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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!
Comic Book Cast Podcast
I'm on the @ComicBookCast podcast with @TheDVDGrouch.
Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbdjyK0aLUQ&feature=youtu.be&a
Anonymous writes...
Hi Greg, a quick question about The Spectacular Spider-Man. I believe you've said in the past that your plan was to do 5 seasons which would culminate in Peter's high school graduation. The thing is though, since Peter was still in his first year at the end of season 2, I'm wondering how you would have managed to reach the graduation by the end of season 5. Would you have skipped over the Summer holidays to accomplish this?
If season 1 was September to November, and season 2 was December to early March, and if each month of the Summer were to still get the usual 3-4 episode coverage, then logically a 65 episode, 5 season run would not quite reach the end of Peter's second year, so I'm wondering whether you were thinking of skipping over things like the Summer holidays to reach your goal?
Greg responds...
The following was our pie-in-the sky hope:
We wanted to do a direct-to-DVD Spring Break movie between Season Two and Season Three, set in Florida. If that was not approved, it would have been incorporated into Season Three.
We also wanted to do another direct-to-DVD movie to cover Pete's summer vacation between Junior and Senior year (and also between Season Three and Season Four).
We then felt we could cover Pete's senior year over Seasons Four and Five, with at least one more movie between those two seasons.
And then we'd follow up the series with a series of movies covering his college years, etc.
If the movies hadn't been approved, then the series would have gone on for more seasons (in this hypothetical scenario) so that we could cover the same ground on television.
Of course, none of this was to be...
Peter P writes...
Spidey's a pretty skinny dude at the beginning of your series which is great since it makes him more relatable as our underdog hero. I was wondering though, was your Idea of his gradual growth going to reflect in the physical aspect as we'll with his muscles growing larger and him getting gradually taller as well?
Greg responds...
We talked about him getting a little bigger and taller, but Vic and Cheeks and I all agreed that Spidey works better chiseled and honed, not buff or ripped.
Jessy writes...
A few questions about the Third Race.
1. Did they take anything with them to Avalon, or did they mostly just drop whatever it was that they were doing?
2. Did they take technology with them? Electronics. I mean, I'm sure magic compensates for most actual work they would have to do, but that doesn't mean that a few wouldn't like to take their Game Boy or something with them when they go home. No batteries on Avalon, I'm sure, but they might be able to make it work.
3. Would Oberon ALLOW them to bring technology onto Avalon, or does he consider it foreign magic?
4. I'm guessing that those who were married to humans at the time weren't allowed to bring their spouses along, were there a lot of broken homes made that year? You would think Oberon would make concessions about those things but then Avalon might see a spike in mortal inhabitants.
5. That brings me to another question; Would Oberon see a marriage between one of his race and a mortal as anything of significance? Anyways, I am glad you're still doing this, thank you! ^_^
Greg responds...
1. Stuff isn't a big issue for a magical race.
2. Again, I'm not sure that's necessary. But if it pleases you...
3. He doesn't consider technology to be magic - much to his chagrin at times.
4. Oberon isn't big on concessions. But I'm not going to confirm or deny this one. Feels spoilery.
5. It would depend on a lot of factors.
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.
Harlan Phoenix writes...
I have a few questions about some of your unmade projects that've been mentioned in passing. Hopefully you'll be at liberty to discuss these, but I'd understand if not.
1. On a panel about developing television animation, you'd mentioned that your and Brandon Vietti's Green Lantern development "didn't even have the same lead [character]" as Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Though I'm very happy with how that show turned out, as it was left in very capable hands, I'm curious. Who was the lead in your Green Lantern development?
2. I was also surprised to hear you'd worked on a Space Ghost, as he's my favorite superhero. Though it didn't seem like you developed it for long, what was the general tone you and Vietti were pushing toward with that series?
2b.What was the cast like?
3. You mention working on a Thundercats reboot here (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=14819). Was it the infamous "rock band" development of the series, or a different one entirely?
4. At Dreamworks, you'd developed Small Soldiers: The Animated Series. Was the show meant to be a series about the continuing battle between the toys or was it going to be a show that used the mythology behind the toys (the battle between the Gorgonites and the Commando Elite) as the basis for its stories?
Greg responds...
1. Charlie Vickers. Though pretty much every Earth Lantern you can think of would have gotten in there eventually. (Plus a lot of extra-terrestrial Lanterns, as well.) Hal would have had a prominent role in the pilot.
2. Space Ghost is also a favorite of mine. General tone: action, mystery, fun. Lots of HB action characters, including another of my personal favorites: the Herculoids.
