and what else was he doing besides the things I mentioned earlier? I figured this was OK to ask as I don’t see how it would spoil anything in the future (sorry if it does).
4A. Whose idea was it to have Venom speak with 2 voices (Eddie’s voice and the Symbiote’s voice in unison)? I love the idea and I think it works so well for Venom.
4B. It actually reminds me of the fusion characters from Dragonball Z; have you ever herd of or seen Dragonball Z? If so, what did you think of it?
5A. What was your reason for making Walter Hardy/Black Cat’s dad into Uncle Ben’s killer? As someone else pointed out, it probably worked out better then it did with Flint Marko/Sandman in Spider-Man 3, because Walter was still the same guy Spidey let get away.
5B. What made James Remar your choice for Walter’s voice (I found him to be a great choice)? Do you remember who else tried out for Walter’s voice?
6. Seeing as how Norman and Green Goblin had different voice artists (for obvious reasons) I think it’s safe to say Roderick (or who ever you choose) and Hobgoblin will have different voice artists as well. My question is: If Season 3 does happen, will you just have Steve Blum voice Hobgoblin since he voiced Green Goblin or do you have someone else in mind for Hobby? The 90s Series used Neil Ross and Mark Hamil for Green Goblin and Hobgoblin respectively. I thought this would be OK to ask, since we already know Hobgoblin is in Season 3 and I’m only asking if Steve Blum is your voice choice for Hobby or not (not who exactly will be Hobby as we both know Season 3 is still undecided). Sorry if this was a “bad question” to ask.
Well, thanks again for answering my 2nd set of questions Greg! Hope you enjoy your summer (as far as temperature is concerned).

cboy305 writes...

When recording voices for animation, must all actors record voices in the same studio?

abnormalpixarfan writes...

If you can get anyone to voice these charectors who would you get
Iron man
captin america
ant man
the fantastic four
Batman
superman
Flash
doctor doom
scorpian

Dan writes...

Mr. Weisman,
First of al thanks for what is easily the greatest adaption of Spider-man.I have a couple of questions.
POSSIBLE SEASON 2 SPOILERS
1. Where did the idea come from to have the pumpkin bombs emit screams?
2. Was the final twist in the season 2 finale kept heavily under wraps? For example did Josh Keaton, Steve Blum,etc. know when they recorded "Uncertainty Principle"?

Anonymous writes...

Why was the role of Tombstone recast? I know Keith David originally voiced him in the pilot and that Kevin Michael Richardson replaced him.

MisterDrBob writes...

Hey Mr. Wiseman,
love the Spectacular Spider-Man and your take on the original Stan Lee stories. I especially love your characterizations of Shocker, Mysterio and Molten Man.
I have two questions. I think the first one was already asked, but I can't find it anywhere. How did you come up with the idea of making Montana the Shocker? Second, is there any significance to the fact that Morris Bench is voiced by Bill Fagerbakke, the voice of Patrick on SpongeBob SquarePants? A reference to mr. F's other watery work?

Arthur Jr. writes...

To follow up on my Cletus Kasady and Morris Bench question, I was wondering if you plan to include Carnage and Hydro-Man in the third series if you're still in charge? Seeing as Venom's symbiote is still in the sewers, I even assumed that you might plan for Eddie to be incarcerated at Ravencroft and the symbiote spawning an offspring resulting in the creation of Carnage (though I heard Carnage wasn't allowed to kill anyone in the 90's series).

In a follow-up to Man-Wolf in the same question, I was wondering if you would plan for Frank Welker (who did Bronx in "Gargoyles") to voice Man-Wolf if you decide to include John Jameson's Man-Wolf form. I suggested an idea for Frank Welker in the role since Dee Bradley Baker is already providing Lizard's vocal effects.

anonymous writes...

**spoilers for season two for "The Spectacular Spider-Man"**

Hello.

