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GREG-SPONSES 2010-12 (Dec)

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Gothic-Cowboy writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman. Congratulations on Independence Day, it was all I had hoped for and more. I have a few questions about Earth-16 that I hoped you would be willing to answer.
1. As of Independence Day, roughly how long has the Justice League been operating?
2. If I were to assume that the seven (bronze?) statues at the Hall of Justice were the seven founding members of the Justice League, would I be in error?
3. A)Do the League members' numerical designators represent their order of induction (except for the founders, obviously)? If so, do they also represent the order in which these characters debuted as superheroes?
B)Numbers 02, 04, 06, 07, 08, and 16 were shown in the pilot. Superman is undoubtedly 01. Wonder Woman and Hal Jordan are likely 03 and 05, respectively. That leaves 09-15, for the Hawkfolk, the two Captains, the two Johns (Zatara and Stewart), and Black Canary. In all likelihood, the Thanagarians joined jointly, thus their numerical designators are probably sequential. Could you reveal any of these yet, or will we just have to wait and see?
4. I've always been curious about the DC Martian life cycle, which has, to the best of my knowlede, never really been set before. Then I read your answer to an earlier question where you said that there's a rough 3:1 ratio for Human to Martian years (biologically speaking). Was this something that you and the creative team for Young Justice developed, or was it previously established somewhere?
5. I realize I'm probably asking too much, but does Project Atom exist on Earth-16?
6. Is Mount Justice/the Secret Sanctuary located in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island on Earth-16?
7. Jim Harper (the Guardian/Golden Guardian) and Roy Harper (Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow) were related in the comics. Did this influence the decision to cast Crispin Freeman in both roles, or is he just that good?
8. Is Kaldur'ahm the only person to act as Aqualad (thus far), or was Garth previously Aqualad?
9. Is naming him Kaldur'ahm a nod to Cal Durham from the comics?
10. Why is it that no one is ever just whelmed?
Thank you for everything that you do and for making yourself available to answer all of our often repetetive questions. A lot of people (myself not the least of them) appreciate it.

Greg responds...

1. The League was founded about seven years prior, but the public has only known about it for the last three or four.

2. No, you would not be in error.

3a. Order of induction for all but the seven founders.

3b. I think it's more fun to make you wait and see. More fun for me anyway. ;)

4. I think we may have developed that. But it wouldn't surprise me if someone pointed out some obscure issue of a comic book somewhere and said: "Here! This is where you stole this from!" I have a lot of semi-useful DC trivia floating around my brain.

5. No comment.

6. Yes.

7. No comment. (Though of course he is just that good.)

8. Have patience.

9. No comment.

10. Lots of whelming going on these days, I think. Although lurking on various sites, I see a lot of people misusing the word, i.e. using "whelmed" when they really do mean "overwhelmed" or "underwhelmed".

Response recorded on January 19, 2011

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Anthony Tini writes...

Greg,

I searched the archives and also asked in the Comment Room concerning your opinion on zombies, but I didn't get an answer, so I decided to ask you. What is your opinion of them? Do you enjoy reading stories or watching movies where zombies are involved?

The reason I ask is because there is a show on AMC called the "The Walking Dead" which has been fantastic! Are you familiar with the show? Well, according to news sources, there has been talk that Frank Darabont (writer and director) and Robert Kirkman (writer and executive producer) may possibly be going with freelance writers for the second season. I think it would be great if your agent (assuming you have one) could inquire about a possible gig writing one of those episodes (assuming it is something you'd be interested in doing.)

I don't know what your schedule will be like with Young Justice next year, but I just thought of you when I was thinking of some of the great talent that could possibly be involved with that show. Thanks for taking the time to read this! Take care.

- Tony

Greg responds...

I like stories about real Zombies, i.e. those raised by voodoo or magic to serve against their will.

The modern "plague" zombies don't interest me at all. (And, in fact, I resent that they've appropriated the classic term 'zombie' and so removed it from it's original tragic meaning.) With the sometimes exception of Zombieland -- movies based on this version of Zombies seem to be an exercise in gross-out futility.

I'm clearly not the right guy for "The Walking Dead", which I have not seen.

Response recorded on December 30, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I finally got around to reading Starship Trooper. I'm not entirely clear how involved a story editor is on an overall series versus a producer, so please forgive me if I ask questions that don't apply...

Roughnecks was clearly based on the hoaky movie, though without the hoakiness and restoring some of the most glarring ommisions - most obviously the exosuits that made fighting with the bugs the least bit sensical. Other aspects of the book could enter in simply by virtue of the time to do so, like the Skinny's. Like in the movie; Rico, Dizzy and Carl (& Carmen) form the nucleous of characters instead of it just being Rico's story. Dizzy and Carl aren't dead. (In general the troopers have way better survival rates.) His father is dead. Dizzy is female as are many infantry troopers. (And there are probably a lot more male pilots than the none I remember in the book; just a mention that men were physically inferior for the job.) etc. The choices make sense- you can't build off of a franchise popularity by ignoring the franchise. Also, the book covers decades of Ricos life and development and often not in chronological order.