3. So long ago... Might have been a rock band though my one episode didn't feature that as an element. It was for Duane Capizzi, if that helps narrow it down.
4. Even LONGER ago. But both, I think.
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.
Gray Dickson writes...
What was your reason for having Dicks character be such a womanizer?
Greg responds...
I don't think he is a womanizer, at least not in the traditional sense that most people use that word. He doesn't lie about who he's with. He's been exclusive for periods of time. He's never cheated on any girl. He always calls the next day. Etc.
Dick has tremendous respect for women, in my opinion. And that respect makes him interested in many women for each one's very different qualities. And that fundamental respect (alongside his other attributes) makes him extremely attractive to a diverse group of powerful women, who know he's secure enough not to require them to be 'less powerful' when dating him.
Also keep in mind, he's still pretty darn young. Should he really be settled down by age 19? I just don't think he's quite ready to settle down, and obviously Barbara agrees.
As for why we made that creative choice, given his history, it just seemed right for the character.
Johnny Bond writes...
I was wondering what aspects of Peter and Mary Jane's characters would lead them to becoming closer together if Stan Lee as well as you believed that Gwen was always the perfect girl for Peter.
Greg responds...
Keep wondering...
Anoy writes...
Did any of the runaways consider superhero names for themselves? I mean virgil is static, but did any of the others think of names to use?
Greg responds...
Not that they said out loud.
Ryan writes...
1.) What part of Europe was Vandal Savage born in (Cave bears were largely confined to Europe (more specially romania hungary and croatia, as well as northern italy, southern german and north spain although there were cases when they were in the caucuses as well, and even iran)? I'm not asking specific coordinates, just general region.
2.) Does the Light have a central HQ akin to the Watchtower?
3.) Which historical figures has Vandal been throughout history?
4.) Are the members of the Light planning to double cross each other?
Greg responds...
1. I knew this. Once. But I don't remember. I'd have to research it again. Sorry.
2. Yes. You saw it in the episode where Deathstroke was introduced.
3. Well, in our series bible, I wrote that he was Genghis Khan, Atilla the Hun and Blackbeard the Pirate. Don't know if I'd stick to that, but it sounds right.
4. No.
Writes writes...
1).So here something I have been wondering. What exactly was Secret? I mean I do take she was a ghost, so maybe I should rephrase the question. How exactly did she come to be as she was? Was it her meta gene? If so how come it activated upon her death? Or was it some form of magic related to harm or the sword?
2). Black manta was under the assumption that kaldur and tigress were lovers. Did he come to this assumption by himself or did kaldur and/or artemis deliberately imply that they were in order to help their cover?
3). Does anyone in the light hold black manta responbile for kaldur's actions?
Greg responds...
1. She was an unquiet soul. Period.
2. I'll leave that to your imagination, I think.
3. Spoiler Request. No comment.
Kwesi Brako writes...
Hi, Greg, just following up from what you said on twitter. Did you hear the comments Paul Dini made about why shows like Young Justice were not renewed?
Here's a link to the specific clip
http://helpsaveourheroes.tumblr.com/post/69925938596/i-thought-id-post-the-part-of-the-kevin
And a link to the full podcast in case anyone else wants it
http://smodcast.com/episodes/paul-dini-shadow-of-the-shadow-of-the-bat/
What are your thoughts on this?
Greg responds...
For the record, I listened to the clip but not the entire podcast. So if I missed out on some important context, I apologize.
I agree with a lot of what was said, but I don't agree that the executives didn't want girls to watch. (And I'm not really sure that's exactly what was being said, though that's the way it's been reported on that internet thing.) The target audience for Young Justice was ALWAYS Boys 6-11. If we ALSO got girls that was fine. If we got older kids, tweens, teens and adults, that was fine. If we got younger kids, that was fine.
But we had to hit the target: Boys 6-11. And we did to some extent, but not enough to compensate for the loss of our toy line. Anyone who says the show was cancelled because too many people (of any specific demographic) were watching us, is, I think, grasping at straws. It's not that too many were watching, it's that NOT ENOUGH were watching in our target demographic. Even then, if the toys had sold, we would have been fine. But the toy line was cancelled, which took away our financing for the series. And that was that.
Alex writes...
Just finished Legacy. Loved the story (though the gameplay was....alright. Just alright. Fun enough is what I'd call it). And after Invasion, it was refreshing to see the original team again operating out of the cave, before all the shake ups in the 2nd season. I was kind of bummed about there still being nothing on Ocean Master, but I will survive. I had a few questions about it though.
