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EDWARD ASNER

So...

This is hard.

It's been a bit of a stressful weekend, as my father went into the hospital with chest pains. A stint that had been replaced last year had failed and was replaced again Saturday morning during an angioplasty. I've been concerned, worried. But the procedure seemed to go well, and he was set to go home today. We seemed to have dodged a bullet.

But there was a second gun.

I slept in today. I woke up to two pieces of news:

1. My dad was good. Solid. My sister picked him up at the hospital and took him straight to breakfast. (My mother was annoyed at not being included - but that's a whole other story.) He's home now. I've talked to him. He sounded cheerful. All good.

2. Ed Asner had passed away.

I spent most of the day doing laundry and other mundane tasks. Life goes on, right? It has to. But it's been difficult getting my head around the whole thing. I've gotten many calls and texts today, offering condolences as if I were part of the Asner family. Folks seem to know how close I felt to Ed. But I don't want to exaggerate. Ed was my friend. I hope he knew I was his, as well. But I haven't talked to him in at least a couple of years. (You can partially blame that on the pandemic, I suppose. There are a lot of people I've lost touch with. If anything, this is a reminder to GET in touch. And I'm going to make an effort to do that.) In any case, there are many, many people who knew Ed better than I did, who were closer to Ed than I was.

Nevertheless, at the risk of turning this post into my own self-aggrandizement, I am going to spend a few paragraphs here on the subject of the Ed Asner that I knew and loved.

I was a fan of Ed's long before I met him. Like many, many people, he first entered my awareness playing Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. (Later, I got a kick out of picking him out of reruns, where he usually played the heavy in such series as The Wild Wild West and others.) But as Lou, Ed was simply brilliant. One of the truly classic scenes in all of television is the scene in the TMTMS pilot, where Lou interviews Mary for a job. Do yourself a favor and view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj286uBKCu0

That scene had a major effect on me, even seeing it as a kid.

Now, having just rewatched it, the genius of the writing and the two performances still knocks me out. But there was something else about Lou and Mary. Watching their interactions was a bit like watching my parents. The connection in my mind between Lou and my dad was especially strong.

Ed and my father were two Ashkenazi Jews from the midwest. My dad was from Chicago; Ed, from Kansas City. They were gruff AND loving. They even had mannerisms in common. There was much more, I'm sure, that they DIDN'T have in common. But something connected the two men in my mind. And, meanwhile, my admiration for Asner as a performer knew no bounds. When I saw him in the Lou Grant series, in Rich Man, Poor Man, in Roots, that admiration only increased. When I learned of his activism - and the price he paid for it - that admiration shot through the roof.

Years later, when we had begun pre-production on GARGOYLES, I thought of Ed Asner - or of Lou Grant, at least - as the inspiration for Hudson. In fact, when we held auditions for the role, I wrote at the bottom of the character description that "Hudson hates spunk." This was, of course, a variation on Lou's classic line from the above job interview scene. Now, to be clear, I never imagined we'd get Ed to play the role. I figured he was way too big a star for us to land. But low and behold, a few days later, Ed came in to audition for the part. Later, he told me that when he read the character description, he was initially thrilled. The "Hudson hates spunk" line made him feel like he was a lock to land the role. Then a couple minutes later, he thought that if he didn't land the role it would really be awful. But of course, he immediately understood the character and nailed his audition... only for Jamie Thomason and I to throw him a curveball, asking him to do it again in a Scottish accent. He nailed that, too.

Working with Ed was a joy. He was fun and funny and so supportive. In addition to playing Hudson (and Burbank and Jack Danforth/Dane) on Gargoyles, I also cast him as recurring characters on Max Steel (Chuck Marshak), 3x3 Eyes (Grandpa Ayanokoji), W.I.T.C.H. (Napoleon the talking cat), Young Justice (Kent Nelson) and Rain of the Ghosts (Joe Charone). When casting Peter Parker's late Uncle Ben in The Spectacular Spider-Man, Ed was the only person I ever considered. He always brought so much to each and every role.

And more than that he was a great friend to me. After the first season of Max Steel, when I couldn't find a job for over a year and thought I might have to give up on my writing career, Ed was there, offering me support. We had lunch at Musso & Frank's. He looked at pictures of my kids out of my wallet and told me to laminate them. He introduced me to his son, Matt Asner, a producer. He didn't allow me to wallow in self-pity or to badmouth guys who I believed had done me wrong. He just reassured me that I had ability and would find my way through. He was, in essence, my work dad.

So today, as you might imagine, has been complicated. My dad is home and healthy. And Ed is gone. I'm grateful and sorrowful. And struggling. But life goes on. It has to, right?

Finally, I'm going to quote Hudson from Gargoyles. In "The Price," an episode that spotlighted the character, Ed as Hudson told Xanatos: "A friendly word of advice: True immortality isn't about living forever, man. It's about what you do with the time you have. When all your scheming's done, what will be your legacy, Xanatos?"

I think we all know that Ed Asner did amazing things with the time he had. And though we'll miss him dearly, his legacy is clear and shining.


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M. writes...

Hi Greg. I have a few questions:
1) Why was Jade so absent in season 3?
2) Was there any problem with Kelly Hu?
And since in episode 325 Lian said something like "we need to find Cheshire for Daddy" (if I'm not mistaken):
3) Does Lian know that Cheshire is her mom?
4) In fact, does she even know or remember who her mom is?
And last but not least:
5) Did Will actually believe what Jade said about being a soccer mom and all that?

Greg responds...

1. Was she? Did she get significantly more time in Seasons One and Two? If so, I guess the answer is that story drives the use of our characters, as always.

2. No. She was great, as always.

3. Yep.

4. Yep.

5. Believe? I don't understand.

Response recorded on August 26, 2021

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Abdullah Khan writes...