I still love the series but and think it was really great military storytelling (and I apologize for relying on years old memory here) but I don't really remember much of Heinlein's philosophy of citizenship and responsibility and, for lack of a better term (because he clearly thought Carmen qualified), 'manliness' coming up. Browsing through the archive I see that Heinlein is one of your favorite authors and that you 'tried to slide in a few' controversial ideas but there were limitations of formate that got in the way.
Questions:
1- a clarification- it was the time and pace limitation of a 30minute show versus that of a prose novel and not controversy that was the main impediment, right?
2-if you can still recall at this point, where and when did the urge to slide in the ideas come up? specific events or in general.
3-a stretch: The idea to wound one trooper and have his son be sent in his place- was that all an attempt to capture a little of the interaction or at least themes between Rico and his father?
4-what are you personal thoughts on Heinlein's ideas?
5-do you have outlines or summaries of the concluding episodes that never were produced that could be posted here?

Greg responds...

1. Yes. But we did address the "citizenship" thing in the flashback episode to Rico's senior year in high school.

2. I think those ideas informed the series. Where we had room to spell them out, we did.

3. I don't think so. We just wanted to show the realities of a long war, while giving our characters great fodder. It felt right, mostly.

4. Some of them are appealing on some level. But mostly, I wouldn't want to live in that world.

5. I have scripts for sure. Maybe outlines. (Although, I don't have ANY of it HERE in my WB office.) Don't know about posting them. I'll think about it.

Response recorded on December 30, 2010

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Tyler writes...

According to the Wikipedia, in the Young Justice article you chose the characters from a list of around 50. I was wondering just which of these characters you were looking at but didn't make the spot. Do you have a list of characters you could post here you were looking at for us to peruse, and if not can you post the most prominent ones that were the closest (but did not make the six) to getting on the show?

Greg responds...

I have all these things, but I won't post them at this time, because any way you shake it, it becomes a spoiler.

Maybe once the series is over and done.

Response recorded on December 30, 2010

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Algernon writes...

Hey Greg, how's it hanging.

Not a question so much as a request but I was wondering if you'd ever considered posting the "Spectacular Spider-Man" series bible online like you did for "Gargoyles"? I've always been impressed by the amount of thought you put into your shows, and it'd be a great insight into the creative process behind such a fantastic toon.

Greg responds...

Hmmm...

I don't have it here at Warner Bros to look through it and see if it's post-worthy. But I'll think about it.

Response recorded on December 30, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

In "City of Stone," Demona said that after the clan and Xanatos blew up, she would take her laser cannon to Owen, Elisa, and Bronx.

Why was she going to kill Bronx? What did the poor beast ever do to her? She's another gargoyle, and still clan as far as Bronx knows. Couldn't she just take him home?

Greg responds...

Whether or not she ultimately would have killed Bronx is in question, but at that moment, she perceived him as a roadblock.

Response recorded on December 30, 2010

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Billybob writes...

Soo... did the group dynamics of young justice resemble gargoyles by accident like maybe you didn't realize you were writing them that way. I mean robin is cleary the lexington of the group the smallest and the smartest, and aqualad has goliaths role as the mature leader. And the boys reaction to seeing miss martian for the first time was pretty much the same as the trios to meeting Angela. (who was also new to the city the same way miss martian is new to the planet.)

Greg responds...

Uh... gee, when you put it that way, it all seems pretty unoriginal. But I don't actually think your parallels go much beyond the few surface characteristics you've listed. (I mean is Kid Flash supposed to be in any real way like Broadway because they both like food?)

Keep watching and let me know...

Oh, and no, no parallelism was intended.

Response recorded on December 27, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

I heard that Young Justice's premiere was viewed by over 2.5 million people which apparently is very good. I dont know what numbers for channels like Cartoon Network are usually like, can you kinda explain how good that number is?

Greg responds...

In this day and age, it's GOOD.

Response recorded on December 27, 2010

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Edward writes...

The animation on young justice looks amazing. I was wondering would you be aloud to show LGBT characters on a show like young justice in this day and age?

Greg responds...

"aloud to show" is quite the typo, Edward.

I could definitely SHOW LGBT characters. I just don't know if I'd be ALLOWED to be all that ALOUD about it.

Response recorded on December 27, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Greatly enjoyed the premier of Young Justice.

Minor to medium sized Spoilers:

Oddly enough I wasn't in love with the trailer - it seemed a little juvenile to be so excited about forming a kids group...nice misdirection. It makes perfect sense in context. Speaking of what was already in the trailer...WOW you aren't shy about killing - unless there is away all those flash frozen families were flash unfrozen? Alot to love, but one ting in particular that stood out for me was the meeting between Superman and Superboy. I'm so used to Supes being the big blue boy scout it's nice to see him fall short of expectations, and beautifully expressed in the process.

Greg responds...

Thanks!

Glad you liked it. And More to Come...

The pilot will repremiere as episode one on January 7 and episode two on January 14, with episodes, 3, 4 and 5 following on consecutive fridays.

Response recorded on December 27, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

You've said gargoyles find human rascism nonsensical. Do gargoyles have their own sorts of rascisms we'd find nonsensical? If so, have we ever seen its effects? can you give examples?

Greg responds...

I'd rather explore this in stories than out of context.

