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Mysterious Galaxy Signing

Once again, I'm hoping people in the Southern California area - especially those who live in and around San Diego - might come to my signing at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore.

I'll be reading, answering questions and signing copies of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego on May 10th, 2014 at 11am.

Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore is at 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite #302, San Diego, CA 92111

If you buy a book, I'm also happy to sign whatever other memorabilia (Gargoyles, SpecSpidey, Young Justice, whatever) that you feel like dragging into the store.

It's a big birthday bash for the bookstore, so there are other events all day long, and I'm told they're serving cake at 3pm.

Info here: http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/MG-SD-21st-Birhday-Bash-051014

Please stop by - check out RAIN - and say hello!


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Ben writes...

I just have a quick question about Rain of the Ghosts. I was wondering if there are currently any plans to release it in a hardbound version or if that is currently not an option? I for one would really like to have it in that format. While we're at it getting the Gargoyles and Young Justice graphic novels released in hardbound form would be great too, but I understand that would probably be a bit more problematic. At any rate thanks for the entertaining stories and please keep up the good work.

Greg responds...

Much as I'd like it too, there are no plans to release Rain of the Ghosts in hardback. Ditto the Gargoyles and YJ graphic novels.

Response recorded on May 09, 2014

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A Flash Fan writes...

Hi Greg,

On a slightly different note...

1. Do you watch/like the TV series "The Big Bang Theory"?

2. As you may know (if you've seen or heard about the show) some scenes in some episodes take place in a comic book store. Now I am not that much of a regular viewer but one time in an episode in the comic book store in the background on the racks was a copy of one of the Young Justice comic books! It must have been from a while back because I believe it was either issue #0 or #2. So I'm sorry I don't know the exactness but if I find out I'd let you know (or do you already know?)

3. I ask because I wonder if you are in some entitled to something because your comic book appeared on a TV show. Do you know if there should be some sort of payment or recognition for people whose work appears in such a manner due to copyright material?

4. Do you know or would you know someplace I could be directed about copyright issues? Like say I want to use the Flash in a comic strip; some people would say it's fine, but does credit need to be given to DC Comics or do I have to get permission from DC to use him? Or say I want to take a clip of the Flash from one of the YJ episodes; again should DC be consulted? Do you think the same thing would go for stores?

5. What's been your experience with issues like these? Say you might have wanted in one of your shows for characters to enter a Starbucks; do you have to ask permission from said company first?

Thanks a lot Greg!

Greg responds...

1. Yes and yes.

2. I'd heard, but I hadn't noticed it myself. So I missed seeing the issue/episode.

3. DC owns all that. They don't have to pay me for using it as a prop.

4. Personally, I'd avoid using someone else's property in your work, period. But I'm no lawyer. And, no, I don't know where to direct you to research this.

5. I would pretty much NEVER do that. At most, I'd do a pastiche, like the FOREVER 16 SUBURBAN OUTFITTERS (instead of FOREVER 21 and URBAN OUTFITTERS) that appeared in Young Justice #0.

Response recorded on May 09, 2014

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Singlesynapsetheory writes...

Greg,

Hello from Australia. I have been eagerly waiting for questions to open again.

I'm a 26 year old female, who has been an avid fan of DC comics for a long time now. I've read all of Teen Titans, The Flash (Wally west run), Justice league, and basically any tie in I could find that included Wally West.

I was really saddened when finding out West was no longer part of DC (although, looks like I don't have to suffer any longer). Your show was the perfect way for me to revisit the reasons I love DC so much.

I think my favourite part of the show is it's incredible maturity. I have read people complain about the way Wally and Dick have dealt with things (particularly, their argument) but, honestly, I saw it as a very adult conversation. Adult, obviously doesn't mean mature (what adults can say they are always logical and mature?), but what I mean is, I could see this as a real conversation that people would have. I love the complexity of the characters and just how real everything is. This was a show I could watch, analyse and really enjoy.

I also think it was so great that you didn't follow the pairings of the comics. Again, people have complained about this, but honestly, who wants to watch something, knowing already what's going to happen? Why would I bother reading a novel, watching a movie, or a tv show, if I already knew half of what was going to eventuate? I also thought the pairings made sense, and the complexities of them brought real issues of identity and what a relationship means, to the table.

I think kids these days need shows like this that are real and mature and don't treat kids as stupid.

Anyway, no questions for you this time! I really see nothing from the show that needs questioning! Just praise!

Hope you had a nice start to the new year.

Kind Regards,
Jessica from Australia

Greg responds...

Thanks, Jessica. I'll take praise anytime. :)

Response recorded on May 09, 2014

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simone writes...

Do you think if I call cartoon network on a regular and complain about how unfair they are for taking down YJ before we was able to have a 3rd/4th/5th season but yet they have all these other shows like bakugan still coming on.? Im not trying to down play them but seriously. ?! Why that play all the time but yet there is never a rerun of YJ .?? It came on on Saturday and Sunday morning. ..that's it.! I wouldn't blame the ratings if its so low.. who really wakes up at 8 or 9 to watch that show (could have came on at 10, not sure since it been so long) unless they know it was going to play that time.?

And that's another thing.. how is anybody suppose to know is there was gonna be another season if y'all don't advertise it.? I realized that y'all didn't do that for the 2nd season or if you was gonna have one (unless I looked it up on Google or something). There was times were I didn't know if a show was coming on that Saturday morning and I would have woke up for nothing ... just upset and sad.. I think that's another reason why y'all did not have that many ratings... we never really knew when it would come on unless we look it up. Please answer ... I really wanna know

Greg responds...

I've lost track of exactly what question you "really wanna know" the answer for. So I'll try to comment on what I can.

I think we can all agree that the series didn't receive as much promotion as we might have liked. Frankly, no show I've ever worked on has ever received as much promotion as I would have liked. None. (Although Star Wars Rebels may be the exception. Lucasfilm has quite the machine up and running to create buzz.) That's just the way things go in a business where promoting an animated series is an additional expense that most networks have decided they can't afford.

