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Anthony Tini writes...
Greg,
What did you think of the latest season of Dexter ? Did you enjoy it? [Spoiler]Unfortunately, I read an online review after the first episode aired where the reviewer suggested that the Dr. Geller wasn't alive so that ruined the big reveal later in the season.[/Spoiler] I wish I was able to watch the show not knowing what I had read. I might have enjoyed the season more if I had figured it out on my own.
I was happy that they were tackling Dexter's issue with religion and I thought that the character of Brother Sam was a good method to do it since the show kept me guessing whether he was a good or bad. I didn't enjoy the whole Doomsday killer due to being spoiled, but I did like that his name was Travis Marshall. (I like Gargoyle's Travis Marshall better.)
I read that a lot of people were bothered by the way that Debra/Dexter were handled this season. I didn't mind it, but I don't think it was needed. Will her "increased" feelings really be a factor proceeding the events of the finale? I look forward to finding out.
Good luck with rest of Season 1 and Season 2 of Young Justice. I'll be watching. Take care.
- Tony
Greg responds...
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
I did kinda feel like the Debra thing came out of left field for me a bit. But I think they played it fairly well, and Erin and I mostly really enjoyed the Season.
EXALT writes...
1)Why is Dinah Lance/Black Canary your favourite DC character?
2)Who is your favourite Marvel character and why?
3)Do you happen to know Brandon Vietti's favourite DC character?
Greg responds...
1. To some extent, I'm not sure I have an answer to this. She just... is. But I think it's a combo of factors. Part of it, I'm sure, goes back to the adolescent boy in me that just thought she was hot. (I'm not necessarily proud of this, but I'm not ashamed of it either.) She's a strong, beautiful woman, who holds her own in the company of folks like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, etc. - even without any super-powers. (And you need to keep in mind, I'm old enough to remember a Black Canary who didn't even have a Canary Cry.) She's developed over time into a leader. I also REALLY like her relationship with Green Arrow (though I haven't always liked the way some writers and editors have portrayed it.) I love the martial arts skills, and I love (and even miss a little) her original undercover m.o., i.e. the way she operated as a criminal underworld figure, secretly working on the side of the angels. I mean, the lady kicks ass! What's not to like? Then add in the fact that one of my very first assignments at DC in the eighties was to write a Black Canary mini-series (that never got published). So I feel a personal connection to the character also.
Now, having said all that, there are a TON of DC Heroes that I really love. Black Canary is the first among equals, really.
2. See the last sentence of my previous answer. I don't feel like there's a single character that stands out in the same way for me over at Marvel, though there are many, many, many that I love. Of course, working on Spectacular Spider-Man gave me an insight into Peter Parker that almost qualifies. (Same with Flash Thompson, actually.)
3. Nope, but you can ask him on his website: http://brandonvietti.blogspot.com/
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
I was wondering your opinion on the New 52. Not the execution, I have a hunch you don't have the time to read much of any of it, but the idea of it.
Although I have found a few books I really like, in general I object to heaving aside continuity and trying to rejam the history back into a too short time frame while wiping out character development. The idea of accessibility is a red herring because if they were capable of sticking to self contain arc inviting to new readers they wouldn't need a reboot to do so. Then again, I came into comics after Crisis on Infinite Earths and am conditioned into thinking it was necessary.
Greg responds...
As you noted, I have NOT had the time to read the New 52, so I will not comment on that specifically. Whether or not it works creatively depends more than anything else on execution. Since I haven't seen the execution, I can't respond to how it works creatively. But I KNOW that commercially it's been a HUGE hit. I like to believe that it wouldn't have done quite so well, if it wasn't executed well too.
But generally, on the idea of reboots, I do have a handful of thoughts:
1. I don't want to be a hypocrite. When we started Spectacular Spider-Man and again on Young Justice, we were effectively doing a continuity reboot. I feel when adapting something to a new media, that's essential, but it doesn't change the fact that (a) we did it and (b) I was relieved to be able to do it. Relieved to be able to jettison elements that I felt didn't work or were redundant or confusing, etc. Our goal, particularly on Spider-Man, was to come up with something Classic, Cohesive, Coherent, Contemporary and Iconic. So how can I object if the comics themselves want to do this?