Response recorded on December 27, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

You say that Titania as Anastasia, like Puck as Owen, is completely human. Does that mean Fox being half Fae was planned choice? Does conceiving a half Fae child requiring choosing to only appear human rather than be human for a change?

Greg responds...

Fair question. It's worth discussing. But I don't have a hard, fast answer now.

Response recorded on December 22, 2010

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Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Shucks! Someone already pointed out the Gargoyles homage in Darkwing Duck. I'll just add that in a field of protest signs, someone was holding up one saying "Bring Back Bonkers"

You've always (wisely) refused name one series you've worked with a favorite over another. It'd be like choosing which child you love best. But is there any instance of one work being a favorite instance of X and another of Y?

Greg responds...

Uh... I'm not too clear on what you're asking....? Is it a chromosome thing?

Response recorded on December 22, 2010

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Paul writes...

When Young Justice starts airing in January, will there be a theme song at the beginning of each episode (or a minute or so in, like in The Spectacular Spider-Man)?

Greg responds...

I'm gonna let you wait until January to find out.

Response recorded on December 22, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, I want to say how much I enjoyed the Debut of Young Justice. I know this is going to mainly focus on the kids but will we be seeing some stuff amongst the adults too? Specifically for me Superman and Wonder Woman. I loved that little silent interaction between her and Superman at the end of Independence Day. So while I know this isn't about the adults, I would love to see some of the shared friendship /tension/chemistry that the comics have with them that DCAU always ignore. The super/wonder fans have had very little in animation to cheer about other than one awesome Ruby Spears Episode.

Greg responds...

We've tried to (whenever they're on screen) present ALL characters honestly and reveal their relationships whenever possible.

But as you said, this is a series about six teenagers. Superman has a direct relationship to one of these six. Wonder Woman has none. Both appear in the series, but screen time is precious, of course.

Response recorded on December 22, 2010

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Algernon writes...

Not a question but I wanted to let you know that the "Young Justice" review a couple of posts back was me. I just forgot to sign my name, sorry.

Greg responds...

That's okay. Thanks for the kind words.

Response recorded on December 22, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman,

I have a question regarding the relationship between Elisa and Goliath:

1. Did you always have in mind for them to be a couple or is this something that just came up as you kept writing?

2. Did you find it strange for a 7 ft mythological creature to fall in love with a human?

3. What does Goliath think of Elisa?

4. What does Elisa think of Goliath?

Greg responds...

1. Uh... pretty much always, if we're talking about Elisa and Goliath and not some of the development precursors.

2. Sure. But isn't love always strange? (I'm sensing a theme tonight.)

3. If that's not clear from the source materials, I have nothing to add.

4. Ditto.

Response recorded on December 22, 2010

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kon-el writes...

Is it pronounced gene-gnomes or g-gnomes?

Greg responds...

G-Gnomes, which is short for Genomorph-Gnomes.

Response recorded on December 22, 2010

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

I just re-read The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw. It's a book I mentioned in a much earlier question to you, one about a changeling girl who is half human and half fae, and the weirdness and difficulty she has fitting in with either because she is different from both species. (It's even set in medieval Scotland.) It prompted me to ask you how different or similar, emotionally and psychologically, the Third Race are to humans, because the depiction in this book is of quite inhuman fae who really can't relate to humans. You have consistently answered that the Third Race are quite similar to humans, emotionally and psychologically -- that the main difference is that of great power without great responsibility, of never growing old or having to work, and of being able to look however they want on a whim. You've even said that a human could imagine what it is like to be such a being by imagining what life for one of us would be like with those benefits.

Reading The Moorchild again got me to wondering about what it is like growing up as a hybrid (in a family of non-hybrids), or as a non-hybrid changeling raised by another species, in the Gargoyles universe. The personality differences don't seem nearly as pronounced between humans and Third Race as they are between humans and fae in The Moorchild, so it seems like fewer problems should arise, although physically there seems to be quite a lot of difference between mortals and the Children even when they look human. Clearly a half-mortal child like Fox can grow up without ever figuring it out, or learning magic. But did she ever feel different from the mortal children around her? Did other humans notice anything different about her? Or was there nothing really out of the ordinary, no noticeable outward signs of her magical heritage?

And what about Morgan le Fay, who according to what you have revealed is a purely Third Race changeling. Was it strange for her to grow up among humans? I assume she looked human, but did she feel human, or did she feel different from those around her? Did she seem unusual to her human parents and siblings, or did they never really notice anything out of the ordinary, personality-wise or physically? Did she just seem like a regular human being to them?

As for Nimue, well, she can't have helped but notice she was different, not having the same nearly-effortless magical abilities and shapechanging that the Third Race have. That and not being made of pure magic, along with whatever that entails.

I imagine a slightly different dynamic for the Avalon Clan, since there was no human society around them and they actually outnumbered their foster parents 11-to-1, but I'm sure that was at least somewhat weird, especially for the humans.

Greg responds...

I guess if the question is: "Did they feel different?" then the answer is a resounding "YES!". Because, I'm pretty sure I'm not a magical hybrid and I felt different. Doesn't everyone?

