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DEFINITE UNCERTAINTY 2021-10 (Oct)

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Aziraphale writes...

After watching the season premiere of YJ, I have an additional question:

In your reinterpretation of the White Martians, I was confused by their new portrayal as an oppressed underclass compared to the Green Martians, in contrast to their depiction in the comics and other media as hatemongering conquerors. And that led to a confusing racial allegory that I already didn't think worked well, but then I noticed Ma’alefa’ak's birth name is "M'Comm", something original to this show and not the comics, and he was imprisoned in a jail with a giant X on the building. M'Comm X? If this was an intentional reference to real life civil rights leaders, what was the thought process in turning a character who had murdered innocent teenagers the previous season into a Malcolm X analogy?

Greg responds...

I see where you're coming from, but that's not where we were coming from.

The X on the building comes from the X on Martian Manhunter's chest. In our mind, that was the symbol of the M'huntrrs, i.e the Martian police, that J'onn J'onzz was a member of before coming to Earth. I totally see how you got there, but I promise you it literally never occurred to us to associate that X with M'comm to create any kind of Malcolm X reference or analogy.

The name M'comm was, for us, just following in the tradition of most Martian naming, i.e. you take a relatively average human name and Martian it up a bit. Hence John becomes J'onn, Megan becomes M'gann, etc. M'ree, M'aatt, J'ann and M'comm follow along those lines. So, yes, M'comm is a Martianing up of Malcolm, but I never specifically thought of associating him with Malcolm X, any more than I think of J'onn being associated with some specific Jon or John.

Way back when we were developing Season One, Brandon and I rejected the idea of there being an evil race on M'arzz. I find that notion from the comics very troubling. But we did think that the MYTH of an evil race would be useful for the ruling castes to justify their caste system. Scapegoating, in essence, creates a self-justifying belief: "Oh, so the A'ashenn are angry about the way we treat them? They don't like how we keep them in their place? Well, that's because they're hate-mongering would-be conquerors! Thank C'eridyall we DO keep them in their place!"

I've said before that I regret having used White Martians at all. We were following in the footsteps of the comics, but I do wish we had thought to use Grays instead of Whites. For one thing, the idea of Martians being either "little green men" or "Grays" feels right to me, in terms of alien-mythology. But mostly, it's because here in the real world, the word "white" is obviously associated with people of European descent (such as myself) - i.e. so-called Caucasian - and not with the actual color white, i.e. the snow white or chalk white of our A'ashenn. In essence, we were distracted by the visual look of the White Martians and didn't have the sensitivity to focus on the actual and very real connotation of the WORD "white".

That's one of the main reasons why, this season, we made a conscious choice to largely stop referring to the Martians as White, Green, Red and Yellow, in favor of A'ashenn, G'arrunn, B'lahdenn and Y'ellonn. We actively wanted to create some mental distance between the A'ashenn and Caucasians by avoiding the common word "white". We don't want the oppressed A'ashenn associated with the decidedly NOT oppressed Caucasians in any way, shape or form. It's not a perfect solution, but after consulting with our multiple sensitivity readers, it felt like the best we could do, given our failure of imagination and sensitivity way back in Season One.

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Brie writes...

Hey Greg!
I have seen people say that Wallace West (the second) and Emiko Queens relationship in the comics is Spitfire 2.0
An archer and a Kid Flash being in a relationship alone is enough to draw parallels, but they also started off fighting/being sarcastic before eventually opening up to each other and starting to date.
My question is:
1) What do you think about people calling them spitfire 2.0?
2) what do you think about Emiko Queen in general?
3) what do you think about Wallace West (the second) in general?
Thanks for taking the time to answer this! I'm loving season four so far!

Greg responds...

1. It feels like a tribute, so I guess it's a smile. But this question is the first time I've heard of this.

2. She's interesting.

3. Also interesting.

Thanks!

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Ash writes...

Hi Greg, fantastic start to Season Four and perhaps bigger congratulations on finishing the queue.

Have a range of questions both new and old, but I'll start off with a few new ones that I don't Think will be covered in the very soon to air episodes.

1) Once is Happenstance, Twice is Coincidence, Three times is Enemy Action. With Mgann appearing to match Megan Wheeler and Mree (now Emree) matching Marie Logan, we've at least reached the Coincidence level. Given that Hello Megan didn't air till 17 years after M'gann was born, I was curious if there might have been some "Enemy Action" inspiring their names that may have come at a point later than is common for human newborns?

2) I am absolutely loving the Martian language, sorry for avoiding apostrophes here I know that Ask Greg tends to misrepresent those. Was curious if you came up with most of it, or who otherwise to thank and credit as well?

3) With the Blahdenn specifically, I was curious to their name. It resembles Blood, in much the way Aashenn resembles Ash, Garrunn Green and Yellonn Yellow, but we see in Image that Martians have Green Blood, so I was curious if this was the route association and how it fits given that all their blood I would think to be green across races?

4) This is with an assumption that the Maayavaana is not just a light show with magic but does involve some deeper invocation of Ceridyall and the love shared by the couple, clearly a success for Mgann and Superboy. My question is whether this rite would be possible if there were not a deep sense of love shared?

5) We've seen that a Martian telepath, even one as strong as Mgann, has range limitations. On Marzz, is there something like piggybacking signal jumping system that aquires larger ranges, or was Emree and the Zeta Project sufficiently close for her to contact Queen Jarlia Jaxx?

Just a final comment; have loved every bit of worldbuilding and all the new Martian characters. Emree is an absolute favourite and hope to see much more from her as she develops and learns more of her familys truths.

Greg responds...

1. I'm honestly not sure if I understand your question. But it sounds a bit paranoid on the surface of it..

2. Originally, back in Season One, it was a cooperative effort between myself and Nicole Dubuc. This season it's been mostly me and Brandon Vietti. I mean, it's mostly all proper names, as the rest is translated for you. But I'm glad you're grooving on it.

3. Out of universe, Brandon and I wanted names for the races that the AUDIENCE would more easily grok by association. So A'ashenn does indeed equate from white ash, B'lahdenn from red blood, G'arrunn from green and Y'ellonn from yellow. But we're categorically NOT saying that, in Universe, those Martian words evolved out of these human words.

4. Possible, yes. As brilliant, no. The brilliance depends on two factors: the love of the couple and the skills of the Priest or Priestess.

5. There's a potential snowball effect, and yes, if a large linked body is sending signals between each other, than it can overwhelm at a greater distance, as long as SOMEONE on the link is close enough to be in range. And, yes, The Science Center was sufficiently close to the Palace.

We like Em'ree, as well. :)

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Impetuous_77 writes...

I have a few questions about the que ball himself...Hro tic tac

1. How old is Hro talak
2.Why is Hro talak bald
3. Did Hro talak ever get into a romantic relationship with Shayera?
4. Is Hro talak single
5. Is Hro talak nice at all?

Thank you for making him a piece of crap, I've always hated how abusive he was in JLU.

Greg responds...

1. By the end of TEAM YEAR EIGHT, Hro Talak was 52.

2. For one of the myriad reasons folks are bald.

3. No spoilers.

4. No spoilers.

5. I'll leave that to your imagination.

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Verdragon writes...

What did that Reach metahuman failsafe that was kept at STAR Labs Detroit actually do?

Greg responds...

We may never know.

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Caleb writes...

I've been sitting on this question for a while, so it's not strictly related to the season 4 premiere (which I really enjoyed), but here we go:

Agendas is one of my favorite episodes of Young Justice. I love seeing superheroes interact in decidedly not-super ways. Anyway, I was looking at the membership timeline of the Justice League on the YJ Wiki and noticed that (as a rule) there seem to be no new members for years, and then a huge jump in membership around the same time. What was really odd was the (at least) 10 season 3 additions (from Aquaman II to Steel) all joining around 6 months before the season began. This is contrasted with the Team, where members come and go much more frequently. So…

1. Is the meeting/discussion/vote format depicted in Agendas the primary way that new members are added to the Justice League?
2. Are there any outliers besides Doctor Fate (who was then legitimized by the vote in Agendas)?
3. When multiple members are added in a single day (like Atom, Plastic Man, Icon, and Red Arrow in Usual Suspects or the aforementioned season 3 batch), how are their Zeta-designations assigned? When they debuted as heroes? How many votes they got? Whatever order Batman dictates?
4. Whose arm do I have to twist at DC to get a comic miniseries of Earth-16 Justice League Election Specials?

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. On occasion, a hero may be drafted into the League on a probationary basis, during an emergency or for other reasons. But then he, she or they would have to be confirmed in a League vote, as with - as you noted - Doctor Fate.

