Great stuff. Was a little surprised no Hallowe'en Special was solicited but this makes sense. Interesting, but I guess unsurprising given the topic, that it's a co-write.

I'm also glad it's a Winter Special not a Holiday Special. In the UK, Holiday Specials have a different meaning which makes me feel quite nostalgic - holidays in the Cliff Richard sense. Or at least they did: sadly there are only a handful of UK comics left.
Ed
posted @ Sun, Sep 22, 2024 2:50:11 am EDT from 31.94.0.201

[SPOILER] I'd wondered about Fu-Dog's absence as well (practically everything Bronx has done in the Dynamite comics has been in company with Fu-Dog), and this being set during the first two seasons could answer that question. (And ensure that it won't contain any spoilers for the remaining two episodes of "Gargoyles Quest".)

I remember someone once speculating - not very seriously - that the clan came home to the clock tower after the events in "The Price" to find that Bronx, left to his own devices there for so long, had wrecked the place and eaten all the food.

It would certainly be fun seeing Bronx encountering and chasing pigeons; so far, we haven't seen that aside from the Fleecs cover to Here in Manhattan #1, which obviously isn't intended as canonical. (I've had a little creativity demon of my own, partly inspired by the also-not-too-serious theory from "Voices in the Eyrie" that Bronx got hold of a croissant while in Paris during the events of "Sanctuary", that Bronx made an offstage visit to Trafalgar Square in "M. I. A.", though I don't know if the pigeons are still there after dark.) Mind you, I've wondered at times how seriously we should take the "gargoyles - particularly Bronx - don't like pigeons"; after all, the pigeons answering the call of nature on them - the obvious rationale for this feud - would be taking place in the daytime while they're in stone sleep, the pigeon droppings would be on the stone skin they shed when they awaken, so they wouldn't consciously experience the humiliation. [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen
posted @ Sat, Sep 21, 2024 8:06:40 pm EDT from 68.99.93.213

[SPOILER]
The seeming absence of Fu-Dog does leave open the possibility that this story takes place in an earlier time period. December 1995 seems a good candidate.
[/SPOILER]
Craig
posted @ Sat, Sep 21, 2024 1:35:36 pm EDT from 12.74.53.101

Yep, officially a Winter Special. Makes more sense than a specific holiday - the actual solstice would likely have more significance to the Gargoyles than any holiday around it (Halloween being significant is far more about its costuming aspect than anything else).

The Halloween Special definitely shows Disney and Dynamite can get an issue out when necessary for a specific time; as such, I imagine getting this approved from the higher ups was likely a different protocol or something put in the works for quite a while (maybe even not that long after Trick-or-Treat went out?). I'm just curious how this will work time wise. Is it going to spoil tiny bits of Quest like Trick-or-Treat did for Here In Manhattan or is it set at a time to avoid that?

Then there's the storm itself. Going by real-world weather history, of the known winters the Clan were active, January 1996 was the blizzard that had the biggest snowfall with over 20" in Central Park. That's right near the start of the Avalon World Tour, though, so it's not possible there as Bronx is otherwise engaged. The preceding December DID have a significant winter storm dropping about 7.7" which was the most for the month since 1960, but it wasn't as much as predicted (up to a foot was anticipated). I am curious if this will be roughly around a real-world equivalent storm, though - the winter weather shown in 1995 on the show (the tail end of season one and around the time of The Price in S2) are only off by a day or so in those cases. If this doesn't have a rough real-world equivalent, might there be other forces at play?

And speaking of Bronx solo adventures...I wonder if we might get his "third story" as a special at some point, the events he was experiencing while Vendettas and Turf were happening. I also wonder if any pigeons will be shown during the Special so Bronx's "almost savage fury" toward them finally gets canonized.

If this post proves anything, its sheer size should show the level of my anticipation.

And one thing did occur to me while writing all this... [SPOILER] the December 1995 "weak" storm is the one that's roughly equivalent to the winter weather in The Price...and Bronx doesn't appear in that episode, now does he? [/SPOILER]
Brainiac - [OSUBrainiac at gmail dot com]
There is balance in all things. Live in symmetry with the world around you. If you must blow things up and steal from those around you, THAT'S WHAT RPGS ARE FOR!
posted @ Sat, Sep 21, 2024 11:56:59 am EDT from 184.54.103.20

[SPOILER] I decided to look up dog statues in Central Park, in case any of them might serve as a backdrop for Bronx's adventure. The big one was the statue of Balto - which *has* turned up in "Gargoyles" already, in a way; it was featured on the Fleecs cover with Goliath and a Saint Bernard. But that's no reason why it might not appear in the Winter Special.