Loved what you've done with Sandman on this show's first two seasons. I hope you have more plans for him if there's a season three.

As for Sandman's old partner Rhino, will we see another solo Rhino story on your show someday? We saw one for Sandman in season two, so why not one for Rhino too?

Finally, do you think Robert Englund could come back as the voice of Vulture next season if you decide to use him? Englund has done an excellent job on this show.

**end of season two spoilers**

Spider-man 2099 writes...

If the series have a season 3 theres any chance to see previous spider-man actors like christopher daniel barnes, rino romano or even tobey mcguire.

Greg Bishansky writes...

"First Steps"

*** SPIDEY SPOILERS ***

Another spectacular episode. This one was a biggie. A lot happened.

The return of Harry Osborn
The return of Eddie Brock
The return of Hammerhead.
The first appearance of Mark Allan.

There are times when I am amazed at just how much content can be fit into twenty-two minutes, and this one was just packed. So much was happening, so much was going on, and it never seemed to end... and I mean that as a positive. It was like a great four course dinner.

Peter and Liz Allan are now a couple, and Pete was invited to Flash's birthday party. By Flash's mom, since they were best friends in nursery school. I also like the little revelation at just how Eugene earned his nickname. I also enjoyed the little snippets here and there of everyone speaking into the camera saying what they think of Flash. I think Rand's and Sally's was my favorite.

Speaking of... when is Rand going to finally dump the bitch. The guy clearly doesn't like her much. Sally is just... ugh, that voice is pretty much nails on a chalkboard. Grey DeLisle is so great at making me hate that character. Kudos to her.

And here we have our good friend, Harry Osborn. Back from getting the help he needs dealing with his addiction to Globulin Green. And his, ahem, "supposed" stint as the Green Goblin. Again, I say, "supposed." But now, he's back. He and Pete are picking up where they left off, and Harry is now making the moves on Gwen. You know, I quite like this. When he was on drugs, she was the one who noticed something was wrong and tried to help him, and I am glad he appreciates it. I did enjoy the little flash to the Goblin.

Speaking of flashes, Peter seems to be hallucinating supervillains. Green Goblin and Eddie Brock/Venom. Although, the latter turns out not be so much a hallucination. Very clever Eddie, making Peter so paranoid that he leads you to the symbiote.

That was the gravy, let's get to the meat. Sandman. While he's never been my favorite supervillain, I did enjoy this outing (well, I enjoyed all his outings on this show). He was tough, practical as always. Very interesting uses of his powers, and proved to not be such a bad guy at heart. This is where he differs from his old partner, O'Hirn. Rhino just seems to be more bloodthirsty, and I could not imagine him risking his life to save others or entertaining little girls.

And the writers had me, for a moment I did think Sandman got killed at the end. Love it.

Hammerhead is a hard boss to like. But it's been a while since we've seen him, so his return was welcome. His presence, as well as the Big Man's, seem to be less dominant this season than last. Which is cool with me. Nice to not get a repeat of the Kingpin from the 90s Fox Kids series, who was just everywhere.

I bet it's fun being in the recording booth and listening to John DiMaggio have dialogue with himself.

So, the Master Planner rents out supervillains now? Good racket. Does anyone besides Spidey, Tinkerer, Vulture and Electro even know the Planner is Dr. Octopus?

Good episode. Gonna be a long week till the next one. But I am looking forward to it because it features the long awaited return of a character I've been missing. I of course speak of J. Jonah Jameson.

