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Greg Bishansky writes...

I was reading through the archives, and I noticed that when 2198 was called Future Tense and then 2158, you described Demona as being repentant, and motivated by love and redemption. When the 2198 contest ended, she seems to be described as a lot closer to the Demona we currently know. Still plotting against humanity, perhaps her final chance to destroy the human race. Not getting along with anyone initially.

I remember that you were toying with the idea of Samson being older, more statesmanlike and a widower until you revamped 2158 into 2198. So, did Demona also undergo a revamp?

Greg responds...

Eh... Not so much. She was always someone out of the mainstream. I'll admit that my memory of the 2158 days are sketchy, but I think a more likely interpretation is that until I really sat down to DEVELOP 2198 in detail, I just hadn't focused on where Demona was.

Response recorded on March 23, 2012

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Greg Bishansky writes...

Are the gargoyles aware that the two owners of Nightstone Unlimited are Demona and Thailog? The Alexander Thailog name could be a giveaway, and did Macbeth tell them Demona's human name after the action died down in "Sanctuary?"

Greg responds...

I don't think that Macbeth knew about Nightstone, and thus it never occurred to him that - once outed - Demona would continue to use her alias.

Response recorded on March 06, 2012

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Greg Bishansky writes...

This is something I've wondered for a while. We know the Hunters came to Manhattan to investigate all the gargoyle sightings. But what exactly led Robyn Canmore to Dominique Destine? Why did it occur to her that this French immigrant CEO was worth investigating? I understand that she's never been seen at night, but how did that get her on Robyn's radar?

I get why Jon decided to impersonate a reporter for his investigation, and the Hunter's Moon deleted scene explained why Jason decided to go "undercover" in the 23rd precinct. But when I zoom back and pretend I don't know who Dominique Destine really is, I wonder what led Robyn there.

Greg responds...

The timing and location of the incorporation of Nightstone Unlimited. (Not to mention the name.)

Response recorded on March 06, 2012

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Greg Bishansky writes...

You've said in the past that gargoyles follow a vague religion that is both monotheistic and pantheistic, and that at present Coldfire would be the most interested in it. What are Demona's spiritual viewpoints? Was she ever a "believer." Is she still one, or is she lapsed? The closest we've ever gotten was her not considering a Wind Ceremony for her smashed clan a priority in "Tyrants."

For that matter, what are Angela's spiritual beliefs? She was raised by humans after all.

Greg responds...

I think Demona is probably lapsed - or at least inattentive.

I don't think Angela knows too much about the Gargoyle Way. I do think she was raised with medieval Christian values, without necessarily being baptized a Christian.

Response recorded on March 06, 2012

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Lyla writes...

Whose idea was it for Demona to start turning into a human during the day and why did you add it to the series? Did you plan for that to happen from the beginning?

Greg responds...

I think it was mine. But so many years later, I can't be sure. So much of the series was a collaboration.

And, no, we didn't know we were going to do that at the beginning. But it became clear that was the way to go.

Response recorded on February 23, 2012

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Greg Bishansky writes...

So, I was chatting with a friend about tour theories on Demona and her future, both near and far. And this subject came up, and he suggested I ask you. I said "no way, not in a million years will he answer this one." And yet, here I am...

I am not asking for any specifics or clues beyond this one tidbit; when Demona dies, will she be in her human form or her gargoyle form?

Greg responds...

Who says she dies?

Response recorded on February 13, 2012

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Richard Jackson writes...

In the series, Demona gave several phony explanations of how she managed to live so long. Such as, stone sleep (Awakening) and stealing minutes of life from humans (City of Stone). Of course, also in City of Stone we found out that her link to Macbeth is the secret of her immortality.

But that was revealed in season 2 before the introduction of Oberon's Children. Demona let it slip in "Temptation" that she had survived through the centuries, but didn't elaborate.

When in production on the first season, did you know what the secret to her immortality would be? And were there other explanations you thought of but ultimately didn't use?

Greg responds...

Pretty much by the time we wrote "Enter Macbeth" we knew the basics. Didn't work out the details until "City of Stone".

Response recorded on February 10, 2012

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Anonymous writes...

Does Demona keep the tiara on during sex?

Greg responds...

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Response recorded on February 09, 2012

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Anonymous writes...

According to your timeline, Demona and Thailog were back in New York when Oberon put the city to sleep. Did Demona and Thailog fall asleep?

Greg responds...

I'd think not.

Response recorded on December 28, 2011

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Greg Bishansky writes...

