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Todd Jensen writes...
I read in "Ask Greg" that "Rain of the Ghosts" wasn't selling as well as you'd hoped, and was sorry to learn that.
I've noticed that the neighborhood bookstore (Left Bank Books, an independent bookstore in the Central West End in St. Louis, where I live) doesn't show "Rain of the Ghosts" on its shelves in the young adult section; I had to specifically order it at the desk to get a copy. Later, though, I visited a Barnes & Noble and noticed at least one copy of "Rain of the Ghosts" on display in the young adult section.
I don't know if there's a connection there or not, but I do think that it doesn't bode well for sales when it's not actually there on the shelves where customers can see it. I hope that Left Bank Books will find space on its shelves for "Spirits of Ash and Foam" when it comes out.
Greg responds...
I hope so too. Plus these things are all connected. The more people who order the book (as you did) the more likely the store will take notice and put copies out.
World's Finest Interview
Did a little interview with James Harvey of World's Finest about the Young Justice Invasion BluRay and the Rain of the Ghosts series here:
Check it out!
KenRD writes...
Well I've now read Rain of Ghosts so congrats on a great book, but I'm a little annoyed I've got to buy a new series to add to my collection, damn you talented writer!
In my last post I asked if you ever read Terry Pratchett books to which you said you haven't, well if you ever do find the time to read his books I would love to hear your thoughts and just to sway you have a look at this post by Brandon Sanderson the author of Elantris, The Mistborn Trilogy, The Way of Kings and, with Robert Jordan, the New York Times bestselling The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight, and A Memory of Light, the final volumes to the epic Wheel of Time. http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/04/terry-pratchetts-discworld-might-be-the-highest-form-of-literature-on-the-planet
Greg responds...
As I've mentioned, I tend to split my limited free time either reading detective fiction (Ross MacDonald, Walter Mosley, Michael Connelly, etc.) or rereading classic authors (William Faulkner, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, etc.).
But I'm thrilled you enjoyed Rain. I hope by now, you've picked up Spirits of Ash and Foam. And you could do me a big favor by reviewing both on Amazon!
Just Asking writes...
First of all, thank you, Brandon and the rest for making Young Justice. You guys have been the reason why I've started collecting DC titles instead of being a casual follower. Even Timm's DCAU couldn't do that.
You must probably have heard about the 'cancellation' of Beware the Batman. While it may have been too offbeat with awkward CGI, it was still a good show. And more importantly, a BATMAN show. Can't believe the state of DC tv animation is right now.
Is it possible for you or someone you know to talk to the DC guys so that they can create a DC nation channel, instead of being left to the whims of CN and toy sales?
I loved how you were able to create such a detailed universe in such a short time. Now that the New 52 is upon us and probably can be expected to last for the next decade or so, before the next 'Crisis', you guys need to pitch a new DCAU!
I'm fully confident that you can be a great showrunner (or overlord, if you prefer that term) to such a combined show universe. Timm did an excellent job but he barely made a scratch on DC's potentially huge cast.
One of my main grouses with YJ Season 2 is that we didn't see the team's growth during the 5 year period. Dick going from Robin to Nightwing, Connor-Megan's rift, Aqualad's 'betrayal' and the departure of Kid Flash and Artemis - all would have been better served if Season 2 was a Season 5 thing. You guys deserved to tell the entire story.
So, my question is: could you guys handle it? Would you be able to create an entire 'DC universe' (I know you can, but hearing it would feel great!) and if DC becomes sane again, would you do it after what they and CN did to YJ?
Hearing your book Rain of the Ghosts is doing really well, so kudos!
Greg Wiesmann, you have saved this city (sounded cool in my head :))
Greg responds...
1. That's way above my pay grade. I'm sure the idea has been floated on various occasions.
2. We did already. It was called Young Justice. It was called Earth-16. Brandon and I on the television side and Chris and I on the comics side made numerous pitches to keep the show going in various forms. All were given a pass by CN, WB & DC. But if they were willing, we'd all eagerly return to the property.
3. Rain of the Ghosts is, frankly, NOT doing really well. It and Spirits of Ash and Foam could use more readers, reviewers, buyers and people helping to spread the word.
13th Dimension Interview
In anticipation of my FIVE panels at Long Beach Comic Con, here's a nice little article/interview on 13th Dimension:
http://13thdimension.com/greg-weisman-from-gargoyles-to-young-justice-to-novels-and-more/
My Long Beach Comic Con Schedule
Stop #6 on the Gargoyles Twentieth Anniversary Tour is LONG BEACH COMIC CON: http://longbeachcomiccon.com/
The full schedule can be found here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=55700
But here's MY schedule. I'll only be there the one day - Saturday, September 27, 2014 - but as you can see, I'm certainly keeping busy, with five panels and three signings!
LONG BEACH COMIC CON
Saturday, September 27, 2014
11:30am - 12:20pm - Room 102B/C
GARGOYLES TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY
Moderator: Greg Weisman (Creator, Producer, Writer)
1. Thom Adcox-Hernandez (Voice of Lexington, Brentwood)
2. Vic Cook (Storyboard Artist)
3. Elisa Gabrielli (Voice of Obsidiana & Maria Chavez)
4. Frank Paur (Producer, Director)
5. Dave Schwartz (Development Art Director)
12:30pm - 01:30pm - Signing Area
GARGOYLES SIGNING
I won't be attending this signing (because I have to rush off to another panel), but the rest of the Gargoyles panelists will probably be there.
12:30pm - 01:50pm - Hero Complex Theater, Room 104A
WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION PRESENTS YOUNG JUSTICE
Moderator: Jevon Phillips (Los Angeles Times)
1. Phil Bourassa (Emmy Winning Character Designer)
2. Cameron Bowen (Voice of Robin/Tim Drake)
3. Kris Carter (Composer)
4. Nicole Dubuc (Writer, Voice of Iris West-Allen)
5. Oded Fehr (Voice of Ra's al Ghul)
6. Kevin Grevioux (Voice of Black Beetle)
7. Kevin Hopps (Writer)
8. Bryton James (Voice of Virgil Hawkins/Static)
9. Josh Keaton (Voice of Black Spider)
10. Curtis Koller (Talent Coordinator)
11. Eric Lopez (Voice of Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes, Scarab)
12. Michael McCuistion (Composer)
13. Jay Oliva (Director)
14. Mark Rolston (Voice of Lex Luthor, Jonathan Kent)
15. Jason Spisak (Voice of Kid Flash/Wally West)
16. James Arnold Taylor (Voice of Flash, Neutron, Topo, Burton Thompson)
17. Brandon Vietti (Producer, Writer)
18. Greg Weisman (Producer, Writer, Voice of Lucas Carr)
19. David Wilcox (Line Producer)
02:00pm - 03:00pm - Signing Area
YOUNG JUSTICE SIGNING
I plan on being here for only the first twenty minutes or so - before I have to run off to yet another panel. But for as long as I can stay, I will sign for free, anything you put in front of me. I will also be signing and selling copies of my animation teleplays for $20 cash. Among the series you'll have to choose from are Gargoyles, Men In Black, Team Atlantis, W.I.T.C.H., The Batman, The Spectacular Spider-Man, DC Showcase/Green Arrow, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Young Justice, Beware the Batman and two radio-plays: The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles and Gargoyles Meets The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Young Justice. All while supplies last, and for as long as I can stay. So show up promptly at 2pm.
02:30pm - 03:20pm - Room 102B/C
THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN
Moderator: Greg Weisman (Supervising Producer, Writer, Voice of Donald Menken)
1. Kevin Altieri (Director)
2. Kris Carter (Composer)
3. Victor Cook (Supervising Producer, Supervising Director)
4. Nicole Dubuc (Writer)
5. Elisa Gabrielli (Voice of Ashley Kafka)
6. Sean "Cheeks" Galloway (Lead Character Designer)
7. Kevin Hopps (Writer)
8. Josh Keaton (Voice of Peter Parker/The Spectacular Spider-Man)
9. Andrew Kishino (Voice of Kenny Kong, Ned Lee)
10. Phil LaMarr (Voice of Fancy Dan/Ricochet, Joe "Robbie" Robertson, Rand Robertson, Homunculus)
11. Joshua LeBar (Voice of Flash Thompson)
12. Eric Lopez (Voice of Mark Allen/Molten Man)
13. Michael McCuistion (Composer)
14. Daran Norris (Voice of J. Jonah Jameson, John Jameson/Colonel Jupiter)
15. Deborah Strang (Voice of Aunt May Parker)
16. James Arnold Taylor (Voice of Harry Osborn, Frederick Foswell/Patch, Alan O'Neil, Homunculus)
17. Wade Wisinski (Line Producer)
03:30pm - 04:20pm - Room 102B/C
DISNEY AFTERNOON: THE CONTINUING LEGACY
Moderator: Aaron Sparrow (Writer of Darkwing Duck: The Duck Knight Returns)
1. Jim Cummings (Voice of Darkwing Duck, Bonkers, etc.)
2. Jymn Magon (Creator/Producer Talespin)
3. Greg Weisman (Creator/Producer Gargoyles)
4. Mark Zaslove (Story Editor/Producer Talespin)
04:00pm - 05:00pm - Signing Area
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN SIGNING
I'll have to miss this one too, as I'll be in the Disney Afternoon Panel, followed by the Disney Afternoon signing.
04:30pm - 05:20pm - Disney Afternoon Reunion Booth/Signing Area
DISNEY AFTERNOON SIGNING
I'll be at this one for the entire signing. Again, I'll sign anything you bring along for free. And I'll also be signing and selling my teleplays.