2. In the end, whether or not either SpecSpidey or YJ was/is successful depends on our execution of our ideas, additions and cullings. I like to think both shows are successful, but that's a judgement each individual viewer would have to make for him or herself.
3. I was working on staff at DC Comics during the publication of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. In fact, during my very first editorial meeting, I raised the question as to why we weren't starting ALL our books over (with the numerical exceptions of Detective and Action Comics) with issue #1. I remember very clearly a collective groan rising up from the conference room table. (They had dealt with this question for months before my arrival.) On the one hand, they wanted Crisis to be a real sea-change, a true reboot (before we knew that term). On the other hand, if you truly reboot Batman, then Robin doesn't exist yet. No Robin, no other sidekicks either. So no Teen Titans. And at the time, the New Teen Titans was the company's best selling book.
4. So the end result was that some things got rebooted and some did not.
5. This was complicated by the fact that certain creators came late to the party, and certain characters got reboots too long AFTER Crisis.
6. And so, as a READER, I couldn't help feeling that - rather than simplifying the continuity - Crisis made it more complicated. This will happen in general, naturally, as time passes and more and more comics are produced by a variety of creators and editors, but Crisis seemed to exacerbate the problem for me personally.
7. In part this was because, I really liked the DC Multiverse. I agree that it was abused to the point of confusion. (And I think it was nuts that Earth TWO had the forties heroes and Earth ONE had the sixties heroes. Just the odd backwards numbering itself created additional unnecessary confusion.) But if limits had been placed on the number of parallel earth stories and crossovers, I think it could have been fine.
8. ESPECIALLY, if they had created a new Earth-THREE, starting over with heroes of the eighties, with Superman and Batman (being new to the hero thing but) remaining relatively constant. But with a new Green Lantern (for example) as different from Hal Jordan as Jordan was from Alan Scott.
9. But that didn't happen. And in fact, though I've read very few comics since 1996, my understanding is that reboots have hit over and over at both DC and Marvel. That negates reader trust in the worth and weight of the stories they're reading. It's more insidious than obvious. And you risk alienating old readers, even as you may or may not attract new ones. You'll always get a short term gain off of a reboot, because everyone wants to check it out. But long term...
10. And going back to my first point - which is that most everything depends on execution - I personally didn't love the execution of some of the post-Crisis rebooting. Some people may have loved it. And that's totally legit. But some of the rethinking on certain individual characters didn't work too well for me.
11. Though personally I think the Bates-Weisman-Broderick reboot on Captain Atom from his Charlton incarnation was brilliant. ;)
12. So, personally, my feeling on reboots in general is that you either do them or you don't. You've got to be thorough and ruthless about it, or don't bother, because otherwise - long term - you're creating more problems than you're solving.
13. And still and all, ultimately, it all depends on execution.
bob writes...
why did clu kill his own men on tron betrayal.
Greg responds...
I have no expertise on Tron. And I'm betting you knew that.
Artemis writes...
Is the Teen Titans show coming back, or is that just a rumor?
Greg responds...
No idea.
Is that even really a rumor - or are YOU trying to start a rumor here?
Todd Jensen writes...
Recently, somebody asked you if you were familiar with C. S. Lewis' work, and you said "No", apart from seeing a couple of adaptations of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". I thought that you might like to know that Lewis and Roger Lancelyn Green were friends, and that it's thanks to Green that "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was finished and published.
When Lewis was writing "Lion", he read some of it to J. R. R. Tolkien; Tolkien had done the same to him with "The Lord of the Rings" when he was writing it, and Lewis wanted to return the favor. Tolkien thought that "Lion" was dreadful, however, and made that clear. Lewis was so saddened by Tolkien's critique that he considered abandoning the story, but first read it to Roger Lancelyn Green. Green told him, "No, this is a great story, you mustn't drop it," and his words encouraged Lewis to complete the story and get it published.