3. Batman has nothing to do with it. He doesn't run the League. He was chairman during Season One. But since then, we've had multiple chairpersons, including Captain Atom, Black Canary, Wonder Woman & Aquaman (II), and Black Lightning. Generally speaking, if members join at the same time - without having first joined on a probationary basis (as Doctor Fate did) - they are in essence inducted in the order they debuted publicly as heroes.

4. I wish I knew...

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Gigliovaljr writes...

Hey Greg,
It has been a delightful surprise for the sudden premiere of YJ Phantoms and I hope there's more episodes soon.

Looking back at when YJ returned, you had a lot less restrictions, allowing you to tell the story more to your choosing, but I can't help but wonder how different season 3 would have been if Young Justice had never been cancelled to begin with and still had those restrictions.

Could you tell us more of how different season 3 would have been if the show had continued back in 2013? What would have changed in regards to characters and story? What plans for season 3 did you come up after the original cancellation and what plans were scrapped?

Greg responds...

I can't answer that. It's hypothetical to a wild degree. Our general plans for the first four seasons haven't changed from back when we first developed the series. But we didn't break Season Three in any detail until DC Universe picked us up for a third season. And we didn't begin breaking Season Four until DC Universe picked a fourth season up - months before DC Universe became DC Universe Infinite, and we moved over to HBO Max.

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Nick writes...

Since you were willing to clear up by earlier confusion about the G-series of designations (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=24794), I was wondering if you could find it in your heart to help me with the Z-series, considering it is also seemingly defunct after the events of “Nevermore.”

In the Season 3 premiere, Batman exits the League along with Green Arrow, Plastic Man, Katana, Hardware, and Batwoman, as well as some Team members (Robin, Arrowette, and Spoiler). We also later see that Orphan and Metamorpho are members of this team.

Thanks to promotional materials, our current understanding of the Z-series is as follows:

Z-01: Batman
Z-02: Green Arrow
Z-05: Katana
Z-07: Robin
Z-08: Arrowette
Z-09: Spoiler
Z-10: Orphan

This leaves three spots open for some of the aforementioned Justice Leaguers. There is also the additional inclusion of Metamorpho, which means Batman Inc. had at least eleven members unless some of the Leaguers who quit with him did not end up joining his team. My real confusion lies in the exact designation ordering. My previous understanding has been that designations are distributed in the order that characters begin their heroic careers when there are multiple heroes joining at the same time. But if this was the same for Batman’s team -- who were seemingly all recruited at the same time -- then why is Katana Z-05? Based on the debut info you have recently revealed for some of the newer Leaguers, we know that Katana began her heroic career in Japan in Team Year Three, prior to Hardware (Team Year Five), Batwoman (Team Year Six), and Metamorpho (Team Year Seven). But since there are two slots prior to Katana (one of which is presumably Plastic Man) and only one after before getting into the younger heroes, I was wondering if a) these promotional materials were a mistake or if b) any of the debut info was incorrect or c) if Batman assembled his team in different designation batches despite them all ultimately walking away from the League at the same time.

If you’d be willing to clear up the confusion, I would sincerely appreciate it. Hope production on the last few PHANTOMS episodes is going smoothly!

Greg responds...

Okay, to be clear, I'm spelling out the Z-Designations BECAUSE they are defunct. I will not be doing this for non-lettered designations (Justice League), A-Designation (guests), B-Designations (Team), C-Designations (pets) or D-Designations (Outsiders).

Z-01: Batman
Z-02: Green Arrow
Z-03: Plastic Man
Z-04: Hardware
Z-05: Katana
Z-06: Batwoman
Z-07: Robin
Z-08: Arrowette
Z-09: Spoiler
Z-10: Orphan
Z-11: Metamorpho

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Marvelman writes...

In "Needful", why did Gar's telepathic plugs (or whatever they are) fall off during the cave-in? They had always seemed to adapt to whatever form Beast Boy took regardless of size.

Greg responds...

No, they didn't. His speakers never changed size. They stayed on his collar but maintained a consistent size, whether he was a green elephant or a green mouse. So, in essence, if he and his collar becomes too small to hold the speakers, they fall off. This happened last season when he became a green hornet, and this season when he became a green cockroach.

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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May Zozi writes...

Okay so my question requires a bit of background:

All three of the Harper boys (Will: B06, Roy: B25, Jim: A45) have different designations yet are identical as they are clones. So, why does the Zeta Tech not view them all as one person?

In S2, the eye scanner at the Arrow Cave viewed both Roy and Will as the same person. When it scanned Will's eyes it recognized him as Roy, who was already inside, then the alarm went off. I am supposing the technology must be different and I am guessing the Zeta tech is more advanced. But then how does it function? WHAT differentiates them?

The only two things I could think were age and physical attributes. All three Harpers are different ages (technically with Jim being the eldest and Roy being the youngest due to time spent on ice) and have differing physical attributes (hair, facial hair, muscle mass, height, limbs in Roy's case.)

My main question is: how does the zeta tube recognize people? Is it through blood, through DNA, through physical attributes? And how can it tell the Harper boys apart?

Thank you so much and really enjoying S4 thus far! :)

Greg responds...

Captain Marvel and Billy Batson were genetically identical, but the Zeta Tube didn't recognize them as the same person. You're assuming that the Zeta Tube is genetically testing potential travelers. And it clearly isn't. I mean how do you genetically test Red Tornado to identify him? Or Sphere?

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Liam writes...

Before I ask any questions, I just wanted to say I love Young Justice Phantoms so much so far and I can't wait to see the rest! I'm a big fan of you and Brandon's work on Young Justice and I just wanted to say thank you to both of you for it. It's such a fantastic show that has become such a big part of my life and I am forever thankful. 1) You've said before that important real life events have happened in the YJ universe. Are the people who acted in these events the same people or a fictional character who is not them? (So basically, if Person A carried out an event in our world, could it be assumed the character who did the same was an alternate version of Person A, or a different character who's only similarity to person A is carrying out the action?) 2) Was Hello Megan a popular earth show on Mars, or was it just popular amongst M'gann's family? If it was only popular amongst all martians, what about it made them so interested while earthlings didn't seem to like it all that much considering it was cancelled due to low ratings? 3) What were the cultures you pulled from in order to create martian culture? With mention of a caste system, I assume hinduism is one of them but I assume there are others 4) In season 3, Artemis had mentioned that they know the soul exists because of Secret, does this mean Artemis developed an interest/exploration of the concept of spirituality after meeting Spirit, or was it a belief she had prior? 5) This is an add on to the last question, but I assume it would count as a second question anyways. Does Artemis have any spiritual practices that she has developed or is it more of just a recognition? This last part isn't a question, but thank you, Brandon, and the entire YJ team again. I know some fans dislike it or even wish it wasn't part of the show, but personally I love the way the character's personal lives are incorporated into the show because it adds in a sense of realism that really helps build character

Greg responds...

1. If I understand your question correctly - and I'm not sure I do - then there is an Earth-16 version of real life people doing real life things.

2. It wasn't necessarily a huge M'arzz hit. But there's no Nielson ratings to confirm.

3. As you noted, the Indian caste system was an influence. Racism, in general, is an influence. But I don't want to imply any one to one relationship between Mars and any specific culture or nationality.

4. I don't think Artemis' knowing about the soul implies anything more than that, so your either/or question doesn't follow.

5. This, in essence, is a spoiler request.

Thanks for all your kinds words.

Response recorded on October 29, 2021

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Anonymous writes...

1 How long has baazovi been an agent of the light?
2 Was Baazovi a part of the light before he became an ambassador for markovia?

Greg responds...

1. Long enough.

2. No spoilers.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Claire writes...

Was M'gann close to any of her green martian siblings growing up? Obviously not close currently since none were going to her wedding.

Greg responds...

Not particularly - or consistently.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg !
What does Zatanna think about Dick and Barbara relationship ? I mean what was her reaction when she learned it?

Greg responds...

Zatanna and Dick broke up long before he started dating Barbara. Zatanna and Barbara are friends, and Dick's super-power is getting along with his exes. So everyone is good with everyone.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Emory writes...

a) What is Ollie’s relationship with Roy and Will like right now?

b) Did Roy join school after he left the team?

c) Is Roy Native American in YJ as well?

Greg responds...

a. Pretty solid.

b. You're the second person today to ask me that. I haven't thought about it, strangely.

c. He might have some Native American ancestry, but generally, he's a white guy.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Natalie writes...

I seen a lot of people react to Will/Artemis subplot in Outsiders with visceral disgust. I thought it was an interesting way to tackle the theme of loss, and I wanted to ask a few questions.

1. How did you come up with it- and why Will, of all people?
2. How much does Lynn Stewart-Pierce know about Jade? Is she aware that Lian's mother is Artemis' sister?

I have to say I found Paula's approach to the whole issue in-character- she 's very traditional in certain ways. Lynn is lesser-known, but from what little's been seen of her, she doesn't strike me as traditional in the slightest. I can't imagine her being OK with Will dating/marrying the sister of his kid's mother unless she didn't know about the relationship.