And when I first read about the Winter Special, before I learned about the specifics, I wondered whether this might be the Santa Claus story that Greg Weisman had hinted at, as well. [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen
posted @ Sat, Sep 21, 2024 8:50:23 am EDT from 68.99.93.213

Sorry for the double post. On the Winter Special:
[SPOILER]
I was trying to recall what the winter of 1997-98 was like in NY, and had to do some googling because my memory is getting foggy. I didn’t recall that winter being particularly bad (certainly not a snowfall of ten feet), and it apparently was actually one of the mildest winters on record at the time: https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/21/nyregion/new-york-s-winter-that-wasn-t-inches-toward-a-record.html

So this appears to be an instance of the Gargoyles universe departing from our reality (unless of course the story ends up taking place in a different year entirely from the main ongoing storyline).
[/SPOILER]
Craig
posted @ Sat, Sep 21, 2024 4:47:13 am EDT from 12.74.53.101

Very cool news about the Holiday Special.

[SPOILER]
A trifecta of good news in fact: count me as someone who has been clamoring for a Christmas/holiday episode/comic, as well as a Bronx-centric story…and on top of that, a welcome return for George Kambadais!

I’d also love it if the issue were free of dialogue. Anecdotally, Frank Miller did a Sin City comic called “Silent Night” which was also without dialogue, aside from one line near the end.

Winter in Manhattan is a very special atmospheric time, and I’m excited to see what Greg/Nate/George have in store. Also curious whether we’ll get any hint at Greg’s conception of Santa Claus in the Gargoyles universe, something I’ve long been curious about.
[/SPOILER]
Craig
posted @ Sat, Sep 21, 2024 1:04:04 am EDT from 12.74.53.79

MATT - [SPOILER] Actually, I hadn't thought of Bronx having thought bubbles (a la Snoopy) at all. I'm not certain what gave that impression, unless it was my remark that if we got any speech balloons in the story, they'd probably be at the very beginning or very end. (I might have been influenced there by a "Doctor Who" comic I once read which also took the "no dialogue//speech balloons" approach, until the very end. The Doctor comes to the aid of Santa Claus; some alien robots had just made off with Santa's sack of toys, and the Doctor helps Santa recover them. Santa's reindeer are injured in the confrontation, however, and while they're recovering, the Doctor offers the TARDIS as a fill-in means to deliver the toys all around the world - and for once, it gets the Doctor (with Santa) to the right location, enabling them to carry out the delivery smoothly. The only dialogue omes at the very end, when the Doctor speaks at last, to wish the readers a merry Christmas - though I doubt we'll see a similar "break the fourth wall" moment in the Winter Special.

I noticed, incidentally, that Nate Cosby's going to be co-writing this one; he must find that a real treat, given his fondness for Bronx, which you'd brought up. [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen
posted @ Fri, Sep 20, 2024 10:18:20 pm EDT from 68.99.93.213

Todd> [SPOILER] I totally had the same thought shortly after I posted this morning! I even told Bishansky and Phoenician about it. I had originally thought of that being a possible feature in a comic when I considered Bronx as a narrator of a "Here In Manhattan" chapter. I thought it'd be interesting to experience the world from Bronx's point of view. understands a few names and phrases, but mostly relies on his sense of smell and hearing. Like you said, those could be conveyed through thought bubbles or something. I think it would be really interesting. [/SPOILER]
Matt
"And, thus, given no choice, we waited..." - Alesand, "The Reach"
posted @ Fri, Sep 20, 2024 10:10:37 pm EDT from 47.233.90.133

An extra thought about the upcoming Winter Special. [SPOILER] I have a theory that it'll have no dialogue or speech balloons - or at least, just one or two moments of these, presumably at the very beginning and/or very end. This is based on the "Silent Night" title - suggesting that it might be literally silent - and which would fit Bronx being the lead and, apparently, on his own. A definite experimental issue, in that case. [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen
posted @ Fri, Sep 20, 2024 7:44:29 pm EDT from 68.99.93.213

MATTHEW - That quote from "Cyrano de Bergerac" is certainly an inspiring one. I really ought to read the play; I've some general familiarity with the story (the part I know best is where Cyrano rebukes a detractor for taunting him for having such a big nose - on the grounds that his taunt was far too unimaginative, and then proceeding to list a multitude of far more inventive ways of stating it), but haven't read it properly as yet.