Hey Greg,
Q1)I wanted to ask regarding the castings for Young Justice Outsiders, How did you and the crew decide to give the roles of Geo-Force, Terra, Halo, Forager,Cyborg and Darkseid to Troy Baker,Tara Strong,Zehra Fazal,Jason Spisak, Zeno Robinson and Michael Leon Wooley?
Q2)And for replacments decide on David Kaye and Greg Cipes to be Vandal Savage and Beast Boy, i know regarding Greg as Beast Boy u did not cast him in the initially because u did not want any Teen Titans reprisals at the time so what change your mind instead of picking another actor because Logan Grove was unavailable for S3?

Greg responds...

Geo-Force - Brandon had worked with Troy Baker before and knew he was a good candidate to play Geo-Force/Brion Markov. We did have him audition (against no competition) just to confirm he could do the Eastern European accent without it sliding into Boris Badenov territory. He could. So we cast him. And he's been great as Brion and other characters ever since.

Terra - We held auditions for Terra/Tara Markov, and Tara Strong just nailed it.

Halo - I knew I wanted to cast Zehra Fazal as Halo / Violet Harper / Gabrielle Daou, and basically wrote the part with her in mind. Brandon and Jamie and I went to see her in a stage play, where she played multiple roles, so that they could confirm just how great and versatile she was.

Forager - With Wally West largely out of the picture, we knew we wanted to find something else to keep Jason Spisak in our cast. Brandon thought Forager would be a good bet and talked about the character with Jason, who loved the idea. We hired him without any try-out, and he was instantly great.

Cyborg - We held auditions for Victor Stone/Cyborg under the false flag of a pretend show with a fake character name. Zeno Robinson was our clear favorite for the role. We brought him in for a callback (with no competition), mostly to see if he had the versatility to play any other roles (such as Steel). We decided then and there that he was our Vic, and seeing Brandon and I in the Control Room, he had already begun to suspect whom he might be playing. We told him he had the role and confirmed he was playing Cyborg, and he practically BURST right in front of us. It was great fun.

Darkseid - We had already discussed a number of potential people to find YJ's version of Darkseid, when Brandon remembered Michael Leon Wooley's performance of the character from Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Jamie and I listened, and immediately Michael had the job.

Vandal Savage - We held auditions to see who could do the best job performing in the giant shoes that the late, great Miguel Ferrer had left behind. David Kaye was the clear favorite.

Beast Boy - When it became clear that Logan Grove was not going to be available to us, we talked with Jamie about who might be able to take his place. After we described the character's journey in Season Three, Jamie suggested Greg Cipes, knowing that we might not go for it, but feeling like Greg'd be perfect for the part. I'd worked with Greg on W.I.T.C.H. and agreed, but our upper management had been pretty adamant about us not using Titans' lead actors to play the same roles they had played on Titans. (Other Titans' actors were kiboshed for certain parts for that reason.) It was something Brandon and I initially agreed with way back in Season One, but by this time, we felt YJ had established itself as its own thing, and we were less afraid of comparisons. And for whatever reason, TPTB were fine with us casting Greg as Beast Boy.

Response recorded on August 18, 2021

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Jeremy G. McLaughlin writes...

Pretty much the entire main cast of Gargoyles have popped up in some way or another on "Young Justice." But there are just a couple who have not quite shown up as of yet. Will there ever be a potential role for Salli Richardson, Frank Welker or Jonathan Frakes?

Greg responds...

Without going into specifics, Jamie and I have talked about bringing more ex-Gargoyles actors to YJ when the role seemed to fit. Sometimes we didn't have the right role. Sometimes the actor wasn't available at the right time. But there's literally no one (living or dead) from Gargoyles that I wouldn't love to get on YJ.

Response recorded on August 17, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

Rewatched "Grief" on DVD today.

The only new observation I have is that, this time, I noticed how Keith David did the "aged-up" Goliath; his voice sounded, while recognizably Goliath's, much older. I thought it another "mark of honor" for the "Gargoyles" voice cast.

Greg responds...

Yeah. Keith - and our whole cast - were just amazing.

Response recorded on August 16, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

I rewatched "Golem" on DVD.

Not many new observations or insights, but I was impressed by the late Robert Culp's performance, the way he switches the tone of Renard's voice when he's in the Golem's body. It still sounds like Renard, but tougher, more vigorous.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I found the scene where Janus was petting Bronx on the head charming. (And all the more impressive, given that he's just encountered his first gargoyle beast only minutes before. He clearly picked up on Bronx's nature quickly.)

Greg responds...

Bronx is very lovable.

Response recorded on August 16, 2021

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Sam writes...

1. For YJ S3, was the voice recording typically done with the voice actors in the same room, or individually?
2. Has the voice recording process (whether in groups or individually) changed from season to season?

Greg responds...

1. Mostly in group sessions.

2. Not until the pandemic briefly interrupted our recording process on Season Four, at which point we shifted massively to recording everyone individually, sometimes from their various homes, with all of us listening in over Zoom.

Response recorded on August 12, 2021

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Jason R. Carter writes...

How did you go about developing a voice for Ultra-Humanite?

Greg responds...

I went down to my lowest register and roughed it up. Then we used technology to deepen it further and to futz it, so that it sounded like it was coming out of an electronic voice box.

Response recorded on August 05, 2021

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InterestedFan46 writes...

I love watching Young Justice and Gargoyles, they're amazing shows! I can't wait for the 2nd half of YJ outsiders, but regarding your earlier work, what was your favorite part about producing Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Back then... probably the voice recordings and the sound mixes.

Response recorded on July 26, 2021

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The Guy writes...

Why didn't Tim Curry return as G. Gordon?

Greg responds...

Unfortunately, Tim, who'd suffered a stroke, wasn't able to voice him, at least not at the time we needed the work done for Season Three.

Response recorded on July 26, 2021

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FallenLegend writes...

