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RESPONSES 2001-9 (Sept)

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Vashkoda writes...

Hey Greg. I haven't asked you any biology questions in a long time. I know that this topic has a tendency to irk you a little, so I limit myself to one subject: the gargoyles' stone-like skin.

1a) Is this substance more porous (like lava rock) than most kinds of stone (like granite)? I ask because you've said that a gargoyle's weight doesn't change when they transform, yet stone tends to be denser and far heavier than, say, a similar-sized piece of flesh or bone.

1b) If it is more porous, does that mean that it is easier to break apart than most kinds of stone? Would it have a greater tendency to crumble than to break into clean fragments?

2a) Would you say that this stone-like subtance is "alive", in the sense that biological processes are going on inside of it?

2b) If so, then would there be any changes in the substance's cohesion or other properties when a gargoyle dies in their sleep? i.e., does it become easier to break, or more solid? If Goliath and the others were only able to stay in such good shape over the centuries (no erosion by moss or ivy) because they were still "alive", I'm surprised that there were fragments of the Coldtrio preserved well enough to be used by Xanatos and Demona.

3a) Is it the "light energy" (for photosynthesis) or the "heat energy" of sunlight that gets stored and used by the gargoyles?

3b) Where would this energy be stored? Throughout their body, or only in their outer layer of skin where it is captured?

3c) Must it be solar energy, or could they also harvest artifical forms of light?

3d) Can they only capture this energy when they transform into the stone-like substance? (i.e., are the mechanisms needed to capture the energy only present when they are 'stone'?). Can the Mayan gargoyles, for example, still absorb any energy from sunlight when they are awake?

Thanks Greg. I hope this wasn't too painful for you (no more biology questions from me for at least several months, I promise).

Greg responds...

1a. I don't know.

1b. What does your observation tell you?

2a. To some limited extent, yes.

2b. Fragments is the key word.

3a. I'm guessing THERMAL energy. Just a guess.

3b. I don't know.

3c. I'm thinking heat, but I don't know.

3d. They need to be stone, but the pendants may compensate to some extent.

It was relatively painless, Vash, thanks.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Why are the QFL clan called the Liberty clan?

Greg responds...

Care to guess?

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Mooncat writes...

Is Fox's blue fox head (on her face) a tattoo or a natural birthmark? Or other?

Greg responds...

Tattoo.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What was this legend that Frank Paur told you about that inspired you to have the Korean Clan?

Greg responds...

Ask Frank.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Mooncat writes...

Who are the biological parents of the Wierd Sisters

Greg responds...

No one you've met in the show.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Why is it in City of Stone the Weird Sisters appearing different to different people? Was it caused by a spell?
Why didn¡¯t we see them using this technique in post-CoS episodes?
Could Oberon and Titania do it? Have they done it?

Greg responds...

1. They strove to make each individual 'comfortable' with their appearance.

1a. Magic, anyway.

2. Just because YOU didn't see it doesn't mean the characters didn't.

3. Potentially.

3a. Perhaps.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What are the steel clan made out of?

Greg responds...

Is this a serious question?

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who rules New Camelot in 2198?

Greg responds...

Not telling.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Why did the Space-Spawn take the Master Matrix? I mean it didn't have any tactical, military and political value like all those leaders.

Greg responds...

It had tremendous value.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Josh Wurzel writes...

Monday:

It's all over! NOOOOOOOOO! I have to say, the past four days were probably
the highlight of my entire summer. Never have I had so much fun with people I
barely knew. I made some great friends in Greg X, Revel, Mara, Aaron, Dreamie,
and Winterwolf, and met a whole bunch of people, and even (according to Jannie)
picked up a fan club.

I have only ONE complaint about the ENTIRE gathering! Yes, just one. And its
something that can easily be fixed and would cost NOTHING to fix! The name
tags! Most of us meet over the internet, and few have any idea what the other
people look like. The name tags should have our Internet handle/callsign/nickname
in LARGE letters at the TOP of the badge, with the real name in smaller letters
underneath, with the picture/artwork taking up the bottom. In other words, reverse the ratio of name space to art space on
the badge. I should be able to see someone's nickname on their badge from more than 2 feet away. It was a little awkward
feeling like I was staring at everyone's chest to see their name. "I'm reading your badge, really!"

Gathering staff? What do you guys think about that?

I got to gathering late today, as I really didn't care much about the lectures that were happening. I picked up the artwork I
bid on and watched the closing ceremonies, which was basically a brief thank-you by Greg Weisman.

After that six of us (me, aaron, mara, dreamie, winter, and warpy) piled into Wolf's rented convertible and went for lunch
at a chinese restaurant my family likes. Everyone was happy, which is good because i'd have been really embarassed if
they relied on me to be their guide and disappointed them. After lunch we drove back to the con hotel and dropped off
Warpy so he could catch a shuttle. Then we left again to find a movie theater...the first one wasn't playing the movie we
wanted to see, so we headed to my house and hung out for a while until about 7, when Evolution was playing at a nearby
theater.

During the interim at my house, Aaron and crew (esp. aaron) became very buddy-buddy with my little bro. The six of us
(including my little bro) were talking up a storm in the kitchen. How we managed to keep it at his level is amazing to me,
considering the collection of gutterminds present. He'll start posting in here soon, as soon as I set up his new machine.
He's very excited. Now, keep in mind, he's 13, so try to stay PG-13 with him 8-). When he asks what yaoi is, don't tell
him 8-).

Seeing as I was a total 5th wheel (literally, as I was with 2 couples), I selected a theater with massive love-seat style
stadium seating for my friends. The armrests move back, big comfy chairs, you get the idea. After the movie, I insisted
that they drop me off and head back to the con hotel before I got violently ill. Being a confirmed bachelor for life definitely
has its advantages, but there's always that yucky feeling I get when I see sappiness among couples.

So that pretty much concluded my gathering experience. It was a blast, and as of today I'm actually considering GOING to
Virgina, if I can pull it off (doubtful, but who knows!?).

To Revel, Mara, Aaron, Dreamie, Winterwolf, Jannie, and GXB: You guys made my gathering infinitely valuable, and its
an experience I'll treasure forever. If any of you are in my neck of the woods (although I'd not call either of the concrete
jungles I inhabit "the woods"), look me up: you've got a place to stay. ::fake sobs:: I love you guys ;-). Oh, and I'd really
like at least one of you guys to post your view of events today, as I'd like to see it from the tourists point of view. 8-)

Sadly, the people I went to the movie with know where I live and they've seen where I sleep (good luck finding your way
back, though. Buwahahaha!). Now I'll have to kill them. ;-)

The pictures, greg, are posted at www.kicktothenuts.com/gathering

Thanks, Greg.

Greg responds...

Geez, nice name for your website, man.

Seriously, though, I'm glad you had a good time. That's the point, eh?

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Josh Wurzel writes...

Sunday:

So much went on today. There was a big Q&A with some of the voice talent,
including Goliath, Brooklyn/Owen/Magus, Lex, Obsidiana, and Hyena (i'm using
character names instead of real names b/c quite frankly I don't care and most
people won't recognize the names). There was an auction of garg stuff, one cell
went for $420, and some artists bible went for $300. I was part of a pool on a
Carl Johnson Garg Music CD that went for $200.

Anyone interested in borrowing money: talk to Aaron. I swear, that guy has more
money than god. I watched him outbid people just for fun.

A bunch of original artwork was displayed, I took pictures and they will be
available for download as soon as I get them off my camera and onto the internet.

Saved $53 by walking down the road to Subway instead of staying for the Banquet. I'm told all I missed was Crispin (sp?)
kissing Thom Adcox.

The costume contest was...interesting. My personal favorite was Aaron and Shinigami, who dressed up as Fox and David,
RESPECTIVELY. They won the Gorebash cross-dressing award. Best couple award went to Thom and Crispin. Dreamie
and Winterwolf did this cute commando thing where they hijacked Thom and demanded his boxers, leading Thom to drop
his pants in the middle of the dance floor. Thom dropped trou again while dancing later. Greg Weissman made numerous
comments about "any excuse to take your pants off, huh Thom!?"

I didn't get anything signed because, quite frankly, the only stuff that goes up in value when signed is sports memorabilia. I
mean, who outside the fandom knows who Greg Weissman is?!

I got some great pictures of CR members and other stuff, also to be posted soon.

Greg responds...

If people are getting stuff signed to increase the object's MONETARY value than I'd have to agree they're nuts.

But I've had a few things signed in my day by people I admire. And it certainly increased the objects value TO ME.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Josh Wurzel writes...

Saturday:

Another great day at the Gathering.

Lets see, what'd I do today. Well I went to a bunch of different seminars about
writing, storyboarding, etc. Saw the radio play, which was SOOOO funny. Greg
revealed that the second episode after "The Journey" was to be a 22-minute porn
scene between Goliath and Elisa. Spent some time watching "Best of Gargoyles",
and a bunch of time in the art room hanging out with other TGS CR members.

A special apology to Jannie and Denis, who I left out of my list of people I met
yesterday (aka the list of people I strongly suspect exist).

Oh, and I've confirmed the existence of Todd Jensen. Although he doesn't APPEAR to be a cat, his conversational skills
make me wonder if he's a cat in a human costume.

Spent a large chunk of the day in just blabbing with Warpy, Aaron, Mara, Lynati, Dreamie, and Winterwolf (who, in case
you haven't figured out, is Dreamie's other half - I think), Revel, and GXB. Its a lot of fun hanging out with CR people, as
we all know a bit about each other's history and personalities, its not at all like meeting completely new people.

I'm finding out that I've pissed off a lot of people unintentionally. I mean, it probably seemed provoking, but since I don't
remember doing it, I obviously wasn't being malicious. I remember that kind of stuff. So that said, an apology to Jennifer
Anderson (sp?). Its quite interesting being introduced to someone and having them say "can I kick your ass now?"

Greg responds...

Don't worry too much. Jen says that to a lot of people.

::DUCKS QUICKLY::

:D

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Josh Wurzel writes...

I see you were looking for gathering essays. Since Aaron posted his, I thought I'd follow suit. These were posted in the TGS CR.

Friday:

Greg X and Revel say: NEENEER NEENEER NEEEEEENER! WE'RE AT
GATHERING AND YOU'RE NOT!!!

Everyone else says: Does anyone have a computer?

Gathering rocks. Loving every minute of it. The following people are now on my
list of those I STRONGLY suspect exist: Winterwolf, Dreamie, Dreamie's
Boyfriend (much to everyone's chagrin, though I discovered today that I could
care less), Revel, Greg X, Lynati, Warpmind, Christine, Tim, Becca, Lexy, Greg
Weisman, Thom Adcox, Coyote, Ravyn, Daniel Johnson, Aaron, Mara,
Guandalug, Patrick Toman, Kathy, CrzyDemona

Cute chicks: Okay, I'm an california boy, so you can imagine my standards are pretty high/picky. So you can imagine I
don't think there are any "Perfect 10's" at the Gathering. As it is, there are a few cuties. They are: Sorow, Dreamie, Ylla
(sp?). Just so you guys who aren't there know that I'm looking. Pictures to be posted soon.

The following people MAY exist: SJ, Robby, Gside, DPH. I suspect that they aren't at Gathering because they really are
someone else who's already there (robby-aaron, sj-me, etc).

Its really cool meeting all these people in real life, some of them are even cool in real life. But I have to say, I've been from
one end of California to the other. I've been to Santa Monica, West LA, and Berkeley. I've seen a lot of weird stuff. But
I've never seen a freak show quite like the Gathering crew, and I'm a weekly attendee of the rocky horror picture show.
That says a lot.

Greg Weisman showed us a sketch for his "bad guys" series, which was pretty funny, and he also showed us preliminary
story arcs for New Olympians and Dark Ages. Too bad he never got to make any of this stuff. If I were king...

I went to a panel group that included Christine and Mara, and learned a few tips for improving my fic...it may see the
black of the fic archive yet.

Then we MiSTed the gargoyles eps "The Gathering", where I demonstrated to the 20 people in attendance that I do, in
fact, have quite the guttermind ("The Puck has played many roles, but never that of straight man" "Yes, puck, we know
you've never been a straight man!"). But MiSTing gargoyles episodes it more fun than I can shake a really big stick at.
Even though they are the bane of our fandom, I really would enjoy MiSTing the TGC episodes.

Greg responds...

Better late than never...

Thanks!

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Ian writes...

Aren't Shan's well written questions just a delight to read?

Greg responds...

They're okay.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Shan writes...

The following is in response to a question you answered for me.

Greg wrote:

Claw was mute. Renard was confined to a wheelchair. I'm not tooting my own horn here, I just think that maybe you're overlooking characters because they fit so naturally into the series that you forgot they were disabled.

Shan responds:

I'm beyond exhausted at the moment, so other than Garrett from the show I worked on I can't think of anyone else who has have appeared in every other show (except Brutto if ROUGHNECKS continued). I think you may be right about characters at the supporting level -- the Robbins and Renards of the animated universe -- but most do seem to be one shots, sometimes even in storylines where their disability is "repaired" by the end of the episode (such as an injury-created blindness that surgery or something else corrects), which usually seems a cop-out. IMNSHO.

And while I do like Renard, particularly as Fox's father, he is older than most of the characters we're talking about and from what Puck shows with his images in "Gathering Part Two," wasn't always in a chair, was he? (Again, beyond exhaustion, I might be wrong) It's a combination of age and illness, or at least that's the impression I've had. But then again, Robbins was blinded in Viet Nam and he's even younger. Showing ability with disability at all ages and stages of life -- and that it isn't always congenital -- is a good thing.

I have no clue why this is such a personal springboard for me, but I'm not embarrassed about it. I can tell you it predates my seizure disorder (circa 1992). On that note, I know that seizures are usually used to comic effect in film and TV and living it isn't funny to me. I close my eyes and let it be though. I'm not going to tell people what they can and can't do. I just don't have to like it.

(Now jumping off soapbox...)

Greg also wrote:

I also would love to do a hearing impaired animated character with Marlee Matlin doing the voice. She used to come into Rockets and I once had such a big crush on her that I swore that if she came in one more time, I'd ask her to marry me. (She must have sensed that cause she never came back.)

Shan replies:

:) If you did the character as a lip-reader, it would probably work in limited animation. Sign language is a whole different ball of wax, though I do know I saw it done once as a kid (I want to say on DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH, but I am so tired right now). Christy Marx and I talked about this waaaay back when I first met her, though it's become public knowledge on the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List over the years. Hasbro had Christy developing a JEM feature that never really went past treatment since the TRANSFORMERS and GI JOE movies did so poorly. They were going to have a deaf girl in that movie, which was integral to the plot. Later on, Christy had dinner with a woman who taught her there are many variants of sign language; ASA (American Sign Language) is just one of several so it might not be understood well in some markets that aren't familiar with ASA and thereby not translate internationally. Also the complexity of the hand gestures just might not come out right in limited animation. So she told me at that time she wasn't sure if it ultimately would have worked out it.

Just FYI...

Greg responds...

Solving those problems would be tremendously complex -- but worthwhile for a worthwhile character.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Shan writes...

Ian>Um... thank you, I think, for complementing my questions. (I was passing through to see what other questions had been posted as long as I was online and saw your comment).

Greg>I hope my questions better exemplify your preferences, but you and I both know I can be error prone on occasion. I can think of instances both where I was your student and not proofing myself well enough as an interviewer (the latter being the greater embarrassment) where that was the case.

(And I just had to go look up embarrassment. I always have to stop and think about the "r"s and "s"s...)

Greg responds...

The fact that you are looking things up is good in and of itself.

By the way, it was nice to see you and Jen and Alan and Zach and Ana and Ambrosia at Keith David's performance. I hope you all had a great time. (And I'm sorry I didn't warn you about the expense. I didn't know and was caught off guard by the cost myself.)

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

While browsing on the Internet I found this page (annotated sandman and to be more specific the soft places issue) that says the real unlatinized name of the historical Xanadu is Shantu so is this true?

Greg responds...

Yes, it's true: you were browsing.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who is presently the president of the USA in the Gargoyles universe? Is he a member of the Illuminati?

Greg responds...

Presently, to my knowledge, George W. Bush is president.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Shan writes...

You've mentioned collaborating on a (I presume spec) feature script with your brother Jon. Without intruding on your brother's privacy too much, is he within enough distance of you that it's practical to work together in person on semi-regular occasions?

My sister and I are back collaborating again on some projects, but only because technology has caught up to us. We worked together for years when we lived at home, but when she got married and moved to Seattle and I moved to Los Angeles (which happened within a 6 month timespan), the level of development on Internet for the masses wasn't quite on our side then. Now we both have our own Internet accounts (versus subaccounts on Dad's AOL), email, and Final Draft 5. It feels like we're getting a lot done, and I'm glad to have the interaction back, but it's not quite the same thing.

The question I'm leading to is this: If you had to (or actually do) all your work by Internet with Jon, do you think (or do you feel) you could still create the same quality and level of product? Or in your mind is there just no replacement for the in-person collaboration experience?

If this turns out to be a hypothetical, I apologize since I know you don't prefer those.

Greg responds...

My brother and I both live in Los Angeles. We have very different lives, so getting together isn't particularly easy, but we manage.

When writing the outline, we worked the story out in person. Then took turns writing and rewriting each other.

When writing the screenplay, we did the reverse. Took turns writing and rewriting each other, by sending the material back and forth over the net. When we were done, we got together to polish the first draft.

Then we sent it out for notes. When we got those notes, we got together again to work out a plan for what and how we were going to change. Then September 11th. We haven't worked on it since, but he's coming over to my office this Friday to work on the second draft.

In essence, a lot can be done these days over the internet. But I tend to think that something is lost when people don't get to gether in person.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Could a regular human wizard with no magical augmentation cast a lightning spell or fireball spell without a conduit?

Greg responds...

Potentially. Especially if that's the ONE spell they've REALLY, REALLY studied. But it would be more difficult and also limit their ability to do anything else.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Did you have any plans for the mercenary team we saw in Double Jeopardy?

Greg responds...

Nope.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Cha-Cha writes...

In Hunter's Moon why did Demona need the Praying Gargoyle to protect gargoyles from the virus?

With the healing ability of stone sleep wouldn't they be immune anyway? If they contracted the disease at night, during the day they'd heal and the next night they would be cured.

Greg responds...

You're assuming that (a) it works slowly and (b) it goes away.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Sapphire writes...

Dear Greg

You said that if Gargoyles continued there would be more mutates can you give a hint what these future mutates would look like?

Greg responds...

No.

And did I say that?

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Care to give the names of the twelve (thirteen if you count Queen Florence clan) clan leaders who were captured by the Space-Spawn?
Were the Queen Florence Clan and the Gargoyle leaders captured by the space-spawn in the original 2158/Future Tense Spin-off?

Greg responds...

1. Nope.

2. Yep.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Was Grandmother the original Thunderbird that inspired the Thunderbird legends?
What was the sea monster that Grandmother turned into in Heritage? Was it a legendary monster?

Greg responds...

1. I don't think so.

2. It was a legendary monster, I beileve.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Why didn¡¯t Banshee kill Bronx and Rory when they climbed out of the pit? Why did she take him back to his home after she kissed him? Why didn¡¯t she do anything to Bronx?
Was Banshee the original Deathworm that inspired the legends or was the original another child of Oberon? If not what was it?

Greg responds...

It would really help if you'd number your questions.

1. There's no one simple answer. But she wanted to avoid waking Rory. An actual attack might have triggered the very thing she feared.

1a. She was trying to put him back to sleep.

2. She said that she didn't perceive him as a real threat.

3. I believe so.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Zarok writes...

I just saw "Deadly Force" on Toon disney UK, somebody got the message, welldone.

Greg responds...

I take no credit. Is this a new development? Has Toon Disney UK shown "Deadly Force" in the past?

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Mooncat writes...

If Gargoyles are biologically inclined to take a monogamous mate (as well as traditionally) why is it so easy for Thailog to discard Demona?

Can a gargoyle have physical relations with more than one other gargoyle before the "imprint" sets in? Or does the "imprint" set in during the first full physical relationship?

Greg responds...

Opportunistic programming allows Thailog to override certain impulses.

Generally, the latter.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What are Jackal and Hyena¡¯s real names?

Greg responds...

Not yet established.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Cha-Cha writes...

1. Who was the centaur at the Gathering?
2. Is Medusa a N.O. or one of Oberon's children?
Because she was at the Gathering and in an older post someone mentioned she was also on New Olympus.

Greg responds...

1. Good question.
2. The Medusa I've given any thought too is a New Olympian. If there was a medusa-like character at the Gathering, I don't recall. But keep in mind that the Children are shape-shifters and can look pretty much like whatever they want.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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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.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Todd Jensen writes...

One thing that I thought that I'd mention here today, now that the question queue has gotten started up again, is on Goliath's smashing the Praying Gargoyle and foiling Operation Clean Slate in "Hunter's Moon".

I think that it's obvious to us all that Goliath was taking a big risk there, since if Demona had smashed the vial after that, all the gargoyles would have died alongside all the humans. But I wonder how many of us have noticed something else, that foiling Demona's genocide scheme entirely (as indeed happened here) could be almost as fatal to the gargoyle race. After all, at this point, the existence of gargoyles has been revealed to the world, and the public wasn't too thrilled with that. At the time that Goliath was confronting Demona, St. Damien's Cathedral was surrounded by an angry crowd practically howling for the gargoyles' blood, which was even prepared to charge in vigilante-style if the police didn't do anything. And even afterwards, as we saw in "The Journey", the public attitude towards gargoyles remained hostile; people were eagerly joining the Quarrymen when Castaway set it up, Margot Yale was openly calling for the capture and incarceration of the entire species on television, etc. We know, of course, from your "Gargoyles 2198" announcement that eventually humans do learn to recognize gargoyles' right to exist, and that by 2198, the days of near-universal attempts on humanity's part to hunt down and kill gargoyles are over - but Goliath, obviously, couldn't have known that.

I don't know whether Goliath had time to realize when he smashed the Praying Gargoyle (he took action extremely quickly, after all) that he was thus potentially endangering his species twice over, and that by saving humanity he was potentially dooming his race to brutal massacres (and I'm sure that even if he did know it, he'd have felt that there are just certain things that you have to do that are more important than mere survival and that wiping out one race so that another can survive is wrong - not to mention that he also knew that not all humans were crazed anti-gargoyle zealots), but I still think that that action of his was probably one of the most courageous and altruistic deeds that he performed in the entire series. I just thought that I'd give my thoughts on that here.

Greg responds...

I think his action was considerably less thought out... for me it's as Elisa say: "That's what he does. That's who he is." It was as purely a "Goliath" response to a crisis as any we've seen. Goliath isn't perfect, far from it. But the angel of his better nature is a pure and powerful thing.

Response recorded on October 10, 2001

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Keith David, Live and In Person

For those of you in the Greater Los Angeles area looking for some much needed diversion...

