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Todd Jensen writes...
My thoughts on "Avalon Part One".
First off, a little about the eggs. I honestly hadn't expected to see anything further with the eggs at this point. The reason was that I'd always assumed that the eggs were indeed all gone, as Xanatos had claimed in "Awakening Part Two", even after we found out what he was really like, for this simple reason: the thousand years between the Wyvern Massacre and the Awakening. Since I didn't think it likely that gargoyles live naturally for a thousand years, my assumption always was that the eggs had hatched long ago and that the gargoyles that had hatched from them had grown up, lived out their lives, and died long before as well. I hadn't taken into account the possibility of a place where time moved slower.
(Of course, thinking over it some more, I should have expected the eggs to return, simply because, if they weren't going to, their inclusion to date would have been almost pointless. After all, they'd had no real impact on the storyline in "Awakening" - the mere fact that the video version was able to edit them out is proof enough of that - so that would have to mean that something further with them would have to be done, or else why include them in "Awakening" at all?)
Regarding your multi-parter comments: I also prefer it when the first episode of a multi-parter clearly labels itself as "Part One". That way, I'm already prepared for the "To Be Continued" part. So I'm glad that you always labeled the multi-parters as such.
I was a bit amused to notice the Brigadoon alternative to Avalon, in light of the fact that you did manage to use Brigadoon as the Avalon-substitute in your "Gargoyles meet Captain Atom" story. And, yep, I was definitely looking out for King Arthur to show up at some point in this story, given that the thing that Avalon is most famous for is being his resting-place. (More about that in my ramble on Part Two when it comes).
Needless to say, I enjoyed the flashback. More 10th century Scotland! And more real Scottish history! In some ways, it was even more fun than the Macbeth backstory in "City of Stone"; after all, I already knew about the historical Macbeth before "Gargoyles" ever came out, but I'd never heard of Kenneth II and Constantine III before. After seeing this episode, I eagerly looked up everything on them that I could at the local library (although I wasn't able to find much, thanks to the scanty records for this part of Scottish history).
Constantine definitely struck me as shrewd when he provided a very convincing "innocent reason" for the secret meeting in the drying-house (the argument that it would be better for Kenneth's dignity to have Finella turn down his suit in private, rather than before his entire court). I thought he made a good antagonist here, even if for only one episode.
(I haven't seen the McKellen "Richard III" movie, by the way, but I do have a book that McKellen wrote about the making of it, including the screenplay, which I found fascinating reading.)
I also liked the mention of Michaelmas, which added to the medieval flavor of the story. (It's things like this that make me regret the fact that you never got to make the "Dark Ages" spin-off. Of course, I suppose that an animated series set entirely in 10th century Scotland wouldn't be all that commercially viable, more's the pity.)
I'm looking forward to your rambles on Part Two and Part Three, as well.
Greg responds...
I have that same McKellen book. I've seen the movie of course, but I found the screenplay and his commentary on how and why he made the decisions he made, very informative.
I don't know that Dark Ages wouldn't be commercially viable. I do know it's tough to convince Network Executives that it's commercially viable.
Siren writes...
About Castle Wyvern...
Now I know a wyvern is a "species" of dragon. Standing on his hind legs. It's either never had front legs or it's front legs evolved into wings, as bats have.
1.) Did you choose the name Wyvern just because it sounded good?
2.) Or was there a backstory to why that castle bears the name of this little known dragon species?
3.) If there is a backstory, could you tell us anything about it?
Thanks Greg!
Greg responds...
1. I believe that Michael Reaves chose the name Wyvern.
2. There is now. And if you come to a Gathering, you'll get a clear hint of what that is when you see the DARK AGES pitch.
3. Not right now. But maybe in Montreal. Check out:
seeker writes...
Where can I find the stories refered to in different questions? Such as the story of Oberon and Mab, or the stories that take place in the future? I've searced for them but haven't found them.
Greg responds...
Well, some of those stories just don't exist anywhere outside my head.
If you look at the Gargoyles 2198 ASK GREG archive, you can see the development I did for that imaginary spin-off. And if you come to a Gathering, you can see the original pitches for GARGOYLES, GARGOYLES: DARK AGES and NEW OLYMPIANS and the reel for BAD GUYS.
But mostly, I've only revealed tidbits here and there that at best might suggest a story or two. The only stories I've actually told are:
1. The first two seasons of the GARGOYLES Series. 65 Episodes.
2. "The Journey". The first episode of THE GOLIATH CHRONICLES.
3. An unpublished comic book script, featuring an untold episode from the World Tour. So far, I haven't shown this to anyone beyond my former Marvel Comics Editor.
4. "The Last". An episode of TEAM ATLANTIS that was never made, but which was written, recorded and partially storyboarded. I play the voice tape (featuring Marina Sirtis as Demona) at the Gathering.
5. "Once Upon A Time There Were Three Brothers..." My one and only stab at fanfiction. It's a prequel to DARK AGES... which you can find here:
http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/faq/threebrothers.htm
At the end, it says TO BE CONTINUED, but DARK AGES is the continuation.
