Sold...

Although the Eighth Draft of the Pitch was far from final, by December of 1992, we had finally sold Eisner on doing the Gargoyles series. We quickly (before anyone could change their minds) began work on the pilot multi-parter.

Keep in mind, this was before Michael Reaves or Frank Paur came aboard. This was even before I knew that I'd be producing the series. But I suppose I should have known. We received an outline from a writer, which wasn't bad but wasn't the series I wanted to make. So I tried to redirect things. You can see below that I'm still floundering around with a whole bunch of different thoughts. But the pieces are starting to come together.

GARGOYLES 12-4-92
Notes on 5-part Outline

GENERAL NOTES

--We want to stick closer to the original pitch. Keep the story solidly from Goliath's point of view, with his relationship with Elisa as the central emotional arc.

--We want to clarify what a Gargoyle is and what the "rules" are:
1. Gargoyles were not created by an individual. One thousand years ago, they were real living creatures, a now extinct race that even then was scarce.
2. Gargoyles are nocturnal. At sun-up they transform into stone statues as a protective measure. Theoretically, there may be some magic involved, but from a gargoyle's P.O.V. it's a natural biological process.
3. They cannot wake up at will. They cannot turn back and forth from stone at will. Daytime, they are sleeping. Frozen in stone. That makes them fairly protected, though if someone took a sledgehammer to them, it would kill them. At night they are not stone, they are strong and powerful, and they can fly, etc. But they are not invulnerable.
4. Gargoyles don't have any special instinct or telepathy for danger. What they do have, instinctively, is a territorial and protective nature. Up to this current story, that never extended beyond the castle walls. One of our main objectives is for Elisa to give Goliath a wider definition of his territory...extending it across all of Manhattan (all of NYC?). She gives him hope and a revived sense of purpose.
5. Naming is a human trait. The medieval humans deal w/Goliath so he gets a name. The others have none until they get to the twentieth century, when Elisa encourages/insists on it. Then they pick their names.

CHARACTERS
--We have to know and sympathize w/Goliath much sooner on in the story. We should largely see it through his eyes. His concern for Elisa should drive the latter half of the story, much more than any desire to foil a crime.

--The absolute key to this is the relationship between Goliath and Elisa. We need to develop this slowly. She's got to get used to him in a big way, and for his part, he's not comfortable around humans, and definitely unused to human kindness. He's awkward. Maybe even stunned. We don't have to play it for romance, per se. Even friendship from a human is a foreign concept.

--Hudson is an ex-gargoyle warrior, long past his prime, who now acts as Goliath's advisor. He tends to knock around the castle. Maybe, he likes television. He is not and would refuse to act as a baby-sitter for the younger kids. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Goliath is the Gargoyle-Master. The other gargoyles are HIS responsibility, not Hudson's.

--We'd like to play the younger Gargoyles (Broadway, Brooklyn and Lex) more as teens than little kids. Very eager to explore the new world as you have it, but with a more adventurous sensibility.

--Bronx, the gargoyle-dog does not have wings. His ears allow him to hover a bit for short periods of time. But it's hard. (Keep in mind, he has a weighted tail, like a mace.) He can't really fly. He CAN scurry all over the place, up straight vertical walls, across the ceiling, etc. He has claws that really allow him to dig in.

--Our fault, but we don't think the Bannister character is adding anything. We can probably drop him.

--Xavier needs to be much more imposing. Not bordering on broke. Though obviously, he's not in Goliath's league in terms of brute strength, underneath that three-piece suit he should be a powerful man. As men goes, he should be very strong. And brilliant. On the surface, a rich powerful man, but underneath with his hand in all-things nefarious. He should not be petulant. He should always feel menacing threatening. If, at the end, we do send him to prison, we should not weaken or reduce him. He should go off like Al Capone, with an attitude like "You don't expect prison walls to stop me, do you?"

--We don't necessarily have to use the Gladiator-esque PACK, but if we do, we should keep their strengths clear in mind. The television aspect is a front, but one we might need to see in order to understand why the public regards them as good guys. Since clearly, no single member could be as strong as Goliath, their strength lies in the pack mentality. Goliath tosses one aside, their are five others leaping on top of him, etc. Also keep in mind, that our toughest pack members as they were originally designed were probably Wolf, Jackal and Hyena. Dingo, Fox and Coyote were never designed to be very threatening on their own. Another possiblility might be the SCARAB CORP. Robots from the pitch. (Scarab could also be a division of Xavier Enterprises.) However, feel free to create new villains or a different threat.

PART ONE
We want to get to know Goliath right away. Preferably, all the beats we played in the pitch.
1. He and his fellow Gargoyle warriors defend the castle from "barbarians". We establish his territorial and protective nature.
2. For their pains, they get no thanks or even kindness. Humans look at them as necessary evil.
3. Goliath spends his time reading and keeping the younger Gargoyles out of trouble.
4. We might want to plant a seed for the Demona character here. Establish her as the gargoyle he cares for the most.
5. Also establish Hudson, his advisor, and the younger gargoyles.
6. Goliath and Hudson are sent or lured away from the castle (perhaps by Demona, though the viewers don't have to know she betrayed them). They do not get back before sunrise.
7. The trio of younger gargoyles chase Bronx down into some hidden dungeon. At daybreak they are frozen their.
8. During that day the castle is overrun and sacked.
9. When Goliath and Hudson return that night, Goliath is horrified to discover that the rest of his Gargoyles have been destroyed. Someone took the equivalent of a sledge hammer to them during the day. Demona, his love, is probably part of the rubble. (We don't have to revisit her in the five parter. She can be an element of the tragedy of Goliath. We can bring her back in an episode if this goes to series).
10. Bronx and the younger Gargoyles survived, because they were hidden from the attackers.
11. It may be stronger for Goliath not to be cursed into a thousand year sleep. He takes responsiblity for the disaster. Hudson and the others are cursed to sleep "Until the castle rests in the clouds." (I.e., theoretically, until kingdom come.) Goliath is forced to guard them (the last of his race) alone for a thousand years. This means that he won't be totally ignorant of planes and cars etc. He's seen them over the years. And it might increase his tragedy. At any rate, we don't want to bring up the issue of exorcisms. Dangerous ground.

