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GREG-SPONSES 2010-03 (Mar)

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Bazell writes...

For clarification: is it fair to assume that in the Gargoyles Universe, nature operates through the principle of Darwinian natural selection as opposed to other evolutionary theories? A lot of your language seems to suggest so.

Assuming so, then the Fae's ability to use magic is just an evolutionary adaptation - albeit a magnificent one. The philosophical implications of this alone could fuel a lecture. Regardless, a sub-question: are Fae suseptible to cancer?

Greg responds...

It's a fairly Darwinian Universe, yes.

Response recorded on April 01, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

reading through MORE timeline I found this little nugget
1998
Vinnie visits family
Was that just random or is there a story there, and if so can we hear it?

Greg responds...

There's a story there. And I hope you can hear it -- or at least read it -- someday. But not today.

Response recorded on April 01, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

I've been looking through your time line and an entree cought my atention.
JUNE 22 2001 A crisis brings together representatives from 4 clans.
Can you give us even a hint of what that crisis is? And if so would you please?

Greg responds...

Yes, I could. No, I won't.

Response recorded on April 01, 2010

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JJJ writes...

Why does Tombstone in Spectacular Spider-Man look the way he does? I know his origins in the comics, but he has yet to have an origin in the show - is it similar? I always wondered why the public does not question why he looks the way he does - does he tell them it's just a skin condition? Also, his strength is unbelievable - he took down Spidey for crying out loud! Will Tombstone's history be explored in the future if given the chance - or do you think it's best to keep it a mystery? I know that you said Tombstone with superpowers is left for us to interpret - I just would like to know if you have a definite answer for us in the future.

Thanks!!! I love the show!! Fingers crossed for a renewal!!!!

Greg responds...

I have a definite answer, but part and parcel of it is leaving it open to your interpretation.

Response recorded on April 01, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

Hey there! just going to get to the point. You've said that gargoyles started in pangea and where at one time a international race. What happened to american gargoyles before the manhatan clan got there?

Greg responds...

Long gone...

Response recorded on March 31, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

I'm realy nervous to ask you this because I realy dont like showing my perverse side to people I respect, but I've already asked one perverse question so I might as well ask another, even if this one is more blunt then the other.
Is Elisa a virgin?
There I asked it!

Greg responds...

No.

Response recorded on March 31, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I couldn't understand why so many commentators were gushing about Hammerhead. He just seemed a generic, Dick Tracy villain type. Now I've seen Accomplices. FUN!

Greg responds...

Uh... thanks?

Response recorded on March 31, 2010

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Akeem M. writes...

Hello again sir, in the episode of Spectacular Spider-Man Accomplices I was wondering something about what happened to Mr. Kingsley. When the police arrive to make an arrest for the distribution of the illegal expirement that made Rhino they clearly see that the man they are going to arrest is Kingsley, so would he be in hiding now because of his exposure to the police during the start of the Gang War?

Greg responds...

No evidence. They could prove he was there. Not that he ever possessed the goods.

Response recorded on March 31, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

can you get the swine flu twice?

Greg responds...

I guess that depends on how badly you want it.

Response recorded on March 30, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

Sorry for asking so many questions. I hope you've at least found them interesting. Any way, on to the next one I want to ask you. When Grandmother healed Elisa was that realy just the plants she used that did the trick or was it a little magical intervention supplied by a loophole of some sort?

Greg responds...

I think the former.

Response recorded on March 30, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

Thiss ones a question about the Pukhan clan. How much human cantact/enflunce will they have. will it be at the Guatamalen levle or the Ishimaru level?

Greg responds...

In between, probably.

Response recorded on March 30, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

I've been reading through alot of archives and I found a couple of comments on Lex's "snakes to a nest" comment and the answers in turn to the affect of "I dont know about snakes". Not to be all "i know more than you do, cuase I dont, but I specialize in Zoology and some species like the rattle snake do come back to a nest generation after generation, although in my personal oppinion it would have been cool if you would have said fox to a den cuase they do the same thing
Hope I could help:)

Greg responds...

I swear I do not know to what you're referring to...

My memory must be going.

Response recorded on March 30, 2010

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Phil writes...

Hey Greg,

I'm sure it's cliche and you're tired of hearing it by now, but I loved Gargoyles as a kid and continue to do so...I guess there's no need to go into any more detail than that. Just wanted to start off by saying thanks for all the hard work.

Anyways, onto the questions:

1. With the Marvel/Disney merger, what are the odds now that we'll see you pick up where you left off on the Gargoyles comic?
2. Does SLG still own all the rights to the comics you wrote for them or is it all owned by Disney and thus now a part of Marvel as well?

Now that the semi-practical questions are out of the way, time for my far nerdier side to kick in:

3. If asked to do a Marvel/Gargoyles crossover, who would be your first choice in Marvel character to cross over with? And since it's likely to be Spidey, who's your second?
4. Have you been approached about bringing Gargoyles into a future Kingdom Hearts game?

Thanks,
Phil

Greg responds...

1. I don't know that the Marvel merger has any effect on Gargoyles.

2. For starters, Disney owns Marvel, not the other way around. Marvel has no control or say over Gargoyles. But I don't know the specifics of the Disney/SLG deal or who owns the reproduction rights. I do know that Disney maintains ownership of the intellectual property including anything added in the comics.

3. Uh... I'm not that excited about the idea at all. But I guess the Defenders.

4. No.

Response recorded on March 30, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Is there some sort of an "Ask Todd" adjunct to this site? I've had 3 questions that seemed to have been booted. I tried rephrasing them and they've disappeareed off the line again. I'm not sure how they fall afoul of the rules, but I wouldn't mind a shot correcting whatever the problem is.

Greg responds...

I'd check in at the Station 8 Comment Room: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/index.php

Todd is there all the time and can probably give you more specific feedback.

Response recorded on March 30, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

All the delays and schedule changes for Spectacular Spiderman, besides being terribly annoying, jepordize the chances of the series to catch on and continue. I listened to the podcast mentioned early and have a sense of the legal changes and problems that contributed to the crazy schedule, but still I can't shake the nagging feeling that there is a disrespect, perhaps born in ignorance, to animation that is greatly contributing to the problem. It wouldn't occur to TPTB to tell a cast of a live action show, "we'll let you know if we are picking you up for another season in 18 months." Let alone the none acting staff and crew. Beyond that, once the script is written, the turn around time for an episode is much shorter on a live action show.

Is there any truth to that nagging thought? The closest analogy I can think of was to how tv series handled the most recent writers' strike. It wasn't perfect, and some good shows died as a result, but the reoccuring question seemed to be, "do we try to rush in a delayed 2nd half to this season, or just pick up at the next.", not "let's send everyone home, wait a year, and then decide.

Greg responds...

I'm not sure how to respond. In general and IMHO, animation gets less respect than live action, but no company actively tries to sabotage its own show. Though mismanagement can do great damage.

Response recorded on March 29, 2010

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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?

Greg responds...

I'm not too clear on how she remembers things... I think she feels she had multiple callbacks, but I don't remember it that way at all.

She was the very first person to audition on the first day. She auditioned for Demona first and just nailed it. Then she auditioned for Elisa. We didn't cast her instantly, because we had multiple other people coming in to read for Demona, and we had to keep an open mind. But she pretty much had it from day one.

I've not heard of any specific work that Demona got her.

Response recorded on March 29, 2010

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Harvester of Eyes writes...

Monday, August 23
Woke up early with Steph, hoping to score a hearty breakfast at the Saddle Ranch. Only to discover that the information we’d been given the day before was inaccurate. We were told that they were opening at eight. It turns out they were really opening at eleven, due to maintenance issues. So we walked to Subway and got breakfast wraps.
Made it back to the hotel before the comics panel, and even had time to shower. Comics panel was a lot of fun. Greg actually had a good reason for Brooklyn breaking the fourth wall in Issue #11.
After that got out, I managed to get Greg Guler to resign my Gargoyles trade, this time in permanent marker. Then I ran over to the Dealer’s Room, and found out that someone outbid me on my art. Ah, well. One less thing to lug back home with me.
So I went back to Salon 6 to sit in on the Gargoyles Physiology/Culture panel. That one was also a lot of fun, though I left a few minutes early to grab caffeine from the lobby. While waiting for Closing Ceremonies, I saw Thom Adcox slap Greg X, because apparently Greg’s brother told him to by phone.
Closing Ceremonies were after that. Like last year, they were bittersweet, but there was another dimension to it this time, since there won’t be a Gathering next year. Still, it was fun hearing tales from past cons. I might have gotten up to tell one of my own (how the fandom scarred my brother) had we not been evicted from the room. From there, I mingled with people in the hallway as they started to trickle off, and joined a mailing list to get more info on the future of the fandom. Then I was drafted into helping carry some boxes down to Patrick’s van, lending more credence to my theory if I stand in one place long enough, I get pressed into service, and it usually involves carrying things. Ah, well, I don’t exercise enough, anyway.
After that, I said goodbyes to a few people (including Greg Weisman, who actually remembered my name), went back up to the room, drank a beer, and updated the journal.
Steph wanted to eat around 5:00, so we went down to the café in the lobby to catch a deal they had: three course dinner for fifteen bucks. Had salad and prime rib, which was cooked just right. Had cheesecake for dessert, which we wrapped and took back up to the room. Then we took a quick trip up to City Walk, and stopped by Ben and Jerry’s for a cone.
About 8:00, I went down to the bar for one more martini, and then back up to the room to catch some Adult Swim. It was in this time that Greg X and Carl both returned (John had left earlier, during Closing Ceremonies). I originally wanted to retire early, but I wound up staying up way too late hanging out with the roomies, talking about the con, and watching videos with Greg on you tube. Finally drifted off around 1:30 or 2 AM.

