Second Aristh writes...

Hi Mr Weisman. I'm a big fan of dramatic cartoons, and only recently realized how many of my favorites were your work (Gargoyles made me think of Shakespeare as a friend!) Thank you for making such an impact on my childhood. I do have some questions about Young Justice.

1. Are boom tubes an extension of zeta platform technology or a mostly different technology with some similar applications?
2. I was impressed at the way different backstories were tied together in YJ (e.g. Beast Boy's powers as a product of a Martian blood transfusion). Was there any particular process that you used to know when things felt "right"?
2b. Any ties that you were particularly proud of off the top of your head?

Thanks for taking the time to interact with us Mr Weisman! I look forward to more of your work.

Masterdramon writes...

ASK GREG LIVE! - WONDERCON 2013 REPORT

First, a little background. I'm going to quote a section from the introduction I made to to Station 8 Comment Room, waaaaaay back in July 2010:

"Given that I was three when Season 1 of 'Gargoyles' first began airing, I was obviously quite outside the target audience at that point, and if I watched any of the episodes on first airing I definitely don't remember them. Rather, my first clear memories of 'Gargoyles' were watching it during the late 90s when Toon Disney was first starting up. This produced some interesting experiences; for example, I never saw and indeed never even had a clue that 'Deadly Force' existed until Toon Disney started airing it again in 2002 or so.

At the time that I first was watching this show voraciously it was amongst a litany of dozens of other cartoons, some well-written ('Batman: The Animated Series,' 'Darkwing Duck,' etc.) and some...well, not so much (here's looking at you, 'Captain Planet'). To an eight year-old, there was little differentiation between the relative qualities of these shows, and it was not until a few years on that I really began to appreciate what a true gem 'Gargoyles' was.

I'm not entirely sure when my perspective changed, though it might have had something to do with the aforementioned first viewing of 'Deadly Force.' By this point I was a pre-teen, and old enough to understand the basics of S+P...so to see one of the protagonists shoot another one in the chest accidentally, nearly causing her to die was an absolute revelation to me. Around this time I began watching the entire series with new eyes, and what I saw astounded me.

The depth, the complexity, the characterization was unlike anything else I had ever seen on the small screen, live-action or animated. The little things that escaped me on the first, second, or even tenth viewing (yes, I watched a LOT of Toon Disney) suddenly rared to life and showed me how amazing this show was, is, and always will be. Everything from the sheer emotion that Tony Shalhoub brought to the show's single greatest cameo role to the little nuances about Lexington that made me think, 'Oh, of course!' when I learned that Greg considered him to be homosexual all became clear to me, and clearer and clearer with each viewing.

'Gargoyles' did much for me over the years. To take a particular example, when I first began really reading Shakespeare during mandatory reading times in high school, I went with 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' then 'Macbeth,' and then, after the obvious 'Hamlet,' moving to 'Othello.' It shouldn't take too many guesses to figure out what attracted me to those plays specifically.

I have many obsessions in my life, some that have faded and some that have stayed with me forever. 'Gargoyles' stayed with me forever, and by the time I was about 13 or so it overtook virtually all of my other obsessions to become forefront in my fiction-dominated mind. I began searching around the internet for various little tidbits and behind-the-scenes stuff, and was blown away when I first discovered Greg's Master Plan. That someone could have so intricately designed such a massive and complex fictional universe intrigued me to no end...particularly 'Bad Guys,' since Dingo was at the time my favorite character.

On one of my frequent revisitings of the Master Plan in 2004, I ended up clicking around some links that brought me to the FAQ...and consequently to AskGreg. If the Master Plan had blown me away, then this site caused my mind to spontaneously combust. So many hints and clues to what the future might hold for the series, should Disney allow it to somehow continue...straight from the mouth of the creator himself! In all the years since that I've been up and around the world wide web, never have I again seen such a direct, easy-to-access method of communication to the artist behind such a masterful work.

