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Anonymous writes...

Not so much a question, but a compliment: The ideas used in the series,
supporting charecters from the mind of Skaesphere, the words of Goliath,
and the themes in many epidodes do you good credit. A letter I'd read of yours
concerning the reasons for cancelation speaks in tomes of knowledge from
you, and gives you the rasply appearance of an extremly educated man.
Continue bringing these qualities to us. Don't fret over the fate of
Gargoyles, start anew. Breath new life into charecters and bring experince
and knowledge from your encounters here to a new program. Even if new life
isn't breathed into the Gargoyles, the genius mind behind them is in
lamen's terms "alive and kicking" I believe the adage is, "if at first you don't
succeed, try, try again?" But can we really difine your previous work as
not being sucessful?

Greg responds...

Sigh. Thanks. Believe me I'm trying to bring you something new.
Been trying for three years. It's been very frustrating. But I haven't
given up. This is what I do.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Okay, I don't know if these questions have already been asked yet
(probably not), but I'm a busy person, and a 600k text file? That's not as big as
the old Doom FAQ, but then again, the Doom FAQ had a lot of extra stuff in
it... ANYWAY...my questions...

1. Okay, I don't care about who Angela chose as a mate and I've seen your
responses as to how Broadway treated her, etc etc. Well, I see a bit of an
anomaly here. You said something in the early archives to someone else
back when I used to have time to read this. You said "Broadway saw her for who
she was, Brooklyn, who he wanted her to be." Not to criticize, but how
were we to know that? There weren't that many episodes (20, tops, sorry, can't
get the number right off the top of my head) between the Gathering, when
she was introduced to the Trio and the Journey in which she fell for Broadway.
There wasn't much time for explanation of how Broadway seemed to prove to
be the better of the three between Turf and Journey. I'm not saying she
shouldn't have chosen Broadway, I'm saying how could she have chosen ANY
of them that early without much explanation? It just kinda puzzles me...

2. Okay, it basically came across that Demona and MacBeth were immortal.
Not invulnerable to pain and damage, but they were immortal unless they
directly tried to kill each other. Well, what if it was something serious? Not just
a little laser blast or bullet. How about nuclear radiation exposure? Or
plague? Toxic chemicals? I'm not suggesting any plots. I just want to know
how their bodies would react. Would the bodies be overwhelmed with pain
and permanently scarred?

3. Now I noticed that when gargoyles considered themselves "warriors" and
whenever they had these massive all-out slugfests with one bad guy or
another, it was pretty two-dimensional. Now they did have a share of
airborne battles, but take for instance when they fight Demona in "Long
Way To Morning". After Goliath gets singed by the laser, I could understand
that. But before, knowing that Demona had a laser, and was probably much
faster and more manuverable, why wouldn't she attempt an aerial ambush?
Sometimes gargoyles seemed too attached to the ground they walked on...

Greg responds...

1. Well, I suppose that's a fair comment. But I wasn't setting out to
JUSTIFY (in capital letters) their relationship. That's what happened. I
think there were hints in Turf and Possession of what was coming. And
certainly there were hints as to what kind of suitor Brooklyn was if you
studied his relationship with Maggie objectively. But basically, I think
we showed subtle hints of the feelings Broadway and Angela were developing
from Gathering right through to The Journey. Possession put them in very
close proximity. It was probably a turning point of sorts. But let me
say, I wanted the kiss in Journey to be a bit of a surprise. Not a
OHMYGOD THATCANTBE shock, but I was hoping to catch you off guard. MAKING
SURE YOU WERE OK WITH IT wasn't my priority.
2. I've addressed this before -- multiple times. I'll forgive you
for not wanting to take the time to read the archives, if you'll forgive me
for not wanting to take the time to rewrite answers I've already related.
Deal?
3. I don't agree with your basic assessment. We had our share of
air battles. Besides, Gargoyles can't fly and are dependent on wind
currents to glide.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

WAHOO!!! *waves* Allo, Greg! I dunno if you remember me (Heck, hundreds
of people are coming here all the time after all). I was that 14 year old
girl who wrote here ... wow, must've been around January or so... anyway, that
14 year old is now 15, and I still love the show. Some things just don't
change with age, right? :P hehe "Someday someone should ask me about the "HOBGOBLIN OF LITTLE MINDS" episode that I never got around to doing."
Alrighty then ... *drumroll please* "So, Greg, what about that
Hobgoblin of Little Minds episode you were talking about?" :) Care to be so kind as
to tell us about it? I'd love to know... 'till next time! Lots of luck 'n'
prosperity *hehe*

Greg responds...

1. Hey, Aerie. Glad to have you back. What was your question again?

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Heyas, Greg! Just after sending in my last question I thought of
something very intriguing. Oberon posted the Weird Sisters to watch over Avalon
while he was gone, right? So, my question is ... 1) Were they allowed to leave
the island at all during their guardian work (all that fuss with Macbeth,
Demona, and such in the real world) ... weren't they running a risk of
getting caught playing hooky? I wouldn't exactly want Oberon mad at ME
*smiles* Then again, who would? :) Dasdivanya! (Catcha later!)

Greg responds...

1. There were risks, but I'm sure they felt that the greater risk
involved them having failed to prevent entry onto the island.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1.what the heck is timedancer?

2.who is katana?

3.in the gathering what did titania whisper into foxs ear and PLEASE dont
say "im not telling" or "its a secret"

4.in the episode "grief" when the emir ordered the pack to kill the
gargoyles and elisa how did he expect them to die when he had death itself
penned up in the other room?

5.how did thailog survive the firery roller coaster falling on him in the
episode the reckoning?

6.in the episode future tense how did xanotos rise to power?

7.also in the episode future tense how did brooklyn and demona fall in
love considering the fact that brooklyn hated demona more than any of the other
gargoyles?

Greg responds...

1. It was a proposed spin-off featuring Brooklyn, bouncing around through
the timestream. It never actually got made.
2. If TimeDancer had been made as either an episode of Gargoyles or
as its own series, Katana would have been introduced as Brooklyn's mate. He
met her in Feudal Japan.
3. [This answer intentionally left
blank so as not to upset Rose.]
4. He wasn't thinking, and unfortunately neither was I. I should
have had the Pack shoot Elisa, Goliath, Angela and Bronx. And then just not
have them die. I don't know how I missed that obvious and perfect bit of
conflict resolution.
5. Without much difficulty, actually.
6. Violently.
7. Keep in mind that none of that was real. Just Puck trying to
rock Goliath's world.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

since gargoyles has been canceled, is there anyway I can get gargoyles
merchandise?

Greg responds...

Search for it.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg! Well here are my questions:

1. The Arturian survivors. Are they: Arthur, Merlin, The Lady of the Lake,
The Fisher King, Morgana, Nimue, Mordred?

2. Patrick Stewart: Would he be the voice of Renard, Macbeth and the
Archmage?

3. Are we allowed to try and guess which clans would exist in 'Future
Tense'? Anyway here goes:
By 'Awakenings' 1) London 2) Ishimura 3) Guatemala 4) New Olympus 5)
Olympus, Greece? 6) Near an old Native American settlement. 7) Paris 8)
Avalon By end of 'The Journey'
9) Manhattan 10) Clones By 2158
11) With Nokkar on Easter Island. 12) Scotland, Loch ness?
Afterwards
13) A moonbase? 14) -?

Greg responds...

1. Nope.

2. Nope.

3. Nope. Sorry Aris, you're down swinging though.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I know your probably sick of reading these questions so I'll get to the
point. In a previous answer you told us the ages of all the gargoyles.
Now, I did some math and the numbers I got don't make sense. For example,
you said that Goliath's Generation (Goliath, Demona, Coldstone, etc.) were
1058 (29) years old. That would mean that they were born in 938 AD. But
you also said that the Trio's Generation were 1038 (19) years old. That
would mean that they were born in 958 AD. So, the generations were 20
years apart. That makes sense. What doen't make sense is that when the Trio
were born, Goliath's Generation were only 20 (10). So they couldn't have been
old enough to reproduce (unless gargoyles mature really quickly). But
when you see the way Goliath acts around the Trio, it seems like he's
"fatherly". Could you explain why? Thanks for this unique oppertunity.

Greg responds...

You could say he acts fatherly. But he's more of a big brother.
Think of Rex and Speed Racer. (All that math, and you're question came down
to subtleties of character.) Goliath's generation was not the biological
parents of the Trio's generation. They were among the biological parents of
Angela and Gabriel's generation.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Just one short question:
This is a debate that's been going on in a part of the fandom, since
someone posted about it recently. Who is the robed figure who goes to Hakon and
sabotages the Castle Wyvern defenses?

Greg responds...

The Captain, of course. Who else?

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg. I just have a couple short questions:

1)I've noticed that Goliath has 2 spikes on his eyebrow ridge, and so does
Demona(she rarely takes off the tiara but in the episode "Sanctuary" they
showed that she *does* have 2 spikes on her brow ridge). I'm not sure if
you already answered this question, but if both Goliath and Demona have 2
brow ridge spikes, then why does Angela only have one? I always thought
she should have 2. Also, in some episodes, it looks as if she doesn't even
*have* any spikes. Why is that?

2)I must be really obsessed to ask this question. On Demona's wings, the
spike on the elbow of her wing arm points up. The spike on Angela's wing
points down. Where does she get that from? If Goliath has no spikes on
his wings, could she have inherited them from a grandparent?

3)How old is Angela? Thanx for your time. Brianna

Greg responds...

1. What's that called? A recessive gene.

2. Sure. Or from Greg Guler.

3. As of 12-31-96, Angela was 952 years old chronologically.
Biologically, she was 21.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg, I just viewed Golem again, and noticed that in the
flashbacksequence some of those ruffians persued a woman with
PINKhair!Since
I doubt she had it coloured back then, was she one of Oberons children, or
simpley an animation error ?

Greg responds...

1. Maybe the problem's with your tv.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg, Here is my question.(I was never really good at intro's) I know
that Goliath and Elisa both love each other, but what I want to know is
how does Angela feel about this (if she even knows)? Angela really cares for
Demona, being her mother and all. Naturally, I thought Angela would hope
her biological parents would get back together (although highly unlikely).
I just want to know how Angela feels.

Greg responds...

1. Angela's no idiot. How could she not know? I think she's happy for
both her father and Elisa. Elisa's more like an older sister than a
mother or step-mother figure, but keep in mind that Angela met Goliath and
Elisa at the same time. That relationship was firmly established in
Angela's mind long before she knew Demona was her mother.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I've been reading avidly since this started, so I'm fairly sure these
havn't been asked before ( apologies if I'm mistaken)

i) What were your outline plans (if any) for developing the
Elisa-Goliath-Jason 'triangle'.

ii)What were your plans for Xanatos' long
term relationship with the Illuminati ?

Greg responds...

1. Well, you saw most of it. And as I've stated, step two (the
Halloween double date) might not have even included Jason. The Triangle
pretty much concluded with Hunter's Moon.
2. Too complex to relate here.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Since the Arthurian legend played a part in the background of the series
(Arthur himself, Avalon, Merlin, and for your future plans, the Fisher
King heading the Illuminati), I thought that I'd ask you - what is your opinion
on the debate over whether Arthur was based on a historical figure or not?
Do you think that there may have been a real "Arthur" in the 5th and 6th
centuries (if no doubt very different from his legendary counterpart), or
do you view him as more likely to have been purely a creation of the
storytellers of the age?

Greg responds...

I feel strongly that there must have been an historical Arthur. And
that he must have been fairly impressive in his own right.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I'm asking this question separately in case it gets counted as an idea
(although I did my best when working it out to keep it from feeling like
one), but: If you had done the "Pendragon" spin-off, would anything from the "search
for the historical Arthur" (the Saxon invasions, the Battle of Badon,
etc.) have gotten into it, or would it have been strictly the legendary Arthur
of Geoffrey of Monmouth, Malory, et al?

Greg responds...

Both, up to a point. (Keep in mind, that Geoffrey is still the best
source for any serious investigation of the historical Arthur. At any rate,
he's the starting point. Mallory, of course, is a whole other story.)

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I haven't posted anything related to Gargoyles in a over nine months. I'm
still a major fan, however. I just have a schophrenic mind as of always.
Anyway Mr. Weisman, this is an odd question that I haven't seen anyone
ask. This is stemming from a recent S. Baptisrs declaration and talks with my
friend about womens rights with hardcore Muslim groups. ANYWAY, THE
QUESTION IS:

(1)How did the two sexes interact with each other? I mean, were the sexes
equal in respect with, . . .well respect, power etc. Were the males and
females afforded equal treatment or does one have dominion over the other.
You explained that the family was communial but were the females allotted
the "homemaker duties." Was Society basically matriarchial ar
patriarchial.

(2)Going on that same strand even further, how much impact did the human
customs affect it. Would gargoyles pattern their "family values" after the
culture that was nearby.

Greg responds...

1. Gargoyles were generally a warrior race. Males and females can both
be warriors. Leadership and Seconding was decided on the basis of
leadership capabilities, strength and prowess. Males and females both
could qualify, as I think we demonstrated. That doesn't eliminate the
difference between the genders. And males don't have breasts for nursing
new hatchlings, but everyone participated fairly equally in raising each
new generation.
2. I'm sure it was different in different locations. Some
traditions remained. Some did not. Individual gargoyles might have bent
more than their clans. There's no one answer to this question.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

One of the things I have always liked about Gargoyles is the relatively
logical way the events in an episode started. The main characters didn't
get involved in what happened by mere chance, unlike the main characters of
many other series, who often just happen to be nearby whenever their arch-enemy
plots to take over the world again. However, It did seem like a big
coincidence that Elisa's father has a connection with Coyote the
trickster. And Titania's daughter marrying Xanatos of all people also seems like a
big coincidence. So my question is: Is there some logical explanation for this
other than simple coincidence. I'm not asking for a full explanation if
there is any, since you probably wouldn't just give it anyway, so just a
'yes' or 'no' would make me happy. (And anything more would make me even
happier.)

Greg responds...

Were those things coincidences or simply the way the world works?
What about Vinnie or Brendan & Margot? I intentionally tried to create a
Universe where everything was interconnected, even if those connections
aren't immediately obvious. Kinda like the Simpsons. Does that help?

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

This is one topic involving "The Hound of Ulster" that has received a fair
amount of debate among Gargoyles fans, and I was curious about your
opinion on it.
What were the Banshee/Molly's feelings towards Rory Dugan? Did she have
any tenderness towards him, or develop any during the time that she was Molly?
The fact that she chose to fight and destroy him only as a last resort,
when her efforts to delude him into staying an ordinary human had failed,
suggested that to many fans; what's your take on it?

Greg responds...

Dang, you guys are sharp. I think she thought she was using him.
But given the opportunity, I had plans to do a further exploration of their
relationship.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

A few quick ones.

1. I know you probably want to be elusive about the "Hobgoblin of Little
Minds" episode. But was it the "very strange little two-parter" that you
once said was "too risky" to be made? If so, in what respect was it risky?
1b. Was Puck the hobgoblin of the title?

2. I've forgotten if I've asked this before. Oh, well. Have you remembered
yet what book Goliath was reading in "Avalon" pt I when he stayed behind
in the clock tower to finish it?

3. You've mentioned before a story you had in mind dealing with the
clocktower itself. Since the clocktower has been destroyed and you can't
do the story (so you wouldn't be spoiling anything we'd have a chance to
see), would you mind telling us what it was about?

4. Will you be at the Gathering 98? If so, are you planning on showing the
same videos (BAD GUYS leica reel, etc) that you did last year? I wouldn't
mind seeing those again. :)

IP: grmn-105ppp69.epix.net

Greg responds...

1. No. That two-parter wasn't risky per se, but it was highly
sophisticated even by GARGOYLES standards. I think we could have done it,
but the higher ups rejected it. It was the ONLY plotline they did reject.
Given how cooperative they were otherwise, it was hard to argue the point.

1b. It's not that simple.
2. No. Maybe the next time I see the episode, it'll come back to
me.
3. I just answered that one. It might be in this very post. IF
not, check the recent archives.
4. I hope to be there. I have my plane tickets, as of today (7/22)
I'm waiting for a confirmation on my hotel room. When I get that, I'll make
an official announcement. I will bring those videos again. If the majority
want to see them again, I'll show 'em. But I'm planning to bring some stuff
none of you have seen as well.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hy Greg, here´s another bunch of questions:

1.) When you state the age of a gargoyle, is this age counted from the
hatching, or from the laying of the egg?

2.) When the Emir enprisoned Anubis, Anubis stated, that with him
locked away, nobody would die. Does this a) mean that death is "unnatural" and
onley happens because the third race doesn´t want to have to many of
the first two run around, or b) was Anubis simpley connected to death
somehow?

3.) If the answer is b, then how did this connection start?

4.) Would Anubis be able to let one of the third race die at all, if
Oberon would object ?

5.) When Demona and Xanatos reanimated Coldstone, the souls of three
gargoyles were reanimated within one body, cause they used parts of
three shattered Gargoyles. Coldstone also stated, there were nothing he
remembered after going to sleep this morning, so he didn´t have any
afterlife experience at all. a) Does this mean that a gargoyle who is
shattered during the day is not "technically" dead and b) that his soul
is still present in the shards?

6.) Does Xanatos have anymore parts of shattered gargoyles in his
posession?

7.) When Xanatos tried to make ammends by seperating the 3 souls, why
did he go for robot bodies instead of extracting the DNA from Coldstones
bodyparts and cloning "real" bodies from it? I take it, he hasn´t quit
genetics completeley after Sevarius went his own ways...

IP: 195.3.79.137

Greg responds...

1. Hatching.

2. The latter.

3. Now that would be telling.

4. Huh?

5. Not necessarily.

6. Nothing significant.

7. Can't clone stone.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

in the episode the mirror it showed that there were three races
humans,gargoyles and oberons children if the new olympians from the
episode
the new olympians arn't any of those then what are they?

Greg responds...

I've answered this before. Broadway didn't know about the New
Olympians when he explained the three races to Elisa. But at any rate, the
New Olympians are a hybrid race.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi! First of all, I love the show! : ) Anyway, just one question: Why did
Thailog have Sevarious make Delilah look like Elisa instead of Demona? I'm
done..bye!

Greg responds...

Mostly to torture Goliath and Demona. But also cuz Thailog has some
serious issues of his own to work through.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi! It's me again! : )

1. I saw that in another question that you've answered, you said that
Brooklyn's son(?) would've been named Nashville. Have you ever been there?
(It's my hometown.^_^)

2. I also noticed when you said that you think that Derek would have had
trouble with Goliath and Elisa's relationship. Why?

3. How did you and Gorebash meet?
Thanks for taking time out to answer my questions! Bye!

Greg responds...

1. Nope.
2. Open-minded Derek?
3. Well, it depends what you mean. I didn't actually meet him
until last year's Gathering. We first communicated before that via e-mail,
I think. (Gore, feel free to add your memories of this below. [Heh, now
we'll see if he's paying attention when he posts this stuff.]) I think Gore
somehow contacted my sister Robyn, who hooked me up with him.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

(Gorebash Talkin. Yah I do pay attention... sometimes. Greg's sister somehow
came across my web site one day and gave me an e-mail telling me how she thought her brother
might like the page then added 'he created gargoyles'. heh. So what else is a freak like me to
do but ask "HEY! Can you maybe let him, then, take a peek at it?" and instead of just getting
a "sure" I get his e-mail address with a 'why not tell him yourself'. So I did. The rest is
history.)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg - I'd like to ask you, who is the creator of the GARGOYLES video
game? I noticed it was made by Buena Vista, but the plt is all wrong! It
sythe Eye of Oden was made by Vickings, for one. Just woundering.

Greg responds...

Patrick Gilmore was the producer. He ran most of the basics by me
and Frank. It's an adaptation for his medium. As for the Eye, well, they
came up with that concept, so one could argue that we screwed it up.
Except, I don't think the two versions are mutually exclusive. And I
actually liked their visual design better than ours. It was more Odinesque,
more Viking. I always thought ours looked vaguely Egyptian.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Is there a way I could get ay least one of the Goliath Chronicle episode I
really miss that show.
Is there any update on the Gargoyles Movie.

Greg responds...

1. I didn't have much to do with Goliath Chronicles. EVERYONE GET
THAT?!! And at any rate, I can't get anyone video tapes.
2. And I have no new information on the movie.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi again Great One!

[1] You answered -who- made the Phenox Gate with "not who." In that case,
what, when where and how. I know I proably won't get much of an answer to
many [or any] of those, had to try.

[2] Why was Lex part Cyborg in Future Tense? Thanks!

Greg responds...

1. It was created with the Timestream, perhaps as a pressure valve of
sorts.
2. Mostly cause it was shocking as hell.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

What part would Coldstone, Coldfire, and Coldsteel have played in the
whole scheme of things
would they have become more often recurring characters in your master
plan????????

Greg responds...

There would have been a period when Coldstone and Coldfire would be
borderline regulars, but that wouldn't have been permanent. Coldsteel would
have been a recurring villain.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg! I was wondering about the Isle of Avalon again! I was
wondering,

1). why the third race or others call upon Avalon as if it was a person?
Example, when the Magus in Avalon PT3 said: "Mystic Avalon, hear my plea,
fill me with your energy!", the Magus called to it and it responded in the
way a person may respond?

2). Can you say that Avalon is alive and knows the difference between
right
and wrong? I know that you might not understand what im asking but anyway!
Thanks once again!

Greg responds...

1. It seems to have a spirit. Maybe they're just hedging their bets.
2. I get it, but I don't think there's a definitive answer to your
question.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

This is not a question ( my apologies for that ). I just want to thank u
for this great show. I never saw it before ( it's on now ). I leave to see the
next episode, recording every one of them. Thanx, and if u will have a
chance to continue "Gargoyles", do not hesitate. By the way, sins I'm in
US only for one year ( I'm from Russia ) - "Gargoiles" is an internacional
show . I'm leaving in three days, so I have only one more episode to see:
"Reawakening II". Prey for me, I will be without your clan from
now on. Thanx again. Bye.

Greg responds...

Sorry to see you go, Pasha. (Do we tell her there is no Reawakening
II? I guess she's gone by now.)

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Just one quick question, Did you have anything to do with the making of
Invasion America? I know Micheal Reaves. Thanx

Greg responds...

I know Michael too. As to Invasion, Uh, really, no. Not with
what's on the screen. I briefly was attached to the project, but left when
Harve Bennett came on as Executive Producer.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

A thematic question that I've been wondering about for some time. In the
series, many characters were "immortal", including Oberon's Children,
Demona, and Macbeth. Oberon's Children were, for the most part, a petty,
arrogant, and often downright nasty lot, who treated mortals as mere
playthings. Demona was a crazed and ruthless genocidist and Macbeth did
his own share of shady things such as stealing the Scrolls of Merlin and
capturing the gargoyles to use as bait for a Demona-trap. Not to mention,
furthermore, that the "immortal-at-last-Xanatos" of "Future Tense" (even
though it turned out that it wasn't the real Xanatos but an illusion of
Puck's) was far more evil and ruthless than the original Xanatos ever was.
What I'm wondering is: was this intended as a major "moral" of
"Gargoyles"?
That immortality (or rather, physical, bodily immortality) is a corrupting
influence?

Greg responds...

1. Eh, I don't know about that. Macbeth has his moments, but he's not
such a bad guy. I rather like Coyote. A trickster, but with a more
clearly positive bent than some of his fellows. Citing Oberon, ignores
Titania. Citing the Sisters ignores the Lady of the Lake and Grandmother.
I think you're assumptions are a bit flawed on this one, Todd. Hey, Todd
and I disagree. That's got to be a first.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

A quick question about gargoyle evolution that you might of answered. Ok,
I've noticed that Goliath's clan, the Japanese gargoyles, and the
Guatemalan gargoyles(excluding that snake like guy whose name escapes me) all look
like retiles(the wing structure more than anything), while Griff, Leo and Una
all look like birds(their wings have feathers/ploomage). Then there are people
that say the birds evolved from reptile, or dinosaurus, and Goliath's
little wing fingers look like the ones on a Peradactyle(I have no idea how to
spell it, the flying ones). I can understand how Goliath and Co. might have
missed out on 1,000 years of evolution(not that it would be much), but not
Japan's gargoyles. So I guess London's gargoyles just evolved differently, can you
clear this up for me?? And I guess this is question #2: Are there more
than three gargoyles in London?? Thanks for your time.

Greg responds...

1. Superficial and cosmetic differences are easily influenced by local
forces.
2. Yes.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello! I'm a rather informal person, so may I call you Greg? Or should it
be Mr. Weisman? Oh, never mind. I've got a few questions for ya (like you
don't know.)

1. Where did the idea of putting a few Shakespeare bits here and there
come from?

2. I read in a magazine (Comic Scene) that five episodes in the Avalon
world tour were possible ideas for spinoffs (I think they were "Pendragon," "New
Olympians," "Bushido.." can't remember the other two). We already know
about Pendragon. Were these really plans, or Comic Scene mess up? (the have
been known to do that, but don't tell them _I_ said that!) and

Greg responds...

1. Me. And Greg's fine.
2. There were only two that were sort of INTENTIONALLY made as
back-door pilots. Those were THE NEW OLYMPIANS and PENDRAGON. One might
argue that WALKABOUT and BUSHIDO were both precursors to BAD GUYS, in that
they introduced characters that would have appeared in that spin-off, but
it's a stretch to refer to them as pilots. I mean for starters, Yama was a
late addition to the Bad Guys cast. And if you count them, why not count
HUNTER'S MOON, which introduced Robyn Canmore? What else could have been
referred to? "Future Tense" was definitely not a pilot for the FUTURE TENSE
spin-off. Two totally different takes on the future. There was no DARK
AGES back door pilot. No TIMEDANCER pilot either. So I think that brings
us back to THE NEW OLYMPIANS and PENDRAGON.
3. Uh, which part?
4. You're slo-mo must not work to well. Our composer was the
talented Carl Johnson and his credit's clearly visible on every episode.
5. I've answered this in some detail in the archives. I like
almost all of them.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello again, Greg, I have just a few more questions to ask ya. I'd also
like to tell ya that I'll be using this site more often because I'll never
get to see ya in person(I can't go to New York for the Gathering which
makes me so @#^%$ mad!) I'd also like to beg forgiveness if any of these
questions have been asked before. So here we go.

1) How long before the Eyre Building was built did Demona know Xanatos?

2) How long exactly did it take to build the Eyre anyway?(I've heard it
was six months but I find it hard to believe that a skyscraper that big could
be built in that short of time.) And two personal ones:

3) Do you ever get tired of answering our questions?(Sorry I had to ask
that one. Considering you've already answered a zillion of them.)

4) How would I go about getting my fanfic on the internet? (I've only had
the internet for a short time and I'm still learning how to use it.)

Greg responds...

1. I haven't done the math.

2. The whole skyscraper or just putting the castle on top?

3. No.

4. I have no involvement in fanfiction.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi! I've enjoyed "Gargoyles" ever since it brightened up TDA's darkest
days in 1994. I do have a few questions which I hope have not yet been asked
here. Here they are:

1) In "Enter Macbeth," Xanatos has October 31 circled on his calendar as
the day he's released from jail. However, in "Double Jeopardy" the computer
date on the log shows Noember 15 and Xanatos is still in jail. Since the most
Xanatos got was a six-month sentence, he couldn't possibly have been in
jail November 15 of any year.

2) Is Jon Castaway one and the same as John Canmore? It's been my theory,
but he looks and sounds quite different.

3) Is Duval, the leader of the Illuminati, immortal? I believe you said
somewhere that he was, but that didn't mean he couldn't die. Huh?

4) If "Timedancer" had been produced, what would have happened to Brooklyn
in the "Gargoyles" series? Would he not be on it as he was time traveling?
And when he returned would he be older than Broadway & Lexington on
"Gargoyles" as well (I know he's already older, but I mean considerably).

5) Where can I obtain a copy of your "Master Plan?"

6) What other Disney shows have you worked on? I know "TaleSpin," and I
think "Darkwing Duck." Any others?

Greg responds...

1. Haven't I answered this?
2. He doesn't look very different at all, since we used the exact
same model, changing only his clothes, the way his hair is styled and added
a mustache. As to sound, we even tried to duplicate that with a different
accent. Yeah, it's the same guy.
3. Right.
4. He's not "already" older than Broadway and Lexington. They all
hatched at the same time, give or take a day or two. Brooklyn would have
returned from ALL of his timedancing a mere five minutes after he departed.
He'd be forty (or twenty) years older, but he wouldn't have missed any of
the GARGOYLES adventures.
5. I don't know. Gore, can you just duplicate it below once and
for all. (Last time I suggested this, Gore ignored me.)
6. Geez, I worked on a ton of them in one capacity or another. I
was at Disney for seven years, most as an executive in charge of either
current programming or development. I worked on Pooh, Gummi Bears,
DuckTales, Rescue Rangers, Talespin, Darkwing, Goof Troop, Bonkers,
Marsupilami, Raw Toonage, Schnookums & Meat, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, the
Duck Tales Movie, A Goofy Movie, Mighty Ducks, Timon & Pumbaa, at least. Am
I leaving anything out from that era? Oh, yeah, Gargoyles and Goliath
Chronicles.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

****Blaise walks in.**** Hello again Mr. Weisman. Sorry to ask a second
set of questions before my first set is answered (I strive to avoid that
so I don't bog you down with endless questions), but I have a few things on
my mind that I wanted to get down before I forgot. First of all, I won't ask
about the HOBGOBLIN OF LITTLE MINDS ep because a bunch of other people
have asked about it, and it would be redundant. Next, I can understand
your...disconcertion (?) with revealing suprises (like Merlin's
parentage). That's pretty much why I try my best to avoid asking questions about the
future in GARGOYLES and try to focus on the "Why and wherefore" (or
whatever) of the show (I don't ALWAYS succeed). So, I come to my Q's.
Both are pretty much about the show's evolution from the "comedy" development
into what we have today.

1) First, Elisa Maza: a) When the Archive first came out, you gave a
very nice explanation on why you made the name change from "Elisa Chavez" to
"Elisa Maza." However you never explained why you changed it from the
original "Morgan Reed," or where the surname "Bluestone" appeared in
there, nor why you made those changes. So, why those names and why the changes?
b) In addition to her name, Elisa went through a lot of concept changes
as well: school teacher, firefighter, museum worker (or something), mother,
descendent of Princess Catharine (please excuse my spelling on that),
etc.. Why so many changes and why those particular changes.

2) Now for Xanatos's original: Originally, Xavier was supposed to be a
descendant of the Magus (or whatever his character was called at the
time), and was supposed to be rather petulant; "Captain Hookish." Why the change
from this to the Machavellian, arguably Edmundish villain with no ties to
the Magus today?

3) Now Owen's first, Mr. Owen: An aardvark? What prompted that? I know
that the "comedy" development was a "no-go" and it's all pretty much a
moot point now, but I'm still curious. I mean, I like finding out something's
origins and seeing how it evolved. See you later, and I hope my questions
aren't too much of a bother. Have a nice day! ****Blaise dissolves.****

Greg responds...

1. Morgan Reed was part of the comedy development. It pre-dated
Goliath's inclusion and therefore pre-dated any Beauty/Beast thread to the
series. When Goliath entered, Morgan's name switched to Elisa for purely
aesthetic, sonorous reasons. Meaning, I just liked the sound of it for the
new way the character functioned in the show. Chavez was her working last
name, because I intended to make the character hispanic and again I liked
the sound. When we cast Salli Richardson, we dumped Chavez, because Salli's
not Hispanic. Paul Lacy compiled a short list of possible Native American
surnames, including Bluestone, which was my bosses' early pick on my
recommendation. Later, he changed his mind and we went with Maza.
Obviously, for the hell of it, I wanted to preserve all the old names in one
way or another. So our beat cop became Officer Morgan. Maggie was Maggie
Reed. Maria was Maria Chavez. And Matt was Matt Bluestone (which is also a
Jewish name).
2. Like Elisa, he was put through the prism of Goliath. The old
traits fell away, and he emerged as Xanatos. It was a process, but it felt
right.
3. Aardvarks are funny, don't you think? When you're developing a
comedy, you don't need much of a better reason.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey, Greg. I just wanted to start out by saying that I loved Gargoyles.
Still do. Unfortunately, I'm not in your target age range. But there's at
least one college student who raves about the show regularly. I especially
enjoy the mythology you've weaved into the series. I haven't seen all the
episodes yet, but I plan to eventually.
Now. On to the questions.

1) Here's my stab at the Arthurian survivors. Seven, right? 1) Arthur 2)
Merlin 3) Fisher King 4) Lady of the Lake 5) Morgan le Fay 6) Nimue 7)
Galahad

2) a:You've mentioned that you've tried to get Gargoyles in other media.
I'm curious. If you had the option of using any medium, TV live, film live,
books, comic books, TV animation, film animation, which would you pick?
I'm aware that in real-world terms, you take what you can. But if you had the
choice, which would best fit your story? b: Along similar lines, do you
see parts of the master plan changing depending on which medium you get? I
read a novelization of Batman's Knightfall thread, that said that it changed
some stuff because the different media required different pacing and other
stuff.... Any similar changes for you that you can see? If there are, care
to elaborate on those?

3) Have you even seen all the episodes of TGC? I haven't, myself. Though I
found out I have one on tape.

4) Would Disney allow you to do Gargoyles on another medium anyway? I
thought they owned everything related to Gargoyles...? Do you think they
would have a reason to not let you write a Gargoyles book or something if
you got the opportunity?

Greg responds...

1. Nope.
2a. Given my imaginary and otherwise-non-existent druthers, I'd
like to go right back to TV Animation, though I'd rather be in prime time
with one hour episodes. After that, I think comics would be fun, but I
might prefer to just go the novel route.
2b. I don't see the basic plan changing, but what I chose to depict
would definitely be effected by the medium.
3. Not counting "The Journey", which I've seen a few times, I've
seen the other 12 each exactly once.
4. I would think that Disney would let me do anything that didn't
damage the property and which generated some income for them. They're not
going to let me do anything without being compensated. And I don't blame
them.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Mr.Wiseman
I am a Gargoyle fan ever since watchng gargoyles! maybe before that I
have now started to look into gargoyle history and learn more aboutt hem as I
can even try t get some from the show. I was wondering if the Gargoyles
series would have still been on today would you have the seris branch off into
diffrent direction's?(example TGC Focus on the gargoyles and human's
living together, Gargoyles focus on Elisa's and Goliath's relationship)
Also I was wondering where did you get the main Idea for Gargoyles? cause
heard certian thing's how gargoyles came to be. But I was wondering if any
of the main Idea's that helped you along came from a book. If so what
book?

Greg responds...

That's Weisman, not Wiseman.
Most of the Gargoyles mythos is my own invention. Inspired by
hundreds of disparate sources, but not by any one book or whatever. I'd
have loved to explore, as I think we did, all sorts of different themes and
relationships, but Elisa/Goliath would have always been one of the prime
dynamics.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg! I'm glad I found this one, and to find I'm not the only
Gargoyle-fan in the world (and not the ony one in Germany!). So here are
some questions of me (trying to be short):

1. Not knowing if the ratings went down with the 3rd season or before - if
they were already down in the second season, why DID Disney want a third
season made?

2. One concerning your (possible) future work on the spin-offs - where did
you want to take your time for all those things (and possibly even write
more eps of the original Gargoyles)? Or haven't you planned anything for
this case?

3. Just if I'm guessing right - I know that female Gargoyles are fertile
once every 20 years, and I know that Gargoyles mostly die in battle (or at
least get killed somehow before getting old). Am I right that those
females, besides of that 20-year-rhythm, are fertile until they die, even when
dying of age? If not, at what age ends their fertility?

4. You answered one time that Tom had centuries to learn one or two little
spells, like the one for the boat he used. Perhaps it really was not
complicated, because Goliath learned it by hearing Tom cast it. But
couldn't have Tom or one of the Gargoyles living on Avalon learned some more spells
from the Magus (who actually remembered some without the Grimorum)? Or if
casting spells IS that complicated, how could Goliath do it that easy (he
even was able to control the Phoenix Gate - well, control is perhaps the
wrong word, should be something like invoke or use, I guess)?

5. Finally (for now) a question about this wonderful phenomenon named
"time". The past cannot be changed. But when Brooklyn arives 2158 in
TimeDancer, 1996 IS past and cannot be changed. Sure, he returns there
(then - whatever), but having at least partially seen the past, can he
change the future, and so change the past from the 2158-point-of-view?
Thanks for your time both making the show and answering the questions.
Hope the movie will come and Disney will get you back to make us happy again
with new eps. Until next time!

Greg responds...

1. The 2nd season ratings didn't go down, per se. They just
weren't as high as some people at Disney had hoped. And it was ABC that
wanted Goliath Chronicles. WDTVA and BVTV were prepared to let Gargs fade
away after two years. (Different divisions have different agendas, no
matter how hard the Uber-Corporation strives for synergy.)
2. I know you're trying, but I'm not sure if I understand the
question. If you're asking how I could possibly have supervised the writing
on seven separate series simultaneously, the obvious answer was that I
couldn't. But I never thought that all seven would go. I was really hoping
for two: Gargoyles and any one of the spin-offs (Bad Guys/Redemption Squad
being my first choice, but any of them would have been fun). Of course,
they wound up doing nothing but Goliath Chronicles, and they wound up making
that so unattractive an offer that I didn't do those either. (Of course,
now I regret that tremendously. Live and learn.)
3. I don't think it's endless, but I don't want to be pinned down
now.
4. Some spells are easier than others, but all take some effort and
concentration. And a large amount of desire. Others take years of study.
5. Brooklyn's new 2158 friends make a concerted effort to keep the
past from him. Brooklyn cooperates. Exceptions to that effort would be
interesting to explore. But it won't change the basic rules of the
Gargoyles Universe.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

[1] Are the Illuminati aware of Alexander Xanatos' unusual
itage? -1a) By extension, would they then also know about Owen
Burnett's and Anastasia Renard's secret identities?

[2] Why is Fox half-Oberati (hehe, that -does- sound like an Italian
sports car! :P), if Titania is supposed to be fully human in her Anastasia form?

Greg responds...

1. Not yet.

2. The magic is always present, no matter the biology.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

[1] What would Merlin's new form have been? :)

[2] You said in an old "Ask Greg" that Puck was 'pretty old. Over five
hundred years at least.' But 1998 - 995 = 1003. I'll bite: why not
'over one thousand, at least'?

[3] How does the Phoenix Gate 'know' how history really went/goes/will
-3a) Is the Phoenix Gate what most people would deem as sentient?

Greg responds...

1. Not saying.

2. O.K. Over one thousand at least.

3. Who says the Gate "knows" anything?

3a. I don't think so.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Oh, and another one: Did the NOs' meeting with Elisa significantly affect
their attitude towards her race?

Greg responds...

It had an affect.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Eeee! Run away! More questions! ^_^
[1] How did the museum know enough about Titania's Mirror so that they
could publicize it (as such)?

[2] Given that there would be only twelve clans by the time of the
"Future Tense" spinoff, what effect would the comparatively limited gene pool have
on the survival of the gargoyle race?

[2] About how long does it usually take for a gargoyle egg to be laid
after its fertilization? i.e., is there some kind of gestation period? (I know
next to nothing about biology, BTW. :P)

[3] What happens to eggs that are left unfertilized?

[4] Do gargoyles all over the world (excluding the Avalon clan & the
TimeDancing Katana, maybe) operate on the same 20-year fertility
le? -4a) Okay, what about Angela?

[5] Here's a horrible morbid question -- have gargoyle eggs ever been
filched in order to make giant breakfast omelets? :9

Greg responds...

O.K., but no more food questions.
1. From the Museum's point of view, it was just the traditional
name for this ancient work of craftsmanship. They weren't aware of any
magical properties.
2. They'd be on the verge of a minor comeback thanks to some
careful planning.
2 #2. I haven't yet established the internal gestation period of a
fertilized egg. I imagine unfertilized eggs go through some process akin to
menstruation. But I haven't given it any thought.
3. No number 3.
4. Yes. 4a. Angela will have attuned to the normal gargoyle cycle
by 2008.
5. Omelets? I doubt it. Food, probably.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Thanks in advance for putting up with me-- I mean, *us* :)-- and our
endlessly inane questions, Greg!

[1] Do the other London gargs also exhibit heraldic characteristics? And
if you feel like revealing it right now, what sort of fauna would they
have taken after?

[2] We were discussing various eps of TGC in the Comment Room a while
ago. One of the topics that came up was Taurus' shocked reaction to the
meat-packing house in "Seeing Isn't Believing". It amused many of the
commenters, but I felt that it seemed entirely out place and that the TGC
writers simply couldn't resist sticking in that little joke. I'm aware
that you didn't supervise the production of the other 12 episodes, but I'd like
to hear your take on it.

[3] Of course, the question of anthropomorph cannibalism in animation
soon (and perhaps inevitably :P) arose. F'rinstance, examples of Donald Duck
happily munching on roast turkey legs and such are rife throughout various
Disney cartoons. I'm curious to know how this apparent lack of taboo
might apply to "Gargoyles", a much more serious show. Would Taurus necessarily
object to gnawing on a big ol' tasty chunk of top sirloin? And would it
repulse any of the London gargs to eat their respective animal
ounterparts? --I'm guessing unicorns, lions, and griffins aren't too
common around the English countryside, but it's still something to wonder about.
^_^

[4] Are the Guatemalan gargs vegetarians (if they eat anything at all)?

[5] Totally unrelated to the theme I got going here, but oh well: Do you
care to relate any details about the little clocktower-fixing ep idea that
you scrapped after "Hunter's Moon"? I love those little story bits that
you have every now and then!

Greg responds...

1. I think we showed a pretty fair cross section.
2. I don't know. I don't feel very strongly about it.
3. I haven't thought much about eating habits. I guess it doesn't
interest me too much.
4. I don't know.
5. It was just a notion that the city keeps sending someone to try
and fix the clock and the chimes. The gargoyles keep disabling the chimes
because they're deafening them. Might have made a good Vinnie episode.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman!!

1) Can I call you Greg?

2) I was really in a little weird spell when I watched Hunter's Moon.
Demona, apparently, had been collected artifacts over a course of 500
years. First the Midichi (I probably didn't spell that right) Tablet in Italy and
then the Praying Gargoyle in France and then the CV-1000 and DX stuff in
the 90's. What I'm wondering is, obviously, the CV-1000 and other thing
wouldn't have been developed when Demona started stealing the stuff for her master
plan, and (unless she invented it) she couldn't have expected them to be
developed, so do you have some explanation for that that I missed?

3) How do you do it?!?!? I've watched gargoyles since it first came out.
There might be a single line mentioned in the first ep that comes back to
haunt us in the second season. For instance, in "Temptation" Demona
mentioned that she had watched Humanity evolve, but we didn't learn what
she meant till "City of Stone" or the mentions of Oberon in "The Mirror," it
made me, personally, see Oberon as some non-corporeal, all-seeing being
who created and de-created with the wave of a hand. But then we meet Oberon.
The moment I saw him, even before I heard his name (but I got a few hints from
the "Previously, on Gargoyles .. .") I knew who he was. Just the way you
design the series. You can't miss one episode without missing a huge story
line. How do you plan it like that?

4) Do you think fanfiction is a good idea Thanx for your time, bye-bye for
now!

Greg responds...

1. Please.
2. Demona gathered lots of stuff, including the Praying Gargoyle
and the Medici Tablet. She figured it would come in handy eventually. She
was right. I never said she had that specific plan for all that time.
3. Well, I think you can miss episodes, it's just more enjoyable if
you don't. As to how... well, it helped that you had one guy, me, in charge
of story for 66 episodes. Thus with all the multiple voices that come into
play, you do get a single voice providing consistency. Also, to be honest,
it helps just to keep your eyes open and remember what you've done. Michael
Reaves sticks a line about the Illuminati into a 1st season script. I
decide to bring that to life. Also it helps to plan ahead and listen to
your people for good ideas. I had a lot of help. And I had a lot of ideas
for this thing. It came together pretty well, don't you think?
4. I have mixed feelings about fanfiction as I've stated before.
But if it keeps people interested in the show, then I'm all for it.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi I'd like to thank you for answer fan questions. You Rock! All Hail
Greg! Um okay now that that is out of my system here are my questions:

1)When did Demona come to the U.S.?

2)How is it that Tom seemed to have grown up and aged faster than the
Magus or Katherine?

3)What are those sheild symbols that surround the room in which the Magus
died?

4)Why was the land dying in "Heritage"? Well that's it for now. Thank you
again.

Greg responds...

1. A while ago.
2. He didn't. They all aged the same amount. The Magus was 72.
Katharine was 62. Tom was 52. In 994, the Magus was 28. Katharine was 18.
Tom was 8.
3. I don't know exactly.
4. Natsilane had abandoned his duty to his tribe, leaving the
island in Raven's control. Raven wanted the tribe to abandon the island, so
that no new Natsilane would show up and try and take it from him.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Almost forgot, what happened to that container with the virus from
"Hunter's Moon Part III"

Greg responds...

It was destroyed.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

A few more questions:

1. I've noticed that one of the questions you seem to be asked most often
was "What did Titania whisper to Fox?" Now, you'll be relieved to know
that I won't ask you what she whispered. What I will ask instead is: Did you
expect to get a lot of questions about what Titania whispered when you (or
whoever else on the production team had that idea) came up with that idea?
And am I correct in the assumption that it was deliberately intended to be
an eternal mystery that would never be answered?

2. You mentioned in your last batch of responses an episode that you'd
planned to make, but never did, entitled "Hobgoblin of Little Minds". Was
that the same as the never-made controversial two-parter that you
mentioned elsewhere?

3. What inspired the concept of gargoyle beasts?

4. What inspired the concept of English gargoyles looking like winged
lions, unicorns, and other heraldic animals?

5. Any particular reason why the production team chose Lexington as the
traitor in "Future Tense"? I can see easily enough the reason for one of
the gargoyles being a traitor - a great way to really shock Goliath and
break him down still further - but what made you choose Lexington over any
of the other members of the clan?

Greg responds...

1. Maybe, kinda. But I didn't anticipate all the questions,
because I didn't particularly anticipate the fandom at all.
2. No. Just another notion that came to me later.
3. It was always part of the concept. Two distinct species of
gargoyles to help us account for what appeared to be two basic types of
actual stone gargoyles. Some that seemed to have human-like intelligence
and others that seemed more beast-like. In fact, my boss Gary Krisel wanted
to divide things into even more species. A more humanlike species that
would have included Goliath and Demona, a less humanlike one that would have
included the trio, and the beasts. I found that disconcerting, so ignored
it without ever actually telling him.
4. English gargoyles that looked like unicorns, lions and griffons.
5. To some extent, I could say it was the dictates of story.
Xanatos is the villain, but he turns out to be a computer program. If you
want to shock one better, than the true villain has to be the man behind the
curtain. The guy who runs the computer. Only Lex qualifies. But having
said all that, I also think there's always been an element of kismet or
truth to gargoyles story-telling when we were really firing on all
cylinders. Nothing else works because that was the right way to go. How
that bodes for the future of the real Lexington is a question for another
day.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

[1] Does the New Olympus clan share the same hatred of humans as the
others on their isle?

[2] Why are the NOs hatin' on humans so much? They apparently haven't
had any contact with humans for centuries... -2a) uh....right? :P

[3] The New Olympians are an astonishingly diverse bunch of folk. Some
have strange forms (Ekidna), others display startling abilities (Proteus),
and still others seem to exhibit odd local phenomena (that dude with the
flaming head). Is this solely due to their roots in the 3rd Race? -3a)
Are the (non-garg) NOs able to successfully interbreed? -3b) Is there
a pattern to which (and how) their offsprings' traits are inherited?

[4] Does/Did Taurus' mother share her son's bovine features? -4a) If
not, what does/did she look like?

[5] What would have prompted the New Olympians to send their
representatives to the UN?

[6] Feel like disclosing any details about the Romeo/Juliet relationship
right now? We'll understand if you still want to stay quiet about it. :D

Greg responds...

1. They can't be too fond of humans, or they wouldn't have chosen
to join the others on New Olympus.
2. Historically, they have plenty of reasons to hate and fear
humans. That doesn't make it right.
3. It's pretty cool isn't it? (Yes, they can interbreed to a large
degree.)
4. Probably.
5. Terry.
6. Thanks for being so understanding.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Well, I guess I'll give this 'lil Arthurian contest a go. My humble
guesses are Arthur, Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, Mordred, Lancelot, Nimue, and Morgana.

Greg responds...

Nope.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

-(1)- When Puck created the persona of Owen Burnett, did he
intentionally leave out the pupils, or was that some kind of strange oversight?
[1a] If the first; um... why? :)

-(2)- Are gargdogs' eyes constantly glowing 24/7 (though it's probably
more like 10/7 :P), or are their irises and so forth simply not visible
for some other reason?

Greg responds...

1. Owen is fully human. His design, pupil or no pupil, is
consistent with the design of all our humans.

2. The latter.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! Here's a few questions:

1) If Gargoyles heal when they turn to stone, how did Hudson get that scar
and discoloration in his eye?

2) How do Gargoyles clothing turn to stone with them?

3) My ABC station in Washington D.C. didn't air The Goliath Chronicles!
Any idea on who will pick this series up (i.e. USA network, Disney's new cable
channel). Thanks

Greg responds...

1. The magic that caused it didn't heal in one night, thus it
scarred and blinded him permanently.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

just a small question, if Maggie and Talon were to have a child, the child
would look human would it not?? It'd have to, unless the mutagen they were
infected with altered their DNA. I'm not sure, but you probably are,
thanks.

Greg responds...

No comment.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Sorry to be continuously over the head with Demona questions. Anyway,
here's another. At some point, Demona has this genuine revelation that
she is responsible for all the misery in her life, Wyvern, MacBeth, her
thousand years of lonliness. Maybe I'm assuming to much but I take it her
previously stellar sense of self deception will be of no avail to her now. She is
forced to acknowledge the truth. So, with all of this self blame slamming
into her like a train wreck, a very sizeable one at that, what becomes her
new anchor. As I have mentioned in the past, what becomes her new reason
to go on.

Greg responds...

Love and redemption.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. I read your latest update, and sympathized with your confessed problems
over having given away the fact that Oberon was Merlin's father - and with
the general "letting slip" over this or that element about the series in
general. However, if it makes you feel any better, I'll say that
sometimes your revelations do actually *increase* my interest and hopes that the
series will be revised someday. When you revealed that Duval was the
Fisher King, for example, it actually raised (in my mind) more questions than it
answered. Likewise, when you said that the Illuminati were after the
gargoyles because they know some things, that got me wondering what those
things were (don't worry, I'm not going to ask you about them here), and
made me hope for a revival of the series in some form so that we could
someday learn the answers. At any rate, I'd say that I certainly don't
blame you for choosing to keep silent on these things; I'd do the same in
your shoes.

2. Related to your statements about Merlin: I was interested in the bit
about Oberon being Merlin's dad, since Merlin's legendary parentage (the
son of a non-human being) had long interested me. But one thing I'm curious
about: how much of a Standards and Practices problem do you suppose
Merlin's illegitimacy (which you confirmed in your last update) would have been?
(For that matter, I imagine that a lot of the main elements in the
Arthurian legend - Lancelot and Guinevere, for example - would have been real
Standards and Practices headaches).

3. What, in your opinion, is the population number (in round numbers) of
the Third Race at the time of the Gathering?

Greg responds...

1. Thanks for understanding. I'm very inconsistent. Moody, even.
2. On Oberon and Merlin, I think I just would have attempted not to
flag that. Slid by. Lance and Gwen wouldn't have been too big a problem.
For one thing, their relationship is such a huge part of our literary
tradition, it gets a bit of an exemption. For another thing, though
PENDRAGON would have had its share of flashbacks, the series was to be set
in the present, so that relationship wouldn't have been a big issue.
3. Don't know.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

There's one thing I never quite understood about Owen's stone arm: it
looks so darn heavy. Why doesn't it just snap off at the bone?

Greg responds...

Magic.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I was wondering if you could tell me when Lexington's hatching day was.

Greg responds...

Same as Brooklyn and Broadway's, give or take a day or two. The
year was 958. The day isn't significant to a gargoyle.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. You said that the Phoenix Gate is caught in some sort of eternal time
loop. Is that one reason for its name? As in - the eternal time loop of
the Gate as a parallel to the legendary Phoenix rising from its own ashes,
both being an eternal cycle?

2. More a comment than a question: I didn't have any problems with the
time loops in "Gargoyles", and in fact, not only understood the ones in "Vows",
"Avalon", and "M.I.A.", but even enjoyed them thoroughly. (I think that
part of the reason for this is that I've been writing a time travel novel
for many years - conceived long before "Gargoyles" ever came out - which
used a similar time loop as its basic concept, so I felt quite at home
with the ones in the series). I just thought that you might like to know that
one person in the audience got them.

3. What metal is Guardian Tom's sword and armor supposed to be made of?
(Obviously not iron).

4. Supposedly, faerie magic won't work on iron. So how was Oberon and
Titania able to work magic on a Xanatos clad in a suit of iron armor in
"The Gathering Part Two" (Oberon sending him hurtling into the battlements, and
Titania paralyzing him alongside Goliath and Puck)?

5. Why did the Weird Sisters get Demona to reveal the changed access code
to Xanatos and Goliath (besides the needs of the plotline)? Unlike their
other interventions (such as stopping Demona and Macbeth from killing each
other), it wasn't necessary for their schemes for the "Reconquest" of Avalon, so
why did they go out of their way to save the city? (That's the main reason
why I was convinced for a long time that their later behavior was all an act,
in fact, until you confirmed that they really were the petty vengeful beings
that they appeared to be in "Avalon" and "Ill Met By Moonlight").

6. How does Owen explain that stone hand of his to people (other than
those in on the secret like Xanatos) whom he meets with? I can safely assume
that very few people would believe him if he said that it got that way due to
dipping it into a magic cauldron :)

7. Was the Cauldron of Life partly inspired by the magical cauldrons of
Celtic mythology?

8. You mentioned that the general public wouldn't have realized (at least,
not for quite a long while) that the gargoyles were sentient beings. When
the New Olympians showed up, would the humans have similarly had problems
understanding that Taurus and Co. were sentient beings?

Greg responds...

1. Uh huh.
2. Tanks muchly.
3. Good questions. Maybe steel, maybe another blend.
4. Paralysis works on the brain. (Here's a hint. Don't take your
helmet off.) Also air isn't made of iron. Ever been hit by a magically
powerful blast of air?
5. I never said that their ONLY plans involved vengeance.
6. It's an eccentric prosthetic to most people.
7. Yep.
8. No, because their 'entrance' would indicate sentience from the
get-go.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg. I have a few questions about the world of 2158 that I was
wondering if you could answer.

1) How are things around the world politically? 1a) Are there still things
like arms races between countries (like we are seeing right now in Asia)?
1b) Are most countries working together in the UN (or something like the
UN)? 1c) Would you say for the most part, there is world peace?

2) Does the human population know about the fae? Or have they kept
themselves a secret?

3) Are the fae still on Avalon with Oberon?

4) How far do you see space travel to have advanced?

5) Is Demona still in charge of Nightstone? For that matter, does
Nightstone even still exist?

6) This isn't about 2158, but I wanted to ask anyway. During the
Gathering, Oberon called for his children. Now the question is, would his children
be only pure fae or would they include those beings who had a single parent
that was fae, or just anyone that had any fae blood in them?

Greg responds...

1a,b,c. Nations still exist and there's still occasional conflict,
but the U.N. would have a substantial role, and generally there is world
peace.

2. Secret.

3. Largely.

4. Earthling space travel? Nothing significant outside our solar
system, but within the solar system we're all over the place.

5. Yes, in some form.

6. Anyone who was considered fae. That includes some half-breeds
like (in theory) Alex, but leaves out others like Fox.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

First off, Greg,thanks for producing the best animated series I have ever
seen. More thanks to all the other Gargoyles fans for keeping this show
alive. Now, on to the questions:

1) How affected would gargoyles be to disease,whether from humans or
among their own kind?

2) We know that humans and fays can reproduce, but what about humans and
gargoyles? Would thatbe possible, or would the genetic differences be too
great?

3)Did you have any future plans for the mutates and clones?

4)What about the New Olympians?

5)If Disney had given you free rein over the show after Season 2, how long
could you (or would you) have kept the show going?

6)Did you have any major problems with the Disney censors over
"inappropriate" content?

Greg responds...

1. Their healing ability makes them extremely disease resistant.
2. I've answered this before. Fae's mate with mortals by
shape-shifting into the species they're mating with, allowing for
compatibility in conception. Gargoyles and humans are genetically too
distant to create natural offspring. What could be accomplished with
science and sorcery is another question.
3. Sure.
4. Uh huh.
5. Until death, disease or senility hit. Or until they dragged me
off it kicking and screaming.
6. No.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Had her plans suceeded, would Demona's "Hunter's Moon" virus have had any
effect on Delilah?

Greg responds...

No.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I have a question regarding the episode "Eye of the Beholder." When Fox
wore the Eye of Odin, it changed her into the werewolf(or is it
werefox?)creature. Was this simply meant to be a representation of the
huntress/predator side of her nature, or was it in some way a
manifestation of the kind of power she could have wielded had she been taught to use her
magic as she grew up? I ask this because most of the Children of Oberon we
saw in the series demonstrated an ability to change their shape, and of
the people we saw put on the Eye( Goliath, Fox, and the Archmage), only Fox
was turned into shapeshifter. Goliath and the Archmage only changed into a new
form when they first put the Eye on, and then that form was maintained
until the Eye was removed.

Greg responds...

1. Werefox, predatory, self-hating, conflicted. It was revelatory
of her inner-self, not her fae heritage.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. In "Vows" and "Revelations", the Illuminati symbol is a pyramid with an
eye on top - that symbol also happens to appear on the back of the
one-dollar-bill. Is there (in the Gargoyles Universe) some ominous
connection here?

2. In "Her Brother's Keeper", Xanatos had an upstate retreat called
Xanadu. Was the name taken from Coleridge's "Kublai Khan", or from "Citizen Kane"?

3. Why wasn't Lexington as upset about Angela choosing Broadway as
Brooklyn was? Was it because he was already developing a close friendship with
Alex, or because Brooklyn's more inclined to wallowing in self-pity? (Actually,
I think that it's a combination of the two, but I'd like to know what your
take on this is).

4. Your general disappointment with "The Goliath Chronicles" is well-known
(and an attitude shared by most Gargoyles fans) - but, did the new
production team do anything in the 12 episodes following "The Journey"
that you did think worked rather well or approved of? You did mention in your
last response that you rather liked the "Thailog's death" scene they did
in "Genesis Undone".

Greg responds...

1. Yes.
2. Both.
3. Well, I don't think Alex and Angela are mutually exclusive. I
do think Brooklyn is more likely to wallow, but I think the main reason Lex
didn't feel as strongly was because he didn't feel as strongly. Brooklyn
convinces himself (as with Maggie) that it's true love. Lex had a crush
that was almost automatic because Angela was the ONLY available female he
had seen in some time. I think after a while, it became clear to Lex that
they were just friends. Brooklyn needed evidence that he was out of the
running, i.e. the kiss between Broadway and Angela.
4. I think the death scene was well-handled, but I don't actually
like it or the episode. Kill off Thailog? Not on my watch. Not in that
way. The only saving grace, which I believe I suggested was that the
"deaths" of the clones is at least potentially reversable. Otherwise... To
be honest the only things that I liked were things that were remnants of
suggestions I had made. I wasn't wild about execution on anything, save a
line of dialogue here or there. Frankly, I'm just too close to it to be
objective. I like Eric and Julia Lewald a lot, and I respect their talents
on everything else they've done. So my guess is that most of my problems
with TGC are my own, not theirs. Also, I only ever watched those twelve
episodes once each. It was very painful, and I haven't revisited them
since.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

One more question. Since you mentioned in your last batch of responses
that King Arthur and Griff would visit the South Pole in the course of their
search for Merlin - what effect would the six-month day/six-month night at
the Poles have on a gargoyle's biological clock?

Greg responds...

Good question.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1) My thoughts on the Camelot Seven: Arthur, Merlin, the Lady of the Lake
are the gimmes... others I'd guess would be Perceval (due to other hints
you've dropped), Galahad, Morgana le Fay, and Nimue.

2) You've said that, in TimeDancer, Brooklyn 'never really gets ahold of
[the Phoenix Gate]'. So, then, how do his timedancing travels work, if he
doesn't physically carry the Gate? Or did I misunderstand what you said
and he *does* carry the Gate? 3) Another TimeDancer question: Is there an
average length for one of Brooklyn's stays in a given time and place, or
does it vary widely (i.e., a few seconds to months or years)? Thanks in
advance.

Greg responds...

1. Nope.
2. The Gate is lost in time, bopping around on its own. Opening
portals and vanishing. Brooklyn slides through these portals.
3. Vary widely. Though I wouldn't make too many stops of under a
minute. Not much storytelling fits into thirty seconds.

(GDW / 7-22-98)

Response recorded on July 22, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Very fast:

1) From ep 1, Captain of the Guard said inhabitants of Wyvern were, ". . .
not my people." Care to elaborate?

2) You've probably been deluged with Merlin stuff since that mini-series,
so more straw for the camel's back: Didja notice the uncanny resemblance of
Frik to Puck? Yowza.

3) Finally, my ideas for the Camelot Seven: Art, Merlin, the Lady of the
Lake, Guenivere, Morgan LeFay (pleeeeeeese), Lancelot, and Mordred, on the
basis that Oberon doesn't count. Thank you for your time

Greg responds...

1. I've addressed this already, but basically he thought they were
ungrateful snobs and ignorant peasants. He identified with the Gargoyles
much more than his fellow humans. Don't read too much into the statement.
2. Yeah, a resemblance. I wouldn't say uncanny. We're all
operating in the same set of traditions here.
3. Nope.

(GDW / 7-21-98)

Response recorded on July 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! Which gargoyles story would you have most wanted to bring to
life but never got the chance to do? In other words, if someone came up to you
and gave you the chance to make one more episode (and let's assume here
that any background info needed to understand that episode would be provided,
so that it doesn't have to directly follow the eps of the last season), what
would that episode be? Since this is a broad question, let me ask it in
more specific chunks (unless you want to describe the whole ep, which I
wouldn't mind at all).
1) Which characters would it center around?
2) Which spinoff would it be in (i.e. Dark Ages, TimeDancer, etc.)
3) What would the main plot points be? *note: if you have no specific answers
for any of the above Q's, could you at least provide us with a general idea of
the one story you'd most like to create? Thanks!

Greg responds...

Generally, this question is too hypothetical for me. My mind
doesn't work this way. If someone said you could do one more episode, but
only one, I'm not sure how I'd react. If literally, I couldn't even use it
for a backdoor pilot, i.e. no hope of future episodes coming out of it.
Then in essence, I'm being asked to do a season of one. (Kinda like what I
did with "The Journey".) The notion that the blanks could be filled in
between "The Journey" and this new episode doesn't play for me. It's too
detached from the reality of my creative process. So... If I only had one
episode to do. I'd try to give it the open-ended closure of a
"Reawakening," "Hunter's Moon, Part Three," or "The Journey." I'd probably
do the Halloween double date episode that I talked about. I guess. But
like I said, this exercise doesn't appeal to me much.

(GDW / 7-21-98)

Response recorded on July 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

First off, I have to tell you that I really appreciated the recaps in the
beginning of each episode. I only saw gargoyles every saturday, and thus
the continuity got completely screwed, and episodes were shown in a random
order. Plus, I was rather disappointed with the flying steel monsters in
"Awakenings" and the way the trio was portrayed in "Thrill of the Hunt" so
the show didn't hook me immediately. (I did like Part 1 and 2 of
awakenings) However, watching "Eye of the Storm" one morning got me completely hooked,
and soon I was scrambling to recover what I had been missing. (I still
have yet to see "The Mirror", "The Price", "Turf", and "City of Stone Pt 1."
Since all most of my questions have been asked for mine will be rather
brief.

1. Thailog seems to hold a lot of anger towards Angela, is this because
of Goliath's seeming acceptance of her and Goliath's rejection of him?

2. Did Thailog create any clones of Bronx? I would think that he would be
most inclined to have servants that were not intelligent enough to outgrow
their programming (and thus turn on him).

3. Did Thailog Clone more than one copy of each gargoyle?

4. My guesses for those still alive from the Arthurian period? Arthur,
Merlin, Lady of the Lake (thanks for the gimmes) Lancelot, The Green
Knight, Morgana la Fay, and taking a shot in the dark... mmm... Galahad?

Greg responds...

1. Possibly. But I don't think he's that angry with her
specifically. He just knows that (a) threatening Angela is a good way to
anger Goliath and (b) it makes a great way to test Demona's loyalty.
2. No. Because Bronx never guarded Demona and Fang to get bitten
by the robot mosquitoes.
3. No.
4. Nope.

(GDW / 7-21-98)

Response recorded on July 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

****Blaise crashes through the door.**** Sorry, I'll fix that. Well,
first I wanted to say that I agree with you; the Broadway/Angela relationship
was not rushed. Next, I have a question:

1) When you went through all the Shakespeare plays, you listed MERCHANT OF
VENICE as problematic. Care to expand on that? I ask this because I had
the pleasure of portraying Shylock (an excellent character, in my opinion)
in a production of that play, and I am interested to hear what others
think of it.

2) My second question deals with the Arthurian guessing game (all my ideas
have already been listed, but I'll do them anyway); Are the survivors
Arthur, Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, Percival (sp?), Nimue, Morgan la
Fey, and Bedivere? (NOTE: I would have put "Blaise" on that list, but he is
not as famous or wide-spread a character of Arthurian legends as the rest of
them are) Well, that's about it. Oh, BTW, you're explanation on Hudson's
accent was great. It really makes a lot of sense to me why you did it
that way. Have a nice day! ****Blaise fixes the door on his way out.****

Greg responds...

1. It's a tough play for me, at least. And also historically. For
a century it was performed with the subtitle "The Tragedy of Shylock"
attached. And believe me this wasn't because anti-semitism had fallen away
during those years. The problem is complex, and I'm not sure I can deal
with all of it here, but in a nutshell, the play is wildly anti-semitic...
and so is Shakespeare himself. Except it's highly likely that Shakespeare
never personally knew any Jews. He simply believed what he had been told
about them. And yet... And yet... As much as he wants to make Shylock a
monster, he can't. He imbues Shylock with so much humanity. So much that
even in his villainy, we can't help but root for him. Which would be fine,
except the plays ending doesn't really bare it out. We're also supposed to
root for Portia. Not simply to buy into her "The quality of mercy is not
strained" speech, but also to support her ultimate conclusions against
Shylock, including the forced conversion to Christianity. That's a hard
double road to walk down. Thus, I find the play (not the character of
Shylock) problematic.
2. Nope.
And thanks.

(GDW / 7-21-98)

Response recorded on July 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi there, hope things are OK with you. 1) My vote for the seven
'Arthurians' would be Arthur, Merlin, Guenever, Nimue, Gawain, Morgan le Fay and
Mordred. I left out Launcelot as I think it would make for better stories without,
but I can't say why due to the rules. Fame ? Glory ? as it's 'Ask Greg'
not 'Tell Greg' I suppose I'd better try a question ummm..... 2) I thought
that the portrayal of Anubis was great and very thought provoking, did you have
any plans to use any of the ancient Egyptian myths or make use of the Gods
and Goddesses ?

Greg responds...

1. Nope.
2. Given enough episodes, we would have eventually returned to
Anubis and probably investigated other Egyptian pantheon members. But I had
no immediate plans.

(GDW / 7-21-98)

Response recorded on July 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Just a few questions this time around. Heh heh, my definition of a few.
Mr. Greg Weisman, 1)How tall is: a)Puck, b)Owen, c)Macbeth, d)Demona, e)Fox,
and last but not least f)Xanatos? But Puck and Owen most specifically.

2)Whats the name of that Cloth piece in Pucks outfit, held up by the
broache and forming the skirt-like thing? No one seems ta know that I've asked,
people have said Sash-which would be his cloth belt, Tunic-which is more
like his shirt, and even Toga which is wayyy to big. Please please tell
me.

3)People have asked, what character you relate to the most.... but my
question is, Which was the most fun for you to write for?

4)Why do Gargoyle Loincloths turn to stone. You must have a reason
whether it be magical etc.

5)Is Owen vunerable to iron in the same context as fae? Or is he so
perfectly Human that he can handle it the same as any other normal person?

6)Was it Owen or Puck that first met Demona? If Puck, when? Be as
specific as ya want, I'd settle for the decade or century even.

7)Xanatos' reaction when meeting Goliath was like he was expecting it,
which he was. But how did he react when he first met Demona?

8)a)Did you ever plan on teaming up any of the tricksters? b) If so whom?

9)Do you ever plan on revealing what Titania said to Fox in the forseeable
future? just wondering if theres *any* hope in knowing.

10)What other business rivals would Xanatos have aquired?

11)You mentioned before, that Titania had become... lets say wiser in a
way than Oberon, because Oberon never changed over the Millienium. Well Puck
seems to be a very everchanging Character, exactly how much *wisdom* does
he have? And how much do you think he'd actually take his own advice?

12)Duh duh duhhhhnnn the Puck family question! Does Puck have a mother or
father currently living on Avalon? yeah yeah yeah, all I wanna know
basically is if they're still alive.

13)Did Puck

Greg responds...

1. I've never measured them.
2. I don't know.
3. They were all fun to write for. Though Thailog and Xanatos
stand out. Puck too. And Vinnie. And Goliath. I even liked writing
Renard. And Titania. The Archmage. I could go on forever. They were all
interesting to me for different reasons.
4. I've answered this before. A modesty spell cast by the guy who
wrote the Grimorum back in the time of Caesar Augustus.
5. Pretty much the latter.
6. Puck. That's as specific as I want to get right now.
7. Awe, wonder and humor.
8. Yes, as I've stated before, the story that eventually became
"Ransom" under TGC's new creative team, was originally supposed to be a
multi-Trickster story featuring Puck and Raven for sure, and probably Anansi
and Coyote as well.
9. Hope springs eternal.
10. Didn't have any specific plans for that beyond Cyberbiotics and
Nightstone. But I wouldn't have hesitated to create a fourth company if I
saw a need.
11. Hard to quantify "wisdom". And which advice are you talking
about?
12. Crystal Ball is cloudy. Check again later.
13. I don't think that tricksters like hanging with other
tricksters. Small doses, please.
14. Chuck would do what?
15. If you're too lazy, why should I make an effort?
16. Nope.
17. Nope.

(GDW / 7-21-98)

Response recorded on July 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. Thanks for answering my questions about the Quarrymen's motivation -
and for pointing out about how they wouldn't have been aware that the
gargoyles were sentient beings. Which brings me to a question-cum-theory about one
of the main reasons for TGC's failure. The first two seasons had Xanatos and
Demona, two complex and intriguing characters, for their main villains,
and did a good job accordingly (plus some good supporting villains such as
Macbeth - also a complex and intriguing character, and one who quickly
became a favorite of mine - Thailog, Jackal and Hyena, Sevarius, and so
on). TGC had for its main villains the Quarrymen, who were done (after "The
Journey") as a bunch of flat, one-dimensional characters with no real
depth to them - I liked the fact that you'd chosen to give them some variety
(some being mercenaries like Banquo and Fleance, others being terrified citizens
like Vinnie or Billy and Susan's mom), but in TGC, they nearly all seemed
to have been recruited from the local "Thugs R Us". Do you think that the
way that your successors handled the Quarrymen (both making them cardboard
villains and the main villains) could have had much to do with why The
Goliath Chronicles failed?

2. A query about Jon Canmore/Castaway. When I first saw "Hunter's Moon",
I was very distressed at the way that the initially most sympathetic Hunter
wound up turning into an insane gargoyle-hater at the end. But then,
after watching it a few more times and studying Jon's actions, I found myself
wondering if his fall from grace hadn't actually been carefully prepared
for. His suggestions to his siblings that maybe Goliath and his clan
weren't evil had a rather half-hearted feel to them and he allowed Jason
to easily quell them. He spared the clan at the ruins of the clock tower,
but THEN proceeded to publicly frame them on the news at Jason and Robyn's
request, without (as far as could be told) protesting about trying to turn
the public against the gargs, now that he knew that they weren't the
monsters that the other Hunters believed them to be. During the fight at
the dam, Jon was just standing around looking miserable, while Elisa was
making an active attempt to get Jason and Goliath to stop their feud. In
fact, Jon's only pro-gargoyle action was a negative one (not killing them
at the clock tower), whereas Elisa and Jason (after he finally saw the light)
took a much more active stance (Jason actually taking a shot for Goliath
in the cathedral) in trying to stop the slaughter. (Not to mention that, in
"The Journey", Vinnie also actively resisted Castaway's efforts to kill
Goliath and Elisa). So.... am I reading too much into this, or was Jon's
rather passive behavior during his "pro-gargoyle" behavior purposely
designed that way, to show that he was weak (to fit in with his
transformation into Castaway)?

3. Another commentary rather than question, mainly. I've also been
working out why Thailog is such an effective villain, and I think that it's more
than just that he's cunning and malevolent (though he's definitely both).
He's also a clone of Goliath, and looks and sounds almost exactly like
him. But his moral character is very different from Goliath's - in contrast to
Goliath's nobility and honor, Thailog is scheming, power-hungry, and
duplicitous. So there's a matter of a very chilling incongruity. Was
this part of what you had in mind when you created the character?

Greg responds...

1. Todd, "failure" is one of those hot-button words that I don't
much like to throw around. Many people regarded the second season of
Gargoyles as a failure because it didn't meet those people's financial
expectations. Many people regard the World Tour as a failure because it
went on too long or whatever. I don't agree with either assessment, but
it's all subjective.
So let's not talk about failure. But now that I'm past the
disclaimer, I do agree that the villains on Goliath Chronicles were not that
well-handled, and I think the handling of the Quarrymen was particularly
problematic. You, as usual, are dead-on in evaluating what I was trying to
do with them. My successors took a different route.
2. Todd, people are going to start to think that either (a) I'm
paying you to write this stuff or (b) you actually are me writing under a
pseudonym. Again, you're dead-on correct. Jason was a strong man. Strong
in his prejudice. Strong in his resolve to change once he came to that
conclusion. Jon was a weak man. I'm gonna botch this quotation about the
banality of evil, but it goes something like, "All it takes for evil to
thrive is for good men to do nothing." That's Jon Canmore. I hope we built
him so that his transformation -- though shocking and tragic -- was
believable. If you're any indication, then I did my job.
3. Very much so. To me, the creation of a great villain depends on
making that villain a true counterposing force to the hero. Each villain
has to make us feel, at least in that individual story, that he or she is
the ultimate nemesis. This is accomplished not simply with opposition, but
by juxtaposing similarities and contrasting them with opposition. Let's
look at Batman for a moment.
a. Batman and the Joker both operate in strange, even garish
costumes, outside the law. But the Batman represents ORDER, the Joker
CHAOS.
b. Or... Batman is a man with two faces. Bruce Wayne and the Bat.
Two sides of the same coin. Personify that, and you have TWO-FACE. Now
you've got two characters who share a bond, and yet are as different as
night and day.
c. Batman was created to inspire fear in criminals. The Scarecrow
exists to inspire fear in decent people.
d. Batman is a man seduced by the darkness in his soul. Catwoman
is that seduction brought to life.
e. Batman strives to find order out of chaos, Ra's al Ghul strives
to establish his own order in place of human freedom. To me, these have
always been Batman's best villains, because they each speak to his soul.
Anytime I thought about working with any of the others, it was always more
of a struggle.
f. Take the Riddler. As fun as he can be, he was never my
favorite. The best I could come up with was to piece out a segment of the
Batman mythos, i.e. Batman is supposed to be the world's greatest detective.
Thus we pit this man of answers in a battle of wits against the world's
greatest questioner. (Not bad, but not great either.)
g. Penguin always stumped me until I saw the movie BATMAN RETURNS.
Now, I didn't care for that movie much. I thought it was a mess. But the
one truly brilliant addition to the Batman mythos was the notion that the
Penguin was a monster. Batman has a monster inside him. And he puts on a
monstrous aspect to give that monster reign. Tim Burton's Penguin was born
to that misshapen life. Suddenly, the villain worked for me.

Now. Return to Gargoyles. And specifically to Goliath. I
attempted to make every villain succeed in that manner. Thailog is of
course, obvious for the reasons you stated, but hopefully that resonance
carries through to all our antagonists. Goliath is the ultimate medieval
bastion of gargoyle morality. David is the ultimate modern stand-in for
human amorality. Demona was once Goliath's great love. Now she's his
greatest enemy because she turned away from the very things that made her
love him. Goliath is a gargoyle from another time. Macbeth is a human from
another time. Goliath is steadfast and serious, Puck is out there and in it
for the laugh. Goliath is thought of as a beast. The Pack are supposed to
be hunters. But their animal names and their actions make it clear who the
real beasts are. Etc. All this was very conscious. I'm glad it worked for
ya.

(GDW / 7-21-98)

Response recorded on July 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I really love Gargoyles. You've hinted that vampires would have
eventually appeared on the show. 1. Would they have been pure evil? Or would some
be evil and some good? If they were evil it would be an interesting contrast
between Gargoyles who are hunted wrongly by humans and vampires who are
hunted by humans because they deserve to be. 2. Would vampirism have been
like a disease or would it have been magical, perhaps having something to
do with Oberon's children?

Greg responds...

1. Few things in the Gargoyles Universe are pure anything.
2. Gonna keep a few secrets.

(GDW / 7-21-98)

Response recorded on July 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Here's a few questions that may have already been asked. I couldn't find
any instance of them in the archives, though, so if you've answered some
of them enough to make the answers come out your ears, sorry. :)

-[(1)]- There seem to be three megacorps that we've seen so far:
Nightstone, Cyberbiotics, and Xanatos' company (I don't recall its exact
name). Are there any others in the "present" world, or new ones you were
planning to introduce?

-[(2)]- Did Owen show his hand in public after "The Price"? {As
Executive Assistant to the richest man in the world, he can't exactly hide it all
the time without people commenting, could he? And I'd think it would be kinda
hard for people not to notice that the guy's arm is *stone* all the way up
to the elbow. I mean, that's not exactly normal. :)}

-[(3)]- If Obsidiana & Zafiro left their amulets behind when they went
to transport their plants (a possibility you suggested in "Ask Greg" a looong
time ago), then who steered the skiff in the daytime? [*cough*] Avalon?

-[(4)]- Is Alexander susceptible to iron like the Children of Oberon
are? He looks pretty calm around metal stuff. We know that Fox isn't weakened
by it, but she was raised human and Alex's only quarter-fae. And the
(non-garg) New Olympians spend all their lives hanging around huge
machines made of what looks like steel. [scratches head] Hmmm.

-[(5)]- Would Brooklyn's status in the clan have changed significantly
post-TD?

-[(6)]- Coldstone's 'flesh' parts are just animated stone, right? {Just
going over the facts, sir. :)} So instead of going through all that fuss
in "Possesion", couldn't Xanatos just have 'de-animated' the guy, picked
through and decided whose parts were whose, and reassembled them into 3
different bodies (replacing missing parts with machinery as necessary),
and re-animated each of them? [thinks briefly about how much work that'd
entail] Oh, never mind. :)

-[(7)]- Just how many stone bits would one need to bring back a
gargoyle? Are there some essential parts you have to have, like the head or
something?

-[(8)]- I'm confused. By "animated stone" did you mean that he's
stone-turned-to-bodily-tissue {that sounds horrible, but I'm about as bad
as turning a phrase as I am asking silly questions}, meaning he has normal skin and
stuff, or that he's living' rock like the statues Oberon enchanted in the Gathering?

-[8a]- (If it turns out the 1st is true) -- Do Coldstone's flesh parts
turn to stone in the daytime?

-[8b]- (If it turns out that the 2nd is true) -- Is he grey because
that's just the color that rocks usually are, or because that was
Othello's natural coloring {as seen in "Legion"}?

-[(9)]- Last one, I promise: If a rock scientist got his or her hands
on a gargoyle's pseudo-stone skin, what would he or she possibly think of it?

Greg responds...

1. Not per se, but that's not to say that I might not have at some point.
2. He tended to keep it in his pocket, but he wasn't exactly religious
about it. I'm sure some people saw it. Most were too polite to comment.
Or too confused.
3. They probably parked it during the day.
4. Iron and Steel are two distinct things. I doubt Alex is quite as
suseptable as, say, his grandmother.
5. It depends what you mean. It also depends on how postTD you mean.
6. Yeah, never mind.
7. C'mon....
8. Yeah, living rock.
8b. Color of the stone.
9. It depends on what kind of tests he or she ran. If any.

(GDW / 7-20-98)

Response recorded on July 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I would like to say I loved the series "Gargoyles". I believe ABC's
cancellation of the show is the same kind of mistake that NBC did when
they cancelled "Star Trek". It was a unigue one of a kind show that offered
people a chance to look at things from a different perspective and that
that we should not fear what we don't understand. Now, if you don't mind, I'd
like to ask you a few questions.

1)Where did you get the inspiration for the character Angela? I've always
found her interesting due to her background and personality.

2)Have any Canmores ever openly defended gargoyles or expressed any
concern for them? If so, what would happen to them?

4)What sort of attempts have you made to get the show back on and what can
the rest of us do to help?

5)If the show went back into production, would any of the actors/actresses
be in it?

6)Since "Future Tense" was an "Escape From New York"/"Terminator" spoof,
would there have been an "ALIENS" spoof? 'Cause Marines kick ass!!!

Greg responds...

1. Angela was a natural, almost automatic addition to the tapestry. She
was so right, she had to be created. There wasn't a single "inspiration",
unless you count Goliath, Demona, the eggs, Katharine, the Magus, and Tom,
i.e. everything else we had woven up to that point.
2. I don't want to say definitively that no Canmores ever expressed some
concern, but historically, I don't think you had a big pro-gargoyle
faction within the Canmores.
3. No number 3.
4. I've answered this before. Check the archives.
5. I assume they'd all be willing to come back in. It was a fun work
experience, decent money and a relatively benign time committment.
6. I don't agree with you assesment of FUTURE TENSE, per se. That is,
you're not going very far back. There are probably loads of things that
influenced all three. I do know that I didn't specifically base Future
Tense on Escape, which I've never seen or on Terminator (who's parallel's
don't seem that obvious to me).

(GDW / 7-20-98)

Response recorded on July 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Ah, might as well try these for the heck of it, if for nothing else:

-[(1)]- OK, -what- is Nought? {"Well, it looks kind of like a donut..."
"...it's that 'dude in the cape'" "....?" :P} and

-[(2)]- You're never actually going to tell us what Anastasia whispered,
are you? :) I don't suppose that it's too late for you to be holding yet
another unofficial contest or anything... ;D [hopeful grin]

Greg responds...

1. Yeah, that dude in the cape.

2. No. I won't. Well, maybe someday....

(GDW / 7-20-98)

Response recorded on July 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Just one quickie: The clothing of the gargoyles, and anything else they're
carrying (swords, etc.) turn to stone at day. So, if one of them happened
to be carrying the Phoenix Gate at daybreak, would it turn to stone as
well, even though it is a magi
cal artifact? This one's been bugging me a while.

Greg responds...

Accessories only turn to stone if the gargoyle thinks of it as part of his
or her "uniform". I doubt that would happen with the gate, but I suppose
it's possible.

(GDW / 7-20-98)

Response recorded on July 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey, I've always liked King Arthur Legends. Thats one of the reasons I
like Gargoyles. Last week I watched that NBC miniseries "Merlin" (did you watch
it btw?) and thought about the Arthur legends in Gargoyles and got some
questions:

1. I think I've figured out who Duval is, is he Mordred?

2. How come Merlin got out of going to the gathering, or was he there but
not shown?

3. Is Merlin's mortal mother someone we know of?

4. Contest about king arthur characters alive on show: a)Arthur b)lady of
the lake c) merlin d) mordred e)oberon f)queen mab g)cant think of another

5. Is the lady of the lake a fey and if yes why wasnt she at the
gathering. if no what is she?

6. Do you have a story about how excalibur got moved to New York? Any
details you can give away too =)

7. There was the stone dragon in the episode "Pendragon" but will there be
any real dragons in the show in either the the past or present?

8. What makes Alex, Fox and Merlin any different from the New Olympians?
you said both were hybrid human/fey.

Thanks for answering these, I know we can be annoying. Oh yeah you can
continue your "Once upon a time there were three brothers..." story
anytime.

Greg responds...

Yeah, I saw Merlin. I thought it was spectacular to see, though I
found the cliffnote speed at which the story flew by a bit disappointing.
Remember the days when a mini-series like Roots or Rich Man, Poor Man were
like sixteen hours long?
1. I've all but given Duval's identity away already. So I'm not
going to answer this here.
2. Like Fox, Merlin isn't considered one of the Children of Oberon.
Which is ironic, since he's literally a child of Oberon's.
3. If you mean someone who's already appeared in the series, no.
But she maintains her role from Arthurian myth.
4. Nope.
5. She was at the Gathering. Look again.
6. Yes. But I'm not telling it here. Not a good format for
telling long stories.
7. Everything is true.
8. They aren't citizens of New Olympus. It's cultural.

(GDW / 7-20-98)

Response recorded on July 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Oh, mighty Greg! Would you be so kind as to answer these questions?

1. Will baby Alex age faster than full blooded humans (physically)?

2. Do you remember any more in-jokes, besides "jalapena"?

3. When the clan was gathered around the destroyed Hudson statue in "The
Price", reminiscing about Hudson's life, was that the Wind Ceremony you
were talking about?

4. Do vampires belong to a special race of their own, or are they just
humans?

5. In "Her Brother's Keeper", Lex salvages the Pack's helicopter and
rebuilds it. How could he get it back in one piece, add special weapons,
and give it a cool gargoyle-themed armor in just one day?

6. I was reading an article about the possibility that Nessie survived.
In order to keep their species going for 65 million years, there had to be at
least 400+ animals in that lake to prevent genetic anomalies that result
from inbredding and a limited genetic pool. So are there hundreds of
pleiosaurs in Loch Ness in the Gargoyles universe?

7. Could you continue "Once Upon a Time There Were Three Brothers..." in
this post?

8. Is there some kind of mutation in Lex that causes his eyes to be
larger than normal?

9. Do gargoyles bathe regularly?

10. Star Trek fans are called Trekkies. If you could take your pick,
what would you call Gargoyles fans? That's all for now. Thank you, Exalted
One!

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. Yes.

3. No.

4. It's not a race, but they're no longer human.

5. He had connections at Kenner.

6. Perhaps.

7. No. I'm not sure why. Not in the mood. It's been a bad week.
Maybe later. Thanks for asking though.

8. No.

9. Uh, sure.

10. My abject slaves. No, wait. Just kidding. That's a joke. A
JOKE. Geez.

(GDW / 7-20-98)

Response recorded on July 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hiya, got another two for you.

1) How much damage can Demona and Macbeth sustain before they're
permanently killed despite the immortality spell, or is there no limit?
Would they still regenerate after being dropped in a hamburger grinder or
hit by a nuke?

2) What is Alex's level of ultimate magical potential under his own
(unaugmented by Talismans or the like) power, as measured against another
character of known magical prowess? Like, is it comparable to the
Archmage, or the über-Archmage ("Avalon"), or what?

Greg responds...

1. I've answered this before. Check the archives.
2. Asking me to quantify things like this isn't too productive.
I'd say Alex's potential is very high, if he chooses to work at it.

(GDW / 7-20-98)

Response recorded on July 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. Due to Elisa's words in "Double Jeopardy" about Thailog being
Goliath's son, what is the Delilah/Elisa relationship like, since Delilah is not a
true clone, but a blending of Elisa and Demona?

2. Do Elisa's parents know about Delilah?

3. And if Elisa's parents know about Delilah, what are their reactions to
her?

Greg responds...

1. On that level, Delilah is Elisa's daughter. Demona's too.
How's that for a strange set of parents? But as a practical matter, I don't
think Elisa has much of a relationship of any kind with Delilah. At least
we never had the opportunity to explore one.
2. Knowing Elisa, I doubt it.
3. Good question, but we're not there yet.

(GDW / 7-20-98)

Response recorded on July 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Mister Greg,
1) Where did the idea of the Phoenix Gate come from? I remember reading a
legend about it or something like it in school but I cannot find it on the
web. If it is an original idea I might have been mistaken. (You can omit
this if you post it but I wouldn't mind if Gore could relay the answer to
this small question to NickZane@aol.com) Thanks Greg and Gore for your
time.

Greg responds...

1. Desperation. It was my idea. It is, as far as I know,
completely original. I've answered this in more detail before, so check the
archives, but briefly, we had a maguffin for Vows. I decided to make it
more than a maguffin by turning Vows into a time travel story and making the
Gate the means.

(GDW / 7-17-98)

Response recorded on July 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman During your last update you decided to start a little
contest. Here are my guesses as to who from the Arthurian Legends is still
alive.
Arthur(obviously Merlin(ditto) Lady of the Lake(ditto again) Percival
Morgana la Fay Nimue Bedivere those are my guesses.

Greg responds...

Nice guessing, Greg. But, WRONG. Heh, heh. Ain't I a stinker?

(GDW / 7-17-98)

Response recorded on July 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg, I have a few questions.

1. The Magus was Archmage's apprentice, why did he stop teaching Magus?

2. Why did Archmage even have an apprentice? Why would he "need" one?

3. Who were Magus' biological parents?

4. Does The Magus have anything to do with Merlin?

5. Did you plan on having Magus die from the beginning? Would you "ever"
bring him back?

6. What was the name of "the lady in the lake," did she have a 'human"
type name? (like sarah or kristine)

7. Who do you think my favorite character is? (Hint: look at my questions)

Greg responds...

1. The Archmage was banished for treason against Prince Malcolm.
Sort of interrupted the semester.
2. Who doesn't need a flunky? God knows I wish I had one.
3. That's a story for another day. (BUT THEY WERE HUMAN.)
4. Not particularly.
5. No. At one point, I considered sending him off with Arthur on
his quest to find Excalibur. But then I realized that the next part of the
quest would have been to find Merlin. And then what? Arthur either fails
to be reunited with Merlin (anti-climax in the extreme) or the Magus dies in
the quest (which seems lousy, setting Merlin's life at a higher value than
the Magus') or I wind up dragging around two magicians from that point on
(yawn). It didn't fit. It wasn't right. When we got to the actual nuts
and bolts of the Avalon triptych, the true answer seemed clear. War has its
costs. I could give the Magus "a good death". A worthwhile death to save
the beings (human and gargoyle) he had dedicated his life to protect. I
think we did a good job with that. So, no, I would never cheapen that great
sacrifice by bringing him back. (Which doesn't mean we might not see him
again in flashback.)
6. Maude.
7. Uh, the Magus?
By the way, I was kidding about Maude.

(GDW / 7-17-98)

Response recorded on July 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

FORGIVENESS PLEASE!!!!! I just realized that on my last set of questions I
called Brooklyn's mate Sata! ARRRRG! I'M SO SORRY! I know that really urks
you. I guess all those fanfic episodes are getting to my head! Well anyway
now I finally have time for all my questions. Thank you so much for
answering these if you ever do + everything else you have done! O.K hear I
go!

1) How long dose it take for a gargoyle egg to hatch?

2) Gargoyles lay eggs once every 20 years right? Well do they
automatically lay an egg after 20 years if they have a mate?

3) Or are they able to lay an egg anytime after their child has grown to
be 20 years old?

4) Where about do you see Lexington meeting his mate? ( I realize you may
not have this planned yet)

5) Are their other clans around the world we have not been introduced to
yet? (hoping for maby location of Lex's mate)

6) You know Tom? The guy who did the voice of Lex. Well I know that he did
the voice of Snap, so had he been tring out for any other parts that you
know of at the time he got the role of Lex?

7) He played Felix the cat too right? Tom I mean.

8) Wouldn't Brooklyn and Katana be ready to have a third child soon after
they returned from time dancing? Or am I over estimateing the ages of his
children?