Of course, neither the Phoenix (the one we saw in "Clan-Building") or Brooklyn have feathers, so the Firebird feathers would have to be another case of "Not all things are accurate" in this scenario.

BISHANSKY - Thanks for sharing the "Winter Special" news with us. [SPOILER] And, like Matt, the description suggested a counterpart to "A Bronx Tale", in the way that Goliath's hearing in "Here in Manhattan" was a counterpart to "And Justice For All". [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen
posted @ Fri, Sep 20, 2024 8:37:24 am EDT from 68.99.93.213

Bishansky> Thanks for sharing that! Awesome to see. [SPOILER] I suppose this will canonically come after Quest 5. This could even be the first canon that occurs in 1998! I guess Nate is finally getting his Bronx comic! Could this be "A Bronx Tail" done right? [/SPOILER]
Matt
"And, thus, given no choice, we waited..." - Alesand, "The Reach"
posted @ Fri, Sep 20, 2024 8:26:14 am EDT from 204.184.178.1

You know what's fun, starting work late because a new Gargoyles comic was just solicited.

https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT240180

Gargoyles Winter Special #1

A lot of fans have been clamoring for a Holiday story for decades, they're finally getting it. Happy to see it!
Greg Bishansky
posted @ Fri, Sep 20, 2024 8:11:30 am EDT from 67.189.200.184

Todd> I remember back when I first reviewed "Growing Pains" one line from Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac stood out as something that would be good for both the auditions and fit the battle against Colonel Jupiter.

“I-I am going to be a storm-a flame-
I need to fight whole armies alone;
I have ten hearts; I have a hundred arms;
I feel too strong to war with mortals-
BRING ME GIANTS!”

Your idea involving Brooklyn, the Phoenix and the myth of the Firebird is interesting. In Russian/Slavic folklore the firebird is associated with beauty as their feathers glow like fire even after death and are often treated as objects of pursuit by a hero or villain. Baba Yaga would certainly make for an interesting threat for the Timedancers and I admit I'd like to see how someone like Koshchei the Deathless would be adapted into the Gargoyles universe.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
Ain't nothing crazy 'bout me but my brain!
posted @ Fri, Sep 20, 2024 2:40:42 am EDT from 135.180.3.149

MATTHEW - I wonder what other famous playwrights would have been picked, in that scenario.

A possible "Timedancer" adventure idea I recently had. In Russian/Slavic legend, there's a magical bird called the Firebird, whom I'd long imagined the Phoenix being linked to in the Gargoyles Universe. More recently, it struck me that Brooklyn is colored red, and has wings and a beak, both features that are commonly associated with birds. Add that the Phoenix is the one depositing him places, and I found myself imagining the people whom Brooklyn encounters in early Russia, having glimpsed the Phoenix earlier, believing that Brooklyn is some alternate shape of the "great fire bird" and the Firebird being a sort of conflation of the two. I'm not familiar enough with the individual Firebird tales to go into more detail on this subject, though I assume it would have to have been an early Timedancer adventure, before Brooklyn meets Fu-Dog and Katana and they join him.

(We do know that Greg Weisman had planned to delve into Russian/Slavic legends in "Gargoyles" eventually; he specifically mentioned Baba Yaga. Based on what I know of her, I wonder whether she'd have shared Hyena's eagerness to find out if gargoyles taste like chicken.)
Todd Jensen
posted @ Thu, Sep 19, 2024 9:15:49 am EDT from 68.99.93.213

Thanks Todd. Sometimes I wonder what pieces would've been used if Greg decided to mix it up with other famous playwrights besides Shakespeare.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
Ain't nothing crazy 'bout me but my brain!
posted @ Thu, Sep 19, 2024 2:08:52 am EDT from 135.180.3.149

New episodes of Gremlins to start on October 3rd:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQgB8sojh24
Antiyonder
posted @ Wed, Sep 18, 2024 8:15:30 pm EDT from 68.119.3.1

MATTHEW - Thanks for the new "episode analysis" post.

The auditions scene was one of my favorite moments, especially the variety of tone. Some were serious reflections (I particularly liked the touch of Harry Osborne getting Prince Hal's "rejection of Falstaff" speech, with its parallels to his own life), while others were comical (Sally's turning "a villain may smile" from "Hamlet" into a cheer, and of course, Flash Thompson's difficulties with one of Polonius's speeches - which was, to be fair, intended as being overwritten; in the play, Gertrude breaks in to tell Polonius "More matter with less art", which Polonius immediately denies, with even more "art" in the process).
Todd Jensen
posted @ Tue, Sep 17, 2024 8:42:51 am EDT from 68.99.93.213

Todd> Brooklyn's line felt about being a time-travelling gargoyle felt like such a dad thing to say. Anyway, onto ranking Human Development 101.

