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Weisman, Greg

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Harlan Phoenix writes...

You had mentioned that you negotiated with Jeffrey Katzenberg to get the publishing rights for Rain of the Ghosts. Did you attempt to acquire the rights to any other property you developed while at Dreamworks?

Greg responds...

I have turnaround rights to pitch a couple of other properties that I developed there.

Response recorded on February 07, 2014

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Liam writes...

Hey Greg,
You mentioned that you visited Tintagel in '81, as part of a sort of "ArthurQuest". I was wondering if you ended up visiting any other places from Arthurian legend. If so, what were they?
Thanks, and good luck with your Star Wars show!

Greg responds...

Yeah, we did, actually. Though I'm blanking on specifics. We definitely saw a version of the Round Table. (Old but not convincing.) And went to the hill where some scholars thought Camelot was. And we went to Stonehenge. There's probably more, but my memory isn't what it once was.

Response recorded on January 06, 2014

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B writes...

Did your cat Iggy ever come back to you? I'm sorry, I've tried to find the answer to this in a biography or interview, but haven't been able to.

Greg responds...

No. He never did. At this point, he'd be so old that even if he survived out on the streets for a time, he would have to have passed on long ago.

Our current pets (both female) are a basset hound named Poppy and a cat named Emmy.

Response recorded on January 06, 2014

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Voice Acting Fan writes...

Dear Greg:

Thank you for answering my previous questions!

You have made reference to SAG before, so presumably Young Justice has to abide by SAG rules or get boycotted. I have a few questions related to this and the voice acting part of the production process:

1. How do the voice talent get paid? A flat rate? Are they paid by the hour? By the line? By the episode? Or some variable rate?

2. When you voiced Lucas Carr, did you have to join the SAG union? Or is production allowed to hire non-SAG personnel as long as they pay them differently?

3. You have stated that getting a second character out of an actor entails no added costs. Since it is free, I am wondering why a few actors (Jesse McCartney comes to mind) doesn't get to voice a character other than Dick Grayson. Was it a matter of actor preference, producer preference, or a mix of the two?

4. How long does a typical recording session last? Do you sit in throughout the whole session, or leave it up to the voice director? How many episode(s) are typically recorded in a sitting?

5. When one of the voice actors sing a song (Reach for a Reach, Hello Megan), they get separately credited. Is this subject to a different rate, or is the singing part simply added as a "character" in determining pay?

Thank you, and I hope by the time you are reading this, you've already got several gigs lined up!

Greg responds...

0. I'm not sure "boycot" is the correct word. The major studios sign contracts with SAG, that prohibits them from contracting non-SAG labor for their acting needs. They can get around this by SUB-contracting, but most don't on major projects.

1. I don't want to speak for EVERY show. In my experience, a voice actor gets paid a flat fee for four hours of work and up to two character voices. For a tiny additional fee, you can get a third voice. But this holds per episode. So for example, even if you could record one guy playing four roles over two episodes in a single four hour session, you'd still owe him two payments. The fee is negotiable, as long as it's above union minimum. But most series pay the union minimum plus 10% and have favored nation clauses in their contracts, which prohibits them from giving any individual actor a raise without simultaneously giving raises to EVERY actor on the series.

2. I first joined SAG to play Donald Menken on Spectacular Spider-Man, and am still a member in good-standing. No union shop can hire non-union actors.

3. Well, Jesse often DID voice additional characters, like Thug #2 or whatever. But generally, there are some actors who have the ability to change their voice enough that they can convincingly play multiple characters without the audience balking. Others really - as talented as they are as performers - only have their own voice.

4. Sessions typically go three to four hours. But often we'll be there all day. We can only keep each individual actor for four hours without incurring overtime, but we could start one actor at 10am and have him until 2pm. And we could start another actor at noon, and have her until 4pm. And a third at 1pm and keep him until 5pm. That way, we have overlap to record their scenes together, but we also have more time to get everything done.

5. Singing is a separate rate. And it's also an additional character, unless they are singing IN CHARACTER. That is, if Nightwing suddenly burst into song, we'd have to pay an additional fee to Jesse for his singing. But we wouldn't have to count that as a second character (or third, since he's also doing Thug #2).

Response recorded on December 06, 2013

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Everything Geek Podcast INTERVIEW

I was interviewed on the Everything Geek Podcast here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idfnqNo-rn8

I discuss my "secret origins", The Spectacular Spider-Man, Gargoyles, Star Wars Rebels, Young Justice and more.

Check it out!

(But of course I totally forgot to mention Rain of the Ghosts at all, darnit!)


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KenRD writes...

Im interested in reading your book Rain of Ghosts because of my respect and fondness of you as a storyteller. I have yet to pre-order it however because I have not yet been able to find a summary for the story, so I was wondering if you had any idea when the details would start comming out?
Speaking of books what are your favorite authors?
My favorite is Sir Terry Pratchett, have you read any of his books? If not I would always recommend them as he has such and interesting take on the world and twists things in the most wonderful way.