Hey Greg just wondering if you noticed how Keith David mirrored Puck's role n gargoyles.

In Star vs the forces of evil, Keith plays Glossarick who is basically a magic mentor. In one episode he took a baby magical princess called Meteora in a magical adventure to teach her magic while her mother wasn't aware.

This reminded me of Puck doing the exact same thing with Puck and Alex Xanatos.

Just wanted you to know Goliath now went full circle and played Pucks' role. Cool, isn't it?

Greg responds...

Very.

Response recorded on July 26, 2021

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Mr. Red writes...

Hello, huge fan of your work, i have rewatched the first 13 episodes of Young Justice Outsiders 6 times over as i write this. I wanted to know, why is Greg Cipes voicing Beast Boy? Now i am a big fan of his and of course the his previous work as Beast Boy.

But i wonder what happened to Logan Grove, did he not want to reprise the role? Or was he to busy with other work? or was it already planned to have Greg come in and do the voice?

Greg responds...

We were looking forward to using Logan in Season Three, but were told that Logan was no longer acting and was attending Annapolis as part of the U.S. Navy. So after some discussion with our director Jamie Thomason, Brandon and I agreed that given where we were heading with the character, Greg Cipes (whom I'd enjoyed working with on WITCH) was our top choice to replace Logan as Garfield, irrespective of Greg's history with the character.

Response recorded on July 26, 2021

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Matt B writes...

I was wondering about Jean Dewolff's change from captain to patrolman and Italian American (I think) to Native American. I like the changes but am curious about the thought process behind them.

Also, what people was Jean from?

Also, does she know Elisa Maza? I'm guessing that Native American NYC cops are a small sorority.

Also, Jean and a few other characters (EG Gwen, Captain Stacy) die in the comics. I won't ask names because of spoilers, but were you planning on some character deaths if the series had continued?

Thanks, and i hope you get to follow up on SSM and Gargoyles someday. I really mss those shows. At least YJ is coming back!

Greg responds...

1. We had long-term plans for Jean, which necessitated her starting as a patrolwoman.

2. We were looking to increase diversity in the show, and the name DeWolff suggested a nice fit with Native American.

3. Never worked it out. Guess I'd lean toward Inupiat and French Canadian/Cree (Metis) ancestry, which matches her voice actor, Irene Bedard. (Or so Wikipedia tells me.)

4. Let's assume that in the Gargoyles Meets The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Young Justice Universe that they do.

5. No spoilers.

Response recorded on July 12, 2021

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Ellie writes...

Hi Greg! First of all, congrats on Season 3! I'm hyped beyond imagination. Full honesty, I've kind of arrived to this party very very late since I literally binge-watched the entire show for the first time only last month. I know, I know, like "Hello, self! Why not watch it before?"

Anyway, the absolute thing I adore the most (you probs get this one a lot) is Wally and Artemis' pairing. They work so well with each other and they are the purest things in my life. This show has brought a huge smile to my face during one of my hardest times, and I am beyond grateful to you and all the YJ team for this. My gushing aside, I really wish we'd gotten to see more of their relationship before what happened in the finale with him, and to me, the simple thought that while everyone else in the team grew over the time skip from seasons 1 to 2, they grew together. I have literally no words for how much I adore them. Fine, here comes the questions:

1. Is there anything, any little teeny tiny breadcrumbs of their relationship that you guys developed in regards of their relationship that weren't shown onscreen? i.e why they decided to get Brucely, something, anything please humor me on this one.

2. What are your opinions on them as a couple? Did you and the writers prepare it beforehand or did it just 'happen' as you went along?

3. Did you guys at the studio use Dick's made up words (like aster, traught, whelmed, etc)? Because I do, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the fandom does as well.

4. What is the thing you as a creator missed the most about writing this show?

Bye! And again, thank you so much, Mr. Weissman. For everything. Really. <3

Greg responds...

1. There are a lot of stories in my head.

2. We saw it coming before they did.

3. Sometimes. Whelmed, in particular.

4. Spending time with our voice cast.

Response recorded on July 09, 2021

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fido writes...

Don't you find it amazing that the show which aired in the mid 90's produced a character, who was only in 4 episodes mind you, the Puck... so important and so popular that he has made such an impact on the fan culture... that over 20 years later people are still making new fan art and fics about him on a daily basis. When you created him did you think he would gain such a following?

Greg responds...

I don't know if I thought that about him specifically, but it became clear once Brent Spiner recorded the voice that we had something special there.

Response recorded on July 02, 2021

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Ruman Hassan writes...

Hi Mr. W, I've been a big fan of Young Justice since I was 12 (I'm currently 16) I really love your work on Young Justice and I was wondering if all the original voice actors/actresses will be back for season 3. If that question was a spoiler than my backup question is, what was your most memorable moment from working on Young Justice.
Thank you for reading x Ruman

Greg responds...

We always bring back previously cast voices if they are at all available to us. We only recast if we have no choice.

Response recorded on September 18, 2020

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Anonymous writes...

You once said you held auditions for Impulse, Blue Beetle, Tim and another. Was that Static?

Greg responds...

Yes, at the beginning of S2, we held auditions for Impulse/Bart Allen (Jason Marsden), Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes & Scarab (Eric Lopez), Robin/Tim Drake (Cameron Bowen) and Static/Virgil Hawkins (Bryton James). We already knew we wanted Mae Whitman to play Wonder Girl/Cassie Sandsmark. And we already had Crispin Freeman for Arsenal, Logan Grove for Beast Boy, Yuri Lowenthal for Lagoon Boy, Alyson Stoner as Batgirl, Kevin Michael Richardson for Guardian, and Masasa Moyo as Bumblebee.

Note that for extra security/secrecy, we created a completely non-existent series for Jason, Eric, Cameron, Bryton and others to audition for. They had no idea they were auditioning for Young Justice.

