Anonymous writes...

can you get the swine flu twice?

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?

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?

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:)

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.