1. Who is canonically on the Team during Legacy? Between the unlockable heroes, and DLC characters, it gets hard to tell.
2. The voice cast wasn't listed with the characters they played. Obviously if a character's regular actor was in the credits they obviously played them (so Superboy and Superman were obviously played by Nolan North) but a few characters regular actors weren't listed, and some of them have noticably different voices(like Beast Boy). Can you tell us who voiced who as far as non regular roles were in Legacy? If you can't say, or don't know, can you at least tell us who you voiced since you were listed in the credits? Or was this an error?
3. Was there any specific reason Rocket had such a small role? She doesn't seem to appear in the story at all, and you unlock her by finishing the game on hard, at which point there's really nothing else to do.
4. Did the characters that left the team between Legacy and season 2 all do so due to the results of Legacy's....final mission? Don't want to spoil it for others but you probably know what I'm talking about. In the game it seemed like only Aqualad did.
5. This might be just my imagination, but does Tempest not like Wally? He seems to keep glaring at him in cutscenes.
6. Rumor is Little Orbit mentioned the possibility of another DLC character pack. If this is true, would you be involved in this in any way such as selecting, designing etc?
Greg responds...
1. It's pretty much the characters that you can play without downloading, plus Bumblebee and Lagoon Boy.
2. See below.
3. I don't know. I wasn't aware that was going to be the case. She didn't have a major emotional arc for this particular adventure, but she wasn't the only one who did not.
4. I think it had a major effect on many members of the Team (if not all). But I think everyone who left, including Aqualad, would list the end result of Legacy as only part of the reason for their departure. Even Tempest.
5. I think that's your imagination.
6. This is news to me.
2. Checking my files, I dug out my master-cast list for Young Justice Legacy. It's covered with cross-outs and my handwritten corrections. And though I attended nearly all of the voice sessions for the game, I missed a couple, and there may be changes I'm unaware of or forgot to note. So what follows seems right, but it's best to take it with a grain of salt. Jamie Thomason, Curtis Koller and I attempted to get as many of the original actors as we could. A few were unavailable, and Little Orbit also had some budget restrictions that forced us to double up some smaller roles and/or roles that were slightly less familiar to our audience that we thought we could get away with recasting with minimal distraction. Still, we managed to get 21 of the regulars (not counting me) to play their regular roles and only had seven character recastings (Bane, Batgirl, Beast Boy, Killer Frost, Psimon, Riddler, Rocket). Casting Mae Whitman to play Helena Sandsmark is something we would have likely done on the series (cf. Aqualad and Black Manta).
The cast of Young Justice Legacy (in alphabetical order by actor and then by character):
01. Adcox, Thom - Klarion, Riddler Goon, Sportsmaster Minion
02. Bennett, Jeff - Psimon, Red Tornado, Villager
03. Bowen, Cameron - Icicle Minion, Ninja, Robin
04. Chabert, Lacey - LexCorp Bot, Tourist, Zatanna
05. Chinlund, Nick - Riddler Goon, Sportsmaster, Statue
06. Greenwood, Bruce - Batman
07. Hu, Kelly - Cheshire, Manta Trooper, Tourist
08. LaMarr, Phil - Aquaman, Tourist, Villager
09. Lemelin, Stephanie - Artemis, Computer, Riddler Goon
10. Lopez, Eric - Bane, Bane Thug, Blue Beetle
11. Lowenthal, Yuri - Icicle Jr., Lagoon Boy, Tempest
12. Marshall, Vanessa - Black Canary, Killer Frost
13. McCartney, Jesse - Icicle Minion, Nightwing
14. McKellar, Danica - Batgirl, Miss Martian, Ninja
15. North, Nolan - Superboy, Superman
16. Payton, Khary - Aqualad, Black Manta, Tourist
17. Richardson, Kevin Michael - Bane Thug, Bialyan Soldier, Green Lantern
18. Rolston, Mark - Blockbuster, Lex Luthor, Sportsmaster Minion
19. Spisak, Jason - Beast Boy, Kid Flash, Riddler
20. Summer, Cree - Aquagirl, Rocket
21. Whitman, Mae - Helena Sandsmark, Wonder Girl
Plus
22. Weisman, Greg - Tourist, Undead Soldier
FireBlade writes...
Hi Greg!
I am a long time Gargoyles fan. I grew up with it actually. I've always loved it's depth, characters, story, and emotions. Honestly? Cartoons now-a-days don't even compare.