Response recorded on October 15, 2019

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Liv writes...

I want to repost this question like you suggested:
http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=12525

I'm interested in your thoughts (and possibly Brandon Vietti's and Jamie Thomason's as well, if possible) on the casting process for the voices of the main characters of Young Justice. What was/is it that the main cast - Jesse McCartney, Khary Payton, Nolan North, Stephanie Lemelin, Danica McKeller, and Jason Spisak - bring to their respective characters that you, Vietti, and Thomason were looking for? In another question, you answered that the members of Young Justice were chosen based on a variety of factors (i.e. personality, dynamics, etc.). How did that play out in the casting process?

Greg responds...

I'm not going to attempt to speak for Brandon or Jamie, though I'd lay odds our thoughts on this subject are at least similar. But I'll take the original six leads and - one by one - give a little bit about what I remember from ... nearly a decade ago.

B-01 Jesse McCartney as Robin - Jesse was one of the last actors cast, mostly because we were having trouble finding a Robin, and Jesse was part of a second (or third?) round of auditions that we went through in our search. We were looking for someone who could bring the fun of our thirteen-year-old kid. Who could do that gleeful laugh and pull off words like "whelmed" ... and still bring the serious when we needed it. Jesse could do all that. Was that because he himself had been a pro since he was a kid? I don't know. All I can tell you is he brought all those qualities.

B-02 Khary Payton as Aqualad - Khary actually had a strike against him, going in, because he played Cyborg on Teen Titans. As we wanted to distinguish ourselves from that series and Justice League Unlimited, we weren't too inclined to use regulars from those series as regulars in ours. But Khary's audition just nailed it, leaving us no choice. (Thank God.) He instantly "got" the character and instantly mastered that combination of wistful steadfastness, maturity and leadership we were looking for, without making the character suddenly older than his sixteen years. Plus he really nailed that feeling of English-as-a-second-language that we wanted our Atlantean to have.

B-03 Jason Spisak as Kid Flash - As Jamie often said, no one was better than Jason at bringing out his inner douche. Wally had to be both obnoxious and lovable. He had to be smart and a dope. He had to be Robin's best friend and a bit of a pain. Enthusiastic and insecure. Blustering and vulnerable. Jason was able to bring all those contradictions to life.

B-04 Nolan North as Superboy and Superman - This was tricky, too, as we needed someone who could play both Superman (age 33) and his clone Superboy (age 16). Nolan does an amazing job at playing both characters, making them sound distinct and yet genetically the same. Conner had to start out angry but have somewhere to go. There had to be heart and depth beneath his hardened exterior. Nolan did all that.

B-05 Danica McKellar as Miss Martian - We were actually looking for someone who had a bit of experience as a sitcom actress to play M'gann (and eventually Megan Wheeler and Marie Logan). Someone who understood those rhythms but could transcend them, as well. Someone who could play the insecurity that comes with hiding big secrets from the people she's closest to, but also be a bad ass when necessary. Someone who would be unafraid to be soft and (traditionally) feminine and not be hamstrung by that.

B-07 Stephanie Lemelin as Artemis - Artemis needed edge. She was the tough girl, particularly in contrast to Miss Martian. But underneath it, she - like most of the other characters - had some vulnerability and a lot of insecurity because of the secrets she too was hiding. Stephanie brought that edge.

And, of course, all six brought - in addition to their acting skills and intuitive understanding of the character - certain vocal qualities that just felt like they fit the designs of the characters.

Response recorded on October 15, 2019

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Marvelman writes...

"I not only won't confirm or deny that Wally is coming back, I won't even confirm or deny that he's appearing in flashback, or confirm or deny that Jason Spisak is in any way involved with Season Three."

You do realize that there is a video of Jason in the studio with the rest of the season 3 cast, right? I guess he could just be stopping by to say hello to some of his old friends on the cast?

Greg responds...

You do realize that voice actors are in recording studios for all sorts of different series and projects, right?

Response recorded on December 21, 2017

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Matt writes...

Hi Greg.

Been a long while since I've asked you anything here. I hope things are well with you. Sounds like you're busy these days and I'm glad to hear it.

I'm writing to ask you about Gargoyles. It's crazy to think that the property is approaching its 25th year. And very cool to think that "in-universe" Artus and other gargoyles around the world are less than a year away from hatching!

But what I'm writing about is the future of Gargoyles on television, in comics, novels, etc. It feels like the last few years have been very quiet for Gargoyles. The last Gathering is nearly a decade behind us. We've had no new material in even longer. Revisions on GargWiki only trickle in these days. Gargoyles fan sites are steadily being abandoned or dying. Even Ask Greg is far more of a Young Justice site these days. The Comment Room is pretty quiet, a shadow of what it was when I first discovered it over 17 years ago. And we fans are slowly growing older. And with all of these disheartening facts, I'm beginning to lose hope in new Gargoyles material from here on out.

It's hard for me to even admit that. I can remember getting very fired up and launching into pep talks when others would express similar thoughts over the years. Maybe I'm writing this in hopes of getting a pep talk myself. I don't know. Really, I just want to know what your thoughts on the future of Gargoyles is. Good or bad, I'd just like to hear it from the man himself.

Let me be clear: I'm not asking if you've given up on the property. I know that you have never failed to look for an outlet to tell your stories and I know that if you were given a chance you'd happily tell those stories in any medium. I'm just curious about your personal and professional opinion on any future Gargoyles products.

I will always be a fan. I will always love the stories you've told us. I will always have some hope that more stories will be told and I'll be quick to support the property if/when that happens. I'm just feeling like Gargoyles is all in the past. Honestly, am I right? Or am I just being dramatic? And if Gargoyles does have a chance in the future, what can we do to help it along after all these years?

Thanks, Greg. You rock. Thanks for everything!

