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GREG-SPONSES 2010-09 (Sep)

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Grant writes...

For YJ, are there going to be any more original characters created from whole cloth like Aqualad?

Greg responds...

Nothing, including Aqualad, was created from whole cloth. But, yes, there are going to be some original characters, though by the time they appear in the series, they may or may not have already appeared in comics.

Response recorded on September 30, 2010

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graysongirl1211 writes...

hey! i know you must hear this a lot, but i'm insanely excited for Young Justice! I can't wait! And i have to say, i found your responses to people asking for spoilers very ammusing. i was just wondering about a few things though, and i'm gonna try to ask questions that aren't spoiler-ish.

1. of all the (announced) main charecters on the show, which is your favorite?

2. what's your take on all of the fan forums? personally, i find them equally ammusing and annoying, seeing as people are trying to guess everything from the one little trailer. Do you find some of the guesses ammusing? annoying? plain old crazy?

3. if you were a superhero, what powers or skills would you want to have?

4. when can we expect a trailer featuring some or any of the voice overs?

5. lastly, i have a feeling that you won't answer this question, but i know people keep asking (and guessing) about who Artemis is. I know you won't speicify who (i hope you wouldn't anyway) but has anyone guessed right?

well, once again i can't wait for Young Justice to come out! thanks for taking the time to answer the hundreds of questions you're flooded with!

Greg responds...

1. Don't have one. Like 'em all.

2. I lurk occasionally, but I try not to get too obsessive. Some comments are great. Others are more frustrating. But I've tried to be more mature about it in recent years than I was when my work and the internet first intersected, and I posted and responded to every little criticism.

3. If I was a super-hero, I wouldn't tell you.

4. New York Comic Con.

5. No comment.

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Alan Gavinchki writes...

Hey Greg
When you look at the Spectacular Spider-Man, you realize there are a lot of important villains. Which do you consider the main villain of the whole show. I thought of some possibilities.
1. Tombstone because he is a crimelord and was the first to want to kill Spidey.
2. Hammerhead because he is Tombstone's assistant and made the most appearances out of any villain.
3. Green Goblin because he is Harry's dad and he made supervillains for Tombstone and wanted to take over his enterprise. He did once and he made Spidey's life turn upside down.
4. Doc Ock because he was a victim of the Goblin and was the leader of the first Sinister Six and organized the second one. Him alone during the Master Planner and Gang War saga would make him the main bad guy.
5. Venom because he was once Pete's best friend and he possessed the same suit Spidey had. Afterall he was the one who pointed out that Peter loved Gwen. He also revealed his identity to Jameson!
I hope one of these villains I chosed are correct for their major role.

R.I.P. Spectacular Spidey

Greg responds...

I'm not sure I understand why I'd need to pick just one?

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Matt writes...

Hey Greg. So in "Vows", Demona tries to convince herself to "...rule the gargoyles. Rule the world!" using the Gate. In "Hunter's Moon" she talks about taking her "rightful place" after the humans are all destroyed. And in "Tyrants" she plans to destroy both human forces "leaving the fate of Scotland to {her}". There are probably other examples of this sort of talk, but I think it is clear that destroying humanity is not Demona's only goal. She doesn't just want revenge, but power as well.

Now on to my question. Something occured to me the last time I watched "Enter Macbeth". Macbeth says to Goliath: "It's not you I'm after. You're just a pawn. I want your queen." Naturally, Goliath is puzzled by this statement. But so am I. Macbeth has had a lot of contact with gargoyles afterall. In the same episode he even told Elisa that he "knows all about these creatures". He spent decades dealing with Demona and her clan and he even wrote a book about gargoyles. So, I'm wondering where he got this 'queen' terminology. Gargoyle language is a pretty sparse subject and the only real terms we have ever known about are "Leader" and "Second". So my question is given Demona's particular motivations as I mentioned above, did she call herself a queen during the Demona-Macbeth Alliance or am I just reading into all of this too much?

Thanks Greg!

Greg responds...

Maybe reading a tad too much into it. I doubt Demona ever used the term "Queen". But her version of being "Leader" is.... not too inclusive. You're not wrong about that.

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Algernon writes...

Hey again Greg,
Being an Irishman myself, I've always always wondered. Presumably Rory Dugan and his father live somewhere in Ulster but on which side of the border? Are they in Northern Ireland or the Republic? I tried looking for some subtle hints in "Hound of Ulster" but I couldn't find anything definitive.

Greg responds...

Liscoo.

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Harlan Phoenix writes...

ANDROIDOLOGY
ACT ONE: FIRST BELL

WORD UP: There be spoilers in this review. So everyone should read with caution. Also, go buy Mecha Nation.

SUMMARY: After a superheroic battle that didn't go too great, the identity of the "Second Wave", five teens with superpowered robotic forms, seems closer to being compromised. As the kids try to live out their high school lives as normal, they're more than a little worried about the new teacher who seems a little...alien.

REVIEW: So, I'll admit upfront that this was pretty goddamn rad. I'm actually kind of upset that this property has had to sit dormant for so long because even this one issue shows what kind of potential this really has. It's a LOT of fun.

I'm not gonna give a play by play of what happened in the story. Rather, I'm just going to explain how much I liked a bunch of out of context things that will make people buy this so they know what I'm talking about.

So I'll do that.

OUT OF CONTEXT THINGS THAT ARE AWESOME AND WILL MAKE PEOPLE BUY THIS COMIC:

-I adore The Factory. I don't care if we've barely seen them; I sincerely believe they're among the better villains you've written (and you've written numerous characters who hold honorable titles as great villains, most notably David Xanatos and Demona but more personally my all time favorite Thailog). So this is saying something. But The Factory accomplishes two villainous extremes in the span of one comic book issue and does so with an inner genius. We start with a battle atop the bowling alley that ends in a First Wave Tag that could compromise the identities of the Second Wave with little effort. And then we see the "mysterious" Professor Gear, who is more than a little blatantly not human. But that, in of itself, is kind of genius: the public doesn't know about Mecha Sapiens, so at most the students are just going to mock Gear outside of class. The few people who'd actually take this weirdo seriously and not joke about him are probably the Second Wave. The Factory used Saturday morning 80's villainy as a PROACTIVE STEALTH MECHANISM. THAT IS WONDERFUL AND I LOVE YOU.
-I like that Marcus is pretty upfront about his geek pride. I always thought that was a tad more realistic than the shy nerd. I know I never hid my sexynerdiness.
-I love that Ray isn't the Broadway homage I idiotically assumed he would be; the little we see of him show he's pretty different from the big lug.
-My favorite character, so far (besides Professor Gear, who is a God among men) has to be Susie/Fahrenheit. She'll fight crime with the rest of the Second Wave, but she doesn't really seem to actually SPEND TIME with them. Don't answer this question, but how exactly does she go about getting grouped into fighting with the rest? WHY would she? There's a lot about her I want to know.
-The chalk drawings are cute.
-As is Kevin's lab partner. She's nerdydorable. I bet she's a robot.
-A nerdydorable robot.
-Sexuality plays a big part in this story, and I like that you're fairly classy with it. It ranges from the admittedly blatant but fun (a buncha kids pent up for not "metalling out" in days...WHAT COULD THIS MEAN?!) to the much more subtle (Using Romeo and Juliet as part of a free will/fate discussion-I LOVE Romeo and Juliet, largely because it is essentially a story of two impulsive, hormonal teenagers doing things and making stuff go nuts as a result. It's a very classy, subtle allusion that both sets up what I assume is a main, existential plight of a Mecha-Sapien but also very concisely serves as a push/foreshadow for the most sexual undercurrent of the story's theme). It's an element of teenage sexuality that manages to actually serve a point and not just be there for the sake of being there. Stuff like this is one of many reasons why you're my favorite writer. Well done.
-On the opposite side of the spectrum, I adore the art. Campo and de Payevsky did a great job. Looks like it'd really lend well to animation.
-Just saying.
-Zehra's family life should prove pretty interesting. I immediately liked it because it'd seem like the opposite of what you'd expect, but with a bit of reflection I realized I liked it because it actually makes perfect sense even in theory.
-I'm amused that the character profiles mention that Marcus is a fan of Dragonball. X-Men and Star Trek make sense as mainstays of their genre, but I would've expected Dragonball to be replaced by something either a little more current (Bleach, Naruto) or something a bit more franchise-y and bluntly sci fi (Gundam). I'm not really a fan of Dragonball (or any of those other shows I rattled off, though Gundam's alright), but I liked this little detail. It has a fascinating nuance.
-I like the normal guy (the blond kid who was bowling) and his significance or lack there of intrigues me.

OVERALL OPINION: This was a really cool start, and I like this comic a lot. I wish this property a lot of prosperity in the future and I sure as hell know I'm going to count myself in as a fan. Thank you for this.

SOME QUESTIONS, IF YOU DON'T MIND:

1. So the title intrigues me. "Androidology-First Bell." Spectacular Spider-Man, also run by you and Mr. Cook, used similar academic titles for both arc names and individual story names. But, as I understand it, that evolved out of the marching orders that required arc based storytelling. My question: was the academic title scheme something that evolved out of the Mecha-Nation development and was fitted onto Spectacular Spider-Man when you saw that it seemed to fit, or was Mecha Nation's faux-academic titles borrowed from Spectacular Spider-Man?

2. Does...Kizoic have any kind of standards and practices department? I mean, the themes regarding sexuality are subtle enough that I could see that not being a big deal. But I thought Kizoic was an all ages line and...there're a few damns in here. Not to mention the blond kid's reference to certain substances.

Thanks again for a great comic and I look forward to it continuing!

Greg responds...

1. I know this may sound ... astounding... but I didn't connect "Androidology" up with what we did on Spider-Man until your post. We developed this story AGES ago. The title was slightly different, but basically set. Androidology is the title of the entire three-issue mini-series. Then each issue has a subtitle. Since everything's set in and around a high school, the titles are all school related. That's coming from a slightly different place than the thematic titles of Spider-Man, but the end result, I guess, isn't that different.

2. Well, this book was written before Kizoic existed. But I'm my own standards and practices guy. Working in kids programming as long as I have, I try to do what I think is right for a general audience that's kid safe but fun for adults too.

I'm glad you liked Mecha-Nation! Thanks for buying it!!

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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New York Comic Con

This just confirmed. Brandon Vietti and I will be at New York Comic Con for a signing, presentation of new footage and a Q&A about Young Justice. Stop by. We have some exciting stuff to show you!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9

2:00â€"3:00 p.m. Young Justice Signing at the DC Comics booth #2243

3:45â€"4:45 p.m. Young Justice Video Presentation and Q&A â€" Join the league! Fans were given their first glimpse of Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis this past July at Comic-Con International: San Diego. But this panel will offer far more than just a glimpse, as producers Brandon Vietti (Batman: Under the Red Hood) and Greg Weisman (Gargoyles) answer questions from fans and show footage from this highly anticipated series. A one-hour special event of Young Justice will premiere in November 2010 on Cartoon Network, and the series begins in 2011. Young Justice is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and is based upon characters from DC Comics. Room 1A14

http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/


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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Thanks for your response to my religion comment. You said that in some Bible passages, the Hebrew God is depicted in a way that you called "geotheistic." What do you mean by this? That in some passages the deity is represented, not as the supreme God of the whole universe, but just the supreme deity of a particular region or human group?

Greg responds...

Exactly. There are without a doubt passages in the Old Testament at least where the existence of other gods is not questioned. Just their potency relative to the God of the Hebrews. Egypt has gods in some passages of Exodus. They're just weak and impotent relative to the God of Moses.

I studied this once upon a time. But it's been a LONG time. (And hell, I just turned another year older.) So I can no longer quote chapter and verse. But I know it's in there.

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Anthony Tini writes...

Greg,

From one Dexter fan to another, what did you think of the Season 4 finale? Does being a writer and involved in the creative process of creating entertaining television give you an edge to kind of guess or see events like that coming? Personally, I did NOT see it coming and I very surprised and bothered by it. It took me a long time to finally fall asleep after watching that final scene. It was fantastic and probably one of the best scenes I've ever seen on TV. I'm purposefully not mentioning details for those who have yet to see it.

At the time of this question, the first episode of Season 5 has premiered, but I have yet to watch it. By the time you get to this question I hope to have watched it. If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it, where you think the season will go, and your hopes for future seasons. Speaking of the Dexter premiere, good luck with yours! Take care.

- Tony

Greg responds...

