Finister2 writes...

Big fan of your work Mr. Weisman. My plan C in life is to just like you. I'm also autitic, so you may have to accuse some of my more unusuel questions and any spelling mistakes.

1) Are you a fan of Doctor Who?
2) Why did Hagen reveal his plans to use the Lazarus Pit to Talia BEFORE he ectualy used it?
3) What is the "Half-life" Atomic Skull mentions?
4) How old is Zatan...Clayface? (haha, gotcha)
5) Is Superman's reaction to Superboy in anyway inspired by Goliath's reaction to Thailog?
6) Has Hook killed a man named Boston Brand?
7) Does Cadmus know that Superman is Clark Kent?
8) Who is Talia's mother and what happened to her?
9) How did Clayface know of the relationships within the Team to decieve them?
10) Who did the vocal effects for Clayface, Captain Cold, Mammoth, Blockbuster, Devastation, Shimmer and Tuppence Terror?

Kevin writes...

1.How many members did the Justice Society/All Star Squadron have and who were they?
2.Who is stronger Blockbuster or Mammoth?
3.What are the main differences between the Blockbuster formula and Kobra Venom?
4.Do red or white martians have any abilities that green martians do not have?
5.Are the three martian races a nod to Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom Series or is it just a coincidence?
6.What is the ratio of red, white and green martians on Mars?
7.Did Batman, Superman, or any other member of the Justice league have different costumes then the ones they ues now?
8.Who is stronger Aquaman or Martian Manhunter?
9.Who came up with the idea to have the designations of the founding members of the league based on the order they appeared? Not to sound like a sycophant but that idea is just brilliant.
10.12. Not really a question I just wanted to say that Mark Rolston as Lex Luthor and Miguel Ferrer as Vandal Savage are some of the best interpretations of the characters I have ever seen. Not to disrespect the other talented actors but Mark Rolston could convince me to give him my life savings and Miguel Ferrer makes me afraid of the dark as strange as that sounds.

Chris Spider writes...

Hello again, this time I wanted to ask a few voice acting questions:

-Is there a story behind your "Father, the rockets aren't working!" bit in the Panda-La episode of Talespin (i.e. how you were tasked with doing it)?

-Do you and your co-producers like Frank, Victor, or Brandon select casting and voice directors, or are there "casting calls" for positions like that? I ask because you've made quite a good partnership with Jamie Thomason on Gargoyles, Spider-Man, and Young Justice.

-How do auditions work for main, supporting, and guest characters respectively? I ask because it seems like you hand-pick past favorites for guest stars like Ed Asner, Brent Spiner, Lacey Chabert, Bill Fagerbakke, etc., and I was curious as to how that differs from the main and supporting audition process.

Thanks again,
Chris Spider

Mohammed Yahya writes...

Dear Greg, Why is Black Canary voiced by Vanessa Marshal instead of a younger actress like Grey Delisle? And Why is Joker voiced by Brent Spiner? The reason for Mark Hamill retiring as the Joker is because he's getting to old for it, So why pick a man 62 years of age instead of someone younger like John Dimaggio, KMR, or James Patrick Stewart?

Blair writes...

Hi Greg. I just want to start this off by saying that I appreciate all the time and effort you put into answering these questions.

Although I enjoy nearly every aspect of the show, I've noticed that a particular strength of Young Justice is the incredible voice acting. Do you know if footage will ever be released of the actors recording some of their lines? I think it would be incredibly fun to watch their expressions, movements, et cetera while they voice their different characters. It would be especially amusing to see the expressions on both Jason Spisak and Stephanie Lemelin's faces while recording their individual parts for an argument between Wally and Artemis.

Once again, thank you so much, and amazing job on the show so far!

Algernon writes...

Hey Greg,

Just wanted to stop by and say how much I LOVED "Secrets". It's easily my new favourite episode of the show. Ben Diskin's portrayal has got to be one of the creepiest things I've ever seen in western animation.

Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg (is it okay to call you by first name?),

I'm puzzled as to why some of the superheroes of the Justice League do not have any voice actors yet? Is it really hard to find the right kind of people to do voice acting for certain characters?

Thanks for reading my question.

Jason R. Carter writes...

1. What is Earth-16 Clark Kent like to the outside world? Judging by how relatively disheveled he looked in "Schooled", he seems the clumsy nerd from the Donner movies.

2. Besides you voicing Snapper Carr and Nicole Dubuc voicing Iris West-Allen, will any of the other writers be voicing characters on Young Justice?

3. If Earth-16 Ma and Pa Kent were really Jor-El and Lara, what stopped them from using their powers like Superman does?

Jeremy writes...

I'm a big fan of your cartoon shows(Gargoyles,Spectacular Spiderman,and Young Justice)
My question is who voiced Wotan in Revelation

Corrigan writes...

Besides Kim Possible have you worked with Christy Carlson Romano in any other cartoons? She's a great voice actress but very very underused. I hope you'll be able to work with her again.

Greg Bishansky writes...

I've been up since early in the morning, I'm still recovering from the flu, I spent all day running around New York Comic Con, and I will be doing the same tomorrow. I need a lot of sleep. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to miss out on watching and reviewing "Young Justice."

This was, to use a term coined by J. Michael Straczynski, a wham episode. So much happened, and fast. A lot of action, a lot of suspense and, yes, a big revelation. Although one that, I think, was guessed by many people before the episode aired. I will elaborate on that momentarily.

Giant plant creatures are terrorizing the world, and are being organized, seemingly, by the Injustice League. Count Vertigo, Wotan, Poison Ivy, Black Adam, Ultra Humanite, and the Joker. The Justice League faces the plant creatures while The Team are sent in to take down the villains' means to control the plants, ergo facing the villains.

The biggest surprise of this episode was Aqualad using the helmet of Dr. Fate to defeat the Injustice League, particularly Wotan. The battle was very suspenseful, and I was actually glad that in addition to Dr. Fate, The Team was bailed out by the Justice League. I think it would have strained credibility if The Team was able to defeat the Injustice League on their own.