Greg responds...

Hey Matt,

You're just being dramatic. Which doesn't mean you aren't also right. Which doesn't mean there isn't hope. Confused yet?

Here's a hard truth: Disney bought Marvel and Lucasfilm. Why take a chance on a 25-year-old action property that (to their mind) has an aging/shrinking fanbase when you can exploit sure things like Star Wars and Spider-Man?

That's the big hump right now.

In addition, comic book publishing of Disney's licensed properties has been in disarray. As I'm sure you've noticed, we made some progress with Joe Books... and then it all fell apart. We're now waiting for Joe's license to lapse and are hopeful -actually hopeful - that we can make new comics happen with a new publisher. [Name of new publisher being withheld for now until a deal is made.]

So, no, of course I haven't given up. Gargoyles is my baby, and I'll never give up on it. I hope the fans won't either, but I understand there isn't much new to talk about these days, so it's natural that interest wanes. But I hope if and when there is something new to talk about, the fans will help me launch a campaign to get that new stuff noticed.

I truly believe that our best bet right now is, in fact, comic books. I can tell original canon stories (with little or no interference), and then we can use the comics to demonstrate that the property is still viable, just as we used Netflix to prove that Young Justice was still viable.

I'm also hopeful that once Disney has its own version of Netflix up and running in 2019 (just in time for our 25th Anniversary), that they'll put Gargoyles up there for streaming. Then we can begin a #KeepBingingGargoyles campaign, and who knows what might happen?!

Meanwhile, though it's true we haven't had an official Gathering since 2009, we did have a Gargoyles-convention-within-a-convention that was VERY successful at CONvergence in 2014 in Minneapolis, honoring the show's 20th anniversary. We did all the old Gathering stuff: showed the videos, multiple panels on the subject (including the biology/cultural panel), an original Gargoyles Radio Play, and we had Marina Sirtis, Frank Paur & Greg Guler there, as well. Many old Gargoyles fans showed up, and we had a blast. http://www.convergence-con.org/about/archive/2014-convention/

I'll be back at CONvergence in July of 2018, and although it won't be a full-on Gargoyles convention-within-a-convention again, we will do a Radio Play, and I always do at least one Gargoyles panel.

Plus, I've been talking with a venue to do another Garg-con-within-a-con to celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2019. I'll keep you posted here, but you should think about attending. It'll get the juices flowing.

So, no, don't despair. I'm always pretty upfront about the likelihood of anything happening, and right now it's a bit slim. But down the road, I still see a lot of potential. Stick with us!

Response recorded on December 20, 2017

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Marvelman writes...

Jason Spisak recently teased: "A tiny taste of Wally from the new #TTJudasContract movie for those who can't wait for #YJSeason3!"

I just wanted to say that even if this is reliable, I'm not taking anything for granted. This could mean anything, right? It doesn't mean you're resurrecting Wally. For all we know, Wally could just appear in a flashback.

Greg responds...

I not only won't confirm or deny that Wally is coming back, I won't even confirm or deny that he's appearing in flashback, or confirm or deny that Jason Spisak is in any way involved with Season Three.

Response recorded on June 15, 2017

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Brodie Marschall writes...

Hey, Greg,I've got to tell you something, Josh Keaton, the voice of Spider-Man in Spectacular Spider-Man reprised the character in the Marvel Super Hero Squad video games and Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, And he was going to reprise his role in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, But he was replaced by Drake Bell from Ultimate Spider-Man.
What do you think of this?

Greg responds...

I think Josh is great, and my ideal Spider-Man. So I'm happy whenever he gets to do anything (but especially Spider-Man).

Response recorded on April 07, 2017

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Kaley writes...

Was Snapper Carr supposed to have a larger onscreen role in young justice? In the comic book that the series was based off of he had a much larger role,why did you guys change that when you made the animated series?

Greg responds...

The series was NOT based off the 90s Young Justice comic. That was one of MANY influences, of course. But the series was based on the entire DC Universe and 75 years worth of continuity, and the 1960s and 1970s Teen Titans were easily as great an influence on us as the 90s YJ series was.

Lucas Carr's role was exactly what we wanted it to be. Believe me, since I played the part, I would have loved to have given him more screen time. But we gave him as much as fit in our series, given our limited amount of minutes and episodes.

Response recorded on March 22, 2017

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg! I hope you are doing well and I want to congratulate you for Young Justice season 3 being commissioned. I cannot wait to see it. Here are my questions:

1. How long was your timeline for Spec Spidey, if you had one? I know you had eventual plans to go into Peter's college years and beyond if you had the chance, so I was curious if you had stories, characters, and events such as deaths, graduations, etc. planned out? I'm not asking what stories you wanted to tell but I am curious if you had a long outline, similar to Garg and YJ.

2. Why did you make MJ and Gwen friends in the series? It was a change I loved and considering where Pete and Gwen end up in the comics and where Pete and MJ end up, I thought it was a brilliant idea.

3. For YJ and Spec, was Jamie Thomasson a comic book fan? I ask because I wonder if him being a possible comic book fan helped him cast parts in the show easier. Did he only rely on your scripts or also on other source material?

Can't wait for YJ season 3 and hoping for Garg comics! And I still hold out hope you can write Spider-Man again in another form! Take care Greg and good luck.

Greg responds...

1. I did have one. But I don't remember how long it was, and I don't have access to it here at my Warner Bros office.

2. I didn't come up with it. They were on and off friends in the comics.

3. You'd have to ask him, but I don't recall him being a hardcore geek like me.

Response recorded on March 16, 2017

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Just Some Guy writes...

Hi Greg,
I have some questions regarding Young Justice.
1) I heard you changed your position on the speedforce. Just to be clear, does it actually exist in the Young Justice universe?
2) Why did you choose the same voice actor that did Robin's voice in season 1 (Jesse Mccartney) to do Nightwing's voice?