Anonymous writes...
Several people that have attended the gathering(including Todd Jense) have noted that you had a picture of gargoyles fighting a dragon like creature in the dark ages pitch so was this creature a dragon or a magical construct like that statue in Pendragon?
Greg responds...
Not revealing cool info to an Anonymous poster.
matt writes...
attempting to be the first question of the new year... as i was last year... first question of the millenium last year!
anyway...
does Hudson ever feel guilty or have regrets for forming that alliance with Malcolm all those years ago? i mean it led to the destruction of his clan... does he ever wonder what might've happened had the clan just remained isolated? maybe they could've survived through the first millenium unscathed?
Greg responds...
Thank God I'm out of 2001 questions. I was beginning to think I'd never get to 2002. Now if I could just get to 2003. (It's hard to believe that in September of 2001, I had actually caught up. CAUGHT UP!!!)
I think that Hudson, like all thinking creatures, has probably run all sorts of scenarios through his mind. But Hudson's pact with Malcolm was hardly the only factor that led to the massacre, and given the state of things in the 20th and 21st centuries, if we're thinking long term, it hardly would have made a difference. He did the best he could with the available info. Regrets, and he has a few, are too few to mention.
Joe C. writes...
In an earlier response to a question about dragons, you said that dragons didn't exist in the gargoyle universe. But, in "Awakenings, Part II", Hudson stated that he thought a helicopter was some kind of "dragon". So, I just wanted to get your thoughts about this.
Greg responds...
I don't recall ever saying either that dragons exist or that they don't. In fact, I'm fairly certain that I have never committed one way or the other.
Artemis writes...
(sorry, no questions this time, but)
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU (and all those other people) for all the Scottish history in the show. Because of it, I am totally facinated with the topic. It's even better that I know cuz I am from scottish decent (as well as a little english and irish), and my other side came from france (sounds like someone in the show, ne?)
Also, it has inspired me to read Macbeth, and I used to hate Shakespeare!
So thanx again to you and all the little peoples!
And while I'm on the topic of scottish history, can you PLEASE finish "Once Upon a Time there were Three Brothers"? I'd make me very happy!
Greg responds...
You're very welcome.
As I've mentioned before, "Once Upon a Time There Were Three Brothers" is kind of finished. For starters, there are only two brothers left. And although it wasn't necessarily my original intent, the piece wound up being more of a prologue to DARK AGES. So I took Three Brothers right up to the point where Dark Ages begins. And I stopped. To keep going would in fact be to begin Dark Ages, which is a HUGE project, that I'm not prepared to take on right now.
But I'm glad you liked it. It was, I think, my first and only attempt at Fan Fiction.
Chapter XXXIV: "Avalon, Part One"
There's no memo, outline or script for this one on my computer, so we'll head right into my ramble on...
"AVALON, PART ONE"
DIRECTOR: Dennis Woodyard.
WRITER: Lydia Marano.
STORY EDITOR: Brynne Chandler Reaves.
THE RECAP
...is all over the place. So much was coming together in this three-parter. The Weird Sisters, the eggs, the Archmage, Tom, Princess Katharine, the Magus, Macbeth, Demona. This was our most ambitious story yet. Which given episodes like "The Mirror" or "Vows" and multi-parters like "Awakening" and "City of Stone" was saying something.
Of course "Avalon" was never designed to be the cohesive single story movie that "City of Stone" was. It was designed as a tryptych. Part one would bring our heroes up to date. Part two would bring our villains up to date. Part three would pit them against each other.
"Avalon I" also represented the first episode in our fourth tier. The three-parter was what we called a 'tentpole'. We knew we couldn't air it until all the Tier 3 episodes had aired. And we knew we couldn't air any other Tier 4 episodes until this three-parter had aired. Despite the fact that "The Price" aired out of order, generally our Tentpole/Tier system worked very well. Out of 66 episodes that I worked on only two: "The Price" and "Kingdom" aired out of order, hopefully with minimal damage to the continuity.
THE TITLE
The title was one of mine. But initially I wasn't sure that we were going to call the island Avalon. Now, it's mind-boggling to me, but I actually had my assistant Monique Beatty (who's now a producer in her own right) research Brigadoon to find out if that name was created only for the musical, or if it was something pulled from legends. I was thinking of Avalon, but looking for something from a Scotish tradition as opposed to British. Fortunately, Brigadoon was created for the musical. So we were 'stuck' with Avalon. Which made including King Arthur a natural.
Many series don't reveal that an episode is going to be a multi-parter until you get to the 'To Be Continued' line at the closer. "Avalon, Part One" could have just been titled "Avalon". The conventional wisdom is that people are reluctant to commit the time to a multi-parter in advance. That it is better to hook them on the story before revealing that they HAVE to come back to see the end. I always felt that was cheating. What is your reaction to seeing "Part One" attached to a title?
OPENING
Another cool shot of our gargs waking up. Always nice to reiterate that at the start of our bigger stories.