Whether you like Bakugan or not, keep in mind it's an acquisition, not an original series. It's considerably cheaper because the U.S. network doesn't have to pay for production, only for a license fee to air it in America.

Calling CN to complain daily does NOT sound like a good plan. Imagine if someone did that to you?

Response recorded on May 09, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

hi greg quick question ive just watched justice league war and I noticed some of the characters (T.O. Morrow Dr. Serling Roquette) have a striking resemblance to your own in young justice designs, his has also happened in the past in flashpoint paradox with kaldur, garath and tula.

so my question is

1) Do Dc just take your staffs work/designs since they own the characters or is it stored on some archive other projects can have access to.

2) also do you get some say in the matter? or compensation for the use of your work?

3) since dc seems to like copying your work so much why are they so reluctant to do a direct to dvd film to finish of young justice?

I hope you are allowed to answer and thank you in advance if you do

Greg responds...

1. I really don't know the answer, but I have a question: isn't Phil Bourassa the character designer on all these projects? If so, maybe it's Phil himself who is borrowing from himself or simply that what he's doing is similar for both.

2. It's not MY work. I can't draw stick figures with any competency. And, no, no say. Not that I need say.

3. Apples and oranges. One thing has nothing to do with another.

Response recorded on May 07, 2014

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fallenlegend writes...

Hello Greg!

Just a quick question this time. The other time I asked you something about gargoyles and you said that you wouldn't write it for free... wich came as a bit of a shock to me as you have said before that it is your baby proyect.

It's understandable as this is your job and main source of income... But I have to wonder if you would ever have or if you have a personal proyect wich you would do for free.

You deserve every cent you get paid but.. Many (amateur/fanfic) writters write stories for fun and I wonder if this is the case with you. thank you!

Greg responds...

I don't write for fun anymore. To be honest, it's too much like work.

I don't write for free, though I do (occasionally) write "on spec". That is, I'll write something that has the chance of paying off later, even if no one is paying me for it immediately. For example, my first novel, RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, was written on spec. (And took over a decade to pay off - minimally.) The second book in the series, SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM, was not written on spec. My publisher, St. Martin's Press, ordered it. The third, MASQUE OF BONES, which I've barely begun researching, will also be written on spec, unless St. Martin's Press decides to pick it up.

But the big difference with those books, over something like GARGOYLES, for example, is that I OWN the RAIN property. I don't own GARGOYLES or YOUNG JUSTICE or WITCH or THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN. It would, frankly, just be foolish for me to invest my time (which is money to me) in something that isn't mine.

GARGOYLES is without a doubt my baby. I feel that strongly. But it doesn't change the hard, cruel fact that I hold no ownership in it at all.

Response recorded on May 01, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

Hey, there! Big "Young Justice" fan here, but there are some things that I would like to better understand about it.

1. You mentioned out of all of M'gann's siblings, she had one brother who was a White Martian. Just out of curiosity, is he her older brother, younger brother, or her twin brother?

2. One question that has bugged me for a while is what exactly motivated Superman to start talking to Superboy at the end of "Auld Acquaintance"? Now I understand that he had begun to at least try to get to know Conner at least since the events of "Players" (in Team Year Zero), but "Auld Acquaintance" was the first time we really saw him open up to him and it kind of seemed out of nowhere. So what I would like to know is what exactly gave him that push to finally start reaching out to Conner?

Greg responds...

1. I'm embarrassed to say I haven't decided if M'gann's brother is older or younger. We wanted to get to the Martian plotline either in Season Three or in the comics, but we never got around to it, so I never had to mentally pin that down. I think I'd lean toward the brother being younger, but I'd want to discuss that with Brandon Vietti before saying for sure. (Not a twin, though, for sure. Just feels like it's been done.)

2. I think the fact that he himself had been used by the Light against his will made him understand a bit more how Superboy must feel ALL the time. Superman is, of course, a decent man. Not perfect, but decent. He was always going to come around eventually. And as I've mentioned before, I think one of the biggest roadblocks for him was that everyone kept saying that he was Conner's 'father'. That notion troubled him greatly. But when he began to think of Conner as a younger brother, he not only felt more comfortable with the idea, but he actively liked the notion of having a blood relation. Some of that may have been crystalizing in his head at around the same time.

Response recorded on April 30, 2014

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Jack Johnson writes...

Hi Greg,

I actually have two questions. First, since Wally and Artemis were living together at the start of season 2, can it be implied that they were in a sexual relationship or were they just saving money by doing something that, in the 21st century, makes a fairly good deal of economic sense for two intimate friends to do? Second, when Dick and Zatanna broke up, was it a consensual decision that they just didn't romantically like each other anymore, or was it more serious?

Greg responds...

1. I think it's fair to say... BOTH. But if Cartoon Network asks, it was a two-bedroom apartment.

2. I don't want to go into too much detail, as it amounts to a spoiler. But since it's clear they remained friends, I think it's also clear that it was a more-or-less mutual decision. ("Consensual" seems like an odd choice of words in this context.)

Response recorded on April 30, 2014

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Uehara writes...

Have you watched Neon Genesis Evangelion? I was just struck by a lot of similarities Superboy had to the Clone Rei Ayanami, the white outfit, the alien/human hybrid, labeled inferior by others because of his clone status, the manipulation by a equivalent of a father figure to further his goals and the moon motif. But I'm pretty sure Lex still is a better father figure than Gendo Ikari.

Greg responds...

I think I saw the first episode back in the late nineties when I was working at DreamWorks. My memories are extremely vague. If it had any influence on Young Justice and/or Superboy, it would have to be entirely subconscious on my end. Can't speak for other members of the YJ crew, of course.

Response recorded on April 30, 2014

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A writes...

Hey Greg! I was wondering:

1) How does parental consent work with underage members of the Team/League (I know it was briefly mentioned in the tie-in comics)?

2) Now that the Team is lead by its senior members, is it their job to recruit new members (and do things like getting parental consent, doing background checks, ect...), or is that the league's responsibility? Or is it kind of a mutual consent thing between the Team leader and League leader?