Over the years, I have read virtually every single post in the AskGreg archives, some of them several dozen times. It is one of the websites that I frequent several times a day without fail, and I have gained an uncountable amount of enrichment from reading it constantly. It was through this site that I first learned of the DVDs and comics, all of which I purchased as soon as I could possibly get my hands on them, and of the Gathering, the scope of which shocked and awed me.

One of my greatest regrets is that I was never able to attend one of these amazing events; convincing your parents to let you fly out of Hawaii to the mainland for a convention on a 90s cartoon isn't the easiest thing in the world. And although I WAS actually in town for the final one, Gathering 2009 happened to fall on the EXACT same weekend as my college orientation. If the Gathering had been just one week later, or my introduction to Pomona College just one week sooner...but I guess it's pointless to deal with hypotheticals.

In any event, my praise goes out to all of you unbelievably dedicated individuals who kept it alive for so long. If ever you are able to arrange some sort of smaller event in the future, you have my word that I will attend.

AskGreg also gave the chance to really get to know Greg Weisman (or at least, as much as this is possible without real-world contact), and he is currently one of my absolute greatest heroes in all of entertainment. I am not using hyperbole when I declare him to be the single most talented writer in animation history, and in my mind absolutely anything he touches turns to solid gold. I avidly watched 'W.I.T.C.H.,' 'The Spectacular Spider-Man,' and the various episodes he freelanced for favorite shows of mine like 'The Batman,' 'Kim Possible,' and 'Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!'...many of which turned out to be some of the best in their respective series. And I wait with bated breath (and fanboyish panting) for 'Young Justice.' Spider-Man is my favorite Marvel superhero and DC is my favorite comic book universe...so to have Greg interpret both with his usual flair for complex, multi-layered story arcs and deeply involved character development has left me positively salivating."

Now, as you can probably tell from these words, this was a moment I've been waiting on for nearly 10 years. So as you might expect, I was...anxious. Despite my personal contact with Greg over the past couple years due to my moderating duties here, as well as friends who had met him previously who assured me that he was a really nice guy in-person, I was still a little worried I'd screw this up somehow.

Thankfully, ASK GREG LIVE! turned out to be a great experience, and truly the highlight of the weekend. There was somewhere between 15-20 guests in attendance, including myself, my girlfriend, and Blaise (whom it was awesome to meet in person). Kudos to Matthew for holding up the event sign for over an hour, and to whoever it was that cosplayed as Batgirl.

We pretty much just jumped straight into an hour-and-a-half of questions, which I hope I didn't hog too many of. A few highlights from the revelations presented therein:

- Following the Season 1 finale, Vandal immediately called up Hugo Strange and told him, "Open all the doors." Which explains a lot. Now, Greg W. ALSO said that by Team Year Five, Belle Reve was fairly full again...but at least it explains why so many imprisoned villains were walking the streets again in Season 2.

- The Joker was originally considered to appear in "Auld Acquaintance," controlling the Justice League. But for a variety of reasons (mainly budgetary; they needed Klarion anyway for the "magic stuff"), they switched him out for Klarion.

- Greg also responded to my question about whether the Joker of Earth-16 knows he's in a cartoon show by saying, "I think he's crazy enough to believe that, even if he's NOT."

- Lieutenant and Sergeant Marvel were originally considered to be on the Team in Season 2. But with only 20 episodes, several intended arcs were cut or reworked to have occurred during the Time Skip: a Marvel Family arc, a Red Tornado arc, and a Zatanna arc. With nothing to do anymore, Mary and Freddy were slotted into the Time Skip.

- He hinted pretty damn strongly that we'll be hearing more about "poor, disgraced Ocean-Master." Presumably in "Legacy," which I am personally excited as all hell for.

- Clone!Roy, post-"Satisfaction," is a stay-at-home-dad. For the most part. He and Cheshire are "trying to make it work," to the degree that people like them can.

