Greg responds...

Lex's conceptual design - I believe - was created by Dave Schwartz, one of our development art directors back in the day. The final design was done in Japan by Mr. Takeuchi, under Frank Paur's supervision.

"bad a bat"?

Greg responds...

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Greg responds...

My mind just doesn't work that way, really. But I guess... hmmm.... we've already kinda crossed over with Super-Friends, so...

I'll say Scooby-Doo.

After all, we've got meddling kids and a big dog and a neat vehicle to go around and solve mysteries. It's a perfect fit.

I mean wouldn't you just love to see Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby as reimagined by Phil Bourassa?

(Actually, I'm cheating. This is totally Brandon's idea.)

Greg responds...

Nope. Wish I could, but I can't. See my previous response.

Greg responds...

Marvel DIDN'T cancel it.

It's all very complicated, and we were certainly the recipients of bad corporate luck, but no single company cancelled the series. We just wound up with a situation where no single company could proceed with it.

I'll try to break it all down:

1. Sony had originally produced SpecSpidey as part of their overall entertainment license of the Spidey property (which of course included the extremely lucrative live action films).

2. But in order to win some concession on those live action feature films, Sony returned the animation rights to the character back to Marvel.

3. So now only Marvel could produce a Spider-Man cartoon. Sony no longer could, which meant SpecSpidey couldn't continue at Sony.

4. I have no idea whether Marvel was interested in continuing Spectacular Spider-Man or not. But let's assume for the sake of argument that they would have liked to.

5. They couldn't.

6. Why? Because Sony owned all the specific elements (designs, storyline, etc.) to the SpecSpidey VERSION of Spider-Man. So Marvel would have had to license all that BACK from Sony.

7. You can imagine how unlikely THAT scenario was. Marvel finally gets the rights back to do an animated version of their marquee character, and then they have to pay Sony to do it instead of just starting from scratch. That was never going to happen.

8. Of course, all this was complicated by the fact that Disney purchased Marvel, and Disney and Sony are direct competitors.

9. And I'm sure Marvel was excited to put their own stamp on an animated Spider-Man. Who could blame them?

10. So that was it. We were toast through no fault of our own. The folks at Marvel, Sony and even Disney all seemed to like our show, but the corporate mess made it impossible for us to continue.

11. And, yes, it is a bummer. (For me, at least.) But it's no single person or single company's fault. It's just how things shook out.

12. And finally, though I have no involvement with the upcoming Ultimate Spider-Man, you can't deny that a lot of great people have worked on it. There's no reason to think it won't be as good or better than SpecSpidey. To a certain generation, SpecSpidey will always be THEIR Spider-Man cartoon. But to a new batch o' viewers, I'm sure their Spidey of choice will be the Ultimate.

Greg responds...

SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

Greg responds...

SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

Greg responds...

SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

Greg responds...

ASKED AND ANSWERED.

Greg responds...

1. One was an enhancement on the other.

2. Six: Flash, Green Lantern, Atom, Doctor Fate, Sandman and Hourman.

3. Combo.