Thanks for taking your time to answer these questions, really appriciate it!

Greg responds...

1. It's pretty straighforward. A parent (or legal guardian) need to approve the inclusion of any new member.

2. It became one of Nightwing's responsibilities - said responsibility falling to Aqualad and Batgirl as of the end of Season Two. Which is not to say that Leaguers might not get involved. Depends how much reassurance a parent or legal guardian requires.

Response recorded on April 29, 2014

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Lorisa214 writes...

Hello Greg!
1) Does the light still have Roy's arm?
2) Why can't the JL grow Roy a new arm?
3) Why did the light keep Original Roy alive after 5+ years? I mean, why not dispose of him?
4) Was Roy taken because opportunity presented itself, so The Light took him? Could it have just as easily been Wally, or Dick?
5) Which Roy had to gets a new SIN?

Greg responds...

1. Not all of it.

2. Is that easier than I think it is?

3. Why be wasteful?

4. Yes.

4a. Yes.

5. SIN?

Response recorded on April 28, 2014

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Abby writes...

Thanks for taking questions! Young Justice is great.
1. Given that Wally knows Dick's secret identity, does the Flash know? How many members of the League know who Batman is?
2. Who else on the team knows the dynamic duo's identities?
3. Did Dick have permission to tell Wally his secret identity?

Greg responds...

1. Not during Season One.

1a. No longer remember an exact number. Some. Not all.

2. On the Team? No one during Season One.

3. No.

Response recorded on April 28, 2014

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My WONDERCON 2014 Schedule

I'll be attending WONDERCON 2014 in Anaheim, California for one day only: Saturday, April 19th, 2014.

http://www.comic-con.org/wca

I've got no official panels this year - though, STAR WARS fans should definitely check out the STAR WARS REBELS panel on Saturday from 2-3pm in Room 300AB. Executive Producer Dave Filoni and Vanessa Marshall (the voice of Hera Syndulla) will be taking your questions.

But I do have a couple of events scheduled:

1. 11:30am - @1pm: ASK GREG LIVE, a.k.a. YOUNG JUSTICE MEET-UP, a.k.a. GARGOYLES 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, a.k.a. SPEC SPIDEY BLU-RAY CHEERFEST, a.k.a. RAIN OF THE GHOSTS ISLAND TOUR, a.k.a. whatever geeky thing you like...
This is a casual fan get together where I'll be answering questions. Vanessa Marshall (voice of Mary Jane Watson, Black Canary and many more) and Nicole Dubuc (writer/producer of Transformers: RescueBots, writer on W.I.T.C.H., SpecSpidey & YJ, voice of Iris West-Allen) have both said they'll stop by too. And we may have a few other surprise special guests, as well. Note: that although I'm notoriously anti-spoiler, I'm way more likely to drop a few hints in person than on-line. We'll be meeting in Lobby B of the convention hall, behind the escalators, more or less opposite of where DC Comics and Graphitti Designs have their booths if you were going to walk into the hall. (I've posted a map on my twitter account @Greg_Weisman) If the weather permits, we will probably head outside around 11:45am and continue the meet-up there. We'll also be posing for photos, so I encourage cosplayers to attend, etc. I will also be bringing copies of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS to autograph and sell. For a mere $10 in cash, you get a signed copy of the book and signed copies of the original inspirational character designs (drawn by Kuni Tomita) for the animated series version of Rain that we never made back at DreamWorks in 1997-98. (While supplies last.) I'm in no real hurry, so I can pretty much hang out as long as folks want.

2. @1pm - 3pm SIGNING
After the Meet Up, I'll be heading over to Artist's Alley, specifically Table 186, where Thom Zahler of the amazing Love & Capes series has graciously allowed me a place to sit. Once again, I'll be selling and signing RAIN OF THE GHOSTS. Still $10 (CASH ONLY) for a signed copy of the book and signed copies of the Kuni Tomita inspirational designs. (Again, while supplies last.)

So please, stop by and say hello!


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! Just finished YJ:L and collected all the Roy Journal entries. Very heartfelt. It's so much easier to read, though, knowing how thing turned out for him. Anyway, just have a few questions regarding him and/or Cheshire. Sorry if some of these are better left up to interpretation, but I'd really like an answer if you can.
1. Did Cheshire immediately accept Roy after he decided to "throw the fight"? Roy mentions working together in the next entry, but I was just wondering if he had to do much to gain her trust, or if she was already able to trust him.
2. Did Cheshire plan to betray the League of Shadows, or did she have to decide on the spur of the moment?
3. Were they officially dating before they "tied the knot" or did they rush into marriage?
4. Do you regret not showing any of their adventures, or do you think they're better left up to the imagination?
5. Do you regret not giving the two a reciprocated on-screen kiss?

Greg responds...

1. Nothing's simple.

2. SPOILER REQUEST.

3. Matter of interpretation.

4. I'm disappointed that I don't have a venue to show their adventures, but I haven't given up on someday having that opportunity. I don't regret the choices we made with the limited number of episodes and issues we had.

5. See above.

Response recorded on April 09, 2014

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Darksuperboy writes...

Hi greg big fan of the show

did you know YOUNG JUSTICE just placed 5th in tvs.com Best "Kid" Animated Series of 2013. if yes how do you feel about it? if not then congratulations you and your team managed to beat star wars clone wars and legend of korra. and if it wasn't for some hacking from MLP fans you might of placed higher. How do you feel about that?

I hope this helps with getting support for season 3 or at least a dvd film to finish the story, since it was such an amazing show.

keep up the great work

Greg responds...

It's great news. I'm not big on cartoons competing in this way. I understand the desire to make lists, but ranking has never really been my thing. Still, it's wonderful and gratifying to be included.

Response recorded on April 09, 2014

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Anon writes...

Were there any Young Justice scenes that were ever cut out for time?

Greg responds...

ASKED AND ANSWERED.

Response recorded on April 08, 2014

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Zer0C00l writes...

Greg! What's going on, man? Happy New Year and all that good stuff. Before I say what I say... please let it be known that I'm not trying to offend you or anyone in any kind of way.