PARTS TWO - FIVE
1. Let's keep in mind that the whole castle is moved to New York. It can be dismantled, but the human focus should be on moving this castle to the top of the skyscraper. The gargoyles are nothing more than decoration to the humans.
2. There's probably something to Goliath being on a castle top in Scotland one night. Falling asleep and waking up crated in the bowels of a ship, the next night. But we probably want to go for a more dramatic problem than him leading them with a lamp.
3. The other gargoyles, Hudson and Bronx included, don't wake up until the first night after they are installed on top of the castle in the clouds. They've gone from riding a parapet a 100 feet above the ground, to the top of this mega-story skyscraper. It's a pretty hefty transition for them.
4. Art thefts and Bank thefts aren't nearly as crucial as putting Elisa in danger and involved in the case. That's what brings Goliath in. Perhaps we should open with her undercover, infiltrating Xavier's organization. Perhaps that leads her to the Pack training grounds or some other aspect of Xavier's operation. Make her a vital and integral part of the Xavier story. Not simply on the trail of it. And though we don't want to make her helpless, we do need to put her in jeopardy.
5. We're not sure what the red herring of blaming the gargoyles for Xavier's crimes buys us. Not opposed to it, but does it just force us into awkward moments? Lots of talk about guys in gargoyle suits. That's not really a major issue for the series.

Trying again to sell the thing...

Well, if you've been following the early nineties adventures of Greg Weisman and his development staff, you've watched him fail to sell Gargoyles TWICE. First as a comedy. Then as a drama. Now (October, 1992) we were preparing to try again. Again as a drama. We liked the show we had developed, so we weren't actually planning on redeveloping it a third time. We simply wanted to rework the pitch, which mostly meant SHORTENING it.

Now, finally, Goliath sleeps for a thousand years.

GARGOYLES PITCH Reduced Eighth Pass (Weisman / 10-21-92)

A. Trio of typical stone GARGOYLES.

"We all think we know what GARGOYLES are. Ugly, stone statues squatting on the roofs of old buildings. But there was a time, one thousand years ago, when gargoyles were real, living creatures. During the day, they slept...frozen in stone."

B. GOLIATH, the GARGOYLE-MASTER. Proud and Noble.

"But when the sun went down, GOLIATH, the GARGOYLE-MASTER would lead his gargoyle-warriors in defense of the king's castle."

C. Goliath reading in library, sitting on small gargoyles.

"And if there was no battle to be fought, he'd retreat to the library to read and learn, all the while making sure that the other gargoyles stayed out of trouble."

D. HUMANS scorning the Gargoyles.

"For all these efforts, Goliath received no reward, no thanks or even kindness. In fact, the people of the castle treated all gargoyles with nothing but contempt."

E. The Gargoyle-Master alone in the throneroom.

"Still Goliath could no more stop guarding the castle than breathing the air. It's part of a gargoyle's nature to be territorial, protective. And so for years, he maintained his lonely vigil. Then one night, Goliath was betrayed and lured away from his post."

F. SORCEROR curses Goliath and the other gargoyles on the castle ramparts.

"The castle was overrun and sacked. Goliath and the surviving gargoyles were unfairly blamed. The kingdom's SORCEROR laid a curse upon them, and they fell into a stone sleep--that lasted a thousand years."

G. Castle on the skyscraper.

"New York City, 1994. A rich and powerful man has decided there's a better place for a medieval castle than a picturesque hill in Scotland. He's moved the whole place--lock, stock and gargoyle--to the top of the tallest skyscraper in Manhattan."

H. Police Detective ELISA REED.

"All of which means nothing to New York City Police Detective, ELISA REED. Castles and curses don't even enter her mind. She's hot on the trail of a major badguy."

I. She's ambushed on a rooftop by multiple THUGS. She's got the drop on most of them. But someone's about to nail her from behind. (And from another rooftop, someTHING is watching in the shadows.)

"Too bad that trail leads her right into an ambush. But thank goodness, a shadowy figure sees what's happening and decides to help."

J. Reveal THE GARGOYLE, determined, as he dives into fray from above.

"Thank goodness for THE GARGOYLE. When you're as strong as Goliath, benchpressing two badguys is easy. And that stone-like hide of his makes him practically invulnerable."

K. Romantic shot in moonlight. Close in. She reaches up to touch his face gently. He looks handsome and noble and just a bit uncomfortable and sad.

"...To everything but Elisa's kindness. She is the first human being who's ever offered him understanding and friendship, hope..."

L. From atop the skyscraper, she shows him Manhattan. The city as fortress. This is our showpiece card.

"...And a sense of purpose. Because by nature, a gargoyle protects his home from 'barbarians at the gate'. And Goliath's new home, Manhattan, has its fair share of barbarians."

M. HUDSON. (One pose, plus two headshots.)

"Fortunately, our hero doesn't have to face them alone. This is Goliath's old friend HUDSON, a Gargoyle-Warrior long past his prime. Hudson helps out by keeping an eye on the young Gargoyles-in-training..."

N. Trio of young Gargoyles, BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON and BROADWAY. Same as card 1. (But in color, perhaps?)

"...BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON and BROADWAY. (Uh, they picked their own names.)"

O. BRONX, the DOG. (Multiple poses.)

"And then there's BRONX, the angst-ridden Gargoyle-dog. Bronx doesn't like adventure. Doesn't like new technology."

P. Bronx (two poses) chewing on a fire hydrant and flying.

"He just likes to eat a lot, sleep a lot and make a general mess."

Q. Trio uses Bronx to play trick on Hudson.

"All in all, it's a lot for Hudson to handle."

R. Goliath and Elisa try to be inconspicuous on the Subway.

"Not that Goliath has it any easier. It's hard for a seven-foot medieval monster to squeeze into the modern world."

S. Interior of Gargoyle lair.

"Sometimes he just needs to retreat back to the old castle and let time stand still. Of course that can be tough too. Particularly when you're constantly facing yet another bizarre and dangerous criminal of the night..."

T. Stone version of our Gargoyle. Looking vicious and scary. Daylight.

"And the night is all that matters, because the gargoyles still sleep as stone statues during the day, finding an outdoor ledge just before sunrise and striking a pose that could give you nightmares."

U. Night. Goliath, handsome and noble again, on top of a skyscraper with the full moon, Elisa and the other Gargoyles right behind him. Gothic mood, but clearly set in the present.

"But when the sun goes down, they're our only protection from the city's dark terrors. They are the GARGOYLES."

V. KID at Disneyland.

"Joining the Disney Family in 1994."

Another pass at a test...

Still May. Still 1992. (More than two years before the first episode would air.) Ten days after my previous attempt, I took another pass at outlining a five minute animation test (which was never made). It's labeled as a "2nd Draft", but is in fact a third. Bronx is still a comedic character. Issues of scale with him are confused at best.

GARGOYLES (Weisman / 5-18-92)
2nd Draft Outline for five-minute animation test.

DISTRIBUTION: Cranston, Fair, Kline, Krisel, Lacy

I. Sundown.

A. Cityscape of Manhattan (at an angle) just before sundown. (Camera is "flying" west toward the setting sun.)

B. We quickly "fly" by castle-skyscraper.

C. We see the sun go down as we come upon the municipal building.
1. We push through an arch into rotunda of municipal building and hold on a giant stone gargoyle, frozen in a frightening pose in front of the clockface interior.
2. Tight in on gargoyle, as it gets dark, we see cracks forming in the stone.
3. Cut to exterior, silhouette of GOLIATH the GARGOYLE as seen through the face of the clock, bursting out of his shell. Fragments fly everywhere.
4. He suddenly leaps into the air and flies out thru top of rotunda and away from us. Roaring thru the new night. We do not get a clear view of him yet.