The episode ends with both the League and The Team thinking they've defeated the secret society of villains that have been conspiring against them before we finally cut to Vandal Savage, and the revelation of the identities of The Light. The only real surprise in this line-up was Klarion, as action figure photos from ToyFair and those playing cards that were given away at San Diego Comic Con pretty much gave away everybody else, except for Ra's al Ghul and Lex Luthor who were revealed as members back in "Targets."

I like this line-up. A lot. I am especially excited that Vandal Savage is clearly the head honcho in this organization instead of Lex Luthor. I remember being rather disappointed when "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited" were airing and after introducing Vandal Savage, who had all the makings of a great Big Bad that would have helped the series better achieve their own identity, they defaulted (constantly) to Lex Luthor which helped make these series look more like direct sequels to "Superman the Animated Series."

I'm also very interested to learn more about what drives him. The way he uses the word "light" makes me think that, to him, this is more than just a cool name for his little secret society. This is a word that sums up something he deeply believes in. I also like his design, he looks like a savage and a neanderthal. I am curious to learn where those three scars across his face came from. Hmm... did he have a run in with a certain demon in Scotland back in the Dark Ages?

The voice cast in this episode was quite interesting. First, I rather enjoyed Brent Spiner as the Joker. His performance has been getting some mixed reviews across the internet. I personally thought it was terrific, but there were times when it felt wrong to me too. And I know exactly why it did, because we've imbibed Mark Hamill as the Joker for nineteen years now. Hamill owns that role, at least as far as voice work goes. That's a lot to live up to, but I think Spiner will rise to the challenge and while he will never own the Joker the way Hamill does, he is already a worthy one.

Alyssa Milano sounded great as Poison Ivy, but I can tell she's new at voice acting. This is not a knock, with more time to play this character, and especially with a genius like Jamie Thomason directing her, I'm sure she will grow into it. I am reminded of Emma Samms in "City of Stone Part One," and how she grew as a voice actor by the time part four aired.

And I loved hearing Steve Blum again. He's been a favorite of mine for a long time.

The only things that felt a little bit odd to me was Wotan being a part of a group that was trying to ransom $10 billion. I'll admit, before tonight, I had never heard of Wotan. After the episode aired, I looked him up on wikipedia, and based on what I read, a ransom scheme doesn't seem like his style. He seems like someone who plays at higher stakes. Likewise, Klarion, seems too petty and impatient to be a part of an organization like The Light. But time, and more episodes will tell. This production team chose these characters for these positions for a reason, and Greg Weisman has not erred on his previous shows.

The other thing, I felt Aqualad was able to remove the helmet a little too easily. Yeah, he mentioned that Kent Nelson helped, but I hope the next time someone puts that helmet on, taking it off does not come so easily.

This episode was a real game changer, and it leaves me pumped to see what comes next. So far, this show has taken time to grow on me. I liked it, a lot. It's an A+ show, easily. But "Gargoyles" and "Spectacular Spider-Man" were A+ shows with a lot of extra credit. But now, for the first time, I am pumped on this show. I think the extra credit is about to be turned in.

Oh, and if you didn't love Artemis's line about feeling naked and not in the fun way, you have no soul.

A. writes...

Who Voices Billy Batson?

When are you going to put The End Credits on the website?

Is James Remar vocing Hawkman?

Hayden writes...

Hey. I love Young Justice so much! My friends consider me a tomboy since I love that much.
1. Do Green Lanterns have powers in YJ, or does the ring provide all their powers?
2. Kid Flash mentioned that Green Lantern helped hollow out the Cave. Was he talikng about Hal or John?
3. Who are planning to voice the two Lanterns?

Anthrokid writes...

IF Harley Quinn appears will we see her teamed up as a duo with Poison Ivy, on Young Justice?
And if so, who are doing their voices?

Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! First of just wanted to say that I'm absolutely loving the Young Justice series, it's fantastic (particularly Home Front!) I just have a few questions about the process of voice recording for Young Justice.
1) Do the voice actors record in the same studio and interact with each other during the recording? Or do you often have to record separately due to conflicting schedules?
2) How long does it typically take to record each episode?
3) Who generally directs the voice actors during recordings?
4) Do the actors input their own suggestions for how the characters may react in a certain situation?
5) Does the script go through 'last minute' revisions during the recording?

Thank you so much for taking the time for looking at all the fan's questions and I look forward to seeing the rest of season 1 and 2!

hallofjustice writes...

Me again Greg just a quick question,

If Lucas "Snapper" Carr appears in another DC cartoon, would you want to voice him again?

hallofjustice writes...

YJ feedback and things I would like to say about Barbara Gordon:

Greg, I would like to say I am very very happy that you've casted Jesse McCartney and Alyson Stoner as Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon and that they are now some of my favourite YJ characters. If Dick and Barbara weren't voiced by any "good talented" Disney stars, they would have been boring characters.

I don't know about you Greg. But since she's voiced by a "good talented" Disney star I really felt Barbara's personality is leaning towards "Christy Carlson Romano" territory after watching her appearance and attitude on your show. It's a good thing BTW. Oh and I would love to see more appearances of Barbara.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Thank you for your informative reply on my Betty Brant post. Now, and this is a question I've been pondering for a while, how did you go about your approach to Aunt May?

I love Stan Lee's run on Spidey, but this is one of the few cases where I have to admit that I greatly preferred other writers' takes on the character. Stan's Aunt May was constantly in and out of the hospital... and constantly, dimwitted. I preferred Roger Stern, Tom DeFalco, J.M. DeMatteis, and J. Michael Straczynski's takes on the character.