9) Would it be possible for you to share your opinion about how the Trio
would have gotten along after the return of Brooklyn? I just have a hard
time seeing them when Brooklyn's already an adult with children of his own
and has aged by 40 years. Wouldn't it be hard for him to interact with his
two brother's, and his mate, and be a father, and be a good second in
command?

10) How do you feel Lex would have reacted,( if at all) to the fact that
his two brothers already had mates? ie. sad, angry, both?

11) O.K I've already sort of asked this question. So feel free not to
answer this. Can you please give any thoughts at all on Lex's mate? Built,
personality?

12) Do you ever see Lex doing any work for kicks outside the clan? Such as
maybe inventing or improving something that effects more than just the
clan?

13) Why were there no hatchlings when the Trio were at the castle in 994?
(they were 39 or so right?) So why were there just eggs at the time?

14) Alright this will be a run on question just to warn ya:) On Avalon it
looked as though Angela and Gabriel were a couple but we now know that
Angela and Broadway are destined to be mates. Was this just a false thing
I noticed? Or does Gabriel really like Angela?

15) If the answer to the last question was yes then will there be any
friction between him and Broadway?

16) Are all the Trio members going to have children?

17) Do you have any idea of how many children they would have in their
lifetimes? I mean each? Thank a bunch!:) (bows to the ground about a
million times) bye!

Greg responds...

Woo, lots o' questions. O.K. Let's dive in.
1. Ten years. Haven't I answered this before?
2. I'm not sure I understand the question. Rather, I'm sure I
don't.
3. Huh? The cycle is every twenty years. The age of past children
is immaterial. Is that what you're asking?
4. I'm not answering "Lex's mate" questions right now. Something
needs to be left to the imagination.
5. Yes. I know it's a pain, but you might want to take a look at
the archives. Most of your questions have been answered in more detail
there.
6. Thom Adcox-Hernandez was exclusively a live-action actor when
our Voice and Casting Director Jamie Thomason "discovered" Thom (long before
Gargoyles). Jamie had been wanting to use Thom's unique voice for
something, but I don't think Thom had done any voice over work before we
cast him in Gargoyles. Since then he's done Snap and Felix the Cat and
Invasion America, at least. Plus he's still doing live action stuff,
including an AM/PM mini-market commercial, a classic from last summer that
they're running again this year. (Everytime it comes on, my three year old
daughter points at the screen and says "There's your friend, Thom!" I don't
think it's registered for her that Thom is the voice of Lex. Oh,
interesting side note. I was watching a rerun of MISTER ROGER'S
NEIGHBORHOOD. There was a wedding in the land of make believe. Keith David
was one of the guests at the wedding. Who knew?)
7. Yeah. Thom.
8. You're over-estimating a bit. A lot of time-jumping going on,
but in "Katana" years, she laid the egg that hatched into Tachi sixteen
years previous. She'd wait at least four years if not longer. (Gargoyle
females share a common cycle. Katana was removed from that normal cycle by
her time jumping. If she settled down, I wonder if she'd rejoin the normal
cycle or not? With Angela, I decided she would. I expect Angela, Sora,
Ophelia, Boudicca, Obsidiana and Turquesa to all lay eggs in 2008.)
9. Yes. That's what makes good Drama. I wanted to demonstrate in
a VERY intense way, that the joined-at-the-hip days of the Trio had passed.
They'd have to start over. And in many ways, it would be harder for Lex and
Broadway then for Brooklyn. Because for them, no time would have passed.
No adjustment space. I think it would have made for some great, GREAT
stories.
10. Lex's emotions would have run the gamut. It would have been
very hard.
11. la, la, la... I'm sorry, what was that?
12. Maybe.
13. There were. Gargoyles who hatched at the same time as Bronx.
(Sixteen chronologically. Eight biologically.) There were a lot of
gargoyles you didn't see. Kids. Females. Beasts. We couldn't show them
all, and frankly, I don't think they would have let us show the kids. Eight
year olds getting massacred is a pretty tough thing to put into an afternoon
cartoon show. To be honest, that wasn't an envelope I even thought to push.
14. I've answered this many times. You read it in. There was
nothing in the Avalon three parter that suggested that Angela and Gabriel
were anything but siblings to each other. Don't feel bad, you aren't the
only one who thought that. I think Gargoyle fans are looking for romance.
Anywhere they can find it. But watch again. It isn't there.
15. No.
16. Since I've already admitted that Brooklyn and Broadway do, this
is another hidden Lex question. SO I'M NOT GOING TO ANSWER IT.
17. Brooklyn & Katana: At least Two. Broadway & Angela: Three.
Lex and... HEY!!! I said, I wasn't gonna answer that. Geez. Some people
are just relentless.

(GDW / 7-17-98)

Response recorded on July 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. My guesses as to the seven survivors from the Arthurian Age in the
Gargoyles Universe:
a. King Arthur b. Merlin c. The Lady of the Lake (all three the obvious
ones) d. Sir Percival (I think that he's Duval's true identity) e. Morgan
le Fay f. Queen Guinevere g. Sir Mordred

2. I'd suspected myself that Arthur would visit Tintagel and Stonehenge on
his quest for Merlin (they're both places that I'd have thought for
looking) - and I certainly agree that the South Pole was a very unexpected
location :) I really think that it's a pity that you didn't get to make
the "Pendragon" spin-off; as a long-time King Arthur fan, I would have enjoyed
it - maybe even more than I enjoyed "Gargoyles" itself.

3. One thing that puzzled me about the episode "Pendragon": in it, the
Stone of Scone/Stone of Destiny was identified as the stone that King Arthur
pulled the sword out of to become King of Britain. What puzzled me was
that in Arthur's day (the late 5th century), the Stone was in Ireland (followed
by Scotland in the early 6th century), and the Sword in the Stone was set
up in London, which the Stone of Destiny didn't reach until Edward I took it
from the Scots in 1296. Was there a piece of the Stone's history missing
from the traditional stories?

4. When the production team first came up with Griff for "M.I.A.", had you
already planned for him to team up with King Arthur, or was that something
that took you by surprise? (I might add that I liked the notion; Griff is
my personal favorite of the non-Wyvern gargoyles - I quickly got to like
him in "M.I.A." - and I thought that he would indeed make a fine
knight-companion for Arthur).

5. Why was King Arthur not the least bit taken aback by gargoyles in
"Avalon Part Three" and "Pendragon"? Even Elisa was initially scared of Goliath
and Bronx, after all. Was he just very good at accepting the unusual
(considering what he'd seen in his time according to Malory and all, I can
easily believe that) or was there some other reason involved?

6. How did the two magic suits of armor get into the Hollow Hill to guard
the sleeping Arthur? Since they were made out of iron, they couldn't have
been enchanted by faerie magic, and human magic is forbidden in Avalon.
(I've got a theory of my own, but it could count as an idea so I won't
mention it).

7. What prompted the notion of Goliath having that little encounter with
Vinnie and Mr. Carter in "Vendettas", complete with the banana creme pie?
Were you afraid that the big guy was getting a little too solemn and
serious, and needed to be given a little comical humiliation to keep some
perspective?

Greg responds...

1. Guesses: Nope. Todd, you'll have to try harder than that.
2. Yeah, me too. Ah, well, maybe someday.
3. Yep.
4. Griff was my idea, basically. (Though none of us, including
myself, Frank or Greg Guler ever felt that we totally cracked his design.)
Most of the Gargoyles in England are of the Griffon, Lion, Unicorn, etc.
variety. Modelled off heraldry. I knew I wanted to intro English gargs
that explained that architectural quirk in the terms of our series
mythology. A Griffon named Griff with the heart of a swashbuckler just
seemed like a natural. Something we were missing. Something we needed.
Now, did I always know he'd join with Arthur? Well, honestly, no.
Everything was part of a continuum of revelation. As I've said before, when
we were humming, it felt like the stories already existed out there. A
perfect puzzle that just needed revealing. But the idea for the World Tour
came to me long before we were done with the first season. The idea to
include English Gargoyles came shortly after that. Griff came simultaneous
to that. Arthur was a natural and early planned inclusion too. I can't
honestly say when it all came together, but it was before we even recorded
the voices for MIA, because I remember telling Neil Dickson that we'd be
bringing him back to do Griff again.
5. He'd seen Gargoyles before. He knew what they were and what
they were like. You mean Mallory never wrote about that? Gee, I don't know
how he could have skipped that part.
6. What a coincidence, I've got a theory of my own too.
7. The idea began with the Schnook. The Schnook evolved into
Vinnie. But before there was Vinnie, there was the idea that every action
has repercussions. Our series was always, I believe, pretty good about
showing the repercussions of actions. At least the major repercussions.
But actions have small repercussions as well. I had always wondered about
that poor guy who lost his motorcycle. How did he explain that? Another
example that we didn't get to put into the show had Goliath ripping off the
hatch of the Huntership before entering it. We didn't have room for it, but
I would have loved to show Vinnie nearly getting killed by that falling
hatch. That's the poor Schnook. Vinnie was just a funny guy to put in that
role. The pie idea came from Brynn Chandler Reaves, I believe. Something
about an old Superman comic or cartoon, I think. Making it Banana Cream,
was me. A tribute to BONKERS actually -- a reference to a semi-essay about
which pie is the funniest pie that I made the Bonkers staff put into a
GLOOMY THE CLOWN episode of that show. As to who would get pied, well, who
else? Goliath leads the Gargoyles. He must take responsibility for their
collective actions. And yes, he can be a bit of a stiff. It's nice to take
him down a peg occasionally. Who knew that in Goliath and Vinnie I was
creating two great cosmic opposites? The perfect Yin and Yang of the
Gargoyles Universe. :)

(GDW / 7-17-98)

Response recorded on July 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Well hello there gregster your work is both extensive and outstanding. I
have searched all through the archives and to my knowledge you haven't
explained

1) Why gargoyles is on the back burner. and also

2) Wasn't Gargoyles a comic before it was a series?

Greg responds...

1. I'm not sure what you mean by "backburner"... It's not on any
burner at the moment. It's a cancelled series, still appearing in reruns.
I hope to revive it someday, but it's not going to happen anytime soon. If
you're really asking why the show was cancelled, then I'm afraid I'm going
to just refer you back to the archives. I've answered that one ad nauseum.
2. No. The tv series came out first. Both Marvel and Disney
Adventures did some comic books stories AFTER the series came out.

(GDW / 7-17-98)

Response recorded on July 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Right to the questions.

1. In The Gathering, Part 2, when Fox attacked Oberon with magic, was the
magic we saw solely from Fox, or did Titania help her at all(basically did
Titania use any of her magic channeled through Fox)?

2. When Merlin was learning to use his magical abilities where was he
taught, on Avalon or in the human world?

3. Who was primarily responsible for teaching Merlin to use magic? That's

Greg responds...

1. That was Fox.

2. I'm not answering that here.

3. Ditto.

(GDW / 7-17-98)

Response recorded on July 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hiya, I'll get right to 'em:

1) Why were there only a few episodes back home in Manhattan with the rest
of the clan during the Tour? I mean, Goliath, Angela and Elisa are fine,
but more than 20 episodes of almost nothing but them? That's probably the
main reason people say they didn't really like the Tour - in the big
picture, it was mostly one-note. Sorry, this turned into more of a
comment.

2) Besides the events of "Kingdom", "Pendragon", and that part of "The
Green", did anything noteworthy happen back at home? The travellers were
gone for months, after all.

3) If yes, what?

4) Off the topic, why does Goliath act like such a closed-minded, bullying
jerk in his leadership style a lot of the time (e.g., "Enter Macbeth"),
and why do the others put up with it?

Greg responds...

1. That's o.k. You're entitled to your opinion. Ultimately, if
I'd been given more episodes you would have seen more of Hudson and the Trio
and you would have seen a couple more episodes with Goliath and company as
well. When you ask me "Why?", the answer is that I thought we had more
interesting and unique stories to tell on the road. More characters to
introduce, more threads to unspool. Plus we were traveling with the series'
two lead characters, a new character that I wanted to give fair introduction
too and an underused character, Bronx. Plus we got Xanatos, Fox, Macbeth,
Thailog, Demona and Puck. So our recurring antagonists were well
represented as well. Clearly, I underestimated the popularity of the Trio
(and Hudson). I knew they were well-liked. That's why we featured them in
PENDRAGON, KINGDOM FUTURE TENSE and THE GREEN. But I didn't think there
would be a cry for equal time. I was wrong. But I have no regrets. I
still think I told the most interesting stories in our arsenal at all times.
There were other stories to tell, but I picked my shots. So I'll live with
that.
2) See above. Yeah, I'm sure some other noteworthy stuff happened.
I'm sure Xanatos attempted to take advantage of Goliath's absense as he
hinted he would and as Brooklyn feared. It would have been a great story,
I'm sure. But which story would you have yanked to tell it? I'm sure
everyone could find a single episode at least of the world tour that they
would have traded for another view of the homefront, but again, I felt I was
picking the most powerful stories I had and using them.
3) See above.
4) Lot of attitude coming from you, pal. Obviously, I strongly
disagree with your assessment of Goliath. So would the clan. Goliath isn't
perfect. But he's hardly a bully. Specifically, you're pointing at a
highly traumatic moment in his life and you're faulting him for not wanting
to abandon his ancestral home. You're expecting him to think like a modern
human, only a few short months after he'd awakened to the twentieth century.
I'd say every one of our characters had plenty of blind spots. Brooklyn had
Demona and Maggie. Lex had the Pack. Those are the most obvious examples.
Ultimately, I don't think anyone was better qualified to lead the group. So
the "why would they put up with it" stuff just doesn't wash with me. Who do
you think could have done a better job?

(GDW / 7-17-98)

Response recorded on July 17, 1998

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RAMBLE, RAMBLE, RAMBLE

GARGOYLES, SEX and ROMANCE

Did that get your attention?

I've seen a lot of discussion as to whether or not it's appropriate for
FanFiction to depict the characters from Gargoyles having sex (graphic or
otherwise). I thought I'd weigh in with my opinion. BUT IT'S JUST MY
OPINION.

Let me start with my standard disclaimer. I don't read fanfiction. I feel
I can't take the legal risk. I don't want to get sued by a disgruntled
fanauthor who at some point down the road thinks I stole an idea from him or
her. I also have very mixed feelings about fanfiction in general. Part of
me is very gratified. Part of me feels territorial. I've talked about all
of this in greater detail elsewhere.

But should fanfiction based on or in the "Gargoyles Universe" include sex?
Yeah, sure. I don't see a problem with it... at least not in theory. In
practice, might be another matter.

But let's talk about theory first. Many relationships in the Gargoyles
series pack a pretty hefty erotic charge. (At least I think so.) Fox &
Xanatos and Goliath & Elisa are obvious. If we're talking flashbacks, then
I'd also say Goliath & Demona is pretty obvious as well. And you don't have
to look hard to find less obvious choices. So why not explore that? I
wouldn't put graphic depictions of sex on broadcast tv for an afternoon
audience of children, but this is a different medium. I think Gargoyles
should be able to expand into whatever medium it encounters. I hope I built
the show strong enough to survive that. I think there needs to be some
safeguarding for children, but beyond that, if sex stories don't interest
you... DON'T READ 'EM. And no harm done.

Personally, I've had a few fairly graphic fantasies about Gargoyle Mating
Habits, about Goliath and Demona's first time. About Goliath and Elisa's
burgeoning relationship. I don't know where I'd ever write those up, but I
won't deny that the idea fascinates me. (If that makes me a pervert, well,
I can live with that label, I suppose. Though frankly, I don't buy into
that.)

Where it doesn't work for me is in that old "in practice" arena. First off,
gargoyles aside, there's a lot of very bad writing being done in the
so-called adult corners of the net. (Frankly, there's a lot of bad writing
everywhere.) Bad writing is bad writing is bad writing. Gratuitous
Gargoyle sex doesn't interest me. (Alright, well maybe a little, but it
doesn't make for good story-telling. And GARGOYLES was always about telling
great tales, not getting some tail.)

But more importantly, (and this is what I really wanted to RAMBLE about) I
have a sense that fanauthors are letting my characters "get some" a lot more
often than I think I'd believe. That's where ROMANCE comes in. (Thought
I'd forgotten about romance, didn't you?) I think collectively, Gargoyles
Fans lean toward the romantic. And I'll include myself. There's a desire
to find Brooklyn a mate. To find Lex a mate. To find Hudson a mate. To
find Owen a mate. To find... Well, you get the idea. Again, I'm as guilty
of this as anyone. We weren't halfway through writing "Her Brother's
Keeper" when I realized that Fox was in love with Xanatos, thus creating a
relationship that I couldn't resist exploring. If I had done BAD GUYS you
would have seen a difficult but intense chemistry between Harry and Robyn
(Dingo and Hunter to the uninitiated). New Olympians would have had a Romeo
& Juliet relationship as one of its core dynamics. Plus there's the
Tom-Katharine-Magus triangle. Coldstone and Coldfire. Oberon and Titania.
Macbeth and Gruoch. The list is pretty darn endless. But there are a
couple things that put the breaks on actual SEX.

One is that TRAGEDY is a built in factor in the dramatic truth of the
Gargoyles Universe. I'm not... I can't make life easy on these characters.
Oh, every once and awhile sure. And Gargoyles is basically a series
grounded in HOPE for a better tomorrow. But if I'm going to be a good
dramatic storyteller, I can't make things too easy. So when are Goliath and
Elisa going to have sex? No time soon, as far as I'm concerned. It took
them 65 episodes to kiss, for heaven's sake. There are a lot of roadblocks.
Elisa can no longer deny her love for Goliath, but that's not the same as
committing to him. And frankly, I don't think she's there even yet. They
haven't even talked about their feelings. Elisa has studiously refused to
talk about hers, beyond finally acknowledging that they exist. When they do
talk, as I've noted before, I think they'll mutually come to the conclusion
to break up before they ever really get together. In theory, Elisa still
wants a normal life. They're going to have to learn that they're love is
inevitable. It'll be awhile before they get to attempting any kind of
sexual fulfillment. And actual intercourse is a LONG WAY away, assuming it
EVER HAPPENS.

What about the others? Well, I've no doubt that Fox and David go at each
other like rabbits. No doubt that they're quite adventurous, even kinky.
But don't expect much from any of the others.

I gather that in fanfiction, Brooklyn was mating more than Hugh Hefner. But
that brings us back to the tragedy factor. If I were still writing this
thing, I wouldn't make it easy for him to find a mate. Heck, he has to time
travel back to Feudal Japan to do it. One of the tragedies of the Gargoyles
is that their race has been so decimated, that it's a good question as to
whether the species can survive at all. AT ALL. So I'm not, or I should
say, I wouldn't start introducing a number of new gargoyles (female or male)
that would allow Brooklyn or Lex to suddenly and easily find a companion.
It CAN'T be that easy, no matter how much we'd like it to be.

This isn't arbitrary. I think it's really HARD to find a lifemate. REALLY
HARD. I'd be lying through story, if I made that seem easy.

And I'm NOT going to be handing out human mates to Gargoyles on a regular
basis either. Elisa and Goliath HAVE to be special. The problems they're
facing MUST be unique. Or else, all their angst is reduced to just a lot of
whining and indecision. So don't expect to see a lot of human/gargoyle
pairings. Either in flashback, the present or the future. I'd tend to be
extremely stingy with that.

And Hudson. Well, I've made a big deal about Gargoyles mating for life.
Then in the key relationship of the series... I blow that myth away.
Goliath mates with Demona. They, in essence, divorce, and Goliath begins a
new relationship with Elisa. So someone has to carry the dramatic weight of
that mate for life thing. So Hudson gets the nod. Sure in Dark Ages, I bet
he and his mate were getting it on regularly. But now that she's gone, I
think he's going to carry a torch for her forever. Forever. I know it's
sad. But nothing else makes sense to me. I can't live in a universe
without sadness. I can't create one either.

And talk about tragedy, how about Coldstone and Coldfire. I suppose someone
could write a story about built-in robotic sex organs, but dramatically,
that changes everything about their relationship. Yes, finally, they are
together. But


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Anonymous writes...

O.k heres some questions that have really been bugging me. I have been
trying to do this e-mail for a long time. I really hope you get a chance
to read this and respond:)

1) You said that Lex would be getting a mate in time. Will she be a
gargoyle?

2) You said that you had had different ideas in mind for Ransom but the
same basic ideas were there. Dose this mean that Lex and Alex were going to be
buds in a sense?

3) Since we know Lex will be getting a mate have you determined if they
will be similar in that they will both be computer geniuses?

4) Somebody asked you once if Lex would have had a mate befor the end of
the show. You asked which show? Let me try this then. Would Lex have started
to be involved with someone by the third season?

4) O.k, I'll try not to be to confusing. When we first saw Angela on
Avalon it seemed that her and Gabrial(sorry if his name is spelled wrong) had
something going on. Both when we were first introduced to the characters
and after they returned to the island for a second time. But Angela is now
with Broadway so was this relationship just in my head or was Gabrial in the
opinion that Angela and him were and item?

5) So you say that we missed a scene in Awakenings part 1# where Lex was
looking at a catapult or something. Do you know what he was going to say?
Just interested:)

6) You said that you, at the time, were not going to give any information
about how Lex met his mate because it was kinda complicated. Please,
Please could you give some idea of what you wanted to have happen? We know so
much about Brooklyn and Sata.

Bell rang! Thank you so much for all the enjoyment you have given me and
countless other fans. Oh and just for the record, when the show first
started I WAS in the proposed age gro
up to watch it:)

Greg responds...

1. I'm not answering that now.
2. That's about the only thing in Ransom, other than the notion of
a kidnapping that did survive.
3. No, I haven't worked that out yet.
4. I've answered this before, but briefly, it must have been in
your head. They always responded to each other like brother and sister.
Nothing else was ever intended by us or Gabriel. As I've stated, Gabriel's
mate is Ophelia.
5. Gosh, it was something like "What an intriguing device?" or
somesuch. It's been so long.
6. Who's Sata? You mean Katana? You don't know much from me about
Brooklyn and Katana. Just that they met in feudal Japan.

(GDW / 7-14-98)

Response recorded on July 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Okay, time for a little "Answer Greg" section before we get on to the
questions. :)

1. You asked how I knew the title for that MiB ep you wrote. I really do
wish that they (that everyone, in fact) would list the titles with each
episode because I like to know, it helps catalogue tapes and discuss eps,
etc. But anyway, I found out about the title just by hearing someone else
mention it (In this forum, I think). Since I knew of only the one ep you
wrote, and it was about dreams, I put it together and guessed. I actually
still wonder how _that_ person knew the title, but oh well. I also made a
mistake in my comment about that ep -- it was the _gumming_ scene I liked,
not the icing scene. Wrong weapon. And btw, it's nice to know you're
writing more episodes. :)

2. The contest -- I may as well try my hand at it, even though my
Arthurian
legend is shaky. Arthur, Merlin, Lady of the Lake, Nimue, Morgana,
Galahad, and Mordred. Now comments.

3. I'd just like to say that I enjoyed the World Tour series. Sure, I made
fun of it in top ten lists and filksongs and such, but I really did like
seeing all the different clans of gargoyles (I loved the Guatemalan and
London gargs), and a lot of the stories were really cool. "Shadows of the
Past", for example. So you can add one more person to the list of people
who didn't think that the Avalon Tour was a mistake.

4. When someone asked you about writing, you said you started by writing
stories with your spelling sentences in second grade. I used to do that
all the time. :) _Now_ questions.

5. How old would Katana and the children be when they returned with
Brooklyn
from Timedancing? (This is my "again, other time" posting of this q.)

6. Many people have asked about where Avalon is on a map, but what about
New Olympus?

7. What were some of the things that Elisa retrieved from the ruins of the
clocktower?

8. Was Goliath the only person in history besides the Archmage to ever
have all three of the "ultimate magical artifacts" at once? Well, come to think
of it, he only had half the P-Gate, but that scene in "Vows" where he
walks by his entire collection to get the Gate just kills me. Especially when I
think of how sorcerers through the ages must have strived to find all
those things, and Goliath doesn't seem to notice the enormity of his possession
of the artifacts.

9. At the end of "City of Stone," Macbeth is holding an unconscious Demona
and about to drop her onto a jagged piece of metal to kill her. But how
can he be conscious if she's not? Was this an oversight, or is there some
reason?

10. Just a random little question. In the humanlike form that she prefers,
is Mab blue like Oberon, or is she some other color?
11. a. I suppose you probably won't feel like telling, but what was Arthur
doing looking for Merlin at the South Pole? b. About how long would Arthur
search for Merlin before finding him? c. If Oberon was calling his
children to the Gathering, wouldn't he want his _biological_ children (ie Merlin)
there? Or does he even know that Merlin's his son? Okay, that about does
it for me. Thank you!

Greg responds...

1. Ahh.
2. Nope.
3. Thanks. That makes two of us.
4. cool.
5. O.K. Hold on, I'll go look it up. O.K. I'm back. I never did
the math on Katana, but I did do the math on the kids. Nash is 26 years old
(biologically thirteen). Tachi is six years old (biologically three).
6. It's a secret.
7. Well, I'm sure she picked up Zafiro's sun amulet. Some
photographs, including a picture of herself in the Belle dress dancing with
Goliath. She picked up the gargoyles radio equipment. A few other
momentos. Some books, probably.
8. Cool, huh? I think someone previous to the Archmage must have
put them together at least once, so that the Archmage even knew to do it.
9. If you hit Macbeth, Demona is hurt too. But not so much as if
you had hit her directly. The spell is a great equalizer, but not a
complete equalizer, if that makes sense.

10. Mab? Humanlike? It is too laugh.

11a. The foxtrot? b. Depends on how many episodes were ordered in
the first season (of a non-existent show). c. He knows Merlin is his son.
He has a, shall we say, difficult relationship with the boy.

(GDW / 7-14-98)

Response recorded on July 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I know it happens a lot with a lot of people, but I still want to
apologize for forgetting q's. Ah well, just one extra post. 12 (or 1, depending).
Could you reveal a little of the story behind Oberon's and Titania's
Mirrors? Were they wedding presents or something? Who made them? And how
did Titania lose hers to the museum -- does she care that it's gone and
destroyed now?

Greg responds...

Sorry Tanika. But this isn't really a good format to tell entire
stories. And obviously there's a whole story or two behind those mirrors.

(GDW / 7-14-98)

Response recorded on July 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg: In the episode "The New Olypians" when Borieus handed down
Elisa's sentence of never being able to leave New Olympus, he makes a
comment hoping she comes to enjoy her life there. Were we as viewers
suppose to think that he was interested in her and that's why he imposed
the sentence? Looking forward to reading your answer.

Greg responds...

No. He wasn't interested in her. He simply bore her know ill will
and hoped that her "sentence" wouldn't be too horrible for her.

(GDW / 7-14-98)

Response recorded on July 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

One more quick question: If a gargoyle is chipped or slightly damaged in
stone form, what happens when they wake up? To chips tranlate to scars,
or just disappear? What if someone vandalizes a stone gargoyle, such as
chiseling off just their hand?

Greg responds...

I guess a lot would depend on how much time was left before sunset.
Slight damage would have time to heal. Gross damage might have time to seal
up at least, but I wouldn't count on a gargoyle surviving major trauma.

(GDW / 7-14-98)

Response recorded on July 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

It occured to me one day that alot more people like your show than I
thought. Have you ever thought about releasing your stories in a book. You
could fit virtually a whole season in what, 200, 300 pages?? Have you ever
thought about this type of media to put out more stories. You could put
out multiple volumes, of the different seasons and different spin-offs. THis
would let you get alot more indepth. You've probably though about this
before but I was bored and thought I'd post this. Would the money hungry
Communist a.k.a Disney let you do this?? Thank in advance

Greg responds...

Disney's hardly communistic. Quite the reverse. I'm sure they'd
let me do it if they thought they could make money off of it. But there
aren't any publishers banging down my door to ask for this stuff. If there
was, I'd gladly start working. Do you know anyone?

(GDW / 7-14-98)

Response recorded on July 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Please answer these few questions, I try to keep it short and brief. I
haven't had the chance to watch Gargoyles lately, due to work and all, so
please excuse my wording, for I forget the episode's names.

1.) When Goliath, Angela, Elisa, and Bronx end up meeting Odin, the
gargoyles seem to be fine in the freezing weather, while poor Elisa and
freezing her butt off. Then in "The Price" (I remembered, one of my favs),
Brooklyn complains about the cold weather. I am sure the Norse country was
much colder than New York, so was that just an exageration on Brooklyn's
part? (It's not an important question, just crossed my mind)

2.) Bronx is like a "dog-oyle" so to speak, were there any plans for a
"cat-oyle"?

3.)Goliath knew about Demona and Macbeth, but when Demona and Thailog fell
to their "deaths", he thought Demona was dead, but knew that she can only
die by Macbeth's hand. Was that a mistake that slipped by, or do I have my
episodes mixed up?

4.) Was there any more plans for Elisa to become a gargoyle again?

5.) Whatever happened to Vinny after he "creamed" Goliath?

6.) Why doesn't Talon seem to want to be human again? Thank you!

Greg responds...

1. Anyone can complain about something. That doesn't mean they are
really suffering.
2. Bronx has much in common with a dog obviously, but he's a
gargoyle beast, not a dog-goyle. There are only two "gargate" species.
Gargoyles and Gargoyle Beasts. There's a lot of variation in there, but no
equivalents for every animal on the planet.
3. Sigh. I've answered this before. Goliath doesn't know the
extent of Demona and Macbeth's link. It's hard to operate with certainty
about it. Besides, he wasn't indicating that she was dead. Just that he
couldn't be sure.
4. No.
5. He briefly joined the Quarrymen. Then he moved to Japan.
6. He does. He's simply resigned to the idea that it isn't likely
to happen.

(GDW / 7-14-98)

Response recorded on July 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Will you be at the 1998 Gathering of the Gargoyles

Greg responds...

I hope to be, and it's looking good. I just got my plane tickets
TODAY. As soon as the hotel's confirmed, I'll make an official
announcement.

(GDW / 7-14-98)

Response recorded on July 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Where on the evoltionary path do humans and gargoyles differ? Meaning when
did they go in different directions.

Greg responds...

I'd say they diverged before homo sapiens existed as a distinct
race. Perhaps back at the dawn of mammals. But I won't be held to that
answer.

(GDW / 7-14-98)

Response recorded on July 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Mr. Weisman. :)

1) Are you ever going to tell who created the artifacts ASIDE from the
writers and artists who created them in OUR world? <:)

2) Who turned Odin's lost eye into the Eye of Odin artifact?

3) Did you plan to include any Hindu legends or figures in Gargoyles?

3a) Did you plan to include Babylonian, Pacific Islander, or any other
mythologies in Gargoyles?

4) Did you plan to have more gods or mythological figures of various
mythologies already seen in the show (ie Ancient Egyptian, Nordic,
Ashante) appear?

5) Are Puck, Anansi, Coyote, and Raven the only tricksters among the
Third Race? If there are others, could you name a few?

6) Would Brooklyn have traveled to any more contemporary eras (ie the
1950s, the Summer of Love, the 1980s) in TimeDancer?

6a) Would he have gone to Russia, China, or India?

7) Do the Illuminati know about Nokkar?

8) Would any other famous classics of literature's characters or
situations appear? (from Victor Hugo's, HG Wells, HP Lovecraft, Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle, Jules Verne, etc.)

Greg responds...

1. Ever is a long time.

2. A story for another day.

3. Eventually.

3a. Ditto.

4. Ditto.

5. There are others, but you can look 'em up as easy as me.

6. Maybe.

7. Heh, heh, heh.

8. Yep.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

First, I just want to say YOU are the MAN!

1) Is the Couldren of Life the same one that the Wyrd sisters were
"double double toil and trouble"-ing in the City of Stone flashback?

2) Where did you guys come up with a great idea like the Illuminati?
Your not like, part of them or anything... right?

Greg responds...

1. Hmmm. Maybe it was.

2. Michael Reaves suggested adding it to the mix, as I recall.
And come to think of it, I have seen him in possesion of a one dollar
bill. Hmmmm.

Lots of Hmmmmms in this one.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1.) This isn't exactly a question, but it's really, realy interesting,
not to mention slightly terrifying. Check out this website:
www.xanatos.com/.

2. Is Demona's changing to human in the daytime just a spell placed
on her, or is it part of her genetic structure? (i.e., if Demona has a kid,
would they change, too, to whatever extent they would, depending on what
species she hypothetically had kids with?) AACK! Run-on sentence! Sorry!

3. What kid of big cat genes *were* used to mutate Fang, anyways?
There are no big cats in nature that are that color of dark, UNIFORM brown.

4.Yeah, it's already been asked 40-50 times, but I might as well try-
What did Titania whisper in Fox's ear?

Oh, darnit, I had all sorts of great wquestoins, but I forgot them
when I came in here. :( Thanks for your time, oh great Garg creator! AHA!
OH, YEAH! 5. Can Fae and gargoyles interbreed? If so, can Fae/gargs interbreed
w/ humans? Can Fae/human interbreed w/gargs?

Greg responds...

1. I've seen it. As comment, let me say this. When we first
were naming the Xanatos' company we chose the name XANACORP. We ran it
by our business affairs department (i.e. legal). But a Xanacorp already
existed, so we couldn't use it. So then we chose XANATOS ENTERPRISES.
We ran that one by legal too. They gave it a clean bill of health,
meaning no company existed with that name at that time (late '93, early
'94).

2. I think I've answered the kid question before. Check the
archives.

3. I've answered this before too.

4. :)

5. A changeling is a shapeshifter. If you change into a
compatible shape, you can breed with anything compatible to that shape.
Witness Titania breeding with Halcyon. So yes, a fae could breed with a
gargoyle by changing into a gargoyle first. All the other questions
depend on the abilities of the result of these mixed-race unions.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman! First off let me say that I think you and your
team vastly improved the world by creating Gargoyles! Also, I appologize
in advance if any of these questions have been asked before (I have been
unable to view the full archive).

1)If a gargoyle is killed at night, what happens to the body? Does it
turn to stone one last time, or just stay flesh?

2a)Since Angela and the other "eggs" were raised on Avalon by two
medieval humans, does this mean that they have been raised as Christians (even
very generally)?

2b) If so, what does Angela think about the more undefined "religion"
the other Gargoyles follow?

3a) Since Hudson has facial hair, but not the others, does this mean
they shave? ;)

3b) (kinda silly but...) Could female gargs have facial hair (beards
and sideburns and such)?

4) Approximately how many gargoyles (including clans we never saw
during the show) were there alive during the course of the show?

Greg responds...

1. Stays flesh, as long as flesh stays flesh.

2a. Sort of. Certainly, with a sense of Christian values.
But neither the Princess, the Magus or Tom were particularly devout.

2b. I think (or at least I like to think) that the Magus taught
them a bit of that. He had time to research Gargoyle society between
the Massacre and the death of King Kevin. And he knew the eggs would
hatch eventually. He'd have wanted to do right by Goliath's children.
So I think they were raised with a sense of their own true faith. It's
sort of a Christianized version, with a healthy pagan influence, but I
doubt that the fairly non-intrusive religion of the Manhattan Gargoyles
would have been shocking. Interesting questions.

3a. It might. It's also possible that facial hair doesn't
exist on certain gargoyles and that on others it doesn't start to grow
in until the gargoyle is much older.

3b. I doubt it. Throughout the animal kingdom, males have a
plumage thing going. But, you never know.

4. I've never counted.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg -- this may have been asked before, in various forms, but I
don't recall seeing it answered, so I thought I'd add you to the list of
screenwriters I've bugged.

I have wanted to write cartoons since I was about nine or ten and have
been writing assorted fiction two or three hours a day, ever day, since
sixth grade (I'm 22.) What specific advice would you have for somebody ready
and willing to produce a sample script?

I've been told to:

1.) Submit a correctly formatted sample script to agents -- which
leads to two questions -- A) What does a correctly formatted cartoon screenplay
LOOK like? I've taken a VERY unhelpful college screenwriting class -- got
an "B", learned the three act structure, and got a blank look and a "that's an
interesting career goal" when I asked the professor about cartoon
screenplays. And B) How does one find an agent knowledgeable in the
field? I have friends with "agents", and have heard enough horror stories to be
wary.

2.) I've also been told to move to LA -- which isn't going to happen
for health reasons (I have significant asthma and other serious health
problems -- smog can and has put me in the hospital) but *shrug* it's
only about seven hours from my house to Los Angeles. HOW important is it to
actually live in California? (I'm in Phoenix and have no intention of
leaving the perfectly good and interesting job I have now for a pipe
dream in Hollywood, at least not yet.)

3.) I've also been told to break into other writing fields first --
which is something I'm working on, without much luck so far. Do I have ANY hope
of getting a foot in a door without a resume of previously published
work?

4.) Finally, are there any books or other materials specifically aimed
at writing animated screenplays? One of my big questions is how much of
the action do I describe -- I know describing action in a live action
screenplay is a big No-No, but cartoons are a bit differant ... and nobody I've
been able to talk to knows the answer to this one. (I could cheerfully
follow the accepted protocols, if only I knew what they were!)

Greg responds...

1A. Get one. Write to a cartoon company for a show you're
interested in writing a spec script for and ask them to mail you copies
of a script. Some will say no, but if you send a polite letter complete
with a self-addressed stamped envelope, someone with a little free time
will eventually make a xerox for you and send it out.

1B. Get a job in animation, and you'll hear about agents. If
you get successful, the agent may even come to you. But agents rarely
get a new writer his or her first job.

2. It's extremely important. A well-known writer can live
anywhere. But even a well-known writer risks losing out on interesting
opportunities due to "out-of-sight-out-of-mind." Cary Bates doesn't
live in L.A., but I use him. But keep in mind that I've known him for
years. He and I were writing partners for years. He was one of the
groomsmen at my wedding. That is, he's an exception. He lives in
Northern California and can fly in at the drop of a hat. But people
forget about him. He knows it. It's a risk he runs cause he hates L.A.
(Me, I was born here, and I love this town.) Now, you. You are a new
writer. I don't know how the hell you break in while living in Phoenix.
You can't network, etc. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I don't
want to kid you either. You'd have to write a killer script (not just a
good one), fly in here often and still overcome the prejudice that you
don't live in town.

3. I don't think this matters as much. God knows a full resume
doesn't hurt. My comic book and teaching experience definitely helped
me get my first couple of jobs in animation. But there are other ways.
A lot of writers at Disney started out as comedians at the GROUNDLINGS
or the IMPROV, for example.

4. I teach a course on this subject. I'm teaching it again in
the fall of '98 (here in L.A.). It takes me ten weeks. So I'll never
be able to condense all that here for you now. So if you want to be
self-taught, get a lot of animation scripts. Then read and study them.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

It's cool that you take the time to answer our questions. :) I have
one; what are the real names of the various members of the Pack, aside from

Greg responds...

1. Dingo is Harry Monmouth. I haven't named Wolf, Jackal or
Hyena yet. Though I'd probably give Wolf a last name that was
reminscient of Hakon.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

-[a]-   In your vision of the Gargoyles Universe, what is the true
identity of the Bard of Avon?  i.e., do you side with the Stratfordians and say
Shakespeare's just _that_, or are you more of a Bacon/de Vere type of
guy?

-[b]-   Would Shakespeare have any connection (any at all) to the
Illuminati or Rosicrucians?

Greg responds...

a] Shakespeare is Shakespeare on any world, as far as I'm
concerned. I've never seen any even vaguely convincing evidence of the
other school. Nothing. This is on top of the fact that Shakespeare was
a minor celbrity in his day. It's like someone 100 years from now
saying that Neil Simon never wrote "The Odd Couple" or whatever.
Frankly, Simon isn't as big a celebrity to us today, as Shakespeare was
in his day. I don't think a secret that big could have been kept
secret. Ben Johnson (a man whose credits no one questions) was
Shakespeare's friend and competitor. Why would Johnson have put up with
a front man? In private and in public? Rubbish.

b] Perhaps.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

HI Greg. I just have a few "what if" and "do you think" type questions
for ya, so please bear with me.
Do you think Gargoyles would have done better in the ratings
department if it were a non-saga type show? (Where all the episodes aren't
interconnected, and if you miss one you can get completely lost in the story line. Of
course this would take away the whole point of the show, but I am just
asking) I am asking this because of a trend I am seeing with series. Take
Batman: TAS and Star Trek for example; these show are somewhat saga like, but
if you miss one or two episodes it really doesn't throw you off, and the
fandom of these shows is wider, but the fandom isn't very strong.
Now Take Gargoyles and another pure saga show like Babylon 5; the
fandom isn't diverse but the fans of it are VERY loyal to the show.
(Would you agree with me on those last 2 statements?)
Also speaking of Babylon 5, are you a fan of that show, or have you
ever watched it? Because (IMHO) that is defiantly one of the best written shows out
there and ever beats Gargoyles by a good factor.

Greg responds...

I watched the pilot to Babylon 5. I didn't care for it. Later
people told me the show was good. So I tried to watch an episode. And
appropos of your question, I couldn't make heads or tails of it. What I
saw didn't make me desperate to figure it all out. So is that a viewer
connection issue or a "Saga" issue? Maybe some of each. Was all this
an issue with Gargoyles? Undoubtedly, though I tried to make every
episode of Gargoyles somewhat accessable. Did I succeed? I don't know.
Up to a point, I'm sure I did. Up to a point from the other direction,
I'm sure I didn't. But at any rate, I made the show I wanted to make.
No regrets there.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg. Thank you for taking the time to help us. Here are some ?
that I would really be thankful if you answerd:

1) Is the Captain of the Guard one of Oberons children? If he isn't
then when Hakon asks him why did he betray his own kind, why did he answer
in such a serious manner that they're NOT his kind.

2) This is just my oppinion, but Yama and Brooklyn have some things in
common. They're both loyal to theire clans but somehow they betray
them to someone they thought they could trust. Brooklyn to Demona and Yama to
Taro. Could another thing they have in common be that Yama will (or already
is) the 2 in command in his clan?

3) Oberon became king when he got rid of Queen Mab (right?) so if
Merlin is Oberon's REAL child, could one day Merlin become King of Avalon?

4) You've said that, someday, Lex will find a mate. After that, how
many children would he and his mate have?

5) Before Lex finds the right girl, would he have shown any sings of
jealousy toward both his brother now that they all had a mate but not
him?

Greg responds...

1. No. The nobles of the castle were not his type. He didn't
like them. That wasn't meant to imply that the Captain wasn't human.
He was very human. Maybe too human.

2. I think Yama has more in common with Demona. In fact, I
viewed the BUSHIDO story as a modern-day retelling of AWAKENING, Parts
One and Two. It had a happier ending, but that was because Taro's goal
was decidedly more modern than Hakon and the Captain's.

3. I doubt it. Merlin's a halfbreed and a bastard. He's very
powerful by human standards, but not by Oberati standards. Besides, I
think Titania might have something to say about the choice. And I doubt
Merlin wants the job.

Do you realize what I've done? Let's say I ever get to do the
PENDRAGON spin-off in some format, someday. Arthur and Griff (and one
other) search for Merlin. O.K., no big surprise, they eventually find
him (after much trouble and tribulation). Then at some point in the
series our cast comes up against OBERON. Oberon takes out Arthur, Griff
and ... (ah, ah, I'm not telling now). He then turns to Merlin, who
says "What will you do now..." Long Pause. "...Father?" Dah dah dah.
Oh, my god. Oberon is Merlin's father. Of course, it makes such sense.
Maybe some of you guessed. But many of you have that wonderful feeling
of surprise. EXCEPT... ALL OF YOU ALREADY KNOW. Doesn't that suck?
Oh, well. Can't unring a bell.

4. I'm not saying right now.

5. Yes.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Thanks for answering my questions:

#1) You said once that the current leader of the Illuminati was also
the founder. Does this mean that he is immortal??

#2) I think you said is name was Duval or something like that, is this
right(leader of the Illuminati)??

#3)If you were planning to do a DARK AGES spin-off, how would you deal
with the names thing??

#4) Brooklyn mentioned in one episode the play A MID-SUMMER NIGHT'S
DREAM(which is one of my favorites). Did Shakespeare know Puck, or
another member of Oberan's children??

#5)If the Pheonix Gate can take you anyplace you want as well as
anytime, how would Brooklyn cope with all the different languages in his TIMEDANCER adventures??

#6)Is there a place were I can find your "Master Plan" or did you just
send it to certain people??

Greg responds...

1. Pretty much. Doesn't mean he'll live forever.

2. Yeah. Duval. But it's one of many aliases.

3. I've answered this before. Check the archives.

4. I haven't decided. He did know Macbeth. But he didn't know
he knew Macbeth.

5. With difficulty. Real difficulty.

6. It's been posted a few places. You might check out
Castle.Net. Does that still exist? (Gore, feel free to add an addendum
here if you can answer this question. Heck, maybe you could just post
the Master Plan right here so that we can make it part of the archives
once and for all:
[THE MASTER PLAN -- for what it is worth.]

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

thanks for answering ever more questions.

#1) If gargoyle eggs take 10 years to hatch, and a female is only
fertile every 20 years, I take it that means that a gargoyles can have no
brothers are sisters unless they are 30 or 40 years older or they had a twin.
Would it be 30 or 40 years, I'm not very good in math??

#2) Did MacBeth or Demona ever have any feelings of compasion for one
another?? Did they at least regaurd each other as friends??

Greg responds...

1. If you're talking about biological brothers, it would be 20
years between siblings. (One egg every twenty years, means one
blood-sibling every twenty years. Get it?) But you guys are obsessing
about blood relations. A gargoyle would not regard a blood sibling as a
rookery brother or sister. They would simply be another older member of
the clan. Whereas, they'd be raised with thirty or so rookery siblings,
many of which they'd be close to for the rest of their lives. Brooklyn
may have had a blood-sibling who died in the massacre, but he was much
closer to his rookery siblings Broadway and Lexington, who survived.

2. I think during Macbeth's so-called Golden Age of rule after
the death of Duncan and before Canmore's return with the English, he and
Demona shared mutual respect and regard for each other. Some compassion
perhaps. Something that bordered on friendship, even if Demona didn't
admit it to herself or anyone.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1)Would Brooklyn ever of visited New Olympus in his Timdancing
journeys??

2)If so, what time would he of visited them in??

3)Out of all your proposed spin-offs, which one came closets to being
put in production?? Second closest?? Third?? Not even close at all??

Greg responds...

1. Maybe.

2. Don't know.

3. Well, doing more Gargoyles actually happened: GOLIATH
CHRONICLES. So that would be #1. Second would have to be BAD GUYS,
which we developed extensively and did an animatic reel. Third would
probably be DARK AGES, which we did a short art pitch on and actually
pitched to CBS. Fourth, would probably be a tie between NEW OLYMPIANS,
which we did another art pitch on (for internal purposes) and PENDRAGON,
which I pitched verbally and internally and sparked some brief interest.
Sixth would be FUTURE TENSE, which CBS expressed a brief interest in.
Seventh would be TIMEDANCER, which I basically came up with too late in
the game. It was never seriously considered.

(GDW / 4-29-98)

Response recorded on April 29, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I have a few questions I would like to ask:

1) We know that Demona and the Captain of the Guard worked together to
betray the Castle to the Vikings, but who came up with the idea in the
first place?

2) On a related note, we saw in City of Stone that Demona had the
opportunity to warn some of the clan about the Vikings- so why didn't
she? Surely she didn't really believe that one person (the Captain) would
be able to stop the entire Viking horde from destroying the clan. It seems to
me that she could have made up some story about overhearing the Captain
conspiring with another guard, adn warned the others to leave. After
all, gargoyles may protect, but I would think the gargoyles would have
realized that, with the Vikings attacking at dawn, there would be nothing the
clan could do to help and that it was necessary for them to flee.

3)We know that gargoyles do not formally acknowledge individual
parentage, but do they have some informal methods of keeping track of these
things? I ask this because it seems to me that, depending on the number of times
a female becomes fertile in her lifetime and the approximate age at
which the cycle begins, there could be the possibility of inbreeding among
gargoyles(I worked it out assuming that the cycle starts at the biological age of
20 and lasted for three breeding cycles, and found that there appeared to be
the possibility of uncles/aunts mating with their nieces/nephews, as well
as the chance for 1st cousins to breed).

Greg responds...

1. The captain.

2. She was a coward. Emotionally, she still is.

3. It's possible, but unlikely. It's also possible that
pheremones and a gargoyle sense of smell would reduce the likelihood of
biological incest.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Is there any computer game of the Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

I think so.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg. There are somethings I need to know about your great cartoon.
Also these questions I had to ask are things I have noticed that the Disney
people didn't exactly tell about.

1) Even though Puck was training Alex, was Puck sapossed to train Fox
also or not?

2) After the episode, "Hunter's Moon" was concluded, the Disney
people didn't make a new season to show that Jason's little brother, Jon was
wanting some new revenge on the gargoyles. Also, Jon was going to
still hunt down Demona. Why is it that these two things never showed up on a
new season or on the last season?

3) After Titania said her good-byes to Fox and Alex, Titania wispered
something in Fox's ear. What was it and what did Titania say to Fox
that no one could understand?

4) Will there be anymore Gargoyle comic books and Gargoyle trading
cards? These two things I never know where around,plus they never avetized
them on tv.Why? And I sure would like to have some of the comic books and
trading cards. Please answer these to your best ability. May Gargoyles live
forever.

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. I had nothing to do with the GOLIATH CHRONICLES after "The
Journey". I can't tell you why they did and didn't chose to pursue
various threads after that episode.

3. See the archives for one of my many clever non-answers to
this question.

4. Not to my knowledge.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I have read somewhere that there is a live-action Gargoyles movie in
production. It was supposed to be out in early '99. Is this true? If
not, such a movie would be great!

Greg responds...

There is, or at least there was, a live-action movie in
development at Touchstone. My liason at Touchstone is currently not
returning my phonecalls, so I have no new information on it. Believe
me, I'll let everyone know as soon as I know anything.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman.

First off, thank you soooooo much for that magnificent series of
yours, Gargoyles. (Ho-kay, that's out of my system.) :)
Only two questions for you, sir. I am a newbie at this (using
substandard equipment that crashes when it tries to process anything from the Web
larger than 150k), so if these have been asked before, I apologize for being
redundant.

1) A lot of people have asked about breaking into animation as an
artist/animator. How would one go about breaking in as a writer (the
more important part of the equation, if you ask me.)?

2) I don't mean to get you into any trouble with this question, but
here goes: Looking back on what's happened with your creation, do you
think it would have had a longer/shorter life had it been done with a different
studio (i.e. Warner Brothers, who seems to do superheroics much better
than Disney)?

3) Do you have any current *live action* writings in development
(movies, TV series, music videos)?

Greg responds...

1. I don't think one is more important than the other. I have
answered this in more detail in the archive. Read and Write. Get good.
Write spec scripts. Read. Proofread. Read Aloud. Write. Write.
Write. Make phone calls. Network.

2. This has been asked before too. It's SO HYPOTHETICAL as to
border on the incomprehensible, like asking me whether the series would
have lasted longer if I were over six feet tall. I don't know how to
speculate on this. So let me just reiterate that Disney created the
environment that allowed me to create this show. I don't think that
environment would have existed ANYWHERE else. Disney's far from
perfect, but I get a little tired of people implying that they suck. I
worked there for almost seven years. I was an executive for five of
those years. Part (a small part) of the Disney establishment, even. I
saw a lot of goofy decisions get made, but I saw a lot of good stuff get
made too. How would being at Warners have helped? I doubt we'd ever
even have developed the show. Sorry for the tirade, but I think
occasionally we all need to take a reality check and put things in
perspective.

3. No.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

If Goliath knew that no one had the power to change time with the
Phoenix Gate, then why didn't he just let Puck give it to Oberon, surely even
Oberon doesn't have the power to change history?

Greg responds...

As you may have seen, the Gate has much potential for mischief
without changing history. Besides, would you have given it to Puck
after "Future Tense"?

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! Thanks in advance:

1) Do gargoyle beasts give birth in litters or singly?

2) Are all the female gargoyles in a clan on the same 20 year
fertility cycle? It was implied that all the eggs on Avalon hatched around the
same time.

3) Are the males also only fertile every 20 years?

4) How many gargoyle beasts were there in the Wyvern clan before the
massacre?

5) I realize you didn't write that episode, but could you please
explain why the clones turned to stone when they died?
6) Is Demona's 2nd clan (the one supposedly killed by Canmore's men)
really dead?

Greg responds...

1. Singly.

2. Yes and Yes.

3. Fertile? Is that the right word? I think male and female
gargoyles have sex more often than once every twenty years, if that's
what you're trying to get at in a round about way.

4. I don't know the exact number. A handful.

5. No, because I not only didn't write the episode, I was more
or less appalled by it. Why would you ask me that?

6. Yep.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg! Just wanted to ask you a question.

1) In "Double Jeopardy" I saw that Thailog had red eyes. Since you
have said earlier that only female gargoyles have red eyes, does he have them
because of the pigment mix-up thing?

Greg responds...

Yep.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Greg Hi again. I came up with a few more for you.

1. In which spinoff did you plan for Demona to see the light? I'm
really wondering if this would occur in Goliath or Angela's life times or
after they are both dead. Whatever brings her to her senses must have been
something else. A pity I can't think of a simple way to ask what it
was.

2. Gargoyles lay only one egg at a time. There were 36 eggs in the
rookery. Therefore you had to have at least 72 gargoyles in the clan
at Castle Wyvern. Throw in the single gargs, those that were to young or
too old to mate, and that number might even be over a hundred. Yet in the
past you mentioned that their were only about 30 to 40 gargs in the Wyvern
clan. Am I missing something?

3. You mentioned before that Coldsteel would still be a threat to the
clan. Considering that Demona shares responsiblity for his first death,
you'd think he'd want revenge on her as well. So why was he so cooperative
during High Noon, and would he be inclined to go after her now. (Not that
this would necessarily accomplish anything for him)

Greg responds...

1. Not going to reveal that here.

2. Over 20 years, a lot of death can take place.

3. I'm not sure how aware he is of Demona's guilt.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I am not sure if anyone has asked this already or not, but I noticed
that there seem to have been two versions of the episode "Vows" released.
This is the episode where Goliath, Demona, Xanatos and Fox use the Phoenix
Gate to go back in time (on the occasion of Xanatos' and Fox's marriage. I
noticed that the first time I saw the episode, in the opening scene
Goliath and Xanatos are duking it out (fighting). At one point Xanatos
backhands Goliath and as Goliath staggers back a stream of blood can be seen
flying from his mouth. In the same episode, at a later time, Demona (the
younger version) runs up to Goliath (also the younger version) and embraces
him, as she does so she runs the inside of her thigh up along his
suggestively. These two scenes shocked me at the time. (It was the first time I had
saw such things on the show). But, the next time I saw the episode on TV,
(about three months later) these two scenes had been altered. There
was no blood to be seen, and Demona just hugged Goliath (minus the thigh).
My question is this...Were you aware of these changes? And why were
they made? Did some parent complain?

Greg responds...

1. I don't remember if I was aware of them, but I'm not aware
of any parental complaint.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg,

1. How old would Xanatos have been when Brooklyn visits him in
Timedancer? What year would it have been? If you don't know exactly how old he
would have been, what about a general idea: Child, preteen, teen, young
adult, adult?

2. Patrick Stewart>Anubis, Oberon, Arthur? Any of those?

3. Number three is going to come as a seperate post just in case it
gets cut.

4. Are gargoyles and dragons related? Other than the statue in
Pendragon, would there have been any more dragons in gagoyles? Any details?

5. Pterasaurs have wings much like gargoyle wings, and they glided
too. Paleantologists believe they may have been resonably intelligent,
considering the intelligence of other creatures in those times
(dinosaurs) Any relation to gargoyles?

Greg responds...

1. Younger adult.

2. Your answer is wrong. No other hints. Although Todd has
already answered correctly. Check the archives for his answer.

3. O.K. That's probably smart.

4. Maybe. Yep. Nope.

5. Maybe.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

In The Mirror, Elisa asks the clan what Demona would want with a
mirror, and Hudson answers that it's Titania's Mirror. My question is how did he
know it was Titania's Mirror? Was this a subtle forshadowing of a as of
yet untold story?

Greg responds...

It was advertised as Titania's Mirror. There was a big sign
outside the Museum.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

In Possession, when Iago is moved from Brooklyn's body to the
Coldsteel shell, his soul merged with the robot. But when Othello and Desdemona
were moved into Coldstone and Coldfire, their souls entered the shells
throught the mouths, unlike what had just happened to Coldsteel. Was this an
animation error or was this intentional? And if it was intentional,
then can you give me just a small clue as to what you had planned?

Greg responds...

Not an error. Two ways of visualizing the same basic event.
Neither are wrong, but don't read too much significance into it. "A
petty consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" -- Ralph Waldo
Emerson ;)

Someday someone should ask me about the "HOBGOBLIN OF LITTLE
MINDS" episode that I never got around to doing.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi again Greg!

Gosh! I just keep finding more little curiosities I can't resist
asking! How very!

Okay, here's my pondering for the week! We all have heard how all the
Trekkers got on the cast! But, being a huge fan of Broadway musicals,
I am curious as to how Terrence Mann (one of my absoulute fav Broadway
actors) got cast as Oberon! Any interesting tales to it? Or any interesting
tales of his work on the set? Frairly broad I knpw, but hey!

Thank you again Mr Weisman for taking a look at this once more! May
luck be with you in the future!

Greg responds...

Our voice and casting director Jamie Thomason cast Terrance. He
was great. Had real fun with the part. But no great anecdotes, I'm
afraid.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey a quick question:

When did you do the last show of Gargoyles??
Is the show,,Angel of night,, the last show???
Please answer me quick!

Greg responds...

Well, I doubt this qualifies as quick. I did my last Gargoyles
"THE JOURNEY" in 1996. It originally aired in the fall of that year as
part of THE GOLIATH CHRONICLES. Angels of the Night was the last
episode of the Goliath Chronicles. It originally aired in 1997. But I
had nothing to do with it. The last episode of the original Gargoyles
series was "HUNTER'S MOON, Part Three" which aired in spring 1996.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg. Yes, it's me again.
A little question on the reproductive nature of gargoyles...curiosity
got the better of me...is inbreeding possible with gargoyles? *Grumbles as
someone from the chatroom makes a remark aobut her being the expert on
that one considering she's a redneck.*
Oh...and is Fang a cougar? I see a lot of similarities...

Greg responds...

1. It's possible, but the odds are against it.

2. Something like that.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1) Patrick StewartMacbeth and the Archmage from the first season,
and Oberon from the second season.

2) Since the full story about Katana's name would probably take 42
pages, I'm just going to ask if it was a name she had before she met Brooklyn
(i.e., from her clan or through human contact), or after (i.e., in the
context of their meeting, falling in love, adventuring together
through time).

3) Gargoyle eggs take ten years to hatch, unless I've forgotten my
canon. How would Brooklyn and Katana have cared for their eggs while voyaging
through time?

4) Related to the above question, how long was the average Brooklyn
stay in a given time period? i.e., Did he run the risk of appearing for a few
seconds before the Phoenix Gate snatches him again?

5) I don't think this is in the archives, so I have to ask: Why does
the Phoenix Gate continue to travel with Brooklyn, snatching him from time
to time and from place to place, and why does it cease after he's
returned to Castle Wyvern of the 20th century?

Greg responds...

1. Nope.

2. No comment.

3. With difficulty. Though I never said how long they were in
each place.

4. There aren't any rules as to length of stay. It's possible
that he might have danced in and out in a few seconds on occasion, but
it makes for lousy stories, so I wouldn't have done that often.

5. The Phoenix Gate is lossed in time. Brooklyn takes
advantage of it's comings and goings in the hopes that it will
eventually take him home. Once he gets home, he avoids it like the
plague.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

If you don't want to answer this, that's fine. I understand.
Celebrities are always getting these requests. But is there anyway I can get a Gargs
pic signed by you?

Greg responds...

Come to the Gathering in NYC this summer. I'm hoping to be
there if the details can be worked out.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg:

1. Who created the Phoenix Gate? ONe of Oberon's Children?

2. Would Patrick Stewart have played King Arthur? Macbeth? Oberon?

3. Would you ever have done a Romeo & Juliet type of episode?
Between what two charecters (ie who would be Romeo and who would be Juliet?)

4. Do you know who Tod mcFarlane is? If not he is the creator
if Spawn and Image comics. The reason I brought him up is that Marvel Comics, for
which he used to work, wanted to buy the rights to Spawn, but Tod wouldn't
let them because he knew they'd eventually mess it up. He was, at the
time. working on Venom and Marvel wanted to turn Venom into a good guy. So
between Marvel wanting to change Venom and rather than allow them to do the
same with Spawn Todd left Marvel and started Image, which is now far more
succesful than marvel (who is going bankrupt). I realize it is to
late now but you really should have tried something like this with Garoyles. I
also brought it up to say that if you want a comic company that might do a
great job with Gargoyles, that is if Disney gives them a chance, Image is a
good place to start. Todd would sympathise with your problem. would you
consider it?

Greg responds...

1. Not who.

2. No.

3. There was a definite Romeo and Juliet theme planned for New
Olympians.

4. I've met Tod, and I'm familiar with what you're describing,
but the situations are not parallel. You're comparing Gargoyles with
Spawn, but it would be more accurate to compare Gargoyles with Venom.
That is, Gargoyles are and always were owned by Disney. There was never
a moment when I could have gone off and done it on my own, because I
NEVER owned the property. Also, you should remember that for Tod (who
had some substantial money and reputation from his Marvel work) to go
off and publish his own comic was a very doable thing. He was a fan
favorite. And producing a comic book is a RELATIVELY inexpensive
proposition that requires a relatively small staff of people. By
comparison, no one had ever heard of me BEFORE Gargoyles, and still, few
know who I am now. In addition, producing an animated series is a
RELATIVELY costly proposition. Exponentially more expensive than
publishing a comic book. And the required staff is huge. And they'd
all need to be paid in advance to put food on their tables. The whole
thing is WAY beyond my resources, even today. Now I know, you think Tod
has done it with the SPAWN animated series. But that was AFTER Spawn
was already a huge success that made him a millionaire many times over.
I'm not saying he spent his own money on the show, but that money and
the prestige of the property gave him a lot of clout. Frankly, that's
clout I don't have.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg, thanks for answering my questions:

1)I know you were planning to do some spin-offs, but how many and what
were they going to be called??

2)If Disney ever got it through their thick skulls that GARGOYLES is a
great show and decided to bring it back, they'd have to hire you and get you
to approve it or something like that, right??

3)Why didn't you work on any of the GOLIATH CHRONICLES episodes except
for THE JOURNEY??

4)What projects are you working on now??

5)If someone wanted to pick up one of you spin-off shows(like
TIMEDANCER, that's the only one I know you wanted to do), would you want them (who
ever they may be, Disney or not) to pick GARGOYLES as well??

Greg responds...

1) GARGOYLES, BAD GUYS, DARK AGES, FUTURE TENSE, THE NEW
OLYMPIANS, PENDRAGON, TIMEDANCER.

2) They wouldn't "have" to do anything, but I like to think
they'd come to me first.

3) I made a mistake. I felt I wasn't appreciated, and I felt I
wouldn't have been able to maintain the show's quality level. But I
still should have done it. I made a mistake.

4) It's too soon to talk about any of them.

5) Only Disney could do a gargoyles-related spin-off. They own
all the characters and concepts. They wouldn't have to do both. Any
one would be fun.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I have another question, sorry: I keep hearing people talk about
someone called Katana, who is she??

Greg responds...

In my head, she's Brooklyn's mate.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

How long had Goliath been leader when the BIG event happened(you know,
1000 years ago)?? How long had Goliath be second-in-command when Hudson
appointed him leader??

Greg responds...

I haven't worked the Math in a long time. But Goliath had been
leader for ten years, since the events depicted in LONG WAY TO MORNING.
He became second in command during the run of DARK AGES.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Aren't they going to air the Goliath Chronicles in USA network?I'm
dying to see them.Or at least read the synopses in some page.

Greg responds...

I don't know.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Since when Goliath and Demona were in love?

Greg responds...

Since they were young, if I understand the question.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Why Hudson has only one eye?

Greg responds...

He has two eyes. One was blinded in battle against the
Archmage.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Why they cancelled Gargoyles?Why The Goliath Chronicles were draw by
Nelvana or something like that?

Greg responds...

See above. Goliath Chronicles was subcontracted to Nelvana for
economic reasons which I don't pretend to understand.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Thanks.Great show!A lot better than the Ninja Turtles.Gargoyles lasted
only four years and the Ninja Turtles lasted 10!Why?I also noticed that the
ninja turtles in it's second season also had 65!Like gargoyles.Why?Please
answer me.For the love of a fan.

Greg responds...

In those days, 65 was considered a complete package of episodes.
Enough to run five days a week for one quarter of the year.

I can't tell you why Turtles lasted as long as it has, but
Gargoyles ended after 2 (or 3) seasons, because the ratings didn't seem
strong enough to Disney for them to justify it's ongoing existence,
given that they had 65 (or 78) episodes already in the can.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg. :)

(1) So how have you been doing?

(2) I have been wondering about Katana's name. Is there a real life
story as to how you and/or your staff came up with that name? If so, what
is it?

(3) Is there a story as to how she got that name in the actual garg
universe? If so, what is it?

(4) Now for a few more questions about the Phoenix Gate. Is there any
type of limit to when the gate can go to?

(5) If so, does that limit change depending on who is using the gate?

(6) What I mean is, is the gate limited (in things like traveling to
the future) on what one knows of the future? If one doesn't know what the
future holds, can they travel into the future using the Gate?

Greg responds...

1) Eh, O.K. How about you?

2) I came up with it. It seemed right.

3) Probably there is. But I haven't thought about that yet.

4) Nope.

5) N.A.

6) Yep.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg. I've been wondering this ever since I first saw "City of
Stone", and, being the twisted person I am, I was wondering, what would happen
if Demona and/or Macbeth were decapitated by someone else? Kind of
morbid, I know, but it's one of those questions even fanfics can't answer.

Greg responds...

I don't know. But I'm not worried about it, cause dramatically,
it's not going to happen.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman. I appologise if any of these questions have been
asked before. In that case I must have missed them.

1. I have been wondering. When the sun comes up, gargoyles turn to
stone. When the sun is gone, they wake up. But what would happen during a
solar eclipse?

2. I can understand the reasons why you don't want to see any original
ideas. You don't want someone to sue you because he thinks he's given
you an idea, even though you thought of the same thing before you even met
him. I'm wondering though, did this ever really happen to you so far?

Greg responds...

1) Generally. One would assume their biological clocks would
be unaffected by a solar eclipse... unless, the eclipse was some kind of
magical event that had some kind of magical influence on them.

2) It's happened to many people. I personally have never been
sued under this exact scenario. But at any rate, I don't want to join
the club. And I have had the situation occur where a person stopped
short of suing. Someone suggested ideas to me that I already had
planned to do. When I told them, they looked at me like I had just
ripped them off. I don't want to take any chances. (Someone is suing
Disney claiming that he created Gargoyles. The fact that he's claiming
to have created the show in 1993, when I can document that my team and I
started working on it in 1991 doesn't seem to faze him much.)

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg,
I have question to ask you that's more personal than those I've asked
in the past. As you may but probably don't remember, I mentioned that I
dabble in fanfiction. Lately, though, I've sort of lost the urge to write.
I've been puttering around on my current piece for more than half a year, and I
just can't seem to find my inspiration. My question is: does this ever
happen to you? And if so, how do you combat it?

Greg responds...

I've never lost the urge to write. At least not so far,
thankfully. But I've never been any good at accomplishing anything
without a real deadline. (Setting an imaginary one for myself has never
worked.) When I have an assignment, I do periodically get stuck. I
pace a lot. But I eventually work my way through it. Fanfiction isn't
something I've tried. And I'm only disciplined when I have an external
deadline. Otherwise I'm lazy as hell. I don't know if that helps, but
one thing you might try is to take a class in creative writing. Let the
instructor impose a deadline and see if that helps you.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi greg,

I was watching a show about ancient Mayan civilizations in Spanish
class, and I noticed a few things: one thing I noticed was a Mayan statue
that looked like it had eye ridges, a bat with "wings like a dragon"
(that's what the video said), and finally a snake carving that could have easily
been a gargoyle like the one in Guatemala.

1) Is this the sort of thing that gave you the idea for the Green, or
did you not notice these types of things?

2) Will Alexander be alive in 2158?

3) Will Alex be (magically) as strong, or stronger than say Puck or
Merlin?

4) Was Demona ever in love with anyone else during the 1000 years
that Goliath was asleep? Any chance I can get you to tell me who?

Greg responds...

1). The former.

2). Yes.

3). As Puck? I doubt it. Puck is a 100% changeling, and Alex
is only 25%. But Alex has a good teacher and a lot of potential. As
Merlin? The question is how much time Alex dedicates to his magical
studies. He may have other interests as well.

4) Largely, the answer is NO. To both questions.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Greg,

Congrats on a great show!!! :) I was just wondering if the worse
happens and Gargoyles is not brought back on TV do you have any plans to
continue the story in another media?

Greg responds...

I'd love to, and I have periodically looked into that, with no
success to date.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr Weisman!

Thanks again for taking the time to answer all these questions that we
Gargoyle fanatics throw at ya...speaking of which, here are some of
mine :-)

1) You noted that Edmund from KING LEAR is your favorite
Shakespearean
character...why? BTW...LEAR is one of my faves also...the mirroring ,
contrast and complexity of the characters is incredibly clever.

2) Are there any Gargoyle characters that have smidgens of Edmund
written into them ? (Thailog comes to mind, in a vague sort of way).

3) Besides A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM and OTHELLO, are there any other
Shakespearean allusions in Gargoyles?

4) Was Maggie cloned from some sort of housecat?

5) What the heck was Fang cloned from?

6) Why does Demona have a belly button?

7) Which one is Rosencrantz and which one is Guildenstern? (I can
never tell)

8) Was Lear more sinned upon than sinner?

Thanks for your time! Continued luck in the future! Sorry for the
irrelevant Shakespeare queries :-)

Greg responds...

1) Part of the reason is that I've played the character on
stage. I've also written the equivalent of Shakespeare Fan Fiction
about Edmund. A near-monologue using Shakespeare's dialogue and some of
my own that extrapolated background and specific motivation for the
character. I know him better than many people. I feel an affinity for
him. Which is scary, because he is a thorough villain by intention and
by deed. But it's thrilling too.

2) Yeah, Todd pointed out the Thailog connection, and I
definitely see it. Many of my villains may have a touch of Edmund.
Xanatos, arguably.

3) Sure. MACBETH, of course. Plus a number of assorted
references to Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet and others.

4) No.

5) He wasn't cloned from anything. He was mutated.

6) Does she?

7) You and Claudius.

8) Probably. But life is complex and no one promised equity.
It's something we strive for, not a privelidge we're granted.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Uh, hi Greg. My name is Holly and I am a first-timer "Ask Greg", so
if I make any mistakes, please forgive me. I would also like to comment on
your extraordinary efforts you and all the crew at Disney put together to
bring us "Gargoyles". I fell in love with it at first sight (which was when
I was only twelve). Ok, so here's the question that's been bugging me for
so long: On "Heritage" eps how did Angela find out that Raven's clan were
only illiusions?

Greg responds...

As I recall, she saw the Thunderbird's wing pass right through
one of them.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey I know you hear this alot but thanx for taking the time to answer
our questions.

1) You may have answered this before but if you did it was one of your
corn ball one word answers =) so ill try again. a) In Hunters Moon if
Demona shattered the bottle and released the virus would that have killed
Macbeth since it was Demona who made the virus and that would also kill
herself? b)How powerful was the preying gargoyle? c) Did d) Demona realize she
was taking a gamble with her life and e) if yes was she suicidal at the
time?

2) Ahh your who would Pactrick Stewart play contest. I say he would
have played Macbeth (very obvious), Hudson, and the one from the second
season, the original hunter from city of stone. Are any of these right?

3) a)I know Puck is banished from avalon but im sure Alex isnt, when
and how will he visit there for the first time? b)how old will he be? c)is
there any story you have planed for that trip? d)If Alex was threatened on
Avalon would puck be allowed back to protect him? (loop hole, hehehe)

4) When Brooklyn come back after TimeDancer will he look like he did
in the episode "FutureTense"?

5) Is Duval anyone we know yet in the show?
whew, lots of questions. Thanx again =)

Greg responds...

1a) Actually, I've answered this in detail. Check the
archives. In short, a lot would depend on Demona's specific intent.
Her living might keep him alive.

b) "Praying" not "Preying". And it was as powerful as it
needed to be.

c,d,e) That's subject to interpretation. I think it's all in
there. It's a matter of degree.

(GDW / 4-28-98)

Response recorded on April 28, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

gargoyles was an excellent show. I think the reason it got cannes was
because the story got too complicated. It seemed "overwhelming" for
someone who never saw the show before. Those previously seen on gargoyles
scenes didn't help matters either. Sure it saved two minutes of animation,
but it alienated alot of viewers. I liked the Avalon Subquest since it
helped new viewers get hooked. I hope you get back on sindication so I can see
Time dancer. It sounds cool.

Greg responds...

Well, I kinda feel like you contradicted yourself. On the one
hand, you think the "previously" recaps alienated viewers. But those
recaps were designed to help out new or occasional viewers, and I think
the only viewers that might have been alienated by them were regular
viewers who didn't need them and found them annoying.

Obviously, the main reason the show was cancelled was because
the ratings were disappointing to Disney. Not bad. Just not great
enough to justify making more when they already had a complete package.
It's certainly possible that one of the reason for the non-stellar
ratings is that the show was too complex. But I don't make apologies
for that. I tried to make it accessible, but I did the show I wanted to
do. Our regular viewers (the people who most objected to the recaps)
didn't mind the complexity. But new and occasional viewers (who might
have appreciated the recaps) might very well have been put off by that
complexity. Or are you arguing that the recaps put off new and
occasional viewers? Perhaps, by making them feel like they needed to
know stuff that maybe they didn't? Hmmmm.

It's also interesting that you praise the World Tour. I liked
it. A lot. But the consensus has generally been that people didn't
like it, or that at any rate, it went on too long. And that new and
occasional viewers would be put off by it, because they wouldn't
understand what was going on.
(GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I've noticed some things about Future Tense,

1) Claw doesn't say anything through out the episode, andy reason for
this??

2) Demona tells Goliath to give the Pheonix Gate Angela so she can
hide in the past, but I thought Demona didn't find out about Angela until they
returned to Manhattan, can you explain??

3) Was it planned that Goliath, Elisia, Angela and Bronx never
returned home until they had rid themselves of the Eye of Odin and the Pheonix
Gate??

4) Is it possible that the Eye of Odin and the Pheonix Gate combined
were guiding the travelers and was it Avalon??

Greg responds...

1. Claw never says anything. Ever.

2. Well, for starters, the whole thing was an illusion of
Puck's, but actually, Demona learned about Angela in Paris.

3. I planned to have them lose them along the way, if that's
what you mean.

4. No. Not in my mind. But if it pleases you to think so,
knock yourself out.
(GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1)is puck in any way related to oberon or titania,if so how?

2)since we found out fox is titania's daughter,i've been wondering
does that mean fox and puck are related?

3)when tom and princess catherine were married did they have any human
kids that weren't shown on the cartoon?

4)when the magus died on that stone bed king arther was on (till he
woke up to help the gargs) is there any whay that the magic could have kept
him alive but asleep till he could be awoken and healed maybe?because i
liked him and would like him back.

5)how come owen didn't fix his hand?

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. No.

3. I don't think they were ever officially married. And no, no
human kids.

4. I liked him too. But people die in war.

5. Cause it would be cheating. Not for him, but for Xanatos.
Xanatos loses the use of a two-handed assistant, he doesn't get that
fully functional assistant back. Puck won't use magic to help David.
(GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

What exactly does M.I.A. stand for?
Thanks!

Greg responds...

Missing In Action. (GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hope that you don't mind these extra questions and comments:

1. My personal guesses (re your invitation) for whom you had planned
Patrick Stewart to voice: Goliath, Macbeth, King Arthur.

2. You mentioned that Edmund in "King Lear" is your favorite
Shakespeare character. Shortly after reading that, I got to thinking, and noticed
a slight similarity between him and Thailog (villainous
not-fully-acknowledged son who turns on his father). Was Edmund a partial model for Thailog?

3. Thans for answering my Macbeth question (and telling me what John
Rhys-Davies's response to the story was). By the way, who are Monique
and Tuppence?

4. You said that Elisa introduced her family to Talon and the Mutates
in "The Cage" in the Labyrinth, but I thought when I saw that episode
that the final scene (the meeting, with Goliath secretly watching) was taking
place in her apartment instead (that's how it looked to me). Which was it?

5. Somebody else brought up the Xanatos-and-Owen deal, and I thought
that I'd say here that I considered it good judgement on Xanatos's part to
choose Owen's service over a wish from Puck. After all, Owen is very
reliable and efficient, while I've pretty much got the feeling from Demona's case
in "The Mirror" that asking Puck to grant your wish can get you into a lot of
trouble :)

5. You said that "Ransom" and "Runaways" were based on episodes that
you'd planned for the 3rd season, but altered in direction. Was "Seeing
Isn't Believing" (the Goliath Chronicles episode with Taurus and Proteus in
it) similarly based on your proposed "New Olympians" spin-off?

6. One of the things that I've most liked about Goliath was his
fondness for reading (which is all the more impressive, given how the average
inhabitant of 10th century Scotland would have felt about literacy - Hakon's
attitude was the dominant one for the period). When did he learn how to read -
the 10th century or the 20th? And did somebody teach him, or did he learn
on his own?

7. Related to No. 6 - do you have any idea what book Goliath was
reading in "Avalon Part One" the one that he stayed home at the clock tower to
finish)?

8. Did the various gargoyle-haters such as the Hunters believe
gargoyles to be demons (as in, supernatural evil creatures), or did they view them
more as ferocious wild animals like wolves or mountain lions?

9. What sort of "big cat" is Fang modelled on? I can identify the
other Mutates' originals (Talon - panther, Maggie - lioness, Claw - tiger),
but I'm not so sure about his.

Greg responds...

1. Right. And you're the first one to guess the correct
answer. (Only the second person to guess at all, I'm afraid, so don't
let it go to your head -- cause the contest was something of a bust.)
But Todd, consider yourself officially recognized as an insightful
Gargoyle fan.

2. You know, I hadn't thought of that. But you may be right.
I've played Edmund on stage, and I've studied and internalized the
character A LOT. The more I think about it, the more Edmundish, Thailog
grows. Man, Todd, you ARE insightful. Good work, mister.

3. Monique Beatty was a Script Coordinator on Gargoyles and
also my personal assistant. She did a lot of the research for me and the story
editors on the show. (Monique is currently the Associate Producer of
the DreamWorks' series Toonsylvania. She's gone on to have a very
successful career without me, but I can proudly say I gave her her first
job in animation.)

Tuppence Macintyre is a good friend. She's a Los Angeles Deputy
District Attorney. She also did a lot of research for us (gratis) on
the show. (For any of you who ever read my old CAPTAIN ATOM comic
books, the character of Tuppence MacRae, Plastique's defense attorney,
was based on Tuppence Macintyre.)

4. The background was screwed up. It was supposed to be the
Labyrinth, slightly cleaned up after the battle. It was cleaned up WAY
TOO MUCH, but the cage was still there, so it couldn't have been Elisa's
apartment. (And yeah, that always bugged me.)

5. To the extent that the first two you mentioned were
"inspired" by ideas that I had suggested in my notes to the new team but
wound up having absolutely NOTHING to do with what I suggested, you
could argue that MANY TGC episodes were inspired by my notes to the new
team, including the Proteus episode, the trial, the Illuminati, a Bronx
episode, a magical fantasy episode, etc. In a way, that made them even
more frustrating for me.

6. Tenth. And yes, someone taught him: Demona.

7. God, I don't remember. I used to know. Damn.

8. I think the Hunters through the centuries were remarkably
inconsistent about what exactly they believed the Gargoyles to be. Jon
Canmore/John Castaway in macrocosm.

9. I think a Cougar, Mountain Lion type.
(GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. You once stated that Hudson is Broadways biological father.

a)Are either of them aware of this fact?

b)Why wasn't it discussed in the show?

2. Did you plan for any more episodes with the golem, or was his
appearance a one episode thing?

3. Would you have told us any of Jackal and Hyena's past?

4. Would Claw ever have spoken?

5. I asked you before, but you said to ask again later so I am. What
was Demona's reaction to Shakespeares play Macbeth?

6. a)Since Coldstone is just animated stone, and Coldfire and
Coldsteel are robots, would they have a longer lifespan that the rest of the clan?

b)Would they still be around in 2158?

7. How long of his 40 year trek would Brooklyn spend in 2158, and how
long in medieval Ishimura?

8. Does Hudson still have his piece of statue from "The Price"?

Greg responds...

1a. I'd think that the thought MIGHT have crossed Hudson's
mind. But I doubt it stuck. He would view all three of the trio as his
sons. I also doubt that Broadway's ever given it any thought. He
already views Hudson as a father figure.

1b. Because, there's no reason for the gargoyles to discuss it.
In tenth century Scotland, Gargoyles weren't raised to make an issue of
biological parentage.

2. I had some thoughts.

3. Maybe, someday.

4. No.

5. She may have been pleased to see Macbeth villafied and
beheaded. I doubt she'd have been happy seeing Malcolm (Canmore) win
out in the end. Then again, she might not have had the patience to sit
through the whole thing.

6a. Yes.

6b. Not definitively.

7. I haven't run the numbers, but he would have spent a
substantial amount of time in both eras, particularly the 2158 era.

8. Good question. I'm sure he had it at least until the Clock
Tower blew up. Elisa went back to collect as many of the Gargoyles'
possessions as she could find. But I don't know if she found that, or
if it had been shattered to pieces.
(GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. Are Coldstone, Coldfire, Coldsteel, Jackal, and Hyena anatomically correct?

2. How would having Puck as a teacher effect Alex's outlook and use of magic?

3. What kind of an influence do you think Petros and Renard would have on Alex?

Greg responds...

1. In what respect?
2. How do you think?
3. Generally, positive. However, Renard is dying and Petros
lives in Maine, so I wouldn't assume that their influence is going to be
too heavy in the short term.
(GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi. Just one question fo now. Do you know if they will ever release
all the episodes to video. like maybe a box set?

Greg responds...

I doubt it. Not enough people bought the videos they did put
out for them to think it profitable.
(GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi again Greg. I was just reading the Ask Greg Latest Response and
guess what.. in response to someone's question of what would have happened
to the Phoenix Gate after TimeDancer, you said it would restarted its journey
from scratch as in a neverending loop. I don't know if I remembered this
correctly but wasn't the Gate created on Avalon? If it was created how
could it go in a loop from the very beginning? Time can't be changed...

Greg responds...

The Gate is "of Avalon." Its journey begins, ends and restarts
there. Time cannot be changed. (Ye, of little faith.)
(GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg, First let me say, Great show, wish there were more, Yadda
yadda yadda, and so on and so forth, etc, etc. You've heard it all before,
so I'm not gonna bother Gushing, I'm just gonna get down to business here

What happened to the pages of The Grimorum that Brooklyn tore out
after the Archmage Absorbed the Grimorum?

For that matter, what Happened to the pages? (aside from Elisa
circumventing the spell)

Greg responds...

I'm not sure I know what you're referring to. Brooklyn only
tore out one page in "Temptation". It had the one mind-control spell
on it. I think they probably destroyed that page, so that no one else
could get control of Goliath. Demona tore out a few pages, but by the
end of the second season, she had used them all. I'm sure she still has
them though.
(GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1) Exactly how wimpy is angela?

2) Did the charectors look any different in the comedy version of the show?

3) Where do you live? (just wondering)

4) Who plays lex? i'd like to complement him.

5) My sis has a huge 'crush' on Brooklyn (Shinga) she was wondering why he's so good-looking.

6) Do they have a garg-computer game?

7) Do you have a dog named Bronx? Or a cat named Cagney? (speaking of Cagney, where'd that name come from?)

Good-bye bye bye.... Bye bye bye All Mighty Gargoyle Creator!! BYE!!!

Greg responds...

1. Exactly how wimpy are you?

2. Yes. Although, I think you could see the progression.

3. Somewhere in the Greater Los Angeles area.

4. Thom Adcox Hernandez.

5. It must be the horns.

6. I think so.

7. I think Michael Reaves named Cagney after actor Jimmy
Cagney. And no, I don't have my own Bronx or Cagney. (GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

You said that the yeti would be seen in Gargoyles for sure. Is it an
animal elated to the gargoyles or a gargoyle.

Greg responds...

That story is actually written. It was written for Marvel's
Gargoyle comic book before it was cancelled. I'm not sure if I want to
give away the punchline right now. Sorry. (GDW / 4-24-98)

Response recorded on April 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg!
One question this time:

I recently purchased copies of the Gargoyles videos volumes three &
four I believe. I was wondering if any footage was cut out of the episodes
from these or any other Gargoyles tapes (besides Awakenings) or are these
legit episodes?

Greg responds...

I haven't watched them, but I doubt any cuts were made, because
that edit would have incurred an additional expense. Cheaper, and thus
more profitable, to leave them as is.(GDW / 4-23-98)

Response recorded on April 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Okay, for the past hour and a half (no kidding!) I have been just
reading and reading and reading...My head hurts now. I was trying to make sure
you already didn't answer this question recently and didn't find much
about it. Cause I know ya don't like repeating yourself, but here it goes.

1.) Do you have any new information on the live action Gargs movie?
I'm not asking for much, just anything new or significant.

2.) And what about that "magizine" you were taking a poll for? Are you
going to make it?

3.) And I read in that hour and a half about you writing a book that's
almost done, will it be published in the near future?
Thanks Greg and keep up the great work!

Greg responds...

1. Right now, my phone calls to Touchstone are not being
returned. So I have no new information.

2. The poll revealed a pretty low volume of interest. That's
not to say that the people who did respond weren't interested, but just
that there weren't that many people out there willing to buy the
magazine. Not enough to pay for it's production.

3. I have no publisher. So I guess the answer's no. (GDW / 4-23-98)

Response recorded on April 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello once more Mr. Weisman!
I have had some trite but ever so curious questions buzzing in my
scull for a while now! Ready? =D

1)Okay, let's just be blunt! Many have been beating around the bush
and circumventing this curious little question... Is Oberon Puck's
father????

2)Are all the Tricksters related (by blood)? They cirtainly have some
similar personality traits, particularly Puck and Coyote! =)

3)Why not put up a page giving some personal info on you to prevent
those ever so annoying repeat questions. You could list some of your fav
stuff on there! Fav Shakespeare play, fav garg character, ect... hmmm that was
more a suggestion. Oh well! =D

4)Wanna tell us who Brooklyn's mate is yet? PLEASE! (on hands and
knees here!)

5)What were you doing before _Gargoyles_?

6)Are you a Trekkie or X-philer? Ha Ha Ha! If you are both, which more
so? =)

Greg responds...

1. No. Oberon is Merlin's father.

Hey, did someone say in the comment room that I had said that
Merlin was fully human? I never said that.

Here's what we know to date:

Queen Mab is Oberon's mother.

Oberon is married to Titania.

But Oberon has a son, Merlin, by a human woman.

That makes Merlin a human-fae hybrid.

Titania has a daughter, Fox (or Janine), by the human Halcyon Renard.

That makes Fox a hybrid too, but she was raised as a human.

Fox is married to David Xanatos (the son of Petros Xanatos).

They have a son Alexander Fox Xanatos, who is one-quarter Fae.

Puck/Owen, as far as we know, isn't related to anyone that we've
met to date.

2. No.

3. That page exists. It's called the ASK GREG ARCHIVES. I
realize it's a lot of material to slog through right now, but Gore has
long term plans to figure out a way to grant a greater ease of access to
it. Give him time.

4. See, now I know you haven't read the Archives. I gave that
away ages ago. Her name is Katana. She's a gargoyle that he meets
while TimeDancing in Feudal Japan.

5. I was Director of Series Development at Walt Disney
Television Animation.

6. I watch DS9, Voyager and X-Files. That's the extent of my
fan participation in those shows. (GDW / 4-23-98)

Response recorded on April 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Mr. Weisman,
I'll skip the standard "I love the series/It's the best thing ever/you
are God" introduction, because, although I certainly feel that way, I'm
sure you get hundreds of these things that have probably said it better than I
can. Anyway, on to the questions. I've got A LOT of them, so instead of
driving you up the wall by sending them at once, I'll be splitting them up
into smaller groups.

1) I've just spent about three days reading everything in the archive,
questions asked, and your latest responses, and a lot of the questions
seem to be on the topic of Demona's childbearing abilities. Stay with me
here, I think this is a new one. If gargoyles are only able to lay one egg
every 20 years (and you've already said that Demona could conceive in either
form), what are the specifics of this? I mean, could she lay an egg and then
get pregnant as a human in less than 20 years? Feel free not to answer
this if you think you've covered it enough before.

2) A question about the Pack: After "Upgrade," how did they get out of
prison? All of the ones arrested showed up in the world tour. Did
Xanatos bail them out of prison in return for their services (Jackal, Hyena, &
Wolf in Egypt and Dingo in Australia)?

3) About Mr. X's exoframes: I've noticed that his light exoframe ("Eye
of the Beholder"/"Double Jeopardy") bears a resemblance to the Steel
Clan-esque crimson one, especially in the hands and rocket pack area. Was this
just a result of similar art concepts, or is the big suit "assembled" onto
the light one (i.e. clip-on armor)?

Thanks in advance for answering these. There will definitely be more.
:-)

Greg responds...

1. I don't know the answer to that for sure. I don't ever know
'til I set a story in stone, so to speak. But frankly, it's a moot
hypothetical. Demona doesn't give herself lightly. And I think she's
smart enough, even as a human, to use birth control, if for some reason
she decides to have sex.

2. He must have busted them out of prison. Again.

3. Both. (GDW / 4-23-98)

Response recorded on April 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg wiseman
first off thank you for Gargoyles the cartoon and I wish it was back
on the air! Cause it got me more wanting to learn more about Gargoyles their
heritage,customs, and pluse some side stuff. I was wondering if you
know of any books or refrences that you used when building the Gargoyle
universe and their backgrounds of these creatures. like any books you can refer me
too would be awfully apperciated and thanked!

Greg responds...

No. Sorry. I made it all up. (GDW / 4-23-98)

Response recorded on April 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I have only one question and that is: Why is Hudson the only Gargoyle
with a Scottish accent? All the rest were born and raised there, the people
around them had scottish accents, yet that failed to do so, why is that?

Greg responds...

I've answered this before. Part of this depends on what kind of
answer you want. A behind-the-scenes answer or a within-the-world-of
-the-show answer.

For the latter, Hudson is the guy who spent the most time around
humans in the tenth century. He thus picked up their accent. The
others had a more neutral accent. (If you listen carefully, even the
trio maintain a more classic neutral accent until "Awakening, Part
Three"). That neutral accent was easily influenced by twentieth century
contacts and culture.

If you're looking for that behind-the-scenes answer, then know
that Hudson's accent carries symbolic weight. A reminder of where our
gang came from while allowing the younger characters to represent where
they are now. With Goliath's classic, dignified speech patterns and
neutral accent representing the middle, transitional ground. It's all
done to create another layer of tension, another layer of depth to the
characters.

In any case, this was not an oversight. We made a conscious
decision (for right or wrong) to take it this way. (GDW / 4-23-98)

Response recorded on April 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1) Why do Xanatos' Steel Clan blow up everytime they get destroyed? Is
it a backup of his, or just a design flaw? o.O

2) In TGC, Brooklyn's reaction to Broadway and Angela's relationship
was to run away... but what were your plans? How were you going to have him react?

3) Where was Elisa's new police station going to be located? Anywhere
special?

4) Since Matt became head of the Gargoyle Task Force, was he going to
still have time to be Elisa's partner?

6) (I'm gonna leave out 5, just so I feel like I fit in. o.O ) Would
you tell us what names you had planned for your new Pack characters? (All
the wild dog names appear to be used up. o.O)

7) Would they have torn down or rebuilt the clocktower?