Response recorded on December 22, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

"Indepedence Day" Review

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I really enjoyed this, it’s one of the tightest animated pilots I’ve seen in… well ever. Admittedly, I’m a life long member of the Church of Weisman but I’ll try to keep the fanboyish squeals of delight down to a somewhat dignified level.

First thing I’ll note is that the animation is drop dead gorgeous, I remember when I first saw to five minute preview featuring the ice villains and thinking that is seriously high quality stuff. It looks more like a theatrical feature then the kind of thing you’d see even on a typical tv budget. I don’t know if that’s because Brandon Vietti and the rest of the visual team are just that darn good or because WB are pouring truckloads of money into the animation budget, but I suspect it’s mainly the former with a little of the latter.

Story and character wise, well it’s a Weisman show so it goes without saying that they’re going to be top notch. I particularly enjoyed the very whedonesque banter between are four heroes. I’m also liking the new Aqualad, he has a very eldest sibling vibe. He’s thrust into the role of the mature responsible one trying to keep a handle on Wally’s impulsiveness, Dick’s devil may care attitude and Superboy’s anger issues.

Fans of JLU will probably see a lot of Michael Rosenbaum’s Flash in this incarnation of Wally right down to his hokey attempts at being a ladies man. Dick gets plenty of opportunities to show off his skills, he seems to have a natural talent for tactics and strategy but doesn’t quite have the maturity to take on a proper leadership role… yet.

Of course the big stand out character is Superboy. This is his story more then anyone else and the first step on his journey from pawn of Cadmus to master of his own fate is a nice parallel with the sidekicks’ own desire to step out of their mentors’ shadows. We also get a lot of nice tidbits from a lot of the supporting characters, from Clark and Conner’s original reactions to each other (which are magnificently portrayed purely through animation, without a single word of dialogue) to the downright icy glare Bruce gives Ollie when he finds out Roy knows about the Justice League’s REAL headquarters.

Plot wise there’s a lot of really cool twists and pipe laying for future stories. Greg and Brandon once said that the main theme for season one would be “secrets and lies” and boy they weren’t kidding. Both Cadmus and the League are hiding behind false fronts, their respective public HQ’s being little more then elaborate decoys for their real bases of operation.

We’re also introduced to what looks to be the series’ main villains, a shadowy cabal calling themselves “the Light” ironically enough. I’m very intrigued by these guys and a strongly suspect we’d recognise a lot of them if their faces weren’t being obscured. With Young Justice being organised as the League’s covert-ops team to combat the Light’s behind the scenes manipulations, I’m expecting a lot of more secrets, lies and plot twists in addition to straight up super heroic punch-ups.

All in all, I was very impressed. If the pilot is anything to go by, this may end up being the best thing to come out of DC animation since Batman: The Animated Series.

Greg responds...

For the record, "the Church of Weisman" is really more of a Burger Joint.

Response recorded on December 22, 2010

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John Derrick writes...

I hate to say it, but I was extremely disappointed in the Young Justice premiere. Don't get me wrong--the animation was gorgeous, the dialogue entertaining, the story intriguing. But the gender imbalance was a huge turn-off for me.

Why was it that the women of the Justice League were only shown in the last five minutes of a two-part pilot? Why did the male sidekicks get to go on a rebellious adventure and force the League to accept them as a team of their own, while the first girl is only added to "Young Justice" at the very end, introduced by her uncle and guardian like some sort of token?

I expect that the women will have a lot more to do in the episodes to come, but I still find it profoundly problematic to introduce the characters in such an unequal manner. I believe there are too many men in the world as it is who see women as mere supporting players in their stories. Why reinforce this stereotype for a whole new generation of superhero cartoon fans?

Greg responds...

It's a legitimate gripe. And I doubt my answer will satisfy you, but it came down to a couple factors that we at least found important: (1) practicality and to a lesser extent - but intertwined with - (2) tradition.

Let's start with practicality.

You asked why there were no female Leaguers until the end. But where would they have fit? There are no female Leaguers with traditional first generation sidekicks. So Batman, Green Arrow, Aquaman and Flash could not be replaced by Wonder Woman, Black Canary or Hawkwoman. That leaves the four Leaguers introduced at the Hall of Justice. I needed Martian Manhunter to be there to set up Miss Martian. I needed Red Tornado there to set up his interest in the teens. I needed Superman there to set up Superboy. That leaves only Zatara. He was certainly replaceable. But then I would have had to hire another voice actress to read ONE LINE. I couldn't afford to do that. We have budgets. (And you'll notice that Red Tornado never speaks in the episode. Couldn't afford giving him a line either. None of which had anything to do with gender.)

There was NEVER any intent to introduce Artemis this early in the season for story reasons. Wouldn't make sense for her character. And I think the reasons why will become clear as the season progresses.

As for Miss Martian, yes, in theory, we could have introduced her sooner. Manhunter COULD have brought her along at the beginning. But then I'd have had FOUR characters running around the first half hour and FIVE in the second. That steals screen time and characterization from everyone. I think the entire production would have been weaker for adding another character -- ANY other character (gender notwithstanding).

Of course, that begs the obvious question - why not ditch one of the boys in favor of her to create a little balance.

But it seemed to us that would create balance at a cost.