- I asked if working on YJ had made him give more thought to who the 16 Sixteens in the Illuminati are. He basically said, "not really," while adding that he's got most of the major players in the Illuminati pretty well figured out, and has for a while. Which isn't to say he doesn't leave a fair few slots open for moments of epiphany.

- Darkseid has been the Light's silent partner since Season 1. Which most of us had assumed, but it's nice to have firm confirmation.

- Victor Cook did a fly-by. No time for questions, just said hi and name-dropped "Mecha-Nation." But still...really cool.

- He described Jason Spisak's last recording with them. Jason came up afterward and said that it was rare for an actor to be able to end his role on such a great, final note, "instead of just flying off into the sunset, with no one having any idea if you survive or not." Having now seen "Dark Matter," Greg believes that may have been coded snark.

- Oh, and surprising no one with a head on their shoulders...Greg disproved the rumor that DC wanted Wally killed off because of the New 52. Though it WAS amusing to hear him call those rumors, and I quote: "Complete horse"...baloney.

- He said he's deliberately keeping mum on "Rain of the Ghosts" until he knows if his publisher is doing any advertising. If they don't, he may start teasing some plot tidbits on Ask Greg.

- He talked a bit about availability issues...about how it came to be that Wentworth, Kittie, and George were replaced toward the end of the season. Just a whole lot of REALLY bad luck regarding other projects. But he also revealed the replacement that almost was...if it wasn't for the fact that no one on Earth could do an impression that did justice to him.

That's right...they once almost lost Tim Curry.

He was shooting something or another toward the middle of the season. They simply could not get him before the episodes had to ship. So what they did...was Greg recorded the lines. Taaaaaaaaalking liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis sooooooooooo thaaaaaaaaat theeeeeeeey cooooooould AAAAAAADR iiiiiiiiiiiit aaaaaaaaafteeeeeeer theeeeeeey reeeeeetuuuuuuurned froooooooom ooooooverseeeeeeeeeeas.

Which they would NEVER do otherwise. For no one but Tim Curry. Greg had to do a bunch of takes, because Jamie kept having to stop him and shout, "SLOWER!" Needed the mouth movements SO exaggerated that no one would notice it was ADR'ed. Which I don't think anyone did.

- I think those are all the big revelations, but there was lots of real fun little stuff on Greg's writing process, the backroom thinking that went into Darkseid's cameo, and Greg's hopes for the future. As he said at one point, "I still haven't given up on Gargoyles, and that's going on 20 years at this point! Why would I give up on a series that ended THIS month?"

Beyond that, it was just an incredible experience to be in the presence of the guy - to hear him speak, to ask questions (even utterly silly ones) directly answered to our faces, to shake hands, and to be personally thanked for my years of hard work on Ask Greg...which, needless to say, was incredibly gratifying.

The atmosphere was great - casual, friendly, and with no pressure on either the askers or on Greg. We chatted, we laughed, and we got to hear Greg at his absolute "frankest." Which is to say, a little...off-color. And oh it was glorious.

At my request, we also did an impromptu signing at the end; I got my Clan-Building Volume 1 trade, my SpecSpidey Season 1 DVD, my Young Justice Volume 1 trade, a Captain Atom comic, and the essay I wrote for Contemporary Political Theory last semester (and submitted to Ask Greg afterward) signed, and pretty much geekgasmed into the floor. SOOOOO utterly wonderful.

[If you want to see pics of said signed stuff and/or other stuff I snagged at the Con, you can go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/94547312@N04/sets/72157633137324644/with/8608204054/].

We also got to chat a bit privately, which was of course very good fun. And he even indulged my stupid, silly, obsessive request...to pose with my Fluttershy toy and say, "Fluttershy is best pony." His response was golden, too.

Greg: I have no idea what that means.

Me: I didn't expect you to.

Greg: Nah, what I mean is, am I saying something that will get a thousand angry bronies coming after me?

Me: No, most bronies tend to agree that Fluttershy is best pony, anyway.