Green also included a tribute to Lewis in his King Arthur book. One of Lewis's fantasy novels for adults, "That Hideous Strength" had Merlin awakening in the modern world to help the main characters defeat an Illuminati-type organization; Lewis had Merlin sleeping beneath a forest called Bragdon Wood. In Green's "King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table", one of the places where Merlin is said to be sleeping is "beneath the Wood of Bragdon". Since you especially liked Green's book on King Arthur (and even drew on it for Blanchefleur, and Percival's parentage), I thought you might enjoy hearing about that (and I hope the Wood of Bragdon wasn't on your list of places for King Arthur and Griff to visit during their search for Merlin, since it was Lewis' invention!).
Greg responds...
I did not know about the Green/Lewis connection. I did know about Tolkien/Lewis, but this is great additional info. Thanks.
Onesweetsuprise writes...
I heard somebody asked Dwayne McDuffie this question about Ben 10, so I'll ask you 'cause I'm curious.
If you could have Young Justice crossover with any other TV series, what would it be?
Note: By any TV series, I really mean ANY. X)
Greg responds...
My mind just doesn't work that way, really. But I guess... hmmm.... we've already kinda crossed over with Super-Friends, so...
I'll say Scooby-Doo.
After all, we've got meddling kids and a big dog and a neat vehicle to go around and solve mysteries. It's a perfect fit.
I mean wouldn't you just love to see Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby as reimagined by Phil Bourassa?
(Actually, I'm cheating. This is totally Brandon's idea.)
Phoenician writes...
So the story behind this ramble actually goes back two years, starting when I first read your Ramble on EQUIVOCATION:
http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=817
Regrettably I would not have the chance to attend the Oregon Shakespeare Festival that year, dedicating my travel expenses to the last Gathering in Los Angeles. Before I go any further, can I say that I am quite jealous that you and your family go every year to Ashland? Because I am d:
Anyways, it didn't hit me until about month or so later that I could simply buy a copy of the script just as you had mentioned doing. A thorough look at (and a telephone call to) the OSF's Tudor Guild Gift Shop revealed they had quickly sold out of their entire supply, and that odds were, it'd be a while till they got more, if ever. Of course, by the time I DID check back with them, the OSF was done foe the season and Equivocation was not being performed again in the near future.
Fast forward to summer 2011, where I stumbled upon a copy of the play script at my old college in Los Angeles. I don't know how the conversation started, but the person I was talking to mentioned that the school was trying to get permission to perform the play that school year!
But before I allowed myself to get excited, I remembered I was only in town for the week to visit some friends I hadn't seen in over a year since I graduated in May 2010. My friend sympathized that my horrible, horrible timing wouldn't have me in Los Angeles if and when they did perform the play (and especially after hearing me recite your ramble from 2009 with alarming precision) he was generous enough to let me take a script with me back home!
I tried to be patient, reminding myself that I had waited two years to find a copy and that the AskGreg queue was closed during the Young Justice hiatus, but that VERY short flight back to Phoenix was suddenly felt like an eternity. Of course, its just my luck that even though I read it back in early August, I only JUST now remembered to write this rambling as yesterday (November 5th, 2011) was Guy Fawkes Night.
So did I enjoy the play, even when I only read it as a script?
In a word: YES. :D
But one thing is for sure: I really, really want to catch an actual performance now. I won't go into too much detail here (since you've seen the play and I don't want to spoil others that might read this before catching/reading the play themselves), but I will say this play reminds me quite a bit like Shakespeare in Love (a film I also remember you writing about more than once), though its obvious that (even if Stoppard and Cain were working with the same muse) this is a noticeably older Shag than the Will we saw in the 1998 film. For one, Shag's working for the King James VI/I and not Queen Elizabeth. For another, the only person caring for him these days is the very mature Judith. Finally, he's now an established name (he'll still be remembered in, oh, fifty year's time!), though the romances and comedies seemed to have been eclipsed with his slew of historical plays, earning him the reputation of killing "more Kings than any man alive."
The various references to Shag's other plays were fun, especially Hamlet and Macbeth. Speaking of the Scottish Play, remembering what you said about how Macbeth (in the Gargoyles Universe) was a drinking buddy of Shakespeare's, I vaguely wonder how the events in Equivocation looked from his perspective. ;)
I'll also say that after briefly mentioning "Doc Shakespeare" in your Equivocation ramble, I made sure to pay close attention to Judith's interactions with Shag, if only to one day have them as a reference point in understanding the characters . . . much like I hear Roger Lancelyn Green's works are a good place to see your early inspirations for King Arthur.