8) When Xanatos turns the dial on his suit... is that steam that's
dispersed, or is the suit locked air-tight?

9) I did the math for Samson, Artus and Gwenyvere... how were you
going to keep intrest with younger viewers in the proprosed spinoff when half
the 2158 Manhattan Clan sounds like they'd need artificial respiration to
fight crime? o.O

10) This isn't a question, but you should try submitting a question to
Gore's "The Box." (His topic discussion forum.) I'm sure you could
think up something interesting that's relative to the show.

5) (I felt bad about excluding it.) Are there any other shows on tv
that you'd like to write for, and why?

11) Are you going to guest write for any more shows, like you did for
MIB? (Good ep., BTW. The part where K's skeleton pops up and says, "I'm all
right!" was hilarious. :P)

12) How did you get started with writing?

13) What certain qualities do you think make a good writer? (Not an
average one, someone who could write something great - well, like Gargoyles.
No sucking up there, it's just a fact; Gargoyles is co-leader for being
the highest quality North American cartoon there is - Spawn being the
other co-leader.)

Greg responds...

1. Maybe a bit of both.

2. TimeDancer.

3. Right where it always was. They were already rebuilding it
during the Journey.

4. Yeah. The task force wasn't going to be a full time job at
first.

5. What is the significance of o.0? If there's an icon in
that, I don't see it. :)

(Note from Gorebash: o.O O.O O.o are all faces. the o's are eyes and the .'s are noses. BUGEYES)

6. Nope.

7. Rebuilt it, but not necessarily to look exactly the same.

8. I thought it was steam.

9. You must be very young. At any rate, Samson's older
siblings would not have been regulars. He would have been the lead. An
elder statesman thrust into a crisis. Think of a slightly more
Goliath-like Hudson figure. But he wouldn't have been the only regular
character, and he would have been the oldest biologically, so I wasn't
too worried about AGISTS (like you :)) rejecting the show.

10. It's not really my forum. This is.

5. Oh, I think it would be fun to write for Buffy. It'd be
amazing to write for Homicide, although I don't know if I'm up to it. I
think I could do some interesting work on Highlander or either Star Trek
series. There are probably others.

11. That skeleton bit was actually written by story editor
Duane Capizzi. My version was slightly different. I've written a
Disney Hercules, a second MiB and am currently writing my third MiB.

12. In second grade, we had spelling words that we had to put
into a sentence. I ran all the sentences together to make a story. It
was fun. I got praised for it. So I kept at it. I started my first
unfinished novel in the sixth grade. Etc.

13. Read a lot. Write a lot. Read some more. Don't base your
work on other people's recent work. Don't base it on recent of
semi-recent pop culture. Look at the classics. Classics of literature,
of drama. Classic pop culture is o.k. too, but don't assume that
ANYTHING qualifies as an instant classic no matter how much you like it.
Write. Write. Read. Read. Proofread. Read aloud. Read your own
writing aloud. Never stop learning new things. Read. Write. Read
some more. (Get the idea?)

By the way, isn't it "la cabeza"? (GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg! This question was asked before but you sort of copped out
on it so here it is again but rephrased...

1. If you had a globe of the world (the types found in classrooms),
could you place Avalon on it?

2. If yes, where would it be more or less (i.e., in the Indian Ocean,
in the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire)? Thanks!

Greg responds...

1. Not in any traditional sense.

2. See above. (GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman. First of a big thanks for the fabulouse
show, a long story arc is a rare thing about most cartoons.
Now to the questions:

1.) In the Gathering it did strike me as odd, that Oberon
attacked the forceshield of Owens with brute force alone
for most of the episode, instead of blasting the unshielded
emitters, or diving through under it from the beginning
on. Since Titania seemed to have set this whole kidnapping
stuff up to get her Daughter to use magic, did Oberon
really attack in ernest, or did he see through this plot
and was just giving a performance?

2.) You mentioned earliere, that you planned to include almost
every myth around in the show. Was it just a coincidence
that Oberon after being hit by Petros with the iron harpoon
changed into something that could have easily passed as
count Draculas nephew?

3.) After the hit from the Harpoon, Oberon looked way old.
Is the more or less immortality of Oberons children
biological or just maintained by magic like shapeshifting ?

4.) About the gliding, You stated that the Gargoyls do store
up solar energy, as well as eating. How far are those
two processes interchangeable,

a) can a Gargoyl survive with solar energy onley, if he
uses very little of his strength, eg. doesnÝt fly, and

b) can he run with food alone, if he eats a real lot?

Greg responds...

1. I think Oberon's attack was in earnest. SO MUCH earnest
that he didn't think of the best method of attack until later.

2. The Dracula-nephew thing is your interpretation, but the
transformation wasn't a mistake. Nevertheless, we'd have hit Drac
eventually.

3. Hard to say. Check the Archives for a more complete answer.

4. I think both processes are essential. Breathing too. (GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

AWFUL MEMORY, AWFUL!!!
Well, here's a couple and I'M GONE!! Honestly.

1. Who takes care of the humor on the show? (heehee)

2. (this is a joke question) If Broadway got a job, what would it be?
(Besides sumo wrestling) {smile}

3. If Lex went on a chat room what name do you think he'd use? (Joke,
question, a joke...) {rolls eyes and smiles}

4. Are gargs born with hair?

5. Oh! Oh! Oh! I NEED an answer! Okay. On "The Mirror" when the humans
turned back to humans, did they remember their experiance?

6. I just noticed this, if Demona destroyed all the humans, she'd kill
herself cause' in the process she'd kill Macbeth. If the show comes
back, will she, like, figure that out?

Greg responds...

1. Takes care of it? What does that mean?

2. Teacher, maybe?

3. Lex.

4. Some are.

5. Yes, but not any of the transformations. They were always
completely unaware of those.

6. It depends on her method of destruction of course.

Hi for Shinga. (How's that?) (GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Mr. Greg!

1) I was wondering if that Horse with Wings in The Gathering PART1, was named Pegasus?

2) If the Weird Sisters have any connection with the Moon or Sun?

3) If you were planning to introduce Atlantis in one of the World Tour episodes?

4) Are all the Weird Sisters doomed to spend their lives eternally
single if Oberon's Children are allowed to seek other members of Oberon's
Children?

5) Have you got a favorite anime series you like to watch? Thank
You!!!!!

Greg responds...

1. Possibly. I'd have to see him again.

2. The moon, yes.

3. Not in the World Tour per se, but eventually, yes.

4. I'm not sure I understand the question.

5. Anime, specifically? No. I don't think I've seen much
current anime. I used to like Lupin. Does Speed Racer count? (GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Greg,
As you may or may not know, Gargoyles reruns are now showing on USA
cable network. However, USA has a really idiotic intro that they show
before and after each commercial break. In order to make time for it, they have
taken the liberty to cut out parts of the episodes that they consider to be
unimportant. I will admit the parts that are cut out are usually not
essential (I stress the word USUALLY), but it makes the episodes look
choppy. Can they do that? From a legal standpoint, I mean. Does USA have the
right to edit your work?

Greg responds...

I assume they do, or they wouldn't. Keep in mind, it's not
legally "my work". Gargoyles was written and produced as "Work for
Hire" and the official, legal author of the program is the Walt Disney
Company. So USA can do anything within the limits of their deal with
Disney. Having said that, you of course must know that editing reruns
for extra commercials (and etc.) isn't exactly new. Absolute TV
classics like THE HONEYMOONERS, I LOVE LUCY, THE SIMPSONS and HILL
STREET BLUES among others (many, many others) have all been edited in
this way. So at least I'm in good company.

I don't get USA, so I haven't seen their cuts, but I already
know they'd annoy me. Sometimes that's just a fact of life in this
business. Oh, well.
(GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman! More questions. Yippee.

1. How did Princess Elena's father get a hold of the Phoenix Gate and
why did he want to give it away as a wedding present?

2. How did Excalibur and the stone dragon get to Brooklyn?

3. Why are Lexington's eyes so big?

4. So how did Wyvern Hill get its name?

5. Have you decided who the little man on the skiff is?

6. Is Cuchullain human of one of Oberon's Children?

7. What did Titania do to get all the Children banished?

8. Would you like to continue "Once upon a time there were three
brothers..."? Feel free!

9. Have you ever considered sainthood for yourself? Boy, do you
deserve it. :)

Greg responds...

1. How he got it is a story for another day. He gave it as an
heirloom, unaware of it's magical time-travel potential. It was part of
Elena's dowery.

2. Uh, they flew there...?

3. The better to see you with, my dear.

4. The short answer is fairly self-explanatory. The long
answer isn't appropriate for this format.

5. You mean the carving? Nope. Not yet.

6. Human.

7. She added the straw that broke the camel's back.

8. Ah, I'd love to, but I don't have time right now. But leave
me another reminder and I'll try to set some time aside.

9. Uh. No. But I appreciate the sentiment. (Misplaced though
it may be.) (GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hiya! Here's my q's!!

1. Excactly how 'big' is broadway!?

2. when did this whole gargoyle thing start??

3. when did demona come along?

4. why wasn't patrick stewert ever on the show!? (i'm just kidding)

5. you know that guy who plays lex? is he on any other shows or
movies?

6. is there a live action garg-movie coming out!?

7. how come owen and that dude (?) look alike?

8. would you consider brooklyn a smart allic?(duh)

9. does lex play sega!?

10. does he have nintindo 64!?

11. here's a question i'm just puttin' in for the heck of it. why is
lex so dang cool? (my sister 'likes' him:) okay, that's all for now, greg-person!

Greg responds...

1. How big does he look?

2. 1991.

3. Early on.

4. I've answered this before. Check the archives.

5. Yep. Check out Under Siege II, for example.

6. Maybe.

7. What dude?

8. Sometimes.

9. I dunno.

10. I dunno.

11. Hatched that way, I guess. (GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

OH NO!!! I'm back!! BWA HA HA HA!!! EVERY BODY BEWARE!!! Okay, now, I
can shut-up. Here's some more!! (well, duh)heehee

1. I heard that a gargoyle looks only half his age right? Right. Well,
in one episode, Xanatos mentioned Hudson was 1100 years old. I know 1000
of those years were spend in stone so he was 100 when the spell was cast.
Well, he didn't look any younger than 100! Can you explain this for me
pwease? {smile}

2. You know the spell the magus cast? How excactly do you spell that
out?

3. Do gargoyles have the same tolerances as us to heat and cold?

4. Do you know who's gonna play in the live action movie or what?

5. Can gargoyles learn things quicker than humans? Cause' Lex learned
a lot! Fast!!

6. If a gargoyle spends a lifetime without anyone trying to kill
him\her, or anything like so, could he\she live forever? The thought occoured
cause' on "The Gathering" he (Oberon) told mortals to sleep, and the gargoyles
weren't asleep. IT'S CONFUSING, I KNOW!!

7. They're were episodes, you made up that didn't air, right? Well, if
so, what were they about?

8. Here's a dumbell question! How long is Demona's hair??

9. You know the eye-glowing thing? Well, is the red-glow strictly
female or can a male's eyes glow red?

10. About how many gargoyles did you make up?

11. Did you ever make up silly episodes, knowing from the begining
they would never air, but for the heck of it, made it up anyway? Speaking
of silly.... (What a question!)

Well, I guess I'll.... think up more later and surf the net while I
can. {Smile} Seeya later, Greg the Almighty!!

Greg responds...

1. In 1995, at the time of "The Price", Hudson was 1117 years
old. Subtract 1000 for the long nap, and you've got 117. Divide that
in half, since he ages at half speed and you have a guy who's about 59
years old, which seems about right to me.

2. Which one?

3. I'd guess it would depend on where they were brought up.
Our Manhattan gargs (being from Scottish stock) do all right in the
cold. They can handle heat, but dislike it more. I'd guess the
Guatemalan Gargoyles might feel differently.

4. No.

5. Some can. Some can't. Same with humans.

6. The Gargoyles didn't sleep because Oberon had sworn that his
magic would no longer have a direct effect on Goliath's clan. They are
not immortal.

7. It depends what you mean. We didn't write any episodes that
didn't air. I have a bunch of ideas for episodes that didn't air, but
I'm not going to list them all here.

8. Just below shoulder-length.

9. Red is for females. White is for males. Though forced-aged
clones don't conform to that rule.

10. You want me to count for you? Shinga, it feels a bit like
you're struggling to think of questions to ask. Anyway, we know quite a
few from the Scottish/Manhattan, Avalon, London, Ishimura and Guatemalan
clans. I don't know if you want me to count actual characters we've
explored, or literally every gargoyle that appeared on screen or every
gargoyle that's ever crossed my mind. So I'll leave the first two tasks
to you. And the third I'll keep a secret, even from myself.

11. We had a lot of silly notions. But silliness doesn't
preclude an idea's inclusion, witness "Vendettas" among others. (GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. just wonderin'. who came up with the gargoyles show in the first
place?

2. this one is nagging. (to me) would a garg like broadway need more
wind then lex to glide or what? (dumb question i know)

3. fox is half fae right? then does she have all the fae abilities or
just half or a little or... you caught on right?

4. are all the trio the same age or are they diff ages? and answer how
old they are. please.

5. one more i need to get off. exactly how tall can a garg get? and
how small? i mean lex is about 5ft and goliath is 7ft. ya' know. so how
tall can they get? that's it i'll probably think of more. (AHH!) {smile}

Greg responds...

1. Me, mostly. But I had a lot of help. I've answered this in
more detail in the past. Check the Archives.

2. I suppose, but he also has a larger wingspan, so he'd get
more lift from the wind that was there.

3. She's half-fae, but her abilities were never nurtured and
thus became stunted. She has almost no magical ability, and less
control. Her toddler son is a more proficient practitioner than she is.

4. They're all the same age, give or take a day or so. As of
December, 1997, they are all chronologically 1039 years old. But given
their 1000 year sleep and the fact that they age at half the speed of a
human, they are all about 20 years old biologically.

5. Goliath is tall as Gargoyles go, but not a giant. Lex is
small, but not a midget. There's a fairly large range. (GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

A couple of final questions that I forgot to ask in my last postings
(I've got to write all of these things down BEFORE I start submitting
them:):

1. In "The Hound of Ulster", Rory Dugan turned out to be a
reincarnated Cuchulain. Just out of curiosity, how common a phenomenon do you see
reincarnation as being in the Gargoyles universe? Was Rory's case
unique, or are there others out there?

2. You stated once that you had plans to bring the Holy Grail into the
series. Had you worked out any plans to keep its presence from being
too controversial (given the fact that the Grail is traditionally
Christian, so that including it would be a lot trickier than including, say, Odin's
lost eye)? (I won't ask about the details of the plans themselves, just if
you had ever made such plans).

3. Was Diane Maza's story about the panther queen in "Mark of the
Panther" a genuine Nigerian legend, or something that the production team had
dreamed up?

4. If the series had continued, would the Loch Ness Monster ever have
resurfaced?

5. A few times in the series, characters mentioned vampires and
Dracula (such as Demona's thugs in "The Mirror" asking, "Who lives here,
Dracula's daughter?" or Princess Katharine mentioning that silver was a defense
against vampires, the same as iron against faerie-folk). Were these
foreshadowings of something that you had planned for the series, a la
Elisa's mention of Loch Ness in "The Edge"?

Greg responds...

1. I'm sure there are others, but I don't see it as that common
-- or at any rate that useful -- a phenomena. Nokkar proves it's a big
universe, so if a soul could be reincarnated as anything, anywhere, then
the practicallity of reincarnation as having any true meaning to the
majority of our cast is slight. Having said that, Rory proves that
certain figures of legend have souls that remain tied to a bloodline or
location or both.

2. I had some plans, but I wasn't sweating them too much. The
Grail's role as part of JESUS "mythology" has been largely overshadowed
by it's role as an integral part of Arthurian Legend. Which makes it
fair game I believe.

3. Mostly, I made it up. (Lydia wrote the words.) I did base
the tenor of the myth and the personality of Anansi on other stories and
research that we had done, but the tale itself is original.

4. Maybe.

5. Yep.
(GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Greg, Do you think that you'll ever be able to make more "Gargoyles"
cartoons? I know that you have many more ideas that you would like use. Would you
start another show that is similar if "Gargoyles" couldn't be brought back
for some reason? Thanks,

Greg responds...

Well, I hope so. Though I must admit it's a long shot. As to
"starting" another show, I've been trying to do that for over two years.
If I can, I will. (My livelihood depends on it.)
(GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello! Hope all is going well with you. Here's a couple questions:

1) After the scene in Awakening pt 5 where Demona tells off Goliath about the
humans and he realizes she is not the angel he once knew and tells her so and
goes to see Elisa, any speculation on what the other gargoyles, whom heard
the entire thing, thought about it, or spoke to Demona about it? [Hoping
for a cut scene here *laughs* ]

2) In the Eye of the Beholder, as Xanatos and Elisa confront Fox in
her were form, her eyes shift back to normal and she sees Elisa as her former
self, and then attacks her. Is this because the Eye is trying to completely
subvert her so it makes her want to attack her former self, some sort
of subconcious killing of her last vestige of humanity? I realize I'm
probably reading WAY to much into this, but just wondering if you had an
opinion. Thanks!

Greg responds...

1. No cut scene, of course. But I'd guess the response would
be similar to kids listening to their parents fight. They've met Elisa
and know that she's all right. But Demona is one of them. It's awkward
and not a little upsetting.

2. That's exactly it. Though I'd credit the Eye less and her
own subconscious more. There's a bit of self-loathing going on here. A
further insight into her true character.
(GDW / 4-21-98)

Response recorded on April 21, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hiya Greg!
I just have one question for you.

1)Who was your favorite chachter on the show?
Just wanted to know, but if you wish to keep it
a secret thats ok.

Greg responds...

Sigh. Check the Archives for a full response.
(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

****With a the sound of a thunderclap, Blaise appears.**** Greetings
again, Mr. Weisman. You probably don't remember my last set of questions, so I won't bug
you with any references to them. Frankly, I'm suprised at how many of our
questions you do remember. I mean, I just read over the "Questions
Submitted" section, and I was rather suprised at the amount of repeat
questions there. So I guess that would make my first question:

1) How can you stand it all?! I mean, you seem to have a great deal
of patience with all these repeats. As for the other question I have:

2) One recent feeling among the commenters is that the Broadway/Angela
relationship (though good) seemed rushed. What are your feelings on
this? Do you agree, disagree?

I thank you for your time Mr. Weisman. Have a nice day! ****Blaise
disappears in a flash of green light.****

Greg responds...

1. I'll admit, it get's a bit annoying at times. But I realize
that the Archive is currently rather large and not too wieldy. So I
have some sympathy for people who don't quite have the patience to read
the whole thing before posting. And I'd like them to maintain
excitement about the site. So I struggle for patience.
2. I disagree, of course. Not much has happened through THE
JOURNEY. They met in GATHERING ONE, were attracted to each other. Had
a real moment in POSSESSIONS, and kissed in THE JOURNEY. All of which
happenned over the course of months. Taking months to get from meeting
to first kiss doesn't seem rushed to me. I certainly moved a bit faster
when I met my wife.
(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg.
One question has been buzzing inside my head for the past few days so
I decided to finally ask you it.
I know that some people have asked you questions concerning any
possible religion that the Gargoyles may have. My question is slightly
different but runs along the same lines.

1.When a Gargoyle dies do the other's hold some kind of funeral
ceremony?

2.What are a Gargoyles beliefs concerning death, do they belive in an
afterlife as such?

Greg responds...

1. There is a Wind Ceremony. Not a funeral per se, but a
farewell to Stone and Flesh.
2. Sort of. They believe that death and life is all part of a
whole. One passes through stages, but nothing ever dies.
(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

A few more questions.

1. How much of Demona's video in "City of Stone" would you have had to
watch and listen to in order to be affected by it? Would just a casual
glance be enough to petrify you, or would you have to look at an entire loop?

2. Can members of the Third Race be killed permanently? Both the
Banshee and Anansi were apparently permanently killed in the Avalon World
Tour, yet appeared at the Gathering alive again, which prompts me to wonder
this.

3. Bearing on the previous question, if the Weird Sisters were somehow
permanently destroyed (which, I will be the first to admit, is a very
big IF), would Demona and Macbeth still be magically bonded to each other?

4. One of the things that I've most enjoyed about "ASK GREG" is your
periodical mini-essays on gargoyle biology, culture, world-view, etc.
I rather like the fact that you actually extended the work of
"sub-creation" on them to such a level, fleshing them out into a unique "fantasy
species". If you were to ever get your "Gargoyles Encyclopedia" published (and I
truly hope that you do), would there be more information of this sort about
them in there (as long as it didn't give away your ideas for what happened
to Goliath and Co. after "The Journey")?

5. Thailog's alias in "Sanctuary" is Alexander Thailog - he thus bears
the same first name as Xanatos's son, and Thailog sees Xanatos as one of
his fathers in "Double Jeopardy". In other words, both Xanatos's literal
son and his figurative son have the same first name. Was this deliberate
on the production team's part, or just a weird coincidence? (If the latter,
I think that it's positively spooky).

6. Speaking of Alexander, was there any particular reason why the
production team chose this name for Xanatos's son, any significance similar to
making Xanatos's first name David (in reference to his struggle with
Goliath), say? (I have two ideas of my own as to why "Alexander" would be an
appropriate name for the kid, but because of the guidelines, I won't tell them
here).

Greg responds...

1. Seen the whole loop at least once through.

2. Yes. But not easily.

3. I guess it would depend on how they were destroyed.

4. Yeah, some. Though a lot of it I've already given out here.
And frankly, the purpose of this particular encyclopedia is as a
reference for the 66 episodes that aired. Not as a treatise on theories
that never played out on screen.

5. It was very deliberate. How could I not have noticed?

6. For both David (and Fox) and for Thailog, it was an
Alexander the Great reference. David wanted his son to be "Emperor of
all he surveyed." Thailog wanted that for himself.
(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. In Hunters Moon, did Sevarius know that Dominique was Demona?

2. How did you conceive of the name Dominique Destine? I can only
guess
that it's a play on her conviction that she is fated to rule.

3. Who are Demona's future great loves? I'm assuming from your
previous
answers that you were refering to mates. Naturally she'd also care
for Angela and any of her descendants.

4. This is more of a comment than anything. Still, I'd love to hear
your opinion. After all that Demona has been through and the grief(that's
certainly putting it mildly) that she has brought upon herself and
others, I'm surprised that Demona isn't overtly suicidal. Hate is a good
motivator, but is it really enough for her to want to carry on. After so many
failures its a wonder she still gets out of bed in the morning, much less
continuing to plot new schemes. Ending it all would seem like a deceptively
simple solution and Demona's track record suggests a rush to judgement
without considering the consequences. I guess it all boils down to how
hopeless her view of her existance is. Considering all that has happened to
her just in the past three years, I've got to think that it is a daily struggle
for her to justify her continuing on. Especially now that her 500 year
brainchild was foiled. Even without considering all of Demona's
other reasons for felling miserable, there is the inevitable problem coping
with a neverending existance while watching those you love gow old and die.
Gargoyles grow old and die. That is the natural way of things. Why
should she be any different? At the very least, Demona might derive some
satisfaction, however fleeting, from acting on those murderous
feelings she has towards MacBeth. Oh well, I'm probably just being overly
pesimistic, but it sees to me that Demona would be near the end of her rope by
now.

Greg responds...

1. I'd guess so.

2. I wanted a D name for starters. Some human equivalent to
Demona. Something that evoked the same emotions in the audience.
Something that sounded vaguely French, since the first time we used it
was in SANCTUARY, and she was posing as a French native. Something that
sounded like something Demona would pick for herself. Eventually we
wound up with Dominique Destine. It worked for me.

3. Right.

4. Maybe. But Demona possesses one "gift" that renders a
considered suicide next to impossible. A stellar sense of
self-deception. Nothing's ever her fault. Nothing's ever going to stop
her. No one matters to her THAT much. (It's not true, but she believes
it.) And to be honest, Angela's existence would also preclude suicide.
Angela, in Demona's opinion, needs her too much.
(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Short and simple. What did Titania whisper to Fox in "The Gathering:
Part Two

Greg responds...

I'm not telling.
(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

OK, it's weird thought-association time, and although this is,
strictly speaking, a yes-or-no question, any elaboration would be appreciated:
Was the BAD GUYS series concept in any way inspired by DC Comics' "Suicide
Squad"?

Greg responds...

I'd guess they both shared a common inspiration: THE DIRTY
DOZEN.
(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi. Just wondering if you were thinking about introducing more Members
of the Third Race? Also, was who was Avalon created by? Did Avalon exist
from the start of time? Thanx.

Greg responds...

1. Eventually, yes.

2. Avalon is connected to the Earth. It's creation came about
in much the same way as the rest of the planet's creation -- if you
substitute magic for land.
(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg!
Im sorry for not numbering my q's last time, but this round should be
better =)

1. Did Katherine EVER love the Magus like he loved her? In Scotland
and in their beginning years on Avalon it looked like she did, but
appearently he never told her how he felt?

2. Im terribly sorry for asking you to basically write a novel for me
in .txt format =P that was quite inconsiderate of me.

3. This one has plagued me for a while...and since you have never
given even so much as a hint to it I hope you are in the mood to answer it...What
was The Magus' real name?

3. A Gargoyles RPG would rule...have you ever talked to anybody at
TSR, now owned by Wizards of the Coast, about making one? Or does Disney still
have ALL rights held with an iron fist?

4. Why did Magus have white hair? He was only in his early twenties i
believe?

5. Magus ruled. You Rule. Any connection?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions....and should you
ever decide to make up some cool history thing on The Magus and crew..i would
certianly buy a copy =)

Greg responds...

1. No. Not the way he loved her. I think as a child, she
might have had a crush on him. I think that she grew to respect and
admire him. And I think they shared a guilt that bonded them. But he
LOVED her. Worshipped her. Was in love with her. And I don't think
she ever felt that way. The fact that he refrained from speaking to his
feelings may have been the only thing that made that triangle tolerable.
Which is horrible, I'll admit. But true.

2. 'Sallright.

3. I don't know yet.

3. (Another 3). Disney has all rights of course, though I'm
sure they wouldn't be adverse to making money on their rights. If
TSR/Wizards or whoever were interested, I'm sure Disney would be too.
And no, I've never contacted them.

4. Late twenties. Twenty-eight when we first met him. Some
people go gray prematurely. It may also be related to the toll of
casting magic spells.

5. Uh, well, yeah. (GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Greetings, Greg!

1. How did Demona come to be the Archmage's apprentice in the first
place? Did she approach him with a desire to learn, did he go to her, or
what? And does Demona have a special magical ability that most other gargoyles
don't, or could anyone be taught to perform magic?

2. Would Elisa become a famous figure as the Manhattan clan is exposed
to the world, known in history as "the woman who introduced the world to
gargoyles" or some such thing? I have trouble seeing how her
attachment to the clan could escape public attention . . . or her attachment to
Goliath in particular. I know you had almost nothing to with _Chronicles_, but at
the end of "Angels in the Night" Elisa is standing with the clan, right
next to Goliath, in front of a cheering crowd, and I think people are taking
pictures and everything.

3a. With the movie in the stages it's in now, is it reasonable to say
that the chances are great that the entire project could be scrapped
between now and the time it would get into a more certain stage (ie script
written, director found and actors cast, etc.)?

3b.If the movie is made, will Disney pound it into the ground as much
as they do with their animated films, like _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_
and _Hercules_ (with all the Burger King toys and movie trailers running
25 hours a day), or will it be less forcibly advertized?

4. How old would Katana and the children be when they returned with
Brooklyn from Timedancing?

5. Lastly, some comments. First I wanted to say that I loved the MiB
episode you wrote, "The Big Sleep Syndrome." It was one of my favorites, and
not just because you wrote it. I liked the scene where they were icing the
monsters. Will you continue to write episodes for the series? (Huh, I
guess it turned into a question after all.)

6. My next comment is on the Archmage's Time Loop. I lurked for a bit
during the Comment Room discussion, and read with amusement your repeated
attempts to explain the paradox, but it never seemed complicated or confusing
to me. Same with the MIA loop. (I always wondered why Elisa was having
trouble following when she asked Goliath to explain the whole thing to her
again at the end.) I've never had much difficulty in rationalizing time
paradoxes, and I tremendously enjoyed the few you wove into Gargoyles. Too bad
that they, shall we say, threw so many viewers for a loop. *grins at her
bad pun* Well, thank you for all your time. Until next time, farewell.

Greg responds...

1. Different people have different apptitudes, but I don't
think her ability to perform magic is itself a magical ability. It's
about talent, study, etc. Like any discipline. As to who approached
whom, I'd guess Demona would have had to have approached him.

2. I had NOTHING (not almost nothing) to do with Angels in the
Night. As far as I'm concerned, Elisa's secret would have stayed a
secret for the forseeable future.

3a. It's certainly possible.

3b. I would hope for the POUNDING. It would increase
awareness, and my opportunity to do another pass at the show.

4. Oh, I have that written down somewhere. Ask me again, some
other time.

5. I've written an episode for season two: "The Big Bad Bug
Syndrome," and I'm currently working on another one for season two:
"The Star System Syndrome". That'll be it for this year. Oh, and I
wrote a Hercules for Disney entitled: "Hercules and the Grim Avenger".
Just out of curiosity, since MiB doesn't use their titles on air, how do
you know which episode went with which title? "The Big Sleep Syndrome"
was the Dream episode, by the way. The one with the Vermax.

6. I don't have much problem with it either, most of the time.
Occasionally, I get bogged down. Usually when I overthink. Elisa's
reaction, however, was an honest tip-of-the-hat to all those people out
there (and there were many within Disney at the time even) who don't
find all this quite as facile as we do. If enough bright people have
trouble with something, then that suggests to me that people are
hardwired differently and that the subject may be legitimately difficult
for some intelligent people to grasp. It's easy to diagram visually on
paper, but it's hard to express in words. SO Elisa's reaction is just
playing fair. (GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello, Greg!
I'll make this as brief as possible;
you have got to be very busy with all
the questions asked here!

1) Does Thailog want the clones back?

2) Does he know where they are?

3) Is he interested in recovering Delila?

4) I heard a rumor that Thailog would have been
the "main" villan in the 3rd (or 4th?) season; was this
true?

5) What were your plans for him as a villan? (i.e. would
he remain "evil" all his life, or do an about-face alla Xanatos??)

6) Who came up with the idea of an evil clone??

7) If Elisa hadn't been with Goliath in "Double Jeopordy"
and stopped him from attacking Thailog, would Goliath have killed him?

8) Was Goliath's comment about Thailog being an
abomination (sp?) the deciding factor for Thailog not
to "care" about his Father?

9) Does Goliath still (after "The Reckoning") consider
Thailog his responsibiliy?

10) How does Goliath feel about Thailog? (i.e. Sad, hates his guts?)

11) Thailog had to have known that Demona would eventually
turn against him (after he'd betrayed her); but he can't kill her. In
"The
Reckoning" how did he plan on dealing with that?

12) As a villian, Thailog seems to have far less luck then Xanatos,
yet he was trained by him, and has the same "smarts". Why does Thailog's
every plan collapse on him??

13) I know that the "clone virus" was a creation of the
third season, and that if you were able to continue the
series you would have to work around Thailog's "death".
My question is, how would you bring him back?

13.1) Would you bring him back?

13.2) What did you think of Thailog's "death scene"?

Greg responds...

1. Probably.

2. I guess it depends whether or not you're counting the events
of the Goliath Chronicles.

3. Generally, yes.

4. Certainly one of the main villains, yes.

5. "All his life" might have been a long time. But I had a lot
of fun with his "evil" nature, wasn't in any hurry to change him. And
I don't see that he'd have any motivation to change.

6. Me. Although it's not exactly the most stunningly original
idea I've ever come up with.

7. Killed him? Probably not. Goliath has to get pretty damn
mad to kill. Madder than he was in that episode.

8. It sure didn't help.

9. Yes. Up to a point.

10. Frustrated. Sad. Angry. Etc.

11. Imprisonment, maybe. He might have been hopeful he'd
eventually get her to see reason.

12. Xanatos didn't fair much better. Thailog came out of
Double Jeopardy all right. Better than all right. He didn't get
Macbeth's wealth in Sanctuary, but he still had access to Demona's, and
he had Nightstone. Reckoning was a bit of a mess for him, but who knows
what he would have done on his return. (I don't have any comment on the
TGC events.)

13. I'd definitely bring him back. I haven't thought about
how. I thought the death scene was pretty good. It's hard to top that
Keith-Keith chemistry. That's why I created Thailog in the first place. (GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. In his recruitment speech in "The Journey", Castaway used the word
"alone" a lot. Did you intend this as a deliberate echo of Demona (I
feel pretty certain that you'd intended Jon Castaway to be a human
counterpart to her)?

2. In your opinion, do the bulk of the Quarrymen realize that
Castaway's real plan for the gargoyles is genocide, or have they been deluded
into thinking that it's some sort of "neighborhood watch" organization?

3. If you ever got to relaunch the series again, which one element of
"The Goliath Chronicles" do you suppose would give you the most amount of
trouble in returning to your planned continuity?

4. Had Puck planned on making "Evil Lex" the villain of his "Future
Tense" nightmare from the start, or had he originally planned Xanatos as the
villain, and then changed his mind halfway through?

5. I noticed that, both in the episodes following "Future Tense", and
in your announced plans for the series' future, there were a number of
"Future Tense" echoes (the birth of Alexander, the destruction of the clock
tower, Brooklyn's TimeDancing adventures lasting for 40 years, the formation
of the Ultra-Pack). Were these echoes deliberate?

5. If Demona had released the contents of the plague vial, what would
have happened to Oberon's Children, the New Olympians, and Nokkar? Would
they have perished alongside the humans?

Greg responds...

1. Yep. Yep, yep.

2. Some of each. Keep in mind, that I wouldn't have taken as
much for granted as the staff of TGC did. As far as humans knew,
Gargoyles weren't a race. They were monstrous beasts (or maybe even
demons). Extermination would be the appropriate word to many of the
naive and fearful people he recruited. But in general, I tried to
indicate in "The Journey" that the Quarrymen ran the gammut from the
Neighborhood Watch types through mercenaries, and everything in between.

3. I dunno. I'd have to watch them again -- which would be
kind of painful. Some things would be ignorable. I had an
Alexander-is-kidnapped story in mind. Totally different from what was
done on TGS. If no executive objected, I'd probably just do my story,
ignoring theirs. I guess one thing that would be a real pain is their
trial episode. It took so much for granted. I had plans for Margot.
Hmmmm. Ugh. I don't even like to think about this.

4. If Puck could have gotten Goliath to turn over the Gate to
"Brooklyn" in the first five minutes, he would have stopped it right
there, and the Lex thing would never have been revealed. But I'm sure
he was prepared to continue his escalation as far as necessary. He's a
tricky guy.

5. Yes.

5. (Another #5). I don't know about Oberon's children, who are
creatures of magic, not biology. Or Nokkar, whose biology may be so
vastly different. But I think the New Olympians would definitely have
been in trouble, except for the New Olympian citizens who happen to be
Gargoyles, who would have been protected by the Praying Gargoyle Statue.
(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

A few questions and comments:

1. First off, I agree that with you that the term "goof up" wasn't
quite an accurate description of how Shakespeare did "Macbeth". He had his
artistic reasons for changing the story (plus, James I was a descendant of
Duncan and Canmore, so Will obviously had to whitewash those two in order to get
the play staged :). I was just speaking informally. At any rate, thanks
for answering my question about how accurate Malory's version of Arthur's
reign was in the Gargoyles Universe.

2. Why was Oberon so upset about the scorn that his "Children" felt
towards humans that he banished them from Avalon for a thousand years? He
showed a LOT of scorn towards humans himself in both "Ill Met By Moonlight" and
"The Gathering".

3. Does the non-interference edict forbid Oberon's Children to meddle
in the lives of gargoyles, or does it just extend towards humans?

4. Where (generally speaking) do you see the cave where the two
archaeologists found Merlin's Scrolls in "A Lighthouse in the Sea of
Time"?

5. What places do you see King Arthur and Griff visiting on their
quest for Merlin?

6. What inspired the idea of the head of the Illuminati Society being
a friend of Arthur's? (If answering this question would give away
Duval's true identity, please ignore it).

7. How involved in the day-to-day work of the Illuminati is Mr. Duval,
in your opinion? (I'm asking this because I can't help wondering how
appropriate it is for the Fisher King - which you said that Duval was
- to be involved in such things as working with organized crime, running
the Hotel Cabal, or funding the Quarrymen. It strikes me as a real
conflict of interests).

Greg responds...

1. You're welcome.

2. Everything's relative, and besides, Oberon isn't exactly a
model of self-analysis.

3. Mortals includes humans and gargoyles.

4. Wales.

5. Some obvious ones. Stonehenge, Tintagel, etc. Some less
obvious. South Pole, for example.

6. Mostly it came out of some long term thoughts I have always
had about which members of the "original cast" of Arthurian Mythology
would still be alive in the twentieth century. I came up with seven
names, including Arthur, Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. In thinking
about what would have happened to these seven individuals during the
intervening years, it became clear to me that the Fisher King could very
easily have brought the Illuminati into existence. It just seemed
right.

Let's have another contest. The first person to post -- here at
Ask Greg -- a list of all seven individuals from Arthurian Legend who I
believe have in some way survived into the late twentieth century will
receive... absolutely nothing, accept an acknowledgement of correctness.
Post seven names. I won't give anymore hints. (Heck, I've given you
three out of the seven names one paragraph up.) If you don't get ALL
seven names correct, I'll just tell you that you blew it, and I won't
say which names are right and which are wrong. (Todd, I'm expecting
great things from you.) Have fun.

7. Well, to analyze conflicts of interest you need a clear
sense of an individuals goals and methods. I don't think I've given you
either. I'd say there's very little the Illuminati does that Duval is
unaware of, but that doesn't mean he micro-manages everything. (GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Heysas, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Now for a
fewlittle morbid ones of my own. :)

1) How is it possible that the Archmage was rescued by his future
self? In "Long Way to Morning," after he falls in the chasm there is a distinct
noise of something like a body hitting the bottom, yet in "Avalon" there is
no such occurence. I think this may be where all those questions you've
gotten about a start to the timeloop come from.

2) In Puck's prophecy, how was evil Lexington able to destroy Demona
if she's immortal? Is there a limit to how much physical damage the
spell's hosts can suffer at one time before it unravels?

3) On a related note, just how strong is the link between Demona and
Macbeth? In "Avalon" Demona says that they need to get farther away
from each other to lessen the pain they suffer when the other is injured.
Is there a distance beyond which one could be injured or temporarily
"killed" and the other wouldn't even feel it?

Greg responds...

1. I've answered this before. Check the archives. Something
hit the ground, but it wasn't the Archmage. Trust me.

2. It was all an illusion. Some of it might have been
prophetic, but some of it clearly wasn't.

3. Yes. (GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I would like to thank you for both Gargoyles and for answering
questions. I only have a few:

1)How often do you watch Gargoyles

2)I'm sorry if you've answered this already, was Owen always Puck, the reason I ask is I was wondering how Puck was trapped in the mirror if he was? (I was never really sure)

3)Were ColdStone's gargoyle parts flesh or animated stone?

4)Which one of the characters from Gargoyles can you most relate to?

Greg responds...

1. Not very often. I remember most of it quite clearly. If
something strikes me, I might pull an episode out, but I'm not, like,
watching one a day for 66 days and then starting over.

2. He wasn't trapped in the mirror. He was summoned through
the mirror. Does that clarify things?

3. Animated stone.

4. Check the Archives, I've answered this in detail before.

(GDW / 4-20-98)

Response recorded on April 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, thanks for answering my previous qs.

1. In TEMPTATION, did Demona choose to see Brooklyn because she knew his personality and thought that he would be the most likely to listen, or was it just chance, as Brooklyn was there?

2. What is the name of the Manhattan jogger?

3. How big is the Gargoyles Task Force at the time of THE JOURNEY?

4. We know that Xanatos is one of the lower members of the Illuminati, but in terms of influence/power etc. how do Matt and David compare?

5. This is big, but... *P L E A S E* tell the story about Coldstone in the Himalayas. Even just bit by bit (as with ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WERE THREE BROTHERS). Please?

6. When does the ?weird little 2-parter? that you have mentioned fit in with the current 66?

7. Is Queen Mab the same as the one Mercutio talks about in Romeo & Juliet?

8. You said that two of the new characters for the New Olympians series would be like Romeo & Juliet? Do you mean in similar circumstances (like the Cold Trio and Othello), a reworking of the story (like Macbeth), or just using the same characters with a gargs twist (the Children of Oberon)

Greg responds...

1. Maybe some of each.

2. Doesn't have one yet.

3. Not huge.

4. Matt's a novice. Xanatos isn't.

5. Someday. It's written already (as a comic book script for
an unpublished issue of Marvel's defunct GARGOYLES comic), but I'm
afraid I don't have time to transcribe it today.

6. It doesn't, because we didn't make it. If I ever got the
chance to do it, I'd just fit it in wherever that opportunity arose.
Already, because of things that happened in "The Gathering," I've had to
change the villain for the peace. But I actually think it works better
now.

7. Yep.

8. The first thing.

(GDW / 4-1-98)

Response recorded on April 01, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Heylo. Firstly, thanx for making the greatest show ever aired. I don't
know how many others have told you that, but it's TRUE!!! (Just needed to
pound that into your head a little more.)Okee.. down to business.

1. As an AZ native, I just gotta wonder some stuff.

a) How far out of Flagstaff was the carving supposed to be located? The turrain here doesn't change for about 15 miles or so.

b) Was Beth's university's name written as University of Flagstaff or were you going to use one of the REAL colleges? (Northern Arizona University would be my guess, since they're the only ones with a pool)

c) Are there any real buildings used in this episode? Beth's apartment complex, fro example? (I know Pulliam Airport is real, as are the San Francisco Peaks in the background.)

d) Who transplanted all the cactus to northern AZ? (No, we don't have saguaros that far north.) Okay. Just wondering about that. :)

2. I've noticed that Gabriel looks a lot like Coldstone. (well now, THERE's a slaughtered quote) Is he Othello and Desdemona's biological child?

3. Are there any other blood-relation gargs I should be keeping an eye out for? (Ophelia's relations maybe?)

4. The series focusses on a lot of tricksters.. Puck, of course,and Anansi, Coyote, Raven.. any specific reason? Were they easier to develop plots with or what? Is it an in joke??

5. I've heard several versions about the "movie." Will it deal with Clan Manhattan, or some other gargoyle/s? And when will it be in theaters?? Do tell!!

Greg responds...

1a. I don't know. Fifteen miles?

1b. I don't remember.

1c. I think the pool area was taken from photo reference. But I'm not sure.

1d. The background painters, I guess.

2. Yes.

3. I think I've mentioned Hudson and Broadway, but I wouldn't
read too much into it. Broadway's childhood was spent being raised by
the entire clan. Hudson is but one of his parents.

4. I like Tricksters. They certainly aren't easy to write, but
they are rewarding.

5. I have no new info about the movie. Sorry.

(GDW / 4-1-98)

Response recorded on April 01, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello again! Before my questions, I'd like to make sure of something. It
is my understanding that both Oberon and Titania [poor spelling, I know)
live on Earth in human form for around 1001 years correct, OK, since that is
out of the way, on with the questions! (

1) Has Oberon's human form been shown to us yet?

2) If so, is he a main, suppoting, or minor role?

3) I know Puck chose the fore of Owen after seeing Vogel. What did he appear as before that?

4) Did Owen, Oberon, or Titania ever change forms?

5) Does Oberon's non - interference law apply to himself?

6) I know at least Owen con not [so far at least], but could a Fay use magic, either human or Fay, while taking on a human form. For example, could Oberon's human self be a sorcerer? In reality, human - Oberon is *real* human [it is only a self created counterpart], however would he still be considered a Fay?

7) If he could use magic, how much weaker would he be than on Avalon? I know Avalon made the Magus even stronger, so what wuldhe opposite effect be? Oberon did not seem to hindered in the Gathering, at least.

2) And I know this has been asked, but not to recently what happened to the Magus?

Greg responds...

Note: I was going to give some goofy April Fool's Day responses
here, but I had a vision of them all getting quoted out of context.
Shudder. So here's with the straight answers. Or at any rate, as
straight as I ever am.

1. We've seen Oberon looking human in "The Gathering, Part
One". But I wouldn't assume he's only ever taken one form.

2. What do you mean? Oberon's a recurring character.

3. Lots of things.

4. Yeah. (Am I missing something here?)

5. Yes, but he interprets that law.

6a. In theory, sure. But why bother?

6b. I don't understand the question.

7. Ditto.

2. (Don't ask me why this was numbered 2.) He died.
(GDW / 4-1-98)

Response recorded on April 01, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Greg--Two questions concerning the skiff:

1) Did the skiff return the World Tourists to Avalon after each episode, or merely keep sending them where they needed to be (until Ill Met by Moonlight, of course, when Avalon *was* where they needed to be)?

2) Since the Guardian had been using the skiff every hundred years or so since his arrival... was there anyplace *he* needed to be? (The answer to this one's probably going to be a flat "Yes," but I had to ask.)

Greg responds...

1. They returned between each episode. Generally, only
briefly. We didn't bother showing you that.

2. Yes. Everywhere he went.

(GDW / 3-24-98)

Response recorded on March 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1) Elisa said to Jason Canmore, "there's someone else who wil always come
first" So did he know it was Goliath?

2)In our favorite Hunter's Moon Goliath/Elisa lovey dovey scene, she was so alluring. In all seriousness her sexy appearance with the eyes, the flowing hair, the deepened whisper, was whose idea?

3)WHile we're on the subject, who else contributed to that famous 30+ second Goliath/Elisa Kiss scene?

Greg responds...

1. I think by that time, he'd have been able to guess.

2. Whose idea? To draw her pretty and alluring? I'm not sure
how to answer that. Me. Michael Reaves. Frank Paur. The storyboard
artist. The Animator. The assistants. Obviously, it was our intent
for her to look like a woman in love. But whose idea? Nothing's that
simple in a collaborative medium.

3. What do you mean? The series staff? Look at the credits
for the episode to see who did what.

(GDW / 3-24-98)

Response recorded on March 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Grag, I have been a fan sense the show started and I just love it!! I have also
been reading some of the third season redoes and I was wondering why you
chose to change the show so much. True! Some of the third season shows
where pretty bad! But others I REALLY liked! Such as Bronk's tail and the
one where Hudon went blind. I was really looking froward to reading then in
a good fan fic style but I have not seen any of them. Did you not want to do
any of the origanl shows? If not what? Are you planing to do some of them?
If so PLEASE let me know I really want to read them! A great fan,

Greg responds...

Talise, I don't have a clue what you're talking about. Other
than "The Journey", I didn't have anything to do with the third season
a.k.a. THE GOLIATH CHRONICLES. I have no idea what "re-dos" you're
referring to. If you're talking about fan fiction, I have nothing to do
with that either. Nothing.

(GDW / 3-24-98)

Response recorded on March 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

What exactly is Fae (Fay)? I missed that part of the show.

Greg responds...

Fae is another synonym for the "Children of Oberon".

(GDW / 3-24-98)

Response recorded on March 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. Did Hudson have a beard since hatching?

1b) why is Hudson the only garg with facial hair (or is he?)

Greg responds...

1. No.

1b. He's not.

(GDW / 3-24-98)

Response recorded on March 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Thank you Greg, for taking this time to communicate with the fan base.
Your continuing interest in this series is greatly appreciated.

1. What do the Japanese gargoyles' names mean in English? (Kai, Yama, Sora)

2. Why did Thailog want Demona and Macbeth's money for (in Sanctuary)?

3. In "The Green," if Jackal had succeeded in carving Goliath's face into a likeness of his own as Goliath slept (like he planned to do) what would have happened to Goliath when he woke up?

4. Are you willing to tell us some of the times/places you'd have sent Brooklyn to (and any of which events in history his visits would affect)?

5. What is Delilah's intelligence level compared to that of the other clones?

6. Do Una and Leo know where Griff is? (considering he left England at the beginning of Pendragon)

Greg responds...

1. Yama means mountain, I remember that. Story Editor Gary
Sperling told me what the others mean, but to be honest, I've blanked
out on them. Anyone else know?

2. He wanted to be able to build a corporation to rival
Xanatos'.

3. Death.

4. I've mentioned a few already. Check the Archives. That'll
have to do for now.

5. None of the clones are unintelligent. Rather, their
education is extremely limited. Delilah was "programmed" with better
communication skills, but she's no more or less intelligent than her
genetic make-up allows.

6. He phoned them.

(GDW / 3-24-98)

Response recorded on March 24, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1)From what I gather on the Phoenix Gate, it is traveling
through time
endlessly, opening in random points. If my assumption is right
wouldin't it
eventually consume all matter within time?

2)Is there a limit to where the gate could go?

3) In the world travel parts, why is it that no one got any
exoctic
diseases? Most people have to take antibodies to keep from
catching those
when they go to place such as Africa and such.
Thank you for your time and effort.

Greg responds...

1) Why would it do that?

2) Planet Earth.

3) Elisa got amnesia. Is that exotic enough for you? Bronx
risked infection? I don't know how to answer this question, other
than to say that it wasn't a story we were interested in telling.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Greg,

I just heard that you and Disney are headed into some sort of
lawsuit. Does
it have anything to do with Gargoyles? If it does, is it
something that you
can explain/talk about? Thanks!

Greg responds...

Some jerk is attempting to sue Disney (not me) claiming to have
created Gargoyles in '93 two years AFTER I can document that my team
and myself created it in '91. It's annoying as hell, but what are you
going to do. That's all I know.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Wiesman,

A question about the limits of the regenerative powers of
the wierd Sister's immortality spell on MacBeth, and Demona.
What are the limits? This spell must have limits to the
amount of damage it can repair. By this I mean if in an
extrem if Demona took a direct hit from a nuke, I'm quite
sure she would be dead for good. I don't think the Wierd
Sisters had nukes in mind when they caste that spell. So
the question remains, how much damage can the spell cope
with before it's limits are reached? Another question,
does Elisa have a dark side to her, if so what would be needed
to bring this
out?
Thank you for your time.

Greg responds...

What does it matter whether or not she could survive a nuke if a
nuke never hits her? Besides, I'm not sure I agree with your
assessment. In any case, I've addressed this before too. Check the
archives.
As to Elisa's dark side... well, I guess we all have one. But
this is another one of those questions that would require a good 39
pages to answer. Not gonna happen in this format.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Wiesman! First off, I'd like to start by
congradulating you on
the success of GARGOYLES. Second, I would like to ask your
advice on
something. I am creating an group of fans with the hopes of
returning
GARGOYLES to television. I was hoping you could give me advice
on
how we should go about doing this. Also, anyone reading this
who is
interested in joining please E-mail me at IAmKeevan@juno.com.
Thank you
for your time.

Greg responds...

Keevan, I've addressed this in detail all over the place. Check
the archives, newsgroups, etc. An organized and respectful
letter-writing campaign wouldn't hurt. But you'll need strength in
numbers. Lots of people participating in unison and individually.
Good luck.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I'm sorry for not numbering my previous questions, but i will
now. just two quick ones.

1) what's the story behind goliath's name, was there a story
behind it or were you just playing of the "david and goliath"
thing?
2) if and when the live-action movie comes out, would you like to see
the original cast or are there others you think should be in the roles? (i.e.
patrick stewart playing someone like oberon, i just find it odd that the
one how has done shakespeare isn't a part of the cartoon.)
thanks for everything!!!!!!!

Greg responds...

1) I wanted a name that connoted strength. A name that had a
certain weight. A name of some classic appeal. A name that we could
believe would be given to a tenth century gargoyle. Goliath seemed
perfect. I could just see humans naming the huge gargoyle Goliath.
They name him for an evil giant, despite the fact that this Goliath
protects them. It spoke immediately to the human/gargoyle
relationship. The idea to give Xanatos the first name David came
later. It was obvious. In fact it was so obvious, I hesitated to do
it.

2) Other than Goliath and Elisa, I doubt any of the other
characters will appear in the movie. Salli would be great as Elisa.
Keith would be outstanding as Goliath.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Greg- I just wanted to say that I love(d) your show! I don't
like to watch much TV, but I like shows that make me think. I could sit and
imagine stuff about gargoyles for hours! I think it can really make you
smarter to watch TV, if you put the show's messages to life! Anyway, I had a lot
of questions when I first found this page, but I had to wait and
try to read the archives first so I didn't ask duplicates. I can't think of
all of them right now, so I'll just post a few.

1) I read somewhere that Elisa's birthday was Dec. 31, 1969.
Did you write that, or is it just a lie masquerading as the truth?

2a) Is there any place in particular at Disney that we should
write to? Any specific department?

2b) Would it be helpful to write to Disney magazines, too, like
Disney Adventures?

2c) Is there anything that Disney stockholders could do? I
know a few. Would their words have more weight? Well, that's all I can think
of right now. I'm sure I'll be back.
Thanks for answering our questions and for creating the only TV
show I've ever become addicted to!

Greg responds...

1) I definitely didn't write that. In fact, Elisa was born in
1968, although I've never bothered to pinpoint the month or day.

2a) It depends what you want to accomplish exactly. I assume
(but am not really sure) that BVTV controls the old episodes. You'd
need a distribution source like ABC to generate interest in new
episodes.

2b) Again, it depends what you want to accomplish exactly. It
couldn't hurt.

2c) It couldn't hurt for them to send letters, I suppose.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Heya Greg. I love the show, man, needless to say :) Kay, I've got
some questions that I've had tearing through this head of mine for a while.

1) Those gargoyles that Demona led in Macbeth's time, where did they come
from? There seem to be an awful lot for a bunch of stragglers

2) How old is Puck in human years?

3) Okay, okay, this is WAY confusing: If Owen Burnett
revealed his real identity as Puck to Xanatos before the gargoyles
were even brought back to life, and he gave Mr. X a choice as either a lifetime
service as Owen or a wish from the Puck, why did Mr. X choose Owen?
Why didn't he just choose a wish to be immortal like he's always hoped?
It would've saved him a lot of trouble.

4) Why did Xanatos bring the gargoyles back to life anyway?

5) Why did Mace Malone and the Illuminati care about gargoyles, anyway?

6) Why does Bluestone care about the Illuminati? Just some sort of
compulsive disorder or what? :P 7) What does Coyote (the Trickster)
really look like? I've been wonderin' 'cause he's supposed to be
impersonating Elisa's dad in all the eps we've ever seen him in, so what does he
really look like?

8) Lastly, how did you come up with this show anyway?!?
It's so cool! Did you and the other producers sell the rights or were you
already working for Disney or whatever ...

9) BTW, when I grow up, I want to do cartoon animation. How do you
get into the business? Do you have to go to a college? My guess is you
do 'cause I guess they wouldn't just let anyone come in and start drawing.
Thanks, man :D

Greg responds...

1. Remnants from various other Scotish clans. And there
weren't that many. Less than twenty total.

2. Old.

3. But then he wouldn't have had Owen. He wanted both.

4. A multitude of reasons, but the most immediate was there use
as covert operatives for him. They were simply harder to manipulate (or
at least control) than he anticipated.

5. Another source of power and influence. Another random
element to control.

6. That, but also, I don't think Matt likes the idea of someone
controlling people's lives from behind the scenes.

7. How do you define what a shapeshifter "TRULY" looks like?
Do you know what Oberon or Puck "TRULY" look like? Or do you simply
know the form they most often prefer to take?

8. I was already working for Disney. Check the archives for a
more detailed answer.

9. School isn't mandatory, but I sure as hell recommend it. If
you want to draw, learn to do it at a professional level. Me, I can't
draw a lick. But I like to think I can write.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I enjoy epic tales with heroes to look up to and relate to
in the warrior arts. Thank You for providing my little
brothers and their friends with fabulous heroes in wonderfully woven
tales. A new generation of children have been influenced. They, and my adult
friends always wonder two things: are the creators of Gargoyles
trained in the warrior sciences (oriental or occidental)...and were the stories
created by playing a role-playing game of some sort?
This is not a suggestion to do either and I will not hold You legally
responsible since this is not an original idea.

Greg responds...

Neither.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hiya Greg!

I was just wondering what are your current projects?
(as in what are you working on now?)
I hope you can answer my question but if not thats ok!
Thanks fo the shows and ideas!
Bye!

Greg responds...

Can't talk about anything yet. I don't have a go project. I
have done a bit of freelance writing for Men In Black and Disney's
Hercules.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg,

First, Thank you for such a creative, engaging,character-driven
series.

My question is: How did Elisa ever explain Derek/Talon's transformation
to their family? I can't imagine a close-knit family like the Mazas
wouldn't "check in" regularly, especially since most of them have such
dangerous jobs as police officers.If this was written into an episode, please let me
know which one.

Greg responds...

When Elisa brought her parents and sister down to the Labyrinth
to see Derek, she and Derek told them the truth -- minus the Gargoyles'
involvement. This was visually hinted at in the last few seconds of
"The Cage".
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi. It's really nice of you to answer these questions.

1. Is Owen Burnette an aide-de-camp or is he a major domo.

2. What is Owen Burnette's job title? Thank you.

Greg responds...

1. Both and more.

2. Executive Assistant.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman,

Thank you for taking time to answer this. It is a great honor. I just
have one simple question...

Phoebe, Selene and Luna-WHO'S WHO?

Thanks again, and may luck be with you in the future!

Greg responds...

Again? I could give one of my standard "Check the Archives"
responses, but it's just as quick to answer the question, I suppose.

Phoebe - Blonde hair.

Seline - Black hair.

Luna - Silver hair.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Okay, I know that I already asked some questions but I thought of some
more. I don't mind if you can't answer some things. Thanks again in
advance.

1. I understand that gargoyles mate for life. If so, how would other
clans react to Goliath's relationship with Elisa? (Not counting the
Manhattan Clan).

2. If there are some humans that hate gargoyles, are there gargoyles
that hate humans (not Demona)? For instance, I assume that many humans
would ostracize Elisa for her friendship with the clan. Are there clans
that would ostracize Goliath and company becuase of their friendship?

3. You asked in the archives that we make this a kind of comment
room, too. I was watching my tape and came across "The Mirror." I just wanted to
say that I always liked this episode. As I may have mentioned before
(although you probably don't remember!) I like shows that can make me ponder the
possibilities. I loved Elisa/Goliath's last lines in "The Mirror"
becuase it was the first definite hint that there would be a relationship
between them. I'd suspected all along but I was never quite sure. When I saw
this episode I had lots to think about. Congratulations on a great effort,
even by Gargoyle standards. I guess there's no question here.

4a. Okay, I thought of something else. Why do Gargoyles treat all
hatchlings as their children, instead of a family setting?

4b. Have they always lived this way, or did they change their customs
for some reason?

5. How old was Princess Katharine when Goliath and clan were turned
to stone?

6. How old was Tom (at the same time)?

7. In "The Mirror," Puck said something about Demona "still carrying
a torch" for Goliath. I know people have asked about this before, but I
don't understand completely. What are Demona's feelings for Goliath? (I
don't mind a short answer if this is really long).

7b. Is she really aware of these feelings, or does she just deny
them?

Okay, I guess that's enough now. I'll probably be back later.
Thanks!!

Greg responds...

1. Clan by clan, gargoyle by gargoyle, I imagine the reactions
would differ greatly. Though it isn't hard to figure that most would
have a knee-jerk negative reaction to the romance.

2. It's hard for a clan to ostracize you from a great distance.
But yeah, I'm sure there are gargoyles out there who hate humans. They
have reason.

3. That's o.k. I appreciate the comment. "The Mirror" is one
of my all time favorite episodes as well. Everything just seemed to
come together in that one.

4a & b. It is a family setting, but it is a large communal
family. It's considered bad taste to take pride in one's biological
children specifically, since every member of the clan is responsible for
helping to raise every child. Perhaps this is the result of the high
Gargoyle mortality rate. Perhaps it's instinctive.

5. She was eighteen in 994.

6. Eight.

7. Her feelings are confused and unresolved. Goliath has some
closure (with a few loose ends). Demona does not.

7b. Denial. Big time denial.
(GDW / 3-20-98)

Response recorded on March 20, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I have a question related to the Magus. In the Avalon 3 parter, King
Arthur was awakened from his sleep. According to legend, King Arthur was
mortally wounded and that's the reason why he was sent to Avalon (whether this
is true or not in the Gargoyles continuincy, well, only you can tell us
for sure). So King Arthur's sleep was like a rejuvination, a lazarus
chamber of sorts.
When the Magus "died", he told Katharine that he was very tired. If
the chamber had any magic left in it, couldn't it heal the Magus's
pain/wounds that were inflicted while fighting the Weird Sisters? In my mind, it
makes sense that if the chamber worked for King Arthur and still have magic
in it (and since it's part of Avalon, it probably would) then it can do the
same for the Magus. Is anything that I've said true or is the Magus dead
and that's the end period?

Greg responds...

What you say does make a certain amount of sense. But the Magus is
dead. I strongly believe that war has costs. The Magus' life was the
cost of that war.
(GDW / 3-19-98)

Response recorded on March 19, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! Thanks in advance for answering my questions.

1) You said in an earlier response that Avalon is part of the earth but cannot be
reached in a three-demensional manner. Does the same concept go for "New Olympia"?
Or is it just a place no human discovered? Or none of the above???

2) I was also wondering if Oberon knows about the New Olympians?

3) Do the New Olympians know about Oberon?(Sorry if someone already asked 2 and 3!)

4) Why did it take Maggie a long time to get used to/trust the gargoyles? It didn't
take a long time for her to get used to Xanatos. Thanks again for answering
all our questions!!!

Greg responds...

1) No. New Olympus (Olympus, not Olympia) is protected by a
shielding device that projects an illusion that has masked its
location. But the Island does have a physical location on our Earth
plane, as Elisa and the Gargoyles discovered while aboard the skiff.

2) I don't know. Possibly.

3) They know of them, I'd think.

4) Maggie had trouble adjusting to strangeness in her life. Xanatos
was human. That made him familiar. The Gargoyles seemed like
monsters to her. She had a lot to learn, obviously.
(GDW / 3-19-98)

Response recorded on March 19, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey again Greg. Just another question I'd like answering,
thanks for taking the time to do it. I'd just like to know,
if you can't change the past does that mean that the future
can't be changed either? Is everyones future written? Are
their destinies inevitable?

Thanks.

Greg responds...

Check the archives for a more complete response. But the short answer
is that the future's only written if you know what that future is.
And even then, you're only limited by the correct tidbits that you
know. If the information is mistaken, no problem. If there's a way
to work around the tentpoles of your knowledge (as Goliath did in
"M.I.A.") then all you need is smarts, luck and pluck to defy the cast
of that future if not the facts of it.
(GDW / 3-19-98)

Response recorded on March 19, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I hope I'm correct in saying that Brooklyn's first trip with the
Phoenix gate was to 997(correct me if I'm wrong).

(1)Is it any of a coincidence that the year Brooklyn went back is the
year Constantine's was killed?

(2)On a side note who did kill Constantine(III I do believe), in your
books? Some people say Malcome did it. Others say Kenneth did it. So who
was it?

(3)What inspired you to go into writing(I you haven't answered this
one before)?

Greg responds...

1. Coincidence or destiny. You decide.

2. In my books?

3. Always wanted to be a storyteller. I love stories. Wanted to be
a writer at least since 2nd grade. I did have a number of teachers,
starting with my 2nd Grade teacher SANDY VOYNE who encouraged me a
great deal. I also had two parents who were very supportive.
(GDW / 3-19-98)

Response recorded on March 19, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

This idle Web surfer was attracted to _Gargoyles_ by its incredible
fandom! I stumbled on some fanfic and fan art that was so memorable, I just
knew the show that inspired them had to be something special. Then I found
plot lists, quotes, and screen captures, and now I'm hunting for tapes and
rerun air dates. Wow. This is GREAT STUFF. So I guess this is a double
compliment: To you, first of all, for creating a story that has me eager for more
after a mere glimpse; and to all Gargfans everywhere, for having made a fan
of someone who still hasn't seen a second of the actual show! (This,
however, is a sore lack I intend to remedy very soon.)Now, on to my question:
How are gargoyle wings structured under the skin? Are they batlike,
pterodactyllike, birdlike (I apologize if that's dumb, but I don't
recall what the bones of a bird's wing look like), or something entirely other?

Greg responds...

Thanks for the compliments. (I think they're the first I've received
from someone who hasn't seen the show.) As to gargoyle wings, they
seem to vary greatly. There may not be one answer to that question.
(GDW / 3-19-98)

Response recorded on March 19, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg,

1. Are gargoyle warm-blooded? Their tollerance to weather would
suggest it.

2. Female gargoyles appear to have the same exterior sexual organs as
humans, do they take care of their young in the same way (ie do they
breast feed)

3. Do gargoyles believe in a god? If so who or what?

4. If Demona had a child would it turn into a human during the day
and a gargoyle at night (ie would Pucks spell affect it after it has
hatched)?

4a. How would that work anyway? At night Demona would hae a
developing avian-like egg and at night a human fetus?

5.Demona has been alive for more than 1000 years, does she have any
offspring other than Angela? If so who?

6. When asked if Fox would be alive in 2158 you said no comment, why?
You already told us that Xanatos, a far more important character, would be
dead. Why not tell us about Fox? And by Fox do you mean Fox (Reynard)
Xanatos or Alexander Fox Xanatos? So my question is this: Will a male Fox of a
female Fox be alive in 2158? Ifso which one?

7. What is your favorite play of Shakespeare?

8. Oh and that Dreamworks movie I askedg about was called Prince of
Egypt. I think I said son of Egypt.

Greg responds...

1. I guess so. Is there a third category?

2. Yes. Collectively.

3. Check the archives for a more complete answer. Their beliefs are
both simple and complex. Animistic, pantheistic and yet, ultimately,
monotheistic. But they don't personify their god the way we tend to.
Their god, no surprise, has no name. He/She/It cannot be limited or
defined by a mortal word.

4. I doubt it. A lot would depend on the identity of the biological
father, and, I suppose, what form Demona was in at the time of birth.
Keep in mind, Demona doesn't give herself lightly. And as a gargoyle,
she's only fertile once every twenty years. So this whole discussion
is largely moot.

4a. I suppose their could be a magical "pocket" within her womb.
It's possible that the "baby" wouldn't change with Demona. I really
don't know yet. It's also possible that she'd miscarry, because the
spell didn't account for a pregnancy. Maybe she would need Puck's
help. And Puck is largely unavailable, unless he can use this bit of
magical OB to teach Alex a lesson. Frankly, this is a lesson that I
believe Alex is a little young to learn.

5. No. She doesn't.

6. No comment.

7. Wow. That's a tough one. My favorite character is definitely
Edmund from KING LEAR. But I love so many of the plays. Some of my
favorites are influenced by great productions I've seen. (HENRY V, A
WINTER'S TALE, ROMEO & JULIET, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, RICHARD III,
HENRY IV, PART ONE, TWELFTH NIGHT.) Some of them I love because I've
got my own ideas for them. (HENRY IV, PART ONE, KING LEAR, ROMEO &
JULIET, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, MACBETH,
TEMPEST, HAMLET, LOVE'S LABOURS LOST.) PERICLES and A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT'S DREAM literally turn me on. (I'm sure you didn't want to
know that.) Others simply fascinate me because of the connections
between them. (KING LEAR and CYMBELINE, for example). There are many
I just like a lot (OTHELLO, for example). Others that I find
problematic (TAMING OF THE SHREW, A MERCHANT OF VENICE). Others I've
never seen and can't imagine how they'd work (TIMON OF ATHENS).
Sorry, I just can't decide.

8. Yeah, I know. (GDW / 3-19-98)

Response recorded on March 19, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Just one question I found myself thinking of. When you did "City of
Stone", what was the response of the production team to a version of the
Macbeth story that made Macbeth into a sympathetic figure and Duncan into a
villainous tyrant? Were a lot of the people who worked on it
surprised at the role-reversal from Shakespeare's play in the story? (For my own
part, I had read a fair amount about the historical Macbeth before "Gargoyles"
ever came out, so I wasn't particularly taken aback, but I was curious as to how
the people who worked with you on that story - which I very much liked, by
the way - took it).

Greg responds...

John Rhys-Davies expressed some surprise. Called me
"revisionist" as I recall. I explained that the traditional legend that
Shakespeare followed was in fact revisionist, and that we were hewing
closer to the "historical truth". Once he heard that, he got very
enthusiastic about it. Generally, John loved playing all the history
stuff. I didn't get much response from the rest of the crew on this
point. Most were aware of the research that Monique and Tuppence had
done. It all seemed to fit our series so well, it was like kismet.
(GDW / 3-17-98)

Response recorded on March 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Okay, a few quick ones: 1)In "legion" Coldstone says "There is only
one other I have missed more..." Was he talking about Desdemona? If their
in the same head, couldn't they see eachother like in later eps? 2) I've
noticed that the Magus looks a lot like Puck (white hair, blue eyes,
facial structure)and in many shots he has small points to his ears. Noy only
that, but he was able to tap into Avalon magic, which as I understand it one
needs fey blood to use. mmm...okay
I'll come right out and say it. Does Puck have any kids (living or
dead) and do they include the Magus? 3) Another Magus Q; In the USA cut of
Awakening, they put back in the little scene where the Magus is
flipping through the Grimorum. What was he looking for, and does have anything
to do with the spell he casts on the gargoyles? 4) In connection, it appears
to be the Magus that rides out to the Viking cave. Was he in on the attack,
and if so, why? That's all for now, good luck on the mag!

Greg responds...

1) He was talking about Desdemona, but he wasn't yet aware that
she shared bodyspace with him.

2) Puck may have kids, but the Magus isn't one of them. He's
fully human.

3) He was looking for a spell to neutralyze what he perceived
to be the gargoyle threat. He bookmarked the page with the spell. The
counterspell was on the facing page. So when Hakon opened the book, it
naturally opened to the bookmark. Hakon started ripping pages,
beginnning with the counterspell page.

4) No. That was the Captain. Not the Magus. (GDW / 3-17-98)

Response recorded on March 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Did any gargoyle (besides Demona) study under the Archmage that the
fans might know? Thanks.

Greg responds...

Nope.
(GDW / 3-17-98)

Response recorded on March 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

(1) I believe you mentioned that, because of other obligations,
Patrick Stewart was unable to contribute his talents to Gargoyles. Had he
done so, though, which part would he have played? Someone during the first two
seasons (like Mace Malone), or someone we haven't met yet (like Mr.
Duval, or the Director)?

(2) In my earlier post, asking whether more "Western" deities, like
Jesus or Buddha (Mohammed being a prophet) were also Children of Oberon, I
didn't mean to imply that the show was condescending toward those that were
so represented, and I apologize. I guess this one wasn't a question.
Thanks a lot for being such a mensch and putting up with all our
obsessive nitpicking. Of course, we wouldn't be doing all this brooding if you
hadn't come up with such creative, compelling stories in the first place. So
maybe you deserve it, after all ;)

Greg responds...

1) That's not what I said. We couldn't meet his agent's
standard price for voice over work. We discussed asking Jonathan or
Marina to make a personal appeal to Patrick directly, but we decided
that that would be an unfair request. We briefly considered Mr. Stewart
for at least three parts. All three were eventually cast with great
people. I have no regrets. Two of the characters were originally
introduced in the first season. One was intoduced in the second.
Frankly, I think at least two of the three are obvious. So let's start
a contest. The first person to name (by posting here at ASK GREG) the
three parts that we considered Patrick Stewart for will win... well, a
lot of personal satisfaction and gloating privelidges. No credit for
partial answers, and I won't be giving hints. Enter as often as you
want.

2) No apologies necessary. I didn't take offense. But it's
nice to have someone point out unconcious biases occasionally.
(GDW / 3-17-98)

Response recorded on March 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. I just
have three morbid questions ;) -

1) In "Long Way To Morning", when the Archmage falls in the chasm
there is a thud sound, as of a body hitting the floor of the chasm. Yet in
"Avalon" the future Archmage saves him and there is a distinct lack of a thud.
What gives?

2) How was evil Lexington able to destroy Demona in "Future Tense" if
she's immortal? Is there a limit to the immortality?

3) Macbeth and Demona's pain seems to affect the other less the
farther away from each other they are (like in "Avalon", Demona says they need to
put some distance between them). Is there is a distance beyond which if
one of them was attacked or killed the other wouldn't be affected?
Thanks for your time!

Greg responds...

1) I don't recall the thud, but it might have been the result
of a rock or something hitting the soft dirt. It wasn't the Archmage.

2) It was all an illusion of Puck's.

3) Killed, no. They are destined to die at each other's hands.
But yes, the pain thing decreases the farther apart they are.
(GDW / 3-17-98)

Response recorded on March 17, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Heh heh. Oh, I forgot my number two on the last message. So here it
is.

#2) Oberons wording was that Puck was eternally banished from Avalon.
Since his wording wasn't something like "Eternal protector of
Alexander"
would Puck eventually be able to get his powers back? Thanx.

Greg responds...

2) He hasn't lost his powers. And Puck is a Trickster. But a trick
involves more than just ignoring specific intent. See POSESSION for an
example of the Puck at work under his restrictions.
(GDW / 3-16-98)

Response recorded on March 16, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Greg Wiesman. Its an honor if you get to read this. I first have a
couple questions. *makes a scroll appear from thin air* Okay what have
we here.....

1) Where do you get your references to the almighty Trickster Puck?
Or more specifically can you list your sources of material if you've indeed
found any? (besides Midsummers and Pooks Hill)

3) According to past references I've found, Puck was the biological
offspring of Oberon and a Maiden. Is this also true in the Gargoyles
universe?

4) Oh yes. Does Puck know more than he lets on too? We all know he's
actually very mischievous, but he always seems to be in the middle of
everything.

5) Is there any way to contact you besides this infernal message board
where if you say something wrong you might not even get heard?.... and in
continuity with your one worded answers.

6) How would we get in touch?

7)a)Can you tell us your loyal followers how Demona first met
Puck/Owen (not sure which) b)Will you with this response?
And last but not least.

8) a)What characters shall be in the Gargoyles movie? Is it just
going to be the basic plot of say the episodes Awakening?
Well thats about it. And if you can in ANY way contact me about
references of Puck, please do so. Anyone in fact who reads this. My E-mails
Puck40@aol.com or RobinGoodfellow@Mailcity.com

Greg responds...

1) Mostly, I got him from Midsummers and a lot of books about that
play. I don't recall reading any specific independent source.

2) You didn't ask a #2.

3) No.

4) He'd have to, since he lets on to so little. But honestly, I 'm not
sure what you mean.

5) Generally, no. Keep in mind, I'm intentionally isolating myself to
protect myself legally. Sorry, but I really don't feel I have any other
choice. "If you say something wrong" I don't want to be exposed to it,
because I don't want to see you across a courtroom five years down the
road. (And don't tell me that wouldn't happen, because though it may be
true with you, I can't begin to try and evaluate who it might or might
not apply to. Disney's already been sued twice over Gargoyles. I don't
need any more hassles.) As to the one word answers, that depends on how
rushed I am and on how free I feel with information. It's not like I'm
doing it by accident. Having said all that, I occassionally stop by the
COMMENT ROOM, and on even rarer occasions, I stop by the CHAT ROOM. I
also hope to attend this summer's GATHERING in NYC, if we can work out
the details. Maybe I'll talk to you there.

6) See above.

7) Not now.

8) I have almost no info on the Gargoyles Movie. Last I was told
(literally months ago) the movie would feature Goliath and Elisa. I
don't know the story, and I don't know if they've even got a script.
(GDW / 3-16-98)

Response recorded on March 16, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

dOne or two quick questions, after "The Gathering" is Owen allowed to set
foot on Avalon? I know that Puck is not, but does that restriction apply to
both personas?

Greg responds...

I don't think Oberon makes those kind of subtle distinctions.
Puck, i.e. Owen, might consider it a loophole and attempt it (whereas
Puck as himself is magically restrained from even the attempt), but if
he got caught, I'd hate to be in his shoes. (GDW / 3-16-98)

Response recorded on March 16, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg. I saw an episode of the Men In Black cartoon written by you
yesterday (11.10.98) (hopefully, it WAS you and not someone by the
same name) and I'm glad we can see you get into other stuff while Gargs is
on the backburner. So that's the topic of my questions..

1) What other shows did you write for? (including previous eps of MiB
if any)

2) Are you planning to write more eps of MiB or any other show for
that matter?

3) How DID you get to write for MiB anyway? Do they just take scripts
from anyone who wants to write them, or is it because Frank Paur was the
director, or what?

4) I know you're not supposed to read fanfic or stuff with other ideas
and suggestions in it, so do you go to pages that have only stuff from the
shows? Like screenshots, episode synopsis, and so on.
That's all I can think of for now.

Greg responds...

1. I wrote one Men in Black for its first season. I just finished
another for its second. I've also written an episode of Disney's
Hercules series. Before that, I wrote and produced on Gargoyles and
Goliath Chronicles. Before that I was an executive. I story edited
the last four DuckTales episodes. A long time before that, before I
was really in the industry, I co-wrote an episode of Jem & The
Holograms. Mostly, in those days, I wrote and edited comic books.
2. See above.
3. My agent helped get me the first job, but mostly it comes from the
long-standing relationship I have with Duane Capizzi, the
Producer/Story Editor on that show. Duane and I worked together on
Gummi Bears, Talespin, Darkwing Duck and especially on the wonderful
but ill-fated original development for BONKERS. Frank didn't know I
was writing the script until after I had gotten the gig, but he really
did well by it in board.
4. I don't surf that much. I've seen a few pages, here and there.
(GDW / 3-4-98)

Response recorded on March 04, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Is Desdemona directly related to Brooklyn?

Greg responds...

Not that I know of.
(GDW / 3-4-98)

Response recorded on March 04, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi,

1. Any new news on the Gargoyle movie?

2. You said that by the time Future Tense took place Xanatos would be
dead. This, I take it, means Xanatos will not become immortal, right? (darn)

3. Future Tense takes place in the year 2158 (right?) was there any
reason why you chose this date (significance?)?

4. Who or what is/are the Angels? What is the name of the force they
fight against?

5. Elisa's sister goes to Arizona State (their football team sucks.
Huskers #1) besides the events in Cloud Fathersis there any reason for
this choice?

6. Do you watch College football? Who is your favorite team? (Sorry
about this question but I'm hyped about Nebraska's National Championship and
the fact that I got an A in chemistry)

7. What was Xanatos' mother's name, what year did she die?

8. What country did Xanatos' father come from?

Greg responds...

1. No. At the moment, they're not returning my phone calls. Maybe
they're busy.
2. In my opinion, his character is dependent on his mortality. Just
as Goliath's is dependent on his Gargoylity, and Elisa's dependent on
her humanity.
3. Yes.
4. Huh?
5. I knew I wanted her at a Southwest school (reflecting her father's
heritage) and picked the state of Arizona at semi-random in "Deadly
Force," the first episode in which Beth is mentioned. I was probably
influenced by the mystery novels of Tony Hillerman. I think either
Lydia or Brynne must have chosen Flagstaff as the actual location for
the campus.
6. These days I almost never watch college football. If I do, I root
for STANFORD first, UCLA second and USC third. After that, I lose
interest. I'm really more of a Major League Baseball type of guy.
7. Ask me some other time.
8. Greece.
(GDW / 3-4-98)

Response recorded on March 04, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg!

1) Does Servarius know that Demona is Dominique Destine?

2) What does the title "The Reckoning" mean?

3) Who are Titania's parents?

4) Who are Puck's parents?

5) Who was ruler before Mab (Oberon's mom)?

6) What impact, if any, did Demona have on Xanatos' decision to awaken
Goliath and the clan?

Greg responds...

1. Maybe. Working with Thailog and Demona during that whole "The
Reckoning" period, he might have found out. Maybe.
2. Look it up in a dictionary. It's pretty self-explanatory. A
final calling to accounts so to speak.
3. Don't know yet.
4. Not saying now.
5. Don't know if there was a ruler before Mab.
6. She told him her story and how the Gargoyles EN FORCE would be of
use to him.
(GDW / 3-4-98)

Response recorded on March 04, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman. Thank you again for this opportunity.

Before I begin with my questions, I'd just like to mention that
I saw the episode of MiB you'd written, and I thought it was quite good,
definitely one of the better episodes so far. Now, on to the questions...

1) What is Brendan's last name?

2) What is Taro's full name?

3) What is the name of Nokkar's alien race?

4) Is there a 'official' name for Xanatos's lightweight exoframe
(the one in

"Eye Of The Beholder" and "Double Jeopardy")?

5) After 'TimeDancer,' what would've been done with the Phoenix
Gate?

6) What are the names of some of the other alien races involved
in Nokkar's people's war with the SpaceSpawn?

7) In the Gargoyles universe, who created the Phoenix Gate?

8) What was the intergalactic war begun over?

9) Are Boudicca and Bronx related?

10) Would we have possibly seen the Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot, or
the like in the series?

11) Would New Olympus be known to the human world in 2158?

12) In the Gargoyles universe, who created the Cauldron of Life?

13) In the Gargoyles universe, who created the Eye of Odin?

14) During TimeDancer, would there have been journeys to
prehistoric times, or the future beyond 2158?

15) After TimeDancer, would Brooklyn and family have stayed in
New York with the Manhattan Clan?

Well, I think that's already enough. Thanks again!

Greg responds...

1. I don't know yet.

2. Ditto.

3. Double ditto.

4. Lightweight Exo-frame?

5. Eventually it would have started its journey from scratch --
part of an unending loop.

6. Don't know yet.

7. I did.

8. Don't know yet.

9. They may be distant cousins.

10. Yeti for sure. The others... eventually, probably.

11. Yes.

12. Michael Reaves, I think.

13. Patrick Gilmore, then of Disney Interactive, I think. (I
know, I know, I'm being a smartass. It's Odin's eye. His parents, I
guess.)

14. Not the future beyond 2158. But sure, we'd have to do some
dinosaur action.

15. Yep. (GDW / 2-23-98)

Response recorded on February 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Sorry, I have a few more questions...

1) What would have prompted Queen Mab to return?

2) Is Vinnie's last name Barbarino or Gregarino? I've heard both
used.

3) Was the spell on Goliath (from "Temptation") removed, or
circumvented? If it was only circumvented, could it be activated again somehow?

Greg responds...

1) Escape.
2) Vinnie Barbarino is a character from "WELCOME BACK, KOTTER."
Gregarino is a joke name I came up with. At the moment, Vinnie has no
official last name, though I might go with Gregarino if I couldn't
come up with something I liked better.
3) It was circumvented, which means that it could in theory be
reactivated. But not easily. (GDW / 2-23-98)

Response recorded on February 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Oh, yeah, on more thing. Who is your favorite, all time,
bestest of the best, you just think he/she/it ROCKS, character? Your favorite
of the fave? And why? :P Thank you!

Greg responds...

Check the archives. I've answered this in detail.
(GDW / 2-23-98)

Response recorded on February 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman!!!! One thing has been bugging me.

a)...Is the Isle of Avalon the only place where Fey/Fae call their
homeland...or are there any other places...the Isle of Avalon acts as a
person, If Avalon felt that its current Lord was going put it(the Isle) in
Jeopardy or the earth, do you think it will give him more power to do so...or like teach
him..Do you see what i am getting at...does Avalon have a right to say what
should or shouldnt be done...Or does it always even through the dreadest
times have to listen to her(Avalon) so-called Lord??? Im sorry if this is
confusing...its just that I am intrigued by this isle!

b) if you made a series spin-off would one be off Avalon
and its contents? ThanX!

Greg responds...

Avalon is HOME. Homebase. But obviously some of Oberon's
Children have their own local set-ups.

I never said Avalon was a person, per se. It's not that
objective a concept.

I believe Avalon works better in small doses, so there was no
specific Avalon spin-off planned.
(GDW / 2-23-98)

Response recorded on February 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1. Will there be anymore Gargoyle cartoons?

2. And if so when?

3. If not, why?

4. If there will be any new seasons will they feature my
main favorite character, Puck? (I really want some more Gargoyle cartoons,
please.)

Greg responds...

1. I hope so, but...
2. ...None are currently planned.
3. Disney doesn't see the profit in it, I guess.
4. Puck would have his appearances.
(And I'd like more too, please.)
(GDW / 2-23-98)

Response recorded on February 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg,

First let me say right off the bat, thank you for helping to
create what I believe is one of the best shows ever to hit TV! :) You can
tell that to ANYONE else involved in making Gargoyles, too.

All of you deserve a giant KUDOS for your hard work! Okay, now
onto the questions!

1. Gargoyles is now out of production, right? So, technically,
aren't you out from under contract and could therefore read fanfic? Just
curious... don't worry, I have asked no questions regaurding any stories
that have been posted! :)

2. Were there any plans to expand the relationship between Puck
and "the royalty" (Oberon and/or Titania) into something more than a Lord
and servant relationship? This seems to be something many Garg fans
ponder...

3. How did the idea to use Shakespeare characters come to be?

4. Why was only first season released on video?

5. Were there any plans to devise a way to get Puck back his
powers and rights to Avalon?

6. Were any of the visions generated in "Future Tense" going to
be brought into the plot a little at a time?

7. Have you figured out that I am a HUGE Puck fan yet? :)
Okay, I think that's it! Thanks for taking the time to read and
respond to this! Best wishes!

Greg responds...

Thanks.
1. I've explained this a LOT. My contract with Disney was
NEVER what precluded me from reading fanfic. I don't read fanfic in
order to protect MYSELF from frivolous legal suits.

2. I'm not sure what you mean.

3. I love Shakespeare. Macbeth seemed ideal. The rest
followed suit.

4. The videos didn't sell enough to encourage the Home Video
division to release the second season.

5. Nope. I like his predicament.

6. Some already have been. Others never would. Others might.

7. Uh, sure.

(GDW / 2-23-98)

Response recorded on February 23, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Heya, Greg! I'm 14 and started watching your show in 6th grade. My first
thought: Hey, this show rocks! It beats Power Rangers! (I've hated that
show with a vengeance since I was like 9 years old). Gargoyles has this
whole family theme that's really heartwarming but doesn't have a mushy
feeling that is real sickening. Okay, here's the questions:

1) How old is Puck, both numeroligically and in human years? (If you don't
know exactly, can you give me a close estimate?)

2) I got confused over the whole Coldstone eps. Who is that bad guy,
Coldsteel? Was he originally a gargoyle killed in the Wyvern
massacre?

3) who are these Desdemona and Iago everyone's talking about in this
archive?

4) Was Lex supposed to have a girl by show's end?

5) I dunno if this is a little sacriligious tying the little guy down,
but ever considered anyone for Puck/Owen? (Sorry, just had to ask that).
What was his own social life like in the past? (I know that must be a
little broad since he must be ancient by now, but gimmesome main pointers,
pleasey?)

6) Is Puck even remotely sad about the whole permanent exile and
stripping of his powers? He doesn't show it. Then again, I guess after losing
his magical rights, he wouldn't want to lose face by breaking down in
front of Daddy O.

7) Aren't cars, planes, helicopters, ect, ect made of iron, along with
tons of modern day technological stuff? So how come Anatstasia and
especially Owen don't seem to looked all that fazed whenever they're around
something that's made of iron (i.e. Owen near limo, piloting chopper...).

8) Is it true there's a Gargoyle's movie coming out? Do you have
anything to do with it?

9) How'd you guys come up with the gargoyles idea? It's so original.
Were you all just sitting around and all of a sudden POOF or did you get an
idea and then sell it to Disney, or Buena Vista, or whatever (y'know, all
this legal stuff is confusing)?

10) Will Oberon ever consider lightening or lifting Puck's sentence?
*looking hopeful*

11) Are Fox and Alexander Xanatos immortal (or at least have longer
lifespans by a few centuries) because they're of Fey blood?

12) What happens to Puck after he's done training Alexander and after
Xanatos dies? He's not technically under contract, then, right? So
what happens to him?

13) Did Titania know (or at least get a good idea) that Oberon would
give Puck the boot in the Gathering eps? She didn't look all that shocked
when Oberon passed the sentence.

14) What'd she whisper in Fox's ear at the end of the Gathering
anyway?!?

15) Why was Oberon so darn strict in the Gathering? He exiled Puck
and took away his right to do magic. Why was he so ... harsh?
That's all the Q's I got for now. I'll write back if I think of
something :) Thanks for your time, almighty Greg!

Greg responds...

Hey, Aerie. Good to know we had at least one fan who was within the
target age group.

1) He's pretty old. Over five hundred years at least. Honestly,
though, I'm not sure.

2) Yep. A rival for Coldfire's affections, who tried to get
Coldstone out of the way by tricking him into a fight with Goliath.

3) Desdemona is another name for Coldfire. Iago is another name for
Coldsteel. They were never used in the body of the show, but we used
them in the credits to identify the actors who supplied their voices.

4) By which show's end?

5) I had and have plans for Owen and Puck. Not gonna reveal them
here though.

6) Yes. As you may have noticed, he tried to protest, but it was
clearly futile, so he reverted to the ever-stoic Owen.

7) In human form, iron's no more dangerous to them then it is to us.
Besides, it doesn't give off radiation or anything.

8) It's true there's a film in development. I'm officially attached
as a co-producer, but I haven't had much luck getting info about the film, let
alone contributing to it.

9) I worked for Disney. Someone came up with the idea to do a show
about Gargoyles and my team and I ran with it. (It's more complex than
that. Involves Gummi Bears and lots of other stuff. Check the archives for
a more complete answer.)

10) Anything's possible. Oberon isn't exactly Mr. Consistency.

11) Maybe. Maybe not.

12) Damn good question.

13) I'd say she had a premonition or at least a healthy dose of
intuition.

14) What do you think she whispered?

15) He felt abused and betrayed. Considering his orignal intentions,
I think everyone got off easy. (GDW / 2-10-98)

Response recorded on February 10, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg For some reason, I really related to the Magus, and was wondering
some things about him! In a former question, someone asked if Magus was
Magus real name, to which you replied "No" I was wondering what it is, and
myabe if you could supply some backround about him, that hasn't been given
before, like his name, some stories about his schooling in the art of magic,
why he didnt try and find another teacher etc maybe some stories about him
when he was going to King Kenneth's land with the princess or some stories
about adventures on the island On another note, How did Tom cast the spell
to return from Avalon? He, to the best of my knowledge, ad no training in
magic, and there was no conduit, like Magus' Grimoum, or source like Avalon,
for him to draw off of. If Magus lost his magic, surely Tom wouldnt have
had any. Also, if Magus knew that he could tap Avalon for power, why didnt
he try before, to a lesser extent so he could wield it properly? Did Magus
have any of Oberons childrens blood in him? ( like his greandfather or
father was 1/2 or something)? I ask this because the Wierd Sisters, in
Avalon part 1 after Magus told them to stand aside,told him he should have
known better than that, like he should have known Avalon was closed off, and
especially that he shouldnt have brought human magic to the island. Also,
Avalon aided him in defeating one of her own children, but perhaps that was
because Oberon didnt want them there yet? Or was it because he was partly of
avalon? If you wouldnt mind. instead of trying to answer my question into
Magus' history, if you wouldnt mind making a txt file into a story of sorts
that would be more than appreciated. Im a big fan of the series, and was
thourghly dissapointed with its cancellation Thanks for your time!

Greg responds...

In the future, please number your questions.

The Magus is one of my favorites too. But this isn't the forum for me to
deliver a novel-length response on his history. And I'm definitely not
making any text files. Keep in mind, this is a Q&A location. I get paid
to write stories. (I know that doesn't sound very altruistic, but neither is
requesting me to do a lot of work without compensation.)

Tom had centuries to learn one or two simple spells from the Magus that would
allow him to travel back and forth from Avalon.

The Magus may have tried using Avalon's magic before as an experiment here or
there, but he generally met with little success. Fortunately, there was no
crisis to require a greater need (or effort) until the Archmage showed up.

The Magus is fully human. (GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Please don't answer some of the questions that would reveal way too much
about the Gargoyles universe, if you tell us everything, there will be
little interest left in the show. Instead, maybey you could drop clues
that only somone clever intelligent and observant could figure out.
Thanx, Jon

Greg responds...