Greg responds...

By now, I hope you've seen the synopses of RAIN OF THE GHOSTS on Amazon and here.

http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Ghosts-Greg-Weisman/dp/1250029791/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377806211&sr=8-1&keywords=rain+of+the+ghosts

My favorite authors are William Shakespeare and William Faulkner. I'm also a fan of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, and many others.

I've never read Pratchett.

My genre of choice tends to be detective fiction. Among my favorites in that arena are the works of Ross MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, Michael Connelly, Walter Mosely, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle.

Response recorded on November 25, 2013

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DanM writes...

Hey there Greg, 1 - how are you?
DanM again here, I'd like to thank you for spending your time to answer my questions. Much appreciated.
I know quite a bit from the comics' market, industry and its works, and used to assume that it wasn't that much different from the animation universe. But your answer really enlightened me a lot about it. For instance it never crossed my mind that being a Producer would earn you nothing, financially speaking, this certainly made the level of respect I already had of you go way up to the stratosphere! And thank you for that! To me that doesn't just show how much you care for your stories and characters but also to you fans. Really man, thank you very much!
Said that, I do know that the characters and the show itself are not your property to do as you please, I just thought that you might have certain leverage w/ the guys at DC comics, you know, seeing how awesome and well received, for the comic fans, your work has been. I've gotta say that so far the New 52, for me at least, has been ok… w/ one or another good story popping up. But YJ bests them all easy. Seeing how Geoff Johns went on board w/ Ivan Reis to do that new Aquaman title, when the character wasn't really in DC's plan at all (That I DO know for a fact). It was really a shocker to me that he did not sign you to keep working w/ DC, you know w/ him being said to be the Chief Creative Officer and all. Especially when I could see the same kind of treatment both of you gave the characters. Well anyways, I'm really sorry your pitches didn't really hit jackpot, like I've said before I would certainly enjoy them.
And perhaps we all are mourning a bit more than it is healthy, but if the Teen Titans show is coming back, then to me there is still a chance for YJ too. Just hope that that chance doesn't come without you and/or your team.
I really wish you the best of luck on your upcoming novel and of course your work hunt, I'm sure it won't take long for you to land your next solid gig man! And as soon as Rain hits the shelves here in Brasil, you can count I'll definitely do my part to make sure you're properly rewarded. That's the least I can do for all your work in YJ, which gave me and the family lot of good times. 
Just so not to miss this opportunity here are a few more questions:
2 - Could I send you my copy for you to sign? (That is when I get it, of course).
3 - Do you work with movie scripts also?
4 - What do you think of Tolkien's work? Have a favorite?
That's all for now… Once again, thanks!!!

Greg responds...

1. I'm good.

1a. I clearly have no leverage at all.

2. I'm sorry. I don't give out my personal address. But I come to many fan conventions throughout the year. Maybe you could get it signed at one of those.

3. I've never had one of my scripts made into a movie, but I've tried.

4. I'm a fan of THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

Response recorded on November 25, 2013

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June writes...

What was your favorite line you said when you voiced Snapper Carr?

Greg responds...

"O-mega..?"

Response recorded on October 14, 2013

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Mr Greg,
I know this is a wired question but I'm so curious. You voice cast Lucas Carr in Young Justice. Do you get pay for this character or you cast it for free? Is this only your interest or consider of saving cost?

Greg responds...

I was paid. It's a SAG (i.e. a union) show. No one works for free.

Response recorded on October 08, 2013

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Gardoh writes...

are you availabe on any other social media?

Greg responds...

TWITTER: @Greg_Weisman

Please FOLLOW me!!

Response recorded on October 03, 2013

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"Don't Lick the Torah"

A serialized story in tweets. Part One. In my family, we have a saying: "Don't lick the Torah."
"Don't lick the Torah!" Part Two: This expression originated on the eve of my daughter's Bat Mitzvah. She was very anxious...
"Don't lick the Torah!" Part Three: I said to @BandgeekErin "What's the worst that could happen? You could lick the Torah." She replied...
"Don't lick the Torah!" Part Four: @BandgeekErin replied, "I'd never do that!" So I said, "Then what are you worried about?"...
"Don't lick the Torah!" Part Five: So in our family, that became our recurring metaphor for "Don't worry about it." Then tonight...
"Don't lick the Torah!" Part Six: Tonight, @BandgeekErin was saying her boyfriend was nervous about meeting me. (He doesn't know that...
"Don't lick the Torah!" Part Seven: @BandgeekErin 's nervous boyfriend doesn't know I already like him.) I told her to tell him...
"Don't lick the Torah!" Part Eight: Told @BandgeekErin to tell him not to lick the Torah. THEN my wife says that today at the pre-school...
"Don't lick the Torah!" Part Nine: Today at the Jewish pre-school where my wife works, she took out the Torah for Shabbat, and one of...
"Don't lick the Torah!" Part Ten: My wife took out the Torah, and one of her two-year-old students licked it. The End.