One more...

Settle something. When Demona sits back and relaxes, what is her drink of choice? ;)

I now return you to your regularly scheduled "fishing for Young Justice spoilers" line of questioning. Sorry, couldn't resist. ;)

Greg responds...

Honestly, water, probably. But I haven't given it a second's thought.

Response recorded on September 29, 2011

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Greg Bishansky writes...

And, I'm back with another Demona post. Surprise, surprise, surprise. ;)

Anyway, I've watched and re-watched the 2009 Radio Play many times. I know it's not canon, but I also know you kept everyone in character and they reacted to things as they normally would.

What's been leaping out at me was Demona's behavior towards Obsidiana, because it shows a side of Demona we haven't quite seen before.

Allow me to post the line:

"For she wears the mystic Obsidian pendant fashioned by human sorcerers. Even that is enough to put her in my thrall. She has relinquished her gargoyle birthright."

This line, and the way Marina Sirtis delivered it just hit me like a truck. So, now Demona is going around deciding which gargoyles are and aren't pure enough to be "true gargoyles?" But, as far as we know, she doesn't know Obsidiana. She's never met Obsidiana. I can understand her hatred and desire to wipe out the Manhattan Clan, they stand against her and are her enemies. She's completely wrong to do it, but I tactically understand it.

Obsidiana, on the other hand, for all she knows she had a potential ally there and among the Mayans. While the Mayan Clan, as we have seen them, don't harm the human locals, I could easily envision a scenario where she talks them into some kind of anti-human alliance in the interests of protecting the Green.

But then there is this next line:

"Impossible. I am the last true gargoyle left on this world."

I know Demona has a superiority complex wrapped around her guilt complex, but wow. She is this much of a supremacist now? After she wipes out humanity, what happens when the surviving gargoyles refuse to acknowledge her as their divinely appointed empress? Well, I think I have a pretty good idea of that "what next" would be in that completely hypothetical scenario.

Actually, we've seen some of this already in "Reawakening" where she said "We are the true gargoyles, they have been corrupted by the humans!" But the Obsidiana moment felt even more extreme.

This attitude is actually pretty Hitler-esque, what with his witch-hunt against those who weren't German enough, a test which he'd fail also as he didn't have his idealistic blonde hair and blue eyes (and may have had Jewish blood). Actually, reminds me of Demona and her daytime form as well, but the bigot being what they despise is a trope that has always fascinated me.

By no means do I find that line out of character, actually, for me, that was one of the most chilling moments I've ever seen her depicted in. And yes, it does feel like a logical progression based on what we've seen of her. I know she's going to get better in "Gargoyles 2198" but if this is any indicator of where she was heading in your third season, or any comic book continuation, it seems like she's going to get a lot worse before she gets better.

Very cool, and by cool I mean chilling. It will be very interesting to see how her affection for Angela, who was raised by humans and is maybe more of an idealist than even Goliath would play into this.

Greg responds...

Just don't take the radio play too seriously. Remember, I wrote it more or less overnight and I had SO MANY characters to fit in, that - beyond the obvious, that it's not canon - some of it is quite forced.

Response recorded on September 22, 2011

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Garth writes...

Why does Demona hate having her left shoulder covered? Her one shoulder strapped shirt never covers it. In "Sanctuary" she purposely ripped the wedding dress so she could expose that shoulder. In "Hunter's Moon p1" her suit is destroyed in a way that exposes that shoulder too, her other one, still covered. The only time it was covered was in "Future Tense" which I guess is also a clue that it was an illusion.

Greg responds...

Might be a warrior thing.

Response recorded on August 29, 2011

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Anonymous writes...

Some Xanatose related questions here:

1. Is Xanatose enterprises a private corporation or publicaly traded with David obviously as majority shareholder?

2. What kind of plans does Xanatose have for that virus from legion? He seemed really impressed with it so much that he didn't even care they failed to get the defense specs but we havn't seen anything to my knowledge with it yet.

3. Was it Demona who X first learned of Goliath and his clan from or did he learn about them some other way before that like his claim of the Magus writing it down in the Grimorum for instance. Ive never been sure if that Grimorum claim was a flat out lie or not. Plus that line from awakening "At last Castle Wyvyrn" makes it almost sound like he's known about this for some time.

4. When did Xanatose first get the Grimorum.

5. When did Xanatose first get the Eye of Odin.

6. Final question. What did Xanatose exactly want the defense specs for that he was trying to steal in Legion anyway?

Greg responds...