05:30pm - 06:20pm - Room 102B/C
RAIN OF THE GHOSTS
Greg Weisman (Author)
06:30pm - 7:30pm - Booth 104 on Show Floor
MYSTERIOUS GALAXY SIGNING
I'll be selling and signing copies of my two novels, RAIN OF THE GHOSTS and SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM.
(Whew!)
LONG BEACH COMIC CON - The Full Schedule
The Full Schedule for Long Beach Comic Con can be found here:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=55700
Note the Gargoyles, Young Justice, Spectacular Spider-Man, Disney Afternoon and Rain of the Ghost panels. More details coming soon. Because as many panelists are already listed at the above CBR website, that's NOT everyone!
More LBCC NEWS!!
I'll put up a big master-ramble on Long Beach Comic Con soon. (Monday at the latest.) But there's more information on the FIVE panels I'm doing on Saturday, September 27th, 2014 at the convention here:
http://13thdimension.com/animation-maven-greg-weisman-talks-young-justice-spidey-more-at-lbcc/
and here:
Animation Fascination Podcast
Did another podcast with Mark and Tom at Animation Fascination. We talk Gargoyles, Spectacular Spider-Man, Young Justice, Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam. Here's the link:
abnormal matt writes...
Hey Greg I was wondering where do you feel you've stepped most out of your comfort zone as a writer. sorry for not using a question mark my keyboard doesn't seem to have one.
Greg responds...
What kind of keyboard doesn't have a question mark? That's just... bizarre.
Anyway, I try to challenge myself all the time. Writing the novels was WAY out of my comfort zone, and even in that, I challenged myself by creating a fairly unique narrator.
LINKS
I'm back (briefly) after a great trip to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Saw eight plays (Comedy of Errors, Richard III, Tempest, Into the Woods, Great Society, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Wrinkle in Time, Family Album) in four days, and though I didn't love every play, I have to say that every production was stellar.
Then last night I saw a very cool production of King Lear at the Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon, starring Ellen Geer as Lear.
Anyway, I'm in town for just a few days, then I leave again to drop my daughter off for her junior year at Tulane and take my son (starting his senior year of high school next month) to look at a number of schools, including Tulane, Emory, Duke, UVA and Georgetown. ROAD TRIP!!
Starting in September, I'll be in town for the foreseeable future, and I promise to get back to answering questions here. Meanwhile, here are some cool links:
Warner Archive Podcast interview, regarding Young Justice:
http://bit.ly/wacyjpod
In case you need to know where to find the Young Justice Blu-ray:
http://bit.ly/yngjs1
And another podcast:
http://www.goldenspiralmedia.com/as-09-arrow-squad-episode-09-interview-with-greg-weisman-of-young-justice (specific episode for Arrow Squad)
http://www.goldenspiralmedia.com/ccu-02-central-city-underground-episode-03-interview-with-greg-weisman-of-young-justice (specific episode for Central City Underground)
http://www.goldenspiralmedia.com/ (general website)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/arrow-squad/id891769883?uo=8&at=1l3v5ck (iTunes link for Arrow Squad)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/central-city-underground-flash/id904991850?uo=8&at=1l3v5ck (iTunes link for Central City Underground)
And some sights promoting Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam:
Plain Talk Book Marketing http://www.plaintalkbm.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gillianfx
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00EAUDZM6
Book Information: http://www.plaintalkbm.com/family-portrait-novel/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyPortraitNovels
My MechaCon 2014 Schedule
The Gargoyles Twentieth Anniversary U.S. Tour continues. Stop #5 is MechaCon in New Orleans, LA: http://www.mechacon.com
Here's my schedule for the weekend:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014
04:00pm - 05:00pm: VOICE DIRECTING PANEL
Panel Room 1. With Jonathan Klein and Andrea Romano.
06:00pm - 07:00pm: OPENING CEREMONIES
Main Events.
08:00pm - 09:00pm: GOLDPASS MEET-N-GREET
Tertiary Events.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014
11:00am - 12:00pm: SIGNING
Signing Room, Secondary Events. I'll be selling and signing copies of my new novels RAIN OF THE GHOSTS and SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM. $10 cash for each book, which includes the book and a personalized signature. But if you buy both books for $20 cash, you also get free signed copies of the original development character designs by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was. In addition - and by popular demand - I am selling and signing an array of my animation teleplays for $20 cash from such series as Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, DC Showcase (Green Arrow), Men in Black: The Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, W.I.T.C.H., Young Justice and even the 2009 Radio Play "The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles". I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for FREE - especially if you buy my book. ;).
02:00pm - 03:00pm: STATE OF THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY PANEL
Panel Room 1. With Jonathan Klein, Andrea Romano and Steve Yun.
03:00pm - 04:00pm: SIGNING
Signing Room, Secondary Events.
05:00pm - 06:00pm: GARGOYLES TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY PANEL
Panel Room 1.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2014
10:00am - 11:00am: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN PANEL
Panel Room 1.
11:00am - 12:00pm: SIGNING
Signing Room, Secondary Events.
12:00pm - 01:00pm: RAIN OF THE GHOSTS PANEL
Panel Room 1.
02:00pm - 03:00pm: YOUNG JUSTICE PANEL
Panel Room 1. With Khary Payton (voice of Aqualad, Black Manta, Brick, Black Lightning).
03:00pm - 04:00pm: SIGNING
Signing Room, Secondary Events.
If you're anywhere near NOLA, stop by and say hello!
SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2014
Well, I'm gearing up to head down to San Diego for Comic-Con International, a.k.a. Stop #4 on the Gargoyles 20th Anniversary Tour:
Here's my schedule for the weekend:
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2014
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS GIVE AWAY
Booth 1019 05:00pm - 07:00pm
I'll be on hand as St. Martin's Press gives away copies of many of their titles, including RAIN OF THE GHOSTS and SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM.
THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014
SLG SIGNING
Booth 1815 - 10:00am - 11:30am
I'll be selling and signing copies of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS and SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM in addition to the GARGOYLES Trade Paperbacks, all while supplies last. I'll also happily sign for free anything you bring along with you and place in front of me.
SLG SIGNING
Booth 1815 - 02:30pm - 04:00pm
FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014
SLG SIGNING
Booth 1815 - 10:00am - 11:30am
SLG SIGNING
Booth 1815 - 02:30pm - 04:00pm
YOUNG JUSTICE MEET-UP
Behind Convention Center - 04:00pm
Vanessa Marshall (Black Canary), Brandon Vietti and myself (plus more to be announced) will be getting together informally to chat about Young Justice and admire Young Justice Cosplayers! I will also sell and sign animation scripts (Young Justice, Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, etc.) here for $20 cash while supplies last. To find a map for the location, follow me on Twitter @Greg_Weisman
SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2014
DIVERSITY IN GENRE LITERATURE PANEL
Room 7AB - 10:00am - 11:00am
In the literary world, there are mystical beings, futuristic landscapes, magic and mayhem, heroes and villains, and slowly but surely, more diversity in our heroes. Panel participants are the creators that have made a more diverse world with their novels. Join authors Gene Luen Yang (The Shadow Hero), Josephine Angelini (Trial by Fire),Sherri L. Smith (Orleans), Adele Griffin (The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone), Greg Weisman (Spirits of Ash and Foam: A Rain of the Ghosts Novel), and Lydia Kang (Control), as moderator David Mariotte of Mysterious Galaxy leads the discussion of what is "diversity" in genre writing, what it looks like, and why it is important.
MYSTERIOUS GALAXY SIGNING
Sails Pavilion - 11:30am - 12:30pm
Again, I'll be signing RAIN OF THE GHOSTS and SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM or whatever you place in front of me.
SLG SIGNING
Booth 1815 - 02:30pm - 04:00pm
GARGOYLES 20TH ANNIVERSARY PANEL
Room 25ABC - 05:00pm - 06:00pm
"Twenty years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. It was the age...of Gargoyles!" Help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Disney Animation television series Gargoyles with members of the cast and crew, featuring series creator Greg Weisman, supervising producer Frank Paur, President Emeritus of Walt Disney Television Animation Gary Krisel, and voice and casting director Jamie Thomason.
SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2014
SLG SIGNING
Booth 1815 - 10:00am - 11:30am
WARNER ARCHIVE/BATMAN FOR ALL SEASONS
Room 7AB - 12:00pm - 01:00pm
As Bat Mite so eloquently stated to the extra-dimensional Comic-Con bat-fans, "There is no one correct kind of Batman." Join respected producer/author Michael Uslan (The Boy Who Loved Batman), producer James Tucker (Batman: The Brave and the Bold), producer/director Brandon Vietti (Young Justice), producer Greg Weisman (Gargoyles, Young Justice, Star Wars Rebels), WAC Podcast hosts Matthew Patterson and DW Ferranti, and some surprise guests as they examine those "other" Batman iterations and oddities throughout history - from early films like "Public Defender" and the filmation Batman cartoons to new versions of the character (Young Justice, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Beware the Batman) the off-kilter takes (like the cult favorite "roast" of Legends of the SuperHeroes) and new media (motion comics like Batman: Black and White, Batgirl: Year One & Batman Adventures: Mad Love). And stick around - there might just be a special WAC announcement that will excite fans both "Young" and old.
SLG SIGNING
Booth 1815 - 02:30pm - 04:00pm
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow me on Twitter at @Greg_Weisman
SPIRITS gets 5 stars (x2)
The first couple of reviews for SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM are up on Amazon. And they're both five star reviews!
If you've read SPIRITS (or RAIN) - and especially if you liked it ;) - please think about posting a review on Amazon. I'm told that few things help more in raising interest in a title.
Thanks!
RAIN/SPIRITS Interview
Alex Rybak of Yoda's News did a nice little interview about Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam here: http://bit.ly/1qS6uwM
J.J. writes...
Hey Greg, have a few questions on the business side of things:
You've said that Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. insist that Young Justice is NOT cancelled, just not picked up. Even if they do pick it up how would that work?