I must also admit to re-reading your thoughts from 1999/2000 about how Shakespeare in Love opened a door to understanding Will as a man . . . and having missed out on the 2005 Gathering in Las Vegas, I can only imagine how you treated Will (and Judith) in Doc Shakespeare. I guess I'm just hopeful to one day see you a work of yours introduce William Shakespeare the man, be it in the Gargoyles Universe or some other original work (and references in shows like The Spectacular Spider-Man will always be fun too).
I'll end this by saying THANK YOU so much for recommending Equivocation. I look forward to watching a performance one day (may the stars align soon) and its only a matter of time before I find my way to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Greg responds...
Well, I've seen Equivocation twice now. That first time in Ashland, and again here in Los Angeles (Westwood, specifically) at the Geffen Theatre, starring Joe Spano (from Hill Street Blues) as Shag. He was also fantastic in the part. I just love this play.
His take on Judith is different from mine, as is his take on Susannah (who doesn't appear but is mentioned). But I've got no complaints.
I do tend to shy away from portraying Will Shakespeare himself in my stuff. It makes me nervous. Even in Doc Shakespeare, Will is an off-screen presence. Talked about - but never appearing.
We do try to go to Ashland every year, and I've never been disappointed. Ashland was also the first place I ever saw Stoppard's ARCADIA, which may be one of the most brilliant plays I've ever seen.
hallofjustice writes...
Greg, do you have any favourite DC couples? I'll tell you my favourites. My favourites are Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon as well as Traci Thirteen and Jaime Reyes.
Greg responds...
Dinah and Oliver is the big one for me. Then probably Bruce and Selena.
Others I've enjoyed (depending how they were written) include John and Kathy, Arthur and Mera, Barry and Iris, Cameron and Bette, Clark and Lois.
This is all historical. NONE of the above should be meant to imply anything about our plans for YOUNG JUSTICE. And for that reason I've intentionally NOT included any couples I've liked involving teen heroes.
Gareth writes...
Love the work you're doing on Young Justice so far. Really enjoying the detail the animators are putting into the animation (i.e persistent mud on heroes) and your usage of macguffin plot items to damn good effect (Helmet of Fate in Revelations). Seriously, kudos to you for having the heroes actually use the gamebreaking artefact they have stored away in their trophy room. Heaven knows there're enough shows in circulation now which wouldn't dare do the same.
Question;
Was the recent reference by Red Volcano to "Meatbags" a HK-47 Star Wars reference or simply a general anti-human robot thing?
Greg responds...
I don't know what HK-47 is, so I'm guesing no.
I've seen and enjoyed Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back many times. I probably saw Return of the Jedi twice, maybe three times. I've seen Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones once each. I never did get around to seeing Revenge of the Sith.
a random nobody writes...
Hey greg a couple months ago you answered a question asking about avatar the last air bender and I think you said you were near the end of book 1. So I was just wondering have you had the time to finish watching the series? And if you have finished what did you think of it?
Greg responds...
ASKED AND ANSWERED.
Masterdramon writes...
Hiya, Greg! Glad to see Station 8's question-asking feature back from hiatus, despite the absolute flood of "ZOMGSPOILYOUNGJUSTICEPLEEZ" comments that've come in over the past three days; speaking of which, I finally saw "Targets" in television-level quality and loved every single minute of it all over again, and simply cannot wait for "Terrors." The villains in YJ are, in my humble opinion, the single greatest aspect of this wonderful show, so I was quite ecstatic to read the summary for that one.
Anyway, I'll apologize in advance if this question grows ridiculously fanboyish, but I'd really like to follow-up on a little blurb you typed way back in March. To whit:
"I don't know about Brandon, but I've begun watching Avatar with my son Benny. We're near the beginning of Season Two. I like it. I don't know how much of an influence there's been, since we started YJ before I started watching Avatar."
Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I was pretty much reduced to happy giggles the moment I read that. Personally, I consider "Gargoyles" and "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (alongside several shows in the DC Animated Universe) to, together, represent the absolute pinnacle of Western television animation, and the notion of the creator of one watching the other excites me in a way I can't really describe. As such, if you'll permit me, I'd like to ask a few more questions about your experience watching this fantastic show:
1. Have you completed watching the series yet? If not, how far do you still have to go? If so, do you have any general thoughts? What do you think "Avatar" did especially well, compared to other animated shows you've watched and critiqued? Where do you think it could've been improved?
2. Do you have a favorite character or episode? I realize that you dislike being asked this question with regard to your own shows (as they're all pretty much like your children, a viewpoint to which I can certainly relate), but I'm curious as to whether you think about these sorts of things when watching shows you aren't necessarily connected with?
3. Did you and Benny discover the series together, or did he introduce it to you? The latter is pretty much what happened with my Dad and I, LOL, so I'm interested.
4. Have you seen the Comic-Con 2011 trailer for the sequel series, "The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra"? If so, do you intend to catch it when it airs in 2012, if you happen to have the time (an unlikely prospect for you, I know, but still XD)?
Aaand...yeah, I think that's enough. Thank you so much for your patience and dedication to your fanbase, and I greatly look forward to seeing what YJ has in store for us all in the coming months!
Cheers! :D
Greg responds...
1a. No. We have it on DVD, so the stuff we watch together on the DVR takes precedence, because my DVR is pretty much full to bursting... and it's even deleted some stuff that we were planning to get to because it was overloaded.
1b. Still in the middle of Season Two.
1c & d. I like it. Quite a bit, actually. But I don't think it's appropriate for me to go into detailed analysis of the work of my peers. It's one thing for me to talk about live action movies or television and/or stuff from long before I was working in the business. But it's awkward otherwise.
2. I guess I just don't think that way.
3. Benny introduced it to me. He's seen the whole thing, but enjoys rewatching it with me.
4. No, I haven't seen the trailer. I'm reluctant to watch the new series BEFORE I've finished the old one. SPOILERS, right?
Another fan writes...
I would like to ask you your opinion on the new show My little pony friendship is magic. In case you haven't seen it It's a show I strongly recomend.
Greg responds...
Haven't seen it. But I've heard good things.
Jack-Pumpkinhead writes...
Dear Greg, I have a comment and a question.
First, I'm sorry to hear about the vitriolic hatemail regarding Megan's catchphrase. I know comic fans are a very opinionated bunch, but this seems extreme and ridiculous. But not all of us hate it to that extreme. Do I find it annoying? At first, but it grew on me. Did I ever hate it? No. I thought you'd appreciate someone supporting your choices rather than condeming.
Now, onto some questions. As you've no doubt heard, DC is revamping their universe in September, and much specualtion is being made about what will happen. Do you think YJ will influence any changes in the mainstream comics(besides Kaldur being a supporting character in Geoff's new Aquaman series)? Would you be flattered if your show contributed to the history of mainstream DC?
As always, thanks for answering these fans questions (well, the ones that aren't fishing for spoilers)
PS- Oh, humorous note; in the newest Previews catalog, they left off half your name on the YJ comic,so apparently you're Greg Weis.
Greg responds...
I suppose I would be flattered, but I don't have any expectations of that.
Cal writes...
Have you watched any episodes of Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Generator Rex and Sym-Bionic Titan? They're really great shows and they are very similar to each other in a lot of ways, oh and it would be great if you are able to writing an episode or two for those shows.
Greg responds...
I haven't seen any of them. And I'm too busy at this time on Young Justice to write on them - even assuming I was invited to.
AJC writes...
Just watched Downtime and it was a great episode! I'm impressed by the amount of detail in the choreography and backgrounds, and the number of voice actors you had in the episode. While I thought cutting from scene to scene of each YJ member during their downtime would be a bit choppy, it was actually very insightful, and it made it very realistic to see each of their lives.
How do companies decide what kind of budget to give to cartoon shows? Some older cartoon shows (ie from the 90s) had worse animation as the series progressed. I noticed the even the batman's animation wasn't as good as its earlier days(although still never went that bad).