Unfortunately, my girlfriend's phone appears to have recorded only the first second of the line. But I still posted it to YouTube because the image is gold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qVVtIsNeb4

Overall, my first in-person meeting with Greg Weisman proved to be everything I was hoping for it to be, and more. He's a massively cool guy who doesn't operate on any pretense; he is what he is, and what he is is a genius at writing/interpreting fiction.

It was truly an honor to spend that time with him, and I very much hope it won't be the last.

Greg Weisman, you rock (woo-hoo!). Don't let anybody tell you different. Because this kind of treatment of your fans makes me truly proud to be involved with helping out here.

Thank you for ASK GREG LIVE!

Thank you for all the wonderful shows you've brought us over the years.

And thank you for never giving up hope. I await "Rain of the Ghosts" with bated breath, and I can't wait to here the announcement when you get your next television gig.

Because it's coming. And I look forward to watching the hell out of that show, whenever it comes.

Anonymous writes...

So at the end of season two, is Zatanna's magic up to par to have an equal battle with Klarion, as opposed to in Misplaced when he could clearly knock he out of the way?

Anonymous writes...

Regarding the ending of "Endgame"... Is that the first leave of absence that Dick Grayson has taken from the Team?

Brock writes...

What are Asami's superpowers? I have the hardest time thinking about them. Is it kinetic energy manipulation or wind manipulation or what?

Anonymous writes...

1. After Jaime got un-moded but before the finale, did Cassie and Jaime get a chance to really talk? I got the impression they were close from the comics, so I thought Cassie was probably really worried, so I was wondering if they had time to talk that over between the business of missions.
2. Did you ever plan a conversation between Cassie and Jaime that had to get cut? I find it odd that they get a fair amount of time together in the comics, yet don't interact in the show.
3. Was Tim's lack of screentime in comparison to Jaime's the reason that Tim was chosen over Jaime as Cassie's love interest (since Jaime did have "biochemical changes" after all)
4. How long did Cassie have a crush on Tim before getting together with him?
5. Was anyone else (like Dick, Barbara) aware of Cassie or Tim's mutual crush before they became a couple? If so, and you don't mind telling me, who are they?
You rock for this site and everything! Young Justice Forever!

JN writes...

Uhmm, Hi. It's my first time to ask a question so can you please answer this?

What were the spells used by Zatanna in #218/Intervention?

Thanks. :)

A Flash Fan writes...

Hello Greg,

Another Flash related question I have been pondering for a while now...

1. Why is Flash's (and Kid Flash's) lightning bolt insignia/logo/symbol different from the one in the original comics? In Young Justice it is only one line that switches back, but in the comics it is two (as I'm sure you know, being so knowledgeable in comics and such). I know Bruce Timm did it in the DCAU as well, and it was one of the reasons I had such a hard time (which in the long run I considered fun) finding out and realizing the differences between Flashes. I was just curious. Does it have anything to do with that the logo can't be the same due to copyright? Is it just easier to draw? Was it your preference?

2. Is there more cut material from episodes that you are willing to share?

3. I thought the Arsenal spin-off would have been a great idea! Along with the other items you pitched for Earth-16...here's hoping we'll see some soon!

Just a Nerd writes...

So... Weird question rewatching the Hunt.

How does Tye get sensory input when he is using his big yellow avatar? I ask because he always has his eyes closed. Does he have some kind of sixth sense?

I've been wondering writes...

In Invasion, Artemis fakes her death to go under cover, but now that the mission is over is she somehow going to be able to go back to her old life as Artemis or will she get a new identity?

Anonymous writes...

I have some Jaime-related questions......

1) Does Milagro Reyes exist on Earth-16?

2) Can you give us any idea of what Bart and Jaime's friendship was like during the two month period Jaime was on mode? They didn't really talk to each other or interact in War.

3) Post-Endgame, who does Jaime consider his best friend?

4) Would you have found it irrelevant for the scarab to name himself (Khaji Da) or did you just not have time to include it in the script?