There are FOUR TRADITIONAL sidekicks: Robin, Speedy, Aqualad and Kid Flash. To leave one out seemed wrong to us. Which brings in the Tradition argument, which I'll admit is somewhat feeble, but as an old comic book geek, I'll also admit it matters to me and to everyone else here.

The very first Teen Titans story ever in Brave and the Bold featured only THREE heroes: Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash. Wonder Girl did not join until their second adventure. So we felt there was a precedent for beginning with Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash and saving the real introduction of Miss Martian (beyond hellos) for OUR second adventure.

For what it's worth, if you give the series another chance, starting with episode three (i.e. the one immediately following the pilot "movie"), I think you'll see that female characters including Miss Martian, Black Canary, Artemis, Wonder Woman and MANY others will be playing ESSENTIAL roles in the show as we progress. I think the balance - and then some - is absolutely present in the first season when viewed in its entirety.

Yes, the pilot was very boy-centric, but that's not the rubric for the series. Personally, I love writing female characters, and if you're at all familiar with my past work, you'll know I have a history of doing them justice. (At least, I think so.) Gargoyles, for example, is FULL of strong female characters, including Elisa, Demona, Angela, Fox, etc. WITCH was nearly ALL female leads. Even Spider-Man had a strong female supporting cast, in my opinion at least.

If we did "reinforce a stereotype" (which I think is overstating it) then perhaps we've lured in kids that we will reeducate over the course of the season - organically without forcing it.

So I'd beg a little patience, a little indulgence... maybe even a little trust that we'll do right by this issue.

But judge for yourself.

Response recorded on December 21, 2010

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kon-el writes...

1.Does Superboy have super hearing? I mean he was able to hear Aqualad from far away.
2.Why couldn't Superboy fly?

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. Why indeed?

Response recorded on December 21, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

I really dont know how your gonna respond to this you might wanna keep it to yourself so people dont read to much into it, but could you tell us the ages of some of the people on Earth-16?

These are the ones I'd like to know
Black Canary
Zatanna
Jamie Reyes
Static
Zachary Zatara
Supergirl

Yeah those arre the main ones Im curious about

Greg responds...

I'm not going to address ANY characters who have not appeared in the series. Period.

So the only character on your list who HAS appeared is Canary, who is 24.

Response recorded on December 21, 2010

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Greg Bishansky writes...

I originally wrote this for my blog, and decided to paste it in here.

Young Justice

Well, what do you know? This is my one hundredth entry. Appropriate that it is about Greg Weisman's newest TV series.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of Greg Weisman's work. "Gargoyles" is my all time favorite TV series; I adored "The Spectacular Spider-Man;" I was quite fond of the second season of "W.I.T.C.H.;" and the freelance scripts he wrote for shows like "Men In Black" and "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" were always fun.

Okay, I really hated "Max Steel" and couldn't watch more than one episode, but that show had all sorts of behind the scenes problems that were not his fault. And sadly, "Roughnecks: Star Ship Troopers Chronicles" never aired in my area, so I've never really seen it. But, overall, Greg Weisman is responsible for high quality television. So, I was greatly anticipating his newest series, "Young Justice."

"Young Justice" is loosely based on a DC Comics title by the same name, but draws from many other sources. It focuses on a group of sidekicks (but don't call them that) who band together to become a covert ops team connected to the Justice League. The stars of the show are Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis. Although, we have yet to meet Artemis and only briefly met Miss Martian.

The theme of the first season is "secrets and lies" and this is very apparent within the pilot already. The Justice League is keeping secrets from the members of Young Justice... which was enough to piss off Speedy, and get him to storm off. And Project Cadmus was keeping secrets from the rest of the world.

I love a good mystery, and we've got one set up with a shadowy organization called The Light, who were behind Project Cadmus. Although, I am somewhat reminded of the Illuminati from "Gargoyles" (Hmm... Light - illuminated - Illuminati) and the Council of Thirteen of the Guild of Calamitous Intent in "The Venture Bros." although, I highly doubt Davie Bowie is L-1.

The writing and dialogue are very sharp, and considering the pilot was penned by Mr. Weisman himself, that was to be expected. The animation is very strong, and I kept wondering what their budget was, because it looks great. The voice acting was also phenomenal, which is to be expected from any series voice directed by Jamie Thomason.

This series has just about everything going for it, and already, in my mind, blew the competition out of the water. Yes, I enjoy "The Avengers - Earth's Mightiest Heroes" quite a bit, but the quality of that show just doesn't compare to the quality of "Young Justice." The funny thing about that is that outside of Batman, and some Vertigo comics, I have no attachment to DC Comics at all. I've always been a Marvel reader. But Marvel has never had animated series as good as DC's, with the exception of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" which was just as great as "Batman the Animated Series." But then, look at who the mastermind behind Spidey was.

I give the pilot of "Young Justice" a solid five stars. It also left me intrigued enough to come back for more when the series really gets going in January.

Greg responds...

Glad you liked it!

Response recorded on December 21, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

If there was enough related media, and tie-in's what would you like the universe your creating to be called?

Greg responds...

Earth-16. (We're talking about Young Justice, right?)