1. You've obviously moved on to work on Star Wars: Rebels along writing Your Rain of Ghost series. If they were to approach you on continuing the show would you be able to? I mean you've said that you and the production team created a bible of sorts for future story lines and character arcs, so you wouldn't have to start from scratch… but that is a lot of work.
2.Would you continue on doing Star Wars Rebels while someone else worked on the show?(The Goliath Chronicles) Or would you still be allowed to juggle both shows? (As unrealistic as that sounds)
I ask this because unlike Spec-Spidey, which was cancelled for legal reason, YJ had no real reason to end. I'm sure most of us would have been more than content with a continuation of the comics set during season 3.
Lighter stuff:
3. Now that you've finished Spirits of Ash and Foam, are you planning out and writing book 3 currently or are you waiting on the sales numbers on the first two books to get the go ahead and get seriously started?
Thanks for the time. Don't have Disney XD so I'll have to wait to catch Star Wars: Rebels online.
Greg responds...
1. It is a lot of work, so it would all depend on timing. I often have windows of availability, and when these windows open, I'm usually at one or more places trying to get something going on Young Justice or Gargoyles, etc.
2. This is all too hypothetical to answer. I can generally do a comic or two while working on a series, if the schedule isn't too brutal on one or the other (or both). But I can't answer these questions in a vacuum.
3. I probably should wait, since the third book has not been ordered. But I have begun doing the research for Book Three of Rain, i.e. Masque of Bones.
All sorts of stuff...
Had a truly remarkable time at CONvergence 2014. I'll report in more detail at another time, but right now I'm too busy pimping:
First of all, my second novel, SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM, came out this past Tuesday. This is the second book in the RAIN OF THE GHOSTS series. It can be purchased (or at least ordered) at ANY bookstore and/or online:
It's also available as an e-book.
I'll be doing a reading/discussion of Spirits and a signing of both books at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena on July 20, 2014 at 4pm:
http://www.vromansbookstore.com/greg-weisman-july2014
Meanwhile, the GARGOYLES Twentieth Anniversary Tour continues with stop #4: San Diego Comic Con International 2014. We'll be doing a reunion panel, Saturday, 7/26/14, 5:00p.m. - 6:00p.m., Room: 25ABC. Supervising Producer and Director Frank Paur, Walt Disney Television Animation President Emeritus Gary Krisel and I are already confirmed. More news about guests as they are confirmed.
My CONvergence 2014 Schedule
So the #Gargoyles20 U.S. Tour continues. Stop #3 is CONvergence in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Well, actually in Bloomington, Minnesota, but close enough.) http://www.convergence-con.org
This is a big one for us. It includes a number of events that we used to do at the old Gathering of the Gargoyles Conventions, which ran from 1997-2009. And I know a bunch of Gargoyles fans will be attending, so it'll also be a reunion of sorts.
My schedule for the long weekend is quite packed - which is just how I like it!
THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2014
2:00pm - 3:00pm GARGOYLES RADIO PLAY AUDITIONS
Ever wanted to be in a radio play? Now is your chance! We are holding auditions for a live performance at CONvergence! You don't even have to be a fan of Gargoyles to enter. You just have to know how to read! Casting: Myself and Jennifer Anderson (Talent Coordinator on The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice). Casting decisions will be posted by 7:00pm on Friday, July 4th. ATRIUM 7.
3:30pm - 4:30pm BUFFYVERSE TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Okay, so Gargoyles ISN'T the only show celebrating an anniversary. The Buffy/Angel universe has been off the air for ten years. Let's reminisce and talk about the impact these shows have had on TV fantasy since their cancellation. Panelists: Myself, Tim Lieder, Cetius d'Raven, Madeleine Rowe, Mark Goldberg. EDINA.
7:00pm - 8:00pm OPENING CEREMONY
If it's not exactly a magical invocation, it is nonetheless our official kick-off for the convention! Join CONvergence mascot Connie as we welcome our Guests of Honor, give out some awards (including the Mark Time and Ogle winners), and get this party started. Panelists: Myself, Amy Berg, Emma Bull, C. Robert Cargill, Sarah Clemens, Scott Lynch, Marina Sirtis, Frank Paur, Matthew Ebel, Dawn Krosnowski, Greg Guler, Rob Callahan, Windy Bowlsby, Michael Lee. MAIN STAGE.
9:00pm - 10:00pm GREG WEISMAN'S FANCY BASTARD PIE COMPETITION
Geek Partnership Society is excited to host the Greg Weisman Fancy Bastard Pie Competition at CONvergence 2014! It is open to all CONvergence members who wish to participate. The goal is to make a pie that Greg Weisman, herein to be known as "Fancy Bastard", likes best. The winner will be told super-secret Young Justice spoilers. Find out [some of] what would have happened in Season 3! (But winner must swear to secrecy to claim prize.) See below for some helpful hints.* CABANA 110.
FRIDAY, JULY 4th, 2014
11:00am - 12:00pm GARGOYLES RADIO PLAY AUDITIONS
Ever wanted to be in a radio play? Now is your chance! We are holding auditions for a live performance at CONvergence! You don't even have to be a fan of Gargoyles to enter. You just have to know how to read! Last chance to audition! Casting: Myself and Jennifer Anderson (Talent Coordinator on The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice). Casting decisions will be posted by 7:00pm on Friday, July 4th. ATRIUM 7.
12:30pm - 1:30pm FROM TV TO COMICS
We'll discuss the TV shows that expanded into the comicverse, such as Buffy, Smallville, Young Justice and Gargoyles. Did they succeed? Were any of the comics improvements on the shows? How did canon change during the transition? Panelists: Myself (Gargoyles, Young Justice), Shawn van Briesen, Jonathan Palmer, Greg Guler (Gargoyles), Karine Charlebois (Gargoyles, Bad Guys), Christopher Jones (Batman Strikes, Young Justice, Bad Guys). PLAZA 2.
2:00pm - 3:00pm SIGNING
Myself, Christopher Jones (Young Justice, The Batman Strikes, Parallel Man) and Greg Guler (Gargoyles, Phineas and Ferb) will be holding a signing session. Both Chris and Greg always have an array of stuff (books, prints, etc.) to sell and sign. But this time I'm pretty darn prepared as well. First off, I'll be selling and signing copies of my first novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS for $10 cash, which includes the book, a personalized signature and signed copies of the original development character designs by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was. In addition - and by popular demand - I am selling and signing an array of my animation teleplays for $20 cash from such series as Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, DC Showcase (Green Arrow), Men in Black: The Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, W.I.T.C.H., Young Justice and even the 2009 Radio Play "The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles". I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for FREE - especially if you buy my book. ;) CONVERGENCE CENTRAL.
3:30pm - 4:30pm CREATING GARGOYLES
This is what we used to call (at the Gathering) the Rocky Horror Gargoyles Show. The creators of Gargoyles show clips and tell stories of how the show came to be. Lots of visual aids. Panelists: Myself (Creator, Supervising Producer/Story Editor, Writer), Frank Paur ( (Supervising Producer/Director), Greg Guler (Lead Character Designer). ATRIUM 6.
7:00pm - 8:00pm TIME TRAVEL THEORY
Let's assume for a moment that Time Travel is possible. This panel will explore the theories behind such technology. We'll explore quantum realities, temporal anomalies and all other challenges our theoretical time travelers will be face! [Now, I suggested this panel, but then they went and put some actual scientists on the damn thing. So I may quickly be embarrassed into silence.] ;) Panelists: Myself, Nicole Gugliucci, Jim Kakalios, G. David Nordley, Amy Berg. ATRIUM 4.
8:30pm - 9:30pm GARGOYLES Q&A
Join the cast and creators of the "Gargoyles" series and SLG companion comic books to ask and talk about the property. And, as always, Cosplayers are welcome! Panelists: Myself (Creator, Supervising Producer/Story Editor, Writer), Christopher Jones (Bad Guys guest artist), Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona and Margot Yale), Frank Paur (Supervising Producer/Director), Karine Charlebois (Gargoyles Guest Artist, Bad Guys Artist), Greg Guler (Lead Character Designer, Gargoyles Guest Artist). MAIN STAGE.
SATURDAY, JULY 5th, 2014
9:30am - 10:30am GARGOYLES SIGNING
Myself, Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona and Margot Yale) and Frank Paur (Supervising Producer/Director) will be holding a signing session. Again, I'll be selling and signing copies of my first novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS for $10 cash, which includes the book, a personalized signature and signed copies of the original development character designs by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was. In addition - and by popular demand - I am selling and signing an array of my animation teleplays for $20 cash from such series as Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, DC Showcase (Green Arrow), Men in Black: The Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, W.I.T.C.H., The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Young Justice and even the 2009 Radio Play "The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles". I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for FREE. CONVERGENCE CENTRAL.
11:00am - 12:25pm GARGOYLES RADIO PLAY REHEARSAL
This is a closed session - for those who were cast in the Radio Play - led by Myself, Jennifer Anderson (Talent Coordinator on The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice) & Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona, Margot Yale and Queen Bee). ATRIUM 6.
12:30pm - 1:30pm GARGOYLES RADIO PLAY PERFORMANCE
Fans and professionals - including Myself (voice of Donald Menken and Lucas "Snapper" Carr), Jennifer Anderson (Talent Coordinator on The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice), and of course, Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi from Star Trek TNG and the voice of Demona, Margot Yale and Queen Bee) - perform a LIVE, ORIGINAL Gargoyles radio play! ATRIUM 6.
2:00pm - 3:00pm GARGOYLES BIOLOGY AND CULTURE
A "what if" panel about the biology and culture of the Gargoyles universe. Creators and performers speculate about anything and everything going on outside the frames of the TV series. Panelists: Craig A. Finseth moderates Myself (Creator, Producer) and Greg Guler (Lead Character Designer). ATRIUM 7.