Cool?

So I hear you got a new gig. Congrats! I knew you would. Now here's the thing, bro. I'm a bit worried about Rebels and I need you to set my fears aside. Can you do that? Can you promise the same Weisman QUALITY? Will YOU be leading the ship of Rebels? I know you have partners. You always had team mates from past shows. But YOU were always the head writer. The one with the series bible. The million index cards all over. That was YOU. Everyone else worked under you.

I ask this mainly because of a recent show that totally turned me OFF in a big way. The show was HORRIBLE. What show? That would be "Ultimate Spider-Man". Have you seen this? Greg, I tell ya, I was looking forward to this. I was. Why? Because of the name Paul Dini. Paul Dini! OK?.

Dini is an incredible writer. A huge force that most of his credibility came from working on the DCAU aka the Timmverse. Namely... "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker". Just incredible stuff all around. So when I heard he was apart of this show, I was like, wow, I need to check this out. I knew he had partners but why would that matter when he's writing tons of scripts and is part of the writers room?

Yeahhhh. Basically, Greg, it's clear as day that he's not in charge of anything there. He's there in name only. His partners (Man of Action) are obviously running things. Every episode that I watched (stopped after episode 7 or so) was so over the top and ridiculous. A true insult to even little kids who watch it. The show is SO dumbed down and tries too hard to be funny. There's nothing worse than forced "humor".

My point? IF the talented writer isn't leading the pack then the show will never be what it could be. I just want to make sure that's not going to be the case for "Star Wars: Rebels". I'm about to invest a whole bunch of money to get into the Star Wars universe. Believe it or not, growing up, I never really got into the Star Wars craze. I didn't. I've seen the movies when I was little but don't really remember much. I went to the movies to see Episode One and that was all right. I just never really gave it a proper chance. I feel I can get a better enjoyment out of it today, though. I'm actually looking forward to it.

Just know, I'm mainly doing this for YOU. To fully get myself well versed in the Star Wars universe and prepared for Rebels. I'm going to buy the complete saga of Star Wars on Blu-ray and then I will pick up the CGI Clone Wars animated series as well. I want to be ready for this.

That's why I need to know, Greg, will Rebels be another "Ultimate Spider-Man"? or will it be the QUALITY of a "Young Justice"? Who's truly in charge? Who's the head booker? I hope it's you and I hope Rebels will be everything it can be and should be.

May the force be with you, man.

-ZC

Greg responds...

Okay, let's start here: EVERYONE ELSE DID NOT WORK UNDER ME.

I had PARTNERS, not minions.

Frank Paur was a full partner on Gargoyles. I was NOT his boss.

Vic Cook was a full partner on Spectacular Spider-Man. I was NOT his boss.

Brandon Vietti was a full partner on Young Justice. I was NOT his boss.

I have two partners on Star Wars Rebels, Dave Filoni and Simon Kinberg. I am NOT their bosses. I'm flattered that you think so highly of me, truly. But by overstating my contribution/authority, you're being misleading and unintentionally dishonest. It's a collaborative medium. And THANK GOD for that.

I haven't seen "Ultimate Spider-Man". That's not a value judgement. I just haven't watched it. So I have no comment on it at all.

And, yes, I get that you're not trying to insult us here. But then please just think about what you're asking for just a moment. Do you really think we'd set out to make a BAD show? What exactly do you expect me to say to that?

"Why, yes, actually. We were hoping it would suck."

I mean, seriously.

EVERYONE involved in it, myself included, is doing his or her absolute best to bring you a terrific Star Wars series. If that's not enough, I don't know what to tell you. Because I'm NOT the "head booker" (whatever the heck that means). As with every series I've ever produced, I'm simply part of the team.

Response recorded on April 07, 2014

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Anon writes...

I just noticed it seems like every team member has a really friend on the team besides Superboy. Wonder Girl and Batgirl, Artemis and M'gann, Roy and Kaldur, Dick and KidFlash, Impulse and Blue B.

How come Superboy doesn't seem to have anyone in this role?

Greg responds...

Superboy has M'gann. Not to mention both Wolf and Sphere. And, frankly, I think you're stretching things to make your point. I think Wonder Girl and Batgirl are friends, for example, but there's nothing you've seen that would indicate that they are best friends. (Not saying they're not, just stating the realities of what we presented on screen.) Likewise, you've left out a number of characters that one could argue have less to show best friend wise than Superboy does.

Response recorded on April 02, 2014

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Soraya writes...

Hi! Hope all is well and that Rain of Ghosts is selling well (I'm reading it on my tablet and it's awesome so far!) anyways a question I've wanted to ask for a while now was is the title for The Usual Suspects in season one of Young Justice in reference to the movie?

Thank you!

Greg responds...

If you mean Casablanca, yes. If you mean The Usual Suspects, not really, though of course THAT is also a reference to Casablanca.

Glad you're enjoying Rain. Hopefully now, you're done and have written a review on Amazon? Huh? Huh? ;)

Response recorded on April 02, 2014

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btgr writes...

Something I just want to let you know:

Ever since I've watched the Disney movie Frozen, I can never take any DC Comics ice villains seriously anymore. It's all because of the constant use of ice puns.

Greg responds...

Careful, an Ice Pun can knock you out at twenty paces.

CTD

Response recorded on April 01, 2014

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GoldenAgeTeen writes...

Hello! I have a question about Earth-16
1. What is the time difference between Qurac and America?
Thanks again!

Greg responds...

Since all of America is in the same timezone, the answer is 42.

CTD

Response recorded on April 01, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

In "Beneath", Nightwing said that Psimon had been in a coma since his last encounter with Miss Martian. Was he referring to the events of "Image", or a battle that happened sometime during the 5 year gap?

Greg responds...

That was a reference to Miss Martian's reading of the Martian Chronicles at the Bialyan Barnes & Noble. She was a little monotone.

CTD

Response recorded on April 01, 2014

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Podcasts...

Well, I'm about to head out of town to tour colleges with my wife Beth and my son Benny...

But before I go, here are a couple of podcasts to keep you entertained...