Anyway, I digress;
I was re-watching the show the other day and a question struck me... Can Goliath and Elisa have kids? I mean, Goliath is humanoid right? So, is it possible?
I hope it is because Goliath has gone through too much tragedy in his life to not be able to have a family with his soul mate I think.
That said, I haven't read the comic but I heard someone say that they break up in it... Is this true?? If it is, I just might cry....
Anyway, even though the series is long over, I still want to compliment you on such a fantastic masterpiece. It is a classic that will endure for a loooonnnggg time. :)
Thanks for your time! I know you are very busy.
Greg responds...
ASKED AND ANSWERED. Check the archives and/or ask the fans at http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/comment/index.php to point you in the right direction. And by all means, check out the trade paperbacks from SLG. I think you'll truly enjoy them.
Thanks for your kind words.
Anonymous writes...
Shortly after Ask Greg Live, you revealed that Donna Troy had been a leading candidate for Team membership at a very early stage in the development of the show - I was wondering if you could please list a few others who were serious contenders for a spot on the season 1 main cast but didn't make the cut?
Greg responds...
As I've stated before, there was a list of over fifty teen DC heroes, all of whom were considered, at least briefly.
We then cut that list down considerably to more or less the folks that became members of the Team that you saw in Season One: i.e. Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, Speedy/Red Arrow, Artemis, Zatanna and Rocket.
Others that were briefly considered for the final cut include, as I recall, Donna, Garth, Mary and Cissie. But Donna was declared off-limits (at that time). Kaldur replaced Garth. Artemis' backstory offered us more interesting secrets than Cissie's might have, and three archers (Artemis, Roy and Oliver) seemed like plenty to start with in one series. Finally, our developing plans for Captain Marvel in Season One worked better if Mary was not yet part of the equation.
As planned, Garth guest-starred (and had a nice role in Legacy). And we managed to slip a Cissie cameo in, with bigger plans for her later, if we had gotten more seasons/episodes/issues. We had planned to include Mary and Donna in Season Two, but as I've already discussed, Phil Bourassa just didn't have time to design them both for the sake of a couple cameo appearances. We had more plans for both of those characters, as well, but never got the opportunity.
Heck, we had eventual plans for nearly everyone on the original list of fifty-plus.
Jessy writes...
Do the gargoyles actually see the sunrise or do they turn to stone at first light? I know that,we, as the viewers, see it, but the sun seems to rise and set much more quickly in the Gargoyles universe. I figured it is probably exaggerated to show the viewers what is about to happen; the gargs are going to wake or sleep.
I guess the next question would be, do they see the sunset? I feel somehow that this is more likely as they are often depicted waking at about that time, but it could be, again, an exaggeration.
Greg responds...
They've seen the sun rise a bit. But mostly the first beams of light trigger their stone.
Jessy writes...
Puck, Gathering part 2: "I was intrigued, what was so special about these mortals that would make the queen dally among them?"
His explanation for Owen sounds like. I've never hung out with mortals before, why don't I try it now?
1. Now, after the thousand year banishment is almost up, he's finally wondering what all of the fuss with humans about?
2. Or, was it simply THESE mortals, him getting a good look at Renard's integrity and thinking, oh, that sounds boring, why is the queen wasting her time here with him?
I always got the idea that Puck is just too social to have not tried to blend in with the humans before this and see what they're about.
Greg responds...
I don't think he'd spent any quality time with many mortals, though of course he'd posed as a mortal often enough for some quick fun. But I think the main interest wasn't in the mortals at all, but in trying to figure out why the Queen was interested in them. But before long, he developed a true interest in Fox and David.
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.
Paul writes...
I liked the use of snapshots from the episode to come in the opening titles for season 1, with a different flurry of shots from each episode right before the Team's pose and the title coming onscreen. I was just wondering what the source of your inspiration was when you made the decision to incorporate clips from the episode during the opening theme. Did JLU (I know it used episode-specific clips in the opening theme for the early episodes) inspire you to do this? Or did you get the idea from somewhere else?
Greg responds...
It was Brandon's idea. Ask him on Twitter (@BrandonVietti) what his inspiration was.
Kevin writes...
I was wondering why the White Martians are treated so badly on Mars? If they have telepathy Green and Red Martians must be aware of White Martians feelings to a degree how can beings with telepathy be cruel to one another when they can literally feel their pain? Maybe telepathy does not create empathy but it is hard to believe that the majority of them would enjoy feeling how others are suffering, indifference perhaps but I do not think you can rationalize lets discriminate against others when again you can read their thoughts. I obviously do not know their history, culture, or if their telepathy works differently on each other so if it is not a massive spoiler and this writing does not seem imposing could you provide some context?