Keith David (the voice of Goliath, of course) will be singing and performing live at CINEGRILL inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard (between La Brea & Highland) at 8pm on both Friday, September 21st and Saturday, September 22nd, 2001. My wife and I will be going Friday night. It would be great to get a nice garg-fan turnout. And I know that I personally can use the break from news reports, etc. Reservations are suggested but not required. Call: (323)466-7000.

Hope to see at least a few of you there.


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September 11, 2001

There's not much I can say. I'm in shock like the rest of you. I voted in a local election, and I'm going to try to donate blood later today. It's all I can think to do.

Everyone, just take care of each other.

Greg


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Thank Heaven...

July (and thus August) ASK GREG questions are done.

Now I'm just over a week behind. I can live with that.

FYI, for any fans living in the Los Angeles area:

Keith David (the voice of Goliath and Thailog and Officer Morgan) is performing live at the Cinegrill (at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard) at 8pm on Friday and Saturday, September 21st and 22nd, 2001.

I'll be going on the 21st, and I hope to see at least a few of you there.

If you've never heard Keith sing, you are SO in for a treat. The guy is brilliant.


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Feeling like this is still pertinent...

I'm reprinting this.... and yes, I know that the questions I'm currently answering were all posted LONG before the first time I posted this. But since I cleared the room, I wanted to repost his message so that people keep it square in mind when posting NEW questions....

Paranoia... possibly.

So maybe it's me...

But lately I've been feeling like people are popping in to ASK GREG with the deliberate intent of catching me in a mistake or inconsistency. Like they are trying to trip me [or the series] up.

If not, my apologies.

But if so... CUT IT OUT, OKAY!!!!

It's just not much fun for me.

And before anyone else gets personally paranoid, this isn't directed at any one person. I've just had this general sense that somehow this is the new contest here. Who can make Greg look stupid. Believe me guys, I don't need much help in that department.

If you have a legitimate question you're curious about, then ask away. But if you're just posting to make me look foolish and/or to prove that the show wasn't perfect... well, how 'bout I just acknowledge both things here and now, and we let that drop.

Okay?


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CLEARED THE PAGE...

I've been trying to answer questions here at ASK GREG pretty consistently for the last few weeks.

I'm guessing that the "Latest Response Page" is starting to get pretty unmanagable.

So I've cleared it, despite the fact that I've added to it as recently as yesterday.

So if you missed anything recent, please check the following archive:

RESPONSES 2001-9 (Sept)

That'll only give you questions and rambles from this month.


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Siryn writes...

Hey Greg!

More Vinnie questions..

1. Why did Vinnie call his gun Mr. Carter? Is that an injoke from the voice session?
2. How tall is he?
3. Is Vinnie living on his own in NY? Or is he still livign with his mum and dad?
4. Where was Vinnie when the Mirror took place? ~_^

Thankyou!! ^_^

Greg responds...

1. There's a story behind that, that I don't want to reveal yet. But the reason WE chose the name Carter is because when he said it with his accent, it would sound like Kotter.

2. I don't know. 5'10" ish maybe.

3. He's living in Japan, right now.

4. Haven't thought about it.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Are the N'Kai older than the gargoyle race?
What is their natural lifespan?
How did they evolve to have such a long lifespan?
What is their birth rate?

Greg responds...

Yes. They are older than the planet Earth.

Individually? Long. As a race? Even longer.

Time and science.

Haven't given it any thought as yet.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Was Pukhan's history (it use to be a fortress that defended Seoul)and proximity to Seoul the reason you chose to put a clan there?

Greg responds...

I'm not confirming or denying anything about this now.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Why do the Korean clan have such an obession with justice? Is it part of the legends and myths that the Korean clan was based on?

Greg responds...

Are you asking within the universe of the show or why I/we chose to go that route?

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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matt writes...

is the Labyrinth that the clones and mutates live in really a labyrinth? it didn't seem too much like a maze whenever we would see it in the series, and lots of characters went down there and didn't get lost or anything.

Greg responds...

It's mostly just a name. But there are tons of corridors, tunnels, etc. Some of them hidden, like the one where Fang found the old Cyberbiotics weapons cache. So you could get lost and you could call it a maze.

And honestly, matt, doesn't this question seem a bit nit-picky?

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

How did the archmage acquire the grimorum arcanorum?

Greg responds...

In a very entertaining story.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

How do the Loch Ness and Pukhan gargoyles absorb sunlight when they live in caves?

Greg responds...

Perhaps they absorb thermal energy. Perhaps they don't sleep in the caves. Perhaps I should stop answering questions tonight, cuz I'm clearly in a bad mood.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Why does the Loch Ness clan protect the Loch Ness monster?

Greg responds...

Wouldn't you?

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who made Oberon and Titania's twin mirrors?

Greg responds...

That's another entertaining story.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

How old is Oberon?

Greg responds...

Pretty old.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Care to explain why the gargoyles in the British isles are so different since in London we have animal headed ways, in Loch Ness aquatic gargoyles and in wyvern the generic ishimura/guatemala kind?

Greg responds...

'Generic ishimura/guatemala kind', huh? Don't agree with that.

But no, I don't currently care to explain it.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What exactly does master matrix do besides controlling the weather of New Camelot and being the operating system for most of the world's computers? Why was there only one Master Matrix?

Greg responds...

It does a lot.

Gee, maybe there's a story in that....

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who else was captured besides all the gargoyle leaders, the leader of New Olympus and the Secretary General?

Greg responds...

Lots of leaders.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Does Coyote-X bear the Xanatos cyborg head?
Why does he want world/galactic domination?

Greg responds...

A version of it.

Wait and see.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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matt writes...

is it me, or does Castle Wyvern look a whole lot different after Xanantos moves it. i'm not talking about it being on a skyscraper or its reconstruction, it just looks like Xanatos totally redesigned it. its foundation and the location of certain places in the castle is totally different (the front gate, main tower, great hall). so, did Xanatos redesignthe Castle layout? how did he know he'd get away with that with the Sleep Spell?

Greg responds...

No. He redesigned the interiors. But the basic structure is very much the same. I'm fairly certain of this, so I have to say, YES, it's you.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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matt writes...

closing down Ask Greg!!! ahhh!! kidding, i completly understand and would've done this months ago. so, enjoy your vacations (although when you read this you'll have been back for weeks). i'm going to guess the date you read this as either September 13 or 26 depending on how hard you try to catch up when you get back!

anyway, question:

do you know what college Nick (Natsilane) went too? if so, where?

Greg responds...

Well, it's actually September 11th. Guess I'm booking.

Harvard, I believe. In fact, didn't he say that in the episode?

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Have you ever read the Lensman books by doc smith?

Greg responds...

Nope.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What do you think of Simon Furman(Roswell Conspiracies, Transformers UK comic, Beast Wars and X-Men Evolution)?

Greg responds...

I'm unfamiliar with the name.

And aside from one episode of X-Men Evolution, I'm unfamiliar with all the properties you named.

Well, obviously, I have some familiarity with Roswell Conspiracies, but I've never seen the version that aired on television. Only the work I did.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

You said in the contest that Owen still has the stone hand so are you saying that nothing else happened to him in the two hundred of so years working for Xanatos besides getting a stone hand? I found that alittle unbelivable.

Greg responds...

How does the fact that he still has a stone hand begin to indicate that 'nothing else happened to him'?

What a strange interpretation. I find that a little unbelievable.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Is Xanadu the city from the Coelridge poem?

Greg responds...

City?

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Have you ever read the works of Issac Asimov the second greatest scifi writer in the world?

Greg responds...

Without confirming or denying your pointless ranking, yes, I've read much Asimov. Including his Black Widower mysteries (which I heartily recommend) and his BIG old book on Shakespeare (which unfortunately I can only recommend with reservations).

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Artemis writes...

If Avalon sent you on a journey, and you were needed back there, would you automatically be taken back there, or would you still have to recite the spell?

Greg responds...

Huh?

To get to Avalon you need to recite the spell.

Avalon can only send you on one quest at a time.

Or did I not understand the question?

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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JEB writes...

If Avalon only dropped Goliath and company off in Manhattan to deal with Oberon, then why did their skiff sink? Wouldn't it have remained if it still had more tasks for them?

Thanks!

Greg responds...

It didn't. But it also didn't simply drop them off to let them come home. Sometimes things can have more than one purpose.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What are their abilities of Dingo's matrix armor?

Greg responds...

That's still being explored.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

By 2198 has Matrix achieved the Order it was programmed to create?

Greg responds...

Not even going to confirm the implied hypothesis.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Since this is the last question care to give the Lost race's name?

Greg responds...

Fred.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What was the weather like in New Camelot before the Master Matrix got stolen?

Greg responds...

The rain it never fell 'til after sundown. July and August could not be too hot.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who is more powerful? Oberon or a Space-Spawn planetbuster?

Greg responds...

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

(This does seem familiar, doesn't it?)

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who is more powerful Weird Sisters or Puck?

Greg responds...

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

(Haven't I made this point already?)

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Is oberon a god or creator?

Greg responds...

Of what?

I heard he made breakfast for Titania, the other morning. Does that count?

(No.)

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Todd Jensen writes...

In your latest ramble, you mentioned that you were working on a novel. While I obviously doubt that it's a "Gargoyles" one (not unless Disney suddenly decided to release a line of "Gargoyles"-based fiction - if they did, I feel very certain that you'd be at the head of the volunteers line), I was quite interested to hear that (especially since I'm writing one myself), and wish you well on it (not only in getting it written, but also in finding a publisher).

Greg responds...

Thanks, Todd.

It's written. Finished it week before last. Turned it into my manager, who's reading it now, I guess. Hopefully, I'll find a publisher. Keeping my fingers crossed, anyway.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Gipdac writes...

I noticed that Lex and BW seem to fight very well together starting from about the time Brook became second-in-command on through "The Journey".
1) Was that intentional or a) just a fluke or b) am I reading to much into something that isn't really there?
2) If the first is true is it because a) they really also fought better together or b) maybe they were a little closer than Brook is with them or c) is it more to illustrate how Brook started to feel isolated.

Greg responds...

1. I think you're reading too much into something that was ALREADY there. All three of them (or any two) fight well together. That at least won't change as they all grow.

Let me make something clear. I've stated that (especially with "The Journey" and my plans for "TimeDancer") that the old Three Musketeers go everywhere together Trio would become a thing of the past. That they would grow as gargoyles into adults and each find their own lives.

But let's not overstate this. The three of them will always be best friends. All three of them. Whatever, wherever and whenever life takes them, they are brothers. Nothing will ever separate them, save Death. And even that is debatable.

2. N.A.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

When did the Illuminati learn of the existence of the Americas?

Greg responds...

Currently, I do not know.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Demoness writes...

Watched "Ill Met By Moonlight" for the billionth time. :)

In the scene where the Gargs just flew through the lava hand and it crashes together and enfolds on itself and explodes, Oberon stops in front of it and tries to cover himself as lava spews everwhere.

I was wonderin:

Can lava hurt the Third Race and thats why Oberon was shying from it? Cause I was thinkin that if it doesnt hurt them, Obe could have just gone right through it without hesitation.

or was it just on impulse?

Greg responds...

His power was reduced, remember.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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matt writes...

in "Vows" Xanatos says a line and i'm not sure how/what he means with it?

does he say "Time travels funny that way." meaning that time is traveling funny or does he say "Time travel's funny that way." meaning that time travel itself is funny that way? does that make sense? i keep reading over it and i think it makes sense...

anyway, kinda a pointless question, but one i've been wanting to ask for a while now...

but on a related note, right before Xanatos says that, Goliath says he wishes he could leave Xanatos in that time and Xanatos says "You won't, because you didn't..." how did Xanatos know that? Goliath could've very well left Xanatos there and that may have been what always happened! you could say, Xanatos would've sent a letter to the Illuminati warning himself of his fate or some excuse like that, but as we've seen in "MIA" that letter would've been lost or something and all his ways of warning himself would've fallen through cuz the point is he did end up in Goliaths time and if he warned himself it would have created a paradox! so, there is no way Xanatos would have known for sure that Goliath wouldn't leave him there. was he saying that to Goliath to kinda trick Goliath into thinking that he had to bring him home or something, or was Xanatos just being confident and egotistical of his abilities to have a plan all worked out?

i hope all parts of this post make sense to you. if they don't, i apologize, its late...

Greg responds...

Time travel IS funny that way. Again, I think it's fairly self-evident. Meaning, hey, it's quirky.

It makes sense. It's just ANNOYING!!!

Sorry.

You're logic is flawless. I agree with everything you said.

Let's move on now.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What were the regulars for gargoyles 2158? Would Alexander be in it? If so what about Puck?

Greg responds...

It's kind of pointless to talk about this, but the regulars were mostly the same. Ages were different here and there.

Alexander would have been as much a part of it as he currently is in 2198.

Puck doesn't get to appear much in either version, but Owen was slated for 2158 in much the same role that he currently holds in 2198.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

From what source of water did Goliath and co. arrive in Tiber?
Were there any other guest characters there besides Coldstone?
How did Coldstone get from New York to Tibet? Did he fly there? If so how did he maintain his supply of rocket fuel?

Greg responds...

Tibet, not Tiber. Two very different places.

1. I'm not telling.
2. Yes, technically.
3. He got there, mostly by flight. But let me ask you... how do you know he even uses rocket fuel?

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Jimmy writes...

Ok, I checked the archives and couldn't find anything about my 3 questions:
1.) Where does Macbeth get his money? He has advanced weapons, a really snazzy hovercraft, a castle in or near Manhattan that burned down only to be built again, and add to the mix the fact that he goes around hiring mercenaries, installing massive guns for security systems... So where is he getting this cash. A millenia would drain any fortune he may have. Establishing a trust would be tough because he may be in trouble with social security. So where does his money come from? Antique sales? You already said he isn't willing to part with many of his valuable things. Mabye he's a really good writer and has a book deal, or mabye he's just been getting a LOT of social security. Which is it?

2.) How does Macbeth hide his identity for so long? The amount of money he has is bound to attract attention.

Greg responds...

You checked the Macbeth archive and didn't get an answer to this question? Check again.

The short answer is if you buy land when it's cheap, later it will be worth a fortune. If you have equity, most things of any worth go up in value. And even things of little worth become valuable if they are old enough. And he has a lot of old things. He doesn't necessarily even have to sell much. He has equity.

He's also smart and tough. He can live on very little if he needs to. Etc.

2. He's smart enough to 'die' periodically and leave his wealth to a new identity.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Is it true that the fay don't have a true form?
If so why can't Puck in his Owen form perform magic while he is able to do it in his Puck form?

Greg responds...

It may be true.

Because becoming Owen isn't a magical act of illusion. It's a magical act of transformation.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

By 2198 how many fae are off Avalon?
Care to give a few names?

Greg responds...

Very few.

Puck. Alex.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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matt writes...

after the first season, why was it decided to put Goliath's voice over the original opening theme music? i remember the first time i heard it i liked it cuz it was new, but now i think i prefer the just music version, so i'm curious to why it was done.

Greg responds...

I probably prefer the music-only version as well. Though I think Gary Sperling did a great job writing the naration and Keith did a fantastic job reading it.

It was my idea, nevertheless I was really on the fence about it. It seemed that it might help new viewers understand the basics of what was going on. Is there anyone out there for whom this was true?

At any rate, I didn't think it was ideal, but I didn't think it hurt too much either. The final decision was made by my boss Gary Krisel.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

When did you decide there were gargoyles living in New Olympus and Loch Ness?
When did you decide there were gargoyles in Xanadu and Pukhan?
When did you decide that there was going to be a gargoyle clan in New Camelot?
When did you decide that Paris, Queen Florence Island and Wyvern were the sites of future clans?

Greg responds...

Years ago. By 1996 at the latest.

Years ago. By 1995 at the latest.

Years ago. By 1996 at the latest.

Years ago. By 1996 at the latest.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Is the Ultra-Pack still around in 2198?

Greg responds...

Not saying.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

How similar is Coyote-X to Ultron?

Greg responds...

Not very similar at all, I think.

The one thing I 'homaged' was the whole numbering system, though we modernized the idea into computer style upgrades.

Ultron is an influence, obviously, but I think the differences between the two, both in terms of goal and style speak for themselves.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What was the difference between the original NO show and the latter one that became part of the gargoyles universe besides Sphinx being Terry's girlfriend and Xanatos appearing? Were all the characters there including Helios, Jove, Borea and his son, Chiron, Ekidna, Taurus, Talos, Sphinx, Medusa and Terry and his mother?

Greg responds...

There were no differences except Xanatos.

Sphinx and Terry were always slated to be Romeo and Juliet.

The problem you're having is that I talk occasionally about brainstorming sessions and ideas from them. But that doesn't mean we have entire separate versions of these shows developed. In the first (and really only) version of New Olympians, the leads were Terry, Sphinx, Talos and Taurus, with all the supporting characters you mentioned, plus Proteus of course. (Oh, and Boreas has two sons.) And it's Kiron not Chiron.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Have you seen Batman Beyond?
What do you think of it?
I've been told that the design of Terry McGinnis from BB is similar to that of Terry Chung of the NO any truth to that?

Greg responds...

Yes.

I think it's very well made. And I like certain things about it. But it just feels more Spider-Manish to me than Batman.

Well, there's no final model for Terry Chung, but from what I've seen, no. For starters, Terry Chung is Chinese-American. Terry McGinnis isn't. And Terry Chung wears contemporary clothes. Terry McGinnis wears... well... clothes from beyond.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

I the original version of New Olympians that you made was Ekidna Medusa's mother?
Was Sphinx in the original? If so what role did she serve?

Greg responds...

Yes.

Yes.

The exact same role.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Are there any other sentient races native to our solar system besides Lost race,Gargoyles,Humans,Fae and New olympians? If so care to list a few?

Greg responds...

If there were, I wouldn't list them. But there aren't. But if there were, I wouldn't list them.

(All this of course ignores our recent discussions about the misuse of the term 'sentient'.)

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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matt writes...

when Demona returned to Wyvern in City of Stone and saw the humans taking the eggs from the rookery and putting them in that wagon to take away, why didn't she try to stop them? grief stricten or not, until i saw "City of Stone" i would've thought Demona must've run off and never returned cuz she would've saved the eggs! but then we see her just almost ignore the fact that the humans are running off with her children! she doesn't know why the remaining gargs are stone and she probably can't help them in any way, but don't you think she could've "saved" the eggs? why didn't she? and whats really weird is in "The Reckoning" she says to Angela, "typical humans... they steal our children" but what did SHE do to stop them? i guess shes pushing blame on the humans again...

Greg responds...

I think you've answered your own question. And at any rate, I'm currently not inclined to interpret for you. I will simply say that we put on the screen what we intended, fully aware of the ramifications.

I'll leave it to you to interpret. (Particularly since I've covered this before.) Try raising it as a topic in the comment room.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Gipdac writes...

*Macbeth/Demona/Hunter/2198*
1) Do the Canmore siblings (The Hunters) know about Macbeth (What, with his still being alive and all)?
2) Have they ever tried to hunt him?
3) Does Macbeth have any descendants living by 1996?
4) Do the Canmores (at least the ones descended from Jon) still hunt Demona in 2198?

Greg responds...

1. Not saying.
2. Not saying.
3. Not saying.
4. There are no more Canmores, at least not of that line. But the Castaways still hunt her. Her and all gargoyles through the Quarrymen.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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matt writes...

when Puck transforms the human population to gargs why is it that Elisa and the three teen girl gargs in the subway not have brow ridges or horns of any kind? every other gargoyle we've seen except for the English gargs had either horns or brow ridges or both, but these transformed humans had neither. in fact, besides the pointed ears and color difference (which Elisa didn't even have) their bodies from the neck up looked very human, not gargoyle. was it cuz you wanted these characters to be physically attractive to human viewers even as gargs? cuz i think physically Desdemona is more attractive than Demona or Angela and Des has big old horns, so why make these characters as gargs so human looking?

would you have objected to the animators giving Elisa a beak or a frill or any of the other non human features of gargs?

Greg responds...

Yes, I would have objected to Elisa getting a beak, because she wouldn't have looked viserally like Elisa. Other changes that were less significant would not have bothered me.

However, I loved the design they came up with and didn't question it.

As for the girls in the subway. MINOR, minor characters. There wasn't as much time to do all this stuff as you seem to think. We just had to get it done.

Don't read too much into it though. We all think that Desdemona is attractive. Frank in particular likes drawing attractive females. I think Demona and Angela and Elisa are pretty hot too. Among other characters.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Alissa writes...

Morning Greg. I have a little confusion going on reguarding dialog in episode "Hunter's Moon" 3. I was confused between the conversation going on over justice and vengance.

Scene Elisa's apartment after the clock tower bombing.
"The law?! What about Justice?"- Goliath
"I'm sorry but you don't want justice. You want vengance."-Elisa
"What?"
"Look at what this feud has cost us already."-Angela

I followed it just fine until this line "That's exactly why we must have vengance!"-Goliath
I thought he wanted justice? Goliath said Justice. Elisa said vengance. They(The clan)contradicted him then he worded about vengance. Am I missing something or is Goliath? Could you explain to me the scene here. Thank you :)

Greg responds...

No. That is, I could. But I don't see any point. It speaks for itself. If you're asking whether we made a mistake, the answer is no. That is to say, we didn't forget and feed Goliath a word we didn't mean to.

I'll leave it for you to interpret why Goliath switched words.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What was the original cast of Pendragon? I know the Magus and Arthur was there, but what about Griff? How did you reach the present cast of Arthur, Griff, Merlin and Blanchefleur? Did Griff come after the airing of MIA?

Greg responds...

Calling it 'the original cast' isn't quite fair. I was brainstorming and briefly considered having the Magus survive and travel off with Arthur.

But by the time the idea for Pendragon (the spin-off series) solidified, I already knew that the Magus would make the ultimate sacrifice at Avalon and that in any case, I didn't need two magic users in the small group.

I knew early on I wanted Arthur and Griff and eventually Blanchfleur and Merlin. I knew I wanted Arthur to find Excalibur and then search for Merlin. I knew what I had planned for Blanchefleur and Percival/Duval. And yes, Griff turned out to be so much fun in MIA that I wanted to include him as well. But I can't put everything in a precise order for you. We were working on all these episodes (including Pendragon and MIA simultaneously). And the ideas were just coming to me then, fairly fast and furious.

But none of this came after the AIRING of MIA. Things aired LONG after the stories were written.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Jim R. writes...

About a week ago in the Comment Room I asked about Arthur's stepbrother, Kay, and why he had not been mentioned in the TV movie "Mists of Avalon." I was just curious to ask would you make any notion to tell about Kay or any of Arthur's relatives in a Pendragon spinoff?

Greg responds...

In flashback, at least, yes. I always was fond of Kay.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

I meant his New Camelot knights not that of old Camelot.