Bronx gets left behind. Of course, this often happens. It was one of the things that the World Tour would set about correcting in a BIG way. But we made his getting left behind a bit more obvious here. Usually, he just doesn't go. This time they won't take him and he's sad. We were laying pipe.
My 5-year-old son Benny asked where Hudson and the Trio were going. I had to think about it. "On Patrol, I guess."
OLD FRIENDS
Then the GUARDIAN shows up. I love his cool, Goliath-inspired armor. My 7-year-old daughter Erin immediately demanded to know who he was. I wouldn't tell her. (I'm so mean.) Did any of you guess?
Of course he immediately encounters BRENDAN & MARGOT. (What would one of our multi-parters be without him?)
Then comes the three gang-bangers from "AWAKENING, PART THREE". As usual, Keith David does the voice for one of them -- making it distinctive from both Goliath and MORGAN, who's about to come in and speak. The problem is we got a touch confused. In Awakening, Keith voices the bald white guy. Here he does the same voice, but it's assigned to the black guy. Hard to say which is wrong, except by virtue of which came first. It annoys me though.
Morgan's fun in this. I really like him. No one but Simon DelMonte will get this, and I don't know if he even reads these rambles, but Morgan kind of reminds me of Jeff Goslin, a character that Cary Bates and I created in Captain Atom.
Anyway, I like how Morgan talks Guardian down. And I like how the sword is much heavier than he thought it was going to be. His cop buddies tease him, but he maintains his sense of wonder and goodness when talking about the Guardian to Elisa.
That's kind of a cool scene. First off he describes Guardian's armor: "Real armor. King Arthur stuff." Anyone think this was a clue to what was coming in the next episode? Even with the Avalon title? Then he tells her the guy's looking for Gargoyles. Elisa of course discourages her fellow officers from taking Garg reports seriously. Everyone who's seen one must be a nut-case. These guys should form 'a club'. Then she finds out that this Guardian was asking for Goliath by name. BOOM.
BELVEDERE CASTLE
Site of our last encounter with Demona and Macbeth. Another clue.
Once Elisa got a look at the Guardian's armor, she must have thought -- yeah, there's a Goliath connection here all right.
Goliath shows with Bronx, who gets to come along and come along and come along for once. Bronx always seemed underutilized to us. We knew we couldn't bring the whole clan along. (Too many characters and no poignancy.) But Bronx was an easy addition. Of course, Bronx is also useful as a kind of living personality test. If Bronx likes you, it's a damn good sign. Bronx likes Tom. Does he remember him? What scents do you figure the Guardian carried back from Avalon. Anyway, Bronx engenders immediate trust in the Guardian for Goliath.
I love this scene. Guardian gives everyone so little time to catch up. He talks about the Archmage, reveals that he's Tom and talks about 'the eggs' being in danger. *That was a fun idea. Keep you guys thinking in terms of eggs for twenty minutes and reveal that it's just a pet name for the Avalon Clan.*
Benny asked: "What kind of Eggs?"
Erin: "Gargoyle Eggs."
Benny: "I didn't know Gargoyles hatch out of eggs." [Well, keep in mind it's been a year since he saw the first thirty episodes. And he's too young to remember the first time he saw the ones we're watching now.]
Then there's the skiff. Elisa: "Where'd that boat come from? ... To where? The other side of the lake? ... Wait for me!"
This all sounds fishy to her. Nothing makes sense. I wanted to get a clear shot in there of the pond in Central Park so that you could see objectively that it doesn't go anywhere. But I never quite managed that. I wanted you guys to be confused. Or at any rate to have a million questions. But like Elisa, no matter how suspicious, I figured you'd want to go along for the ride.
FLASHBACK
Mary, Katharine, the Magus and young Tom are all reintroduced. It's very clear that the first three have all learned their lesson from Awakening. They've all really become better people. Tom, of course, didn't need to learn that lesson. But he does learn to be a hero. He officially becomes the Guardian. It begins, I believe, as just a nice gesture on the part of the Princess. Later, of course, it'll become the truth. Then there's the long journey. I like the montage there. Hardship. We never had the time to show enough of the hardship of tenth century life.
Our gang heads into Edinburgh. Constantine's followers are all over the place. They all seem to look like Disney storyboard artists for some reason. ;)
VOICES
There's some stellar voice work in this ep. Morgan Shepard as King Kenneth II. Sheena Easton making her Garg Premiere as Finella. Ian Buchanan as Constantine. (I've already mentioned Keith's versatility.)
But as usual, real props must be handed out to Jeff Bennnett and Kath Soucie.
Jeff plays Brooklyn, the Magus and Maol Chalvim. (No Bruno or Owen or Vinnie in this ep, I'm afraid.)
Kath plays Katharine, Mary and all three Weird Sisters.
They're amazing.
SOAP OPERA
Benny saw Finella and said: "That's one of the witches."
A year ago, Tom was his favorite character. Now Tom barely registered. And he really is fascinated with the Weird Sisters. Anyway, I corrected him, but I was glad that they were appearing later.