Greg responds...
I don't think it's hard for us as human beings without telepathy to know that others are in pain over our behavior. And yet...
So I don't see why telepathy would change anything. If you truly believe that another is "Less than," then you can teach yourself to disregard. Not defending the practice of course, but it makes sense to me that it would happen.
Kevin writes...
1. What is the general Martian Population on Mars?
2. What is the general Atlantean population on Earth?
3. Is the color green a scarab class or something else entirely?
4. Are there any other scarab classes that we did not see?
5. What does Arsenal think of Lian? Interesting relationship to say the least:)
Greg responds...
1. You mean a number? I don't know.
2. I don't know.
3. No. When B'arzz attempted to adjust his blue scout scarab, it turned green.
4. Probably.
5. SPOILER REQUEST.
Lorisa214 writes...
Where Artemis's parents married? I know I saw a wedding pic at the house when Paula got out from jail, but it looked too happy to be them (Vol 2, couple pages in)...Did they kill the original occupants and take their house or something?
Greg responds...
They were married. And they were once VERY happy being assassins together. But six years in prison and in a wheelchair can offer a new perspective.
Lorisa214 writes...
Hey Greg! Love this show so hard! :)
K, after Kent Nelson's death, the JL, got a call saying there was a 'death in the family' I'm guessing family means someone from the hero club since Dr. Fate/Kent wasn't on the JL yet(at all?) . I was just wondering out of everyone at the funeral beside Wally, Kaldur'ahm, & Zatanna, has any of them actually met Kent? I understand they would all show up out of respect regardless though.
2) Would Flash (Jay) have ever worked with Dr.Fate/Kent?
3) Why wasn't Superman at the funeral?
4) Did Red Tornado & Flash/Jay work together originally/at all?
Greg responds...
1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Busy.
4. Yes.
Paul writes...
Since Dick Grayson has been confirmed as a dog where his love life is concerned, I have to ask: he's dated Zatanna Zatara and Raquel Ervin, and at the very least admitted his love for and kissed Barbara Gordon... but what about Donna Troy? Did he date her/pursue a romance with her during the five year gap? I ask because the other girls would appear to have been off-limits (M'gann was with Conner, Artemis was with Wally, Tula was with Garth, Mary was too young and Karen and Mal seem to have stayed together over the years), but Donna could have been a potential conquest. Was there a spark between them? Or was it a normal friendship/platonic love like in the comics between Dick and Donna?
Greg responds...
SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
Presto writes...
A question about Star Wars Rebels. I was wondering what that current process is like since with your last two shows, you were able to really play around and manipulate the characters as you desired since you were essentially setting them in a new universe. With Star Wars however, you have to set the show in an established continuity and use material from its predecessor The Clone Wars. How are you adjusting to this new format? Is the creative freedom more restricted or more or less the same? Also just as a Star Wars fan, what do you think about the prequels (*cough cough plinkett reviews)?
Greg responds...
The process is very similar. Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg and the the Lucasfilm team came up with an arc for the series as a whole, a season's worth of stories for the first season, and plenty of ideas for multiple seasons to follow.
Any series has parameters. This is no different.
As for my opinion on the prequels - ASKED AND ANSWERED.
Carlito writes...
What was your reason to initially have MJ be a "free agent" and then suddenly be into Mark?
Greg responds...
Seemed to fit.
Kenny McCormick writes...
Thoughts about Black Spider-Man? Heard anything about him?
Greg responds...
It's all about execution, which I have not seen. So no, no thoughts.
btgr writes...
Voice Actor questions:
1. Did you know that Nolan North voices a creepy cannibalistic hebephile named "David" in the Playstation 3 game "The Last of Us"? I only asked because David is one of the most hateful characters Nolan has ever voiced in his entire career! Here's the video to prove it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiVmKnrjBMQ
2. Have you met Yuri Lowenthal's wife Tara Platt?
3. Have you heard of a mockumentary called "Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt's Con Artists"?
4. Favourite cartoon character voiced by Troy Baker?
5. Favourite cartoon character voiced by Ashley Johnson?
PS: I really want to meet Yuri Lowenthal at an expo because he's on my list of Ben 10 voice actors who I really want to meet.
Greg responds...
1. No, I did not.
2. Yes. She's lovely.
3. I've heard of it, but I haven't seen it. I have seen multiple episodes of their "Shelf Life".
4. Though of course I know of Troy, I'm not familiar with his work.
5. Terra, I suppose. Though that's not how my mind works.
Tahu writes...