1. Private.

2. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

3. Well, he has. But he's also know Demona for a long time. Beyond that, I'm not saying...

4. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

5. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.

6. Compare what Demona took from that building in "Reckoning".

Response recorded on August 26, 2011

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Greg Bishansky writes...

In 1050, when Macbeth visited the Pope in Rome, did Demona accompany him?

Greg responds...

Story for another day.

Response recorded on August 25, 2011

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Greg Bishansky writes...

How does Demona feel about Coldsteel? Considering her tendencies to hold a grudge, I cannot see her liking him much after the stunt he pulled with Goliath, Othello and Desdemona. On the other hand, she didn't seem to mind teaming up with him in "High Noon." In fact, she got along as well with him in "High Noon" as we've ever seen her get along with anybody. Now, I suppose I could chalk that up to the Weird Sisters' orders, but aside from the basic order (you and Macbeth steal the talismans and steal Coldstone to distract the gargoyles), she still was very much behaving as she normally would.

Greg responds...

There's more to this than I'm willing to reveal right now.

Response recorded on August 25, 2011

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WordSarien writes...

I know you hear this a lot, but I wanted to start by saying that I've always loved Gargoyles; I was raised on it. It was one of the things that started my love for the fantasy genre, and it taught me by example how to write/appreciate stories with complex characters and well-thought stories. I also love TSSM and Young Justice, and started watching both after hearing you were working on it. ;) :) Thanks for all the hard work you've poured into your work over the years. :)

My question has to do with Demona and "Operation Clean Slate". (I hope I'm not repeating a question; I tried searching for it but couldn't find anything.) Anyways, I was wondering a couple of things:

a) if Demona knows about other sentient life outside of humans, gargoyles, and Oberon's children--like the New Olympians--would she care that she's probably killing all of them, too? (I'm not asking if she does know about them--I imagine you probably want to keep that to yourself. ;))

b) Would killing the entire human race count as Demona killing MacBeth? (To be honest, I've never fully understood whether they actually have to kill each other practically simultaneously, or whether just one killing the other would be enough. MacBeth seems to believe the latter, but if he's mistaken, then I'm assuming they would both survive.)

Thanks for your time! :)

Greg responds...

a. I'll leave that to your interpretation of the character.

b. This has been covered. Check the archives.

Thanks for the kind words.

Response recorded on August 19, 2011

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Alma writes...

Love this series, it was the best Cartoon show of my childhood and now, almost 30 I am revisiting the series and am finding ALOT of adult humor, situations and no little amount of (sexual) tension between carachters.
I could babble on but I honestly don't have the time to do it now, so I shall ask away...
At what point in Awakening do Goliath and Demona "break-up".
Yes I understand that he figured her dead for 1000 years but once he saw her, wouldn't he feel the same about her?

Look forward to hearing from you, and again, thanks for bestowing the awesomeness that is Gargolyes into our lives!!!!

Greg responds...

There's no one moment, though when she tries to kill him, the relationship really starts to go south.

Response recorded on July 28, 2011

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg, I'd like to ask how skilled & powerful are Demona and Katana compared to one another? I realize with the comic canceled for now we may never get to see these two in action against eachother, so I'd like to know in your opinion how well the two gargoyle femme fatales would fare against each other one on one. Would it be an even fight or would one dominate the other?

Greg responds...

I'm not interested in HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS OF PROWESS or in OFFERING UP SPOILERS to my future plans. Sorry.

Response recorded on April 29, 2011

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Dragomir writes...