Ian Buchanan, once of General Hospital, is playing a cad here. We have to very quickly set up a lot of politics, sexual and otherwise. This story was as historical as we could make it based on the available research, the fact that we had to fit in a few fictional characters and eggs, and screen time compression.
Believe it or not, we also had another character originally that we cut early on because it was just getting too damn complicated. Katharine and Maol Chalvim's cousin: the future King Kenneth III. The father of Bodhe. Yep. That Bodhe. The father of Gruoch.
Kenneth III winds up being made High King of Scotland after Constantine is killed. To get a sense of their relationship, at least as I see it, you might want to check out "Once upon a time there were three brothers..."
(Or to give you a hint, ten years after the events depicted here, King Kenneth III would be murdered by Maol Chalvim's operatives during a civil war. Maol Chalvim was also known as Malcolm Forranach, the Destroyer. We used the Maol Chalvim version of his name so as not to confuse him with Katharine's father Prince Malcolm. Just as in City of Stone we emphasized Malcolm Canmore's Canmore name for the same reason.)
Anyway, Maol Chalvim seems intense but right on the money here. He's even kind of heroic when he and the Magus bring Tom back to Katharine's apartment, and he begs Katharine to go. Kind of heroic. He still leaves her. We were trying very hard to balance out his minor role here with his future roll as the grandfather of and major influence on Duncan. (Of course, he's also Macbeth's grandfather, as well.)
After Katharine tells Maol to go, there's a weird cut of him just standing there smiling. We needed some kind of transition before he took off running, and I guess that was the best we could do. But it's still awkward as hell.
THE MURDER
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
We establish early on that Katharine doesn't think much of Constantine. You wouldn't know it from Awakening, but obvioulsy she's learned to be a decent judge of character.
Kenneth isn't quite so sharp. Everyone can see that he's a fool for Finella. And he doesn't recognize Constantine's threat (despite the fact that Constantine's father was a bitter enemy and) despite the fact that his son flat out tells him to beware. My thinking was that the crown had kept bouncing back and forth between different branches of the royal family. Kenneth had hoped that by taking Constantine in, instead of banishing him, he'd be able to be a positive influence on the boy. A nice idea perhaps, but maybe Kenneth was too innattentive to pull it off. And Maol probably was too covetous to really be a brother to young Con.
Anyway, Constantine tricks Finella and kills the king. We hear Finella sobbing, just to prove that she was neither in on it nor that she would approve of it. (Though one wonders what her reaction would have been down the road if Constantine hadn't spurned her in favor of Katharine. Would she have adjusted to the crime? Or did Constantine become an unredeemable villain in her eyes immediately? I hate to say it, but I tend to think it's the former. Actually, I don't hate to say it. She's more interesting to write that way.)
Erin asked: "He killed King Arthur? Why?"
That's a tough question. So first I had to explain that it was King Kenneth, not King Arthur. Then my wife Beth helped out by explaining that Constantine wanted to be king.
We come back from the act and we see that Constantine was ready for the takeover. The Banners are immediately changed in a scene clearly inspired by the Ian McKellan (spelling?) movie version of Shakespeare's Richard III. (A version I heartily recommend, by the way.)
We also continue to set up the Magus' own tragedy. He loves Katharine. Has loved her since before Awakening. That feeling is shown to deepen here when she is once again in danger. And when Constantine tries to coerce her into marrying him. (The astute Mary and Tom have to hold him back.) Here, we sense that maybe Katharine might some day return that love. That's what I wanted you all to think anyway. Did you?
Constantine takes his crown. Originally we wanted to stage this with the Stone of Destiny as we did with Macbeth. But again, I think we just had too many sets.
Michaelmas. I just like that word.
Constantine is fairly astute himself: "You have 36 very good reasons to obey." We kept reiterating the number of eggs for what was coming later.
THE ESCAPE
The Magus disguises broken pots as eggs and vice-versa. But it always seemed to me that the kitchen staff at Edinburgh sure broke a lot of pots. I mean a LOT!
I like the lines: "Taking the wee bairns for a walk?" and "I don't think I like Gargoyle eggs." Very menacing.
Princess K burns her wedding dress. She feels she cannot leave because C will follow her to "the ends of the Earth." So the Magus responds: "Then I will take you beyond them." Again. Very romantic moment between them.
Finella joins the troop. The WOMAN SCORNED. She's really fun now. Dangerous. I always laugh when Constantine drinks the brew and collapses so abruptly.
Erin: "The Weird Sisters". My kids are just fascinated with this trio. I wonder if they still will be by the end of this three-parter or if like many fans, they will be disappointed?
They get turned into owls. But the Magus worries about giving up the source of his power. K doesn't care about that.
And Finella and Mary agree to take the book. I love these two. I think they'd make a totally kick-ass team. I doubt it would be commercial enough, but I'd love to do a spin-off show just with these two women. At any rate, there was the plan to include them as recurring characters in TimeDancer.
Tom has to leave his mother and his childhood behind. Now his role as the Guardian is a way for Katharine to make him accept the loss. It is the start of their relationship, though neither knows it. I watch this now, and I can't help thinking of the Anakin & Padma relationship and where that's destined to go.
