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draph91 writes...

do solar and/or lunar eclipses affect gargoyles in any way when it comes to the stone sleep process?

Greg responds...

No spoilers.

Response recorded on July 14, 2021

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DS writes...

You mentioned that gargoyles and gargoyle beasts are distinct from most mammals and are classified as "gargates." Given their traits of milk production and warm bloodedness while laying eggs, I'd be tempted to classify gargoyles as monotremes, a subset of mammals that includes platupi and the echidnas, though I would need to look at their biochemistry to be absolutely certain (which has obvious logistical issues). I remember reading in the archives that gargoyles are the first "sentient" race, emerging sometime in the same time magnitude as dinosaurs. Classing gargoyles as monotremes could fit in with that time frame, because birds/dinosaurs and mammals diverged some time in the Carboniferous, significantly before the Triassic. This would put them in the same ecological classification as other monotremes (which you had demonstrated reluctance to accept before vis a vis platupi), but given the long time period, I would EXPECT them to look more and be more different from other monotremes than, say, a sparrow does from a T-rex, since their most recent common ancestor was much longer ago. Oddly enough, the most difficult thing about figuring gargoyles out is the difference between Lexington and the rest of the clan, because four vs six limbs is a major difference, and figuring out that phenotypic difference that still leaves the two types of gargoyles able to create viable offspring wasn't very easy. However, I think I managed to crack it. It is most probably a trait of the MOTHER of the gargoyle, not the gargoyle in question proper (so if Lexington decided he wanted a kid and found a willing female gargoyle (ignoring for thought experiment purposes that he wouldn't be interested in women), he probably wouldn't be able to pass it on). At some point, some female proto-gargate from just as gargoyles and gargoyle beasts were starting to diverge had a mutation that probably added an extra pair of limbs on their back. These extra limbs could have been useful, and could have evolved over time to help gargoyles fly (well, glide) through the power of "jazz hands" (like how bats fly proper). Eventually, another female gargoyle had another mutation that essentially told her kid's biological plan to omit the first pair of "arms" and only have the second kind (the ones that look wingish). Both phenotypes produced viable offspring with roughly the same ability to reproduce, but the second mutation probably started out rarer because it came later. So the general timeline looks like this:

Mammals and dinosaurs diverge -> Platupi diverge from other monotremes -> Gargates diverge from other monotremes (this comes after platupi because female gargoyles have mammary glands, and probably came about as a result of developing the first rudiments of stone sleep) -> Dinosaurs come on the scene -> Gargoyles and gargoyle beasts diverge from each other (probably via gargoyles becoming bipedal) -> Gargoyles evolve six limbs and this variant overtakes the population while the two back arms become more winglike -> the Lexington variant of gargoyles evolves -> Dinosaurs kick it -> Gargoyles gradually become more intelligent as their longer lifespans and lack of natural predators (thanks giant meteor) makes intelligence a more viable strategy for survival to make them more cooperative.

I don't know if this perfectly fits with what you have, but I did the best I could with the information (both show/FAQ-wise and through a degree in biochemistry) I had. What are your thoughts?

Greg responds...

I love all this.

A couple thoughts that might or might not influence your thinking...

Lex has six limbs. The middle "rib" of his wings is actually a limb. In original development art (which you may have seen on the first season DVD) he has four hands: the two we're all used to and two more coming off those mid-wing arms. So what you're seeing in his final version his six limbs, but the middle two limbs have, uh... devolved into ribs.

We've discussed in the past that Gargoyle Beasts have vestigial wing bones beneath the skin.

Response recorded on July 12, 2021

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Dragomir writes...

How physically strong are gargoyles exactly? We've seen them perform many impressive feats of strength over the course of the series that no human could ever match without some form of augmentation (bionic enhancements, genetic mutations, power armor, sorcery, etc), but if possible I'd like to know just how powerful they actually are, like, how much weight can the average gargoyle lift in comparison to a well above average gargoyle like Goliath or Demona? How many pounds? Or dare I say, tons? Like humans obviously not all gargoyles represent the pinnacle of their kind's athletic potential, hence why I listed Goliath & Demona as examples of peak physical performance, but even the weakest of gargoyles are seriously tough customers, as Lex has demonstrated more than once despite his size, or Hudson despite his age. So, yeah, I'd love to know how the strength levels of gargoyles ranging from below average, average, and above average, AKA strongest. Thanks for your time!