Hi Greg, I realize that Demona is the villain and thus HAS to lose in the end, but I've always been confused by how well Elisa Maza is able to handle herself in battle against Demona. We know for a fact that gargoyles possess far more sheer brute strength and durability than a human being, we see Goliath and company throw gangsters and mercs and various other bad guys around like rag dolls all the time. Even the Pack, who were basically at peak athletic condition for humans before they underwent their "upgrades," were little match for the gargs. Now, I am aware that there are humans who can take gargs on one on one, but they are usually exceptional fighters like MacBeth who has centuries of experience and skill plus padded armor under his clothes, or have armored exo-suits like Xanatos or Dingo to even the odds. However, Elisa Maza possesses neither of these things, she's no wimp of course, she's a cop trained to handle New York's baddest of the bad, but she shouldn't be in the same league as Demona. I mean, her combat experience & skills comes from her police training and experience dealing with criminals, but Demona has over a thousand years of fighting experience at her disposal PLUS all the strength and durability that comes from being a gargoyle, and yet, when she and Maza fight it usually ends up with them wrestling on the ground & Maza fairing far better than she should against someone more skilled and powerful than she is (and equipped with claws that can rip through stone and steel). If Xanatos or Macbeth pulled something like that on Goliath he'd rip them to shreds & beat them senseless, yet Elisa gets away with it with Demona...I guess I just find it confusing and inconsistent with what we've seen in regards to how well the gargoyles handle their human foes. I know Demona has to lose in the end cuz she's the villain and that during some of their battles there were extenuating circumstances (like Demona being in human form or Maza in gargoyle form), but I still find it unrealistic & hard to believe Maza could fare so well against someone so much stronger & more experienced/skilled than she is...Even Goliath himself finds her to be a challenging opponent to face, we're talking about a lady who can lift boulders with her bare hands and chuck them at people, I can only imagine what she could do to Maza with strength like that.

So yeah, sorry for rambling, I really do love the Gargoyle series, but Elisa's ability to "manhandle" Demona despite the obvious strength and skill difference has always irked me. I mean, even when angered Demona tends to fight even harder than before, just like any other gargoyle, and usually that makes them a decisive edge unless they face someone like Oberon who can't be fazed by brute strength & ferocity.

Can you please explain to me how Maza's able to get away with fighting Demona one on one & hand to hand and get away from it in one piece?

P.S. thanks for your time & congrats on Young Justice, I'm totally loving that show thus far, Miss Martian rules! And Cheshire & the Witchboy were awesome villains, hope we see them again.

Greg responds...

Uh... when has human Elisa fought one-on-one with gargoyle Demona? I seriously can't think of one time this has occurred. I mean you can't count when both were gargoyles or both were humans -- at least not in terms of your above complaint/confusion. Are you sure you haven't just ... well... imagined this problem?

Response recorded on April 29, 2011

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A Gargoyles Fan writes...

First and foremost, I probably should've looked more carefully when asking the previous question, and I'm sorry for that.

I've checked around the archives, and taken a better look, and haven't found an answer for this.

Sevarius stated once that if a Gargoyle didn't go through stone sleep, they would have to eat several cows in order to get the energy they need. Demona doesn't go through stone sleep anymore, so how does she get the energy she needs for when she becomes a gargoyle once more?

Greg responds...

I'm not sure you're quoting Sevarius correctly, but in any case... magic compensates for Demona's lack of stone sleep.

Response recorded on April 12, 2011

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Ryan Eden writes...

i have a serious question if Macbeth dies of a natural cause like a heart attack or something does that mean Deamona dies as well from it?

Greg responds...

I'm not interested in these hypotheticals.

Response recorded on March 11, 2011

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Anonymous writes...

Brian writes...
If I could pet a gargoyle's wings, what's the closest thing they would feel like?
Greg responds...
Depends on whose wings.

Say...Demona's?

Greg responds...

Leather, I guess.

Or suede maybe. Blue suede. ;)

Response recorded on March 09, 2011

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Anonymous writes...

How is it that having Robyn at her feet, Demona didnt kill her? I loved the scene and I think that there may be two possible answers:

a- Demona does seem to have a twisted sense of humor. After watching her facing Hackon, The Renaissance Hunter and the current Hunter's father (cant remembere the name)and destroying the ciberbiotics airship with a smile from ear to ear...it's evident she likes to play with her prey, so to speak. Was she just trying to put a scare on the "little hunters" and play around with them a little bit?

B- It kind of seems unlickly that something could have stopped her from killing Robyn, considering there were three unarmed children with her down there...or so it seemed, which comes to the next possibility: Did something forced her to fleed?

Thanks for any answer you may provide ;D Demona rocks!

Kuddos,

Greg responds...

What scene are we talking about?

Response recorded on February 25, 2011

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg!

Now that Desdemona is back on the Clan...has anyone told her about Demona and what she has become?

Greg responds...

I'm sure she'll be filled in.

Response recorded on February 25, 2011

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Anonymous writes...

Is Demona's ankle bracelet welded shut? If yes, how does she take it off when she wears high heel shoes as Dominique?

Greg responds...

I dunno. Maybe her foot as a human is small enough that she can slip it off?

Response recorded on February 16, 2011

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happyteen writes...

What's Demona's insight towards other forms of life in earth? For example, does she share human's outlook in life that everything in this world is there to be exploit by "superior intelligent" creatures like her kind?