Here, at ASK GREG, I have the room to embellish this story. But, really... what more do you need to know?

Maybe this: I'll be meeting @BandgeekErin's nervous boyfriend for the first time at MechaCON, where I'll be a guest, doing multiple panels and at least one signing!!

http://www.mechacon.com/

More details shortly!!


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Greg Xanatos writes...

Dear Greg,

Through your career, you've shown a fondness for various "Master Planner" type villains (Xanatos, The Light, Nerrisaa etc.) You've also become notable for thinking out things to great detail (as your timelines and posts on askgreg have shown). So I wanted to know, has your own "master planning" informed these characters? For example, does Xanatos plan his schemes out with cards like you do? Do the Light's group planning sessions reflect an evil version of the Writer's room?

Thanks!

Greg responds...

God, I hope not. I like to think they're all much slicker than I am.

Response recorded on July 11, 2013

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My new AUTHOR PAGE on Amazon

Hey, check out my new AUTHOR PAGE on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Greg-Weisman/e/B0034Q75QO


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TIMEBRO writes...

Hey Greg a timeline question or threerather.

1. You have detailed timelines for Young Justice and Gargoyls, do you do this for everything you do even when you havent built the universe from scratch like in your Captain Atom comics or WITCH?
2. When did you start this trait?
3. You have time and time again noted that YJ has no "canon year" and that 2010 worked for Year Zero as a math thing. So does that mean season two being in 2016 by that reckoning was a coincidence?

Greg responds...

1. Not everything, no. I have a Captain Atom timeline from way back, but I'm sure it has no relevance to current DC continuity anymore. I don't think I ever did a WITCH timeline in the strictest sense, but I did make an effort to keep track of the backstories, etc.

2. In elementary school.

3. Heh heh heh.

Response recorded on May 15, 2013

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Twitterpated

That's right, folks. Greg_Weisman is now on Twitter.


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Anonymous writes...

In your post promoting "The Fix", you mention having been swamped with work lately. What have you been working on?

Greg responds...

ASKED AND ANSWERED.

Response recorded on April 23, 2013

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Grant writes...

What is your next project after Young Justice?

Greg responds...

I am currently freelancing scripts for a couple different companies. (Octonauts, for example.) Mostly, I'm working on the sequel to my novel, Rain of the Ghosts, which debuts in December 2013.

Beyond that, I'm looking, talking to people, etc. I've gone over 14 months now without a consistent paying gig, and it is nerve-wracking. But I'm hopeful I'll have something soon.

Response recorded on April 22, 2013

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wintersmith writes...

Are you cursed? If so please provide name of curser and last known adress, thank you.

Greg responds...

Let's please not perpetuate this "cursed" thing. I mean, seriously, that's all I need. For the next guy who might want to hire me to think I'm cursed and/or incapable of going beyond two seasons.

Response recorded on April 19, 2013

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Anonymous writes...

Which fandom do you honestly appreciate the most:
1- Gargoyles fans
2- Spectacular Spider-Man fans
3- Young Justice fans
4- Greg Weisman fans

Greg responds...

See, now, the Hulk is more powerful because the madder he gets, the stronger he gets. But the Thing can still beat him if he keeps his wits about him.

Response recorded on April 16, 2013

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WONDERCON ANAHEIM - ASK GREG LIVE

WONDERCON ANAHEIM - ASK GREG LIVE

Okay, once again, I will be attending WonderCon on Friday, March 29th:

http://www.comic-con.org/wca

I'm not on a panel or anything official. I'm just going to look around, hang out, etc. But ASK GREG moderator Masterdramon is also going, and we thought it might be fun to organize a semi-impromptu ASK GREG LIVE event. I assume most folks would want to talk about Young Justice, which is great. But we can also discuss Gargoyles or the weather or whatever. Chris Jones and I did something similar a few weeks ago at a Doctor Who convention, and we had fun. I think about twenty or so fans showed, which was a nice number. We might wind up with a few more or less. Or, heck, maybe it'll just be me and Masterdramon, which is okay too. EIther way, we want to try to keep the thing unofficial, informal, casual, etc.

I was hoping someone would come up with a brilliant plan for where to meet, but that never happened. So here's my LESS-than-brilliant plan:

Meet up at ONE P.M. on Friday, March 29th in the LOBBY of HALL B, BETWEEN THE TWO SETS OF DOORS. Here's a map:

http://issuu.com/comic-con/docs/wca2013_quickguide_web?mode=window

On that map, we'll be more or less directly beneath where the Graphitti Designs booth is in Hall B, but in the LOBBY. (Hopefully, that makes sense to everyone.)

If you need to know what I look like these days, you can see my somewhat pudgy self on this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl4eL0YKtO8

At WonderCon, I'll be wearing my black YOUNG JUSTICE Hot Topic T-shirt. (And if it's cold, I'll be wearing a grey TULANE hoodie sweatshirt over that t-shirt.)

Hope to see at least a few of you there.