Most of the time that's what I try to do. But like a lottery, I think it
keeps things exciting if occasionally and out of the blue I reveal a tidbit
of knowledge. For example, there's no way anyone could have guessed that
Brooklyn's son's name was Nashville. So at some point I either reveal it or
not. Now, revealing the reason behind the name isn't the same thing. But
someone clever, intelligent and observant could probably figure it out.
(GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello again, I was watching the show today (I'm proud to say I have every
one with the exception of TGC on tape :) and I came up with a batch of new
Q's: 1a) In "Ill met by Moonlight" Titania says to Oberon "we'll reduce your
strength to that of a child's" or something like that. Does a fay's power
increase until adulthood and stop, or does a fay become more powerful over
time? 1b) or, does power run in the family, passed down through the
generations? Is Oberon one of the most powerful just because, or is he from
a royal line? 2) Will Puck be around in the Future Tense timeline or will
Owen (and therefore Puck) be dead by then? You said in the archives that
Owen "resets" whenever Pucks changes back into him, so will Owen eventually
grow old and die because of Oberon's restriction, or will he always look the
same because he becomes Puck to teach Alexander? 3) Speaking of Future
Tense...why does Goliath care if Puck gives the gate to Oberon? After all,
the gate came from Avalon originally anyway, so what's wrong with Oberon
having it? Does Goliath just hate Oberon or was he pissed that Puck used
subtrefuge to try and get it? 4) Another Future Tense Q...when the Talon
soldiers come through the city, they smash a woman's cart and we see her
holding a photo of Chavez. Is this woman her daughter? Curious minds want
to know... 5) One more Future Tense, is it a coincidence that Alexander is
wearing Coyote's armor, or was it just a cool design the art people reused?
6)and completely unrelated, is Demona's headpiece fashioned after Goliath's
brow horns, sort of a token from their happier days, or does it match
whatever horns she may have underneath? Does she even have brow spines? If
both parents did, you'd think Angela would have them too, but she doesn't.
7)One more. In several episodes the major underlying theme seems to be the
corrupting power of the big city (Bushido, Mark of the Panther, maybe Dracon
as a character?). This was probably intentional, but I was just curious
what your views on this theme were. Well that's all for now, thank you and
everyone else who worked on Gargoyles for such a wonderful show! Though I
know you can't read the fanfic, TGS is wonderful, and I think its because
you managed in only 66 episodes to create an entire universe for our
imaginations to explore. I don't think words can express our gratitude, so
I'll just say thank you, for everything!

Greg responds...

1a. Like most people, our abilities mature. Sometimes they continue to
mature. Sometimes they don't.
1b. That's not an either or scenario. Both.
2. Owen has a supporting role in 2158. Puck doesn't appear at all. You
can probably guess why.
3. We're mixing our future tenses here. Above, I assumed you were
discussing the proposed spin-off series. Here you seem to be talking
about the episode of the original series. Anyway, the Gate
is dangerous, and from Goliath's point of view, he'd rather no one used it.
4. Well, the whole thing is an illusion, but within the illusion, yes, that
was Maria's daughter. A little touch I threw in to add pathos, and help the
audience identify with an otherwise incidental character.
5. It's not Coyote's armor, though I see the thematic similarities, which
only makes sense.
6. Demona has some horns, similar to her tiara, though not exact.
7. I think your stretching, particularly by including Dracon. Both Dracon
and Elisa are New Yorkers born and bred. Doesn't prove anything. As to
Bushido, well sure the villain went off to the Big City, but we made a
point of saying that he had trouble learning the lessons of Bushido before
he ever left. And in Panther, Tea isn't corrupted by the big city at all.
She decides to go there and Fara gets her cursed because he wants her to
stick close to home. Again, the "Big City" is a neutral element. I don't
think life in a city is inherently more corrupt than out of one. Of course,
I grew up in Los Angeles, and I'm raising my kids here, so maybe I have to
think that. Anyway, I don't buy your logic on this one. (GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Just thought of one more: Is the clocktower a real NY building?

Greg responds...

Nope. Though there are some that look similar. (GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello!! I have quite a few questions, so please bear with me. (If at all
possible!!) Last time my qusetions got scrapped, so I'll omit any that I
think caused a problem (1) Does Oberon's law of noninterference in human
affairs physically prevent the fae from interfering, or do they only risk
Oberon's wrath as a punishment? (2) "Where" is Avalon ? i.e. could it be
placed on a map? (3) Are gargoyle clans extended families or are they
communities of gargoyle who choose to live together (or both)? (4) How does
Coldsteel heal itself ? (5) As the coldtrio are in mechanical bodies, are
they physically immortal, (i.e. can they die of old age)? (6) If the bodies
of the coldtrio were destroyed, could they be brought back "on-line?" (7)
What are the biological ages of the clone clan? (8) Why do some of the
clones have structural differences, such as Hollywood's huge fangs and
underbite? (9)In City of Stone, the Wyrd Sisters said that MacBeth and
Demona share "pain and anguish", does this include emotional pain and
heartache? (10)Why was Elisa's mother in Nigeria? (11)Are Jade and
Turquesa still on Avalon? (12) If the answer to No. 11 was yes, then where
do they live? (13)How did Mace Malone learn abouth the Illuminatti? (14)
Why was Jack Dane in the Witness Protection Program? (15) Would Lex
eventually have a mate/ (Any background info is appreciated!!) Thanks for
your time. Sorry if I repeated any questions already asked!!

Greg responds...

1. Both.
2. Depends on who made the map.
3. Both. I'm getting deja vu here. Are you sure your questions got
scrapped? I feel like I've answered all of these. Check the archives,
please.
4 - 15. Yeah, I've definitely answered these. Check out the archives, or
else maybe you were impatient, re-asking questions before we had a chance to
post the answers. (GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

How old is the oldest fey, I don't need specific years, you can round it to
the nearest hundred or so?

Greg responds...

Old.(GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Mr. Weisman, First of all, I'd like to thank you sooooo much for
taking your time to answer questions for all your fans! Gargoyles is a great
show, and opens up many new areas of imagination. I just have a couple of
questions. I'm sorry if they've been asked before! :) 1. In another
question, I heard someone mention Neil Gaiman. He is one of my absolute
favorite authors! Are you familiar with his works? 2. I've heard a bunch of
things about someone named Mab. Who exactly is she, just to clarify it? 3.
I don't know if you've answered this before, but who would be your favorite
character? Thank you so much! It's really great that you and Gorebash have
set this thing up!

Greg responds...

1. I read Sandman.
2. Read Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET. Mercutio has a whole monologue about
Queen Mab. That's where I learned about her. In the Gargoyles Universe, she
is also Oberon's mother. At least she is in my mind.
3. See the archives.
(GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I just found out a couple of weeks ago that Gargoyles is not cancled on the
USA ACTION EXTREME TEAM! Its on at 7:00 in the morning. can you belive
that?

Greg responds...

Uh, sure, why not?
(GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! Once again, thanks for taking the time to answer the questions of
a humble fan. I have three this time, numbered for your convenience :)
1) How long was Oberon the ruler of the fey (after Mab ceased to be ruler)
before he imposed the thousand year banishment? 2) I know you sort of
answered this one, but I will rephrase it. The question is: who is naught?
Is he just ment to be an "anybody" among the children, or did you have more
plans for him? 3) At what point in the series did Xanatos learn of
Owen's true identity? If he found out right at the beginning, why did he
not ask for Pucks help with some of the jams he got in? Pride? Again,
thank you for answering my questions, and thank you in a broader sense for
the Gargoyles themselves. Rarly has a show had the depth and maturity to
impress me the way Gargoyles did. Kudos to you.

Greg responds...

1. I haven't worked that out yet.
2. Plans. Plans. Plans.
3. Before you met him. And he couldn't get Puck's help, he had traded that
opportunity for a lifetime of service from Owen. So he didn't ask until the
Gathering, when the stakes were so high and things seemed so grim that he
felt he HAD to ask. And Owen said no. But then he changed his mind.
(GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

O Wise Creator of the greatest show on the planet-- Could you tell my
whether or not gargoyles eat? Broadway does, yet he is overweight. No one
else ever eats! Is it neccesary for gargoyles to eat, or even physically
comfortable?

Greg responds...

Yes, Gargoyles do eat, but as a supplement to their solar energy absorbtion.
(GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

A few questions that I forgot to ask: 1. Was Bronx part of the original
comedy development, or was he added in after you decided to switch to the
serious action-drama concept, like Goliath? 2. Does Titania know about
Oberon being Merlin's father? After all, Merlin was born long before the
"Great Divorce" (with apologies to C. S. Lewis) of 995, by traditional
Arthurian chronology. 3. In the Gargoyles universe, just how accurate is
Malory's account of King Arthur's reign? Did Sir Thomas get it pretty much
right, or did he "goof it up" the way that Shakespeare did with Macbeth's
story? 4. You said in your last response that you're currently reading
Christopher Marlowe's plays. How do you think that he compares with
Shakespeare? (The only Marlowe play that I've read is "Dr. Faustus", but I
think that it's quite good, especially the end where Faustus is horrifiedly
aware that in a few minutes, Mephistopheles and Co. are going to drag him
off to eternal torment and that there's nothing that he can do to stop the
progression of the clock towards that moment). 5. Was Owen's line about
out-Vogeling Vogel in "The Gathering Part II" inspired by Hamlet's line
about out-Heroding Herod in his famous speech to the Players? 6. In "A
Lighthouse in the Sea of Time", Macbeth says that Merlin's magic was
"stronger than anything, except the human heart." Was that "human heart"
bit an allusion to Lancelot and Guinevere's love (the traditional cause of
Camelot's downfall)?

Greg responds...

1. Bronx was a later addition.
2. I'm sure she knew. I'm not sure he knew she knew.
3. I'd hardly say Shakespeare goofed up. Same with Malory. But I think the
seeds of truth in Malory may not always have grown in the same direction as
in our series. Have to take it case by case.
4. I haven't finished reading his complete plays yet. Faustus is episodic
but impressive. Tamburlaine is very episodic, but certainly has some great
moments. That's all I've read so far. I just started THE JEW OF MALTA. Ask
me again later.
5. Hmmm. Maybe subconsciously, although I think you're giving us too much
credit this time.
6. Among other human hearts, yes.(GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg. Thanks for taking time to answer our questions. 1)
Approximately when did Puck reveal himself to Xanatos? 2) When did Xanatos
meet Demona? 3) When/How did Fox and Xanatos meet? 4) If "The Reckoning"
had been a 2-parter what else would have happened? 5) Is Hudson half-human?
He's the only gargoyle with facial hair and his coloring is almost human.
Thanks again!

Greg responds...

1. Before you met either character.
2. Before you met either character. (Or at least before you met Demona in
the 20th century.)
3. Same answer.
4. Good question. I can't answer that with absolute certainty, but I don't
think much more would have been added from the standpoint of PLOT POINTS. I
just think we would have had more room to deal with Angela and Demona, with
Thailog, with each of the clones and our characters' responses to them.
5. No, of course not. And he's not the only gargoyle with facial hair.
What makes you think the others don't shave? :) (GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg, sorry to bother you again, but after watching the Avalon eps again,
something is bothering me. I realize that you created a paradox with the
archmage living, but he had to survive the first time to get the talismans
so he could save himself. (Im sorry if that isnt to clear, and if you like
Ill try and clear it up in the future) I'm interested in temporal
mechanics, and that has been bugging me for years. ( Basically I want to
know how the Archmage survived the first time so he could create the
paradox) Thanks for your time!

Greg responds...

I've discussed this a lot recently, both here and in the comment room. The
Archmage survives BECAUSE his future self saved him, which allowed him to
live and age so that he could come back and save his younger self. It's a
loop. Like the Revolution at SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN. (GDW/1-27-98)

Response recorded on January 27, 1998

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MORE RAMBLINGS ON TIME TRAVEL AND FREE WILL:
Hey, Gary (and everyone)... You asked me further questions about time. The
answers all come down to Point of View. You didn't comment on the
"religious" aspects of my comments, but frankly, they seem unavoidable.

PoV. To Goliath, in the 1990s, the past seems fixed. The present and
future, not. To Goliath in 1940, the past and present seem fixed, and the
future seems fixed for a few decades, and then past the mid-nineties, not.
To Greg Weisman, in his capacity as god of the Gargoyle Universe, the past,
present and future seem fixed.

But what does this mean? It means we are bound by what we know and nothing
more. What does "fixed" mean? Goliath realizes that Griff can't return to
his clan in the forties, because he didn't return in the forties. But that
doesn't mean Goliath cannot affect their mutual futures, by bopping Griff
forward to the nineties.

Greg Weisman knows that something big happens in the year 2158. But he
doesn't yet know all the results of that. For that matter, Greg has a lot of
knowledge about what happened in 984. But what exactly happened between 984
and 994? I've got a basic idea, but there's room for movement. There are
facts I can't dodge, therefore facts that my characters can't dodge. But
that doesn't remove their free will.

Pre-destination does not NEGATE free will, unless the character abdicates
free will in the mistaken belief that he or she has none. And even then, the
"act" of abdication is a choice, an act of free will.

One other note: the Gettysburgh Address in my previous example could be
called a "time circle". Unbroken. No beginning or end. The Archmage is not
a circle, but a loop in a straight line. Think of a roller coaster. It goes
along straight for 100 yards. Then it begins a loop-de-loop. We travel up
and backwards and around and then the track flattens out again at the eighty
yard mark. For twenty yards the tracks run side by side, or put another
way, since the track is unbroken, lengths of the ONE track run side by side.
Then one length, "the younger length," heads back into the loop, while the
other "mature" length continues forward on the straight flat track.

Hope this helps. (GDW/1-27-98)


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Anonymous writes...

How did Wyvern Hill get its name?

Greg responds...

Good question. The answer's pretty self-evident.
Yes, that's a hint.
(GDW/1-26-98)

Response recorded on January 26, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Why did you put Eliza as a love intrest for goliath instead of demona?
eliza and goliath now thats disgusting, but i still love the show!

Greg responds...

Well, Evelyn, I think you're in the minority on that one. But basically, we
had a Beauty and the Beast motif in mind from the beginning. (GDW/1-26-98)

Response recorded on January 26, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

What episode did anibus appear in?

Greg responds...

Anubis appeared in "Grief."
(GDW/1-26-98)

Response recorded on January 26, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

In "Avalon Part 2", I noticed that when it showed the young Princess
Katherine and Magus playing with the baby gargoyles (baby Angela and
Gabriel, it was daylight and not nighttime. Was that a mess-up? If it was,
it was a very big one!

Greg responds...

I've answered this before. It's not daylight. The moon is bright in Avalon
when it's full, and they were all framed by the moon and torchlight.

And, yes, of course, we messed up a bit, but since I've got the above
explanation, I'm gonna stick with it and pretend we didn't mess up at all.
At any rate, please don't think we didn't notice that the lighting in the
scene was too bright. We did but we couldn't fix it before it aired.
(GDW/1-26-98)

Response recorded on January 26, 1998

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Here's a rambling:

There's been a little debate in the comment room, regarding the Archmage
time travel loop, time travel in general, and the subject of free will in
the Gargoyles universe. I posted my two cents, but thought I should include
it here too, in case anyone missed it:

Oh, I'm probably going to regret this, but...

Gary, Gary, Gary> Yep. There is a loop. And you're comparison to the
classic "Kill your own grandfather" chestnut doesn't parallel.

I could show you this pretty easy on a diagram, but it's a little more
complicated in type. But let me give it a shot.

The grandfather thing is a "non-working" paradox. The timestream short
circuits. [No cheating, now. No "Well, it turns out the man I always
thought of as my grandfather wasn't really my biological grandfather" and no
"He had sex with my grandmother just before I killed him." None of that.] I
go back in time to kill my grandfather. He dies. My father's never born.
I'm never born, therefore I don't exist to go back in time to kill my
grandfather. Since I don't exist, my grandfather never dies. So my father
is born, and, subsequently, so am I, allowing me to go back in time to kill
my grandfather. And so on, and so on, and so on... It iterates without
fusing. Again, short circuit.

Compare another chestnut that I made up a few years ago. I am a historian.
My specialty is Abraham Lincoln. I travel back in time and meet him just
before he's scheduled to give the Gettysburgh Address. To my horror, I
discover that he's got writer's block. The most famous speech a president
ever gave, and Abe can't think of what to write. I panic. And "write" the
speech for him. Of course I didn't compose it. I simply write down the
Gettysburgh Address from memory. Abe loves it. Gives the speech. Reporters
transcribe it. Historians put it in history books. I study it and go back
in time. Time flows unbroken. It is a "working" paradox. A paradox that
doesn't short circuit the time stream. Now it raises a HUGE question? Who
composed the Address? Not Abe, he got it from me. Not me, I got if from a
history book. Not the historians or the reporters, they got it from Abe.
The answer is it was born with the timestream, created by God or the Big Bang
or whatever. It is mysterious. But it works.

The best example of a working paradox story I've ever read is Robert
Heinlein's "All You Zombies". It's a brilliant, subversive little piece of
work.

The Archmage (and/or the M.I.A.) loop has much more in common with the
Gettysburgh chestnut than the Grandfather chestnut. It is a working
paradox. Simpler even than Gettysburgh. You are the Archmage. Once upon a
time, you were a kid. Then you grew up to be a man, and you wind up falling
into a chasm. You're rescued by a "STRANGER" who looks something like you,
but not quite. The "Stranger" mentors you and gives you power and actually
changes you so that you look more like the stranger than like your old self.
Then the "stranger" sends you back in time to that point where you rescue
your old self. Now to that old immature version of you, you seem like "the
stranger". You mentor the old you, you give him power. Then you send him
back to effect the rescue. It's a loop, because you don't go back again.
You continue forward until Goliath does you in. There's a beginning and an
end and a loop in the middle. It IS a paradox. But it's a working paradox.
There's no short circuit. Time flows. THERE IS A BIG QUESTION! Where did
the Archmage get the idea to save himself. Well, he knows to do it because
his old self was a "witness" to the rescue. His old self was the rescuee.
But where did the IDEA come from? Again, a quirk of the timestream.

Many people have asked me why I made this the time travel rule in Gargoyles.
It's a very conservative approach. You can't change history. Period. Sure
we may not know the whole story. But what happened, happened. We can't
change it. That's the rule as I established it in "Vows," and as we stuck
with throughout the series. Why? Time travel is all theoretical. I could
have chosen any rule I wanted. I could have chosen no rules. Why did I
chose this rigid approach? Basically, cuz I thought it was MORE fun. I hate
feeling cheated at the end of stories. Time travel stories are easily
subject to this abuse. So many great Star Trek episodes full of time travel,
wind up wimping out in the end. Cheating. Using non-working paradoxes or
breaking any semblence of rules they've already established. I always felt
ripped off. I didn't want that for Gargoyles. Also it presents our
characters with a greater challenge. Griff vanished in WWII. Goliath goes
back in time to change it. AND HE CAN'T!!!!!! So he has to find another way
to solve the problem. It also explains why our guys just don't go back and
fix things so that the Wyvern Massacre never happened. Once you open a a can
of worms, you're stuck with a lot of worms (or worse, you pretend they aren't
there). That seemed lousy to me, so I made it clear that once an event is
absolutely known, you can't dodge it. Only work within it's frame. It's all
a matter of opinion, but that seemed like MORE fun to me.

And now...DAH DAH DAH. Predestination vs. Free will. This is an ancient
argument. God is omniscient. He knows what Eve is going to do. So she had
no free will, right? Well, most theologians would say she does. Eve is
created with free will by God. She doesn't have to take that apple. Cain
doesn't have to kill Abel. Sure, God knows that Eve is gonna take it, that
Cain is going to kill, but he doesn't impose that knowledge or his authority
on either Eve or Cain. (He's God. He can make those subtle distinctions in
his creations.) The fact that Mom tells you not to eat the cookies and
nevertheless knows you're going to, doesn't mean that you have no free will.
You could surprise Mom and skip 'em. Now you can't surprise God. He's God.
So he knows ahead of time what you're going to do. But it's still your
choice. Nothing touched your free will.

Now, I'll admit, that at times in Gargoyles, that distinction seems less
clear. I'm the main (though not the only) god of the Gargoyles Universe.
(At least I used to be.) But, obviously, I'm not GOD, and I don't have his
subtle powers of creation. But I tried. I suppose it's tough to figure how
the Archmage could choose not to save himself. But I think the key is that
he wouldn't want to choose anything other than what he did. So his free will
isn't touched. Griff chooses to fight in the Battle of Britain. He chooses
to risk his life. He doesn't know about Phoenix Gates or time travel. But
he knows the risks of war. He doesn't make it home for forty years. Maybe
that's a consequence he couldn't predict, but it's better than dieing. His
free will isn't missing from the equation just because the time stream (or
God or whatever you believe in) knows that he's not coming back even before
he departs. In GONE WITH THE WIND, Rhett Butler doesn't join the Confederate
Army until he knows the Confederacy is doomed. HE KNOWS. But that doesn't
effect his free will. We all make decisions. Maybe someone out there knows
the results. God. Or a psychic palm reader living in Petaluma. Or your
Uncle Ralph, who did the exact same thing when he was your age. But the fact
that someone else know, whether we know they know or not, does not effect our
free will.

Anyway, that's my two cents. (GDW/1-26-98)


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Anonymous writes...

I've never really been a huge fan of fantasy myself, just wasn't that type
of guy. The only two people who have ever done fantasy that I really got
into are you Greg, and Neil Gaiman. I was wondering if there was a
possiblity of you two colabirating on a project of some sort.

Greg responds...

I doubt it. I've never met Neil, and God knows he doesn't need me to tell
his stories. Also we work in different media, and though we are both
interested in many of the same themes and topics, I think we have very
different approaches, very different tones, very different voices. I once
used his character of Death in an issue of CAPTAIN ATOM. I tried to be
respectful, but I heard through the DC Comics grapevine that he didn't care
for the appearance, though I never talked to him about it personally. But
Neil, if you're out there, I'd be willing to give it a shot.
(GDW/1-15-98)

Response recorded on January 15, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! You said that there are subdivisions within Oberon's Children. What
kind of subdivisions? Could you give some examples, please? Thanks! :)

Greg responds...

What was the context of my previous statement?

I'd say, as an example, that the old Norse Gods represent a faction reporting
to Odin, who in turn reports to Oberon. It's a fairly feudal system. Maybe
that's where we humans got the idea for feudalism. (GDW/1-15-98)

Response recorded on January 15, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I was going through your question/answer archive recently and a certine
question/answer caught my eye and sparked my interest. Someone else asked
"Will Owen ever have a life outside of Xanatos" or somethink like that, and
you answered "Who says he doesn't have one already" or something along those
lines. Hmm. . . 1) DOES Owen have a life outside of Xanatos/running a
multimillion dollar company/butlering? 2)If so, does Xanatos know about
this life? Some of it? None of it? All of it? 3) Considering that before
the gathering, Puck was free to use his powers as he wished, did he
mascarade as other people/gargoyles/beings/during the time he worked for
Xanatos, or was he striclty Owen? 4)Is Puck the biological son of Oberon
and Titania? Yes. . . Owen is my favoritie character

Greg responds...

1. Maybe.
2. Maybe.
3. When he was on duty, he was strickly Owen, cause that was the deal he had
with Xanatos. That didn't proclude him from messing around a bit on his off
time.
4. No. (GDW/1-15-98)

Response recorded on January 15, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I have a quick comment: in the Avalon episodes, the Magus seems infatuated
with Princess Katherine. Is that my imagination or was the Magus just very
loyal to the Princess? I liked the way Katherine became strong while the
Magus seemed foreever unsure of his magical powers. Thanks you.

Greg responds...

It's not your imagination. In fact, the Magus pretty much, as I recall, came
right out and admitted to Elisa that he loved the Princess. She loved him
too, but not in the same way. (GDW/1-15-98)

Response recorded on January 15, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

How long was/is the Gathering on Avalon to last? If your immortal it has to
last longer than the traditional week or so.

Greg responds...

It's still going and it's been over a year.
(GDW/1-15-98)

Response recorded on January 15, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Greg, I think you had mentioned earlier that some of the original manhattan
clan would still be alive by the time of Future Tense (2158). Who would
this have been, besides the timedancing Brooklyn?

Greg responds...

I don't think I confirmed that absolutely. I'm still not going to.
(GDW/1-15-98)

Response recorded on January 15, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

How can Demona wear the same clothes that are over a thousand years old?
Wouldn't they have disintigrated in a thousand years? How come in "Hunter's
Moon Part 1" and in "Sanctuary",Demona was a human (not wearing her
headband), then she trasformed into her gargoyle form, and she was wearing
her headband?! That's either bad editing, or that Demona is more magical
then I thought!!

Greg responds...

You probably don't want to hear this, because among other things, I'm sure
you know it, and yet you asked the question anyway. There are limitations to
our resources in making an animated series. One of these limitations is not
to redesign a character's clothing for every episode. So Elisa always seems
to wear the same outfit and Demona dresses in the same rags for a millenium.

As for the headband, there was some confusion with our animators, partially
because Demona has horns behind that headband. But there was nothing wrong
with the editing.

Come to think of it, this may be exactly the answer you were looking for,
since I'm sensing you just wanted me to cop to the fact that our process was
flawed.(GDW/1-14-98)

Response recorded on January 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg, 1. On a visit to the movies not long the other day I saw a
poster for a movie by Dreamworks animation, called The Sons of Egypt (I
think). Did you have anything to do with that movie? If so can you tell us
anything about it? If not What are you working on (I know you've been asked
this before, but I thought that there may be a chance that by the time you
read this question you might be able to talk about whatever it is your
working on)? 2. Are the mutates now considered a race or just a freak
experiment? 3. How many races are there? I know that Broadway said there
were three, but then "what does he know?" 4. On a scale of one to ten, ten
being absolutely sure and one being no chance, what is the possibility of
Gargoyles actually coming back? I also realize that in a way you've
answered this question before as well, but I want a better idea of the
chances. 5. (notice I didn't forget the five!) Using the same scale what
are the chances of the movie actually making it to the theaters? I realize
you may not have any idea about this one. 6. Humans evolved from monkeys,
gargoyles evolved from beasts, but what did beasts evolve from? Dinosaurs?
Pterasaurs (I notice that that pterasaurs glide just like gargoyles)? What?
thanks.

Greg responds...

1. That's PRINCE OF EGYPT. And, no, I have nothing to do with it. I know
it's the story of Moses, but it's being done by the Feature Animation
Division in a completely different building, in a different part of Los
Angeles. I've got nothing new to report on my own work. Wish I did. I'm in
development hell.

2. I don't think they qualify as a race, but I think any reference with the
word "freak" in it might not be politically correct.

3. He knows what he was taught. It depends on how you count of course.
We've met beings of four separate races on the show. Humans, Gargoyles,
Oberon's Children and the New Olympians. The latter, as I've mentioned
before are an ancient hybrid of Oberon's children and mortal humans. We've
also met Nokkar, who's a member of an alien race, and he's mentioned the
Space Spawn, who are still another alien race. I'm not counting "animals"
like dogs, panthers, gargoyle beasts, loch ness monsters, etc. I'm also not
claiming that this answer is definitive.

4. The odds are against us. But it isn't impossible. I don't know how to
quantify beyond that. I guess I'd have to say three or four.

5. I have no idea. 6? 2?

6. Humans didn't evolve from monkeys. Both monkeys and humans evolved from
a common ancestor. Same with Gargoyle Beasts and Gargoyles. I don't know
enough about dinosaurs et al to answer this question. At least not yet.
(GDW/1-14-98)

Response recorded on January 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Greg:Do the gargoyles have their own "language" or tounge? I assume they
picked up English when the castle was built. What did they speak before
then?

Greg responds...

Sorry, you assumed wrong. Gargoyles had interaction with humans long before
humans were building castles. So they "picked up" the native human tongue
long, long ago. They have no living spoken language of their own.
(GDW/1-14-98)

Response recorded on January 14, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

(Insert standard declaration of praise and
gratitude here.) After seeing the World Tour and observing how various
world religions were incorporated into the Gargoyles universe, I am led to
ponder the following questions. (1) Do gargoyles have any sort of a
religion? We know that the dictum "Gargoyles Protect" makes up a
consderable portion of their worldview, but do they have any such thing as
creation myths, legends, commandments? (2) I also noticed that the gods of
other cultures (Anubis, Anansi, Odin, and the Cloud Fathers) were revealed
as Children of Oberon, but no mention was made of any major Western faith.
What about characters like Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha? Were their
omissions oversight, or was it decided that the other gods were
sufficiently "exotic" that no one might be offended at their portrayal as
"merely fae"? (You don't meet a whole lot of Odin worshippers
nowadays.)

Greg responds...

1. Yes. I've answered this before, at least in part. Check the archives.
Gargoyle myths and legends would probably differ in different parts of the
world, just as human myths and legends do. But I'm sure there are thematic
consistencies.

2. Mohammed was a prophet, not a god. But basically, there was no point in
even proposing stories that we knew we could never get on the air. Your
evaluation may therefore be correct, though I admit to balking at it a bit,
because it sounds like we were condescending toward these other
cultural icons. I hope that's not the case. We tried to treat each
character with respect, but it may be that I have to cop to being more
presumptuous toward deities with less "political" power. (GDW/1-7-98)

Response recorded on January 07, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

1.How does your brother feel about being John Castaway's namesake? 2. How
long would Demona and Macbeth have lived? 2a. Would they ever have come to
peacefull terms with eachother? 3. Who was Merlin's mother? 4. When did the
Archmage recruit Demona as his apprentice? 5. When and why was the Archmage
banished? 6. When and why did Demona get kicked out of the Archmage's
apprenticeship? 7. When did Xanatos start construction of the Eyrie? 8. How
long did it take to move the castle and reassemble it on the building? 9.
What year did Xanatos and Demona first meet? 10. What year did Demona and
Puck meet for the first time? Thank you for your time. Good luck with the
magazine. Good luck with the movie. Good luck with life. Be seein ya
around.

Greg responds...

1. I think he likes it, but you'd have to ask him.

2. At least into the 22nd century.

2a. Maybe, maybe not.

3. I forget her name, but you can look it up, I believe, in Geoffrey of
Monmouth. Or read about her in Mary Stewart's THE CRYSTAL CAVE.

4. Prior to VOWS.

5. Prior to LONG WAY TO MORNING, for plotting against Prince Malcolm.

6. The Archmage thought Demona had betrayed him at the end of VOWS. He
wasn't completely wrong. That ended their professional relationship.

7. 1994.

8. A few months.

9. I'm not revealing that yet.

10. Ditto. (GDW/1-7-98)

Response recorded on January 07, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

oh great and illustrious creator, how and why did goliath get his name?
were you the one how named the three that are coldstone, coldsteel and
coldfire?

Greg responds...

We had been struggling to name all the characters for some time (with the
exception of Demona). I came up with the New York names and the rationale
that they had no names in the past. But that didn't seem to work for
Goliath. So we went with something classic. It appealed to me that Goliath
was named by the humans for an evil giant. A perfect indication that humans
didn't understand him (or gargoyles in general) at all.

I don't remember who chose the Coldstone name. It might have been me. Or it
might have been Michael Reaves who suggested it (or almost anyone on the show
for that matter). I know I came up with the Coldsteel and Coldfire names.
In early drafts of POSSESSION, Coldfire was called Goldfire, which was
another name I came up with. Finally the Coldfire name occurred to me.
It was obviously a better name, and I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of
it first. So I switched it. That was a bullet I dodged. (GDW/1-7-98)

Response recorded on January 07, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Thank you in advance for answering my questions. 1. In an earlier "Ask
Greg", you said Brooklyn's first trip with the Phoenix Gate would be to the
year 997. I'm assuming that would be to Castle Wyvern. Why would Brooklyn
want to go to the time and place that would drudge up painful memories? 2.
While we're on the subject of the Phoenix Gate, how does Brooklyn get his
hands on it in the first place? Isn't it supposed to be lost in the time
continuum when Goliath tries to make sure no one can get in "Future
Tense"?

Greg responds...

1. You assumed wrong. But at any rate, Brooklyn is not in control of the
Gate, so he's got no choice where and when it sends him.

2. The Gate pops open in front of him. He reaches for it and falls through
the rabbit hole BEFORE he can get a grip on it. (GDW/1-6-98)

Response recorded on January 06, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hello!! I have white a few questions, so please bear with me, (if at all
possible!!) (1) Does Oberon's law of noninterference in human affairs
physically prevent the fae from interfering, or do they only risk Oberon's
wrah as a punishment? (2)Is Avalon part of Earth, a different dimension or
planet, or none of the above? Please explain this concept to me. (3) Can
alines perform "human magic"? (4) Does Castasway consider Jason Canmore a
traitor? Would he be willing to harm Jason to kill the gargoyles? (5) Are
gargoyle clans extended families or are they communities of gargoyle who
choose to live together (or both)? (6) How does Coldsteel heal itself (7)
As the coldtrio are in mechanical bodies, are they physically immortal,
(i.e. can they die of old age)? If their bodies were destroyed, could they
be brought back "on-line?" (8) What are the biological ages of the clone
clan? (9) Why do dome of the clones have structural differences, such as
Hollywood's huge fangs and underbite? (10)In City of Stone, the Wyrd
Sisters said that MacBeth and Demona share "pain and anguish", does this
include emotional pain and heartache? (11)Why was Elisa's mother in
Nigeria? (12)Are Jade and Turquesa still on Avalon? If yes, Do they live
with the Avalon clan in the castle? (13)How did Mace Malone learn abouth
the Illuminatti? (14) Why was Jack Dane in the Witness Protection Program?
(15) In Turf, Brooklyn asked Goliath when the rest of the clan would get
their world tour. Was this an oblique hint at something? (16) Would Lex
eventually have a mate/ (Any background info is appreciated!!) (17) How did
Hakon escape Wyvern in the axe? Is he now permanently gone? Thanks for your
time. Sorry if I repeated any questions already asked!!

Greg responds...

1. Both.

2. It's part of Earth, but it's location isn't reached in a three
dimensional manner. It's magic. A nexus of native Earth magic.

3. Is "alines" a typo for "aliens" like Nokkar? If so, the answer would be
that they could in theory with study and practice and the right equipment.

4. I think he considers Jason to be a victim, not a traitor. I don't think
he would intentionally hurt his brother, but as we've seen, there's a bit of
a gap between Jon's actions and his intentions.

5. Both.

6. The animation wasn't great in that scene, but the idea is that the robot
body has a small internal repair function. Mini-robots (less sophisticated
and much larger than the nanotechnology used for Matrix) enact repairs.

7. Well, is any appliance immortal? I'd say time takes it's toll on most
things, but obviously they don't age in the same way an organic creature
does. So they have a greater immortality potential. As to their restart
capabilities, that would depend on how they were destroyed, I guess.

8. In 1996, all the clones (including Delilah, Malibu, Burbank, Brentwood
and Hollywood, but excluding Thailog) were biologically aged into their early
twenties. Thailog was aged into his late twenties to match Goliath.

9. Speed-aging has side effects. Also Hollywood is biologically older than
Broadway.

10. Metaphorically, yes.

11. She had studied their culture, and the village had invited her to be
story teller at the festival of the Panther Queen. This was a great honor
that she had been preparing for for years.

12. No. In my mind, they eventually returned home.

13. That's a story for another day. Not a short answer question.

14. He testified against the Dracon family.

15. More of a smart-ass remark, but it was a vague foreshadowing of
Brooklyn's TimeDancer adventures.

16. Someone asked this already. See my earlier response.

17. The axe had absorbed a lot of magic. And yes, he's permanently gone. I
figure the character is now spent. (A lot of people felt he was already
spent went he appeared in Vendettas.) (GDW/1-6-98)

Response recorded on January 06, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I only have one question right now, and I'll try to phrase it
appropriately. Have Demona and Macbeth ever been, um, intimate, excluding
the time she was masquerading as Domenic Destine? Hope this doesn't break
rules or offend.

Greg responds...

I don't think they've ever had intercourse, if that's what you're asking,
including when she was his fiancèe. That was part of her mystique as
Dominique. (GDW/1-6-98)

Response recorded on January 06, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Oops. I'm so sorry! I asked a question that someone else had asked. I
didn't mean to. Please forgive me. *sobs in remorse* ...Halloween candy is
my friend. *bounces off nearest wall* Sorry. I'm calmer now. I think that
the magazine is a very cool idea, and I hope that you get to do it. Um, I
suppose I should ask a question. (Like I haven't asked enough.) All right,
you won't tell us how or when Puck and Demona met, but would you tell us
WHERE they met? Please? Thanks! (whether you tell me or not.)

Greg responds...

No. (GDW/1-6-98)

Response recorded on January 06, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hey almighty ruler- er, Greg. Thanks for taking the time to answer my
questions- that is, if they're being answered:) Moving on... 1. Which
buildings on the show are real? I know the silver falcon is real... it's in
a mattress ad!!! 2. In "Awakenings" the Magus said that the gargs were
un-natural creatures. Did he mean that in prejudice, or did it mean that
they were actually un-natural? Well, that's all I
can think of right now. Thanks,
Nausika

Greg responds...

1. Give me a list of buildings your curious about, and I'll let you know
which ones, to my knowledge, are real. Eyrie Building is not of course.
Cloisters are. (There, that's a start.)

2. Prejudice. (GDW/1-6-98)

Response recorded on January 06, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

I'm sorry again. You will be pleased to know that I've seriously cut back
on my candy consumption. I just have one more question (that I can
remember), and then I promise to go away... for awhile, at least. How did
Oberon, Titania, and Puck react to A Midsummer Night's dream? Thanks! Bye!

Greg responds...

I haven't given that much thought yet. So at the moment, It's hard to
divorce my answer from the issue of the comic book SANDMAN that dealt
with this exact subject and which I read some time ago. That felt pretty
close to right for me. Having said that, if I ever got around to telling
my version of that story, I'd probably take our characters in a very, very
different direction, because I wouldn't want to be copying Neil Gaiman.
(GDW/1-6-98)

Response recorded on January 06, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Mr. Weisman, I really enjoyed the show. My question is a lot of
attention has been spent on the significant others of Broadway and
Brooklyn. What about Lex? Did you plan for him to have a mate, or would
he have turned as some celibate computer geek? Thanks!

Greg responds...

I do have plans for Lex's significant other, but they are tied into other
long-term plans, so it doesn't make much sense to reveal the details now.
(GDW/1-6-98)

Response recorded on January 06, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

You once said that Demona was capable of conceiving a child. 1) Is this
so in both gargoyle and human forms? 2) If she concieved a child in
gargoyle form, would the child survive her sunrise/sunset
transformations? 3) Ditto for if she (Demona) concieved as a human. 4) I
define immortal as this: having a lifespan capable of lasting
infinately. Now, are Fox and/or Alexander Xanatos immortal? 5)
What does Katana look like? (Hope ye answer this one, grin!) Thank
you very much for giving your time to those of us who are obsessed with
your show. Especially me. (She bows low, acknowleging your superiority.
Greg is all-knowing...Greg is omnipotent...I am not worthy! Arigato.)
Again, thanks. Arlee

Greg responds...

1. I would think so, yes.

2. I'd guess that the magic that generates her transformation would also
allow the child to live.

3. Ditto.

4. We honestly don't know. (See the Archives for a more complete answer on
the immortality of Oberon's Children.)

5. She hasn't been designed. I have a vague (extremely vague) picture in my
mind, but I wouldn't want to pin anything down here. Sorry. (See I'm
neither omniscient nor omnipotent. I'm rarely even omnipresent.) (GDW/1-6-98)

Response recorded on January 06, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

****Blaise takes on solid form in the "Ask Greg" room.**** Greetings, Mr.
Weisman. I do have a few questions for you, but they can wait for a little
bit. I am happy to hear about your idea for a magazine. If you choose to
do it, good luck to you! May it be accepted, good, and profitable. Now
then, as for my questions...well, the first one kind of takes some
explaining. 1) I may just be jumping to conclusions here but...when
Bronx, Angela, and Goliath first met Raven in his gargoyle form, they
seemed somewhat wary of him to me. However, when they meet the real
gargoyles, Leo and Una, Angela recognizes them as gargoyles right off the
bat. My question; is there any signifigance to these differing reactions?
2) This second question may be offensive, and I apologize if it is, but I
want to ask it. You have answered a lot (and I mean A LOT) of questions,
and it's obvious a lot of thought went into some of the answers. However,
are there ANY questions which you've just thought up of quick answers to
right when you're asked? By this I mean several odd show nits, or various
internal show devices...aw heck, even I have trouble understanding what I'm
asking! 3) Last, you are very friendly with us fans. Has there ever been
any time in which we have been too...I don't know. Too something? (like
too inquisitive in the case of so many questions) Well, I numbered my
questions and (if I pressed Enter the correct number of times) should have
them spaced apart (if they aren't, I apologize). Thank you very much for
all your time, Mr. Weisman. Farewell. ****Blaise becomes energy and flies
off.****

Greg responds...

1. I think you're reading in more than is there. Bronx is a good
instinctive judge of character, but Goliath and Angela aren't particularly.
I think Goliath largely did trust Raven right off. Angela was suspicious,
but that was because his story didn't make sense to her, although not
necessarily for the right reasons. As for Leo & Una, I think Goliath, Angela
and Elisa were all trying to solve the mystery of the War Memorial and were
too distracted to have too much of a guard up.

2. Some answers are spur of the moment. Some are not. Some answers are
part of my overall thinking but have never been articulated before. Are you
wondering about anything in particular?

3. Never too inquisitive. I don't always feel like giving an answer, but I
don't mind the questions. I don't think it's a secret that I've found a
couple of commenters a bit presumptuous. Assuming they know better than I
what went on behind the scenes in the making of our show or even what is or
was going on inside MY head. That's annoying, but not exactly tragic. I'm
also not too fond of rumor spreaders, who take advantage of fans by
spreading false info so that they can feel superior. But generally, the
fans have been incredibly courteous and enthusiastic. We haven't always
agreed on everything, but I don't expect the fans to goose-step in line
behind me. And it has been great to see how you all have responded with so
much passion for the series. (GDW/1-6-98)

Response recorded on January 06, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

That Gargoyles magazine is an excellent idea, Greg. Good luck with it, and
if it does go through, I hope you make at least a modest profit on it.
Now for some Q's... 1) Is Officer Morgan's name really Morgan Morgan? I
mean, he gets called Officer Morgan at work, and people call him just
Morgan outside of work.. 2) Are you in the mood to reveal the identity of
the Director? (I have a pretty good guess as to who it is, but saying it
would be breaking the ground rules...) 3) What about Mr. Duval? Feel like
telling us who he is? 4) What would Tachi's, Nashville's and Katana's
approximate ages have been? 5) Would Fox still be alive in 2158? 6) If
#5 is yes, then how old (biologically) would she have been? 7) How far
would the Coyote program have evolved? Would he eventually become sentient,
and not tied down to 'what he was programmed with' ? 8) What MiB episode
did you write? 9) Do you think that if the Gargoyles magazine goes
through, relatively high sales from all us garg fans will prompt Disney to
actually consider making new Gargoyles episodes? (Or at least bringing back
the reruns to afternoons, or putting them on the Family Channel with the
rest of their shows.)

Greg responds...

1. Yes. I went to high school with a guy named Morgan Morgan. His full
name was Morgan Lord Morgan III. He had nothing in common with our Morgan,
but I always thought he had a bizarrely cool name.

2. Um, I'm not sure what you mean. I'm not going to reveal his given name,
but it wouldn't be of any particular significance to you. He's not an
existing character, if that's what you're thinking.

3. I've basically given this away already, but I think I'll maintain a bit
of mystery here.

4. When?

5. Not saying.

6. See above.

7. Sorta.

8. It's called "The Big Sleep Syndrome". I just watched a tape of it today
for the first time. It hasn't aired as of today's date, but probably will
have by the time you read this post.

9. Disney on the Family Channel? I think you're confused. Magazine sales
would have to be enormous for it to effect programming decisions. I got
less than 300 responses to the poll. That barely qualifies as a drop in the
bucket. (GDW/1-5-98)

Response recorded on January 05, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

The magazine sounds like an excellent idea! :D I hope you do eventually get
to publish it. 1)Would we, as fans, be permitted to submit articles or
artwork for inclusion in it? (no fanfic, of course. We would leave the
storytelling up to you) You have stated that Oberon was Merlin's father.
2a)Was Oberon aware of that fact? b)Was Merlin? c)What was the
relationship between them?(ie. did they get along?) 3)Is Merlin on Avalon?
(This may have been asked before, but it *is* a yes-or-no question, so I
hope you won't mind) 4)a)Who was Morgan LeFay? Some accounts of the legend
of King Arthur refer to her as the Queen of Avalon. b)What was her
relationship to Oberon and Avalon? c)Was(is?) she part fey? 5)Just a
small matter I wanted to clarify: Is Puck incapable or merely forbidden to
use magic when not teaching or protecting Alex? 6)You mentionned in
response to an earlier question that Xanatos had been fully developped
*before* Jonathan Frakes was cast in that role. How is that
possible??!?!?!?! They are virtually IDENTICAL!!! 7)Inquisitive am I not?
That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll come up with more. Thank you in
advance for your reply.

Greg responds...

1. Letters to the editor certainly. I'd have to check the legalities on the
rest. Of course, it's all looking mighty moot now, but maybe someday.

2a. Yes.

2b. Evenutally.

2c. Complex.

3. Not at the moment.

4. I'm not going to reveal that right now. Sorry.

5. Both.

6. Kismet? I'm not saying that we didn't write to Jonathan's strengths, and
certainly Jonathan brought a great deal to the role. And he was clearly
perfect for it. But the character was designed and developed before Jonathan
came aboard. Before he even occurred to us. The only character from the
original group of regulars that was developed with a specific actor in mind
was Hudson. (And, yes, that actor was Edward Asner.)

7. No more than most. (GDW/1-5-98)

Response recorded on January 05, 1998

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! I promise I'll try to ask fewer questions this time. 1) Why did
Owen freak out when Anastasia mentioned that she had remarried her first
husband? 2) What did Titania do to provoke Oberon into exiling everyone
from Avalon? 3) What were the exact terms of the exile? 4) Just how upset
is Owen/Puck about being eternally banished from Avalon? 5) Does Owen ever
accidentally hurt himself with that stone arm? Like maybe turning over in
bed and whacking himself in the forehead? 6) How much time passed between
"Ill Met By Moonlight" and "The Gathering"? 7) Why did Owen return to help
Xanatos in "The Gathering"? 8) Does Owen just have one tie, or does he have
lots of identical ties? (I like pointless questions. Sue me.) 9) If Puck is
only allowed to use his powers when teaching or protecting Alex, how did he
change back into Owen at the end of "The Gathering"? 10) Could you please
try to clear up the whole Owen/Puck thing? (*sigh* Let me try to clarify
that. People have lots of different ideas about the exact nature of
Owen/Puck, like just how separate they are, (or if the term "they" would
even appliy to "them")... Ack! I don't think I can explain what I mean any
better without breaking the rules! I really hope you understand what I
mean.) Would you believe that I actually came in here to ask *one*
question? Sheesh... Anyway, thanks!

Greg responds...

1) He knew her first husband was Oberon.
2) I'm not revealing that right now.
3) I'm not sure how exact a guy Oberon was (or is). Basically, it was get
out there and live among the mortals 'til I gather you back. Which I
probably won't do for about 1000 years.
4) It's a real blow. He didn't want to go back now, but that's not the same
as being banished from your home forever.
5) Owen is much too competent for that. Don't you agree?
6) Not too much. Ask me again when I've done the whole timeline thing.
7) Basically, he cared too much not to.
8) He has a few ties, but he favors a certain style.
9) That's his "non-powered" form. The one he's stuck with when he isn't
teaching or protecting Alex.
10) I think I've answered this a lot, so I'd recommend checking the
archives for a more complete answer. Basically, Owen is one of Puck's many
identities. A persona Puck created. Owen is, however, a persona that Puck
has a lot invested in. They ARE one guy though. I hope that answers your
question. I don't really think it's that confusing. Are you sure you're not
over-thinking it? It's pretty much what Puck said it was in "The Gathering,
Part II." (GDW / 12-24-97)

Response recorded on December 24, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

I would like to thank you for reading my response. I have a few
questions that have been nagging at me for a while. 1. What happened to
the clocktower after the Hunters blew it up? Was it demolished or
rebuilt? 2. Did/will the gargoyles find out that Canmore and Castaway
are the same person. 3. Did anyone at Internal Affairs wonder where Dect.
Maza was at during her "World Tour"? 4. Not to mention how she got shot?
I feel that I should inform you that you made a mistake. The assault on
the 23rd precienct was a terrorist act. Such actions are a federal
offense and the handling of these cases is under the jurisdiction of the
FBI. The NYPD CANNOT create the "Gargoyle Task Force" without proper
authorization. I find it very hard to believe that the FBI does not have a
larger role in these things. They don't take these things
lightly(believe me, I checked). Sorry for sounding picky. Thank
you.

Greg responds...

1. It was under reconstruction during "THE JOURNEY", though I'm not sure if
that was clear in the episode. It was, at least in my mind, being rebuilt.

2. Yes.

3. I don't think there was an Internal Affairs investigation, but Elisa had
to tell Chavez something when she got back. And there was a Missing Person's
Report filed. That case was closed.

4. Elisa told them it was an accidental shooting. There was no evidence to
the contrary, so they let it pass. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that Elisa has a
fairly stellar record, not to mention that she's the daughter of a police
sergeant with an equally clean record.

And, Tim, I don't think I did make a mistake. Who said the FBI
DIDN'T get involved? I never did. I just didn't depict it. But don't tell
me that a local police force cannot create a Task Force at the drop of a
hat. The LAPD does it all the damn time. I'm sure it's no different in
NYC. They don't need the FBI's permission to launch a task force. Just
the Police Commisioner's permission (and no veto from the mayor). And don't
tell me that FBI juristiction or no, the NYPD isn't going to be very
territorial and involved in any investigation into the destruction of one of
their precinct houses. Cops get very intensive when it comes to attacks on
their own. Very intensive. Sorry for sounding prickly. (GDW/12-15-97)

Response recorded on December 15, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Hello! I just have one question for you. 1)Why doesn't Elisa even shed a
tear when she finds out (or thought she knew the truth) that Hudson died in
the episode when Macbeth was a robot? I'm REALLY sorry, but I forgot the
title of the episode. If your too confused with this question, I'll
understand if you don't answer it! Thanks.

Greg responds...

1. THE PRICE. And I just don't think there was time to take it all in,
before the real Hudson showed up. (GDW/12-15-97)

Response recorded on December 15, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Hello again Mr. Weisman. You mentioned that The Goliath Chronicles moved
"too fast" with public acceptance of the gargoyles, and that's certainly
true. My question is this, by the time "Bad Guys" rolls around (that
leika was AWESOME!), Yama is a member of this covert team. What is his
"status"? Does the mysterious group behind this Dirty Dozen-esque team
grant him any legal rights or acceptance, or is he considered along the
lines of a trained animal, more like Hunter's property than a sentient
beast? Just curious, thanks for answering (if you can)!

Greg responds...

The Director and the Hunter both know that Yama is fully sentient. That
doesn't mean that they choose to recognize that he has any rights. As with
Dingo and Fang, they basically blackmail Yama into joining the team or
else. The Squad's operations are, at least in theory, covert, so there
wasn't any need for a public stance on this point. Good question though.
(GDW/12-15-97)

Response recorded on December 15, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, I?m sorry that there are so many questions, but watching the
repeats on the Disney Channel (in England at least) has given me a lot to
think about. At the time of writing I can?t find the answers to these in
the archives, but ignore the question if that has changed or I?m wrong. 1.
How long do the New Olympians generally live for, naturally? 2. One of my
favourite shows was HERITAGE, but it is the only one that nobody seems to
talk about. A) Whatever happened to Raven? B) Would he have featured again?
3. How and when did Demona come to know that Puck and Owen were the same?
4. I might be reading too much into this, but through the first two seasons
Xanatos and Demona were the two main recurring villains. Xanatos changing
some, if not all, of his views seems to set him up to be a character on
either side, as it suits him (like Macbeth). Castaway, after THE JOURNEY,
can hardly be less than a major villain. A) Is my analysis correct, at
least partially? B) Would having two main villains driven by hate and guilt
make the stories start to seem repetitive? 5. When (ie. The year and maybe
month) would the New Olympians make themselves known? 6. In THE PRICE, out
of all the villains, why did Xanatos choose to make a robotic version of
Macbeth? He knew that the weird sisters took him away in CITY OF STONE, but
presumably didn?t know about HIGH NOON. To him, Goliath would have been
suspicious. 7. Why did Goliath not show himself when Elisa introduced the
Mutates to the Mazas? Although he is a different species, the Mazas would
probably not have noticed until he turned to stone. That way Goliath could
have had the support of the Mazas. Goliath had no problem with Derek
knowing in HER BROTHERS KEEPER. 8. Were the human gargoyles and gargoyle
Elisa how the clan would have looked had they been human or was this only
Puck?s interpretation? 9. You once mentioned that the World Tour was
?laying seeds.? What were they? New Olympians, Pendragon and Matrix for
their series, Hakon, Brod and Griff for other stories in the season and the
clan in Japan was presumably setting the stage for Katana. All these are
obvious. What about the Loch Ness Monster, Raven, Anubis, Odin, Cucullain,
the Guetamala clan and the were-panthers? 10. Was it just chance that
Demona chose to speak to Brooklyn or did she pick him knowing his
character? 11. One of the Weird Sisters mentions, in AVALON PART TWO that
the Eye of Odin was forged on Avalon. Was she referring to Odin?s birth?
12. Would there ever have been any truce or even friendship between Demona
and Elisa? Thanks for doing ?Ask Greg? and especially if you can bear all
these questions.

Greg responds...

1. They're all pretty different, but I'd guess it ranges from between 13 and
250 years.
2. Raven was present for the Gathering on Avalon, where he's currently
residing. I did have more stories planned for Raven.
3. Shortly after Puck created Owen.
4. As far as it goes, your analysis is correct. I'm not particularly
concerned about having both Castaway and Demona as villains. I wasn't
concerned about having Xanatos and Thailog as villains, and their motivations
were fairly similar. I'm making no attempt to have a quota on the number of
Major Villains, Minor Villains, Swing Characters, etc. I try to be true to
each individual and allow them to grow if they're capable of it.
5. I can't answer that. It depends on when, if ever, I get another chance
to tell their story. It's intended to be a contemporary event however, if
that's what you're asking.
6. Xanatos chose Macbeth presumably because he served as believable
misdirection. David guessed correctly. Goliath did believe that Macbeth had
a magical powder that could keep Hudson frozen in stone.
7. I don't think Goliath wanted to intrude on their moment of reunion. They
had enough to deal with, without having to hear Elisa's whole history with
the Gargoyles on top of everything else. And yes, Goliath probably could
have passed for a Mutate, but I doubt he'd want to lie to Elisa's parents,
even by ommision. Also, I'm sure Elisa had input on the decision, and as we
know, Elisa wasn't big on sharing that secret with anyone.
8. Uh... How do I answer that? Both. I mean, how would you look if you
were born a platypus? How would a mule look if he were born an anteater?
9. Yes.
10. When?
11. Maybe. Or maybe to his eye being transformed into the jeweled form we
were familiar with.
12. I'm not sure yet.
(GDW/12-15-97)

Response recorded on December 15, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

1) How did Puck decide on the name Owen Burnett? 2) What does Owen do in
his spare time? 3) Who are Puck's parents? 4) Who told Shakespeare the
story of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and why? 5) How accurate is AMND? Is
it more accurate than Macbeth? 6) What is Puck's real name? (I'm hoping
that that IS his real name, but...) 7) Xanatos does pay Owen, doesn't he?
If so, how much? 8) Does Xanatos ever let Owen take a vacation, and if so,
where does he go during his time off? 9) Why is the window in Owen's
office up so high? 10) What happened to Queen Mab after Oberon overthrew
her? 11) Whenever people ask you if Oberon's Children are immortal, you
get kind of evasive, so I'm going to rephrase it. Do Oberon's Children
eventually die of old age? 12) You've also pointed out that since they're
shape-shifters, Oberon's Children can look any way they want to. Does Puck
really look the way he usually appears? What about Oberon and Titania? 13)
Did the events that occured in "The Gathering" happen exactly the way
Titania planned them, or just generally the way she planned them?
Specifically, did she expect Oberon to eternally ban Puck and take his
powers away? I guess I'll stop now. Thanks for putting up with me. :)

Greg responds...

1. I'd have to think about that. I'm sure he was looking for something that
had the feel of Preston Vogel without actually sounding so close as to arouse
suspicion. (They already looked so much alike.)

2. What spare time?

3. I'm not telling.

4. Ask me again later.

5. Less at stake, so in its way, probably. But the play is heavily
anachronistic and analocalistic (a new word), so it's not exactly a
documentary.

6. Puck is ONE of his many "real" names, others include Owen Burnett and
Robin Goodfellow. In fact we briefly considered using the latter name or
just plain Goodfellow instead of Puck because a couple people were nervous
that Puck would be mistaken by parents for another word which it happens to
rhyme with. Ultimately, we figured that we'd go with the name that the
character was most famous for and just make sure we were really careful with
our enunciation.

7. Yes. I don't know the exact amount. Quite a bit, but he's worth every
penny.

8. Xanatos would let Owen take a vacation, but I don't think Owen's
requested one yet.

9. Design fluke?

10. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh.

11. I honestly don't know, because they don't know. I'm not trying to be
evasive on this point. Here's what we do know: (1) they are, at the very
least, extremely long lived; (2) none of them have died of old age YET;
(3) They are shape-shifters, so they don't ever have to look old, and most
choose not to. Even the ones who do choose to look old, like Grandmother for
example, don't age visibly, they simply maintain an elderly form. None of
this is evidence against the evenutal possibility of dying of extreme old age.

12. Who knows? I doubt Puck does. Or Oberon or Titania for that matter.
When you can choose any form, who's to say which form is the "true" form?
I'd say Puck, Titania, Oberon et al are in their "true" forms because those
are the forms they most often choose to be in.

13) You'd have to ask Titania, but I wouldn't bet against her.
(GDW/12-15-97)

Response recorded on December 15, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Some questions and comments: 1) I was wondering if you think Disney would
consider licensing the comic book rights to Gargoyles to an imprint other
than Marvel (ie. Dark Horse, WildStorm, Topcow, ect.) and would you
consider taking on writing duties if they did? Marvel didn't do a great job
with the series because it didn't have the same quality of art and
story-telling that the cartoon had at the time. Without a T.V. series to
compete with, a Gragoyles comic could continue your stories with adequate
sales. Just a thought. 2) To your knowledge, were any of the other
Gargoyles videos edited down from the original broadcasted version? 3)Did
they include any new scenes? Although "Awakening" was cut down a lot, I
noticed a new scene where Goliath answered the airship captain's question
of "What are you?" with "Your worst nightmare", a cliche that kind of
deserved to be edited out. 4) I just want to say that I'm glad your staff
put out such a great animated series without resorting to adding the
pointless violence that your Mighty Morphing competitors survived on. There
are only a handful of children's shows nowadays that rely on true
story-telling, but they seem to be getting cancelled all of the time in
exchange for mediocre programming. Thanks for your time.

Greg responds...

1. I think Disney would consider that. The question is, how do you get a
new comic company interested, when Marvel's version poisoned the water from a
sales standpoint. Still if you guys could convince a comic company to take
it on, I'd love to write the book. Again, I was poised to take over the
writing of the Marvel book (and I had already scripted one issue) when the
mag was cancelled by Marvel. Incidentally, I think the art was generally
pretty strong on the book. The stories suffered because they were tangential
to my series continuity, but I don't think it was a bad effort. The main
problem was that it was marketed poorly and/or incorrectly.

2. To my knowledge, they were not. Though I didn't watch them. I'm just
confident that they didn't spend the money to do any editing.

3. There were no new scenes. Even that wasn't a new scene. As you noted
the two (nearly) simultaneous edits of "AWAKENING" and "THE HEROES AWAKEN"
were done by two different sets of people who had two different sets of
marching orders.

4. Thank you and you're welcome. (GDW/12-15-97)

Response recorded on December 15, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

A few questions, all fey (fae, fay, whatever) related. Thank you in advance
for your responses. 1)a)Does Oberon have any biological offspring other
than Merlin? b)Who are they? c)Which of the above, if any, are also
Titania's children? 2)Where was Puck during the late 15th century? (I am
not asking WHO he was or WHAT he was doing, since you are unlikely to
answer such questions. All I want is the name of a city - or country, if
you would prefer not to be more specific.) 3)You mentionned that Queen Mab
was Oberon's mother, and several people have asked who his father was, but
who were TITANIA's parents? 4)Just out of curiosity, have you read the
novel "The Mists of Avalon"?

Greg responds...

1a. Yes.
1b&c. I'm not telling.
2. Around.
3. I'm not telling.
4. No. Though I received it as a gift while I was working on the show, I
haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Right now I'm in the middle of
reading the plays of Christopher Marlowe. After that, I plan on reading the
complete works of William Faulkner. In between, I generally fit in a Tony
Hillerman book here and there. Everything else is in line behind those three
authors. (GDW/12-15-97)

Response recorded on December 15, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg, thanks again for answering all our q's. 1)You said in one of
your responses that one of the main, gargoyle characters would die
violently. In another response you said that Castaway might (in the future)
kill a gargoyle. I don't want to break your rules by assuming any of my own
opponions on this, but are these two responses any way related? 2)How
long ago was the Guatemalan clan mostly killed out? 3)What happened to
Pendragon's son that Oberon needed to owe him a favor? 4)I know you
told us "Let me surprise you" on the ceremony between the commitment of
Elisa and Golith's relationship, but I'm just wondering one thing...Were
any of their friends there, or were they in privacy? 5)You said that
you had 10 monthes to produce/make the first 13 episodes, but I heard
before that it took a year to make the final copy of an ep. Am i wrong? If
I am, how long should it take to produce a great final copy? 6)I have
noticed that while watching TGC (and I'll take this from the first ep that
you did) the sound affects, and the animation is strikingly similar to the
sound affects and animation the the cartoon, "Spiderman". Was their an
animation/company change between the 2nd and the 3rd season? 7)In
another response you said that Elisa and Goliath barely had a realtionship.
Was the "date" that Elisa and Goliath were planning to have, before being
ambushed at her apartment, in "The Journey", considered to you, part of
thier progress in their realtionship? Thanks for your time! I greatly
appreciate it!

Greg responds...

1. I'm not sure that I said exactly what you're reporting here. I don't
remember. At any rate, I'm not responding to this.
2. Not very.
3. Huh? Oberon owed his own son Merlin a favor.
4. Friends and relatives will be in attendance.
5. "Final Copy"? I'm not sure what that means. From premise to air can
take as little as six months to as much as two years, depending on schedule,
staff, money, etc. Obviously, the more time, the better the odds that the
quality will be high in the end result. Time is no guarantee of quality, but
it sure helps.
6. Yes.
7. I'd say it was progress, though aborted progress. You'll notice
Elisa did dress up for it. (GDW/12-15-97)

Response recorded on December 15, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Well first I what to thank you and the rest for a great TV series. First,
you probley bee asked this one a few times, are you or your staff Star Trek
fans, no malice intended, I enjoy Star Trek. Just wondering about the
voices, personally i think are great choices. Second, this might be
stepp'in on some toes, but ya never know less ya ask, is Disney or anyone
going to be porting the second season to video, I know the movie and first
season are already on video. And now I can't remember any other questions,
oh well, thanks for your time...

Greg responds...

I do like Star Trek -- some episodes and films more than others, of course.
I've discussed why we had so many Star Trek voice actors before. Check the
archives, but the short answer is that a bunch of them auditioned for us
right off the bat, so that later when we were casting we had them in mind.

No plans for putting the 2nd season out on video as far as I know.
(GDW/12-15-97)

Response recorded on December 15, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

First I would like to say that I think gargoyles had to be the best
animated series I have ever seen. Now for the questions. 1. Do you have
any gargoyles fiction on this or any site? I have enjoyed alot of the
fanfiction but would love to read some of your work. 1. I have been
curious abaut Demona. How evil is she rated from 1 to 10? I mean could
she bring a new born human infant to harm, or isn't she that bad? 3.
Does Oberon have an equal? Or someone who's power nears or exeeds
Oberons? 4. I am from New Zealand And the last Gargoyles episode we got
here was "Hunters Moon". Are there any more episodes to follow and if so
do I have much to look forward to? Thanks alot Greg.

Greg responds...

1. Not really, though I have written a couple of short things here at ASK
GREG. A little story about City of Stone, as I recall, plus the multi-part
background piece called "Once upon a time there were three brothers..."

1. [Two question ones. Boy, this numbering thing must be harder than it
looks. :)] I don't know how to numerically rate a character's evilness.
Everything with Demona is situational. I'm sure she believes she could smash
in an infant human's skull. But frankly, I doubt she'd do it when push comes
to shove.

2. There was no question 2.

3. Yes. Mommy Mab for starters.

4. There were 13 episodes done after the HUNTER'S MOON 3-parter. They were
collectively titled "Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles". I worked on the
first episode of those 13, a show titled "The Journey". I'm fairly proud of
that episode. The other twelve were done by other people, and I don't much
care for them, but I'm hardly objective. I'm told that they aren't as
good as the original 65 episodes, but that they are pretty good compared to
other cartoons. (GDW/12-11-97)

Response recorded on December 11, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

I have a silly little question. Before Oberon overthrew Queen Mab, were the
Children of Oberon called the Children of Mab?

Greg responds...

Yes.
(GDW/12-11-97)

Response recorded on December 11, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

1. You said in a previous question the vial with the virus was destroyed?
How'd it get destroyed if breaking it causes the spell to be unleashed, or
can it only be unleashed on a Hunter's Moon. 2. What the blazes was meant
by Demona being on the side of the Angels. I looked all around the archive
for that question and the first two parts of THE THREE BROTHERS but didn't
find a single one. 3. Who's Kenneth I? I hope this question isn't wiped
but: was THE THREE BROTHERS a cut scene or an ep that was lost from the
original ep making? 4. Will you insert all the scenes you had to cut from
the eps GATHERING up to HUNTERS' MOON before Gorebash closes this archieve,
and any other scenes you had to cut, or are some going to be left out? 5.
I hope the question isn't wiped either but: What I meant by timeline in my
previous question is how exactly would you have started off your spinoff
serieses, like, with an introductory GARGOYLES Ep: Or in TIMEDANCER case,
FUTURE TENSE Ep, or would you have just started them giving no reasons. 6.
I hope this question isn't wiped either but: If you do the spinoffs and
then decide to conclude one, then wanted to make a Second Season for it how
would you start it back up? 7. How many years of timedancing does Brooklyn
do before he meets Katana, after he meets her but before they have
children, after they have children but before FUTURE TENSE, and after that
before returning home, or, assuming FUTURE TENSE comes first how many
before FUTURE TENSE, then between that and metting Katana, then between
when they have kids, then between when they come home? 8. How would you
have pulled off where Brooklyn shows up with a mate and two kids and keep
the show going while having a spinoff, why would the he touch the Phoenix
Gate, how would it exit the Timestream, and why wouldn't Brooklyn be able
to control it. 9. I hope this doesn't get wiped either but would Demona
ever learn about the Illuminati? Are there other secret societies besides
them, and if so, which is the strongest? Who was the first Fae? Who was the
first gargoyle? For Demona's redemption or becoming an ally, whatever you
want to call it, would that have happened in a single ep, a multiparter ep,
or started and gradually taken shape and conclusion over a series of eps?
10. Why would Yama, Dingo, the Matrix, and Robyn be considered BAD GUYS
since they're all good now? 11. What would happen if some idiot did change
the timestream?

Whoops, ignore question 11 please! I think that might've been an idea, and
I don't want the whole question wiped.

Greg responds...

1. You answered your own question. (Man, I'm feeling so redundant.)

2. I'm only guessing here, because you gave me no context, but I assume
you're referring to the proposed FUTURE TENSE spin-off series.

3. Kenneth I was Kenneth MacAlpin, considered by history to be the first
High King of Scotland. And no, I'm writing "Once upon a time there were
three brothers..." as the mood strikes me, as an ASK GREG exclusive. A lot
of the ideas were already in my head of course. And it's all based on a few
real historical facts.

4. I'll include as much stuff as I get around to including, but all the
major stuff has already been included.

5. I'm sorry, I really don't understand the question.

6. All right, quit worrying about whether your questions are going to be
wiped. Questions aren't wiped individually anyway, only posts. Gore has his
instructions and parameters. So do you, if you've read the guidelines. If
Gore wipes it, I'll never know it existed. If he doesn't than the odds are
good that the questions were o.k. If you are unsure about what is or
isn't acceptable, just e-mail Gore. As to question 6, well, you are asking
me to answer a hypothetical question based on a whole set of hypothetical
circumstances. There's nothing "real" to hang an answer of any substance
on. Sorry.

7. I haven't done the Math yet to that degree of specificity. Ask me again
some other time.

8. Again, this is all theory. We didn't know how many series if any would
be on the air. But I was prepared to have Brooklyn as the lead of TIMEDANCER
and as a member of the ensemble of GARGOYLES simultaneously. As to the
details of how the Gate operated in TimeDancer, I don't feel like revealing
that right now.

9. A lot of questions, many completely unrelated to each other, are grouped
under one number here. Please, NUMBER EACH QUESTION SEPERATELY.

10. The TITLE of that proposed spin-off was Bad Guys. It was indicative of
attitude and background of the characters, not necessarily their
immediate good/evil orientation, though Fang would be fairly slow to make a
real transition.

11. Can't be done in the Gargoyle Universe, no matter how stupid you are.
And again, Gore let the question through, so you're safe. But again,
let me make this totally clear. If you suspect that you've slipped in an
idea, than you had better erase it yourself. Gore has very specific
instructions not to edit posts. (He won't play this game: "Question 5 is
o.k. But this question 8 must be deleted." Uh uh. No way. That's not how
it works.) IF EVEN ONE QUESTION IN A POST DOESN'T JIBE WITH OUR GUIDELINES,
GORE WILL KICK THE ENTIRE POST. THE ENTIRE POST. Everyone clear. Good.
Thanks. (GDW/12-11-97)

Response recorded on December 11, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

I had thought I was done, but then I thought up more questions. (Oh, well,
my last set was a short one of two.) 1. Isn't a katana a kind of sword? Did
Brooklyn's mate have this name when he met her? 2. Which leads me to a much
broader question -- what is the gargoyle custom of naming? In the Avalon
World Tour all the members of other clans (that I can think of, at least)
had names. I know at least in 994 the Scottish gargs had no names, and was
it the same all over the world at that time? Did gargoyles gradually take
names to adapt to modern times? (Which I don't really understand. Names
don't seem to be any more necessary now than they were a thousand years
ago, though the Manhattan clan seems to think they are.) 3. Are there any
clans left in Scotland? If no, was Demona's the last one? 4. Did Demona
ever lead another clan? 5. Were the gargoyles ever going to get new clothes
in the near future, or would they attend all those formal ceremonies (about
the recognition of gargoyles as sentient species, the granting of equal
rights to them under the law, and whatever else) wearing thousand-year old
loincloths? 6. Just a little trivia. What color was Hudson's hair before it
turned gray? That's it. Thanks again!

Greg responds...

1. Yes and yes.

2. A lot depended on how much interaction a particular clan had with
humans. The Ishimura clan taught Bushido to the Samurai of that province.
That caused them to take names early on. The Guatemalan Clan had some
interaction with a Mayan sorcerer with whom they protected the rain forest.
They're all named after their pendants. Probably traditional monikers handed
down from generation to generation, occupations that became names over time,
like John Smith or Karen Carpenter. I'd guess that the London clan began to
use names around the time they opened their Soho shop. Basically, naming is
a human trait. But it's addictive and easy to adapt to. In fact, it's
somewhat hard to resist once you've started. I'd guess there aren't many
gargoyles left in the world who don't have names. (But there are a few.)

3. Perhaps.

4. Besides the one in Macbeth's original era? No, not for any length of
time.

5. I don't know. Can't imagine Goliath in a tux. I'm also not sure what
ceremonies we'd be having in my continuity, at least in the immediate future.

6. White, I think. But I reserve the right to change my mind.(GDW/12-11-97)

Response recorded on December 11, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

By now I must be driving you nuts with these questions. Sorry! I post one
then think of another a little later. Please bear with me :) This time, I
do have three, though. 1) Oberon is Merlin's father. Who is Merlin's
mother? 2)Is Oberon's mother out of myth, or did you just create her? Is
there anything I can research to find out more about her? 3)When Oberon
overthrew his mother to become lord of the fey, did he rise against her on
his own, or was there a struggle for power? A sort of "war of the fey" as
it were? Thanks!

Greg responds...

1. A mortal. I'm blanking out on her name, but I think you can find it in
Geoffrey of Monmouth.

2. Check out Geoffrey.

3. Long story. Some of each. (GDW/12-11-97)

Response recorded on December 11, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

1)Did Oberon over throw Queen Mab or his father? I believe you said he
overthrew the previous ruler. 2)For that matter, who is his father? 3)
Apparently Dingo crossed over to the dark side (Dingo...I am your father)
again, I am wondering how he convinced the matrix this was the right thing
to do. 4)Last but not least did you plan for Delilah to mate? If so who?
Well, to make a requst would you mind telling all of us which publisher
you are trying to get the attention of? That way we could write letters to
prove there is a market. -Durax

Greg responds...

1. His mom.

2. Not saying now.

3. I don't know what's given you this idea. It's inaccurate.

4. Yep, but I'm not saying yet.(GDW/12-11-97)

Response recorded on December 11, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Hello! 1. Demona makes references to gargoyles living on the cliffs at
Castle Wyvern before humans arrived. (And before the castle was built, I
suppose). Would you say a few words about the culture of the Scottish
gargoyles before the arrival of humans?(You have my permission to ramble)
A "yes" or "no" is fine for these next questions, but any extra info would
be much appreciated. :) 2a. Are there any gargoyle writers or poets?
2b. " " " "composers/musicians? 2c. " " " "visual artists? 2d. " " "
"scientists? 3. Were there ever any gargoyle vs. gargoyle wars? 4. Does
the Manhattan clan (or individuals from that clan) worship the
Judeo-Christian God? A gargoyle God? No God? (I understand that you might
not want to answer that question. It's fine by me.) Thank you for your
time.

Greg responds...

1. This sounds like a job for...
"Once upon a time there were three brothers..." PART FOUR
"Duff is still with us, will always be with us," says Kenneth. Malcolm
nods. The young former prince has been thinking a lot about birth and
death, since the family came to England four years ago. Since his mother
died. Malcolm misses her. Misses his eldest brother Duff too. And yet life
goes on. Down in the courtyard, Malcolm's nephews play at battle with wooden
swords and much gusto.
The year is 971. Lieutenant Robert has crossed enemy lines once again,
bringing news from home. And the news isn't good. King Culen finally has an
heir. Until now there had been hope. Culen was 49 and had had no sons.
That had left Scotland unsettled. That had left open the possibility that
Kenneth and the others would be called upon to secure the throne. But
Culen's queen had just given birth to Prince Constantine. The succession
was now secure. The unrest would soon fade. Unless...
Kenneth has a decision to make.
He and Malcolm have climbed the battlements of Northumberland Keep. But
neither has spoken since Kenneth raised the spectre of their late brother.
Still, Malcolm knows what Kenneth is thinking. Duff was the king. Kenneth
was always just the strong right arm. Now Kenneth is 39 years old. Is he
prepared to start a war over a crown he never truly wanted?
Malcolm waits in silence for a long time, but Kenneth doesn't elaborate.
Finally, Malcolm speaks: "I'm seventeen now, Kenneth. I'm not a child that
needs protecting. If you will take up Duff's crown, I will take up your
sword. And together we can secure our land for those boys down there."
Kenneth's head turns slowly. He looks at his brother, and then down at the
wee warriors below. His own son Maol Chalvim is a nine year old tyrant
lording his size over Duff's orphaned four year old boy. Not that little
Kenneth's complaining, mind you. Both are clearly having a grand time
playing at war here in England. But a real war in Scotland would be an
entirely different matter.
"Look at them, Kenneth," Malcolm continued, "If we raise them to be good
Thanes, then someday their honor will demand they recover what their
fathers and uncles have lost. It doesn't end with you and me. So your
choice is clear. Do we leave this struggle for Maol and Kenny and this
new Constantine to fight? Or do you and I take the battle to Culen now?"
Kenneth turns back to his brother. "Duff will always be with us," he
repeats, "Leading us to victory." And the brothers grasped each
others arms -- firmly and with newfound resolve.
Preparations are begun. Allies are secured. But Kenneth had been through
this sort of thing before. Three times before. He knows the Thanes are
fickle. They like to pick a winner, even if that means changing horses mid-
stream. Kenneth needs allies he can count on. Powerful allies.
And so it comes to pass that Robbie is once again slipping past the Scots
border guard and riding north by northwest. This time, however, Malcolm's
come along for the ride... and the mission.
Malcolm and Robbie approach Wyvern Hill alone. The sun is still out, and
they know they could walk among the frozen sentinels unmolested. Be among
the creatures already when they awaken. But that's no way to begin an
alliance. They wait a good mile from the cliffside. The sun sinks. Even at
this distance they can hear the cracking of stone and the roars. Malcolm
shivers involuntarily. He's seen gargoyles before. But at a distance. And
he's never had to ask one for a favor before. They leave their horses and
climb up the steep grade, taking pains to keep their hands in plain
view.
Suddenly, a sentry swoops down upon them. A huge winged demon with
shock-white hair and two great devil horns rising from his brow. The
creature speaks -- and Malcolm's terror fades: the voice is a low
earth-shaking rumble, but the cadence betrays excitement and inexperience.
This gargoyle is young, perhaps no older than Malcolm himself.
Robbie responds quickly. "We've come to see your leader. He and I have met
before."
"I remember you." The monster's tone makes it clear that he remembers
Robbie and only Robbie. Malcolm is still a stranger.
"He's my friend," Robbie states. "My greatest friend. I would lay down my
life for him."
The gargoyle seems impressed. Frankly, so is Malcolm. Not that Robbie's
statement was a revelation. But to hear it out loud like that. Malcolm
suddenly feels awed by his companion's loyalty.
The gargoyle crouches and says, "Follow me." And then races off like a beast
on all fours. After but a moment's hesitation, Robbie and Malcolm take off
after him. Passing through a gauntlet of Gargoyles 'til they've climbed
their way up... to the Rookery!
TO BE CONTINUED...

Sorry, Sam. I know I've stopped right at the point where I might just be
starting to address your question. Frankly, even using this abbreviated,
time-telescoping style which I established with chapter one, it took me a
little longer to set up Malcolm and Hudson's first encounter than I thought
it would. So let me answer the rest of your questions now, and hope
you'll stay tuned (so to speak) for Part Five, which should at least touch on
life at the Rookery before the Castle was built.
2a. I'm certain there were and are gargoyle poets -- in the oral tradition.
The written word is a largely human invention. But gargoyles adapt. Maybe
the Ishimura or London clan have a writer or two in their ranks.
2b. Probably.
2c. Maybe.
2d. Probably. (Does Lex qualify?) A lot depends on how formal you want to
be about defining a composer or a scientist, etc. Does someone who dabbles
qualify? Or do they have to have made a career of it? And what qualifies as
a career to a gargoyle. Generally gargoyle philosophy works in terms of
"being." Popeye's famous "I yam what I yam" proves that Popeye would have
made a good gargoyle. If a gargoyle enjoys music -- or science or poetry or
whatever -- he or she simply engages this interest, without attempting to
let the activity define the individual.
3. Wars? I don't know. I doubt it. Battles? Sure. Fights? Plenty.
4. Currently, none of the Manhattan gargoyles worship the Judeo-Christian
God specifically, though they wouldn't recognize that God as being
inconsistent with their faith. And they do have a faith. Though I don't
think they've practiced it much since arriving in the twentieth century. I
don't think the particular group who survived the massacre included anyone
who was particularly priestly (except maybe Desdemona). (As with science or
music, a gargoyle might have pursued a spiritual interest, without letting
that interest define him or her as a priest or priestess.) This faith is
both monotheistic and pantheistic, though a gargoyle would not see any
paradox in that. "All things are part of the whole." Their most important
credo has to do with how they perceive their part of that whole: "A Gargoyle
can no more stop protecting the castle than breathing the air." Gargoyles
don't simply exist. They protect their community. It was a primitive belief
when our gang lived in the tenth century. Goliath found a modern application
by the end of our first season. But I think the credo will continue to have
validity even as our characters continue to redefine and evolve its
parameters. (GDW/12-10-97)

Response recorded on December 10, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, (I just can?t bring myself to use your first name) thanks a
lot for answering questions here at Station 8 and creating Gargoyles. I
would personally chisel a stone monument and place it in the middle of New
York, but I don?t have any stone or talent. Anyways, I?d like to ask you a
couple things (I?d like to warn you in advance that I am a mythology nut.
1) How could Odin still be around at this point in time? If I?m not
mistaken, he and all but a handful of the Aesir were killed in the last
battle at the field of Vigrid. Odin was eaten by the wolf Fenris. 2)
The Eye of Odin was located at the bottom of Mimir?s Well in payment for
unprecedented knowledge. How?d they get it out? The well was destroyed
when fire destroyed most of Asgard. 3) Why didn?t Odin?s horse, Sleipnir,
have 8 legs like it was supposed to? 4) CuChullain was supposedly
mispronounced in "The Hound of Ulster". The second "c" is silent. Just
wondering ? is it Banshee or Ban Sidhe? 5) Gae bolga, CuChullain?s spear
was supposed to never miss its mark. Why did it? 6) How can Elisa afford
to buy the Gargoyles all of their things? Lex has a laptop, they have
furniture, and their food must cost a fortune. 7) Did any of the mutates
contact their relatives after their mutation? 8) The Gargoyles didn?t
have access to a bathroom at the clocktower, right? Where did they go? A
bush? 9) Were you ever going to introduce the original Olympians (Zeus,
Hera, Apollo, etc.) into the story? 10) Did Elisa ever launder her
clothing during the Avalon trip? I mean, she fell in a peat bog and
countless other places. 11) In the earlier episodes, Bronx?s (he?s a
cutie-pie) voice seems to be something like an electronically enhanced
lion?s roar. But in the later ones, Frank Welker completely takes over.
Was it because of time, budget, or inconvenience? 12) Is Proteus one of
the Children of Oberon? 13) The gods (Anubis, Odin, Coyote, etc.) are
just really powerful Oberon?s Children, right? 14) Oberon divorced
Titania because she hated mortals so much, but was there a specific event
that was the last straw? 15) At the end of "The Mirror", didn?t Demona
smash Titania?s Mirror? It shows up later on in "The Gathering". 16) Why
weren?t Preston Vogel and Halcyon Renard affected by Oberon?s sleep spell
in "The Gathering"? I?m sorry for writing so much. But I?ll forever be in
debt to you if you answer them!

Greg responds...

1. Odin was swallowed, not eaten.
2. The Eye wasn't destroyed.
3. Sigh. I wanted Slep to have eight legs. But Frank Paur and Bob Kline
convinced me that it would just be too hard for our overseas animators to
draw. We agreed that a well-animated four-legged horse was preferable to a
poorly animated but accurate eight-legged horse. In my head, Slep still has
eight legs, but as a changeling himself, he can choose to appear with four
legs if he wants.
4. We thought we had AN accurate reading on the pronunciation of Cu's name.
I'm still not sure we don't. Someone in that session was pretty positive,
and there are always variations depending on locale and tradition. As for
Banshee, both spellings are correct, as far as I know. We went for the
simpler one.
5. Ultimately, it didn't.
6. The furniture is all disguarded junk (except for the t.v., which Elisa
did purchase as a gift). Xanatos donated the laptop back when they lived at
the castle. (Lex went back for it.) The big question is the food.
Gargoyles probably require less than you think, since they absorb solar
energy in their stone form during the day. Still... Fortunately, I can dodge
the question now, because it's moot. They're back living with Xanatos who
can afford it.
7. Other than Derek? No. Definitely not.
8. Let's afford them a bit of dignity and privacy, shall we?
9. Maybe in flashback.
10. Yes, she did. In streams and rivers, mostly. Though maybe she had the
opportunity to do a bit better than that in Paris and a couple other places.
11. From beginning to end, we always used a combination of Frank Welker
as well as some electronic enhancements. I've never noticed a significant
change over time, though obviously each roar was literally mixed on a case by
case basis, each roar required its own decision as to whether we were going
to use no enhancement, a little enhancement or a lot. It's possible that as
we progressed, Frank's familiarity with the nuances of the character required
less and less enhancement. But the policy never changed.
12. No. He's a New Olympian.
13. Right.
14. "Hate" isn't the right word. And that's not why he divorced her
anyway. But yes, there was a last straw incident. And incidentally, the
Titania of 1000+ years ago was not the same woman we met in our series.
(Wait, wait, she is the same person. I wasn't being literal.) She was
considerably less mature than the Anastasia/Titania you know today.
At the time, Oberon was substantially more mature than his mate, and
consequently "wiser". Over the millenium however, Titania really grew as a
person. Oberon, thinking he needed no improving, remained stagnant. Now
it's easy to see Titania as wiser and more mature. But she's the one who
changed, not him. And if you think he's bad, wait 'til you meet his mother.
15. That's "Oberon's Mirror" at the Gathering. Demona did smash
Titania's. But a long time ago, they each had one made at the same time.
16. They arrived in Manhattan after the spell was cast. Their bridge
may also have been protected by an energy field, which jammed Oberon's
magic, just as Owen's field protected David, Petros and Fox inside the
castle. (GDW/12-10-97)

Response recorded on December 10, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Mr. Weissman- first of all I would like to thank you for your time and
devotion to answering all of the questions of us fans. It really means
alot to us what you're doing and we greatly appreciate you're efforts.
Now, I have several questions mainly on Duval and the Iluminati, but I'll
try and keep them not too specific. 1. Was Duval a knight of the Round
Table? 2. How did Duval survive through the centuries, obviously sorcery,
but of what kind? Who is responsable? 3. Did Duval ever see the Grail?
4. How has Duval's attitude changed over the centuries? 5. What are his
motives? 6. Is Duval good, evil, or somewhere in between? 7. You said
that Duval would be an enemy of Arthur, does he hate Arthur? 8. Does he
know of Arthur's return? 9. Does Arthur know who he is? 10. How does
Duval feel about gargoyles? 11. Does Merlin know who Duval is? 12. Does
the Director know who Duval is? 13. What kind of position is the Director
in, is he some billionare industrialist such as Xanatos or some other
occupation such as a politician? 14. Is the Director immortal? 15. What
is the relationship between Duval and the Director? 16. What is the name
of the biological son of Oberon and Titania? 17. This may be an off the
wall question, but do you believe that there exists some shadow society
such as the Illuminati in real life? Many do. 18. Can you briefly
describe your experience to Tintagel such as when you were there, why, and
the effect it had on you? Again, I truly appreciate you're time. I hope I
didn't have too many questions for you, I tried to keep several of them as
"Yes" or "No" questions to make your job easier.

Greg responds...

1-12 & 15. Man, "Illuminator", bad timing. I just promised "Xanatos" I
wouldn't give out any Duval clues in this post. Ask me again later, and I'll
try to be a little more forthcoming.
13. He's a civil servant.
14. No.
16. Did I say that they had a son? Was that the word I used?
17. I believe in most everything, up to a point. But if the Illuminati (or
something like it) does exist, then I'm not too impressed with the results.
18. The first time I was at Tintagel was during the summer of 1981. I had
just graduated from high school here in Los Angeles. I went to France and
England with my Dad, Mom, my younger sister Robyn and my younger brother
Jon. I was really into King Arthur in those days and had gotten my father
interested as well, so our trip through England was something of an
ArthurQuest. Of course, we went to Tintagel. I remember I was wearing my
high school sweatshirt, you know the kind... big, over-sized, grey thing with
a hood. There was a light, very fine rain, so my hood was up. Tintagel is
impressive: it's location, it's scope, the ruins themselves. I climbed over
every inch of that thing. I intentionally moved off away from the rest of my
family, so that it would take some time to find me if they wanted to head
out. I climbed to the top of the cliff, overlooking the castle ruins. The
light rain continued above me, but the surf pounded below. And looking off
to sea, I could see that a major storm was literally sitting just off shore.
Lightning. Thunder. High winds. Rolling seas. Torrential Rain. The
works. And just in case that wasn't awe-inspiring enough, something else
happened. The black clouds parted directly in front of me, and the sun shone
down. Like a spotlight on the water. So I stood there, in the light rain,
and watched the sun shining down through the midst of a lightning storm. I'm
not sure how to describe what I was feeling. But "religious awe" is probably
the best I can do. It seemed to prove the existence of God to me. I removed
my hood and stood there. Then I knelt and touched the ground. I felt like
it was charged with some kind of power. Eventually, the storm died down and
the sun went away. And it was just another cloudy day in England. I walked
down the hill.
It would be easy for me to be cynical about this experience. Neither my
parents nor my siblings recall any weather phenomena that equates with what
I've just described. They weren't standing with me, but they were all on the
cliffside. It's certainly possible that I've exaggerated the whole thing
over the years. But in my mind, I saw the hand of God at work. I don't see
any reason to question that, even if I don't quite know what to do with it.
In 1992, I returned to Tintagel with my wife Beth. We stayed in a Bed &
Breakfast overnight so I went to the castle twice. First with Beth, and
then again by myself the next morning. I figured it wouldn't live up to my
memory of the place. But it did. I didn't see the big show-stopper again,
but I felt the same rush I had felt eleven years before. I also had the
opportunity to go through "Merlin's Cave" under the cliff, which I hadn't
been able to do in '81 because of the tide.
I'm told that every year, erosion removes a little bit more of Tintagel. I'm
told that Arthur could not have been born there. I'm told a lot. But I know
what I felt. For me, it's a place of power. There's only one feeling in my
life that has ever topped it: the love I feel for my wife and two children.
If Tintagel wasn't enough, than the fact that I found her and had them, is
all the proof I'll ever need of God's existence.
Now, are you sorry you asked? (GDW/12-8-97)

Response recorded on December 08, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman. How's it going. My favorite eps are "The Edge", "The Mirror",
"Hunter's Moon", "City of Stone", and "Awakening". I thought they all had
excellant scripts, and great stories. The others were good too, though some
of the World Tour eps bothered me. 1. What are you currently working on
now? 2. Do you watch Seinfeld (the second best entertainor)? 3. What would
have happened with Demona and Angela's relationship? 4. My friend wants to
know if you watch and what you think of Babylon Five. Sorry. 5. Please
don't ever reveal the true identity of Duval here. I would rather find out
in an episode if you ever make more. 6. Are there any other groups of fay
besides Oberon's Children? 7. What led you to decide to bring the fay into
the series. 8. You said that Demona would have had two more great loves.
Can you tell us about them? Would they have both been gargoyles? Thanks for
taking the time to answer my questions, and some of the one's my friend
sitting next to me asked me to put in. See ya around.

Greg responds...

1. Nothing I'm ready to talk about yet. Nothing that will definitely happen.
2. Yeah, I watch Seinfeld.
3. A lot.
4. You don't have to apologize. No, I don't watch B5. I did see the pilot,
and it didn't grab me. Later, a number of people recommended it to me, but
by the time I tuned in, I couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on.
Frankly, it made me nervous that GARGOYLES would have the same effect on a
new viewer.
5. I think I've pretty much given his identity away already, but I won't
give any clues in this post, I promise.
6. No. But there are a lot of subsets within Oberon's Children.
7. I wanted to open things up, bring more magic and mystery into things.
Create the opportunities for more stories, and more myths and legends to
reinterpret.
8. You don't want to hear about Duval, but you don't mind me revealing the
identities of Demona's last two great loves? That's too selective for one
post. :) (GDW/12-8-97)

Response recorded on December 08, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Hello once again, Greg! Thanx for answering all of our questions. I've
gotta couple more for you: 1) How did you decide on what Puck was going to
look? (the white hair, his clothes, etc.) 2) Or how any of the other
tricksters for that matter? (i.e., Coyote, Anansai, etc.) 3) Didja have
any more plans for Anubis? What were they? 4) You gave a response to a
question a long time ago that said to the effect that you would probably
not write the Encyclopedia because there would most likely not be a
publisher. In the latest response section you said that you would determine
the timeline for the series when you wrote the rest of the Encyclopedia.
Did you find a publisher?! Thanx again for your time.