Greg responds...

1. I don't know that I changed my position as opposed to nuanced it slightly. And even that I did years ago. I'm still not a big fan of the concept. But instead of saying/claiming it doesn't exist, I took a couple steps back and said that no one on Earth-16 has heard of the Speed-Force. Whether or not it "exists" becomes a SPOILER REQUEST.

2. Cuz it's the same person, the same character, i.e. Dick Grayson. Was that not clear? That's like asking why did I chose Nolan North to play Superboy in Season One AND in Season Two. Why in the world would I change actors?

Response recorded on February 28, 2017

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Kolty writes...

So in Young Justice, you cast Bruce Greenwood as Batman, but not John DiMaggio as the Joker. Any reason on ditching that match-up? I find it amusing.

Greg responds...

I don't know why it's amusing. We weren't/aren't in continuity with the Red Hood movie. But we felt Bruce was right for our Batman, and that John's interpretation of Joker wasn't right for our version of the character. Love John's work, however, as any fan of The Spectacular Spider-Man must know.

Response recorded on February 21, 2017

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Addison writes...

Whose voice was hardest to cast in Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Goliath and Elisa. Of course, they were easy to cast once we had found Keith and Sally. But it took us a LONG time to find them both.

Response recorded on February 14, 2017

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R.I.P. Miguel Ferrer

Just a few words about Miguel Ferrer, who passed away yesterday. I won't pretend I knew him very well, but he was always a pleasure to have in the booth. He was the voice of Silvio "Silvermane" Manfredi on The Spectacular Spider-Man, and Bo "Bibbo" Bibbowski and Tribune #1 on Young Justice.

Did I forget anything? Oh, yes. His brilliant portrayal of Vandal Savage in Young Justice, making him one of the most interesting and complex hero/villains I've ever had the pleasure of working on.

His talent - both in material I was involved in and in the many, many things I simply watched as a fan - was immense.

He will be missed.


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James writes...

Hey Greg,

I have some more questions about S2 Ep1 of Spectacular Spider-Man.

1) Did you voice anyone else other than Menken?

2) How did Xander Berkeley land the role of Mysterio?

3) What inspired your version of Mysterio?

4) Where did the idea of the little purple bat things come from? Who voiced them?

I liked the Star Wars reference when Spidey said "May the Spidey Sense be with me."

Greg responds...

1. The truck driver, maybe. I'd have to look at it again.

2. I suggested him. He and voice director Jamie Thomason and I had worked together on GARGOYLES, in which he played Coldsteel, so we knew he'd be great.

3. The comics and the core idea of the character.

4. The Homunculi seemed to fit Mysterio's M.O.

4a. Thom Adcox, Dee Bradley Baker, Steve Blum, Phil Lamarr, Cree Summer and James Arnold Taylor. I loved those little guys and wanted to do a spinoff series with them.

Response recorded on January 20, 2017

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Todd Jensen writes...

In one of your most recent questions, you mentioned, among the characters that Keith David had voiced, somebody named Hades in something called "Kidd/Hero". I was curious about it, googled it, but couldn't find anything about it. Is this a series that hasn't come out yet (at least, at the time that I submitted this question)?

Greg responds...

It's a series that was never made. We tried to sell it. Even created what is called a "Sizzle Reel" for it, with the voices of Keith David and James Arnold Taylor as Hades and Kidd respectively. I think I showed it once at one of the Gatherings. But legal issues and other factors stopped it from ever happening, unfortunately. Too bad, too. It was fun.

Response recorded on January 12, 2017

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Paxton writes...

Was there any actors you considered for Young Justice or any actors that auditioned for main roles that didn't get it?

Greg responds...

You want me to embarrass actors who didn't get cast?

No thanks.

Response recorded on November 02, 2016

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Chris writes...

Hey Greg, big fan of your work and I recently got the Kanan Volume 2 trade and I was wondering what actors do you think best suite the characters in that comic?

Depa
Janus
Kleeve
Gamut Key
Tapsuk

I'd be really interested to reread the two volumes with proper voices in my head.

Greg responds...

I used to do this, but I had to stop. It occurred to me that if I ever had the chance to cast the roles, and if I wound up - for WHATEVER reason - with someone different than the choices I posted here, it would seem like the choices I did get were SECOND choices. That's not fair to those actors.

Sorry.

Response recorded on November 02, 2016

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Alexandra Bryant writes...

How old was Thom Adcox-Hernandez when you asked him to do the voice of Lexington for Walt Disney's Gargoyles in 1994?

Greg responds...

That would depend on how old he was in 1994.

Response recorded on September 30, 2016

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safminako writes...

Do you think Keith David could voice any other of your characters? If so, which ones?

P.S
I am still a fan of the show and totally used jump off of an ironing board trying to fly when I watched Gargoyles as a kid.

Greg responds...

I don't understand what you mean. Keith is amazing, and has done a voice for me on nearly every series I've produced. The list includes Goliath (Gargoyles), Officer Morgan (Gargoyles), Thailog (Gargoyles), Mama (3x3 Eyes), Hades (Kidd/Hero), The Big Man (The Spectacular Spider-Man) and Mongul (Young Justice: Invasion).

Response recorded on September 16, 2016

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Anonymous writes...

This was something I pondered earlier. Who do you picture as the voice of Gnash/Nashville?

Greg responds...

I've stopped revealing that sort of thing. It occurred to me that if I ever got the chance to do the series again - and I hope I do - and I wasn't (for whatever reason) able to get the voice actor I listed here at Ask Greg to play one part or another, I'm setting up the actor who does play the role as a second choice of some kind, which wouldn't necessarily be true.

Response recorded on June 03, 2016

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KHolland writes...

1) if submitting a demo-reel how long should it be?
2) how much would it cost?
3) could you recommend top chooses of animation companies.