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DanM writes...

Hello there Greg (you don't mind me calling you Greg, do you?), how you've been?
Well I hope you have been doing well, and working hard on YJ for us fans.
So let me introduce myself, my name is Daniel I'm from Brasil and I LOVE the YJ tv show. As for the comic book, still I haven't had the chance to check it out. But I cannot see why it wouldn't be as great as the animation.
Anyways… with the recent CN's actions and the future listing of DC's solicitations, a lot of speculations have surfaced the web. Do those same speculations harm you or the crew in any way? Note that I don't mean it physically, I mean carrerwise (e.g. the mood in the work environment, the relationship with the bosses… that kind of thing?).
Have you ever thought about, or did in fact pitch in an Earth 16 title for the DC's New 52 (such as the Earth 2 title)? If not, how about it? I imagine that great things would come out of it. :) And what about novels? That would certainly be interesting!!

Greg responds...

I'm not sure what speculations you're referring to. But...

ANYWAY, I suppose this is as good an excuse as any to go through a bit of a chronology.

We finished the scripts for Invasion in January of 2012. So that's when I stopped getting paid, because although I'm a producer on the series, that title and even the responsibilities that go with it were, in essence, a courtesy, based on my experience, I guess. With a guy as talented and competent as Brandon on the job, Warners didn't feel any need to pay me to do the post-production on YJ. They had no problem with me participating, but they also had no problem with me walking away. (Same with Season One, by the way.) (And it was the same at Sony vis-a-vis The Spectacular Spider-Man. In animation, writers often aren't valued all that much once the script process is completed. From the point of view of these companies, I was really just a story editor with a glorified title, who was willing to do what he had to do in order to make the title real and NOT glorified.)

On one level, I probably should have walked away. But instead, I worked for free, helping to post the episodes with Brandon from January to October of 2012. Simultaneously - because I do need to earn a living - I did a number of freelance scripts for various series, including one for Warners' Beware the Batman, plus a Transformers Prime, a couple of Kaijudos, a couple Rescue Bots and a couple of Octonauts. Plus, there was the YJ comic, a few miscellaneous things, and I was also working on revising my first novel, Rain of the Ghosts. Oh, and Brandon and I were also giving free input on Legacy, as well. So I was plenty busy.

In October of 2012, we finished posting episode 220, "Endgame", and on Halloween I moved out of my office on the Warner Bros. Ranch and moved back to my old office in Beverly Hills. By that time, I was done with the comic as well.

During that period, Brandon and I (both separately and together) pitched all sorts of further Earth-16 properties, including (but not limited to) a third season (of course), animated spin-offs featuring Arsenal and/or the Arrow Family, a comic book entitled Earth-16, the Black Manta Celebrity Hot Tub shorts, a direct to DVD movie, etc. Brandon even pitched a YJ meets Scooby movie. Unfortunately, none of these were in the cards.

I'd love to say differently. I'd even love to say I've moved on, but I haven't really. Like many of the fans, I'm still mourning the whole thing, quite a bit. Perhaps even quite a bit more than is healthy. And - because I do need to earn a living - I'm still looking for both freelance work and my next solid gig. (It's been fourteen months without a real job, and it's starting to get a bit nerve-wracking, to be perfectly honest.) But Rain is coming out in December, and I'm hard at work on its sequel. They've both been very rewarding to work on, at least emotionally. (We'll have to wait and see if they turn out to be rewarding financially - but at least the potential upside is there.)

I'd happily do a YJ Novel, but like anything YJ related, it's just not up to me. It's just not a property I control AT ALL.

Response recorded on March 22, 2013

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EXALT writes...

Is your writing of Snapper Carr in any way influenced by the fact that you know that it's gonna be you playing him (the question may also be applied to Donald Menken in SpecSpidey)?

Greg responds...

Probably a little. But that's probably true of every character that's already cast. We learn to play to our actors' strengths. (Of course, I have very few strengths as an actor, so maybe that doesn't apply to Carr or Menken.)

Response recorded on March 21, 2013

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Anonymous writes...

Have you seen or read any YJ fanart, fanfiction & fancomics (from non-canon parings, Birdflash has the most fanart and that's how I've actually found this wonderful cartoon :) )? How does it make you feel when fans do fanart and other fandom things for the show?

An Ask Greg Helper responds...

Greg Weisman says:

"I'm very ambivalent toward fanfiction. On the one hand, it's very gratifying. I've created something that has taken on a life of it's own. That people like enough to invest their time into and create anew. On the other hand, I have a territorial instinct that exhibits a kind of knee-jerk negative reaction to seeing other people controlling the destiny of my characters. (That's the main reason why Goliath Chronicles was so painful for me to watch.)