Tuesday, August 25
…And I was awoken after about two hours of sleep by the wake-up call I’d placed the previous day. I rose, roused my girlfriend (we’d packed the night before), and we dressed and headed down to the lobby. We boarded the shuttle, and from there I had a fun time trying to figure out the seatbelt. There was no traffic this time, but it WAS still dark out.
After some annoying lines at LAX (and me losing my Swiss Army Knife because I stupidly forgot to stick it in my suitcase), we found our gate. I slept right up to the boarding, after we got on the plane, through takeoff, and through the first half of the flight.
After I woke up, I kept busy reading my Dune novel. Landing was a little bumpy, and then we had a few hours to kill before connecting flights. We had lunch at Wendy’s, and then I moseyed down to the bar for a Sam Adams Cream Stout (which I drank slowly, because I can never find it in Virginia).
Flight back to Richmond was also uneventful. We got our bags and got back to the parking lot just as the sun was setting. Almost symbolic, in a way. We drove home, stopping at McDonald’s for some burgers, and then I began the lengthy ordeal of unpacking/preparing for work the following day.
And thus concludes things. Though my involvement with the Gathering was brief, I’m still happy to have been a part, in some way. I’ll always have fond memories, and hope to stay in touch with the friends I’ve made. If the Gods are willing, there will be another journal for a different con someday.

Greg responds...

I do hope so.

Response recorded on March 29, 2010

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Harvester of Eyes writes...

GATHERING JOURNAL, PART TWO

Saturday, August 22
Woke up, went downstairs to Starbucks (which turned out to be cheaper than the frakkin’ continental breakfast), grabbed a chocolate croissant for me, cinnamon roll for my lady, and went back upstairs.
After breakfast, I took a shower, went down to the lobby for coffee, then up to the fourth floor. Had no plans to attend any panels in the morning, so I mingled a bit. Had a very nice chat about the new canon material (and also about fanfic) with Greg X, Vicky, and G-Side. Then I decided to browse some artwork. LOTS of good stuff this year. I was forced into voting again by Shaun (Brooklyn X). That’s the second time he’s threatened me with death! I also saw even more Gargs merchandise I didn’t know existed, including a shaving kit. Interesting. Bid on a few things in silent auction, including a Demona figure.
Eventually, 11:30 rolled around. Time to get in line to meet Marina Sirtis. Didn’t have too much to say to her, except “hi.” Paid twenty bucks to get her to sign my DVD of “Star Trek: First Contact,” and got a picture. Went up to the room after that to find my girlfriend, since she’s been talking about meeting Marina for the last few weeks. Found her outside the room without a key, so I let her in to get her con badge, and then we went back down to the fourth floor so she could get in line for an autograph, as well.
Had some time to kill after that, so I stopped briefly in the Con Suite, then headed back towards the dealer’s room, and had a chat with Mara about artwork.
At 1:00 or so, Steph and I went to the voice actor’s panel. Keith David dropped more f-bombs than one would expect from a daytime panel, but as Steph pointed out, even when he swears, it sounds elegant. There was also a fun little argument between Greg and Marina about auditions.
After it ended (and it flew by, largely because it was so entertaining), I went upstairs to the room and ate a cold slice of leftover pizza, and then I sat in on the SSM panel for a bit. I left that early to get a good seat at the Star Trek screening, and also to buy a copy of Clan Building: Volume One for autographs later.
The screening was not what I expected, but it was still enjoyable. Amazing what an Elvis impersonator with a dream can achieve. After the screening, Steph and I got seats for the Radio Play.
Fantastic Radio Play this year: a Gargoyles/SSM crossover. Greg would reveal later that evening that it was not canon, but it was a still a lot of fun. A lot of inside jokes for fans of both shows. It was especially fun to see a lot of voice actors do their voices in person. Among the most thrilling were hearing Marina Sirtis do Demona (the “human whore” line got a lot of cheers), Steve Blum do the Green Goblin, Daran Norris do both Jameson the elder and younger, and Dee Bradley Baker do the Lizard snarl.
After it got out, I managed to get Steve Blum to sign my Cowboy Bebop DVD. Then I went to stand in line at the Dealer’s Room (Steph went to check out the bondage panel). Turns out most of the voice actors in there were Spider-Man (and I forgot to get a DVD before the con!), but I still got Thom Adcox and Wendy Pini to sign my Gargoyles trade.
After the signing was ended, I hung around to wait for Greg X to lock the room up, and then he and I walked up to City Walk, and fought our way through the crowds (which were numerous) to Tommy’s, where we picked up some burgers and fries to bring back to the Blue Mug.
Blue Mug this year started out a little depressing, and then got very good quickly. Greg left to go to the restroom, and was gone a very long time. Guess it was something he ate. He was gone long enough for that miscreant, Edmund Tsabard, to show up and attempt to brainwash the crowd into shelling out money for his pornographic “autobiography.” Then someone began altering the doll Greg W had been presented with the previous evening at Opening Ceremonies.
After Edmund left, Greg finally got out of the restroom, and seemed relieved that he’d missed the guy. The Blue Mug went on for a bit longer, and Greg gave his own sales pitch for the Blue Mug, which was a lot more sensible than Edmund’s.
Mug ended before midnight this year, but I still saw some disturbing porn, this time off Mara’s laptop. Went up to the room after that, updated the journal, and went to bed.

Sunday, August 23
Slept later than I intended. Woke up around ten, ran downstairs to Starbucks to grab more coffee and bread items. Then I ran up to the room to give Steph her cinnamon roll before running back down to the ATM to make a withdrawal.
Then up to the Dealer’s Room, where I bought some prints from David Wong, which he said he would mail to me in about two weeks. After that, I got in line to get autographs from the Gargoyles production crew panel, though I left briefly to see the reel of deleted scenes from Spectacular Spider-Man. Then it was back over to the line to get more signatures in my con booklet.
Steph and I then had some time to kill before one, so we walked up to the Subway, where I got a Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki. Went back down to the hotel with our food, where I ate outside the Dealer’s Room while waiting for the Spidey Production Panel to get out. My girlfriend went on ahead to Project Run-Garg, while I waited in line for more autographs.
I had a nice brief little chat with Kevin Alteiri about Batman: The Animated Series, and how much he missed working with Bruce Timm. After that, I caught up with Steph at Project Run-Garg, and found out that she had been recruited for Team Lexington. The panel turned out to be more fun than I thought it would. Team Demona wound up winning, but all three were very creative.
After that, Steph went on to the Writing for Television panel, while I decided to take a breather and update the journal. Wound up in the Con Suite, where I ate a pretzel while chatting with Greg X and Mara.
Around three, I caught a little bit of the television writing panel, after all. Heard a funny story about the origins of Kim Possible. I would have stayed to the end, but I received a text from a friend whom I used to go to school with, and was now living out in LA.
I told them I was coming out, and gave them my number, but I hadn’t heard from them before that afternoon, so I wasn’t expecting them to actually show. So I met them outside the Dealer’s Room, and we wound up doing a quick recording for this radio show they stream from the web.
Stood in line for writer’s autographs after that, during which time, Crzydemona stopped by to chat. After getting more autographs, I arrived at the Live Auction a bit late. By the time I got there, they’d sold the Demona figure I’d bid on earlier. But I did manage to get some Demona trading cards. Like last year, Seth and Gorebash were very entertaining, though they had to get through the last items pretty quickly due to time constraints.
Fortunately, I managed to get second in line to pay for my loot. Which was good, because I barely had time to change for the Banquet. Met Steph up in the room, threw some nicer clothes on (though nowhere near as nice as her’s), and downstairs we went.
The Banquet was a lot of fun. We sat with Greg Guler and conversed on the state of movies today, and the decline of 2-D animation. Matt sat at out table, as well, but unfortunately, I can’t remember anyone else’s name. Food was also really good: I ate tomato and mozzarella salad, chicken, rolls, garlic mashed potatoes, and cheesecake. Good stuff, though the cheesecake was a little tasteless. The Q and A was also a lot of fun, though I think some people were making up questions to ask on the spot, since the next opportunity for Q and A might be awhile.
They finally ended things around 8:30, so people could prepare for the Masquerade. I managed to stop in the bar for a martini. When I got it, I drank it rather quickly, to get back to the ballroom before the doors opened.
There were a lot of good costumes this year. Was really cool seeing Zehra as Shari. Jade Griffin and her family were also very amusing. Plus, the Gorelisa award finally got a recipient. Sadly, I didn’t get too many decent pics due to the lighting.
The dance afterward probably had less dancing than the other Masquerades I attended. Steph and I danced for a few songs, which was actually the first time I’ve ever danced at one of these.
She went upstairs shortly after that, while I stayed downstairs to mingle. Congratulated as many Masquerade winners as I could. Also got served some sort of maple liquor from Karine, which was really good. I swear, I love Canada more and more each day. First they give us Rush, then they give us some great artists, and now some great liquor.
Right before bed, I smoked a cigar outside with Kael, Kat, and some other congoers who I found out live closer to me than I thought. Went back into the ballroom after that, but didn’t stay long because I was tired. So I snuck out and went up to the room to crash.

Greg responds...

I'm gonna miss not Gathering this year...

Response recorded on March 29, 2010

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Harvester of Eyes writes...

GATHERING JOURNAL, PART ONE.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

This was probably the best Gathering I've been to so far. I missed seeing a couple of people at this one, but for the first time, I had someone to bring with me (who wasn't related to me): my girlfriend, Stephanie.
We woke up at 6:30, and actually left on time. The threat level at Richmond International was high, and I got randomly checked by security. And the plane seemed to leave in a hurry. Almost too quickly.
But the flight passed without incident, and we made the connecting flight without a problem. Only noteworthy incident was on the final approach to LAX, when we could see Mexico out the left side of the plane, and the United States out the right side. Also, my girlfriend and I sat next to a girl who was going to a World of Warcraft convention in Anaheim. Naturally, we told her all about where we were going.
Plane landed ahead of schedule, and from there, we had a fun walk to the baggage claim. Another pleasant surprise was that I did not expect it to be only 67 degrees when we stepped out of the airport. Of course, the string of good luck couldn’t last.
We found a cab who took us to a Wachovia, so that Steph could make a withdrawal, and from there, we hit traffic as soon as we got on the parkway. I spent most of that ride reading the novel I’d brought (Frank Herbert’s “Children of Dune”) so that I’d be distracted from watching the meter. Trips can never seem to go without incident.
When we arrived at the hotel and were checking in, we bumped into several con staffers who were walking past the front desk. Said hi to Greg X, but unfortunately, he couldn’t chat long, since we needed to get our stuff up to the room, and he was busy with staff duties.
Once up in the room, I grabbed a shower. And then Steph and I went hunting for sustenance, since they barely fed us anything on either flight, and the last real food I had was an egg sandwich that morning. We wound up at Saddle Ranch, one of the many overly tacky places that made up City Walk. The food was actually really good. I had the pan-seared Ahi tuna steak and a Newcastle Brown Ale.
After dinner, we walked down the hill to a liquor store that Steph saw on the cab ride over. The liquor store itself was misleading: looked ghetto on the outside, but inside they sold real champagne.
We bought some cheap liquor (I love how inexpensive it is out here) and trekked back up the hill to the hotel room. I made a note to myself not to make that hike for the rest of the weekend.
Once back in the hotel room, we cooled off, during which time Greg X showed up briefly before heading down to the staff dinner. But he left me his copy of the Bad Guys trade paperback to read, which had some nice surprises.
Hung out in the room after that, drank a few beers, and tried to find something on TV. Greg came back to the hotel room between 10 and 10:30, and we wound up hanging out and talking about the trade paperbacks and the fandom.
During this time, our fourth roommate, Karl, showed up. Steph was a good sport during all this, attempting to sleep while I continued to chat with the other roommates until we each nodded off a little after midnight.