AVALON
Back to the present. We see the impressive shores of Avalon. Very cool painting.
Bronx reacts. Guardian: "He's found the eggs..." And the music swells and two gargs and a garg beast appear on the cliff.
Now is that a cliff-hanger or what? What was your reaction?
Erin and Benny wanted "to see ther rest!" I told them they'd have to wait a week and we got a lot of protesting. Just what I was hoping for.
Anyway, that's my ramble. Where's yours?
Anonymous writes...
1.Did you intend the first part of the 2198 contest to be the opening prologue for gargoyles 2198?
2a.Do the other four spinoffs have opening prologues?
2b.Have you written all four if they do?
3.If so could you share with us the opeing prologues for Timedancer, New Olympians, Bad Guys and Pendragon?
Greg responds...
1. More or less.
2. Not written out. (And there are five other spin-offs.)
3. Not interested in Dark Ages, are you?
Gipdac writes...
Did Hudson call his mate something? (The way Goliath called Demona 'Angel')
Greg responds...
Yes.
Anonymous writes...
Dark Ages
Why is it that most of the main gargoyle cast of Dark Ages survived to the modern age in one form or another (Goliath and Hudson slept for a thousand years in stone, Demona was given immortality and Iago, Othello and Desdemona were resurrected by Demona) with the exception of Hudson's mate and Hippolyta? I mean I just find it a little bit weird that ¾ of the main characters survived making it seem massacre was nothing since most of the main characters we know survived.
Greg responds...
You're looking at it from a skewed point of view.
I thought you'd be MOST interested in seeing the prequel adventures of the characters you know best and slowly introducing you to more. At any rate, that's the way I feel like exploring the past.
How that could make the massacre 'nothing' doesn't make any sense to me. Was it nothing when you first saw it in "Awakening, Part One" when you literally didn't know ANYONE who was destroyed except Demona -- who really wasn't?
Almost all creative work focuses on specific individual characters and the impact of events on their lives.
Gipdac writes...
You might have answered this before, but I couldn't find it.
1) Did Goliath and Demona have any children in the 978 (Bronx's) rookery?
2) Did Othelle and Desdemona have any children in the 978 (Bronx's) rookery?
3) Did Hyppolytahave any children in the 978 (Bronx's) rookery?
Greg responds...
1. No. They were too young.
2. No. They were too young.
3. No. She was two young.
Anonymous writes...
How did the Archmage get the grimorum?
How did he become Malcolm's advisor?
What did he do before becoming Malcolm's advisor?
Why wasn't the Archmage burnt for witchcraft?
Greg responds...
1-3. Not saying now. All part of the Dark Ages tapestry.
4. He was too useful for too long.
Anonymous writes...
What did princess Elena think of the gargoyles at Wyvern?
Greg responds...
That's a topic I'd like to explore in stories.
Cha-Cha writes...
1. Were Demona and Goliath mates before or after "Vows"?
2. What year did Goliath get his name?
Greg responds...
1. Before or after which part of "Vows"? The modern day stuff or the flashback stuff?
2. You know I haven't worked that out precisely yet.
matt writes...
wow, its beginning to feel like the time when i first found this site and asked strings of questions daily! anyway:
when the eggs of a generation hatch, does the clan keep the hatchlings in the rookery for awhile or are they generally let to run around outside the rookery with the rest? all these infants and youngsters running around at once seems to me to be quite a handful! how do they deal with this?
do you suppose that the kids of Bronx's generation were in the rookery during the Viking attack and thats why we didn't see them?
like maybe gargs make them sleep outside so they can get their solar energy, but at night they stay in the rookery, maybe?
just seems dangerous to have all these winged, horned and taloned toddlers running around the castle! geeez!
Greg responds...
In DARK AGES, given the chance, I'd like to show more of castle life, more of human/gargoyle interaction. More of the generations of gargoyles who live there.
Locking kids up in the rookery every night seems unlikely. Though perhaps a wise course during a Viking siege.
matt writes...
in the Wyvern years, was the Trio kinda outcasts or loners of their generation? it seemed to me that they generally just stuck together with Bronx and didn't interact much with their siblings. am i right about this or did we just not really see their relationships with their siblings due to lack of time?
Greg responds...
Mostly the latter. I certainly wouldn't call them outcasts. I just think they were best friends.
matt writes...
didn't the various gargoyle clans feel wary or even angry that humans were building their castles and fortresses over garg rookeries for free soldiers? i mean, it seems to me that the humans are like, "we're going to build our castle here, if you want to stay, fine, but you have to help protect our castle." if i were a garg i'd have been angry, Demona and Othello were right, not only were the humans totally asses to them, but they were also using them! why do the old garg clans put up with this?
now, obviously i know that the humans would make the deal of protecting the gargs during the day, but did they just move in or did they ask the gargs first? i'd imagine that most humans generally wouldn't bother to ask "animals" permission. what are your thoughts?
Greg responds...
There's no ONE answer to cover every clan. There was a period, a semi-mythical golden age in human/gargoyle relations, when this was popular. I'm sure there were times when gargoyles were presented with little REAL choice, given their vulnerabilities.