Greg responds...

Oh.

Well, still, no.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Care to list the names of Arthur's knights?

Greg responds...

All of them?

No, I do not care to do that.

(Do your own research, pal.)

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Is Morgana at the Gathering on Avalon? What about Nimue?

Greg responds...

One is. One isn't.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Was the number of the search for Merlin episodes suppose to be around the number of World Tour episodes?

Greg responds...

I haven't quantified it at all.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Does Duval or the Illuminati know where Merlin is?

Greg responds...

No.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

It seems from the answers that you've given that you don't have any plans for the Green Knight is my assumption true? If so why don't you have any plans for him?

Greg responds...

I do have plans for him. Now.

I didn't when I first started that "Guess the Arthurian survivors" contest YEARS ago. Because, I had forgotten about him. But halfway through the contest I remembered him. And in the intervening years (YEARS) I've had plenty of time to figure out what to do with him.

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What exactly is your version of Roswell Conspiracies about?

Greg responds...

A skip tracer tracking a bail jumper, who's also being pursued by other factions and is in pursuit of something herself. They wind up joining forces with each other and with one of the factions.

(At least that's the main story in my version of the pilot. For more details, ask someone who was at Gathering '99 in Dallas.)

Response recorded on September 11, 2001

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LIFE IN THE REAL WORLD

This is something I wrote YEARS ago. But I don't think it's here in ASK GREG, or if it is, it's only in the old archives. Vash dug it up recently, and I thought I'd reprint it here, verbatim, I've added a few notes in [brackets]:

Life in the real world.

I know I've said this stuff before. Please read this carefully. I have a real fear that this might sound defeatist or condescending, but you can't possibly succeed in "saving" the show if you don't come to terms with these hard truths. I don't know what you've been told by other people. But I do know a few things about today's animation market. I've told you before that I did not believe that Gerry Leybourne was single-handedly responsible for not renewing the show. Dean Valentine is also not single-handedly responsible. Neither is Eisner. If the fans insist on looking for a VILLAIN to blame, they stand no chance. [Neither Leybourne or Valentine are at Disney anymore.] You say you're looking for a straight answer. But really you've been given and have ignored straight answers and what you are looking for is for simple answers. There are none. Here are some (but not all) of the many factors that have probably played into the non-renewal:

1) Quantity. A normal syndication package for any children's show is 65 episodes. If you don't make it up to 65 then you are considered something of a failure. If you make 65, then you have created a show that can have ongoing library use. That's a success. Anything above 65 is gravy and NO SHOW makes more than 65 episodes without significant financial incentive. They made 78 gargoyles (including Chronicles). The financial incentive for the last 13 was that ABC needed a boys action show with some "Marquee" attached to help fill out it's Saturday Morning line-up. You'll notice that no new episodes were made for syndication. There was no financial incentive in syndication. So they didn't make any more for syndication. [These days a syndication package can be as few as 39.]

2) Ratings. The ratings for Goliath Chronicles are, or so I'm told, lousy. Forget about the why for a moment, and just absorb this fact. If the ratings are lousy, we've just lost the financial incentive to make any more beyond the 13. On that level, Goliath Chronicles objectively failed. Gargoyles did a bit better in its day, but it never broke out and knocked down the competition. Aladdin did better business for Disney. And they're not making any more new Aladdin tv episodes either.

3) Shelf space. The Disney Afternoon, as we know it, is dead. The rise of FOX, the WB and UPN ate up almost all of the existing independent stations that aired the Disney Afternoon or (in lieu of the full two hour block) the individual shows that made up The Afternoon. We've known this was coming for awhile. Existing contracts kept the Afternoon alive through the end of this season. But after that it is gone in it's present form. Now, as I understand it, Disney has made a deal with Kelloggs to do a reduced version of the Afternoon. I think it's supposed to be an hour and a half long, with one new show and two library shows. The new show for next season is 101 Dalmations. For fall of 98, it's supposed to be HERCULES. There isn't room for new Gargoyles in syndication. ABC has similar problems. As a broadcast network, they've committed to air 3 hours of FCC/Kid friendly programming per week. That means 3 hours of their morning have to be reserved for that kind of programming, because unlike Fox, they don't have any other place in their schedule to air this FCC stuff. That only leaves them with about one and a half hours to fill their morning. They have an existing commitment to the Bugs Bunny cartoons that they air for an hour. That leaves them with one half hour slot to fill. Given Goliath Chronicles ratings, it just doesn't make sense to fill that one slot with a show that's failing, when you can take a chance on something new that might succeed.

4) Resources. The fans seem to regard Disney as this Giant that can do whatever it wants, and that's true up to a point. But Disney TV Animation has limited resources. There are only so many talented animators and storyboard artists out there. There's only so much money they can spend without profits to justify the expense. From Disney's point of view, Gargoyles had its shot. You and I may quibble about how that shot was handled. Whether it could have been handled better. I think everyone would acknowledge that mistakes were made. But not intentionally. EVERYONE at Disney wanted the show to be a huge success. IT WAS NOT. I wish I could tell you different. Creatively, I'm very proud of the show. We touched a substantial group of people. But an even more substantial group preferred POWER RANGERS on a consistent basis. They cleaned our clock. Disney has to decide how to allocate limited resources. If Gargoyles had 78 shots to be a hit, and didn't quite make it, you can see why they might think it's time to allocate their resources to something else.

5) Quality. Resources came into play with Goliath Chronicles. The decision was reached to allocate priority resources to shows and home videos that they believed had a better chance to break out. That's why Chronicles looks the way it does. In my opinion, the show is inferior to the original on almost every level. This doesn't mean that a lot of good people didn't work their butts off to make it as good as it could be. But limited resources result in limited success. The resource issue was the major reason why I walked away. I regret it now. The animation has been weak, but I should not have passed up the opportunity to tell twelve more of my stories. But that's spilled milk. Eric Lewald was under the gun from the moment he came on board the show. There wasn't adequate time to make the show at its previous quality level. There wasn't even adequate time for Eric to become as familiar with the show as I'm sure he would have liked to. I tried to help. I was paid to consult. But...

6) Time. Along with limited resources, the main reason Chronicles isn't up there is Time. The show didn't get a go ahead until late november '95. I began "The Journey" in December. Eric didn't really come aboard until January '96, as I recall. Look at where we are now. It's late February [1997]. Do you really want to see the GARGOYLES episode that would result if it started from scratch now and had to air in September [1997]? I WOULD NOT.

7) Expectations. I do believe that Disney in general views the show as a disappointment. They had tremendous high hopes for it. They rushed 52 episodes into production for it's second year despite my warning that they'd have to air a lot of reruns in between new episodes. The reruns, the weaker stations we were on and many other factors, including series content resulted in a solid but decidedly unspectacular performance. I do believe that the high expectations that many at Disney had for the show, led to greater disappointment in its real failure to break out and its perceived failure in general. That disappointment doesn't make a lot of people feel inclined to make more.

8) Strategy. O.k., I'm not at Disney anymore, so I'm not privy to their strategy meetings, but from outside observation, it doesn't seem like Gargoyles fits in their overall strategy plans. Maybe it never truly did. Now we can be mad about this. We can even try to change it. But first and foremost, we should be glad they made the show at all. Next we should realize that if it doesn't fit their plans, they aren't going to be too inclined to change them IN THE SHORT TERM.

9) Management. (The one I suppose you've been waiting for if you still insist on playing the blame game.) There has been a lot of management shake ups at Disney. Jeffrey Katzenberg, Rich Frank, Gary Krisel and Bruce Cranston all left. So did I. We were all supporters of the show. But Eisner didn't leave and he was a supporter too. I haven't talked to him recently. I don't know what he thinks about the show. Maybe he's disappointed. Maybe he's not. Maybe for him it's just the resource issue. Gotta take a shot with something new. Maybe he's not involved in this decision in a significant way. No way to know. But I wouldn't be so quick to label him a villain. It doesn't hurt to let him know that you love the show, but it can't help to blame him for its demise.

I don't know Gerry at all. I've never met her. I'm also a little vague on her responsibilities at Disney, thought I've heard she's responsible for scheduling ABC's Saturday morning. But before you blame her, or even guess at what she personally feels about the show, reread all the above, particularly the section on shelf space, strategy and ratings. Now she may not like the show. I have no idea. Neither do you. If she doesn't care for the show, I'd personally be curious to know what she bases her dislike on. Goliath Chronicles? Gargoyles? Both? Whatever, she's entitled to her opinion.

I've met Dean. I've heard that Gargoyles isn't his thing. I've heard that he believes that it may not be Disney's thing either. But I don't know any of that. And again, Dean's personal view of the show is, positive OR negative, way down on the list of reasons not to make more. See above.

Buena Vista. Mort Marcus ran Buena Vista at the time I left Disney. I have no idea if he's still there. Mort was a big early supporter of the show. He was also very disappointed when it didn't perform up to expectations. Buena Vista is taking its next shots with Dalmations and Hercules. But even if the Afternoon had survived, there wouldn't be any new episodes of Gargoyles in syndication. Look at the Disney Afternoon's history. A new show premieres with new episodes. Over the next few years, the reruns move down through the Afternoon. That's cause they couldn't afford the MILLIONS of Dollars that it would take to make new episodes for early time slots that don't deliver very many kids. If there aren't any (or many) butts sitting in front of the t.v. then advertisers don't want their products advertised there, in which case they don't pay much for commercials. So networks won't pay much for the shows, so the shows operate at HUGE budget deficits. Gargoyles operated at a huge deficit. Ultimately, I'm sure it will make an overall profit for the company. It may have already. But let's not pretend this was the LION KING.

Other divisions. Some did better than others. But no one is clamoring for more gargoyles product, so none of the other divisions are clamoring for more shows.

SO WHAT DO WE DO?

We begin by admitting, at least to ourselves, that in the short term, we lost the battle.

Then we go on and try to win the war.

We have one big chance and a general small chance. Both are long shots.

The Big Chance is the Touchstone Live Action Feature. If this ever gets made and if it succeeds, then there will be renewed interest in the show.

The general chance is that television is cyclical. He-Man rules until DuckTales comes along. Rescue Rangers rule until Batman comes along. Soft and quirky is big now. But times change. And Gargoyles has a marquee. (It's a trifle damaged, but it's real.) There's a chance it could come back.

The best thing we can do is keep the flame burning. Keep executives, particularly if there's any executive turnover, informed that there is a fan base for the property. Write letters to Buena Vista, to Eisner, to ABC, to Disney TV Animation, to Touchstone. Write letters to local stations, asking them to air reruns. Write letters to the Disney Channel for the same thing. If the reruns are airing in the U.S., we have a much better chance of someday making new episodes. Keep these letters respectful. Don't try to assign blame. My god, what difference does that make. If I thought it would help I'd take 100% of the blame myself. I certainly deserve some of it. Just let people know that you loved the show. Praise it's virtues. Show "Deadly Force", "Lighthouse..." and "The Green" at grade schools. Make the GATHERING a yearly event. Increase it's budget and scope on a slow and steady basis until it becomes an important event. (Don't try to get too big too fast. If you go bust early on, you won't get a second chance.) Keep the fan base excited about the show. (This to me is the main virtue to the whole fanfic thing, which I have many mixed feelings about. If it keeps the fans interested, great.) Don't let the fans marginalize themselves with hostility or esoterica. If they get territorial they keep new fans out. No new fans. No new episodes. Prove to Disney that you are part of that great consumer demographic that they are hunting for. BUY STUFF. Buy all the stuff you can find. Prove that the show can still make money for the company. Buy all the videos off the shelf. Then write Disney's home video division and have them make more. More copies of existing tapes and more episodes on tape. Show those taped episodes to new fans. Particularly young fans. Adults and college kids are great too, but if kids don't like the show, we are doomed. Try to convince Disney records to release Carl's music on C.D. Buy animation cells from authorized Disney dealers. Talk it up.

As for the petition, hell, make copies. Send it a lot of places. Buena Vista for sure. Don't worry about whether or not it's read cover to cover by the president of the division (Mort Marcus, I think). It'll make an impression. But I don't see why you shouldn't send it to Gerry too. Send it to Dean Valentine at Disney T.V. Animation. Send it to Barry Blumberg (at the same place). Have someone in every market send it to their local ABC affiliate. Gerry isn't giving you bad advice there. If the local stations want the show, they'll make their voices heard at the network. (But remember, you need locals to send it to local stations. A petition postmarked Newark won't be taken very seriously in Cleveland.) Send it anywhere you think it might help. But you might want to read it over first. If it's full of hostile and antagonistic attacks, then we've marginalized the petition. Also try to make sure that there's no doubling up. If people signed the petition twice and Disney figures that out, then they'll figure the entire document is compromised, and they'll freely ignore it. If it's a rational statement from real existing fans than I promise you it'll make a positive impression.

But I don't want to kid you. We are probably past the point of no return, at least for this coming fall [1997]. I appreciate that you refuse to give up, and I'm not telling you to. But if you want to save yourself some heartbreak, I think you might want to start focusing on the long term instead of the short term. Even if we could change everyone's minds overnight, we've all but run out of time to put new episodes of any quality on the air by September. I don't like saying that, but I figure it doesn't help anyone to beat around the bush.

Now let me say in advance that most of this won't work. Sorry. The odds are against us. I take some consolation in knowing I was involved with 66 episodes that I can be proud of. I told the stories I wanted to tell. Not nearly all of them, but many. I ended it with Hunter's Moon and Journey, in a way that gave us some small closure but left it open in case I get another shot. A shot I'm longing for. All this offers some consolation. I hope you and the other fans feel the same. It's something to hold onto through what's bound to be a LOT OF REJECTION. There are no guarantees that we'll ever get the show back on the air in any form. But what I've written above is the most practical plan I can think of. If I can help in any way, let me know.

Otherwise, Good Luck. You are going to need it.

GREG


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THE FAQ

I just read through the entire ASK GREG FAQ. WOW!!!!!

JEB and GXB!!! THANKS GUYS!!!!

Four corrections:

1. In 2198 there are only twelve clans. Queen Florence is added later. Paris, later still.

2. "Hobgoblin of Little Minds" and "The Weird Macbeth" (formerly "Puck's Macbeth") were two different story ideas. The one described in the FAQ is "The Weird Macbeth". So far, I have given no details on "Hobgoblin".

3. There have been at least six writers (that I know of) on the Live Action Gargoyles movie.

4. I never worked on the Disney Tarzan Animated series. I was offered a job on it, but I was busy voice directing 3x3 Eyes at the time, so I had to pass.

But given all that information, I'm amazed that there's so little for me to correct. Again, thank you. (Now, let's hope people look at it.)


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Siryn writes...

Hey Greg!

A few Questions All about VInnie! ^_^

1. Jeff Bennett did Vinnie's voice, however were there any times when he did not do the character's voice? (For example, in "Awakenings" The very first time we see Vinnie is on his motorcycle. That yell that Vinnie does when he sees Lexington, is that Jeff's voice yelling or someone else?)
2. If the above is yes, who did Vinnie's voice as well as Jeff?
3. In the series, is Vinnie single, or is there a 'special someone' in his life?
4. How long did he work at each of his respective jobs for?

Thankyou so much Greg! ^_^

Greg responds...

1. I don't recall. It wouldn't surprise me if it was Jeff.
2. No one did "Vinnie's voice" except Jeff. But if you're talking about a grunt here and there, it's possible someone else might have done the character before we knew the character was Vinnnie. In which case, I definitely don't recall. But odds are Jeff was still doing those grunts.
3. He's available. (Didn't I just answer this?)
4. Well... I don't have my timeline here to give you the exact length of his tenure at Gen-U-Tech, but it was clearly short. I haven't given any thought as to how long he worked at Cyberbiotics before being fired.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Shan writes...

No clue where you're going to file this one, probably "Random Stuff," since JEM seems like the only project you've done that doesn't have its own category *sniffle*

(no, it's OK, really)

Anyway, there's one thing I've always wanted to know regarding your "Video Wars" episode. Do you remember how it was decided which song would be reused from the existing song library? I'm referring to "Like A Dream," which appears in Act One. That song has the distinction of having appeared THREE times in the series, and in the case of "Video Wars," what the song's about isn't crucial to the plot. Why use that song a third time when there were others that hadn't even been used twice?

It's OK if you don't remember this. But it's bugged me for years.

However, it is worth nothing that both the other occurences were in episodes written by Christy Marx. While Roger story edited the first episode that song appears in (and also story edited your & Cary's episode), Christy Marx story edited herself on the other episode. Maybe they just didn't manage to compare notes as to what had been used.

I'm going to ask Christy for her take too, but sometimes her memory's lousy on the fine points.

Greg responds...

We didn't decide anything about the songs. As we were instructed, our scripts would stop and say something like: SONG GOES HERE. We'd sort of describe what needed to happen in the song, but that's it. And we were aware that whenever possible, they'd reuse.

And just for you I'll give JEM its own category. But keep in mind, all I did for that series was co-write one episode freelance. I know almost nothing about it.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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matt writes...

is 'N'Kai' the name for Nokkar's species, tribe, military branch, religious group, race, or something else? i'd assume its his species like everyone else is doing, but never have i seen you say or write that that is his species...

Greg responds...

Species.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Siryn writes...

Okay..I have to ask because I'm really curious. <:)

Greg, why did you choose Pukhan in Korea? Is it because of its location geographically (being at the southern tip of the Korean penninsuula), or maybe because of people population? Or because the the event during the Korean war that took place there? Or maybe just because it sounded cool? ^_^;;

Thankyou!

Greg responds...

Not saying now.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Hungry writes...

What kind of music you think Brooklyn would like?
What bands?

Greg responds...

Brooklyn seems like a rocker to me.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Gipdac writes...

Is it safe (and corrected) to say that we haven't met either of Oberon and Titania's two children on screen?

Greg responds...

Yes. As far as I know.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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matt writes...

after the Wyvern Massacre, why didn't Hakon and his men just stay at Wyvern? it would've been way easier to defend than his campsite, the gargoyles were destroyed. why not just camp in the castle? and even if he did know that some gargs probably survived, its still easier to defend yourself from in the castle from gargs, isn't it?

Greg responds...

The castle was burning.

I think also, frankly, he was spooked.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Have you ever watched Reboot, Beast Wars or War Planets? What did you think of them?

Greg responds...

Reboot is fun.

Haven't seen the other two. (Well, I've seen a clip here and there, but never an entire episode.)

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What do you think of the work of John Ostrander(Spectre, Firestorm and Hawkman), Walt Simonson(Orion and Thor), John Byrne the King of Retcons, J. Michael Straczynski(Babylon 5, Ghostbusters the cartoon and Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future) and Harlan Ellison

Greg responds...

Keep in mind, I haven't read comics since 1996.

John's work I generally love. Loved his Grimjack especially. Liked his Spectre. Didn't much care for his Firestorm. Hawkman seemed to have potential, but... The one thing of his that I really disliked was the issues of Captain Atom he did right after I left. I really feel he didn't get the character. But of course, I'm biased.

LOVED Walt Simonson's Thor. Loved it. Don't think I saw his take on Orion.

Byrne -- Loved his work on Fantastic Four. Didn't care for his Superman at all.

Straczynski (is that spelled right?) - I didn't care for the original pilot of Babylon 5. So I didn't watch that show. By the time people mentioned that it was great and I tuned in, I'm afraid I couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on. Didn't see the other things you've mentioned.

Harlan - is a master.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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matt writes...

if Demona had destroyed Owen as a statue as she almost did twice in "City of Stone" what would've happened to Puck? would he have died? could he have recreated Owen if he did live?

Greg responds...

He'd have died.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Siren writes...

I must sound stupid right now...but, I don't think this was asked before, cause I don't see it anywhere's. I was looking at a large archieve of LOTS of Garg pics, and noticed in City of Stone Part 2, Demona smashed two stone humans that looked just like Margret Yale and BRENDON! (I love the way she says his name)
Was that them? In which case, I take it they are dead. I liked Brendon, sorta, kinda felt bad for the poor sap, stuck with that bitch of a woman (scuse the langauage, but she was). She reminds me of some of my customers at a pet grooming shop. ;)

Greg responds...

This has been asked before, and it wasn't them. Since they appear again in later episodes.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Ricky writes...

Hi again...

Sorry to hear that the Atlantis project was scrapped, that's terrible news...actually a series like that would've been great to see. Too bad!

Why are all the first episodes of Max Steel titled with "S" names? Was it your idea, any humourous reason?

Greg responds...

My idea. No humorous reason.

The reason in my head was always a bit obscure. I was trying to do something that I never quite achieved. Years later, it's even less clear to me now.

But here's a question... since the titles don't appear on the episodes, how do you know them? From this site?

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

1.Have you givens names to all the races involved in the galactic war yet?
2.What role do the other races involved in the war play in the war?

Greg responds...

1. No. Not all. Just the major ones.
2. I'm not telling.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Alien technology

1.Seriously what is Nokkar's spaceship made out of? metal?
2.Do the N'kai and Space-Spawn have anti-gravity technology?
3.How exactly does the Space-Spawn planetbuster work? Does it destroy the Earth like the Death Star or does it just make the surface uninhabitabele? Does Nokkar's race have planetbuster technology?

Greg responds...

Seriously, I don't feel like telling you.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Virginia writes...

Are you going to be able to make any kind of art gallery in the near future? I love your work and would be interested to be able to purchase picutres from the gargoyle and Max Steel series. My 3 year old son loves the show too, btw.

Greg responds...

That's great. But I'm not an artist. Can't draw worth a darn. (I said darn because your son is only three.)

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Why do you dislike Terminator 2? Was it because of the time travel?

Greg responds...

Well, I think the time travel is a mess, certainly.

But I just didn't like the movie either. It's been so long since I've seen it, that I don't feel comfortable giving a full review here. My command of the specifics is non-existent, I'm afraid. But as much as I loved the first one, that's about how much I disliked the second.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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JEB writes...

'Ello, Greg.

1) What years were you working at DC Comics? Were you there around the time they did CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS? (I'm assuming yes, since you worked on its 'cousin' WHO'S WHO IN THE DC UNIVERSE.)
2) If (1) was yes, did you work on anything Crisis-related (excluding WHO'S WHO)?
3) What did you think of the Crisis, story-wise? (I liked it, of course. Then again, anything with cosmic stuff and grand epic battles is guaranteed to be a favorite with me.)
4) Which did you like better, the pre-Crisis multiverse or the post-Crisis single universe? (I like them both, but I miss the former.)
5) What did you think of the Crisis' effects on DC Comics as a whole? Do you think it did more good, more harm, or do you think it didn't really do either? (I think it was interesting, and created many excellent opportunities for revamps (Superman, Wonder Woman, and Captain Atom being among the best). However, the continuity blips- especially those afflicting poor Hawkman- were a major long-term failing.)