How does the Rhino perform basic bodily functions such as excretion if he's sealed in the suit?
Greg responds...
The functionality is built-in, like in an astronaut's suit. Waste is secreted incrementally through the soles of the feet.
Louise writes...
Hello Greg!
I am a huge fan of Young Justice and as everybody, the cancellation of the show left me a bitter taste. Recently, a petition appeared on change.org and I really want you to see that people support you into making another season of Young Justice. That show was one of the best things I ever watched and definitely the best DC show ever made. I really wish the CN decided to start producing a new season of YJ.
Thank you for creating the show!
https://www.change.org/petitions/cartoon-network-stop-marginalizing-female-viewers this is the petition
Greg responds...
You're welcome.
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?
Devin writes...
Are the number designations of the Light based on when they joined(ex. did Ra's al Ghul join second)?
Greg responds...
There aren't an in-show designations for the Light. Those were pretty much just for the credits.
Devin writes...
Was the parallel between there being seven founding members of the Justice League and Light having seven members intentional?
Greg responds...
Not unintentional.
Giant Boy writes...
In the non-canonical Spectacular Spider-Man/Gargoyles three act radio play crossover, was Mary Jane Watson starting to fall in love with Peter?
By the way, enjoyed reading the script for the radio play. It was amusing.
PETER: That was almost the Look! :D
Greg responds...
Not particularly.
identity withheld writes...
1. Is Tigress primarily an archer?
1 a. If not, why'd Artemis decide not to be an archer anymore? (I'm referring to blonde, hero version of Tigress for both questions.)
2. Are Earth-16 Billy Batson and Mary Bromfield twin siblings?
Greg responds...
1. It's one of her skills.
1a. She's still an archer. But she uses other talents as well.
2. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
Random Chick writes...
Why did Tye's eyes change color?
Greg responds...
Did they?
Tupka writes...
The fourth trade paperback isout, prompting me to get it and reread it. Digital's nice, but I'm a sucker for paper. Which means double royalties for you :)
Two questions:
1. Icon was removed from the cover of #21, seemingly last-minute-ish. I noticed the version with Icon was used as the back cover, and also in the cover gallery in the back. Has anything changed with the legal issues, or was that an oversight of whoever deals with trade paperbacks at DC?
* Several of the LexCorp guards in the room guarding Match were trapped in the force field - they couldn't move, their head, feet and hands were glued to the sphere. What happened to them when the sphere started shrinking?
Greg responds...
For the record, I've yet to see any royalties from the YJ comics. Not that I expected any. The bar is set pretty high. And I was paid for my work. Anyway...
1. Honestly, to this day, I have no idea what the deal was with that. Don't know why they forced us to remove Icon and Rocket from the story. Don't know why he now appears.
2. I think you're misinterpreting the art (or I'm misinterpreting your question). They are lying unconscious ON the sphere. They're trapped within its volume, but they're not stuck in their energy, and nothing is glued to anything. They're not moving because they're unconscious. When the sphere shrinks, they'll shrink with it.
JCF (TW: SUICIDE) writes...
If it hadn't been for Young Justice, I would have committed suicide before I left high school.
I'm in community college now. Thank you for creating this.
Greg responds...
Whoa... uh, you're welcome. But if you're even vaguely serious then PLEASE make sure you talk to someone. Even now. Please.
J writes...
I once asked:
"Does your version of Despro have telepathic powers like in the comics, or can he do anything other than paralize with his third-eye? If he does have telepathic powers, why didn't he "hear" the conversation between Miss Martian and Guardian? Was it because he didn't have his third-eye open at the time?"
And you responded:
"You're assuming that his paralytic power isn't telepathic in nature. You're assuming that all telepaths operate on the exact same frequency. Neither of those are safe assumptions."
Actually I did assume his paralizing others was a mental ability...maby I should have stated my question more clearly.
What I meant to ask is:
Does he have any mental powers other than paralization, specifically communicating telepathically?
I guess I was kind of assuming that all telepathy would opperatin on the same "frequency."
Can you elaborate on this?
1) Psimon has no problem knowing when Ms. Martian is using her powers or getting into her mind. Do they operate on the same frequency, then?
2) Can telepaths change frequencies?
3) Do all martians operate on the same frequency?
4) Is the frequency the telepath operates on related to how powerful they are? (ie do more powerful telepaths operate on higher frequencies?)
Greg responds...
1. Psimon is adept at altering his frequency to match others. Despero can too, but he considers himself above the need to listen most of the time.