I can forgive and understand her being overprotective. It's been mentioned later that she had lost a child, and Ben's death was just as traumatic for her as it was for Peter. But what always seemed unreasonable for me was how she thought Dr. Octopus was a good and nice man. She didn't realize that she was being held hostage, that he was a dangerous supervillain, or even that he had these giant metal arms attached to him. And then there was the story where she took him on as a border. I'm not even going to get into that weird story where she almost married him... but that wasn't Stan, that was Gerry Conway.

Your Aunt May, while being protective of Peter, wasn't overprotective to the point of absurdity. And one of my favorite Aunt May scenes was in "Group Therapy" where she stood up to the entire Sinister Six to prevent them from attacking Spidey. And Ock's almost gentlemanly approach insisting that she step aside was, I think, a nice nod to Ock liking her in the comics. I also loved that she never referred to Spidey as "that awful Spider-Man!"

So, what did you think was the core truth of Aunt May? How did you go about interpreting her in your show?

Greg Bishansky writes...

Terrors
And "Young Justice" returns in a big way with what has become a staple of Greg Weisman shows, the prison episode. Okay, I know a lot of shows utilize this, but Weisman really, really loves this trope. "Leader of the Pack" and "Turf." "J Is For Jewel." "Group Therapy" and "Opening Night." All good stuff. Great stuff

Batman sends Superboy and Miss Martian undercover as the Terror Twins inside Belle Reve Penitentiary to find out why all the ice villains from the pilot are there. Well, Icicle Jr and Mr. Freeze both demanded their lawyers transfer them there from, well, easier places to be incarcerated. As the episode ends, Superboy and Megan finally kiss (AND IT DIDN'T TAKE THEM THIRTEEN OR SIXTY-FIVE EPISODES!) as we discover the whole escape attempt was a ruse to have Amanda Waller removed as warden, and for the Light's own agent, Dr. Hugo Strange to take her place.

I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. I still don't know jack about DC Comics, but I enjoyed both Icicles. I kept on wondering who Icicle Sr was voiced by, it kept nagging at me... and, OF COURSE! James Remar! I could have sworn Icicle Jr was voiced by James Arnold Taylor, maybe because I was getting a Harry Osborn vibe from him at times... son trying, in vain, to please his sociopathic father. Guess Junior there doesn't take the Code of Icicle seriously. *ducks as tomatoes are thrown* I could not resist.

I do admit, I am curious as to why Superboy was chosen for this mission. He was well programmed, don't get me wrong. But he was also practically born yesterday and found in a Cadmus lab. That doesn't seem to be ideal to me. But looking through the rest of The Team's male line up, I can't think of anyone else that would fit.

Miss Martian was far less grating in this episode. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of the Miss Martian haters, but she is my least favorite member of The Team. But it was nice to have less of her 50's sitcom attitude here, and I admit that I enjoyed Superboy calling her on it in their therapy session with Dr. Strange. I'm not saying it's bad. In fact, I am sure there will be significant pay-off for it. I'm just saying it's not my favorite aspect of the show.

Now, if I may, I need to address some comments I have seen where people say they don't believe that these two characters can possibly be truly in love, and are dismissing it all as poorly thought out. I think they are missing the point. These are teenage hormones. The connection there is that they both think the other one is hot. It's like Romeo and Juliet. They are young, they dig each other, and they might think they're in love. But it is all hormones mixed with a not fully matured psyche. Right now this might be the most important thing in the world, just as Romeo and Juliet did, but Romeo and Juliet also died young. Had they lived long enough to mature, they might have seen their tryst and secret marriage as a mistake. Assuming Superboy and Miss Martian survive, I don't see them as a couple, let's say, five years down the line. It's a huge teenage crush, and those tend to be pretty consuming. But that's my analysis and it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.

Finally, I loved the Riddler's cameo. All the crap he got, all the disrespect, and he was the one who managed to escape. Hope to see him again down the line, but knowing how Weisman loves to lay pipe and plant seeds, I am confident we will.

Great episode.

Jokerfish writes...

So I just finished watching Terrors and may I say; well done sir, well done. I loved all of it; from the awkwardly long kiss to Icicle Jr. (who I'm guessing doesn't have a lot of friends- because surely that habit of hitting on his friend's sister would have been knocked out of him by now if he did.)

So I'd like to ask you important, insightful questions but that's not my style so sit back for pointless tedium.

1. In the episode, after the news report of Martian Manhunter’s (I'm sure stunning) defeat of Headmaster, Freeze said that they now knew what all the leagues were doing except Red Tornado. What were the other members up to? Or is this a case where you knew story-wise they were all busy but you have better things to do then spend your day slaving over the particulars?

2. Was Superboy's disguise for this mission a dye job and a hair cut?

3. If the answer to 2 was yes, is being poor at disguises hereditary? Because that's a trait I'd slap onto Superman too.

Okay now for something a little more obscure...

I don't know why but I've fallen in love with prison guard Wilcox; to the point that I've given him a fictitious first name (Fitzwilliam) and a vague background (he grew up tough until he hit puberty, then… he grew up tougher) so...

4. Is Wilcox a dc character that's making a cameo in this episode or is he just a random character you created to fill a role? I tried to google this on my own but the only two Wilcoxs I would find was Laureen Wilcox and William Wilcox- Laureen is defiantly a woman and William has less of a back story than the one I've given Fitzwilliam Wilcox…

5. Who voiced Wilcox?

Anonymous writes...

Marina Sirtis has a lovely British accent. Why does she always do an American accent on your shows? (Though I love her voice in any way)

spence writes...

A few questions about voice-over.

1) Is it recorded before the episode is animated?

2) How long does it take from recording the voice work until the episode is completely finished?

3) Do all actors get together in the room when recording one episode?

4) Are you present?

Mr. Mysterie writes...

PLEASE tell me by the grace of GOD that you some how got Mark Hamill. I know Vietti worked DiMaggio and he did a good job but No One is close to Mark. But no i'm kidding. But can you tell me who the man behind the Joker's smile this time around. Oh and I can't wait for this friday's new episode. A entire prison full of villians has to call for cameos.