Friday, August 21, 2009
Woke up around eight, and wanted to go downstairs for some continental breakfast. It was only after I got my food and sat down that I realized that it’s not complimentary. So a bowl of cornflakes, some cantaloupe, coffee, and a croissant wound up costing fifteen bucks. Good canteloupe, though.
Went back up to the room after eating to shower and shave before the registration table opened. After Steph had gotten ready, we went downstairs to the fourth floor to pick up our stuff. We mingled with a few con-goers, and I got the last sign-up spot for the Greg Weisman Mug-a-Guest.
Had some time to kill before the mug, so Steph and I looked over the convention schedule while chatting with Blaise (who I hadn’t met before, but knew from Station 8) and a Fan. Fan kept trying to trade me stuff from past Gatherings.
Greg’s mug-a-guest was fun, even though we didn’t deviate from talking about “Gargoyles.” Although I did learn why the Cantina scene in "Star Wars" doesn't work. When the mug got out, I stopped in the Dealer’s Room to buy some Demona shirts (one for me, one for a friend) and a copy of the Bad Guys TPB. Had to wait a while for someone to bring a cashbox, but while we waited, me and other con-goers swapped retail job stories with Cindy Kinnard. She did a very good job keeping us entertained.
Eventually, I bought the goods and went upstairs to stash them in the room. After that, Steph and I went down to the lobby restaurant for some lunch. We wound up splitting a BBQ chicken pizza, which was very filling (we still had half left over when we were done). They also served rolls with a variety of spreads, one of which appeared to be pureed olives. Fantastic stuff.
After eating, I went up to Thom Adcox’s panel. Thom still seemed to remember me, for some reason, pointing at me after the panel had started and saying, “Hey, you!” As always, the panel itself was entertaining. I never get tired of listening to his anecdotes about the business. This year, he told a very interesting tale involving Ed Asner and a cup.
When the panel got out, I went up to the room to collect Steph, and then we went down to the ground floor for Opening Ceremonies. Which were delayed, so I killed time by chatting with Matt, Greg X, and Blaise about the comics.
Opening Ceremonies had a few bittersweet moments, including a very nice tribute to Gary Sperling, which was presented to his family. Also, Greg W showed all the Gargoyles promo reels because as he said, what the hell? It was the last Gathering. For some reason, the Ceremonies were shorter than they actually felt. After they got out, Steph and I went up to the room to change for dinner.
After we were both ready, we walked up to City Walk, and had a very nice sushi dinner at Wasabi’s. The food was good, but I was disappointed with the hot sake. Even after two rounds, I was barely buzzed. I must have had the wrong kind. Or maybe I should have gotten the large.
We also hit some stores on the way to Wasabi’s and back. We stopped in a comic store, where we were pleased to see that they were showing Gargoyles, S2 V1 on their TV (it was the episode “Leader of the Pack”). Steph checked the stores to see if they had any Deanna Troi figures (for the signing the next day), but sadly they didn’t. We also stopped in Hot Topic, where I bought an 8-Bit Nintendo shirt, and Steph bought a GIR notebook.
Greg and our fifth roommate, John, were both in the room when we got back. Had a few more drinks while we hung out, chatted about science fiction shows, and watched stand-up on Comedy Central. Finally nodded off a little after midnight.

Greg responds...

Wow, you have a good memory. No way in October I'd still be able to write in this much detail about August. But I'm glad you did!

Response recorded on March 29, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

I'm kinda going on a question spree now that I have some down time and this is something else that poped into my head that I haven't seen yet. Are Brooklyn and Katana biologicly the same age when they meet?

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on March 26, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

I know you hate biology questions, but I think this ones realatively painless, so you might not bite my head off. Of course you reserve the right to bite peoples heads as you see fit so I may be a little a head of my self hear. Any way I should stop rambleing and get to the question. From what you've revealed so far on gargoyle geneologies a pattern seems to emerge. it seems like you have a 1st gender 2nd gender 1st gender pattern on couples eggs, of course I'm probably just reading to much into what little you've reaveled on the subject but it bugs me now and I'm hopeing you ,oh master of the garg universe,could confirm or denie, or at least have some comment that would put my thought to rest. thanks for the consideration and sorry for misspellings

Greg responds...

Gender is pretty much a 50/50 random shot. Birth order does not define it.

Response recorded on March 26, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Quick couple of comments on the recent graphic novels...

It was such a pleasure to read new material and emerse again in the world of gargoyles. I hope we get a chance to do so again quite soon.

Clan Building-
Loved the Star Wars homage cover

I was a little confused by the events with the stone. The explanation helped, but I still liked it.

There is a thread on the Girl-Wonder forums about female characters who look fantastic and none sexualized. Coco met with approval. I'd have to go back and check, but I believe the word was "awesome" :)

I found it odd that the Rosetta Stone was included among the list of stones. Are there legends about the stone? I thought it was just the one in the British Museum. Absolutely loved the "Hey" "Hey" between the stone and grail.

Also surprised by the "Bugger Off". Isn't that rather obscene in the UK? I know the intent to keep the comics as all age friendly as the cartoon has slipped a bit. (Strangely the hand being cut off flew by me (no pun intended). Dingo's mother's death shocked me.) But a substitution phrase would be easier that replacing events. (Of course I am blanking on such a phrase at the moment...unless Sod Off is a smidge more polite. Drop Dead doen't sound particularly British.)

Loved the Timedancer part. Had you always intended to start Time Dancer so soon? Had the cartoon continued on air, would Brooklyn have gone and returned season 3 or did it come sooner in response to the new medium. In general did any events move up for the comics?

I know I am in a minority, but I didn't love the art at the end. It's probably just a question of personal taste. The line was more detailed, but the distortions less to my taste. I've heard some say it looked a little more anime looking, and that only sometimes appeals to me.

The relationship between Gilcomgain and the king was wonderfully creepy.

I would have thought Bodhe to be older than Gilcomgain.

Odd.. in the Gargoyles universe it seems sparing a child's life comes back to haunt you. Bodhe's father did it, Macbeth did it, death, war and heartbreak follow.

As whenever we go back in time in these stories, there is a bittersweetness to it. Most, and most probably all, of the gargoyles we meet will be murdered in the next few years. Especially when we see child gargoyles. (I think, though not prominant, one of the gargoyles we saw smashed was a child.)

"Call me Gnash" :)
"Egwardo" :)!
(I don't remember knowing that was coming, but I may just have missed it.)

Bad Guys
Already mentioned, the murder of Dingo's mother shocked me. As did Tasha's suicide earlier, (though I could see how that might have been finageled into the cartoon). Similarly, when I read over the begining of the trade I realized that we had briefly met Tasha and the others as humans. Even in that little bit it made it all the more poignant. A little thing I noted aside from all the big things others have already noted was how the aligator thug was instinctively hugging and holding the little girl to comfort her. Not just the guy with a gun we met before.

I'm a little tight for time, so I'll just say I really enjoyed it and I felt it was very successful in setting up a new series. Yes it is connected, but in the back of my mind I was expecting it to just be an extension of Gargoyles- a way to see more of that universe and extend the stories we were seeing. Instead this is its own story, in that universe, but its own.

Greg responds...

Rosetta Stone is what it is.

Same with "Bugger Off". Perhaps because my primary audience is in the U.S. it just doesn't feel as dirty as it is.

The start and finish of TimeDancer was always supposed to occur in Season Three of Gargoyles. The forty years in between was always a spin-off idea.

I'm glad that in general you liked the stuff!

Response recorded on March 26, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

I have asked this qustion before but I think since I wrote it in conjuction with 2 other qustions that may not have been on the same topic I'll be on the safe side and ask them again seperately. in 2002 it says something like "Lexington continues on his journey" would you mind telling us what that journey is, and if not would you please?

Greg responds...

Nope. Not at this time.

Response recorded on March 26, 2010

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Random Fan writes...

Hey there again. I have'nt found this so I'm asking. Is Demona so emotionaly attached to Angeala because shes HER daughter or because shes one of her rookery children. It seems like she values the biologic conection, and if thats true then it seems like a hipocrocy to be so bent on the "true" gargoyle and then do something so human, but thats just my misguided oppinion. If you could do something to guide it that would be most helpfull, thanks.

Greg responds...

I'm going to stick with "All of the Above" at this point.

Response recorded on March 26, 2010

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Robert Culp R.I.P.

I won't pretend I knew Robert Culp well, but long prior to his work on Gargoyles, I was a fan. I loved him in The Greatest American Hero and LOVED him in I Spy. His unique delivery and humor made both series a joy. And what great partnerships: Culp & Cosby in Spy and Culp & Katt in Hero. He was clearly a generous actor. And a dedicated one. His performances as Halcyon Renard in a handful of episodes of Gargoyles made Renard a completely fascinating character for me. And his exchanges with Peter Scolari as Preston Vogel in the booth were really fun to watch.

Culp will be missed.


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Balron writes...

Are you a MARVEL or a DC?
And even if you aren't one or the other, did you like the movie "Watchmen?"
Was that particular comic book any good inspiration on the works you have done in this decade? And if so, who was a favorite character of yours from that particular story?

Greg responds...