On the first, I discuss everything from Gargoyles to Rain of the Ghosts.

http://www.funnyrobotgames.com/podcast/?name=2014-03-22_episode_2___greg_weisman.mp3

On the second, the focus is on the development and first episode of The Spectacular Spider-Man:

http://www.spidey-dude.com/?p=1326

Had fun doing both! Hope you like 'em!

I'll be back at ASK GREG on April Fools Day!


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Gray Dickson writes...

What was your reason for having Dicks character be such a womanizer?

Greg responds...

I don't think he is a womanizer, at least not in the traditional sense that most people use that word. He doesn't lie about who he's with. He's been exclusive for periods of time. He's never cheated on any girl. He always calls the next day. Etc.

Dick has tremendous respect for women, in my opinion. And that respect makes him interested in many women for each one's very different qualities. And that fundamental respect (alongside his other attributes) makes him extremely attractive to a diverse group of powerful women, who know he's secure enough not to require them to be 'less powerful' when dating him.

Also keep in mind, he's still pretty darn young. Should he really be settled down by age 19? I just don't think he's quite ready to settle down, and obviously Barbara agrees.

As for why we made that creative choice, given his history, it just seemed right for the character.

Response recorded on March 20, 2014

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Ryan writes...

1.) What part of Europe was Vandal Savage born in (Cave bears were largely confined to Europe (more specially romania hungary and croatia, as well as northern italy, southern german and north spain although there were cases when they were in the caucuses as well, and even iran)? I'm not asking specific coordinates, just general region.

2.) Does the Light have a central HQ akin to the Watchtower?

3.) Which historical figures has Vandal been throughout history?

4.) Are the members of the Light planning to double cross each other?

Greg responds...

1. I knew this. Once. But I don't remember. I'd have to research it again. Sorry.

2. Yes. You saw it in the episode where Deathstroke was introduced.

3. Well, in our series bible, I wrote that he was Genghis Khan, Atilla the Hun and Blackbeard the Pirate. Don't know if I'd stick to that, but it sounds right.

4. No.

Response recorded on March 20, 2014

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Writes writes...

1).So here something I have been wondering. What exactly was Secret? I mean I do take she was a ghost, so maybe I should rephrase the question. How exactly did she come to be as she was? Was it her meta gene? If so how come it activated upon her death? Or was it some form of magic related to harm or the sword?
2). Black manta was under the assumption that kaldur and tigress were lovers. Did he come to this assumption by himself or did kaldur and/or artemis deliberately imply that they were in order to help their cover?
3). Does anyone in the light hold black manta responbile for kaldur's actions?

Greg responds...

1. She was an unquiet soul. Period.

2. I'll leave that to your imagination, I think.

3. Spoiler Request. No comment.

Response recorded on March 20, 2014

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Kwesi Brako writes...

Hi, Greg, just following up from what you said on twitter. Did you hear the comments Paul Dini made about why shows like Young Justice were not renewed?

Here's a link to the specific clip
http://helpsaveourheroes.tumblr.com/post/69925938596/i-thought-id-post-the-part-of-the-kevin

And a link to the full podcast in case anyone else wants it
http://smodcast.com/episodes/paul-dini-shadow-of-the-shadow-of-the-bat/

What are your thoughts on this?

Greg responds...

For the record, I listened to the clip but not the entire podcast. So if I missed out on some important context, I apologize.

I agree with a lot of what was said, but I don't agree that the executives didn't want girls to watch. (And I'm not really sure that's exactly what was being said, though that's the way it's been reported on that internet thing.) The target audience for Young Justice was ALWAYS Boys 6-11. If we ALSO got girls that was fine. If we got older kids, tweens, teens and adults, that was fine. If we got younger kids, that was fine.

But we had to hit the target: Boys 6-11. And we did to some extent, but not enough to compensate for the loss of our toy line. Anyone who says the show was cancelled because too many people (of any specific demographic) were watching us, is, I think, grasping at straws. It's not that too many were watching, it's that NOT ENOUGH were watching in our target demographic. Even then, if the toys had sold, we would have been fine. But the toy line was cancelled, which took away our financing for the series. And that was that.

Response recorded on March 20, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

Shortly after Ask Greg Live, you revealed that Donna Troy had been a leading candidate for Team membership at a very early stage in the development of the show - I was wondering if you could please list a few others who were serious contenders for a spot on the season 1 main cast but didn't make the cut?

Greg responds...

As I've stated before, there was a list of over fifty teen DC heroes, all of whom were considered, at least briefly.

We then cut that list down considerably to more or less the folks that became members of the Team that you saw in Season One: i.e. Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, Speedy/Red Arrow, Artemis, Zatanna and Rocket.

Others that were briefly considered for the final cut include, as I recall, Donna, Garth, Mary and Cissie. But Donna was declared off-limits (at that time). Kaldur replaced Garth. Artemis' backstory offered us more interesting secrets than Cissie's might have, and three archers (Artemis, Roy and Oliver) seemed like plenty to start with in one series. Finally, our developing plans for Captain Marvel in Season One worked better if Mary was not yet part of the equation.

As planned, Garth guest-starred (and had a nice role in Legacy). And we managed to slip a Cissie cameo in, with bigger plans for her later, if we had gotten more seasons/episodes/issues. We had planned to include Mary and Donna in Season Two, but as I've already discussed, Phil Bourassa just didn't have time to design them both for the sake of a couple cameo appearances. We had more plans for both of those characters, as well, but never got the opportunity.

Heck, we had eventual plans for nearly everyone on the original list of fifty-plus.

Response recorded on March 19, 2014

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Coffee With Kenobi Podcast

I'm a guest on the Coffee With Kenobi Podcast. It was a fun interview, covering Star Wars Rebels, Gargoyles 20th Anniversary, Young Justice, Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam. You can find it here:

http://www.coffeewithkenobi.com/coffee-with-kenobi-presents-rebels-reactions-exclusive-interview-with-executive-producer-greg-weisman/


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Diversity

Diversity in pop culture has always been an issue that concerns me greatly. I've tried to do my share to increase diversity on series like Gargoyles, W.I.T.C.H., The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice.