3:30pm - 4:30pm RAIN OF THE GHOSTS
I'll be reading from and talking about the world and characters of my novel "Rain of the Ghosts" and its sequel, "Spirits of Ash and Foam," which comes out July 8th, 2014, one week after the convention! ATRIUM 3.
7:00pm - 8:00pm ONE ON ONE WITH GREG WEISMAN
Hal Bichel will moderate a one-on-one panel with Myself. PLAZA 2.
8:30pm - 9:30pm SIGNING
Once again, I'll be selling and signing copies of my first novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS for $10 cash, which includes the book, a personalized signature and signed copies of the original development character designs by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was. In addition - and by popular demand - I am selling and signing an array of my animation teleplays for $20 cash from such series as Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, DC Showcase (Green Arrow), Men in Black: The Series, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, W.I.T.C.H., Young Justice and even the 2009 Radio Play "The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles". I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for FREE. CONVERGENCE CENTRAL.
10:00pm - 11:00pm BLUE MUG
Ever wonder about the sexual habits of Gargoyles? Ever wonder who was sleeping with whom among the Young Justice Team or the cast of Spectacular Spider-Man? Join us for for a late night peek at your favorite animated series. This panel will get blue! (So attendees will be carded!) Panelists: Myself, Christopher Jones, Mara Cordova (Last Tengu in Paris Artist). It is also rumored that Edmund Tsabard (an unfancy bastard and Last Tengu in Paris Writer) may make an appearance. EDINA.
SUNDAY, JULY 6th, 2014
11:00am - 12:00pm PROTOFEMINISTS IN SHAKESPEARE
Shakespeare portrayed several intelligent, independent, and self-aware women--Juliet, Lady Macbeth, Katharine, Beatrice, Viola, Rosalind. We'll discuss the problematic and the remarkably (for the era) fleshed-out aspects of their representation. Panelists: Myself, Elizabeth Bear, Ashley F. Miller, Joseph Erickson, Alexandra Howes. EDINA.
12:30pm - 1:30pm GARGOYLES FAN PANEL
It's the 20th Anniversary of Gargoyles. Come share your favorite moments from the show. As always, Cosplayers are welcome! Panelists: Daniel Mohr moderates Myself, Ryan Alexander, Robert Wagner, Maggie Schultz, Jennifer Anderson, Karine Charlebois. ATRIUM 6.
2:00pm - 3:00pm SIGNING
Myself and Greg Guler (Gargoyles, Phineas and Ferb) will be holding one last signing session. Greg G. always has an array of stuff (books, prints, etc.) to sell and sign. And I'll be selling and signing copies of my first novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS for $10 cash, which includes the book, a personalized signature and signed copies of the original development character designs by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was. In addition - and by popular demand - I am selling and signing an array of my animation teleplays for $20 cash from such series as Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, DC Showcase (Green Arrow), Men in Black: The Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, W.I.T.C.H., Young Justice and even the 2009 Radio Play "The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles". I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for FREE - especially if you buy my book. CONVERGENCE CENTRAL.
3:30pm - 4:30pm YOUNG JUSTICE
Creative minds behind the Young Justice TV and comic book series will talk about this fan favorite. We're planning some special surprises as well. And, as always, Cosplayers are welcome! Panelists: Myself, Marina Sirtis (voice of Queen Bee), Christopher Jones (Artist YJ Comic). MAIN STAGE.
5:00pm - 6:00pm CLOSING CEREMONY
It's not over 'til the gynoid sings - or something like that. Join CONvergence mascot Connie and our Guests of Honor as we say farewell to another convention. Shenanigans may ensue. Panelists: Myself, Amy Berg, Emma Bull, C. Robert Cargill, Sarah Clemens, Scott Lynch, Marina Sirtis, Matthew Ebel, Frank Paur, Dawn Krosnowski, Greg Guler, Windy Bowlsby, Rob Callahan, Michael Lee. MAIN STAGE
SEE?!! I told you there was a lot. And that's only the stuff that I'm doing. CONvergence is jam-packed with all sorts of pop culture nutritional goodness. So stop by and say hello!!
*In the interest of Full Disclosure, Fancy Bastard would like all to know that he especially likes the following pies:
APPLE
BERRY (pretty much any kind of berry or a mix of same)
PEACH
APRICOT
PUMPKIN
BANANA CREAM (herein to be known as the funniest pie)
Combinations of some of the fruit pies can be great. Contestants are welcome to try other pies at their own risk.
Fancy Bastard does NOT especially like the following pies:
PECAN
Anything with Chocolate or Lemon or Meringue
Raisins in Apple Pie
Almost never Cherry, though he has tasted the rare exception...
DENVER COMIC CON REVISED & UPDATED #3
ONE MORE TIME!! This looks to be as final a revision as it's going to get for Denver Comic Con website (http://denvercomiccon.com/), before I head for the airport in a couple minutes. But, again, follow me on TWITTER @Greg_Weisman to stay up-to-the-minute on when and where I'll be.
DENVER COMIC CON LATEST PANEL, INTERVIEW & SIGNING SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, JUNE 13th, 2014
10:30am - 11:20am - ART OF THE PITCH in ROOM 110/112.
Victor Cook, Greg Guler and myself will be talking about pitching and selling animated telvision series to the Powers That Be.
11:30am - 12:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
I'll be signing my novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS throughout the weekend for $10 cash. (That $10 includes the book, a personalized signature and copies of the original development art by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was.) I also have a half-dozen copies of Young Justice teleplays, which I'll sell (and sign) for $20 cash. I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for free - especially if you buy my book. ;)
12:50pm - 1:20pm - INTERVIEW with Tim Beyers of MOTLEY FOOL in the MEDIA LOUNGE.
1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES I in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM.
I'll be moderating this panel, which features Kevin Conroy, Jim Cummings, Michael Dorn, Jennifer Hale & Veronica Taylor.
3:30pm - 4:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
4:45pm - 5:35pm - YOUNG JUSTICE in the MINI-MAIN ROOM.
This one includes myself (writer-producer, voice actor) & Christopher Jones (YJ companion comic book artist).
5:35pm - 6:05pm - OPENING CEREMONIES in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM.
7:00pm - 10:00pm - FOUR COLOR MIXER at Breckinridge Brewery/Hilton Garden Inn Denver Downtown.
SATURDAY, JUNE 14th, 2014
9:35am - 10:00am - INTERVIEW with BEYOND THE TROPE at my table at Booth 122.
10:00am - 10:20am - INTERVIEW with WESTWORD at my table at Booth 122.
10:30am - 11:20am - RAIN OF THE GHOSTS in ROOM 201.
I'll be reading from and discussing my new novels, Rain of the Ghosts & Spirits of Ash and Foam.
11:45am - 12:35pm - ANIMATION PROFESSIONALS in ROOM 201
I'm moderating this panel, which features Chris Beaver, Victor Cook, Greg Guler, Derek Hunter, Christy Marx, & Jan Scott-Frasier.
3:00pm - 3:50pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
4:00pm - 4:50pm - GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM.
This is a big one, with me (writer-producer-creator), Victor Cook (storyboard artist), Jim Cummings (voice of Dingo), Jonathan Frakes (voice of David Xanatos), Greg Guler (character designer), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (voice of Elisa Maza) and Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona) .
5:00pm - 6:00pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
SUNDAY, JUNE 15th, 2014
9:30am - 10:20am - INTERVIEW with EXAMINER.COM at my BOOTH 122.
10:30am - 11:20am - THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN in the MINI-MAIN ROOM.
Includes myself (writer-producer-voice actor), Victor Cook (director-producer), Jim Cummings (voice of Crusher Hogan) & Greg Guler (artist).
1:30pm - 2:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
2:45pm - 3:35pm - CARTOON VOICES II in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM.
Again, I'm moderating for Robert Axelrod, Kimberly Brooks, Jennifer Hale & April Stewart.
4:00pm - 5:00pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
In addition to the times listed above, I'll often just be hanging out at my table, so stop by. Attend a panel, buy a book, say hello!
DENVER COMIC CON REVISED & UPDATED #2
Okay, so I just took a look at the Denver Comic Con website (http://denvercomiccon.com/), and the schedule there doesn't always match up with the schedule I was sent. I'll make adjustments below, but what this really means is that I'm not 100% sure where I'll be at any given moment. I will be tweeting throughout the weekend though, so follow me @Greg_Weisman to stay up-to-the-minute on when and where I'll be.
DENVER COMIC CON LATEST PANEL, INTERVIEW & SIGNING SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, JUNE 13th, 2014
10:30am - 11:20am - RAIN OF THE GHOSTS in ROOM 201
I'll be reading from and discussing my new novels, Rain of the Ghosts & Spirits of Ash and Foam.
11:30am - 12:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
I'll be signing my novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS throughout the weekend for $10 cash. (That $10 includes the book, a personalized signature and copies of the original development art by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was.) I also have a half-dozen copies of Young Justice teleplays, which I'll sell (and sign) for $20 cash. I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for free - especially if you buy my book. ;)
12:50pm - 1:20pm - INTERVIEW with Tim Beyers of MOTLEY FOOL in the MEDIA LOUNGE
1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES I in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM
I'll be moderating this panel, which features Kevin Conroy, Jim Cummings, Michael Dorn, Jennifer Hale & Veronica Taylor.
3:30pm - 4:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
4:45pm - 5:35pm - YOUNG JUSTICE in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
This one includes myself (writer-producer, voice actor) & Christopher Jones (YJ companion comic book artist).