Dexter aside, I often astound my kids by being able to predict what is to come on series. (I always pause the playback and ASK if they want me to tell them my theory. Usually, they say yes.) Often, my guesswork is a combination of story savvy and casting savvy. For an easy example, take the classic Murder, She Wrote template. Only one regular character and a handful of occasional recurring friends of hers. The rest of who you're seeing on screen is guest cast. The guests usually include some great character actors and some newbies in the mix. But there are almost always two stars (of varying degrees of magnitude). That's the eyeroll for me. Because inevitably one star is killed in either the Teaser or the first act. And the other star is always the killer. Because that's the thing with stars. They either want the one great scene that leads to their death -- but also means they don't have to work many scenes for the money. Or they want to be the killer, i.e the most significant character in the episode (not counting Jessica Fletcher). Few series were as casting blatant as Murder She Wrote was, but to some extent casting is still a tremendous indicator of what's to come on nearly every kind of series.

I don't just use casting either, of course. I know story. I know how writers think. Which does NOT mean I can't be surprised. But I think I'm a bit harder to surprise than the average joe or joan. I don't mind, generally. It's the ride for me, and if the ride is good...

Of course, none of that has much to do with Dexter and/or last season's season finale. I think I had a feeling of dread at the very least. Maybe a notion. But I don't remember, and even if I had a clear sense of what was going to happen, it didn't mitigate the horror of what came. My daughter and I needed a palette cleansing episode of The Office afterwards before bed.

I have seen the Dexter season premiere. But I hesitate to make any predictions. Trying just to enjoy the ride.

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Emily writes...

I imagine that you had to read alot of comics when making shows like Young Justice or Spiderman. So did you get those comics for free from the Marvel and DC saying you needed them to help with the shows or did you have to go out and buy?

Greg responds...

Mostly, I went out and bought. Alan Burnette had a backlog of Young Justice comics he lent me, i.e. a bunch of individual issues, not always consecutive. Maybe a couple other things here and there. But mostly, I'm outlaying on my dime to do the research.

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Todd Jensen writes...

A comment this time, rather than a question. One of my favorite details in the "Stone of Destiny" story was Macbeth's presence at the Battle of Bannockburn. It recently occurred to me that this might be an example, if a subtle one, of the time-honored motif of a legendary hero from long ago who returns to his country to aid it in a time of need.

The concept has attached itself to King Arthur, of course, and his return has featured in "Gargoyles" (if with a premature re-awakening). The returns of the Golem and Cu Chullain, elsewhere in the Avalon World Tour, also evoke it. For that matter, I remember your once saying that the Avalon gargoyles looked upon Goliath (from what they had learned of him through their human guardians) as a great sleeping hero who would one day awaken and return if ever they needed him - and he did indeed return in their hour of need, when the Archmage attacked Avalon.

I also recall, outside of "Gargoyles", the legend that Theseus returned to aid his fellow Athenians against the Persians at the Battle of Marathon (and Mary Renault including it in her Theseus novels) - which forms a great parallel here to Macbeth's presence at Bannockburn, both cases of a desperate struggle against an invading army.

At the same time, your use of the "return of the king" motif for Macbeth's participation at Bannockburn (assuming you had it in mind at the time) came with a twist. Macbeth returns incognito; so far as we know, none of the other Scotsmen taking part in the battle know that he's fighting alongside them. Robert the Bruce is the Scottish king who will be associated with the victory (deservedly, of course, from what I've read about the battle). No chronicle or legend even hints at his presence there. As far as we know, only he knows that he was there (we don't know if Shari knows or not; the panel depicting him at the battle is in one of her stories, but she does not mention him in the text itself). The king returned to aid his country in need, but in secret, his presence unremarked on.

Greg responds...

Very cogent analysis.

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Todd Jensen writes...

Among the objects in the Illuminati's treasury on Eastcheap Island was a shield (medieval, by the shape of it) with a picture of a swan on it. Was this your idea, or Karine's when she drew the page?

Greg responds...

Karine's, I believe.

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Todd Jensen writes...

In "Bad Guys" #4, you had Thug mutated into an alligator-like Mutate. While the specific choice of an alligator obviously tied in with the "armored Mutates" theme of Sevarius' new experiments, I wonder if you had the "alligators in the sewers" urban legend in mind, since Sevarius' lab was adjacent to the sewers. (Not to mention, also, that the "alligators in the sewers" myth was referred to in both "The Thrill of the Hunt" and "Hunter's Moon Part One", and whenever a legend, urban or otherwise, is alluded to in "Gargoyles", we know what that means....)

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on September 28, 2010

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Ashton writes...

Hey Greg,

Did you guys actually post acting auditions for the parts of Young Justice in the newspaper or did you guys already know who you wanted? I know you cant and trust me I don't want you to spoil the show before it even starts, So will this show be dealing with anyting supernatural and magic or will it be completely grounded and confined to realism? Now this question I about to ask you is from a image I saw on the wall in the Behind the Scenes Young Justice interview in the background show Aqualad holding up The Joker while jokers trading cards are falling out of his hands, it was called Graduation Day or Final Exam. Anyways was that Joker if you cant answer that then okay cool. I'm totally fine with that, now did you, Brandon and Phil consult with Geoff on Aqualad's powerlimit and have you read any of the Brightest Day with Aqualad init? If so did you guys and Geoff say what would happen in the issue with the character? Because in issue #10 Aqualad's abilities are seen and he blows Black Manta back a couple times displaying that he's very powerful and there was a chest shown that was given to Aqualad's adoptive parents by Mera. Now I know you can't and won't spoil anyting, but will is power limits and parents be explored in the show? or Will his origin only be seen in the comics?

Greg responds...

1. Neither.

2. It covers the depth and breadth of the DC Universe.

3. That was Joker, but that was also development material not production material. I'm neither confirming or denying Joker's appearance in the series.

4. Geoff came to us to discuss our Aqualad, and we laid out how we were using him, including how his powers work in the series. Geoff came up with some great ideas for the character as well.

5. I have read some of Brightest Day with Aqualad.

6. Geoff ran with Aqualad. We were happy to have him pick our brains, but Brightest Day is his baby.

7. No comment.

Response recorded on September 28, 2010

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Ashton writes...