Chris Spider writes...

So glad Young Justice is back! Anyway, I just had a few questions this time around:

1. Is there any particular reason you decided to cover much of the backstory for characters like Kid Flash, Miss Martian, and Robin in Issue #5 of the tie-in comic instead of the show itself? It's an interesting decision, to say the least.

2. How closely did you work with the writer of the first six issues of the book?
3. How many retakes do you generally have to do? MOI's animation for the show has been incredible so far, so I wondered if there were hiccups like you had in, say, Gargoyles.

4. Did BS&P really not catch that quick panty shot of Chesire? I was rather amazed you guys got away with it.

5. Mark Rolston is an intriguing choice for Lex, having only done a little previous VO work, and none with you guys. How did you, Brandon and Jamie come to cast him in the role?

Anyway, can't wait to see where the show goes next!

Richard Jackson writes...

Having watched the first 10 episodes and read the first 9 comics (I'm including #0 and FCBD), I can really see how the show is rewarding repeat viewings. I can go back and look how someone said something and see it another away. Also, with the show playing out in real time and cast of dozens of heroes reminds me a lot of one of my favorite series, Astro City. I don't know if you've read the comic, but I assure it's a compliment of the highest order.

When I rewatched "Welcome to Happy Harbor", I noticed Lucas Carr and "Schooled", I finally noticed the LexCorp truck. I love things like that.

Can you give the story on how you were cast as Lucas Carr? Obviously, you're the producer, but who suggested the role for you and why were you attracted to playing Lucas Carr? By the way, I like Lucas "Snapper" Carr.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Targets

This is a show that, I swear, gets better with each episode. I've been enjoying the Red Arrow character since the first episode, so I really dug this episode. He had a lot of character development, and while I can't see him joining the team yet, I do think the door is open for it.

Sportsmaster and Cheshire both make welcome returns. And Cheshire is a character that has really grown on me. I love the chemistry she has, not just with Red Arrow, but with everyone. Kelly Hu is doing a magnificent job with that character. So are the writers and animators. She just personifies the sexy badass, and I am eager to see more of her.

As for Sportsmaster, well, I still don't know too much about him. But I am told he is a D-List villain in the comics who is really shining in this series. He's intimidating, badass, and I guess I'm eager to see more of him to. And while we're talking about villains, for the first time in this series, two of the DC Universe's A-List villains have finally been formally introduced.

I was really happy to see Ra's al Ghul, he's one of my favorite Batman villains. Oded Fehr did a great job with his voice, even if I'll have to take some time to get used to it. I guess David Warner's voice has just imbibed itself into my brain for that character, that Fehr has a lot to live up to. But I enjoyed his performance and I am eager to hear more of him. I also enjoyed his skills not just as a leader, but as an assassin. With just pure skill he knew Red Arrow was watching his meeting with Cheshire and Sportsmaster and from where. Very cool. This is why he's the master of the League of Shadows.

And then, there's Lex Luthor. Lex is a character I have never, ever liked. I'm not quite sure why, it's like oil and water with me. I've always thought of him as the poor man's David Xanatos, even years before I ever met the character of David Xanatos. I don't know why. That being said, I did enjoy Mark Rolson's performance as Lex, he brought a lot of charisma to the role. Clancy Brown did the same thing for Lex Luthor too, loved the performance even if I still didn't like the character. Will this version of Lex break the mold and make me like the character? Time will tell. But Greg Weisman managed to make me like Venom, a character I've always detested. Again, time will tell.

Also, looks like we can finally, officially, identify two members of the Light. Oded Fehr voiced L-2, and Mark Rolston voiced L-3. May I just say, and I understand that this might be a bit petty, how ecstatic I am that Lex Luthor is not L-1? If these numbers are indeed a rank, then I would have been disappointed if Lex, again, took center stage. That's one of the reasons why the "Justice League" cartoons disappointed me, because they put too much emphasis on Lex Luthor (who already had that in the Superman cartoon that preceeded it) and not enough on a guy like Vandal Savage, who's appearances in "Justice League" really impressed me and who I felt should have been the main antagonist of that show.

The school scenes were pretty fun, although I was wondering why Superboy needed it, or a secret identity at all. But then, knowledge aside, Superboy could definitely benefit from learning more social skills, so I understand it. Miss Martian too, who seems to have learned everything about interacting with humans from a 50's sitcom.

And who is that, voicing the teacher. Hmm... someone couldn't resist now, could he? ;)

BTW, I loved the origin of the Conner Kent alias, and where they all think the "Kent" part came from.

lou-bert vs. q-bert writes...

Hi Greg, thank you for connecting to everyone. Fifteen years later, I'm sure questions about "The Kiss" never end, so who am I to part with tradition?

>It is my understanding that, for soap operas and/or ongoing series, actors do get sprung some story-surprises in their scripts. Although it was likely 1 to 2 pages of script, was "The Kiss" that kind of surprise for Salli Richardson and Keith David?

>Did they record their dialogue together? because it was extraordinarily acted.

Antiyonder writes...

In addition to being right for the part, was casting Morgan Shepperd as Erik Hellstrom (Atlantis: Milo's Return) done as a nod to his role of Odin on Gargoyles?

Cal writes...

Greg this is another question I am really dying to ask. Why in modern cartoons, they never cast any Simpsons voice actors, but they always do cast Futurama voice actors especially John DiMaggio? Nearly every cartoon I watched I always hear "Bender"'s voice and I'm always keep thinking that everybody likes Bender a lot these days. I'm also certain you have worked with Futurama voice actors before.

Foxwolf writes...

Hi Greg

First of all, I must compliment the show on it's amazingly beautiful animation. It's like animated movie quality in every episode.
Anyway, I run a website called Behind The Voice Actors and am been the editor on the Young Justice page. Right now, all the characters displayed in the shows credits are on the site, but I was wondering if I could ask you if you knew who voiced these other unnamed characters?