Have you or brandon watched avatar the last airbender? I feel your show is taking some cues from the show (ie, the water sorcery, the diverse locations the team travels to each ep).
I have a question about aqualad. He obviously does not live at mount justice so would he not return to atlantis when he's not crime fighting? So wouldn't that mean he sees tula and garth still? Or is he that busy?
Greg responds...
Let's answer these in reverse order.
As I've MENTIONED BEFORE, Aqualad DOES go home to Atlantis (the continent/country) between missions. He just doesn't live in the city of Poseidonis, so that, yes, a couple months had passed since he had last seen his friends. He was surprised that it had been that long. But time flies, you know...
I don't know about Brandon, but I've begun watching Avatar with my son Benny. We're near the beginning of Season Two. I like it. I don't know how much of an influence there's been, since we started YJ before I started watching Avatar.
The way companies decide on budgets is an arcane science beyond my pay grade. But guys like Brandon and myself make it our mission to squeeze as much onto the screen from whatever budget we have.
Gothic-Cowboy writes...
Hello, Mr. Weisman. I just wanted to ask if you'd ever seen anything about this:
http://screenrant.com/batman-gotham-high-concept-art-benm-95793/
I ask because I remember reading a previous exchange here about a theoretical Justice League Babies cartoon, which reminded me of this dropped series. I'd love to see either of those, they sound like a lot of fun, if you don't take it all too seriously (and I don't).
Greg responds...
It's all about execution.
Spencer writes...
Greg,
I was curious how you would compare working with DC's collection of characters with Marvel's.
Thanks for your time,
Spencer
Greg responds...
I love 'em all. For a more complete answer, search the ASK GREG Archives.
Maki P writes...
How do you feel about the idea of making a Green Lantern cartoon? (Personally I think it should exists, something like Cops IN SPACE!)
Greg responds...
I think it's a great idea. Bruce Timm and others at Warners are working on a new Green Lantern series even now.
Ed Rabka writes...
There have been many forums who have been comparing Young Justice to Chris Yost's Avengers series that's coming on Disney XD. Personally, I think they're both great shows that comic book fans and the general audience can enjoy at the same time. I mean this is the first time in animation where there's a cartoon featuring the Earth's Mightiest Heroes and another one with the Justice League. Anyway, what do you think of this debate from maybe both a perspective of a comic book reader and a professional writer? Also, what do you think of Mr. Yost's Avengers series?
Greg responds...
I haven't seen Avengers, but there are a bunch of great people working on it, so I'd hardly be surprised if it was kick-ass.
I don't see much to be gained even by comparing the shows, let alone putting them in some kind of hypothetical competition. They're not even on opposite each other. And in this DVR age, what difference would it make to most people even if they were?
Anyway, if you like one of the two series but not both, watch the one you like. If you like both, watch both and enjoy each for its merits - which may have a few things in common, but are likely very different.
Jurgan writes...
Thirty minutes left until the reairing of the Young Justice premiere, so I thought I'd pass the time asking a completely unrelated question.
I saw your recent response about zombies, and how you like the old-fashioned "voodoo zombies" but not the modern, post-Romero zombies. I at least partly disagree, as I feel the best zombie movies can be good vehicles for social commentary (for instance, I thought the recent Land of the Dead was a brilliant metaphor for war profiteering- on the other hand, Dawn of the Dead was probably pretty clever at the time, but criticism of shopping malls now seems hopelessly dated). But that's just a difference of opinion. I was more interested in seeing how zombies might show up in your work.
1. Did you think of Goliath in "Temptation" as a zombie? Was that intentional on your part?
2. Do you think zombies may make a more formal appearance in Gargoyles, or have you covered that ground in "Temptation?"
Thanks for reading. I'll probably write up a ramble on YJ sometime this weekend, once I've seen it.
Greg responds...
1. Loosely, I guess.
2. At the moment I have no plans, but...
Baron Ultron writes...
Few thing have bugged me since cancelation of Spectacular Spider-Man.