Hey Greg,

Will you be posting an update on the statistics of Young Justice episodes as you did before? I also was wondering if you were going to post the reel or trailer of Young Justice that you showed a comiccon after the Batman Brave and the Bold Panel, because in an interview you showed the guy on your iphone and it showed a few villains in it, So that's why I was wondering will you be releasing that on to youtube? Will this show be similar to Batman Under the Red Hood since you mentioned there would be deaths of main and supporting characters? Will Victor crook be caliborating with Brandon Vietti on the show with the animation and fight sequences? Will you be providing your voice to a character in the series? Did Brandon, Phil and you enjoy creating and coming up with Jackson Hyde? Since you yourself have already created a full on tv show aka Gargoyles from scratch. I'm sure it was a overwhelming challenge at first when you were asked to basicly create a whole universe in the DC Universe what did you guys even begin with?. I truely love what you guys did in creating this new Aqualad, the thing that's intriguing is his background, it's like a mixture of a heroes/lost tv episode, very mysterious and addictive which keeps you following him in Brightest Day of course, But even the way you guys brought him into the DC Universe by introducing him to comic and cartoon fans at the same time such as what Bruce Timm did with the character Harley Quinn launching the character into both medias, I'm especially excited for this New Aqualad because I'm a fan of mainly anything involving the ocean and it's hidden depths, and now you guys have Aqualad as the leader of a team that has Robin and Superboy on it all I can say is PURE AWESOMNESS!!! even if he may only be the leader for a time being. So how much input did Phil Bourassa have on the Aqualad character, did he create the characters full design or did you and Brandon say this is how his costume and powers should look and this is how his face should look? Also will he be the exact same character in the comics, but just a different appearance? I'm greatly inspired by you, Brandon, and Phil's work and I hope this show will be another success for you guys that can add to your belt, I hope this show stays on air as long as possible so you guys can keep getting paid so thank you for your hard work.

Greg responds...

In the future, it would be really, REALLY helpful if you would (a) number your questions and (2) not present them in single paragraph form.

1. I'll try to do the statistics update periodically.

2. I have no means of posting a trailer.

3. You're misquoting me, for starters. But as for Red Hood, it's a different adaptation. We're neither trying nor not trying to be "similar" to Red Hood.

4. Vic Cook is a guest director on one episode of YJ. So of course, he'll collaborating with Brandon and myself on that episode.

5. I am providing the voice for one character on the series.

6. Phil, Brandon and I enjoyed coming up with our new Aqualad character. But his name isn't Jackson Hyde.

7. I wouldn't call it an "overwhelming challenge" though it was certainly a challenge... but one that an old comic book geek like me relished. As I've said many times before, Brandon and I began with lists of teenage characters and a basic mindset about what we did and didn't want the series to be, so that we weren't simply rehashing the great work done on Teen Titans or Justice League/Justice League Unlimited.

8. Phil absolutely created the design, but Brandon and I and Sam Register all talked to him about the basics and gave notes on the various iterations leading up to the final product.

9. I don't know how to define "exact same character" for you. There are going to be some differences. Some minor, some more significant. But the fundamentals are the same. Parallel versions in multiverse terms.

10. Thank you.

Response recorded on September 28, 2010

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Mo writes...

Okay, this may seem like a weird question, but...why did you guys create Aqualad? How did the decision come about? What went into making him? Also, this may be a weird request, but could you answer the question without spoiling the show?

Thanks!

Greg responds...

Let me answer your last question first: No.

If you're still curious after the show's been on for, say, half a season, feel free to ask again.

Response recorded on September 28, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I'll have to ask this question again after Young Justice premiers because obviously a complete answer would include spoilers, but are there any DC characters you wanted to use but couldn't because they just didn't fit into the universe you were creating? I think you mentioned your old character, Captain Atom, in a previous post as an example.

I'd imagine there would be a lot of characters you couldn't use because their essence is too tied up with them being third, or even forth generation characters. ie. How can you have Tim or Bart in a world premiering Dick and Wally? Or perhaps characters that could appear on their own, but they are too tied to legacy characters to feel whole without those attachments. Any examples like that. Or perhaps other, even silly reasons; maybe an iconic weapon animates badly, or an accent or action that is fine in comics is hoaky on screen? Or maybe someones back story would be necessary, but too long for a guest appearance?

If there are characters like that, which (among the none spoiler ones), bugs you the most not to be able to play with?

Greg responds...

Captain Atom is in the series. What I said is that he doesn't have a major role. That the sentimental side of me kept trying to give him a bigger role, but he just didn't have a connection to any of the leads, so it never worked out.

The idea of characters not "fitting into our universe" doesn't really enter into it. The fact is we're a kind of adaptation, and any character we DO choose to include is adapted to fit into our universe, while still maintaining the elements that we feel are essential to said character.

We always make choices, but again, it's premature to discuss those choices.

Response recorded on September 28, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

I have three questions for you about Young Justice. No I don't want any spoilers. I wanted to know about the creative process about it. So here are my three questions.

1.Since you were allowed such great amount of character to use from DC Universe. How did you decide which ones to choose? What was the process for that?
2. How do you come up with oringal story lines while still keeping true to the comic book character's mythos?
3. It has been said there will be romance in Young Justice since we're seeing teenagers. How do you decide who is going to like who in the show?

If by answering these questions might lead to spoilers then please don't answer them. I do want to see the surpises that are to come. But I'm really curious how writers decide these for a show based on comics.

Greg responds...

1. It's a VERY fair process question... but there's no way for me to answer it AT THIS TIME without SPOILERS, beyond the general, which I've already done (check the ASK GREG Young Justice archive). Feel free to resubmit the question after, say a half dozen or so episodes have aired.

2. Uh... practice?

(Seriously, we try to internalize the characters as much as possible and, in effect, ask THEM what they'd do next.)

3. Some things feel right. Again, I'd be happy to go into much more detail AFTER the episodes have aired than now.

Response recorded on September 27, 2010

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ALL CAUGHT UP

Hey gang,

I'm finally all caught up on the ASK GREG queue. Gonna take a short break, but we'll open the queue again on September 27th, 2010 in preparation for the release of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse which also contains the DC Showcase Green Arrow short that I wrote.

As always, I urge you guys NOT to flood ASK GREG with questions. Check the archives. Check the FAQs. Ask questions of the loyal fans in the Station 8 comment room.

AND, please, THINK BEFORE YOU POST. I am NOT, for example, going to SPOIL "Young Justice" before it airs. I'm not going to SPOIL "Gargoyles" either since I still have hopes of bringing that back. I'm not even going to "SPOIL" Spectacular Spider-Man, because I don't see any real point in revealing future plans and ideas independent of their execution.

Happy to talk process. Happy to talk about what's ALREADY aired or been published. Happy to talk about Mecha-Nation and many other things. But. NOT. GONNA. SPOIL.

Thanks,

gdw


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Clark Cradic writes...

What comic universe would you say you're more knowledgeable about: DC or Marvel?

Greg responds...

I'm pretty equal on both companies.