Greg responds...

1. They were housemates. Such things happen.

2. Enough.

2a. Yes.

3. I think Lynn was being sympathetic toward two - as she perceived them - lonely people. She was, frankly, also being a little gossipy.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Dean Paterson writes...

How Old is Harper Row In Young Justice: Phantoms

Greg responds...

By the END of Team Year Ten, Harper Row is 18.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Anonymous writes...

Is it a coincidence that Megan and Harper both have the exact same number of freckles? Is it a conspiracy?

Greg responds...

A freak of nature. Or, you know, an art conceit.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Paco Cruz writes...

First at all, I gotta say thank you for creating this show, it’s amazing. I discovered this show pretty recently. It help a lot, I was diagnostic with cancer and since I had extra time in my hands, I decide to watch it. And let me tell you it help a lot. Now I cancer free. So mostly it’s a thank you note. Although I just have a question (I’m pretty sure that I hasn’t been asked before, I read like 300 question in the search for Zatanna. But then again, it might slipped) Is there any chance for Dick and Zee get back together? I really love their chemistry. Currently I have watched the first 2 episode of season 4. Sorry for my bad English. And thanks again. Hope you doing great.

Greg responds...

I'm very glad you're cancer-free. But I can't answer your question. It easily qualifies as a spoiler request, and I don't give out spoilers.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Verdragon writes...

Two questions, both on the overly specific subject of Martians stealing Earth TV.
1: Is J'onn basically pirating Earth television to send back to Mars? Like, are the execs running Space Trek seeing a large spike in their ratings from no discernable source?
2: J'onn says he's been bringing Earth TV to Mars for 60 years, has he been active on Earth as a superhero for that long?

Greg responds...

1. Technically, I suppose Martians are pirating the signal.

2. Since 1960, yes.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Marvelman writes...

I was recently about real-life bio-weapons that are being developed to target specific ethnicities. It was news to me! Were you aware of this when you conceptualized Desaad's bio-weapon at the end of "Needful"?

Greg responds...

I've heard it's theoretically possible. But, no, I have no inside knowledge.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Verdragon writes...

Is Infinity Inc. an actual business venture or was the Inc. part of its name just for the sake of making the group sound catchy?

Greg responds...

Can't it be both?

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Nellie writes...

Hi Greg! So happy for season four!

A few questions:

You said here you didn't remember confirming if Bruce was Tim's legal guardian here (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=24832). But you kinda did earlier in this reply (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=17071). Any clarifications?

In reply to this question you state that Paula is half-Vietnamese, which would make Artemis and Jade a quarter Vietnamese (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=21311). In pretty much every other questions, you've stated that Artemis and Jade are a half-Vietnamese, which would mean that Paula isn't mixed. Any clarifications on that front?

In True Heroes, it was stated that Tara was 15. In your reply in to this question (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=24377), however, you stated that she was 16. Can we take we to mean she turned 16 sometime during the story?

Greg responds...

Nothing is canon, including what I write here, unless or until that it appears in canon media (episode, comics, video game, audio play). So, as for Tim: no spoilers. And as for Paula, at some point, I clearly had a reason to state that she was biracial. I honestly don't remember why, but I reserve the right to remember again at a later date.

Season Three began in Team Year Eight and ended in Team Year Nine. So, in True Heroes, she's 15. By the END of Team Year Nine, as clearly stated in the answer cited above, she's 16. But Season Three ended in February of Team Year Nine. All I'm saying is that she turned 16 by December of that year. I'm not saying which month her birthday is in.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Verdragon writes...

Do Markovia and Vlativa have parliaments and constitutions or are they actual monarchies where the royals are also heads of state?

Greg responds...

Both Markovia and Vlatava are constitutional monarchies.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Verdragon writes...

1. When exactly was Beast Boy's last trip to Mars, because he mentions having been there before at some point prior to M'comm taking on his Ma'alefa'ak persona, but it wasn't brought up previously.
2. Was the plot of "The Prize" based around who was available at the time to do the recording, or was it always planned to feature those characters specifically?
3. In-universe, why did Waller only send Tuppence on the mission to abduct Clayface rather than both her and Tommy?
4. Why are Martians shapeshifting into noted alien-hater G. Gordon Godfrey like they are the Outsiders? Do they just find his endless stream of hatred funny or is it to mock him?

Greg responds...

1. On screen, Aqualad assigned Beast Boy, Miss Martian and Superboy on a mission to Mars immediately after the end of Season Two.

2. Brandon and I came up with the basic story in advance. We asked a quantity of specific actors, and most - but not quite all - were available. So I cut those few unavailable actors' characters, which we had been planning to use, out of the script, as I was writing it. It was a very fast turnaround.

3. Reasons.

4. I'll leave that to your interpretation. But maybe different Martians have different reasons?

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Becca writes...

I'm curious why the time skip was only a year between S3 and S4? It's the shortest one yet and I honestly wasn't expecting it to start off so close to last season.

Greg responds...

It's what worked for us to tell the next important chunk of our story. Also, Superboy and Miss Martian wouldn't just stay engaged forever without actually starting to plan their wedding(s).

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Tara writes...

I've been wondering this for a while. You seem to take a lot of minor characters, or those not as frequently use in various DC projects, and put the focus on them, as opposed to those that usually do. For instance, Geoforce and Halo are more main characters, as opposed to Metamorpho and Katana, who are more usually used.

Is this purposeful? Or is it just a matter of the characters working better with the story? Either way I love it.

Greg responds...

A little from Column A. A little from Column B. Minor characters sometimes seem to give us more freedom, with fewer preconceptions attached. But we still emphasize what works with our stories. In the specific case you cite, it's also significant that Geo-Force and Halo were younger characters, and the show is called YOUNG Justice.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Zman writes...

In Bloodlines, Bart and Jay ended up in the cave at the end of the episode. Bart escaped the cave earlier on because Mal opened the hatch. And we know Jay received an A designation at some point between then and when he helped in Endgame. My question is did Bart and Jay receives A designations in that episode to get into the cave. Or did someone just open the hatch again?

Greg responds...

They were granted A-Designations.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Brent writes...

First, let me say I think its just really cool that you continue to do this. I'm sure it can seem like a hassle but it really shows the love you have for people who love your show. I really appreciate it and I know others do too, even if some of the questions seem obvious or minuscule in importance.

I will ask an actual question, though. Just finished ep 4x02. Jemm is typically from Saturn, but here he is a Martian Prince. 1. Do Saturanians exist in this universe? 2. What prompted you to use Jemm, instead of an original character, like Em'ree J'onzz?

Greg responds...

1. J'emm is still a son of S'turnn. It's just that S'turnn is a king, not a planet. The original development of the Jemm, Son of Saturn comic book series had Jemm as a green Martian. It was later changed to make him a red Saturnian. We chose to merge the two concepts.

2. I always thought Jemm was a cool young hero. Plus, we try, whenever possible, to use existing characters, creating new ones only when it's necessary.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

In your "big round of question-answering" earlier this year, someone asked you about why there was never a Christmas episode of "Gargoyles", and you mentioned that it was never a big enough priority, though there'd been some ideas for it.

This reminded me that Halloween was the only holiday to feature in "Gargoyles" (unless you count New Year's Eve in the "Bad Guys" spin-off) - it got in twice, in fact, once in "Eye of the Beholder" and once in "Clan-Building", and from there, a thought I'd had about "Gargoyles", "The Spectacular Spider-Man", and "Young Justice".

Now, though I think that both "The Spectacular Spider-Man" and "Young Justice" were both well done, they never grabbed me as much as "Gargoyles" did. (I suspect that this comes from my having grown up on medieval legends and history far more than on DC and Marvel super-heroes, so that "Gargoyles" war far more a "first language" for me than the other two series were.) But one feature of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" and "Young Justice" that didn't appear in "Gargoyles", a feature that really delighted me, was that sense of the year's cycle, traveling through various holidays, in particular (I recall that "The Spectacular Spider-Man" incorporated Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's , and Valentine's Day, and the first two seasons of "Young Justice" - I haven't gotten around to seeing Season Three, so can't comment on it - covered the year's cycle - if a different year's cycle from New Year's to Independence Day than from Independence Day to New Year's, thanks to the time skip). Of course, I think it makes sense that those series would focus more on that cycle, since their leads were human (with a few alien leads in "Young Justice", of course, but who were interested in Earth customs), while the gargoyles would have less interest in human holidays (apart from Halloween,for obvious reasons).

More musings than an actual question, but it was an observation that I wanted to share with you.

Greg responds...

I think you're right. But I also think it had a lot to do with an evolution in my sensibilities. Keeping track of time for me started to become a priority for me later in my work.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Marvelman writes...