For example, I know that TGS is doing their own TimeDancer spin off. That's very cool, but somebody mentioned (though I don't know if this was the final word) that they're not naming Brooklyn's son Nashville, because they think the name is silly or because they hate country music or whatever. I can't help resenting that. (I know it's not rational, but I'm trying to be honest about my emotions here.) I haven't explained the Nashville name. I don't intend to explain it yet. Obviously, I have no intention of making Brooklyn into the next Garth Brooks, but I'm not in the mood to go into my reasons yet. But when someone else decides that GREG THE GARGOYLE MASTER made a misstep regarding the name of a character, I bristle.

But going back to the first hand, I have to acknowledge that once a thing is created and sent out into the world, it no longer belongs to the creator, but to the interpretations of those who received it. If a fan believes that Gargoyles were created by fey sorcery, then to that fan they were, no matter what I might say to the contrary in a comment room. Fanfiction is the ultimate example of fans interpretating (and extrapolating upon) what they've seen."

[Response recorded in the Station 8 "Gargoyles" FAQ, Section XXXIV.]

Greg Weisman says:

"Generally, I'm a fan of fanart."

[Response recorded on February 10, 2012.]

Response recorded on March 12, 2013

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Anonymous writes...

Hey man first off love young justice the comics and show are just astounding. Anyway I read your spin off of black mantas celeb hot tub and since cn's mad is being difficult have you tried submitting it to robot chicken on the adult swim block? One more thing read your side trip ramble, an yes I have to be the guy to asks was that real?

Greg responds...

1. I don't know anyone at Robot Chicken.

2. Can you prove otherwise? (But thanks for commenting on it. Seemed like nobody else read it.)

Response recorded on March 05, 2013

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Clark Cradic writes...

Would you ever trade away your writing talents for genuine super powers? Or would that not be a fair trade?

Greg responds...

No. Such as they are, I'll stick with what abilities I've got.

Response recorded on March 05, 2013

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Clark Cradic writes...

Do you remember what the first superhero comic you ever read was?

Greg responds...

Nope. It'd be cool if I could though.

Response recorded on February 28, 2013

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the greenman writes...

1) Reading the Stargate bible, have ever considered a Star Trek animated series? I know Paramount is very strict on that property.

2) Will you ever do another series of your own creation?

Thank you very much. Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Greg responds...

1. I'd love to do one, but no one's asked me. (Keep in mind, I was asked to develop Stargate. I don't just go out and independently develop series based on properties that somebody else owns.)

2. Again, I'd love to, but no one's bought anything original that I've pitched in a VERY long time.

Response recorded on December 28, 2012

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Claire writes...

Do you have a twitter account? Do you know Brandon Vietti does?

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. Yes.

Response recorded on December 12, 2012

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Jennifer K. writes...

Hey there Greg W hope your fall is going well. I have to say I have continually been impressed with how you handle the comic book universe(s). As I am sure you are Marvel has new shows in the works. All of which have the potential to be good. I am sure many fans are looking forward to them including myself. Which leads me to my question. Would you if you had the chance to work on something like Live Action "Cloak and Dagger" would you or would your current work with DC and Young Justice prevent you from doing so?

Greg responds...

As I've stated OVER AND OVER again, I'm not too interested in hypotheticals. And here's a good example why. Your question contains too many variables for me to answer it. Here's just a FEW of them:

1. Are we specifically talking about "Cloak and Dagger"?

2. What are the schedules of the respective projects?

3. What would my role be on the live action show?

4. How much money is involved?

If what you're asking me is whether (in general) I'd like to work for Marvel and/or in live-action, the answer is yes to all of the above. But I can't answer your question in a vacuum. And PLEASE don't try to create a more detailed hypothetical scenario to generate an answer. For every variable you nail down, I could come up with twenty more.

Response recorded on December 12, 2012

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Irritated writes...

Some people who ask questions are so RUDE! They demand, they want to tell you how to answer, how to run your own blog, they whine...They claim to be fans but act with no respect. Greg, why/how do you put up with it?

Greg responds...

Some people say to me: "You have the patience of a saint." But anyone who knows me, knows THAT'S not true. The ugly truth is probably closer to this: "He has the ego and insecurities of a petty dictator." Generally, ASK GREG helps feed that ego and assuage some of those insecurities. Most of the time, anyway.

Response recorded on December 11, 2012

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Tasha writes...

Do you have a complete list of all the things you have worked on? Also you have a great talent and I hope you keep doing what you do and that you enjoy your work :)

Greg responds...

I think I do.

Response recorded on December 06, 2012

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Salieri writes...

Hello, Greg! I've noticed you answer a lot of "would you ever make series X with character Y" with "IT IS NOT UP TO ME". So, I was wondering, have you ever been in a situation where those sort of decisions were up to you? If not, do you ever hope to be in a position where you have full reign over those decisions?

Thanks again for the awesome Young Justice! I wouldn't be this invested if the writing weren't this spectacular!

Greg responds...

No, not really. Maybe the closest I've ever come is making creative decisions on the Gargoyles comic book for SLG. I was pretty much given free reign there. But keep in mind the decision to make and then to stop making the comic was still completely out of my hands.