Independence Day
- Fireman

Fireworks
- Dr Spence

Welcome To Happy Harbor
- Happy Harbor Police Officer

Drop Zone
- Kobra Member

Schooled
- Star Boston Driver
- Star Manhattan Driver (is he the one with the beard?)

Infiltrator
- Wally's School Teacher
- WayneTech Security Guard
- WayneTech Cafe

Downtime
- Squad Leaders
- Science Center Guard (Kelly Hu?)

Bereft
- Scientist #1
- Scientist #2

And also one last question for my own curiosity. I was wondering if each of the Justice Leaguers that haven't already been voiced (WW, Hawks, Green Lanterns) will appear by seasons end?

Appreciate your time
Foxwolf

Anonymous writes...

Can the members of the Light be discerned by their voice actors? Especially if one known character has the same voice actor as one of the members?

Without getting into too many details, can you say anything about the selection of characters to be part of the Light? Were you looking for a broad overview of the different corners of the DC universe?

Thank you for the entertaining show!

Cal writes...

Hi Greg, I've got questions regarding the YJ episode "Downtime".

1.Were any Atlantis guards and Black Manta's men killed during the battle?

2.If yes to Q1, why did Aquaman only mentioned the injured guards and not the dead ones?

3.What foreign language was Aquaman and Aqualad speaking in this episode?

4.Was that Jeff Bennett voicing Alfred? if not who?

5.Was that really Patrick Warburton voicing that TV ad before Artemis' mum turns off the TV? It sounds like him. If not who?

PS: I really like the designs of Black Manta's men as well as their weapons.

Cal writes...

Hi Greg,
I've just watch the YJ episode "Denial" and I did enjoyed it. Thanks for letting Jeff Bennett reprise his role as Abra Kadabra from B:TB&TB onto YJ. Oh and Kent Nelson seriously does sound like Adam West even though he isn't voiced by him.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Infiltrator

Another week, and another new episode of "Young Justice." This series just gets better and better. The line-up is finally complete as Artemis joins the team.

I had a feeling Artemis was going to be my favorite member of the team, and the episode did not disappoint. She was intriguing from the get-go. Who is she? How come no one seems to have heard of her before. When Green Arrow introduced her as his niece, something just felt off. Well, the theme of the show seems to be Secrets and Lies, and so far they're doing it beautifully.

At the end of the episode, when Cheshire and later Speedy... er, I mean, Red Arrow, had their little confrontations with Artemis, I cannot say I was surprised. But still intrigued.

The League of Shadows served as this episode's antagonist. I think that was Sensei issuing the orders, but at the end he was speaking to the Light, and one particular member I don't think we've heard speak before this episode. If Sensei called him master, than I think we can safely identify him as Ra's al Ghul. Ra's knows Batman's real identity, and I cannot believe for a second that the attack on WayneTech wasn't a ploy to hack the Batcave.

As for the other new characters, I really, really liked Cheshire. I am interested in seeing her relationship with Artemis explored, not to mention that being a sucker for dark-eyed brunettes, she was hot. And she kicked a lot of ass.

I spotted the evil Spider-Man character, who wikipedia tells me is named Black Spider. After Weisman's previous series, "The Spectacular Spider-Man," I got a kick out of seeing him. I especially got a kick when I realized who was voicing him. None other than the spectacular Spider-Man himself, Josh Keaton. I'd recognize that impact grunt anywhere. My brother recognized him too.

No idea who the third assassin was.

It was nice to see Speedy again, and even nicer to see he has gone his own way as Red Arrow. But best of all was not just seeing him being an angry jerk. He still cares about his friends. That icy warning to Artemis at the end was the best development he's had all season. Looking forward to seeing more of him.

But, by far, the biggest surprise of the episode was Wally NOT hitting on a girl, specifically Artemis. He's hit on everything else that lacks a penis, but not Artemis. I wonder if that will change, or if he is always going to see her as his buddy's replacement.

The biggest laugh of the episode goes to the segments showing why telepathically linking a group of teenagers together is a bad idea. It reminded me of that episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" where Buffy gained telepathic powers.

But this episode left a lot of questions. I understand why Artemis is lying. But why was Green Arrow lying about who Artemis is? Was Batman in on it? If now, you'd think he'd vet new recruits better. Was the Light talking about Artemis at the end, or are we being misdirected? Well, it's either her or Superboy, who was created to be their weapon. I've noticed the Light don't seem broken up about him being in enemy hands, and you'd they would.

Curious...

Algernon writes...

“Schooled” Review

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Yo Greg, sorry I’ve kinda fallen behind with these reviews but life sometimes gets in the way. Anyway, I enjoyed this ep a lot. I have to admit I did find Superboy’s anger issues a bit one not in “Welcome to Happy Harbor” even though I did understand why it was so. Lets face it, being raised in a tube by psychic goblins is probably going to leave you a little lacking in social skills. But this ep, (and to a certain extent “Drop-Zone”) has done a great job of letting us see other sides of his character, as well as exploring the underlying reasons for all that anger.

I particularly liked his exchange with Clark, poor kids practically giving Big Blue puppy dog eyes. Not that I don’t sympathise with Clark. Even with the best will in the world, dealing with your own clone/son has got to be a pretty daunting prospect. If I were brutally honest, I’d have to admit Clark is handling this way better then I would be. I know if I met a clone of myself, my first instinct would probably be to reach for a torch and pitch fork. Hardly the rational or ethical response I’ll readily admit, but luckily the Man of Steel is a lot more level headed then me.

Loved Peter MacNicol as Professor Ivo, he brought a great sense of humour and menace to the character without making him sound like a clone of Doc Ock. I just dig the idea tha this short skinny middle-aged nerd is able to strike terror into the hearts of the Justice League. I also noticed that his character design has a very similar colour scheme to AMAZO, red hair and green clothes. I loved this because it neatly explains AMAZO’s goofy silver design, Ivo designed the android to basically look like and idealised version of himself, brilliant! Hope we see the M.O.N.Q.I.s again. J

Black Canary was pretty cool, it’s good to hear Vanessa Marshall again. I’ve heard she’s your favourite DC character so I’m interested to see how you handle her.