I'm both. I've worked for both companies, and even before that I was a fan of both sets of characters. When I was very young, I didn't even understand that they were too separate companies. I saw Superman team with Batman and Spider-Man team with Daredevil, and figured next issue I might see Daredevil team with Batman. Of course, I soon realized the truth, but it doesn't change the fact that I have an abiding affection for characters from both companies.

There were things I admired about the movie "Watchmen". But I thought Ozymandias was massively miscast, and that spoiled a lot of the film for me.

Watchmen's influence is probably in the mix somewhere, but I can't think of any specific way it has inspired me. As to my favorite character... I'm tempted to say Rorshach, but just because I donated his thumb prints to the original book.

Response recorded on March 25, 2010

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Greetings Greg,

I have a few questions for you about the Third Race and language. Since the TV show never depicted non-English languages for technical reasons, and Avalon apparently translates in some way when it sends visitors to the mortal world, I do not assume that what sounds like English is necessarily English.

1. What language(s) do the Children of Oberon speak amongst themselves on Avalon? Do they speak a language (or languages) of their own there, or do they speak only human languages?
2. Do the Third Race have any languages of their own?
3. Did the Third Race ever have any languages of their own?

Thank you once again for answering fan questions!

Greg responds...

1. All of the above.

2. Many.

3. Many.

Response recorded on March 25, 2010

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FidoPaws writes...

What inspired you or what ideas came to mind when designing Katana? or did you (as in, was an art director/Greg Guler in charge of her design?)

also, I wanted to ask, as smart as Brooklyn is I doubt he's very fluent in Japanese. I recall (mistake me if I'm wrong) that the Phoenix Gate allows for translations (the reason Goliath, Angela and Elisa could understand people during the World Tour). Would the same standards apply for Brooklyn when me meets Katana and her clan?

Greg responds...

I guess I was "in charge" of it, but the designer was Robby Bevard. I just had a basic vision in my head of what she looked like. It seemed way past time for us to see a beaked female gargoyle, and as to her coloring, I have some notions as to her ancestors/descendents that defined that.

Response recorded on March 25, 2010

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DYlan Grant writes...

Hello, Greg!

I was wondering in that episode where spidey's villains escape from that prison, I saw most of them there except for one! Where was Dr. Octopus? Was he still in that prison "The Vault" or not? You included Ox, Molten Man, Sandman, Mysterio, but DR. OCTOPUS was missing. Also, what do you intend to do with Doctor OCtopus in the future?

Greg responds...

Doc Ock was at Ravencroft.

Response recorded on March 25, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Ackerman writes...

Please ignore this if it is a double posting. There was a paragraph I'm afraid my be flagged as an original idea. That isn't my intent, (and frankly, it wouldn't be a particulay original idea on my part), so I'm posting a slight altered version of the post (also fixed some typos;)-

More on Spidy, two slightly negative comments:

1- Mysterio's little 'gargoyles'. (I know they are homocu..., er, can't spell it.) Are they a direct lift from the comics? I know they are supposed to be funny, but giving them little personality type quips, generally right before they get destroyed, irks me. If they are autonotoms and get destroyed, (like Steel Clan robots) I'm fine with that. If they know enough to think 'oh crap!' before smashing into the wall, it is a little disturbing.

(Please correct me if I am wrong about each appearence being an entirely new homocu..er.. thing that looks like a mini gargoyle.)

2-I know you've defended this in the past, but I still don't see the Venom transition. When he first showed up I remember thinking, "How fantastic, he is destined to become this nasty personal villain, and yet he's such a fantastic stand up friend now!" It's not that I don't buy the transition could happen. And after the transition he is a great villain. But it seemed too sudden and out of the blue.

Your comments on the scene he took MJ on the motercycle helped a bit, but not completely. I was incorrectly reading it he was trying to kill her and not just being an ****. With that correction I think I can sum up my problem with the moment in that scene where he runs a red light. Running the red light and living dangerously to scare MJ makes sense. Almost running over the old lady in the crosswalk was too soon in his development.

Being nasty to Peter with his anger amped up by the symbiote makes sense. Like trying to scare the girl Peter seems to like. Jumping from that to nearly killing Gwen in the space of one episode... too soon. Gwen was his friend too, a close friend. I would have expected a transition period when he may be increasingly vicious going after Peter but rationalizing putting others he once cared about in danger.

IMHO

Greg responds...

1. They have some pre-programmed responses. That's all. Like a talking G.I. Joe doll that you can pull the string and it'll say one of several set phrases. The homunculi (there, was that so hard) have a slightly larger repertoire than your average G.I. Joe and the ability to relate there sayings to the situation. But they're a long haul from anything approximating Artificial Intelligence, if that's your concern. They're just fun.

2. Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Response recorded on March 24, 2010

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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.

Greg responds...

1. Most of the writing is done freelance. That is, they get paid a fee to write a script. And they don't have offices with us, but work out of their homes or wherever. Our staff writer on Spidey, Kevin Hopps, was paid by the week and had an office at Sony TV Animation. He's still writing scripts, just like the freelancers, but he's also there to bounce stuff off, which given the way I work, is a hugely important resource. He also did things like writing the audition sides and other small tasks, and he really helped break the entire second season with me.

2. Well, in our case, our voice director and our casting director were the same person: Jamie Thomason. But you could have a casting director (in charge of casting various roles) who doesn't actually direct the actors' performances, which is what the voice director does.

3. That's really not my story to tell - and I couldn't do it justice. But "Cheeks" refers to the anatomy you think it does.

Response recorded on March 24, 2010

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Drew Middlemas writes...

Hullo, just wanted to say first of all that I enjoyed Clan Building and Bad Guys immensely, and I hope that someday we get to see more Gargoyles stories being told.

Anyway, I have a question that I suppose loosely connects to the 2198 spin-off (I'm not sure if this has already been asked; I couldn't find it on the archives). What would happen to a gargoyle if they were ever up in space? Since technically there's no day or night in space, how would that affect them?

Thanks in advance, and wishing you all the best with your future projects.

Greg responds...

It's a good question, one which I plan to explore.

Response recorded on March 24, 2010

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Gargoyleslady writes...

Hi Greg! I have a question about the Manhattan Clan. I know this took place in Colorado but... what would the Clan's reaction be to the Columbine High School shootings in 1999? I imagine Broadway or Hudson would have read about it in the New York Times. Thanks for your time.

Greg responds...

They'd find it upsetting.

Response recorded on March 23, 2010

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Intergalactic Celestia Leader Galaxia Lightyear writes...

Hello. I have a very curious question. If you ever do Gargoyles again, would you plan to have certain Disney or different Special Guest Character(s) in the show? If so, what show/game would you think can join the Gargoyles for a short time?

Or if you plan to have a new character for the Gargoyles series, yet you are having trouble thinking of one, would you ask you Fans to draw or think about a new character for the series? If so, you can ask me. ^_^

Greg responds...

I'm not sure what you have in mind here in terms of Guest Stars, but the odds are the answer is no. And for legal reasons I could not invite fans to create a new character for the series.

Response recorded on March 23, 2010

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Paul Zimmerle writes...

Why do the Gargoyles never upgrade their equipment with the changing times?
I understand from the archives that Hudson uses his to make up for his age, but, despite the number of times their stony rears were handed to them by technologically/magically superior foes, they never seem to try to even the playing field. Tradition is one thing, but I'm reminded of the famous Churchill quote on the subject of a major overhaul of British naval technology: "The traditions of the Navy are rum, the lash, and sodomy."

Greg responds...

I think it's less about tradition than comfort. But you've seen some of the cast 'upgrade'. Brooklyn, for example, is now heavily armed.

Response recorded on March 23, 2010

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Thorgrimur writes...

Is the Director of the Redemption Squad aware of Matt Bluestone's long quest to expose the Illuminati? If so, does he know that Matt has already penitrated their ranks?

Greg responds...

No comment.

Response recorded on March 23, 2010

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SpiderFan89 writes...

Hi, Greg. Two Spidey questions:
1) Since Norman stole Toomes' tech flight technology, did he used it to create the Goblin glider?
2) Do you have plans for Peter's parents?

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. Yes.

Response recorded on March 23, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

One last question before bed....

From what little we've seen, it seems that Brooklyn and Katana are parents, not just rookery parents. (All those years with just each other would make it seem inevitable. There are no rookery siblings or other parents.) You wrote that Broadway and Angela ~choose~ to raise their children in the gargoyle style. So...

1. Are there currently any clans who have adopted human parenting, like they adopted human naming? Will there be by the future series?

2. Even those choosing to raise children collectively, are their strong human influences to that thought? (For instance, noting a rookery child looks like you.)

3. Am I correct in my assumption that Brooklyn and Katana are more like human parents in that respect?

4. It has been strongly implied that Elisa and Goliath will in some way adopt. Should they raise a child, would it be as individual or collective parents?

More later, (when I can hopefully decipher my handwriting).

Greg responds...

1. We'll have to wait and see.

2. See above.

3. See above.

4. See above.

Response recorded on March 23, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Loved the trades, loved the single issues. Assuming that more stories will be published, (and I certainly hope so), is there any thought to releasing trades the size if the original art?

Greg responds...

There's been some talk. Nothing definite.

Response recorded on March 22, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

In you today in Gargoyle History entries you wrote, "Rosario Sanchez & Peter Choy save 5 year old" in 1995. You also answered they'll show up later. How about the child? Is that child a boy or a girl?

Greg responds...

It's a boy named Ollie. That's all I'm willing to say at this time.

Response recorded on March 18, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Do Gargates nurse? I think that egg laying mammals nurse, so it isn't inconceivable. Why else evolve to have breats? (Though I vaguely remember something about Duck Billed Platapai sweating milk.)

Greg responds...

Yes, they do nurse.

Response recorded on March 18, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I was sure this was in the archive, but when I checked I couldn't find it. The clones coloring is different because of the forced maturation process. Is that also why Thailog's eyes glow red instead of white.

(I could've sworn I remembered you answering it, but when I looked to confirm the answer, even going into the Thailog section and manually searching for 'red' turned up nothing.)

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on March 18, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

It's been ages since I posted a question. Aside from suggesting Ed Asner as a candidate to write an intro to one of the trades, it may have been years. It's not that I haven't been reading, nor that I haven't had questions, but I fell way behind and couldn't post till I caught up.