II. The Fight.

A. We continue our "flight" over the city and push in again on a slum neighborhood rooftop. Night has completely fallen.

B. ELISA (in plainclothes) is climbing up a fire escape ladder and onto the roof.

C. Suddenly, she is surrounded by three THUGS coming out from the shadows. (Two carry crowbars; one, a gun).

D. Pull back, we see glowing, inhuman eyes, watching the scene from the shadows of a higher rooftop.

E. The Gargoyle leaps down upon the criminals--this is our first clear view of him.
1. Elisa dives out of harm's way.

F. Quick cuts: The thug with the gun shoots at Goliath.
1. The bullets, glance off his stone-like hide, chipping off stone fragments.

G. Meanwhile the other two thugs, try to brain Goliath with their crowbars.
1. Goliath catches the downward swing of each crowbar in either hand.
2. He yanks the crowbars out of the hands of the two thugs.
3. He twists the crowbars into a pretzel.

H. The first thug runs out of bullets, turns to run, followed by #2.
1. Thug #3 starts to run as well, but he's not getting anywhere.
a. Goliath has a grip on his shoulder.
b. He lifts the thug to eye-level, and grins evilly. (Does the thug faint?)
2. From off-screen, the Gargoyle tosses Thug #3 at the other two, bowling them over.

I. Gargoyle drives his claws into the roof, peeling up a section (as if it were carpet) and rolls all three thugs up into it.
1. Imprisoning them in a "cylinder" of rooftop.

III. Romance Interruptus.

A. Elisa approaches the hulking Gargoyle from behind. What will happen to her?
1. He turns to face her, and we see they are already acquainted. She has a big grin on her face. He looks sheepish, puppy-dog like.

B. She touches the place where the bullet chipped his hide. Platonic, caring, gentle, concerned, etc.
1. He winces, less from pain, than from not being used to a kind touch.
2. Then he smiles. A romantic beauty medium two-shot in the moonlight.

C. Suddenly, BRONX tears between them.
1. Elisa looks amused; Goliath, perturbed.
2. Very dog-like, Bronx chews on the crowbar pretzyl.
3. Also very dog-like, Bronx takes off playfully, as soon as Goliath comes near him.
a. Bronx runs at full speed vertically down the side of the building.

E. Bronx runs into the street and right into the path (and headlights) of an oncoming truck, which breaks to a stop, right in front of him.
1. As the large TRUCK-DRIVER gets out of his cab to investigate, Bronx flaps his ears in an attempt to fly away. He never quite gets off the ground. His mace-like tail is too heavy.
2. The angst-ridden Bronx cowers, as the shadow of the Truck-Driver falls over him.
3. Suddenly a larger shadow looms over the Trucker.
4. Goliath stands there, relatively benign, but incredibly huge, and lifts Bronx by the scruff of the neck.
5. Truck-driver watches in absolute shock as Goliath majestically takes to the sky with Bronx in one massive hand.

F. Goliath (with Bronx in hand) wings over the slum rooftop.
1. Elisa already has two of the thugs handcuffed to the fire escape.
2. She's helping the third out of the "cylinder" of roofing.

G. The Gargoyle flies high above the city he's sworn to protect. Patrolling.
1. Bronx, scurries up and perches on Goliath's massive shoulders.
2. They fly into the moonlight and away from us.

IV. Sunrise.

A. Dissolve to a random Manhattan rooftop, just before dawn. Goliath and Elisa are sitting quietly, watching the sun come up.
1. Bronx is already asleep, snoring loudly in a gargoyle-esque "crouch" position.

B. Elisa mimics a Gargoyle pose. Goliath shakes his head.
1. She tries another. Still not right.
2. She tries a third, and he nods.

B. She pats him on the shoulder and walks away, turning to look over her shoulder as the first rays of the sun peak through.
1. He strikes her third pose, and though she looked pretty silly, he looks pretty frightening.

C. The sun rises and he freezes quite suddenly into a stone gargoyle perched on a ledge.

D. We pan back from him, past Elisa who is climbing down the fire-escape and then across our just waking city.

V. "GARGOYLES" logo.

2nd Draft of Animation Test

Here's my second attempt to outline the Animation Test that we never did. The biggest change is that it's simply longer. Note that the [bracketed] material below is part of the original document.

GARGOYLES (Weisman / 5-8-92)
Outline for five-minute animation test. No dialogue.

DISTRIBUTION: Cranston, Fair, Kline, Krisel, Lacy

I. Cityscape of Manhattan (at an angle) just before sundown. (Camera is "flying" west toward the setting sun.)

A. We quickly "fly" by the castle at the top of Xavier's skyscraper.
1. We pause briefly to see XAVIER dressing down his SUITS inside his "throne-room" office.

B. We see the sun go down as we come upon the municipal building.

II. Top of municipal building, as the sun vanishes, we push through an arch into rotunda and hold on a giant stone gargoyle, frozen in a frightening pose in front of the clockface interior.

A. Tight in on gargoyle, as it gets dark, we see cracks forming in the stone.

B. Cut to exterior, silhouette of GOLIATH the GARGOYLE as seen through the face of the clock, bursting out of his shell. Fragments fly everywhere.

C. He suddenly leaps into the air and flies out thru top of rotunda and away from us. Roaring thru the new night. We do not get a clear view of him yet.

III. We continue our "flight" over the city and push in again on a slum neighborhood rooftop. Night has completely fallen.

A. ELISA (in plainclothes) is climbing up a fire escape ladder and onto the roof.

B. Suddenly, she is surrounded by three THUGS coming out from the shadows. (Two carry crowbars; one, a gun).

C. Pull back, we see glowing, inhuman eyes, watching the scene from the shadows of a higher rooftop.

IV. The Gargoyle leaps down upon the criminals--this is our first clear view of him.

A. Elisa gets out of the way.

B. Quick cuts: Goliath reaches into shot and grabs crowbars out of the hands of the first two thugs.
1. He twists them into pretzels.

C. He lifts these two thugs easily, while the third thug shoots at him. The bullets, glance off his stone-like hide, (maybe chipping off stone fragments).

D. From off-screen, the Gargoyle tosses each thug, one by one, onto a "thug pile".

E. Gargoyle rips up a section of the roof and rolls all three thugs up into it.
1. Imprisoning them in a "cylinder" of rooftop.

V. Elisa approaches the hulking Gargoyle from behind. What will happen to her?

A. But when he turns to face her, we see they are already acquainted. She has a big grin on her face. He looks sheepish, puppy-dog like.