Greg responds...

1. I had some imput, but the real credit should go to my partner Frank Paur
who oversaw design for the series. (And of course to whoever designed the
character for "The Mirror". I'd guess that was Greg Guler, but I'm honestly
not sure anymore.)
2. I knew I wanted Coyote to be reminiscent of both James Dean and a young
Peter Maza. Anansi was going to be a giant spider, so that was easy. Raven
had many forms, dictated by the script. Credit for how they actually looked
should go to Frank (and producer Dennis Woodyard and our designers).
3. Sure. But I'm not telling now.
4. I never said I wouldn't write it. In fact, I've almost finished writing
it, but I doubt I'll be able to find a publisher, which is what I said.
(GDW / 12-5-97)

Response recorded on December 05, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Dear Mr. Weisman. I am a sophmore in the most boring high school in the
most boring city in the world. I recently got into film making, directing,
and screen play writing. Anyways, I've heard that you are co-producer do?
do you get to direct at all? choose how things are going?? Um thanks. OH
yeah, where did you find out about all the myths and legends??? Oh yeah, I
think that as far as character development went, through out the show...the
trio and Demona evolved perfectly, but in my opinion, Goliath didn't really
change too much. did you have any ideas on developing him? oh yeah, have
you seen Clerks? or any other Kevin Smith movies? If not...check them out,
you deserve some humor on your hands. -the film making guy.

Greg responds...

The best description of my job is Writer-Producer. I'm responsible for story
and script. But I also oversee voice and play a major role in watching
over the entire production. In other words, I produce. I don't direct.
Although you should keep in mind that directing in Animation is very
different from directing in live-action. The end result (and much of the
brainwork) is the same, but the process is very different. (I did voice
direct one episode, but that's not the same as directing.)
I did a lot of reading on myths and legends, cuz the topic fascinates me.
Much of this began in school. I was rarely bored in my English and History
classes in school. I was lucky. I had great teachers almost without
exception in those two subjects. But I also WANTED to learn, even on those
rare occasions when my teachers weren't that great. I don't mean to
lecture, but if you're bored in school, fix it by finding
something you'd like to learn about and pursuing it in a serious and
passionate fashion. Myths and legends are as good a place to start as any.
I think Goliath went through some changes, but they were subtler than the big
obvious changes that, say, Brooklyn or Xanatos went through. But I will
admit that Goliath acted as an anchor for the series. He was a strong,
basically optimistic and capable leader. He didn't require as much change
as some of the others did. Still, I had plenty of plans to continue to
evolve the character. The changes might still have been subtle, but taken
over the run of the series, I think you would have seen a substantial
evolution.
I haven't seen Clerks, and I'm not sure I know who Kevin Smith is... did he
direct Clerks? (I have two very young children. My wife and I don't get
out to movies very often. Am I boring or what?) (GDW / 12-5-97)

Response recorded on December 05, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

OW!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY HAND HURTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DO YOU KNOW A GOOD
MASSAGE THERAPIST?????

Greg responds...

Nope. Sorry. (GDW / 12-5-97)

Response recorded on December 05, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Thanks for answering some of my questions earlier! (And you're right about
me mistaking "you six" for "Ussex".) Here are a few more: 1) Okay, we know
Oberon has a son, a wife, and a mother. Obviously he had to have had a
father. So is Oberon's father around, and if so, who was he? 2) For that
matter, does Oberon have any siblings? 3) Is Oberon the most powerful fay,
or is there any fay more powerful than even him? (I'm talking about just
plain, brute magical strength here.) 4) You said that there were three
races in Nokkar's intergalactic war. The Space-spawn are one. What were
the other two (if Nokkar's race wasn't one of those other two)? 5) This
one has to do with Demona (again): I was thinking about her, and about
her genocidal plans, when I realized something. The Wyvern Massacre,
brutal and devastating as it was, wasn't enough to push Demona to the point
of exterminating humans. In fact, she actually _allied_ with a human
(Macbeth) about 45 years later. And I doubt her second clan meant as much
to her as her own. So this leads me to think that there was _some other_
event in her life, something that you haven't shown us yet, that really
made Demona not just hate humanity, but hate humanity _so much_ that she
wanted to destroy each and every last one of them. Am I right? 6) In the
proposed "Future Tense" cycle, about how old was Samson supposed to be,
anyway? I'm not asking for an _exact_ age, just an approximate idea of how
old he is. Is he a child? A teenager? An old man? Thanks for
answering these questions.

Greg responds...

1. I'm not saying right now. I didn't plan on revealing Mab right away
either. You're just getting ahead of me.
2. Yes.
3. Mab is more powerful. No one else.
4. Nokkar's race IS one of the other two. (And keep in mind, I said
three races were the main players in the conflict. I never said
there were the only players.)
5. No. There were other events, but they were more cummulative than
defining. Wyvern is still the defining moment. She wasn't genocidal
immediately after Wyvern, because I don't think genocide occured to her. She
was alone (largely) and hunted. I don't think she felt that powerful. Her
brief alliance with Macbeth only confirmed her feelings about humanity. But
it also gave her immortality. The ability to start making some long term
plans. As I said, other things happened. But nothing as devastating as
Wyvern.
6. Samson will be born in 2058. The inciting incident of that
proposed spin-off series was to take place in 2158. I'm sure you can do
the math. (GDW / 12-5-97)

Response recorded on December 05, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

This question is from the Gargoyle shows. In Future tense why do you kill
everybody in Goliath dream and when Angela died why didn`t Golaith react
well its just that I know that the gargoyle were frozen in stone but
why?

Greg responds...

Puck wanted to devastate Goliath enough that he would be willing to turn over
the Phoenix Gate. Death makes for great devastation (which is why we
included it in the story). Goliath didn't immediately react to Angela's
death, because (frankly) he didn't know he could at first. (GDW / 12-5-97)

Response recorded on December 05, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg. I have another question for you. Thanks for your time :)
**Owen can become Puck only when Alex is in trouble or is being taught. In
all other times, is Owen physically unable to become Puck, or is it just a
law he must follow?

Greg responds...

It's a law he must follow which makes him physically unable to become Puck...
unless he can think of a loophole. (GDW / 12-5-97)

Response recorded on December 05, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Hi! I really loved the show. One question. 1. Why did Puck choose to help
Xanatos fight against Oberon to keep Alexander?Thank you.

Greg responds...

When push came to shove, Puck/Owen cared about Xanatos, Fox and Alex.

Thanks for numbering your questions, although when you only have one, it
isn't that necessary. (GDW/12-5-97)

Response recorded on December 05, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

Here are some questions greg how did princess Elena(katherine's mom and
wife to prince malcom,,excuse spelling) get the pheonix gate....who owned
it before her.....who made the pheonix gate.... When exactly does the clan
know of demona's link with macbeth.......in "The Price".....everyone thinks
macbeth is dead,,,,and yet he tells Xanatos "Most of my clan is gone and I
am a stranger in a strange land--DEMONA AND MACBETH ARE IMMORTAL..HAS IT
BROUGHT THEM HAPPINESS?" how does hudson know this.......what does this old
guy know...does he know the futre of brooklyn....does he know that brooklyn
will go into timedancing stuff..... Please...what did Titania whisper
into fox's ear? Who is merlin's dad.....is Oberon related to
merlin........Waht is the name of Oberon's kid.

Greg responds...

Elena got the Gate from her father. The Gate exists, like the protagonist of
Robert Heinlein's "All You Zombies". Goliath, Elisa and the Avalon clan
learned of the link after the death of the Magus and before the good-bye
scene at the beach. The rest of the Manhattan Clan learned of the link when
Goliath and Angela returned to the Tower, sometime after saving Alex from
Oberon. As I've said before, Hudson knew Demona and Macbeth were immortal.
That's obvious. They're not dead. They're really old. He didn't know any
details about the how or why. He didn't know about the link, though their
behavior did suggest a connection of some sort. Why would Hudson know
Brooklyn's future? I'm skipping the Titania question on purpose. Oberon is
Merlin's dad.
In the future, please number your questions. (GDW/12-5-97)

Response recorded on December 05, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

hi all powerful and exulted creator!!! i would like to have your opionon on
elisa and goliath's relationship and how you feel they would have children,
seening as half of the fanfic authors are going in that direction,just
basically how long would she be pregnant, what sort of problems you could
see happening, i f it would even happen,etc?(one thing though she would not
lay and egg, right,cause humans don't) also would it be possible for bronx
and boudicca to have puppies, because your explanation as to how the dogs
come about would seems to say no. just one more thing, do the hatchilings
turn to stone during the day? i don't remember for sure, but it seemed that
during the flashback in avalon show that tom and katherine were playing
with the young hatchlings during the day. thanks so much for the best
cartoon on ever!!!!!!!!

Greg responds...

Eventually, way, way down the line, I see Elisa and Goliath addressing the
issue of children. All sorts of options are available, except natural
procreation between two widely and wildly divergent species. Elisa could
never be pregnant with Goliath's child without assistance from science or
magic. I've already stated that I don't see them going that way. But I do
see them raising a child together. But not without serendipity (and
some tragedy) playing a role. I don't want to say anymore right now.
As to Bronx and Boudicca, of course they could have offspring. One every
twenty years if they saw each other at the right times. I'm not sure what
"explanation" you're referring to that would lead you to believe otherwise.
And yes, hatchlings do turn to stone during the day. The lighting in the
scene you're referring to is misleading. It's night time.
In the future, please number your questions. (GDW/12-5-97)

Response recorded on December 05, 1997

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Here's another tidbit you've never seen. A cut scenelet from "Hunter's Moon,
Part Two". It takes place during Act Two. Goliath, Brooklyn and Lex have
spotted the Huntership. Goliath glides in and latches onto the craft,
digging his talons into the metal hatch. He rips it free and lets it fall...

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

VINNIE is out for a stroll. Suddenly, the steel hatch SMASHES to the
sidewalk in front of him, digging a big chunk out of the sidewalk. Vinnie
takes, looks up. Shakes his head.

VINNIE: (gasp, then) Can you believe it?

CUT TO:

And we're back inside the Huntership with Goliath, Lex and Brooklyn. That
little touch of Vinnie in the night was scripted and I think boarded, but it
was cut before the show was shipped because we were too long. It's a silly
moment, but it does help motivate Vinnie a little more for his role in "The
Journey," and anyway, I thought you all might get a kick out of it. (GDW / 12-5-97)


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Anonymous writes...

(1) Some how the Arch Mage rescues himself using the portal. I really don't
understand how this is possible. Though he later states "I'm glad he's gone!"
about himself. Was the Archmage mentor actually someone else who looked like
him or creative license? #2 So if the entire clan is from Scotland how come
only Hudson had an accent? #3 Awakenings, Scenes were added when televised
that also were not on the tapes (most all references to the eggs) Any reason
why? Other than Vows were there any other eps that were added too or deleted.
Thank you very much for this chance to find out a little more about a very
impressive show.

Greg responds...

1. I've already explained the working time paradox that allowed the Archmage to save himself. If you haven't seen the explanation, check the archives for this page. If you have.... well, all I can say is that it seems pretty straight-forward to me, though you're not the only one who didn't get it. In any case, his "mentor" was not a look-alike. He was the more powerful Archmage of the future. And from my point of view, no "creative license" was taken, unless you count time travel itself as creative license. The classic story of this kind of time travel working paradox is by Robert Heinlein.
It's called "All You Zombies". Maybe reading that would help clear up "Avalon", Part Two for you. It's worked for others.

2. Hudson had had the most contact with Scotish humans.

3. In the movie version of "Awakening", which we originally produced for the DisneyWorld Premeire, my boss decided that references to the eggs slowed down the film and raised questions that "the movie" would not even attempt to answer. Since we were cutting the length down for time anyway, I reluctantly agreed to remove egg references. I had no idea that Disney's Home Video Division would later decide to use this edited version for the video. As to "Vows", I've mentioned before that mistakes were corrected in that and many other episodes after they first aired. (6-23-97)

Response recorded on June 23, 1997

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Anonymous writes...

hey greg! Got a behind the scenes question. 1) During the voice session(or whatever it is called) when the actiors and actresses voice the characters.
How do they talk along with the lip movement of the gargoyle characters?
Meaning do you have the big screen in front of them playing so the actors speak exactly when the chatacters do? how do you ppl do that? 2) You said you had rejected names for Elisa and Demona(ie dakota, or Elisa Chavez etc.) did you have Rejected names from the other characters. Such as goliath, Angela, or the trio? If so what were the origional names that you guys decided not to be used for those charcters? Thanks. ~Demonalisa

Greg responds...

1. We do the voice work first. Animators animate to the voices, not the other way around.
On extremely rare occasions we did something called ADR (short for Automatic Dialogue Replacement). This is something done as a last minute fix in both animation and live action. In that case, we do have a screen. The actor (usually, one at a time) looks at the lip movements, practices getting the rhythm down that he or she needs to match, and then speaks the line (cued by an electronic tone which tells the actor exactly when to start speaking).
ADR is a tremendous pain in the rear, so we avoided it whenever possible.
2. I've answered this... in the same answer where I listed Elisa and Demona's old names. I'm not sure how you could have missed it. No other names for Angela. No other names for Goliath that we considered for more than a minute or two. The trio had names like Coco, Lassie and Amp in the original comedy development.
ANOTHER RAMBLE FROM GREG:
"Once upon a time there were three brothers..." PART TWO
[Disclaimer: I should have mentioned this somewhere before or after Part One. The historical framework for this story is all true. Most of the details, on the other hand, I'm making up.]
The year is 962. King Indulf is 58 years old. Prince Culen is 40. Neither are happy men. Culen is childless. He is heir to the throne, but it's beginning to look like Indulf's dynasty will end with his only son. Assuming it even lasts that long.
No one likes Indulf very much. The main problem is that everyone knows that he has kept (the former Queen) Katharine and her young son Malcolm prisoner in Edinburgh Castle. This alone is enough to make people believe that he is a tyrant. After that, any little infraction on Scottish liberty is viewed as more evidence that Indulf is unfit to rule. Honestly, Indulf wouldn't mind dumping both prisoners, but, aye, there's the rub. Katharine and Malcolm are the only insurance Indulf has against Malcolm's older brothers Duff and Kenneth.
And as Indulf's popularity has waned, Duff's has waxed. Even noblemen who had once helped Indulf to the throne approach the fifty year old Duff and his thirty year old brother Kenneth and pledge their support if only Duff will act. But Duff stubbornly refuses to risk Katharine or Malcolm's lives. What kind of King would he make if he can't even keep a vow made to his own father on the man's deathbed?
Malcolm isn't exactly a happy child. He's eight years old, and he's never been outside the walls of Edinburgh castle. He has only one friend. A peasant boy named Robbie who's twice his age. Robbie's a short, stout lad with a face like a bulldog, but he's loyal and helps Malcolm with some petty acts of ceremonial sabotage that would only earn Malcolm a reprimand if he was caught, but would certainly cost Robbie his life.
Malcolm's mother Katharine is a strong woman but she knows the situation is intolerable. She conceives a plan, and through Robbie, sends a letter to Duff. Duff and Kenneth consider her proposal. They argue about it. But, ultimately, they agree. They summon Robbie, who knows nothing of Katharine's plan. They give him no details, only a date. They send him back to Katharine. Then Duff and Kenneth gather their forces.
Word of Duff's rebellion reaches Indulf, but he's slow to react. After all, he has his hostages, safe at hand. But then on the pre-arranged date, Duff and Kenneth march on Edinburgh Castle. They demand Indulf's unconditional surrender. Indulf orders his guards to bring Katharine and Malcolm to him. Soon, Katharine is dragged before the king. But Malcolm cannot be found. Indulf orders Culen to personally search every inch of the castle. Duff and Kenneth and their armies settle down to wait.
Culen searches for hours. Katharine seems anxious. Still, Malcolm cannot be found. Indulf draws his sword and threatens to cut Katharine in two if she doesn't reveal Malcolm's whereabouts. She hesitates, but finally agrees.
She leads them to the tallest tower in the castle. Malcolm isn't there.
Indulf threatens to throw her off the ledge, but she points to the ground below. There in the moonlight, Malcolm can be seen riding away from the castle, his purple cape flapping in the breeze, toward the safety of Duff's camp.
Indulf is furious! But he still has Katharine. Duff still won't attack.
But Katharine doesn't agree. Her tone becomes threatening. She commands Indulf to open the castle gates and let Duff's troops enter. He laughs at her. Why would he do that? "Because," she tells him as she climbs out of his reach onto a battlement, "If you don't open the gates, I will jump off this tower." Indulf starts to laugh again, but the impulse catches in his throat. It all becomes clear. If Katharine throws herself to her death, than his last hostage is gone. Worse, his last hostage is martyred. Duff and Kenneth will lay siege to Edinburgh and in time, they would ultimately triumph and then... And then things might go very badly for a tyrant.
He makes a quick decision. He and his son will be granted safe passage to Ireland immediately following his "voluntary" abdication of the throne to Duff. Culen protests, but Katharine agrees to his terms. She remains on the tower's battlement until the gates are open and Duff and Kenneth are at her side. "Hurry," she says, and rushes with her step-sons to the Castle's small cemetary.
Robbie is already there, still wearing Malcolm's purple cape. He is digging up a fresh grave. Some of Duff's men are helping him, but Duff and Kenneth push them aside and personally begin to dig. Katharine falls to her knees, pulling dirt aside with her hands until a waiting woman is brought to comfort her. The coffin is unearthed. Robbie has a crow, and snaps off the lid with the kind of bull-like strength he would one day be famous for. Malcolm lies still in the grave. Suddenly he gasps for air. He is alive. He had been buried alive with a slim wooden tube to provide air. But he had spent hours below ground. And the tube had been only barely sufficient. Much longer and he would have succumbed. But now the brave boy rocks back and forth in his mother's arms. He smiles at his good friend Robbie. And then he is introduced to his two older brothers for the very first time. He has worshipped them from afar his whole life. But it is they who are impressed.
Duff, soon to be King Duff, lifts Malcolm to his feet. "Prince Malcolm," he says, "I am honored to be your brother."
TO BE CONTINUED


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Anonymous writes...

Hi! Me again! Anyway, I have 2 questions: 1.what would youhave done with the gargoyles had the series contiued without the Goliath Chronicles ever happening (You can tell by now that I REALLY dislike Goliath Chronicles) 2.What happened in the gargoyles comics that did not happen in the series?

Greg responds...

1. This is too big a question to answer here.
2. 11 issues worth of stuff. I consulted on the comics, but I'm hardly an authority on them, so you'll have to look to another source for that information.


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Anonymous writes...

This question has been bugging me for some time. I hope you can answer it.
;) Between the time of 1054 (I think that was the date) and 1994, did Demona have any contact with any other gargoyles, or was she truly 'alone' the whole time?

Greg responds...

Demona is always alone, even in a crowded room. But basically, the answer to your question is a story (actually many stories) for another day.


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Anonymous writes...

Did Thailog ever really love Demona? Or did he plan on betraying her right from the beginning?

Greg responds...

From the beginning, yes, though that doesn't mean he wasn't physically attracted to her.


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Anonymous writes...

Are the children of Oberon immortal? What are the details if so? Can they legitimately be called faeries?

Greg responds...

"Faeries" is one name. The Fair Folk is another. So is Dark Elves.
Changelings. Fae. The Children of Oberon. The Third Race. The Aesir Gods. (The Vikings took certain very powerful Children of Oberon to be gods. For that matter, so did the Egyptians. So did at least two Native American tribes and the Hauka tribe of Nigeria. (At least, that's how we played it in the GARGOYLES Universe.)) The generic name doesn't matter so much. Because it changes depending on who you're talking too.
As to their immortality, it depends on how you define it. Certainly they are extremely long-lived. Certainly they are difficult -- but not impossible -- to kill. Certainly, they are almost all shape-shifters, so no matter how old they are, they can always look as young as they desire. So, again, it depends on point of view.


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Anonymous writes...

(1) Hi? (2) I really would like to stop talking about Goliath Cronicles, but I have one more question. How many members of the original development team were involved in TGC? If the whole development team was involved, how come it was so much different (and worse)? (3) Oh! Thought of another one! When did you have it figured out that Broadway and Angela were going to be a couple and not Brooklyn and Angela as many fans had thought? The first big clue was in that episode where Puck transferred the souls of Coldstone's three gargoyles into Broadway, Angela, and Brooklyn. Broadway and Angela became the two lovers, and Brooklyn was the evil gargoyle, trying to steal Angela away. If you had wanted Angela and Brooklyn together, you would have reversed Broadway and Brooklyn's parts. I think that Broadway and Angela make a better couple! (: That's one of my favorite episodes BTW!
(unfortuantly, it's the only one I've seen only once!!! ): )

Greg responds...

[Questions numbered to make life easier. As usual, no other editing.]

1. Hi? Uh, hi back to you.
2. The development team? None. Well, me. Keep in mind, the team that developed the show was largely not the same team who produced the first two seasons. The unsung (read largely uncredited) people who worked on the development of the series included the following:
Greg Weisman - Director of Series Development (Greg went on to be Supervising Producer of GARGOYLES.)
Bob Kline and Dave Schwartz - Development Art Directors (Bob later became a Producer/Director of GARGOYLES in its second season.)
Paul Felix and Greg Guler - Development Artists (Greg became lead character designer for GARGOYLES in its second season.)
Fred Schaeffer, Paul Lacy, Kat Fair, Cindy Chupack, Ellen Gurney - Development Associates.
(I hope I'm not leaving anyone out; we had a lot of development
associates at Disney, and I'm not 100% sure if any of the others worked
on GARGOYLES specifically.)
Also Gary Krisel and Bruce Cranston - my bosses, who were very involved in
developing the show.
And Tad Stones - who provided some important conceptual advice.
After the show was developed and sold, we began assembling a production team for the first season, most of which was pre-produced and produced in Japan.
I was still a development executive at the time. I asked to be switched over to Producer, but my bosses wanted me to prove that I could do the job while I simultaneously held down my Executive slot. So that's what I did.
We went through a couple of writers who didn't work out, and then Michael Reaves was brought aboard as writer and story editor.
In Japan, Kazuo Terada, Saburo Hashimoto and Takamitsu Kawamura were brought on as directors. Kazuyoshi Takeuchi was our lead character designer. And that's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Japanese talent that worked on the show. (But I don't want this answer to turn into me just rewriting 66 episodes worth of credits down here.)
Back in L.A., Frank Paur was hired as our producer. Jamie Thomason was brought on as voice director. Laura Perrotta was our production coordinator. Dave Witting was our production assistant. Denise Byrne was our script coordinator. And Carl Johnson was our composer. Again, a lot of other people were involved, but that was the basic team for the first thirteen episodes.
Some of you may have noticed that I don't have a credit on the episodic television version of "Awakening". That's because, I was still officially an executive, and Disney executive's don't receive credit. The decision to allow me to officially move over from Executive to Producer came after the pre-production of the first season was completed. In fact, it came during post-production. As a matter of fairness, it was decided that any work that I had done as an executive would still not be credited. Frank Paur posted the five part "Awakening" by himself, while I posted the "Movie Version" for our Disneyworld Premiere. So I was credited as co-producer on the "movie" (which later became the home video) and on the other 8 episodes of the first season. Co-producer because I hadn't participated in pre-production except as an executive. I received no credit on any of the five parts of the television mini-series "Awakening" because my pre-production contributions were as an executive and
my post-production contributions were minimal, because I was busy on the "movie".
The second season was a whole other story. We did 52 episodes and the crew expanded geometrically. Most (though not all) of our pre-production was brought back to the U.S. We added Bob Kline and Dennis Woodyard as Producer/Directors. Lisa Salamone was brought on as Associate Producer.
(Laura Perrotta left Disney around this time.) Tom Pniewski was added as another Production Assistant. Greg Guler became our lead character designer. Butch Lukic, Patrick Archibald, Doug Murphy and others were brought aboard to storyboard and design, etc.
I officially shared producer credit (later supervising producer credit) with Frank. Michael remained a story editor and Brynne Chandler Reaves, Cary Bates and Gary Sperling were added as additional story editors. Lydia Marano became a regular writer on the series. My assistant Monique Beatty made the move with me and joined the Gargoyles team as a script coordinator.
Since I was no longer an executive, new executives were assigned to oversee the show. Jay Fukuto was director of current programming. Initially, he had Ellen Gurney watching the show. Later, my former development associate Kim Christianson took over. Adrienne Bello was the S&P executive from day one.
Again, refer to episode credits for a fuller listing of people.
GOLIATH CHRONICLES was a whole different animal. I wrote and story edited one episode only. Jamie Thomason remained the voice director. Denise stayed on as script coordinator. Tom Pniewski was promoted to Production Coordinator or Manager (sorry, Tom, I get those credits mixed up). Cary Bates wrote a couple episodes. Lydia wrote one. Another of our writers, Adam Gilad wrote one. Jay and Kim were still overseeing the scripts, but otherwise Pre-Production and Post- Production were moved to Nelvana in Canada. A new Supervising Producer, Scott Thomson was brought in. A new story editor, Eric Lewald, was brought in. Officially, I was a consultant, but I had my consultant credit removed, because I felt I hadn't been consulted enough
to earn that credit. I believe Frank Paur may have consulted a bit as well, but I'm not sure. For the most part, it was a complete turnover in creative personnel. I've always thought that hurt the show.
But there were also other problems that I've gone into before, (and this "answer" has gone on long enough). I should say, however, that Goliath Chronicles is probably still an above average cartoon show. Any problems with it are probably relative.
3. When Gary Sperling and I were working on the episode "Turf" we realized that we needed to know who, if anyone, Angela would wind up with. We talked about it. In some ways, Brooklyn did seem like the obvious choice, but it soon became clear that he was the wrong choice. It had to be Broadway.
Nothing else made sense. There are some subtle clues in "Turf". For example, Broadway never refers to Angela as Angie in that episode, despite the fact that he had been the first one to call her that in "The Gathering, Part Two". By "Turf" he had already realized she didn't care for the nickname. Lex and Brooklyn didn't figure it out until she told them (at high volume).


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Anonymous writes...

Hi! I have a few Q's about your wonderful show 1. I absolutely love Puck (er...Owen), the way you fit him in was really clever. Did you ever intend further develop him as a character? Give him a past? A love life? 2. Okay, this has been driving me nuts, Were Margo and Brenden actually planned to be characters, or were they some sort of inside joke made up by the animators? Thanks for your time! Long live Gargs!

Greg responds...

1. Yes.
2. Brendan & Margot were in "Awakening". They had lines. They were in the script. The animation is done last. In other episodes we began using them as background characters. That became amusing to us. So we kept using them as recurring. We made a particular effort to parallel their appearance in "Hunter's Moon" to their original appearance in "Awakening". Later, I decided to make more use of Brendan & Margot in the third season -- develop them beyond their cliches, which is why Margot had such a prominent role in "The Journey". But then I didn't do the rest of the third season, so I had no control over how Margot was used or how Brendan wasn't. But the animators only put in the characters we told them to use. As far as I know.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND (aka GREG'S ABOUT TO RAMBLE):
"Once upon a time their were three brothers..." PART ONE
The year is 954. The King of Scotland, Maol Chalvim I, is 66 years old. He is very ill.
He has two sons. They are half-brothers. (Maol is the father of both, but they had two different mothers, both of whom died in childbirth.) The eldest son, Duff, is 42 years old. The youngest, Kenneth, is 22 years old. Despite the twenty year age difference, they are the best of friends.
Maol Chalvim also has a new, young wife. Very young. And very pregnant.
She is 18 years old, and her name is Katharine.
On his deathbed, Maol begs his sons to support each other and to protect his third wife and their child. The brothers vow to do just that. Duff assumes he will be the new king. Kenneth assumes he will be Duff's strong right arm.
Indulf has other ideas. Indulf is a 50 year old nobleman and is, himself, a descendant of kings. He has a 32 year old son named Culen, and hopes to launch a dynasty of his own. While Duff and Kenneth wait by their ailing father's bedside, Indulf makes alliances. While Duff and Kenneth close their father's eyes for the last time, Indulf gathers his troops. While Duff and Kenneth take their father to be buried on the holy Island of Iona, Indulf has himself crowned King on the Lia Fail at Scone.
Needless to say, Duff and Kenneth aren't too pleased. They prepare for battle, but Indulf pulls his trump card. He has Katharine. And he will kill her if they raise a sword against him. Bound by their vow and their sense of honor, Duff and Kenneth retire to a family stronghold and wait.
At Edinburgh, Katharine gives birth to a boy. She names him Malcolm, (which is a more modern variant on the name Maol Chalvim). Indulf is now willing to return Katharine to her step-sons. But the babe will stay in his custody as insurance. For obvious reasons, Katharine chooses not to leave.
TO BE CONTINUED...


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Anonymous writes...

(1) I was wondering--what happened to the Guatamalan gargoyles? I don't want to guess, 'cause that'd be breaking the rules. What did Broadway end up doing with that amulet? (2)Also, I wanted to say that I'm really glad that you and Reaves'll be involved in the movie. (3) Also, were you planning on introducing lots of new characters? (4) When did you decide that Owen and Puck should be the same person? (5) What's your favorite episode of Gargoyles? (6) What were the plans for what was going to happen between Matt and theIlluminati? (7) Are there any gargoyles that are members of the Illuminati? (8) If all the stone statues are supposed to look alike (like I've heard as an explanation for the Brandon-Margot thing before, among other things) whydoes Elisa look like Elisa, and Owen look like Owen? (9) When Xanatos talked about it not being a good idea "mixing magics," was he referring to Puck in some way? (10) What kinds of magic are there in the Gargoyles universe? (11) How
long are Fox and Alex going to live (that is, if Mr. X DOESN'T reach his goal of being immortal), since they're part Third Race? (12) What does "Third Race" mean, anyway? I've heard it referred to numerous times. (13) Why won't Disney sell the rights to Gargoyles? (14) I've heard rumors that Mr. Xanatos'name was decided on by picking a name out of a phone book--is that true? (15) Last, but not least, was it even remotely planned that so many Star Trekactors would voice-act on Gargoyles? As a fan of both ST and Gargoyles, Ithink it's really great. ::whew:: That's a lot of questions.
Sorry ifsome've been asked before; don't worry 'bout answering if they had.
Thanks, and this place is great!

Greg responds...

As usual, I've added numbers to your questions to make them easier to answer. No other editing was done.
1. Thanks for not breaking the rules. Jade & Turquesa eventually returned to Guatemala after dropping the plants off in Avalon and making a couple of other quest-type stops. I had plans for Zafiro to come in search of the Sun Amulet, which is still in Broadway's possession.
2. I'm glad your glad, but let's take everything one step at a time.
Nothing much has been done on the movie yet. We'll see how truly involved we are when the thing gets rolling.
3. Where? In the movie? If we had done more episodes? I guess the answers probably yes, either way.
4. I didn't exactly decide. I realized Owen was Puck about 12 hours after I decided to put Puck into the series. At almost the exact same time, Lydia Marano and Brynne Reaves realized the same thing independently. That confirmed we were on the right track.
5. I've answered this fully elsewhere. My favorite single episode is "The Mirror", but I like all 66 that I worked on, particularly the multi-parters.
6. I'm not going into this now.
7. Maybe.
8. That was a joke.
9. Yes.
10. Mortal Sorcery. Fae magic. Talisman magic. Location magic. Ghostly illusions and telikinetics. Just to name a few.
11. Until they die.
12. Gargoyle hatchlings are taught in the rookery that there are three races. Gargoyles. Humans. And Oberon's Children. The fae are the third race from the Gargoyle point of view. (To themselves, I'm sure the fair folk feel that they're number one.)
13. Why would they? Why give up something with long-term income potential?
And by the way, who exactly is lining up to buy the rights? No one with nearly enough money, I'll tell you that.
14. Sort of. Xanatos' orignal name was Xavier, which we dropped because of Professor X from the X-Men. But I still wanted a name that had that same kind of sound to it. It's a subjective thing, but I liked it. I thought of Thanatos, which is the name of the Greek God of death, which seemed cool. X and TH sounds are often exchanged. So I tried Xanatos.
Everyone liked the sound of it. Later, I checked the phone book, and the name was there, (different first name though). It all seemed to fit. The name David was chosen because Goliath's name was Goliath. The hero/villain role reversal of David & Goliath was too perfect to resist. I have on occasion abbreviated the above story by simply saying I found it in the phone book. But usually I only do that when someone says the name sounds phony or cartoony.
15. It wasn't planned. I think I've answered this, but who remembers?
Marina nailed her audition right out of the gate. Jonathan had a more competitive field, but after a few false starts he got the job. After that, it was natural when we were casting new characters to think about the gang from the various Trek shows. Michael, Brent, Nichelle, Colm, Kate, Le Var, etc. They did great work for us.


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Anonymous writes...

Why did you decide to change Dekota to Demona?( Name and personality?) I hope I spelled Dekota right. If I didn't, sorry.

Greg responds...

You didn't. But that's o.k. Dakota was a bland comedy heroine who was transformed into a much more interesting comedic traitor and villainess named Demona. The reason for the name change is probably obvious: Demona sounds more villainesque than Dakota, which is kinda generic, and certainly has no particular gargoylean feel to it. 6-10-97)


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Anonymous writes...

Demona is definetly my favorite character on Gargoyles. She's intellegent, beautiful, has a great voice[excellant job Marina], and I can understand why she's insane. Imagine coming home one day and finding pieces of your loved ones all over the place. I guess we'd all snap. How did you come up with her character? The tragic villain, not the comedy character. Did you ever plan a spinoff show about her and what she did through the centuries?
I'd watch it.Well thanks for taking the time to read my question. Ciao.

Greg responds...

No spin-offs were planned for Demona, though I had hopes to tell more flashback stories about her life. She would have remained a recurring character in GARGOYLES and she would have been a regular in both DARK AGES and FUTURE TENSE. And she would have appeared at least once in TIMEDANCER.
All of that is moot for now, but maybe someday...
I basically enjoy villains a lot. I think the villains in our show were very unique, particlarly Demona and Xanatos. Much of Demona's character came so easily and fit together so well, I hesitate to take credit for it. Demona was out there in the mist ready to be revealed to the world. At any rate, I certainly must share credit with everyone else who worked with the character, in particular Michael Reaves, who wrote "Awakening". Still, from the beginning of our second phase (read non-comedy) development, we already knew Demona was a traitor who had meant well initially but could not face up to her own guilt. Though I hadn't worked out all the details of "City of Stone" from that early point of pre-Awakening development, I also knew that she had not slept through the centuries as Goliath and the others had. She would have had to live through 1000 years of persecution and prejudice. I knew that she was Goliath's lost love. How he viewed her defined both who she was
and who she wasn't. I knew she was a tragic figure. I didn't want the audience to forgive her actions, but I did want them to understand.


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Anonymous writes...

There has been one question bothering me for a long time. Are gargoyle talons like curved fangs that have been put at the end of their fingers(not the small ones I am talking Sabre Tooth Tiger fangs) or are they smaller like eagle talons/ thick curved fingernails? I saw one picture on the net and right after the second joint in their fingers they had this white curved-fang like talon that looked to about the same size as the barrel of a gun. On the show you can't really see how big the talons are, you can only guess. Please clear this up for me.

Greg responds...

It depends. Outside of the series, different artists have interpreted their talons/claws differently. I'd have to say, all of those interpretations aren't cannon. On the series, Frank Paur had the designers make the claw an integral part of each finger or toe. It made for cleaner animation, but you'd have to ask Frank for a definitive anatomical description.
A FEW ADDITIONAL WORDS FROM GREG
Today is Monday, June 9th. On Friday, June 6th, I logged onto Gore's chatroom. It was fun, but I must admit that I felt rushed. Part of the problem was that just as I was scheduled to log on, I got an important phone call that I had to take. That meant I was late getting to the room, and I never had time to get settled. Another problem was technological.
Everything was moving very slow for me at this end. Maybe, it's my computer. Maybe it was heavy traffic to the site. I'm not sure. But today JEB sent me a transcript of the questions and answers, and I realize that I missed a ton of questions which had scrolled off the bottom of the room by the time the page reloaded to my screen. Sorry about that. If I missed your question, ask it again here. But the result of all that rushing and missed postings was that I didn't really get to "chat" with you. I just answered questions at a faster speed than I do here at ASK GREG.
I'll try the chat thing again sometime, I promise. But all this led me to realize something else. Answering questions is only part of what I want to do here. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the question/answer thing. All the details, all the plans for the future. But I'd also like to discuss the show with you guys. Discuss the episodes we already made. The characters, the themes, etc. Occasionally, I lurk in the comment room, but I almost always have to vacate fast, because someone invariably posts an original notion, like a "What If" or something. That's appropriate to the comment room and I WOULD NOT want to see that change, but unfortunately, it keeps me out.
So let's turn ASK GREG into a bit of a comment room also. Feel free to post your reactions to a given episode. Sometimes I'll respond. Sometimes, I may not. But I'd like to hear what you have to say. And you never know, it might inspire me to relate some behind-the-scene story and/or some tidbit of the Master Plan and/or what was going through my head at a given time and/ or what I think of the episode in hindsight. I'm not suggesting we quit with the questions, but I think adding this aspect to the page would be more fun for me, and I hope, ultimately, more interesting for you.
A few brief groundrules:
1. Don't forget the old groundrules. They still apply.
2. Let's limit discussions to the first two seasons of Gargoyles and also "The Journey" from the Goliath Chronicles. I'm not saying that the other 12 Goliath Chronicle episodes aren't cannon, but since I had almost nothing to do with them, I'm not going to be able to respond effectively to them.
Anyway 66 episodes worth of material should keep us busy enough.
3. This is not supposed to take the place of the existing Comment Room, obviously. For starters, this page doesn't "move" fast enough for ongoing (or even cogent) discussions. But a comment here or there, and my response to it, might spice up this page a bit.
Anyway, let's give it a shot.


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Anonymous writes...

Which buildings that were used more than once in the series really exist?

Greg responds...

I don't know. I'd have to go through every episode to answer that question.
Any specific buildings you're curious about?


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Anonymous writes...

1. Was Matt Bluestone inspired by Fox Mulder of "The X-Files"? 2. Whatever happened to those two cities that Jackal-as-Anubis wiped out in "Grief"? 3.
When you first did "Enter Macbeth", did you know that he was *the* Macbeth?
And what led to the decision to include Macbeth as a major supporting character in the series? Was his weariness of life inspired by the "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" lines in Shakespeare's play?

Greg responds...

1. I wanted Elisa to have a partner, but it was Michael Reaves who basically originated Matt. I wasn't watching X- Files much in its first couple of seasons, so Mulder definitely wasn't in my mind. You'd have to ask Michael if he had Mulder on the brain when he came up with Matt's conspiracy- hunting mentality.
2. One town, as I recall. It was wiped.
3. Yes, Macbeth was always Macbeth. And he was included because he fit. He filled a short-term role, AND he was perfect for our long-term plans. I've read and seen Shakespeare's MACBETH so many times, I can't say if any one line influenced me so much as my entire reading of the character did. His weariness, however, was again, logical and right to the character we had "created". Nothing else made sense.


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Anonymous writes...

What were you planning to do with Owen's stone hand, anyway? He only hit Oberon with it once I believe (I may be wrong) and that's about it. I doubt you would have made such a drastic change to a character without a plan on what was going to happen.

Greg responds...

Owen never hit Oberon with it, though he did use it on Talon once.
Originally it was put in to deepened the mystery of who Owen was. What kind of man would react so casually to such a drastic change? I also felt it was a kind of clue to Owen's true identity. Now, it's largely a reminder of what Puck has lost to stay in the mortal world; a disability he lives with and a weapon he occasionally makes use of.


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Anonymous writes...

(1)He isn't my favorite but by far one of the coolest, for lack of a better word. (2)How active of a part are you taking in the Gathering? (3)Since Gargs seems to be "Dead and dust" what was the future supposed to have in store
for Coldstone Desdemona/Coldfire and that annoying rustbucket, cliche-ing Coldsteel. (4) Why live action for the movie? Why not a animated feature, with the quality of work from eps such as 'Shadows of the Past' 'M.I.A.' and 'High Noon' (Three of my favorite episodes, for exceptional animation and storyline)? (5) Which leads me to my next question: Why was the animation quality of some eps better than others, ie 'High Noon': with it's superbly drawn and well rendered graphics, compared to Metamorphosis: with it's awkward movements and seemingly lowscale animation, and slightly less interesting storyline? (6) This is my personal biased opinion but almost always cartoons or animated shows/features etc. that turn to live action are inadequate by comparison. That is unless you pull some CGI graphic, Jurassic Park quality effects for the gargs. It just seems that the animation end of Gargoyles is so much more enticing than Live action. And it also seems that it [Animation] has much more to offer. Please surprise me with how incredible this movie will be just so you can tell me..."I told you so."

Greg responds...

(Numbers have been added to your comments/questions to make my life easier.) 1. Who?
2. I've been asked to attend, and if we can work out the details, I'll be there.
3. Lots of interesting stories that you just wouldn't be able to get enough of.
4. No one offered to make an animated feature. But the guys at Touchstone were interested in making a live-action movie. Who am I to say no?
Actually, no one. I have no control over what Disney does with the property.
5. You've raised two different points. Animation was done at a number of different studios. Our best work was done by Walt Disney Japan's in-house teams. Second best work was done by other Japanese units. Third best by KoKo in Korea. That was all great stuff. The rest ranged from O.K. down to poor. Your second point was about storylines, but I think it's interesting that you credit better animated episodes with having more interesting storylines. You're not alone, I've noticed in general that fans of the show seem to like the stories of better animated episodes and dislike the stories of poorly animated episodes. My guess is that at least to some extent, the animation is creating a bias negative or positive. The reason I feel that way is because, with the exception of the multi-parters, I never knew which studio an episode was going to go to when creating our stories. I never knew whether it was going to get great animation like "The Mirror",
"Future Tense" or "M.I.A." or whether it was going to get lousy or mediocre animation like "Monsters" or "Vendettas". We wrote the best 66 episodes we could. I find it hard to believe that the best stories just coincidentally happened to go to the best studios. Some stories certainly turned out better than others, but evidence suggests that animation quality had a larger subliminal effect on which stories people liked than anyone realizes.
6. First off, I don't have a lot (read any) control over this situation. I hope the live action movie is great. They are planning to use some CGI, although I don't think even they know how much yet. But mostly, I'm not worried about the look. Hollywood movies invariably look great. I'm hoping for a good story that is faithful to the spirit of the GARGOYLES property, if not the details.


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Anonymous writes...

Can we trust close-captioning to interpret hard to hear dialogue?

Greg responds...

Good question, Greg. NO, YOU CAN'T. It's probably right most of the time, but as far as I know no one involved with the show approved the close captioning, and I know of at least a couple of examples where it was dead wrong. Particularly on the spelling of names. That suggests to me that whoever wrote the captions didn't even have access to the scripts. I'm guessing he or she simply listened to the episodes and wrote down what they heard (or thought they heard). That means the "guesswork" known as close captioning has no more authority than what your own ears reveal. If you have any specific questions about dialogue or name spelling, don't check the captioning. Ask Greg.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi there! Please, once and for all: How the heck do you spell the name of that building? You know, the one that Xanatos owns, with the castle on the top?

Greg responds...

I think I've answered this but it's faster to type it in again then it is to check: EYRIE BUILDING. (I think Michael Reaves came up with that name.)


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Anonymous writes...

Two questions this time and a 'thank you for your time': 1. In "MIA" Griff looks at Goliath and guesses he is of "Scotish stock". Such a comment seems to imply that Griff has seen Scotish gargoyles. Are there surviving gargoyles in Scotland or does the English clan have some very well preserved thousand year old pictures? 2.'Time passes differently on Avalon' is that always or was an 'hour for every day' spell placed over the island to avoid the damages of a 1000 years of neglect? [I know there are myths of time passing differently on Avalon, but I thought those were to explain the longevity of the third race. In Gargoyles Oberon's Children do not seem to have aged noticably in a milenia.] Thank you

Greg responds...

1. Hee hee hee.
2. Always.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, you stated that the ratings went from good, to not-so-good to bad. I write a column on television for my school newspaper and if you could provide me with those numbers (neilsons) I would really apreciate it. Thanks

Greg responds...

Sorry, but I didn't save that info. It must be on file somewhere, so why don't you try writing a polite, typed and carefully proofread letter to Nielson. (And no, I don't know their address, but a good reporter should be able to find it. :))


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Anonymous writes...

You stated at one point that Demona and Xanatos were intoduced by Puck/Owen. What was the reason for the introduction?

Greg responds...

Mutual self-interest.


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Anonymous writes...

(1) I'm known in the comment room as Xanatos so you can call me that. (2) So the Illuminati funded the Quarrymen eh. Why? (3) Is Demona Brooklyn's mate?
Since the Future Tense episode, and the fact that you want to keep it a secret I'm begining to think she is. Plus she's the one no one would suspect. (4) I heard that you were going to be at the '97 Gathering, is it true? If so than I can't wait to meet you. I live in NY. I lve your show and am looking forward to the movie. I was relieved when I found out it would be about Goliath. I'm boring you now so good bye.

Greg responds...

1. Hey, Xanatos. I'd rather call you Greg, but I'll respect your wishes.
I added numbers to your questions to make this easier to read. No other editing. Hope you don't mind.
2. The Illuminati had their reasons.
3. No.
4. "Beth Maza" and I are trying to work out the details for me to be there.
We don't have it nailed down yet, so I don't want to make any promises. But we're trying, and it looks likely. Hopefully, I'll see you there.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, I am re-sending the questions again via. this route as you requested: 1) Which story writer was responsible for the introduction of Shakespearean characters into the story plot and what motivated the decision? 2) Why was the ending in "Vows" changed? In the first version Goliath embraced Demona in front of the clock tower scene and then broke the Phoenix Gate. In the second version, the clock tower background is replaced by a castle window. The animation in the second version seems to be done by Nelvana. Why was this done? Did the clock tower background symbolize that Demona and Goliath's vows of love were "now and forever?" I noticed the ending changed right after Hunter?s Moon aired for the first time. Did the writers decide to alter the ending of "Vows" now that the end was no longer valid now that Goliath loves Elisa? 3) In the episode called "The Mirror" Puck shows an image of Goliath in the mirror to Demona and says, "So after all these
years, you still carry a torch for him." What did he mean by this? Does Demona still love Goliath deep down, or was Puck just playing mental games with her? 4) Why were the Weird Sisters named after moons. Did it have to do with Shakespeare's love with the topic in his works? 5) In City of Stone, the Weird Sisters are in front of a TV store and say to one another, "So, it begins again..." What begins again? Are they referring to the Gathering or to Demona and MacBeth? 6) In the series, the show seems to focus on Goliath and Demona's relationship. Later in the second season Demona begins to show some signs of repentance. The show seems to suggest that they were going to be re-united (The fact that Angela is their daughter) and then all of a sudden in Hunters Moon, Goliath chooses Elisa as his mate. Did the writers originally plan for the re-uniting of Goliath and Demona in the beginning and changed their minds later on, or was the Elisa/Goliath relationship planned from the start?
7) In The Goliath Chronicles, Goliath advises against any dealings Demona and shuns anyone idea of befriending her, but in "The Reckoning" he praises Demona sacrifice and states that it was an act of "good." Why did he change his mind all of a sudden? 8) What are the plans for the character Demona if there is a new season? Will Goliath, Demona and Angela become a family? Is the Elisa/Goliath relationship going to end? If not, why didn't The Goliath Chronicles portray it more? Was it executive pressure?

Greg responds...

1. Most (though not all) of the Shakespeare was me. Beginning with Macbeth. We were looking for an immortal Scottish hunter. Macbeth had the name recognition. It felt like the kind of thing Stan Lee would have done in the early sixties at Marvel. Plus I love Shakespeare. The other things flowed from that rather smoothly. The Weird Sisters were obvious. Puck, Oberon and Titania likewise. Marty Isenberg & Bob Skir, the writers on "Legion" created an Othello/ Desdemona/Iago/Cassio set up (with Goliath in the Cassio role). I'm still not 100% sure if Marty and Bob did that on purpose, because per our rules, none of the other characters were named in their original outline for the story. In order to relieve some of the stress on our all-too-human brains, I suggested the Shakespearean names for internal use in order to keep all the characters straight. With more episodes, we would have included more Shakespearean characters. But I think that covers it for now.
2. NO. NO. NO. First off, Nelvana did none of the animation on the first two seasons. (Frankly, they didn't do any animation production for the third season either. They just handled pre-production.) The original background in front of the clock tower was a mistake. A MISTAKE. It was supposed to be a flashback to the moment when Demona first broke the gate and gave her piece to Goliath at the castle. A wistful memory. The mistake with the clock tower background came in too late to fix in time for the first airing. Maybe too late for the second too, I can't remember. But eventually, we got the correct background back from overseas and cut it in. Our intent never changed. Pragmatic realities dictated the two versions you saw. Sorry if that's disappointing.
3. Both.
4. There is a tradition of triple goddesses connected to the phases of the moon. It seemed to me that the Weird Sisters fit that tradition.
5. Demona and Macbeth. And the Archmage.
6. Elisa/Goliath from the start, and we never wavered. Demona's journey to some kind of redemption is another subplot, (if possible an even slower one then Goliath and Elisa's journey to finding each other). Sometimes, these subplots are going to intersect. But again, our intent remained constant.
7. I can't answer any questions about any Goliath Chronicle episodes except for "The Journey". Didn't work on them.
8. Again, I had little to do with Goliath Chronicles. But I doubt there was any executive pressure. Your questions suggest a clear bias toward wanting Goliath and Demona to reunite. All I can say is it wouldn't happen if the show was under my watch. As far as I was concerned we put any real chance of that to rest with "Vows". Someday, Goliath and Demona might have eventually reached some kind of detante. But Goliath's destiny is with Elisa. IMHO.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg: First off, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. I wonder how many people would continue to promote interest in a project that's no longer providing them with employment, and we are all very appreciative of your comments. RE questions: 1. In MIA it seems Griff and Una were romantically involved in the 40's. Are they still romantically involved? Did Una get together with Leo? I love the British gargs. 2. Do the names of the Japanese gargs (Kai, Yama, Sora) have special meanings in English, and what are they? 3. Do the Illuminati in Gargoyles have any connection to the real historical Bavarian ILluminati of the 1700's? 4. Is there a reason Malibu's arm shield has the Maltese Cross of Germany on it? 5. Would there ever have been a cure for the mutates?
6. WOuld the child of Ophelia and Gabriel have been in the Future Tense series? 7. Someday, when you feel like rambling, Brooklyn and Lex's mates and the fifth member of the Ultra-Pack would be interesting to hear about.
:-) also, if Hudson would ever have found some company... I respect your freedom not to answer any of the above questions, and thank you again for taking the time to talk to us.

Greg responds...

1. Griff and Leo were involved in the 40s, but by the 90s Una and Leo were mates.
2. Yes. Yama means "the Mountain". Gary Sperling told me what all the names mean, but I don't remember the others. Sorry.
3. Sure.
4. Not that I know of.
5. Not really.
6. Probably.
7. You're welcome.


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Anonymous writes...

How would I get involved in writing for an animated series? Or any TV series for that meatter.

Greg responds...

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.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi. Wow, this is nifty. But, anyway, here are my questions. 1: How is Sevarius (or Servarius) really spelled? 2: Xanatos is a Greek name, but does it come from Thanatos, the name of the Greek god of death? 3: I just love those names. I discovered on accident that Dracon means snake in Greek, which was neat, and very appropriate. Makes the quote 'honor of a Dracon' even more oxymoronic. Or was the quote 'word of a Dracon'? Oh, well. But on to the question: What does the name Sevarius (or Servarius) mean, or where did it come from? Sevarius sounds Latin, but it's all Greek to me. (Ooh, bad joke. Sorry!) 4: Hmm. Well, I could ask another question, but hmm.. what? Oops, that wasn't the question. But wait, that gives me an idea. Here it is: what question (or questions) would you most like to be asked, and who would ask them? :-) Not very creative of me, I know, but I hope you have fun with that one.I guess that's all. Thanks for taking the
time to answer these questions. And thanks for Gargoyles.
Gargoyles has been a work of art, a real gift to the world. It's inspired many people. I hope someday you can continue it. Good luck!

Greg responds...

1. Sevarius.
2. Yes.
3. Michael Reaves came up with the name "Sevarius". I don't know if it had a meaning to him. Initially, I wasn't sure if I liked the sound of the name. It sounded cliched to me at first, though I was at a loss to explain why. Later, it seemed perfect for the character. I was wrong on that one, so I'm glad I deferred to Michael.
4. Uh.... Sorry. I can't think of anything that hasn't been asked. But I'm sure you guys'll come up with something.


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Anonymous writes...

O.k.#1 I was just wondering, if you were going to have more episodes on Elisa and Goliath's relationship? They don't seem to be doing anything lately.#2 Are the recordings (for voices) more fun, or more like work?
Tha's all my questions for now. Thanks!

Greg responds...

1. I've answered this. The short answer is yes. For a longer answer look at the archives for this page.
2. They were (usually) a tremendous amount of fun. The most fun part of the job, frankly. You get to be there as actors bring your characters to life with their voices. I sat second chair to our fantastic voice director Jamie Thomason, so I got to pretend I was helping. Plus most of our actors were a complete joy to work with. Particularly our regulars: Keith, Jeff, Bill, Thom, Ed, Brigitte, Salli, Frank, Marina and Jonathan. Laura San Giacomo, Peter Scolari, Sheena Easton, Jim Cummings, Morgan Shepard, Kath Soucie and John Rhys-Davies were also great fun people to work with and talk to. (Actually, I'm nervous about leaving people out. Most everyone was great.) Anyway, yeah, it was a lot of fun. It WAS also work. Some sessions lasted for hours and could be grueling. But mostly it was a hoot.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, I have greatly enjoyed your work on Gargoyles. Have you worked on other shows or books in the past, and do you have anything in the works for the future.

Greg responds...

The future is hazy. I'll consult Puck later (not that he can be trusted).
As to the past, I've worked on a number of animation projects, most of them as a development executive. These include (in no particular order) Gummi Bears, Duck Tales, Winnie the Pooh, TaleSpin, Rescue Rangers, Duck Tales the Movie, A Goofy Movie, Mighty Ducks, Bonkers, Goof Troop, Darkwing Duck, Aladdin (series), Little Mermaid (series), JEM, Timon & Pumbaa, Schnookums & Meat,
Raw Toonage, Marsupilami, Quack Pack, etc. Some of these I had a lot to do with, others I had almost nothing to do with.
I also worked for DC Comics for some time. The main thing I did was CAPTAIN ATOM. But I worked as a writer or assistant editor on DC Challenge, Tales of the Teen Titans, Justice League of America, Justice League, Justice League International, All Star Squadron, Infinity Inc, Young All Stars, Titans Spotlight, Silverblade, Watchmen, Secret Origins, Millenium, Who's Who, etc.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi.#1-WHAT IS BROOKLYN'S MATE? #2-Will Xantos ever go back on his word to betray the gargoyles? Now for the last one. #3-Will Lex ever meet a female gargoyle?

Greg responds...

1. Katana.
2. Xanatos and Goliath will never be totally in synch, but Xanatos no longer desires to be at odds with the gargoyles. That doesn't mean that occasionally they won't wind up at odds.
3. Meet? Sure.


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Anonymous writes...

I know I said I wouldn't ask any more until this batch was answered, but I have one last question; who exactly was MacDuff? He was in the credits of "City of Stone," but I never heard his name spoken in the show. So who was he?

Greg responds...

Macduff was Duncan's lieutenant in 1040. He was knocked out by Demona, allowing Macbeth to go one-on-one with Duncan.


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Anonymous writes...

Oh, almost forgot, one more question: Where in New York is the Xanatos Enterprises building meant to be located? I've been searching my tapes for a full shot of the city skyline including this building, but I can't find one....

Greg responds...

It's on Central Park South. At least it is in my Manhatten.


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Anonymous writes...

I have always wondered why Disney never promoted Gargoyles all that much?
You said it never did that well but I hardly saw anything to promote the show. I just happened to see it one day and was immediately hooked. Any guess as to why Disney seemed to distance themselves from Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

The question you should ask yourself is whether ANY of Disney's animated series from that era of the Disney Afternoon received MORE promotion.
Personally, I don't think so. Other producers complained that they didn't get as much of a push as Gargoyles did.
Now you could argue that Disney didn't promote any of their shows enough.
But keep in mind that promotion costs a LOT of money. It just wasn't money they felt like spending at the time.


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Anonymous writes...

Was Elisa's metamorphosis in THE MIRROR just a one-time idea, or something you'd panned on doing more on?

Greg responds...

A one time deal. Elisa's humanity and Goliath's gargoylity make up one of the series prime dynamics. Any permanent alteration of that would have been a betrayal.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Hi, Greg. I want to be a animator when I grow up and I was wondering if you have any tips for me ? 2. Will Brooklyn EVER HAVE A MATE ?!

Greg responds...

1. Uh, draw a lot? Seriously, I'm not an artist or animator, so I'm not the guy to ask. But I guess you could try to get into to an art school which has an animation department and a history of industry recruitment.
2. Yes. In my mind, at least.


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Anonymous writes...

Intresting Question Greg. Exactly what did Demona do during 1900-1990?

Greg responds...

About 90 years worth of stuff.


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Anonymous writes...

This isn't exactly a question. I just wanted to tell you what I heard from a guy who worked on "Touched by an Angel". Anyway, he told me that they sometimes called witers "Co-Producers" because it cost them less (because of the writers guild or somthing). Just thought you'd like to know!

Greg responds...

Thanks.


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Anonymous writes...

I've got a *lot* of questions. Hope you have time! 1. Who created the phonix gate? 2. Did you ever intend to do a story where Xanatos goes back to his old tricks? 3. Is Coyote (the fey one) *really* Elisa's ansestor? If so, how far back? 4. Who was the friend of Arthurs who created the Illuminati? 5. Is the Illuminati supposed to be good, or bad, or neither (like the wierd sisters)? 6. Is the Magus *really* dead? 7. Someone asked if halflings were mortal, and you said "Define mortal." Okay, can they be killed? If they can, do they age at all? 8.
Is Puck an illigit. halfling, like in the legends? Thanks for doing this!

Greg responds...

1. I did.
2. In my mind, he never abandoned his old tricks. But some of his goals and priorities have changed a bit.
3. I don't think the show ever even implied that. The Coyote was "joined" to Peter Maza when he danced the part of Coyote in a kachina ceremony.
4. Sorry. Not in the mood today.
5. Depends who you ask.
6. Yes.
7. They can be killed. Or destroyed. They might age very slowly. Hard to tell, since they can alter their forms to suit their vanity.
8. Which legends specifically?


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Anonymous writes...

When Elisa kissed Goliath , why was Goliath just staring ? It was VERY romantic though! haskett@juno.com

Greg responds...

She caught him off guard. Then he turned to stone, so there wasn't much time to react.


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Anonymous writes...

Who came up with the caped wings idea and who thought of the loin cloths?

Greg responds...

Loin cloths were there from the beginning. No one wanted to see Goliath twisting in the wind, so to speak.
I think Gary Krisel came up with the idea of "cloaking" the wings when they were at rest. I resisted that notion at first, but I soon became a convert.


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Anonymous writes...

Why won't you answer some of the questions asked? If there were still a show(sob) I could understand, but it's not like we're ever going to find out the answers, are we?

Greg responds...

Sigh, I've answered this before too. Gargoyles has one good shot at coming back. If and when the live-action movie is completed, interest in the property might be revived and Disney might consider bringing the show back.
If that happens, then I want to have a few surprises left.


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Anonymous writes...

Are there plans for any new clans to be discovered like the ones found on Goliath, Elisa, Bronx, and Angela's tour of the world?

Greg responds...

Yes.
(Seems like a good time to remind you guys to check the FAQ for ASK GREG before re-asking old questions. It's fine to reask something I've dodged.
Or to get more specific in your question. But try not to ask the same question over.)


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Anonymous writes...

I'm a huge fan of Gargoyles, and I wonder what plans you had for the Owen half of Owen/Puck.

Greg responds...

More of the same, plus more of the different.


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Anonymous writes...

Is it a coincidence that all the clans mentioned so far are on islands or in the New World? South America, Japan, Scotland, England, Manhattan, Avalon.

Greg responds...

Islands or the New World? What's the connection between those two?
Guatemala isn't an island. I guess the answer is no, because I don't get the question.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Forgive me if this has been asked and answered before: Did you know about Angela's character and who she was from the start (i.e. that Demona and Goliath had a child) or did who she would be come to you later, when you started planning "Avalon"? 2. This may be something Carl Johnson has to answer, but did he use any medieval/Scottish folk tunes or ballads as the basis for any of the music in gargoyles? Thanks.

Greg responds...

1. I knew that one of those eggs from the first episode was a child of Goliath's and Demona's. I didn't give too much thought initially to who that child was. Later, it became clear that she would be a female. A female who was in many ways Demona's opposite (hence the name Angela) but in other ways very much like her mother. The positive side of Demona, so to speak.
2. I'm not sure.


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Anonymous writes...

I'm not sure this is a fair question to ask, but here goes anyway: Why was the episode "The Hound Of Ulster" so inaccurate in terms of the original legends -- in which, among other discrepancies, "the Hound of Ulster" was not an actual dog, but a nickname for Cuchullain himself?
Especially considering that one of the writers for that ep was Diane Duane, and I KNOW she knows better than that?

Greg responds...

You seem to know Diane pretty well. What's her excuse? :)
Are you sure that Cuchullain and his "hound" weren't actually combined and confused in the legend? Are you sure our version wasn't the true truth? :) :)
To be honest, I'm not that familiar with the Cuchullain legends, so I didn't double check Diane, Peter and Michael's version. Also I asked for some changes from their early drafts. They told me they had problems with some of the changes, so we compromised. (Or at any rate, we found something that I liked which they didn't object to.) Maybe they compromised too much, I don't know. But I do take full responsibility for what got on the screen.
Ultimately, I was the guy in charge of story, so the buck stops with me. I just wasn't aware we were making serious errors. I'm still not. Where did we go wrong, besides adding a gargoyle beast to the legend (a logical extension in our series)?


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Anonymous writes...

One question Greg, you said in answering an earlier question that you wanted to have Elisa and Goliath to have some sort of marriage ceramony, but do you think that the censors or whoever made those kind of decisions would have let you? I would have liked it but some people have a thing with different race marriage I guess.

Greg responds...

I believe I said that we had no censors. And I didn't say "marriage ceremony", I think I said "commitment ceremony". I don't know exactly what I would have done, if I had been given enough episodes to get to this issue.
I have no reason to believe that it would have been even vaguely controversial. But rest assured, when I felt the time was right, Goliath and Elisa would have had some sort of clear moment of commitment. I don't think it would have been a traditional marriage ceremony (not because of censorship, but because that doesn't feel right to me vis-a-vis the two characters), but you'd have gotten the message. Trust me.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Which is your favorite character? Mine is Brooklyn. 2. What made you decide that Angela would choose Broadway as her mate. I think that she and Brooklyn would have made a better couple. 3. It seems that Brooklyn is always getting the short end of the stick. First Demona tricks him. He loses Maggie to Talon. He's forced into leadership and then he loses Angela. Why are you doing this to him? 4. I never got to see the third season. Where could I get copies of it?

Greg responds...

1. I've answered this one too. The short answer is Goliath, but they're all my children, and I love them all.
2. I've answered this too, but see below.
3. Faulty assumptions. Who doesn't get the short end of the stick sometimes? Lex? Goliath? Broadway? Demona tricked Brooklyn. Goliath lost his clan and castle. The Pack tried to kill Lex. Broadway shot Elisa accidentally. Bad stuff happens. Particularly to cartoon characters.
Was Brooklyn "forced" into leadership? I suppose you could look at it that way, but don't forget he WANTED it. It's a lot of responibility, but even now, I don't think he'd give up being Goliath's Second-In-Command gladly.
And Brooklyn never lost Maggie or Angela. He never had them. Hell, he never KNEW them. He was in love with their looks, their seeming availability. He had crushes. Broadway, on the other hand, understood Angela inside and out -- her fears, her desires, her moods. He's a more sensitive guy. He sees inside people. Brooklyn doesn't. Or at least he didn't. When Brooklyn does truly fall in love for the first time, he'll know the difference immediately. It will be real, not superficial. It will be lasting.
Gargoyles mate for life. Brooklyn won't be an exception. He just hasn't met the right girl yet.
So when you ask me why I'm "doing" this to him, I don't know how to respond.
Either you go inside the show and realize that this is his life. He has to go through the bad stuff in order to learn enough to appreciate the good. Or you remain outside the show and realize that this is storytelling. We put characters through paces. We challenge them. We watch them overcome odds.
If everyone's lives were always perfect, it would make for boring television.
4. I have no idea. Sorry.


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Anonymous writes...

do you ever dream to be a gargoyle as me ???

Greg responds...

Not in the sense you mean.


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Anonymous writes...

Call me stupid, or not as big a fan as I should be, but what is the stroy behind your non-involvment with the Goliath Chronicals? I don't think I've seen your name in the end credits.

Greg responds...

I wrote and story edited one episode, the first one, "THE JOURNEY".
Otherwise, I was not involved. I was paid as a creative consultant, but I asked Disney to remove my consultant credit from the end credits of the last twelve episodes, because I felt I hadn't earned it. Eric Lewald, Jay Fukuto and Kim Christianson consulted me a bit on those episodes, but not much.
They followed some of my negative recommendations, that is they chose not do some things that I recommended against, but they rarely did any of the things I suggested that they should do. So I felt I had made no positive contribution
to the show that would appear on screen. Thus I felt I didn't deserve screen credit. So if you're looking for my credit on Goliath Chronicles, look fast at the end of "The Journey" and then forget about it.
As to the "story"... well, I think I've answered this, but maybe not here.
Basically, it's a decision I regret, but at the time it made sense. Disney offered me the opportunity to story edit the thirteen Goliath Chronicles episodes they were doing. I agreed to do one, while we worked out the details. But we never could work out those pesky details. It was not about money. We never got that far in the conversation, and they met my fee for "The Journey", so I don't think that would have been a problem. The problems were creative control and resources. Disney didn't offer me the opportunity to produce Goliath Chronicles. They were, in essence, asking me to take a demotion. Also, at the time, they were going to pre-produce the show at DIC and refused to guarantee me any creative approvals over DIC's work. They also presented me with an impossible schedule. (The first script was due before they made the offer to me. I'm not kidding.) I felt like they were asking me to preside over the demise of the show. So I passed.
Then after I passed, things changed. They switched from DIC to Nelvana.
They gave new Producer Scott Thomas all the approvals that they wouldn't guarantee to me. They gave new Story Editor Eric Lewald a schedule that was much more realistic. I felt, well, screwed.
But even so, I shouldn't have passed. I missed out on the opportunity to tell twelve more of my stories. To let the series go out on a note of my choosing as opposed to someone else's. Eric's a very good guy, but GARGOYLES was my baby, and I should not have abandoned it. Live and learn.
O.K. Now I'm really not gonna answer this question again.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, I Have A Puck Related Question. From The Chacteraztion He Was Given Did U Plan To Use Him More Had The Show Not Been Cancled. His Few Episodes Have Been Rated By Most Gargoyle Fans As Some Of The Best

Greg responds...

Yes.


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Anonymous writes...

In "Sentinel" when Elisa says that it sounds like the only thing they had not run into was "King Arthur and the Holy Grail" was this a reference to what must be the definitive work on the subject of the Arthurian legends "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"?

Greg responds...

No. It was a reference to the legend of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. We did have a Python reference from "Holy Grail" in "Future Tense" when Xanatos says to Goliath's head, "What are you going to do, bite my kneecaps off?" A famous line from a funny movie.


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Anonymous writes...

Recently reading a list of Disney's various animation projects in the works, I noticed a "Gargoyles tape" was listed. Any idea what this could be?

Greg responds...

What list? What was the source? What was the date on it? You haven't given me enough information. But I can say that as far as I know, Disney isn't planning anymore Gargoyle related filmed entertainment except for the live- action movie in development at Touchstone Pictures.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Again! 1) Okay, once and for all, which wyrd sister was which? I thought Luna was the white haired one, Phoebe the brownie, and Seline the black haired. On the side, was Micheal Bolton the inspiration for their hairstyle? (Just kidding) 2) What _did_ Titania whisper in Fox's ear . .
.oops, already been asked. 3)Did Demona only lay one egg in the rookery? I seem to remember a male gargoyle from Avalon with red hair and a suspicious resemblence to Goliath (either that or it's one of those generic gargs) Danke Schon!

Greg responds...

1. I've answered this one too, but it's a short question so

Phoebe - Blonde hair;

Seline - Black hair;

Luna - Silver hair.

There was no brunette.
3. Female Gargoyles only lay one egg every twenty years max.


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Anonymous writes...

Have you always liked shakespeare? What inspired you to include shakespearean characters in Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Yeah, I pretty much loved Shakespeare from my earliest exposures. I still have a crush on Olivia Hussey.
Macbeth was the first Shakespearean character we included, and he just seemed too perfect NOT to include. We needed an immortal and dangerous Scotish King with maximum name recognition. Who else was there? His inclusion led to all the rest. But frankly, it was inevitable given my interests. Besides, as I mentioned above, to me these stories really exist out there, waiting to be plucked down. IT HAD TO BE MACBETH, etc. Cuz that's the way it happened.


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Anonymous writes...

1. At what point did you decide to have Kachina Coyote connected to Elisa's family. And, of course, I'd like to know why? (but I don't really expect an answer to that one.) 2. Why is Beth Maza going to collage in Flagstaff Arizona? 3. Did Elisa go to collage? If so, where and what was her major? Thanks for the stories, Greg.

Greg responds...

1. I knew early on that I wanted to do a World Tour Story set in Arizona that focused on Elisa and Peter's Native American Heritage. I knew that story would involve the Coyote Trickster. But the specific connection wasn't decided on until Brynne, Lydia and myself started working on the that specific premise/outline/script. Why? On a very real level, we had no choice. It was the "truth", obvious once we delved into it. Plus, it made a good story and would lead us to more and more interesting things.
2. Beth's mother is a professor who specializes in African Studies, specifically African myth and legends. Beth is following in her mother's footsteps, but with the twist that she is specializing in Native American Studies, her father's heritage. She chose Flagstaff, at least in part, because that's the college nearest to where her father grew up.
3. Yes, Elisa went to Columbia on a partial scholarship. That's where her mom teaches. She majored in Psych. By the way, Derek went to Columbia also. He majored in African-American Studies.


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Anonymous writes...

Just want to say you have a really great show. What I want to know is if 1) what happened to King Arthur 2) what is the Illuminatti's agenda with the gargoyles and3) wil aliens ever invade? Thanks

Greg responds...

1) What happened when?
2) Control. Mostly. Plus they know some things.
3) Ever? Sure.
Hey, Luke, I don't mean to single you out, but it's time to point out again, that vague questions demand vague answers. Also, if you ask me a question so large that my only choices are to answer coyly or to write a novel- length response, you're going to get coy almost every time. Sorry.


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Anonymous writes...

(1) Hi Mr. Weisman, I am sure you have been asked this question a million times but maybe if I ask again you will give us an answer. So here goes, What did Titania wisper in Fox's ear???!!! (2) Oh, and did Oberon and his children create the Gargoyle race or was it someone else? If so, who was it? Thanks.

Greg responds...

1. Something that made her smile. :)
2. Gargoyles, fae, humans, plants, animals. It's the same deal. The gargoyle race was "created" by the same thing that created the human race and most everything else. What was that, you ask? God? Evolution?
Both? I'll leave that to everyone's personal belief system.
But don't give Oberon the credit. For purposes of this discussion, he's just one of the created. Hardly the creator.


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Anonymous writes...

(1) Okay, could you clear up a sort of dilemna our comment room has been having? What we want to know is: when the Three Sisters were helping out the Archmage in "Avalon", was it out of petty revenge on the Avalon clan for getting past them 1000 years before, or was what they did in that episode part of some "master plan" with the Archmage as some sort of "cannon fodder"? (Personally, I think it's the former.) (2) For that matter, did the Archmage die at the end of Avalon, or was he for some reason "automatically" sucked into the Pheonix Gate to some time and place we don't know about? (3) One other thing I'm curious about: about how old, in "gargoyle years" was Demona in 994? I would have thought she was in the equvalent of her twenties at the time, but she has grey hair only twenty "gargoyle years" later, which would make her in the equivalent of her late thirties or fourties in 994. (4) And finally, what is the average lifespan of a gargoyle anyways?

Greg responds...

1. I've answered the Weird Sister thing. Check the ASK GREG FAQ archives.
2. The Archmage is dead. Of course, so was Hakon.
3. In 994, Demona and Goliath were both 56 years old chronologically (twenty- eight biologically, i.e. in human terms.) In 1020, Demona was 82 (or 41) and aging prematurely because of the extremely difficult life she was leading. In 1040, Demona was 102 (51) until she recieved Macbeth's youth in magical trade. He was 35 (35) so she became 102 (35). He became 35 (51).
They've been stuck at those (biological) ages ever since.
4. It's hard to say. Gargoyles have always led lives of such intense conflict that it is extremely rare for a gargoyle to die of old age.
In fact, it's rare for them to get very old at all. Hudson, thankfully, is a marvelous exception. On the other hand, their daily healing is a big plus, so I'm figuring they'd wind up on the high end of what a human can accomplish. I tend to believe that a gargoyle maxes out at 180 to 200 years old (or 90 to 100 biologically) assuming they escape a violent end or a magical reprieve. Same for a Gargoyle Beast.


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Anonymous writes...

First off, I know you've heard this a thousand times but,I just have to say Thank you, both for creating the show and for coming here to Station 8 to answer our questions. My question is : Is there any relationship between Oberon's Children and the New Olympians? The reason I ask is because in "The Gathering" there are some fae in the background who look like characters from Greek mythology (specifically Pegasus, a centaur, and a figure that looks more like Medusa than the one in "The New Olympians"). Were these two groups related at some point in the distant past (like when the Greek civilization was begiining to rise)? And if so, why did they split?

Greg responds...

Keep in mind, that most of the fae can take on any form that strikes their fancy. Appearances can be deceiving.
But yes, there is a relationship. With a few exceptions, the current New Olympians are descendants of a group of very mortal "gods and monsters" who chose to retire from humanity and set up shop on New Olympus. These original Olympians were the mortal children of human-fae liasons. (There's more to it than that, but that's the short answer.) Fox and Alexander are basically New Olympians. Sort of. Not really. But you get the idea.
Among the exceptions that I mentioned are the New Olympian Gargoyles, who have full New Olympian citizenship, but are descended from gargoyles, not from humans or fae. Another obvious exception is the robot Talos, who was built centuries ago and has been rebuilt and upgraded more times than anyone has bothered to count.
[Now what's fascinating to me is that I actually answered that question and didn't get cute or evasive. All of the above is info that I hadn't planned on revealing, but, hey, catch me at the right moment and I might even tell you that Brooklyn's kids are named NASHVILLE and TACHI. Doh!]


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! I'm just wondering. What inspired you to create the Weird Sisters? Is there any mythology you based them on? And what is the significance of naming them after Moon Goddesses?(Luna, Phobe, Selene) What would you have done with them had the series continued? What would you have done with the clones had you continued the series?

Greg responds...

Well, the immediate inspiration for the Sisters was obviously Shakespeare's Weird Sisters from MACBETH. But a surprising number of cultures have myths of a triple goddess, generally associated with fate and/or the phases of the moon. As I recall, Seline (or Selene) was the name of the Greek goddess of the moon. Luna was a roman name occasionally used for the same goddess.
Phoebe means "bright" (in its feminine form). It was a epithet occasionally used almost as an adjective to describe Artemis (or Diana), the goddess of the hunt, who was also often associated with the moon, just as her twin brother Phoebus Apollo was often associated or confused with Phoebus Helios the god of the Sun. In fact, I had a wealth of names to chose from.
So I finally just picked three that seemed to work well together.
I had many plans for the clones and the Sisters. Too much to relate in this Q&A format.


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Anonymous writes...

How many current episodes have been released of Gargoyles? And how many different shows are there

Greg responds...

Uh, if I understand your question...
We made 65 episodes of GARGOYLES. Thirteen in the first season. Fifty-two in the second.
Thirteen episodes of GARGOYLES: THE GOLIATH CHRONICLES were made. I only worked on the first one.
That totals to 78 episodes, 66 of which I was involved in.


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Anonymous writes...

Sorry to ask another question so quickly after the first, but did you have a definite villian planned for Timedancer? If Brooklyn was able to jump through time it seems difficult to have a villian keep pestering him, which is why I'm asking.

Greg responds...

From Brooklyn's point-of-view he was gone for forty years. Sometimes he'd bounce into a time period for a few seconds, sometimes he'd be there for years. That being the case, I had a lot of villains planned. Some you know already and some new ones as well. If you're asking whether there would have been one villain who appeared in literally every episode, the answer is no.
But I did have plans for a couple of different antagonists who he'd have faced in more than one era.


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Anonymous writes...

On Enter Macbeth, Brooklyn suggests that they read the book Macbeth. Also that shakespeare was a new writer in the 990's, but Macbeth wasn't writen until 1605. How is that possible ?

Greg responds...

You're mistaken. Brooklyn asks Lex who Macbeth is. Lex remembers Goliath talking about a play called "Macbeth" by "some new writer named Shakespeare." To them, Shakespeare was new because he was born centuries AFTER the 990s.


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Anonymous writes...

In the episode "Avalon Part 2", the Archmage traveled back in time and saved himseld from dying. How could this have been possible? If the Archmage originally died, how could his older self come back in time and save him?

Greg responds...

A third sigh. Time travel. A working paradox. The Archmage never did die.
Goliath, Hudson and Demona thought he had died, because they saw him fall down into the pit. But before he actually died his "future" self appeared and rescued him. Later, his future self made sure that the rescued self knew how and when to go back in time to rescue the original self, thus completing the perfect circle. The working paradox.


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Anonymous writes...

Is there any chance that the gargoyles show will be brought back onto the air? I know that the ratings for the Goliath Chronicles was less than satisfactory but that was mostly due to bad animation, lack of story continuity and bad sound FX. I am sure that if you brought things back up to the level it was in the first two seasons the ratings will return to their normal spectacular level.

Greg responds...

I hate to say this, particularly since I've said it before, but the ratings on GARGOYLES were never spectacular. NEVER. They were better than GOLIATH CHRONICLES (relatively), and good enough to chalk the show up as a hit. But it was a single. Not a home run. Not even a double. We regularly got trounced by Power Rangers.
Again, the best shot for new episodes for the show is the live-action feature film currently in development at Touchstone. If that movie gets made it might reawaken interest in the show, particularly if fandom has kept the flame alive.


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Anonymous writes...

More questions: 1) Did the Weird Sisters have some sort of master plan, or
were they really only motivated by revenge? 2) Is the Magus really dead or just in a deep sleep like Arthur? 3) Who created the Phoenix Gate?
4) Will the movie fit into the continuity of the show, or will it be separate? 5) Are Bronx and Boudicca related? 6) In your chat room session at S8 on Feb. 6, you said there were gargoyles on New Olympus. I take it this is one of the clans you gave clues about in your previous set of answered questions, right? 7) Were there any further plans for the other Mazas (Beth, Peter, or Diane)? 8) I previously asked who the mysterious "fifth member" of the Ultra-Pack was. Several people in the comment room here at S8 have thought up some ideas, so I thought I'd run them by you and ask if any of these are the "fifth member;" Delilah, Fang, or Thailog? I also thought of the "fifth member" being Coldsteel (I got the idea from Matthew Drover's question). Are any of these right? Thanks again for giving us this opportunity!

Greg responds...

1. I'm sure I've answered this one -- in detail. But, sigh, the answer is BOTH. Why do you assume these things are mutually exclusive?
2. Dead.
3. I did.
4. Quite separate, I'd guess.
5. No. Well, they may be distant cousins, I suppose, but that's it.
6. Did I give that away? Another sigh. Well, yeah. When the old Olympians decided to retire from the human world and set up shop on New Olympus, they invited the Olympian clan of Gargoyles to join them. Some did. Some did not. The descendents of the gargoyles who did go with them still live with the descendents of those old Olympians.
7. Yes.
8. No. It's a new character. You can't guess it, unless you're psychic.
9. North Dakota.


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Anonymous writes...

I'm realy curious about wat you think are the best episodes of Gargoyles.
And, looking back, which episodes do you think should have been done differently or maybe even not at all ?

Greg responds...

There are no episodes that I wish I hadn't done. There were reasons, short- and long-term for every single one. Some episodes don't look very good, and I think the bad animation hurt everyone's overall impression of those episodes' stories. I obviously wish we had brilliant animation on every episode.
Of couse, some episodes were better written than others, but on the page they were all decent scripts. Sometimes we intentionally made unusual change of pace story choices to shake things up. "The Mirror," "Future Tense," "Avalon, Part II," "Night of the Panther," "Vendettas" and "Revelations" are a few examples of this. It's for you all to decide how successful we were.
But I'm very proud of all the stories we told and fairly proud of how all the episodes turned out, given the various constraints (mostly time constraints) that we were under.
There was some great material that didn't get into some episodes because I'm pretty notorious for delivering long scripts. None of it was essential, but some of it was great stuff that I wish you guys could have seen.
There were two story beats I missed until too late, and it really drives me crazy, even today. One was in "The Hound of Ulster". Cu Chullain's armor and bones should have been in the chamber where Banshee imprisoned Elisa, Goliath and Angela. The other was in "Grief". I should have let Coyote kill Elisa, Goliath, Angela and Bronx in the mastaba. If I had been paying attention, I would have noticed that with Anubis imprisoned, the heroes could not die. It would have been much more effective and would have tied in cleaner with the story than what we did do. A horrible missed opportunity. Oh, well.
As to my favorites, well it's hard. My single favorite episode is "The Mirror". Great animation, a great premise, a great story, great character work and....IT'S FUNNY. I'm proud of that, because I got some flack from people who didn't get it in script. They thought it was too complicated.
But the conceit played clear and well on screen, and the jokes still play great.
After "The Mirror", I immediately think of our multi-parters. "Awakening" got it all started and has some gorgeous stuff in there. "City of Stone" really expanded our whole universe and has some of our most honest emotions in it. Plus the Scotish History and Shakespeare and the whole stone human premise stuff is all great as far as I'm concerned. "Avalon" is more rocky, but I'm fond of it. "The Gathering" was hell to produce but had these great revelations in there. Titania's so good at the end there it still makes me smile. And "Hunter's Moon" really tied everything up wonderfully, with great animation, a powerful story, some terrific character work and an ending that left us open to do more, but could still be viewed as the end of a novel.
What next? There are some obvious choices. Although I think it's interesting that the first ones that my mind goes to tend to be the ones that had the best animation. "High Noon," "Future Tense" and "M.I.A." for example, though all also have other reasons why I like them so much. M.I.A.
has Douglas Bader in it and was sort of written for my father. Bader was/is a real hero to my dad. My whole family went with Sir Douglas and his wife to Disneyland once when I was a kid.
"Deadly Force" was probably our most important story. A very powerful episode. "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time" was another powerful one, but it suffered from having mediocre animation.
I have a personal fondness for "Vendettas" and "The Journey". I like Vinnie a lot more than most of you. Plus I voice directed Vendettas and personally wrote the script for Journey, so I'm even less objective about those two than I am about the rest. Still, I do believe that if either episode had had the kind of animation that "The Mirror" had you'd all like them a lot, lot more.
"Vendettas" in particular depended on comic timing that the animators didn't give us. I also tell myself that Journey would have been better if I had produced it. At least, I wouldn't have messed with my script, reordering scenes and making dumb errors like having Goliath glide off at the end of the episode after making a huge deal over the fact that his wing was injured and he couldn't glide.
How many have I listed? Twenty? Thirty? I could easily keep going.
There's something I like in every single episode. It's like choosing from one's children.
So I'll just shut up now.


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Anonymous writes...

How far can a Gargoyle glide before getting tired?

Greg responds...

Depends on a lot of factors. Wind currents, etc. Basically, there's no one answer to that question. And I'm not capable of doing the math.


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Anonymous writes...

Some more questions for Mr. Weisman: 1. Did you have any stories planned for "Bad Guys"? If so what would they be like besides the redemption of the main characters? Who was The Director in this series? 2. At the end of "Legion" Xanatos had successfuly downloaded the Coldstone virus and seemed to have a plan for it. How come it was never mentioned again and what was Xanatos's plan? 3. What were your plans for Jason Canmore after "Hunters Moon"? Was he going to be a continuous character or just pop up every once in awhile? 4. What were your plans for Nokarr after "Sentil"?
Was he going to be in any more episodes in the main Gargoyles Cycle or just be in the "Future Tense" series? 5. In your master plan you listed Coldsteel and Coyote together. Did this mean they were going to team up or was it just how you were listing the characters? 6. What were your plans for the four tricksters? You mentioned them in your master plan but all of them were stuck on Avalon except for Puck who was forbidden to use his magic. Would they have been allowed to leave Avalon or would their episodes have been on Avalon? Thank you for taking the time to read my questions.

Greg responds...

1. I had many stories planned. I'm not going to tell them here and now.
"The Director" was Robyn's boss -- Mr. Duval's primary nemesis, and a man after Xanatos' own heart. We did a five minute Leica Reel to try and sell the show. In the reel, the Director was voiced by William Devane, who would have also done the voice if we had gone to series.
2. We "only" had 78 episodes (and I only had 66). Not every thread was able to be serviced without the opportunity to tell more stories. Xanatos likes to acquire worthwhile things. He acquired the Eye of Odin for his collection before he even knew it had magical powers. The virus was a powerful weapon to add to his arsenal. Eventually, he would have found a use for it. Maybe he already knows what that use will be.
3. We had eight regulars, or eleven if you count Owen, Xanatos and Demona.
That doesn't count recurring characters like Fox, Matt or Morgan. Plus a huge cast of now-familiar faces. Not all the regulars got into every episode. (Even Goliath skipped out on four of them.) So by definition, Jason would only have been able to stop by occasionally. But he would have stopped by. I think Elisa still has feelings for him. She would have helped with his rehab, help him adjust to life in a wheelchair. He would have attempted to redeem his younger brother. Etc.
4. There are a lot of ifs to that question. If I had had the chance to do more GARGOYLES, but not TIMEDANCER or FUTURE TENSE, then I might have eventually moved some of my 2158 material up to the twentieth century. But, no, in my mind, Nokkar didn't resurface until 2158.
5. I think I've answered this one.
6. The other three would have left Avalon, with Oberon's permission... and a very specific purpose.


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Anonymous writes...

1. How does Xanatos his exoframe? I can understand the arms and legs, but what about the way he occaisonally whips his tail, and spreads his wings and opens his laser without pressing any (viewable) buttons? 2. There was one gargoyle (bald one with half a metal breastplate) who was in Demona's scattered Scotland clan, and then later appears in the Avalon clan! Any story behind this mystery 'generic' gargoyle? 3. Is the Magus the Archmage's son? 4. Is Demona really still 'carrying a torch' for Goliath?
5. Does Oberon really banish Puck/Owen from Avalon *forever*... or does Oberon cool down after a couple of centuries?

Greg responds...

1. I don't know all the details, but he does have options scroll on his internal visor. He can activate them using internal sensors. He trained a long time to use the suit proficiently. And it's tailored to him specifically.
2. Which answer do you want? Obviously, we reused some model sheets, but it's also possible that a gargoyle who once visited or lived in Wyvern was part of Demona's gathered clan. That gargoyle mated with a female gargoyle at Wyvern, resulting in an egg that grew up looking remarkably similar to his biological father. Uh, how's that?
3. No.
4. Yes and no.
5. It's not a matter of "cooling down". Having made his decision, Oberon would need to be convinced to reverse that decision. Forever is a long time, but let me put it this way: in 2158, Puck will still be living as Owen in the mortal realm.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi! Could you say what happened to Finella and Tom's mother after they left with the Grimorum? Thanks!

Greg responds...

They ran into Brooklyn who helped them escape from Constantine before accidentally transporting them to the late 1970s.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! I've been a fan of Gargoyles for two years and even though I may not be as educated about Gargoyles as the next guy, I still love it and want to keep it alive! I wanted to ask you this: 1) where does everyone get all this info on Gargs? That is, where does a Gargie get info about something like "TimeDancers"?? Am I completely clueless or something? Is there a web site where you can get this specific info?? 2) THE BIG ONE: did Disney really kill off Gargs? What I mean by this is are they just testing us, or have they already cancelled Gargyoles altogether???? I doubt they would do that. I can't understand why they would put Gargoyles on the line because something like the Goliath Chronciles failed.
Anywayz...thankx for informing the fans of the stuff that going on in our Gargie universe. Long Live Gargoyles!!!

Greg responds...

1) It depends what you mean. TIMEDANCER was a spin-off that I suggested to Disney that they chose not to make. It was also a single episode that I suggested to Eric Lewald for GOLIATH CHRONICLES that he also chose not to make. I've posted some tidbits about what I had in mind here on "ASK GREG" and in Gore's chatroom. Plus there's an e-mail floating around about my "Master Plan" that I once sent to someone. Ask about it in the Comment Room, and I'm sure someone can give you a link. Basically, TimeDancer is about Brooklyn's adventures in the time stream with the Phoenix Gate.
I'm also aware that there is a fanfic TimeDancer being prepared. I have nothing to do with it, and as far as I'm concerned it's not cannon. But I wish everyone who's working on it well.
2) Again, it depends what you mean. As far as I know, neither Gargoyles or The Goliath Chronicles will be on the air in the U.S. come the fall. If I hear different, I'll let you all know.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman, Just a few questions for ya: 1. How exactly did Xanatos get all that money? He said it started with the coin, but that was only 40 grand if I remember correctly. What does his company do? 2. Who is your favorite character? 3. Did "Gargoyles" turn out the way you wanted it to?
How about "The Goliath Chronicles?" 4. Why does Demona have that crown?

Greg responds...

1. 20 grand. He invested it well. He built up his company, which is a conglomerate into a lot of different things, including robotics, genetics, media, construction, defense, etc.
2. I really love them all. But the show would never have existed in the form you all know if not for Goliath. He's the prism, the anchor, the beacon.
3. I'm very proud of GARGOYLES. It's far from perfect, and there are still a lot of things I'd fix if I could, but overall it's the show I wanted to produce. GOLIATH CHRONICLES is a different story. I didn't really work on that beyond story editing "The Journey". I regret that now, but I made the best decision I could make with the information I had available at the time.
4. It's not a crown. It's decorative jewelry. She thinks she looks good in it. Do you care to tell her otherwise?


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Anonymous writes...

Okay, here's more questions I have: 1. I've already heard somebody ask if Alex was going to be an only child, or if he'd have brothers and sisters.
So I'd like to ask, would Broadway and Angela's son, Samson, be an only child, or would HE have a biological brother or sister? 2. For that matter, were there any plans for Demona to have another child somewhere along the way in the series so that Angela had a biological system? 3. Related to question #2: This caused a bit of a controversy a while back, among some of us fans and I'd like to ask and see if you could give us the final word.
Is Demona, after 1000 years even CAPABLE of having children anymore?
(i.e., does the Weird Sisters "immortality spell" convey true youth to Demona, or only the appearance of youth?) 4. This is something that's been bothering me for a while. In "Reawakening", in the battle at Times Square, there seemed to be hundreds of people in the place looking on. Even though the news never got around to seeing them, I would have thought that the Manhattan clan's cover would have been permanently blown at the end of the first season. Yet, by the begining of the second season, everybody seems to have forgotten everything about the Time Square fight. How could this have happened? Did the Children of Oberon cast a "forgetfulness" spell on everybody in the city, or what?