Hi, Greg. I just finished watching the first two episodes of season 4. You seem to be off to a great start, and I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it. You seem to be focusing more on the original cast. I think that's a good move given how many new characters you introduced in season 3. BTW, I'm not opposed to you and Brandon introducing new characters to the main cast, but I would like to point that you too great time and care in establishing your cast in season one. (I don't think this rises to the level of a suggestion.) There weren't any superhero battles in the episodes, but that didn't matter to me. These were characters I loved, even Beast Boy, and the story kept me involved throughout.

I was surprised that the Legion appeared so early. I had imagined you would tease out that story throughout the season. So, I only have a few questions...

1) Why did you choose to feature these three particular Legionnaires when there are so many others you could have chosen?

2)Will other Legionnaires appear this season? (Yeah, I know what you're going to say, but it's on my mind.)

3)Was that the bio-ship... mating?

Wishing you well

Greg responds...

1. It felt right to feature these three.

2. <sigh> No spoilers.

3. In a sense.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Karrin Blue writes...

Hello! I just saw the premiere - well, the first two thirds of it? - and it's gotten me so excited for the next episodes I can't begin to describe it. Everything looks gorgeous, and I'm very excited to check in with everyone - all the tidbits of what's changed (and what hasn't) are really intriguing. Even the post credits scenes - I'm so glad to see the quiet restful moments from s3 evolve into these little talks.

Ok so, actual questions!

1. Are Harper and Cullen being fostered by the Carrs?
2. So in the explanation of the Martian castes, they said that the priestly caste permanently take on y'alen form - does this mean that they don't shape change ever, or lose that ability?
3. How small is the red royal caste? If every ruler and every ruler's spouse has been red, then do they have to arrange marriages to keep the family lines from getting too tangled?
4. Is the Vlatavan language we hear Perdita speaking based on an existing language, or is it a constructed language?
5. What are the words she says at the beginning and end of her voicemail?

Greg responds...

1. Yep.

2. The Y'ellonn don't change their skin color ever.

3. The B'lahdenn - as Beast Boy said - are the Royalty AND Nobility. It's not as big as either the G'arrunn or A'ashenn castes, but it's a lot of folks.

4. It's a sister tongue to Markovian and Latvian.

5. Labdien = Hello. Es milu teki = I love you.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Elliot writes...

Hello Greg! After just watching the first two episodes of YJ Phantoms on HBO Max, I just want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm so excited to see where the Mars storyline takes us, and meeting M'gann's family has been quite the surreal experience. M'gann's attitude and confidence was a sight to behold whenever she (unfortunately) had to deal with the Green Martians' prejudice and outright assault. I love to see it! Anyways, here are some questions:

01 | Did Roy go back to school after being rescued from the Light? It's assumed that Will was the one that finished his education in Roy's place, so was Roy homeschooled after the fact or did he go back to attending public/private school? Was he not schooled at all? Or was Roy (pre-frozen) homeschooled from the get-go and, as such, so was Will?
02 | In the tie-in comics, it's apparent that Dick and Bette hooked up on the eve of his birthday. Given the retcon (if that's the appropriate word) of the Wayne/Kane family relations in the comics, as well as on the show (with the addition of Batwoman and your confirmation that Bette and Martha Wayne are related), would it be safe to say that neither Dick nor Bette knew that they were distant cousins to some degree?
03 | While I assume it was for budgetary reasons, was there a specific reason you guys chose to use Talia's whitewashed design with the same overtly sensualized/sexualized outfit from the recent DC Animated Movies instead of the more appropriately Arabic and regal design Christopher Jones gave her in the tie-in comics?
04 | A lot of stuff has changed very recently in the comics regarding character sexuality, what with Tim Drake and Jon Kent both being confirmed bisexual (though, as of this writing, I don't think Tim's put a label on it one way or another). Whether or not you were privy to such a development isn't what I'm asking about, per say, but you've stated in earlier posts that you'd never take away an LGBTQ+ character's sexuality away (the question was in reference to Renee Montoya's sexuality in the show), so even though I highly doubt it would effect S4 at all, would the change be taken into consideration in later seasons? I'm not asking about Tim and/or Jon specifically, by the way, just the notion itself. Would a previously perceived straight character getting recently confirmed/retconned as another sexuality impact your interpretation of that character? Just for example, Alan Scott has been gay in the comics for quite a few years now, same with Wonder Woman and her bisexuality. Given that you make histories and timelines regarding most of the characters on your shows, I assume you've done the same with these two back in S1 when they were first introduced, but back when in the comics they were straight. Has the retcon changed things for you guys, or is it largely a non-issue?
05 | Not really a question, just more love for Phantoms! The poster alone was phenomenal, and I'm so stoked for what's to come, especially given the trailer, the first two episodes, and the new opening! I'm so glad Raquel is (seemingly) taking a bigger spotlight this season, hopefully we can finally find out who she married!

Greg responds...

1. I honestly haven't thought about these issues.

2. Dick's not blood-related to Bette, either way.

3. She's still Arabic in my mind. Phil chose which design to use, but I don't believe we colored her white.

4. As a rule, I wouldn't change an LGBTQ+ character into a heteronormative character. But being with a partner of one sex doesn't preclude someone being bi, obviously. And even, say, with a character like Alan Scott, given the environment and era he grew up in, he could be gay - not bi - and still have been with women in his past. I have contemporaries much younger than Alan who didn't self-acknowledge their sexuality until long after they were adults in adult relationships with members of the opposite sex.

5. I LOVE those posters! All props to Brandon, Chris and Jason for their work on them.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Michael Morningstar writes...

Hey Greg!

Today, I just saw the first two episodes of Young Justice: Phantoms on HBO Max and I have to say, I am completely blown away by the animation quality of this season! Studio Mir really nailed it with this season and the animation is on par with the first two seasons (not to say the animation companies who did Outsiders was bad but still could've been better) and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season and pray that Warner Bros. Animation or HBO Max renews the show for a fifth season.

Now, when I was rewatching the show a few weeks ago in preparations for its fourth season's debut this year, something interesting popped up in my mind while I was watching the first three seasons:

1. In the first episode of Season 2, John Stewart/Green Lantern explained to the Justice League and The Team that Kroloteans's culture revolves around stolen alien tech. If this species is so involved in stealing technology from other alien races, how were they even able to travel outside their home planet in the first place? Were they originally an intelligent race like the Rannians and the Kryptonians that successfully managed to travel outside their homeworld and establish first contact but eventually became jealous of other alien species advanced technology so much so that eventually caused them to cease all homemade Krolotean tech and resorted to stealing alien technology for themselves?

2. A decade ago when the first season of Young Justice was going strong on Cartoon Network, you responded to a question stating that New Gods are ageless beings. What does this mean exactly? Are they immune to the effects of aging and disease and can potentially live forever? The reason I'm asking is because Dreamer stated to Superboy that fellow New God Serifan grew up watching Earth Western movies on New Genesis. Does this mean that New Gods like Serifan are born similar to Humans and age like them but at some point in their lives, they hit a certain milestone and effectively stopped aging like regular Humans and become Ageless beings?

3. Regarding Lords of Order and Chaos. In Season 3's episode Evolution, it showed that Nabu/Doctor Fate was originally a human but after he died, he somehow ascended to become a Lord of Order. How is it possible that Nabu became a Lord of Order in the first place? Are certain humans capable of becoming a Lord of Order after death? Can this also apply to Lords of Chaos like Klarion? Was Klarion originally born a human like Nabu but became a Lord of Chaos after his death?

4. You mention that everything that has happened in real life has also happened in Young Justice like 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 Financial Crisis, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. I guess this means that certain Islamic terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram, and Hezbollah also exist in Young Justice? How do these groups react to groups like the Justice League and certain events on Earth like the Reach Invasion and Meta-Human Trafficking? Do they believe these events shook their faith in their religion and their supporters in the Middle East? Or do they use them to their advantage to bolster their plans against the West and the rest of the world?

5. How does a Lord of Chaos like Klarion view the state of Earth it is in? I can imagine that he must be thrilled with events like the Syrian Civil War and the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in 2021 since they bring Chaos to the world. Has he secretly pulled strings behind the scenes to bring Chaos to Earth or does he let events transpire on its own without getting involved?

Greg responds...

1. I can think of a couple of possible scenarios, but I'm not going to tell a story here at ASK GREG. As always, NO SPOILERS.

2. Did I really say "Ageless beings"? Well, that doesn't make much sense to me now, assuming it ever did. Some New Gods are clearly older than others. Relative to Earthlings, they may SEEM ageless, though.

3. No spoilers.

4. I'll leave that to your interpretation. As for Covid, our show was too far into production to be able to incorporate Covid into our storytelling. So maybe on Earth-16, the pandemic hit a year later. Maybe.