Sorry if these questions are a bit annoying or disinteresting to you, but I just realized that you were in the offices around the time (at least) that the post-Crisis cleanup was underway, and I was curious about your views on that period. Thanks!

Greg responds...

1. I started freelancing for them in 1983. I joined the staff as an Editorial Assistant in 1985, toward the tail end of Crisis. I was promoted to Assistant Editor in 1986. And promoted again to Associate Editor in 1987. I quit my staff job in '87 but continued to freelance for them until late 90 or early 91 (overlapping with my Disney career for a year or two.)

2. No. I was a peon in those days. Unless you count xeroxing stuff. Of course, Crisis had ramifications that lasted for years, so you could say I later worked on things that were "Crisis related".

3. Some of the issues of Crisis are powerful great stuff. But the name Anti-Monitor never did much for me. And I have to say I miss the parallel universe stuff a bit. It wasn't so much Crisis as what came out of it that disappointed me. For me the results either went too far or not far enough. And there was so much well doing and redoing... It's all hindsight, and not like anyone at DC is asking me, but I'd do things differently.

4. Definitely the multiverse. I'd bring it back if I could. "Crisis on One Earth". I think it's what allows them to start over every twenty years or so, let the characters age normally. But then move on to a new Earth, where the old ones can still be reached, but we can see Superman, etc. young again. Let's us leave behind missteps without shattering continuity. Etc.
5. Well, I've kind of answered this already. But again, I don't want to blame Crisis. I think Crisis did ITS job. I just don't love all those revamps. (Except Captain Atom, of course.)

It's fun to revisit old stuff. That's why I'm here no need to apologize.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Jacob writes...

Hi Greg

Are there any series you have produced or created that you like more than others? Maybe you could write your three favourite ones.

Greg responds...

Well, Gargoyles. Duh.

But I also really loved working on Starship Troopers aka Roughnecks, though I was neither the Producer or Creator.

(I assume we're limiting this discussion to series that actually made it on the air.)

Anyway, those would be my top two, in that order.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Justin writes...

Greg

You have mentioned that you are color blind. I believe you said you are red-green deficient. So my question is,
What colors do you see the gargoyles as?
Brooklyn?
Hudson?
Lexington?
Broadway?
Kai?

Because you said you thought Goliath was blue, when he really was purple.

Thanks

Greg responds...

See, now this sounds like...

All right.

Brooklyn looks kinda burnt red to me.
Hudson... I don't know. Brown maybe.
Lex... Brown or green.
Broadway... green/blue.
Kai... hell, I don't remember. Blue or purple?

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Lucy Valko writes...

Dear Mr. Weisman!
I am a great fan of your "Gargoyles" and the fact that the show has been stopped still (in 2001!) breaks my heart . Realistically, is there any hope of its ever coming back?

Also, I haven't been in North America in 1997 to see the final (so far...) "Gargoyles" season ("The Goliath Chronicles"), and it's not on the re-runs. Do you know where/how I could get a chance to see the last 13 episodes?

And one final question: the "Gargoyles-Fans" website contains "The Gargoyles Saga" which by plot goes far beyond the last tv episode. Does this Saga have any relation to what the actual show might have been if the series haven't been cancelled?

Thank you for your patience!
PS: PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE bring the gargoyles back !!!!
a heart-broken fan :(

Greg responds...

Thanks for being a fan.

Yes, there's hope. For a more complete answer check the ASK GREG archive "Bringing Gargoyles Back".

And no I don't know how to arrange for you to see the Goliath Chronicles. Sorry.

And no, I have nothing to do with The Gargoyles Saga, though I understand they've made use of certain things I have revealed. I haven't even read it.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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icemann writes...

Don`t think this ones been asked be for

Is there any way that technology in the future (2158 and beyond) could bypass the Gargoyles turning to stone? Cause if magic can do it, I can`t see why technology couldn`t replicate the same effect in some way.

Greg responds...

Not by 2198, or 2199 for that matter.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Phil writes...

Greg,

I recently re-watched "Legion" and it sparked some questions in my mind about "Reawakening."

1) Was Coldstone suffering from multiple-personality problems when he first awoke, or did that not start until "Legion" with the Xanatos program or the virus?

2) Was Othello the only one in control through "Reawakening"? He is confused, but only generally. He doesn't forget moment by moment where he is and what he's doing. Also, Desdemona's reaction to the mirror made it seem as though she was "awakening" for the first time in "Legion."

Thanks

Greg responds...

1. He was not, initially, no.

2. Correct. Just Othello in Coldstone's first appearance.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Enter Mcbeth:

1) Why does McBeth's stone dungen floor burn so easily? I've never seen Stone burn so well.

2) Did McBeth loose much of importance in the fire, I'd imagin there would be a lot of old magic relics, and the like. b) Did the fire burn Everything he owned? c) Did he build his new house on the ruins of his old one? d)Do you now the history of his old house, is it relivant and will you tell us?

3) Why didn't Owen call Bruno's group, or summon the steel clan, or do something more, when Hudson and Broadway took the Grimorum?

5) Did Mcbeth put Bronx in a seprate cage on purpose cause he thought they would figue out how to get him out? Was he testing them?

6) What did Macbeth tell Xanatos he planed to do with the Gargoyles? b) What did he plan to do with them once he had found their "queen"? c)Did Demona tell Macbeth about Goliath and the spell on him? And then he figured out where she was in NY when the castle was brought there, and know she must be behind it?

6) I just want to be sure this is correct. Lex and Brooklyn didn't think Bronx was strong enough to break open their cage, and Bronx only did it the second time because he had an order from Goliath. Is that all right?

Thank you.

Greg responds...

1. And you may never see it again. Consider yourself lucky.

2. Yes.
b. No. For starters the fire did not spread to Paris, where he also owns a chateau.
c. Yes.
d. Haven't given it one. And it's gone now. The newer one is just a replica.

3. Summon them where?

4. There doesn't seem to be a question four.

5. All went according to plan.

6. He didn't.
b. That would depend on events.
c. Not necessarily.

The second question 6. Bronx had momentum the second time. He could have gathered it the first time, I suppose. But it cost him to break through, so maybe your right. They didn't want to take any chances. Get help while he's free.

You're welcome.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Gipdac writes...

1) Did Titania ever really have any of the fairy attendants like she did in A Midsummer Night's Dream?
2) If so, what happened to them
3) Are any/all of them still alive?
4) Were any/all of them fae?
(My favorite is Mustard Seed)

Greg responds...

1. Yes.
2. My God, has something happened to them?
3. Far as I know.
4. Most.

Mustard Seed is cool.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Justin writes...

Do you have the names of the leaders of these clan's in 2198?

London

Manhattan

Loch Ness

Korea

Japan

Labyrinth

China

Guatemala

Thanks

Greg responds...

Some but not all. And you're welcome.

I am curious as to why you were only curious about eight of the twelve though.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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matt writes...

what does Demona's forehead look like behind that tiara thing she wears? are her brow ridges the same shape as the jewelry or like Angela's brow? Goliath has two small horns over each of his brows and Angela has one, so i'd assume that Demona also has one, am i wrong?

Greg responds...

Take a look at "Sanctuary" and then ask me again, if you need to.

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Airportman writes...

Hey, Greg

This is my first post here, and it's quite lengthy. I've been looking through the archives, and I'm pretty sure this question has never been asked before. But if it has, I honestly don't know what category it would be filed under. It's mainly about who knows what throughout the course of the Gargoyles story.

Nobody in the audience knew anything about Demona and Macbeth's relationship and former lives prior to "City of Stone," but who in the Gargoyles universe, if anyone, knew anything? I've been watching my taped episodes recently and this really stood out at me this time. It's always been the one thing about the show that bothers me.

It really sticks out in "The Price," when Hudson says, "Believe it lads, Macbeth's dead." Later in the episode, Lexington seems genuinely convinced that Macbeth actually is dead, which leads me to believe that he doesn't know about Macbeth's background by that point. However, later in the same episode, Hudson explains to Xanatos, "Demona and Macbeth are immortal. Has it brought them happiness?" Was Hudson simply feeding a line to Lexington? Was Lex not supposed to know about the whole Demona/Macbeth thing? It's wierd, because Elisa also knows about it by the time of "Sanctuary."

That leads me to another question: how does Hudson know? And Goliath for that matter? Who was it that told them about Demona's history? It couldn't have been Xanatos, because he didn't know either until "City of Stone," or he wouldn't have been fooled by Demona's excuse for living so long. I'm actually not too sure Xanatos ever finds out.

I could only think of one way that it could work. Here goes:

In "Temptation," Demona says to Brooklyn, "It's a long story, centuries long." I was thinking that Demona may have told her story to Brooklyn at that point, and that he later told Goliath, who told Hudson and Elisa. In that case, was this privelidged information that Goliath only trusted Elisa, Hudson, and Brooklyn with? This would explain Hudson's behavior in "The Edge," and give Brooklyn a shoe-in for Second in command, but it would not explain Brooklyn's puzzlement about Macbeth's identity in "Enter Macbeth," unless Goliath had told him not to tell Lex and Broadway. However, Goliath clearly has no clue who Macbeth is at that point. Could Brooklyn have told him later? Lex clearly knows about Demona's immortality by the time "Hunter's Moon" rolls around, so I was thinking that Brooklyn may have decided that it was necessary to tell Broadway and Lex everything when he was leader.

I don't think Macbeth would have told Broadway his story in "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time," when Broadway was tied up in his jet or at his mansion; the timing seemed all wrong.

So I guess what my question boils down to is this:

When did the clan first learn about Demona's past, and her relationship with Macbeth, and am I on the right track with the whole Brooklyn idea?

By the way, Gargoyles is my favorite show. It still amazes me how you were able to weave such an intricate story about such real characters, and teach real life lessons about vengeance, tolerance, family, reconciliation, and so much more, all within the confines of a childrens' cartoon. This was truly a story that made full use of its own medium, and made strong points about life. I believe that Gargoyles is probably the most beneficial and educational childrens' programming I have ever seen, in terms of teaching life lessons, and I too am completely disgusted that Toon Disney won't air "Deadly Force." Thank you for reading this long ramble of mine, and also for providing the best television program to date.

Greg responds...

Thank you.

I definitely have gone through this before. So it's somewhere in the archives. Like in the Macbeth archive or Demona most likely. I'm afraid you're on the wrong track, mostly because you are taking the word "Immortality" too literally. It's used in different ways in different places.

1. In "The Price", Hudson does know that Macbeth and Demona have been alive a LONG time. That makes them Immortal on at least one level. When he says immortal in this one, he's only referring to their obviously long life spans. But at this time, he doesn't know about their link, their inability to die unless one kills the other. The fact that they've lived that long might only mean that they've never been killed and have some kind of eternal youth spell or something. So Hudson can believe that Macbeth has FINALLY died when the first robot bites the dust.

2. After the Weird Sisters are captured in "Avalon, Part Three", they are (off-screen) forced to reveal the link between Demona and Macbeth, i.e the terms of their immortality. So at that point, a bunch of people know the truth, particularly Goliath, Elisa and Angela.

3. So by "Sanctuary", Elisa knows. And clearly, Demona has also told Thailog.

4. When Goliath, Elisa, Bronx and Angela return to NYC in "The Gathering, Part One" and after they have time to sit down and relate their adventures (between "The Gathering, Part Two" and "Vendettas"), they relate the Demona/Macbeth story to Hudson and the Trio. So now most of the cast is up to speed.

Mystery solved?

Response recorded on September 09, 2001

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Paranoia... possibly.

So maybe it's me...

But lately I've been feeling like people are popping in to ASK GREG with the deliberate intent of catching me in a mistake or inconsistency. Like they are trying to trip me up.

If not, my apologies.

But if so... CUT IT OUT, OKAY!!!!

It's just not much fun for me.

And before anyone else gets personally paranoid, this isn't directed at any one person. I've just had this general sense that somehow this is the new contest here. Who can make Greg look stupid. Believe me guys, I don't need much help in that department.

If you have a legitimate question you're curious about, then ask away. But if you're just posting to make me look foolish and/or to prove that the show wasn't perfect... well, how 'bout I just acknowledge both things here and now, and we let that drop.

Okay?


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matt writes...

both Proto-Mammals and Dinosaurs evolved from Reptiles. Proto-Mammals were very reptilian, but with some very Mammalian characteristics. they laid eggs, but probably nursed their young sometimes too. they lived at the beginning of the age of dinosaurs and most are considered "dinosaurs' in a very broad way, though scientifically they are not. Proto-Mammals would go on to evolve into mammals and what i'm wondering is if they also went to evolve into Gargates. from everything i know and you've told us, they fit the profile. some, like Dimetrodon, even had primative solar radiaters which could have evolved into the ability to store solar energy. in fact, Dimetrodon looks very similar to a garg beast to me, with a sail. i once asked you if gargs were related to Platypus cause of the varied similarities they have, and if Gargates did evolve from Proto-mammals than they were related since platypus is one of the few remaining Proto-Mammals not extinct. are proto-mammals the ancestors of gargates?

Greg responds...

matt, how many ways can I say I DON'T KNOW enough about biology to answer this question?

You're theory (assuming the facts are accurate) is interesting. So... MAYBE!

Before I say yes, I'd have to do a lot of research that I haven't yet done.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Denis writes...

Hello, Greg!
First thing first, thank you for your explanation about OTS.

Now to the "main course", I'm wondering, since Team Atlantis got axed, can you answer question related to the series?

Greg responds...

Some.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Did Mab have any children besides Oberon? If so are they more or less powerful than Oberon?

Greg responds...

Not answering this now.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Was it intentional to make Nick Maza similar to Captain of the Guard since both are described by you in the Garg bible and the 2198 contest as much like a gargoyle as a human can be?

Greg responds...

You're taking that too literally.

I was actually trying to connect Nick up to Tom, thematically.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

since Fox has twice as much Children of Oberon blood in her as Alex and Alex has managed to live til 2198 would Fox herself still be alive in 2198?

Greg responds...

Not revealing one way or another.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Punchinello writes...

Mr. Weisman,

I'm sorry I did not acknowledge your response before now. I only realized that you had addressed my post on sentience a moment ago.

I did not really think that you condoned the obliteration of a family of polar bears (anthropomorphic or otherwise). I was raising the issue because I think I am observing a trend wherein people are only assigning value to a life based upon an inference of anthropomorphism. That is to say, some people are investing their ethical concern in something based upon how much it resembles a human being; and this is hardly an objective premise to begin with. Semblance to human beings, mental or otherwise, can not constitute a requirement for being worthy of consideration or protection. However I do believe that it is reasonable to assign values based upon certain criteria from within our own perspectives (it's the only thing we can assign values from) as long as we make a concerted effort to avoid an obviously centrist sentiment like using ourselves as a template for what is worth consideration.

If someone were to ask me what criteria I thought were appropriate, I would probably return to what has already been implied. Intelligence. Emotional intuition. Volition. And a whole host of perceptual characteristics. Those things from which emerge a picture of mental life. Perhaps an ability to suffer and to anticipate conditions which cause or alleviate suffering, and to desire to distance ones self from a cause of it. However, if we are going to determine the presence of those capacities with nothing but purely verifiable data, then we fall in league with the evolutionary psychologists foundation of mental within the biological. And the biological machinery necessary to mediate these abilities is certainly not the exclusive domain of Homo Sapiens. (I _do_ subscribe to the evolutionary psychologist foundation by the way. I like to have data I can verify beyond "it is true because it is so.")

For a lot of people though, these emergent mental properties are always considered as something transcendent of biology, immeasurable, even inviolate, because I have observed others react with hostility to the reduction of mental qualities to biology. On numerous occasions. Thinking that way leads to all kinds of misunderstandings, however. Another contributor to this board, Entity, had taken the position that humans and gorillas were intelligent but dogs were not. I found this extremely interesting because even outside the realm of biological architectures in the brain I could use as a foundation for taking the evolutionary psychologist position, it needs to be acknowledged that even within social psychology dogs are attributed a measurable intelligence. It's not extraordinary. My dog has an IQ of 12 or so for instance. And of course these kinds of figures are disputable, because it really requires the participation of the test subject past his simple presence to get accurate results. I would submit that the whole concept of IQ as it is accepted within the social sciences borders on being fraudulent anyway. The point is that the ascription of non-intelligence that was made about the dog was arbitrary. It was not informed by the physical _or_ social sciences. It was just an assumption. And that kind of casual valuization can be dangerous when it functions as the basis for how much respect we offer another. This is not a slight against this Entity. I'm just using this as an example to outline the stated purpose of my original post. If people are going to hold these positions they maintain, then they need to ask themselves why they have that particular belief. If they have this mental dialogue with themselves and they cannot answer that first question, then it is time to evaluate how much their beliefs represent reality.

____________________________________________________________________________
I'm probably as guilty as anyone of overusing, or rather overbilling the issue of "sentience". I think the concept has its uses. But it's probably used as a crutch too often.
____________________________________________________________________________

I would agree. I think of it as a crutch of language. Some people subscribe to an ideology that is a holdover from religious impulses. It maintains that the mantle of "human" is sacred and unapproachable. They need to define what the quality of "human" is that makes it thus, without any background knowledge of cognitive science so that it fits their sensibilities. They can adopt the hazily defined expression, "sentience", imported from popular culture, via star trek, to articulate their position. For some others, the mental capacities of non human animals may be very well understood. They may acknowledge capacities for reflection and emotion, but they still need a convenient means of distinguishing various abilities. So an imprecise language becomes common.

Greg responds...

Agreed. And I'll also admit that your thinking on this subject is much more sophisiticated than mine has been.

I think a lot of how we are defining sentience does come down to the "Potential for Direct Communication", which is of course a fairly preposterous criteria.

On the other hand, if it is truly another hand, I don't think these ideas are mutually exclusive with notions of religion. Dog heaven, man. You know?

And don't worry about not getting back to me sooner. As I'm sure you've noticed, there's something of a delay going on in this whole system. I have trouble keeping up with the posts here. So as long as you remind me of what we were talking about, we should be fine.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

in the gargoyles universe, why did the chicken cross the road?

i'm not telling a joke, i'm looking for an answer. i swear theres a good one here somewhere... and this will keep me busy til the next contest!

Greg responds...

To find out how many gargoyles it takes to screw in a lightbulb, I guess.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Lacey writes...

Which character do you feel is most like you, or closely resembles you physically and/or mentally?

Greg responds...

None really resembles me physically, I think. But many of you have seen me at Gatherings. Do you agree?

As for mentally... if you took ALL the characters and squashed them together you'd get me, I think.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Yttrium writes...

You mentioned you were in a play called THE WARRIOR'S HUSBAND and played Theseus. Could you tell us what it was about?

---Ytt

Greg responds...

Sure. Although, keep in mind, that I was in this play over twenty years ago. So I may be misremembering stuff. I'd recommend hitting a library and reading it for yourself. It's by Julian Thompson.

But anyway... Hercules and Theseus attack the Amazons to get the girdle of Hippolyta, which Herc needs to complete his ninth labor. Homer is along to report on the action.

Hercules is very strong and carries a big club, but is neither bright nor brave in this play. Theseus is smart and cunning and good with a sword. He likes to let Herc stand up as the front man, while he makes things work behind the scenes. He's used to getting his way.

The Greeks come up against the Amazon Queen Hippolyta and her younger sister Princess Antiope. All the Amazon men are pretty wimpy. The title character is an Amazon man named Sapiens, Hippolyta's husband. He gains backbone as the play progresses.

Theseus and Antiope do battle. Antiope is very turned on to find a man who can hold his own with her. Theseus, used to just getting what he wants, is also knocked for a loop to find an equal in this woman. They fall in love. Together, they end the war. Herc gets a girdle. Not THE girdle, but everyone figures no one will notice the difference. It ends happily.

It's a bit of fluff, but I remember really liking it. Fun fluff. (It probably didn't hurt that in rehearsing the kiss between Antiope and Theseus, Elizabeth and I sort of discovered that we liked each other. As a result, we were boyfriend and girlfriend throughout my senior year of high school. So, as you can imagine, my memories of the play are rather fond.) Elizabeth also recently reminded me that David Schwimmer, now of FRIENDS, played Giganius the Herald.

FYI, Katharine Hepburn played Antiope in the original Broadway cast.

And thanks for asking this question. It makes me very nostalgic.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

in The Mirror when the are in that plaza and battling Demona as humans, why is there a shop selling medieval weopons? Demona breaks a store window and all of a sudden the clan starts grabbing swords, sheilds, maces, spears, axes... why are those in NYC?

Greg responds...

They just are. Have you been to New York? They sell all sorts of things there.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

Legion questions:

1. when Recap downloaded the computer virus through the taser line from Coldstone, why didn't the virus destroy recaps programming?

2. when Coldstone first arrives at the Clocktower with Goliath and Lex, Bronx is growling at him. why? Iago has yet to take control of Coldstone. does Bronx just hate the cybernetics of Coldstone or does he sense the evil one or something?

Greg responds...

1. It destroyed much of Recap's programming. But keep in mind, Xanatos knew what he was after. So he got the virus working on a loop of some kind so that it wouldn't SELF-destruct.

2. I'd have to see it again.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

Broadway bring back Maggie's Genutech bracelet after they first encounter her and Elisa says its a tracking device. doesn't that mean that Genutech knows where they went with it? is this how Xanatos found their new home? why wasn't the clan worried about bringing a tracking device into their home? seems kinda foolish to me, esspecially in light of what would happen with a tracking device in Hunters Moon!

Greg responds...

I'm fairly certain that Broadway says it's busted now. (But perhaps I'm confusing it with another episode.)

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

in Metamorphosis Elisa and Matt show up at Genutech to investigate a kidnapping. whose kidnapping are they investigateing? i wouldn't think it was Maggie cuz i don't know who would report her as missing, and why would they think to look for anyone at Genutech anyway?

Greg responds...

I'd have to see it again, but I think they were investigating Maggie on Brooklyn and Broadway's tip. (Obvioulsy, Elisa must have been circumspect about what she revealed to Matt and the folk at Gen-U-Tech.)

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

why did you decide to redo the look of the Mutates after Metamorphosis? esspecially Talon, his hair got smoother and darker, he lost his tail, and all the Mutates gained retinas in their eyes, not just white like Bronx's. and yes, he did have a tail!

2. in the garg universe do you have an explanation for the change in appearence? like perhaps they were still mutating? i don't know how that explains gaining a tail then losing it...

Greg responds...

1. I didn't. Frank did. I just didn't object.

2. Yes. They were still mutating. That's why I didn't object. It was absorbed back into their bodies as their human dna regained some ascendency.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Punchinello writes...

I just reviewed what I have written here. It's so formal it's almost offensive. I'm sorry. I don't think one can talk about issues like this without sounding (obtuse? Stuffy? Something like that.) And not a word about Gargoyles.

Let me leave the realm of animal intelligence's for a minute and consider the intelligence of some of the more fantastical characters in your story. The fae. When I think about this kind of (ethereal?) character, these are the kinds of associations that I make.