All and all another great ep, I’ll try and get my “Infiltrator” review up sometime tomorrow.

Cal writes...

Will any Kim Possible voice actors be working on YJ? I only asked because you and Nicole Dubuc have written episodes for both shows.

Paul writes...

1) In Young Justice, what is the codename of Hawkman's partner in the Justice League: Hawkgirl or Hawkwoman?
2) Is her real name Shayera Hol or is it something else?
3) Is she romantically linked to Green Lantern (John Stewart) or Hawkman in Young Justice?
4) I asked you before about how much of Justice League/Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans you had seen and was just wondering if you're thinking of resuming watching either of them? I ask this because they're both great shows and seeing them in their entirety would prevent you from accidentally using an idea that was done on one of those shows.
5) Did/would you ever consider recasting some of the voice actors from other DC cartoons in the same role on Young Justice? (To give an example, Tara Strong as Raven on Teen Titans.)

tomi writes...

I really enjoyed these first preview episodes of Young Justice. And perhaps even moreso than that i enjoyed to hear Crispin Freeman to return back to your services: i think he made fantastic work as both Speedy and Guardian, and eventhough you can still hear a bit that it is the same actor, he made it possible for those two characters to be divided and personified from one and another.

He was excellent as Electro, and i was fan of him before that(i came hooked sometimes around i first saw first few episodes of Wolf,s Rain).

From what i,ve been able to gather, he seems to be not only true professional, but also smart, intelligent guy with great thoughts, coupled with sharp and delightful sense of humor. I have seem him to appear in many of Gatherings(often paired with good old Thom Lexington Adcox), and i,ve heard that he was fan long before your paths crossed, often discussing with his fans about serie,s themes.

If it isnt too much trouble, could you give little bit of greenlight how you two met, and how your cooperation began?

Hopes for better to your work from fan from far-off-land Finland: maybe there arent too many Finnish Gargfans, but i am one of them.

Pidä lippu korkealla!/Keep your spirits high!

Stephanie writes...

I searched some of the archives and I don't think you've answered this, but what was your main inspiration for the creation Thailog's character? He was definitely one of my most favorite antagonists in the show, as well as Demona and Xanatos.

P.S.
Young Justice was amazing! :)

BonnieB21:-) writes...

Long time lurker, first time poster!

I've been trying to think of some questions I know no one else has thought of before. It's taken me a while, but I finally got them.

I've been a fan of Spiderman all my life and have watched EVERY cartoon version either in syndication, on cable, or when they originally aired. I was rewatching "Along Came Spidey" the origin of Spiderman from Spiderman And His Amazing Friends last night (a gorgeous episode, one of the best of the series and the BEST of his various origin stories (present company excluded)). But I believe this was the last time his full story was told. As in before Spiderman became a crime fighter, he was a "plain, old, SUPERSTAR!!!!!". I saw your Spectacular Spiderman origin and I had to ask you this:

I know you had to/wanted to keep towards Spiderman's live action movie origin which rushes through all the pre-crime fighting stuff. But if you could've, would you have explored Spidey's fame-whoring past? Cause I've always wondered why no one else in New York City, no other fans, or no one else remembers Spidey's pro-wrestling, personal appearance making, TV show guest starring past. If J. Jonah Jamision had a reason for hating Spiderman, I would think that would be it.

I used to watch '60s Spiderman every morning in syndication before going to school. But I hadn't seen it in a very long time until ABC Family/Disney reran a bunch of old Spidey episodes, but only one of '60s Spidey. The interesting thing about Peter Parker/Spiderman is that Peter talks in a mild mannered, soft spoken voice in his real life but once he dons the mask, his voice got deeper and more authoritative. That was the only series that had such a huge differnce between Peter and Spidey.

On Spectacular Spidey, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the way Peter sounds and the way Spidey sounds. Was there a reason for that? For the most part, Peter's and Spidey's lives don't connect too much (as in Spidey doesn't have to have long conversations with Peter's friends). But I would think at least of one person be it Aunt May, Gwen, or M.J. would be able to tell Peter's voice over a cell phone and Spiderman sound an awful lot alike.

Thanks for taking the time to answer fan questions!

Neal writes...

Questions regarding some of the actors you have worked with:

1. I know you have casted Xander Berkeley in some of your shows in the past, do you have any plans on casting his wife Sarah Clarke in any of your future projects?

2. Has Peter MacNicol told you about his time on Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie? To refresh your memory, he played that art curator David Langley who exists to have his life destroyed by Mr Bean. Very funny movie BTW.

Richard Jackson writes...

When Gargoyles first came on, I was in elementary school (4th grade), but I knew who the main actors on Gargoyles were and I knew a lot of them were in Star Trek. When I went to see Star Trek: First Contact in 5th grade, (that's how I "reckon time" as Titania would say) I noticed that Jonathan Frakes was the director and I knew he was one of the stars, along with Marina Sirtis. I don't think I knew at the time that Michael Dorn or Brent Spiner were Gargoyles/Star Trek actors, but let's move on.

Right about the time ST:FC came out, it was about the time The World Tour episodes were on TV and I noticed that Demona and Xanatos were in less episodes. I wondered then if Frakes and Sirtis' commitment to that film was one of the reasons for the World Tour episodes, since their availability might have decreased.

I know now from reading the archives that the in show reason was to open up the Gargoyles Universe, but my inner child still wants to know if his theory has any weight.

Alan writes...

For Young Justice, are you planning to get voice actors who were in your other projects (Gargoyles, TSSM) and did you worked with Jamie Thomason in your shows?

Con writes...

How did Crispin Freeman manage to find work in American cartoons? Before that he mostly works on anime.

Bryan writes...