Does she consider human ways of exploiting animals and the enviroment acceptable (she hates us and all we do, but I mean...taking aside its us who are doing it)?

Would you say she is more of a cat or a dog "person"¡

Thanks!!

Greg responds...

She has nothing against bears.

I think she'd take a more organic/naturalistic/holistic approach to the environment, as do most gargoyles culturally. But she's also big into expediency and certainly not immune to hypocrisy.

As for Dog or Cat, I could really see her with either... but really with neither.

Response recorded on February 11, 2011

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Anonymous writes...

How many languages does Demona speak??

Greg responds...

I haven't counted.

Response recorded on February 09, 2011

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John writes...

Dear Greg

Thank you for taking the time to answer all of our questions and for your part in creating so many works of exceptional story telling. May I please ask a few questions about City of Stone?

1. May I ask what the people of Manhattan thought of Demona's appearance when she appeared on their TVs? Did they just assume that she was a human in a really good costume?

2. May I ask whether the Weird Sisters saw the entirety of Demona's broadcast? In part 1, they appeared as super models standing with a crowd of New Yorkers in front of a TV store. If they did see the entire broadcast, were they unaffected simply because they're Children of Oberon?

3. Did Bodhe happen to see Demona when she first confronted the Hunter at Castle Moray? If so, may I ask if he recognized her and if he still thought of her as a potential ally?

Thank you for your time, and I apologize if any of my questions have been asked before.

Greg responds...

1. I hate to define things monolithically, but something like that.

2. They took whatever precautions necessary.

3. I'll leave that to your imagination for now.

Response recorded on February 09, 2011

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Anonymous writes...

dear Greg.
I grew up watching Gargoyles, and as a kid, my view on demona was "evil bad girl" now, that i am older, i realise what happened to her, and i sometimes wonder just how different she could have been if she had someone to help her...i think even now, all she relaly needs is a good hug, (Sorry Gol, she would rather slice your wings off first)
Do you agree with that idea?
Thank you for your time in reading this.

Greg responds...

I think it's more complex than either your first or second interpretation of the character.

Response recorded on January 17, 2011

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Anonymous writes...

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

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

Greg responds...

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

Response recorded on December 30, 2010

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John Derrick writes...

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

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

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

Greg responds...

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

Let's start with practicality.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But judge for yourself.

Response recorded on December 21, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

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

Greg responds...

I'm not revealing that at this time.

Response recorded on December 03, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

Who would you rather be trapped in an eight hour car ride with; Demona; Nerissa; or Green Goblin?

Greg responds...

Nerissa, I guess. She'd have less reason to kill me at random. She might even appreciate the company.

Response recorded on November 23, 2010

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Justin writes...

Dear Greg,

Recently watched "Long Way Til Morning"

And this is hopefully the first question that leads to what I hope to complete soon as a long essay on how fascinating Demona is as a character as well as her impact on her estranged clan "family".

In this we see three characters. All with relatively strong familial bonds. First we have the Father, Hudson. Then of course the rookery children Goliath and Demona.

My actual question is this:

What had to be going through Hudson's mind during all of this? I know he acknowledged the two as a mated pair, but in essence he had to save his son from his daughter. That could not have made him all too plussed.

Secondly, the dialogue in this last scene really shows how even now, they still have latent feelings of being family...

Hudson: "Give it up girl, you can't win.." Which even as a boy, first watching this I always received as a Father being parental in some way to his daughter.

Then there is Demona, who is as bananas as it gets. She, even in her tirade tips her hand. She, through raw, volatile emotion expresses she still has love for Hudson.

"I would have ended this quickly! Your pride will cost you your life!" Even though I know at this point in her life she is past redemption, I still feel that the way she exclaims these sentiments is a tell she doesn't want to HAVE to say them. She loves her rookery father. And in a way, still NEEDS him. As all grown children do once we reach adulthood. But nothing can stand in the way of her vengeance. The vengeance for her murdered family. Not even surviving FAMILY.

All too fascinating Greg, and thank you!

Justin

Greg responds...

You're welcome...

Response recorded on November 03, 2010

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Alix December Frost writes...

I was just reviewing the guidelines for asking question. i just want to make it clear, that I wasn't trying to submit any ideas.

Also, what DID Demona do during WW2?

Greg responds...

Stuff.