7:00pm - 10:00pm - FOUR COLOR MIXER at Breckinridge Brewery/Hilton Garden Inn Denver Downtown
SATURDAY, JUNE 14th, 2014
9:35am - 10:00am - INTERVIEW with BEYOND THE TROPE at my table at Booth 122.
10:00am - 10:50am - INTERVIEW with WESTWORD at my table at Booth 122.
11:45am - 12:35pm - ANIMATION PROFESSIONALS in ROOM 201
I'm moderating this panel, which features Chris Beaver, Victor Cook, Greg Guler, Derek Hunter, Christy Marx, & Jan Scott-Frasier.
3:00pm - 3:50pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
4:00pm - 4:50pm - GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM
This is a big one, with me (writer-producer-creator), Victor Cook (storyboard artist), Jim Cummings (voice of Dingo), Jonathan Frakes (voice of David Xanatos), Greg Guler (character designer), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (voice of Elisa Maza) and Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona) .
5:00pm - 6:00pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
SUNDAY, JUNE 15th, 2014
9:30am - 10:20am - INTERVIEW with EXAMINER.COM at my BOOTH 122.
10:30am - 11:20am - THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
Includes myself (writer-producer-voice actor), Victor Cook (director-producer), Jim Cummings (voice of Crusher Hogan) & Greg Guler (artist).
1:30pm - 2:30pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
2:45pm - 3:35pm - CARTOON VOICES II in the MAIN EVENTS ROOM
Again, I'm moderating for Robert Axelrod, Kimberly Brooks, Jennifer Hale & April Stewart.
4:00pm - 5:00pm - SIGNING at my BOOTH 122 on the main floor.
In addition to the times listed above - and especially since I'm no longer 100% sure of my schedule - I'll often just be hanging out at my table, so stop by. Attend a panel, buy a book, say hello!
DENVER COMIC CON UPDATE
I've got an update on the #GARGOYLES20 tour, stop #2: DENVER COMIC CON (http://denvercomiccon.com/). Here's my schedule, which now include all my panels, plus the times I'll be at my table on the main floor, signing:
FRIDAY, JUNE 13th, 2014
11:30am - 12:30pm - SIGNING at my table on the main floor.
1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES in the MAIN ROOM
I'll be moderating this panel, which features Michael Dorn, Kevin Conroy, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Hale & Veronica Taylor.
3:30pm - 4:30pm - SIGNING at my table on the main floor.
4:45pm - 5:35pm - YOUNG JUSTICE in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
This one includes myself (writer-producer, voice actor), Andrew Robinson (writer) & Christopher Jones (YJ companion comic book artist).
SATURDAY, JUNE 14th, 2014
11:00am - 11:50am - RAIN OF THE GHOSTS in ROOM 201
I'll be reading from and discussing my new novels, Rain of the Ghosts & Spirits of Ash and Foam.
12:15pm - 1:05pm - ANIMATION ARTISTS in ROOM 201
I'm moderating this panel, which features Jan Scott-Frasier, Derek Hunter, Christy Marx, Greg Guler, Victor Cook & Chris Beaver.
2:45pm - 3:35pm - GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY in the MAIN ROOM
This is a big one, with me (writer-producer-creator), Jonathan Frakes (voice of David Xanatos), Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (voice of Elisa Maza), Jim Cummings (voice of Dingo), Greg Guler (character designer) and Victor Cook (storyboard artist).
4:00pm - 5:00pm - SIGNING at my table on the main floor.
SUNDAY, JUNE 15th, 2014
10:30am - 11:20am - THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
Includes myself (writer-producer-voice actor), Victor Cook (director-producer), Jim Cummings (voice of Crusher Hogan), Greg Guler (artist) & Andrew Robinson (writer).
12:00pm - 1:20pm - SIGNING at my table on the main floor.
1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES in the MAIN ROOM
Again, I'm moderating for Jennifer Hale, Robert Axelrod, Kimberly Brooks & April Stewart.
2:30pm - 3:30pm - SIGNING at my table on the main floor.
In addition to the times listed above, I'll often just be hanging out at my table, signing my novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS throughout the weekend for $10 cash. (That $10 includes the book, a personalized signature and copies of the original development art by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was.) I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for free.
So stop by. Attend a panel, buy a book, say hello!
Up Next: DENVER COMIC CON
Frank Paur and I had a great time at the GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY Panel at Califur this past Sunday. Saw a couple old friends, and talked for TWO HOURS on the creation, development and production of Gargoyles.
Up next on the #GARGOYLES20 tour, stop #2: DENVER COMIC CON. http://denvercomiccon.com/
Here's my schedule (which pretty much includes all my favorite things):
FRIDAY, JUNE 13th, 2014
1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES in the MAIN ROOM
I'll be moderating this panel, which features Michael Dorn, Kevin Conroy, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Hale & Veronica Taylor.
4:45pm - 5:35pm - YOUNG JUSTICE in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
This one includes myself (writer-producer, voice actor), Andrew Robinson (writer) & Christopher Jones (YJ companion comic book artist).
SATURDAY, JUNE 14th, 2014
11:00am - 11:50am - RAIN OF THE GHOSTS in ROOM 201
I'll be reading from and discussing my new novels, Rain of the Ghosts & Spirits of Ash and Foam.
12:15pm - 1:05pm - ANIMATION ARTISTS in ROOM 201
I'm moderating this panel, which features Jan Scott-Frasier, Derek Hunter, Christy Marx, Greg Guler, Victor Cook & Chris Beaver.
2:45pm - 3:35pm - GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY in the MAIN ROOM
This is a big one, with me (writer-producer-creator), Jonathan Frakes (voice of David Xanatos), Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (voice of Elisa Maza), Jim Cummings (voice of Dingo), Greg Guler (character designer) and Victor Cook (storyboard artist).
SUNDAY, JUNE 15th, 2014
10:30am - 11:20am - THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN in the MINI-MAIN ROOM
Includes myself (writer-producer-voice actor), Victor Cook (director-producer), Jim Cummings (voice of Crusher Hogan), Greg Guler (artist) & Andrew Robinson (writer).
1:30pm - 2:20pm - CARTOON VOICES in the MAIN ROOM
Again, I'm moderating for Jennifer Hale, Robert Axelrod, Kimberly Brooks & April Stewart.
In addition, I'll be signing my novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS at my booth throughout the weekend for $10 cash. (That $10 includes the book, a personalized signature and copies of the original development art by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was.) I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for free.
So stop by. Attend a panel, buy a book, say hello!
Donald Speirs writes...
Greg:
As a fellow author, I love collecting signed works. I live on the east coast (Lakeland, FL to be exact). How can I acquire a signed copy of your novel?
Thanks,and congrats on your first novel.
Sincerely,
D.G. Speirs
Greg responds...
Um... hmm...
Well, I'm such a novice, I'm not sure.
Obviously, if you can make it to any of my convention appearances, that's one way. New Orleans Mecha-Con in August isn't THAT far from Florida, is it?
Or, I did sign a number of copies at MYSTERIOUS GALAXY BOOKSTORE in San Diego. I assume you could contact them and arrange to get a copy: http://www.mystgalaxy.com/
I'd be happy to sell you a signed copy myself, but there's the little problem of me not wanting to broadcast my home address or personal email on the internet.
I feel like I need to figure out a solution to this.
Califur 2014
Frank Paur and I will be doing a GARGOYLES 20th ANNIVERSARY panel at 2pm on Sunday, June 1st, 2014 at CALIFUR in Irvine, California: http://califur.com/
Frank, of course, was my partner on the series. (We were both Supervising Producers.) And we'll talk about Gargoyles' development and production and open things up for Q&A. We'll also be signing after the panel, anything you care to bring.
And, as usual, I'll be selling and signing copies of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS for $10 cash. (That $10 includes the book, a personalized signature and copies of the original development art by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was.)
If you live in the vicinity, stop by. Califur is really the first stop in this year's Gargoyles Anniversary Tour. I'll keep you posted on other appearances.
Club Jade Interview
Had a great time doing a panel and signing at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore this past weekend. Also took some time out to do an interview about Rain of the Ghosts (mostly) with Jawa James at Club Jade. Here it is: http://clubjade.net/?p=58532.
Also talked a bit about the writing process and my thoughts on diversity.
NoOneSpecial writes...
Okay so I have to be REALLY careful about how I ask this question. If you cant understand my meaning then its probably my own fault and for that I'm sorry, but I thought this was a very interesting concept. It's about xanatos's letter to himself.
Here we go. So in Vows, Xanatos travels back in time and sends himself the coin that he will eventually use to amass his fortune. He also sends a letter that is to be delivered to himself twenty years after the coin which explains how he has to get the coin, which as he said in the episode he received that very letter a week before the wedding. So I guess the best way I can phrase this is, is that the EXACT same letter and by same I mean the same piece of paper. The way I see it that letter is over a thousand years old and must be pretty worn(unless of course it was carefully preserved). So when xanatos gets the letter, does he just send back the same one he got or copy the information on a new piece of paper and send that back instead? If its the first one then that piece of paper must keep accumulating age to it. He sends it once, its over a thousand years old. He sends it a second time, its another thousand years old, and so on. So the piece of paper could eventually become so worn that it would be either unreadable or destroyed. So does xanatos just make a new letter every time he gets it or send back the one he received? PS loved rain of ghosts, hope you get to make all nine books.
Greg responds...
It was carefully preserved by the Illuminati.
In the past, he wrote the original. He doesn't reuse it.
Glad you liked Rain! If you haven't already, could you do me a favor and write up a review on Amazon?
Mysterious Galaxy Signing
Once again, I'm hoping people in the Southern California area - especially those who live in and around San Diego - might come to my signing at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore.
I'll be reading, answering questions and signing copies of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego on May 10th, 2014 at 11am.
Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore is at 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite #302, San Diego, CA 92111
If you buy a book, I'm also happy to sign whatever other memorabilia (Gargoyles, SpecSpidey, Young Justice, whatever) that you feel like dragging into the store.
It's a big birthday bash for the bookstore, so there are other events all day long, and I'm told they're serving cake at 3pm.
Info here: http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/MG-SD-21st-Birhday-Bash-051014
Please stop by - check out RAIN - and say hello!
Ben writes...
I just have a quick question about Rain of the Ghosts. I was wondering if there are currently any plans to release it in a hardbound version or if that is currently not an option? I for one would really like to have it in that format. While we're at it getting the Gargoyles and Young Justice graphic novels released in hardbound form would be great too, but I understand that would probably be a bit more problematic. At any rate thanks for the entertaining stories and please keep up the good work.
Greg responds...
Much as I'd like it too, there are no plans to release Rain of the Ghosts in hardback. Ditto the Gargoyles and YJ graphic novels.
Geek Cave Podcast
Did a podcast at the Geek Cave, where we discussed everything from Gargoyles to Star Wars Rebels to Rain of the Ghosts.
Find it here: http://geekcavepodcast.com/post/85018863882/geek-cave-podcast-episode-43-greg-weisman-the
Or you can download it directly here: http://thegeekcave.podbean.com/mf/web/tm4wd9/GC43.mp3
fallenlegend writes...
Hello Greg!
Just a quick question this time. The other time I asked you something about gargoyles and you said that you wouldn't write it for free... wich came as a bit of a shock to me as you have said before that it is your baby proyect.
It's understandable as this is your job and main source of income... But I have to wonder if you would ever have or if you have a personal proyect wich you would do for free.
You deserve every cent you get paid but.. Many (amateur/fanfic) writters write stories for fun and I wonder if this is the case with you. thank you!
Greg responds...
I don't write for fun anymore. To be honest, it's too much like work.
I don't write for free, though I do (occasionally) write "on spec". That is, I'll write something that has the chance of paying off later, even if no one is paying me for it immediately. For example, my first novel, RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, was written on spec. (And took over a decade to pay off - minimally.) The second book in the series, SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM, was not written on spec. My publisher, St. Martin's Press, ordered it. The third, MASQUE OF BONES, which I've barely begun researching, will also be written on spec, unless St. Martin's Press decides to pick it up.
But the big difference with those books, over something like GARGOYLES, for example, is that I OWN the RAIN property. I don't own GARGOYLES or YOUNG JUSTICE or WITCH or THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN. It would, frankly, just be foolish for me to invest my time (which is money to me) in something that isn't mine.
GARGOYLES is without a doubt my baby. I feel that strongly. But it doesn't change the hard, cruel fact that I hold no ownership in it at all.
Ghosts Reader writes...
Dear Greg:
I have a few trivial questions to ask about Rain of the Ghosts:
1. Throughout the novel, Charlie Dauphin's father was only ever referenced in relation to the watch he left Charlie. Is he deceased, or will he otherwise appear in the future?
2. In the novel, Callahan is hired by a mysterious Setebos. Was there an intention for you to reference the Tempest character with a similar sounding name (Caliban) and the deity he worships (Setebos)?
3. When Rain first encounters Callahan, she had the impression that he was chasing after her. Considering that this was before the band was transferred (and her "awakening"), was she correct or just mistaken?
4. Considering the etymology of the names of Rain's family (Cacique=chief, Bohique=priest, Nitainon=noble), is it safe to say the family descended from Taino nobility?
Thank you for taking the time.
Greg responds...
1. That's a spoiler request. No comment. Sorry.
2. Well, it wasn't by accident. <heh heh heh>
WARNING: A couple of spoilers for RAIN OF THE GHOSTS follows:
3. Mistaken, though of course there was a reason he had reserved a room at the Nitaino Inn... and that reason was the snake charm.
4. That's dealt with in some detail in the second book in the series: SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM. *But, yes, it's safe to say that.*
NOTE: It's very exciting to be answering (or even refusing to answer) questions about RAIN. Thank you!
Mysterious Galaxy Signing
I'll be speaking and signing copies of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS (and whatever else fans might like to bring with them) at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego on May 10th, 2014 at 11am. There are other events all day long, and I'm told they're serving cake at 3pm. :)
Info here:
http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/MG-SD-21st-Birhday-Bash-051014
Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore is at 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite #302, San Diego, CA 92111
If you're in the Southern California area, please stop by - check out RAIN - and say hello!
My WONDERCON 2014 Schedule
I'll be attending WONDERCON 2014 in Anaheim, California for one day only: Saturday, April 19th, 2014.
I've got no official panels this year - though, STAR WARS fans should definitely check out the STAR WARS REBELS panel on Saturday from 2-3pm in Room 300AB. Executive Producer Dave Filoni and Vanessa Marshall (the voice of Hera Syndulla) will be taking your questions.
But I do have a couple of events scheduled:
1. 11:30am - @1pm: ASK GREG LIVE, a.k.a. YOUNG JUSTICE MEET-UP, a.k.a. GARGOYLES 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, a.k.a. SPEC SPIDEY BLU-RAY CHEERFEST, a.k.a. RAIN OF THE GHOSTS ISLAND TOUR, a.k.a. whatever geeky thing you like...
This is a casual fan get together where I'll be answering questions. Vanessa Marshall (voice of Mary Jane Watson, Black Canary and many more) and Nicole Dubuc (writer/producer of Transformers: RescueBots, writer on W.I.T.C.H., SpecSpidey & YJ, voice of Iris West-Allen) have both said they'll stop by too. And we may have a few other surprise special guests, as well. Note: that although I'm notoriously anti-spoiler, I'm way more likely to drop a few hints in person than on-line. We'll be meeting in Lobby B of the convention hall, behind the escalators, more or less opposite of where DC Comics and Graphitti Designs have their booths if you were going to walk into the hall. (I've posted a map on my twitter account @Greg_Weisman) If the weather permits, we will probably head outside around 11:45am and continue the meet-up there. We'll also be posing for photos, so I encourage cosplayers to attend, etc. I will also be bringing copies of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS to autograph and sell. For a mere $10 in cash, you get a signed copy of the book and signed copies of the original inspirational character designs (drawn by Kuni Tomita) for the animated series version of Rain that we never made back at DreamWorks in 1997-98. (While supplies last.) I'm in no real hurry, so I can pretty much hang out as long as folks want.
2. @1pm - 3pm SIGNING
After the Meet Up, I'll be heading over to Artist's Alley, specifically Table 186, where Thom Zahler of the amazing Love & Capes series has graciously allowed me a place to sit. Once again, I'll be selling and signing RAIN OF THE GHOSTS. Still $10 (CASH ONLY) for a signed copy of the book and signed copies of the Kuni Tomita inspirational designs. (Again, while supplies last.)
So please, stop by and say hello!
Xum Yukinori writes...
A response to your "Rain of the Ghosts" typo contest. On Chapter 2, page 7, paragraph 4, Charlie says, "Not a record. But respectable." While "Not a record, but respectable." is grammatically correct, you may have been taking artistic license since it was dialogue.
I didn't notice any other glaring error... I was enjoying the book too much.
Best,
Xum.
Greg responds...
Yeah, that was intentional. Not a typo.
Glad you were enjoying the book though!
Feedback writes...
If you don't mind me asking, has Rain of the Ghosts done okay in sales??
I actually haven't bought my own copy yet. Being in Med School is a bummer, haven't read a non-science book in ages. As soon as I get a break, I'm hitting Amazon!
Greg responds...
It hasn't done as well as one would hope, I'm afraid. We're hoping that the arrival of the second book, Spirits of Ash and Foam, in July will raise the sales of both. Help spreading the word would be appreciated. And if you're planning to buy one or both books anyway, buying/ordering them sooner than later would be great - even if you can't get around to reading them right away. (Though, OF COURSE, I want them read too!)
Anonymous writes...
How well did Rain sell/is selling?
Greg responds...
Not as well as I'd hoped, I'm afraid. Still seems like very few people know about it. So anything you can do to help spread the word would be appreciated.
Masterdramon writes...
Wanted to post this separate from my review, for length reasons if nothing else.
The "sources" for several of the references included in RAIN OF THE GHOSTS are fairly obvious. Bernie and Maude, Broadway-Niner-Niner-Four, and Terry Chung all demonstrate that you continue to be as shameless as ever (and damn if we don't love you for it!), and it's probably easier to list what [I]isn't[/I] referenced from "The Tempest."
But I'd just like to quickly confirm if "Mr. and Mrs. John DeLancy" are meant to refer to actor John de Lancie, most famous as Q from "Star Trek" (and more recently, Earth-16's very own Mister Twister).
And if so, was there any particular reason that you gave him a little shout out there? Just mildly curious.
Thanks, and I hope that you enjoyed my review! :)
Greg responds...
Honestly, it must have been, right? But I can't remember why. (I wrote the first draft of the book over a decade ago.) Back then, I had worked a bit with John on Max Steel, but it's not like we socialized or anything. Maybe I just liked the name.
Masterdramon writes...
RAIN OF THE GHOSTS
"You don't belong back there," the woman said gently. "Leave it all behind."
Rain nodded. That's right. That's right.
"You have the whole world to explore," the woman said warmly. "There's so much to see."
Rain could only nod. So grateful. So much to see. She wandered forward. The snow was white and warm and glowed softly, quietly. So much to see.
Well...it's finally time.
While I first acquired my copy of your inaugural novel a few weeks ago, it wasn't until recently that I managed to find the time to finish it; starting a new job the week before Christmas tends to eat up free time. But plenty of car rides to and from airports at the holiday season gave me ample time to breeze through the latter half of the book, and I've spent the last couple of days mulling over exactly what to say about it.