-The thought of angels moves faster than human thought. (I don't recall where that comes from)

-A four dimensional object or being will cast a three dimensional shadow. (That's an observation Buckminster Fuller made.)

-A being that cannot die will have no concept of death, and certainly will not attach values, positive or negative, to the ending of a life. (This is a condensed and bastardized summary of some of the speculation of extraterrestrial intelligence's that participants of the SETI program publicized.)

I hope some of the above makes sense. My thinking is this. That the content of fae thought/mentality may be fundamentally different from homo sapiens thinking. Not just an accelerated or enhanced analogue of human thought, but structurally different. Our mental world is the emergent condition of innumerable biological systems interacting with one another. I have no reason to conclude that the fae's intelligence emerges from anything reductionist in nature. It is a condition that exists without origin in biology (potentially). Everything that we think of as intelligence rests on an evolutionary foundation of connections to allow us to successfully distinguish between things we can eat and things that will eat us. It would be absurd to think that the fae (who I don't think were subject to natural selection through predation) would have an intelligence structured upon the same principles. Simple alternative concepts like "either or" may not have the same meaning to them. This could go far towards explaining why they are so damned irritating.

My second thought on the matter, in reference to the three dimensional shadow concept, is that the visual representation we get of the fae in the story may be a poor representation of the reality. I use the concept of a hypothetical four dimensional being to illustrate. A two dimensional being could be aware of my presence if I allowed it to, although it would be a simple matter to remove myself from it's perception with a minor movement. However it's awareness could not give it a complete representation of what I am. It could only understand me as a fragment that can be translated into something comprehensible within the context of it's world. I can easily attribute an extra dimensional quality to beings like Oberon and Puck who seem o appear and disappear at will. We might not be able to understand completely, what they are. Only that the portion of them that is represented in three dimensions resembles a group of tall, angular, oddly complexioned people in period costume.

My third observation of the fae, and in particular of Oberon who has demonstrated a dispassionate distance to killing his rivals in certain instances, is that he may have no concept of murder because he may have no concept of death. (Yes I know that he reacted to the iron bell in such a way that would indicate it was harmful to him. Even lethal.) However, even if he were to express a concept of death we would not be able to be certain that his concept was anything like our concept. Does death mean an end for him? If it does not, then the gravity we attach to it may be lost on him and the other fae.

I think my point is that while it would certainly not be appropriate to think of a creature like this in human terms, i'm not even certain you can extrapolate "human" from him. There could be creatures, so far removed from human experience that it would be impossible. Of course, the associations that I make with the fae are not going to be the same ones that you make. Your concept of them may fall within human experience. You have other creatures though. Your space spawn. They would certainly have been subject to mental dispositions grounded in a different biology. We're conditioned with the genetic remainders of our hunter gatherer ancestors. They would be conditioned with something else. I dont know what. Something spawny probably.

Greg responds...

Spawny. I like that.

Play with these ideas:

1. I believe that Oberon's Children evolved from the Will-O-the-Wisp.

2. I believe that they can die, as completely or not as any human. But they can't die of old age, unless they stubbornly insist on maintaining a mortal form until it kills them. They are therefore, acutally, technically mortal themselves, but don't truly comprehend mortality (if that makes sense). So they like to pretend they are fully immortal, fully untouchable. (Well, that's a generalization, really. Individuals may vary.)

3. I don't necessarily believe that we have seen the true form of any of Oberon's Children. We have seen 'preferred forms', but not anything that isn't just as much of a guise as any other shape they've taken on.

4. When they transform into a mortal of whatever species -- as opposed to just taking on the glamour of a mortal -- they are bound by all the rules of that species, save ONE. They can transform back.

5. I don't find them as irritating as you seem to.

Anyway, play with those five notions and get back to me.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Do you think that the the music in "the Green" was a bit over done when we first saw the pyramid? I think they had seen seen a few other more impressive sights, like egypt's pyramids, and Easter Island's heads. I'm not complaining, just wondering why the music was so dramatic.

Greg responds...

Well, I'd have to look at it again, I guess.

But probably, my answer would be "NO." After all, I was present when we mixed the show and I must have approved the music at that time.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

1. from where did Gabriel inherit his chin horns and strange brow ridges? neither Othello or Desdemona have them, are these traits recessive from a biological grandparent(s)?

2. any reason why Iago is the only other garg to have the chin horns besides Gabriel?

3. what does Ophelia find physically attractive about Gabriel?

4. doesn't Gabriel have any close male friends?

5. is the reason Gabriel was the only male garg we were introduced to on Avalon because so many of the main characters up til "Avalon" were male, esspecially gargoyles?

Greg responds...

1. Potentially. (Again, I'd ask you, what answer did you think I'd give?)

2. The only other one you've seen, you mean.

3. Probably lots.

4. I'm sure he does.

5. Mostly, it's about time limits and design limits. Just the reality of making television.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Punchinello writes...

______________________________________________________________________________
It brings me to another distinction: the one between sentience and artificial intelligence. Coyote, for instance, can throw a zinger, but is he self-aware? I don't think he is. Xanatos hasn't achieved (or would wish to achieve) that much, has he?
______________________________________________________________________________

I don't know anything about computer technology past it's relationship to cognitive studies into artificial intelligence. There is a lot of dispute about the possibility of an actual computer intelligence. I'm not competent to say if the possibility is real but I would not discount it. I can see numerous avenues for foundations for intelligence besides the neurochemical variety. Incidentally, I once took a Turing test...and failed. I was delighted.

Greg responds...

I don't know what a "Turing test" is. Sorry.

I believe that in the Gargoyles Universe that artificial intelligence is truly possible. I just don't think any Coyote robot we've seen has truly achieved it yet.

Matrix may be closer.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

1. in Leader of the Pack when the clan learns from Elisa that the Pack escaped from prison Lex wants to head off to PMS cuz he thinks they'll return there like "snakes to a nest", Goliath and Elisa try to stop him and then Brooklyn says he'll go with Lex to PMS to check it out. what gives Brooklyn the authority to just run off with Lex like that, hes not yet Second and he never asks Goliath or anyone if they can go?

2. what does "snakes to a nest" mean anyway? from what i know of snakes, they all abandon their eggs completly or stay with their eggs until they hatch.

Greg responds...

1. Look, these guys have been working together for awhile. Brooklyn makes the offer (whether he phrases it that way or not), and Goliath tacitly accepts. What's going on here, primarily, is that everyone is aware that Lex is out of control. Elisa (and thus Goliath and Brooklyn and everyone) don't believe that the Studio is a likely place for the Pack to go to. So Brooklyn goes along to keep Lex out of trouble at a theoretically harmless location.

2. Ask the writer. I was just the producer.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

1. did Dingo meet up with Coyote for the first time when he was in Europe or was it when he returned to the States?

2. how well did Dingo know Coyote? did he know that it was 'Xanatos'?

Greg responds...

1. That's a story for another day.

2. Not well. No.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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matt writes...

1. does Coyote from Upgrade still have the memories of his original version from Leader of the Pack?

2. since the head of Coyote Version 1 was destroyed in Version 2 does Version 3 or 4 still have the memories of Version 1 and 2?

what i'm asking is, did each Coyote Version that Xnatos built have a completly blank memory to start with or were the memories from the previous Coyotes passed on.

and i agree that with all these Coyotes, Coyote was probably a relative of Wile E. Coyote.

Greg responds...

1. Yes.

2. Yes.

Passed on.

And that was the idea.

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Is the reason you created the clone's differn't skin, eyes and hair pigmintation, because you didn't want another cartoon where your trying to figure out which one is the real Goliath or Lexington? Or at least not overdue it since this happend latter with Proteus?

Greg responds...

I liked Thailog's look. It was partially inspired by the changes that John Byrne made to the Fantastic Four's costumes in the eighties.

But yes. Though we played the beat for a couple of acts, I didn't want to do EVIL TWIN takes the place of the good guy and confuses everyone. Once Thailog was revealed, there wasn't any question as to who was who. Just seemed a more original take on the old clone idea. What do the rest of you think?

(And Proteus had nothing to do with it. At the time we were creating Thailog, I didn't yet know that I was going to insert The New Olympians into the Garg Universe.)

Response recorded on September 08, 2001

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Jim R. writes...

When you first became involved in the production of Gargoyles, did you ever think that it would ever go as far as it has, meaning with the fanbase, merchandise, and the Gatherings, etc.? What were your hopes and doubts when producing Gargoyles?

Greg responds...

I've answered this over and over. Check the archives.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

August 15, 20

Did you plan to show any other gargates besides the gargoyle beasts and the gargoyles?

Greg responds...

I'm sorry, what does "August 15, 20" refer to?

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Mariner writes...

Hi Greg,

Sorry to hear about Team Atlantis. Is there any chance you tell us what you had planned for the Gargoyles/Team Atlantis semi-crossover episode? Also, would you be able to post scripts from the series if you have them available? I suspect not, but no harm in asking.

Greg responds...

I don't have computer files for any scripts except the two that I wrote. And I won't be posting those either. But if you really want to know more about them, come to G2002.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

I'm very sorry to hear that "Team Atlantis" was cancelled. I really was looking forward to the series. Especially the episode you wrote with Demona and Fiona Canmore.

Out of curiosity, will that script ever see the light of day anywhere?

Greg responds...

Come to G2002 and find out.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

We know that the gargs in China have contributed to the dragon legends there did any gargoyle beasts contribute to it considering some of them like the one in Ishimura looked very much like dragons?

Greg responds...

You don't know that at all, though it's a reasonable assumption, as is your one about the beasts.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Thanks to matt and Phil we know that gargoyles in China are dragons so my question is were they the only source that inspired the Chinese dragon legends cause the dragons of Chinese legend are more like the Children of Oberon than gargoyles since they were worshipped as gods of the seas, capable of changing shape and underlings of the Chinese gods?

Greg responds...

You've overstated what you learned from matt and Phil.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Vega writes...

In the opening of Gargoyles, there is a clip of a bunch of gargoyles flying about (I believe taken from ep1 Awakenings) Which ends with a red-skinned, white-haired, beaked gargoyle flying at the "camera". Is that Brooklyn's father, by any chance? I always wondered about that.

Greg responds...

One of his fathers, certainly. One of Lex's and Broadway's too.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Are there Scottish/Japanese looking gargoyles living in the London Clan or are they all animal headed?

Greg responds...

Assumptions... tsk, tsk, tsk....

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

We now know what the gargoyles in the the Loch Ness and Chinese clans look like care to tell us what the gargoyles in the Korean and New Olympus clans look like?

Greg responds...

Large chipmunks.

And by the way, you don't know what you think you know. You just have a better idea.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Aris Katsaris writes...

Concerning where the Weird Sisters' loyalty lies, you replied: "Their tri-part mission."

Um... Revenge, Protection and Weirdness? ;-)

Greg responds...

Fate, Revenge and one thing I'm not revealing yet.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Demoness writes...

"1) Did Oberon have any help in defeating Mab?
2) Did Oberon use trickery?

Greg responds...
1. Yes.
2. Some. "

1: Who helped Oberon against Mab? a. Everyone minus Mab's followers? b. Titania? c. The Weird Sisters? d. if non of the guesses above, then who?

Greg responds...

I'm not going to answer this now.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Demoness writes...

Why does Queen Mab not approve of Titania?

Greg responds...

Many reasons, including the fact that she thought Titania was a spoiled brat and beneath her son.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Is Titania or Odin close to matching Oberon in power?

Greg responds...

Sure.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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matt writes...

my brother got married toda.. er yesterday and they are off to Maine for their honeymoon. they plan to stop in Bar Harbor (Xanatos's birthplace) if for nothing else than to get me something to add to my Gargoyles collection. pretty cool, huh?
question time:

1. in 2198, is the Eyrie Pyramid look like the Eyrie Pyramid in "Future Tense"? if so, what purpose does the pyramid that crowns the top serve?

2. in 2198, will gargoyles working for the NYPD actually have badges or just coordinate efforts with the NYPD?

3. why did the practice of gargoyles acting as peacekeepers in the UN end with the arrival of the Space-Spawn?

4. would the Dracon family still be running a Crime Syndicate in 2198?

5. will Macbeth still be living near NYC in 2198?

6. will the Clocktower be around still in 2198? perhaps they finally got it working? :)

Greg responds...

1. Not gonna limit the artists at this time.

2. Both.

3. Why do you think?

4. Not saying.

5. No.

6. Not saying.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Jacob writes...

Hi Greg
Hope you are not angry because of my stupid qustions.

In 2198 is it possible for Gargoyles to walk over a crowdy street without being stared at, or will more time have to pass for that?

Greg responds...

It's possible.

And I rarely get angry over ASK GREG questions. (Sometimes I'm mildly annoyed, of course.) It just may seem that way because you don't hear my tone of voice in a typed response.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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matt writes...

1. will Artus be alive in 2198?
will Gwenyvere be alive in 2198?
will Lancelot be alive in 2198?

2. will any of the Trio's rookery children make appearences in Gargoyles: 2198?

Greg responds...

Not answering this now.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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matt writes...

will any humans be living in Wyvern with the New Wyvern Clan? will they build some sort of structure or will they live on the cliffs?

Greg responds...

I'm not revealing this now. The exploration of the twelve clans is one of the fun things about 2198. I don't want to blithely reveal everything here.

You may trick me into answering more specific questions, but big large ones are sure to go down without a fight.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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zakhur writes...

Hi Greg! When in 2198 the Matrix is taken by the Space Spawn, how will the New Camelot Clan adapt, if conditions on Antartica become like they were before, would they stay in the same place or would they have to move?

Greg responds...

That's a whole plotline. I'm not going to toss it off here in a couple of sentences.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Laura Ackerman writes...

A few weeks back you posted an explanation for Goliath and crew speaking modern English that you had seen and liked. It involved Demonia casting a spell before they awoke. There are a few problems with that theory, (sorry, I seem to live for nitpicking).

The most notable problem is how to extend it past the original seven that woke up in Manhattan. Excluding modern World Tour characters, who, it can be argued might have spoken English and were being polite to the Avalonauts by using it, (a stretch, but not the worse one to make, especially after hearing how Bushido orriginally started;), most everyone else had some connection to Avalon. I would find it easy to argue that the magic of Avalon made different languages moot, but only while on Avalon. Though I have been raised a Trekkie, a Universal Translator without explanation doesn't really fit into the Gargoyle world (IMHO).

Also, if there was a magic that acted on the Island (maybe extending to the skiff on the way to and from) there could have been fun effects of Angela suddenly being heard in a Medieval Scottish French blend, which Goliath doesn't realize is incomprehesible to Elisa. If I wanted to get fancy I would say that the Avalon clan was raised by a noble and would then have french and germanic languages, as well as possibly Latin, and thus made modern English less difficult to pick up- but there would still be a time of confusion.

Basically, I wonder if there is a way to explain the language problem away, or is it best left as a known element of suspension of disbelief? [Sorta like the scale in the Cloisters in Temptation :)]

Greg responds...

Michael Reaves idea, which I only heard second hand, is pretty new to me. So I don't pretend to have fully thought it out. I feel like there's something in it. But I just haven't dedicated the time to doing that mindwork yet.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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The Souldier writes...

Okie-dokie, I have a really kinda bizzare Owen/Puck question here. Is Puck Owen, and Owen isn't Puck? Or is it Owen is Puck, but Puck isn't Owen? Or is it something else entirely? If it is something else entirely different, would you explain it to me, and use small words, I can be easily confused.

I just realized this question makes a lot more sense when you hear it rather than read it, so try saying the word to the question, it might help, if it doesn't help, you just wasted a minute or so of your life on a silly question.

I'm gonna stop typing now. Really. I am.

Greg responds...

Well, you sure didn't help me out much, context-wise.

I assume you mean that Owen is just an aspect of Puck, not the whole and not the other way around.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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matt writes...

does Owen have a social security number, pay taxes, and all that stuff? does the government have him in their records?

Greg responds...

Of course.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Cygnus writes...

This question really isn't about the series, but:

Do you know where I might be able to find the complete gargoyles series on video or DVD or anything?

I've been looking everywhere for some kind of an idea where I could find it, but with no luck. Thanks for any help you could give me.

Greg responds...

Not really, no. Sorry.

Have you tried e-bay? Or asking in the s8 comment room?

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Todd Jensen writes...

Many mythological scholars believe that in the early days of the myths, humanity was matriarchal, worshipping some sort of "Great Goddess"-figure, but as time went on, it underwent a shift to a more patriarchal culture, producing male gods such as Zeus who toppled the "Great Goddess" and replaced her. Did such theories (assuming that you're aware of them) influence your vision of Oberon overthrowing his mother Mab and replacing her?

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Chris J. writes...

Greg:

I have a million questions, but I would prefer to leave them unaswered. However, I would like to thank you (and all those others involved) for creating such a magical series. Gargoyles is truly a work that raises that bar when it comes to storytelling in an animated series.

So, regardless of whatever happens in the future with Goliath and the gang, thank you for producing some of best storytelling this fan has seen in any medium.

Greg responds...

Thank you for taking the time to tell me. And I SO RESPECT your desire not to have your questions answered. Good for you. (Although if that sentiment spreads I could be outta business. Sigh. Fat chance. KIDDING!!)

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Entity writes...

Ok, you know what I have yet to do? Praise you on GARGOYLES 2198. I mean, there is so much worthy of praise. Here are some things I found most impressive:

1) Nicholas Natsilane Maza and the Order of the Guardian that he is a part of. It gives both Natsilane and good old Tom a legacy.

2) The idea of the Space-Spawn being born "amidst the fury of an exploding star." It's such an original idea, and in science-fiction, originality is sometimes very hard to come by. Speaking of which, maybe there's a question in here: do you know what element the Spawn Spawn are based off of? (e.g. carbon-based)

3) To have the Space-Spawn take over the world right off the bat, and in such a swift, painless manner. As you state, there is "very little loss of life, unless freedom matters to you." This puts drama before bloodshed, pure Gargoyles.

4) The Illuminati's dark pact with the Space-Spawn. This actually brings up another question (and I hope this one hasn't already been asked, if so I apologize): is Alexander Fox Xanatos IV a member of the Illuminati at the time of his abduction?

Greg responds...

2. I have some ideas, but I've done no research, and given how I'm taken to task on every LITTLE thing I say, I'd prefer not to embarrass myself at this time.

4. No way I'm telling you.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Kelly L Creighton/Kya White Sapphire writes...

Lord Sloth wrote some words he/she? had learned from the show. you couldnt decifer one of them. Im not sure how to spell it, but it sounds like ESH-ih-lon (he's one of our lower ranking members, etc. at least I think thats where i remember it from)

someone may have said this already. i havent read the questions being submitted archive.

Greg responds...

Echelon. Now just to be safe, I looked it up in the dictionary. Why am I the only one who did?

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Marty "Kaioto" Lund writes...

Not really a question, but you have my sympathy on Team Atlantis. Working in a corporation, I understand that nothing quite feels the same as having a project you've invested a hefty chunk of time into suddenly get displaced. Well, maybe being kicked in the guts by a mule or something comes close. :(

I wish people would make up their minds about projects before men and women started investing large amounts of time into making the project a reality. It is even worse in a creative process.

In systems design, it feels so insulting to get along the Systems Development Lifecycle to the point where you're working to fulfill agreed-upon specifications and suddenly the client does a 180 and tanks the entire project. I imagine it is even more frustrating in an artistic / creative setting where it is only natural to put large portions of yourself into a production.

So, to you and all those with whom you worked, my sympathies. I appreciate your efforts and I'm disappointed that we'll miss out on Team Atlantis.

Bona Fortuna
- Kai

Greg responds...

Thanks.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Sexy Queer writes...

Greg, I am so sorry to hear about Team Atlantis getting dropped before it even hit the air. This Demona and Fiona Cammore story did sound pretty interesting.
Hope you get another voice directing jod or somthing else soon.

Greg responds...

Thanks. Me too.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Todd Jensen writes...

Count me as another person who's sorry to hear that "Team Atlantis" won't be coming out after all. From what I had heard about it (especially at the Gathering), it had sounded good (and not just because Demona was going to guest star in it). Such a pity.

Greg responds...

Yep. Put a lot of people out of work too.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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zakhur writes...

This is more a comment than a question! I've been a Fan of Gargoyles for a long time, since it first aired on the Disney Afternoon! and after it stopped airing, I started looking in the internet, to see if the show would keep going, I mostly saw some fanfics, but it never was quite the same.
Although I was amazed on how many fans the show had, and more so that most the of the fans were adults.
now, when I rediscovered gargoyles on toon disney, and finding this site again, and actually asking questions, and joining the comment room.
I find myself so intrigued not only on how great the show is, but how many other people enjoy it and find so much entreteiment in it, and how wonderfull gargoyle fans are, they are very loyel and really care about Gargoyles.
So my question is, how does it make you feel, As one of the creators, that after the show has been cancelled for 5 years, so many people love and keep it alive in their hearts, through the internet and reunions such as the gathering?

Greg responds...

GREAT!!!

I mean, duh. GREAT!!!!

It's very gratifying. The Gatherings themselves are tremendously wonderful for me. Feeds my ego enough to last me a whole year.

Mostly, I'm just glad that the show reached people and that they largely responded to it as we all hoped.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Monzo writes...

How do you feel about male actor given there voice to female character in cartoons? How about the other way around? Do you thnik it would work in gargoyles?

Greg responds...

These decisions would all have to be made on a case by case basis.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Mary Mack writes...

Where can *I* buy a copy of Cree Summer's CD?

Everyone eat Round Table pizza!

Oh! And sign up for G2002!

And write to Disney asking for Gargoyles DVD's! (Greg, you can tell Mr. Fukuto that I'll by Gargs on DVD, and I don't have a DVD player.)

Greg responds...

I love Cree's CD. Have you tried a record store?

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who exactly were Mab's parents?

Greg responds...

Archie and either Betty or Veronica.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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matt writes...

will there be any non-permanent members of the Redemption Squad? maybe those joining only for an episode or a multi-parter.
if so, do we know them, and will you tell us who they are?

Greg responds...

Yes. Some. No.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Todd Jensen writes...

During the course of the series, New York was struck by a number of events of a decidedly "unusual" variety, and ones which obviously weren't completely covered up (even if the true cause of them wasn't known to its citizens). Gargoyle sightings were the obvious part, but also so were the "missing nights" in "City of Stone" and Oberon putting everyone to sleep in "The Gathering", for example. By the time that the gargoyles were revealed to the public in "Hunter's Moon", therefore, New York had experienced two years' worth of Fortean activity.

While the obvious main reason for the public panic over the gargoyles in "Hunter's Moon" and "The Journey" was simple fear over them, do you suppose that the cumulative aftereffects of the two years' worth of weirdness (especially from "City of Stone" and "The Gathering") could have been a factor as well? After all, in real life, unexplained ongoing problems can often lead to people looking for scapegoats, and persecuting minority groups thereby (as in the case of persecutions of the Jews getting more severe in 14th century Europe during the Black Death). Do you think that some of that could have been at work here?