B. She touches the place where the bullet chipped his hide. Platonic, caring, gentle, concerned, etc.
1. He winces, less from pain, than from not being used to a kind touch.
2. Then he smiles. A romantic beauty medium two-shot in the moonlight.

VI. Suddenly, BRONX tears between them, followed by LEX, BROADWAY and BROOKLYN.

A. Bronx has half-eaten hockey stick in his mouth.
1. The others are outfitted w/roller blades, skating helmets, and hockey sticks.
a. Lex is without his stick since Bronx is eating it.
2. Elisa looks amused; Goliath, perturbed.

B. Bronx runs at full speed vertically down the side of the building.
1. The young gargoyles give chase.

C. Bronx runs into the street right into the path (and headlights) of an oncoming truck, which breaks to a stop, right in front of him.
1. The other gargoyles scatter.

D. The angst-ridden Bronx cowers, as the large TRUCK-DRIVER gets out of his cab to investigate.
1. He stands over Bronx.
2. Suddenly a shadow falls over him.
3. Goliath stands there, relatively benign, but incredibly huge, and lifts Bronx by the scruff of the neck.
4. Truck-driver watches in absolute shock as Goliath majestically takes to the sky with Bronx in one massive hand.

VII. The other three gargoyles fall into line behind Goliath, and the group wings over the slum rooftop.

A. Elisa waves to them as she handcuffs a thug to the fire escape.
1. One is already secured, the third is still stuck halfway inside the "cylinder" of roofing.

B. Following the flight of our gargoyles as they fly back the way we came.
1. Past the municipal building.
a. He drops off Bronx and the kids with HUDSON, who was waiting there annoyed as Uncle Charlie.
2. Past Xavier's castle skyscraper.
a. DEMONA makes a move to attack him, but Xavier restrains her.

C. The Gargoyle flies high above the city he's sworn to protect. He seems to hang in the air for a beat, framed by the over-sized moon, as if listening, watching...
1. Below we hear sirens and the red flashing light of a police cherry top.
2. And Goliath dives down suddenly into the city toward the unseen trouble spot. Leaving us.

[Note: Depending on how long a test we want, we could end here and bring up the "GARGOYLES" logo, or we could continue on.]

VIII. Goliath lands on a deserted street. The siren and flashing red light are emanating from a box in the middle of the street between two manholes. There is a water tower overlooking the street.

A. He studies the box with curiosity. Obviously, he was expecting to find cops, trouble, a crime.
1. On either side behind him, robotic tentacles lift the manhole covers up silently.
2. The tentacles rear back and then slam the manhole covers like cymbals against the unsuspecting Goliath.

B. While Goliath reels from the attack, we pull to a wide shot as the street cracks, collapses and shatters around him.
1. A SCARAB CORPORATION ROBOT bursts out from underground and presses it's attack.
a. The tentacles wrap around Goliath, pinning and strangling him.

C. Goliath looks doomed, he's being crushed by the robot.
1. Finally, he grabs hold of one tentacle with each hand, and with great effort, rips them right out of the robot.
a. The damaged robot, sparks with power from exposed circuits and wires.

D. Goliath tosses the tentacles aside and takes off like a shot into the air.
1. He crashes at an angle up through the water tower.
2. The water pours out onto the short-circuiting robot.
a. There is a flash of electricity, and then the whole thing explodes.
3. Tight in on the Gargoyle. Grimly triumphant.
a. He flies away.

IX. Dissolve to a random Manhattan rooftop, just before dawn. Goliath and Elisa are sitting quietly, watching the sun come up.

A. She mimics a Gargoyle pose. He shakes his head.
1. She tries another. Still not right.
2. She tries a third, and he nods.

B. She pats him on the shoulder and walks away, turning to look over her shoulder as the first rays of the sun peak through.
1. He strikes her third pose, and though she looked pretty silly, he looks pretty frightening.

C. The sun rises and he freezes quite suddenly into a stone gargoyle perched on a ledge.

D. We pan back from him, past Elisa who is climbing down the fire-escape and then across our just waking city.

E. "GARGOYLES" logo.

ANIMATION TEST

Well, I'm reconstructing events from memory. But I believe in March or April of 1992, we pitched the series to Michael Eisner, who rejected the 38 card pitch (version seven) which I posted here yesterday. Jeffrey Katzenberg, however, saw something in the show and told us to pursue it further. One idea that my boss Gary Krisel came up with was to do a five minute animation test, in the hopes that that would sell everyone on the idea. Now, before you ask to see it, let me say right off that WE NEVER MADE THE ANIMATION TEST. But we sure spun our wheels on it for a long while. This was my first pass on what that test would contain.

You'll note that we still had the gargoyles capable of real flight. Also, the garg's skin, even at night, is stone-like. Both of these attributes would eventually change to make them more vulnerable, less all-powerful in battle.

GARGOYLES
Outline for five-minute animation test. No dialogue.
(Weisman / 4-23-92)

I. Cityscape of Manhattan (at an angle) just before sundown. (Camera is "flying" west toward the setting sun.)

A. We quickly "fly" by the castle at the top of Xavier's skyscraper.
1. We pause briefly to see XAVIER doing business inside his "throne-room" office.

B. We see the sun go down as we come upon the municipal building.

II. Top of municipal building, as the sun vanishes, we push through an arch into rotunda and hold on a giant stone gargoyle, frozen in a frightening pose in front of the clockface interior.

A. Tight in on gargoyle, as it gets dark, we see cracks forming in the stone.

B. Cut to exterior, silhouette of GOLIATH the GARGOYLE as seen through the face of the clock, bursting out of his shell. Fragments fly everywhere.

C. He suddenly leaps into the air and flies out thru top of rotunda and away from us. Roaring thru the new night. We do not get a clear view of him yet.

III. We continue our "flight" over the city and push in again on a slum neighborhood rooftop. Night has completely fallen.

A. ELISA (in plainclothes) is climbing up a fire escape ladder and onto the roof.

B. Suddenly, she is surrounded by three THUGS coming out from the shadows.

C. Pull back, we see glowing, inhuman eyes, watching the scene from the shadows of a higher rooftop.

IV. The Gargoyle leaps down upon the criminals; Elisa gets out of the way.

A. He lifts two easily, while the third thug shoots at him. The bullets, glance off his stone-like hide, (maybe chipping off stone fragments).

B. From off-screen, the Gargoyle tosses each thug, one by one, onto a "thug pile".

V. Elisa approaches the hulking Gargoyle from behind. What will happen to her?

A. But when he turns to face her, we see they are already acquainted. She has a big grin on her face. He looks sheepish, puppy-dog like.

B. She touches the place where the bullet chipped his hide. Platonic, caring, gentle, concerned, etc.
1. He winces, less from pain, than from not being used to a kind touch.
2. Then he smiles. A romantic beauty medium two-shot in the moonlight.