First Steps-10/10. This is the last of Sandman's episodes and even if the series continued and he didn't show up again, I would still think they gave him the best conclusion. On the meta side of things, we get a return of the "beat up a beach line."

The rest of the episode is pretty strong with its continuity and its introductions. We get a proper intro of St. John Devereaux (the actor from the episode "Group Therapy") who has the big play subplot. Captain Stacy has his criminology seminar, Mark Allen enters the scene and establishes his own past pretty well and Harry returns to the show proper. One detail that doesn't get talked about enough is the humbling of Flash Thompson. While he broken leg took a lot of his previous arrogance away his failure to impress impress Sha Shan, his ex hooking up with Peter and nothing about his birthday going well, this marks the first steps of him ending up a better man. Just like Flint.

All things considered, this episode does really well setting up the plots for the next few episodes, establishes figures who will be important later on and concludes the subplot of Peter's search for Eddie. As Eddie's plan to get Peter to lead him to the Symbiote works perfectly.

Growing Pains-7/10. This is another odd one, continuity wise. On the one hand, the audition segments help move the characters along to the play, John's withdrawals plant the seeds for Professor Warren's takeover of the ESU lab, and Venom's return sets up both the events of the next episode and the conflict with Colonel Jupiter this episode. But it's the Colonel Jupiter intro that didn't get much buildup before this episode, which is unusual for the series. I can imagine that if the series continued we'd get the chance to check in with John's progress, or lack of progress. And the short bit with Electro here plus Cletus' non-speaking appearance a few episodes ago suggest that Ravencroft would be a place of importance soon. Alas.

Identity Crisis- 7/10. This concludes this trilogy of episodes and the Return of Venom Arc. Again, another odd one in that the things that are set up are mostly related to the supporting cast. While Peter and Gwen continue their romantic dance, MJ and Mark start to show a mutual interest and Flash's impromptu, if foolish, heroics earn him a spot in the play and appropriately enough that of Nick Bottom. While Eddie's return as Venom is brief his taking of the gene cleanser is just what Warren needs to secure his position as the new head of ESU's labs. And while his outing of Peter's secret identity ultimately doesn't go anywhere, the people Ned Lee interviews include several friends and enemies and the notion of Peter being Spider-Man isn't just going to disappear.

This arc unfortunately seems highly based on setting up events for a season that didn't get the chance to occur. Both John and Eddie end up in Ravencroft and Greg stated that we'd see the Symbiote eventually duplicate and create the Carnage symbiote and while Sandman is presumably out of the life of villainy, there's no guarantee that he couldn't be pulled back in. As such, this arc suffers because of outside factors rather lack of story quality.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
Ain't nothing crazy 'bout me but my brain!
posted @ Tue, Sep 17, 2024 5:59:25 am EDT from 135.180.3.149

Last Saturday evening, I was watching a televised adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries (from the series where David Suchet played the lead) on the local PBS station. In it, Poirot's invited to a costume ball, but insists on coming in his regular clothes rather than in costume. I found myself thinking of how Goliath, in all three Halloweens we've seen in "Gargoyles", never wore a costume to any of the Halloween parties (though the younger gargoyles and Elisa did don costumes), always coming as himself. I'll admit that the two don't seem to have much else in costume, but Poirot's refusal still reminded me of that.

(While Brooklyn wore costumes for the first two Halloweens he was at, he went in his regular post-Timedancing clothes for the third one, in "Trick and Treat", and there was a slightly stronger parallel to Poirot's actions there. Brooklyn said that he was going as a Timedancing gargoyle. Poirot, when told that everyone at the party, including him, was expected to dress up as someone famous, replied "Precisely", in such a way as to indicate that he fell in that category. So in both cases, it was "I'm going as myself.")
Todd Jensen
posted @ Mon, Sep 16, 2024 8:19:33 pm EDT from 68.99.93.213

Third!
Karrin Blue
posted @ Mon, Sep 16, 2024 10:24:57 am EDT from 72.10.127.194

Second.
Todd Jensen
posted @ Mon, Sep 16, 2024 8:52:18 am EDT from 68.99.93.213

First!
Matt
"And, thus, given no choice, we waited..." - Alesand, "The Reach"
posted @ Mon, Sep 16, 2024 8:23:54 am EDT from 204.184.178.1