5. Again, I'm not telling stories here. I'll leave that to your interpretation.

Response recorded on October 28, 2021

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Jim writes...

Continuing on from my previous post:

1) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Freddy Freeman debut as Lieutenant Marvel?

2) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Mary Bromfield debut as Sergeant Marvel?

3) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Lieutenant Marvel join the Team?

4) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Sergeant Marvel join the Team?

5) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Troia leave the Team?

Greg responds...

1. No spoilers.

2. No spoilers.

3. Team Year Three.

4. Team Year Three.

5. Team Year Five.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Jim writes...

Since you've been so kind as to answer questions about when Arrowette, Spoiler and Thirteen debuted as heroes and joined the Team (the Team Years in which they did so...), I wonder if I could try my hand at asking the following questions, please:

1) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Garth debut as Tempest?

2) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Tula debut as Aquagirl?

3) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Tempest join the Team?

4) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Aquagirl join the Team?

5) When (in terms of which Team Year) did Troia join the Team?

Greg responds...

1. Team Year One.

2. Team Year One.

3. Team Year One.

4. Team Year One.

5. Team Year Two.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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ruby writes...

This is my first time writing in, so I just wanted to say thanks for having this website up! I can't imagine the amount of time it takes to answer everything. It's truly appreciated. I picked up YJ not long after the third season wrapped up, and I'm delighted I got into it when I did.

I especially have to thank you (and the rest of the YJ crew, of course) for Artemis. I was in a bit of a rough patch when I watched it first, and I saw a lot of myself in her. Watching her overcome her fears, especially in the first season, was a reassuring inspiration. There's been more than a few times when I found myself thinking of her as I braved through things. She means a lot to me, and I'm thrilled to see her still working things out now, even though she's been through so much. (I was beyond excited when we found out she's leading the Team now! I can't wait to see that!)

Anyway, I've had these lying around for a bit, so here we go.

1) You recently mentioned some of the organizations you’ve reached out to for help with YJ’s characters of color, cultures you’re unfamiliar with, and the LGBTQ+ community. It’s wonderful to hear that you’re working with them! Which other groups have you worked with (both today and during the first and second seasons) and how does that relationship work?

2) What does a day in the life look like in the YJ acting booth? (I have to imagine it’s pretty fun with that particular group of actors and directors!) Any idea when you’ll be able to record in person again?

3) From what I understand about acting (both voice and “regular”), it’s incredibly important for actors to be able to play off of each other. How does that work with recording during the pandemic? Do actors record lines individually and then play off those recordings, or are Zoom meetings used to imitate the booth as much as possible?

4) One last question about voice acting: how much influence do your actors have over the characters' personalities? Are their ideas about the characters integrated into the writing?

5) I’ve always loved the glimpses we’ve seen of YJ’s interpretation of Atlantis. Many of the versions I’ve seen are basically just a very large underwater city with little oceanic inspiration. YJ’s version seems to have been created with a lot of thought toward how the structure of the seafloor and plant life interact with it, as well as the intense influence of magic. The colors also often feel particularly vibrant and ocean-like. Given that you’re not one of the artists, I’d guess you may not know much about how it was designed, but is there any insight you could give to choices made regarding Atlantis’s design and culture?

I've just seen the first episode of Phantoms, and it's looking spectacular so far. Good luck with finishing up post-production, and thank you again for your hard work!

Greg responds...

1. I'm going to hold off answering which other organizations we've worked with for now, as I think revealing the organizations would by default reveal content. I'd be happy to answer this after the season's over. But I've already stated that we've been working with GLAAD and OUT and MPAC (Hollywood Division). Plus, we've run every single outline and script by Dr. Janina Scarlet (superhero-therapy.com and @shadowQuill on Twitter). She's helped us with psychological and therapeutic details, while also generally acting as a sensitivity reader for our work. And there's also Warner Bros' own DEI department, who've been very helpful. There are more organizations, but the rest will have to wait for now. As for process, it can differ slightly. But generally, we discuss the stuff we were thinking about doing with them and get their feedback. Then we show them our outlines. Then our scripts. Sometimes even animatics or animation. At each step, we listen, take their notes and make sure everyone feels good about what we're doing before we take the next step in the process. We don't do anything that doesn't work for our story and characters. But we admit to ignorance on many fronts and many levels, and we like educating ourselves and allowing that education to be reflected in the work.

2. Well, it is fun! (Or, you know, most of the time. Nothing's perfect.) But pre-pandemic, we'd bring a majority of any episode's cast in together. (Although our casts are SO big, that sometimes we might split that cast into two shifts, trying to get folks who have scenes together to record together.) Jamie usually has them do a first run through without much direction. Then he might dive in and nuance an exchange or a line. Or even a certain phrase. We like to have options, but we want to make sure we get at least one version that hits the nail on the head. And we also make sure that we have at least two versions of every line. Post-pandemic, everyone was recording alone. Which is still great but not quite as much fun. There's a lot of playing back what one actor did for the other actor. (Whomever went first, kinda gets to set the tone for any scene, in these cases.) As for when we'll get back to recording in person, I don't know. Not on Season Four. That's all fully recorded.

3. See above.

4. After an episode or two, we definitely begin to incorporate their performances into their characters. With regulars or our long time recurring actors, we often sit down and talk to the actors about their characters, and I'm not at all adverse to listening to their takes on their own characters and importing those ideas into future episodes.

5. We wanted to fully bring their culture and milleu to life. To see Posiedonis - which is all you've seen of Atlantis so far - as its inhabitants see it.

Thank you for watching!

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Nick writes...

Hi, Greg! I just wanted to take a second to thank you for taking the time to go through the queue this summer (including my many taxing age questions). It’s awesome that you’re still taking the time to answer us fans’ questions DECADES after starting this site. Seeing you go through all the answers these past couple of months has been super exciting as we've looked ahead to Season 4. Seeing the premiere today was incredibly exciting and I'm having a blast talking with the community again as we prepare for all the exciting stuff to come with PHANTOMS. Rest assured, we are campaigning for Season 5.

I have... several questions that I've built up over these past few months as you've been answering the queue, and thankfully, this time most of them aren't age questions.

1. In the interest of age/debuts questions: I know you don’t always love to reference the real years for YJ and prefer to operate on the ‘Team Year’ system. Still, for the sake of saving you some math, would it be okay if I started phrasing my questions as ‘What year was x born?’ instead of ‘How old is x?’ Just want to know if that’s faster since it could make things easier on your end.

For this question (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=24832), you weren’t sure whether or not you had confirmed that Bruce Wayne was Tim Drake’s legal guardian in the past. In this 2012 answer from quite a while ago (https://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=17071), you said: “Batman is [Barbara’s] mentor, but not her legal guardian (unlike Dick & TIM).”
2. Is Bruce Wayne the legal guardian of Tim Drake as you implied in the above answer, or have plans changed since then?

If yes, would you now be willing to answer:
3. Was Bruce Wayne the legal guardian of Jason Todd?
4. Is Bruce Wayne the legal guardian of Orphan/Cassandra Cain?

And just for my own understanding of the legal terminology:
5. Has Bruce Wayne legally ADOPTED any children, or was Dick, for example, simply a ward like in the classic comics?

I'm incredibly excited to see what you, Brandon, and the team has been cooking up these past couple years and I'm very excited for the future. Hope you're having a great one!

Greg responds...

1. Probably.

2. Nothing is truly canon until it appears in the show (or the comics, etc.). Plans haven't changed. But the way the Barbara question was asked, I may have been lured into answering the way I did. So... no spoilers.

3. No spoilers.

4. No spoilers.

5. There's a difference between being a ward and being adopted. But whether or not Dick was adopted is also a spoiler.

I feel like this is probably a disappointing set of responses. But I am extremely grateful for your enthusiasm!!

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Miraphosa writes...

Heya! I literally just watched the s4 trailer, I'm so excited. YJ has done so much for me over the last few years, and I'm glad I get to grow up with it. Artemis was the first character I recognized as a kid that was like me racially (white/asian mixed) and I'm forever grateful for that. It's... honestly impossible to describe how much this show's meant to me. My favorite media of any kind, by far.

Anyways, as someone queer, I'm just kinda curious - Tim got announced as bi after the show was already in production, and I'm curious as to whether or not you think Tim is bi in earth-16 or not? If that wasn't you and Brandon's original vision, is it a welcome addition? Same question goes for Jon Kent as well. Also, are there any other characters you could confirm as queer that wouldn't be showcased as such in the show? So.. something not a spoiler, because it wouldn't get shown anyways? Ahaha? :'D

Thank you for all your hard work! I hope S5 gets confirmed soon (and that we see it before 2024, LOL!)

Greg responds...