Response recorded on December 21, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg,
I was wondering did Blockbuster die in the end or was he imprisoned? And did Ms. Martian change the color of her shirt to match Superboys? How would you describe Superman's reaction to Superboy? When they're first walking into the Hall Of Justice Kid Flash says "Have all 4 sidekicks ever been in the same place at once" or something along those lines does that mean that there are only 4 sidekicks on Earth-16 currently? (which doesnt mean there arent other teen superheroes they'd just be solo right)

Greg responds...

1. He didn't die.

2. Didn't you see her change the color of her shirt?

3. I'll leave that to the audience's interpretation.

4. There are only four at that time - at least as far as KF knows.

Response recorded on December 21, 2010

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Jack-Pumpkinhead writes...

Hey Greg, congratulations on Young Justice! I watched the two-hour premiere and I was thoroughly impressed. I liked the way you handled the characters and the world. I mean, getting Blockbuster in like that? Very nicely done. You put together a very formidable JLA there, and I liked ... oh hell, I loved everything! Please give my kudos to the animators and voice actor if possible (Jesse McCartney was awesome as Robin). My only two questions on the show come from having a poor quality tape to record it on;
1-Did they say Aqualad's first name in the show? Cause if they did, I missed it.
2- Was That Cripsin Freeman voicing Speedy? I know he was Guardian, but I didn't know about Roy.

Again, awesome job, and the series premiere cant start soon enough!

Greg responds...

1. They didn't. But it's Kaldur'ahm.

2. Yes, Crispin did both voices.

Response recorded on December 21, 2010

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Richard Jackson writes...

Congratulations on the premiere. Good work to you and your colleagues.

I have two Gargoyle questions, though. What was the "official" reason given for Vinnie's firing from Gen-U-Tech? I would think that they wouldn't put down "was a reading a newpaper while the boss was kidnapped by a gargoyle." And who ordered Vinnie's termination?

Greg responds...

What's wrong with "was a reading a newpaper while the boss was kidnapped..."

And, I imagine Vinnie's immediate superior fired him.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

Will you make a Dark Ages comic books spin off??? I would like to know more about the lives of the Gargoyle characters. And by the way, I watched young justice and I enjoyed it! I can't wait till the series comes out in January!

Greg responds...

I"d love to do a Dark Ages comic book spin off. But right now we don't have a publisher.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

That premiere was amazing!! One question though one that Im not even sure your allowed to anwser. When Blockbuster tells the scientist to clone Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, Robin replies bys saying "Pass Batcaves Crowded Enough" can you elaborate on what he meant by this? Is their a Batgirl or Batwoman running around Gotham in this universe or maybe Bathound?

Greg responds...

Maybe it's just a REALLY small Batcave, huh? ;)

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

Greeat Premiere, and though I know you cant tell me if they'll appear on the show I was wondering if Static Shock and and the new Blue Beetle currently exist in the Earth-16 universe? Even if they'll never show up I just want to know if they're floating around somewhere out there doing their thing.

Greg responds...

No comment.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Henry writes...

I saw the Young Justice pilot, and I LOVEEED it. I mean amazing I loved the whelmed running joke, and when Kid Flash was like "We're in to deep...literally." I loled. Well to my question though this wasnt something that came up in the pilot I was wondering if the Young Justice Team was going to be going up against a lot of teen villans? That happened a lot in Teen Titans, and it wasnt really something that made a lot of sense to me. Oh and this one is completely hypothetical lets that Young Justice turned out to be the most successful Cartoon Network show EVER like of ALL TIME would there be a possibility of spin-off shows maybe like a new DCAU? Or maybe some direct to video movies that take place on Earth 16, but dont necessarily involve the Young Justice Team?

Greg responds...

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

As for the age of the villains, you'll have to wait and see.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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SoundForSound writes...

Any reason for Disney to not just do a digital only release of Gargoyles via iTunes? Would not that be cheaper to release than DVD, or who knows? Any word on if YJ will be available on iTunes? Keep up the great work. Spidey was amazing, so am looking forward to YJ.

Greg responds...

I just have no idea on either front.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

Would it make any differences if you didn't used a Futurama voice actor to voice Aquaman in Young Justice?

Greg responds...

What do you mean?

Phil LaMarr, who indeed voices Hermes on Futurama, is the voice of Aquaman (and Dubbilex). We think he's great.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Pumpkin Bomb writes...

Hi Greg,

Absolutely loved the premiere of Young Justice! Dragged along a friend to see it, and now she can't wait for the rest either. As I saw a Tivo'd version at a relative's house, it's possible I might have accidentally missed it, but I didn't notice a TV theme opening with music or credits for the first two episodes. Is this because it is the pilot and you're saving the opening theme for the rest of the episodes? Or because it was cut as a TV movie? Can you confirm if we going to get an opening themesong, or sequence at all?

If so, can't wait to see it.

Greg responds...

There will be an opening title sequence for the episodes. There was none (intentionally) on the "movie" version.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Rinaldi poet writes...

I would like to know who made this eb site becouse I need a web designer for myself

my email address is viadeicrispolti@hotmail.it

Greg responds...

That would be Gorebash. But I don't know if he's reading this... here. Or if he would be interested.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Masterdramon writes...