*** END SPIDEY SPOILERS ***

R. Vega writes...

First off I’d like to thank you and your team for making Spectacular Spider-Man a great experience to watch. Personally I’d like to comment on all the highlights of the show, but in an effort to keep this short here goes.
Season 2 has already aired outside the U.S. and I’d like to ask a question with the assumption that I’ve already viewed both seasons. If you don’t wish to answer this question for any reason I understand.
On to my question, if [I’d like to say WHEN] season 3 is picked up, will we see a continuation of Gwen and Peter’s love story? I apologize if it seems like a dumb question but I was fascinated by the build up between the two in the series. Add the fact that Gwen is a very likeable character in this series and how we as the audience always root for the main character I’m just wondering if we’ll have more moments between them. I would also like to know if it was a challenge figuring out a way to make their relationship interesting and enjoyable to watch. I’m aware many TV shows try this and the end result seems forced, but here, it seems to be put together perfectly. Both the writers and the voice actors did a really good job on this aspect of the show.
Anyway I wish you and your team the best of luck. And I’ll be rooting for you guys for a season 3!

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!

Travis writes...

Are there any plans for Keith David to do any voicework in season 2 of Spectacular Spider-Man? Ever since I started watching the Gargoyles repeats on Toon Disney + bought the season 1 DVD I've fallen in love with his voice, and it seems like now I hear it everywhere.

Janus writes...

What voice actor would you cast to play Staghart aka Amp?

Michelle writes...

Hello!

I've been a huge fan of Gargoyles since it first came out way back in 94 when I was just a kid. I loved it all! The characters, the stories, etc. My brother loved it just as much as I did too. So when we found out that it was being continued in comic book form (we're utter geeks by the way) we were so excited! And we've been duly collecting the comic with each new release. I love Bad Guys! And I can't wait for Rock of Ages! So I have a silly pointless question for you. Just to warn you ahead of time. : )

I love the new gargoyles Coco and Amp! And I really love where I think/hope you're going with Amp and Lexington ^_^. But it's a shame that we won't get to hear them speak and what not in animated form. So I was curious if you had your pick of any voce actor/actress in all the world who would you have to voice them. And why?

I warned you it was silly and pointless. Anyway! I love the comic and I hope you keep up the great work. Also you've done a fantastic job with Spectacular Spiderman. I can't wait for Season 2!

Thnak you for your time!

K9: The First writes...

KINGDOM

You asked for my ramble, and here it is!

ANIMATION

Okay, let me start off with the animation here. I don't know what studio did this ep, but I wish they did EVERY episode for the show! It has the feel of some sort of Animated Film or an Anime. The action is smooth, and even when the characters aren't talking, they aren't just standing there(something I've recently found in cartoons that I don't like), their always doing something. Little nuances that makes the scenes more realistic are EVERYWHERE.

Example: In the first scene, when we open on Hudson watching Brook and Lex glide in, you can tell how disturbed he is that they're alone, without Goliath. More often then not scenes of a similar vein have the character have more ambiguous expression.

Another example is Fang and Talon's areil fight in the Labyrinth: Real cool. They even got the wings to flap! (Bat's wings remember?)

And I looked for that Cross-Eyed Xanatos you mentioned(I got the DVD), and I think I saw it, but it was barely a blink in the animation. two or three frames tops I'd say.

And I liked Maggie and Claw's interation during Fang and Talon's fight. I got the impression that Claw was quite smitten with her at one point.

But by far, my absolute FAV bit was right when Fang took Maggie Hostage. It was fluid, and the animator really put effort into making Maggie look like she was trying to escape, or at least look ticked off. I could watch that footage loop all day, I'm THAT impressed. I also got a ThunderCats vibe from it for some reason.

And how about Lex breaking through that ceiling in the final scene? Arms crossed and all that.

VOICE ACTING

Not much to say here. But the performances are-as always- top notch.

"Do I really need an excuse to have a good time in my own home?" I laughed out loud there.

However, Katie Soucie's portrayal is off this time. Her Maggie voice isn't what it was. It's deeper, smoother this time around, when before it was a tiny bit higher and somewhat raspy. She's still giving a great performance, it's just that the voice itself is out of continuity. I know that you weren't in charge of Voice Direction, but I just thought at least Katie would remember the voice she used a few months prior.

I guess the in-show answer could be that either the mutation has set up in her vocal cords(and stops there), or that it's to show her standing up more, sort of speak.