I'm going to say that all that qualifies as spoilers, generally. But we're not going to take an LGBTQ+ character and suddenly make he, she or they heteronormative. (We have plenty heteronormatives already.) So, for example, Batwoman is lesbian on Earth-16. So... maybe... that inadvertently answers your question...? Kinda/sorta?

Obviously, we can't change courses instantaneously. As you noted, something that occurs in the comics when we're already in production just isn't going to make it into the show. At least not during that production's season. But down the road... no spoilers.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Shamrock Holmes writes...

1. Has Martha Kent met Superboy?

2. Was there ever any talk of sanctions against Kaldur and Artemis for their actions while undercover?

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. Which actions?

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Terry writes...

Why did you choose to have Negative Woman on your iteration of Doom Patrol instead of Negative Man?
What are her powers?
Is she human?

Greg responds...

1. Given what we were doing, which doubled as a nod to Teen Titans Go!, it worked for us to equate Beast Boy with Beast Boy, Chief with Robin, Elasti-Girl with Starfire, Robotman with Cyborg, and Negative Woman with Raven. Using Negative Man wouldn't have been as much fun for us - or for Tara Strong, who played Raven and Negative Woman.

2. Her powers are basically the same as Negative Man and Negative Woman's are in the comics. But we reserve the right to do our YJ twist on those powers if and when we have the opportunity to go into more detail on the character.

3. No spoilers.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Terry writes...

Who founded the Doom Patrol?
When was it formed?
Where was their HQ?
When did they die?
Who killed them?

Greg responds...

1. Chief.

2. Team Year One.

3. I honestly haven't locked this down.

4. Team Year Five. And of course, neither Mento nor Beast Boy died.

5. No spoilers.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Justice for Helga writes...

In "Illusion of Control" Helga let Paula know that Artemis was back with the Team. Was that accidental or on purpose?

Greg responds...

I'll leave that for your interpretation.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Space Trek Stan writes...

When did Space Trek 3016 debut and how many seasons did it have?

Greg responds...

Production began in TEAM YEAR SIX.

"How many seasons did it have?" Geez, Stan! Who says it's over?

NEVER THE END!!!

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Terry writes...

Can you elaborate on Jochi and Tolui a little bit?

Who is who?

How old were they?

Greg responds...

When Darkseid attacked, Jochi (the fire-bender) was 27, and Tolui (the lightning-bender) was 16.

For more information on them, I'd try the following:

https://youngjustice.fandom.com/wiki/Jochi_and_Tolui

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jochi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolui

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Anonymous writes...

I saw some short videos with panels of young justice comis on youtube narrated by voice actors of the show

https://youtu.be/42QKFkSy4DU

where can are the complete videos?

Greg responds...

They don't exist. These were brief pieces produced by the YJ Wiki (https://youngjustice.fandom.com/wiki/Young_Justice_Wiki) with the voluntary (and unpaid) participation of members of our wonderful cast done to promote our companion (and fully canonical) comics to get more of our fans to read them.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Max Scream writes...

Can you describe the recording process of Young Justice: Phantoms? Was it ENTIRELY done separately? Was it done via video-conferencing? Did each actor get the entire script or just their lines?

Greg responds...

The first half - or nearly half - of the season was done the way we always have, with group recordings predominantly, while picking up the occasional actor at a different time, based on availability.

About halfway through the season, we temporarily stopped recording because of the pandemic.

So in order to keep our board artists supplied with vocal tracks and working (from home), we began recording scratch tracks, using myself, Brandon, voice director Jamie Thomason, Talent coordinator Laura Lopez, editor Cris Mertens, and my wife and kids.

Then we began recording actors individually from home. Some of these actors have fantastic home studio set-ups. Others, well... not so much. We weren't video-conferencing with them, but we were audio-conferencing.

Then we switched from BangZoom Studios for our records to Atlas Oceanic Picture & Sound, which had a booth with a door that opened right into their parking lot. That way an actor could drive up and stay in their car until called for. Then they could walk right into the studio without any contact with any other human being. The engineer was in the control room, and the rest of us - including Jamie - were all listening in from our homes. Then when that actor was done, the booth would be sanitized before the next actor entered. Some of our performers still worked from home, but about half came to Atlas. It was always the choice of the actor.

And every actor always gets the entire script.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Anonymous writes...

Did Phil Bourassa work on Young Justice: Phantoms?

Greg responds...

No, though of course many of his designs are still being used in the series, and what new designs that were created for S4 by Model Supervisor Dou Hong and Character Designers Jerome K. Moore and Austin Reinkins were designed based on the template and design style Phil set for the series. Also, Dou worked with Phil on Season Three, and Jerome worked with him on Seasons One and Two.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Terry writes...

In Torch Songs, Part 1, Superboy's designation is B05 instead of B04. Why?

Greg responds...

I'm going to blame that on me being a flawed, flawed human being.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Jurgan writes...

In the recent IGN article you were interviewed for, you mentioned how Gary Krisel tried to nix the existence of Alexander. Is it possible there was some meta-commentary in The Gathering? Both you and Xanatos (with help) had to fight against a seemingly all-powerful force to save Alex? I'm probably reading too much into things, but I found it an amusing parallel.

Greg responds...

All that was done before Gary suggested that Alex wasn't a great idea. (That's what saved him. He was already baked in, so to speak.) So, yeah, I think you're reading too much into it.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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WildStorm Fan writes...

Any more Hints than what you have already given on the Wildstorm character you snuck into Season 1 or maybe the episode number or if you are in a really great mood how about the character name too. Also Thank you so much for continuing to make this show.

Greg responds...

No spoilers.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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B writes...

Does Maggie the Cat have a heat cycle?

Greg responds...

Uh... I don't know. I'd have to consult with some biologists.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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FlashKnight writes...

1. Is there any difference in the way Barry or Bart's power work.
2. I am very curious like how would you describe the personality of Jay Garrick, like Barry you described as straight man Gary Cooper like, Wally is a bit more wisecracking and well we have had 2 seeasons of him so his personality is pretty clear, similarly Bart is also pretty easy to understand but like if you had to compare Jay and Barry how would you describe Jay.
3. Do the powers of Jaculi and Trajectory work the same way as Barry or Wally or Jay or Bart, essentially could you tell me the mechanics of their powers like how their speed compares to the flash family, metabolism problems and if acccelerating and deaccelerating is required.

Greg responds...

1. How they work? No, I don't think so.

2. I'm inclined to leave this to your interpretation. But I guess I see Jay as more Spencer Tracy than Gary Cooper.

3. It basically worked/works the same way for them both, but Jaculi was and Trajectory is even less powerful than Wally.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Kevin writes...

1. Since the X designations seem to have been discontinued would it be possible for you to reveal what they were? I agree with you about leaving the rest to be discovered it's just seems implausible for these to be revealed naturally because of the end of Season 3.
2. Prior to Season 2 have we seen the characters who made up the A08 A09 and A14?
3. Does Brucely have a Designation? (I know kinda of a silly question but I think he deserves one.)
4. Did Arsenal gain an A designation after he left the Team similar to how Zatanna gained a B and Justice League Designation?

Greg responds...

1. X-Designations? We don't have X-Designations.

2. Prior to Season 2? Well, I shouldn't answer, but no.

3. He does.

4. No.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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magicmanzach writes...

Well here's a couple of magic themed questions-
1. The Sword of Beowulf had the arm of Grendel as a scabbard and I have been very curious as to which sword it was, in the archives you have mentioned that it had been long since you read the novel and that you don't remember, but after reading it the only option that makes sense to me is the Giant sword which melts in the blood of Grendel's mother. Now this might seem convoluted logic on my part and it most probably is but the sword although melted the hilt remained and that melting bound the magical sword or rather only the hilt at this point and was bounded to the another thing of the same blood the arm of Grendel and thus the sword becoming whole again or maybe the story happened a little differently on earth 16. Is this guess right and if not is there anything you can recollect about the sword or the story of how it happened on earth 16?
2. In Early Warnings was Zatanna channeling the power of Dr Fate and summoned his Ankh the symbol of fate's power because Klarion said that doesn't belong to you, So are Humans Sorceres just capable of channeling the power of Lord of Orders wihtout any conduit like the helmet?
3. Why couldn't klarion escape from the tower of fate in Early Warnings despite the fact that he easily escaped in Denial, was it because he was on the top of the tower in Denial and so it was easy to understand for him where he is in space and time as opposed to early warnings where he is inside the tower so it is difficult to teleport since space and time are weird inside the tower or maybe Nabu just upped the security in the tower since Denial?
4. The magic in Young Justice perplexes as it should since well it's magic, but how can Zatanna train Thirteen who does magic without the use of any words are there two different types of magic, I thought only immortal sorcerers could do that. Like are their multiple types of magic because well they aren't rules or restriction that I recall on magic on young justice all we have is experience levels and the power gap between immortal and mortal sorcerers. Basically is there a 101 to magic in young justice if you plan to reveal that season 4 or future I get it but if there are no spoilers then that would really ease my confusion otherwise Spoiler Request No Spoilers is fine by me.