As for whether or not I'd hope to be in that position, of course. But I doubt it will ever happen. EVER.

Response recorded on December 04, 2012

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Julio Lopez writes...

Did you have plans of pitch or self produce a new original concept in form of series/comic?

Greg responds...

I've tried pitching many times, but have yet to sell anything. Long ago, I had thoughts of self-producing, but it's just an economic impossibility for someone with my (lack of) financial resources.

Response recorded on November 29, 2012

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Nicole writes...

Hi Greg,
This more of a comment, or a praise post. I just wanted to say that Young Justice is an AMAZING SHOW. From the story to the animation! It is AMAZING. Every single show leaves me speechless! I've been a fan of a lot of the shows you've produced and/or written, such as Gargoyles. Young Justice is incredible for both me and my dad! I live in California and my dad and I would actually get up at 6:00AM just to get ready to watch Young Justice(and the rest of the DC Nation Block) from the east coast time! My mom thinks we're crazy, but what can I say? WE LOVE THIS SHOW! I really just wanted to say congratulations for both you and your team! I haven't seen a superhero show this great in a long time(and I'm only 15 xD)! My birthday was on the 29th of September, so having to see Young Justice early in the morning made my whole day! You all are amazing, talented people and uou guys are awesome! Thank you for taking your time to read this :)

[P.S. I read on Wikipedia that your birthday was on the 28th. Whether it's true or not(I don't really trust Wikipedia xD), HAPPY late BIRTHDAY! I hope your day was just as great as mine! :D ]

Greg responds...

Yep, September 28th is my birthday. Happy birthday to you too.

Response recorded on November 28, 2012

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TheTavarse writes...

Not a question, but a declaration. In a perfect world there would be four clones of you. Original recipe Weisman to executive produce Young Justice, Clone-1 to write the comic, Clones 2 & 3 to executive produce the Arrow and Aqua family animated series and Clone-4 to write the web comic "Suoveihcsim" staring Rocket, Artemis, and Zatanna during the 5 year gap. Seriously, where's Dr. Desmond when you need him?

Greg responds...

What you really need isn't more of me so much as corporate sponsorship for all the things you - and I - might like to see.

Response recorded on November 20, 2012

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Anonymous writes...

regarding your post about not owning a smartphone... i saw you playing on your phone one year at sdcc. i think it was way old school, with the green screen and all. haha. :)

anyway, my question is: are the yj stories in the dc nation magazine new stories, and are they canon? (trying to decide whether i need to pick it up.)

Greg responds...

Ah, those were the days...

To be fair, it didn't have a green screen but it was tiny and it wasn't a smartphone. I held onto that phone until it flat out stopped working. Then I had it fixed three times, but it kept dying. So, finally, just this past September, I broke down and bought an iPhone. But I still mostly ONLY use it as a cellphone. I don't check e-mail or the internet on it. I do not WANT to be that connected.

I'm not sure I've seen the DC Nation Magazine, so I'm not sure.

Response recorded on November 15, 2012

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Wonderfulakari writes...

You mentioned you had kids, what ages are they? Do you have any grandchildren? ((Sorry if that last question is rude.))

Greg responds...

"I'm old but not THAT old."

My kids are currently 18 and 15. No grandchildren.

Response recorded on October 30, 2012

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Harlan Phoenix writes...

What was the creative incentive for writing "Salvage" personally?

Greg responds...

The intervention scenes.

Response recorded on October 29, 2012

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Kit Walker writes...

I've checked the archives, including using what I thought to be relevant search terms, but I didn't come up with anything, so if I missed someone asking this before, I do apologize.

That said, I was curious as to what one work you would put on your résumé, if you had to. Like for whatever reason, you could only put forth one work as, "This is me. This is what Greg Weisman brings to your table, what I can do for you." What work would that be, and why? (Yes, I'm one of those who are insanely curious about the minds of the creators I admire, and how they work. :) )

Greg responds...

What an odd hypothetical. Why would I ever do this?

As frequent readers of this site know, I'm not too fond of hypothetical questions of this nature, but this time I'll answer, because the answer is so obvious: GARGOYLES.

Response recorded on October 29, 2012

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Greg Weisman Quiz

Can I just say I suck at this - and it's MY career!

http://www.imdb.com/games/guess/nm0918852


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Max writes...

On a scale of 1 to 10, how creeped out would you be if I told you I loved you at a meet and greet?
Just curious.

Greg responds...

I guess it would depend on your tone of voice and how much of my personal space you invaded.

Response recorded on September 26, 2012

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Eagle-Owl writes...

1. Is "tritto" a real word?

2. How difficult is it balancing work time in the film/television industry with, say, family time?

Greg responds...

1. Not to my knowledge.

2. Sometimes, very. But that's the gig. And mostly, I think my family feels like I'm there for them. I always make them the priority when they need me - and even when they don't. But there are late nights occasionally.

Response recorded on September 25, 2012

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Keith writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman. You won't remember me - I asked a question a while back about CN's rules about guns on the show.