Greg responds...

1. I'm sure I've answered this. Artus and Gwenyvere are Samson's older biological siblings.
2. "A biological system"? I'm not sure what that means. As to whether Demona would have another kid, the answer is maybe.
3. Yes, she's physically capable of conceiving.
4. No spells. But not everyone got a good look at the combatants. Most were kept at a considerable distance. It was snowing. Visibility was lousy. Cars were flying. When that fire hydrant went off, it further obscured things. Matt got an eyeful, and I'm sure you know he didn't forget it for a second. A few other people probably saw something. But they had no proof. And the clan flew off.


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Anonymous writes...

As a viewer in his rookie season...I'm sadden to hear the show's been cancelled...Are you in any of the episodes?

Greg responds...

In them? I'm not sure what you mean. As a lark, I did perform one short bit of voice acting in "Awakening, Part Two". I was the commando who sarcastically said, "Nice mask."
If you're asking if I worked on any of them, then the answer is yes. I created the series (with considerable help) and produced the first 65 episodes with Frank Paur (with even more help). I supervised the writing and story editing of these episodes and provided all of the springboards (again with help).
I wrote and story edited the 66th episode, "The Journey", though I did not produce it. I voice directed everyone's favorite episode "Vendettas".
I was, however, not involved in producing the last twelve episodes of GOLIATH CHRONICLES.
I identify with all of the characters, at least to some extent.
Some of Vinnie's farewell lines in "The Journey" were very intentionally written as my goodbye to the characters and fans.
I'm the oldest of three kids. Robyn is the middle sister. Jon is the younger brother. My wife's name is Beth. My daughter Erin did the voice of Alexander Xanatos in "The Journey". Many of my family's birthdates were used as significant dates in Thailog's life in "Double Jeopardy".
All in all, I guess you could say I was "in" a few episodes.


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Anonymous writes...

Throughout the series, the trio has developed dramatically from the innocent threesome we saw in "Awakenings". When I saw "Awakenings," there was the red guy, who seemed to pick up quick on the present lingo, a fat guy who couldn't stop eating, and a short guy who just kinda hung around without any specific purpose. Since then, Brooklyn has been a leader chasing a phantom of love, Broadway became a mystery novel character ever sworn to help others before himself, and Lex became the ever-so-curious technowizard. My question is, when you first conceived the show, did you have these characteristics in mind, or did the three evolve as the show progressed? I mean, I've never seen any show whose storyline continues from ep. to ep. that gave so much attention to the maturing of characters like the trio. I just wanted to know if that was planned, or did they evolve as we all got to know the trio?

Greg responds...

Both. We knew who Brooklyn, Lexington and Broadway were when we started. We knew there potential. We knew Lex was technology-minded. (There was a scene in Michael's original Awakening script where Lex admired a Viking catapult.
Unfortunately, it was cut for time.) We knew Brooklyn would develop into a leader. We knew he was a swashbuckler at heart, on the prowl for love and adventure. We knew Broadway was a sensitive soul, who valued others and could see their essence. I also knew that Broadway was illiterate. I knew that all three had and have a lot to learn about themselves and the world.
Still, knowing all that, a lot of their development was left to serendipity.
The voice actors helped steer their characters without trying. The artists did the same.
When Angela was first introduced, I didn't know who she'd wind up with. But while Gary Sperling and I were working on TURF, we decided that we needed to know. It became immediately obvious to us that although all three young warriors would pursue her (almost automatically), only Broadway would see her for who she really was. Not just a pretty gargoyle. Not just Goliath's daughter. But an individual with strengths and fears of her own. Notice that in TURF, Broadway is the only one of the three who never calls her "Angie". Though he was generally as lost in the competition as the other three, he was still sensitive enough to her body language to have ALREADY recognized that she didn't care for the name.
But I digress. Basically, we strived to evolve all the characters. Not just the Trio. Of course, the guy who changed the most was Xanatos. But even a mope like Vinnie got a chance to evolve. This was all very conscious. I took my lessons from the first five seasons of CHEERS. From HILL STREET BLUES, ST. ELSEWHERE and MAGNUM P.I. Shows like these really explore the potential of series television. What a waste not to take advantage of the format. I hate status quo television. Human beings change with time and experience, why shouldn't characters in series televsion, even if they are Gargoyles? It's very gratifying that you noticed and appreciated our efforts. Thanks.


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Anonymous writes...

I do get tired of reading recommendations on the back of `fantasy' genre books that the story is `comparable to Tolkien at its best'. The stories rarely have the sense of history, epic quality or the strong development and twists of character development that, in my opinion, typify the best of Tolkiens work. Very occasionally I come across stories that show storytelling for the art that it should be, most recently probably the Rama series by Arthur C Clarke and Gentry Lee, or Stephen Donaldsons work. It is rare to find well told stories on the television, although I believe that `Star Trek: The Next Generation' has often succeeded in this. I consider that the few episodes of Gargoyles that have been shown in the U.K. also have this quality and because of that I believe that they are important and are stories that need to be told. This quality of storytelling is rare and should not be consigned to obscurity because a company does not believe that it constitutes a marketable product at the time. I appreciate that for contractual and copyright reasons you cannot publish the stories that have yet to be told in Gargoyles, but if you can find the time and energy, please write them down before other projects take your time and creative energy and maybe in a few years time the circumstances will be such that you are able to publish them, even if further animated series are not possible. Thanks for taking the time to listen Paul Oliver

Greg responds...

I appreciate the praise and your intentions, Paul. But, there are two roadblocks to doing what you suggest.
(1) I already don't have the time. I'm a professional writer/producer. I may not be working on Gargoyles right now. But I do have a job (two jobs actually). Plus a wife and two kids that I love to spend as much time with as possible. Plus family, friends and other interests. I can't afford to spend the necessary time to produce materials when I don't have any realistic expectation of payment. At least not now.
(2) I'm a horrible self-starter. I work very efficiently with a deadline.
Without one, I'm horribly lazy. I've been working on the Encyclopedia for years. I could easily have had it finished by now, but I still have seven more episodes worth of material to enter because there's no rush or need.
Don't despair, however. I have a lot of notes. And a fairly good memory for this kind of thing. If the opportunity ever does present itself, I'll still be primed to tell these stories.
Again, if there's a millionaire and/or publisher out there who feels like paying me to finish any of these projects on a deadline, just let me know.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, I have several questions for you: 1) Were any other of the characters in the series (i.e. Halcyon Renard, Preston Vogel, etc.) members of the Illuminati Society? 2) Exactly how long were Goliath, Elisa, Angela, and Bronx on their World Tour? 3) In what year (Earth time) did Oberon banish his children from Avalon? Titania said they were gone for 1001 years at the time of "Ill Met By Moonlight," but this meant they probably left in 995 AD, just a little while before Princess Katherine, Tom, the Magus, and the eggs arrived. Am I right? 4) How would the Bad Guys (from your planned spin-off) have been brought together? 5) Did King Arthur Pendragon do anything between "Avalon, Part 3" and "Pendragon," or did Avalon's magic warp him several months ahead in time from when he left Avalon? 6) Is Owen immortal? He's trapped in a mortal body, but he's Puck, the child of Oberon at the core. So is he mortal or immortal? 7) On that subject, are Fox orAlexander immortal, will their half-Child of Oberon heritage just make them very long-lived, or will they have a normal human lifespan? 8) Did Griff happen to stop by London to tell Leo and Una where he was during Pendragon? I would think they'd be sick with worry otherwise since by their perception, Griff would've just come back only to leave again. 9)When did MacBeth learn his skills in sorcery (as shown in "Pendragon")? 10) What were the circumstances of Puck and Demona's first meeting? 11) Since Demona knew that Owen was Puck, why didn't she go after him for revenge for turning her into a werehuman? 12) What's Vinnie's last name? 13) Were there any plans to have Nokkar's alien enemies appear? 14) On the subject of Nokkar, is he an immortal or very long-lived? 15) Did you have any role in the storyline of the Marvel comic book? 16) Were there any further plans for Cu Chullain or the werepanthers? 17) I know someone else asked this, but I'm curious too; what were the plans for the original "comedy" Gargoyles show? OK, I think I'd better stop. Thanks a lot for answering us curious fans' questions!

Greg responds...

1) Not Renard or Vogel.
2) Less than a year.
3) You're right. (See, you don't need me.)
4) Largely against their will.
5) It wasn't months. But he might have had one or two stops.
6) Is Puck immortal? Define your terms. Owen is certainly mortal. But everytime he transforms into Puck and then transforms back, Owen is recreated anew. Puck obviously remembers to include Owen's stone hand for perverse reasons of his own, but I wonder if he remembers to include all the aging that Owen had done since his last transformation back and forth?
Perhaps that slips Puck's mind, and perhaps he always recreates Owen at the same age Owen was when Puck originally fashioned the identity. Only time will tell.
7) Alex, at least, will be quite long-lived -- but whether that will be due to science or sorcery I'm not saying.
8) Griff phoned them long distance.
9) Over the centuries, he studied.
10) Again, I'm not inclined to tell entire stories in this format. Sorry.
11) A "werehuman"? Doesn't that translate "man-human"? Well, never mind.
I know what you mean. Demona learned in "The Mirror" that Puck is more trouble than he's worth. And she shortly learned that there were certain advantages to Puck's gift/curse.
12) In my mind, it was Gregarino. (That's a joke. Sort of.) 13) Yes.
14) Long-lived.
15) I was consulted. I had plans to take over the writing of the book in its second year, and I did write one issue (a missing World Tour story set in the Himalayas and featuring Coldstone), but the book was cancelled before even that one story could get published. My luck.
16) Yes. Especially for Rory and Molly.
17) O.K., I know I've answered this. Please check the archives for this page.


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Anonymous writes...

First off, I'd like to thank you for doing this. So thank you. Second off, I have a few questions. 1) What is the correct spelling for Xanatoses building? 2) How did Xanatos mange to get a river flowing through his building hundreds of feet off the ground? 3) How tall is that building, anyway? (besides being tallest in the world) 4) Were there such big plans for the Eye of Odin when it was introduced in "The Edge"? 5) Who wrote the stats from the Gargoyles cards or the Meet the Characters book? I doubt that Broadway really weighs a ton and I know that Elisa is not half Sioux.
6) Who wrote those rediculous names for the videos? Deeds of Deception?
Brothers Betrayed? The Heroes Awaken? Ugh. 7) On a similar note, why was the Awakening video edited? I don't just mean removing sections to compress the story (although I doubt that was neccessary). It seemed like all the background music was replaced and some of the sound effects. 8) How big is the Phoenix Gate? In "High Noon" it was big enough and thick enough to be the size of Macbeth's head. In "Future Tense", Goliath can hold it in one hand and it's flat. 9) Did you plan for the -stone robots to ever rejoin the clan? Actually, did you ever plan to have anyone new join the clan?
10) Did the Maza family know about the Gargoyles at the time of "Kingdom"?
Lexington says that he went to their house and they were as worried as the clan was. 11) What ever happened to that sun amulet thing from "The Green"? It seems like it would have been destoyed with the clock tower.
12) Did the clock tower run? In "Her Brother's Keeper", the clock clearly does turn, but in "Enter Macbeth" Lexington says something like "Maybe I can get thing thing running again." I think I know what your answer will be, but I'd like to know for sure. 13) Why doesn't Claw talk? 14) Would(will) we ever have learned Claw and Fang's names? 15) Where was the rebel hideout in "Future Tense"? It looked like the Labyrinth, but I think Xanatos would have looked there first. 16) Did Oberon repair all the damage he did after "The Gathering"? He mentioned something to that effect, but is he actually that powerful? Not to mention all the people that would die if everyone just fell over asleep like that. I had better stop now.
Maybe ask more questions after you answer this batch. Once again, thanks.

Greg responds...

1) The Eyrie Building.
2) It's not a real river, of course. It's a glorified fountain.
3) Pretty darn tall.
4) Pretty much. The "Eye" was the idea of Patrick Gilmore and his gang at Disney Interactive. They were working on the Gargoyles Computer Game and had created the Eye for that. I liked the idea, and we ran with it. Serendipity played a big part in how we wrote our scripts, but I do believe that we had a unique group of writers, editors and producers poised to make the most of any good idea.
5) I don't know who wrote them. Although, I should say that some of that kind of stuff was given to me or Frank Paur to approve. Some of it.
Sometimes to Frank. Sometimes to me. Sometimes to both of us. Sometimes to neither. We didn't get a lot of consistency.
6) I don't know. I prefer our titles, but theirs don't bug me that much.
7) I thought I answered this, but I can't remember, so here we go again.
We had a World Premiere Screening of Gargoyles at Walt Disney World at the multiplex on Pleasure Island. This was for press and for local kids who were brought in from local schools to fill two movie theaters. We felt that our original five-parter worked great as a mini-series but that it lacked energy when played over two and a half hours on the big screen. So, while Frank Paur worked with one editor to edit the five separate episodes, I worked with a different editor to edit all five episodes down into one eighty- five minute movie. This was done simultaneously, because we had to prepare for the television premiere and the World Premiere simultaneously; they were only a week or so apart.
After the editing was done, the two versions were mixed separately as well.
Frank and our sound supervisor Mark Von der Heide supervised the sound mix for the five episodes at Advantage Audio, where all the rest of the original 65 episodes were eventually mixed. The folks at Advantage are wonderful and did their usual great job. I supervised the mix of the "movie" version at the Walt Disney Studios with Disney's feature film sound people. They also did a great job (in my opinion). But keep in mind, that they were mixing for the big screen. This edited "movie" was never intended for video release.
Never intended for television speakers. I don't know whether that makes a difference or not.
At any rate, there are certain editing and sound choices that I like better in the "movie" version, while there are other choices from the episodes that I much prefer. There wasn't time or money to collate all the best choices into one version.
Later, when HOME VIDEO decided to release their version of the pilot, they were very pleased to hear that we possessed a version that was already edited together without commercial breaks, teasers, etc. I tried to tell them that they were offering LESS for the money by putting out a version that had LESS material than the version that had aired. But they felt that they were adding value with the other stuff they had on and with the tape. A board game, a promotional piece, etc. They didn't feel like spending the extra money to format the episodes into one two and a half hour piece.
8) It's flatish. It's size alters depending on the animators' mood, I guess, but basically it should be about the size of Goliath's hand.
9) The clan would have grown over time. Brooklyn would have returned from his TIMEDANCER adventures with four new members, for example.
Coldstone and Coldfire would have returned eventually too. Whether they would have stayed forever is another story.
10) Lex listened outside their window.
11) It wasn't destroyed.
12) It was an old clock. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes not. Lex fixed it occasionally, but never for very long. I had a story in mind about that, but I never got around to it before we blew the thing up.
13) Emotional trauma.
14) Fang's for sure, if I had done BAD GUYS. Claw's probably.
15) It was in the Labyrinth. And it doesn't really matter whether Xanatos would have looked there, as long as Puck believed that Goliath would buy the Labyrinth as a rebel base. Goliath did buy it. But if he had questioned it, Puck would have made up some excuse and had one of his "characters" use that excuse to convince Goliath. Just like he did when Goliath brought up Demona and Thailog's pairing. Puck/Owen hadn't known about that, so he had "Brooklyn" give the Clone Wars excuse to explain his oversight.
16) I doubt he could be bothered to repair all the damage.
Whew.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Mr Weisman , I'm a Research Biologist and I have a few questions on Gargoyle Reproduction and Physiology that have intrigued me and I would love to have them answered . I'm a cell biologist by trade and it's been a while since I did any sort of Physiology at collage so the questions are pretty basic and should pose no problems . 1. Gargoyles and Humans are of course two separate species but do thay share a similar Chromosomal matrix ( e.g. do both species have the same number of chromosome ) 2. Can Gargoyles and Humans procreate naturally . 3. If the answer to 2 is no can the process be assisted by genetic manipulation . 4. Not wanting to get risky , are humans and gargoyles sexually compatible . 5. What is the average time of gestation for a gargoyle egg from conception to the laying of the egg . 6. What is the average time for a gargoyle egg to hatch . 7.
Can a female gargoyle lay more than one egg per breeding cycle . 8. How long is the time between gargoyle breeding cycles are gargoyle females only fertile for that period ( e.g. 1 clutch of eggs every 20 years ) . 9. Is the gargoyle breeding cycle a matter of chose for the entire clan so their young are born abreast or is it a biological factor that occurs every certain number of years that induces a clan to reproduce at the same time .
10. Dose a gargoyle egg have a soft shell like a snakes egg when it is layed or dose in have a hard shell . Thank you very much for both producing a series that I love dearly and for answering these questions

Greg responds...

1. I don't know.
2. No.
3. Perhaps. I know Sevarius would like to try.
4. That depends what you mean. Could they give each other physical pleasure? Certainly; there are a lot of ways to make love. Do Gargoyles have the same "parts" as humans? Basically, yes. Are they exactly the same? No.
5. Six months to a year.
6. Ten years. And that's not an average. It's ten years flat out, unless there was some kind of magical interference (e.g. the eggs that were taken to Avalon where time passes more slowly).
7. No.
8. A gargoyle female (with sperm from a male) can only lay one egg, once every twenty years. It's one of the reasons that Gargoyles are not a prolific race.
9. It's a biological factor, though there are cultural traditions that have become connected to the timing of mating, laying and hatching over the years. (By the way, Gargoyles have sex more than once every twenty years, but they do not reproduce anymore frequently.)
10. Gargoyle eggs have soft shells when they are laid during a night ritual, but they turn hard at sunrise and stay hard for ten years -- night and day.
11. Hatchlings nurse.
12. Expect hatchlings in 1998 in Ishimura, Guatemala, outside London, etc.
13. Angela won't be fertile again until 2007. And, no, she didn't lay any eggs on Avalon.


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Anonymous writes...

Just two questions, as everyone else seems to be asking the questions I want to be answered :-). Anyway, one thing that has bothered me from episode to episode is languages. In 10th century Scotland the clan would have been speaking 10th century Scots Gaelic, yet when they awaken in New York in 1994 they understand and speak perfect Modern English (North American dialect, noless!). Then, when they travel around the word via Avalon, they encounter Japanese gargoyles, Guatemalan gargoyles, and so on.
They communicate with them flawlessly. Now, while I can understand off-screen reasons for this (having to have them learn a new language or something every episode would get unwieldy and ridiculous), my disbelief's bridge of suspension starts to quiver and tremble when a North American who apparently speaks English and probably Hopi communicates effortlessly with the inhabitants of a small Japanese fishing village, maybe one of whom would speak English well, and with an accent you could cut with a spoon.
Second question: You said in a previous post that Demona knew that Puck == Owen. Ummm...How? Is this something that might have been revealed in, say, TimeDancer? Anyway, thanks for your time. Sean simpson_s@scsu.ctstateu.edu

Greg responds...

1) Yeah. The language thing. Well, you got me. We knew we had a problem with the Gaelic to Modern English thing in "Awakening", but we obviously didn't want to deal with it. It is one of the reasons Scotland was chosen in the first place. I wanted a country where English was presently spoken, so that the "error" wouldn't be smacking the audience in the face. England was obvious, but I wanted something that felt rougher around the edges. Scotland summonded the right feeling for me. So we went with Scotland, crossed our fingers and ignored the Gaelic problem, which worked all right with most people. Sorry, it didn't work for you.
As to the World Tour, that is less problematic, so it surprises me that you had more of a problem with it. We toyed with the idea of using sub-titles and dealing with the language barrier in four episodes: "Golem", "Bushido", "Eye of the Storm" and "The Green". Some of us felt the episodes would be enriched by the inclusion, but others disagreed. Particularly my bosses, who pointed out that the youngest members of our audience didn't know how to read and would be missing out on any subtitled dialogue. I felt we could make things clear enough for that percentage of the audience, but there were other arguments that did weigh in very strong for me. 1) It would bog down the stories, wasting precious screen time on problems of objective communication.
2) It would involve substantially more work for my writers, story editors, board artists, film editors, post supervisors etc. Not that we hid from hard work, but we were on a very tight schedule, and this issue didn't seem to merit the extra effort.
3) English, in the modern world, is such a universal language, it doesn't at all bother me that the citizens of Ishimura, Prague, Guatemala and Norway spoke it.
I didn't much like that they spoke it among themselves, however. So even after we had decided against dealing with this (our Gaelic decision, perhaps setting a precedent), we revisited the problem after we did the voice recording of "Bushido". Frank Paur, who had initially felt that we shouldn't deal with the language barrier, changed his mind. He didn't mind that Kai spoke English, but he didn't want Kai (or anyone else) to start speaking English until he heard Goliath and/or Elisa and/or Angela speaking English. At which point, Kai (and the others) would start speaking English out of courtesy. I agreed that that would make the episode better. Problem was, we had already held the voice recording. Rerecording would have doubled that episode's voice expenses. I was prepared to do this and make up the money somewhere else, but my bosses still weren't to thrilled with the idea and said no.


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Anonymous writes...

About the Gargoyles Encyclopeida you mentioned. For months I have been getting anything about Gargoyles off the Internet. My Gargoyles folder is huge, I mean it's about to burst here. When do you plan on publishing this encyclopedia? It would sure beat lugging around a huge folder.

Greg responds...

As soon as I find a publisher willing to publish it. Know anyone?


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Anonymous writes...

Hi. Thanks once again. 1) In the series "Awakenings," how is it that Elisa is so easy to accept Goliath? After all in "Sentinel" she freaked.
2) Whatever happened to Mace Malone? 3) What does Matt do now that he is an Illuminati member? 4) In certain episodes from season 1 and season 2, the gargoyles are sometimes spotted by several people. How is it that action wasn't taken? Truly all those people couldn't have disregarded them.
5) In "Avalon" part III, I think, King Arthur says that he was awaken too early and that he neither had his knights or Merlin. Later on we learn that he is to search for his friend Merlin. What has happened to Merlin and his knights? 6) Why was it in the TGC episode "Genesis Undone," that the giant gargoyles looked like Coldstone? thanx alot, late

Greg responds...

1) In "Awakening", the first time Elisa met Goliath was after he saved her life. So she was more inclined to listen to what he had to say.
But remember, a few minutes earlier she was about to shoot Bronx. In "Sentinel" Goliath appeared to be attacking her and/or kidnapping her.
That's a very different dynamic.
2) In my mind, he starved to death in the Hotel Cabal.
3) What doesn't he do?
4) Some did. Some didn't. Some reported what they saw, but they had no proof. Gargoyle sightings in Manhattan became something of an urban myth between "Awakening, Part One" and "Hunter's Moon, Part Three". Everyone had a cousin who had a dentist who had a patient who had seen one.
5) Well, most of the old knights are long dead.
Merlin's in his Crystal Cave, of course. But where and what is the Crystal Cave, and if they find it, how will Arthur and Griff get Merlin out, and if they manage that, what kinda mood will Merlin be in?
6) I didn't work on that episode. Ask Scott Thomas.


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Anonymous writes...

Hoya! Comments and questions, questions first. In reviewing the response section, I notice you have said that you are working on a Gargoyles Encyclopedia. Do you have a projected release date? Also, do you intend to, or know of anyone who intends to publish novels based on Gargoyles?(presumibly under Disney's imprint)Finally, do you go checking out various Garg' web sites(the more oddball ones that is)? Comments:I notice that Disney is putting a lot of work into the Mighty Ducks series.
It seems to have incorperated elements that made Gargoyles interesting( as well as giving Garg' voice actors something to do:) Something else I notice, what goes around, comes around. The Disney idea people seem to get strapped every once in a while so I'm sure that there will come a time when they will need something new but will be unsure where to turn. (this is speculation. For all any of us know they could have a big file cabnet labeled 'Show prospects') There's a good chance they'll notice a show that already has a built in fan base might be the way to go. Gargoyles 2000?
Maybe. Or we could get stuck with something like 'Galactica '80' Thanx

Greg responds...

I don't have a publisher. I don't know of any publishers interested in releasing any Gargoyles-related material right now. I wish I did. I'd love to publish the Encyclopedia (complete with Timeline). Or a Making of Gargoyles Book or a Gargoyles Companion book or whatever. I'd love to write novels based on the series or its (never seen) spin-offs. I've said this before, so I'm guessing we don't have any interested publishers lurking out there.
I do occasionally check out Web Sites, or at least I used too. It began to get too dangerous, since I do not want to be exposed to original material relating to GARGOYLES such as pictures of original characters or fan fiction.


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Anonymous writes...

When you had MacBeth and the weird sisters, was that supposed to be off of Shakespere's MacBeth? After that I ahd to read it and it was almost identicle. A great way to get kids like me reading the good stuff.

Greg responds...

We put a lot of Shakespeare into the series. Some of the Macbeth stuff came from Shakespeare. (The Weird Sisters certainly.) But much of the Macbeth history was taken from actual history as opposed to Shakespeare's version of the legend. In quite a few ways, our Macbeth is historically more accurate than Will's. I'm kinda proud of that.


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Anonymous writes...

Was Gargoyles supposed to be a kids show or for an older group like teenagers?

Greg responds...

Gargoyles was intentionally written for the widest possible audience. We felt it worked on many levels. We hoped that kids would like it as well as teens and adults.
(Basically, we all just put together the kind of show we'd like to watch.)


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Anonymous writes...

Was Jeffrey Robbins connected with anyone else? besides Hudson, I mean.

Greg responds...

Connected? I'm not sure what you mean.


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Anonymous writes...

Wow, that was some great writing in response to the question about why no one seemed to react to the whole City of Stone incident. Your story made it very believable why they wouldn't. But here are my questions: What if someone happened to be taping a TV show off the air when Demona's broadcast cut in, and they ended up with a recording of her casting the spell? Would it have any effect on those that watched it (other than really weirding them out for a few minutes, maybe annoying them because it ruined their recording of Gilligan's Island or whatever, but not turning them to stone)?

Greg responds...

The recording would work as well as viewing the broadcast for anyone who saw it before Xanatos set the sky aflame. The question is whether the recording could start the trouble over again after the sky was done burning. I really hadn't thought of that, but I have to assume the answer is no. Because a lot of people own VCR's, and if that would have worked, we'd certainly know about it by now.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Mr Weisman, I would just like to ask you if Oberons mortal identity is Dr Serviaus after all 'hes got more lives than an alley cat' which was quoted in Monsters, and Oberon is immortal, and He quoted in I'll Met By Moonlight that all the children even him had lived among mortals, if his mortal idenity is not Dr Servauis who is it? Thanks in advance

Greg responds...

No. Oberon is not Sevarius. Sevarius is not Oberon.
And while I'm here: Bronx is not a dog. A dog is not Bronx. Bronx is a Gargoyle Beast. So's Boudicca. Gargoyle beasts and dogs have a few superficial traits in common, but truly a better comparison would be:
A gargoyle is to a beast as a human is to a chimpanzee.
And even that comparison isn't totally accurate. The lifespan of a gargoyle beast is the same as that of a gargoyle.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello again Greg. First off, let me thank you for answering my first question. I truly appreciate it. This question is a bit involved, so please bear with me. Is Demona's (and of course, MacBeth's) immortality spell blatant or covert? In the entire series run, one or the other was only blatantly killed twice. MacBeth was run through in "City of Stone", and Demona was hit with a (presumably) lethal electrical charge in "Sanctuary". Although Demona may have died in "Awakenings" and "The Reckoning", nothing was shown, so for the sake of the question, I will assume she simply escaped. To put it best, if Demona were asleep as stone (pre-"Vows"), and someone tried to shatter her, could they succeed? If so, would Demona simply reform later, seemingly unharmed? Or, would events prevent the man from smashing her (ie unforseen delays, sunset comes too quickly, he is distracted, etc.)?
Technically, both prevent her from being "killed", but one is far more subtle than the other. Now, if Demona's immortality is blatant (incredible recovery time), then why hasn't she used it more? Granted, she would still feel pain like anyone else, but why not wade right into the middle of a battle? After all, nothing short of a death-blow will even slow her down, and killing her only delays her and antagonizes her. Whether you can answer or not, thanks for your time!

Greg responds...

I love this question. I don't know if you'll love the answer. Demona isn't sure. Neither is Macbeth. They haven't been hit by something as catastrophic as a beheading (or whatever). Neither, at this stage, are that eager to test it. Now you might ask, why haven't they been hit by something that blatant. Good luck, or is the spell itself somehow preventing anyone from succeeding in that fashion (in a similar way that Goliath was prevented from returning Griff to Una in 1940)? Puts a wicked grin on my face just thinking about it.


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Anonymous writes...

If you ever had the chance to do 'Gargoyles' again, would you pick up where 'The Journey' left off (since it was your last ep.) or would you start after 'Angels of the Night' and the acceptance/acknowledgement of the our heros to the human world?

Greg responds...

A very good question. In my dreams, Disney comes to me and says "We want to honor the Gargoyles show by letting you do whatever you want at any budget." In that (completely divorced-from-reality) scenario I fix any little niggling things that bother me in the first 66 episodes, completely ignore everything after Journey and restart there.
But realistically, that's preposterous. GOLIATH CHRONICLES was out there on the air. "The Journey" was one of those episodes. How can I keep one of them as cannon and ditch the rest? I think I'd have to include Goliath Chronicles, but I'd do my best to minimize the "damage" to my plans. The "acceptance" in "Angels" would not be complete. It would be one step in a continuum. Basically, I'd have to force myself to rewatch the last 12 Goliath Chronicles. Identify anything that seemed problematic and deal with each of these things on a case-by-case basis.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg First of all, thanks for taking the time to do this.My question is this, in Hunters Moon, we learn that the Hunters are descendents of Prince Canmore.But in City of Stone, part four, Canmore says that he has destroyed Demona's clan, and he thinks that Demona is dead.So shouldn't the hunt have ended when Canmore stabbed Macbeath.And anyway, where would the Kings of Scotland find the time to dress up in masks, and chase Demona all over Europe.

Greg responds...

Canmore had many children. Not all of them became king. In "City of Stone, Part Four" Canmore thought it was over. But he was wrong.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi there. You recently said that Demona is in for a "true epiphany" eventually. What exactly does this mean? Will she realize her errors or go mad?

Greg responds...

Maybe a little of both.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg this is a very important question...it has been buggin me......... In Long Way Till Morning...Hudson's flashbacks of going into archmages lair with demona and goliath DEMONA SEES A PICTURE OF A GARGOYLE BEING KILLED BY HUMANS....WHO DREW IT AND WAS IT MEANT FOR DEMONA...DEMONA DREW IT DIDN'T SHE,,,,WAT IS THE WHOLE PLAN HERE...I KNOW SOMETHING IS UP??????

Greg responds...

Another question to complex to answer here. Sorry.


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Anonymous writes...

In "Ill Met By Moonlight" Oberon said that he had hung around the mortals. How did he? Who was he? I sound like a dope already. I'll leave now.

Greg responds...

You don't sound like a dope. It's a good question, but a thousand and one years is a long time and so there isn't one simple answer to the question. Sorry.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg, just to let you know, gargoyles was the greatest show on television and you did a great job on the first two seasons but the third was a little weak and lacked what you had in the first two, I know you didn't have anything to do with the second season except for the first ep which was one of three half decent eps of that season, anyways, my question, ok, in City of Stone Part 1 in the opening scene, the terrorist lady, she said, "Never, our cause is worth any sacrafice". What was the cause, it looked like it was a bank, i am a little baffled at this, it always makes me think when i see that part.

Greg responds...

The terrorist was hitting the bank to get money to fund her cause. That cause wasn't mentioned in City of Stone, because it didn't matter there. The terrorists' role was representative (of Demona). But that specific terrorist would have reappeared in BAD GUYS and her cause would have been revealed there.


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Anonymous writes...

Everyone is asking about the gargoyles, but what I wanna know is did you ever have plans to give Puck/Owen a lovelife? Thanks for doing this!

Greg responds...

Yes.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman. I would like to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. 1. What did Macbeth do during World War 2?(I respectfully ask that you don't just say "alot".) 2. Everyone asks about who will be Brooklyn or Lexington's mates but the question on my mind is who was Hudson's mate and what happened to her? 3. Why did Xanatos have such a burning desire for immortality? 4. Did Oberon know about what the Wierd Sisters did to Demona and Macbeth? 5. Besides puting them in the BAD GUYS series, what else did you have in mind for Dingo and Matrix? It has been a pleasure to ask these questions and will be an even greater pleasure to read the answers. Thanks for reading.

Greg responds...

1. Well, you can ask me not to say "a lot", but it won't change much. I'm not going to sit down today and write a novel-length response to a question that took you ten seconds to type in. Leave it at this, Macbeth was on the side of the Allies.
2. Very good question. She died in 971. She had no name. She was a fierce warrior and a lovely individual.
3. He's afraid of things he can't control. He's afraid of death. (I can relate. I just seek for immortality in a different way. Through my writing and through my children. As long as I'm remembered, I live on. That's something David hasn't fully learned yet. But he's getting there.)
4. Not yet.
5. Well, I had a lot of plans for them in BAD GUYS. (There's that "a lot" phrase again.) Matrix had a lot to learn, and Dingo had a lot to redeem. And working for Robyn Canmore wasn't going to be a piece of cake either.


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Anonymous writes...

All Hail Greg! (Ahem.) I'd like to make this short and sweet so I'll keep it as brief as possible. It gets REALLY technical and. . .a little disgusting so bear with me. Whenever a gargoyle was shattered in the series (the killings at Castle Wyvern, etc), no blood/internal organs were present. I can understand why you wouldn't want to show such things in a cartoon, but I would like to know: Does the inside of a gargoyle turn into stone during the day as well as the outside? If so, how is this internal stone "shed"? If not, the lungs, heart, etc. would have to continue to function or the internal organs would die. This is impossible because gargoyles do not breathe while they are asleep. Or. . .perhaps you have an explanation I've overlooked. Thanx!!!

Greg responds...

At sunrise (more or less), the entire gargoyle body turns into an organic substance that resembles stone, placing the gargoyle in a state of suspended animation. The body does function to some degree. The organic "stone-like" substance absorbs solar energy. The internal biological clock continues to function. Healing takes place. Dreaming too. But to a large degree, a daytime gargoyle is for all intents and purposes a stone statue.
At sunset (more or less), the transformation reverses from the inside out, leaving only a shedable outer layer of "stone" that cracks off as the gargoyle awakens.


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Anonymous writes...

What hopes are there for a fourth season? and last question is do you have anything to do with "THE GATHERING" in June in NYC?

Greg responds...

No hope for a fourth season for this coming fall. But maybe some day.

I've been invited to come speak at the Gathering. I'm going to try to make it. Otherwise, I have no official connection to it.


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Anonymous writes...

Why was Lexington usally not the main character?

Greg responds...

Because Goliath was the main character. Lex got his episodes, and he would have gotten more. But when you have a large ensemble cast, it's hard to give everyone enough moments in the sun, (so to speak).


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Anonymous writes...

Someone brought up an episode called "Timedancer". Was this episode ever created, or was it something you were thinking about writing?

Greg responds...

TIMEDANCER was a proposed spin-off series that would have starred Brooklyn.
Disney didn't go for it. I suggested that the idea be incorporated into GOLIATH CHRONICLES. I laid out a story for an episode. It never happened.
They went another way, a totally other way, and wound up with that RUNAWAYS episode of Chronicles.


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Anonymous writes...

You said that some Comic universes inspired you. Is that why the Hunter reminds me of a certain comic book character (Azrael)? On the topic of Hunters -- how many Hunters have there been? By this I mean, ever, not named/seen.

Greg responds...

The notion of a universe of characters inspired me, ala Simpsons or Yoknapatawpha. Not any of the specific characters.

I'm not that familiar with Azrael. Is he the guy who was Batman for awhile?
I hated the notion that someone other than Dick Grayson might take over that role, so I didn't bother to read any of that.

I haven't sat down and counted all the Hunters. I won't pretend I know every detail about every Hunter. At least, not yet.


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Anonymous writes...

I am asking about the possiblity of a book. There have been many "Making of" books published by Hyperion. All have been of theatrical animated movies. I don't seem to remember any "Making of" books about an animated TV series. I would love to see a compilation of conceptual art, deleated characters, and early character designs, from the Gargoyles series. It seems that these books sell very well, so I was curious about the possibilities of you (Greg) writing a book.

Greg responds...

I'd love to. As I've mentioned before, I've been working on a GARGOYLES ENCYCLOPEDIA on and off for years. I'm almost done. A "Making Of" book or a GARGOYLES COMPANION would be fun too. I don't know how likely publication is, though. Maybe when the movie comes out. We can keep our fingers crossed.


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Anonymous writes...

Were there any plans for Elisa to get significantly involved in Illuminati plot threads (she seems to be getting a LOT of attention these days)?

Greg responds...

It depends what you mean. Elisa tends to get involved with most things that involve her friends. But obviously, the point person for my next Illuminati story would have been either Matt or David.


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Anonymous writes...

How long has the present head of the Illuminati been around (since they have that wonderful medical plan)?

Greg responds...

He's the founder.


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Anonymous writes...

Since we saw the presence of the Illuminati in or around 975 AD, I'm assuming that you've decided to alter the facts about the real Illuminati and create a fictional history of them. If that's so, then when was this Illuminati founded?

Greg responds...

The organization that would eventually be known as the Illuminati was founded a century after the "death" of King Arthur.


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Anonymous writes...

What're Disney's thoughts on The Gathering? Do you think its sucess/failure, as well as the types of people attending, will impact their future plans for Gargs in any way?

Greg responds...

I don't know if Disney "officially" knows about the Gathering.


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Anonymous writes...

When Dean finishes his script, will we get the low-down on what's going on? Or will you just sit back and laugh while you watch us suffer?

Greg responds...

I need to let Producer Tom Jacobson decide what information he wants "leaked". It's his movie. I'm just along for the ride.


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Anonymous writes...

When you were working on the first two seasons of Gargs, how much control did you have over the show? Were your ideas ever rejected? Was it really a "team effort", or was it an "Greg is God! Bow down and worship him, Mortal scum!" Oberon-ish sort of thing?

Greg responds...

I had a lot of control vis-a-vis Disney Management. The executives largely left me alone to do the stories I wanted to do. Only one story ever got rejected, and even I have to admit it was a pretty risky endeavor.

But keep in mind, I didn't produce the show alone. Frank Paur was my equal partner from day one. Also Dennis Woodyard and Bob Kline had producing duties as well. We all worked together.

I also like to think we were open to input from anyone on the staff. A lot of great ideas originated from other sources.

But I did get to tell the stories I wanted to tell. 66 of them at least.
And I was the one guy who had been on the project from the beginning of development through the end of post-production, so I had a more comprehensive point-of-view.

But no, no matter how much it might have pleased (I mean embarrassed) me, no one ever referred to me as "God".


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Anonymous writes...

I am wondering what your knowledge of Arthurian legends is, and what made you decide to bring Arthur into the show. I am also wondering if you had plans for a Pendragon series, what some of them would be.

Greg responds...

I've read a lot of Arthurian stuff. The Mary Stewart books. Geoffrey of Monmouth. Roger Lanclyn Greene. Thomas Berger. T.H. White. John Steinbeck. Goodrich. I've skimmed Thomas Malory. These off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others too.

Although I know others disagree, for me adding Arthur was a natural step. I couldn't imagine going to Avalon and not seeing him there. The way we created the "Gargoyles Universe" everything was interconnected. Locked together by fate. The eggs are connected to Avalon which is connected to Arthur who is connected to the Illuminati which is connected to Xanatos who has a son whose grandmother is the queen of the fair folk who live on Avalon with the eggs, etc. How could I not include Arthur?

The Pendragon series would have featured King Arthur and Sir Griff. It would have begun with the Quest for Merlin. There were plans for one more regular: a female acquaintance of Arthur's from his past. The Illuminati would have played a prominent role, particularly the enigmatic Mr. Duval.


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Anonymous writes...

Seeing as Elisa's apartment was targeted by the Quarrymen in "The Journey" (and Jon knew about her & the gargs before hand) would she have moved elsewhere? And if so, where?

Greg responds...

Elisa's apartment wasn't targeted. They spotted Goliath there and investigated. But certainly Castaway wouldn't have had much trouble making the Elisa/Gargoyle connection. Moving really would not have been the answer -- not if she intended on keeping her job. And I can't imagine Elisa quitting the force. Precautions would have to be taken. But, heck, Demona's known where Elisa lives for over a year. Sometimes that information isn't enough.


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Anonymous writes...

What would have happened to Jason after he had recuperated from his injuries? Obviously, he must have had a full recovery, as you stated that he might have gone out on a double date with Goliath & Delilah.

Greg responds...

Jason is a parapalegic. Why must he have fully recovered in order to go on a date? I think Jason was released on probation. In my mind, he spends a lot of time failing to save his brother's soul.


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Anonymous writes...

Will Puck ever get his full powers back and return to Avalon?

Greg responds...

Ever is a long time. Not for centuries at least. Oberon isn't exactly forgiving.


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Anonymous writes...

When you where in the chat room you said that the leader of the Illuminati was one of Authur's old friends. His name was Duval, could this person by any chance be Merlin? And is he still on friendly terms with Authur?

Greg responds...

Merlin isn't Duval. And Arthur's been asleep for some time, so he isn't presently on any kind of terms with anyone from his past.


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Anonymous writes...

What were your plans for the clones? Did they have anything to do with "Future Tense"?

Greg responds...

"Future Tense" the episode or the proposed spin-off series?

I had a lot of plans for the clones, too many to relate them all here. As you all may be noticing, when I'm asked a question THAT large, I'm less likely to give a worthwhile response. I'm not saying you can't ask, just that this Q&A format may not be the best forum for questions that require novel- length responses.


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Anonymous writes...

Did you ever plan on the Xanatos having more kids than Alex? Or willl he stay an only child?

Greg responds...

Good question. I'd have to ask them, but I'm pretty sure we're looking at an only child. And a handful.


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Anonymous writes...

Which Weird Sister is which? I know the names are Luna, Phoebe, and Selene (spelling unsure), but I don't believe it was ever made clear which name went with which Sister.

I think you said earlier that Demona came to America sometime before 1994. How did she make the trip across the Atlantic?

No one else asked yet, so I'll bite: what did Demona do during WWII?

Greg responds...

1) We tried to make it clear, but I can see how it would have been tough to catch it. Phoebe is the blonde, pleasant one. Seline is the raven-haired hardcase. Luna is the silver-haired mystic.

2) Carefully.

3) A lot. (Actually, I think someone did ask this, and I gave the same response. Well at least you got one worthwhile answer.)


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Anonymous writes...

In the episode City of Stone, Xanatos said to Demona that they could over-ride every channel in Manhattan. What about the rest of the world?
You'd think such a strange broadcast would attract a bit of attention, and what if someone from elsewhere happened to drive into NY and find that everyone had been turned to stone? Wouldn't it be on the worldwide news if the entire population of NY had been turned to stone?

Greg responds...

You can't reach your mother who has an apartment in Manhattan. You drive into the city. Traffic is at an absolute standstill. It isn't barely moving -- it's flat-out stopped. You begin to worry about your mom so you abandon your car. You move toward the car in front of you. It's empty, because the person in front of you had the same impulse. But what's really weird is that the car in front of that car has a stone statue sitting behind the wheel. What is this, some kind of gag? You keep going, heading for a subway station. Cars are either empty or filled with statues. For a second, you ask yourself if these could be people turned to stone. But come on, that's just too crazy. There are a few other people running around the streets in a similar state of confusion. Some of them are hysterical. You get more determined to reach your elderly mother.

You head down into the subway station. Loaded with stone statues. No people. No trains. You wait. And wait. But it's damn creepy down here at night with all these statues. You decide to walk. It's twenty-nine blocks, but if that's what it takes....

The further into the city you go, the fewer people you see. The fewer non-statues you see. The conclusion is inescapable. Everyone has been turned to stone. Just then a woman runs up to you. Clearly homeless. You like to think of yourself as open-minded, but you can't help having a visceral reaction to her odor. You're nearly overwhelmed by the unwashed urine-soaked smell. She yells something about "the T.V.'s". And runs off.
She's the only living human in sight, and still you can't help being relieved that she's gone.

Finally, you reach your mother's apartment building. Now, you know. There's Joe the Doorman. You've known Joe for fifteen years. He's a sweet old guy, who never drinks on the job, except a nip now and then when it's really cold. And he's a statue. That face. That twinkle in his eye. It's Joe. And he's stoned -- literally.

Fortunately, Joe's frozen on the job. He's holding the door open for you.
You swallow hard and enter. There's a little girl in the lobby with her parents and a poodle. They're all stone statues. You press the elevator button. The doors open immediately. There are five statues facing you calmly. One of them is Mrs. Vasquez, you're mother's neighbor. Suddenly, you realize that you are more pissed off than frightened. With a new determination you get on the elevator and press the button for the eighth floor.

The doors close. You've had to squeeze in, because the five statues aren't exactly making room for you. You turn to Mrs. Vasquez. "Nice weather we're having," you say grimly. Finally, the elevator opens. You squeeze out, struggling for your key ring.

Your hands are sweating. You have trouble getting your mom's key into the lock. Then it slides in. You mentally prepare yourself. The odds are good that Mom is a statue. You turn the key. Enter the apartment. The television is on. You move into the living room. There are tears in your eyes, even before you see mom, sitting with a bemused expression on her face in front of the t.v. She's frozen in stone on the chair, which seems to be buckling under the weight. You suddenly panic that the chair will break, that your mother will fall to the floor and... and... what? Break?
Shatter? You can't take the chance. You dry your palms on your shirt and then ease her frozen body out of the chair. She seems to weigh a ton, but YOU WILL NOT DROP HER. Slowly, you lower her to the ground, on her side, still frozen in the sitting position.

It's only then that you focus on the sound coming from the t.v. Gibberish?
You turn to look. There's some kind of... creature, speaking, what? Latin, maybe? You move closer to the t.v. Suddenly, the video skips and the image repeats from the beginning. And that's the last thing you remember.

In the morning, you help your mother up off of the floor. She's extremely confused. Did she pass out? Have a heart attack? How'd she get on the floor? When did you get here? You don't want to worry or panic her and even as you start to form the words, it all seems too crazy to say out loud.

The television is still on. Travis Marshall is on, reporting on how everyone in Manhattan seems to have experienced blackouts last night. Your mother mumbles something about pollution in the water. A woman is interviewed. She says that everyone in Manhattan was turned to stone. You can hear your mother snort, but you don't dare look at her now. The reporter looks at the woman. And you know what that look means. He asks her dubiously why she wasn't effected. She responds by saying that she never watches television. Marshall, nods. A nod that clearly means that he thinks she's nuts.

Interviews follow with government officials, psychiatrists, hypnotists, etc.
Every theory in the world is offered up. But no one else says anything about stone statues.

So what kind of person are you? Do you make it your life's work to make sure everyone knows the truth? Do you try to convince yourself it was all a hallucination? Do you just shut your mouth and keep it shut? You're mother offers to cook you breakfast. She'll cut the french toast into a little house with a chimney, windows and a door. Just like she did when you were young. "Yeah, Mom," you say, "That would be nice." While she's cooking, you go into the bathroom and throw up.

As to why Xanatos and Demona didn't cast their spell over the whole world, the answer is simple: They couldn't.


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Anonymous writes...

I know you don't really like to talk about who Brooklyn's mate will be, but could you at least answer this? Is she a character we already know, or is she a whole new character?

Greg responds...

New.


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Anonymous writes...

In Future Tense, why doesn't Claw have wings? He lost them in a battle, or something?

Greg responds...

Right.


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Anonymous writes...

When Puck gave Xanatos the choice between one wish from Puck or life long service from Owen was this with the understanding that Owen/Puck would never work magic for Xanatos? If the answer to the last question is yes then when Owen/Puck was "explaining" his reasons for working for Xanatos to Oberon and beating up Oberon in the process was he playing lawyer? If the answer to question 1 is no why did Owen not use magic before? Also did Xanatos know Owen was Puck or did Puck make him think that Owen was working for Puck at the time he gave Xanatos the choice? Why did Owen/Puck not know the true source of Demona's Immortality in "City of Stone"? Can a normal human and Gargoyle conceive children? If the answer is yes then how? Two serperate species cannot reproduce to create viable offspring although very closely related species can create sterile offspring are Gargoyles and humans the same species?

Greg responds...

1) Exactly.

2) To some extent. Puck was on trial as well, and he knew it.

3) N.A.

4) At the time of the choice, Xanatos knew. Although by then he had known Owen for some period of time.

5) Why would he?

6) Not unaided. Maybe not at all. I'm sure Sevarius might like to "help".
Prospero too.

7) N.A. (What are you trying to do, trip me up? :))

By the way gang, Gore has informed me that we've had to kick a number of good questions because they were posted with questions that contained the kind of ideas that I warned I couldn't look at in Guideline #2. If you want your questions answered, please be more careful.


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Anonymous writes...

We already know that Angela is Goliath's daughter and that Broadway is Hudson's son. Are there any other closely related members of the Manhattan Clan?

Greg responds...

If your talking biological relationships, no.


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Anonymous writes...

What was the original "comical" series of Gargoyles supposed to be like, and what were the original versions or counterparts to the main characters we know now? Thank you once again for your time.

Greg responds...

Hmmmm. The show had much the same set-up: tenth century gargoyles put to sleep for a thousand years by a magic spell. Their castle was moved to the tallest skyscraper in Manhattan and they woke up and tried to adjust to 20th century life. The gargoyles were all diminutive, kinda like Gummi Bears with a modern edge. The whole development went through a number of changes over time, and I won't attempt to list every permutation but here's the basics on the characters. The name that heads each paragraph is the name the character ended up with in the show that you guys ultimately saw on television.

Demona - Dakota was the leader of the gargoyles, and she was, in a word, boring. Too straight to be the leader of a comedy ensemble. So we changed her name to Demona and turned her into a traitor working with the enemy....

Xanatos - Xavier was a human descendent of the wizard who had cursed the gargoyles a millenium ago. He was rich, powerful and petulant. Very Captain Hook.

Owen Burnett - Mr. Owen was Xavier's assistant. In the first episode, he got hit by a magic spell that permanently tranformed him into an anthropomorphic aardvark.

Brooklyn - Amp became the leader after we changed Dakota into Demona. He was a little guy who looked more like Lexington than Brooklyn, but he had Brooklyn's out-there adventurous personality.

Broadway - Cocoa was a heavy-set female gargoyle with artistic pretensions and a great love of food. This always made us uncomfortable, which is why she eventually became a he.

Lexington - Lassie looked a little more like Brooklyn than Lex, but he was the closest thing we had to Lex. He was an idiot savant, fascinated with technology. He could spend hours working on a computer. He could also spend hours watching a traffic light change colors.

Hudson - Ralph was the couch potato gargoyle. A bit older than the others.
Content to stay at home and watch tv.

Elisa - Morgan Reed was a human school teacher who befriended the gargoyles.
She was also a firefighter for awhile. And a museum curator. And an archeologist. And Xavier's former partner. She had a daughter for awhile too. For awhile we played it like she was Princess Katharine's descendent.
We had the Gargoyles move onto the roof of the apartment building where she lived and cause a lot of trouble for her.

There was no parallel character to GOLIATH. After the comedy development was rejected, Tad Stones (Producer of Darkwing Duck and Aladdin: the Animated Series, among others) suggested adding a dramatic male lead. We came up with Goliath and put the whole show through the prism of who Goliath was. That was the turning point, obviously.

I still maintain that the original comedy development would have made a great comedy-adventure series. Something to be proud of. That's not to say that I don't greatly prefer how things turned out, but it's apples and oranges.


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Anonymous writes...

In "Sentinel" there was a conversation between Elisa and Goliath, where Elisa mentions something about the Holy Grail and Goliath says something like "we haven't found it yet." Was this foreshadowing something that will turn up later? As you said, you were going to include every legend.

Greg responds...

Yes. Exactly. It would have been something for King Arthur and Sir Griff to follow up on after their quest for Merlin -- IF we had ever done the PENDRAGON spin-off. And because we "promised" it in "Sentinel", Elisa and Goliath would have had at least some minor involvement in the quest.


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Anonymous writes...

It was said Goliath was going to be in the movie, will Elisa be in it too? And why did you feel you needed to give Elisa a partner in the series

Greg responds...

As I said, the script for the movie hasn't been turned in yet. All I know is that Goliath is the lead.

Cops have partners. It didn't seem realistic for Elisa to be an exception.
Why make her life that easy? We all have connections which enrich and complicate our lives. Elisa has parents, siblings, a boss, a cat, gargoyles, supervillains... and a partner.


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Anonymous writes...

In my Gargoyles "Meet the Characters" book, it mentions Elias Maza being of Sioux indian descent, and yet she seems to be Navajo in the series. Did the book just have misguided sources or what? :)

Greg responds...

She seems to be Hopi or Zuni to me in the series, though I don't pretend to be an expert. I can't even remember if "maza" is the Sioux or Navajo word for "iron". As you can see, we weren't tremendously consistent on Elisa's paternal ethnicity. That's mostly my fault. I should have done a better job on research. Part of the problem was that different people gave us different advice as the series progressed. But that only compounded inconsistencies that we had already built into the stories. I'll try to do better in the future.


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Anonymous writes...

Do you believe that had Gargoyles continued on TDA, and Elisa and Goliath gotten more of the spotlight in their romance, would it be taken well with the S&P people. I heard that TGC had more censor problems tham Gargoyles but that is probably a rumor. I was somewhat surprised at how some people I know and parents that thought it was somewhat disgusting.

Greg responds...

O.K. Once again, GARGOYLES had no censors. We had one Disney Standards & Practices executive. We also had our own sensibilities as guides. Goliath Chronicles had ABC's Broadcast S&P staff to worry about also. I don't know if they had problems with the Goliath/Elisa relationship. On the one script I wrote for Chronicles, they didn't seem to have any trouble with any of the romance stuff I wrote. The one thing they did object to was Elisa punching Banquo in the face, off-camera. That surprised me, because we had done that sort of thing all the time during the first two seasons. Again, you'd have to ask Eric Lewald or Scott Thomas if the Chronicles had substantial S&P problems at ABC.


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Anonymous writes...

I was just wondering, if Anglea and Broadway have a son or daughter what will he or she look like?

Greg responds...

Angela and Broadway will ultimately have three biological children: Artus, Gwenyvere and Samson. None of these characters have been designed yet, and I don't want to paint/write myself into a corner, but in my head, Artus bares a strong physical resemblance to Hudson & Broadway; Gwenyvere looks quite a bit like Angela & Demona; Samson looks very much like Goliath. But they won't be carbon copies, and each child should inherit at least a little bit from each parent.


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Anonymous writes...

What is the female gargoyle's name that is in the coldstone robot?

Greg responds...

Coldfire is her name now. She had no name in the tenth century, since naming is a human, not a gargoyle, trait. However, those of us who worked on the GARGOYLES series are all humans, so we felt the need to name her in scripts and in the credits. So we called her Desdemona. But that name was simply a convenient designation for us. She would not recognize it as her own. Neither would anyone operating within the universe of the series.


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Anonymous writes...

How did Puck work for Xanotos as Owen when he was in The Mirror? How did Owen get turned into stone in The City of Stone? Why would a human\gargoyle spell work on him?

Greg responds...

When Puck transforms into Owen, he transforms into a human being, with all a human's weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Now Owen can transform back into Puck, but he can't perform magic as Owen. And Demona caught Owen off- guard with a spell that affected his all-too-human form. I suppose Owen could have transformed back into Puck in between the two nights of the curse, but that would mean he couldn't help Xanatos at all. Remember their deal: one wish from the Puck or a lifetime of service from Owen. Xanatos chose Owen.

As for "The Mirror", Xanatos went without Owen for a few hours. Who knows whether he even noticed.


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Anonymous writes...

From where (as in, what experience other than comics) did Cary Bates come; how did he come to write for the series? I heard from the man himself that David Wise might have become one of your writers. How far did he get into the selection process, and did you have any other writers in mind for
the series at any time?

Greg responds...

1) Cary's done some movie and television work. (Columbus & Superboy immediately spring to mind.) He also happens to be one of my best friends and my former writing partner. When I expanded the story editing staff beyond Michael Reaves, he was one of the first people I thought of.

2) I've never met David Wise. I don't ever remember considering him for the show, not even when I was an executive with no real intention of producing the show myself. Maybe David was considered for Goliath Chronicles. I didn't participate in that decision at all. (This is not to imply that I have something against David, it's just that I was going with people I knew.
Michael Reaves had shown me his excellent work on Batman. Brynne Chandler Reaves did great stuff on the first season of GARGOYLES and had earned her promotion. I had known Cary from as far back as my DC Comics days. And I had worked with Gary Sperling at Disney on a number of shows. I didn't know David, and wasn't too familiar with his work, so he was never in the running.)


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Anonymous writes...

I have seen elsewhere that you said the crew of TGC had FAR less time to work on episodes than you did for most of the 66 you were a part of. In your own opinion, was this the reason the quality was perhaps lacking from the first two seasons and the Journey?

It seems to me like this scenario:They had less time to work on them, were rushed in some cases, and didn't really get a chance to do as good a job as they could have...Do you believe this is so...From what you have said it SEEMS true but I'm asking you to make sure. Thank you very much for taking part in this....While I'm sad the show has gone, it lightens a dark day knowing its creator is here to listen to our ramblings about the show. That's all for now....

Greg responds...

Time is the factor that it all comes back to. I do think that the lack of continuity, i.e. the near-complete change-over in creative staff was another major factor. But they still had some good people, who given more time could have done better. Though I immodestly believe that since the episodes only incidentally reflected my plans for the characters, the series lost some focus.

Money and resources were other important factors. Less was spent per episode. And much of the work was sub-contracted out to Nelvana.

(I should say, that I'm hardly objective about Chronicles. Someone said that Chronicles is a good show if judged outside the context of the original series. I'd guess that's accurate. God knows I was pleasantly surprised by "The Journey" which turned out much better than I had a right to expect.)


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Anonymous writes...

If you had had the opportunity to do TimeDancer while still at Disney, how many episodes do you think their would have been? (Assuming you had all the creative controls that you wanted)

Greg responds...

Thirteen or fourteen, unless we decided to incorporate the 2158 Future Tense spin-off into TimeDancer. In which case it could be much more open-ended.


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Anonymous writes...

Was Elisa's and Goliath's relationship ever to end or would it have continued? Well, thank you for your time!

Greg responds...

I believe that some things are eternal.


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Anonymous writes...

By the end of the plan, did you plan to ever have a main character that we already know die?

Greg responds...

By 2158, Elisa & Goliath were both dead.


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Anonymous writes...

How many seasons was your Master plan originaly going to take?

Greg responds...

How many would they give me? How long will I live? I promise I would never have run out of stories. Hell, I have the damn thing laid out beyond the year 2158. It would be fun to meet up in the middle. Plus there was a lot of interesting stories in the past that still needed to be told. (Ever wonder how Wyvern Hill got it's name?) And as the "gargoyles universe" expanded and added characters, that gave me even more stories to tell.


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Anonymous writes...

In your Master plan, did you ever plan to have the Gargoyles make peace with humanity? (Not talking bout TGC)

Greg responds...

Define "peace". Is white and black America at peace with each other today?
I don't think we would have seen an end to racism, but overt discrimination would be a thing of the past by the year 2158. Yes, 2158. I can't say for sure how fast each step forward would have come. The point of a "Master Plan" is to know the general direction and have specific tentpoles, without tying one's hands thus allowing for creativity and serendipity.

Goliath Chronicles did go a bit fast for my taste. They skipped a lot of steps even within episodes. The trial of Goliath is a fascinating idea that I had had myself, but I would have done it quite differently. Beginning with the notion that most of humanity wouldn't think about putting Goliath on trial for a crime, anymore than it would occur to them to drag a dangerous mountain lion into a courtroom. Before you can agree to have a trial, you have to agree that what your trying isn't a beast, but a sentient individual. I don't think Margot would have made that jump very quickly.

Ironically, I believe that the presence of Gargoyles would have done a lot to help real race relations between humans. Nothing like something even more different to make people realize how much they have in common with each other. In "The Journey" I tried to show that the Quarrymen appealed to a multitude of human "races".


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Anonymous writes...

In the episode Avalon, we find out that the Wierd Sisters had made Demona and Macbeth immortal so that they could attack the Avalon Clan. The way they acted in this episode dosen't seem to match their character. Did they have some "Master Plan" of their own, and were simply using the Archmage as a pawn to accomplish some over-all mission?

Greg responds...

What are you basing your analysis of their characters on?

I've heard a lot of complaints about the Weird Sisters. At first they struck me as odd, but now I think I know where the confusion came from.

A. People took the way they presented themselves in "City of Stone" and in "High Noon" at face value.

B. When they saw the Sisters again in "Avalon" and "Ill Met by Moonlight", people didn't like the way they were behaving as much. The Sisters weren't as mysterious or powerful or something. So they rejected the "face value" version that was presented in those episodes.

C. People were less enamored of the Archmage than I was. When we first used the Archmage in "Long Way to Morning" I was phenominally impressed with David Warner, the actor who voiced the part. The character was just a cliched sorcerer, but I felt David added a level of menace that was irresistable. So even though we had killed off the character, I was determined to bring the Archmage back in a way that would let David go to town, and make the cliched Archmage into the near Satanic villain I envisioned he could be. That was what "Avalon, Part II" was supposed to accomplish. David didn't let me down. His dual performances as both versions of the Archmage was a true tour-de-force. But perhaps I failed David. The "Archmage-plus" was supposed to be all-but-omnipotent and all-but-omniscient. Once he had the Grimorum, the Eye and the Gate, he was supposed to be much more threatening than any villain we had encountered up to that point, including the Sisters. His fatal flaw (demonstrated in parts two and three) was his unwavering arrogance. He could have finished all his enemies off instantly. But at heart, he was still this cliched guy who had to toy with his enemies and make them suffer before he wiped them out. That gave the good guys time to rally and defeat him. I'm sure most of you basically got this, but you didn't FEEL it enough, so the Archmage didn't seem tough enough to boss the Sisters around. So everyone assumes that the Sisters are using HIM in some way.

D. Part of the reason for this is probably due to the fact that the final script for "Avalon, Part II" was WAY, WAY too long. We had to cut a lot of stuff before we shipped in order to get the show down to the correct length.
You didn't miss any important info, but I do think we lost a bit of the scope of the Archmage's plans, as well as some nice character moments and a bit of helpful expository stuff.

E. People didn't get the Sister's constraints vis-a-vis Oberon. Their hands were much more tied than people seemed to realize. They couldn't enter Avalon of their own volition. They were banished to the barge to guard it. The Archmage's commands gave them their excuse. And they wanted that excuse. So let me make something clear here: THEY ARE A VENGEFUL TRIO OF WITCHES. They wanted vengeance. But as immortals, they could afford to be patient. It didn't matter whether vengeance came in nine days or nine centuries. So, they were using the Archmage. Using him to extract their vengeance. That doesn't mean they wouldn't have eventually turned on the Archmage to get him off Avalon, but that would have been some fight, let me tell you.

F. Having said all that, don't imagine that helping the Archmage is the only thing they did for a millenium. They didn't follow Demona and Macbeth around every minute. They do have other things going on. Other plans. And I'm not saying that what they did for the Archmage doesn't dovetail with these other plans, but that doesn't mean they didn't sincerely want revenge on the Magus and his friends.

G. And they still do. The Magus may be largely beyond their reach, but Goliath and the others aren't. They still need to tread carefully because they can't risk Oberon or Titania's wrath, but believe me, they've got something up their sleeves.

I'm sure this "answer" raises a lot more questions. I can probably predict some of them, but it's much more fun to wait for you guys to ask them.


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Anonymous writes...

In the episode High Noon, the three Wierd Sisters were masquerading as Desdemona. While they were busy convincing Othello to stop Iago in the real world, where was the real Desdemona at the time?

Greg responds...

Masquerading isn't really the correct word. They sort of possessed Desdemona briefly, splitting her image into the three facets of their personality. Keep in mind, that Desdemona didn't exist in bodily form. She was just a wisp of soul inside a crashed computer. The Sisters stepped in for one brief moment. Desdemona was there the whole time, and it was all her in every other scene she appeared in. Sorry if that wasn't clear.


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Anonymous writes...

Why did the mutates appearances change between Metamorphosis and The Cage?
Was it just a further change in their mutation?

Greg responds...

I feel like I've answered this one too, but I'm not as sure, so...

Do you want the "Story" answer or the "Behind the scenes" answer?

The story answer to your question is "yes".

Behind the scenes, Frank Paur was not satisfied with the designs that we had in "Metamorphosis", but we had run out of time. So he had to run with what we had. After "Metamophosis" shipped, he had time to revise them for "The Cage". So he did. This was o.k. with me because I could easily believe they were still mutating. Also, I didn't think they'd spend their lives dressed in the tattered clothes they were wearing when they were first injected.


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Anonymous writes...

If you make a new season of gargoyles will and how would you make Eliza become Goliath's mate? Also would you make any new gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Define "mate". Define "make". New gargoyles would have been introduced.


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Anonymous writes...

Griff kept mentioning hatchlings in Pendragon. I was wondering about 'Una' she is part horse instead of a bird . Horses are mammals. Does she lay eggs ?

Greg responds...

Appearances can be deceiving. Una is all gargoyle. Gargoyle's lay eggs.


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Anonymous writes...

In the future did you plan to follow up on the Illuminati story? If you did what were some of things you were planning. And last, what were the Gargoyles ratings compaired to the average cartoon show?

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. That's not a quick question. Well, at any rate, it's not a quick answer.

3. I don't remember exact numbers. The first season was promising, especially considering we were only on once a week. The second season was solid but disappointing to many Disney executives, because they had high hopes that once we went daily, we'd start kicking butt. Instead, we placed 2nd consistently, usually to Power Rangers. Third season ratings weakened even more, or so I'm told. I never saw any numbers for either the reruns or for the Goliath Chronicles. There are a lot of mitigating factors, the biggest being FOX's overall strength in kid's programming, but it doesn't change the fact that we didn't put up winning numbers with any consistency.


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Anonymous writes...

The use of Kachina's in Cloud Fathers is clearly Hopi. Yet Maza is Navajo? Which tribe was Peter Maza born to?

Greg responds...

I'm struggling with three or four year old memories here, but I think this is what happened. When we had finished casting the lead characters, my development associate, Paul Lacy, made some phone calls to a number of tribal reps and got a bunch of different Elisa surnames for us to choose from. (We were initially leaning towards "Bluestone". We even recorded the first couple episodes using the "Bluestone" name. And that's after we had already recorded those same lines using the name "Chavez".) My boss, Gary Krisel, chose "Maza", which was fine with me also. We were under the impression that "maza" was the Sioux word for "iron". That appealed to me. (So we rerecorded again.)

Later in the season, when Elisa was shot, her parents made reference to her sister Beth who was in school in Arizona. That was my mistake. No real Sioux population in Arizona, as it turns out. Brynne Reaves and Lydia Marano found that out pretty quick when they started doing their research for what would eventually be titled "Cloud Fathers". I had recently read Tony Hillerman's novel COYOTE WAITS, so I suggested a Navajo connection, but by the time the story was done, we clearly had a Hopi ritual. (Or maybe Zuñi. Even now, I certainly don't pretend to be an expert.)

To top things off, Michael Horse, the voice of Peter and Carlos Maza, read the script and gave us a few tips. He also told us that "Maza" was not a Sioux name, so we got that wrong too somehow.

So the long answer is... I screwed up. And it pains me, because we had such good intentions. Next time, I'll be much more careful.

The short answer (the explanation) is that Carlos Maza's ancestors are largely, but not exclusively, Hopi. This is some consolation to me, since (1) it helps us understand the interracial marriage that Peter and Diane have (not to mention Elisa's interspecies attraction) and (2) it offers us the possibility of exploring more Native American legends while simultaneously exploring more of Carlos, Peter, Elisa, Derek and Beth's ancestry. Trust that if I ever get the chance to do these further stories, I will research the hell out of the whole thing before I even begin.


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Anonymous writes...

What were your inspiration to make this series and your inspirations for the characters - were they based on people you knew in real life or what?
Were you really pleased with the way the characters came out in the series or did you think they were lacking swomehting (i'm talking about first two seasons) Do you have any regrets or things you didn't like baout the first two seasons?

Greg responds...

Inspirations, I think I've discussed. If you read the archives and have a more specific question about what did or didn't inspire me, let it fly.

As to who the characters were based on... well, no one was based on anybody specific from my life. Though all of them came out of my life experience and (I'm sure) the life experiences of the other writers, editors, artists and producers who worked on the series.

[It's an inherent danger of this whole ASK GREG set-up, that it always comes off as if I was working by myself. Let me state again that a LOT OF PEOPLE contributed a lot of extremely creative material to this show.]


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Anonymous writes...

Many have been debating over the identity of the mysterious "fifth member" of the future Ultra-Pack. Had you decided who it was to be when you planned the Future Tense spin-off, or had you not yet gotten that far? If you had decided, could you tell us who it was? Thank you for your time.

Greg responds...

The Ultra-Pack was not supposed to be part of the "Future Tense" spin-off.
It was just going to be part of the on-going Gargoyles series. The "fifth member" would have been an all-new character. No one you know.


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Anonymous writes...

How would you have gotten around the lack of Gargoyle's names if you had done a Dark Ages spin-off?

Greg responds...

It depends what you mean. Internally, we would have done what we did with Othello, Desdemona and Iago. That is, we would have given them designations in the script, so the artists and animators, etc, knew who we were talking about. In the show itself, we would have avoided using those names.
The gargoyles would refer to each other by relationship, just as they did in our very first episode. At least, that was the plan. I had a back-up plan if that just didn't seem to be working, which entailed Prince Malcolm giving each of his gargoyle warriors a Biblical or Mythological name. They never would use those names with each other, but the humans could use them and the audience could too. By the way, this series would have been set in the year 971.


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Anonymous writes...

What was your inspiration for the "Castle in the Clouds?"

Greg responds...

I don't remember if I had any. I may not even have been the person who came up with it. What I do remember is that from the moment I saw Bob Kline's drawing of a castle atop a skyscraper, I knew it was cool.


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Anonymous writes...

Was it it decided upon conception that there would be a "Lois and Clark-ish" relationship between Goliath and Elisa (that even carried over past your "The Journey")? If so, was there any latent aversion on the censors part?

Greg responds...

People love to toss around incendiary terms. We had no "censor".

Yes, of course, the romantic relationship between Goliath and Elisa was planned from the start. I'm sure that's self-evident. I wouldn't call it "Lois & Clark-ish" though; I don't really see the parallel there.

I wanted to play their "courtship" realistically. I had two individuals who were destined for each other. But that doesn't mean things would progress quickly. Elisa is an extremely guarded woman in many ways. She's had to be. She's succeeded in a career that is traditionally male. Dating fellow cops is a dangerous move for a female detective. Double standards, sexual harrassment claims, precinct harmony etc. make it less than ideal. Dating crooks isn't too appealing either, for obvious reasons. Who else does she meet working the night shift as she does? You'll notice that the person who was always putting the breaks on any romantic discussion that Goliath tried to initiate was Elisa. She has trouble admitting her feelings, even to her mother. She's fairly secretive.

In addition, Elisa had, and still has, a keen sense of the situation's impossibility. I think Elisa would like to have kids someday. Not necessarily right away, but someday. That's not possible with Goliath. At least not in the traditional way. I hope "High Noon" revealed that Elisa is not Fox Mulder. She was never looking for weirdness to enter her life. She wanted, and to some extent still wants, a normal life. She could never have that with Goliath.

Goliath had a totally different problem. He had a wounded heart. Gargoyles mate for life. Mates die, but it was beyond his understanding that his mate could still be alive, and they would not be together. That's why Goliath was still trying to win Demona back as late as "Vows". That's why he never quite knows what to do with her. What to make of her. That was a huge distraction from Elisa. His feelings for Elisa were already present, as early as "Awakening, Part Three". But it took him awhile to recognize them. And when he did, he was ashamed. He felt he shouldn't be able to fall in love again.Certainly not with a human. (Don't for a minute believe that Goliath is immune to prejudice. No one is. At least no one I've ever met.) What's interesting is that Goliath fell in love with Elisa even before he understood how physically attractive she was. He didn't realize that until "The Mirror". He tried to talk to her about his feelings on numerous occasions. She always cut him off. And maybe, he thought, that was for the best. But that's also why the events of "Sentinel" were so painful to him. She didn't remember him or their life together. She didn't trust him. She even tried to shoot him. It broke his heart. (Again.) Of course, it wasn't her fault, and he knew it. And when push came to shove, she instinctively knew that they were connected and so saved him from Nokkar.

And that's the problem they were both faced with. Not having anything more than a platonic friendship made sense to both of them. But that wasn't possible. They didn't have a choice. They loved each other. It was almost a curse.

That's what was going on with Elisa in "Hunter's Moon". Jason and Goliath actually have a number of things in common. Jason's the kind of guy she goes for, and gee whiz, he was human. (Of course, he was also a Hunter, but she didn't know that at first.) She really liked him. And if she had never met Goliath... who knows? I think Officer Morgan is another guy who could have made Elisa very happy -- if she had never met Goliath. But she had.
And her love for Goliath transcended their differences. That's why she kissed Goliath at the end of "Hunter's Moon". That's what was going on between them at the end of "The Journey".

But that didn't solve the problem. Eventually, they'd have to TALK about it. Really talk about it. They'd have to discuss the pragmatic aspects of it. Not to get too crude, but how does a gargoyle make love? (I know the answer to that, by the way, but let's try to keep things clean.) What about children? Goliath has Angela and a whole clan of rookery kids on Avalon, but Elisa's never going to be a mother to Angela. And what about their future?

If I had continued on the show, I would have dramatized this conversation, with the end result being that they would have decided once and for all NOT to have a romantic relationship. The realities of the discussion would temporarily overwhelm their feelings for each other.

That break-up wouldn't last long. Because, ultimately, they have no choice.
They love each other with one of those great mythic loves of song and story.
But again, that doesn't solve any problems. (Well, actually, it does, but not the problems I'm talking about.) They'd have dealt with each issue as it came up.

Now back to your original question about censorship. Who knows what problems we might or might not have run into down the line? I can't answer that. But we had ZERO problems during the 66 episodes that I worked on. Elisa and Goliath loved each other. That was a given. But the characters we created weren't about to jump into interspecies sex, so there was nothing to object to. Heck, it took 65 episodes for them to kiss on the lips. What I'm getting at is that the slow pace was intentional. It suited the characters to go slow. But that dovetailed nicely with the fact that there was nothing for anyone to object to.

We also had the added help that Disney's Beauty and the Beast had just come out and raised everyone's consciousness. The animated lesson not to judge a book by it's cover was well-learned throughout the halls of Disney.


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Anonymous writes...

5. Did you have any stories planned for the Timedancer series besides the meeting of Xanatos and Demona? If so what would they be about? Would Brooklyn have rejoined the clan after he returned from his journey?

Greg responds...

Yes, I had plenty of stories planned for TimeDancer. The meeting of Xanatos and Demona was the second story. The first one was a Constantine/Finella/ Mary adventure. There was also, as I've mentioned, an extended visit to the year 2158. Plus a couple more trips to the past, including one to Ishimura in Japan's feudal era. And, yes, ultimately, Brooklyn would have rejoined the Manhattan clan -- five minutes after he left, from their point of view. (From his, forty years would have passed.)


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Anonymous writes...

4. What is the true identity of Mr. Duval? I know he was supposed to be a friend of King Arthur's but who was he.

Greg responds...

I don't feel like revealing that right now. Sorry. Ask me again sometime.


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Anonymous writes...

3. I once heard that "Avalon" was supposed to be a five-parter like "Awakening". Is this true and if so what was cut from the final version?

Greg responds...

It's not at all true. Who'd you hear that from? "Avalon" was always supposed to be a triptych. Not one long story, but three connected stories.
What IS true is that the final script for "Avalon, Part Two" came in very long. We did have to cut some stuff for time. Nothing important. But the Archmage did walk his allies and the audience through his plans a little bit more. There was some helpful expository stuff and a few nice character bits lost, but no story points.


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Anonymous writes...

1. I was wondering if you had any plans for a mate for Lexington or was he going to remain alone?

2. What was going to happen to the Cold trio? Did you have any plans for them ever rejoining the
clan?

Greg responds...

I did have plans.

Seriously, Coldsteel would have remained a threat. Coldstone & Coldfire would have eventually joined a clan. But I'm not saying which one.


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Anonymous writes...

1. According to Sevarius in "Metamorphosis", gargoyles have to
turn to stone by day and soak up solar energy in order to glide around at
night? So how is Demona able to glide around after what Puck did to her in
The Mirror? And how do the Guatemalan gargoyles in The Green
handle it?

2. In The Mirror, Demona says to Puck, "You serve the human; you can
serve me." Did she know that he and Owen were the same person?

Greg responds...

1. Sevarius was hypothesizing, but he was more right than wrong. Demona's
transformation was magical. Magic compensated. Why wouldn't it work for the
Mayan gargoyles?

2. Yes.


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Anonymous writes...

I once saw an article in Time or Newsweek about Gargoyles. The article
concerned the popularity of Gargoyles. It said that Gargoyles merchandise
are really hot, and the show is "extraordinarily popular," I think these
are the words. Anyways, it showed a Gargoyles mug and I was suprised that
Gargoyles were so popular, since I haven't heard anyone at school or in
television talk about it much, unlike, say, Power Rangers(a horrible show).
Was it ever that popular since I heard in the comment room that Gargoyle
merchandise isn't so hot in the market.

Greg responds...

Damn good question. Most people reading this won't like the answer, but NO,
Gargoyles were never THAT popular. We had midling success, and a core group
of extremely loyal followers, but it never made the impact that Power Rangers
made. Some merchandise did well. Some of it died. Our ratings started out
promising. Moved on to respectable. Moved to disappointing and ended up
being lousy. I wish it weren't so, and there were tons of mitigating
factors. But they don't alter the facts.


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Anonymous writes...

I have two questions which don't deal with the show so much as one of the
characters; Brooklyn. 1) Where did his design and concept originate from?
And 2) Why was a starring vehicle for him (Timedancer) in the plan? These
questions are merely asked out of curiosity, and a general interest in the
character.

Greg responds...

1) Brooklyn developed overtime. He began as two characters in the show's
original comedy development. "Amp" looked more like Lexington, but had
Brooklyn's basic personality. "Lassie" (a male gargoyle who admired the
collie's heroic qualities) was an idiot-savant character. But he looked a
bit like Brooklyn. I think Bob Kline did the original designs on these
comedy characters. (They were all diminutive.) Dave Schwartz redesigned
Brooklyn, Lex and Broadway. The final models were done by Kazuyoshi Takeuchi
based on Dave's inspirational design. Frank Paur also made some minor
changes to it.

2) One answer is because the character demanded it. That is the stories of
his life seemed to exist and need to be told. On another level, I felt that
childhood friendships must evolve or die. Brooklyn, Lex and Broadway
couldn't go through life as The Three Musketeers. By sending Brooklyn away
for five minutes of Broadway's life, but forty years of Brooklyn's it would
demonstrate that although the trio would always be the best of friends, the
days of being joined at the hip were quite, quite over.


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Anonymous writes...

Did you ever forsee Demona actually coming to the realization that she was
largely responsible for her own misery (a la City of Stone), or was she
fated to remain self-deluded and perpetually angry?

Greg responds...

She was fated to a lot more self-delusion, but eventually she would have had
a true epiphany. And two more great loves. (Aren't I a stinker?)


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Anonymous writes...

Do you have any suggestions as to how we might convince the Disney execs.
(or whoever it is we need to convince) that "Gargoyles" has a lot of good
potential and should be brought back?

Greg responds...

I've answered that question a lot. Gore, maybe you could repost that long
message I sent you to the AskGreg Archives. You know the one where I
list the factors why the show was cancelled and explain what steps might
be taken down the line. It's been passed around a lot, but some people may
not have seen it.

The short answer to your question is to keep the flame burning and hope the
live-action movie spurs renewed interest.


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Anonymous writes...

What sort of things did you plan on doing with the Goliath/Elisa relationship?

Greg responds...

Well, first of all I'd have them discuss it.

Then come to the conclusion that it was impossible.

Then I was going to send them on a Halloween double date. Goliath with
Delilah. Elisa with either Morgan or Jason (I hadn't decided). The date
would have made it clear that no matter how impossible their relationship
seemed, they would just have to find a way to make it work.

Eventually, there would have been some kind of commitment ceremony. I don't
know if you'd call it a wedding per se, but the purpose would have been clear
enough.

I know more, but that's enough for now. (Boy, this is my day to be coy.)


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Anonymous writes...

After mining Shakespearean lore for background and story ideas,
did you ever plan on also mining other sources just as rich, such as
Wagnerian opera, had the show continued?

Greg responds...

I once said that given enough time and episodes, Gargoyles would have
included every legend ever. I was scoffed at. Completely scoffed at. But I
meant it.


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Anonymous writes...

Who were the twelve clans that existed in 2158?

Greg responds...

Well, I'm not going to give these all away right now, but I'm feeling
obnoxious, so I'll give you some useless clues just to drive you crazy.

Keep in mind that there were once hundreds of clans, but most of them died
out by the end of the middle ages. We're talking about new and/or surviving
clans, not every clan that ever existed.

The first Eight existed at the time of "Awakenings" (1994).
1. London - Most of the clan actually lives on an estate just outside
London.
2. Ishimura.
3. Guatemala - down to only four gargoyles, but poised for a
comeback.
4. No way you could guess this one. I don't think there are any
clues in the show's content.
5. Ditto.
6. This one could be guessed by a sharp viewer who understands the
way we planted clues in the show. For example, Elisa and Matt's
first conversation in her car, re: the Illuminati, Loch Ness
Monster, etc.
7. Ditto.
8. Avalon - formed after the eggs hatched on Avalon. Duh.

Two more existed (barely) by the end of "The Journey" (1996).

9. Manhattan - Our guys, of course, as a start.
10. Shouldn't be too hard to guess. Though "Goliath Chronicles" might
be a trifle distracting. Two more existed by 2158.
11. This one would take some extrapolation, but it's possible it could
be figured out if the life-purpose of certain existing characters
were followed to their logical conclusions.
12. This would also take some extrapolation. Think "nostalgia".

Two more clans would be formed in the years that follow.

13. Very tough to guess, but possible via the same kind of thinking
as #6.
14. Even harder to guess, but an absolute natural.

Anyone who can guess 8 out of 14 is a true fan.

Anyone who can guess 10 is a true fan with too much time on his or her hands.

Anyone who can guess 12 is a true fan with too much time and a lot of
intuitive ability.

Anyone who can guess all 14 is just a psychic freak.


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Anonymous writes...

How much of Puck's vision in Future Tense was a prophecy? or was it
all a dream?

Greg responds...

Some things have already come true. Alexander was born. The Clock Tower was
destroyed. Other things have already been proven untrue. Primarily, Goliath
did return to Manhattan before 2036. As for the rest, well, ask me some
other time.


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Anonymous writes...

What happened to Thailog at the end of The Reckoning? Did he die or
did he survive?

Greg responds...

He survived. The Thailogs of this world always survive.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Did Thailog really _really_ die in The Reckoning?
2. Would Dream Works ever consider buying he rights to Gargoyles, and continuing the series
under you?
3. Are you going to be a consultant on the movie?

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. Disney would NEVER consider selling the rights.

3. Michael Reaves and I are officially co-producers on the movie. I'm not
sure what that means exactly yet. But we are being kept abreast of things.

Which brings me to my first set of as promised RAMBLINGS.

RUMORS AND THE MOVIES
I'm relatively new to the internet, but I've just been appalled by the way
people clearly start rumors based on nothing with the
explicit purpose, to my thinking, of misleading dedicated fans. Does this
make them feel superior? Why aren't they ever called to account for it?

For example, who started the Jean-Claude VanDamme rumor? Ask yourself where
you first saw it. Track down who told you. Ask that person who told him or
her. When you find the guy or gal who first stated that Mr. Van Damme was
going to be in the GARGOYLES live-action movie, mark him down on some kind of
list as untrustworthy.

Anyway, here's what's going on with the Live-Action Feature, in development
at Touchstone Pictures, as of 4-10-97.

There are NO ACTORS attached. NONE. Not Jean-Claude. Not Jonathan Frakes
or Marina Sirtis or anyone. No one. It's way too soon.

Tom Jacobson is the producer. Dean Devlin is the writer. They are the only
two people currently attached to the project. The only ones. (Besides
Michael and myself, in our minor roles as co-producers.)

The script is supposed to come in from Dean by the end of this month.
GOLIATH is the lead character. Other gargoyles will appear but this is
basically Goliath's movie. Saying anything else before the first draft is
even completed is folly. If someone claims to know more, and he or she isn't
Dean Devlin, then I'd take the info with a boulder of salt.

Anyway, end of ramble.


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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg! I'm an animation student, and I was just wondering what kind of
tips you'd have for someone trying to get into that field. I've found that
alot of people are interested in getting into the business but aren't sure
where to begin, think you could give us a few pointers? I'd love to talk to
Frank P. You think you could drag him on the internet? Thank you in advance
for any help you can give us!

Greg responds...

Frank doesn't work at DreamWorks anymore, so I don't know when I'll next talk
to him, but when I do, I'll let him know you guys want him to show. Maybe
we'll set up a special "Ask Frank" day or something later. Angela, I'm a
writer, not an artist, so I don't have a lot of advise to offer to
animators. Learn your craft. Compile a portfolio. Hustle yourself some
work. I know that's not much, but I hope it helps.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

For that matter did Disney ever recieve angry letters for the
things the censors didn't mind?

Greg responds...

Again, no censors. One very understanding lady. I think while I was at
Disney, we received two letters of complaint about the show. Both had
nothing to do with content. In fact, it was clear from the content of the
letters that neither complaintant had ever watched an episode. They objected
to the show's Satanic content, basing their objections on the way the
Gargoyles looked in the commercials or opening titles.

Actually, we were expecting a flood of this type of mail. It never came.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Did the censors ever give you are Disney trouble for either
violence or inuendo on the show? [ex. Duncon dieing by bursting out into
flames, or the implication that Fox and Xanatos lived together before they
were married]

Greg responds...

O.k. I can only speak to Gargoyles, not to the Goliath Chronicles. We had no
censors on Gargoyles. We did have an executive in charge of Broadcast
Standards and Practices. Her name was Adrienne Bello. (Still is,
actually.) She loved the show and is a personal friend. She understood that
some things were necessary to story, and that in context they wouldn't be
that bad. Duncan's magical death wasn't problematic. But we weren't allowed
to stab him, because we didn't want anyone getting a kitchen knife and
imitating that. Fox and Xanatos did live together at the Eyrie before they
got married, but they also had separate bedrooms until they got married. I'm
not saying nothing ever happened between them, and certainly we were walking
a line, but I think we were always responsible to the young end of our
audience. Adrienne allowed us to do this without compromising the shows
integrity.


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Anonymous writes...

I know that you used many sources for the plots of Gargoyles, [ie, history,mythology, Shakespeare
etc.] but what influences did you have that led you to create the type of cartoon?

Greg responds...

Disney's Gummi Bears. Hill Street Blues. Yoknapatwpha County, i.e. the
complete works of William Faulkner. The Complete works of William
Shakespeare. The Simpsons. Various comic book universes. The novels of
Tony Hillerman. Lots of myth, legends, etc, which I have always been
interested in. Plus the input of all the other talented people who put the
show together with me. I was not a one-man band here.


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Anonymous writes...

Are halflings mortal, either all or some?

Greg responds...

Depends on how you define "mortal".


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Anonymous writes...

In High Noon Demona's eyes glowed while she was in human form, was that intentional?

Greg responds...

Yes. Magic isn't an exact science. There are glitches. If Demona gets
angry enough, we get a glitch.


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Anonymous writes...

Where did you get the idea of the Phoenix Gate from?

Greg responds...

Magic powers the Phoenix Gate. The idea for the gate came to me in a fevered
dream (well, actually in an editorial panic), while we were working on
"Vows". We new we needed a maguffin for that story. Something that both
Xanatos and Demona would want to get from Goliath. Something that Goliath
associated with his love for Demona, but didn't know the true nature of.
Originally there was no time travel in that episode. Then I came up for with
the idea of the Gate for the maguffin. I squashed the entire episode into
Act One, so that we could have two acts of time travel. That's one reason,
why that episode might seem a little rushed. It really should have been a
two-parter.


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Anonymous writes...

Why is there such a wide array of what a gargoyle could look like, (some
look somewhat human, some like bears or horses or birds or who-knows-what?)?

Greg responds...

Ah, the mystery of genetics....


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Anonymous writes...

In questions relating to the show, were the other gargoyles that Goliath
encountered to be used in later shows like Griff or just to show that gargs
survived in other places?

Greg responds...

We had very specific plans for Yama. I had a few ideas for Sora and Zafiro
as well. And we had long term plans for all of the surviving clans. There
were ten clans at the time of "The Journey". Although some of those clans,
were either in pretty sorry shape or just beginning. I had planned on having
fourteen clans eventually.


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Anonymous writes...

What led you to creating the show Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

I've been fascinated by Gargoyles since at least my college days. But
someone else at Disney made the suggestion to do a show about Gargoyles.
That's all they gave me. That one word. Gargoyles. I ran with it. Though
I had a LOT of help. It was a real team effort.


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Anonymous writes...

I was wondering, what inspired you to work in animation?

Greg responds...

I like cartoons. I always have. But I don't know if I was inspired to work
in animation. As I was finishing graduate school, I began looking for jobs.
Disney TV Animation offered me one. So I took it. Sorry, it's not much of a
story.


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Anonymous writes...

Basically after 1053-1994 no one knows what happened, so what happened??????

Greg responds...

A lot.


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Anonymous writes...

What is the Oberon children story, and what did they do? It's too much of a
coincidence that Oberon banishes his children and Magus comes up.

Greg responds...

The magus comes up? I'm not sure what you mean. The Magus was a human
being. He trained under the Archmage, after Demona gave up being the
Archmage's apprentice. The Children of Oberon have a lot of stories. I'm
not going to tell any here. Not today, anyway.


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Anonymous writes...

What about MacBeth what is his history, he also knew King Aurthur, (remember
in Lighthouse In Sea Of Time he said he sealed the scrolls of merlin),

Greg responds...

Macbeth was reading Merlin's writing. Merlin sealed those scrolls with his
own hand. Macbeth wasn't even born when Arthur first surfaced. To Macbeth,
Arthur was a great and legendary king.


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Anonymous writes...

Why did she (Demona) come to america, how did she meet Xanatos, what else did
the Wierd Sisters do in that time with Demona?

Greg responds...

Whoah, slow down there. Demona came to America for many of the same
reasons most immigrants came. There's a story behind it, but I'm not
ready to give that away yet. As I've mentioned once or twice before, Demona
and Xanatos were introduced by Owen/Puck, who had met Demona centuries
before. The Weird Sisters kept a careful watch on Demona, but largely stayed
out of her life. With two exceptions.


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Anonymous writes...

What hapened after City Of Stone, what does Italy have to do with
Demona, in Hunters Moon she was there around 1490 somethin?

Greg responds...

After events in "City of Stone", Demona was persona non grata in Scotland.
She began to travel a lot. She also began to study sorcery. To accumulate
wealth. Her immortality allowed her to make long term plans. To gather
materials that might not be of use to her now, but might be very useful
later. The reason she was in Italy was to steal the Medici Tablet, which
contained a powerful magical spell. Too powerful for her to control during
the fifteenth century. But she had time.


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Anonymous writes...

Can you tell me what Demona did from after the masacre at castle Wyvern and
up to City of Stone (995-1020)A.D.

Greg responds...

Basically, she survived. She gathered the tattered remains of the various
clans of Gargoyles in Scotland. She became their leader. She stole food to
survive, and she wasn't very careful about the humans, innocent or otherwise
that got in her way. After the original Hunter surfaced, she alternated
hunting him and being hunted by him. She hid. It was a miserable existence.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

In episode City of Stone II Demona destroys humans. Did you relize that
she smashed Brendan and Margo. Those two yuppies. Did you notice too, so
that is why they are alive and in epsodes after?