Greg responds...

1. I'm sorry. I'm in the same spot I was in before. It's just been too long since I've read Beowulf.

2. She cheats.

3. Yep. Easier to find one's way off the roof than out of the interior. But he wasn't eternally trapped. Just lost. It's hard for him to focus sometimes.

4. There are indeed multiple types of magic. But it is all about channeling mystic energies.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Owen writes...

1. Why doesn’t Aquaman/Kaldur'ahm get his Tattoos erased or complete Sorcery school?
2. Does Ocean Master have the ability to use sorcery or is all derived from the Trident of Neptune?
3.Why did Miss Martian think Robin Orphan Spoiler and Arrowette weren’t good as the others on the Team when they worked well as a team in Batman Inc?
4. What do the Brain and Ultra Humanite’s scientific specialties? Does the Brain have leadership skills over Humanite at least prior to Season 3 of Young Justice?

Greg responds...

1. Why should he?

2. Both. But past tense.

3. I'm not clear why you think Miss Martian thinks that. Cuz she doesn't.

4. More experience, and Ultra-Humanite's work was based in part on Brain's.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Dovington writes...

What do you think of NECA's new Gargoyles action figures?

Greg responds...

I'm thrilled by them. I've ordered three of each. (Although, if NECA wanted to give them to me free, I wouldn't say no.)

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Anonymous writes...

Would previous members of the light like The Brain be accepted back into the light if they escaped prison? Or is it like if your caught you’re never allowed back?

Greg responds...

It's not automatic either way.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Anonymous writes...

1. Is there any reason why Helga is so obsessed with family?
2. What type of monarchy is Markovia?
3. In which country and what Brion studied?
4. Is Dr. Jace a metahuman?

Greg responds...

1. There are always reasons.

2. Constitutional.

3. Markovia. Great Britain. He was in high school, or the equivalent.

4. That would seem to be a spoiler request.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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dinah writes...

How old is Dr. Jace?

Greg responds...

By the end of Team Year Eight, Helga Jace is 34-years-old.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Paul writes...

1. In "Triptych", Batman referred to Diana/Wonder Woman as "a princess of Themiscyra". Is Troia (Diana's "sister", as we know from "Elder Wisdom") also a princess of Themiscyra?

2. What was the casting process like for the role of Troia? I'm curious after your recent responses concerning the casting process for characters like Geo-Force.

3. I'm curious about this so here goes, even though it might be a spoiler request. Do Garth, Troia and Catherine Cobert have (semi-)regular meetings with the Justice League, or at least with whoever is leading the League at a given time, given that they apparently like to speak out on behalf of the League? In "Royal We" and to a lesser extent "Influence", these characters seemed to be very in-sync with the League's actions and views.

4. Lengthy question now.

In a previous Ramble ("ASK GREG LIVE - Correcting the Web"), you said that "Unfortunately, for reasons reported fairly accurately from ASK GREG LIVE, we were unable to cameo either Troia or Mary at Rocket's bridal shower because there just wasn't time for Phil Bourassa to design FOUR new characters, i.e. the two girls in both their civilian and super-hero costumes."

And in a response dated April 4th 2016, you stated that "Donna Troy/Troia and Mary Bromfield/Sergeant Marvel were scheduled to appear in Season Two at both Rocket's bridal shower and among the crowd of heroes in the season finale."

Looking at both of these comments that you've made in the past, it sounds as though there were plans to include the following four designs in "Satisfaction": Donna Troy, Troia, Mary Bromfield, and Sergeant Marvel. Is my hypothesis correct? (If so, then this would seemingly confirm that Troia used the alias "Donna Troy" at the bridal shower when she was in civilian attire.)

5. Are there any episodes coming up in season 4 that, in your mind, are as good as some of your favorite episodes from seasons 1-3 (anything as good as say "Misplaced" or "Overwhelmed")?

Best of luck with wrapping up season 4 and fingers crossed that THE MODE WILL BE CRASHED so that there can be a season 5!

Greg responds...

1. Yep.

2. I think we chose the wonderful Grey Griffin from among the actors already in the episode.

3. Catherine does, certainly. Garth and Troia might have an occasional chat, but they aren't representing the League.

4. Troia may have used the alias Donna Troy when she was on the Team, but Donna isn't her real name. How we LABELED the designs behind the scenes to avoid confusion doesn't reflect the in-universeness of the fact that had she been there and had anyone addressed her by name, they would've called her Troia, not Donna.

5. In short, yes. (I mean what kind of question is this? Did you expect me to answer, "No, they're all sub-par?")

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Paul writes...

Hi Greg! Hope you're well! :) I'm so excited for FanDome today!!

1) Have Kaldur and Garth remained great friends over the years, since Team Year Zero? I know that they worked together as part of the Team but I wonder whether they remained close.

2) I've noticed that when Kaldur lists Team members, he tends to do so in the order of their Designations. This happens most notably in "First Impression", when he lists the Team members in order of B-designation, and then lists the Outsiders in order of B-designation. However, when Superboy mentions Garth and Troia in "Influence", he does not list their names in order of Designation. He mentions Troia first. Was this a subtle hint that Conner and Troia are close?

3) Now that Troia has appeared and we've seen a little bit of what she's up to on Earth-16, would you be able to reveal the in-universe reason for her absence in "Satisfaction", please? (I wonder if it had anything to do with the U.N.) You previously said that you couldn't say why she didn't attend "without revealing SPOILERS" for her story... but maybe now is a good time to ask.

4) Since Troia left the Team before Garth, was she the first of the two of them to start pursuing a career as a U.N. Ambassador?

5) In a previous response, you stated that Garth was "teaching combat sorcery in Atlantis" after leaving the Team. Has he continued to do this when possible (though I would think that being a part of the U.N. would take up a lot of his time)?

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. Nope. I think you're reading too much into that.

3. I think she was just busy on Themyscira.

4. No spoilers.

5. Maybe he guest lectured on occasion. But he's pretty busy these days.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Gabrielle writes...

1. Does Hawkwoman genuinely love HawkMan?

2. What is Shayera's eye color?

3. Will we get to see more of the league's personal lives further down the line?

4. Why are the hawks 11 years apart? I'm just curious I ain't hating on you for it.

5. Have the hawks slept with each other?

Greg responds...

1. I would hope so. They're married.

2. Probably shouldn't be asking the color-blind guy color questions.

3. Here and there.

4. I'm not sure I understand the question. Why are my wife and I three years apart? That's when we were born. If you're looking for backstory information here, then: NO SPOILERS.

5. Yes. They're married.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Steven writes...

Does Zatanna have any personal hatred towards klarion considering he was the reason her father was forced to become dr fate permanent host?

Greg responds...

I'd think so.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Todd Jensen writes...

Earlier this year, two of Disney's television animated series included allusions to "Gargoyles". The first was the series finale of "Duck Tales", which had an already-established character, a headless horse named Manny, become a Goliath-counterpart (including a scene where he grows a head and wings while the theme music of "Gargoyles" plays, then cries - voiced by Keith David - "I live again, again!" - it makes sense in context). The second was in the Season Two finale of "Amphibia", where one of the characters is seen looking through a book on legends, which had a picture of Goliath drawn in the style of Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man".

I was wondering if you'd heard of these two nods to the show, and if so, what you thought of them.

Greg responds...

I'd heard about both, though I haven't seen them myself.

It tickles me.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Mark writes...

Nightwing:”ra’s al ghul is many things but a liar isn’t one of them?” Isn’t this false considering Ra's lied when in “targets” he expressed a desire to kill Luthor, but it turned out to be a ploy orchestrated by both Luthor and him? Nightwing should know about that so why would he think Ra’s wouldn’t lie?

Greg responds...

When Ra's gives his word, makes a statement, it can generally be taken as true to his mindset. But that doesn't mean he doesn't scheme.

But Nightwing could also be wrong.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Karrin Blue writes...

1. In Nevermore, Baazovi calls DeLamb a war criminal - has he actually broken the laws of war, or was Baazovi being dramatic?
2. If he is a war criminal, which crimes has he committed and when?
3. If he committed them while or before taking his job as the leader of the security forces, did the king - or the public at large - know about them, or did they come to light while he was in jail?
4. Had DeLamb already been tried and convicted by Overwhelmed, or was he being held while his case was being investigated? On the one hand I'd think Gregor would want that squared away as soon as possible, on the other hand there'd be a great deal to prepare for trial.
5. Did Baazovi psychically influence DeLamb to break out the second time, after he'd surrendered, or was that all Frederick refusing to know when he'd lost?

Greg responds...