Anyway, as somebody who really wants to write for television in the future, I'm asking you if you have any tips for breaking into the industry. I'm a high school junior so I'm beginning to look at colleges and was wondering if you had any advice to give out when it comes to getting into the buisness of television writing.

As always, love the series and can't wait for more!

An Ask Greg Helper responds...

Greg Weisman says:

"First and foremost, you write. Then write some more. Then do a little writing. Read a lot. Write some more. Read some more. Read a lot. Write a lot. Study story structure. Study great literature. Study myth and legends. Joseph Campbell. Listen to how people talk. How they really talk. Learn your craft. Get a kick-ass education. Write. Read.

Write.

Get copies of animation (or other television) scripts. Learn the format.

Write spec scripts for shows that you like. Try to use those specs to get an agent. Then your agent can use those specs to get you work. Write more specs. If you can't get an agent, send the specs to production companies that you admire. Don't send a Batman spec to Warner Bros or a Gargoyles to Disney. Legally, they can't risk reading those. But you can send Batman to Disney and Gargoyles to Warners. (I know it sounds weird. There's a real good reason for this, but it's a whole other question, so for now just trust me.) Actually, you shouldn't be writing a Gargoyles spec at all, since that show isn't producing new episodes now. You don't want your spec to come off as yesterday's news. Keep reading. Keep writing. Try writing a pilot script and a short bible for an original series. Try using those to get an agent or work (any work, you need credits on your resume.)

Oh, yeah. PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD. Read your own work aloud, you catch more mistakes that way. Read. Write. Write some more. Get used to a lot of rejection. A LOT OF REJECTION.

That's the best advice I can give you except this: writing for television is an extremely difficult career to break into, let alone succeed at; so if you don't really have a PASSION for it, then do something else. You'll need that passion to see you through a lot of dark times. If you can be happy doing anything else, then do that other thing.

Otherwise, good luck."

[Response recorded in the early days of Ask Greg; precise date unknown.]

Response recorded on September 19, 2012

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Person that breathes writes...

Why do you enjoy making the fandom explode?
That's it and you're awesome!

Greg responds...

Huh?

Response recorded on September 18, 2012

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Dr. Spanky writes...

Greg! You are my hero (professionally at least. I mean, face it, I don't know you. You could be an axe-murderer). I want to spend my life doing what you do. Any pieces of advice for an aspiring writer? What are good ways to train myself / further my writing skills / develop confidence in my voice (or my character's voices)? How did you get your start professionally, and what are some good avenues towards putting your work out in the world?

I thoroughly look forward to seeing the rest of your work, because all of it has been great. Thank you and adieu.

Greg responds...

At the risk of losing my heroic status, I'm going to demur here, since all this information is already available in the ASK GREG archives. (I've been asked this MANY times before.) For example, check out "Animation", "Behind the Scenes", "Biz, The" and "Weisman, Greg" for starters.

Response recorded on September 12, 2012

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Thomas writes...

You are....amazing. No character is wasted in your series, they all connect back somehow, somewhere. Little movement is wasted in plot.

How do you come up with this stuff?

Greg responds...

With help from other very talented people and with a lot of index cards on a huge bulletin board. Oh, and with research.

Response recorded on August 28, 2012

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Alex Weitzman writes...

Mr. Weisman, while you will undoubtedly get to this message months afterwards at best, given the backlog of questions thus far, I wanted to give my condolences for you and your family's loss in Sue Weisman. I also wanted to thank you for the honest and touching small commentary you made on the subject, highlighting the complex emotional situation of watching an older loved one lose themselves to either Alzheimer's, senility, or just age itself (I would not want to make a definite assumption, based on what you described). It sounds to me like she lived a long, fascinating life populated by people she loved, and nobody could ask for more than that. I send my sorrow regarding her passing, and my hope that your upcoming family gathering will provide you some emotional closure or insight to help you through this time.

Thank you for the many years of excellent entertainment, as well. I look forward to many more.

Greg responds...

Thank you.

The actual celebration didn't really effect my mood, though it was wonderful to see the extended family come to celebrate her.

I think I got more out of a later event: a handful of us took her ashes and illegally scattered them in a location that she loved. That was fun and sneaky and silly, and felt more like her spirit was with her.

Response recorded on August 15, 2012

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Anonymous writes...

What is your take on yj fan fiction? Have you read any?

An Ask Greg Helper responds...

Greg Weisman says:

"I'm very ambivalent toward fanfiction . On the one hand, it's very gratifying. I've created something that has taken on a life of it's own. That people like enough to invest their time into and create anew. On the other hand, I have a territorial instinct that exhibits a kind of knee-jerk negative reaction to seeing other people controlling the destiny of my characters. (That's the main reason why Goliath Chronicles was so painful for me to watch.)