Fairly knowledgeable (all things considered) on pre-1970s stuff.

More knowledgeable on the 70s.

Extremely knowledgeable on the 80s.

Less knowledgeable on the early and mid 90s.

Almost completely ignorant of the mid 90s through 2006.

Somewhat knowledgeable but with huge gaps on 2006 through the present...

Of course, I worked at DC as a freelancer from 1983-1991, and on staff from 1985-1987, so I have more INSIDE knowledge of that company, but during that period I was reading ALL the Marvel books too, so if we're talking CONTINUITY and CHARACTERS, I know both companies pretty darn well. I certainly grew up reading both. And when I was a little kid, I didn't even get that there were different companies that made comics. I'd see Green Lantern team up with Superman in one book. And Spider-Man team up with the Fantastic Four in another. And I didn't know that next month I might not see Captain America team with Batman. It took me a while to get the whole competing companies idea.

Response recorded on September 21, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I'm sorry to hear you are feeling some vitriol coming your way for the differences between the Young Justice comic book and coming cartoon. As a huge fan of YJ I was hoping for a Spec Spidey type treatment of the original source material and I bet others were too. That said, I just keep repeating to myself that that is not to be so I should just look forward to a different great cartoon.

I did have the thought of, 'then why not use a different name?' If I can come up with a couple more ridiculously bad ones to balance the numerous "Blah" ones I may post some names that came to mind...

Greg responds...

It IS a very Spec Spidey treatment of the source material. It's just that our definition of the source material is BIGGER and more EXPANSIVE than yours seem to be. Just as on Spec Spidey, we developed YJ to combine characters from different eras to create a cohesive, coherent yet contemporary whole, without losing what's classic and iconic about these teen characters. That meant borrowing from classic Teen Titans as well as Young Justice and other arenas as well. Just as we borrowed from Spidey's high school years, his college years and more recent arenas as well. On Spec Spidey, we said it was early days in the Marvel Universe (recast as 2008). On YJ, it's early days in the DC Universe (recast as 2010).

It's the exact same thing -- from my point of view at least. It's adaptation with a starting point. Where it goes from that starting point...? Time will tell.

Response recorded on September 21, 2010

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello Greg,

I have a question about Avalon. In the past you have stated several times that it is always summer on Avalon, "unless Oberon decrees otherwise," and that Avalon is "a summer place -- by decree."

So I'm curious: what was the climate and weather like on Avalon during Mab's reign?

Thank you, as always, for answering so many questions.

Greg responds...

Chaotic.

Response recorded on September 21, 2010

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Algernon writes...

Hey again Greg,
This question kinda came to me out of nowhere earlier and I tried searching the archives to see if it had already been touched on. To my suprise it doesn't seem to have come up so I'll ask it here. Did Elisa ever have a partner before Matt and if so, whatever happened to him/her?

Greg responds...

I'm sure she had at least a couple of partners over the years. But she was definitely a solo act when we first met her.

Elisa's backstory is definitely worth exploring, but I'm not going to do it here at Ask Greg.

Response recorded on September 21, 2010

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MasterGandalf writes...

A couple of questions regarding the Archmage:

1. The Archmage is very much a walking evil sorcerer cliche, and I always got the impression that was entirely deliberate on your part- but is it on his? In other words, do you see him as the kind of guy who hams it up because it's fun (like Sevarius and even Thailog to an extent) or is all of that genuinely his personality?

2. Magic-users on the whole are generally portrayed in fiction as being intelligent, especially powerful ones, but the Archmage makes some sloppy oversights. Would you say he's a smart guy too drunk on his own power to think clearly, that he's rather dim but with a natural knack for dark magic, or somewhere in between?

3. Demona was the Archmage's apprentice- do you think witnessing his cruelty had any role in what initially soured her opinion of humanity, laying the foundation for what would later grow into her genocidal fury? Or was it unrelated?

4. Finally, how would the Archmage+ compare in terms of raw magical power to one of the lords of the Third Race, such as Oberon or Odin? Mostly, I'm just curious as to what would have happened had he successfully conquered Avalon, only to run afoul of Oberon when he returned.

Greg responds...

1. I mostly believe that's him. It may have been less of a cliché a thousand years ago.

2. In the immortal words of Abe Simpson: "A little from Column A, a little from Column B.'

3. Couldn't help.

4. It would have been interesting. But see my Hulk vs. Thing discussion in the archives.

Response recorded on September 21, 2010

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patch writes...

i'm so excited for young justice but i have to ask
1. is artemis olivia queen?
2. there were some characters that were only in the comic(secret, empress, slobo) will they appear in the cartoon?

Greg responds...

You HAVE to ask? Because if you don't, you'll... what? Spontaneously combust? Sing a torch song? Juggle priceless Ming vases?

Well, I won't question it. Let's just say you HAVE to ask and leave it at that.

(Of course, I don't have to answer.)

[I think I am getting meaner and more sarcastic. I'm sure I'm alienating more people than I'm amusing.]

Response recorded on September 18, 2010

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Ariell Choy writes...

As humans, we can express ourselves culturally, emotionally and even spiritually through the arts (music, dance, drama, literature, etc). Do gargoyles practice the arts? Do gargoyles even have the capacity to create art? I have always wanted to know since having seen the episode "Kingdom" in which Broadway, Lexington, and Brooklyn return home to the Clock Tower after having attended a rock concert in which Brooklyn proclaims "did you hear that guitarist wail?"

Greg responds...

They have the capacity. And I'm sure some are artists.

Response recorded on September 18, 2010

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Greg Bishansky writes...

You've said in the past that "Awakening" was originally written and recorded as a four-parter. Out of curiosity, in the four-part version, where would the cliffhanger between parts three and four have been?

Greg responds...

You know, it's been so long, I'd have to look at the actual scripts to figure that out. And I only have copies of those at my Beverly Hills Office. Since I'm mostly at Warner Bros these days, I only get to B.H. about once a month.

Response recorded on September 18, 2010

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lamberto writes...

hi, greg.

thanks for coming out to comic con this year. always nice to see you.

just wondering if you ever caught pirates of dark water, and what you thought of it. i hear that WB's releasing the series DVD "made-on-demand". we need to get Disney to do that with Gargoyles. there probably wouldn't be any bells or whistles added to the release, but i'll take it any way i can!

Greg responds...

I never saw Pirates of Dark Water.

And I'm game for getting Gargoyles out any way we can.