Greg responds...

YES!!!!!!

Weirdness can in fact have a cumulative -- not simply a momentary -- effect.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

You idiot, do you actually think he'll answer everyone of those questions. If he actually gives straight forward and clear responses for half of these then I'm a monkey's uncle.

Greg responds...

Wow. Anonymous. Looks like you've got a new moniker.

Ladies and gentlemen, "A Monkey's Uncle".

I love being unpredictable.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Aris Katsaris writes...

You wrote: "Sentient races are few and far between in the Gargoyles Universe. Not commonplace."

I have to say that I found this somewhat funny (both haha-funny and weird-funny). You've placed the origins of *four* sentient races on a single planet, but say that sentient races are nonetheless few and far between...

[As a sidenote I have to say that this seems like a distinction between science fiction and fantasy - most fantasy does indeed place many sentient species on the same planet - science fiction tends to be more conservative in this regard...]

So... is there any special reason/explanation that Earth gave birth to so many sentient species or is it just an amazing statistical fluke?

Greg responds...

My explanation is that habitable planets are few and far between.

And four isn't that big a number in the grand scheme of things.

The statement you quoted is relative. I meant, don't expect to see a scene with 100s of alien species walking around.

But mostly, the reason is I want to keep the galaxy semi-quantifiable. Instead of constantly bringing in more and more random elements, I'd like to, in essence, create political situations and play with them. I'm not sure that's clear. But as you may have gathered, I like things defined so that the storylines have boundaries to push and bend and break. If you constantly feel like ANYTHING can happen, then I believe it hurts the drama.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Did Oberon have any relationships with members of the third race after marrying Titania? If so care to name a few? Did he have any children from these relationships?

Greg responds...

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who exactly were Anasi's parents?

Greg responds...

Pops and Mr. Weatherby. (I'm gonna run out of Riverdale characters any minute now.)

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Care to give us the name of Oberon's father? Does it begin with a consonant or a vowel? I really like to know.

Greg responds...

Oh, so you already know?

Great.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who was the first fay to gain sentience?

Greg responds...

Fay Furillo?

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Is there more variety in the New Olympus clan than there is in the other clans?

Greg responds...

Yes, every sunday they do three shows on the main stage, but no kids at the 11 o'clock performance, please. "It gets a little blue."

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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JEB writes...

JEB writes...
Is there a direct connection between the Director and the terrorist from "City of Stone"? (Yes or no is fine.)

Thanks!

Greg responds...

Define "direct".

OK, I define direct as "being in relation by meeting (i.e. knowing one another or knowing OF one another) or by blood."

That clarify? :) Yes or no is still fine.

Greg responds...

Define "Yes or no".

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

In the Gargoyles universe, which alian race was it that came down in area 51?

Greg responds...

I think it was mostly celebrities, drug dealers and super-models.

Oh, wait. That's Studio 54 not Area 51.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What exactly were the sirens in the Gargoyles Universe(GU)? Halflings? Children of Oberon?

Greg responds...

I'm not telling you.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Seeker of Knowledge writes...

In the Gargoyles Universe, are vampires afraid of crosses and other holy symbols, as they are in in Transylvanian myths?

Greg responds...

You were just waiting for this weren't you: All things are true.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Entity writes...

Since you're so close to catching up, I figured I'd clear up what I meant when I said there was a difference between your "pre-LA and post-LA responses." It just felt like, right after The Gathering, you got reinvigorated. Your responses have been more frank, conversational, and for lack of a better word, peppier. Or perhaps I should reference Ed Asner on that last one and use the word "spunk." :)

Greg responds...

Really? Cool.

Certainly, I believe the Gathering was invigorating.

But I wonder if you still feel that way...

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Jim R. writes...

Sorry, I clicked Submit too soon. This goes with my previous post.

And do you consider Gargoyles your cobblestone, milestone or somewhere in between? Meaning, do you think Gargoyles was your first series to become as great as it has, or do you think that you'll never do anything even close to what an impact Gargoyles has had on people like us fans, or are you still full of high hopes to possibly out-do yourself someday?

Greg responds...

Geez, this is a depressing question.

I try NOT to think this way, period.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Did the FBI boot Matt from the burough, or was it the Illuminati, wanting to limit Matts resources into finding out about them.

Greg responds...

Both.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Had Elisa ever meet Either Xanatos or Owen berfore awakening part 3? If yes, when?

Greg responds...

No.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Acheron writes...

hey there

Has it ever been proposed to you to purchase the rights to Gargoyles from Buena Vista TV? Perhaps start a fund the fans could contribute to in order to raise the money. After all, they sure don't seem to be doing anything with them.

Call it a suggestion I guess, but since it's not story related it's okay, right? ^_^; Just a thought.

Greg responds...

It's been suggested many times. Often right here at ASK GREG. Check out the "Bringing Gargoyles Back" archive.

It's not realistic. First off, Disney doesn't sell off it's animated properties -- EVER!!!

Second, if they did it would cost a fortune.

Third, they ARE developing (slowly) a live action movie. Whether or not that ever sees the light of day, you can see that Disney hasn't completely lost interest in the property.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Jimmy writes...

Sorry about all the questions, I just discovered the world of Garg fandom and am curious to learn about one of the best cartoons of my youth. But last one this month, I promise:
If Disney goes under, what would happen to the Intellectual property rights over "Gargoyles." And are there any other people (cartoonists, producers, Disney execs) that are as enthusiastic about bringing back the Gargs as you?

Greg responds...

There are a lot of pros who would love to bring it back. If Disney 'goes under' (a fairly ridiculous notion) than the property becomes one of their assets. Maybe after the bankruptcy court is done I can get it for a song, eh?

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Jimmy writes...

What do you think the chances are of reviving the gargoyles series?
If you don't manage to revive it did you ever think of pitching to another company using the same characters shamelessly copied but changed to avoid lawsuits?
If you ultimately fail to make it a reality, would you ever consider releasing a series of original novels set in the universe?

Greg responds...

Long term, not bad. Short term, dismal.

No. For starters it wouldn't work, and I'm actually not that dishonest. Sorry.

I'd love to do original novels. Know any interested publishers?

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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John writes...

Hi Greg,
In an awnser, you've written some days ago, yoe've mentioned something, that got my interrest:
>>If anyone's confused about contradictions between TGC and the new stuff, they can check out the internet site that we will have to clarify all this stuff.<<
Well, in my memory, you've never mentioned this site, and I've also found no post or ramble about it. Can you please tell something about it?
OK, that's all. have a nice day.
CU, John

Greg responds...

Did you read the entire post or just the part you quoted?

I was talking about IF the series went back on the air, then we'd have a website to clarify all this stuff.

Or you can just ask questions here.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Thomas E. Reed writes...

Hi there. With the understanding that Disney's animation division (heck, every Disney division) is in turmoil right now, what direction do you see them going in the future? For the last few years, Disney's TV projects have abandoned the direction of "Gargoyles" (serious action-adventure) and gone for "Kids In School" shows such as "Pepper Ann," "Doug" and "Recess." Most of these have been from cartoonists/artists/creators not specifically tied to Disney, like Sue Rose, German/Ansolebehere and the like.

While "Atlantis" may have seemed disappointing to Disney, it looks like the "Kids In School" shows aren't doing well either. ("Family Dog" practically died on the vine...maybe Nathan Lane should have sold 25,000 percent of the show to some old ladies.) If there is anything successful in TV animation, it's split between Cartoon Network's original shows and some of the dubbed anime kid adventures.

So, based on what you've heard (without prejudicing yourself or Disney or violating nondisclosure agreements) what do you percieve Disney's direction in animation to be? What kind of shows do they think will be the "next big thing" in animation? Bearing in mind that there have been big shakeups there, of course.

Greg responds...

I assume by "Family Dog" you really are referring to "Teacher's Pet."

Otherwise, I swear to god, I have no idea. Disney seems determined to stay the course with shows like Filmore and Lloyd in Space.

They've got something interesting coming up for the Disney Channel: Kim Possible. (I haven't seen it, but it was done by some talented friends of mine.)

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Vega writes...

Hey again.

I assume you're a fan of animation in general, considering your career choice. What are some of your favorite animated shows?

Do you find that the North American preconception of animation as being "for kiddies" as a hinderence to making quality shows like Gargoyles?

As a side note, I really have to heap some praise on everyone who worked on Gargoyles. There are some subtleties in the series that would do a top quality anime justice. The subway rescue in Hunter's Moon, as well as Goliath at Elisa's window. To be more specific, Goliath greets Elisa on the train, Goliath overhears Elisa talking to Jason Canmore. Silent, but eloquent beyond words. That kind of subtlety of expression is very rare in North American animation.

Greg responds...

I like animation, of course.

I know I've answered the 'what are your favorites' question before... so I'm not going to attempt a comprehensive list again. But it's hard to top the original Johnny Quest. And I liked the Herculoids a lot. And Batman the Animated Series. Gummi Bears, etc. For a more complete list check the archives.

And yes, of course, it doesn't help that the country almost exclusively views animation as a kids medium. On the other hand, I don't mind writing for kids. I think kids are a lot smarter than most people give them credit for.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Jim R. writes...

Two questions on "Temptation." By the way, I'm sorry about asking too many different questions in the same post as you stated to me sometime ago. Thanks for reenforcing my organization.

1. Why doesn't either Lex or Broadway ask Brooklyn about the bike after he returns from his conversation with Demona? Even the next night, Lex and Broadway awaken to get "breakfast" but still don't ask him?

2. Was it a lucky guess that Brooklyn pulled the right spell from the Grimorum? Because under the circumstances, it seemed as if he didn't have much time. Or does he know partial Latin?

Greg responds...

1. Guess it slipped their minds. (What did you expect me to say?)

2. The page was marked by a bookmark ribbon.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Ok, in "Seeing Isn't Beveiling" Goliath was the mystery gargoyle that everyone thought was him and he said "and Dr. Sevarius is in jail.." When did that happen?

Greg responds...

Huh?

I think this is a Goliath Chronicles question. And I don't answer those. But honestly, I'm not sure.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Kelly L Creighton/Kya White Sapphire writes...

i keep meaning to post this, and am either too busy or too forgetful.

I watched "Revelations" the other night. In it Mace/Mase (sp?) falls down the elevator shaft, and grabs the wires with his bare hands. I can understand why a garg would be able to do this, but many layers of skin should have been shed. then he jumped from the cables to the window, which still had broken glass in it. so he should then have been eviscerated. and in the same scene, goliath stopps his fall with his claws, feet and hands. he falls several meters, and yet his hands never overlap his foot claw marks.

a lot of creative animating in that episode...

Greg responds...

ANd your point is?

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Justin writes...

Greg,

In the episode Shadows of the Past when the captain and hakon brought the stone remnants of Goliath's fallen clansmen back to "life".
1> It seems to me that the clan consisted mainly of males in that scene. In fact, if memory serves me, the only female was Demona. So by the time of the massacre had the females gone off when the clan divided?
2> I saw a lot of the same physical types, such as fatter gargoyles with humanesque faces, and slender gargs with beaks. Why?

P.S. I did notice one garg that stood out from the rest. He was tall, thickly built, and had a long sharp nose. Well I bring this up because I applaud the little bit of diversity in the scene

Greg responds...

1. No. Mostly, it's about having time to design a whole clan. I.e. we didn't. Within the show, one might argue that the Captain and Hakon thought that the appearance of Demona would be heightened in its effect, if they didn't present any other females.

2. See answer 1.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Awakening Questions:

1. Why, in the first apperance of Goliath, his eyes glow green briefly

2. When Goliath found his clan was murdered, he said they should save the humans, but he obviosly wanted revenge the most. Would he still have wanted to save the humans if Demona's plan had worked? b. Would the other Gargoyles?

3. Was turning the Gargoyles to stone the best revenge the Grimorum had to offer? Magus seemed to have been studying it for that sort of thing, and he wanted something a kin to using a sword, so why not lightning or fire or magic spears?

4. Why is it nether Goliath or Demona performed a wind cerimony for their clan? I guess their greif and guilt level must have been quite high, but Goliath seems responsible enough. Or he could of asked Kathern to do something similar.

5. When Elisa spots Hudson and thinks he had moved, did Hudson know that and froze so she would dismiss it? His back was turned so how did he know? And Owen didn't seem to concerned(not that he ever is).

6. I take it Bruno was under orders not to shoot Goliath, so what was he planning to do when his men had him pinned? b. Was he under orders not to shoot Elisa? They seemed to be trying to kill her, but they had terrible aim.

7. Why could Bruno's guys shoot the gas canister once, when it started leaking out, but had to shoot again before they would blow up the shack?

8. Did you know about Renard being head of Cyberbiotics back then? If you did, did you want to show him at one of the bases? That would of been cool.

9. What evidence was there that Xanatos had Stolen from Cyberbiotics? It was pretty fool proof using the Gargoyels to do his dirty work for him, and I doubt the Gargoyles testified in court. Did they?

Thanks very much for taking the time for us Greg. U da man!

Greg responds...

1. Do they? Trick of the light perhaps?

2. I think so. I think she miscalculated all the way across the board.

3. He wanted something permanent that effected all the gargs at once.

4. I think you answered your own question. A wind ceremony for the entire clan is an overwhelming thing. Think about it. As for asking Katharine, he had already made a much more important request.

5. Owen is clearly covering. Hudson is standing still on purpose.

6. He was under orders to let Goliath escape but make it look real. He was free to kill Elisa if necessary.

7. I don't understand the question.

8. I didn't know specifically, no.

9. He had possession of the disks.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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John writes...

Hi Greg,
OK, OK, I know, that you've been asked this question before, but we've never get a real awnser out of you for this one. But I'll try it again: Why does Katana and Brooklyn name their son Nashville? Well, we know, that the name was Brooklyns idea ( why should Katana name her son by a city, she (probably) never visited or even never knew? ) but why to hell Nashville???
Oh, by the way, are Nashville and Tachi twins? I allways thought of them as.
Anyway, hope you'll awnser these two. Damn, this time I'm really a pain. LoL

CU, John

Greg responds...

No they are not twins.

There's a very specific TimeDancer reason. But I'm just not in the mood right now cuz you swore at me.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Audra writes...

Hi Greg!!!
Gargoyles is such a great TV show. It's my favorite TV show. And it shows cartoons are not just for little kids. Anyways, I remember reading about your plans about Brooklyn's mate. I was just wondering, did you, or any or any other creators plan on what she was going to look like? Does she kind of have a "beak" like Brooklyn? It's ok if you don't want to answer, but I just wanted to know. But I am glad that Brooklyn would get a mate. I felt very sorry for him after Maggie rejected him when he was trying to help her and Anglea chose Broadway. I was just wondering if you guys planned what Katana was going to look like. Thanks for reading this. ^_^

Sincerely,
Audra

Greg responds...

Not yet, no. I have a few vague ideas, but that's it.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Demoness writes...

Can the Third Race bleed in their mortal forms, or forms that are not their "normal" form?

Why i ask this is because in "Heritage" when the Gargs are attacking Grandmother in her Thunderbird and Sea Monster form I could have sworn that the claw marks they inflicted on her were red with blood.

I just want to make sure that this theory is correct.

Greg responds...

Yes. When they transform into mortals they take on all aspects of that mortality -- save for the ability to change back.

Keep in mind however, that sometimes they don't transform, they just create a 'glamour' or illusion to fool people.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Are there any fay as powerful as Oberon and Mab? Care to list a few?

Greg responds...

No or No.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who exactly were Coyote's parents?

Greg responds...

Reggie and Midge.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who exactly were Raven's parents?

Greg responds...

Jughead and Moose.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What are the names of the centaur, winged horse and giants that we saw in the Gathering?

Greg responds...

Don't know.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Who was in charge of death before Anubis? He's of the younger generation of fae, isn't he, so he wasn't around from the begining.

Greg responds...

What gave you the idea that he's 'of the younger generation'? And I never said he was 'in charge of death'.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Artemis writes...

Hi Greg! First time poster here. I want to thank you on writing such a great show!! I only started to watch it a little over a year ago. I've only seen about 70% of the episodes, because of it's late airtime and the fact that I have older siblings who what dibs on the tv. What I really want to ask you is how did you come up with this whole series? It's really incredible how it all ties in, considering its complicated plot. My teachers have always told me that I have a gift for story telling, but most of its all been fan fiction. I love to write, but the only reason I do fan fiction is because I can't seem to make up my own characters. So how did you come up with all these complex characters? Did you have to sit down for hours to think of characters, or did they just suddenly come to you one day? Anything you're willing to tell me will be greatly appreciated. I don't care if writers don't really make it on their first story, I know that (I'm only 17, after all). I just want to write share with some people something that I can truly call my own. Thank you! (Next time around, I actually will ask questions regarding the show)
=^..^= <---Meow!

Greg responds...

Well, let's start by acknowledging that I wasn't working in a vaccuum. From day one I had a staff of people working with and for me on the show.

Special credit needs to go to Michael Reaves, Brynne Chandler, Gary Sperling, Cary Bates and Lydia Marano who were all huge participants in the process.

Lots of time was spent talking, batting ideas around. But honestly some things just came so easy and naturally that I still believe that the Gargoyles Universe is out there broadcasting history to me.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Jimmy writes...

Were you planning on having any climactic battle in teh garg universe to cull some extra characters, because if not, all the stuff going into your "master plan" would seem to make the garg universe a little cluttered don't you think?

Greg responds...

It's a big universe. There's plenty of space to spread out. We were only getting started and NO, I ABSOLUTELY HAD NO INTENTION TO "CULL".

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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matt writes...

a couple weeks ago someone asked what gargoyles protected before the other races showed up and you said each other. but since we have the Mayan clan protecting a forest, the Loch Ness clan protecting prehistoric monsters, the London Clan protecting a shop in SOHO, and i'm sure there were other examples, what gargoyles protect has always been extremely varied and never limited to sentient beings.

1. it seems from clan to clan there is a wide range of what to protect. why is that?

2. every species, like the gargoyles, protect their own kind and eggs, etc., but why did gargoyles begin to extend that protection to more than themselves?

Greg responds...

1. Reread your own preamble. Good. Now. Why do you think?

2. Because they care.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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John writes...

Hi Greg,
now, I have something REALLY nice for you:

http://www.imdb.com/Title?0108783#comment

Oh, yes. I've allmost forgotten my question: the Gargoyles in 995 took a new children as a children of the whole clan. Will it be the same in 2198, or will the Gargoyles here raise their kids like we do??

CU, John

Greg responds...

Nice link. Very kind words. Thanks.

Largely, gargs in 2198 return (assuming any ever left) to communal rearing of their children.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Justin writes...

Hi Greg,

1a) I would like to know whose responsibility is it to train the younger warriors in a clan? 1b)Is it the leader? 1c)The second? 1d)Or some other garg entirely?

2) If the answer is the second then did Hudson's mate train while she was alive? Did Goliath take the job once he was chosen? Did Demona take it after him?

Greg responds...

Ultimately, the leader is responsible. But the whole clan is also responsible. It's possible that some clans at some times might appoint an individual to head up training. But again, that doesn't remove responsibility from either the leader or the clan as a whole.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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matt writes...

1. would two gay or lesbian gargoyles still be considered rookery parents to certain generations of hatchlings?

2. if a gargoyle had no mate, would he/she still be able to be a rookery parent to certain generations if he/she wanted too?

3. if a gargoyle is the biological parent to a hatchling in a rookery, can he/she choose not to be a rookery parent and be accepted by the clan for that choice?

Greg responds...

1. Traditionally, and I'm not saying I approve, the only gargoyles who were considered rookery parents were the ones who actually contributed to the breeding. But there are also uncles and aunts, grandparents, cousins etc. who helped with child-rearing.

2. Again, traditionally, they were still not counted as 'parents' but as members of the clan, they would share responsibility for raising the children. How much of that responsibility was assumed by any individual, depended on that individual's desire and abilities.

3. Uh.... This again would be beyond unusual and not well accepted or understood by the clan. Also it would take a sort of conscious statement on the part of the individual. He or she would have to be making a big point of not wanting to participate. Because given that there's a whole clan there raising each new generation, it would be easy enough to just not do all THAT much with the kids, if you weren't inclined.

Good questions, by the way.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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JEB writes...

Hey, random question. Any idea what Coyote version number finally hits on the idea of changing his name to Coyote-X? Just curious.

Thanks!

Greg responds...

I left it open on purpose.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Top of the milk to ya greg.
Greg Bishansky just posted a bunch of info about the New Olimpian spin off, that I had never heard before, and said that you had reveled all of it at Gatherings. So have you, or will you ever post profiles about each of the spin offs on the internet in as much detail as you have with Gargoyles 2198?
tanks.

Greg responds...

Maybe.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

I now have a list of questions to for you about love. ahhh

1. Does Hyena love Jackel?
2. Does Jackel love Hyena?
3. How serius are Hyena's feelings to Cyotie? Is she madley im love with him, or just mildly attracted? Either way, it's kinda gross
4. How does Cyotie feel toward Hyena? He seemed up for they idea of "making sparks fly".
5. Does Fox love Anistasia(before and after the Gathering)?
6. Does Halcyen still carry a torch for Anistasia? And does he now know that she is Titania?
7. Does Titania love fox?
8. Does Puck love Alex?
9. Does Oberon love anyone besides Titania?
10. Does Dracon dream about Elisa and him being together?
11. Was Brooklyn attracted to Demona before "Temptation". He seems to go after the most females.
12. Does Iago feel in love with Desdemona, or is it a strong sexual attraction, or is it just to hurt Othello?
13. Was there a time when Desdemona had feelings toward Iago?
14. Does Vinnie have a special someone (besides himself), or does everyone think he is too wierd?
15. Has Thailog ever felt love, even in the slightest way?
16. Was Malcolm and Elaina's wedding more out of love, or convenience?
17. Do Banquo and Florence have a thing for each other?
18. Does Cagney have a special kitty friend, or just Elisa?
19. Has the Magus been yerning for Kathern all of his life, and never told her how he felt? If yes., thats pretty sad.
20. And, somewhere deep deep down, both Goliath and Demona both yern to again be one, now and forever. Right? I better be. And this would have been shown in latter episodes besides dark ages right?

I'm sure you can see from my questions that I am QUITE the softy. And I love how Gargoyles uses this topic so often. Great job!!!

Greg responds...

Twenty Questions! YAY! :P

1. Sure, to the extent she knows how.

2. Ditto.

3. Something between madly in love and mildly attracted.

4. He's indifferent in the incarnations you've seen.

5. Yes.

6. Yes and Yes.

7. Of course.

8. Sure.

9. Yes. His children and his Children and the island of his birth and all the funny little mortals. He's a benificent one, that Oberon.