If we're talking about Wyvern specifically, there was an alliance formed between Hudson and Malcolm.
Gipdac writes...
Did Hippolyta survive the wyvern massacre?
Greg responds...
Who said she survived to the Wyvern Massacre?
Sexy Queer writes...
Did Demona and Iago get along in the Dark Ages?
Greg responds...
Sometimes. It was a long age.
zakhur writes...
Hi Greg, If Dark Ages ever goes through, would there be any type of relationship between different clans, for example would the Wyvern Clan know the existence or be in contact with the Loch Ness clan?
Greg responds...
Yes, eventually. And other clans too. Clans that didn't survive into our century.
Mary Mack writes...
At some point at the Gathering, I overheard you telling some lucky fan or fans when Brooklyn learned to read. I was dashing off somewhere, probably trying to chase down Kanthara again (whom I finally caught on Monday-- Hi Kanth!), and I didn't get to eavesdrop on the whole thing. It sounded fascinating, and like part of a larger question about which gargs learned to read when. I sure wish I knew the answer, and I'd bet money that your other faithful readers want to know too. So...
We know when Hudson and Braodway learned to read-- they started right after "Lighthouse on the Sea of Time." When did the other members of the Manhattan clan learn to read?
Thatnk you for your time and I hope everybody pre-registers for the Gathering 2002-- I did!
Greg responds...
Thank you, Mary. I believe Brooklyn learned to read shortly after awakening in the twentieth century. I believe Goliath learned from Demona in the tenth century. I believe Demona learned from the Archmage. I believe Lex learned in the tenth century too. Angela was taught by the Magus.
(Lots of fun tidbits always get revealed at the Gathering.)
Sloth writes...
If Dark Ages got made, how much would you compressthe time of 23 years? Would it be something like 23 episodes, more or less, or have may events happen each year (with some multi parters to)? Or what?
Greg responds...
I don't have it planned out by episodes at this time. But if it took 23 years, so be it.
Vashkoda writes...
You've said that gargoyles *could* live up to an old age, but that few survive that long because of the violence of the times.
1a) Were the Wyvern gargoyles constantly under attack in the days before castle Wyvern? b) ...after Castle Wyvern? c) I think you'd mentioned an event we'd never seen where many in the Wyvern clan were murdered, hence explaining their numbers in 994. Can you confirm this, and give us any details on the event?
2a) Are these warriors dying young, or are they dying as they start reaching their 120's or so, and start slowing down? b) Are older gargoyle warriors expected to keep fighting, or at some point are they able to retire? c) Is this expectation what's causing gargoyles not to live up to their 200's?
Greg responds...
1a. I don't know about constantly. But there were problems.
b. Ditto.
c. I don't recall that. I did mention that the clan colonized a new location before 994.
2a. Both, I suppose. I don't like talking in generalities. (I like being mysterious, of course. That's different.) I tell stories about individuals. Just not here.
2b. The concept of retirement is largely human. Though Hudson did step aside for Goliath.
2c. Possibly.
matt writes...
befor ethe Wyvern massacre, did the trio often seem to get in touble? when Goliath approached them in the courtyard and said, "you three! down to the rookery until i return..." it seemed as if this wasn't the first time they had caused trouble or at least not the first time Goliath had yelled at them... were they troublemakers of a sort among the clan?
Greg responds...
They got into their fair share.
Anonymous writes...
What did the Archmage do to get charged with attempted treason?
Greg responds...
That's classified.
Anonymous writes...
Why would the Illuminati be the antagonists in Dark Ages? What is their interest in the civil war?
Greg responds...
Not "the" antagonists. But the society is "an" antagonist.
They have their hands in everything.
Anonymous writes...
What other gargoyle would be major characters in Dark Ages besides Goliath, Demona, Hudson, Hipployta, Iago, Othello and Desdemona?
Greg responds...
You've covered the biggies for the long hall. Brooklyn, Lex and Broadway would have minor roles. Others would play in also. Hudson's mate, would be significant. But those are the big guns.
Anonymous writes...
How much would the Wyvern gargoyles be involved in the war against Culen? Would they fight in any major battles?
Greg responds...
Very. Yes.
Sloth writes...
If you were able to do the "dark ages", would you be adding a lot more story about the big events in 975, 985 and 994 ad besides what we know?
Greg responds...
Eventually. After I get through 971-974.
Rhythm writes...
I am so agog, aghast, and pleasantly stunned that you still take the time to do these! Well done, Mr. Weisman. I join in the multitudes begging for the restoration and continuation of this series.
Oh don't worry, I do have a question. Don't think I'm just here to spread big words. Tell me, part of what got me so interested in Gargoyles in the first place was that the gargoyles and ol' Xanatos and other assorted characters were Scottish. I'm sort of fascinated with my heritage and it led me to wonder, did you ever work the Scottish independence into the plot, even if only in your head? You know, similar time period to, for lack of a better reference, "Braveheart"? (Awful film, IMHO...)