Response recorded on September 18, 2010

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Amanda writes...

dear greg

i grew up with gargoyles, infact, it helped me grow... when i was 9 i was shy and by coping brooklyns personality i grow in to a crazy person and i wanted to thank you... because with out gargoyles i would have never learned to draw and be an arist and now i am the top artist at my school.

and now my questiom: as you my know (and im sure this has been asked) lots of old shows have been remade in to these big epic moves (transformers for example) and i was wondering if there was anychance for a live action gargoyles movie? i know hundreds of people who would be so happy! so is there any chance??

Greg responds...

It's a confusing question right now, Amanda. Please check the ASK GREG Archives under "Live-Action Movie" to learn more.

Response recorded on September 18, 2010

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Livy writes...

Hey Greg,

Really looking forward to Young Justice, everything I've seen and heard so far sounds great.

My question is:
Was there a particular reason for making Robin so much younger than the rest of the Young Justice team?

Very exited about the show and can't wait 'til November.

Greg responds...

I think this is a great (and legit) question... which I urge you to ask again sometime AFTER the series has premiered. There's nothing I can say now that wouldn't in some way be a spoiler.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Philip Gipson writes...

Hi, Greg. "Gargoyles" happens to be your very best project. It's so well regarded by people like my mother and I. BOOM! Studios currently publishes several Disney comic books, such as "Darkwing Duck." Since "Gargoyles" is a Disney cartoon and your creation, would BOOM! have to ask for your permission to publish all-new "Gargoyles" comics, but under the title of "Disney's Gargoyles"?

Greg responds...

They wouldn't need MY permission. But if they got the license for the book from Disney, I'd hope they'd ask me to write it.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Suss2it writes...

I have a few questions about Young Justice.

1. How many episodes has Peter David wrote?
2. Who else will be writing for the show? Will Geof Johns write any episodes?
3. And finally who are the main directors for the show?

Greg responds...

1. He'll have written two episodes by the end of Season One.

2. I've answered this already. See the archives.

2a. Geoff has not written any scripts this season. (The guy is a tad busy.) But he's been involved in and contributed to many creative discussions of the series.

3. The main directors under Brandon Vietti are Jay Oliva (11 episodes) and Michael Chang (10). The other episodes are being guest directed by Sam Lieu (1), Chris Berkeley (2), Matt Youngberg (1) and my ol' buddy Victor Cook (1).

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Lorranon of Oberon writes...

Mr. Weisman, I read your response on my question about the novel I wrote. I can't say I was thrilled with the response_ but I think that maybe it was because you didn't understand my motivation behined it. I posted a comment on your blog about the "Gargoyles" movie Disney wants to release. I was hoping you would read it and then perhaps we could discuss my motivation and reasons in more detail.

Greg responds...

A few things...

1. I apologize, but I get so many questions here, I can't remember either what you wrote here about your novel or how I responded. So I can't tell you whether or not I understood your motivation.

2. I don't have a blog. Just ASK GREG here. So I don't know where you posted your "comment" about the Gargoyles movie or how that would effect my mindset about your novel.

3. You're welcome to post your motivation here, but if your novel is in any way based on Gargoyles (and if it's not why are we having this discussion?), I can't see WHAT motivation would make me excited about it.

4. I'm sorry if all this isn't "thrilling" but I really don't understand what you expect from me. Why would I be happy about someone else doing a Gargoyles-based property, either as a movie or a novel?

But perhaps I'm completely off-base (see response #1 above) so I'll stop now.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Paul writes...

How much of Teen Titans and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited have you seen? I got the impression that you'd watched a bit of them since you referred to them as great shows in a Comic-con interview.

Greg responds...

When we first began developing Young Justice, I watched the first two seasons each of Teen Titans and Justice League and was halfway through the first season of Justice League Unlimited when production started up . Meant to watch EVERY episode of both (all three) series, but unfortunately I just don't have the time now.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Primal Slayer writes...

What's the status of Supergirl in this show... has she already arrived? will she arrive? does she not even exisist?

Greg responds...

I can state definitively that Supergirl will not be appearing... in Gargoyles.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Todd Jensen writes...

Was the Gargoyles Universe's take on the Holy Grail modelled on the Nanteos Cup? When the Grail gets a cameo in "Rock of Ages", it's depicted as a wooden bowl, and the wood seems the right color for olive wood. That matches the Nanteos Cup's description; did you have that in mind when you decided on that form for the Grail?

Greg responds...

I'm embarrassed to say I had never heard of the "Nanteos Cup" until now. So I guess the answer is no. Though obviously, I was following the tradition of it being the Cup from the Last Supper, brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea and kept at Carbonek by the Fisher Kings (leading to Pelles and then Peredur).

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Charisma82 writes...

In Outfoxed, did Fox let Vogel keep the money she’d sent to him for betraying her father and helping her take out Renard’s company or did she take it back? Or did he give it back to her? If he kept it, what did he do with the money that was used to make him betray Renard (I would assume he’d feel guilty having it, but correct me if I’m wrong)?

Thank you for your time and all that you do,

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

I'm sure Renard would have insisted on Vogel returning the money as a condition of continued employment.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Alex writes...

In response to the Internet-response commentary, aren't we missing the main point: why ISN'T there a "Justice League Babies"? And who would be the nanny on the Watchnursery?

Greg responds...

I'm not kidding when I say that that could be an HILARIOUS series. A lot of fun. As long as no one took it too seriously, and everyone watched it in the spirit of silliness that it would obviously inspire.

As to the Nanny... my initial reaction was Red Tornado, but I think he's more fun as one of the babies. So I'll nominate a few other options:

Jay Garrick
Alan Scott
Hippolyta
The Wizard Shazam
Uncle Dudley
Ma Hunkel
Mr. Tawny

I can think of a few others, but none as good as the above list.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

I read "All You Zombies" by Heinlein a while ago, based on your recommendation that it demonstrated working paradoxes in time travel, and although it was not recent I decided to finally type up and share what I thought from reading it. First of all, the story creeped me out!

But what I'm writing to you about is free will. Did the main character of that story have free will? On the surface at least, it appears to me that he did not for much of the story. He clearly remembered everything that had happened to him, yet he did not have to option not to seduce himself, or not to catch take past self back in the time machine, nor could he choose to change what he said and did in that bar when he was the bartender. When interacting with his past self, I think he had no choice but to say and do exactly what he remembered seeing his future self doing and hearing his future self saying.