Response recorded on October 28, 2010

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

Greg:
In response to Matthew and also to your answer earlier concerning "All You Zombies," doesn't changing what he did (let alone preventing his own birth) also change history? It is part of the past that the character said certain words in a certain order, and not other words. If he chooses to change the words, he must change history also. Isn't this true of Demona in Vows as well? But in Gargoyles, history cannot be changed.

The reason I focused on whether or not the character remembers the words spoken to their past selves is this: when Demona shows up with the Phoenix Gate, the events of her encounter with herself have not actually happened yet. So they appear not to be predetermined. But she remembers what she her future self said to her when she was on the receiving end, and she remembers watching her future self kick Goliath. The events are already in her memory, and therefore part of the history she has already participated in. If she remembers the events, then either her memories are wrong (and were wrong all along) or else the events were part of history. The other possibility I can think of is that when she went back in time, she temporarily forgot her previous encounter with her future self and was free to make it up from scratch.

What I don't follow is how she (or Heinlein's protagonist) can choose not to play along without altering history.

Greg responds...

Nothing prevents you from TRYING to change history. Succeeding is something else. Nothing prevents you from trying to jump off a cliff in order to fly under your own power. Succeeding at flying under your own power is something else.

Again, free will is NOT the same as sudden control over things you never had control over.

There's no forgetting in a mystic sense going on with Demona. (No making it up from scratch.) But it has been a thousand plus years. Her memory is good, but not photographic. She tries to make some changes, and no changes are made. They can CHOOSE not to play along. But they DIDN'T choose not to play along. It's a loop. The fact that the CHOICE itself is part of the loop doesn't negate the choice.

If you're falling off that cliff (not flying) and AT THAT POINT choose not to jump... well, it's a little late. But the fact that you can't change it halfway down the mountain doesn't negate the fact that you made a choice in the first place.

Response recorded on October 02, 2010

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Matt writes...

Hey Greg. So in "Vows", Demona tries to convince herself to "...rule the gargoyles. Rule the world!" using the Gate. In "Hunter's Moon" she talks about taking her "rightful place" after the humans are all destroyed. And in "Tyrants" she plans to destroy both human forces "leaving the fate of Scotland to {her}". There are probably other examples of this sort of talk, but I think it is clear that destroying humanity is not Demona's only goal. She doesn't just want revenge, but power as well.

Now on to my question. Something occured to me the last time I watched "Enter Macbeth". Macbeth says to Goliath: "It's not you I'm after. You're just a pawn. I want your queen." Naturally, Goliath is puzzled by this statement. But so am I. Macbeth has had a lot of contact with gargoyles afterall. In the same episode he even told Elisa that he "knows all about these creatures". He spent decades dealing with Demona and her clan and he even wrote a book about gargoyles. So, I'm wondering where he got this 'queen' terminology. Gargoyle language is a pretty sparse subject and the only real terms we have ever known about are "Leader" and "Second". So my question is given Demona's particular motivations as I mentioned above, did she call herself a queen during the Demona-Macbeth Alliance or am I just reading into all of this too much?

Thanks Greg!

Greg responds...

Maybe reading a tad too much into it. I doubt Demona ever used the term "Queen". But her version of being "Leader" is.... not too inclusive. You're not wrong about that.

Response recorded on September 29, 2010

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

I read "All You Zombies" by Heinlein a while ago, based on your recommendation that it demonstrated working paradoxes in time travel, and although it was not recent I decided to finally type up and share what I thought from reading it. First of all, the story creeped me out!

But what I'm writing to you about is free will. Did the main character of that story have free will? On the surface at least, it appears to me that he did not for much of the story. He clearly remembered everything that had happened to him, yet he did not have to option not to seduce himself, or not to catch take past self back in the time machine, nor could he choose to change what he said and did in that bar when he was the bartender. When interacting with his past self, I think he had no choice but to say and do exactly what he remembered seeing his future self doing and hearing his future self saying.

He did have options regarding abducting the baby, mainly because he didn't remember being abducted, but one way or another he had to abduct that baby or get someone else to abduct her: he only had options in how he did it. This is comparable to Goliath time-travelling with Griff in M.I.A. Goliath could not possibly get Griff back to his clan in the 1940s, but he had plenty of options of what he could do instead. In that situation Goliath had far more options than the character in "All You Zombies" had when abducting the baby, but still this is a situation with free will.