Greg responds...

1. I don't know. I've never done that.

2. See above.

3. I don't understand.

If you're interested in voice acting, I'd recommend consulting an expert (i.e. NOT me): https://iwanttobeavoiceactor.com

Response recorded on April 27, 2016

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Joe writes...

I was recently watching the Gargoyles episode "Eye of the Beholder" (which is one of my favorite episodes) and I was curious about one aspect of that episode's production. Was the Werefox's roars, snarls, growls etc. performed by Frank Welker? Some of the effects sound quite similar to other large beasts that Frank has performed. Thanks in advance.

Greg responds...

I don't recall. Was Bronx in that episode? If not, then probably not - as we're not allowed to use Frank's voice without paying him. And I don't think we'd have brought him in ONLY to roar for a guest werefox.

In any case, I'd think most were done with sound effects.

But it was so long ago.

Response recorded on April 20, 2016

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Jacob writes...

Why is it that Rebels is including so many characters from the movies in the show? The pilot featured Obi-Wan Kenobi, Droids in Distress featured R2D2 and C3PO as well as Bail Organa, and the trailer for Season 1 showed Luminara? Is this supposed to be a fun little nod to the movies or way of getting views? Ex. tune in to next week's Rebels episode to see R2D2 and C3PO.

Greg responds...

All of the above - but MOSTLY it's because (a) it's one cohesive universe, so it makes sense to include familiar characters where appropriate and (b) how cool was it for us to get to work with Artoo, Threepio and Antony Daniels?!

Response recorded on February 08, 2016

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Anonymous writes...

Is Janice really fluent in Japanese and what other shows is she in now?

Greg responds...

1. So I'm told. I'm not, so it's not like I could test her.

2. I don't know.

Response recorded on November 13, 2015

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Anonymous writes...

You have stated that to do Dr. Fate's voice Kevin Michel Richardson (the voice of Nabu) and whomever is playing the host (Jason Spisak/Kid Flash, Khary Payton/Aqualad, Lacey Chabert/Zatanna, or Nolan North/Zatara) are recorded saying the same lines. Then in post production, the voices are double-tracked, so the audience hears two voices.

1. What is the process step by step in order to be able to double-track?

2. Is double-tracking something that requires a studio in order to be able to do or could it be done from a smart phone?

Greg responds...

1. Um, it's pretty much what you listed above. It didn't really matter who we recorded first, so that was based on scheduling. If Kevin was in the recording booth first, we'd record Nabu first. If the host body actor was there first, we'd record him or her first. If they were both there, it was sort of Voice Director's choice. We then played the take from whomever recorded first for the second actor, who attempted to match the basic cadence and tempo. But we consciously chose NOT to have the second actor try to match the first exactly. We like those moments when they aren't perfectly aligned. Then during my attended edit of the dialogue, we'd lay those tracks over each other for storyboarding and animation purposes. (It helps that the Helmet of Fate doesn't reveal any lip movements, that might cause confusion between which track to animate.) Finally, in post-production, specifically at the mix session, we'd mix the tracks so that you can hear at least a taste of both flavors.

2. Uh... I don't know enough about smartphones to answer that question. I wouldn't know how to record one track on my smartphone, let alone two, let alone know whether or not I could double track 'em onto a single track.

Response recorded on October 22, 2015

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btgr writes...

In Star Wars Rebels, what other actors did you considered casting for the role of Kanan? Freddie Prinze Jr. recently claims that back in 2010 he almost gave up on acting because he had a bad experience working with Kiefer Sutherland on 24.

Greg responds...

Um, is that a non-sequitor? Or... oh, I see. If Freddie had given up on acting in a parallel universe, who would we have used, right?

But that's just a big hypothetical, and as readers of this site know, those don't interest me much. In THIS universe, Freddie auditioned and secured the role.

Which brings us back to your original question. The honest truth is, I can't off the top of my head remember who else auditioned. But even if I did remember, I wouldn't say. I think it's uncivil to reveal who lost a given role. It's uncivil to that person, because few people like to see their failures enumerated. And it's uncivil to Freddie who then has to live with internet speculation about what it might have been like Comparisons that exist only in the imagination and cannot be tested.

Response recorded on October 02, 2015

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Jenna writes...

hey Greg, i've been a fan of Gargoyles since i was 11 yrs old, i was wondering, how did you come up with the distinct roars, growls and snarls for each clan member? (you can include Demona if you want)

Greg responds...

We worked them out on two levels. First with the various actors and voice director Jamie Thomason. Then with our sound effects editor Paca Thomas at Advantage Audio.

FYI - Advantage Audio is also where we did The Spectacular Spider-Man and where we are currently posting the Rain of the Ghosts AudioPlay.

Response recorded on July 27, 2015

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BR writes...

1.Did Bruce Greenwood's casting of Batman have anything to do with Brandon Vietti Working with him on Batman Under the Red Hood?

Greg responds...

Yes, of course.

Response recorded on July 09, 2015

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Thomas writes...

I absolutely loved Young Justice; it was probably my favor take on the DC universe. Your take on the world and the characters was absolutely perfect. My only "criticism" is that their weren't more episodes or comics expand on earth 16. I especially loved Artemis's character and the fact that DC hasn't incorporated her into the New 52 in a significant way leaves me completely bewildered. I loved the buildup to Darkseid, my favorite comic book villain, because based on the effectiveness of the other villain I really felt like he was going to be a huge threat and finally be portrayed as the brilliant strategist, manipulator, and powerhouse that utterly dwarf the Justice League that Jack Kirby wrote. Hopefully we'll see some of the plans you had for Darkseid in the future.

Was it true John DiMaggio was set to voice Darkseid or was that just BS internet rumors?

I'm really looking forward to Star Wars Rebels.

Greg responds...