Now, that I've entered the world of publishing, my sister Robyn brought this article to my attention:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/where-are-the-people-of-color-in-childrens-books.html?referrer=

The article asks valid questions, and - yes, to toot my own horn - I'm going to provide at least a piece of the answer with my new books, Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam. Both feature protagonists of color. Rain Cacique is Native American, as is her grandfather Sebastian Bohique. Her best friends are Charlie Dauphin, who's African American and Miranda Guerrero, who is Hispanic-American. Many - if not most - of the other characters are also of color. This reflects the Caribbean setting of the novels, i.e. the fictional Ghost Keys and the actual mythology of that region.

The books are available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Ghosts-Greg-Weisman/dp/1250029791

and here:

http://www.amazon.com/Spirits-Ash-Foam-Ghosts-Novel/dp/1250029821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379977280&sr=8-1&keywords=spirits+of+ash+and+foam+a+rain+of+the+ghosts+novel+by+greg+weisman

I urge you to check them out, and to suggest them at schools and libraries.


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Paul writes...

I liked the use of snapshots from the episode to come in the opening titles for season 1, with a different flurry of shots from each episode right before the Team's pose and the title coming onscreen. I was just wondering what the source of your inspiration was when you made the decision to incorporate clips from the episode during the opening theme. Did JLU (I know it used episode-specific clips in the opening theme for the early episodes) inspire you to do this? Or did you get the idea from somewhere else?

Greg responds...

It was Brandon's idea. Ask him on Twitter (@BrandonVietti) what his inspiration was.

Response recorded on March 14, 2014

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Kevin writes...

I was wondering why the White Martians are treated so badly on Mars? If they have telepathy Green and Red Martians must be aware of White Martians feelings to a degree how can beings with telepathy be cruel to one another when they can literally feel their pain? Maybe telepathy does not create empathy but it is hard to believe that the majority of them would enjoy feeling how others are suffering, indifference perhaps but I do not think you can rationalize lets discriminate against others when again you can read their thoughts. I obviously do not know their history, culture, or if their telepathy works differently on each other so if it is not a massive spoiler and this writing does not seem imposing could you provide some context?

Greg responds...

I don't think it's hard for us as human beings without telepathy to know that others are in pain over our behavior. And yet...

So I don't see why telepathy would change anything. If you truly believe that another is "Less than," then you can teach yourself to disregard. Not defending the practice of course, but it makes sense to me that it would happen.

Response recorded on March 14, 2014

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Lorisa214 writes...

Where Artemis's parents married? I know I saw a wedding pic at the house when Paula got out from jail, but it looked too happy to be them (Vol 2, couple pages in)...Did they kill the original occupants and take their house or something?

Greg responds...

They were married. And they were once VERY happy being assassins together. But six years in prison and in a wheelchair can offer a new perspective.

Response recorded on March 14, 2014

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Lorisa214 writes...

Hey Greg! Love this show so hard! :)
K, after Kent Nelson's death, the JL, got a call saying there was a 'death in the family' I'm guessing family means someone from the hero club since Dr. Fate/Kent wasn't on the JL yet(at all?) . I was just wondering out of everyone at the funeral beside Wally, Kaldur'ahm, & Zatanna, has any of them actually met Kent? I understand they would all show up out of respect regardless though.
2) Would Flash (Jay) have ever worked with Dr.Fate/Kent?
3) Why wasn't Superman at the funeral?
4) Did Red Tornado & Flash/Jay work together originally/at all?

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. Yes.

3. Busy.

4. Yes.

Response recorded on March 14, 2014

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Louise writes...

Hello Greg!
I am a huge fan of Young Justice and as everybody, the cancellation of the show left me a bitter taste. Recently, a petition appeared on change.org and I really want you to see that people support you into making another season of Young Justice. That show was one of the best things I ever watched and definitely the best DC show ever made. I really wish the CN decided to start producing a new season of YJ.
Thank you for creating the show!
https://www.change.org/petitions/cartoon-network-stop-marginalizing-female-viewers this is the petition

Greg responds...

You're welcome.

Response recorded on March 12, 2014

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Devin writes...

Are the number designations of the Light based on when they joined(ex. did Ra's al Ghul join second)?

Greg responds...

There aren't an in-show designations for the Light. Those were pretty much just for the credits.

Response recorded on March 12, 2014

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Devin writes...

Was the parallel between there being seven founding members of the Justice League and Light having seven members intentional?

Greg responds...

Not unintentional.

Response recorded on March 12, 2014

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JCF (TW: SUICIDE) writes...

If it hadn't been for Young Justice, I would have committed suicide before I left high school.

I'm in community college now. Thank you for creating this.

Greg responds...

Whoa... uh, you're welcome. But if you're even vaguely serious then PLEASE make sure you talk to someone. Even now. Please.

Response recorded on March 11, 2014

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J writes...

I once asked:
"Does your version of  Despro  have telepathic powers like in the comics, or can he do anything other than paralize with his third-eye? If he does have telepathic powers, why didn't he "hear" the conversation between Miss Martian and Guardian? Was it because he didn't have his third-eye open at the time?"

And you responded:
"You're assuming that his paralytic power isn't telepathic in nature. You're assuming that all telepaths operate on the exact same frequency. Neither of those are safe assumptions."

Actually I did assume his paralizing others was a mental ability...maby I should have stated my question more clearly.
What I meant to ask is:
Does he have any mental powers other than paralization, specifically communicating telepathically?

I guess I was kind of assuming that all telepathy would opperatin on the same "frequency."
Can you elaborate on this?

1) Psimon has no problem knowing when Ms. Martian is using her powers or getting into her mind. Do they operate on the same frequency, then?

2) Can telepaths change frequencies?

3) Do all martians operate on the same frequency?

4) Is the frequency the telepath operates on related to how powerful they are? (ie do more powerful telepaths operate on higher frequencies?)

Greg responds...

1. Psimon is adept at altering his frequency to match others. Despero can too, but he considers himself above the need to listen most of the time.