Greg responds...

I'm not good with numbers - and am not in love with the idea of codifying that. Watch the show. See what they do. Do your own math, I guess.

Response recorded on July 09, 2021

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Cronny writes...

How does the commitment ceremony worked? Is it a gargoyle tradition of mating or similar to a wedding? Has there been a humans and gargoyles that can have sex?

Greg responds...

1. I hope to depict it someday, so I'm not going into detail here.

2. Closer to a wedding, I suppose.

3. No spoilers.

Response recorded on July 09, 2021

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ANR writes...

Is it possible for a Gargoyle to be on the Autism spectrum?

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on July 09, 2021

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Clifton J. writes...

Two, related, questions about Gargoyle biology...kind of:

1. I'm just wondering, does alcohol affect gargoyles the same way it does humans? I mean, can they actually get drunk and hungover?
2. If they can get drunk or hungover, would they need to drink more than humans? Or do their bodies process it differently so that they would actually need to drink less?

Greg responds...

1. Drunk, yes. Hungover, no. Stone sleep would fix that.

2. Depends on their weight, just like humans. It would take a lot to get Goliath drunk, I would think.

Response recorded on July 02, 2021

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Graham T. writes...

Topic: Gargoyle Biology

Question 1: Given the Gargoyles' wings are like bat or bird wings, nor noticeably have a smaller pair of hands, could there possibly have been a Gargate species that existed with two sets of arms, instead of a pair of arms and a pair of wings?

Question 2: Given the immense diversity between Gargoyle appearances, including the Loch Ness clan being semi-amphibious, do Gargoyles have a high genetic mutation rate or a special genetic adaptivity depending on the environment?

Greg responds...

1. Well, I suppose. Interestingly, an older design for Lexington gave him two sets of true arms, including two sets of hands, with his wings largely unchanged, i.e. that middle set of arms that you can see in the center of his wings were still there, but they were more firmly developed and had actual hands at the end.

2. Maybe? I'd have to consult with some of our fan-biologists on the possibility. But keep in mind, Gargates are a VERY old species. They've had tons of time to evolve. Way longer than humans have had. The miracle is that they have maintained as much cultural, um, "integrity," as they have.

Response recorded on June 30, 2021

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Jack Carpenter writes...

What's the smartest observation that you've ever seen a fan make about one of your shows?

Greg responds...

Geez, there have been so many... and yet of course nothing comes to mind at the moment. That's not a comment on the fans, who are fantastic, but on my crap memory.

My guess is it was something at one of the GARGOYLES BIOLOGY & CUSTOMS panels at the old GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES conventions. Those rocked! Check out some of the Gathering diaries in the archives and you might find some cool stuff recorded.

Response recorded on September 18, 2020

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Ashley D writes...

I was wondering can Gargoyles with Feathered wings fly, like Zafiro from the Mayan clan or Staghart of the London clan.

Greg responds...

No. Just glide.

Response recorded on October 21, 2019

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Juan M writes...

Are they any bisexual and trans gendered gargoyles in the gargoyle universe?Have we seen them without mentioning who they are. the tv show and comic were theyre closeted for now?

Thank you and the crww for a great cartoon ahead of time.

Greg responds...

Bisexual for sure, and yes you've seen some, though keep in mind that most gargoyles mate once and for life, so you're less likely to get proof. I'd think there would be trans-gendered ones, as well, but I'll admit I haven't yet written any.

Back in the day, we weren't allowed to objectively present LGBTQ characters. That doesn't mean the characters were in the closet. We tried to write with consistency - even to the things we weren't allowed to do.

Response recorded on December 14, 2017


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