5) Was there any relevance to moded Jaime hitting Bart first in War, other than that he was simply the closest one (same with moving to kill Bart first, rather than Barbara in Intervention)?

I hope you can answer these, thanks!

Thomas writes...

1: Queen Perdita, is she still in power in 2016?
2: Does she have feelings for Wally
3: What kind of Nation is Vlatava

Paul writes...

Pressed the m button there when I was going for the comma, sorry about that! I do have two more questions though:

1) In "Endgame", how did the Justice League get back to Earth so quickly after being cleared of the charges? And whichever method they used for their return to Earth, why didn't they use that means when they were leaving Earth in "Alienated"?

2a) I was thinking about Vandal Savage threatening Rimbor with the Warworld earlier in the episode... Why didn't he carry out that threat?

2b) Why didn't Savage want the League to return to Earth? Did he not want them to help drive the Reach off-world?

Paul writes...

Hi Gregm just a quick question: Whose call was it that Aqualad and Tempest didn't pair up when the heroes were splitting into pairs in "Endgame"? Did Kaldur and Garth not want to pair up?

Dick Grayson fan writes...

Hi Greg,

I was just wondering: what were your reasons for making Nightwing a far more serious character in YJ season 2 than the more light-hearted Nightwing of the comics? Was it the leadership role in season 2 that was weighing him down (I noticed that he seemed a little more light-hearted at the end of Summit when he'd relinquished leadership to Aqualad)? Or did something happen during the five year gap that affected him so much that he became more like the Bat (Jason's death, perhaps?)?

I was just curious as Dick Grayson/Nightwing in the comics has pretty consistently been portrayed as an eternal optimist and having an actual sense of humour, even when he was Batman. He overcame the darkness of his mentor and retained an utterly joyful attitude towards life. So what made you decide to make Dick/Nightwing in Young Justice more like Batman?

I'm not criticizing! Just genuinely curious.
Thanks! :)

Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg,
Well , sad to see the end of what was an overall great series. I do wish it could have gotten another season. So many dangling threads/plots. But you guys know that.

I saw the finale and gotta say this was the weakest episode of the entire series. I know there was rush to try to give some resolution but it felt meh. It was rushed and many things shoe horned. It fell flat for a finale. You seemed to want to do fan service too but again some things fell short and were baffling.

The killing of Wally...okay he might not be dead knowing you...but still the best couple in the show end up torn asunder.

The worse couple took up precious time that could have been used to do something else and that is Superboy and Miss Martian. Them being lawyers to get the JL off was really lame. So Icon could not have done that? Superboy suffered in season two. What great development we could have had with him was stunted and he simply became the sad whipped pining boyfriend of a girl who frankly did not deserve to get him back. I don't think that relationship did much for Superboy.

The Tim/Cassie reveal was the most baffling move. This show seems to do a lot of shipping but at least I would understand if there was some hint or chemisty. Cassie and Jaime were the most obvious pair up. Diverse guys can't get the cute alpha girl no more than 'ugly' ones like Lagaan is the unfortunate message I see here. For a show aimed at kids I would have preferred if we could have pushed some forward thinking ground.

The Lex virus was way too convenient and the JL just being off world seemed such a waste of time. Why have a JL though if these kids can do everything? The show did pander at times to the young team.

Kaldur I must say was one of the best characters and you did his arc well. His tie up could have been the finale...how better it was done than End Game. Artemis was another character as Jaime who were well developed. I liked the younger kids but they seemed to just take a lot of time away from the team. It just at times seem too packed and too expansive for such a short time. I know it is a chance to let others shine but the pacing suffered. Your villains were all great but best villain has to be Black Beetle. Seriously sir. Well done. I dread when this guy is around. I hope DC does more with him.

Anyway overall a big A. But C for the finale.

Hel writes...