Greg responds...
Xanatos isn't Scottish. He's Greek-American.
I haven't seen Braveheart. But the whole of Scottish history is a tapestry I'd like to further explore.
Siren writes...
More questions on Hudson's mate...you gonna start hating me soon
1.) Could she read?
2.) What were her feelings on how Demona treated Hudson? Or was she even alive when Demona started bashing him?
3.) Did she use weapons/shields/armour as Hudson' does?
Thanks for answering what ya can or want to :)
Greg responds...
1. I tend to doubt it, but I haven't given it much thought.
2. No comment.
3. Occasionally.
matt writes...
geeeez, Sapphire, i didn't know you hated me so much, yikes! i don't want to be a mutate!! actually, i'm with Fang, i might like it, it could be cool, i don't know...
anyway, question time:
you said that besides Bronx you showed no gargoyles of his generation in "Awakening" cuz it would've been hard to show these young kid gargs and then have them all die in the massacre, so would you have had a problem showing the young gargs in "Dark Ages" knowing most of them would probably end up dieing too?
Greg responds...
No. I would have shown them eventually.
But keep in mind, Dark Ages begins in 971 when the Trio were young. It ends in 994. But it might have taken me 23 years to get there.
Timbo writes...
Hey yo....gotta tell ya' that Gargoyles is my favortie toon or all time. Just one thing that always bugged me about the Awakening series, is that the first half hour seemed cut around Goliath's brothers and sisters. For some reason those first to nameless Gargoyles (especially the one with the bull horns) and all of the others you barely got a peek at always intrigued me....who were they?, what were they like?....if there's any names or info on these mysterious characters of Goliath's fallen clan, please let me know..
Thanks
p.s....If Coldstone was made up of pieces of other Gargoyles....wouldn't he have some womenly feartures too?...j/k
Greg responds...
He does. Have you seen his inner thigh. Whoah!!!
Anyway, yes, I have some notions about Goliath's rookery siblings. We've met three. And I've given a great deal of thought to Hyppolyta, a fourth.
Again, given enough time and episodes we'd have met them all.
That's what the Dark Ages prequel spin-off was for.
matt writes...
in response to my question about England getting rid of their gargoyles you said, "England did a worse job than most." do you mean cuz there are still gargoyles in England a thousand years later or was there another reason you said this?
on a related note, when Bodhe said that the English rid their lands of gargoyles long ago... how long ago? obviously there was at least a clan or two around during King Arthur's reign and i can't see him allowing massacres and such. oh, and since we know of the London clan i realize that the English HAVN'T rid their lands completly of gargoyles, but when were the bulk of them banished/killed/whatever?
Greg responds...
What other reason did you have in mind?
As for Bodhe, he wasn't exactly an authority. The English thought that their country was gargoyle free by Macbeth's time. It wasn't. What gargs there were left had just gone into hiding by that time.
Jade writes...
How did Goliath come to get his name, and when did he get it? Thanks
Greg responds...
During the Dark Ages. A human named him. That's all I want to say right now.
Duncan Devlin writes...
Someone asked about sources on clothing from 1000 AD so I found these two books and figured that I would post them.
The Book of Costume
-Millia Davenport
What People Wore
-Douglas Gorsline
Greg responds...
Thanks.
matt writes...
since Cuchalin had a garg beast, is it safe to presume that there was once at least one garg clan in Ireland?
if so, what was this clans relationship to the feud between Cuchalin and the Banche if any? was the clan not involved, Cuchalin's allies, etc....
Greg responds...
Yes, at one point there was an Irish garg clan. No more details are currently forthcoming.
matt writes...
in the archives someone asked who would be the human leader of Wyvern in "Dark Ages" and you responded, "Malcolm once the war was won." what war are you refering to?
Greg responds...
Take a look at "Once Upon a Time There Were Three Brothers" in the OLD ASK GREG ARCHIVE.
matt writes...
i was wondering what your thoughts were on the fact that the English rid their lands of gargoyles before many other gargoyle/human relationships fell apart. in Scotland, Japan, Guatemala, and probably other clan locations, humans and gargs were getting along alright in the 1000's but the English got rid of the gargs, why? what really bugs me about them doing this is that like in many other places in the world, gargoyles were having an effect on myth and culture, more so in England than many other places. gargoyles seemed to have been a very positive influence in England because lions, unicorns, griffons, etc. all became English symbols of honor, strength, courage, and power, why use and keep these symbols when banishing the people who influenced them, the gargs? unless somethng happened in England to make them hate gargs alot, i don't understand how a people could honor a people and then turn around and banish them...
Greg responds...
England considered itself more civilized. They weren't the only "nation" (and I use the term loosely and anachronistically) to get rid of their 'goyles. And England did a worse job than most.
matt writes...
Faieq, Goliath said, "I grow tired of this, take whats left of your men and begone!" i think he meant he was tired of that particular battle and i doubt there had been previous encounters with Hakon.
Greg responds...
Yeah. That sounds more like it.
Thanks, matt.
Faieq writes...