Hello Greg,

I watched the pilot for Young Justice, and it was phenomenal. I love this original concept you and Brandon are creating by taking inspiration from past shows and comics. This show will certainly be a hit and hope it goes on for many seasons to come. The question I wanted to ask, was whether Keith David would be voicing any of the characters on this show?

LaLaLa writes...

When Young Justice dvd's get released, is there any footage of the actors doing their voices in the recording rooms for it?

Anonymous writes...

Why didn't Neal McDonough reprised his role as Green Arrow from that DC Showcase onto YJ? Was he unable to?

tomi writes...

I saw premiere of Young Justice, and once agains, brilliant job well done!

I was just wondering, who,s voice director on that series?
My two guesses would be either Andrea Romano( since She has directed almost all existing animation adaptations of DC)or Jamie Thomason( since you have together history).
Once again, nice work, and keep it up!

Voice Chaser? writes...

Thanks for answering my question about Fleur and the Grim's voices.

Who do you imagine for the following characters?

Amanda Chung
Brother Valmont
True
Nashville

Gothic-Cowboy writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman. Congratulations on Independence Day, it was all I had hoped for and more. I have a few questions about Earth-16 that I hoped you would be willing to answer.
1. As of Independence Day, roughly how long has the Justice League been operating?
2. If I were to assume that the seven (bronze?) statues at the Hall of Justice were the seven founding members of the Justice League, would I be in error?
3. A)Do the League members' numerical designators represent their order of induction (except for the founders, obviously)? If so, do they also represent the order in which these characters debuted as superheroes?
B)Numbers 02, 04, 06, 07, 08, and 16 were shown in the pilot. Superman is undoubtedly 01. Wonder Woman and Hal Jordan are likely 03 and 05, respectively. That leaves 09-15, for the Hawkfolk, the two Captains, the two Johns (Zatara and Stewart), and Black Canary. In all likelihood, the Thanagarians joined jointly, thus their numerical designators are probably sequential. Could you reveal any of these yet, or will we just have to wait and see?
4. I've always been curious about the DC Martian life cycle, which has, to the best of my knowlede, never really been set before. Then I read your answer to an earlier question where you said that there's a rough 3:1 ratio for Human to Martian years (biologically speaking). Was this something that you and the creative team for Young Justice developed, or was it previously established somewhere?
5. I realize I'm probably asking too much, but does Project Atom exist on Earth-16?
6. Is Mount Justice/the Secret Sanctuary located in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island on Earth-16?
7. Jim Harper (the Guardian/Golden Guardian) and Roy Harper (Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow) were related in the comics. Did this influence the decision to cast Crispin Freeman in both roles, or is he just that good?
8. Is Kaldur'ahm the only person to act as Aqualad (thus far), or was Garth previously Aqualad?
9. Is naming him Kaldur'ahm a nod to Cal Durham from the comics?
10. Why is it that no one is ever just whelmed?
Thank you for everything that you do and for making yourself available to answer all of our often repetetive questions. A lot of people (myself not the least of them) appreciate it.

Javier BC writes...

Hi Greg, first of all congratulations for all the team behind young justice. I read a lot of reviews and the premier was a huge success , everyone woking in the show really deserve the prise they are reciving. I have a couple of questions , hope you have the time to answer them:

1) Why does Superman react the way he did when he met Conner?. He left him in care of the other members of the league , Shouldn't he be more responsiable of his son?
2) Are all the members of the Light famous DC villans?. If the Oranization created Superboy to take Supermans place in case he perish , wouldnt that help the league?
3) Is there any chance you could cast Keith David as Black Manta? I think he would be perfect for the role

thank again for your time Greg, and i really looking foward to the whole season

Cal writes...

Hi Greg, I have two questions to ask regarding my favourite male voice actors.

1.Is Will Friedle going to reprise his role as the Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) from B:TBTB onto YJ and in future DC cartoons & movies or do I have to wait & see? I asked because I'm a HUGE Jaime Reyes fan & Will did do a very perfect job at voicing him, therefore he really deserves to voice him longer. Plus I really couldn't imagine someone else voicing Jaime.

2.Do you know if John DiMaggio is going to voice the Joker again? He did a great job at voicing him in B:URH & he would be a really good replacement for Mark Hamill since he said he's going to retire from the role soon. Plus Bruce Greenwood gets to voice Batman again.

Thanks and I hope you'll with those two guys again.

Anonymous writes...

Are we going to expect more Disney voice actors to be working on Young Justice like Jim Cummings for example?

BTW did you know that is really Ron Stoppable voicing Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) on B:TBTB. Best portrayal of the third and current Blue Beetle EVER!

Jack-Pumpkinhead writes...

Hey Greg, congratulations on Young Justice! I watched the two-hour premiere and I was thoroughly impressed. I liked the way you handled the characters and the world. I mean, getting Blockbuster in like that? Very nicely done. You put together a very formidable JLA there, and I liked ... oh hell, I loved everything! Please give my kudos to the animators and voice actor if possible (Jesse McCartney was awesome as Robin). My only two questions on the show come from having a poor quality tape to record it on;
1-Did they say Aqualad's first name in the show? Cause if they did, I missed it.
2- Was That Cripsin Freeman voicing Speedy? I know he was Guardian, but I didn't know about Roy.

Again, awesome job, and the series premiere cant start soon enough!

Anonymous writes...

In your head, who voices Fleur?

How about the Grim?

Anonymous writes...

Will Jason Marsden and Will Friedle reprise their roles from Batman: Brave and the Bold onto Young Justice (I understand Speedy has already been taken) or do I have to wait and see?
They did a very perfect job at voicing those lesser known DC characters from that show and they really deserved to voice them again in future DC cartoons and movies.

Javier writes...

Hi Greg, first of all i want to say that Spectacular Spiderman was the best incarnation of the character i have seen outside of the comic books, and its a shame that it lasted only two seasons. i have a couple of questions if you dont mind, hopefully you will be able to answer them, if not i understand, you are a very busy man after all.