Hi there I was wondering
1a. Are Artemis and Zatanna still close, 5 years later? I know they were somewhat best friends in the first season of Young Justice.
1b. Do they still hang out and have their 'girls night outs'?
2. If they aren't close, how come they drifted apart if they did drift apart?

Marvelman writes...

1) What was the reason the Light needed the league alive for the next phase of their plan (as stated in Auld Acquaintance)? Was it so the League would be there to drive the Reach off Earth when the time was right?

2) Why did Savage want the Rimbor 6 convicted? Didn't he need those particular leaguers available as well? How could they have contributed to the Light's plans from prison?

Nightwing fan writes...

Hi Greg,

I was just re-reading some of the JLA and Teen Titans comics and was once again impressed by Nightwing's leadership skills. In most comics he's portrayed as being the ultimate leader, surpassing even Batman because of his excellent interpersonal skills.

My question is:
What was the reasoning behind making Nightwing only temporary team leader in YJ season 2? In season 1 Kaldur said Dick was born to lead the team, but to be perfectly honest, I haven't seen much evidence of that. It seemed to me he still had a lot to learn about what it means to be a leader. Was this your goal? To show that the road to becoming a good leader is a rocky one?

Thanks!

Janey writes...

I was on wikipedia(yeah I ), but anyways I was reading about the actor/actresses of Gargoyles, and I found that a lot of them worked with you on Young Justice too, such as Thom Adcox-Hernandez as Lexington and Klarion the witchboy, and Ed Asner as Hudson, and Dr. Kent!! I love that some of these people worked with you again!! So I have a question
1. Ed Asner's filmography on wikipedia, stats on that on Young Justice he voices Doctor Fate, and Granny Goodness, so my question is did I miss Granny Goodness being in young justice or was that a mistake?
2. What was like working with the old cast members of Gargoyles?
I really enjoyed both shows and since you had Josh Keith voice Black Spider as a nod to your series Spiderman, it was refreshing to hear that you also had a nod to Gargoyles with them voicing some of the characters of Young Justice, oh and I have one more question containing endgame
3. Was Wally's death a nod to Barry Allen's death in infinite crises?
This is all, I love your work and I look forward to your book series!!!

Marvelman writes...

I have two unrelated questions.

1) Had Kaldur anticipated his and Artemis's cover being blown during Summit? Because it seems as though he had. Did he anticipate someone recognizing the glamor charm?

2) Did Klarion help Savage take out the three leaguers on Warworld? I ask because the three of them seem to be a bit much for Savage to handle on his own.

guy writes...

is black lightning is now the mentor of static?

Anonymous writes...

Now that Bart is Kid Flash. Is his designation still B23? Or he now uses Wally's B03?

Brent Wolgamott writes...

Hey Greg: I just wanted to say "thanks", for such a wonderful TV series in both "Young Justice" and "YJ: Invasion". I watched everything YJ-related for 2+ years now, and it was my first introduction into anything related to you (I watched Gargoyles rarely back in the day). YJ was (is) an amazing drama, albeit animation. I loved the character development of M'gann this year, and I loved the evolution of the series. I am sorry to hear it is likely over now, but I appreciate it (and you) for what it is -- a kickass TV show, juggling multiple characters with a complex but mostly resolved storyline. Thanks for the memories, and I hope to see you again soon. -Brent

FOONTS writes...

Did you have trouble coming up with storylines for Wally? All the other major characters at least had one major story arc over the two seasons. Superboy had the clone of Superman and Lex storyline in season 1, Miss Martian had the story of her insecurity about her Martian appearance in season 1 and her misuse of her martian abilities in season 2, Artemis had her family background story in season 1 and her undercover identity storyline in season 2, Kaldur had his undercover storyline in season 2, and Dick had the whole leading the team and keeping a secret from the team storyline in season 2. Wally is legitimately the only one who didn't have an ongoing story in either of the two seasons. He seemed like an accessory to other people's story. And then you killed him off. It didn't make much sense and seemed like a tragic misuse of a popular character who has such a rich comic book history.