In Awakening Part one, the Vikings or at least Hakon, are convinced that the gargoyles are just stone statues. This suggests that this is the first time Hakon has attacked Castle Wyvern. But when Goliath awakens he says something like, "I grow tired of these attacks." That means that the attack was only a middle of a series of attacks by the Vikings. Was the battle at the beggining of Awakening part one, the vikings first battle with Castle Wyvern. Or had another party of Vikings been attacking Wyvern and had moved on, leaving Hakon's army in charge of that area.
Greg responds...
Well, Hakon had never been there before. But you're quoting something that Goliath said in the MIDDLE of the battle. So he may have been talking about the fact that Hakon's crowd was still fighting. Or he may have been refering to the fact that Wyvern's isolated location often made them targets of attack. From other Vikings, etc.
matt writes...
when garg clans were all over the world did the clans ever have "clan protectorate" boundry lines the way we have national borders? i'm mainly refering to the clans of the British isles since there seemed to be more clans there and they are closer to each other, like the Wyvern, break-off Wyvern, Loch Ness, and London clans, and i'm sure there were once many more, so did they ever have boundries between their protectorates?
Greg responds...
More like vague territories.
LSZ writes...
Would the Loch Ness Monsters ever be featured in Dark Ages or Timedancer?
Greg responds...
Maybe.
Anonymous writes...
In the episode long way till morning we see how princess Katherine gets her xenophobic behavior of gargoyles by her father telling her things like "the gargoyles would get you." Hudson hears this and tells her father "we will never hurt the lass" My questions are
1) Why did prince Malcolm tell his daughter "The gargoyles would get you" since he knows the gargoyles would never do such a thing?
2)What would Hudson do if he were to ever meet Princess Katherine again?
Greg responds...
1. Malcolm is being expedient, not wise.
2. Thank her for raising the eggs.
And it's Katharine. With two "a"s.
Todd Jensen writes...
How did the Archmage remain in Prince Malcolm's service for so long? From the evidence that you've given us, he seems to have been Malcolm's advisor from 971 (when the humans first moved into the future Castle Wyvern) to 984 or shortly before (cf. "Long Way Till Morning") - around thirteen years.
The Archmage honestly didn't strike me as a particularly subtle character or one whom I'd easily expect to be able to conceal his true nature; Xanatos can easily pull such a deception off, but the Archmage's style was so obviously that of the blatantly evil sorcerer with all his ragings and tantrums that I find it hard to believe that he could have been able to dupe the court for so long. (Of course, Hudson does seem to be already suspecting him by 975 in "Vows"). How did he manage to pull it off?
Greg responds...
The Archmage arrives on the scene shortly after the alliance is formed. He does something that endears him mightily to the Prince. And though his true nature is obvious to us (and to Hudson) he was very careful not to reveal it to the Prince. Until he did. At which point, he was booted.
There may have been a few close calls before that, but nothing obvious enough for the Prince to turn out a valuable ally.
Anonymous writes...
Did Hudson have a biological child who was Goliath's age?
Greg responds...
Yes.
Anonymous writes...
Hi, I'm curious...what was life like growing up for Goliath(especially in his warrior-trainee years). I'm wondering whether or not he had a stressful time in his warrior-trainee stage. Well I'm sure he did, I'm just asking you to confirm it(if you can). I'm wondering because I'm curious as to what shaped him(speaking as if he were real) to be the person he is today. Judging from his character attributes(which I absolutely admire; "love" even) I'm sure he had a very hard time when he reached puberty. In my mind I see him as a poor troubled youth who is both admired(for his looks and talents) and absolutely hated(for the same things by his clanmates who were jealous of him). Always torn between the need to succeed to please his elders but not succeed too highly to keep his clanbrothers from hating his guts even more than they already did.
Greg responds...
Actually, I think Goliath was a bit sheltered and naive. Not from danger, of course. He faced plenty of that. But until he got quite a bit older, he was less aware of deceipt.
Given that he took danger as a given, I don't think Goliath would think he had a very tough childhood.
As to his youth and training, that's what GARGOYLES: THE DARK AGES was created to explore (among other things).
Corrine Blaquen writes...
Was Hudson's mate killed or did she die naturally?
Greg responds...
She did not die "naturally". *whatever THAT means*
Ray Kremer writes...
Vows. I always prefer this style of time travel theory, when you affect events in the past you are fulfilling history, not changing it. Too few time travel stories do this, most instead taking the track of messing up the time line and then putting it back, or else just changing an unpreferred event into something else. New timelines, alternate timelines, erased timelines, it all just gets too messy sometimes. Also fun are the "cause it by trying to prevent it" stories, done with prophecy in Greek myth and time travel today. MIA even got into the act, though in a most unique fashion.
"More's the pity." I love that line too. And Morgan Shepard's wonderfully expressive voice just adds to the whole experience. I'll be the one to ask this: In the plan for Dark Ages, would we have seen the events of Vows from the other side of things?
Greg responds...
Eventually. Dark Ages begins in 971. Vows was set in 975.
Morgan Shepard was great, but Keith David said "More's the pity."
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