VI. Suddenly, BRONX tears between them, followed by LEX, BROADWAY and BROOKLYN.

A. Elisa looks amused; Goliath, perturbed.

B. Bronx has half-eaten nunchaku in his mouth, as he runs at full speed vertically down the side of the building.
1. The young gargoyles give chase, outfitted like karate blackbelts.

C. Bronx runs into the street right into the path (and headlights) of an oncoming truck, which breaks to a stop, right in front of him.
1. The other gargoyles scatter.

D. The angst-ridden Bronx cowers, as the large TRUCK-DRIVER gets out of his cab to investigate.
1. He stands over Bronx.
2. Suddenly a shadow falls over him.
3. Goliath stands there, relatively benign, but incredibly huge, and lifts Bronx by the scruff of the neck.
4. Truck-driver watches in absolute shock as Goliath majestically takes to the sky with Bronx in one massive hand.

VII. The other three gargoyles fall into line behind Goliath, and the group wings over the slum rooftop.

A. Elisa waves to them as she handcuffs the third thug to the fire escape. (The other two are already secure.)

B. Following the flight of our gargoyles as they fly back the way we came.
1. Past the municipal building.
a. He drops off Bronx and the kids with HUDSON, who was waiting there annoyed as Uncle Charlie.
2. Past Xavier's castle skyscraper.
a. Inside Xavier and DEMONA scheme.

C. The Gargoyle flies high above the city he's sworn to protect. He seems to hover for a beat, framed by the over-sized moon, as if listening, watching...
1. And then he dives down suddenly into the city toward some unseen trouble spot. Leaving us.

END

Pitch version 7

I know what you're thinking. "What happened to Version 6?" Answer: I'm not sure. I don't seem to have that one anymore. But as you can see there aren't THAT many changes between five and seven. Six would have been probably just a couple more minor nuances.

THE major change here, is that now, finally, Goliath is also put to sleep for a thousand years. Up to this point, we had kept him awake and alone for a thousand years. It was such a tragic idea, I personally had been reluctant to abandon it. But ultimately it was unworkable. For starters, why hadn't he aged? And then it also prevented the full culture shock we wanted to put him through in twentieth century Manhattan. I'd just have to find another way to do the Battle of Britain story that I so wanted to do.

Also notice that with the renumbering this pitch consisted of nearly 40 cards. That would prove to be a problem later. Too much information.

GARGOYLES PITCH Seventh Pass (Weisman / 3-3-92)

1. Trio of typical stone GARGOYLES.

"We all think we know what GARGOYLES are. Ugly, stone statues squatting on the roofs of old buildings. But there was a time, one thousand years ago, when gargoyles were real, living creatures. During the day, they slept...frozen in stone."

2. GOLIATH, the GARGOYLE-MASTER. Proud and Noble.

"But when the sun went down, GOLIATH, the GARGOYLE-MASTER would lead his gargoyle-warriors in defense of the king's castle."

3. Goliath reading in library, sitting on small gargoyles.

"And if there was no battle to be fought, he'd retreat to the library to read and learn, all the while making sure that the other gargoyles stayed out of trouble."

4. HUMANS scorning the Gargoyles.

"For all these efforts, Goliath received no reward, no thanks or even kindness. In fact, the people of the castle treated all gargoyles with nothing but contempt."

5. The Gargoyle-Master alone in the throneroom.

"Still Goliath could no more stop guarding the castle than breathing the air. It's part of a gargoyle's nature to be territorial, protective. And so for years, he maintained his lonely vigil."

6. Close-up of Goliath.

"Then one night, Goliath was betrayed and lured away from his post. The castle was overrun and sacked."

7. SORCEROR curses Goliath and the other gargoyles on the castle ramparts.

"Goliath and the surviving gargoyles were unfairly blamed. The castle SORCEROR laid a curse upon them, and they fell into a stone sleep--that lasted a thousand years."

8. Castle on the skyscraper.

"New York City, 1994. A rich and powerful man has decided there's a better place for a medieval castle than a picturesque hill in Scotland. He's moved the whole place--lock, stock and gargoyle--to the top of the tallest skyscraper in Manhattan."

9. Police Detective ELISA REED.

"All of which means nothing to New York City Police Detective, ELISA REED. Castles and curses don't even enter her mind. She's hot on the trail of a major badguy."

10. She's ambushed on a rooftop by multiple THUGS. She's got the drop on most of them. But someone's about to nail her from behind. (And from another rooftop, someTHING is watching in the shadows.)

"Too bad that trail leads her right into an ambush. But thank goodness, a shadowy figure sees what's happening and decides to help."

11. Reveal THE GARGOYLE, determined, as he dives into fray from above.

"Thank goodness for THE GARGOYLE."

12. Gargoyle lifts a badguy with either hand. While a third shoots at him, the bullets glancing off his stone-like hide.

"When you're as strong as Goliath, benchpressing two badguys is easy. And that stone-like hide of his makes him practically invulnerable."

13. Romantic shot in moonlight. Close in. She reaches up to touch his face gently. He looks handsome and noble and just a bit uncomfortable and sad.

"...To everything but Elisa's kindness. She is the first human being who's ever offered him understanding and friendship, hope..."

14. From atop the skyscraper, she shows him Manhattan. The city as fortress. This is our showpiece card.

"...And a sense of purpose. Because by nature, a gargoyle protects his home from 'barbarians at the gate'. And Goliath's new home, Manhattan, has its fair share of barbarians."

15. HUDSON. (One pose, plus two headshots.)

"Fortunately, our hero doesn't have to face them alone. This is Goliath's old friend HUDSON, a Gargoyle-Warrior long past his prime. Hudson helps out by keeping an eye on the young Gargoyles-in-training..."

16. Trio of young Gargoyles, BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON and BROADWAY. Same as card 1. (But in color, perhaps?)

"...BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON and BROADWAY. (Uh, they picked their own names.)"

17. Lexington. (Central pose, ninja pose and gun-biting pose.)

"Lexington (or Lex) is the ring-leader. He's always looking for adventure. Always looking for trouble."

18. Broadway. (Central pose, party pose and banana pose.)

"Broadway, on the other hand, is always looking for a good time. She's been asleep for a thousand years, and now she's ready to party."

19. Brooklyn. (Central pose, motorcycle pose and hockey pose.)

"Brooklyn is fascinated with the twentieth century. He thinks watching television is great. Of course, he also thinks watching a traffic light change colors is great. He's ready for anything this brave, new world has to offer."

20. BRONX, the DOG. (Multiple poses.)

"Unlike BRONX. This Gargoyle-dog is one angst-ridden pet. Doesn't like adventure. Doesn't like new technology."

21. Bronx (two poses) chewing on a fire hydrant and flying.

"Just likes to eat a lot, sleep a lot..."

22. Trio chases Bronx through a fancy restaurant.

"...And make a general mess."

23. Trio uses Bronx to play trick on Hudson.

"All in all, it's a lot for Hudson to handle."