For example, I know that TGS is doing their own TimeDancer spin off. That's very cool, but somebody mentioned (though I don't know if this was the final word) that they're not naming Brooklyn's son Nashville, because they think the name is silly or because they hate country music or whatever. I can't help resenting that. (I know it's not rational, but I'm trying to be honest about my emotions here.) I haven't explained the Nashville name. I don't intend to explain it yet. Obviously, I have no intention of making Brooklyn into the next Garth Brooks, but I'm not in the mood to go into my reasons yet. But when someone else decides that GREG THE GARGOYLE MASTER made a misstep regarding the name of a character, I bristle.

But going back to the first hand, I have to acknowledge that once a thing is created and sent out into the world, it no longer belongs to the creator, but to the interpretations of those who received it. If a fan believes that Gargoyles were created by fey sorcery, then to that fan they were, no matter what I might say to the contrary in a comment room. Fanfiction is the ultimate example of fans interpretating (and extrapolating upon) what they've seen."

[Response recorded in the Station 8 "Gargoyles" FAQ, Section XXXIV.]

Response recorded on July 03, 2012

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It's that time again: Blather.

Blather = http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=469

Blather
So in a tryce came the documentary depicting many a Chinese doll and also the three wise men (who may or may not have been kings) that needed sixty-two dollars between them to redeem the coupon, which offered up solace and not a little irony to anyone who hadn't yet seen the crew chewing on leaves that weren't tobacco, but might have been sage and still left horrible stains in the dirt floor of the lean-to where I left my ski poles after the overnight with the cranes that were kept on the lake domestically for the purpose of tourism but who could also speak Latin on occasion when prompted by offers of cheese or jerky -- though not just any jerky, it had to be salmon jerky -- which isn't always easy to come by when you've agreed to leave before closing on summer days in the springtime of your life, which has been known to last longer in people who aren't concerned about under-inebriation or over-intoxication or both: it's the balance which is everything when nothing else will do and no one else will participate in the extravaganza that's been created by the giant invisible flying monkey brain that is modern life in the Twenty-First Century, counting since the (approximate) birth of Christ -- as long as the lack of the number zero doesn't disturb your math sensibilities as, frankly, it does mine, though I like to think I've made peace with that and with the Skrull too, since I haven't picked up an issue of that book in about nine years, which wasn't an intentional or explicit act of cold turkey so much as a sliding away followed by a none-too-impressive epiphany -- far from the best epiphany I've ever had, say, compared to Tintagel or Lego, not to mention the birth of certain children, which couldn't get more personal than the zany antics of the semi-erotic flea circus, which used to travel the stars waiting for an invitation to land at your door, since you are the personal target of the extra-lunar probe that counted all the seahorses that Aquaman used to make the giant seahorse that he could actually ride, though no faster than he could swim himself on his own power -- and no, we're not talking Super Friends here, but something older, more primal, something that was born back when the Ptero-whatever streaked across the sky leaving behind contrails made not of smoke but of pure and unadulterated grace, a commodity in which we are sorely shy as a planet, and yet which we find in the most unlikley of places, including but not limited to contracts which dictate how we will interact with each other but do it in such a way that no normal human being could possibly wrap their heads around the language and internalize the meaning, which we declare to be progress or civilization and which is not meant as a criticism so much as a detachment of troopers marching on a hill that you wouldn't pay five ducats -- FIVE! -- to buy yourself, or so I told myself and Hamlet night after night, but now Hamlet is a Thief on FX and I haven't seen him face to face in over twenty years, which sometimes seems quite normal but sometimes blows me away, not that I want to move backwards at all, though I'm not sure that I'm truly moving forward and I'm convinced I'm not moving sideways, though the metaphor of the sidewinder is appealing, not in the cliché sense of something sinister and left-handed, though I do throw with my left hand, I can bowl just as badly with either hand, and even though I'm 42, I quite prefer to have bumpers instead of gutters, where the rain gets backed up and sometimes flows over the lip and creates leaks in the roof and drips, drips, drips down into the shiny metal bowl that's usually used for something much more pleasant like mixing cookie dough to create chewy wonderful ... well.. cookies (I mean "duh") that taste a little bit like home even when you are home and it is raining, or maybe ESPECIALLY when you are home and it is raining and the water overflows and the ocean fills and the giant seahorse peaks out and winks at the cranes, which is exactly what the documentary crew was hoping to capture when they first took out their cameras and shot the whole thing from three different angles across six different days and still never saw the giant invisible flying monkey brain, because it was, to put it mildly, invisible.


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Matt writes...

So, you've been working in writing and producing animated shows for a long time. Since the shows you work on are generally targeted to younger viewers, I was curious about the impact, if any, that your kids and being a parent to them has had on your work. How much an influence has your being a parent been to these shows? And have your kids in particular had any general or specific influences on anything you've worked on?

Just curious. Thanks.

Greg responds...

Well, I often throw in little things to amuse my kids. Like making them genomorphs in YJ. Or using their birthdays on timestamps. And I'm sure they influence me in a hundred small ways I'm not even conscious of.

But mostly, I still write for myself.

Response recorded on May 18, 2012


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