First of many questions....I guess I'll start with the one that comes to mind connected to the main reason I fell so far behind in the first place; an adorable, now one year old, time hog.

Years back I read Viewing Violence after it was suggested on this site. I commented how it was ironic that the author praised Gargoyles, (and ~very~ few other shows), to high heaven for, among other things, its clear depiction of consequence; Broadway plays with a gun, Elisa is shot -ELISA IS STILL ON CRUTCHES THE NEXT EPISODE, and yet she placed it, and all cartoons, in the chapter about the age before children have a sense of long term consequence. Having the good guys win in the end doesn't excuse bad behavior earlier when children won't make the connection. The next chapter follows children old enough to deal with complex plots and long term ramifications - her praises of Gargoyles to a T.

So my question is this: What is the youngest age you would recommend starting a new fan? (Of course ignoring the fact my little girl is an absolute genius, who will most probably finish all Shakespeare before kindergarten- I'm not looking forward to explaining the bloodier ones;)

Greg responds...

Well, I may not be the best person to go to for this advice. Not like I'm some parental expert. Just a parent. But I started my kids on Gargoyles VERY YOUNG. And it held their interest, which was my main concern. There's stuff there for them to enjoy, and IF THEY ASK about any of the more mature aspects of the show, there are teachable moments. That is to say, I didn't sit them in front of the TV and walk away. I watched WITH them. We had fun. And we learned some stuff together. But I think they were each about two when they started watching Gargoyles.

That's right! TWO!!! <chuckle>

Okay, yeah, I'm a bad parent. I mean I watch Dexter with my fifteen-year-old daughter. So don't listen to me.

But I do think the key is to watch Dexter WITH your kids and not let them watch it alone. Oh, and when Dexter's over, put on an episode of The Office or something light and funny before bedtime.

Response recorded on March 18, 2010

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Gothic Cowboy writes...

Mr. Weisman, I was recently re-watching Excalibur (the bloody 1981 Arthurian adaptation), and was inspired to ask two questions of you:

1. When Quinevere is accused by Sir Gawain (whom I noticed was a young Liam Neeson) and Arthur is unable to act as her champion because the law demands he be her judge, he tells Quinevere (of her and Lancelot) "You are the two people I love most in this world." Having recently read Clan-Building Vol. 2, I was struck by the fact that this is what Peredur said to Duval and Blanchefleur, his wife and his best friend. Was that an intentional parallel, or is it just a coincidence?

2. The Excalibur film is noted for being one of the few Arthurian adaptations that didn't flinch from presenting the more violent and sexual aspects of the stories, which many other adaptations have glossed over or eliminated. I remember the copy my Father taped, and how he'd (roughly) attempted to edit the more graphic scenes (something my little brothers and I found amusing at the time). In his defense, we were quite young. But the question of how you'd have dealt with some of these aspects can into my mind. Obviously, even with the comic, you'd have to be more circumspect than an R-rated film, but even then, how much of, say Lancelot and Quinevere's infidelity would you have shown. Another example would be how Merlin arranged for Uther to be with Igraine, in return for their child (which, when I re-watched the film, couldn't help but remind me of Merlin's father and the events of The Gathering episodes). At the far end of the scale, some of the legend cycles have it that Arthur pulled a Pharaoh, ordering the death of the first-born in an attempt to eliminate a young Mordred, an act that, even in context of the time he lived in, makes him difficult to redeem. How much of these elements would have dealt with?

P.S.-In a previous post, I mistakely used "who's" when I should have used "whose." My apologies.

Greg responds...

1. It was an intentional reference to the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot relationship. Not necessarily a parallel. And not necessarily a specific reference to Excalibur, since I've seen those sentiments in many other Arthurian adaptations, including "The Once and Future King" and the musical "Camelot" which is based upon it.

2. Everything would have been dealt with. Whether "off-screen" or "on" is the question.

Response recorded on March 18, 2010

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Matt writes...

1. Why did you give the moniker of "True" to Hudson's third biological child? Where did the name come from?

2. In what series' or spin-offs would we see True again?

3. Aside from Hudson, were any of True and "Kermit"'s rookery parents still alive as of 997?

4. Where did True and Kermit go during the Battle of Rathveramoen? Were there other gargoyles/beasts of similiar age among other cells of Demona's Clan?

5. Do you consider the cell that True belonged to to be called the Wyvern Cell or would you call it something else? Was this the cell that Demona spent most her time with?

Thanks, Greg!

Greg responds...

1a. It seemed appropriate.

1b. My twisted mind.

2. Dark Ages.

3. Potentially.

4a. Into hiding.

4b. Yes.

5a. I doubt it was called that, since it wasn't located at Wyvern. But I understand how that's a useful and sensible place-holder for the time being. And, no, I haven't set a specific location for it yet.

5b. Yes.

Response recorded on March 18, 2010

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James writes...

Disney as of recent bought out Marvel. That in mind will Marvel release thier comic adapton to Gargoyles as a graphic novel?

Greg responds...

I doubt it.

Response recorded on March 18, 2010

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Derek writes...

Was it a conscious decision to not give Black Cat bad luck powers in Spectacular Spider-Man?

Greg responds...

As opposed to a SUB-conscious decision?

Anyway, yes, it was. I don't understand them. And it seemed a needless add-on to an already fascinating character. *Just my opinion.*

Response recorded on March 18, 2010

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James writes...

Did the Gargoyles have a diffrent title for thier race and just adopted the name Gargoyles from man, or were they always known as Gargoyles

Greg responds...

It seems that the word "Gargoyles" descended from the Atlantean word "Gorlois". Whether that word is truly Atlantean, or itself came out of something the gargoyles themselves articulated is as yet unknown.

Response recorded on March 17, 2010

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Gothic Cowboy writes...

Mr. Weisman, will we see the Tasmanian Tiger again, or has he largely fulfilled his purpose?

Greg responds...

Given the opportunity, yes.

Response recorded on March 17, 2010

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Harlan Phoenix writes...

Being the huge fan I am of you, I'm always curious about your work beyond Gargoyles (even if coming across the work can sometimes be difficult for me for whatever reason). I think one thing that's always fascinated me is Rain of the Ghosts. I understand that it was done as a Radio Play during one of the Gatherings, but seeing as the Gathering is now over (until someone new steps up to organize it or a new con), would you be willing to disclose information about it or post the script itself?

Greg responds...

No. I'm still trying to sell it in one form or another.

Response recorded on March 17, 2010

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allyson writes...

I desperately need some gargoyle jokes for halloween
know any?

Allycoyote9@yahoo.com

Greg responds...

Not off the top of my head, no.

Response recorded on March 17, 2010

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Bronx :) writes...

If SLG doesn't continue to make Gargoyles comics do you think that you could move over to BOOM! Studios, who now make Disney comics? or would Disney give you the chance to continue the comics there?

Greg responds...

I have no idea.

Response recorded on March 17, 2010

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james writes...

Dear Greg

With your expertise in the writing industry I am hoping you would be willing to perhaps give me some advice in my own writing career. I have written a fantasy adventure story for pre-teens and have begun my search to get it published. I have been working with Children's Literary Agency and they have suggested me to go to Strategic Publishing, which I have done. They sent me a contract that sounds okay, but they are asking for a large fee up front and I am a bit concerned.

1; Is this a vanity company, which I have been advised to stay away from?

2; Is it normal for publishers to ask for a fee up front?

3; Do you know anything about either of the two companies listed above?

Being new to this industry I am hoping that you will lend me your professional opinion.

Greg responds...

1. If they are asking YOU for money, then it sounds like a vanity company at best. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, if it's legit. You pay to get the books published and succeed or fail on your ability to market and sell your books. (Good material helps of course, but isn't mandatory.) But make sure it is legit so that you're not sending money to someone who's just going to pocket it.

2. No.

3. No. But keep in mind, I have no experience in that end of the business. Comics and animation is the sum total of my background - at least so far.

Response recorded on March 16, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

I just got in to SSM when Season 1 hit DVD, so I'm a bit sad to learn that S3 is basically a big *IF* at this point. I've done what I can-- I've bought the Season DVD and the other 4 DVD releases, and I'm going to watch the new episodes when they hit. Is there anything else I could do? I'd like to write a letter (postal or email) if it would help, but I wouln't know where to send it. Disney is a pretty big place, after all. Would you be willing to ask for and provide an address / email address / fax number / anything where fans could send notes of their support for the show? I think you've got an army of people watching this Q&A and wishing we could do more. Maybe if you pointed us in the right direction, we could help.

Greg responds...

I don't have that info, but you might check in here: http://keepspideyalive.ning.com/

Response recorded on March 15, 2010

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Lance writes...

Hey Mr. Weisman,

Before I ask my question I just want to thank you very much for Gargoyles I'm not sure that any other piece of fiction has stuck with me so profoundly. I thoroughly enjoyed the final volumes of the comic series though I had to stifle back tears as I realized it was over. I will never stop hoping that there will be more Gargoyles for me and my future children to enjoy.

My question is focused around the recent buy out of Marvel by Disney. I don't imagine you have many more insights into it than anyone else watching the news reports but I do wonder if you've thought of approaching Marvel now. Marvel being such a well established comic publisher may see the merit in continuing your run of the comic series. I would hate to see them take it and make it their own of course, we'd never see your true vision of it, but it would be nice to see them allow you to continue what you started. Just something I've been thinking about as I very badly want to see Gargoyles continue.

In a similar line of thought, I asked this question sometime ago and never got a response. Would there ever be a time that you would make a more detailed version of your overall plot for the rest of the series and its spin-offs available to read. The Three Brothers story was great. I'd love to read more like that. I've always feared that if enough time passed we would never get to know what else was lurking in that wonderful brain of yours regarding our beloved Gargoyles. Would you ever reach that point if things didn't look good for the series being continued that you would allow us more bits of your vision?

Thanks,

Lance

Greg responds...

Re: Marvel. Check the archives. I've answered this ad nauseum.

Re: My master plans. I throw out tidbits now and then and if the whim strikes me, I might give out a bit more. But beyond that, any story is only as good as its execution, so I'm not likely to just ... vomit up ... a report of my plans.

Response recorded on March 15, 2010

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Aeschylus writes...

Greg,

I always enjoyed the relationship of MacBeth and Demona on the show for its intensity and sorrow, as well as Xanatos and Fox with their unique understanding of companionship and love. And it makes me think...