2. Some can. Some can't.
3. No.
4. No.
Michael Chabon knows Gargoyles
So in my car, I've been listening to the audio book of Michael Chabon's novel: TELEGRAPH AVENUE, read by the amazing Clarke Peters (of THE WIRE and TREME). I'm a little over halfway through the book, which is set (largely) in a used record store in Oakland in 2008 and revolves around a diverse cast of characters. It's full of all sorts of pop cutlure references, but I was still pretty stunned when suddenly the narrator starts talking about GARGOYLES. Not generic gargoyles, but our GARGOYLES televsion series.
I was going to try to cut and paste the section here, but Amazon won't allow that. So you can check it out yourself here: http://www.amazon.com/Telegraph-Avenue-Novel-Michael-Chabon/dp/006149335X/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=09RDPEC6XPYS8K9E3CQR
Or better yet, buy the book. I haven't finished listening to it yet, but so far it's definitely worth the price of admission.
The GARGOYLES' references begin on or about p. 293. (At least on the Amazon Look Inside function.) It's all pretty cool, and very specific. Though Keith David isn't mentioned by name, Goliath is, and his amazing voice is referenced, along with Goliath's backstory, etc. The character seems to have been part of a significant moment in the life of Julie Jaffe, one of the many protagonists of Chabon's book.
Chabon's written many books, including two particular favorites of mine: THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY and THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION. So the fact that our little series registers with him is fairly gratifying.
Ikki Tousen Xtreme Xecutor
I am happy to announce that Funimation will be releasing the Ikki Tousen Xtreme Xecutor Season 4 DVD set officially on Tuesday, March 11, 2014.
Ikki Tousen Xtreme Xecutor not only has all 12 episodes of season 4, but also includes the bonus 90 minute movie, Ikki Tousen in Kyoto, and some amazing commentaries by many of members of the cast. I recorded one, but I don't know if they used it. (Sadly, they couldn't include everyone's commentary on the DVD, but they are making them all available online).
It was fun revisiting the character of Sousou. I hope you check it out!
Anonymous writes...
In the scene where Dudley disappeared before Billy's eyes at the start of "Misplaced", was the girl playing on the street outside (the girl whose mother disappeared) Mary Bromfield?
Greg responds...
Honestly, that never crossed my mind. I'd have to look at the model again to see if that made sense.
Anonymous writes...
You were previously asked about the religious practices of the members of the Team, but left out B12-15 and B24-26 because at the time the identities of those characters were still unrevealed. I thought the insight into the possible religious backgrounds of the Team members was interesting and neat, so I was wondering if you could take a stab at telling us what the religious practices of B12-15 and B24-26 would be, please?
Greg responds...
Well... I don't want to spoil anything or go into too much detail that would tie my hands, but, sure, I'll say that with the (possible) exception of Troia, they were probably all some denomination of Christian. As for Troia, I'm not saying anything one way or another because any answer might reveal or suggest something about what version of her origin we were choosing.
Paul writes...
1) When exactly were the founding members of the Team given their designations? The first time we heard the computer announce any Team designations was at the beginning of "Welcome to Happy Harbour", but all 5 founding members were seen in the Cave at the end of "Fireworks" - had designations B01-05 already been programmed into the computer at that stage (I'm assuming so, otherwise surely the Cave's security system would detect intruders)?
2) Were designations B01-05 ranked in the order that the character in question became active as a superhero (so Robin first, Miss Martian last)?
Greg responds...
1. Yes. They would've heard their designations announced when they entered - without necessarily (with the exception of Robin) known the significance.
2. Yes.
Paul writes...
Regarding Troia and Sergeant Marvel, did you and Brandon Vietti go as far as figuring out how they were received by the other members of the Team during the time skip (as in, who they may have been great friends with, who they may have not got on so well with etc.)? Just curious to know if you have an image in your mind of the form their interaction with the other Team members would have taken.
Greg responds...
I wouldn't say we worked out every detail, but we had the basics on what we saw as the key dynamics.
Anonymous writes...
If you could sum up Troia's personality (while on the Team) in one or two words, like you did when you described Aquagirl as 'competent' in a previous answer, what would that word (or those words) be? Feisty? Level-headed?
Greg responds...
I'm not going to do this. Sorry.
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
Hi Greg,
Thanks to the joys of TiVO my daughter and I have discovered and been watching Ben 10.