2. Some can. Some can't.

3. No.

4. No.

Response recorded on March 11, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

In the scene where Dudley disappeared before Billy's eyes at the start of "Misplaced", was the girl playing on the street outside (the girl whose mother disappeared) Mary Bromfield?

Greg responds...

Honestly, that never crossed my mind. I'd have to look at the model again to see if that made sense.

Response recorded on March 05, 2014

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Paul writes...

1) When exactly were the founding members of the Team given their designations? The first time we heard the computer announce any Team designations was at the beginning of "Welcome to Happy Harbour", but all 5 founding members were seen in the Cave at the end of "Fireworks" - had designations B01-05 already been programmed into the computer at that stage (I'm assuming so, otherwise surely the Cave's security system would detect intruders)?

2) Were designations B01-05 ranked in the order that the character in question became active as a superhero (so Robin first, Miss Martian last)?

Greg responds...

1. Yes. They would've heard their designations announced when they entered - without necessarily (with the exception of Robin) known the significance.

2. Yes.

Response recorded on March 05, 2014

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DanM writes...

Hey Greg... DanM again...
No stories just questions now.
1 - In Rebels is the Producer title of yours a Glorified Title once more or are this the real deal?
2 - In developing characters. Do YOU ever consider how a character name would sound in another lenguage, when you are in the process of naming them? (I ask this because of Count Dooku. Here in Brasil he was renamed Count Dookan, 'cause phonetically speaking it sounds to us as "From a**h*le").
3 - About the toyline. Do the show producers have any say in the development of the toy line? (Like approve or not the design, number of articulations, etc.. That kinda stuff...)
4 - Have you ever considered making a podcast about the show production, while producin it (now, that would be Rebels)?
Thats it for now.. Thanks again for your time
Later

Greg responds...

1. I'm an Executive Producer on Star Wars Rebels. I'm not sure I know what you mean by "once more". I don't think any of my producer titles were "glorified" from my point of view. I did the work; I earned the credit. Sony and Warner Bros may not have needed me to truly produce either SPEC SPIDEY or YJ, but that doesn't mean I didn't produce them.

2. No.

3. No.

4. That's beyond my technical capacity. And I doubt that Lucasfilm would approve anyway.

Response recorded on March 04, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

What's your opinion on the allegation that CN cancelled YJ because too many girls watched it?

Greg responds...

I don't buy it.

Response recorded on March 04, 2014

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Erebus1994 writes...

1. How physically strong/durable are the New Gods on Earth-16 compared to other races? Are they around the range of normal humans or in the range of say, kryptonians and martians?

Greg responds...

1. Beyond the range of normal humans. But there's a lot of variety over that way.

Response recorded on February 28, 2014

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Marvelman writes...

Let's say I suddenly come into a fortune. Could I fund the production of a third season of Young Justice, or is life just not that simple?

Greg responds...

Life is not that simple. You could approach the three divisions of TimeWarner that co-control the series, Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers Television Animation and DC Comics, and see if each division would grant you the license. Then you'd have to contract with the key players to come back, which at minimum includes myself, Brandon Vietti and Phil Bourassa.

Etc. Etc.

Response recorded on February 24, 2014

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J writes...

First I'd like to say that I love Wolf in Young Justice, but I'm curious as to why it was nesissary to create him in the first place. I read somewhere that he was loosly based on Rex the Wonder Dog...and their origions seem to parrallel as much as, or even closer to than, any other character in the show...so my question is, why not just name him Rex?
Was it a lisencing issue? You just didnt like the name?

Greg responds...

Rex was only one of Wolf's antecedents. The other main ones were Krypto and, from Enemy Ace, Wolf. Brandon and I talked about it, and given who Superboy was, the name "Wolf" seemed like the one he would pick.

Response recorded on February 24, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

I think the problem that quite a few people have, myself included, with Wally's character/story on Young Justice might stem from the fact that he was the 'normal' one amongst the members of the original team. And on a show that at it's core is built around angst and drama, the normal characters tend to get lost in the shuffle since they don't come with built-in storylines like a character with a criminal family/background (Artemis and Kaldur), leadership issues (Kaldur and Dick), an inferior clone made by the enemy (Superboy), or a Martian used to discrimination living on Earth. They're just harder to fit into the story of the show. So it's much more important to their characters for the show to create an emotional connection to the audience and develop some meaningful relationships for that character to make them relevant to the show at large. And that's where I think the show failed as far as Wally was concerned.

For instance, you've said that Wally was a very insecure person during the first season and one of the big reasons why you paired him with Artemis. But out of all the members of the team, he always struck me as being the only one that wasn't insecure about who he was, or his role on the team. He was never shown to be bothered by his inferiority to Barry in season one, and even a good portion of the fandom didn't even know Barry was faster until BLOODLINES in season two. In fact, it was Conner who got the inferiority to the mentor storyline fleshed out in season one. And it was never said that Barry didn't originally want him to be his sidekick on the show. Plus the only insecurity he showed with girls was with Artemis. But that was more of a by product of him thinking she hated him because he was a jerk to her when she joined the team, not because he was insecure about who he was. So the show never really established him as an insecure character during the first season. He just came across as an idiot and an occasional selfish jerk simply because he was an idiot and an occasional selfish jerk; not because he was trying to overcompensate for his insecurity because of that.

And it's more of the same in the second season. Wally had became a completely different character between seasons and the only explanation the show gives is basically time-skip happened. I mean, Wally nearly killed himself just to become a hero and absolutely loved being one throughout the first season despite everything that happened. He also was pretty much supportive of his friends no matter what during that season, too. But during season two, Wally wanted absolutely nothing to do with being a hero and was accusing friends of being traitors and blaming them for trying to stop an alien invasion that he couldn't care less about for the majority of the season. It's like the show tossed away whatever previous characterization he had to justify his retirement and get him out of the way before reverting him back to something much closer to his previous characterization in the final two episodes. Which is why I found it a little hard to use Wally's previous characterization during the first season to defend his character in season two when he's not even close to being the same character. And I don't mean to say it's impossible that he could change that much over the gap, but it's such a drastic change that I think it deserved some sort of in-universe explanation.