[NOTE: From here on out, there may be references to minor SPOILERS. If anyone hasn't read the novel all the way through yet, stop right here and go do so.]
If I had to boil down my reaction to RotG into a single word, it would be "intrigued." Reading through it, I felt transported back to third grade, making my way through "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone" for the first time. RotG has a similar "feel": simultaneously a single story and a rapid-fire barrage of future plot hooks, designed to impress upon the reader the sheer size and scope of the world it is building, while leaving room for that world to expand greatly in future installments.
Rain herself is a good encapsulation of this. As a protagonist she is simultaneously extremely likeable, and precisely the opposite. Hot-tempered, impulsive, abrasive, and constantly taking Charlie's loyalty completely for granted, she is...well, a teenager. She has a good deal of growing up to do, and it's hard to fully get "on her side" until she does.
But as this book series all-but-promises to be her Bildungsroman, I'm confident that Rain's gonna continue to grow on me. And her "voice" is so uniquely enjoyable that I'm very much EXCITED to go on that journey with her, so that's certainly a point in the character's favor.
The rest of the cast was a joy, for the most part. Charlie was, admittedly, probably the weakest link for me. I LIKE him well enough, don't get me wrong, but on this first outing I can't help but find him a little bland. He's more than a tad snarky, crushing hard on Rain, and possessed of the patience of a saint...but beyond that, I find it hard to come up with many descriptors for his character. Here's hoping that we get to explore his perspective and his history a little more in future books.
I adored 'Bastian/The Dark Man, however. His "I don't really know what to think about this" attitude toward being dead, oscillating between casual detachment and sorrowful contempation depending on the situation, felt very REAL to me, and made his scenes a constant delight. I don't know how long he's going to stick around, but I'm hoping that it's for at least a few more books. There's just something undeniably "cool" about having a ghost in a bomber jacket as one of your leads.
As for the supporting cast...again, "intriguing" is probably the best word I can use. Everyone's got their secrets, and you did a masterful job at teasing just enough information to encourage the audience to chase down every last one. From Miranda's father to whatever the deal is with Ariel, from Maq's and Obie's roles in all of this to Callahan's history...it's a brave new world, and I very much want to learn more.
Personally, my favorite character is hands-down, Judith Vendaval/The Tall Woman. Thing is, I couldn't possibly tell you WHY. Functionally, she does basically nothing to advance the book's plot.
But there's something about the "air" to her, even moreso than the other "mysterious" characters wandering the periphery of this story, that grabs me and won't let go. She's still at the inn at the beginning of the second book, according to the excerpts included at the end, so I doubt we've seen the last of her. And I am SO looking forward to it.
The plot itself is straightforward, but layered; at least three stories (Rain's present-day grief, the regrets of WWII resurfacing, and the "real" story going on behind the scenes, which our heroes are largely oblivious to) running through each other, with little hints sprinkled EVERYWHERE of more to come. It's not an unfamiliar feeling from your work...but it is a welcome one.
Without a doubt, the most enjoyable scenes from me were the two "Villain Tags" near the end - Maq and Obie confronting "Hura-hupia," and Callahan's meeting with his employer. Questions abound about this "Mr. Setebos," not the least of which being exactly how indicative his name is...but I'm comfortable being patient for THOSE kinds of answers.
The one other thing I want to comment on before wrapping this review up is the writing style. I've never read a novel precisely like this one in that regard, and in-and-of-itself that is neither a positive nor a negative trait.
Even if I didn't already know it going in, it wouldn't be hard for me to guess that the writer of RotG has gained much of his experience writing scripts for television and comics.
Take, for example, the frequent jumping of perspectives from one character to the next - some of it even within a single paragraph. A lot of readers seem to have found that quite jarring...and yeah, I won't deny that it threw me for a loop the first couple of times, even if I got used to it after a while.
But in a comic? This wouldn't seem remotely odd at all. All it would require would be separate thought balloons in the same panel.
Once again, though, there's nothing BAD necessarily about this stylistic choice; it's just...different. And in all fairness, you certainly took advantage of its narrative benefits. Maq and Obie would have a much harder time fulfilling their current roles if you had to devote a full chapter to them every time they needed to chime in.
In closing, if the main purpose of RotG was to ensure that I'd desperately want to read eight more books set in this world, then it damn well succeeded. True, my first reaction to learning that the structure of the series corresponds with a nine-item "fetch quest" was to bristle a bit...but there's enough to intrigue me about the first zemi that I'm quite excited to search out the rest.
What form do the others take? What are their powers? Where do they come from, and who made them? And what exactly IS the "true Mystery of the Ghosts"?
A deep widening groove. An oval ring. A larger, more circular ring. A shallow groove. A semi-amorphous cross. A thick equilateral triangle. And a small cylindrical hole.
One Key down, eight to go. This is gonna be one wild ride.
Greg responds...
Thanks. Glad you like it!! Again, I'd ask that if you haven't already, please add a review to Amazon.
Soraya writes...
Hi! Hope all is well and that Rain of Ghosts is selling well (I'm reading it on my tablet and it's awesome so far!) anyways a question I've wanted to ask for a while now was is the title for The Usual Suspects in season one of Young Justice in reference to the movie?
Thank you!
Greg responds...
If you mean Casablanca, yes. If you mean The Usual Suspects, not really, though of course THAT is also a reference to Casablanca.
Glad you're enjoying Rain. Hopefully now, you're done and have written a review on Amazon? Huh? Huh? ;)
Harlan Phoenix writes...
I finished Rain of the Ghosts earlier today and to cut to the chase, I absolutely loved it. I spent a lot of my early teens reading middle school and up fantasy series like Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, or His Dark Materials and Rain of the Ghost felt right at home with the tone of those stories (maybe slightly less so with His Dark Materials, but eh). In a weird way, Rain of the Ghosts was laced with a lot of pleasant nostalgia for me despite being a brand new property in your body of work. I have two young nieces and Rain is the exact heroine I would love to see them grow up on. When they're much older (being a toddler and baby respectively), I more than intend to raise them up on Rain of the Ghosts when they're old enough to relate to Rain and empathize with her journey. After all, they'll need something to read when I'm not watching Gargoyles with them.
As mentioned in my Mecha-Nation review, your heroes are really among the best in animation (and, now, general all ages fiction!) and Rain of the Ghosts continues that trend. I absolutely adore Rain as a protagonist and even though I'm a decade older than her I can definitely relate to her fears of a future locked in stone. 'Bastion was an incredibly welcome return to your love of WW2 iconography and his backstory, and his scene with Rain near the end was nothing short of adorable. Charlie brought a lot of welcome humor and awkwardness to the story that only emphasized his strength as a friend to Rain. It's a solid cast and I am very eager to see their next adventures.
And Opie may tie with Matrix as my favorite character you've ever written. I adore Opie. And Ariel definitely fascinates me and I like to imagine she, Owen, and Mercy Graves have the most intense poker games ever.
All in all, it's a lovely book that took me back to a time that makes me feel warm and fuzzy but with the added benefit of your personal style. Though I love all of your writing, there's something nice out of getting an original property amidst the more common adaptations. It's why, as great as Young Justice is, I felt a bit more connection to Mecha-Nation. It's a truly underrated comic that I'm sad we've yet to get more of and though it was Victor Cook's brainbaby, your voice really did come through and presented genuinely intelligent themes in a charming Saturday morning guise.
So I felt a nice connection to Rain. I've been a fan of your work essentially my whole life and with Rain, I feel like I'll be able to instill the Weisman love to the next generation of my family because, quite frankly, I'm a big enough dweeb to immensely value that. I'm with Rain for the long haul and am endlessly happy I've gotten to read it. Here's hoping some more of your ideas find their way to fruition and, in the mean time, here's to Spirits of Ash and Foam and Star Wars Rebels. I am very excited for both of them.
Now to shamelessly exploit your errors for attempted personal gain.
RAIN OF THE GHOST TYPO CONTEST
For my stab at finding a typo, I'm going to point out an anomaly with your tenses. Though your italicized thoughts for the characters are all in present tense (as thoughts should be!), there's one instance where this isn't quite so.
Second full paragraph, page 171, which reads as such:
"Here!" He guided her hand. [i]All those video games were finally paying off...[/i]
My tags note the italicized portion of the paragraph, i.e. the final sentence. I was hesitant to make this my entry, since the possibility of it being a stylistic choice is always there (and I didn't recall seeing it in your proofreader notes on the site). But after leafing through and comparing it with the other italicized thoughts throughout the book, it doesn't feel consistent with them and sounds more in tone with Opie's narration than Charlie's internalized gratitude.
Therefore, my submission to the contest is the final sentence of the second full paragraph of page 171, specifically the tense created by the use of "were."
Greg responds...
Thanks! I hope - if you haven't already - that you'll consider writing a review of the book up on Amazon. I'm review light, I'm afraid.
TYPO Contest:
Well, that definitely was NOT one of the two I had in mind. But I'm going to award you with a TYPO prize none-the-less, because, ultimately, I think you're right. Should have been present tense.
So email your snail mail address to Gorebash. He'll send it to me, and I'll send you your prize! Congratulations on finding a typo I missed!! (Rats!)
Rain Fan writes...
Whose voice do you imagine when writing lines for Rain, Charlie, Bastian, Opie, and Julia?
Greg responds...
Charlie is John Forsythe.
Opie is Ron Howard.
Julia is Diahann Carroll.
Rain has always been Phyllis Diller.
CTD
Podcasts...
Well, I'm about to head out of town to tour colleges with my wife Beth and my son Benny...
But before I go, here are a couple of podcasts to keep you entertained...