Hey Greg! So I managed to catch "Independence Day," and...

Well, to be honest, it was so incredibly awesome that it may have melted my brain a little bit. XD

So, now to jump into my comments...

- Mr. Freeze, Icicle, Killer Frost, and Captain Cold launch nearly simultaneous attacks across the country, and to the League's credit they immediately figure out something's up with that. My guess is that the first iteration of the Secret Society of Super Villains/Injustic League/Legion of Doom/pick your poison has been covertly set up fairly recently in this Universe, which will give Young Justice an organized enemy to fight in addition (or possibly in tamdem) to this mysterious "Light." Me likey so far.

- I...freaking...love...this...Aqualad. The cool delivery from Khary Payton (remarkably distinct from Cyborg from "Teen Titans," though their battle cries and impact grunts are nigh-identical), the badass power set, and the little verbal tics like constantly referring to Aquaman as "my King" (now that should make for some interesting drama once poor Kaldur'ahm learns of his true parentage) all combine for easily the coolest "Aqua-" related character ever to exist outside of the comics (although the OUTRAGEOUS! Aquaman from "Brave and the Bold" comes close).

- Speedy getting the Hell outta dodge after learning what their true reward on their "big day" was definitely had my sympathy (Kid Flash emphasizes this beautifully in the next scene by describing the Watchtower as "a secret HQ...IN SPACE!"). Looks like this both explains why Artemis will end up joining the team instead, and (presumably) fortells the coming of Red Arrow rather earlier than usual in this continuity.

- I like how you guys decided to turn "side-kick" into a dirty word amongst the prospective Young Justice members. Speedy prefers "partner" (which, like his aforementioned storm-out, is perfectly in line with his character), while the others just seem to find the term generally degrading. And I got a real kick (pardon the pun, LOL) out of all the little jokes at the beginning over the characters' anonymity; no one in the general public seems to be able to remember poor Kid Flash's name, with one person in the crowd mistaking him as Speedy and decrying that name going to the archer instead "makes no sense" (now THAT made me laugh).

- The Genomorphs, particularly the "dwarf" psychic ones, had me in chills. As did Mark Desmond (recognized him immediately, mostly by the rather conspicuous "Blockbuster" vials shown in his first scene), sporting a rather twisted version of the voice the same actor used for the Mechanist in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and using said dwarf Genomorphs to keep Guardian's mind under lock and key. On the other hand, this notion of them achieving sentience as a hive mind - and proclaiming Superboy as their possible savior - has me heavily intrigued.

- Superboy himself is an excellent take on the often cliche-ridden clone concept. He's been taught to hold Superman up as a perfect ideal (sensical, given that he was designed to replace him in role and function), leading to an in-universe dropping of the phrase "What Would Superman Do?" being the catalyst for his change of heart. But now that Superman (who, of course, knows nothing about dealing with kids, as Supergirl is conspicuously absent from this Universe) has tried to dodge the semi-parental responsibility he really should have to him, it looks like the proto-Connor Kent is stuck in permanent teen rebellion mode...up to 11. This is obviously going to lead to some real problems down the line; hopefully, however, not nearly as severe as his Earth-Prime counterpart.

- Tons and tons and tons of mythology gags riddled throughout these two episodes, to the point where I can't even remember half of them. I love it when writers show their work and their research, and you never fail to deliver on both counts. Particular highlights included Superboy's immature powers not including flight and heat vision - in other words, being at the level of the Golden Age Superman, whereas the adult powers of the original Kal-El are at his more well-known Silver Age levels - and Kid Flash's reference to Flash always taking his time at crime scenes to get chummy with everyone, the villain included...which, of course, has always been Barry Allen's trademark to a "T." Though be warned, Wally; if your character development proceeds anything like your mainstream counterpart, you'll eventually end up doing the exact same thing.

- As has been noted many times before and surely will be noted far more times in the future, the voice acting, scoring, and animation quality is absolutely superb throughout. The entirety of both episodes appear to be produced at roughly the same level as the recent DC Animated films, which is just tremendous. Here's hoping that the series remains comparable to the standards set here once in resumes in January.

So I just want to say, on behalf of my fellow DC Comics geeks everywhere, thank you for lending your hand to bringing forth this wonderful addition to our rich animated mythos. I wait with bated breath for the story of these young heroes to truly reach their new beginning next year. So until next time...

"Eventually...everyone sees the light."

>shivers, but in a good way<

Greg responds...

Thanks.

For the record, there are G-Gnomes (the tiny psychic guys), G-Trolls (the huge strong brutes), G-Elves (the clawed warriors), G-Dwarves (the tentacled worker drones), G-Sprites (the electricity generating creatures) and one G-Goblin (Dubbilex) with telekinetic powers (and secret psychic powers).

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Harlequinn writes...

When Miss Martian's shirt morphed to match Superboy's colors, did she do that on purpose? Or did it just happen cause she had a crush?

Greg responds...

She did it on purpose.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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SLG writes...

Hey Greg,

Really liked the Young Justice pilot, very solid stuff. I especially like the line Robin had about how Batman would "have his head" for taking so long to get out of those shackles. Robin seemed pretty capable, and I'm sure he'll get closer to Batman's level as time goes on, but I do hope we'll get to see the master at work every once in a while.