24. Goliath and Elisa try to be inconspicuous on the Subway.

"Not that Goliath has it any easier. It's hard for a seven-foot medieval monster to squeeze into the modern world."

25. Interior of Gargoyle lair.

"Sometimes he just needs to retreat back to the old castle and let time stand still. Of course that can be tough too..."

26. XAVIER.

"Particularly when you have to face villains like XAVIER. Rich, powerful and arrogant, Xavier is the master of behind-the-scenes manipulation. If something nefarious is happening in New York...odds are Xavier's behind it."

27. WOLF and FOX.

28. JACKAL and HYENA.

29. DINGO and CY.O.T.I.

"Then there's THE PACK. WOLF, FOX, JACKAL, HYENA, DINGO and their mechanical helper CY.O.T.I. To the public they're television's greatest Wrestling-Gladiator Team. But to the Gargoyle, they're the most dangerous enforcers he's ever faced."

30. ROBOT climbing building toward Gargoyle.

"Except maybe the ROBOTS built by the SCARAB CORPORATION. Modern-day nightmares worse than anything Goliath saw in the dark ages."

31. CATSCAN is discovered by Goliath and Elisa.

"But no worse than CATSCAN. A scientist mutated by his own experiments..."

32. Catscan, in full pose and "Night Vision" head shot.

"...Into a bitter criminal with deadly Night-Vision."

33. DEMONA with BIG GUN.

"Still, the toughest villain of them all is Goliath's old friend DEMONA, who's taken to the Twentieth Century like bullets take to guns."

34. Demona vs. Goliath, above the city.

"Once she was his most trusted Gargoyle-Warrior. But a thousand years ago, it was her betrayal that cost him the castle. Now she's his sworn enemy, and she won't rest 'til she owns the night..."

35. Stone version of our Gargoyle. Looking vicious and scary. Daylight.

"And the night is all that matters, because the gargoyles still sleep as stone statues during the day, finding an outdoor ledge just before sunrise and striking a pose that could give you nightmares."

36. Night. Goliath, handsome and noble again, on top of a skyscraper with the full moon, Elisa and the other Gargoyles right behind him. Gothic mood, but clearly set in the present.

"But when the sun goes down, they're our only protection from the city's dark terrors."

37. Title Card: "GARGOYLES".

"They are the GARGOYLES."

38. KID at Disneyland.

"Joining the Disney Family in 1994."

PITCH 5.0

My fifth attempt to come up with a pitch for the show. (You'll notice it isn't THAT different from version 4. We really nuanced the hell out of these things back then.) Also note that [bracketed] material was original to the document. I'm guessing we were gearing up for a big pitch in March of '92.

I also think it's interesting that I was already targeting 1994 as our start date, despite the fact that I was writing this early in '92. Shows how long it takes for things to get going.

GARGOYLES PITCH
Fifth Pass (Weisman / 2-7-92)

[Information in Brackets [] is in preparation for March.]

1. Trio of typical stone GARGOYLES. (B&W)

"We all think we know what GARGOYLES are. Ugly, stone statues squatting on the roofs of old buildings. But there was a time, one thousand years ago, when gargoyles were real, living creatures. During the day, they slept...frozen in stone."

2. GOLIATH, the GARGOYLE-MASTER. [Proud and Noble.]

"But when the sun went down, GOLIATH, the GARGOYLE-MASTER would lead his WARRIORS in defense of the king's castle.

[2a. HUMANS scorning the Gargoyles.]

"For these efforts, the gargoyles received no reward, no thanks or even kindness. In fact, the people of the castle treated the Gargoyles with nothing but contempt. Still the Gargoyles could no more stop guarding the castle than they could stop breathing the air. It's their nature to be territorial, protective."

3. Close-up of Goliath.

"But one night, Goliath was betrayed and lured away from his post. The castle was overrun and sacked."

4. Medieval Flashback continues: SORCEROR curses Goliath.

"Goliath was unfairly blamed. The SORCEROR MALACHITE laid a curse upon him, condemning Goliath to guard the empty rooms and ramparts of the castle...`til its spires touch the clouds.'"

[5. Goliath reading in library, amid stone gargoyles.]

"Now that's the kind of curse that's designed to last forever. The other gargoyles fell into a stone sleep and could not be roused. But Goliath was not granted that peace. Left with only the King's library for company, he passed the time reading, learning, changing..."

5[a]. Last Medieval Flashback: The Gargoyle-Master alone in the throneroom.

"And guarding that castle--for a thousand years."

6. Castle on the skyscraper. (Now, for the rest of the pitch, we're in color.)

"New York City, 1994. A rich and powerful man has decided there's a better place for a medieval castle than a picturesque hill in Scotland. He's moved the whole place--lock, stock and gargoyle--to the top of the tallest skyscraper in Manhattan, where its spires can finally touch the clouds, ending the curse."

7. Police Detective ELISA REED. (Following a CROOK? If so, it's nighttime.)

"All of which means nothing to New York Police Detective, ELISA REED. Castles and curses don't even enter her mind. She's hot on the trail of a major badguy."

8. She's ambushed on a rooftop by crook and multiple THUGS. She's holding her own. But someone's about to nail her from behind. (And from another rooftop, someTHING is watching in the shadows.)

"Unfortunately, that trail leads right to an ambush. Now, Elisa is tough. She can hold her own. But she doesn't have eyes in the back of her head."

9. Reveal THE GARGOYLE, as he dives into fray from above.

"Fortunately, someone else was watching out for her."

10. Gargoyle lifts a badguy with either hand. While a third shoots at him, the bullets glancing off his stone-like hide.

"The strength that served the Gargoyle so well in the past is doubly-dangerous today. And that stone-like hide of his makes him practically invulnerable to his enemies."

11. Romantic shot in moonlight. Close in. She reaches up to touch his face gently. He looks handsome and noble and just a bit sad.

"Though all too vulnerable to Elisa. She understands him, like no one else ever has. Goliath's been alive for one thousand years, but in all that time, she is the first human being who's ever offered him kindness and friendship, hope..."

12. From atop the skyscraper, she shows him Manhattan. The city as fortress. This is our showpiece card.

"...And a sense of purpose. Because if a gargoyle is supposed to protect his home from barbarians at the gate, then this one has found the right place to live. `Fortress Manhattan' has its fair share of barbarians."

13. XAVIER.

"Take XAVIER, for example. Rich, powerful and arrogant, a master at behind-the-scenes manipulation, Xavier is the man who's usurped possession of the Gargoyle's castle... and turned it into his own personal headquarters."

14. The PACK. WOLF, FOX, HYENA, JACKAL, DINGO and the CY.O.T.I. [All of them attacking our Gargoyle.]

"Then there's THE PACK. To the public they're television's greatest Wrestling-Gladiator Team. But to the Gargoyle, they're the most dangerous enforcers he's ever faced."