Another thing I'd like to mention is that you said that Wally's 'humanity' was what you liked most about his character, but I'd say that that was the biggest flaw that this version of Wally West had. I mean, one of the things I've always loved about Wally in the comics and on other shows is that he would normally do the right thing simply because it was the right thing to do. That was missing with the Wally on Young Justice to me. Everything was always about him and what he wanted. Sure, he'd say some nice things to his friends on occasion, but he was the guy that would basically throw an inner-fit at the thought of saving a little girl's life instead of working on another mission with the League. And whatever development he was suppose to get from COLDHEARTED didn't seem to stick or didn't happen as he was practically thrilled that someone got kidnapped simply because he was bored at the beginning of the Young Justice video game. And Wally sitting out the majority of an alien invasion where things get worse and worse goes against everything I've ever loved about him over the years, and the scene at the end of DARKEST pretty much destroyed the character for me. The only times he was shown to help out was when the situation suited his interest, such as retrieving Artemis in SUMMIT, or helping out his family in BLOODLINES and ENDGAME. If the situation didn't have something directly to do with him, he couldn't be bothered to help and that's just not Wally West in my opinion.

As for his relationships, I think the issue for me was how unbalanced they seemed to be. I mean, I can appreciate the slow build and subtlety the show did with building up Artemis' side of their relationship; though I did think the show relied a little too heavily on telling us that they were going to get together in an effort to make her small moments such as asking about his parents in MISPLACED or making the sling for his arm to mean more than they really did. The problem is that the show basically punched me in the face with Wally's side of the relationship in contrast. The show pretty much shouted that he should get together with Artemis in DENIAL, he had an entire episode in FAILSAFE where she's almost all he could think about, was basically her number one fan for the majority of INSECURITY, and was shown to do nothing but worry about her in season two. Artemis never had anything remotely close to those type of things during the two seasons while he was alive. That's because Artemis had a lot going on besides Wally, as she had her family/trust issues, being a mole suspect, and the undercover mission. Where as with Wally being the normal one, the show made Artemis his thing and smashed us over the head with it. That's why I always preferred the M'gann/Conner relationship despite never being big fans of their characters since neither side dominated their relationship. It was balanced. It never felt like one of them was way more committed to the other like it did with Wally and Artemis. And like a previous poster before me mentioned, I think his friendship with Dick was handled in a similar way. It's why their reactions to his death fell completely flat and contrived to me because Wally wasn't really ever shown to be as important to them as they made him out to be after he died. And as a character, Wally got very little out of those relationships himself.

And like most of the 'normal' characters, Wally was killed off because there's only so much a show feels they can do with them. You guys milked about as much drama/angst you could get out of his relationship with Artemis over the two seasons and because of that, Wally was no longer useful to the show because he didn't bring any drama/angst as his own character. In essence, as a standalone character he had no real story of his own and that made him an expendable character.

Unfortunately, it just seemed like the majority of the things that made Wally tick and were important to his character would seem to have been left out of the show for the most part. And I'd say that he's the only one out of the main cast of either season that was handled that way. It's why while I normally enjoy Wally in the comics and other shows (I loved him and Jay/Barry in the episode "Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!" that you wrote for Batman: The Brave and the Bold, by the way), I had a hard time getting invested into his character on Young Justice. And the Wally you talk about here and the Wally that was on the show just seem like two completely different characters to me.

Greg responds...

Well, to some extent, I'll grant that there were things about Wally we didn't spell out as clearly as we might have in the series, though if you were also reading our companion comics, Wally's insecurity about his relationship to Barry would be hard to miss. But I'll also grant that you shouldn't have to read the comics to enjoy the series.

But I think we painted Wally consistently. His insecurity is there to see, certainly in "Infiltrator" and other episodes. We might not have stated it, hammered the nail on the head, so to speak, but I'm confident it's there. If you chose to see him as an idiot and selfish jerk, I can't stop you. But Brandon and I thought the insecurity was pretty clear. Clear enough that we were afraid we overdid it. Perhaps we were wrong. But I still don't think so, and the fact that a handful of fans disagree with me isn't exactly changing my mind. That's neither meant as a criticism of you or any other fans. Nor am I simply being defensive. In the end, all I can do is trust my own creative judgement (and that of my partners in crime - in this case Brandon Vietti), for better or for worse. If that judgement is faulty - and again, I'll grant that it could very well be - that doesn't change anything. Because if I start second-guessing myself all the time, the work, I'm sure, would suffer. In general, I think my instincts are decent, and the proof of that, I believe, is that most fans seem to respond positively - both to Wally and to the show in general. Doesn't make me right, of course, but what other recourse do I have?

As for some of your analysis, I believe you are choosing to interpret Wally in the most negative light possible, and that's certainly not how we saw him, and given the extremely vocal love for our version of the character expressed by a vast majority of fans, I will once again suggest that we simply agree to disagree. I'm not going to convince you. You're not going to convince me.

Having said all of the above, I still appreciate your post and your point of view. And who knows? Everything I read gets absorbed into my brain and tossed around into the mix. Maybe a Star Wars Rebels character will benefit from your words.

Response recorded on February 21, 2014

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Anonymous writes...

The last time i asked this question, i was one of the unlucky ones to happen to get their questions mocked and ridiculed on April foos day...i hope this reaches you on a better day, as i realy think it is a valid question, so here goes:

if Shayara were to have a child, would she give live birth or lay an egg?

Greg responds...

I doubt it would be an egg. But I guess I'd have to do research.

Response recorded on February 20, 2014

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SBlueMonkey writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman,

You've shared some of the pitches for Gargoyles spin offs such as Dark Ages and 2198 without potentially spoiling anything if they ever get a shot at being made. Would you ever do the same with the bibles for Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice? That would make for fun reading, but if they contain anything you wouldn't want judged out of context it's understandable why not.

Greg responds...

I'm not ruling out the possibility.

Response recorded on February 20, 2014


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