(Mini review: The theme song is right up there with Spectacular Spiderman and the characters are fun and endearing. That said, at least as far as we've gotten, I have noticed a lack of, (for lack of coming up with a better word), 'depth' plotwise: They stop the bad guy at the nuclear power plant, but they don't explain where all the workers went. The rescue the three kids at a sleepaway camp overrun but space fungus, but don't explain whether the rest of the camp ran away or were captured and consumed. Etc. I noticed that the show was structured with one season of standalone plot stories mostly showing Ben, Gwen and the grandfather adjusting and interacting in their new situation. The second season starts having plots of Plumbers, and Forever Knights and aliens groups, but mainly having them appear in standalone stories. Starting the 3rd season I presume they'll start putting together all these parts into more of a greater mythology. Or so I guess from the fact they have multiple follow-up series.)
I noticed that you wrote the episode I most recently watched, Ben 10,000. It was very good. It made me wonder- it seems to be the most 'overarching plot' based so far. Beyond showing us future hero Ben, future magic caster Gwen, future society etc- it seems to tease the direction of the series. Leading me to my questions:
1- Were you approached to write this particular episode because you are know for working on shows with detailed overarching mythology, or was it more random of that episode being available, or you choosing from a list and it appealing to you?
2- In the other direction, when you are choosing none regular writers for your own shows, do you choose specific writers with their track record in mind to match certain types of stories? Do you offer them to choose among several none claimed upcoming plot whether or not it matches what you think of as that writers specialty, or what writing he or she did that impressed you?
3- What type of preparation do you do/expect for none series writers? Watch all the previous episodes? Read synapses of all? Prepare a list of representative episodes to back up the plot of the episode to be written and its tone? Just take detailed instructions from the show runners and expect tremendous edits to cover the adjustments to continuity?
Thanks,
Laura 'ad astra' Sack
(As apposed to the 'as astra' I accidentally autofilled into my last 12 postings;)
Greg responds...
1. So long ago... As I recall, I think story editors Tom Pugsley and Greg Klein approached me because they knew I liked Time Travel stories. I had done one for them on THE MUMMY.
2. Generally, I assemble a writing 'staff' at the beginning of each season. '(Staff' is in quotes, because these days, in fact, the 'staff' is all freelancers.) In choosing a staff, I generally am choosing from an embarrassment of riches. There are a ton of talented writers who can handle the kind of show I tend to do. I have a few individuals that I've worked with many times before, who are familiar with the way I work and are very good. So I tend to go back to them over and over, assuming they're available. Sometimes, on rare occasions, I push a specific story on a specific writer. More often, I've got three or four and - schedule allowing - I let the writers fight it out for which they'd prefer. (It's never much of a fight.)
3. I'm not clear what you mean by "none series writers". Even assuming the "none" is a typo for "non," I'm still not sure. As for prep, I expect them to have done their homework. We rarely have the footage for them to look at episodes, but I do expect them to keep up with reading the final outlines and scripts.
DanM writes...
Hey Greg... DanM again...
No stories just questions now.
1 - In Rebels is the Producer title of yours a Glorified Title once more or are this the real deal?
2 - In developing characters. Do YOU ever consider how a character name would sound in another lenguage, when you are in the process of naming them? (I ask this because of Count Dooku. Here in Brasil he was renamed Count Dookan, 'cause phonetically speaking it sounds to us as "From a**h*le").
3 - About the toyline. Do the show producers have any say in the development of the toy line? (Like approve or not the design, number of articulations, etc.. That kinda stuff...)
4 - Have you ever considered making a podcast about the show production, while producin it (now, that would be Rebels)?
Thats it for now.. Thanks again for your time
Later
Greg responds...
1. I'm an Executive Producer on Star Wars Rebels. I'm not sure I know what you mean by "once more". I don't think any of my producer titles were "glorified" from my point of view. I did the work; I earned the credit. Sony and Warner Bros may not have needed me to truly produce either SPEC SPIDEY or YJ, but that doesn't mean I didn't produce them.
2. No.
3. No.
4. That's beyond my technical capacity. And I doubt that Lucasfilm would approve anyway.
EXALT writes...
1)Does Angela know the role that Demona played in the Wyvern Massacre?
2)Does Demona think that Angela is more, let's say, justified in her position about humans because she was raised and therefore "corrupted" by them?
Greg responds...
1. Yes.
2. No.
Anonymous writes...
What's your opinion on the allegation that CN cancelled YJ because too many girls watched it?
Greg responds...
I don't buy it.
Erebus1994 writes...
1. Are members of the third race physically stronger than humans or gargoyles?
2. Can members of the third race increase their physical strength by casting spells?
Greg responds...
1. Not necessarily. Depends on their form.
2. Yes.