He did have options regarding abducting the baby, mainly because he didn't remember being abducted, but one way or another he had to abduct that baby or get someone else to abduct her: he only had options in how he did it. This is comparable to Goliath time-travelling with Griff in M.I.A. Goliath could not possibly get Griff back to his clan in the 1940s, but he had plenty of options of what he could do instead. In that situation Goliath had far more options than the character in "All You Zombies" had when abducting the baby, but still this is a situation with free will.

But what options does a character really have when meeting their past self, if they DO remember the entire encounter? This is apparently what happened to Demona in Vows. She remembered Goliath's "little speech" (or maybe she was lying to him or to herself, but let's assume she was telling the truth this time) and so she must have remembered what her future self said and did. Does that mean she had no free will to change the encounter with her past self when she went back in time? For example, did she really have free will to change what words she said, or not to kick Goliath? It appears to me that this is a situation where she didn't have free will. When the Archmage(+) told his past self that the future is a place of science, not superstition, and that Demona and Macbeth were only "cannon fodder" he couldn't even have understood what he was saying, let alone invented it himself. In fact his entire bizarre mini-timedance seems to abrogate his free will, because as he said "I should (know what to do), I watched you do it."

Demona's PAST self certainly had free will in Vows, since she did not yet remember the encounter. Likewise, the Archmage clearly had free will during his first pass through his time loop. I would think that any time a character is in a stable time loop, they have free will as long as they are unaware of what "already happened." But when they do remember what happened because their past self is there at the scene, they don't have the option to change what already happened. They already KNOW what happened. If they already know what words they spoke to their past self, then those words are something they remember, not something they are thinking up freely, and they don’t have the option of saying anything different from what they remember.

Am I missing something?

Greg responds...

I tend to disagree with you about the free will thing. Heinlein's character could have chosen NOT to cooperate with his memories. Either because he liked the end result or because he felt oppressed by the inevitability of it all (or some other reason I can't think of at this moment), he CHOSE to play along.

Again, Free Will doesn't mean you get to live the life you want to lead. It means that at best you have the option of STRIVING for the life you want to lead. But some people use their free will to conform. Doesn't mean it's not a choice.

Now, that raises the obvious question: what would have happened to Heinlein's character, to Demona, to the Archmage had they chosen NOT to play along. We'll never know.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Patrick Gilchriest writes...

Hi Greg, I've been a HUGE Gargoyles fan ever since it first came out. Like most fans, I've been hoping against hope (while realizing it's probably not going to happen anytime this side of 1,000 years) that SEASON 2 VOLUME 2 will finally be released, even after five years. However, there's a new trend I see starting in the TV-on-DVD release universe that MAY provide us with a solution if fans can get back on board and start bugging Disney about it. Have you heard about Disc-on-Demand, sometimes referred to as MOD (Manufactured-on-Demand)? Just in case you haven't, it works just like it sounds...a company says they are going to "release" a season of a T.V. show, but not in stores...you order it online, either via their website or by Amazon, and when you order it and pay for it, they make the set then and ship it to you. They don't have to worry about shipping it to stores and making more sets than meet demand. This way, die-hard fans can get their hands on the material and the company doesn't lose money. CBS and Warner Bros. are both starting to do it with some of my favorite shows that haven't seen releases in a long time due to low sales of earlier sets, much like what GARGOYLES faced. But now, with this new capability, fans can get their hands on this material, and I think it would be terrific if Disney could get on board with this for GARGOYLES. What do you think? Could you post this idea on your site so fans can start writing Disney informing them of their interest? This seems much more possible to me than waiting for them to release it as a mass-release set in stores. Thanks, and have a great day!

Greg responds...

I love the idea!

I admit I don't know how to get Disney interested in doing this for Gargoyles if they aren't doing it for ANYTHING yet. But a letter-writing campaign is a good way to start. Patrick, I nominate you to spearhead this. Post this in the s8 Comment Room and any other Gargoyles site you can think of. (I think there are a couple on facebook.)

If people send actual LETTERS to Disney Home Entertainment, it may have some effect. Especially if a LOT of people send letters. (And if those letters sound reasonable and polite. Draft a sample letter and post that to give people a clear idea what to ask for.

In any case, it can't hurt.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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JonDoe297 writes...

I've got a couple questions about Young Justice.
1) Who's idea was it to cast Bruce Greenwood as Batman? And was anyone else considered for the role?

2) Also who was the character designer for the show? The designs for the Justice League look almost identical to that of Crisis on Two Earths.

3)And is Artemis the character Tigress aka Artemis Crock?

Greg responds...

1. My partner Brandon Vietti loved Bruce's work as Batman in Red Hood (which Brandon directed). I listened and agreed. So did voice director Jamie Thomason. So we quit while we were ahead and cast Bruce.

2. Phil Bourassa is the lead character designer for both Young Justice and Crisis. The designs are obviously going to have similarities, but none are "identical".

3. No comment.

Response recorded on September 16, 2010

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Charlotte Rinderknecht writes...

Greg,
I just was interested in what you are doing now and what the future holds for you?

Greg responds...

LOL!!

Mostly, I seem to be refusing to comment on Young Justice.

Down the road, I see me refusing to comment on many other things!

(Actually, this may be a serious question. It's gotten hard for me to tell. So...

For those who don't know, I'm currently producing Season One of the new YOUNG JUSTICE animated television series for Warner Bros. Animation, DC Comics and Cartoon Network. The show will premiere in November. I'll be working on this series for the foreseeable future... hopefully for a good long time.)

Response recorded on September 16, 2010

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Neil writes...

Young Justice Questions:

1.If Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) appears, will he still be voiced by Will Friedle like in Brave and the Bold? Many people and reviewers say Friedle is completely the perfect guy to voice the Beetle.

2.Will Traci 13 appear? She has yet to appear in a cartoon.

Greg responds...

NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT.

Response recorded on September 16, 2010

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Mistah J writes...

Young Justice questions:

1. If WG appears, will it be Cassie?
2.Will the animation be detailed in the way of Armpit Hair, ab lines and stuff.
3.Even though Robin is 13, will he still hang out with Superboy and Kid Flash without being treated like a child?
4.Over the seasons, will more characters be added and taken away?
5. Could this spark a new DCAU?
6.Will we see Harley Quinn or the Joker? PLEASE TELL MEEEE!
7.Will we see blood and Light cuss words(Such as "crap","Frikkin","ass")
8.When will we get a full trailer?/When will it premiere?

Greg responds...

1. No comment.

2. Armpit hair? Seriously?

3. Your question is filled with so much barely concealed attitude, that I think I'll just let you wait and see for yourself.