Greg responds...

You're mistaken. She doesn't smash Brendan & Margot. All those Stone
Statues look alike. That's my answer, and I'm sticking with it.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Was Elisa Maza Purposly created to look like actress Salli Richardson?

Greg responds...

The character of "Elisa Chavez" was created before Salli was cast. We had a
basic look for the character, but no final models. After Salli was cast, we
asked her what her ethnic background was. (African-American largely, but
also Native American.) That seemed like an interesting background for Elisa,
so we changed her name to "Maza" which means "iron" in the Navajo language
(or at least that's what I was told by my assistant). We gave Elisa an
African-American mother and a Native American father. Then we asked Salli if
we could give photographs of her to our character designers. She said yes,
and they adjusted our existing models to look a bit more like Salli. So her
"look" was inspirational rather than, say, "traced".

By the way, we obviously reused the Chavez name for Elisa's boss Maria.
Two other discarded Elisa last names that were reused are (Maggie) Reed and
(Matt) Bluestone.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg. I'm interested in whatever in-jokes there were in the show... I
already know about "Jalapena," and I think in an e-mail you mentioned there
was about one in-joke per ep? If you can think of any, I'd like to hear it.

Greg responds...

That wasn't a scientific estimate. It also depends on how you define an
in-joke. It amused me to have Xanatos quote Hamlet and Monty Python in the
same scene in "Future Tense". Is that an in-joke? Probably not. It's part
of Xanatos' personality. I'd have to watch the episodes again. Maybe when
the questions calm down, I'll do that. Watch one episode per week and write
up whatever thoughts come to my head as I'm watching. Post them as ramblings.
I'll include any in-jokes I remember. Maybe. We'll see.


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Anonymous writes...

About how old, in human terms, are Angela and the other members of the
Avalon clan?

Greg responds...

Ages in parenthesis represent biological age when that age differs from the character's chronological age.

As of December 31, 1996:
Hudson - 1118 (59)
Goliath - 1058 (29)
Trio - 1038 (19)
Angela - 952 (21)
Bronx - 1018 (9)
Demona - 1058 (35)
Coldstone - 1058 (28)
Macbeth - 991 (52)
Xanatos - 41
Fox - 30
Alexander - not yet 1
Elisa - 28
Talon, Dracon - 26
Beth - 21
Katharine - 1020 (62)
Tom - 1010 (52)
Gabriel, Ophelia, Boudicca - 952 (20)


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Anonymous writes...

How come, in Silver Falcon, Broadway's trenchcoat gets utterly
shredded, but his loincloth is utterly undamaged? I mean, are those things
made of titanium mesh, or what?

Greg responds...

Yeah. Titanium mesh. That's the ticket. C'mon, do you really want to see
Broadway's loincloth get shredded? It's a family show, after all.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

At the end of Reckoning she seemed kind of ticked when she learned
that Thailog was probably dead, rather than simply bewildered, like the
other clones. Does that mean that Delilah had real feelings of attraction to
Thailog, possibly even something akin to love and devotion to him?

Greg responds...

Delilah was programmed, just like the others, but Thailog added some special
instructions to her programming. I don't particularly agree with your
assessment, though I do think his "death" would have left a void in her
life, a void she might seek to fill.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Are Margot and Brendon married, or were they just out on dates when they kept on running into the gargoyles?

Greg responds...

They are married.


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Anonymous writes...

Considering how he felt about humans and gargoyles setting foot on Avalon, how did Oberon ever agree to let King Arthur sleep on his island?

Greg responds...

It's complicated, but basically, Oberon owed someone a favor.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Is it just a councidence that they were turned to stone the same year that Oberon sent his children out? Also, is it just a coincidence that they were freed 1000 years exactly? Thanks for your time

Greg responds...

Actually, our gargoyles were frozen in stone in 994. Oberon banished his children in 995. There is a connection though it's not directly causal.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

I heard somewhere Oberon flinched when he heard Merlin mentioned. Is it true, and if so can you please explain?

Greg responds...

When was Merlin mentioned in Oberon's presence? I don't remember that.


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Anonymous writes...

Why did you decide to make Xanatos, at least for the time being, stray form his scheming and villanious actions. Why did you have him help out the gargoyles. Was it merely him being grateful about their help saving Alex, or is ther some plan he's brewing. If so, what plan would that be exactly (or are you not allowed to talk about that?) Thanks - bye

Greg responds...

I'm allowed to talk about anything I'm in the mood to discuss.

Xanatos went through a protracted, gradual change over the course of 65 episodes. Hopefully, you all thought it was organic and believable. But I never said he had stopped scheming. (Keep in mind, I had nothing to do with how he was portrated in the last twelve episodes of CHRONICLES.) I don't even believe that his goals have changed that much. But his priorities have definitely shifted, plus he gained a great deal of self-knowledge and a clearer view of what matters most in life. First and foremost, his family.
Second, true friends (or at least allies) that you can really count on. He has learned that you have to give if you ever hope to take. (But that doesn't
mean he's done taking.) As to his plans, I still think he wants immortality, so that's not over. And I felt he needed to deal with the Illuminati, who are likely to expect things from him that he's not prepared to deliver. Don't expect his methods to change much.

As to the why, well, frankly, the character demanded it. The relationship with Fox manifested itself to the pleasant surprise of everyone involved. We were all even more surprised (David included) to find out that he actually loved her. Every other step along the way was a natural outgrowth of the revelation that he was capable of love. His father influenced him as well.
Though he'd be loathe to admit it, David cares what his Petros thinks of him. It wasn't an accident that Petros was invited to his wedding.


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

In The Gathering I, who was the fey in the suit and cape who was with Oberon right before Odin?

Greg responds...

Nought.


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Anonymous writes...

Oberon's children are not to interfere with the live's of humans right. So how can the Weird Sisiters give immortality to Demona and MacBeth without violating this law? How is this "bending the law without breaking it?"

Greg responds...

The short answer is that Macbeth & Demona asked for it. The Sisters weren't enforcing their will on the mortals, (well, they were, but Mac & D didn't know it), they were simply granting a request.

Actually, they were aiding Demona & Mac's desire to trade youth for power.
They then slipped the link in by using a specific magic spell for the youth transfer that included the immortality link. Sneaky, huh?

What you need to understand is that Oberon isn't constantly watching. His magical dictate hangs in the air around them. If they can create a justification in their own minds, no matter how superficial, they can magically get away with a hell of a lot. There's a risk involved. What if Oberon found out later? Would he care or regard it as insignificant? Would he buy their justification? Depends on his mood, probably. He's not exactly Mr. Consistent-Letter-Of-My-Law. As it is, I don't think he has found out, at least not so far.

(By the way, the reason that Demona is perpetually 35 years old is because Macbeth was 35 when they made that trade. He couldn't give her youth that he himself no longer possessed.)


Bookmark Link

Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman. I have some questions and you are the person to answer them.

1. Would we have seen any more of Gabriel and Ophelia?

2. You said that Coldsteel would remain a threat, but would he be a threat to the Manhattan clan or to just Coldstone and Coldfire?

3. What about Talon and Maggie? What did you have in store for them?(I speak of their relationship.)

4. Would we see more of The Maza family? Thanks for your time.

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. Both.

3. Marriage, etc.

4. Yes.

(That was easy.)


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Anonymous writes...

1. Can you give us what YOU had planned to do for the third season?

2. If Gargoyles has no chance of surviving, can you, legally and willfully, give us the complete plan you had for Gargoyles?

3. In the first 2 seasons time passes at the same speed as our time. would this mean we wouldn't get to 2158(?) until our year of 2158 in the normal series =) (boy you must think I'm stupid =)?

Greg responds...

1. I guess I could.

2. I've no legal roadblocks preventing me from telling you anything and everything. But GARGOYLES does have a chance to come back, and I don't want to give away all my secrets just in case it does.

3. You wouldn't catch up to 2158 until 2158, I guess. But the (rejected) plan was to do a spin-off series set in 2158.


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Anonymous writes...

One Quick question, Mr. Weisman. What is the possibility of a CD soundtrack being released of Carl Johnson's music for the series? I have often been quite impressed by the background music for many of the episodes, particularly the "City of Stone" and "Avalon" stories. I have submitted this question to Walt Disney Records, but that was months ago and they have not replied. I would hate to see such music remain on a recording studio's shelf, never to see the light of day. Thank you for your time.

Greg responds...

I love Carl's music, but I wouldn't hold my breath for the CD. You don't see a lot of CD's for animated series scores out there. (SIMPSONS being a notable and hilarious exception.) If enough people send requests to Disney Records, if they believe that they could make money off of Carl's work, then trust me they would release it. But it would take a LOT of letters from a lot of different people from across the country.


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Anonymous writes...

Eep. Sorry, but I don't usually think of all these questions at once.
Ahem, here goes:

1) Have you had any schooling as a writer (or in a literature) field? Just curious.

2) Did you do research for the stories (esp. the ones involving myths and legends such as the Golem, New Olympians, Anubis, etc.)?

3) How did you come to be involved with Disney? (Say aardvark if you've already answered this question.)

4) Will Capt. Chavez have a family as predicted by "Future Tense"?

5) What meanings, if any, are there behind Demona's golden plate, anklet, and shoulder... um, thing. Whew. Hope you can answer all that.

Oh, and one final question, if you can answer it... what exactly are the appearance differences between Owen Burnett and Preston Vogel? I know there are some but I can't notice 'em.

Greg responds...

1. Yes. A lot. I've been writing stories since at least 2nd Grade.
English has always been my favorite subject. I took eight full years worth of English courses during my six years of junior high and High School.
(Including AP English, American Literature, Modern American Literature, Creative Writing and Advanced Creative Writing.) I took a lot of history as well. I also took a Popular American Literature course at UCLA while I was still in high school.

I received a Bachelors Degree in English with an emphasis in Fiction Writing from Stanford University. (Coursework there included: The Short Story, Fiction Writing, Poetry Writing, Detective Fiction, Eighteenth Century Views of Women in Literature, Milton, Conrad & Faulkner, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Western Culture, Reflections on the American Condition, more Fiction Writing and Authorial Voice, among others. I also took courses in acting, dance, economics, physics, calculus and computer science, among others.
Plus I did a ton of theater -- on stage, back stage and behind the scenes.) I was a t.a. for Ron Rebholz's Shakespeare class. And I taught a seminar on the Mythic Hero in Modern Literature. At Stanford's Programme in Oxford, I took courses on the English Novel, Shakespeare and British Architecture.

I later received a Masters Degree from U.S.C.'s school of Professional Writing with an emphasis in playwriting. (Coursework included: Humor, Playwriting, fiction writing, screenwriting, etc.)

And after all that, I took a seminar on Story Structure from Robert McKee.

2. Yes. Although, I know a lot of myths and legends already, I still did research, or the other writers and story editors did. My assistant Monique Beatty did a lot of research for me, as did my good friend Tuppence Macintyre. Frank Paur also contributed a lot of research. The other producers, storyboard artists and designers also did tons of visual research.

3. While I was still at U.S.C. I started interviewing for jobs informally. I wanted to be a writer, but I also wanted to be able to pay my bills. Just before I graduated, Bruce Cranston offered me a job as a "Staff Assistant" in T.V. Animation's development department. One week after I started, Disney sent Bruce to Europe for six months and I was in effect the acting head of the department. It gave me the unique opportunity to show what I could do.
When Bruce got back, I was promoted. I moved slowly but steadily up through the executive ranks, until I developed GARGOYLES, at which point I chose to change careers (or rather to pursue the career I originally set out to get) and became a writer/producer.

4. She has a family now.

5. None that I'm currently aware of, but I reserve the right to discover otherwise later.

6. They wear a different style of glasses. Vogel wears a bowtie, Owen wears a regular one. They have different hair color. There may be subtle differences in their facial structure, but depending on the animation, that tends to be less than consistent. We strived to make them look very reminiscent of each other.


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Anonymous writes...

Here's a question for you: Greg, you mentioned that you made an episode for
Gargoyles that never made it to the TV screens because it was "too risky."
Can you please tell us about it.

Greg responds...

It was a very strange little two-parter.

[You guys should see me now. I keep typing things and erasing them. I'm really not sure I want to reveal this. I guess I still hope to do it someday, and I don't want to blow out the shock value. But another part of me kinda wants to reveal it. But not today. Sorry. Ask me again later.]


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Anonymous writes...

After due thanks you now must be tired of hear us repeating,
I would like - no I have to - ask this. Even though none of us here would
want even to contemplate it, there is still possibility that there will be
no - and I mean no - more seasons of Gargoyles (at least after TGC even
those in charge must have realized there is no point to do the show without
you). In this truly sad and stupid case, would you consider - or have you
already considered - carrying out your plan in a form of books? I mean,
not comics, not "Behind-the-scenes" kind of staff, but the saga going on
in another medium? Of course we would miss the voices of the cast and the
looks of the show, as I believe would you, but Gargoyles, unlike Power
Rangers, is a show where words matter immensely after all...

Greg responds...

I would absolutely LOVE to continue the saga in prose. Any publishers out there listening?


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, as always, thanks for being a part of Gargoyles and being gracious
enough to answer our questions. Anyway... after acting in A Midsummer
Night's Dream and looking at the animation in Gargoyles, I came up with a
question. Shakespear's Puck thinks of Oberon as his idol. He always tries
to imitate Oberon to be "more like him." Owen and Oberon look pretty
similar... is this an accident, following Shakespear's characterization of
Puck or something different? Thanks.

Greg responds...

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of the Oberon/Puck dynamic in Midsummer. Do Owen and Oberon really look alike? I don't really see it.
Although, I think it's funny, because for months (between the first airings of "Awakening, Part Two" and "Avalon, Part Three") all I heard was how much Owen looked like the Magus.


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Anonymous writes...

I have two quick questions:

1. Is Proteus one of Oberon's children?

2. Why is Puck considered Oberon's servent, and not one of his children?

Greg responds...

1. No. He's a New Olympian.

2. The term "Oberon's Children" refers to all the fair folk, including Puck and even Oberon. But Puck was also Oberon's personal servant. Was.


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Anonymous writes...

How does Angela feel about the close relationship between Goliath and Elisa?

Greg responds...

I think she loves it. She wants her father to be happy, and whatever hopes she might have for Demona's redemption, they don't include a reconciliation with dad. And Angela loves and respects Elisa tremendously. Besides, when she first met Goliath and Elisa, they were already a couple, and everyone knew it, except maybe for Goliath and Elisa.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, I've heard from my pal, that there may be a two hour Gargoyle movie
thing made strait to video. Is this true. Plus why did you make Demona
blame all her mis fourtune on Goliath? Can't they be lovers again?

Greg responds...

I don't work at Disney anymore, but I can all but guarantee you that your "pal" is shining you (or at least passing on bad info). There are, as far as I know, no plans to make a direct to video. And I have friends at Disney and a very well-connected agent who would let me know if those plans existed.

Keep in mind that "City of Stone" and "Hunter's Moon" were both originally planned as direct to videos. "City of Stone" was rejected because the powers-that-be felt it focused too much on the series' villains and not enough on the heroes. "Hunter's Moon" was rejected months later because those powers made a strategic decision not to do a direct to video for Gargoyles. They felt it wouldn't sell enough units to justify the cost and/ or opportunity cost. (I'm not saying I agree, but that's what they decided.) So I can't imagine what could have happened between then and now that would change their minds. The ratings failure of GOLIATH CHRONICLES? I don't think that would do it.

Demona doesn't blame all her misfortunes on Goliath. Just some. Mostly she blames humanity. As to Goliath and Demona getting back together... well, I think that ship has sailed. Goliath loves Elisa now. And it's a more honest and mutual love, less naive, if slightly more impossible.


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Anonymous writes...

That was a good story explaining off City of Stone. However you forgot
to consider one point. What if you were out of New York proper, say in
suburban New Jersey or Conneticut. You could see the spell casted by
Demona on television, but not the 'fire in the sky' to counteract it. Or if
a cable system miles away from New York carried a station to show a New York
sporting team. A good example would be that until recently, here near
Washington DC, the cable company carried WWOR of New York City. If someone
watched that station, they would be subject to the same spell. It would be
a little more noticeable since less people would watch NY television. And
they wouldn't be released from the spell by the combustion of the gas.

Greg responds...

NO ONE GOT TO SEE THE "FIRE IN THE SKY". Nobody. They were all frozen in stone. The terminal condition of the spell doesn't require a visual trigger. It just has to happen. So...

You live in Washington D.C. You turn on your cable box and channel surf around the dial. Once, twice. Man, there is NOTHING on. Wait a minute.
What the hell is that? Is that make-up on that woman? Or is that CGI? It looks so real, you really cannot tell. What language is that? Great looking monster, but nothings happening. So you shut off the t.v. You've got a date tonight, so you get in the shower as the sun sets. Suddenly the water is freezing. You leap out of the shower, with shampoo still in your hair.
Great. Just great. You glance at the clock to see if you've got time to run to the gym and shower there. 5:41 AM? WHAT???? You run out of the bathroom. Your answering machine light is flashing. You press the button.
That's your date on the line, pissed off about being stood up. You're freaked to say the least. Eleven hours of your life, just gone.

And so on... Basically, once Xanatos met the terminal condition, the spell is broken. Anyone effected by it is cured, no matter how far away they are.


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Anonymous writes...

How much exactly are you restricted from saying about gargoyles?
Does Disney keep you from revealing your plans to us?
Do you ever talk on the gargoyles chats?
If so, do you use a handle, or just Greg?

Greg responds...

I'm not restricted from saying anything by Disney or anyone -- other than myself. There are two reasons (or three) why I'm not always forthcoming.

(1) I may get to do GARGOYLES again someday. I hope so, anyway. So let me ask you all a question: Do you guys really want me to reveal all the secrets? Would you still be as involved in new episodes if you ABSOLUTELY KNEW that they held no surprises.

(2) If I never get to do GARGOYLES again, I may canabalize some of my Gargoyles ideas and use them in a new project. (I probably shouldn't admit that, but it's true.) I wouldn't want people watching my new stuff and being able to predict outcomes and/or feeling like it was second-hand stuff because I mentioned it in passing on the www.

(3) I'm not in the mood.

I already am quite sure that I've given away more than I practically should have. But truthfully, it's hard to resist. I so want to formulate and tell these stories, I can't resist dropping clues.

I have occasionally stopped by Gore's chatroom. I generally announce it in advance, and I always use my own name.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello again.

1. Would we again see the world of the episode "Future Tense"?

2. How do you picture New York in 2158?

3. Would any of the original New York clan be alive in 2158?(excluding the time Brooklyn is there during his Timedancer journey.)

4. In what year did Macbeth arrive in america?

5. In what year did Demona arrive in america?

6. Are Alex and Fox immortal?

7. Besides Owen, Alex, Demona, and the inhabitants of Avalon, who from the original series will be around in 2158?(Example: Will Fox still be around?)

8. What is the disease that is killing Renard?

9. In what year did humans and gargoyles happen to become allies in scotland?

10. In "Future Tense", was the part about Lexington becoming a cyborg a dream or part of the furture?

11. Was the part about Lexington become evil in "Future Tense" a dream or part of the future? Thank for answering these questions Mr. Weisman.

Greg responds...

Hi.

1. No. Not really, though certain elements of it might have leaked into our reality. Like Alex's name and the destruction of the Clock Tower.

2. With my mind.

3. Maybe.

4. Which time?

5. Which time?

6. Depends on how you define "immortal".

7. Nokkar. A few others.

8. Good question. I had a story in mind for the third season where Renard would finally succumb to his illness. I planned on doing research for that story, but since I didn't do the third season, I never got around to doing the research. I was going to start by researching Multiple Sclerosis, but allow me to make this clear: I would not have used that or any disease before making absolutely sure I had my facts straight. Also I would not have made up an illness.

9. Alliances come and go. At Wyvern, Prince Malcolm and Hudson came to their initial arrangement in 971 when Malcolm's half-brother Kenneth II was crowned king of Scotland.

10. Time will tell. Or I will. Someday. Not now.

11. Ditto.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, wouldn't Demona have died if she unleshed her virus in Hunter's
Moon? It would have killed Macbeth. Can you please clear this up for me?

Greg responds...

Good question. Keep in mind that magic isn't an exact science. The Weird Sisters told Macbeth and Demona that "When one lives both live." Demona used the magic Praying Gargoyle statue to insure she would survive the fullfillment spell. So would Macbeth have survived? Probably. She knows about the mortality link. She would not want his death at her hands if that resulted in her own. Towards Macbeth, her impulse should not be murderous by necessity. And mindset has a real effect on magic results. However, Demona isn't the most stable and rational of characters. She certainly has murderous feelings toward Macbeth. And if their linking spell "perceived" the death of all humanity as a successful attempt to kill Macbeth, then it might very well have killed her as well. Did she consider this? Maybe.

Maybe it was a risk she was willing, even eager to take. Maybe somewhere underneath it all, she's a bit suicidal. Could she die with the idea of leaving behind a human-free "paradise" where her daughter could live in safety? Remember, Moses led the Israelites to the Promised Land, but he was not allowed to enter it himself. Maybe that's how Demona felt about it.

Then again, maybe not. Very provocative question.


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Anonymous writes...

1. I know that the Archmadge died in "Avalon", part three episode. He said that the Grimorum was part of him and it went wherever he went. I was wondering would the Archmadge and the Grimorum appear as one again? The Grimorum had powerful magic that was hard to destroy. So, is the Archmadge really dead? 2. How did Princess Elantra and Prince Malcolm die? They were the parents of Princess Catherine. I saw them in "Vows" and "Long Wait to Morning", but I didn't see them in the beginning of the series in the opener of "Awakening". 3. (a) The Canmores hunted Demona for one-thousandth years. In those years, did they kill other gargoyles or clans of them in the process? (b) Are they responsible for why other gargoyles are not around one-thousandth years later? (c) Or did other humans betray andkill other gargoyles around the world in those one-thousandth years? (d) Did Demona herself witness some of this destruction? (e) If she did, is this the main reason she wanted to exterminate all humans? (f) Did she fear that humans will destroy all gargoyles? 4. Will "Gargoyles: The GoliathChronicles" come on synidcation or home video?

Greg responds...

1. The Grimorum burnt up when the Eye of Odin was removed from the Archmage. Since the Grimorum was part of the Archmage at the time, the Archmage burnt up with it. So yes, he's really dead.

2. Princess Elena died before "Long Way To Morning". Malcolm died before "Awakening". I have ideas about their demises, but I don't feel like revealing them yet. Sorry.

3. Whew. A lot of questions for one number. I added letters to make them easier to answer.

(a). They may have killed a gargoyle here and there, but largely they were on a very specific Demon hunt.

(b). Partially, although gargoyles were nearly extinct by the time of "Awakening" let alone "City of Stone".

(c). Yeah, that too.

(d). We know she did.

(e). It's always been "the main reason", but she didn't need the Hunters to start believing that. Remember Hakon?

(f). Remember Hakon?

4. I have no idea -- though I tend to doubt it.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Does Demona and Goliath have more than one child, besides Angela? 2.
Will Angela fall in love with Gabriel, Angela's rookie brother, instead of Broadway or Brooklyn? 3. Is Gabriel the son of Coldstone and Coldfire? 4.
Does Coldsteel has any children?

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. No. Angela and Broadway are already a couple. And Gargoyles mate for life. Besides, Angela and Gabriel think of themselves as sister and brother. Ophelia and Gabriel are a couple.

3. Biologically, yes. But to a gargoyle, Gabriel is as much Goliath, Demona and Coldsteel's child as he is Coldstone or Coldfire's.

4. Yes. See the answer to question 3.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello, again, o great Gargoyles Creator (da Gargfather). Any chance of The trek dudes (Sirtis, Frakes, Spiner, Dorn, etc.) going to be in the movie?
And were you planning to do anything with Patrick Stewart, sort of to complete the equation?

Greg responds...

1. The movie has no script yet. No director attached. No casting done at all. So when you ask if there's a chance, the answer is "Yes". Is there a chance they won't appear in the film? "Yes." Is there any way for me to weigh the odds at this early stage? "No." 2. As for Patrick Stewart, we originally had him in mind for a couple of different parts in the series, but he was too expensive. (He makes a lot of money in commercial voice overs.) His agent didn't want to make an exception that would allow other companies to desire the same exception. It was a wise decision financially, but we felt we really were a special case. So we considered asking Jonathan or Marina to personally ask Patrick if he would do a voice for us. But we decided that that wasn't fair to Jonathan, Marina or Patrick. We didn't want to put any of them in an awkward spot. I'm glad we refrained.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg, There's a white illuminated castle on top of a building in Chicago. I was wondering if the idea of the Aerie Building with Castle Wyvern on top of it came from this. Thanks.

Greg responds...

No. Or at least, not to my knowledge. I've never heard of what you're describing before now. I've been to Chicago twice in my life, and I don't recall ever having seen it.
Bob Kline did the earliest development design of that castle atop the skyscraper, and he never mentioned any Chicago building.
I can't remember who first came up with the notion. It might have been Bob or me or any of a number of people who were working in or around the development department at that time.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello, Greg! My questions: 1) At the end of "The Gathering," what did Titania whisper to Fox? 2) Are the Children of Oberon his and Titania's biological children, or is it figurative in the sense that he is their ruler and father figure? 3) Does Goliath love Demona at all anymore, or has he gotten over her completely yet? 4) Is there a remote possibility of Gargoyles novels ever being written, similar to the novels based on each of the Star Trek series? 5) If Gargoyles is ever revived, is there any hope of it being targeted at an adult audience (the fans who actually noticed when it died!)? At whom is the movie going to be targeted?

Greg responds...

1. I'm not telling yet.

2. Figurative.

3. "Completely" is a big word. But for all intents and purposes he's over her. But it's a very complex kind of over.

4. I hope so. I'd sure love to write one. But no one's approached me.

5. The movie (and any revived series) will, I assume, be targeted to the same group it's always been targeted to. That is, the widest possible audience. Or to put it another way, we wrote what we liked, and hoped everyone else liked it too.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg... first the general thank you for taking the time to answer these questions... Second. Since a large portion of the show is based upon legends from around the world, were live stone-by-day, warriors-by-night Gargoyles who protected castles a Scotish legend themselves?

Greg responds...

No. I made that up. But it made sense to me. It was an extrapolation backwards from the legends that did surround gargoyles. From the notion that gargoyles and chimeras, etc. were put on castles and churches to scare away evil spirits. Why would people think that a monstrous stone creature would act as a protective talisman? Why wouldn't you assume the opposite? I extrapolated backwards and came up with what you saw. After the fact, my co- workers and I found a number of parallel motifs all over the world, which is one of the factors that inspired us to do the WORLD TOUR episodes. One story that we could never quite crack was a Scarecrow story. Gargoyles and Scarecrows seem to me to have a lot in common. The problem was that Batman has a Scarecrow villain that's been used in 100 ways over the years (heck, I used him in a CAPTAIN ATOM story myself) and we could never quite come up with anything that seemed unique enough to make the grade. But someday, I'll crack it.


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Anonymous writes...

Assuming that the Gargoyles are not revived (Heaven help us), what loose-end would you regret most for not having tied up (character development, planned episodes, new characters, new clans, etc.)? Likewise, if you had the chance to do one final episode or any other indefinite amount of time to finalize the Gargoyles, what would be your personal priority on tying up loose-ends? Please give us your point of view.

Greg responds...

"Hunter's Moon, Part Three" was designed to be a final episode OR a turning point, depending on whether we got a renewal. (The same had been true for "Reawakening" a year earlier.) When I realized that they were going to do 13 more, but that I'd only be involved in one of those 13, I made an effort to create yet a third episode of open-ended closure. A chance to say goodbye to the fans and most of the lead characters, before I journied off to other adventures. So I wrote, "The Journey". Vinnie's voyage to Japan was written to parallel my voyage to DreamWorks (although at the time I didn't know where I'd wind up working). I intentionally created new elements to the series. Mr. Duval. The Quarrymen. Etc. I pushed relationships forward. I wanted to be true to the series even in my final farewell, so I felt it was important to keep it evolving right up through the end. But it was written as a goodbye.

Which doesn't seem like an answer to your question. But it's really the best answer I could give without more information from you. There are tons of loose ends that I wish I were able to tie up or at least continue working on. I've got story ideas into the 22nd century (and back as far as the first century), so I wasn't short on material. But I wouldn't want to rush things unnaturally, just cause I was only going to get one more chance at bat. That's a great way to strike out, I figure. In this hypothetical scenario, how many episodes would I have in my new last chance? If it was only one, I'm not sure what I'd do. There's so much in Goliath Chronicles that I didn't like, I'd have to spend sometime putting band-aids on the series to get it back to a place I was comfortable moving forward from. A lot would also depend on the when. I'd like the series to continue (as it has so far) in more-or-less real time.
If my next shot at writing this was in the year 1999 I'd probably be telling different stories than if my next shot was in 2007.

How's that for a preamble? Basically, I regret not having done the last 12 Goliath Chronicles, not because I missed out telling any one specific story, but because I missed out telling 12 more stories, missed out weaving 12 more naratives into the Gargoyle Tapestry. 66 isn't bad. But 78 would have been better.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Could Demona ever get sick, or does the immortality spell make her immune system invincible? 2. I have a feeling that I'm going to get the generic "I like them all" answer for this, but here it goes anyway. Who is your favorite villian? Thanks.

Greg responds...

1. She could definitely get sick. But the condition wouldn't be fatal. Of course, Gargoyles have a fairly substantial immune system of their own. Most sicknesses don't last past sunrise. A lot of the fun of Demona's present condition (a gargoyle with TWO magical spells that have a physical effect on her) is that these are all unanswered questions UNTIL we do the story that demonstrates the answer. Even Demona doesn't know for sure how her body will react.

2. I like them all. But it's hard to top the top two. Xanatos & Demona. I immodestly believe that in these two we created two of the most original, well-thought out and complex antagonists you'll ever see anywhere. I'm also quite fond of Macbeth and various other antagonists who aren't always villainous. Owen/Puck is a lot of fun. The Archmage was great fun for me.

Sevarius wound up being a hoot, etc. And Thailog, well, what can I say?


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Anonymous writes...

Did Xanatos know that Owen was Puck before the episode the Gathering?
You've said that Demona knew that he was Puck so I'm assuming it was Xanatos who would have told her but its all still a bit unclear as to whether he knew or not. Also I wanted to know if you had plans for the Labyrinth Clan(Delilah, Malibu, Brentwood, etc.)

Greg responds...

Xanatos knew Owen was Puck. Years before, Puck had offered Xanatos a choice, remember? Xanatos did not tell Demona about Puck's secret identity. Yes, I had plans for the Labyrinth Clan.


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Anonymous writes...

I've been mulling over the hints you gave about other clans. You said the rain forest clan was due for a resurgence- do they have a rookery about to hatch or have other members somehow survived and are going to return?
Speaking of returning- did the two that went to plant on Avalon return to South America? -thanks

Greg responds...

By now, Jade and Turquesa have indeed returned to Guatemala. And yes, I was talking about the Mayan Clan's rookery, where their eggs should be hatching sometime next year.


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Anonymous writes...

(1) Why did Xanatos mutate Talon, Maggie, Fang, and Claw? (Hope I got the
names right. :) (2) What is the history of Oberon and Titania? (3) What
were your plans for Matt Bluestone? (4) Are all of the mythological beings
(i.e. all of thegods and magical creatures that all of the races believed in
once) Oberon's children? Or is there a sort of family tree, with the cousins,
aunt,uncles, grandparents, and former roommates of Oberon? (5) How old are
the children of Oberon? (6) Did you ever plan to involve in the series the
characters of Greek mythology? (7) What is the signifigance of Halcyon
Reynard's name? I read that Halcyon means 'forever remembered' or something
like that. Sorry for asking so many q's. I think Gargoyles is da bomb. :)

Greg responds...

Note, as usual, I've added numbers to your questions. GENERAL REQUEST: If you're going to ask multiple questions in one post, please NUMBER THEM for me.

1. Xanatos wanted to create his own brand of Gargoyles.

2. Too long to relate here.

3. What weren't?

4. It depends what you mean. They aren't all literally his biological children. In fact, most of them aren't. They are his children in the sense that he is their lord and protector.

5. Individually?

6. Most of the characters that you know from Greek Mythology were the ancestors of the New Olympians.

7. Significance?

Sorry, if my answers aren't that helpful, but you've asked a unique combo of vague questions (#4, 5, 6, 7) and HUGE questions (#2, 3, 5). If the question is too big, I'm not likely to answer it in this format. If the question is less than clear, then I'm not always sure HOW to answer it.


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Anonymous writes...

(1)How did the gargoyles adapt so well to the twentieth century? (2)Why didn't
the gargoyles go to live in Avalon? Especially after Angela told them about
her 15 rookery sisters? (3)Do any other animation companies have any interest
in the show? I mean Disney did something incredibly unexpected when they
released gargoyles. They did not have the reputation for that kind of thing.
(4)Is Duval the knight that left the round table in the movie First Knight?

Greg responds...

1. They had no choice. Also, the trio were pretty young, making adaptation less difficult.

2. Goliath felt that at least some Gargoyles would have to continue to live in the real world if humans and Gargoyles were ever going to learn to live in peace. The trio could have chosen to leave, especially after hearing about Angela's sisters, but they all three had lives in Manhattan, and weren't that eager to depart, especially so soon after being reunited with Goliath, Elisa and Bronx (and Angela).

3. I doubt any company is entertaining any serious interest in the show, because they KNOW that Disney would never sell it to them.

4. It's been a while since I saw FIRST KNIGHT. I don't remember who you're talking about. Still, the answer's almost definitely no.


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Anonymous writes...

(1) Hey Greg, Do you know what happened to Griff and Arthur after Pendragon
and if they ever find Merlin. (2) Could you also tell me whether there are
anymore Gargoyles in London (besides Leo, Griff and Una.)

Greg responds...

1. Yes, I know.

2. There's a whole clan of Gargoyles living on a secluded country estate just outside of London proper. Leo and Una are the only two that actually live in the city.


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Anonymous writes...

OK, Greg, here's one for you. Before Demona summoned Puck in "The Mirror",
she was immortal but still turned to stone every day, right? So how would
she survive if by day one of the Hunters found where she slept and smashed
her to pieces?

Greg responds...

She wouldn't, I suppose. But that's a HUGE "if". HUGE.


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Anonymous writes...

Okay, I do have one more question: How are any of the Gargoyles being brought
to life in the LA-Movie? Rumor is that a combo of prosthetics/Models are
being considered, but let me ask you this: After what they have done with
"Jurrasic Park" and "DragonHeart", don't you think Computer Generated Image
models would be better? (Personally, if you're just going to have one
Gargoyle - Goliath - I think this would be feasable, both technically and
money-wise.) What is your opinion on this?

Greg responds...

At least some of the effects will be CGI. Other options are being "considered", but no decisions have been made. (The movie doesn't even have a director yet.)

My opinion on what method would be better would be uninformed, particularly with regard to cost.


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Anonymous writes...

Whatever happened to the Mayan Sun Amulet? The last we see of it is when
Broadway is holding it while he's stone in The Green. Did they return it to
the museum or have it stored in the back of the clocktower or what? If the
latter, what happened to it in Hunter's Moon when the clocktower was blown up?

Greg responds...

It was in the Clock Tower, when the Tower was destroyed. In my mind, Broadway or Elisa later went back to successfully retrieve it.


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Anonymous writes...

have the trio reached their full size, or are they destined to get bigger?
(like, brooklyn growing to be the size of Goliath)

Greg responds...

They've grown some since their first appearance in "Awakening, Part One".
They'd continue to grow as they got older.


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Anonymous writes...

Heya Greg. Remember we spoke in the chat room? I have several questions that I thought of after the chat... also a comment about said chat. Be warned... it's a lot of questions.
(1) Do you ever feel like a victim of your own su ccess? Well, with all the legal stuff that binds you and all.
(2) This is about the Pack. They all are legally named Fox, Wolf, Hyena, etc... besides Fox, any plans to reveal their birthnames (i.e. in that BAD GUYS spinoff)? And about Fox, has she completely rejected the name and identity "Janine Renard"? To phrase it better, does she always consider herself Fox and not Janine Renard... hope you understand.
(3) Another Pack question. Matt Frewer had a difference voice in "Thrill of the Hunt" than in other episodes (there was a strange accent I couldn't name in the first ep). Any reason for this?
(4) Have you had any substantial stories planned for Beth Maza? You don't have to go into detail.
(5) Is Nightstone Unlimited still around aft r "Hunter's Moon"? What fields does the company work in?
(6) Does Robyn Canmore get arrested after Hunter's Moon? At the very least, those weapons have to be illegal. :-) (7) Will Brooklyn hate Demona forever? He always has a hard spot for her.
And what was the thought process that brought them together in "Future Tense"?
(8) I didn't see "The Journey", so I'm not completely sure about this. But it seems like after having Alexander, Fox became... well, domesticated. She seemed to get kind of soft. Maybe it's just me. But will she do anything more like the old Fox? I hope you understand this question.
(9) You said before you had lots of plans for the clones. I just want to know if the clones will be anything like their counterparts (besi es the way they look)? Esp. Delilah, and Brentwood.
(10) Is there anything you can tell me about Thom Adcox-Hernandez? I've been hardpressed to find any information on him. All I know is what he looks like and that he was in Under Siege 2. Also what led to the choice of Brigitte Bako as Angela. Also if you can tell me anything about Haunini Minn (Sora)? Thanks.
(11) Here's a comment. Demona and Macbeth are immortal, and the Manhattan clan know it, right? Why is it that they think Demona died in "The Reckoning" and Macbeth died in "The Price"? (I know that it was a robot, but they still thought he died.) Did they forget? An explanation would be nice.
(12) I asked before if Capt. Chavez will have a family, and you said "She has a family now." When did you plan on showing them to us? Just asking.
(13) Everyone knows this already, and probably you've been asked this more than once, but I haven't found it in Ask Greg, so I just want to confirm it... _is_ John Castaway really Jon Canmore?
(14) In a certain episode (I think it was "The Price" but I'm not sure) the Manhattan clan pay a visit to Macbeth's house and are greeted by an automatic defense system. Macbeth was not home. Where was he?
(15) Judging from what I've seen in he show so far, male gargoyles' eyes glow white, while female gargoyles' eyes glow red. Except for Thailog.
Is this a correct deduction?
(16) From what I've seen in the show so far, Demona doesn't like Elisa very much. Except in "Temptation", when Demona says Elisa is "the exception that proves the rule", so now I'm confused. How does Demona feel exactly about Elisa?
(17) A question about Thailog. Did Thailog choose to dress himself up in that techno-gear after his first episode? Or was it creative decision on the part of the staff? Or both? Help me out here.
(18) A question about the titles. The TGC ep title "Dying of the Light" is kinda obvious. What I would like to know is the source of some of the titles in Gargoyles. Specifi ally, "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time", "Ill Met By Moonlight", "Long Way To Morning", "Legion", "Shadows of the Past" and "The Reckoning". I already know some (i.e. Her Brother's Keeper) I know this is a lot of questions, take your time with the a nswers. Or if you don't feel like answering, just say "aardvark". (God, I love that word.) Thanks for your time.

Greg responds...

Hey, Ricardo. Unfortunately, I've just received your questions here in August and our chat was obviously sometime in June. So I don't remember the specifics of our previous discussions. Nevertheless, I'll do the best I can with these new answers:

1) No, not in the sense you mean. I keep trying to clarify this. Nothing legally binds me. I'm just taking common sense precautions to protect myself from a potential lawsuit. But the truth is, I don't mind. I have my own ideas about and for the GARGOYLES. They range from silly little things right on through to the pornographic. Reading other peoples takes on them, no matter how well done, would make me feel strange. Like someone's messing with my toys. That's not to say I begrudge people the opportunity to write fanfic based on the show. I'm flattered by it. But I have no burning desire to read it.

2) Fox will still answer to Janine, but she did legally have her name changed to Fox and that's who she considers herself to be. David calls her Fox. As for the other Packers, I never said they legally changed their names to Wolf, etc. I doubt they'd bother, frankly. I haven't bothered to give any thought to Wolf, Jackal or Hyena's real names. Coyote is Coyote of course, plus whatever number incarnation he's on. (That's an Ultron-V inspiration by the way.) Dingo's name is Harry Monmouth, unless I use that name somewhere else first.

3) I've never noticed any difference in his voice for that character from one episode to the next. Certainly, there was no intentional change.

4) I had ideas for Beth.

5) Yes, it's still around. It seems to specialize in bio-engineering, but I'm guessing it'll soon have it's hands in many different pies.

6) Yes, she very much does. We had to cut (for time) a tiny little partial scene near the end of "Hunter's Moon, Part Three". It comes right after Xanatos and the gargoyles fly off from the cathedral in David's helicopter, heading toward the Eyrie. Matt orders the cops to hold their fire. And then we dissolve to...
______
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - NIGHT

An exhausted Elisa sits on a bench opposite a guarded hospital room. Robyn, no longer in armor, but handcuffed and under police guard herself exits the room and approaches Elisa. Elisa raises her head. Robyn doesn't look happy.

After that silent exchange, Elisa and Jason have their scene beside his hospital bed. [Note the above scenelet was cut before it was sent overseas for animation. There's no lost footage.]

Of course, if the "BAD GUYS" spin-off had been approved, Hunter/Robyn would soon be out of prison and working for the mysterious Director.

7) Forever's a long time. Brooklyn still has some maturing to do. Plus some Timedancing. The Demona he meets in 2158 isn't going to be the same Demona he knew. As for "Future Tense", Michael, Robert, Marty and myself were simply going for shock value by pairing Demona and Brooklyn. So was Puck.

8) Fox and Xanatos have both "softened" some. That is, their priorities have changed. Love and family mean a lot more to them than either ever thought possible. But that shouldn't change their basic personality types or their M.O.s. The thing I most disliked about the Goliath Chronicles episode "Ransom", was that Fox was acting so wildly out of character. In my mind, Fox is just as tough as she ever was.

9) No. I don't think so. Certainly not Delilah. Brentwood might be good with technology, but don't expect a lot of similarities in personality.

10) I'm not sure what you want to know about Thom. He's a talented guy and extremely nice. He was a regular on one of the night time soaps, (Falcon Crest, I think, but I'm not sure). He's the voice of Snap (as in Crackle and Pop) and he was the voice for Felix the Cat. He's currently doing a voice for DreamWorks "Invasion: America" series which will premiere in January '98.

As for Brigitte, I wasn't familiar with her work until after she was cast as Angela. She auditioned for our voice director Jamie Thomason, as did a lot of talented actresses. Jamie narrowed down his choices to a half dozen great picks. Frank Paur and myself just thought that Brigitte had a certain timeless and placeless quality to her voice appropriate to a character raised on Avalon. She also had a nice range from naive ingenue to fierce gargoyle warrior. Her growling was a bit weak at first, but she caught on fast.
She's also an extremely nice person. But I didn't know that when we cast her.

Jamie cast Haunani Minn as Sora based on his reading of the script and a little bit of verbal descriptions from me. That recording is the one and only time I've worked with Haunani, since that's the only episode that Sora appeared in, but she seemed nice and she did a great job. Hope that helps.

11) All right, first off, the clan didn't know about the link at all until the "Avalon" trilogy. So at the time of "The Price" they had no idea. As for "The Reckoning" you need to keep two things in mind, one is that during the heat of battle and under death-defying and traumatic circumstances, it's hard to remember that a flesh and blood gargoyle has a touch of immortality.
Also, the gargoyles aren't exactly masters at magic. They don't know the extent of the spell or how thoroughly it might or might not work. Angela ASKS if Demona could have survived. She's not sure of the answer. Goliath responds that he doesn't know for sure either. He's not saying she's dead.
He's simply acknowledging that he can't know for sure. If we (the writers) emphasized their lack of expertise for the sake of upping the drama, I make no apologies. I don't see any inconsistencies.

12) When we got around to it. I like her a lot, but she's pretty far down on the screen time food chain. Some people complained that Lex didn't get enough screen time. We had a large cast. Goliath was the lead. Elisa was the second lead. Brooklyn, Lex, Broadway, Angela and Hudson were the main support characters. Next comes Bronx, I suppose. Major players like Xanatos, Demona and Owen/Puck. Fox, Matt and Alexander. Recurring villains like Thailog, Macbeth, Sevarius. Recurring allies like Talon, Maggie, Coldstone and Coldfire. The list is fairly endless. There are a number of characters I'd like to spend more time with: Chavez, Jack Dane, Vinnie, Jeffry Robbins, Morgan, Jason Canmore, Dr. Sato, Brendan & Margot etc. But it's tough to fit them all in.

13) Yes.

14) Under the Weird Sister's spell. Maybe en route to Avalon.

15) Yes.

16) She really, really hates her guts, and did so in "Temptation" as well.
If you listen carefully, you'll hear Demona struggle to make that admission in Elisa's favor. She only says that because she's trying to get Brooklyn on her side, and she knows that Brook likes Elisa. She doesn't share Brooklyn's feelings about the detective.

17) Both, of course.

18) "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time" was, I believe a Brynne Chandler Reaves title (or maybe Lydia Marano). I think Brynne got it as part of a quote from the work of the late Barbara Tuchman, though Brynne's research indicated that the phrase did not originate with Tuchman. The written word is elegantly evoked in the title, which of course, was entirely appropriate to the episode.

"Ill Met by Moonlight" is a Michael Reaves title and a quote from William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Oberon says to Titania: "Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania". He's annoyed with her because she has a young boy, a human changeling, that she won't turn over to him. They're at odds and he isn't pleased to see her. Just as, in our episode, he's not pleased to see the gargoyles and humans when he returns to Avalon. Generally, I tend to favor one word titles (or one word plus the determiner "the"), but I specifically remember Michael saying he had a title he knew I'd like because it came from Shakespeare. (Everyone knows I'm a Shakespeare nut.) The funny thing was that my first reaction wasn't positive. I thought it was kinda hard to read. But it was so perfect, I talked myself out of that objection. However, everytime someone writes it as "I'll Meet by Moonlight", I wonder if my initial reaction wasn't correct.

I'm not 100% positive but I think "Long Way to Morning" was one of mine. I just liked the sound and the exhaustion it evoked. And it seemed perfect (in different ways) for both our main story and our flashback story in that episode. Hudson had to keep Goliath alive until they turned to stone in the morning. And Hudson had to recover the Grimorum before morning or the Prince would die. The resolution of both stories would take the whole episode.

"Legion" was also one of mine. I remember an old t.v. miniseries based on Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN. At one point, the "monster" is put under hypnosis and speaks in the voices of all the various people who made up his bodyparts. That was Coldstone to a tee. The "Legion" name itself is a biblical reference to a demon named Legion or (interpreted another way) a legion of demons who possessed some poor biblical guy.

"Shadows of the Past" was a Michael Reaves title. I was tempted to shorten it to "Shadows", given my above stated preference for one-worders, but Michael's version seemed much more evocative of what was plaguing Goliath in that episode. In this case the word "shadows" does double duty. It represents Goliath's tortured memories, as well as the ghosts or SHADES who are haunting him.

"The Reckoning" was one of mine. Originally, the "Hunter's Moon" trilogy was supposed to be a direct to video movie. Back then, "The Reckoning" was scheduled to be a two-part series finale. A final reckoning, so to speak that would give us some open-ended closure before leading us into the video release of "Hunter's Moon". Long before "The Reckoning" was written, we found out that the "Hunter's Moon" video wasn't going to happen. So we broke it into three episodes and added it to the end of our schedule.
Unfortunately, that meant we had to cut three other stories out of our schedule. First, we cut "Reunion" (the original title of "The Gathering") down from a two-parter to a single episode. Then we combined Vinnie's pie- story with the Wolf/Hakon revenge story. Then we combined Puck's training Alex story with the Coldstone/Robot story. Then we realized that there was no way that the now retitled "The Gathering" was going to fit into one episode. So we brought that back up to two and reduced "The Reckoning" down to one, all before a single word of the latter story had been written.
Through all this, the original title stuck. It's not quite the final reckoning I originally invisioned, but it's still a reckoning for Thailog and Demona's relationship and most particularly for Demona and Angela's relationship. So I felt it still worked.


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Anonymous writes...

Oh, one more question that I forgot to ask. At the time of "The Journey", are Macbeth and Demona still legally married, or did they get a divorce?

Greg responds...

Good question, Todd. I think Macbeth would have quickly had the marriage annulled.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, I have two questios that I would appreciate learning the answers to:
1) You said the Sisters wee able to give immortality to MacBeth and Demona because they both asked the sisters to intervene. What justification did the Sisters use to get around Oberon's Law in "High Noon" and "Avalon" when they magically controlled MacBeth and Demona?
2)How would you have had the Maza family react to the relationship between Elisa and Goliath? Don't get me wrong, I love this part of the series, but I can't help thinking that Peter and Diane would have some trouble accepting a gargoyle as a son-in-law.

Greg responds...

1) The Sisters used the events of "City of Stone" to weaken Macbeth and Demona's wills. They took them at extremely vulnerable moments when they willingly abandoned control of their own destinies out of despair. It's a tiny loophole, but that's all the Sisters needed. As I'm sure you've noticed, Oberon isn't exactly a stickler for the letter of the law.
2) Jeff, I'm not entirely sure. We were a long way from any equivalent to Goliath being an "in-law". Goliath and Elisa had not even discussed their relationship. They'd never even gone out on a date (though they'd certainly had some romantic moments). I don't like to plan characters emotional responses too far in advance, but my gut reaction is that the guy who would have the most trouble with it would be Derek. Beth would get it. Peter would be wary. Diane would want to make sure Elisa fully understood what she was sacrificing. But I think Derek might have a real problem with it.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Exhaulted One. (You don't mine if I call you that, do you? It just seems fitting) Anyway, I just felt like telling you that I just may be the only Gargoyle fan out there that doesn't want you to reveal everything 'bout the series' future. Keep it a secret. If you still have even a shred of hope for someday being able to bring back the show in some form, then that is enough for me to not wanna know all that you have planned. I'd rather learn everything in the form of a next season of Gargoyles then a Q&A webpage (not that I don't find myself glued to my computer screen every time you give us a future revelation). Okay, enough rambling. The long lost point of this letter was to beg the question: If you ever got the chance to continue on with Gargoyles, why would you feel obligated to treat TGC as canon? It was more or less a spin-off "inspired" by the original series.
Third seasons don't have different openings, animation, a new series title, and added opening narration . The way I see it, these factors isolated TGC from the first two seasons. Thanx for yor time!

Greg responds...

You make some good points, Entity, but I'm not sure they're convincing.
Chronicles was hardly a spin-off. It was intended as a third season, until Disney/ABC decided to try and market it differently. So they changed the title (slightly) and the opening "titles" (which isn't that big a deal, series do that all the time, as I'm sure you know, we made some changes to the opening titles between the first and second seasons as well), and they added Goliath's opening narration. But it's still Gargoyles.
Says so in the title. It aired on national network television and may be in rerun syndication some day. It seems to me that it would be a tad confusing to disinclude episodes that some viewers might have seen, or literally might be able to watch on another channel. The excuse that I didn't have anything to do with them might carry some weight with you, me and others like us. But the majority of the audience cares about characters, not creators. The distinction would be lost on them. And I'm still left with the dilemma over "The Journey", an episode I wrote and which I certainly think of as canon.
How do I make the distinction to the average viewer that one episode from chronicles is canon and the other twelve aren't? Plus, I don't really want to be a primadonna about this stuff. A lot of people worked very hard on the Chronicles. If I had a chance to do more episodes, being human (and not a bit exhaulted) I'd certainly weigh my work over theirs, but I think it's cheating and petty to pretend it never happened.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, thank you so much for answering our (often repeated) questions.
You asked for us to, in addition to asking questions, talk about already existing eps. Very well, then. I would like to say that, personally, I liked the Archmage. Sure he was cliched, but he was voiced by David Warner (an actor of whom I take special note), and he was a spell-caster (a cool profession, in my book), so I liked him. I was quite glad you brought him back and made him such a big-wig of a...well...archmage (I do wonder if you'll give us his real name). Furthermore, two of my favorite episodes ("Metamorphosis" and "Kingdom") had, in my opinion, lesser animation but very fine stories. In my book, the story is the primary focus. I hope these comments will give you something to chew on. Now, to the questions (sorry).
1) If you haven't answered this already how was Fang to be redeemed, or whatever.
2) When you answered the question "What is Brooklyn's mate," with "Katana," I wondered if that was her name. Is it?
Finally,
3) We know why Iago/Coldsteel hates Othello/Coldstone, but why does he bear such animosity towards Goliath. I will understand if you would like to refrain from answering these questions. Thank you again, and have a plesant day (night, whatever).

Greg responds...

Hey, Blaise, thanks for the comments. I agree on the Archmage. And I agree with your assessment of the animation on "Metamorphosis" and "Kingdom". I'm glad you liked them anyway. Story is paramount to me too, but since I basically liked all the stories, I find that my favorites tend toward the better animated episodes. But both of the ones you named have some real nice stuff in them. They also both put a spotlight on Brooklyn. Coincidence?
1) Complete redemption was a long way off, but I did have plans to have him join the "BAD GUYS". Hunter (Robyn Canmore) and the others would have busted him and given him a choice between joining up or doing hard time. He would have chosen to join up.
2) Yes.
3) Coldsteel's contempt for Goliath is a bit more generic, than his personal animus toward Coldstone. Initially, he used Goliath to drive a wedge between Coldstone and Coldfire. After that, he and Goliath weren't exactly buddies. Coldsteel's kind of a hard guy to like.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg!!!! In the series,Angela fall's in love with Broaday. I like this
Idea!!! (I think they are a cute pair!!)But out of all the Gargoyles
(especially Brooklyn)most I talk to ask whay she chose Broaday over Brooklyn.

Greg responds...

I've answered this before. Check the archives for this page for a more complete answer, but the short version is that Brooklyn had a crush on who he wanted Angela to be. Broadway loved Angela for who she was.


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Anonymous writes...

Why was Brooklyn treated with such maturity in the first two seasons, and then have it taken away and handed to Broadway, what was the deal with that?

Greg responds...

I'm not sure what you mean. When was his "maturity" handed to Broadway? You mean in Goliath Chronicles? Well, I had nothing to do with those episodes, (except "The Journey"). So if it's those last 12 you're referring to, you'll have to ask Eric Lewald.


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Anonymous writes...

I'm curious about why Demona hired Robyn Canmore in Hunter's Moon. She was planning on destroying humanity in less than a week, so why did she suddenly decide she needed a personal aid. As far as I can see, Demona hired Robyn purely
so that Robyn would have access to that disk that so conveiniently explained all of her plans--in other words, to move the plot along. Was there a reason I missed?

Greg responds...

Fair question. Of course, you're right to a large degree. But Dominique had to behave as if things were business as usual. For example, she didn't want Sevarius to think she was actually going to use his work to wipe out everyone including him. He's a little too self-serving to go for that. My guess is that her previous assistant quit or was fired, leaving an open position. If she didn't fill it, it could look suspicious. Another reason to hire Robyn is that Demona had a lot going on in preparation for her little holocaust. But as head of the company, she'd have a lot of stuff to deal with on a daily basis. A competent assistant helps shield her boss from things that aren't a priority. So I don't think the situation is quite as artificial as you make it out to be.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg. (1)I just wanted to know how much the voice actors got into the characters and plot of the show. I mean, for example (an *important* example!), did Salli and Keith have any idea where you were taking the Elisa/Goliath relationship, and were they as enthralled by its development as fans have been? (2) On a more general note, did the actors seem to enjoy the scripts for some episodes more than others? (And if so, can you remember any in particular?) You mentioned that you'd been worried about some scripts not working until they were recorded. (3) Oh, and any amusing anecdotes about recording sessions? I'd love to hear about some outtakes!
I'd love even more to *hear* the outtakes (literally!), but we all have our dreams... ;-) Thanks for your time!

Greg responds...

1. Well, some of our actors got more into it than others, but I think most everyone had fun with it. We tried to give just about everyone, some stuff that they could really chew on as actors. Ed Asner and John Rhys-Davies seemed to particularly enjoy the history and myth and Shakespeare we slipped in. Keith was very protective of Goliath's character. Keith and Salli both knew where Goliath and Elisa were ultimately headed. You'd have to ask them if they were as enthralled as we all were.
2. I'm sure actors liked some scripts better than others. Sometimes they'd complain because they didn't have much to do. Other times they'd complain for the exact opposite reason. (Sort of like life.) I do remember that Nichelle Nichols really seemed to enjoy "Mark of the Panther". We saved her narration of the fable until the very end of the recording, so that we could let the rest of the actors go. She was just wonderful. I recall that Brynne Chandler Reaves and Lydia C. Marano (story editor and writer of that episode respectively) asked Nichelle to autograph their copies of the recording script. She complied, but then asked them to autograph her copy.
I thought that was pretty classy.
3. In the very first episode, Elisa has a line that's something like "You want to wind up street pizza." Try saying "Street Pizza" even one time fast. It's not that easy, and Salli kept stumbling over it. From that point on, anytime anyone stumbled over a line, somebody else, usually Salli, would bring up Street Pizza.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Where exactly in Scotland was Castle Wyvern supposed to be located? It's mentioned that it was in 'Ussex' in "Awakening - Part 2", but I can't find such a place on any map. 2. What ever happened to the remains of the rest of Goliath's clan? I find it hard to believe that all that was left were parts of Coldstone, Coldfire, and Coldsteel, and noone else's remains.

Greg responds...

1. I couldn't remember any reference to "Ussex", so I just reread the entire script to "Awakening, Part Two". There is no "Ussex". But Xanatos does have a line where he says "I learned about the castle and you six from an ancient book that recently came into my possession". Could the words "you six" be the "Ussex" you're referring to? Anyway, Wyvern is a fictional location, but in my mind, it was always on the west coast of Scotland. It was loosely modeled on Tintagel, a Cornish stronghold associated with King Arthur, where I've had a couple of near-religious experiences.
2. I don't find it that hard to believe. 1000 years had passed. Frankly, I find it slightly harder to believe that Goliath and our gang survived that long intact. I think we may all owe Hakon and the Captain a favor for that one. I'm sure there were a few more scraps here and there. I'm also sure, Xanatos collected any worthwhile piece he could find. But I don't expect there was much.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg, one of fan who prepare summaries for the episodes noted that he had a real problem with Golem. Essentially, it was that if the Golem was supposed to protect the Jewish community, why wasn't it activated during the Nazi Holocaust? Why would fate dictate that the Golem be used to fight the mob and not the Nazi's? How would you answer that charge?

Greg responds...

It's a charge? Strong words. Who said a Golem didn't appear during WWII?
I'm not saying one did, but just because that specific Golem hadn't been used in a few centuries, doesn't mean it's the only one that ever existed. A golem itself is just clay and earth, rocks and stone. In and of itself, it isn't hard to craft. It's bringing it to life that's tough. There may have been a lot of different "models" over the centuries. Also activating any Golem requires someone like Max, who's learnd how to do it in a dream. There are a lot of reasons why another generation's Max might fail in this task.
It's a story for another day. Not a hole in continuity.


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Anonymous writes...

1)Does Xanatos have any siblings? 2)If Owen died, would Puck die? Thank you for your time.

Greg responds...

1. No.
2. Yes, if I get your meaning right.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg, Just one simple question that I don't think you've answered thus far: Did you have a clear idea of where the series was going when you first "Awakening," "Deadly Force," "The Edge," and other such early episodes? I mean, I'm sure you didn't know that Owen was going to be Puck from the get-go! =) And what about the archmage? Were you planning on him still being alive? Lastly, the eggs that Princess Katherine brought to her uncle's. Did you have the plan that those eggs were going to survive?
Thanks for your time!

Greg responds...

I had a clear idea of where I wanted the first season to go in those early episodes. I also had definite plans for what would later become "Upgrade", "Metamorphosis", "The Cage" and "Kingdom" as early as "Thrill of the Hunt" and "Brother's Keeper". I knew the eggs were going to survive from before the scripts for "Awakening" were completed. I knew we'd bring back the Archmage from the moment I heard David Warner do his voice at the recording session for "Long Way to Morning". I knew that Owen had a story behind his service to Xanatos. I obviously knew that Macbeth and Demona were connected as early as "Enter Macbeth". But many of the BIG PLANS came to us during the break between the first and second season. It all seemed to come together rather quickly though. Like we HAD planned everything from day one. Everything seemed to fit and make sense (to me at least).


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Anonymous writes...

In the Archive you often refer to cut scenes that you believed we relly would have enjoyed.Would it be possible for you give Stn8 any early drafts of scripts(or at least the edited parts)? Disney wouldn't have a problem with that would they? I've been collecting Disney film scripts for some time now.

Greg responds...

Since you asked this question, we've posted a couple of cut scenes from "Hunter's Moon, Part III". As time passes, I'll try to toss in a bit more, but there are probably fewer "scenes" than you think. Mostly when we were too long, we'd cut a line of dialogue here and a line there. Nothing major.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, I was wondering: since the Gargoyles in the Guatamala clan use their amulets to stay awake during the day, do they age at the same rate as humans?or does the magic of the sun amulet compensate and allow them to age at the same rate as other Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Good question. They probably do age faster. By the way, they still need to sleep, so I believe that periodically, they take turns removing their pendents. I'm sure the magic compensates somewhat too.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman. I thank you for taking the time to do this. Ok, 1)Is the live action Gargoyles movie going to be produced somewhat or solely by Touchstone Pictures? 2)If the above question is true, doesn't that mean that Disney is cashing in? After all, they do own Touchstone Pictures. 3) Do you feel offended that they are cashing in even though it's not being done by them directly? 4) Was there a purpose for the ep "Metamorphisis"?
I mean what was the meaning to turning Derek into some genetically mutated creature? 6)Any word on the Gargoyles live action movie? Thank you for taking the time to answer.

Greg responds...

1. Touchstone is the production studio.
2. Huh? Yes, Disney owns Touchstone. Disney owns Gargoyles. I'm not sure what the question is.
3. Cashing in? I really don't know what you mean. Why would I be offended that Disney's making money off their own property? I hope they make a lot of money. Enough so that they want to make more episodes of the series.
4. Maybe I'm dense, but I don't really get this question either. We thought it made a good story. We thought it added to the tapestry of the series.
Purpose?
5. There is no number five. You know this is kinda weird. Everytime someone leaves out a number on one of these things, it's always number five.
This is the third time number five has been left out. What gives?
6. I've got no new news at the moment.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Timeline question: In "Enter MacBeth" when we see David in prison, Oct.
31 is circled on his calendar, which I took to mean that was the date of his release. However, in "Double Jeapordy" the date on the videotape footage of Owen gathering Goliath's genetic matieral was in November.
Wasn't David already out of jail and the gargs ensconced safely in the clocktower? Or am I all mixed up? 2. Also, and this sounds silly but I suppose it's a timeline question as well, but was Fox already carrying Alex when she and David became engaged? I don't want to read too much into Oberon's throwaway line about midsummer night dreams in "Gathering".... 3.
Comments that may lead to questions, or may not depending on how you feel... First of all, rewatching the series with a friend, both of us have realised--or in my case remembered--how the show stands out from most of today's animated series (with perhaps a few notable exceptions such as BTAS) in terms of the sophistication of the writing. The concepts addressed in the show, and the sublety with which they were handled are on a par with any live action series I've ever watched, if not better than many. For that, I really want to applaud the entire production, especially the writing staff. We're only up through "The Price" right now, and she has just gone slack-jawed at the storytelling devices employed, especially in "City of Stone" (which is my absolute favourite arc to date, so I'm utterly, utterly biased), not to mention the themes (trust, betrayal, loss, family relationships--both good and bad, genocide, hope, etc.) that ran throughout the series. Howevery, I was one of the people who apparently just didn't "get" the Sisters, and I guess for some reason I feel like I should defend my reasoning here. I remember, the first time I saw "CoS", and the subsequent "High Noon", being so impressed with the way the Sisters were used, and how complex their machinations, and at the time I was on the edge of my seat waiting to learn what their goals were. However, when we next met them in "Avalon" I felt... Somehow let down. They went from enigmatic figures who seemed to be neither "good" nor "bad" but somehow neutral--as if they were above simple concepts of good and bad, in the way of a force of nature, if that makes any kind of sense. Indiscriminate.--to petty, vengeful omnipotent flunkies of the Archmage. I could not imagine the events of "City of Stone"--the manipulation of so many lives, not just Demona's and MacBeth's, but all those *around* them for hundreds of years--as being simply an amusement to arrange "soldiers" for the Archmage's attack on Avalon. I *realise* that the fay are capricious and take great pleasure in their games, but this felt different. I just felt like it cheapened their characters, made them less interesting. And each subsequent appearence--"Ill Met..." and the "Gathering"--seemed to continue support the idea of the Sisters as petty and vengeful, this time as Oberon's flunkies rather than the Archmage. I realise that I only viewed the finished product--the aired episodes--and don't have all the bits that were cut for time constraints, or even all the discussion of the characters that went into the writing of the epidoes, and that *does* give me a different view of how they worked in the later episodes. But I still feel that the changes in their characterisation seemed abrupt and in my opinion anyway, detracted from my enjoyment soemwhat--not tremendously, but enough that I *did* notice it. Perhaps I simply read too much into "CoS." I don't want to whine about it, obviously--but this was always one of the character choices that I never really understood, and I don't want to beat a dead horse--having read the archives... :) But it does feel good to get some of this down in words on paper, or on screen, whatever. Tara O'Shea (uisgejack@aol.com)

Greg responds...

1. You're mixed up.
2. I wouldn't be a gentleman if I answered this question.
3. I've discussed this in detail before. I think you're responses are justified. But in my defense, I always planned the Sisters to be what they were. There was no change in direction. We feignted right and then went left on purpose from day one. We simply did a better job at tricking you into thinking something than we did at revealing something else later. As I've mentioned before, there are still many secrets about the Sisters that haven't been revealed. But the recipe for the Sisters included at least one part the Furies. And vengeance is a part of their collective character. I liked the irony that had them preaching against that in "City of Stone". But I understand if it didn't work for you.


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Anonymous writes...

HI I got some qustions. I haven't seen all the episodes. I got some videos and saw the third season of Gargoyles and that is all I saw. Now for the qustions. 1) I was online in The Gargolyes fan website. They had this picture achive. IN this picture I saw Brooklyn and Demona hugging as if they were in love. Why were they hugging? I thought they were enimies.
2) What inspired you into creating Gargoyles? 3) Is there any videos with episodes from season 2?

Greg responds...

1. It was probably a picture from "Future Tense", which was all a dream.
2. Real gargoyles and the idea that something scary was used to protect a church or castle from evil.
3. Not that I'm aware of.


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Anonymous writes...

I noticed all the episodes "Avalon", Part III through "Turf" that Elisa, Goliath, and Angela were traveling in a boat from Avalon to get back home in Manhattan. The boat that they were in had a man's face carved in the front. I would like to know who this man is. Does he represent something special to Avalon, Titiana, and Oberon and his children for that matter?

Greg responds...

They were traveling from the end of "Avalon, Part III" through the middle of "The Gathering, Part I". By "Turf" they had been back for a few episodes.
As to the face, I'm sure it's significant. Most everything is.


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Anonymous writes...

I know that gargoyles sleep during the day, but I just got to ask this question. Demona is human during the day and a gargoyle at night. When the day comes and Demona is human, does she need any type of sleep like the other gargoyles? Does she take a nap or something? Does she stay up twenty four hours a day, seven days a week? I was just wondering does she ever go to sleep at all. Thank you for your time and please, please answer this question.

Greg responds...

She does require sleep.


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Anonymous writes...

What happen to Princess Katherine's parents? Katherine's parents were Prince Malcolm and Princess Elantra? I only saw them in Vows. I saw Prince Malcolm again in "Long Way To Morning".

Greg responds...

Katharine's parents were Prince Malcolm and Princess Elena. That's all I'm saying now.


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Anonymous writes...

Firstly, THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU Secondly, Malcolm and Elena's fates were never discussed. What happened to them between "Vows" and "Longway to Morning" and "Awakenings"? Thirdly, Do Angela's belt ornament and Puck's brooch have any significance? (I had an old theory that they were the time warped pieces of the Phoenix Gate, but your Timedancer notes put an end to that). Fourthly, Why is the name of Duncan's son Canmore instead of Malcolm?

Greg responds...

1. You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome.
2. I'm saving those stories for if and when I ever do DARK AGES.
3. I don't think so. But I reserve the right to change my mind later.
4. Duncan's son's name was Malcolm Canmore (or Maol Chalvim Ceann Mor). We used the Canmore name to avoid confusing him with Katharine's father and/or her cousin.


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Anonymous writes...

(1) How did Thailog get to Paris for "Santuary"? (2)Of Brooklyn two kids, which is the older, Tachi or Nashville?

Greg responds...

1. Money.
2. Nashville.


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Anonymous writes...

I asked this and you say i was crazy,but in Lighthouse in SEA of TIME, Macbeth says this "The scrolls of Merlin sealed by MY OWN HAND, this second....." what is the history with macbeth and merlin...and is king arthur involved.....they are all immortal...in your show...ohhh in the mirror in the beginning...elisa looks at her beauty in titania's mirror...her reflection doesn't change when she looks behind her....what is the connection

Greg responds...

I said you were crazy? How rude of me. Did I really say that? Anyway, as I've said before, Macbeth was reading when he said those lines. Merlin was saying (in print) that he (Merlin) had sealed the scroll with his (Merlin's) own hand. Macbeth and Merlin have no history. Macbeth first met Arthur in "Avalon, Part III", though he doesn't remember it. He thinks "Pendragon" was their first meeting. Macbeth was centuries away from being born when Arthur and Merlin first created Camelot. Macbeth read about Arthur though.

As to the connection in "The Mirror"? Connection between what and what? I don't understand the question. But I don't think you're crazy.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, I just happened to notice something about the episode Walkabout. The Matrix resembled the Borg from Star Trek. The Matrix said it wanted to make order out of chaos. In Star Trek the Borg have said the same thing. The Matrix was also going to take over the world, like the way the Borg assimilate worlds. And I also figured that since you had so many voices done by actors from Star Trek that maybe the Borg, in a way, were an inspiration for the Matrix.

Greg responds...

Not really, though both the Borg and Matrix come from the same tradition of techno-phobia.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg, Well I am not one of those gargoyles lovers that constantly say for Greg's sake instead of for God's sake, but I do watch the show ok now to my question. When the archmage fell in the cave the first time could he have been sustained in the temple, but then when the captain of the gaurds and the barbarien guy were trapped in the cave the archmage then switched places with them like, they tried to do to goliath in shadows of the past. Then some how the arch mage was able to tap the temple to time travel and save himself. Well thankyou for listening to my theory.

Greg responds...

Nope.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg. I have 4 questions, all about Brooklyn, for you (Hopefuly they won't become more as I write) 1.) What year would Booklyn have traviled to first when he touched the phonix gate in Time Dancer? 2.) What year did he travil to when he meet his mate(whom I hear her name was to be Katana, or am I wrong about that?)? 3.) What color gargoyle did you have in mind for his mate? 4.) What year was his mate born and what year were his hatchlings born? Thanks!

Greg responds...

1. 997.
2. I haven't calculated the exact year yet.
3. Color? You're ahead of me. (I'm somewhat colorblind, so that isn't the first thing I think of.)
4. I haven't calculated that yet. It's particularly complicated with the kids, since Brooklyn and Katana did quite a bit of dancing.


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Anonymous writes...

I love the show, taped almost all the episodes, and just have a couple of questions: 1. Does Disney have any plans to sell any videos, animation cells, or other media of the show? 2. What would have happened if Guardian Tom had continued to ring the iron bell, and he "finished off" Oberon?
Would he become Lord of Avalon, or would there be a fae war? 3. Do Angela's eyes glow red like Demona's because of parental inheritance, or is it a trait of Scottish female gargoyles?

Greg responds...

1. Animation cells are on sale now. So are videos of the first season, though by this time they may be hard to find. There was a computer game and a board game and tons of other products as well, including a children's book and a coloring book.
2. I think it would have been ugly. But Tom definitely would not have been king.
3. Female gargoyle eyes glow red. Males glow white. Scotishness has nothing to do with it.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi! I'd just like to know if Keith David, who breathed life into Goliath so well, is going to be involved in any way, shape or form in the upcoming Gargoyles movie.

Greg responds...

I hope so, but it's too soon to know.


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Anonymous writes...

PLEASE don't tell me that Demona was going to become a good guy! *Shudder* Augh! It's worse than TGC's portrayment of Xanatos! I can understand that she might soften towards a few gargoyles, or one or two humans making relationships wi th Brooklyn or Macbeth remotely possible, though not likely, but if she came to like humans, or lose her generally scummy and betraying parts, you would lose most of Demona. Even as Goliath's mate, she wanted to live separate from the humans or dominate them. Thank you.

Greg responds...

Uh, Jazzie, I guess you must be talking about FUTURE TENSE, which was set in 2158. By that time, Demona would be an ally, but I don't think she'd be any less interesting. She'd have gone through a lot by that time. Learned a lot. She'd have a lot to repent for. Redemption, as you all might have gathered, is a topic that fascinates me. I'm sure I wouldn't have lost Demona in the process of exploring that.


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Anonymous writes...

*big inhale* Hi, it's me again. I have several more questions, these are mostly about the voice actors: 1) Did you know any of the voice actors, personally? 2) I heard that Laura San Giacomo went uncredited because her agent told her that being on a cartoon show would inhibit her chances at better roles. I want to know from you if it's the complete truth. If it is, say "aardvark". 3) Did the voice actors come in contact with each other? (i.e. was the episode recorded sequentially or did the actors come one by one, read their lines, and leave?) 4) What is done when a voice actor suffers from a disease that affects his/her voice? (i.e. laryngitis) 5) On a related note, why was Rachel Ticotin replaced? (If it was only in TGC say "aardvark". If not, then if it was related to the answer to #4, say "tomato backwards".) 6) Have the voice actors ever influenced the story paths of their respective characters, personality, etc.? (I already know about the Arch Mage).' Now for some more streamlined questions... 7) What influenced your naming of the Weird Sisters? I did research and Phoebe, Luna, and Selene were actually moon goddesses. Can't remember the real names of the Weird Sisters off the top of my head. Any answers? 8) his sounds like a stupid question but it's really been bugging me. Does Owen have a different personality than Puck? 9) Titania and Bottom... is there anything about that in your plan for Gargoyles? 10) My final question... Do you watch your own show?
*big exhale* I feel that's all I will have to say... for now. But don't be surprised if you hear from me again. Ciao!

Greg responds...

1. Do you mean before we started or after? I knew Jeff Bennett and Jim Cummings from previous shows I'd worked on. I met Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Bill Fagerbakke, Marabina Jaimes and many others at their auditions.
The rest I met for the first time at their first recording session. The two guys I've kept in (minimal) touch with since the show ended are Ed Asner and Keith David.
2. I don't know if it was her agent or her manager. I don't know what he told Laura. Heck, I don't even know if he was a he or a she. All I know is that her representation told Jamie Thomason that Laura would not be taking the credit. That may mean that if she was credited doing voice work on an animated series (which doesn't pay all that much, relatively) she might have trouble commanding a high fee for commercial voice over work. Or it might mean, that she'd be perceived as desperate for work, any work. I don't know. It doesn't matter. Laura's representation recommended against taking the credit. Right or wrong, we ultimately respected that decision.
3. For the most part we did group recordings, but there were always exceptions, because we had cast a very busy group of people.
4. We struggled through a few colds, but we never had any huge vocal setbacks. At worst, we'd reschedule an actor to record when he or she felt better.
5. I'm not sure what all these codewords are for. Was Rachel replaced in Goliath Chronicles? I saw those episodes and I don't remember that. I do remember that Elisa Pensler Gabrielli (who played Obsidiana) played Chavez in "Revelations", because it was only a few lines and Rachel's schedule just wouldn't allow her to record that week (or the week after or any time that allow us to make our schedule). I think Elisa did o.k., all things considered. We talked about ADR-ing Rachel later, but it didn't seem worth the expense.
6. Yeah, I'm sure they did. As you mentioned, the Archmage is a perfect example of this. Keith's reading of Morgan always made me want to explore a relationship between Morgan and Elisa. Clancy's reading of both Hakon and Wolf suggested the bond between those two characters. I'm confident there are other examples. We also tried (both intentionally, and I'm sure, subconsciously) to write to the strengths of our actors.
7. The triple goddess is a standard in most mythologies, and it's generally related to the moon. The Weird Sisters come from a tradition that includes the Graces, the Fates, the Norns, etc. It seemed natural to go for moon goddess type names. As far as I know, Shakespeare never named them.
8. Sure.
9. Uh huh.
10. Yeah. Way too often.


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Anonymous writes...

(1)\hat are the chances of your Gargoyles Encyclopedia getting published (i.e.
would Disney let you)? (2)You said that there would eventually be some sort of commitment ceremony for Goliath and Elisa (though not exactly what we would call a wedding). What would this ceremony have been like?

Greg responds...

1. It's not so much a Disney issue. I need to get some publisher interested.
2. Let me surprise you.


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Anonymous writes...

Greetings Mr.Weisman First let me say how much I enjoy watching gargoyles.So few television shows out there have the depth and focus that Gargoyles does,that and the positive outlook of its theme is a refreshing break from standard programming. Now if I may ask my questions;I have not seen these asked,but if they have been my apolgies for repeating them,and I did not find them in the archive. Question #1) AS eluded in the episode "Vows" the relationship between Xanatos and his father was not good,my and that was fully illustrated and explained though the particulars might still remail somewhat vague,even after his partial reconciliation later on ,my curiousity was peeked in as to his family background.Does David Xanatos have any siblings of his own or is he an only child? If he does were u ever thinking on introducing them into the storyline at some point? Question#2; I have seen nothing mentioned as to his mother was his father a widower?
If so when did she die,was he an adult at her death,or was he still a child?And if so how did it effect his developement?Was his obsession with control partially to compensate for this event? thankyou in advance DarkChyld

Greg responds...

1. Only child.
2. Petros is a widower. But I'm not prepared to say anything about David's mother at this time. However, I think it goes without saying that her death had an effect on David, on Petros, and on their relationship.


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Anonymous writes...

This is sort of a followup to my previous question about "The Hound Of Ulster," because you did ask.... I don't know Diane Duane personally (*sigh* don't I WISH) but she's written some other stuff with a fairly accurate hand about the Celtic myths, including Cuchullain; I don't know how she could know all that and still get confused about the "hound of Ulster". As for what else was wrong... well, the name "Cuchullain" actually means "Cullain's Hound" (Cullain was a lord of Ulster), and to make a long legend short, Cuchullain was called so because he defended Ulster throughout his life like a protective hound. ...Of course, it wouldn't be hard to fit a gargoyle beast into the original story somewhere.... But I find it hard to believe that anyone currently living in Ireland would consider the Hound of Ulster (a) an actual hound, or (b) a frightening creature. Molly's "ghost story" about the "Great Beast, the Hound of Ulster" bothered me a lot more than the eventual revelation of the "true story" (even though as far as the stories I've read say, Cuchullain never fought a Banshee in his life). I don't mind if the current versions of the legend aren't much like what "really happened," but I would expect modern-day people to know the current version. That said, I suppose I'd better actually _ask_ something, since this isn't the "Tell Greg" page....
You said you had plans for Rory and Molly. Isn't Molly actually the Banshee, and isn't she currently sort of grounded on Avalon? Or is it that the Banshee temporarily took the form of Molly, who is actually an ordinary human Irish girl?

Greg responds...

I know the Cuchullain story now. I didn't then. Diane didn't call me personally to fill me in. Maybe she or Peter told Michael Reaves, but Michael didn't tell me. I think the "answer" is more or less what you said.
The truth and the legend may not match up. We may also have added a legend to the "Gargoyles Universe" that doesn't exist in our universe. I do know that I had the whole thing confused in my head with the Barghest, if that helps. At one point, I suggested titling the whole script "The Barghest" and using Barghest for "Great Beast" occasionally. Diane, Peter and Michael objected to that, so we didn't do it. But no one brought up the rest of it.

I do have plans for Rory and Molly. And the only Molly I know is the Banshee. Heh heh heh.


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Anonymous writes...

I was wondering, in the Movie, thats on its way, is the Clan (Brooklyn, Broadway, Lex ect..) going to be in it?

Greg responds...

I don't know.


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Anonymous writes...

All hail Greg! To the point: how tall and heavy are Angela, Brooklynn, Goliath, Hudson, and Elisa? Will physical characteristics like this appear in your Encyclopedia?

Greg responds...

Numbers aren't my specialty, so no, I don't know the exact answers to those questions, and that kind of stuff isn't currently in the encyclopedia.


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Anonymous writes...

First off, Thanks for taking the time out to read this and second, I loved Gargoyles(so does my mom,my brothers, my fiance, and his Marine Corps buddies. 1.Are you in any way shape or form involved in the developing movie? 2. What is the projected release date? 3. Is Hollywood going to at least follow some of the storyline that the cartoon followed? 4. Even if the movie does get made(I hope!),who would you absolutely love to see portraying Goliath and Elisa? Thanks again for your time!

Greg responds...

1. A bit, but not much.
2. Summer, 1999, but that could change.
3. I don't know yet.
4. I'd love to see Keith and Salli reprise their roles, of course.


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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg! Gotta few questions>1)If Oberon knew what the weird sisters had done relating to Demona and MacBeth, and the attacks on the Avalon clan, would he punish them for interfering in human affairs? If not, why not???
2)At what age would Brooklyn have met his mate, Katana? 3)What era is she from? 4)What part of the world is she from? 5)Have we met her or seen her on the show before? 6)What species is she? 7)You said awile ago that, in "Grief", Anubis didn't know gargoyles lived twice as long as humans, and therefore he aged them enough to kill them if they were humans. If he did that, then why did they look so old? He'd probably age them maybe 60 years which would make Goliath about 60 years old chronilogically and Angela about 48, making them only middle aged. But, after being aged in "Grief" They both looked positivly ancient! Why was this? Thank you very much for your time! :-)

Greg responds...

1. It depends on how it was presented and when. Oberon's not exactly Mr.
Consistent.
2. I haven't done the math in some time. Not too much older than he is now.
3. Feudal Japan.
4. Feudal Japan.
5. No.
6. Gargoyle.
7. That was Goliath's theory. Jackal was in control. He aged them a ton.
Enough, to kill them, he would have thought. He was wrong. You're doing math; Jackal-Anubis was tossing power around. I don't think he/they bothered with the numbers.


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Anonymous writes...

Thanks for answering my last question. Now I have another one. (1) Was Demona going to be a hero or villain in the Future Tense spin-off? If she is a good guy than what would her three grandchildren actually think of her?
You can proba ly tell that I really like Demona. (2) I mean REALLY How tall is the Eyrie Building? (3) How does your family feel about the show? (4) And I would like to thank you for the hardwork and dedication you put into 66 episodesand creating these wonderful charac ters (like Demona). And for answering our questions.

Greg responds...

1. I've answered this before. She'd be fighting on the side of the angels.
Whether that makes her a hero or not is subject to interpretation.
2. Tall.
3. They tell me they like it. But do you really think they'd say anything else? :)
4. You're welcome.


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Anonymous writes...

greg, i have two waves that sound like goliath and are gargoyle related, the word goddamit is used in this. If these are from an episode that never made air, can you tell me if these are real or not, if you don't know what i am talkin g about, i would be happy to mail you the waves.

Greg responds...

I don't know what you're talking about, but you don't need to bother mailing it to me. We never used that kind of language in any show. NEVER. So I'm sure what you've got is quite phoney. And by the way, there were no episodes that never "made air".


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Anonymous writes...

What is your stand on people using likenesses of your characters? Have you ever considered publishing your stories on the internet? If they can use it to sell useless crap like pornography, why not publish something worth while?

Greg responds...

Disney owns these characters, not me. I can't publish original material for profit, without getting permission from Disney.


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Anonymous writes...

Will Owen ever get a life separate from Xanatos?

Greg responds...

Who says he doesn't have one now?


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Anonymous writes...

Okay, were there any plans to better develop Owen's character in respect to his personal life?

Greg responds...

Sure, eventually.


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Anonymous writes...

A few more questions: 1. If you had done the spin-offs "Future Tense", "The New Olympians", and "Pendragon", how would you have ensured that they would not be confused with the "Gargoyles" episodes that went by those names? 2.
In "Leader of the Pack" and "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time", Owen had a *really* sneaky smile on his face. Was this a little foreshadowing of his true identity? 3. Did you get a lot of letters from people before "The Gathering" who thought that Presto n Vogel was the result of a lazy animator copying Owen?

Greg responds...

1. Confused by who? You mean in a comment room someone might say, I loved FUTURE TENSE; then someone else might say, Oh, I didn't like it when Broadway was killed. And the first person says, not "Future Tense", FUTURE TENSE!!
And everyone says, huh? My point is, the press takes no note of episodic titles. It would seem to me that even the fans would have no real problem distinguishing the difference from the context of whatever comment got posted.
2. I suppose, but Owen is entitled to smile now and then. Owen is Owen.
The fact that he's also Puck, doesn't make Owen a cardboard one-note character.
3. Well, not letters. I certainly heard a bit of that on the Ranger List.
And also from people on the show who weren't in on it. (Jeff Bennett, by the way, didn't know Owen was Puck until he read "The Gathering, Part Two". We intentionally kept it from him. Aren't we stinkers?)


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Anonymous writes...

Hello! I have a question about the gargoyle eggs, (not Angela and her rookery siblings). I have asked this Q before, anf if you have answered it already, sorry, I must have missed it. Anywayz, how many eggs can 1 mother lay at a time? Just 1, then wait another 20 years, or more?

Greg responds...

One every twenty years exactly.


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Anonymous writes...

I remember a "Steve Perry" in the writing credits for several Season One "Gargoyles" eps. Recently I have seen a "Stephen Perry" in the writing credits for "Thundercats" reruns on the Cartoon Network. Is this the same guy? Any chance the Gargoyles will move to the Cartoon Network (pleeeaazzzze not the Disney channel! I don't get that one!)

Greg responds...

I can't be 100% sure, but I'd guess it's the same Steve Perry. Gargoyles is currently running on the USA network.


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Anonymous writes...

What does "deslegrate mori tempte-et intervalia" mean i've tried for a month, looking in latin books, and asking teachers i think intervalia means between walls and mori (if thats how its spelled) means to die.
plese, please transla te. thanks for the time

Greg responds...

Well, it was bad latin to begin with, though we thought it was good at the time. It's not "mori", it's "muri". And it's not "tempte" it's "tempe". It is "deslegrate", but I gather it should have been "deflegrate" or something like that. It's supposed to mean something like "Burn down the walls of time and space." I guess sorcerer's latin is slightly different from the standard brand.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman. I just got 3 questions here. 1. When did you actually have the idea to make Owen to be Puck in disguise? Was it actually thought up in the beginning of the 1st season, or did the idea popped up during the creati on of the 2nd season? 2. In the episode "The Mirror", Elisa was dressed up as a security cop at the museum. When she was looking into the mirror, she turned around when she heard Demona attacking the male security guard. The image of Elisa in the mir ror did not move when Elisa turned around. Was that intentional or just a fluke? 3. At the end of "The Reckoning", Demona sacrificed her life to try to kill Thailog. Why did Goliath & Angela thought that Demona died even when they saw Elisa kill Dem ona to save both MacBeth and Demona from eternal demises in the episode "Sanctuary"?

Greg responds...

1. Almost immediately after we conceived the character of Puck, before "The Mirror" was written, probably toward the tail end of season one.
2. Very intentional. A little touch thrown in by the storyboard artist to hint at the mirror's mystic properties.
3. I've answered this before; check the archives for a more detailed response, but the short answer is that they just weren't sure.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello again Mr. Weisman. 1. In your mind, what does New York look like in 2158? 2. In what year did Macbeth arrive in America for the first time?
3. In what year did Demona arrive in America for the first time? 4. You said that Oberon let Pendragon stay on Avalon because he owed someone a favor. Who did he owe the favor to? 5. Did you get the movie script from Dean Devlin? 6. In what year did Demona meet Puck? 7. How old is Puck?
8. When did Puck reveal himself to Xanatos? 9. Did you have any plans for Beth Maza? Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.

Greg responds...

1. That's a big old design question. More of the same, I guess. I view the show in 2158 as being international (if not intergalactic) in scope, so I haven't given that much thought to the specifics of Manhattan.
2. I don't know yet.
3. I don't know yet.
4. His son.
5. I never saw it. And it's moot now, because Dean's been replaced by another writer, Jim Kouf.
6. I don't know yet.
7. Very old.
8. Shortly after Owen left Cyberbiotics.
9. Yes.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman. 1. You said that Coldstone and Coldfire would join a clan. Could you give us an idea where in the world that clan is located?
2. What is the true identity of Mr. Duval? 3. How long would Brooklyn spend in 2158 and in feudal Japan? 4. What does Macbeth do for a living?
5. When the New Olympians reveal themselves, how will the world react?
How will Nokkar react? 6. In 2158, what is the relationship between New Olympus and the human world? 7. How many eggs are ready to hatch in Guatemala? 8. Would we see Odin again? 9. What was Macbeth's reaction to Shakespeares play about him? 10. What was Demona's reaction to Shakespeares play 'Macbeth"? Thanks for answering these questions.

Greg responds...

1. Not right now.
2. The last Fisher King.
3. I actually haven't calculated that yet. I have a rough idea though.
4. Largely he manages his investments. He also works occasionally as a medievalist, and even as a stage actor.
5. With surprise to say the least.
6. Tense but peaceful.
7. I haven't counted recently.
8. Maybe.
9. He was highly amused.
10. Interesting question. Let me think about that. Ask me again later.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman. 1. Would Banshee regain her voice? 2. Would we see Cu Cullian again? 3. What happened to the werepanthers? 4. Can you give us some info on Nokkar's galactic war? 5. In 2158, are all the clans in existance k nown to the world? 6. Is Hakon gone for good? 7. Would we see Xanatos' father again? 8. What were the original purposes of the praying gargoyle and the fullfilment spell? 9. What happened to the vial of virus the Demona created? Thanks for answering these questions. I really appreciate it.

Greg responds...

1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Plenty.
4. Not right now.
5. No.
6. Yeah.
7. Sure.
8. There's a story in each of these. I'm not prepared to tell them right now.
9. It was destroyed.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg, Hi. I have to say Gargoyles is a great show. And it will be remembered. I only have two short questions. 1). Did you have any further plans for Owen? Maybe a life beyond Xanatos? If so can you please say?
2). What about Matt Bluestone? Did you have any further plans for him beyond The Society and the NYPD? If so can you give me a little hint to what it was? Thanks for the show and it will be remembered by those who take the show seriously.

Greg responds...

1. I did have plans for Owen. I had plans for everyone.
2. Including Matt. No hints right now.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello yet again. What adventures did King Pendragon and Griff plan to go on after they left the last time? I know you said the grail and Merlin, but were they ever to really achieve a goal (such as the "true king" returning..or playing a big role in the story?)

Greg responds...

Arthur hadn't thought past the immediate goal of finding Merlin. In fact, I think he was putting off thinking about it until he had his trusted advisor back by his side. The Grail was NOT one of Arthur's goals. Just Excalibur (which he now has) and Merlin.


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Anonymous writes...

Why do Gargoyles turn to stone? What's the reason behind it?

Greg responds...

Why do you fall asleep? It's a biological function.


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Anonymous writes...

I know you had no say in TGC..but.. in an earlier episode, Hacker called Xanatos "one of the Illuminati's lower members" implying that he was only in it due to his money (and obviously his trip back in time). But on a TGC episode, he h ad one of the chairs in the main council! What level of the society did YOU plan to have him on. Thanks...

Greg responds...

The stated implication is yours and not particularly accurate to my way of thinking. As you said, in my episodes he was a lower echelon member.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman: How did you get Jonothan Frakes and Marina Sirtis to be on the cast of Gargoyles? Do you know what they're opinions of the show and their characters are? If so what are their opinions? Are there any episodes or characters that you regret doing?

Greg responds...