10. Probably.

11. I think Brooklyn respected Goliath too much to think that way, to allow himself to think that way.

12. The first two. The third is just a side benefit.

13. No.

14. He is currently available? You interested?

15. He's not admitting to it, unless he's lying.

16. Politics. And a hope of love.

17. They're exes.

18. That avenue has not yet been explored.

19. Not all his life. After all, he's ten years older than she is. But yes, it is sad.

20. I think somewhere deep, deep down Goliath wants to be with Elisa. And somewhere deep deep down, Demona wants to be with someone who is right for her.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Todd Jensen writes...

Since you and Entity recently (as of July 20th) had a brief exchange about Xanatos's characterization, I thought that I'd give a thought of my own about him.

One thing that has occurred to me is that there was an intriguing paradox about Xanatos in his "feud" with the gargoyles. One advantage that Xanatos had over the conventional "cartoon super-villain" was that he was a level-headed, practical man who wasn't interested in revenge or pointless vendettas. And this, on one level, made him potentially a more challenging adversary for the gargoyles. Because as a result, he wasn't likely to get so distracted in carrying out his personal score with the clan that he'd make foolish mistakes which they could take advantage of and thereby win, the way that more conventional "master-villains" in animated series do (and which, elsewhere in "Gargoyles", the Archmage himself fell prey to, when he kept on making strategic and tactical errors in "Avalon" - such as not waiting until dawn to attack or in magically tormenting Goliath when he could just as easily have simply zapped him into a pile of dust). It removed the leading source of "mistakes that antagonists make" which can save the day for the protagonists.

But, ironically enough, this very trait of Xanatos's also may have helped the gargoyles in a way. For, since Xanatos wasn't a revenge-crazed man, he wouldn't be likely to be constantly pursuing the gargoyles obssessively in "conventional cartoon super-villain" style, and indeed, he didn't. He went after them because he had specific plans about what to do with them (using them as his agents for such operations as stealing the disks from Cyberbiotics). But that motive didn't take too long to be discarded, as it became increasingly aware to Xanatos that he couldn't make use of the gargoyles in that way ever again; in fact, I recently noticed, upon examining his actions closer, that in Season Two, despite his continued clashes with the clan, he had stopped attempting to actually capture and dominate them (the one exception being his capture of Hudson in "The Price", and then there was a different reason for that - the need to use Hudson as a guinea pig for the Cauldron of Life). So he no longer had a serious reason for capturing them, and consequently, didn't see the need to make those efforts. The only possible reason left for going after the gargoyles was that of revenge, and that obviously didn't interest him. So he had no reason to pursue them (and indeed, seems to have even been aware, as the ending of "City of Stone" makes clear, that leaving them more or less at liberty could be much more advantageous to him anyway). He could afford to leave them alone.

So I find it an amusing paradox that the very factor which could have made Xanatos a serious threat to the gargoyles actually helped to make him less of a threat than he might have been. He wasn't obssessively pursuing them on the basis of a pointless grudge. He went after them only when he saw a genuine need to, and there was increasingly less reason for him to capture or destroy the whole clan as the series went on (and good reason, on the other hand, to let them be).

Greg responds...

Sound analysis. I've said it before, I think as villains go, David and Demona are too fairly original characters. I'm proud of all my babies, so to speak, but I'm particularly proud of these two and how different they are from each other and yet how they both constantly presented us not merely with 'evil plot of the week' material but with challenging character work. They wrote themselves.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

I am very sorry that Team Atlantis will not continue. It would have been great to have a continuation of gargoyles, if even in a small way. And on top of that, the Canadian Family channle just told me that they are going to stop aring Gargoyles. It a bad day today, I havn't gotten all the episodes on tape yet. Me and some others are sending E-mails, but I don't know what it will do. Anyway, I had a question here somewhere...

1. If Team Atlantis had come out, would the animation and character designs have been the same with the movie? I'm asking cause, Atlantis had some unrealistic porportions compared to the realistic ones in Gargoyles. So if they did a cross over, how would Demona and Fiona have been portraied?

2. Is it possible that Disney might go for team Atlantis again? Or when they scrap something, do they just want to take out the garbage and forget about it?

Greg responds...

1. Greg Guler did the character designs for both Team Atlantis and Gargoyles. His design of Demona was styled to fit Team Atlantis, but looked so much like Demona, most of you wouldn't have even noticed the difference.

2. It seems highly unlikely. We are making a direct to video, and I suppose if that does REALLY, REALLY well....

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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matt writes...

before he caught Angela, had Sevarius found any proof to support his theory of a garg clan living in Loch Ness?
if yes, what did he find?

Greg responds...

No. Her presence generated that theory, as I recall.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Shan writes...

This has both an apology and a question. Apparently you answered my recently posted question previously, to Aaron, some time ago. The problem is that I did not see Thailog's archive (somehow my eye missed it that time) and only one for the Clones. The answer I wanted was in Thailog's archive but not in the Clones archive. Therefore, I thought I was asking a new question.

But I've also figured out what bothers me about Goliath's "he is my son" response. If, as you said in your response to Aaron, Goliath feels responsible and wants to bring Thailog into the fold -- where he told Angela she should see the clan as her parents -- should Goliath have said instead "he is the clan's son" or "he is our son" (though THAT would have been odd, since he's talking to Elisa!).

Is that taking it personal attributable to Goliath's personality then? Would most Gargs have said "Thailog is the clan's son" or "He is of my blood. He is one of the clan"???

Greg responds...

You're taking this stuff out of context, as you yourself indicates. The fact that he didn't semantically state it EXACTLY as you might wish he had, is unimportant. You get the idea.

Really, I think you're splitting hairs.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Shan writes...

I just got done watching "Double Jeapordy," and in it Goliath emphasizes to Elisa that he must stay on the rig and talk to/rescue Thailog because "he is (of?) my blood. He is my son."

However, later on he meets his daughter Angela, but doesn't realize the connection at first. After Sevarius clues her in about her biological parents (Goliath and Demona) and Angela starts pressing the point with Goliath, Goliath responds with something to the effect that children belong to the whole clan. It is not until Elisa's mother and Goliath have the heart to heart about children sometimes needing special attention that Goliath and Angela begin to bond more directly, if I'm not mistaken.

But with Thailog, Goliath wants to reach out and make a bond almost from the outset.

Is it the circumstances of Thailog's creation that make Goliath take more responsibility for Thailog from the get-go versus Angela, or is it (though certaintly not her fault) that the fact Angela is also Demona's child somehow alienates Goliath more at first? Is it something else entirely? I found the difference in attitudes striking.

Greg responds...

In fact, Goliath's initial reaction to Thailog is not to form a bond. It's to call him an abomination. (You blithely skipped over that, Shan.) Part of what follows is a bit of guilt mixed in with him taking responsibility for Thailog as a parent.

As to Angela, you've again missed his initial reaction to her on Avalon. It is clearly one of paternal pride, just as he is proud of Gabriel and all of his children.

Later, he NEVER denies her as his child. He simply is uncomfortable with her focus on him as her biological father. This also mixes in guilt -- survivors guilt this time. And a healthy fear that if she responds this way to him being her biological father, then how will she respond when and if she learns that Demona is her biological mother. If she had simply been calling him father from the get go, he'd have had no problem. But she didn't until she got word from Sevarius about biology. That's what troubled him. She wasn't thinking like a gargoyle. When "Goliath responds with something to the effect that children belong to the whole clan" that's not just a means of putting her off, it's not just something to say. That's how he was raised. That means something to him.

In any case, the Thailog and Angela situations are so widely different, it's really comparing apples and oranges. But I certainly don't see any inconsistencies in Goliath's behaviour.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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KW Keller writes...

Well, I'm not Todd, but in response to the history of Excalibur, Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Caliburn" is thought by some to be derived from the Welsh "Caledfwlch" (Breton "Kaledvoulc'h"), or from the Irish "Caladbolg" or "Caladcholg." Caledfwlch appears in several Welsh Arthurian stories, especially "Culhwch ac Olwen." Caladbolg, "hard dinter," was the lightning sword of Fergus Mac Roth. Caladcholg was a similar sword owned by Fergus Mac Leti. Various people have argued at one time or another that the modern idea of Excalibur was taken from one of these sources.

Greg responds...

Interesting.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Who are Morgana's parents?
How can she beat Merlin? I mean Merlin is the son of Oberon who is one of the most powerful fay. Does that mean she also has a unique parentage like Merlin?

Greg responds...

Who said she 'beat' him and what does that even mean?

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What class of fay is Lady of the Lake? Power class?

Greg responds...

This ain't an R-P game, my friend.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

Does the Lady of the Lake have any biological children? Have you mentioned the name of any of her children on Askgreg?

Greg responds...

YOu are now officially making me sleepy.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Entity writes...

Hi Greg,

Don't let the death of Team Atlantis get you down, true brilliance is never recognized in its own time.

Anyway, I was wondering about your personal opinion on something: pop Arthurian Legend. First there was the "Merlin" miniseries, now there's another one on TNT called "The Mists of Avalon." Both take the traditional story of King Arthur and try to present its elements of magic to contemporary TV audiences in the guise of religion. Instead of accepting magic as a part of the legend, which I guess TV execs think is too "silly" or maybe even "controversial," they turn the Arthur legend into a morality tale about the old verse the new, Paganism verse Christianity, imagination verse logic, etc... take your pick.

What's your take? Do you think this is a constructive and innovative approach to telling the story, or a distracting and childish one?

Greg responds...

Well, I haven't seen Mists and have only seen pieces of Merlin. So I can't judge either series.

I think you tip your hand on your opinion, however.

In and of itself, the approach has some potential. It's about execution. And the ideas aren't mutually exclusive. Look at EXCALIBUR (the movie). It has elements of both approaches, and I think it's wonderful. (Just saw it again recently. It really holds up.)

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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Todd Jensen writes...

One question which I'll confess I've occasionally found myself asking about Arthur's quest for Merlin. Why does Arthur feel that he really needs Merlin by his side again? After all, in the traditional legends, he spent the majority of his reign without Merlin being there (Merlin's departure in the "Arthurian canon" took place almost directly after Arthur married Guinevere and set up the knights of the Round Table), and fared well enough on his own (not to mention that I don't think that Merlin could have seriously prevented the fall of Camelot even if he had been there, seeing that it was brought about through the one thing that his magic could not overcome, the human heart, as Macbeth pointed out in "A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time"). Furthermore, at least some versions of the legend (including T. H. White and Roger Lancelyn Green) indicate that part of the reason why Merlin left Arthur's court (ultimately to wind up in the Crystal Cave) was because Arthur needed to stand on his own rather than constantly leaning on the wizard for help.

So why does Arthur feel that he still needs Merlin's help? (Admittedly, he does seem in a rather vulnerable situation at present, given that he's now in a world that's unfamiliar to him and very different from 6th century Britain - and he hasn't had the advantage that Macbeth had of being able to watch it change gradually and adjust accordingly - it's all been thrown upon him at once, just the way that it was on Goliath and his clan).

Greg responds...

Well, start with this. Merlin's a friend.

Do you really need any other reason?

Some of the other stuff you mentioned is good too.

Response recorded on September 06, 2001

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LIGHTBULB CONTEST

Poor Fang. Never even got to say the punchline...

Here's the set-up:

"Hey, Goliath, how many gargoyles does it take to screw in a lightbulb..."

Time for our next ASK GREG contest. It's simple and subjective. Finish the joke. The punchline that gives me the biggest laugh wins a prize of no real value, but hopefully of some mild interest.

A few rules:

1. Since we're giving out a prize, no anonymous entries will be accepted. I'll ask Todd to delete them before I even see them.

2. All posts must be clearly marked with "LIGHTBULB CONTEST" in capital letters at the head of the post.

3. Don't ask additional questions with your entry. In fact I'd recommend that you don't include anything that might distract me from laughing at your joke.

4. Spelling COUNTS!!!

5. You may enter as many times as you wish. But each entry MUST be posted seperately. Try to be selective and funny. BEWARE!!! If I sense that you're just taking multiple random stabs at it in order to try and win by the shotgun method, it may prejudice me against you.

6. I'm acknowledging up front that this is a completely subjective contest. You (many or even all of you) may not agree with my final choice. But the decisions of the judges (i.e. yours truly) are final.

7. We will accept entries posted before the end of September, 2001. I'll decide on the winner AFTER I've read all the September posts. (So figure on November, HOPEFULLY.)

One last bit of random incentive, if we ever do make BAD GUYS, I will give Fang the opportunity to complete his joke, using (with permission) the winning entry.


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Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

DrFaust> Oh come ON! You don't think Greg is going to say anything about that episode until it actually airs, do you?

Greg responds...

Well, now it won't be airing unfortunately, it won't even get made. But all will be revealed in Virginia Beach next summer. And we'll have some interesting items for sale at the auction.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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DrFaust writes...

So what happened in Paris, 1920 that was so significant to the Atlantis and Gargoyles universes?

Greg responds...

Come to G2002 and find out.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

I might as well jump on the bandwagon here.

1. What did Titania whisper to Fox at the end of "The Gathering"?

I know you're not going to answer this, but in four years of posting here, I have never asked this, and figured I might as well at least once. Personally, I like not knowing the answer, and filling it in for myself.

Greg responds...

Then you're wish is granted. I still won't tell.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

Now that he has made peace with the Manhattan Clan, would Xanatos have continued to make use of the Steel Clan, or his Steel Clan exo-armor?

Greg responds...

Given appropriate circumstances, I don't see why not.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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zakhur writes...

I'm confused about something. If in th Avalon Clan, there are three gargoyle beasts one is Boudicca, and there 2 more, one female and one male, if the male and female beasts are probably mates, shouldn't they have had a child together, seeing as gargoyle beast can mate one generation before gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Who said they didn't?

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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Aris Katsaris writes...

A couple weeks ago, you posted a ramble in an interesting exchange of ideas with Punchinello, about the subject of "sentience" and how it's used in science fiction and fantasy, about whether it's a wall or not, etc, etc...

I thought to chime in, contributing with the concepts that Orson Scott Card introduces in "Speaker for the Dead" (an excellent book btw - I encourage everyone to read it). There he uses different words to differentiate between different kinds of 'alienness'... Let me quote:

"The Nordic language recognizes four orders of foreigness. The first is the otherlander, or 'utlanning', the stranger that we recognize as being a human of our world, but of another city or country. The second is the 'framling' [...]. This is the stranger that we recognize as human, but of another world. The third is the 'raman', the stranger that we recognize as human, but of another species. The fourth is the true alien, the 'varelse', which includes all the animals, for with them no conversation is possible. They live, but we cannot guess what purposes or causes make them act. They might be intelligent, they might be self-aware, but we cannot know it."

Obviously here the most important concepts are that of the 'raman' and of the 'varelse'. These can be useful, over and beyond the concept of 'sentience', because they refer to how much of an understanding can exist between different species - unlike 'non-sentient' for a species to be 'varelse' doesn't necessarily make it "inferior"... Only non-understandable.

On the other hand I find these concepts also intriguing because they *do* carry a moral judgment within them, even if it's a more subtle one. To recognize an alien as "raman" is to recognize him as basically human, to recognize that his fundamental motivations are the same as yours. It's the beginning of understanding and tolerance...

Now in the gargoyles universe, it's clear that both gargoyles and fae (and Nokkar's people also) are all "ramen": Other species which despite all their difference with our own, we can recognize as fundamentally 'human'. I'd also go on to say that this is what people like Jon Castaway refuse to see. By declaring that all gargoyles are monsters he doesn't necessarily refuse them their 'sentience' - he does refuse though to see that they are 'ramen'... and as such he can say things such as 'they are all evil', 'they must be destroyed', etc, etc...

And with that let me conclude with another quote from the book:
"Since we are not yet fully comfortable with the idea that people from the next village are as human as ourselves, it is presumptuous in the extreme to suppose we could ever look at sociable, tool-making creatures who arose from other evolutionary paths and see not beasts but brothers, not rivals but fellow pilgrim journeying to the shrine of intelligence.
Yet that is what I see or yearn to see. The difference between raman and varelse is not in the creature judged, but in the creature judging. When we declare an alien species to be raman, it does not mean that they have passed a threshold of moral maturity. It means that *we* have."

Sorry for the length of this ramble... :-)

Greg responds...

Don't apologize. This subject is fascinating to me. Thank you.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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Andy Morrison writes...

How many stories is the Eyrie Building? (I hope I have the spelling right.)

Was there an episode that mentioned how many stories or is it a figment of my imagination?

If there was an episode, which one is it please?

Thanks for your help.

Greg responds...

You do have the spelling right.

I don't recall us ever establishing the exact amount of stories in the buidling.

Of course we told 66 stories, but they weren't all set there.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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Ambrosia writes...

Hi, Greg!
*Greatly* enjoyed the radio play. Thank you so much!
So...
Did the cut scene of Hunter's Moon III between Elisa and Jason in the decimated clock tower actually happen in the gargoyles universe, just off camera?

Greg responds...

Uh... I'd like to think so, yes.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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zakhur writes...

We know by City of Stone part 4, that MacBeth's son Luach is dead, probably even killed by Canmore himself. My question is even though there were circumstances that made them enemies, they were still very good friends when they were young, didn't that make Canmore at least think about not killing his cousin?

Greg responds...

They were very good friends when they were young? That's news to me. Did you see how they looked at each other after the Weird Sisters issued their prophesy?

And while they were still young, Luach's dad killed Canmore's. That probably didn't endear the cousins either.

I think you are reading too much into the fact that on one hike, they were having a good time until things got serious.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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Demoness writes...

1. Are there any other Oberon's Laws besides the "non-interfernce", "forking over talismens willingly", "Avalon Clan can stay" and "Goliath's Clan's immunity"?

2. If yes to above, what are a couple of those other laws?

3. Were there any placed before Oberon became King?

4. What are a couple of those?

Greg responds...

1. I'm sure there are.

2. No cheese on Saturdays. No littering.

3. No. Mab likes cheese.

4. There was something about smoke alarms in the lavatories at the Palace, but now I'm blanking.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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Demoness writes...

In "Future Tense" at the end of the illusion Elisa yells "No, not now!" and the illusion disappears and she becomes Puck. So my question is:

1. What was Puck referring to when he said that?

b. Was it Oberon's Law because Goliath realized that what he was experiancing was an illusion and the law dictates that Oberon's Children can not interfer in mortal lives and thus so forced the illusion to end?

c. Or was it another law that has to do with mortals willingly handing over talismens to Oberon's Children, kinda saying that if your intentions are discovered the game ends?

Greg responds...

1. That Goliath had figured him out when he was so close.

b. More or less.

c. More or less.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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Demoness writes...

I just watched "Heritage" and I just noticed something. I know you've said before that your colored blind and sorry to bringing up colors again...but I'm curious.

1. How come in "Heritage" Raven and Grandmother glow a blue aura when using their magic while others glow a green aura? Such as Oberon, Titania, the Wierd Sisters, and Puck.

I think Odin glowed white, Anasi-blue, Banshee-white, Anubis-black, and Lady of the Lake-blue.

2. Does this coloration have anything to do with their connections (meaning Anubis=death)?

3. Does it have to do with positions in their culture? Like warriors in the warrior caste, tricksters in the tricksters caste, royalty, servents, etc etc?

Greg responds...

If we were consistent, then sure. But I'm not sure we were.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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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.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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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.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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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.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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Patricia writes...

Hi Greg!

In response to the Tootsie Pop commercial: I've seen it within the past year on TV, so.. it's still making its rounds on TV. And yes, I know the commercial, but.. I'm an early 80s baby (born in the early 80s). And that response fit with the question, very much so.

I'm running out of things to say.. whee.. ahem...

Oh! I found a quote or a poem or something about the "Hobgoblin of Little Minds," but I've forgotten where I put the paper that has it.. hmmm Maybe (hopefully) when I find it, I'll remember to type it up for you.. and see if that's what you're talking about.

Ok, general question that isn't really on Gargoyles or any of your other projects, but you might know.

What's the plural form of series? Is it series or seria? Or none of these? If it's not one of these, then what is it?

Thanks.

P.S. I can't wait for the next Contest to begin ;) Though I respect if you take a break, I just want to see how well I think I can do in them.. hehe... Umm.. yeah. Boy this covered alot of ground...

Greg responds...

The quotation I'm thinking of is by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

As far as I know, it's one series. Many series.

Yeah, I'll start the next contest soon. Heck. Maybe tonight.

Response recorded on September 05, 2001

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GLITCH

okay something very weird just happened. I was answering a question that Matt posted about the 'chameleon gene'. Then suddenly, the question just changed. My answer (which I was in the process of writing) remained , but there was now a new question listed above it.....

Hmmmm.... Okay, I think Gore just re-activated the question answering function while I was typing and we had a little glitch here. Matt's question was lost. I'll try to recreate it a bit...

1. Matt wrote something like, "I know you're not a biologist, but how does this chameleon gene' work."
2. Matt thought gargoyles were the sources of various legends, but does the chameleon gene cause gargoyles to look like legendary characters.
3. He asked whether the gene would start changing the looks of familiar clans over time. Or something like that.
4. He stated that he had his own theories as to heredity, etc. And he challenged me to 'sell' him on my chameleon gene theory.
5. He had at least a fifth part to the question (maybe more) but I didn't even get the chance to read it.

My answers to his original question; not to the paraphrased versions above. (Man, this is a mess.)

1. I have no idea. It was just a random thought.

2. No. Definitely not. You're first thought was correct.

3. Natural Mutations (not the Sevarius kind) are likely to occur. They occur to some degree in all species. I was simply positing (and only positing) that Gargoyles might have a gene that causes mutations to occur more frequently. But mostly, garg appearance is defined by heredity.

4. I don't have to sell you on anything. For starters, I'm not sure I've sold myself on it. Second, I'm under no obligation to compete with your personal beliefs. Third, if it isn't in the 66 -- I'm not guaranteeing it. Even some of that is suspect. Sevarius theorized that gargs absorb solar energy while stone. But that was just a theory. He may have been right. He may have been wrong. He may have been partially right. Or he may have been lying intentionally. See?


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VF writes...

Some comments about the 2001 Gathering

I am a communications director at a university and can truly appreciate the vast amount of work that goes into event planning, so thanks to all the people who worked so hard on the Gathering 2001. I had posted a note in the Station Eight Comment Room a few weeks before the convention, expressing some slight trepidation about my two daughters and myself attending the event because I felt like a bit of an outsider, but we wanted to show our support for the series and encourage its revival. Several people, including you, Greg, responded in the Comment Room and were very welcoming and put my concerns to rest.

Or so it seemed.

Imagine my thoughts when, shortly after the Opening Ceremonies got underway, my now-infamous daughter says, quite out loud for just about everybody to hear: "Mommy, what's a con virgin?!" Yes, that was my 4-year-old, Caitlin. So after blushing a bit and trying to quietly explain the term to her, all I could think of was that maybe I'd have to carefully scout out any future sessions and try to pre-determine their age-appropriate level.