With all the love triangles, the magical bonds, the promises, oaths, or senses of duty to consider, which relationship between any set characters of the series were you most passionate about writing and why? What do you think drove that relationship? And do you think it is the simplicity or the strife of that Character Relationship that makes it more appealing to you as a writer and does that opinion change as a viewer?

Greg responds...

I suppose the top relationship in my mind is probably Goliath-Elisa, but truly I'm interested in all of them. And a lot. They're all fascinating to me, for a variety of reasons. Basically, I don't have a standard answer to your questions.

Response recorded on March 15, 2010

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Aeschylus writes...

Greg,

Just wanted to comment on the brilliance of the show, and you and your team being able to successfully weave different mythologies together to create a whole new mythology. It's works like that that inspire so many others to continue in the arts, whether it be writing, designing, or performing arts alike- myself included. So thank you for that and for continuing to share this amazing experience with us over a decade later. Whether or not we ever see the rest of the show released on DVD (or the next big media software), it is my belief that Gargoyles will continue to inspire all who have the privilege of watching.

Greg responds...

Thanks. And I really liked your Oresteia too.

Response recorded on March 12, 2010

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Zoder writes...

Since it's been several years since Disney XD/ToonDisney has aired Gargoyles during an hour a normal child would watch, many kids in what was the target demographic have no knowledge of Gargoyles unless they are introduced to it through their parents or if a friend happens to have the DVDs. Since I have no children of my own yet, I was wondering how today's kids would view Gargoyles compared to what's currently put out by the networks.

With Benny being around the right age, has he introduced any of his friends to Gargoyles? If yes, were you able to gauge their interest in the show and does it still hold up to the target demographic 15 years later?

P.S. Loved the comics!

Greg responds...

As far as I know, Benny's only ever told his friends about Gargoyles. I doubt he's shown it to anyone.

Response recorded on March 12, 2010

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Todd Jensen writes...

One of the big changes you made from canon-in-training to canon, in "Clan-Building", was having the Phoenix rather than the Phoenix Gate be the cause of Brooklyn's timedancing. I thought about it recently, and think that it was a good change.

Aside from it providing a good explanation for why it took so long for Brooklyn to get back (it would probably have seem far-fetched if each time the Phoenix Gate appeared during those forty years, he always failed to grab it before it disappeared again), I think it added something to his journey. While we don't know exactly what the Phoenix is as yet, or what its agenda is, the way it was depicted (and Brooklyn's own comments) made it clear that it deliberately took Brooklyn to Scotland in 997, that this was not just some accidental fluke, that the Phoenix has a purpose and intentions like those of any sentient being. Brooklyn isn't being battened about the time-stream by an out of control magical talisman, but is being sent places to fulfill a mission, like Goliath and his companions on the Avalon World Tour. His adventures up and down history, past and future, are the product of a plan, not just the whims of chance. I think it made for a much better story.

Greg responds...

Thanks.

Response recorded on March 12, 2010

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Todd Jensen writes...

In your Gargoyles/Spectacular Spider-Man crossover Radio Play, the Spear of Destiny's head was buried beneath Ravencroft Institute. While this obviously suited the needs of the story, was this also intended as an in-joke reference to Trevor Ravencroft, who wrote one of the best-known books about the Spear?

Greg responds...

It was a happy accident that I discovered when I started researching the Spear for the Radio Play.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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David B. Jacobs writes...

Hey Greg!
Just wanted to say - please don't be frustrated and upset that I saw Season 2 on YouTube and am not watching it on Disney XD! I don't HAVE Disney XD! :(

Greg responds...

What I didn't know...

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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Matt writes...

My Review For Bad Guys #6, "Losers"...

- Alright! I'm glad we are ending this mini-series with a pretty strong cover. And I'm really pleased that this cover is what made the cover for the trade. I had kinda figured we'd be getting a group shot for this final cover and it looks great. Matrix is very cool here and Hunter and Dingo look awesome here. My only complaints is that Fang looks a bit too cat-like and Yama looks like Goliath. But I can get over it.

- So, here we go. We don't pick up where we left off at Eastcheap Island, but back in Paris where the Mr. Director is chatting with Dolores and later Monsieur Le Maire. A bunch of characters we don't know anything about really, aside from the fact that they are part of the organization that formed the Redemption Squad. Hunter at one point claims this group is Interpol, but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to believe her or not. I hope (and suspect) these three unknown characters will be expanded down the road, particularly the Director. On a related note, I was expecting to see the story of Hunter's recruitment in this chapter, but it was not to be. A story for another day, I suppose. This issue has a lot to work with already.

- Back at Eastcheap, everybody chills out (except Hunter) and sits down to a nice meal. Falstaff couldn't be more right when he called this lot a motley crew. Something that has always appealed to me about the Redemption Squad is that they seem like they'd be perfect for and a lot of fun fighting another group. I've been looking forward to a Redemption Squad versus The Ultra-Pack battle for years, but Falstaff's Band of Thieves seems like they'd make a great group antagonist also, and I'm sure we'll see more of them in the Bad Guys series.

- We continue on with a lively discussion at the dinner table. Falstaff, Dingo and Hunter all have this great dynamic with each other. It is like none of them really like each other, but are trying to get along. Dingo in particular plays the middle-man so well here. Mediating between these two groups. And it is funny because he doesn't have much reason to trust either Falstaff or Hunter. He doesn't know or understand what Falstaff is doing here, but Hunter won't even tell him who he is supposed to be working for. And on top of that, he has this past relationship with Falstaff and this blooming future relationship with Hunter, so he really is stuck in the middle here, and it seems to me now that Dingo has always been the middle-man. Balanced. Not good or bad. Anyway, a fun scene. We also get a cool bit where Fang is chowing down... and Matrix is eating a fork! Funny.

- And speaking of Matrix. I find him to be very interesting is this chapter. What strikes me most is his non-direct interplay with Falstaff. Falstaff really seems to be bothered by Matrix a lot. Looking at him funny, thinking over the things Matrix says. I can't put my finger on it, but I suspect something is going on in Falstaff's mind concerning Matrix. And Matrix continues to be an incredibly resourceful and useful teammate. In that aspect, he is sorta the R2-D2 of the group. Maybe not the main hero, but consistently saving and supporting the hero. That kind of character has always appealed to me and Matrix is no exception. I do remember hearing Greg talking about Matrix doing something truly incredible down the road and becoming a foe the Redemption Squad must face. I hope we get to see that story eventually because Matrix really is fascinating.

- Meanwhile, Falstaff tries to convince the Squad that they really are the good guys. And he does this in such an interesting way. Falstaff himself talks to Dingo. Tries to show him that he has reformed and is some sort of guardian these days. And Falstaff sets up some communications with a couple other Illuminati members: Fiona Canmore and Thailog. This is just brilliant, great stuff. There are so many conflicting things going on around here. You have a team of villains who don't know who they are working for that are trying to be good guys confronting a team of possibly bad guys who are trying to prove they are good guys working for a possibly good organization and as proof they get a couple not-so-protagonists to vouch for them. And one of them is a gargoyle and the other a gargoyle hunter. Wow.
I'm not sure if it was just luck that Matrix went along with Hunter to talk to Fiona instead of, say, Yama. Would've been an interesting conversation with Aunt Fiona with a gargoyle standing next to Hunter. Nice to see Fiona in the canon finally. And not far away we get Yama make something of a joke for us ("Someone fix the color!" Very funny.) and he and Fang chat with Thailog. These conversations don't seem to go as planned for Falstaff though. Hunter has left the family business, but Fiona indicates that there is more to things than that. We don't see what happens next, but it seems to me that Hunter has a hard time going along with whatever else Fiona has to say. And Fang vouching for Thailog means little since no one trusts Fang. So, in the end it seems only Dingo is willing to give the Illuminati the benefit of the doubt. Maybe.

- So, the Squad takes a few minutes to confer. As a side note, anyone else notice the tapestry in the room they are left in? Looks like a gargoyle fighting a human to me. Hunter gives it a passing glance anyway. Safe inside the Matrix Isolation Sphere, we see some sharing of notes. Of course, all of this is intercut with the following scene. Like the last issue, these flashes back and forth in time really keep the suspense up. Sometimes it even comes across as if the scenes were talking to each other, if you get my meaning. Dialogue in one scene inter-plays with dialogue in another. And we are not always sure what each group, even each character, is up to until the end. Really great stuff. Kudos to Greg for that. And Fang starts off a pretty climactic battle. Matrix takes out Mistress Quickly pretty easily, which makes his point. He wraps her up in some sort of shell. Greg indicated at the Gathering that she was, in fact, still alive, but in some sort of hibernation. That can't be fun for her, yikes. Of course, her teammate Points is dealing out some damage of his own, stabbing Yama in the gut. I like how Yama admits that Points is a superior swordsman, but endures the injury to take advantage of his own superior traits, namely his strength and knowledge that he will heal. Still, must've hurt, yowch. Dingo pulls out his old bolas. I don't think we've seen Dingo use the bolas since "Thrill of the Hunt". Falstaff pulls a Goliath by snapping his way out of them though. Guess he still has some muscle under the medieval getup and pounds of fat. And Hunter kicks the face of the amazing, fire-breathing Bardolph. I guess his face was already messed up, but still...
But the Squad is outnumbered and out-gunned... seemingly. Falstaff and Dingo play a game of bluffing and Falstaff bails. He reveals that Eastcheap isn't an island, but a submersible vessel of huge size. Didn't expect that! The Band of Thieves leaves the Squad to its fate in the soon to be flooded chamber. I can't help think that despite his words, Falstaff knew they'd escape and survive like we all did. Matrix saves the day again and we get our last scene with our heros(?)
Hunter is frustrated that they did not manage to capture the island or the treasure or Falstaff. No one points out that they did escape with a prisoner however. Anyway, Fang is content just to survive and Yama... actually agrees with Fang sort of. Yama tells the team that the road to their redemption is a journey and that gaining a captive or an island or whatever isn't as important as walking the road. These results are not the destination, more like perks along the road. There is a beautiful but brief moment of comraderie here with everyone, but most notably between Fang and Yama. Yama actually puts his hand on Fang's shoulder (must be the blood loss) and Fang listens so intently to Yama's words. Of course, the sun rises and we don't get to hear the obvious answer of when we've reached redemption. Fang goes back to being Fang and gives us one last curse word for the books. His use of the word "crap" really serves to re-emphasize to me, the reader, about how dark this comic was able to get at times, yet how fun and comedic it was too. A cool moment. Hunter and Dingo's last little look at each other is nice too. Honestly, the last three pages are just wonderful. Very poignant and satisfying. A great ending to this mini-series. I really hope to see more of the Bad Guys spin-off down the Redemption Road.