14a. Wolf and Fox.

"WOLF and FOX."

14b. Jackal and Hyena.

"The twins: JACKAL and HYENA."

14c. Dingo and CY.O.T.I.

"DINGO and the CY.O.T.I."

14d. CY.O.T.I-SHIP, etc.

"A versatile little fellow capable of transferring between multiple bodies or piloting the CY.O.T.I.-SHIP. The Pack purchased this technology from the SCARAB-CORPORATION."

15. ROBOT climbing building toward Gargoyle.

"But it's the least of their inventions. Most of their ROBOTS are modern-day nightmares worse than anything Goliath saw in the dark ages."

16. CATSCAN (grappling w/Gargoyle), blasting away w/"Night Vision" from his eyes.

"But no worse than CATSCAN. A scientist mutated by his own experiments into a bitter criminal with deadly `Night Vision'."

17. DEMONA facing off with BIG GUN.

"Still, the toughest villain of them all is an old friend. DEMONA was once Goliath's most trusted Gargoyle-Warrior. But she betrayed him. Now she's his sworn enemy, and unfortunately, Demona's taken to the twentieth Century like bullets take to guns."

18. HUDSON. (One pose, plus two headshots.)

"Fortunately, our hero doesn't have to face these villains alone. In addition to Elisa, Goliath has help from his old friend HUDSON. When the curse was lifted, the few remaining Gargoyles who survived the attack on the old castle woke up for the first time in 1000 years. Hudson is an old Gargoyle-Warrior long past his prime. Now his main duty is to keep a close watch on the young Gargoyles-in-training..."

19. Trio of young Gargoyles, BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON and BROADWAY. (Same as card 1 but in color, perhaps?)

"...BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON and BROADWAY. (Uh, they picked their own names.)"

20. Lexington.

"Lexington (or Lex) is the ring-leader. He's always looking for adventure. Always looking for trouble."

21. Broadway.

"Broadway, on the other hand, is always looking for a good time. She's been asleep for a thousand years, and now she's ready to party."

22. Brooklyn.

"Brooklyn's been asleep too, but he's just fascinated with the world he's woken up in. He thinks watching television is great. Of course, he also thinks watching a traffic light change colors is great. He's ready for anything this brave, new world has to offer.

23. BRONX, the DOG. (Multiple poses, definitely.)

"Unlike BRONX. This Gargoyle-dog is one angst-ridden pet. Doesn't like adventure. Doesn't like new technology. Just likes to eat a lot, sleep a lot, and make a general mess.

24. Exterior of municipal building.

"Together, they've all left the old castle behind and taken up residence in MUNICIPAL HALL."

25. Interior of municipal building.

"There, above the police station, above the library and the mayor's office, Elisa has found them the perfect home."

26. Stone version of our Gargoyle. Looking vicious and scary. Daylight.

"They still sleep during the day, finding an outdoor ledge just before sunrise and striking a pose that could give you nightmares."

27. Night. Goliath, handsome and noble again, on top of a skyscraper with the full moon, Elisa and the other Gargoyles right behind him. Gothic mood, but clearly set in the present.

"But when the sun goes down, they're our only protection from the city's dark terrors."

28. Title Card: "GARGOYLES".

"They are the GARGOYLES."

THE PITCH: Version 4.0

We were still working on perfecting our pitch for Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg. You'll note we now had names for ALL the gargoyles, including Goliath.

You'll also note that Goliath still has Demona's curse of living through the thousand years. That Broadway is still a chick. That Brooklyn and Lex still have each other's personalities. That Elisa's last name is still Reed (a name we eventually gave to Maggie) and that at one point I forgot to correct her first name from Maria. That Catscan still combines Talan and Sevarius in one person. That Xanatos is still Xavier. That Coyote is still C.Y.O.T.I. and that he was an original member of the Pack. Etc. But we were definitely closing in on the show we wanted to make and sell.

Another interesting thing -- something I had completely forgotten -- is that the Magus was then called Malachite, which I believe wound up being the name of a villain on Sailor Moon.

GARGOYLES PITCH
Fourth Pass (Weisman / 2-6-92)

1. Trio of typical stone GARGOYLES. (B&W)

"We all think we know what GARGOYLES are. Ugly, stone statues squatting on the rooves of old buildings. But there was a time, one thousand years ago, when gargoyles were real, living creatures. During the day, they slept...frozen in stone."

2. GOLIATH, the GARGOYLE-MASTER. (Medieval Flashback: G-M in fg, HUDSON and DEMONA in bg tossing human barbarians off the ramparts of the castle.)

"But when the sun went down, GOLIATH, the GARGOYLE-MASTER would lead his WARRIORS in defense of the king's castle. For these efforts, the gargoyles received no reward, no thanks or even kindness. In fact, the people of the castle treated the Gargoyles with nothing but contempt. Still the Gargoyles could no more stop guarding the castle than they could stop breathing the air. It's their nature to be territorial, protective."

3. Close-up of Goliath.

"But one night, Goliath was betrayed and lured away from his post. The castle was overrun and sacked."

4. Medieval Flashback continues: SORCEROR curses Goliath.

"Goliath was unfairly blamed. The SORCEROR MALACHITE laid a curse upon him, condemning Goliath to guard the empty rooms and ramparts of the castle...`til its spires rest among the clouds.'"

5. Last Medieval Flashback: The Gargoyle-Master alone in the throneroom.

"Now that's the kind of curse that's designed to last forever. The other gargoyles fell into a stone sleep and could not be roused. But Goliath was not granted that peace. He guarded the castle alone--for a thousand years."

6. Castle on the skyscraper. (Now, for the rest of the pitch, we're in color.)

"New York City, 1994. A rich and powerful man has decided there's a better place for a medieval castle than a picturesque hill in Scotland. He's moved the whole place--lock, stock and gargoyle--to the top of the tallest skyscraper in Manhattan, where it's spires can finally touch the clouds, ending the curse."

7. Police Detective ELISA REED. (Following a CROOK? If so, it's nighttime.)

"All of which means nothing to New York Police Detective, ELISA REED. Castles and curses don't even enter her mind. She's hot on the trail of a major badguy."

8. She's ambushed on a rooftop by crook and multiple THUGS. She's holding her own. But someone's about to nail her from behind. (And from another rooftop, someTHING is watching in the shadows.)

"Unfortunately, that trail leads right to an ambush. Now, Elisa is tough. She can hold her own. But she doesn't have eyes in the back of her head."

9. Reveal THE GARGOYLE, as he dives into fray from above.

"Fortunately, someone else was watching out for her."

10. Gargoyle lifts a badguy with either hand. While a third shoots at him, the bullets glancing off his stone-like hide.

"The strength that served the Gargoyle so well in the past is doubly-dangerous today. And that stone-like hide of his makes him practically invulnerable to his enemies."