But I didn't have to worry. The weekend was really very nice. I'm not very good at remembering names, so unfortunately I don't know the names of the kind people we encountered. The women in the Art Room, for example, were so accommodating and welcoming when both of my daughters became inspired to draw Elisa (as a human and as a gargoyle) and Goliath pictures and submitted them to be displayed. The girls were so excited that we had to drop in and see them ... often.

The purchase of some Gargoyles coloring books and stamps and a Goliath mug, the art table that totally occupied my daughters' time while I sat in on your Mug-A-Guest session, hearing the writers discuss their work on the show, the voice actor panel, the Radio Play (thanks for the great choice of material), the Video Room - all were very interesting and fun for this con ... uh ... first-timer.

It has been interesting to read other people's diaries of the Gathering since, including one from Aaron. I didn't know it until I read his summary, but he mentioned watching my other daughter, 6-year-old Jessica, who, during the Radio Play, spent more time turned around watching Aaron's friend, Mara, while she sketched. Mara (whose name I didn't know at the time) was kind enough not to mind Jessica staring mesmerized at her work. Jessica really has an affinity for art, and Mara was very encouraging and gave Jessica one of the sketches she had done. It was beautiful.

I also had the pleasure of meeting your wife, briefly. We compared notes a bit, this being her second - I believe she said - Gathering that she had attended. She, too, assured me that although newcomers may feel awkward at first, her estimation is that it's a pretty nice group of people who make up the fandom. I concur.

While my girls and I had perhaps only modestly participated in the Gathering, it was fun and I hope it will do some good to perpetuate what I think is a really great program that deserves to be revived. So thanks for all your work and that of the con staff and the guests for all the time and energy invested. My daughters and I certainly appreciated it.

Greg responds...

VF - Thanks for coming AND for bringing the girls.

Obviously, your daughter Caitlin provided one of the comic high-lights of the first night. I hope that didn't scare you too much.

But I wouldn't have encouraged you to come if I didn't think the con was 99% kid friendly. I think I'm a pretty good dad, and I know my wife is a great mom. And we wouldn't bring our kids (then ages 6 and 4 -- though Erin would be quick to point out that she is 7 now) if we didn't now KNOW that the con staff and fans treat them with respect and understanding.

I'm glad you all had a good time. And I'm VERY glad you took the time to post here and let me know.

Response recorded on September 03, 2001

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Ricky writes...

OK. I just saw my first full episode of Gargoyles. It was pretty good, but I couldn't believe whose voice I heard speaking for one of the characters. I thought I heard Jonathan Frakes, (Commander Riker, from Star Trek:TNG), as the voice of the man, he's name eludes me for the moment, who creates a mechanical gargoyle suit. I remember this creator, didn't he once try to kill the Gargoyles at one point, now he's there friend? It's all a bit confusing. I think I should watch a few more episodes to get the full picture. How in heavens name were 'they' able to get Jonathan Frakes to be the voice of one this character?

Greg responds...

Who's 'they'?

Jonathan audtioned for US and we cast him in the part. We also got Marina Sirtis and nearly a dozen other Trek actors from all of the Star Trek series that had aired at the time.

Response recorded on September 03, 2001

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matt writes...

1. did Molly really love Rory? if so, was it in a romantic way or only friendship? is Banshee sad that her relationship with Rory is over?

2. did Cuchullin have much contact with the Irish Clan or just with the Hound of Ulster?

3. is Bronx the Hound of Ulster reborn or just similar to the Great Beast?

Greg responds...

1. Not that she was aware of.

2. What era are we discussing?

3. That hasn't been established.

Response recorded on September 03, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

You realize of course that giving us vague information on future gargoyle stories and the six spinoffs only hypes gargoyles beyond proportion making it impossible for you to satisfy your audience or at least those who have read about the master plan. I mean some people are expecting your to deliver something rivaling Babylon 5 which is nearly impossible and also TGS and the other fanfics are also setting your vision so if you do something which will make the fanfic universes appear off track like that owen being puck thing then you'll alienate a lot of hardcore fans. Example of this is Star Wars fans who grew up on the sequel novels and comics which is in someway fan fanfiction since they aren't exactly canon are demanding the appearances or cameos of novel or comic characters in the prequel movies or the legitimazation of the non canon novels and comics.

1.Do you understand what I am talking about?
2.Have I changed your mind about revealing more secrets of the gargoyles universe?

Greg responds...

1. I understand exactly what you're talking about and it's a fear of mine. But what's the alternative? Seriously? What?

2. I'm moody. Sometimes I'm in the mood, sometimes I'm not. I've given away too much already to pretend that stopping now will chill the effect you're discussing.

On the other hand, almost EVERYONE knows that I have a policy to not read any FANFICTION including TGS, so I don't think anyone's expecting, say, Jericho (who I've heard of but never read about) to appear in Gargoyles should it come back. I'm not going to legitimize anyone's anything except my own, because I can't. The fans know this. So I'm not particularly worried about alienating them by not including their creations.

On the other hand, disappointing them is a very real possibility.

As for 'rivaling Babylon 5' -- I'm uninterested in competing. All I want is to have a chance to tell my stories. Some of the shock value, the surprise, is gone. But if you liked how I told the first 66 stories, than I think you'll like how I tell the rest. Even if you're more aware of what's coming.

Response recorded on September 03, 2001

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Demoness writes...

"As to Oberon's Children, you've seen one of their ancestors on the series. "- Greg W.

Who is this person you speak of that is a ancestor of Oberon's Children?

Greg responds...

No person. (Didn't I confirm the correct answer to this already?)

I realize that when you asked this question, I may not have answered it yet. But didn't you see that the question had already been asked in the queue ahead of you?

Response recorded on September 03, 2001

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Alex "Cyclonus" Bishansky writes...

I'm not sure if this was asked before or not.

In "Cloud Fathers" the Kachina Dance must have been performed many times before, how come when Peter Maza danced in it, Coyote developed this bond with him?

Greg responds...

It was 'rarely' performed even in Peter's day. But I believe Coyote developed a bond with all who danced the part of Coyote.

Response recorded on September 03, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

1. Why does Hudson where a full set of clothes when most of the other Wyverin Gargoyals seem content with loin cloths and bra cloths (or whatever they are called).

2. Do you know what thoes "bra cloths" the female Gargoyles wear are really called? I'm not sure why this question interests me. Really.

Greg responds...

1. Sloth, I'm guessing that you're either young or in good shape or both.

2. Is this a quiz?

Response recorded on September 03, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

1. Are the New Olimpian Gargoyels under the same Government as all of New Olimpis, or do they have an independant system?

2. Did the N.O. Gargoyels come to New Olimpis for the same reasons as the "halflings"? b. Did they come at the same time?

Greg responds...

1. They are citizens of New Olympus. But they have a 'local' clan government and largely keep to themselves.

2. Largely, yes.

b. New Olympus wasn't colonized at one specific time in history. Though it was founded at a specific time and closed off at a specific time. But there was a LONG span in between these two events.

Response recorded on September 03, 2001

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Todd Jensen writes...

Do you imagine New Camelot being anything like the Savage Land in Marvel Comics (though taking its "echoes of the past" element from the mythical Arthurian Age of Chivalry than from the Mesozoic, obviously)?

Greg responds...

New Camelot? No.

Response recorded on September 03, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

by 1996, what are the ages of:

1)Beth Maza
2)Derik Maza
3)Nokar
4)Maria Chavez
5)Tony Dracon
6)Elisa Maza

Greg responds...

I do not have my timeline with me here at home. I'm afraid you'll have to ask me again. But I will tell you now that I don't know or at least haven't decided on Nokkar's age. So you can leave him out.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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The Anonymous One writes...

Greg, you said that you felt old because you can remember the "The World May Never Know" Tootsie Pop commercials, but if it helps, I'm 17 and I remember them too. Also, you said you felt old because you were one of the only people who understood your description to Brooklyn/Katana's relationship as Sam/Diane-esque, but I also know what you mean by that, so don't feel old. Cheers was a good show.

Anyway, my question is: Why does it seem like people are always misspelling Brooklyn lately? I mean, I can understand if a person can't spell Titania or Shakespeare or even Oberon, but Brooklyn just seems like a really easy one to me (too easy, anyway, for people to misspell it so often). It's not as though the character/borough was named 'Killishimanabebleck' or some other complicated thing.

Greg responds...

The theme tonight is spelling.

I have no idea, o Anonymous one.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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matt writes...

in 1996, is Lex and his clone the only gargoyles in the world with their particular wing structure?

if not, what other clans have members with wings like that? Avalon?

Greg responds...

No.

Again, I'm not going to answer this so as not to some day limit the artists I work with.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Saber writes...

Are humans and gargoyles genetically compatable as far as having children?

Greg responds...

Not without help from science or sorcery.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

1. Is Atrus, or any of the children from any of the Trio alive in 2198? If yes, then be specific as to which ones.

2. And how old would those survivors be at that point?

Greg responds...

1. Is that a command?

2. It depends which generation of eggs they were born with.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Demoness writes...

Today I watched the "Avalon" episodes and somehow it got me thinking about what we saw in "Long Way Till Morning" and "Shadows of the Past". *cracks knuckles* Okay here goes...

In "Long Way Till Morning" during one of the flashback scenes; Demona, Goliath, and Hudson enter the Archmage's cave and pass this wall with a bunch of carvings on it. From what I could tell, these carvings looked ancient and I began to wonder the following questions:

1: Did the Archmage somehow create these?

2: If no, who did then?

Now, there is this one carving we get a close up of that shows what looks like the Archmage standing over some gargoyles. So heres my next question:

3: What was the significance of that carving?

Now in "Shadows of the Past" we see this huge structure underneath the Archmage's cave. It looks like it has runes etched into it or some strange ancient writing. We know that it has a magical property because Hakon tells us when he is explaining how their ghostly forms could exist. At first I thought of the Archmage some how building it, but then again that leaves me with a bunch of questions. Anyway here is a question pertaining to that:

4: If not the Archmage, which is obvious by now, then who built that structure?

Also, I read the Lost Race archive and you stated that there were some artificats of the Lost Race left behind. So....

5: Is question (1) a Lost Race artifact?

6: Is question (4) a Lost Race artifact?

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. I'm not telling right now.

3. That's subject to interpretation.

4. See answer to question 2.

5. I'm neither confirming or denying this.

6. Ditto.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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matt writes...

does the Phoinex Gate have limits on how far in time and space it can take you? i'm pretty sure you've said its limited to Earth, but how far back and forward can it go? can it take me to the time of the Dinosaurs or before that or to the time when the Earth is swallowed by our aging and expanding Sun? what are its limits if any?

Greg responds...

There are no time limits.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

Greg responds...

The world may never know.

(That smart-ass response was a reference to an old tootsie-pop commercial. Anyone old enough to remember it has my sympathy.)

If it makes you feel any better, I'm going to be 20 in August, and I remember it.

Greg responds...

That's nice.

Although, I just saw that commercial (from the dark ages) redone with monsters in CGI. It was freaky and weird and vaguely distasteful.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

When Puck was offering Xanatos 1 wish or life service, wouln't that be breaking Oberon's law if David chose the wish?

Greg responds...

No. Just bending it.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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matt writes...

geeez, you should make a new archive catagory called "Tootsie Roll Stuff" cuz of all these people talking about it. and for the record, i'm 19 and i remember it quite clearly despite my terrible meory, in fact, my brother and i recited the whole commercial te other day, including the best part when the Owl says two. he says, "twhoooo" its funny.

twhooo bad you had to answer "The World May Never Know" to my question, cuz first of all, i'm sure the clans with garg beast DO know, and second i don't understand why you won't tell us how many eggs a garg beast lays? i mean, is there some reason not to tell us? why are you holding this back? how many eggs does a female garg beast usually lay in a lifetime????!!!! geeeez, you frustrate me! thje archives wouldn't be so big if we didn't have to keep repeating questions cuz you avoid answering them!

i'm just kidding Greg. you don't have to reveal this, and honestly, if i were you i probably wouldn't have even revealed as much as you have about all the Gargoyles stuff. but i suppose it keeps interest and the fans pysched about the series. i'll say that since i stumbled upon this site my fanaticism in Gargoyles has gone up considerly. so good for you for revealing just the right amount of secrets, but not everything!

still wish you'd tell me though...

Greg responds...

The other theme of tonight's questions besides spelling is

ATTITUDE!!!!

I know you were kidding. But ADMIT IT, you're only HALF-KIDDING, right?

Or three-quarters maybe.

What was the question?

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Kelly L Creighton/Kya White Sapphire writes...

"The world may never know.
(That smart-ass response was a reference to an old tootsie-pop commercial. Anyone old enough to remember it has my sympathy.) "

Its not that old. Im 21 and I get it.

Greg responds...

Well, then that commercial must have been running forever. Because I remember it from when I was VERY young. Like before you were born young.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Josh Wurzel writes...

Hi Greg

First, let me congradulate you on your great speeches at Gathering opening and closing ceremonies. I don't think I've had more fun in my life than I did at Gathering, and it was in part due to you (well, not counting the whole "Greg created Gargoyles in the first place thing" - I don't want to give you ALL the credit for having a good time in my own hometown). I didn't sit in on many of your panels, but the few that I did sit in on showed me that you are funny, intelligent, and not very arrogant, considering you get worshipped as a god for three or four days a year (which would make my head inflate like Oberon in "The Gathering")

Second, I was one of the people that attended the MiSTing of "The Gathering I & II". I'm sure you remember, we were making lewd jokes and comments at the screen. Greg Bishansky said you were watching us from the back row. I was the one making bizzare gestures with shadows, particularly the picking of Oberon's nose.

This brings me to my question 1): Do Oberon's boogers have any magical powers? If so, what are they?
2): In 2198, are any of Oberon's boogers still around?

I am expecting a sarcastic remark on this one.

Greg responds...

I'm trying to think of anything I can say that will disappoint you. But it all comes out with at least a vaguely sarcastic tone.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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anonymous cowherd writes...

Off-topic for Gargoyles, but have you seen Keith David's latest performance in 2000's "Requiem For A Dream"? His role is small but instrumental, and overall it's a powerful movie (although certainly not for children).

On that note, do you find, in general, that voice talent has a harder or easier time transitioning into live acting (or vice versa)? Clearly, the environments are different, and I wonder if live acting is more difficult for people used to studio recording.

Greg responds...

I haven't seen Requiem for A Dream. Just don't get out to many movies these days. But I have no doubt that Keith was great. Cuz Keith is ALWAYS great.

I think these days, live action actors are transitioning to animation with relative ease. And many actors go back and forth all the time.

But there are some animation specialists who don't do both, largely because they aren't interested in live action. Doing cartoons was the goal.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

What is more powerful Oberon or a Space-Spawn planebuster?

Greg responds...

What is a planebuster?

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Tynne writes...

Does Bigfoot/The Sasquatch (or to be more specific, beings who inspired legends of Sasquatch) exist in the world of "Gargoyles"?

Greg responds...

Yes.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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matt writes...

in "Sentinel" when Elisa has lost her memory and Goliath is trying to explain things to her, he says that they have been friends for over a year. i would've thought that at that time it was around two years, am i wrong? have you gotten this far in your chronology? how far are you in the chronology?

oh, and what is the earliest date in your chronology of the Garg Universe?

Greg responds...

They met in the fall of '94. Sentinel took place in the spring of '96. Over a year, right?

And I don't have the timeline with me here at home...

It's forever a work in progress, but it's 'done' for now.

I forget the earliest date. But the last date at the moment is 2198. I know a few things that happen after 2198, but I haven't set a date for them yet.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Demoness writes...

~Avalon's Magic"

We see in the episode "Avalon Pt3" the Magus uses Avalon's magic to transform the Iron Knights into iron chains. We also know that the Fae can tap into Avalon's magic too and we also know that Avalon's magic can effect iron. So this is my question.

1. Can the Fae use Avalon's magic to effect iron too like the Magus can?

2. If the answer is no. Why can't they?

Greg responds...

1. No.

2. The Magus was a mortal conduit for the magic. It's one of the reasons that what he did killed him. He was adapting the island's magic to something it was not supposed to do.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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matt writes...

i just watched "Awakening 1 and 2" and wow, i love these eps, particularly "Awakening 1" its beautiful!
anyway, i was wondering some things about the sleep spell:

1. would the sleep spell work on a human? could a human be put to sleep for a thousand years?

2. what is the spell's peculiar attachment with the castle? the spell says "until the castle rises above the clouds", but what if the Magus tried this spell on some rogue gargoyles? would they still sleep til Castle Wyvern rose above the clouds? what if the gargs live in another sort of structure, like the Mayan Pyramid? would the spell still work? i just don't quite understand the spells need for a link to the castle. could Magus have changed the spell to say "sleep until the sky burns or whatever"?

3. was the sleep spell in the Grimorum when Magus first acquiered it? was that spell in the Grimorum there when the Archmage first acquiered it?

i guess the Grimorum being transported through time by the Phoinex gate over 900 years really helped it to be presearved, eh?

Greg responds...

1. The spell would work on humans. But we age while we sleep. So we'd die long before the castle rose above the clouds.

2. Open ended spells require more power, more energy. Setting a limit (no matter how unreasonable the limit may seem) makes casting the spell easier. Certain spells were written or adapted to certain limits. The Magus may also have adapted the spell to his needs. But basically, it was the equivalent of "til Kingdom come".

3. I imagine so.

Didn't hurt.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Anonymous writes...

1 How was demona's virus destroyed? Who destroyed it?

and what Happened to:
2 the medishi tablet
3 the praying gargoyle fragments

Greg responds...

1. Don't know and don't much care. After the Hunter's Moon, the virus was largely harmless. Destroying it wasn't difficult. It could be poured down the drain.

2. Not saying.

3. Definitely not saying. ;)

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Did Fang act the way he does now before he was transformed, or was it sorta saposta be that he was corrupted by his new powers? The Mutation seemed to affect Derik a bit, or at least have a sort of eye of oden affect on him.

Greg responds...

Fang has an interesting history. Let's just say that who he is now is an extension of who he was. Of course, the metamorphosis effected him. But not to the exclusion of what had come before.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Sapphire writes...

Dear Greg

Earlier you said that some of the fay have converted to human religions. Can you tell me the religion of the following fay

Oberon

Titiana

Puck

Coyote

Anansi

Banshee

Odin

Lady of the Lake

Nought

Pegasus

Grandmother

Raven

Anubis

Greg responds...

I don't think that's exactly what I said.

And I can't believe you haven't gotten the fact that I don't respond well to laundry lists.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

Heya Greg
I'm just 17, and I got the tootsie rool thing right away.

Anyway, I read some more unsatisfactory responces so I'll just restate some of them.

1)For the ill met by moonlight questons you didn't answer one cause I called Angela "Angie", But why should that keep you from answering? Anyway the question again is:

2)When Goliath, Gabreil and ANGELA fall into the water being filled with lava, why isn't it too hot to survive? If you don't know, just say so.

3)And I didn't understand your answer about Oberon giving Goliath immunity to his magic. Didn't he take that away in the Gathering, or does he just temporarily set it aside when it suits him? b) Is Goliath and clan immune to his arts by the end of the Gathering?

thank you.
P.S.and, you right. I have a very dirty mind, so I'll just imagine Brooklen says what I want him to.

Greg responds...

1. Sloth. Let's start by saying I don't actually owe you an answer to anything. If I'm not in the mood, I may just try to be funny. I may fail. But I could use a bit less 'tude, dude.

2. Like here, for example.

3. He never took the immunity away, he just interpreted the edict. He never uses his magic DIRECTLY against Goliath or the clan.

b. Depends on who's doing the defining. Since it's Oberon, he was, is and will always be immune.

P.S. I've forgotten what this refers too, but maybe that's just as well.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Vashkoda writes...

Referring to that Tootsie Roll quote, did you mean "my sympathies" to those who know of it because it would mean that we're old, or were you apologizing to us for using that quote as your answer? Anyways, like Sapphire said, it's not *that* old--in fact, it played when Gargoyles was still part of The Disney Afternoon (I know because it's on one of my tapes, though it's a version with a robot and a dinosaur monster instead of "Mr Owl" and "Mr Turtle").

I know I had a question to insert in here somewhere.... Ah yes:

You also just said, "Tachi will also get some individual rearing, because B&K will be the only parents in range." Maybe I misheard you, but I thought that at the Gathering you said that from your timeline calculations, it turns out that Tachi will still be an egg when Brooklyn returns from his timedancing. So did I misunderstand, or did you do some re-calculating?

Greg responds...

Tachi will be born after they return. But she'll be the only egg to hatch in 1998 and thus the only set of rookery parents will be Brooklyn and Katana. She'll have a lot of rookery aunts and uncles though.

But basically, I was splitting hairs a bit.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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matt writes...

you've said that Samson was raised in a communal rookery with many eggs in the rookery, so how does he know that he is descended from Demona? did Demona tell him or does he just know cuz he resembles Goliath THAT much and that means he is almost definetly descended from him and Demona?

Greg responds...

Who said that HE knew he was descended from Demona?

Did I? Are you sure?

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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kmd writes...

Hi Greg,

First I must say I adore Gargoyles.

I hope these questions don't offend you.

1. Do gargoyles have sex like humans do?

2. If so, do they experience pleasure?

3. Could a human and a gargoyle have sex? (i.e., Goliath and Elisa)

Greg responds...

1. Largely but not exclusively.

2. Yeah, duh.

3. They can certainly give pleasure to each other. But I'm not going into detail in this forum.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001

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Lord Sloth writes...

hi again. When I wrote:

How does Cyotie 1.0 have enough rocket fuel in his head to take him back to Xanatos? It seems like quite a feat, isn't his brain supost ta be in there somewhere to? It still looks very cool though.

and Greg responded...

I think you've answered your own question.

Does that just meen that the take off was all for looks, and it wasn't meant to be scientifficly(yes, i know my spelling sucks) plasible?

Greg responds...

If you know that your spelling sucks then why not do something about it. Get a dictionary and keep it by your computer. Sloth, I don't mean to be mean, but I'm an ex-teacher. And you're never going to improve if you insist on letting it slide. I'm not saying I never have a typo or other errors, but the percentage in your posts is kinda horrifying.

And relying on computerized spell-checks is dangerous. I once assigned an essay to my students asking them "What They Hoped to Get Out of their College Educations?"

I received multiple papers back that went on and on about what they hoped to get out of their COLLAGE educations. Collage being a real word that their spell-checkers recognized they never noticed that they had spelled it wrong.

USE A DICTIONARY, MAN!!

For starters, when words are spelled correctly, there are fewer distractions and fewer excuses for a guy like me to dodge the actual question you were trying to ask.

Response recorded on September 01, 2001