And am I the only one who finds the fact that Jeff and Katie are acting characters that are acting funny?

STORY

I didn't know Gargoyles existed, let alone watch it, until maybe '95 or '96. I remember watching something on TGIF about the new One Saturday Morning block when/if it had Gargoyles. (I remember a gag with the host that night with a Gargoyle's eyes glowing red) I watched the show on and off over the years(NOT that I didn't love it, I just could catch the reruns all the time). Anyway, I can't remember the first time I watched this episode, so I can't give my first impression sadly.

And Brooklyn's lack of action is understandable, and doesn't come off as fear, which is important. And that first scene shows that, while they probably couldn't do so for long, the clan does have an idea of what needs to be done without a leader(to many shows have the 'non-leader' types fall to peices without an authorety figure too quickly). It also shows what a minipulative punk Hudson can be! ^_^ (That's a good thing)

You mentioned the question of a Power Vaccume, and I agree that no organized group can exist without a leader type, be it an individual, or a group. I also think that, without some form of disciplinary threat, no organization is safe, as Talon's lack of action against Fang shows, and a fact Maggie subtly brings up, and Talon gives the stereotypical arguement for no punishment.

And it seems Xanatos has become Talon's Demona, something Fang expertly exploits beautifully.

And yes, the new security stinks. I think the next version might not be so...destructive.

As to your concern about the lack of use of "Xanatos knows!!" nugget, I think-even if he couldn't find a use for the info directly-it could still be useful in making the Gargs needlessly wary.

Now those blaster, am I correct to assume that Cyberbiotics was up against Xanatos Enterprises for a lasor weapons military contract?

Speaking of, I can only assume that Talon and the others didn't come down with a fatal case of Dead By Lasor is that Fang, Claw, Chaze and Lou didn't know how to aim those things.

And I think Maggie was very brave in her own way. To many crimes go on because those who COULD stop it by going to the police, WON'T out of fear. She could have easily just gone with Fang's regime, but she went to the Gargs. Be it out of love for Dereck, or a since of Justice.

During the battle at the end, I always feel worried for the homeless people and their stuff, cause that's quite literally all they have in the world.

And I'm impressed by Fang when he gets Maggie, "I have no gripes with you. Leave now and Maggie goes free." This is fundamentally different from, say, Demona, whose only response to anyone-human OR Gargoyle-standing against her is 'KILL 'EM! KILL 'EM ALL!!!!' Fang however, is willing to let them all go, even let Maggie-a vital bargining chip with Talon- leave with them. This-to me- hints that he has a grasp of who's his enemy, and-grudes aside-could be an okay guy. ...Or an idiot with no sense of strategy. Your choice.

And those great acting skills you keep telling us about! Give 'er a hand everybody! And hey, even if Maggie's looks keep her off most of the plays out there, like I always say: she would be a shoe in for CATS.

And there is one more lesson that I'm surprised no one else got. Or at least, no one's mentioned. Fang calls out to Claw, asking him if he wants to be weak. Claw shakes his head no. No, he doesn't want to be weak... anymore. He chooses to be strong in a different way, and abandons Fang to team up with Talon and Maggie.

And so the 'Mutate Trilogy' has ended, with the Labyrinth Clan firmly established and allied with the Manhattan Clan. Maggie and Talon are firmly established(Much to the joy of the Maglon shippers, though to the woe of the Broogie shippers), and Brooklyn and Talon have fully accepted their respective roles as leaders.

I enjoyed this ep. Saddly Doc Sevarius isn't present(any Tim Curry is AWESOME), but that's okay, 'cause he really wasn't needed here. I hope to do the other Mutate eps, and the rest of the episodes sooner or later.

Good luck with the comic!

Jordan writes...

Hey Greg,

Who would you consider your ten favorite voice actors?

Beth B. writes...