11. Romantic shot in moonlight. Close in. She reaches up to touch his face gently. He looks handsome and noble and just a bit sad.

"Though all too vulnerable to Elisa. She understands him, like no one else ever has. Goliath's been alive for one thousand years, but in all that time, she is the first human being who's ever offered him kindness and friendship, hope..."

12. From atop the skyscraper, she shows him Manhattan. The city as fortress. This is our showpiece card.

"...And a sense of purpose. Because if a gargoyle is supposed to protect his home from barbarians at the gate, then this one has found the right place to live. `Fortress Manhattan' has its fair share of barbarians."

13. XAVIER.

"Take XAVIER, for example. Rich, powerful and arrogant, a master at behind-the-scenes manipulation, Xavier is the man who's usurped possession of the Gargoyle's castle... and turned it into his own personal headquarters."

14. The PACK. WOLF, FOX, HYENA, JACKAL, DINGO and the CY.O.T.I. (All of them attacking our Gargoyle.)

"Then there's THE PACK: WOLF, FOX, JACKAL, HYENA, DINGO and the CY.O.T.I. To the public they're television's greatest Wrestling-Gladiator Team. But to the Gargoyle, they're the most dangerous enforcers he's ever faced."

15. ROBOT climbing building toward Gargoyle.

"Except maybe the ROBOTS from SCARAB-CORP. Modern-day nightmares worse than anything he saw in the dark ages."

16. CATSCAN (grappling w/Gargoyle), blasting away w/"Night Vision" from his eyes.

"But no worse than CATSCAN. A scientist mutated by his own experiments into a bitter criminal with deadly `Night Vision'."

17. DEMONA facing off with BIG GUN.

"Still, the toughest opponent of them all is an old friend. DEMONA was once Goliath's most trusted Gargoyle-Warrior. But she betrayed him. Now she's his sworn enemy, and unfortunately, Demona's taken to the twentieth Century like bullets take to guns."

18. HUDSON. (One pose, plus two headshots.)

"Fortunately, our hero doesn't have to face these villains alone. In addition to Elisa, Goliath has help from his old friend HUDSON. When the curse was lifted, the few remaining Gargoyles who survived the attack on the old castle woke up for the first time in 1000 years. Hudson is an old Gargoyle-Warrior long past his prime. Now his main duty is to keep a close watch on the young Gargoyles-in-training..."

19. Trio of young Gargoyles, BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON and BROADWAY. (Same as card 1 but in color, perhaps?)

"...BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON and BROADWAY. (Uh, they picked their own names.)"

20. Lexington.

"Lexington (or Lex) is the ring-leader. He's always looking for adventure. Always looking for trouble."

21. Broadway.

"Broadway, on the other hand, is always looking for a good time. She's been asleep for a thousand years, and now she's ready to party."

22. Brooklyn.

"Brooklyn's been asleep too, but he's just fascinated with the world he's woken up in. He thinks watching television is great. Of course, he also thinks watching a traffic light change colors is great. He's ready for anything this brave, new world has to offer.

23. BRONX, the DOG. (Multiple poses, definitely.)

"Unlike BRONX. This Gargoyle-dog is one angst-ridden pet. Doesn't like adventure. Doesn't like new technology. Just likes to eat a lot, sleep a lot, and make a general mess.

24. Exterior of municipal building.

"Together, they've all left the old castle behind and taken up residence in the old MUNICIPLE HALL."

25. Interior of municipal building.

"There, above the police station, above the library and the mayor's office, Maria has found them the perfect home."

26. Stone version of our Gargoyle. Looking vicious and scary. Daylight.

"They still sleep during the day, finding an outdoor ledge just before sunrise and striking a pose that could give you nightmares."

27. Night. Goliath, handsome and noble again, on top of a skyscraper with the full moon, Elisa and the other Gargoyles right behind him. Gothic mood, but clearly set in the present.

"But when the sun goes down, they're our only protection from the city's dark terrors."

28. Title Card: "GARGOYLES".

"They are the GARGOYLES."

Closing in...

[My immediate boss, Bruce Cranston, also responded to my call for names. Here are his choices, a few of which he marked with asterisks:]

Walt Disney Television

Bruce P. Cranston

LAFAYETTE
*HUDSON
STEALTH
VIDEO
MICROWAVE
QUARK
MERANGUE
MOUSSE
*BROADWAY
*BURBANK
BEDFORD STUYVESANT
AVE OF THE AMERICAS
GRAMMERCY
CARLYSLE
AMSTERDAM
COLUMBUS
CHELSEA
STEROID
MADISON
5TH
BROOKLYN
LEXINGTON
SOHO
GREENWICH
TRIBECA
BRONX
BATTERY

TOPEKA
BURBANK
SKIDMORE
RADCLIFFE
McGUIRE
McPHERESON
McKAY
McTAVITCH
McINTOSH
McINTYRE
McKANE

[My memory fails, but it certainly seems like the conceit of naming most of the gargs after New York locations was Bruce's idea. On the back of his note, I hand-wrote the following:]

[blank] - Master [Proto-Goliath]
Lexington - Cubbi
Brooklyn - Kramer
[blank] - Demona

Bronx - Dog
Broadway - Belushi
Hudson - RALPH

[Obviously, and finally (thanks to Bruce's inspiration), I found names that I liked. These names stuck, even through Broadway's gender switch. Cubbi, who looked like Lex but had Brooklyn's personality got the Lexington name. And that stuck, even when the personalities got switched. Same (in reverse) for Kramer/Brooklyn. The name stuck with the character's look, not his persona.]

Still searching...

Bob Kline, our Development Art Director also answered my call for name suggestions for our characters. These are his suggestions:

NAMES AND MORE NAMES (GARGOYLE)

GARGOYLE MASTER:
OBSIDIAN
GRANITE
TITAN
RAGNAR

DEMONA:
SHALE
SLATE
MALACHITE
ANTHRACITE

RALPH:
BATHOLITH
TALUS
FELDSPAR
MARTIN

CUBBI: FLASH, ACE, KILLER, LANCE

BELUSHI: JENNIFER, MARILYN, LIZA, ANNETTE

KRAMER: HOWARD, MORTIMER, WALTER, FRANKLIN

DOG: REX (WRECKS), BUBBLE, DUMBO, PIGEON

XAVIER:
WINSTON SHARP
MATHEW SKRAG
LESLIE SLEAN
SIMPSON DEALE

CATSCAN:
JONATHAN RAGE
RICHARD SLASH
MARCUS KLAW
TRENTON PROWL

T.E.:
TERROR ENVOY
TECHNICAL EXPERT
TRANSMUTATE ENSIGN

ROBOT ORGANIZATION:
GENERAL MECHANICS
GENERAL AUTOMATICS
ELECTROSERV CORPORATION
GENERAL DYNATRON
SENSOSERV INC,
SERVOSENSE INC