1. Mostly the latter, but some of the things he was attempting to have done would qualify.

2. Well, planning to murder all of those loyal to Gregor in the local cemetery seems to qualify...

3. It was during this latest coup.

4. Probably being held for trial.

5. I'll leave that to your interpretation.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Karrin Blue writes...

1. Do Baazovi's powers need him to speak to someone to 'nudge' them, or is his being nearby enough?
2. What's the spelling of Halo's purple purification beam chant? Subtitles only have 'chanting in alien language'
3. Once and for all - do the Markovs say Mother of -God- or Mother of -Goat-?
4. Was the assassin who killed Viktor and Ilona under a control chip at the time?
5. Are the royal families of Vlatava and Markovia interrelated?

Greg responds...

1. Speaking helps... and helps cover the nudge. He just seems to be speaking good sense. As opposed to them taking a turn out of nowhere.

2. ENIERSTOHNN, KAHHD-ZOHNN-TORRCH-HIERROH!

3. Mother of Goat! GOAT!! I mean, of course! Does it ever sound like God? And who the heck would ever say, "Mother of God?"

4. Nope. Just under the impression that he was a valued employee.

5. Not in recent generations, at least. Maybe in the distant past.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Karrin Blue writes...

More questions!

1. Do Sha'lain'a and Calvin have jobs in Atlantis, and if so, what are they?
2. About how many metas were rescued from all the auction raids in True Heroes and brought to Taos?
3. Did the control chip cure Slade gave Tara work immediately, and did it completely block the effects or lessen them?
4. Why did Catherine Cobert list Black Lightning with the protest resignations?
5. Was it meant to be ambiguous which of Brion's actions - killing DeLamb, taking the throne, giving Jace another chance - were egged on psychically by Zviad, and how much 'nudging' was needed?

Greg responds...

1. No spoilers.

2. I don't have an exact number. Over twenty, under a hundred.

3. Blocked the effects from moment one.

4. I'll leave that to your interpretation.

5. Ditto. So... yes.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Karrin Blue writes...

Hello! First, a correction - a while back, I sent in an ask saying the origin of the 'blood is thicker than water' phrase was originally about families of choice; in the last few years I actually looked for the origins of that and, unfortunately, that etymology is entirely unsourced and not backed up by historical record. So, I'm sorry for accidentally spreading that.
Anyways! Questions:
1. Was DeLamb's metagene activated before or after Tara's?
2. Was the Zatanna in Artemis' 'Limbo' really her, or part of Artemis' subconscious, like the part of her that knew she had to go back?
3. In Elder Wisdom, Tara told Slade the Outsiders' parents were grounding them, and Lex repeated that on television. We know the Outsiders saw that, since Jay responds (and him calling Lex a fascist on Twitter was a great moment, so thanks to whoever in the writer's room came up with that), but did they ever have any suspicions over who would've know about it and leaked it? It seemed kinda odd to me they didn't question that or wonder if they had a mole.
4. The show seems to be pretty consistent about showing scenes in the language the characters speak in - Atlantean scenes are all in the Atlantean conlang, unless someone's cast a translation spell, that sort of thing. So, does that mean when the Markovs reunited, they were actually speaking English among themselves, and if so, is there an in universe reason for that?
5. Artemis says she knew Tara was still with the Shadows from before they saved her - does this mean that Artemis was told about the Anti-Light without being a member?

Greg responds...

1. His meta-gene was identified before Tara's but activated after. (She was, in essence, his guinea pig.)

2. All Artemis, all the time.

3. It's a fair question. I'd say they had bigger distractions at that time. And none of the older heroes - who knew there was a mole and who that mole was - would have encouraged worrying about that point.

4. Uh... Maybe... um... Gregor wanted to practice his English. Yeah! That's the ticket!

5. No. Again, the fact that heroes from different organizations exchanged information was nothing new. The Anti-Light, of course, went beyond that.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Kyra writes...

Why did the light allow granny goodness, one of darkseid’s loyal followers to join their ranks?

Greg responds...

Seemed like a useful addition to the group. And for a time, it was.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Anonymous writes...

Lex previously stated that he finds revenge a sucker’s game, but in season 3 he attacked the outsiders on tv simply because they destroyed a factory full of spider droids that he owned. Does he think that this doesn’t count as revenge?

Greg responds...

As G. Gordon pointed out, Lex was off his game. It happens to the best of us.

And obviously to the worst of us also.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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Anonymous writes...

1. Was ultra humanite actually Helga’s mentor in the past or was that a lie Helga told violet?
2. Ultra Humanite and Gretchen didn’t really seem to get along well in episode 22. Was this because halo should have been rightfully his according to the light’s traditions. Or do they just not like each other?

Greg responds...

1. TRUTH!

2. He felt aggrieved.

Response recorded on October 25, 2021

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RIP Peter Scolari

I only met Peter Scolari on the handful of occasions that he came in to play Preston Vogel for us on Gargoyles. But he was wry and funny and thoroughly professional. He had most of his scenes with the late Robert Culp, who was a ton of fun bur a challenge in the booth. But Peter played off Culp wonderfully and kept the sessions flowing. Outside, the booth Peter had great stories that kept us laughing and fascinated.

And, man, was he talented. Gargoyles and Vogel aside, I ADORED Scolari in Bosom Buddies, and treasured his performances in Newhart.

He will be missed.


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How I Spent My Weekend...

So... I had a LOT going on this past weekend.

On Saturday, DC FanDome premiered trailers for both CATWOMAN: HUNTED and YOUNG JUSTICE: PHANTOMS, and revealed that the first two episodes of the latter were dropping THAT DAY!

I spent considerable time online - and I don't usually do the online thing over the weekend; in fact, I don't even check my email most weekends - trying to #SpreadTheWord.

But to sum up, here's the news...

CATWOMAN: HUNTED, an anime movie based on my original script, is being released in early 2022. You can see the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYPqTLS_g9c. It stars Elizabeth Gilles as Catwoman and Stephanie Beatriz as Batwoman. Voice directed by our old friend Jamie Thomason, it also features Jonathan Banks, Lauren Cohan, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Ron Yuan and my peeps, Steve Blum, Keith David, Zehra Fazal, Jonathan Frakes, Kelly Hu, Andrew Kishino, Eric Lopez and Jacqueline Obradors. Folks have asked me if it's in continuity with Young Justice. My answer: it's YJ-adjacent, much like that old Green Arrow/DC Showcase short I wrote years ago. A version of these events happened on Earth-16. If you're a completist, you're going to want to watch. (Also, I really think it turned out great!)

Meanwhile, the fourth season of YOUNG JUSTICE, i.e. YOUNG JUSTICE PHANTOMS, dropped its first two episodes this past Saturday on HBOMax. Episode 403 will drop this coming Thursday, 10/21. With another episode (through 413) dropping every Thursday through December 30th. The back half of the season (i.e. 414-426) will drop weekly in Spring, 2022. I'm truly excited for the fans to see the season - and evil creator that I am - also glad that the show isn't all dropping at once. I firmly believe television - especially a show like YJ - is a better experience if you have time to savor and sort and absorb and predict for a week in between episodes.

As for the fourth season's production, we have 21 episodes in the can and ready to air. The last five have all been animated and are currently in post-production. And since there was no IATSE strike today, we're still hard at work. (And to be clear, I'm a member of IATSE as part of the Animation Guild, and I was 100% supportive of the union.) We should be done with all 26 episodes by the end of November.

IMPORTANT ADDENDUM: YOUNG JUSTICE has NOT yet been picked up for a fifth season. So if fans want more of Earth-16, the answer is simple: #KeepBingingYJ (all four seasons) over and over. And over and over. And help us #SpreadTheWord. We want to #SaveEarth16.

So use the following hashtags ad nauseam - just as I'm doing in this post:

#CatwomanHunted
#YoungJustice
#YoungJusticePhantoms
#KeepBingingYJ
#SaveEarth16
#SpreadTheWord

And watch the show on HBO Max!!! Please...

For international fans, I wish I could give you info on when any or all of the above will be available in your countries. But unfortunately, TPTB do not keep us folks in the trenches well-informed. Asking me over and over won't magically reveal that information to me so that I can reveal it to you.

Finally, by the time all my work was done on Saturday, I was completely exhausted and took a nap. In the nap, I dreamed I wrote a hit song. Seriously. Now, normally, my dreams slip away entirely upon waking. And even when I do remember the gist of a dream, the details are lost within seconds. But I actually woke up with a clear memory of the song - both the lyrics AND the tune. Here are the lyrics:

I'm taking my pants off,
Cuz it's that kind of party!
I'm walking a straight line,
And it's luminous!

That's the whole song. You can see why it was such a big hit in Dreamland. I'm expecting the Dream-Royalties to roll in any minute.

STAY WHELMED, everyone!