On the first, I discuss everything from Gargoyles to Rain of the Ghosts.
http://www.funnyrobotgames.com/podcast/?name=2014-03-22_episode_2___greg_weisman.mp3
On the second, the focus is on the development and first episode of The Spectacular Spider-Man:
http://www.spidey-dude.com/?p=1326
Had fun doing both! Hope you like 'em!
I'll be back at ASK GREG on April Fools Day!
Just a Nerd writes...
Damn it, Greg. It happened with Young Justice. It happened with Gargoyles, though I was a (very) late comer. It happened with YJ: Legacy. I told myself it wouldn't happen again. But, once again, I am obsessed with a Greg Weisman production. Rain of the Ghosts was fantastic! An amazing story, a perfect amount of humor, mysteries that made my head ache, and lovable characters. I won't say anything plot-wise, due to not wanting to spoil.
But one thing I found interesting: I found myself atributing voices to the characters, taken from YJ and Gargoyles. Rain's dialogue came out as Elisa's voice in my head. Charlie was Jaime/Blue Beetle, while Bastian became Peter Maza. Callahan changed often, jumping from Vandal Savage to Macbeth to Deathstroke, though none of those are Australian. Probabley shoulda gone Dingo. (I'm an odd, odd person.) And I don't say this to say the characters were carbon copies, or even a little similar; it's just what my brain did.
Overall, a very enjoyable read. Don't think i spoiled anything but character names. (And, by God, I love Maq and Opie already.)
Greg responds...
Thanks. That's so gratifying. (And a bit of a relief too. I've never been as nervous about the reception of something I've worked on as I am about Rain.)
If you wouldn't mind, please consider PRE-ordering the next book in the series, SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM, available here: http://www.amazon.com/Spirits-Ash-Foam-Ghosts-Novel/dp/1250029821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379918087&sr=8-1&keywords=spirits+of+ash+and+foam+a+rain+of+the+ghosts+novel+by+greg+weisman
And please consider posting (or reposting) your review on Amazon, and marking a few of the many 5-Star reviews as "Helpful".
Anything that can help spread the word/create a buzz about Rain would be great.
As for the voices, I usually cast parts in my head. But though I hear their voices clearly, I can't name the actors so much on Rain, because the lead characters are only thirteen, and I don't know enough actors of color in that age range to help me cast. Would definitely have to hold auditions.
But Maq is W.C. Fields. Definitely. (Doesn't look like him. But that's the voice.)
Opie's kinda me for now. But I think I could do better.
More reviews of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS
My new novel, RAIN OF THE GHOSTS, has been getting some great reviews. Here's just a sample:
http://www.themarysue.com/review-greg-weisman-rain-of-the-ghosts/
If you haven't checked out RAIN, please consider it. If you've liked my work on Young Justice, Spectacular Spider-Man, W.I.T.C.H. or Gargoyles, I can guarantee you'll like this.
If you HAVE already read the book - and especially if you liked it - please consider posting a review on Amazon, and marking a few of the many 5-Star reviews as "Helpful".
Also, we're not that far away from the second book in the series. SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM is out July 8th. And I've started work on the third book: MASQUE OF BONES.
Coffee With Kenobi Podcast
I'm a guest on the Coffee With Kenobi Podcast. It was a fun interview, covering Star Wars Rebels, Gargoyles 20th Anniversary, Young Justice, Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam. You can find it here:
Diversity
Diversity in pop culture has always been an issue that concerns me greatly. I've tried to do my share to increase diversity on series like Gargoyles, W.I.T.C.H., The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice.
Now, that I've entered the world of publishing, my sister Robyn brought this article to my attention:
The article asks valid questions, and - yes, to toot my own horn - I'm going to provide at least a piece of the answer with my new books, Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam. Both feature protagonists of color. Rain Cacique is Native American, as is her grandfather Sebastian Bohique. Her best friends are Charlie Dauphin, who's African American and Miranda Guerrero, who is Hispanic-American. Many - if not most - of the other characters are also of color. This reflects the Caribbean setting of the novels, i.e. the fictional Ghost Keys and the actual mythology of that region.
The books are available here:
http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Ghosts-Greg-Weisman/dp/1250029791
and here:
I urge you to check them out, and to suggest them at schools and libraries.
Giant Boy writes...
I've been rewatching The Spectacular Spider-Man, mostly the second season so far, and decided to rewatch "Subtext".
I really like Molten Man's character and looked him up. I also by chance happened to come across Blackie Gaxton in Betty Brant's page on the Spider-ManWiki.
It said that her brother was put in a similar situation with Blackie that ended similar to what happened between Spidey, Mark, and Liz in "Subtext".
After thinking about it, I'd have to say it was brilliant that you decided to do that story with Mark and Liz, whether or not Betty's brother would have appeared since Molten Man had his story.
Looking foward to Young Justice Legacy, Rain of Ghosts, and Star Wars Rebels.
Greg responds...
Yeah, we conflated Betty's brother with Liz's half-brother.
And by now, I assume you have YJ Legacy and Rain. What did you think?
Todd Jensen writes...
I bought my copy of "Rain of the Ghosts" at the local bookstore yesterday, and just finished reading it.
Thanks for mentioning me in the Acknowledgements; it was a pleasant surprise.
* SPOILERS FOLLOW *
I enjoyed reading it. I was put off a bit by the "head-hopping" (switching from one character's point-of-view to another in the course of a chapter), until I understood that the narrator was able to tell what all the characters were thinking.
As I'd picked up from the blurb, a lot of references to Shakespeare's "The Tempest" - even more than the names mentioned in it (Prospero, Miranda, and Sebastian), with Alonso, Ariel, Sycorax, Setebos, and maybe Iris (since the Iris of Greek mythology turns up in the play during the masque Prospero conjures up). Plus a different Shakespeare reference (or at least, one to 15th century history) in Charlie Dauphin's name, and a Mark Twain allusion with Rebecca Sawyer from Hannibal. (The preview of the next book also had a J. M. Barrie allusion with the Kim children's names.) And, to top it off, another Terry Chung.
I found Rain, Charlie, 'Bastian, and those around them vividly-characterized, and the adventure, especially the last flight of the "Island Belle", exciting. (Was that part of the story, incidentally, inspired by the loss of Flight 19? The time period and location in the area of the Bermuda Triangle both reminded me of that.) And I can see why you plan it to be a nine-book series, with the other eight objects to be found. There'll obviously be more developments to come (such as finding out more about the objects, what Callaghan and Setebos are up to, Judith Vendaval, and, of course, the true nature of your narrator - apparently a dog, but a remarkable dog - and Maq), and I'll be keeping an eye out for the next book next year.
*SPOILERS END *
Congratulations on becoming a published author, Greg.
An effective story with Rain and Charlie vividly characterized.
Greg responds...
And my first ASK GREG Rain review!!
Thanks, Todd. I'm glad you liked it.
I don't think Flight 19 was a major influence, but you never know what all is crowding around in my brain!
James Musgrove writes...
Caught your appearance on the nerdy show (linked from bleedingcool.com) and I'll be honest...I wasn't looking for a new book series. It was your passionate talk about how you wanted to tell Rain's story that got my attention and I just picked up my copy today. Tearing through it! Very relatable dialogue and clear narrative! Anyways, I had a few questions regarding this book:
1) Rain Cacique...how is this pronounced?
2) is Charlie's last name pronounced the French way?
3) while I definitely wouldn't expect it anytime soon because you're selling the book now, but would you give some thought to posting the script for the radio play/pilot some time in the future, after book nine comes out? :)
I don't suppose the audio of this exists and would ever be postable?
4) without SPOILING (of course), can you give any insight to elements that were changed/dropped/added in the rewrite of book one from the original manuscript?
5) all I can add right now is that I'm spreading the word and I haven't event finished it yet. That and WE NEED EXPANDED UNIVERSE RAIN OF THR GHOSTS COMICS!!! :)
Thanks so much. I'll probably be around here quite a bit!
Greg responds...
MY FIRST RAIN OF THE GHOSTS QUESTIONS!!! YAY!!!
1. Rain's family pronounces Cacique: kah-SEEK.
2. Charlie's family pronounces Dauphin: DAWF-in.
3. I don't know if anyone recorded it way back when. I might, down the road, post the script. Not anytime soon, though.
4. One major character was added. (Not to the series as a whole but to the first book.) A few minor characters were also added.
5. THANKS!!
RAIN OF THE GHOSTS signings
RAIN OF THE GHOSTS signings
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Had two great signings for RAIN OF THE GHOSTS over the last few days.
On Saturday, at Gallifrey One, I coerced a roomful of Young Justice panel attendees to buy my new novel. And I sold out!
Then last night, had a reading, discussion and signing at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. We had a full house, and again, we SOLD OUT!
I want to thank all the friends, family, fans and strangers who attended either or both and bought books and generally put a smile on my face.
But there are still books out there to buy, so...
RAIN OF THE GHOSTS is the first book in a nine-book series of adventure, intrigue, mythology and mystery with a touch of horror. Rain Cacique is a thirteen-year-old girl, who lives on the tropical island of San Próspero - one of the eight Ghost Keys - where she goes to school and works for her parents in the tourist service industry. She feels trapped. But she's soon going to discover that she has a special ability - she can talk to the dead - and a destiny to fulfill. The second book in the series, SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM, is already written and will come out on July 8th, 2014. The other seven books are in limbo, dependent - frankly - on sales of the first book.
If you've enjoyed my work on W.I.T.C.H., Gargoyles, Spectacular Spider-Man or Young Justice, I can guarantee you'll like Rain!
RAIN OF THE GHOSTS can be purchased here:
SPIRITS OF ASH AND FOAM can be pre-ordered here:
http://www.amazon.com/Spirits-Ash-Foam-Ghosts-Novel/dp/1250029821/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
Thanks...
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