1) I was really amazed by the quality of the animation and the character designs, it looks even better than the other DC movies that i have seen. How do you maintain that standard of quality in a weekly series? All tha animation is done in the US?

2) Is Josh Keaton voicing Barry Allen? It sounded like him but maybe im wrong, he did an outstanding job as Peter Parker, hopefully he will have a role in the series

Thank you for your time, as a fellow animator im really glad that we can still have some classic 2D animation to look foward to, Best of luck Mr Weisman

Anonymous writes...

Is there any recurring voice talents from Batman: The Brave and the Bold on Young Justice, or is it too early to confirm it?

Alec Howell. writes...

Who provided the voices of Dr. Elena Yevshenko and Mari Keita in Max Steel?

Anonymous writes...

So my last question apparently didn't get approved. I'm a tad dissappointed, but I read the terms about a post being removed if it had just one idea-thingy in it, so I'd like to repost it minus the questions I think it got disapproved for:

1. Would you ever consider doing crossovers with other dc shows, if the opportunity came?

2. Was it a conscious decision not to make Robin the leader to avoid a huge similarity between Young Justice and Teen Titans? I know such a notion might be a little offending, but I think it's a fair question.

3. Are you in any way for or against the idea of using voice actors for a part that they have played earlier in other DC shows?

4. I'm not an expert on the DC comics, but I heard that, some time ago, it was revealed in one of them that Bruce Wayne has a son who eventually becomes the new batman. This is in opposition to the JLU and Batman Beyond continuety, where Terry McGinnis becomes Batman. If it comes to it, which continuety do you think you would use in Young Justice, if any?

5. Have there been, or do you expect there will be, any problems with censoring, where you
want to show something, but you're not allowed to?

6. Will you have story arcs, or maybe just returning villains, that will focus on developing one of the six main characters more so than the others?

7. Would you consider making other DC shows in the Earth-16 continuety, in the style of this show, after Young Justice ends, if it is possible?

I really hope this makes it through to you. I'm really hyped about Young justice and I got more than half a dozen other questions that I left out this time. There are things in the trailer I thought looked weird, but I thought the same about Spectacular Spider-Man and it turned out fantastic. And lastly, I don't want you to answer any questions if it means spoiling the show of course.

Anonymous writes...

Do you have any favorite moments or anecdotes from the voice sessions from any or all of the shows you've worked on? And if so, could you share a couple or more with us?

Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Hi,

Not actually a question- Someone mentioned hearing an interview with you at comicon- I heard it too and thought it might be helpful to post the link-
http://content.libsyn.com/1/5/4/1545c1d0e3a460de/OneShot291-WBToons.mp3?nvb=20100929164902&nva=20100930165902&sid=73393720addb82db8902f843616afa33&l_sid=18877&l_eid=&l_mid=1987581&t=07bf25a0ee09ff0e50192

It's Comics News Insider ep291 http://www.jimmyaquino.typepad.com/comicnewsinsider/ .

Tangentially the longer Andrea Romano interview mentioned in 291, does actually happen 293-294. I found it fascinating. Mmm... one small question - I think you said Jamie Thomason is voice director on YJ, and that he and Andrea Romano are tops in the field. IIRC Romano has done most DCU cartoons on the past, have there been any double takes when people see it isn't her? (I still do little double takes when Batman doesn't sound like Kevin Conroy no matter how excellent the actor is.)

Titansfan1211 writes...

Can't wait for young justice! From the limited we've seen ad heard, it looks great. I was wondering if you were planning on using any of the plotlines from the young jusice comic in the show, sort of like how the teen titans took the judas contract storyline and turned that into one of the major plotlines of the second season.

Also, i have to say I'm a little worried about robin being voiced by jesse mcartney. No offense to him, but being as he has a pretty high voice, and you said robin is 13, not 3... I was wondering about how you went about choosing voice actors? Robin for example has been voiced by a number of other people on all the batman shows as well as teen titans. Did you all have. Certain tone in mind for each charecters voice before casting?

Lastly, I know you probably won't dignify this with an answer, but I have a strong urge to ask (I don't HAVE to like that other person lol) I read one of your responses about the number sixteen being involved in the show so much, and you responce wa something like "chuckles evily" or something. I know you can't and won't specify, but was there a reason for using 16 so much?
Thanks for taking the time to deal with all of us :)

Anonymous writes...

Do you plan on casting Tara Strong and Grey Delisle in Young Justice as supporting characters or is it too early to confirm it?

Besides Phil Lamarr, will any other voice actors from Futurama be working on Young Justice?

Anonymous writes...

Does anyone in your family play Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia or Uncharted? I only asked because Nolan North had worked in those video games and that you casted him to voice Superboy on Young Justice.

What city is Young Justice going to be set?

Anonymous writes...

A question about Batman: Brave and the Bold.

What was your reaction when you found out that Will Friedle and John Dimaggio are working together for the second time in a cartoon?

Mojo writes...

I purchased the graphic novels since I wanted to finish the stories from the comic books. After reading clan building again it made me try and find news about the gargoyles continuing in some way because I really enjoyed the show/comic. After being disappointed again for lack of good news, I went to imdb.com just to check out some of the actors. After seeing how many wonderful and "big name" actors were involved an idea hit me. So here is my question. I am sorry if it was asked already, is there a way to maybe some of these famous actors could be contacted? Then with some of them on board maybe they in-turn would be able to contact Disney on at least getting the last half of season two released. Maybe it is wishful thinking but it seems that they enjoyed the show as much as the fans did. Plus they have clout that we "fans" don't have. Maybe through their connections we can actually get that little bit of closure. I mean if I could play the game six degrees of Kevin Bacon and get to Robert A. Iger, surely then these actors have a more linear connection that could yield results. Just a thought and hope.

thank you and I hope to see the dvds and more comics/graphic novels

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"?