4. We're only greenlit for one season right now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

5. Could this show spark to a civil war in Bavaria?

6. Didn't I JUST refuse to answer this?

7. $#!%

8. Define full trailer. And we premiere in November.

Response recorded on September 16, 2010

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Hello again Greg,

This isn't so much a question as it is a comment/ramble on the subject of religion in Gargoyles.

In the past you've stated that you prefer not to confirm or deny the existence or non-existence of the Abrahamic monotheistic God in the Gargoyles Universe, and that you don't wish to define or describe GOD in the Gargoyles Universe as being specifically Abrahamic. I think that this is a wise decision. Many television or book series set in the real world have some take on the supernatural and spiritual; often they take one single religion to focus on as being "true." In my opinion this is usually fine for fiction, as long as the "incorrect" religions aren't depicted as being evil or a one-way ticket to Damnation; but it is a more difficult task to create a universe wherein all the religious beings exist, though not at all impossible! I've never been willing to accept any religion's claim of being The Only Truth No Matter What, including my own religion. (I find it interesting that you've comented on the Biblical God as being "geotheistic.") I also like that no episode ever makes explicit whether the Third Race are or are not divine. They clearly exist, but their religious significance (if any) is left for viewers to decide. Supernatural and magical things and beings exist in Gargoyles, but without eliminating the ambiguity of the real world.

But I'm wondering if you planned how you will handle the omnipotent Allmighty God(s?) in other monotheistic religions, such as Sikhism and some indigenous African religions. I think some forms of neo-Paganism may monotheistic as well, having an Allmighty Goddess or Creator. I think it would be only fair to have the same consideration towards the Allmighty of any religion that includes belief in such, but that's my opinion. And I don't know if you've thought about this yet.

Hinduism also has monotheistic denominations or forms. There are the many Hindu deities, and this makes the religion appear polytheistic, but not all the gods are the same. The Trimurti (Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma) and Krishna (an Avatar of Vishnu) sometimes appear as though they are just gods. But my limited understanding (not being Hindu), is that these four particular "creatures" are actually the names and manifestations of the Allmighty/Infinite/God/Creator of the Universe. Different sects or denominations consider one or another of these four to be THE God, while considering the other three to be alternative manifestations that the Creator sometimes takes. For example, the Vaishnava Hindus consider Vishnu the Omnipotent/Infinite God, creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the whole universe, and consider Krishna, Shiva, and Brahma to be manifestations in which Vishnu sometimes appears. I think Rama is also a manifestation or Avatar of Vishnu. In comparing Hinduism to other religions, at least some Hindus very much consider their concept of the Allmighty the equal of the Abrahamic God.

I can't ask how you would like to handle individual stories, since I know little about Biblical myths and almost as little about Hindu stories. I saw how Jacob was handled in the comic, but I don't know how that story was told in the Bible. But I'm a little curious what further thoughts you've had about this topic, if you feel like sharing.

Greg responds...

Just to clarify, I believe God is presented as geotheistic in certain sections of the bible (parts of Genesis and Exodus especially) but not consistently throughout the bible. There are many chapters and verses where God is clearly presented monotheistically.

My basic fallback to your question is one word: research. If and when I start to deal with these issues, these cultures that I am less familiar with, I will first do a boatload of research (either myself or with the help of a research assistant like Kathy Pogge). Then I'll make decisions based on that research.

For example, I'm pretty well versed in the Judeo-Christian traditions. But when I set out to write in detail about the Stone of Destiny and how it might wind through those traditions, Kathy did a ton of research, and I reviewed it all and sorted through it and then made my decisions as to how I wanted to present things.

Response recorded on September 16, 2010

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Charisma82 writes...

In Outfoxed, who was Mr. Vogel going to blame for sabotaging the robots on the ship before Goliath showed up?

Thank you for your time and all that you do,

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

He'd have come up with something.

Response recorded on September 15, 2010

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Charisma82 writes...

In High Noon, what would Demona and Macbeth have done if Iago hadn’t been the personality to take control over Coldstone? What was their plan if Desdemona or Othello had taken over?

Thank you for your time and all that you do,

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

I'm afraid I'd have to watch this again too. It's just been too long.

Response recorded on September 15, 2010

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Charisma82 writes...

In the first flashback of Reawakening we see Demona and Goliath arguing as they head to a tower of the castle. At the top of the tower is the gargoyle known as Othello. We also find out that Magus is up there too, until he storms off once Goliath and Demona arrive. What were Othello and Magus doing up there on that tower together? Was Magus taking a breather up there and Othello happened to glide to the tower right at the same moment as Demona and Goliath arrived (which seems very coincidental)? Or were Magus and Othello talking/meeting there for a reason? And if that’s the case, what were they talking about? I find this odd since Magus seemed to hate all the gargoyles at that point of time.

Thank you for your time and all that you do,

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

I'd have to watch it again.

Response recorded on September 15, 2010

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Charisma82 writes...

In regards to Derek and his family situation:

Derek’s mother is the one who helped encourage Derek to take the job with Xanatos. As his mother, does she feel partly responsible/guilty for the situation Derek is now in (i.e. his transformation)?

The only time we’ve seen Derek with his family (the Maza’s) was in the episode The Cage. I know Derek is busy in the Labyrinth, but does he make time to see his family on a regular basis, or is it too hard for him to interact with his past and is only looking on to the future? And does any of the Maza family (I already know Elisa does) visit Derek in the Labyrinth? Or, again, is it too hard for them to see him in that situation, living as a mutate in hiding from the world?

Thank you for your time and all that you do,

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

1. I'm sure she does, though of course, she didn't have all the facts when she advised Derek.

2. I think they see each other.

Response recorded on September 15, 2010

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jacques agent jr writes...

dear greg weisman i wont ask what i really wanted too ask because too be honest i wanted too suggest a idea. i got something big in mind that i would love too see or even be apart of as far as gargoyles go. also i am a aspiring actor. i really dont have any expierince but i still would like too know how would i be able too be apart of your work. please email me back at agentjacques@yahoo.com i look forward too hearing from you.

Greg responds...

<sigh>

As I've stated MANY times before, I do not respond to personal e-mails. If I did it once, everyone would expect me to do it, and that just isn't practical. Also, if you read the guidelines for this site, you'll see that appeals for work are not appropriate to this forum.

If you want some general advice on how to break into the business, that's one thing. Otherwise...

Response recorded on September 15, 2010


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