They auditioned, and we cast them. I wouldn't presume to speak for them, but I think they like the show and their characters. And no, I don't have any substantive regrets about anything we did in the first two seasons.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, I have a few straight-forward questions: 1. What other projects, animated or not, have you been involved in in the past, or are currently?
2. I finally found the Gargoyles Movie...took 2 months special order...I noticed, which I think is from The Awakening Part II, when Elisa is in the park with Goliath, a jogger passes by, runs in place, and remarks that he's never seen that statue there before, this seemed to be cut out of the "movie". There was also a part I recall when Elisa distracted the people chasing her, and Goliath, away from Goliath, she took her jacket off and hung it on a branch to knock out one of those people chasing her, was that also cut out, or am I thinking of another ep? 3. This jogger, is there some reason he shows up in quite a few of the episodes? Inside joke, or something like that? 4. I've noticed on the mailing list that there are different endings for some eps, or minor changes...what are these eps?
Thanx in advance for answering my questions :)

Greg responds...

1. I've answered this in detail. Check out the archives for this page. But the short answer is that I worked at Disney in development for @five years.
Starting with Duck Tales, I worked in some capacity on every Disney tv cartoon right through to Mighty Ducks. Before that I worked at DC Comics, primarily on CAPTAIN ATOM. Recently, I wrote a single MiB episode. My newer projects haven't progressed far enough to talk about yet.
2. I've talked about this before. There are two versions of "Awakenings".
The five parter that aired on television, and the "movie" version which was used for the home video. For more details, check the archives for this page.
3. Combination inside joke and the practical necessesity that we don't constantly design brand new characters for the sake of a quick bit. As time progressed, it became fun to see characters (even minor characters) over and over. Fun for us, and I think more fun for you all too.
4. There aren't different endings per se. There are a percentage of episodes that had to air with some mistakes still in them. Sometimes these mistakes were at the end. Sometimes they were in the beginning or middle. I think maybe mistakes at the end are more noticible. We'd always try to minimize any "damage" in post-production, but sometimes they just had to go out with errors. When the corrected footage came in, we'd replace the mistakes with the new footage for subsequent airings.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg if Owen Burnett has a middle name what is it? Just curious.

Greg responds...

I'd guess Alan. But I'd want to check that with Michael Reaves.


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Anonymous writes...

First, I'd like to thank you for sharing your wonderful talent with us, as well as answering our questions! =D Now the questions! 1) Does Titania and Oberon have any biological children together? It would seem only.....well, proper to have an heir to the throne of the Fey and Avalon. 2) How did Oberon and Titania come to rule the fey? 3) Was there a leader before them?
4) We know that Titania married at least one human during the banishment, but what about Oberon? Thanx ever so much!

Greg responds...

1. Yes. Although Oberon doesn't acknowledge the need for an heir.
2. Oberon overthrew his predecessor.
3. Yes. Oberon's mommy.
4. He's not the kind to kiss and tell. Well, actually, maybe he is. But I'm not. At least not today.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Why are there so many male gargoyles and so few females? And how can lex wear that loincloth?? His wings go all the way down his legs how does it stay on??? Is it magic?

Greg responds...

Lex's wings are pierced.

Female gargs do seem to be rarer, I must admit. You could either attribute that to us Disney-folk not remembering to balance out the population. Or we could start attributing it to internal "universe" factors. In pre-modern times was egg-laying as dangerous for a female gargoyle as childbirth was for a female human? Is the ratio of male gargoyle births to female gargoyle births more like 3 to 1 as opposed to the nearly even 1 to 1 ratio we humans enjoy? Is there another possible explanation? Those are all real good questions. Let me give them some thought.


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Anonymous writes...

This is another one of those state of mind questions, and probably a little stuoid too. In, Paris just how far would Demona have been willing to go with MacBeth to convince him that she really wanted him? Or is MacBeth the type of noble who waits until his wedding night to consumate his love for someone? I know there is no way you would have gone near this subject for T.V. I was just wondering how low Demona sink to get what she wanted.

Greg responds...

Ever read "The Rules". I haven't, but I think they might apply to someone who's trying to trick someone else into marriage. For his part, Macbeth is an honorable man, but not a saint.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi, Greg! Thanks for all the great effort you've put into Gargoyles and answering our questions. Each question has some long and excessive comments with it, but I only need an broad answer for each section. (1) Did the Magus live in the castle with Katherine and Tom? (2)If so, did he isolate himself away from the two and the clan? We saw him in Avalon II eating with them, but he didn't seem very invovled and may have been just visiting. (3) Why didn't Katherine and Tom have any offspring? (4) Did they know how the Magus felt about Katherine and worry about his discomfort, (5) were they genetically incompatible, (6) was having children something they didn't mutually agree upon, or something completely different? Perhaps some sort of mix. Hmm...
(7) One last question, though very odd and may link itself to the previous question. Could Katherine and Tom have children, through science or sorcery someday? I'm not asking if you think it is possible, through magic or genetics, but if it is something that might be considered for Gargoyles in the future (optimistic, I am), not regarding individual beliefs and viewpoints. (If this part seems like an original idea, please dispose of it, Gore, so I can get some answers I'm waiting for. Edit it as you see fit or just pass it to the Master). Thanks a Bundle for your time.

Greg responds...

I added numbers to your questions to make everyone's lives easier. PLEASE EVERYONE, if you're going to ask multiple questions in a single post, do NOT just list the questions as prose. Number them and use your return key between each question. THANKS.
1. I assume we're talking about Oberon's Palace in "Avalon" and not Castle Wyvern in "Awakening". If so, the answer is yes.
2. "Isolate" is too strong a word. He was an active third parent to the gargoyles, but he did give T&K their space, for his own sake more than theirs.
3. There's a story in that.
4. I think deep down Katharine must have known how the Magus felt. I don't think any of the three of them ever acknowledged it out loud. It had no influence on why they didn't have children.
5. No.
6. I'm not prepared to go into this in anymore detail at this time.
7. Gore probably should have kicked this whole post. (He's not allowed to edit questions, just kick posts or forward them.) But he didn't, so I'm stuck with having seen it. Raymond, you knew question 7 was an idea when you posted it. YOU KNEW. You did it anyway. Please don't do that kind of thing again. Fortunately, I have no intention of giving Katharine and Tom any more children. Remember they've already raised thirty-six children. They've earned a bit of rest.


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Anonymous writes...

1.)Is a live action film REALLY going to be out ? and when ? 2.) And who will play the characters ? 3.) Do you think Speigberg might be interested in this movie ?

Greg responds...

1. They ARE really WORKING on the script. No guarantees that the movie will happen though. The "when" is also up in the air, though I think the current target is summer 1999.
2. It's way too early in the process to know anything about casting.
3. No.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg - just another behind the scenes question that occurred to me. You said that Elisa's character design was based on Salli Richardson - did the same go for Xanatos and Jonathan Frakes? When was Jonathan cast, and whose idea was it? (Brilliant piece of casting, whoever's idea it was...) Oh, and a totally unrelated question. You said that a gargoyle's stone skin absorbs solar energy during the day. This gives the gargoyle the strength to fly, etc. Obviously they can go without being in the sun for at least one day without suffering noticeably for it (eg Broadway in 'The Silver Falcon'), so just how long can a gargoyle go without sunlight? And what would the effects of sunlight deprivation be, exactly? Thanks again!

Greg responds...

No. Xanatos was fully designed before Jonathan was cast. Jonathan auditioned for the role. We cast him. It was a mutual decision between myself, Frank Paur, Michael Reaves, Jamie Thomason, Bruce Cranston and Gary Krisel.

I don't know the math on the sun thing. It hasn't been explored yet. Maybe someday.


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Anonymous writes...

Well is there anyway there will ever be any more gargoyles not the goliath C. but gargoyles. Also if you have any say in it dont let them make the movie the way they have it planed make them make it with the same plot as your great story has. Also try to get Big daddy in the movie.

Greg responds...

There's always a chance. I don't have any real control over the movie, but I can all but guarantee that Big Daddy won't be in it. I certainly wouldn't recommend his inclusion. Sorry.


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Anonymous writes...

1)Did Oberon have any children during his 1001 years spent off Avalon?
2)Why were the weird sisters chosen to guard the gates of Avalon? Thanks for you time.

Greg responds...

1. Maybe. He definitely had at least one kid before that: Merlin. Oh, and by the way, Oberon's mother is Queen Mab. (No one's asked me that in a while. I hope it doesn't screw up TGS too much. I've been skipping over any comment room posts about TGS, but I couldn't help noticing the Queen Mab name coming up. And I assume Merlin's in Pendragon. I've hinted at this stuff before of course, so I'm curious... Did everyone guess this? Did anyone?)
2. They were considered to be trustworthy and doggedly responsible.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi. I remeber in a previous answer where you told how you came up with Angela fallin love with Broadway. You had said that in that episode it was obvious because he had never called her "Angie." However, when she first arrived in Manhattan, he was the one that started that nickname for her.
So..doesn't that, in a way, contradict your answer to whom Angela's mate was going to be?

Greg responds...

No. As I myself have said before, Broadway did come up with the nickname, but by the time of "Turf" he had ALREADY realized that Angela didn't like it. He had already dropped it. The others hadn't caught on and kept using it. I'm not saying Broadway's perfect, and he certainly isn't psychic. He's just more sensitive and attuned to who people really are. He's a good judge of character. Better than Brooklyn, Lex or Goliath, even. Angela, Elisa and Hudson are pretty good at this too, but the best judge of character in the series is probably Bronx.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg. I would like to ask a question, What is BAD GUYS?

Greg responds...

BAD GUYS was a spin-off series which I developed at Disney. It would have been set in the same "universe" and featured characters already introduced in the GARGOYLES series, specifically Robyn "The Hunter" Canmore, Dingo, Matrix, Fang and Yama. These five would have formed a team of expendable "bad guys" who were given a choice between prison and working on the dirty missions no one else could handle. We actually made a short leica reel as a demonstration piece. But Disney cancelled the project just before the reel was completed. I finished the job on my own and showed it to everyone at the GATHERING in NYC this past summer.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg. I love Gargoyles, season 1 and 2... not 3. I have heard that there is a Gargoyle live action movie that is being worked on. I don't know if anyone else has brought this up, but here are my questions. 1) will there be a Gargoyle movie comin out? 2) will you be involved in the makin of the movie? 3) will the live action movie take place in New York as well?
4) would u be involved in casting the actors? (hehe, i'm an actor... and would love to be in it.) 6) would Oberon, Titania, Puck and all the other Avalon creatures be in the movie?.... i bet a ton of other people have asked these. ahh well... please Email me Greg. Cenan@bobbyt.com. thanks

Greg responds...

Apropos of nothing, I saw the moon last night. Hunter's Moon. Gorgeous.
Scary Yellow thing. Pretty cool, huh? Now, on to your questions.
1. Maybe. They're working on it.
2. Peripherally. Officially, I'm a co-producer, but that doesn't seem to mean much.
3. Yes.
4. I think I've mentioned that requests for employment (tongue in cheek or not) aren't appropriate for this forum. But to answer your question, I have no reason to believe that I'll have any real influence on casting. Frankly, my one serious goal for this project is to try and convince them to hire Keith David to play Goliath.
5. There is no number five.
6. Not as far as I know.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Will Puck ever remove the humanity spell on Demona? 2. Would it be possible
to change history, with the aid of the Phoenix Gate,besides the occourences in Vows? 3. What happened to Demona and Macbeth in WW1, The English Civil War, the War of the Roses etc. and who did they side with (if anyone).
Apart from those mentioned are there any other battles that they involved themselves in? 4. Would Castaway ever change his views on the Gargoyles, and would he ever suceed in killing one? 5. Is the Quarrymen assosiation legal?

Greg responds...

1. No.
2. No.
3. I'm not going to make novel-length responses in this format.
4. Maybe.
5. The association is legal. Not all their activities are.


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Anonymous writes...

I know that you had a large role in the series "GARGOYLES" but when the idea was talked about taking "GARGOYLES" off the air what did you do to stop it or do you have no say at all.

Greg responds...

I no longer worked at Disney by the time it was decided, but it didn't come as a shock. In fact, the shock was that they did a third season at all. If Disney hadn't purchased ABC and suddenly required a quick fix influx of material for ABC's Saturday morning, I'm quite sure they would have stopped producing Gargoyles after the standard 65 episodes. At the time, I was trying to convince them otherwise. Trying to convince them to let me do a spin-off, that would carry the series forward but represent another batter at the plate. Another chance for the big commercial homerun they wanted (and didn't get from GARGOYLES). They didn't go for that. Since then, I've been trying to work with fans to help keep the flame alive. I've also been trying to kibbitz a bit on the live-action movie in the hopes that that will renew interest in bringing the series back. I can't think of anything else to do.


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Anonymous writes...

1) You've been asked several times if it's possible for Goliath and Elisa to have children. You've always replied that maybe they could, not naturally, but perhaps through science or sorcery. So my question is: Will they? I understand if you don't want to reveal something major like that yet. 2) What did Hudson's mate die from? 3) Will any of the main characters that we know know come to violent ends? If so, who? Not that I want them to or anything. : ) 4) How much longer will Halcyon Renard last?
5)How long will the main character that we know now live? What year will each die in? I understand if you don't want to reveal this. 6) Will Goliath ever meet any of his grandchildren (I'm thinking of Samson in particular)? 7) What would the world of Future Tense have been like? 8) As of now, what's the average world population of Gargoyles? Thanks for your time! : )

Greg responds...

1. They could. Not naturally, but maybe through science or sorcery, or maybe via something a lot less exotic. I'm not going to say now.
2. Lack of life. :)
3. Yes. But I'm not saying anymore.
4. It depends on when I get to tell his last story.
5. You didn't really think I'd answer this one, did you?
6. Maybe.
7. Cool.
8. Average as of now? Less than 400, I'd say.


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Anonymous writes...

I hate hate hate it when you just answer "yes" to a question. I can see the way you then lean back and smile evilly... :-) So, about Owen's lovelife: I don't suppose you'll tell us the whole story in this forum (that would be no fun a t all), but would you at least reveal whether she was human, one of Oberon's children or gargoyle? And do we already know the character or have we at at least heard from her? And finally - is this a new love interest or has she just not yet graced oursel es with her presence? Thanks for answering, and know that you have a large fan community here in Germany as well, despite the horrible foreign dubbing (thank the deities for satellite TV)!

Greg responds...

She's human and, no, you haven't met her yet.


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Anonymous writes...

HAH! You said that one of Brooklyn's children was to be named Tachi. Sounds Japanese to me, either for "long sword" or a "small castle". You already said that TIMEDANCER would have included a visit to Japan's feudal period.
So, am I ri ght in assuming that Brooklyn's mate will be a female member of the Ishimura clan at that time?

Greg responds...

Yes. Katana.


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Anonymous writes...

greg, okay, what were the general circumstances under which you would have had owen and his true love meet? would she have been a former enemy, working for another corporation or what? also, how would that have affected owen's re sponsibilites to xanatos and alex?thanks for your answer!

Greg responds...

I'm not going to answer that one at this time. Sorry.


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Anonymous writes...

ok, heres another Question for you; I've been reading your recent "Gregs Ramblings." I notice that 2 familiar names are in it. Katherin and Malcom.
Is malcolm suppose to be the same Malcolm from Gargoyles (princess kathirens father)?
IF so, does that mean Kathiren (Yikes I'm a good speller =) was named after her grandmother?

Greg responds...

Yes and Yes. (And it's KATHARINE and MALCOLM. See above.)


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Anonymous writes...

In "Avalon" the king of Scotland was overthrown. Was the new king Duncons father? If no, how did Duncon become king? On that note, I f I remember right "mac" is used in Surnames as son. In your rambiling there was a Duff.
is he the fat her of MacDuff (the general of Duncuns son)?

Greg responds...

Constantine III overthrew Kenneth II. The tyrant Constantine was later overthrown by Kenneth III (the sun of Duff) with help from his cousin Maol Chalvim (the son of Kenneth II). Maol Chalvim later betrays Kenneth III and becomes High King. Maol has three daughters, all of whom he marries off strategically. Each daughter has a son, thus Maol has three grandsons (Duncan, Macbeth and Thorfinn) and three potential heirs. In "City of Stone", I had originally planned to include Thorfinn, but I just didn't have the extra screentime to fit in his part of the story.

MacDuff was not the son of King Duff but I'm sure he was related. He might have been a grandson, or a cousin or grandnephew or something.

This seems like as good a time as any to continue the story:

"Once upon a time there were three brothers..." PART THREE

Five years have passed since Duff was crowned High King of Scotland at Scone.
The year is 967 and the kingdom is at peace. But for how long? Duff is 55 years old. He has many, many daughters, but no sons. Word comes from Ireland: Indulf is dead. But Culen is not. Culen seems to get along well with the Irish. It is -- well -- an uncomfortable situation.

An heir must be chosen. And in Scotland in 967, a daughter will not suffice. Duff turns to his thirty-five year old brother Kenneth. Kenneth is strong, faithful. Kenneth also has a five year old son, Maol Chalvim, so succession will be secured into the next generation. Little Prince Maol is told that someday he will be king. Little Prince Maol is quite pleased.

And what of the third brother? Prince Malcolm is thirteen years old. And life for him has improved immeasurably since that frightening day when he was buried alive in Edinburgh Castle. He's been to every corner of Scotland with his brothers. He's seen sorcerers and gargoyles and maybe even a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster. Katharine, his mother, is honored throughout the land for her intelligence and bravery; in many ways, she is the de facto Queen of the realm. His two royal half-brothers welcome him at every council meeting and even take the time to personally coach him on his swordsmanship.
Frankly, in the Dark Ages, it just doesn't get any better than this.

Which of course means, that it can't last.

Malcolm is riding along the western shores admiring the sunset. By his side, as usual, is his best friend Robbie. Corporal Robert is 21 years old, and has grown into a true bull of a man, complete with a new bushy mustache and a commission in the King's Guard. Malcolm is looking out to sea at the falling sun, but Robbie directs his attention to a cliff a few hundred yards distant. As the sun sinks into the water, the rocks on the cliff seem to move, to flex, to grow. A great collective roar echoes down the coastline. Malcolm's eyes go wide; Robbie laughs. It's a gargoyle rookery, he explains. They're waking from stone.

"Have you been there?" Malcolm asks.

"Aye," Robbie responds. "Even talked with the head of the monsters' clan. I liked him. He's a warrior. You should meet him."

"What's his name?"

"Hasn't got one. None of them do. They're not like the Gargoyles in Scone or Loch Ness. They're rougher. Harder."

"Good peasant stock like you."

"Aye."

"Then lead the way."

They ride on. The moon rises over the hills: a small crescent, a pitiful thing. Nevertheless, its light catches something out in the water. Many somethings. Ships. A fleet.

Both boys see them in the same moment. And in that moment, both boys truly become men. They don't have to talk. They turn their horses in unison and ride off at a full gallop. They'll exchange horses at camp and keep riding.
The King must be told. Invasion.

At the court, there is celebration. Duff's wife has just given birth to her ninth child. But this one is different. This one has a penis. This one will someday be a King. Little Prince Maol is confused by this. He's going to be the King, he knows. But everyone else couldn't be happier, including Duff's brother Kenneth. Kenneth immediately relinquishes his role as heir to the throne. And swears to serve the infant prince until his dying day. Duff is deeply moved and names the boy Kenneth, after his brother and best friend.

Then the shouting starts. Malcolm and Robert burst into the room. Within the hour, the King and his brothers are riding west at the head of an army.
A small army. There has been no warning. There is little time to gather their forces.

Culen, now forty-five years old, leads the Irish troops. He has come, he says, to regain his rightful throne. His armies have swept inland with surprising speed, like a dagger plunged into Scotland's back.

At Gaine, they meet the King's Men.

The first battle is brief and bloody. One would think that God would be on the side of the Scots, but Culen's Irish get the better of it. Duff is wounded in the leg. Nothing serious, but he's carried from the field.
Kenneth fights like a true Thane. Malcolm gets his first taste of combat.
He kills one man. Stands over that man. Wonders if the man's wife has red hair. Corporal Robert uses his shield to block the cudgel aimed at Malcolm's contemplative skull. Robert shoves Malcolm to the ground and kills the attacker. Malcolm stares at his friend. Then nods. Now he understands.
Retreat is sounded. Malcolm picks himself up. He and Robbie fight there way back behind the Scotish lines.

That night, in council, Duff once again names his brother Kenneth as his heir. Kenneth protests: there is a new heir, a new Kenneth. Duff shakes his head. If anything happens to him, the kingdom will need a king, not a wee babe. Kenneth protests: the kingdom will NOT need a new king.

"It might," Duff states. "We're fighting tomorrow."

"You can't walk, Duff!"

"We've ordered a litter. The men need to see their King."

Kenneth, exasperated: "Duff!"

"We've ordered a litter. The men need to see their King." The final word on the subject.

There's fog in the morning. Four huge Guardsmen carry the king on his litter. The battle is joined. Kenneth pushes forward in a berserker rage.
Malcolm flanks him, keeping pace. He kills his second man. His third. His fourth. His.... He realizes consciously that it is time to lose count.
Robert is never far from his friend. NEVER. It's going well. The Scots have rallied. They are going to win.

Suddenly, in the midst of the fighting, one of the King's Guardsmen, the one on the left at the rear, simply steps back and lets go of his burden. Caught off guard, the other three drop the King onto his back. Left-and-Rear draws a dagger, and before anyone can move, before anyone can think to move, he plunges it into Duff's heart.

Left-and-Rear. Nameless. Soon to be quite faceless. What was this man thinking? What was he promised? How did he think he'd survive? We'll never know. He's set upon immediately. Killed. Shredded, practically. But the damage is done. Word spreads like wildfire. The King is dead, betrayed by one of his own. The Scotish line breaks, folds in. Shatters, like a mirror bringing seven years bad luck. (Well, four at least.)

Kenneth, Malcolm, Robert and a handful -- a handful only damnit -- barely escape with their lives. Culen has won. Won the battle. Won the war. Won the kingdom. Allies defect faster than rats off the proverbial sinking ship. Kenneth flees with his extended family down into Northern England. They are not welcomed there, but they are tolerated. Enroute, Malcolm's mother Katharine takes a chill. The chill becomes a fever. The fever, a delirium. And then... she's gone. Malcolm is an orphan.

Frankly, in the Dark Ages, it just doesn't get any worse than this.

TO BE CONTINUED...


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Anonymous writes...

Hello! I just wanted to tell you that "The Mirror" is my all time-favorite ep. But just one question - was it's production rushed? I ask this because Puck's character design seemed to be in flux through out the entire show.
Actually, it still seemed to be changing in his two other eps. (by way of eye size/ height etc...) Was this due to different animators or lack of time to develop him?

Greg responds...

"The Mirror" wasn't anymore rushed than any of our other second season episodes. We were on a very tight schedule in general. We had 10 months to get the first 13 episodes on the air. Then we had 10 months to get the next 52 on the air. We also had to ramp up our staff, since we had only planned on producing six episodes for the second season originally. So time was an issue, although not development time per se. Another issue is that many different artists worked on the show. And although each artist is theoretically working off the same model sheets, their individual styles are bound to shine through a bit. In fact that individualism is probably key to making a character like Puck really come alive in "The Mirror". I haven't noticed a great deal of flux in Puck specifically, at least no more than in, say, Goliath.


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Anonymous writes...

Just another Q from your local Puckateer :-) : You said that Owen *would* have a lovelife, now would she be fae, human, gargoyle or another race I've failed to mention or we haven't met yet? Thanks!

Greg responds...

Human.


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Anonymous writes...

This question has been bugging me for god knows how long. First of all, let me make sure I have a few things straight about the restraint on Owen/Puck.
He cannot go back to Avalon- that is what is meant by eternally banished.
He c annot use his powers unless he is prtecting or teaching Alexander. Am I correct, or have I missed something? There are a few details I'm curious about. Alex can only learn so much. I assume that once you've got the basics of magic down, everything e lse, more or less, is pretty much covered. There's only so much you can do. In which case, what is poor Puck going to do when he has nothing left to teach? More or less, he's pretty much stuck as Owen forever. . . Unless, of course, if I understand correctly, Owen is mortal. In which case, if Puck remains Owen for too long, will he die? Will just the Owen facade "die" or will Puck actually die? On the topic of Owen's mortality, if someone were to slice off Owen's head, and working under the a ssumption that Puck dies when Owen dies, who's left to teach/protect Alex? Would Oberon start the whole kidnapping ordeal again, or would he just sort of forget about it?
Speaking of which, does he monitor Alex's teaching, or is that mostly Titania, or is it anybody? Oh, and just a quicky "yes or no" answer; was Fox ever going to learn to use her magic or is she uninterested? Thanks.
Marie Treblast

Greg responds...

It seems you've got the rules straight, but the notion that Alex can only learn so much seems preposterous to me. I'm 34 and constantly learning new things, even new things about things I thought I had wired. Learning is a lifelong process.

Owen is mortal. But everytime Owen becomes Puck to teach Alex something, he kinda resets Owen when he changes back. So Owen's never gonna age all that much. It's a loophole, that allows Owen/Puck to continue to teach and protect Alex as long as Alex lives.

If Owen gets killed (like shot in the back or something) while he's Owen, then both Owen and Puck die. The situational question you ask is tougher to answer, because it depends on what else is going on, how old Alex is at the time, etc.

I don't think Oberon monitors much unless it strikes his fancy. Titania probably plays closer attention.

As to Fox, I think she'd be very interested, up to a point.


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Anonymous writes...

Greetings, Mr. Weisman. One thing that fascinates me most about "Gargoyles" is the attention to, (and characterization of), minor characters. Especially for the gargoyle from the flashbacks of "City of Stone" who wore plates of armor . (I'm assuming he was second-in-command, if Demona even bothered to choose one.) Seeing how this gargoyle was characterized inspired my question. It seems that, throughout the flashbacks, he has something he wants to say to Demona, but is afraid of how she'll react, given how she reacted when he spoke about making peace with the humans. The question is: What exactly was Demona's relationship with the clan that she rebuilt after the massacre at Wyvern? Some seemed afraid of her, and there was one cene in a melee where she said something like, "Come to me, my warriors!", which made it appear as if she owned them. Also, Macbeth once referred to Demona as the gargoyles' queen. Did she rule over the clan? Did she consider those gargoyles as her "l yal subjects,"
or as equals?

Greg responds...

Demona's never been particularly egalitarian. If the question had been posed to her at the time whether she was Leader or Queen, I'm sure she would have said Leader. But I've no doubt, that she acted like a tyrant. I also think the others allowed her to act that way, because the situation was quite desperate, and she was clearly the toughest warrior they had.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Does Demona sleep at all? You'd think that she'd get tired. 2. I understand the divorce laws in France and Italy are pretty stiff. They like a lot of face to face counseling and attempts at reconciliation before a divorce is gr anted. Said rules are doubly ture if the ceremony was Catholic and you have to go through the church. That being said, are Demona and MacBeth still legally married? Somehow, I don't see the two of them going down to a lawyers office together to have th s thing enulled.
Plus, Demona might very well derive some perverse pleasure in forcing MacBeth to remain her legal husband.

Greg responds...

1. Yes. She does have to sleep now, though she gets by on a few hours per day, (I get about five). Doesn't really improve her mental outlook, if you know what I mean.
2. No. The marriage had not been consumated when the bride tried to kill the groom for his money before disappearing without a trace, so getting a unilateral annulment was surprisingly easy. And Demona doesn't get pleasure from a lot these days.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, I have a weird Q for you. Or actually several. When I really think about Owen's stone arm, I wonder how he would accomplish certain things like putting on his tie, tieing his shoes, drying his back after a shower, cutting hi s food, and stuff like that. In the series, he doesn't seem too bothered by his disability. Were there any plans on showing how it changed his life?

Greg responds...

In a twenty-two minute episode, there isn't much room to depict the daily tasks of a supporting character. But we might have gotten around to it, if there was a story reason. To some extent, I don't know how Owen manages, but there are a lot of people out there with less than two hands, and I'm quite sure that they manage just fine. If we had shown some of the things you mentioned we would have tried to do our homework to make sure we were depicting things with accuracy.


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Anonymous writes...

I have a few questions. 1. Do Robyn and Jason know what their eloquent younger brother has been doing (John Castaway, the Quarrymen)? 2. What is John Castaway's driving force, hate or guilt? Thanks.

Greg responds...

1. Is this a Post-Journey CHRONICLES question? I had plans that they'd find out. I don't know whether the CHRONICLES staff even thought about it.
2. Guilt, then hate.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, what can I give you in turn for what you've given me through Gargoyles? A kidney I guess. Anyway, I've always thought that for a gargoyle to sleep for a thousand years (or even just a day) without the ability to wake oneself up , could lead to intriguing dreams and nightmares. Recently, you acknowledged that the gargoyles can dream during their stone sleep. Did you ever have plans to include gargoyle dreams in any of your stories?

Greg responds...

I have already, usually as a way of relating flashbacks, but "Future Tense" was one big Gargoyle nightmare -- even if it was inserted by Puck, and I had a few other thoughts as well.


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Anonymous writes...

most people want to know what Demona did during WW II, I'd rather know what Macbeth did during this time and also during WW I. please answer my little question, by the way I thank u greg for answering the questions of fans.
Bryan Ken nedy A.K.A. CoyotexQ

Greg responds...

It's not a little question, Bryan. This isn't the format for telling a novel- length story. Nice try though. (Feignt right, go left, see if he takes the bait.)


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Anonymous writes...

Greeting oh exalted one. Again, a thousand "thank you's" for allowing us the opportunity to ask questions. I only have one question but my mindset does need some explaining. On the surface, Demona hates all humanity and wants to erra dicate it. But, beneath it all, how strong is this conviction? Her hatred of humanity allows her to conveniently overlook her own role in the Castle Wyvern Massacre. Once, the humans are gone, who does she have left to assign blame to? Without this s rvival mechanism to shore up her unstable psyche, Demona is probably finished. During Hunter's Moon she practically tells Goliath that smashing the Praying Gargoyle will stop her plan cold and gives him a clear shot at it. True, this is probably yet an ther instance of the villain being unable to resist filling everyone in on her plan. Still, what security measures did Demona take to assure the fullfilment of a plan she spent 500 years developing. All Demona had with her at the cathedral was just one gun, yet given her past sucess rate and the hunter's still out there, you'd expect a lot more security from someone as paranoid as Demona. Okay, I'm probably over analyzing this but it does seem possible that Demona might be subconciously sabatoging her own efforts. What all of this really boils down to is: Does Demona really have it in her to annihilate 5 billion plus lives?

Greg responds...

Damn good question. I think a lot of what you wrote above makes a lot of sense. But I also think that Demona is capable of extinguishing 5 billion lives and only then turning around and realizing that she's destroyed herself. In other words, she's still very dangerous.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Wiesman, if we [the fans] could do one thing to bring back gargoyles, what should we do? Also, I know sometimes a canceled show will be produced on vidio tapes to be sold, would Disney ever do this? Thank you!

Greg responds...

On-going letter writing campaigns wouldn't hurt, but the biggest thing would be to get more and more people to watch the show. Get cable. Watch Gargoyle reruns on USA. Get everyone you know to do the same. If the ratings on the reruns are ridiculously high, then maybe that would give someone the idea to take another pass at new episodes. Do you know any Nielsen Families?

Disney already put some of the episodes out on video.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Wiesman, I just thought of this. I'm sorry I'm askiing you so much at once. Is there any way to obtain a GARGOYLE script? Also, I LOVE the soundtrack! Would Disney ever sell a copy of it? Thanks Again! Lestat

Greg responds...

Disney would probably sell anything they thought they could make money on, enough money to justify the cost of production. At the moment, I doubt they think they could make enough money by selling scripts or soundtracks.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello. You may have already answered this but I want to be extra sure and precise.Since a gargoyle turns to stone if touched by sunlight why dont they stone up if you shine a bright light on them? (may have in cyberspace Future te nse but not in some others) Also on a related topic if a gargoyle avoids sun wont they stay awake for a while? thanks for reading :) :) -Dak Phoenix

Greg responds...

Gargoyles have internal biological clocks. Sunlight acts as a psychological trigger, but it's really the internal clock that makes the change. A bright light doesn't affect the clock, nor does it act as a trigger. Avoiding the sun, for example by being indoors at sunrise, might have a slight delaying effect but not more than a few minutes, because the clock triggers the change, not the sun. The clock is simply "set" by the sun.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg Hi, You said Brooklyn's mate is Katana. Did you kindy get this of of MORTAL KOMBAT, because in the movie anyways, the princess's name is Kitana???? When was the last time you read letters from MAY? Oh, and to you and eve ryone hoe reads this- AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS SEEN THE FIFTH ELEMENT? IT"S THE BEST MOVIE I"VE EVER SEEN! SO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Little Demon, Guess what I have a new web page!?*$&#

Greg responds...

No. I saw Mortal Kombat, but not 'til after I had come up with the Katana character. What letters from May?


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Anonymous writes...

Greg here are a couple questions and comments on Gargoyles for you: 1. What happened to Wolf at the end of "Vendettas"? Is he dead? if not what did you have planned for him? 2a. Did the entire Redemption Squad(?) in "Bad Guys" only cons ist of Fang, Robyn, Yama, Dingo and the Matrix? If not who else would be part of the team? 2b. How did Yama and Dingo meet up with the rest of the group? How did Fang get out of the Labrynth? 2c. Did you know the real identity of the Director? if so who was he besides Duval's nemesis? 3. One of my favorite episodes was probably "Future Tense". It had a really dark feel to it and revealed a lot about the true nature of most of the main characters. Even though it was just a dream it seemed like a lot of the a pects of it could have come true. Besides the things that have already come true in the actual show (like the clock tower and the clone wars) what other aspects of Puck's dream would have become a reality? Do you think Lexington would ever have become e il? 4a.Last question: could you please tell me a little about the New Olympian spin-off that you had planned.
What would the two new characters be like? 4b. Did you think Boreas would have had a role? he was one of my favorite Olympians. 4c. Would the New Ol pians bring Gargoyles with them on their trip? 4d. Would they meet the entire Manhattan clan? 4e.Would the spin-off be called New Olympians or did you have another name for it? 4f. How close did this spin-off become to being made? 4g. Would Taurus have been the main character? 4h. Would the island of New Olympus have been revealed to the humans? 4i. Where did the New Olympians get their high-tech technology? Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

Greg responds...

1. He's not dead. Ultimately, I planned for him to join the Ultra-Pack.
2a. That was pretty much the team. I'm not saying others might not have come and/or gone, but that's the core.
2b. They were all recruited by the Hunter. The details of the story are my secret for now.
2c. I had a pretty good idea.
3. Heh, heh, heh.
4a. Romeo and Juliet. Sort of.
4b. Yes. Though he wasn't going to be a lead, he was to be a major supporting character.
4c. Which trip?
4d. Uh... maybe?
4e. THE NEW OLYMPIANS
4f. Not close at all. BAD GUYS came the closest.
4g. Taurus would have been one of four leads.
4h. Yes.
4i. They developed it over the centuries.
GENERAL REQUEST: I appreciate that you numbered your questions, but then you proceeded to ask multiple questions under each number. I added the letters for clarity. In the future, if you have multiple questions, please number every question. THANKS.


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Anonymous writes...

Just one this time: Why were Oberon's Children banished? Who's "fault" was it, or was Oberon just having a bad day?

Greg responds...

Arrogance. His and theirs. (That's the third time I've given the exact same answer to this question.) As to "fault", the immediate blame went to Titania, though what she did was simply the straw that broke Oberon's not-to- impressive patience.


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Anonymous writes...

If you were to start a new series, would you ever cancel out TGC by using the Phoenix gate or something simalar?

Greg responds...

By my own rules, history can't be changed. I'd strive to minimize the damage to my continuity in a number of ingenious ways, none of which I've figured out yet.


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Anonymous writes...

1) If David Xanatos is dead by 2158, what is Owen's purpose in "Future Tense"? 2) How does Xanatos die (old age or something more interesting)? 3) Was he still afraid of death? Thanks for your time Greg.

Greg responds...

1) Alexander.
2) I'm not telling.
3) Good question.


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Anonymous writes...

Okay, a few questions oh great and mighty Greg(Hey, something's on my nose). 1.)Which episodes are Oberon, Titania and Puck in? and can they all be bought/rented on video? 2.)Who let ABC have Gargoyles? On fox it was a cartoon an adult could enjoy. When it went to ABC, it became the Sterotypical Disney cartoon, family values, good over evil, happy ending, blah blah, it sucks. I mean, come on, the only 2 I ever saw, the first one had terrible art, and the second one, Bronx was helping an Amish child. And what the frag is this with All the humans knowing about the Gargoyles and not being scared. I hate the Goliath Chronicles for ruining my favorite cartoon. Damn disney to hell. Mickey needs his kneecaps broken, maybe put some sense into him. And damnit, Let the Rabbits wear glasses. 3.)Who did the voices for Titania and Oberon, I know Data did puck. 4.) Could you describe in words, what Oberon, Titania, Puck and Owen look like, along with clothing?(Sorry for the trouble, but I use the descriptions fora game) 5.)In 1961 Roger Maris led the majors in homeruns. That year, who got hit in the head with the most balls? (Answer : Liberace) Thanks for your time and you tolerating me. C. Spence Roberts "I don't need to drink to have fun; I need to drink to stop the voices in my head."

Greg responds...

1. "The Mirror" - Puck; "Ill Met by Moonlight" - Oberon, Titania; "Future Tense" - Puck, "The Gathering, Part One" - Oberon, Titania; "The Gathering, Part Two" - Oberon, Titania, Puck; "Possession" - Puck. Of course, that doesn't count episodes where Puck appeared as Owen or Titania as Anastasia (unless Puck or Titania also appeared in the episode as well). Also, Titania appeared in some Goliath Chronicle episode. And no, I don't think any of them are available on home video.
2. As I've stated before, I don't see the point in Disney-bashing. You're mad at the company that put Gargoyles on the air, because you believe they screwed it up down the line. Well, maybe they did, but it's not like they were trying to. I think they deserve some credit for doing the show in the first place. And if you ever want to see new episodes of the show again, I don't think that Disney-bashing is an effective way to make that happen. I think the switch to ABC had less to do with the changes you mentioned, then the turnover in creative staff, the lower budget and the abbreviated schedule.
3. Brent Spiner did Puck. He also does Data. (I think it's an important distinction.) Kate Mulgrew did Titania. She also does Captain Janeway.
Terence Mann did Oberon. He played The Beast on Broadway.
4. I could, but I won't. You could do that yourself. You know what they look like.
5. Ouch.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello. I was wondering where Dedemona got her name? Thank you.

Greg responds...

When Marty and Bob wrote the first draft outline of "Legion" they had created a scenario that seemed very reminiscent of Shakespeare's OTHELLO. I don't know if they specifically had that in mind, but I assume they did. Because Gargoyles didn't used to use names, the outline was very confusing to read, so I suggested using the names of the corresponding characters from the play to represent the three gargoyles. Othello (later Coldstone), Desdemona (later Coldfire) and Iago (later Coldsteel) were thus identified for script and credit purposes, but the names were never used in dialogue by any of the characters.


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Anonymous writes...

Can Gargoyles get sick (i.e. colds, the flu, etc.)?

Greg responds...

I suppose, but they heal fast, so they don't stay sick very long.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman, once again, thank you for taking the time to do this for your loyal fans, who all hope one day all your visions for Gargs will come true. Now, a few questions, numbered for easier answering: 1) I was wondering if you had anything to do with the excellent title sequence that plays at the beginning at every ep, if so, how do you and others choose what goes where? It's very effective in getting one's attention, especially combined with Carl Johnson's outstanding sweeping theme song, with or without words. 2) Not sure if I'll get a concrete answer to this, but what was Owen doing when Demona summoned him in "The Mirror"? I hope he wasn't giving a press conference or in public or something. 3) Are the Sisters more powerful [as in who would win a battle between] than say, the Puck? It seems to me that three magical beings would be better than one.
They can drag the Banshee back without too much trouble seemingly, they seem to be only a bit less powerful than Oberon and Titania. (4) A few comments, as last post you said you would like some. Heh, get ready for alot of mindless praise. Just wanted to say I agree with what you said in your last answer archive about how City of Stone 'has some of our most honest emotions in it' Couldn't agree more, I must admit, that ep is the only cartoon that has ever brought tears to my eyes. Everything works, the animation, the expressions on Demona's face, Marina's voice acting, the music is excellent, [I don't think I've heard the part where Demona is kissing a stone Goliath goodbye in any other episode.] The parts where Demona turns to stone by the beach and then the fade in to the massacre is taking place is very vivid and heartbreaking, as is the part where she gives a tearful kiss goodbye to Goliath before flying away to begin her life of solitude. Oh, and the "access code is alone" line is also very sad, you and the others certainly outdid yourselves with making Demona a tragic figure, she's mostly all we talk about in the comment room. :) Hope your proud. Thanks again for taking the time to answer questions.

Greg responds...

1. I kibbitzed (as did a number of people). Elen Orson cut the title sequence for the first season. Bob Birchard did the recut for the second season. Both individuals are extremely talented editors. Frank Paur and I supervised. Gary Sperling wrote Keith's narration for the second season title, with a lot of imput from me. And of course, Carl's music makes it.
We tried to get striking images that would punctuate the music and vice versa. We also wanted to show the breadth of the series, and still emphasize key elements like "the origin", the "transformations", gliding, climbing, battle and intrigue.
2. Nothing that caused a crisis. Not that Owen couldn't handle a crisis, thank you very much.
3. Who's stronger Hulk or Thing? There's more to winning than strength, but yeah, I think the Sisters combined might is pretty impressive when they really cut loose. Puck's a tough bird to get in hand though.
4. Thanks for your kind words. A lot of credit should go to Michael Reaves, Brynne Chandler Reaves, Lydia C. Marano and Frank Paur (and a lot of other people) who helped make "CoS" what it was. Glad you liked it.


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Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! Ok How come in "Avalon Part 3" after the magus died in the scene where they were all saying goodbye if you look real close you can see the magus in the background?

Greg responds...

Really? Where? I'm not sure what you mean. (Man, are the questions vague today, or did I take dope pills?)


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Anonymous writes...

I got five question for you. 1.In 'Future Tense ' why did Brooklyn punch Goliath ? 2. Who was that white-head man when Goliath walked over to Hudson's stone form ? 3. Why did Xanotos destroy his son ? 4. What was that thing on Broadways neck ? 5. What were those guards things that looked like Thailog ? All of them are from 'Future Tense', I haven't seen that one before.

Greg responds...

1. "He" felt Goliath had abandoned the clan. But of course "he" didn't exist. Puck was going for shock value.
2. You mean the Bronze statue of Hudson? Do you mean Matt?
3. "He" didn't need him or care for him. But of course, "he" wasn't Xanatos, he was a computer programmed by Lex. And of course none of them existed. Puck was going for shock value.
4. Armor? I'm not sure what you mean.
5. Thailog Shock Troops. Thailog clones with brain implants to insure obedience.


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Anonymous writes...

Thank for a collection of wonderfully fanciful dramatic, and intelligently told stories. "Gargoyles" is a joy to watch, and a pleasure to follow.
Your comments on "Ask Greg" about directions you would have liked to have taken your characters has only whetted my appetite for more of your Gargoyles stories. I understand that there is a group of fans on the internet who have embarked on a project to write new "Gargoyle" stories following "The Journey" and ignoring the rest of the "Chronicles." They have called this the "Gargoyles Saga" and have said that the new stories will be written in the "style of Greg Weisman" with continuing character development and plot twists. (1) Tell me what you think about this endeavor, (2) Do you believe that this is appropriate (morally, legally)?, and (3) what would be your concerns about any impact on your future work if "Gargoyles" retruns to TV after the movie is released?

Greg responds...

1. I've answered this before in detail. Mostly I'm gratified, but I have mixed feelings.
2. I don't see any legal issues, since it's not-for-profit. I don't see any moral concerns either.
3. I'm not sure I understand the question. What kind of impact? It sounds like a good thing.


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Anonymous writes...

All right, I've always wondered about this. The first time I saw "Awakenings" and a few times thereafter, only one gargoyle who looked like Lex appeared--Lex. In the "Movie" version, another appears, and then later on, one appears in the series. (I've noticed other things changing between airings, too.) My question is... Why are there no other gargs looking like Lex? That's it; thanx for your time.

Greg responds...

You said yourself that there are other gargs that look something like Lex.
Obviously, that cosmetic variation is rarer, but not unheard of. Just like some people have hazel eyes, but most don't. Keep in mind that you haven't seen that many total gargoyles period.


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Anonymous writes...

How did Maggie Reed get to New York, and how did she end up with no money and nowhere to live?

Greg responds...

Maggie had a bus ticket and twenty-two hundred dollars when she left Ohio.
She moved to the big city and checked into a woman's hotel while she looked for an apartment and work. Work was harder to find than she thought, and a cheap apartment in Manhattan is practically an oxymoron. She spent way too much, way too fast, and before she knew it she was on the street. Or something like that. It happens all the time.


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Anonymous writes...

I have a few questions. I hope you don't mind. 1.) Does Disney or Buena Vista, plan to bring out anymore Gargoyle videos or are they even planning on brining Gargoyles:The Goliath Chronicales on video? I never did get to see TGC due to my ABC didn't air it and I KNOW I'd buy them. I already have the other videos. 2.) Now Oberon, Titiania, and Oberon's Children had to be mortal for 100 years, correct? Well we all know Puck was Owen and Titiania was Fox's mother. And the Banshee was the English girl (forgot her name). And so one...But I do not remember anyone mentioning who Oberon was.
Did he even become mortal? Thank you Greg. And good work on your excellent show! :)

Greg responds...

1. I don't think there are any current plans at this time. But I don't work at Disney anymore, so anything's possible.
2. No. Not correct. They had to be out in the mortal world for 1001 years. No one said they had to pose as mortals, though many did. Oberon did a lot of different things over that time.


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Anonymous writes...

You must know that there is a gigantic amount of Gargoyles fanfiction being written, even if you haven't read any. (I think that's very careful of you.
Good job.:) How do you feel about the fact that there is so much being done by amat eur authors with your characters and stories?

Greg responds...

I've addressed this (probably ad nauseum) in the comment room. 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.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg I appreciate your response to my last question. Hopefully you will find this one as thought provoking. Demona has always been my favorite character because of the complexity of her persona, and hey, you just can't help but pi ty her. However, as the show progressed from season 1 to 2, I noticed her plot lines seemed to become more formulamatic. In essence, she has a plan to either A) destroy humanity, or B) destroy the clan. Said plan is foiled by Goliath and company, and Demona is left to go away and sulk. Admittedly, you always found a new spin to put on her behavior, however, the general thrust remained the same. Had Gargoyles continued would you have gone on with her in this manner, or would we have seen some charac ter development beyond her "All humans must die" mode. I'm not asking if she was going to jump on the bandwagon of reformed villains.
She evokes the perfect blend of pathos and disgust as she is. I just want to know what general direction her chara cter development would have taken.

Greg responds...

Well, I don't really agree with your assessment of our second season episodes. Neither "Sanctuary" or even "The Reckoning" really fit your criteria all that well. I think the introduction of Angela has already had an effect on Demona's behaviour. If we ever get more episodes, Demona's character will continue to evolve, but not quickly. Demona has 1000 years of reinforced behaviour to overcome. (A) Destroying humanity and (B) altering the clan to suit her vision of what it should be like are still major goals, and I don't see that changing anymore than I see Xanatos' desire for immortality going away. Is it formulaic to see a determined villain thwarted? I suppose. But "City of Stone" doesn't strike me as a formulaic story, and although one might argue that Demona's role in "Hunter's Moon" was similar to her role in "CoS", I don't think too many people are troubled by the general similarities, when the details and attitudes are so different.


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Anonymous writes...

Not the typical question (and certainly not for publication), but: Early in May, when you and your family attended a Saturday screening of "Future Tense" at the Museum of Television and Radio, you were good enough to pose for a photo w ith me, Brian "DumlaoX" Dumlao and your brother Jon. First, let me know if you'd like a print (though I somehow doubt it!). My email is fiat.lex@ix.netcom.com. Second: I mentioned prior to the shot that this was for me and Brian, not to be put on the 'net, but I could not tell if this mattered to you. If you don't give a hoot, let me know, and someone (else) may scan and webbify it. Don't sweat it either way. Thanks again.

Greg responds...

Pogo, thanks. As you know, I already got that photo from you. As I think I said at the time, you can webify it as long as my daughter is not in the shot.


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Anonymous writes...

Why were there still Hunters up to present day? After all, Canmore himself killed Macbeth and Demona. He may have known that they were linked, but he also thought that they were truly dead. Why have his descendents become Hunters wh en there are no more gargoyles left? Also, weren't the Hunters more vengeful toward Macbeth than the Demon? Canmore hated Macbeth and never really regarded Demona with as much hatred. How did the Hunter's focus shift from Macbeth to Demona? Thanks for your time. Gargoyles was a wonderful show.

Greg responds...

Obviously, something else happened to Canmore, or at least one of his sons, after the events depicted in "City of Stone". That would probably explain the shift you describe as well.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg, I have the following questions. 1. Was MacBeth involved in Bannochburn or Killecrany (1740s, Jacobites)? 2. Did MacBeth have a part in the American Revolution?

Greg responds...

1 & 2. I don't know yet.


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Anonymous writes...

(1) W.M&S.A.>>On a socialogical perspective, Mr. Weisman, what is the general nature of Gargoyles? In additon to the "Gargoyles Protect" platitude whis is tossed around so often. (2) A.K.>>Which character is most like yourself?
(3) A.K.&W.M.>>What happened with the Grimorum between the tenth century and the twentieth century? (4) Is there a possibility of the book to come back into play later in the series. (5) A.K.&S.A.>You said one point (Wes told us you wrote that...) Demon a was turned 35. How old did MacBeth age. We'd like to congratulate you on creating a great show that is, ironically, more realistic than at least three-quarters of the show on the air now.

Greg responds...

1. I'm not sure I understand the question. But "Gargoyles Protect" is much more than a platitude.
2. They've all got a little of me, or at least a little of what I aspire to. Even the villains have a bit of me in them. But I'm probably more like Vinnie than any of the others. :)
3. I'm not saying.
4. Sort of.
5. 52.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Since Nokkar mistook Goliath and Angela for his rival alien race, does that mean that the evil aliens were Gargoyles, or at least similar? 2.
Would Broadway ever be blinded, as in Puck's 'prophecy' ? 3. Would Goliath and Elisa eve r find a way to have children, either through science or sorcery? 4. Out of all 66 Gargoyles episodes you have done, which are you most proud of? 5. How old would Brooklyn's children have been after he returned from his Timedancer adventures?

Greg responds...

1. NO. NO. NO. He didn't mistake them for a specific rival alien race.
He just (incorrectly) assumed that they weren't native to Earth. He then jumped to the conclusion that the Space-Spawn had finally sent alien scouts (of a race he wasn't familiar with) to the planet he had been guarding for centuries.
2. Was it a prophecy or a nightmare?
3. You're ignoring an obvious alternative.
4. I've answered this before. Check out the archives for this page.
5. Ask me this again later. I'm willing to answer it, but I don't have those notes handy right now.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg! I know you hear this all the time but you everyone involved in the show did an incredible job.I hope that one day you will have the opportunity to do Gargoyles again.
Here are some questions I have regarding the series. 1 . What was Oberon doing during the 1000 years away from Avalon? 2. Why were the weird sisters forbiden from leaving the barge(from Avalon part 1). Why couldn't they go to the shore? 3.What were the "other plans" of the weird sisters.
4. What year did N okkar arrive on Earth? 5. How long did it take Nokkar to get to Earth from his planet? 6.
What year ( by human terms) did the inter-galactic war break out? 7.Who were the invaders Nokkar refered to? 8. When was New Olympus founded? 9.
Were did the Ne w Olympians get their technology? Thank you for your time.

Greg responds...

1. 1000 years worth of stuff.
2. Oberon's rules made it tough, until they found a loophole.
3. I'm not telling yet.
4. I don't remember off hand. It's in my notes somewhere.
5. I don't know.
6. Long time ago.
7. The Space-Spawn.
8. Again, I'd have to dig it out of my copious notes.
9. They developed it.


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Anonymous writes...

Did Thailog plan on betraying Demona from the very start of their relationship? If no, then when did he decide to "get rid of" her?? Thank you!

Greg responds...

I think he certainly was using her from the outset. He quickly learned of her link to Macbeth and figured out a way to capitalize on it that involved Demona dying. "Betrayal" isn't a strong enough word.


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Anonymous writes...

I am a fan that has been able to gather the first 65 shows, and a so so I have two questions for you. 1) how can I get the last 13 they were not played in the abc (or whatever) channel in my area and i would love to have them. 2) the stories were fantastic and I hate the fact that they must end, I could kill Mikey Mouse for cancelling the show (joke), anyway will you find some way to continue the storeis, ie your own production of them, a book or commic book and not like that short l ived one that did not follow the episodes at all, and if so how could I go about getting them. I am a fan of mythology and as such the way you incorporated so many differtent tales made the show extremly enjoyable....please for us poor and desperate fans is there something that can be done.
thank you for listing

Greg responds...

1. I don't know. Ask a web-friend?
2. I've talked about this before. I'd very much like to continue telling stories, but I need to work for a living. I need a venue. Hopefully, we'll find one together. I'll keep you posted.


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Anonymous writes...

here is another question I just thought of. (1) The "Cat/Bat" creations of Dr. Sevarious Talon and all they all had tails when they first started out and then as time went on they did not have their tails. does this mean that their bodie s are going back to normal. (2)also along the same lines claw in future tense did not have his wings is this also realted or just "part of the dream" . (3) P.S. why does he not talk thank you

Greg responds...

1. No. I've answered this before. Check the archives for a more complete response.
2. This was just part of the dream, but Puck's idea here was that Claw had lost his wings in some battle.
3. Trauma.


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Anonymous writes...

1. How big was the clan in the Guatemalan Rainforest before the massacre?
2. Do the New Olympians share any genetic relationships or are they seperate intelligent species that just live together on one island? 3. How do they control overpopul ation (there must be many people on that one island after many generations). 4. How long do members of Nokkar's species live? 5. How many species were (are) involved in the galactic war?

Greg responds...

1. Probably the standard 40+.
2. Some of both.
3. I'm sure the population is larger now than when they started. They may not be particularly prolific. They also seem scientifically advanced enough to practice voluntary birth control.
4. A damn long time.
5. There are three main species engaged in the conflict, though many other species are involved.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg, First of all, thanks so much for your help in creating such a great show! My question has to do with the original 5 show Awakenings arch: Why, when he knew that the eggs in the rookery would be hatching soon, would Goliath request to be placed under the sleep spell? If he was concerned enough to see to their disposition by asking Katherine to care for them, why wouldn't he have simply stayed "awake" and cared for them himself when they hatched? He certainly wouldn't have bee n "alone" then and could have worked with the Magus to find a way to remove the sleep spell. In addition, turning the eggs over to someone else, specially someone like Katherine, who had been so bigoted against the gargoyles so recently, has never seemed to fit with the rest of Goliath's character.
Thanks in advance for your answer!

Greg responds...

The eggs weren't THAT close to hatching. Still...

I hate to say this, because I love Goliath, but he was clearly abdicating responsibility. There's no excuse, though the reason is obvious: he was overwhelmed by grief. Just overwhelmed. He couldn't face the years alone. He couldn't even face the prospect of raising the gargoyle babies alone. He made a rash and horrible decision. I'm not going to try to justify it.

Because if we're going to be brutally honest, Goliath believed he was committing a kind of suicide. The terms of the Magus' spell were that the Gargoyles would sleep until the castle rose above the clouds. To Goliath, that was like saying "'til Kingdom come". He didn't think the spell would ever be broken. He didn't think he'd ever wake up.

When he did wake up, and when Xanatos told him that the eggs had not survived, his guilt must have been enormous. Enormous. When he discovered that Angela and the others had survived, his relief was equally boundless.

And since we're on the subject, I want to give some credit where it's due. When Paul Lacy and I worked out the original flashback story and when Michael Reaves wrote the first draft teleplay, we had the Magus offer Goliath the option of joining his companions in sleep. When my boss Gary Krisel read that, he suggested we make it Goliath's own idea, his own request. Of course, Gary was absolutely right. But believe me, that was a daring thing for any executive to approve, let alone suggest. At the time, "Awakening" was a four parter, (before we realized we had too much material to fit into four parts). The entire 10th century flashback was stuffed into Part One. Gary was inviting us to end our FIRST EPISODE EVER with the implied suicide of our lead hero. I watched it again a few weeks ago. Even though it's now an act break in Part Two instead of an episode-ender, it's still a very powerful moment. And the idea for it came from a DISNEY EXECUTIVE. Those types get a lot of flack.
Witness some of the recent comments in Gore's comment room about TPTB at Disney. It doesn't hurt to occasionally remind everyone that executives are people too. And that sometimes they have great ideas and the courage of their convictions.
Hell, I was still an executive when I created and developed Gargoyles. In fact, I was still an executive while I was producing most of the first season of the show.


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Anonymous writes...

1. How many Episodes and Seasons would your PENDARGON CYCLE have? 2.
How many Eps and Seasons would the TIMEDANCER CYCLE and FUTURE TENSE SAGA have, if FUTURE TENSE was a CYCLE and if it wasn't? 3. How many Eps and Seasons would the BAD CHARACTER CYCLE have? 4. How many Eps ans Scenes would the NEW OLYMPIAN CYCLE have? 6. How many Episodes and Scenes would the DARK AGES CYCLE have? 7. Where would each CYCLE be in the timeline? If it might give away possible show secrets, please tell me if it would,and don't answer Question 7, if it won't give away secrets, please do. 8. If the conversation with Elisa and Jason on the Clocktower in HUNTER'S MOON hadn't been erased, please tell me EXACTLY what it would be like. If you don't have the time to be totally specific, please tell me so and I'll give you my E-Mail Address so you can tell me another time when you can or want to. 9. If GARGOYLES starts again, how would you get TGC back on track with your Master Plan?
10. Is there any possible way we can get you to remove your limitations on the questions, like promises about no claiming credit, etc.?

Greg responds...

1. How many would you give me?
2. TimeDancer: 40 years worth. Future Tense: Unlimited.
3. Bad Guys? Probably unlimited.
4. Unlimited.
5. There is no 5. So I'll take this opportunity to explain the point I'm trying to make above: so far, I haven't run out of stories to tell about these characters. Quite the reverse, each story I did tell suggested more and more possibilities. It may be moot now, but assuming I ever get the chance to start things up again, I really don't see that changing.
6. 23 years worth.
7. Uh. I'm not sure I understand the question. Gargoyles, Pendragon, Bad Guys and New Olympians were all to have been set in the present (which is not to say that they might not have included the occasional flashback). Dark Ages would have begun in the year 971 and moved forward from there, at least until we caught up to the events of 994. Future Tense would have started in 2158 and moved forward from there. TimeDancer would have, well, danced around in time.
8. Check the archives. I typed the whole thing in.
9. I'm not sure. I've seen each of the last 12 episodes exactly once.
I'd have to make myself watch them again with an eye toward assessing the damage to my planned continuity. I'm not eager to see those 12 again, so I'm not going to watch them until I have a reason to. Right now I don't.
10. No. Sorry. I'm not interested in removing those limitations at this time.


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Anonymous writes...

Just a quick Q: What part of the master plan would Ariel have appeared in?
What would the role be?

Greg responds...

Not telling.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg, I know you've been asked, but you (ahem) asked for it!
(1) Could you PLEASE tell us all about the ep you couldn't show? How much of a shock value? How far in development did this ep get, did it begin to be animated?
(2) Also, Pulease find a way to start Gargoyles again. We'll do everything to help. (3) How is the movie developing? What is the newest scoop on that?
(4) What are these Gargoyles novels from 1994 I've heard about from a friend of mine?? Did it follow the sh ow's concept, or was it a seperate universe with the same characters,like the comic was? Be proud of me, oh great Creator. My twin and I have "converted" a bunch of our friends and classmates to Gargoyles! A new order begins, Gargoylism! Bwa ha ha!
Thank you in advance. (I know you've been asked some of these before, but please, we need some solace)

Greg responds...

1. I wrote a premise. That's it. A one-page summary of the story.
2. I'm doing my best, but it's really not in my control.
3. I don't know. I have no new info.
4. I've never heard of them. From 1994? Are you sure they exist? There certainly weren't any novels written based in any way on our show.


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Anonymous writes...

Greg. Thanks again for the opportunity to ask a few questions. 1.
Probably the most disturbing images from Gargoyles was Demona shattering all of those human statues.
What happened to those remnants when the spell was broken and ho w was the disappearance of so many explained? 2.What was your planned lifespan for the cold-trio? Since they have robot bodies they could theoretically exist for as long as spare parts were available. 3.If Oberon's children were banished from Avalon , how could the Weird Sisters accompany the Archmage there on his attack? Wouldn't this be considered a violation? 4.What did you cut from Avalon part 2?

Greg responds...

1. It was pretty gruesome, I'd guess. I'm not sure it ever was explained, but I'm sure that there's still an open case file somewhere.
2. Lifespan? I guess they were immortal until they were damaged beyond repair. That doesn't mean they'd wind up living forever.
3. They were left behind as Guardians. It's another loophole.
4. A line here. A short scene there. More background, mostly regarding the Weird Sisters following Macbeth and Demona's careers for centuries. Although that sounds more interesting than it was.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg, I know this may be a funny Q. Were Owen and Xanatos really friends? Or was it just a matter of servitude. What were the reasons why Owen came back to help them in the GPart2. Myfriend says they weren't friends at all. If th ey were, when and how did that start?

Greg responds...

I think they are friends. Moreso than either would admit. And I'd say that friendship developed and deepened over time, though the starting point was probably Xanatos' choice of Owen over Puck.


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Anonymous writes...

I know you have probably been asked these questions before before, but: 1) What is with Hudson's sword? Sometimes it cuts through solid stone, other times it just kind of hits things like a club 2) What did Titania say to Fox?

Greg responds...

1. A lot depends on the angle and force of the swing.
2. Something.

By the way, I'm sorry if some of my answers seem terse or rushed. Gore has just sent me about 300+ questions so that we can power through the backlog and reopen ASK GREG. So that's exactly what I'm trying to do. Power through as quickly as possible.


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Anonymous writes...

Greetings, Mr. Weisman. First, let me say I love the gargoyles show. Now let me ask a few questions... (1)I was a bit surprised no one else has noticed this, but in "Sanctuary" Angela said that the Princess told the hatchlings about Not re Dame Cathedral. How could this be? The Princess, Magus, and Tom went to Avalon in the late 900s, but construction on Notre Dame didn't begin until around 1100 or so and wasn't completed until the 1300s. Or did Tom just somehow end-up in Paris during on e of his trips outside Avalon? (2) Also, did the Magus have another name, and that was just his title, or is that simply his name. (3) And last, I was curious if some of the people working on Gargoyles were fans of Highlander, because there are so many para llels---the Gathering, immortals, Hunters, a secret society......Just curious. Well, thanks in advance for answering my questions(if you choose to do so, and then thanks for your time anyhow).

Greg responds...

1. Tom saw a lot over the years.
2. "Magus" was not his given name.
3. I enjoyed much of the original movie. Many episodes of the series are pretty good too. But I don't think it influence me that much. The concept of immortality is hardly original to Highlander. Neither are the other things you've mentioned. And we were creating some of it simultaneously with the creation of that series. Obviously, I can't be sure it had no influence, but no conscious influence, at least.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear greg Hiya and thanks for taking time to answer this question! I heard you were in the chat on friday June 6 and gave your out look explaning the gargoyle from his age up to his stone status.so can you please explain more on it?
I found it interesting of the tid bit I heard from gore!

Greg responds...

Well, it's October now, and I honestly don't know what you're referring to.
Sorry.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Mr. Weisman, First I would like to thank you for creating a fabulous show. I only have one question, but this has been bugging me for a while. 1. Does Demona know about Goliath's relationship with Elisa?
Also (I know I sai d one), if Demona does know, is that why she keeps trying to kill Elisa or does she just plain hates her more than any other human? Thank you for your time. -Danielle Royer Homestead, Florida

Greg responds...

1. I think Demona intuited their feelings before either Goliath or Elisa were fully aware of them. I don't think she's conscious of any romantic relationship, mostly because, to date there isn't one yet. Demona's relationship to Elisa is complex. She has a lot of reasons to hate her.
Generic contempt for humans. The belief that humans always betray gargoyles. The deep-seated fear that Elisa proves that Demona's been wrong about humans for centuries. Goliath's obvious feelings for Elisa. Elisa's obvious feelings for Goliath. Etc.


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Anonymous writes...

Why did Oberon force his children to leave Avalon for a thousand years?

Greg responds...

Arrogance. Theirs and his. (Deja Vu again.)


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Anonymous writes...

Okay, I have had this question for quite some time, and I am suprised to not have seen it in the archive. Okay, In the Gathering Part 2, towards the end, Titania whispers something to Fox, making Fox look very suprised....I would love to know what Titania said...

Greg responds...

Obviously, you didn't check the archive very carefully. This has been asked multiple times. And I always give the same answer: What do you think she whispered?


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Anonymous writes...

Hi!Gargoyles is just GREAT!I want to ask you is there any page dedicated to the Hunters(anything related to them...Please tell me as soon as possible!Thanxs!

Greg responds...

Page? Like web page? I have no idea. Why don't you ask at the comment room?


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Anonymous writes...

1) How does Xanatos control the wings, laser and tail of his exoframe?
2) Did Titania start the entire battle in "The Gathering" just to bring Fox's powers to the surface?
3) What disease does Renard have?
4) In 2158, would the Quarrymen still have existed? And did you ever plan to have Castaway come to tolerate the Gargoyles?
5) What plans did you have for the Clones?

Greg responds...

1. It's complicated.
2. Maybe.
3. I'm not completely sure. As I think I've said before, I was planning on doing an episode that focused on that. Never got around to it. Had I, I would have done research to find a disease that matched the already demonstrated symptoms. I was going to begin my research with MS, but I don't know if that would have worked out.
4a. Probably in some form.
4b. I honestly don't know.
5. Lots of plans.


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Anonymous writes...

1. Which episode of yours got rejected? 2. Why is Lexington smaller than the others? I mean, he's the same age, but everyone thought he was younger and I didn't catch any really short gargoyles at Wyvern except Lex. Thanks.

Greg responds...

1. I'm not telling.
2. I'm 34 years old. I'm also 5'7". There are a lot of 34 year olds taller than me. Plenty that are shorter too. And some who are the exact same height. Lex (who tends toward low-to-the-ground posture anyway) is short.
It happens.


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Anonymous writes...

Who is the guy in the trenchcoat at the beginning of "The Gathering" who is walking away from Oberon just as Odin goes up, and what's he doing there? Thank you so much, (whether you answer this or not).

Greg responds...

He's Nobody or Nought. And he's greeting Oberon, just like everyone else.


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Anonymous writes...

You resently presented us with a listing of ages for the characters of the show. I noted that Angela is chronilogicaly 106 years younger than Goliath. I also noted that Gabriel and Opheila were 1 year younger that Angela. This leads me to the questions of...
1) How long does it take for Gargoyle eggs to hatch (Goliath was 56 when he was turned to stone by the Magus and Angela didnt hatch until 50 years after that.) I am sure that the extended time has to do with the Avalon time distortion scenario.
2)Do gargoyles have a set mating season like most animals do or are they more like humans in their reproduction.
3)If 2 is yes... How many eggs do they lay during one season.
4)If 2 is no...how often can they lay eggs.
Inquiring minds want to know. Or at least I do.

Greg responds...

1. It's been a long time since I did the Avalon math. But Gargoyle eggs typically take ten years to hatch.
2. Both.
3. One.
4. Once every twenty years.


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Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman, I read one of your terrific responses to the Goliath/Elisa relationship, You stated what you would do if you continued on the show in terms of the two TALKING about it and then disagreeing, and subsequently reagreeing.
Without giving away any of your ideas, and if "The Journey" were any indication, would you've displayed their relationship over the course of thirteen (or another 65, for that matter) episodes much more broadly, openly and frequently than the previous 65 ?

Greg responds...

If I take your meaning correctly, then, yes.


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Anonymous writes...

How involved were you with the Gargoyles comic book series and why did they stop at issue 11? (it was just starting to get good.)

Greg responds...

I consulted on the first 11 issues. It was cancelled primarily because it wasn't selling enough issues. But also because Marvel was (and is) going through some tough times. Their licensed books imploded to a great degree.
And no one's more bummed than me that it got cancelled. I was just about to take the book over as the writer. In fact, I had already written my first issue.


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Anonymous writes...

It is with a sad heart that I read the news that Gargoyles is no longer being produced. It seems to have developed quite a cult following. It is well deserved. Great animation, stories and character development.
I hope they change their minds. But, it was a great ride while it lasted.
I just wanted to congratulate someone who was involved with creating the best animated TV series of all time. Thank you. P.S. I'm 44 years old and it was a joy to watch it given the poor alternatives that are available nowadays.

Greg responds...

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words.


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Anonymous writes...

What age group were you aiming Gargoyles for? Were you at all surprised by the number of older fans that enjoy Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

We had a core age group (kids 6-11) that we needed to reach in order keep our advertisers happy, but I intentionally tried to build the show so that it operated on multiple levels and could appeal to the widest possible age range. So, no, I wasn't surprised that older fans liked it. Gratified definitely, but not surprised.


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Anonymous writes...

Though no new current seasons are being produced I was told by the master of ceremonies at a recent sci fi/fantasy convention that his sources at Disney mentioned a "limited"(??) 4th season is underway.Is this in anyway true?

Greg responds...

No.


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Anonymous writes...

You mentioned a "Prospero" in one of your replies. Who is he? Is he related to any of the character's we know? If not, have any of the characters met him previously? Is he good or evil? And last, but not least, did you plan for him to
actually help with a hybrid, or just want to?

Greg responds...

I'm not talking.


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Anonymous writes...

Why did Oberon (excuse my spelling) banish the feys from Avalon?

Greg responds...

Arrogance. Theirs and his. And your spelling is fine.


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Anonymous writes...

If the trio is all the same age then why does Brooklyn act like he's a few years older?!?

Greg responds...

Maturity and chronological age don't always go hand in hand.


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Anonymous writes...

I was wondering if you could give a little detail on how so many Star Trek actors got cast in the show. It seems a little more than coincidence, since you had appearances from nearly the entire cast of The Next Generation, and (as far as I can tell) at least one actor from every other Star Trek series.
Thanks!

Greg responds...

I've answered this before. But in a nutshell, it began with Marina. She auditioned for Demona and was perfect immediately. Jonathan was later cast as Xanatos. After that when we were thinking about who to cast in various guest rolls, it was hard not to think of Star Trek when we had two of their actors sitting there in the room with us.


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Anonymous writes...

Where did gargoyles come from - were they created, did they evolve or what. What exactly are the origins of gargoyles?

Greg responds...

I've answered this before too. Gargoyles were created in the same way humans were. If you believe in human evolution, then you should believe in Gargoyle evolution. If you believe that humans were created by a higher power (like God), then so too were the Gargoyles. Personally, I don't find those ideas mutually exclusive.


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Anonymous writes...

Was Gabriel Coldstone and Coldfire's son? Why was Coldfire a robot and not a cyborg like Coldtsone? Also, who thought up the "jalapena" exclamation? (It's actually pronounced "jalapeno")

Greg responds...

Gabriel was there biological son, yes.
There were no gargoyle pieces left to make a second (or third) cyborg for Coldfire and Coldsteel. Robots were the best Xanatos could do.
Jalapeña (which we altered on purpose, I know how to spell and pronounce jalapeño, thank you very much) was basically added to the show on a dare.
Anyone who was at the Gathering this past summer heard Keith David tell the story of the Blues singer who used to say "¡Jalapeña!" instead of "Halleluia". Keith took the habit from her. (I wish I could remember her name.) Our voice director Jamie Thomason bet me I couldn't find a way to work it into the show. I took that bet. Worked it in and fell in love with it. Everyone else on the show hated it.


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Anonymous writes...

Hello, Greg! The ritual thanks for all your time and help...on to the questions.
1. "Griff and Leo were involved in the 40s..." This is a direct quote from you. *Leo*? Are you sure you didn't mean *Una*? (I know the answer to this one--I hope--but I decided to bug you anyway.) 2. This has been asked twice or more before, but I've decided to ask it the right way. *In the Gargoyles universe*, who created the Phoenix Gate? One of the Sisters says that it was forged on Avalon, but by whom? Also, why would Puck try to bribe Oberon with it? Isn't Oberon powerful enough to traverse space and time under his own power? I do have a theory, but to pose it I think would violate the rules of this Q&A.
3. What is the correct order of the three races? Are gargoyles the first, humans the second, and fae the third? This is the order that Broadway gives, and Oberon refers to himself as Ruler of the Third Race. But in one of your answers you said that the fae would probably consider themselves first. Is there any definitive answer, or does it depend on the race of the person you ask?
4. How is that guy's name spelled...Brendon, Brendan or something else? Is he Margot's husband or boyfriend? (I apologize if that has been already answered.)
5. About Sevarius' name-- you said in another answer that the spelling I just used was the correct one, but in--I think it was "The Cage," Elisa holds up his briefcase and the name on it is "Servarius"--was this an oversight, then? Whoever personalized the briefcase goofed, and Sevarius got mad at them? (But used the case anyway.) 6. Is the spelling of the Princess' name Katharine or Katherine?
7. How did the New Olympians come to have such advanced technology?
8. Does Broadway still have the Sun Amulet? If so, why did he keep it?
9. When Jade and Turquesa went to Avalon, did they have to leave their amulets at the gate, or what? They wouldn't have been allowed to take them to Avalon unless the Sun Amulet was fae magic. It wasn't, was it? Or were the amulets allowed, since they weren't really the source of the magic, just extensions of it?
10. Were there plans to ever have Alexander on Avalon? For any of the trio or Hudson to go? For any other Avalonian gargoyles to leave, and perhaps come to Manhattan? (Besides Angela and Boudicca.) Again, thank you very much. I also wanted to say it was great seeing you at the Gathering, and thanks for signing my card. :)

Greg responds...

1. Yes. A mental typo. Griff and Una were involved. Later Leo and Una mated. Griff and Leo were just friends. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clear that up.
2. Thanks for exhibiting restraint. Oberon has a lot of power. But Time Travel requires a lot of energy. It may be beyond his abilities. It's certainly beyond his ability to do with the kind of ease the Gate allows. As to the Gate's origin, I'm not at liberty to divulge that right now. (Well, I am, but I don't feel like it.)
3. Depends on who you ask. When did Oberon refer to himself as Ruler of the Third Race? If so, it must be a colloquialism he adopted. Certainly he doesn't place the two "mortal" races ahead of his own.
4. Brendan is Margot's husband.
5. I don't remember that. But if you're right, and it wasn't corrected in a later retake, then you're explanation is as good as any. Sevarius is the correct spelling.
6. Katharine. Michael Reaves spelled it that way. At the time, it struck me as unusual, but that just made it special. Later everyone (including Michael and me too sometimes) kept spelling it Katherine. Turns out that the original spelling was probably a typo. Michael had no specific memory of it. But that's how the first episode credits went out, so that's what I stuck with.
7. They developed it themselves over the centuries.
8. He kept it to keep it out of trouble. He didn't know what it was for.
After Goliath et al returned, I'm sure they recognized it and filled him in.
9. Good questions. I hadn't really thought that out. The pendants were definitely created by human sorcery. Maybe they left them with Zafiro and Obsidiana until they returned.
10. I had some plans for Angela and Broadway to go to Avalon, at least for a visit. I didn't have specific plans for any of the others, but I did have more story ideas involving the Avalon cast, and as the stories required, I wouldn't have hesitated to move people around a bit.


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Anonymous writes...

One more more Gabriel: would he have come back if there had been a Season Four? Can you tell me about Reuben Santiago-Hudson(his voice actor)?

Greg responds...

I had more ideas for Gabe. He would have been back eventually.

Reuben is a very nice and extremely talented guy. You can see him currently as a regular in the new CBS t.v. series MICHAEL HAYES, which stars David Caruso. Keith David introduced us to Reuben. They're old friends. They were both in SEVEN GUITARS together. Keith had the lead role. Reuben won a Tony award for best supporting actor in a play for his role. He's married with children.


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Anonymous writes...

Dear Greg, did any one else notice this??? One of Dracon's henchmen is "Pal Joey". In sister Act, one of the thugs is called Pal Joey. Was that an inside joke?

Greg responds...

Not in the sense you mean. We probably both got the name from the movie "Pal Joey".


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Anonymous writes...

Could you give me the dates on which the major Gargoyles events took place..the Awakening, Hunter's Moon, the beginning of the Avalon trip, the Gathering, etc...?

Greg responds...

Not right now. After I'm done with the encyclopedia, I'm going to sit down with all my disparate notes and work out the timeline.


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Anonymous writes...

Who is Nought?

Greg responds...

Who isn't?


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Anonymous writes...

Hey, again! I have to say, your "City of Stone" short story was delightful! We clannies have been going into gargs withdrawl over the past few months - not fun I assure you. But when I read that brief little passage, it was like seeing a new ep again. My question is this: You've mentioned scenes dropped from several eps ("Hunter's Moon", "Avalon II", etc.) and dismissed them as being unimportant. Still..would it be too much trouble to write just a few of them out? You wouldn't be giving anything away, and it'd be a real treat for the fans. *gets down on knees* PLEASE!!!

Greg responds...

I'm glad you liked that stuff. I've included a couple of missing snippets from "Hunter's Moon, Part Three". The "Avalon, Part Two" stuff would be harder to reproduce without reproducing the entire script. I don't have any way of doing that now, short of retyping the whole thing in. And guess what, I'm not going to do that. Sorry. Maybe someday.


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Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg, I know Macbeth is strong but he has taken on the Gargoyles in hand to hand combat. Since Gargoyles have inhuman strength one would think this is impossible. How exactly is Macbeth able to take on the Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Superior fighting skills and armored clothing. You'll notice he doesn't arm- wrestle Goliath. He uses Goliath's own momentum etc. against him.


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Anonymous writes...

Heh, Sorry Greg. Just read the board on why. Nevermind my last question.
Here's a real one. So Demona is 35, eh? Is that Gargoyles oR Human Years? Cause if it's Gargoyle, then that would make her a ripe 17 1/2 year old equivalent (And
she DOES look like it)

Greg responds...

She's biologically 35. That is the human equivalent of 35. And before you say how she doesn't look THAT OLD, remember that I'm 34 myself.


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Anonymous writes...

You mentioned writing a "Gargoyles Encyclopedia." Can you give us some general idea of the contents? (P.S. I hope that you can publish it someday; I'd gladly buy a copy).

Greg responds...

It's just what it sounds like. Look up "Boudicca" or "Avalon, Part Two" or "Brooklyn Botanical Gardens" and you'll get as much pertinent info as I could figure to include.


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Anonymous writes...

If there are three races on Earth according to the Gargoyles , then what are the New Olympians?

Greg responds...

A hybrid. But keep in mind who told you that there were only three races.
It was Broadway. What the hell does he know?


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Anonymous writes...

Have you ever thought about doing a REAL Gargoyles Movie, not just AWAKENING on tape? After all, a movie that answers all of the questions you left hanging might just save the show...or at least satisfy we fans.

Greg responds...

I'm not sure what you mean. Answers "all" of the questions? Everytime I answered any question, I made a conscious effort to raise a new question. As to the Movie thing -- well, there is a live-action movie in the works that I have some very limited peripheral involvement in. Both "City of Stone" and "Hunter's Moon" were originally planned as "movies" for home video, but neither were picked up for that format, so we made them into episodes.


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Anonymous writes...

Before I ask anything I'd like to thank you for coming to the Gathering and putting up with our enthusiastic attention so well. Now to questions. I meant to ask this at the con, were there every any notable times where the animators goofed completely without misdirection being at fault? [I was thinking of things like (maybe) the scale of the Cloisters in Temptations, I am not tall, but in that place I bump my head on doorways, or my favorite pet peeve, the scarflike prayer shawl in Golem- (most of the ones I have seen are about the size of a middling to large flag, and strike a far more romantic image when worn). Another question I would have asked at the con had I remembered it at the time: Are you ever surprized at certain strong preferences common in fandom? Things like preferring the 5 part opener to straight to video version, or the original ending of Vows instead of the intended one that replaced it in later showings?
Thanks.

Greg responds...

You're welcome. I had a great time.

The animators made tons of mistakes. Only natural given our extremely tight production schedules. Most mistakes were fixed with retakes. Some slipped by us.

Surprised? Yeah, sometimes. Preferring the 5-parter to the video doesn't come as a shock. As I've mentioned before, the video was put together for one specific purpose, and a home video wasn't it. The Vows thing does surprise me. It's such an obvious error. Like the kind you mentioned in your previous question. They put the wrong background in.
It infuriated us at the time. I don't know why anyone would prefer this mistake. I'm not sure I understand the "interpretation" that fandom has read into that mistake that makes it more attractive than the true intent, which was Goliath remembering that one special moment when he and Demona exchanged vows.


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Anonymous writes...

Like, hi, and stuff. One question. *loud clanking and yelling as he looks for the list* Ah, here it is. *clears throat* 1. Why am I constantly hearing "Gargoyles is Cancelled, Gargoyles is cancelled!"?
2. Is it cancelled?
3. If so...WHY?! A TON of people love this show, man!
4. General comment here...could you tell the higher ups in Disney that A.
John Smith was a jerk B. That Quasimodo was a NUT. and C. JOHN SMITH.
NEVER. GOT. SHOT!
5. Um...are there scripts fer eps you kin buy?

Greg responds...

1. Uh. Cuz it was.
2. Depends on how you define "cancelled" I guess. They aren't making new episodes. Reruns are now showing on USA. But by any standard definition, yes, Gargoyles was cancelled.
3. Define "TON". Ratings weren't high enough to keep it on the air.
4. No.
5. No.


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Anonymous writes...

A couple of questions for one of the greatest showbiz guys I've communicated with.
1. In a previous answer, you mentioned negative recommendations for the Goliath Chronicles (suggestions taken the wrong way, things you said not to do that were done, etc.) What were some of these negative suggestions?
2. If you ever had the chance to tell us the story you had in mind about the clocktower (also mentioned in a past question), would you?
3. If a publisher wanted to do your Gargoyles encyclopedia, would you?
4. Would you someday tell us more about the original (comedy) premise?
5. What was the inspiration for "Future Tense"? I think that's all for now. Thanx in advance for answering these.

Greg responds...

1. I think you misunderstood. I gave them a loose outline of what I was planning for season three. They took that info and ignored some of it and went other ways with the rest of it. "Timedancer" for example became "Runaways". An idea for a multi-trickster story became "Ransom". But when I talked about negative recommendations, I was referring to my paid consultancy work on the series. I had a contractual consultant's credit, which I waved, because I felt I hadn't made any real ADDITIONS to the content of TGC. I did kibbitz on their premises. When it seemed to me that characters were behaving out of character, I advised them not to do that out-of-character thing. In particular, the original premise of "Angels of the Night" (or whatever it was called) had the Gargoyles abandoning Manhattan at the end.
Elisa changed her name and moved to Chicago with Goliath. Lex and Brooklyn went on their own world tour. I forget what happened to everyone else. I advised them NOT to do that. They took that advice, thankfully. Still the only contributions that I made of any real merit were negatives. "Please don't do that." Things you didn't see on the screen, because I advised against it. Giving me credit for what you did see seemed unfair, both to me and to the people who actually did the work.
2. Given the opportunity and the resources and the time, I'd eventually tell all the stories I had, until I just didn't have any more.
3. Of course.
4. There isn't too much more to tell. It didn't go, so we didn't develop it further.
5. "Future Tense" the episode or the proposed series idea?


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Anonymous writes...

All right, one more that I had forgotten about. Sorry about the numerous
posts. I write fanfic in my spare time, and this has been driving me nuts.
So, I figured I'd go straight to the expert... Fay? Fae? Fey? How the
#%$^%*$@#$ is it spelled?????

Greg responds...

All of the above, I figure. I'm not even sure we used that word in the
actual series. Did we? I remember referring to Oberon's Children as
"The Fair Folk". I think that's as close as we came, or am I forgetting a
mention or two? By the way, my original name for "Oberon's Children" was
"The Oberati," but Brynne and Michael Reaves thought that sounded like an
Italian Sports Car, so we switched. (GDW/ 12- 8- 97)


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Anonymous writes...

Merry Christmas Greg, 1. What do you think Xanatos would have transformed
into if he had worn the Eye of Odin (For eample: Fox became a werefox,
Magus became a powerful sorcerer, and Goliath became a bigger gargoyle)?
2. What aspect of his personality do you think would have been personified
(Fox=hunter, Magus=intellectual, Goliath=protector)? 3. When it became
available to him, did Macbeth ever go to college? If so, what was his major
and what college did he attend? 4. If you didn't use any of the Gargoyles
main charecters, could you legally make a Future Tense show, or does your
contract with Disney forbid you from doing anything remotely like Gargoyles?
5. Why did Disney take creative freedom from you? Gargoyles was YOUR
creation! Without you the show never would have made it (even though i know
there were other brilliant minds on the show as well)! Did they think that
by refusing you creative freedom they could better the show? I don't carry
a grudge and I don't blame anyone for the show's downfall, I just would like
to know there reasoning behind this decision because if you would have
stayed on for the last season with complete creative freedom, at the very
least, the last season of TGC would have been better than it was. Thanks
for your input! Bye! Happy Holidays!

Greg responds...

1. We'll never know.
2. Ditto.
3. He's probably studied at multiple universities over the years.
4. It depends what you mean. Future Tense wouldn't be Future Tense without
the characters I had planned to use. If you're asking me whether or not I
could do a series set in the future, the answer is yes, of course I can,
assuming I could sell it somewhere.
5. They didn't take creative freedom away from me. I never said they
did. They wouldn't promise me creative control, which is very
different. Had I stayed, I might have been able to wrangle that
control, but I bailed. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't. Where's the
Phoenix Gate when you need it.(GDW/ 1- 26- 98)


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Anonymous writes...

Do the fey have blood? Since iron is deadly to them, they can't use it in
their hemoglobin, if they have any. So how does oxygen get around in them?

Greg responds...

The Children are creatures of pure magic.


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RANDOM THOUGHTS

I did have Ed Asner/Lou Grant in mind when I was writing the character description for Hudson. The last line of the description was "Hudson hates spunk."

Jason Canmore has a younger sister Robyn and a younger brother Jon.
So do I. But my siblings don't have much else in common with his.

I knew I didn't want the show to be filled exclusively with gargoyles and white male humans. So we intentionally tried to present a more honest, inclusive version of America (and the world).

Xanatos is the kind of villain I like to write. Anyone interested in seeing his precursor (and Owen's) should check out General Eiling (and Captain Allard) in back issues of the DC comic book CAPTAIN ATOM which I used to write with Cary Bates.

Goliath is the kind of hero I like to write. Noble and flawed. Not a guy who's as bad as or worse than the bad guys he fights.

As to whether I was disappointed...

The short answer is honestly, NO. Not a bit. I'm very proud of all 66 episodes and our entire ensemble of characters.

The longer answer is that there are plenty of little things that I wish I could fix. Most of them are ticky-tack things, many I'm sure you wouldn't even notice. There are even two story things (one each in "Grief" and "The Hound of Ulster") where I feel like I missed a peace of the "true" story.
There's also material that got cut for time that I wish I had been able to include, particularly in "Avalon, Part II" and "Hunter's Moon, Part III".
There was a great scene in the clock tower between Elisa and Jason the morning after the Hunters blew the place up. It was really gorgeous stuff. But the script was way too long.

The only other regret I have is that I opted not to write and/or edit the GOLIATH CHRONICLES. I had good, sound reasons at the time, but in retrospect it was a mistake.


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GARGOYLES: THE LOST MOMENTS

(First in a series.)

The following is a scene from "Hunter's Moon, Part Three" that was cut because the script was way, way too long. It was written by Michael Reaves, who was also the story editor. As usual, I did the final pass on it. We did record the scene with Salli Richarson and Deidrich Bader as Elisa and Jason, but I can't remember if we did storyboards for it. I know we never shipped it for animation. There isn't any lost footage. But I thought you all might get a kick out of reading it. Imagine Jason speaking in his true Scotish accent, not in the phony American one he generally used with Elisa. (Also note: I'm just typing this in without bothering with teleplay formatting.)

This scene would probably play better in context. So if you taped "Hunter's Moon, Part Three", then watch it right through "Robyn Correy's" video-phone conversation with "Dominique Destine". Dominique tells Robyn to enjoy life because it's so fleeting. The screen goes dark. Robyn nervously holds up the disk. Now pause the tape. Imagine one of our trademark "Claw Wipes" and read...

EXT. CLOCK TOWER RUINS - DAY

Elisa picks sadly through wreckage, occasionally placing something in a cardboard box. She bends to pick up a charred photograph.

TIGHT ON PHOTO

It is a snap-shot from last Halloween: Elisa in her "Belle" gown arm in arm with Goliath. Both very happy.

ON ELISA

A tear rolls down her cheek. A shadow falls over her. Elisa turns.

ANGLE INCLUDES JASON

behind her on his sky-sled, in Hunter garb except the mask, aiming a tranq gun at her. Elisa drops the box and reaches for her holstered gun.

JASON: "Please don't. I'd just have to tranq you again, and I came here to talk."

FAVOR ELISA

She lowers her hand slowly. But she's still on guard.

ELISA: "Okay. Let's talk about what a monster you are."

JASON: "I never meant to hurt you --"

ELISA: "You really are a piece of work. Using me to get to the gargoyles."

JASON: "No! I admit I infiltrated the twenty-third because there were so many gargoyle sightings here. But I never planned--"

ELISA: "Lies. Everything was part of your plan. That phony accent... even that phony kiss..."

ON JASON

He looks desperate and vulnerable, despite the gun in his hand.

JASON: "That kiss was real. And I never planned on falling in love with you."

FAVOR ELISA

This hits her hard.

JASON (CONT'D): "The hunt's been my whole life -- I never realized how lonely I was...

ELISA: "But why are you hunting them?"

ANOTHER ANGLE

We see a flash of Jason's fiery determination. Elisa responds in kind.

JASON: "Those monsters killed my father!"

ELISA: "Those 'monsters' are my friends!"

FAVOR JASON

He looks shocked and disgusted. This, he was not expecting.

JASON: "What?!!"

ELISA: "And they couldn't have killed your father. When he died, they were in Scotland, frozen in stone by a magic spell."

JASON: "So they weren't personally responsible. They're still evil! All gargoyles are! My family has been hunting them for generations!"

FAVOR ELISA

Trying desperately to reach him.

ELISA: "BUT WHY? What started this blood feud?"

FAVOR JASON

He's stumped. His fury won't help him on this one.

JASON: "I -- I don't know. It doesn't matter."

Elisa senses his uncertainty, presses her attack.

ELISA: "Of course it matters. You hate an entire race and you don't know why! Listen, Jason. You've been lucky so far. No one's been killed. Give up the feud. Turn yourself in. It's not too late to walk away from this."

TIGHT ON JASON

He hesitates, then shakes his head.

JASON: "Yes, it is."

WIDE

He revs up the skysled and takes off fast. Elisa draws her gun, but she does not fire -- it's ambiguous whether that's because he's already too far away or because she feels too much for him to shoot him in the back. Her arm drops to her side. PULL BACK to show her forlorn and surrounded by rubble.

DISSOLVE TO:

Now restart your VCR and pick up back at Elisa's apartment, where Elisa is trying to stop Goliath from playing vigilante. As she failed with Jason, she fails with Goliath, which leads to events at the dam, which propels things to their tragic (if semi-hopeful) conclusion.

Please don't hesitate to post comments on this scene at "ASK GREG", I'd be curious to read what you thought of it. It was always one of my favorite moments, and it broke my heart to cut it. Yet, ultimately we felt it wasn't crucial, and since we had to cut something, this seemed like the thing to go.