But what options does a character really have when meeting their past self, if they DO remember the entire encounter? This is apparently what happened to Demona in Vows. She remembered Goliath's "little speech" (or maybe she was lying to him or to herself, but let's assume she was telling the truth this time) and so she must have remembered what her future self said and did. Does that mean she had no free will to change the encounter with her past self when she went back in time? For example, did she really have free will to change what words she said, or not to kick Goliath? It appears to me that this is a situation where she didn't have free will. When the Archmage(+) told his past self that the future is a place of science, not superstition, and that Demona and Macbeth were only "cannon fodder" he couldn't even have understood what he was saying, let alone invented it himself. In fact his entire bizarre mini-timedance seems to abrogate his free will, because as he said "I should (know what to do), I watched you do it."

Demona's PAST self certainly had free will in Vows, since she did not yet remember the encounter. Likewise, the Archmage clearly had free will during his first pass through his time loop. I would think that any time a character is in a stable time loop, they have free will as long as they are unaware of what "already happened." But when they do remember what happened because their past self is there at the scene, they don't have the option to change what already happened. They already KNOW what happened. If they already know what words they spoke to their past self, then those words are something they remember, not something they are thinking up freely, and they don’t have the option of saying anything different from what they remember.

Am I missing something?

Greg responds...

I tend to disagree with you about the free will thing. Heinlein's character could have chosen NOT to cooperate with his memories. Either because he liked the end result or because he felt oppressed by the inevitability of it all (or some other reason I can't think of at this moment), he CHOSE to play along.

Again, Free Will doesn't mean you get to live the life you want to lead. It means that at best you have the option of STRIVING for the life you want to lead. But some people use their free will to conform. Doesn't mean it's not a choice.

Now, that raises the obvious question: what would have happened to Heinlein's character, to Demona, to the Archmage had they chosen NOT to play along. We'll never know.

Response recorded on September 17, 2010

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Charisma82 writes...

In High Noon, what would Demona and Macbeth have done if Iago hadn’t been the personality to take control over Coldstone? What was their plan if Desdemona or Othello had taken over?

Thank you for your time and all that you do,

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

I'm afraid I'd have to watch this again too. It's just been too long.

Response recorded on September 15, 2010

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Greg Bishansky writes...

This discussion has been had in Station Eight a few times, and I thought I would bring it up here. It seems to me like one could make a case that Demona is the lead character in the greater story of the GARGOYLES UNIVERSE.

If one looks at "Dark Ages," "Gargoyles," and "Gargoyles 2198" as a three act story, Demona's story is the one story arc that really plays out through the entire timeline. She is there for all three acts.

Yes, Goliath is the lead in "Gargoyles" and Samson is the lead in "Gargoyles 2198." I think Hudson is the lead in "Dark Ages," but I might be wrong. And they all play huge roles, crucial roles. But Goliath and Hudson are not in Act Three, and Samson is not in the first two acts.

Demona, without being the lead in any of the acts, is the constant presence. Sure, she may not appear in "Pendragon," "New Olympians," Heroes of Ulster," and may only have a small role in "TimeDancer" and "Bad Guys." But if "Gargoyles" is the center of the universe here, and "Dark Ages" and "2198" are both acts in that story, it almost makes me wonder if this is really her story. You've got her youth, her fall from grace, her time as the main antagonist (or one of them), and then her eventual redemption.

Not to take anything away from Goliath, because I definitely agree that "Gargoyles" is his story and that he is the most pivotal character in that series. But is his story a large piece of her story?

I'm not saying it's all about her, because it's not. I don't think that or feel that, because this is all one huge ensemble piece made up of many stories, but like I said, she seems to be the most constant character out of all of them in the Big Picture. And all without ever being THE LEAD in any of the "three acts."

Greg responds...

It's definitely an interesting theory.

Of course, I don't actually view the Gargoyles' Universe as any one character's story, including Goliath. To me it's a tapestry with many threads...

But I'm not disagreeing per se.

Response recorded on September 14, 2010

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Chris writes...

Would Demona and Macbeth still blame each other if they knew how the Weird Sisters had manipulated them, or would they assume that the Sisters were responsible for their betrayals?

Greg responds...

Please, Chris, allow me to scoop my own material by answering these questions. Please! What? You've changed your mind and don't want the answers? But I'm just dying to reveal everything here and now so that the viewing audience is protected from any surprises whatsoever. Besides, if you let me tell you everything now, it'll allow way more second-guessing and pre-judging of ideas, free of all that pesky execution of said ideas. So how 'bout it? Can I spill? Can I spoil? Ahhh, you're no fun.