P.S. Can't help notice that the Humility Spell didn't turn Yama's clothes to stone... guess the Squad is in for an eyeful at sunset. : )

Greg responds...

Glad you enjoyed the issue and the volume...

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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Merc with a Mouth writes...

I read that Carnage will appear in Season 3 of The Spectacular Spider-Man voiced by Quinton Flynn. Is this a rumor because there was nothing about who will voice Scorpion and Hobgoblin ands they're the only villains you confirmed. Thanks Greg!

Greg responds...

Yes, it's just a rumor. We haven't even gotten a pick-up for Season Three, so beyond Hobgoblin and Scorpion, we haven't planned what villains would appear yet, and obviously we haven't done ANY voice casting for new characters yet.

Where did you hear this? Is this really a rumor or a suggestion masquerading as a rumor? If the former, assume anything else that comes from this source is, frankly, crap. And if the latter, please don't play these games.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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gargoyles fan writes...

hey Greg! I was just wondering if you had any idea if the Gargoyle T-Shirts would be coming back to Hot Topic, I just got into Gargoyles and would absolutely love a Gargoyles Shirt! I just can't seem to find any new ones. Any ideas?

Greg responds...

Nope. Sorry.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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Ken G. writes...

Ok, so I was browsing at Wal-mart yesterday and just happened to see Gargoyes season 1 ans season 2 vol.1 and thought it was a sweet find especially for the price. Picked the both up without hesitation then I looked up season 2 vol. 2 and just realized it may not happen because of sales. So my question is... its been a long while since the were released sales must have progressed by now no? How much more needs to be sold for the next ones to be created?

Greg responds...

I don't think it's still possible for us to make a big enough sales splash with the existing volumes to generate the next one. We'll need to make a LARGER splash with the property as a whole to get Disney's attention all over again.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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Graham writes...

Hey Greg, love the show! Anyway, I wanted to know what the guitar chords were for the Spectacular Spider-Man theme, because I searched for them online, I couldn't find them anywhere, and would love to learn the song. I really hope you guys can get the show renewed, it's the best animated show I've seen in a long, long time.

Greg responds...

I'm afraid I don't know the answer.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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A Big Fan writes...

Hi Greg, I have a Spider-Man question.

Do you have a storyline planned about Peter's parents, Richard and Mary, or have you not thought that far ahead?

Greg responds...

I've thought that far ahead ... and/or that far behind. 'Nuff Said.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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Matt writes...

What was Sandman talking about when he said "I've had bad experiences with cats" upon meeting Kraven? Something in the show that I missed or something from the comics or something you are not revealing yet or what?

Incidently, this is my first Spectacular Spider-Man question. I want you to know that I'm a big fan of this series as well, though I don't talk about it much. Great stuff!

Thanks Greg!

Greg responds...

It's a joke. Think about it, and you'll either laugh or cringe or maybe both.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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DarkZide writes...

Hi! I had a difficult time making out if this question already had been questioned in the archives so...

Who raised Eddie Brock? In the last episode of season 1 Eddie mentions that Pete always had his precious uncle and aunt while he had nobody. Could that really be true? Wouldn't Eddie have to be a little boy when his parents died?

Greg responds...

Foster homes. Various foster homes.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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Red_Aviary writes...

First, let me say that SSM is probably the best adaptation of the comic and film mythos there is. It's definitely surpassed the nineties Spider-Man show in terms of animation and storytelling - and that's the show that got me into superheroes (with Batman: TAS :D) in the first place. I wanted to thank you for your work and dedication to Spider-Man.

I have a few questions, actually.

1) Harry's mom. We barely ever see her. As far as I know, she gets very little time in the comics as well, and she was killed off early in Ultimate Spider-Man. Is she a kind of trophy wife for Norman? Does she resent him at all? Does she care at all for Harry?

2) Peter's web fluid. He mentions that it costs a lot a few times, as I recall, but where did he get the formula for it? I don't really know where he got it in the mainstream comics. He seemed to just know how to make it. But, as I'm sure you're aware, in Ultimate Spider-Man he based it off of a formula his dad had been working on. Something similar here?

3) We know Peter's a science nerd and all. And that he makes quite a few pop culture references when he's bantering. I know he's probably limited from making too many references on the show and all, and that the episodes are really just flashes of Peter's life, but... how much of a geek is he, in your version? Does he play video games or use the internet a lot in his downtime? Is he a science-fiction or fantasy novel fan or anything? And to what extent? Being a geek myself, I'm interested. >_>

4) And a big one... you've said numerous times that you're not allowed to use the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, the Punisher, Daredevil, etc. in the show. Not even a little bit. I get that, despite how much it kills me inside. But if you could, hypothetically, use them... HOW would you use them? Would the Fantastic Four be based more off of the mainstream version, or the Ultimate version? How would you go about handling Spider-Man's relationships with these heroes? Would Daredevil disapprove of Peter's activities when he's so young and inexperienced, as in the Ultimate universe? Would Nick Fury be black and the Avengers/Ultimates a government project?

I'll understand if you can't/won't answer them. I just thought I'd ask anyway. And I did consult the archives before I posted, but, well, they're big and I might have (probably) missed something. So, sorry in advance.

Greg responds...

1. We have definite plans for Emily, which I'm not revealing here or now.

2. Not saying, but there's a story behind that too.

3. I'd say you have to view his geekatude in a B.B. and A.B. sense (i.e. Before Bite and After Bite). Pre-bite - Massive Geek. Post-Bite - Not so much free time for geeking.

4. As always, my basic plan would be to go back to the original Lee/Kirby interpretations of these characters and adapt from there, pulling in whatever good ideas from more recent incarnations seemed to work the best.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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David B. Jacobs writes...

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

Greg responds...

Thanks. I thought they did a great job too!

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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Chip writes...

I’ve asked before without receiving an answer, but just in case this catches you on a generous day: How long has the London Clan been without Gargoyle-Beasts?

Greg responds...

Not saying at this time.

Response recorded on March 08, 2010

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Chip writes...

Some questions bubbled up in my mind while reading Gargoyles Clan-Building, first about the Timedancer arc.
1)Is Fu-Dog’s gold collar affected by the humility spell?

2)Does Katana speak English? I note that she had no lines in “Phoenix” and in the non-canon Radio Play…is the reason she doesn’t speak because she can’t speak English?

3)Somewhat related to question 2, is Brooklyn able to understand the languages of times/places he goes automatically, or does he need to learn them?

Greg responds...

1. It's up to him.

2. She speaks English.

3. I haven't fully decided, but I'm leaning toward the Phoenix compensating magically.

Response recorded on March 05, 2010

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Dorkus McGee writes...

Hey, Greg.

Lately, I've been going a little crazy because my old homemade VHS tapes of Gargoyles got eaten by my VCR, so I can't get my fix and as we all know Disney's not released the full series because they don't feel that the prior DVD sets have sold well enough to warrant a full-series release. With the cost of manufacturing DVDs becoming cheaper and Disney having now bought Marvel Comics (who once published a Gargoyles magazine for a while back in the mid-'90s), do you think we're any closer to getting the full series on DVD? I've signed a number of on-line petitions and even requested that Amazon.com reviewers do the same, but all to no avail. In your mind, other than a miraculous sale of all existing copies of the first two DVD sets, what would get Disney to change their minds and release the rest of the series?

Thanks,
Dorkus McGee
A die-hard Gargoyles fan

Greg responds...

I don't know. Honestly.

Response recorded on March 05, 2010

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skeeJay writes...

Hi Greg. A quick response on your "accessibility" ramble. I actually really appreciated the way you approached it in the comics. It was handled in a very classy way that wasn't redundant or insulting for existing fans. In fact, the spread in Issue #1 was elegant, fit the story well, and was a fun extension of the opening credits monologueâ€"which, of course, was intended to bring new fans up to speed in the first place, and ended up becoming a touchstone for the loyal existing fans. I feel like the same was accomplished here (the spread, Al's story, etc.), and as someone mildly irritated whenever a story feels it has to "talk down" to me, I appreciate it.

Greg responds...

Well, I tried.

Response recorded on March 03, 2010

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Harlan Phoenix writes...

Bad Guys was an excellent story, but I do have one question about one of the protagonists. Yama makes a point at the end of the story to note that each Bad Guy has an inner need to redeem himself or a greater purpose found in redemption. Matrix, however, is distanced from the rest of them almost immediately in terms of motivation as his mission is simply to preserve "law and order."

Now, I'm not knocking this at all; Matrix is my favorite protagonist in the book. But I think the distinction is interesting.

1. Does Matrix understand the concept of redemption?
2. Will he eventually find a reason why his own redemption might be necessary?

Greg responds...

1. Good question. One that we'll explore given the opportunity.
2. Have to answer #1, before we can get to #2.

Response recorded on March 03, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

How come The commission for further episodes relies solely on Disney XD's season 2 ratings?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spectacular_Spider-Man_(TV_series)

At this time can somebody else commission more seasons of more spectular spiderman tv series?

Will The Spectual Spiderman Tv series end after 65 episodes?

Greg responds...

What else would it rely on besides ratings? Or besides ratings and corporate shenanigans, I guess?

And I have no idea whether it will end after 26 episodes or 65 or what...

Response recorded on March 03, 2010

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H.E. Jovel writes...

My dad recently passed away and I wanted to thank you for this brilliant show and for reminding of the memories I shared with my dad, who loved Spider-Man. He did watch a couple of episodes and loved your take on the Rhino, his favorite villain. Thank you Greg and Co., here's hoping for a third season.

Greg responds...

Thank you. And my condolences.

Response recorded on March 02, 2010

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Mark writes...