Dear Greg,

I was just wondering if you had seen the new Transformers: Animated show now airing on Cartoon Network... I checked back in the archives and found that no one had asked this yet, so I thought I'd give it a go.

It's interesting that it centers around five Autobots, "in statsis" for the past few decades or so that are suddenly reawakened when they are in need. The five include Optimus Prime (David Kaye), Rachet (Corey Burton ), Bumblebee (Bumper Robinson ), AND

Bulkhead (Bill Fagerbakke ) and Prowl (Jeff Bennett ) !!!!

I was pretty amazed when I saw this. Not only did the former voice actors from Gargoyles come back to do a show together but in relatively the same roles as they had played back in Gargoyles!

Jeff Bennett does a superb job as Prowl (a sleek cyberninja... kind of an outcast of the group= Brooklyn!!!), and sounds about as dead pan as Owen Burnett, which makes me giggle with joy. Bulkhead is... bulky and the bigger guy of the group (and voiced by our old friend Broadway!).

Even the others match up:
Rachet: old veteran 'bot, akin to Hudson
Bumblebee: smallest of the group: Lexington

So all that to say this: What do you think of your formula being used again in another hit show? I know we can't credit you coming up with the archetypes, but certainly perpetuating them in a way that many fans have grown to love. Have you seen the show? What are your impressions of the show?

Thanks again,
-Beth B.

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?

Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Greg wrote:
"Actually, any thoughts from anyone on who might be a good choice to write an intro to Volume Two?"

I know it isn't any more of a given that an actor is a good writer than a writer is a good actor, but Ed Asner might be an interesting person to write an intro. It's the type of unexpected thing that might catch a little attention. (I still remember being surprised at Patrick Stewart's intro to a Transmetroplitan- made even funnier by not looking who wrote it till I got to the sign off.) And he's have the built in story of seeing the description, "Hudson hates spunk" and knowing he had the role.

Algernon writes...

I'd like to start by wishing a happy Easter to those who cerebrate it and to those that don't, have a great day anyway. Now lets talk Spidey...

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Market Forces

Another solid episode with a lot of different threads running through it. We start getting to know J. Johna Jameson and he's a lot of fun, I especially liked the whole hyperactive 'perpetually ten minutes to deadline' attitude they gave him. Interestingly this incarnation of ole Jolly Jonah doesn't seem to be particularly Anti-Spidey, I don't know if you've completely dropped it or if you're going to incorporate it later.

Also returning are Flint Marko and Alex O'Hirn AKA the future Sandman and Rhino respectively. O'Hirn's "ram him with a truck" move is a very Rhino-esque tactic, nice bit of foreshadowing.

When I first heard that Shocker wasn't going to be Herman Schultz I was a little weirded out but this episode erased all my doubts. Montana makes for a pretty charismatic villain with warped sense of honor. by the way, how weird is it to see the bad guy espousing the Moral of The Day(TM)?

We also meet Betty Brant and Robbie Robertson, I'd guessed that Randy from Peter's school was indeed his son but it's nice to have confirmation. big shout out to Phil LaMarr who managed to make father and son sound both reminiscent yet distinctive. Some nice interaction between Pete and Betty but is he trying to get the poor women tossed in jail.

Norman Osborn gets some nice development in this episode, teaming up with the Big Man to set up a sort of Supervillians'R'Us. That's what sets Osborn apart from Spidey's other rogues. Take away Vulture's wing and he's just a bitter old man. Take away Electro's lightning and he's just the school handyman. Take away Venom's symbiont and he's just a dweeb with a persecution complex. But take away Green Goblin's Glider and Pumpkin Bombs and he can still make your life a living hell as plain old Norman Osborn.

When I first heard that Keith David would be replaced as the Big Man I was rather disappointed but I was very impressed by Kevin Michael Richardson's performance. he really nailed the part, so much so that I wouldn't have noticed the change if I hadn't heard about it before hand.

All in all another job well done.