We had not cast or even thought about casting Darkseid. Love John, by the way, but I've never even heard his name mentioned for the part as a rumor.

Response recorded on June 29, 2015

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MomoCon 2015

I leave tomorrow for MomoCon 2015. More information on it can be found at their website: http://www.momocon.com/

But here's MY schedule for the weekend:

FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015
BREAKING INTO ANIM 12:30pm - 01:30pm
Main "Villains" Room Omni-International
w/Floyd County Productions

SIGNING 03:30pm - 05:30pm
Autograph Area

YOUNG JUSTICE 08:00pm - 09:00pm
Main "Villains" Omni-International
w/Crispin Freeman

SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2015
SIGNING 11:00am - 12:30pm
Autograph Area

ANIM CREATORS 02:00pm - 03:00pm
"Underdog" A-313
w/Ben Mangum, Mike Reiss

SIGNING 05:30pm - 07:00pm
Autograph Area

SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015
SIGNING 11:30am - 01:00pm
Autograph Area

GARGOYLES 02:00pm - 03:00pm
Main "Villains" Omni-International
w/Keith David

That's right! Both Keith "Goliath" David and Crispin "Red Arrow" Freeman will also be at MomoCon!

As usual, at my autograph sessions, I will happily sign anything you bring along with you for free. But I will also be signing and selling copies of my two novels RAIN OF THE GHOSTS and SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM. ($10 per book, cash only.) If you purchase both books (signed and personalized for $20 cash total), you get a FREE art surprise. I will also be signing and selling copies of my animation and radio play scripts (from GARGOYLES, MEN IN BLACK, STARSHIP TROOPERS, TEAM ATLANTIS, W.I.T.C.H., THE BATMAN, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN, DC SHOWCASE: GREEN ARROW, BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN MEETS GARGOYLES, YOUNG JUSTICE, BEWARE THE BATMAN, GARGOYLES MEETS THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN MEETS YOUNG JUSTICE and KIM POSSIBLE). Each signed and personalized script is $20 cash. I'll also be giving away #RainoftheGhosts AudioPlay postcards for free!

So please stop by and say hello!


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Brittany Uomoleale

Brittany Uomoleale, the voice of Rain Cacique in the Rain of the Ghosts AudioPlay is interviewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2eI7DDklMY


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Nerdy Show Podcast

Eric Lopez (the voice of Blue Beetle) and I, were guests on the Nerdy Show to talk about - surprise, surprise - the Rain of the Ghosts AudioPlay:

http://nerdyshow.com/2015/04/nerdy-show-217-bringing-rain-of-the-ghosts-to-life-with-greg-weisman-eric-lopez/

Check it out!


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Gallifrey One 2015

My next convention appearance is at GALLIFREY ONE 2015, a Doctor Who Convention in Los Angeles.

What does Greg Weisman have to do with Doctor Who, you ask?

Well, nothing really, unless you count being a fan myself as having something to do with it, but I will be doing a number of things while I'm there that aren't Doctor Who related, because, well, because as my friend Chris Jones says, "They keep letting us."

Here's my schedule for Valentine's Day, i.e. Saturday, February 14, 2015:

Autographs - Saturday, February 15, 1:00pm-2:00pm, Autograph Alley
Kaffeeklatsch - Saturday, February 15, 3:00pm-4:00pm, Board Room
A Day in the Life of a TV Writer/Producer - Saturday, February 15, 4:00pm-5:00pm, Program D
Women of Young Justice - Saturday, February 15, 6:00pm-7:00pm, Program D
Young Justice Meet-Up - Saturday, February 15, 7:00pm-8:00pm, Program D

The Women of Young Justice is likely to be a real treat. There's more info (and a terrific graphic) on Chris' Tumbler here:
http://christopherjonesart.tumblr.com/post/110749267743/so-some-of-you-know-greg-weisman-and-i-have-been

But to sum up, we've got:

Stephanie Lemelin - Voice of Artemis
Kelly Hu - Voice of Cheshire
Vanessa Marshall - Voice of Black Canary
Masasa Moyo - Voice of Bumblebee
Lolita Ritmanis - Composer
Greg Weisman - Writer/Producer
Christopher Jones - Comic Book Artist

After the panel, we'll have a more informal meet-up where folks can get a picture taken, an autograph or just chat with Chris and myself (and maybe a couple of the other guests).

As you can see, earlier in the day (and maybe at the Meet-Up), I'll be signing (for free) and selling signed copies of my novels RAIN OF THE GHOSTS and SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM and copies of selected animations teleplays (including GARGOYLES and YOUNG JUSTICE). Scripts are $20 cash. The novels are $10 each, but if you purchase both, I'll throw in signed copies of the original RAIN OF THE GHOSTS development artwork by artist Kuni Tomita for free, as well.

Hope to see a few of you there!


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Mike writes...

How was it working with Peter MacNicol? What brought him to mind when it came to playing his characters from Young Justice & The Spectacular Spider-Man? Do you plan to work with him again when possible?

Greg responds...

I love working with Peter. He's a consummate professional, who makes constantly interesting choices. I've been a fan of his since Dragonslayer, and have loved his various T.V. work. Though I had never worked with him before, I suggested him for Doctor Octopus in Spectacular Spider-Man, because I thought he could capture both sides of the Doctor Octavius we were creating, i.e. the shy, nervous man we first meet, and the megalomaniac he becomes. That worked out so well, that I knew he'd give us a great Professor Ivo on Young Justice and a great Tseebo on Star Wars Rebels. I'd work with him again in a heartbeat. Just need a show. ;)

Response recorded on December 17, 2014

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Kcops writes...

I'm guessing you're a fan of Star Trek? Anyways, you're the man. Gargoyles kicks butt.

Greg responds...

1. I am.

2. I like to think so.

3. Agreed.

;)

Response recorded on December 17, 2014


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