I also really have to say that I loved the action sequences (and the writing, of course). They had a great flow to them and a great sense of pace. I was also a bit surprised at how hard hitting some of the fights were, by which I mean they seemed to be fairly violent, even compared to something as recent as SpecSpidey, though that's just my take on it.

So anyway, you say that your brother, Jon Weisman, is writing for Young Justice, which got me thinking about how that was also the case during your time on WITCH. Since someone was nice enough to upload the entire series onto YouTube it has been easy enough to go back to. One of my favorites of that show was "S for Self", mainly because of the songs "Demon in Me" and "Will to Love" that played during it, for which you and Jon wrote the lyrics.

So this is a bit out there, but do you suppose that original songs, like those produced for WITCH, are something that would ever have a place in Young Justice?

How about an entire episode in the form of a musical? Buffy style, you know you want to.

Greg responds...

I do want to. But I'm not sure I'm smart enough to come up with an original reason for it to happen -- that WORKS with the tone of this show. Way back when, I wanted to do a musical episode of Gargoyles, but could never come up with a justification. Then Joss Whedon did "Once More With Feeling". And of course, the answer was obvious. I could have used Puck to force everyone to sing. Trouble is... I wasn't smart enough to figure that out first. Yes, that's right. Joss Whedon is smarter than I am. Now, taking that approach would REALLY look like I was ripping off his idea. I'm not 100% sure I'm above that. But I'm about 87% sure, so...

Even on Spidey, which was a show with a way less realistic and grounded tone than YJ is, I struggled to find an original reason to do a musical episode. And I couldn't figure one out. So the odds of me figuring one out on Young Justice seem slim, I'm afraid.

Response recorded on December 17, 2010

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Grant writes...

1) Aqualad appears to have a measure of super strength, is he also bullet proof?

2) Is Mount Justice suppose to be Happy Harbor like in the comic?

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. Yes.

Response recorded on December 10, 2010

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Clark Cradic writes...

Great job on the premiere! XD I can't wait to see more. Especially Miss Martian!

Greg responds...

Me neither!

Response recorded on December 10, 2010

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Ian Whitcombe writes...

Do you think you could post a complete credit list for "Independence Day"?

Greg responds...

Done.

Response recorded on December 10, 2010

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Eric Moore writes...

You've made it clear that you won't be giving heights for most of the characters, but you did mention in a January '08 response that you thought of Xanatos as being about six feet tall. I am a fan of numbers. Would you object to fans (me in particular) calculating heights rather than leaving them vague?

Greg responds...

Knock yourself out.

Response recorded on December 10, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

In your head, who voices Fleur?

How about the Grim?

Greg responds...

Rhona Mitra & Cary Elwes

Response recorded on December 10, 2010

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Logan writes...

thanks for the trailers... looks insane.
this question may seem spoiled and a little greedy/impatient. But, i gotta ask. I remember hearing about a tempest apearence. Would his presence on the show be similar o red arrow's (multiple episodes supporting character) or can we expect to see him in a one shot atlantis aqualad episode?

keep up the great adapting. when i saw the designs and details from NYCC it felt like bruce timm on steroids.

Greg responds...

No comment.

Response recorded on December 10, 2010

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Emily writes...

Thank you for answering my question about The Lighthouse episode. (I wasn't knocking after school specials in general just the ones that feel force and treats the audience like an idiot.) With the amounts of questions you get I would be surpise if you could answer this, but is there a question you're surpised no one has ever asked and you would like to answer it?

Greg responds...

Nope. I am sometimes surprised that after all this time there are still questions left to be answered at all...

Response recorded on December 10, 2010

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anonymously writes...

I want to know if you can continue making gargoyls it was my favrite show please bring it back

Greg responds...

Not up to me.

Response recorded on December 03, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

Will Jason Marsden and Will Friedle reprise their roles from Batman: Brave and the Bold onto Young Justice (I understand Speedy has already been taken) or do I have to wait and see?
They did a very perfect job at voicing those lesser known DC characters from that show and they really deserved to voice them again in future DC cartoons and movies.

Greg responds...

I don't know who Jason and Will played in B&TB...?

Response recorded on December 03, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

how would a gargoyle survive in space?
In 2198 how is demona and zafiro going to survive in space with there special non-stone sleep circumstances? (i.e. demonas spell, zafiros amulet)

Greg responds...

I'm not revealing that at this time.

Response recorded on December 03, 2010

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Kit Walker writes...

This is more of a personal question; rather, not directly related any specific work but more the creator and writer behind the works.

What is it like, as a storyteller, to have the Gargoyles universe still so loved by fans? Sixteen years after "The Awakening" debuted, fans are STILL curious about this or that bit of the universe, fans are STILL lamenting the show's end, the Gatherings went on for an insanely long time, fans still anxiously await the slightest hint of more Gargoyles stories, fan-works are still being made--what do you think of all that? What's it like to sit back and know that something you gave artistic birth to still grips viewers, and still draws fans?

Greg responds...

It is -- without a doubt -- f-in' cool!!

Response recorded on December 03, 2010


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