Hi,

Longtime Spider-fan over here, and I wanted to let you know that after finishing the season one DVD set I think Spectacular Spidey is by far the best interpretation of the character in any medium since the heady days of Lee/Ditko/Romita. I've read reams of the comics, watched the various cartoon series, seen the movies, and I really do believe your take is the best in a long while. Bravo! The first two Spidey movies came close to being perfect distillations of Spidey for me but you guys outdid them in my opinion by remembering that Pete's romantic *journey* is more fun to watch than the destination; I love the fact that Gwen, MJ and even Liz have all been presented as possible romantic interests and you guys are simply keeping all your options open.

Which segues into my question: without looking for spoilers, how locked into the comic book mythology do you intend to be? I don't want story specifics, I'm just wondering about your "creative philosophy" I guess; I'm wondering if you would be willing to take a hypothetical big left turn where the comics took a right. There have been signs already that you're willing to think outside the box and play with the mythology and the continuity: I thought combining Montana and Shocker was a deft move that made him a much more interesting character, and I also enjoy the Rhino/Sandman friendship. But these are still comparatively minor alterations. To give an example of the kind of big left turn I'm talking about, I was fooled for a bit when Harry was "revealed" as the Goblin, but I have to admit I was disappointed with the eventual reveal that no, it was Norman after all; I say this not because the story wasn't satisfying but that it was thrilling to consider a Spidey mythos where anything can happen: where we're not locked into Pete/MJ, where Gwen doesn't necessarily have to die, where Harry could've been the Goblin instead of Norman (and I would argue, at least based on season one, that Harry made just as much sense psychologically as Norman to be the Goblin.) Again, I don't want story specifics, just wondering if (assuming the show lasts a good long time, fingers crossed) you'd be willing to make major changes to the story of Pete's life as we have all known it for the past 45 years, or if you feel that you must follow the major story beats laid down by the comics.

Thanks, and here's hoping for lots more Spectacular Spidey seasons to come!

--Mark

Greg responds...

I can't really answer this, because one person's major left turn is another person's minor course correction. I try to stay true to the spirit of what Stan, Steve and John did, while feeling free to bring in good stuff from all the many, many people who followed, including, well, me.

Response recorded on March 02, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg,
Did you know that a third season of The Spectular Spiderman can occur if royalties are paid lets say by a tv station or another production company to use The Spectular Spiderman name and use all real spiderman characters and other material as long as they are different enough to make sure that you are going to not be considered copyright infringement and if need be find another production company that would be willing to produce The Spectular Spiderman?

Greg responds...

I really have no idea what you're asking, but in any case it sounds so hypothetical -- i.e. SO unlikely to happen -- that there's really no point in attempting to answer. Either Marvel/Disney will want more episodes or they won't.

Response recorded on March 02, 2010

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

I have another question about the "Timedance" arc of comics: Brooklyn mentions the Spell of Humility, in a way that made me think at first that he had already visited ancient Rome before coming to medieval Scotland. But most of the rest of this arc makes it seem more like this was his first time-trip.
1. So did the Wyvern gargoyles already know about the Spell of Humility back in the 10th century?
2. Do gargoyles of other clans know about it in 1996? In 2006 you said "I think it's inconsistent common knowledge." and I don't know what that means.

And thank you again for answering questions from fans!

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. It means some know about it, some don't.

Response recorded on March 02, 2010

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Matt writes...

My Review For Bad Guys #5, "Strangled"...

- The first thing I did upon checking in at the Gathering this year was seek out my copy of Bad Guys, Volume 1 and read it. Couldn't go through the Gathering out of the loop, could I? Anyway, the point is that I first read this chapter several weeks ago, and many times since then. I'll try to focus on my initial thoughts, however.

- As usual, I'll start with the cover. After a very cool "Louse" cover, it seems we are back to the somewhat dull 'Wanted' poster covers. It isn't that I don't think these covers are a fun way of highlighting the character of focus in the chapter, 'cause it works well for that purpose, but in terms of drawing new readers in, in terms of color and action, they just don't grab me. This cover is also the only one we don't get to see in color at all, which is a shame, but since it doesn't strike me as being particularly colorful anyway, I suppose we are not missing too much by only seeing it in b&w.

- Moving on to the content, we start off back at our island battle. A cool thing here is that these island battle scenes have moved from being flashbacks and become the current story (intercut with new flashback scenes). So, a robot has its grip on Hunter and Dingo really gets to be the hero here. He flies in at high speed, rescues the damsel in distress and vanquishes the monster. Fun stuff and a cool sequence, and the strongest indication yet of the relationship between Dingo and Hunter. Too bad Hunter has no interest in being a damsel. She is so fun as she lets her guard down for a second and then snaps back into tough-girl mode. I get the sense that Dingo both loves and hates that about her.
Meanwhile, Yama saves Fang without a word (quite the contrast between these two and Hunter and Dingo). Yama dives down to the island and immediately draws his swords to take on a couple smaller 'bots. This is a fun little battle also. It is neat to see that when Yama is disarmed, he still has his natural weapons, his strength and claws. A gargoyle without weapons is still a gargoyle.
So, Hunter comes crashing in and the others land nearby, bringing our team back together. There is a brief moment where Dingo helps Hunter to her feet and she brushes him off followed a few moments later by him guarding her from the supposed trap behind the island doors, which she again ignores. These two really get a lot of subtle, but fun, play in this chapter. Of course, the Hunter-Dingo relationship serves as a great reference to Harry's relationship with his mother.

- And speaking of Harry's mother, lets not forget these very interesting flashbacks. We get to learn a lot about Dingo's past. We see that he was a good kid that came from a rough part of town and was raised by a seemingly 'good guy'. A simple thief who raised poor Harry to live a life of crime. It really makes me want to go back and watch some of those Pack episodes again. Dingo was always the good guy doing the bad guy thing. Which is, of course, a fun contrast to John Oldcastle, the bad guy doing the good guy thing. I recall at the 2008 Gathering in Chicago, Karine had a panel in which she talked about various issues she had drawing this chapter (which she had been doing at the time). One thing she mentioned in particular was that one panel was simply hard to draw due to the content. I remember thinking to myself that after drawing a suicide, what could be worse. I suppose the answer should've been obvious given the title of the chapter, but the last page of the comic was a surprise to me. Pretty sick, this John. I have to wonder why he killed Mariah though. What happened? And he seems to so calmly adopt and raise Harry afterwards. Anyway, a true villain. Which is ironic since Dingo seems to think somewhat highly of the man, though I get ahead of myself.

- Anyway, so the Squad moves into the island itself. Matrix gets a brief moment to shine here (haha), and the team comes across the most hilarious piece of art a secret society would ever possess, a giant tapestry with their insignia on it. "Guess we came to the right secret lair." Uh, yeah. And after this long battle with the drab, mindless robots outside we get this quick battle with this colorful bunch of characters inside. These new people are fun. They've got some neat tricks. I love how easily 'Doll' takes out Fang. And the dude with the swords taking on both Yama and Matrix is a lot of fun too. But Dingo knows this Pistol guy and immediately guesses who else is around. So John (AKA Falstaff) makes his appearance. I have to admit that I don't know much about the Shakespearean Falstaff, but this guy is quite the character. We saw that he had gained a lot of weight through the montage of training Harry, but here he has obviously been living the easy life. I love that he walks around with a turkey leg this whole scene. He ominously welcomes Dingo and his friends to "Eastcheap Isle" (uh, haven't you been attacking them the whole time?) and then 'strangles' Dingo with a bearhug. Creepy. Falstaff is an interesting character. He seems so cheerful and friendly and Santa Claus-like that you have to like him, but knowing what he has done... Well, suffice to say that Greg Weisman really likes to push the boundaries in Bad Guys of what is right and wrong, who is good and bad and who we are supposed to like or dislike. Fun stuff.

- So, all in all, a great chapter. We got a lot of interesting background on Dingo and finally moved beyond the Bad Guys Leica Reel. The story order is well laid out. The flashbacks don't just inform the present story, they are a rich part of it, enhancing it. When going from a present day scene to one of the flashbacks, there is no jarring shift because the two seemingly separate stories work so well together. It is very reminiscent of the Stone of Destiny story in the main Gargoyles comic in that the presence of a flashback at a particular moment actually adds new insight that wouldn't have been so clear had the story been told entirely chronologically. I suppose this is what Greg meant when he said that working the Stone of Destiny story has helped in how he wrote Bad Guys. Anyway, truly brilliant, great stuff!

Greg responds...

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

Definitely felt freed up by the Stone of Destiny arc. It helped me use the medium better.

Response recorded on March 02, 2010

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mage_cat writes...

I’ve been thinking about “The Hound of Ulster” lately and a question came to mind. While the episode obviously takes place in, well, Ulster, Ulster has been divided between two countries since the early 1920s. So my question is: does the episode take place in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland?

Greg responds...

The town is identified... and if I could only remember it's name, I could do a quick search and answer your question. But I can't remember the name, and don't have the materials with me to look it up. Sorry.

Response recorded on March 01, 2010

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UncleDeadly writes...

a)Prior to the arrival of Coldstone and later the Avalon World Tour Travelers, was Master Dawa (or this Tibetan group as a while) aware of the existence of Gargoyles?

b)If yes, was this knowledge general knowledge that they had existed in the past, or specific knowledge of Gargoyles in the present day?

Greg responds...

a. Fair question.

b. Another fair question.

Response recorded on March 01, 2010

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Allen writes...

Hey Greg, I'm trying to put together a family tree for The Three Brothers' line.

1) Would you say Ruaidrí, father of Findlaech and Mail Brigti, is more Indulf's generation or Culen's generation? (Frankly, I'm surprised that Gillecomgain is older than Bodhe.)

Greg responds...

Culen's generation, I'd think. (Though he was probably considerably younger than Culen.)

Response recorded on March 01, 2010

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Allen writes...

Hey, I've been following Ask Greg on and off since 2001. This is only my second post. Just wanted to say I appreciate you sustaining the fanbase.

1) Were halflings like Merlin or The New Olympians invited to go to Oberon's Gathering? I would think that Oberon's determination in attempting to bring Alex meant that The Gathering would not be limited to "full" fae. But I could be wrong. What's the truth, Greg?

Greg responds...

1. Case-by-case. (But in general the New Olympians were not included.) Merlin wasn't there either.

Response recorded on March 01, 2010