Wait, wait. This wasn't a YJ spoiler question. Sorry, I got carried away there for a second.

Anyway, I think there's blame enough to go around. Particularly with Demona, who likes to spread the blame, not absorb it.

Response recorded on September 13, 2010

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Chris writes...

When Demona thought that Macbeth was going to betray her, why didn't she just take her clan and abandon him (or, if she really wanted to make sure he would fall, sabotage Castle Moray's defenses like with what happened to Wyvern)? Why would she work with Canmore, who she hated?

Greg responds...

Did she hate Canmore? Back then?

Response recorded on September 13, 2010

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Loralee Dawson writes...

Hello. I was just wondering if Demona & Broadway were related? And I do not mean though Hudson. They are both the most human looking (besides Goliath & Hudson) their wing talons are the same, neither have horns, or weird face. Also their coulouring is very close. In some episode, even the same colour. I just thought they might be cousins.

Greg responds...

I'm sure they're at least slightly related, but (a) I don't particularly consider them "the most human looking" (maybe humans are the most Demona looking) and (b) I'm probably less interested in distant biological relationships than some of the fans are.

Response recorded on September 10, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

If Demona got pregnant in her human form could she still turn back into a gargoyle?

Greg responds...

Asked and answered. Check the archives.

Response recorded on September 02, 2010

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I miss the Blue Mug a Guests writes...

At the Gathering in Chicago, during the Blue Mug a Guest, you and Keith David were asked if Goliath and Demona had sex during Awakening 4. After the scene where they reunited in the Great Hall it fades to black. Then we see them on the turret with the rest of the gargoyles.

When you both got asked at the Gathering about this, Keith said something like "what couple in their right mind would meet again after a thousand years and go see the kids first?"

I don't remember if you answered. So, did they?

Greg responds...

Honestly, I'd have to view the episode again to see whether it plays as if there's time. But I don't rule out the possibility at all. Especially since technically the trio weren't their rookery children anyway. More like rookery cousins.

Response recorded on September 02, 2010

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Curious writes...

Are there any gargoyles out there that would be inclined to agree with Demona's ambitions to destroy humanity? I find it hard to believe she's the only gargoyle in the world with a deep hatred for humans.

Greg responds...

I'm not big on either monolithic presentation ... or on sweeping generalizations ... or on revealing this at this time.

Response recorded on September 02, 2010

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Richard Jackson writes...

Has Demona ever noticed that despite her quest for gargoyle supremacy that she's not even really a gargoyle anymore? She turns to human during the day and she's immortal. In the Gargoyles Universe, gargoyles are not inherently magical beings, but by this point Demona, I really believe Demona is a magical being.

Greg responds...

Well, that's your opinion. I imagine Demona holds a different one, wouldn't you think?

Response recorded on August 30, 2010

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Richard Jackson writes...

In "Temptation", Demona gives Brooklyn a tour of New York to show him how she views humanity. She and Brooklyn witness a purse snatching, a married couple fighting, and a murder scene. I can allow that at night and in a big city like New York, it would probably be easy to find crimes being committed or the aftermath.

what I always found a little suspicious is how Demona knew which house to go for the fighting married couple. And they are fighting (the wife even throws a vase at her husband) the exact moment Brooklyn looks in the window. Was there more to the married couple than meets the eye or does Demona just have a nose for troubled homes?

Greg responds...

I'll leave that to your interpretation.

Response recorded on August 27, 2010

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Greg Bishansky writes...

This is something I've been pondering for a while. In spite of her hatred for humans, Demona is willing to ally herself with humans when she sees an advantage in it.

She allied with Macbeth (I like to think she thought of him as a friend, even if she wouldn't admit it). She allied herself with Canmore. She allied with Xanatos. Even in the non-canon Radio Play, she allied herself with Tombstone.

Actually, to be honest, of my many problems with the TGC episode "Generations," her allying with the Quarrymen was not one of them (her alliance with Canmore, a Hunter, showed precedent). I was more bothered by Castaway and the Quarrymen allying with her. The former because, well, the demon killed his father. The latter because, it removes the frightened citizens aspect and just makes them designated bad guys.

Has she allied herself with any humans between Canmore in 1057, and her alliance with Xanatos in the late twentieth century?

Greg responds...

No comment.

Response recorded on August 25, 2010

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Anonymous writes...

If Xanatos's archetype is the trickster, and Thailog's is the bastard, what is Demona's archetype?

Greg responds...

The Fury, largely.

Response recorded on August 16, 2010


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