1)Does Marvel hate Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon or not.I ask this because they are making new Ultimate Spider-Man Cartoon and Spectacular Spider-Man was canceled and there was lack of promotion in Marvel.Com(While Avengers or Super Hero Squad have many promotions).Also in one of your answers you said that Marvel are not planning to make comic book based on your show or something like that.So does Marvel hate your show or not?
2)This might be stupid question but worth a shot.Will you ever work for Marvel or Disney again due to cancelation of your show and Disney retooling Gargoyles into Gargoyles Goliath Chronicles.
3)What do you think about Avengers:Earth's Mightiest Heroes Cartoon.Do you think it is as great as Spectacular Spider-Man or bad.Also in your opinion which show is better:Young Justice or Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
4)Will you watch Ultimate Spider-Man Cartoon?And also is there a chance that you will work on Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes or some Marvel Comic Book?
Good Luck
Greg responds...
1. I hope not. Ask Marvel.
2. I'm perfectly willing.
3. I haven't seen Avengers, but Frank Paur is producing it, so I take it for granted that it's great. But in any case, I don't see YJ as being in competition with Avengers. There's room for both.
4a. No. There's no upside in me watching Ultimate. If it's great, I'll be jealous. If it sucks, I'll be frustrated.
4b. No. I'm plenty busy on YJ.
4c. I hope so. Ask Marvel.
Anthony Tini writes...
Greg,
I searched the archives and also asked in the Comment Room concerning your opinion on zombies, but I didn't get an answer, so I decided to ask you. What is your opinion of them? Do you enjoy reading stories or watching movies where zombies are involved?
The reason I ask is because there is a show on AMC called the "The Walking Dead" which has been fantastic! Are you familiar with the show? Well, according to news sources, there has been talk that Frank Darabont (writer and director) and Robert Kirkman (writer and executive producer) may possibly be going with freelance writers for the second season. I think it would be great if your agent (assuming you have one) could inquire about a possible gig writing one of those episodes (assuming it is something you'd be interested in doing.)
I don't know what your schedule will be like with Young Justice next year, but I just thought of you when I was thinking of some of the great talent that could possibly be involved with that show. Thanks for taking the time to read this! Take care.
- Tony
Greg responds...
I like stories about real Zombies, i.e. those raised by voodoo or magic to serve against their will.
The modern "plague" zombies don't interest me at all. (And, in fact, I resent that they've appropriated the classic term 'zombie' and so removed it from it's original tragic meaning.) With the sometimes exception of Zombieland -- movies based on this version of Zombies seem to be an exercise in gross-out futility.
I'm clearly not the right guy for "The Walking Dead", which I have not seen.
Bryant Bradby writes...
from ptrunks19@aol.com
Hey Greg, I know this is kinda' off the usual topics, but when is Buena Vista going to release the Uncut Gen13 animated movie?
Greg responds...
How would I know?
Algernon writes...
Hey again Greg,
You once said that while you were working at Sony, you and Victor Cook tried to get Sony interested in doing a Ghost Rider series. Now the impression I got was that the "Powers That Be" weren't interested and the concept never got far beyond the "I just had a neat idea" stage, so I understand if you didn't draw out some big five season master plan about how you'd handle the series.
But I was just wondering if you'd given any thought to how you would have dealt with a lot of the S&P challenges that related to the character. Mainly that both GR himself and a good chunk of his rogues gallery are literal demons from Hell. Is America ready for a superhero cartoon where the Big Bad is Satan?
Greg responds...
I would have crossed that hellbridge when I came to it.
Clark Cradic writes...
Ever watch Scooby-Doo as a kid? Favorite monster?
Greg responds...
Absolutely. Not sure about favorite, but the most memorable to me is the guy in the diving suit.
lamberto writes...
hi, greg.
i remember reading here that you're a fan of dexter. from what i know of your writing career (gleaned online), you've written mostly pg-13 to g-rated material. i was just curious if you've ever written hard-r type stuff whether for fun or for work. if the opportunity presented itself, would you write a dexter: early cuts short? thanks.
Greg responds...
I've written more adult material here and there -- though of course, it's not wise to confuse me with Edmund Tsabard or imply that I have anything to do with Blue Mug Productions.
Anyway, yes, I'd love to work on ANY aspect of Dexter. Though I'm also happy just watching it!
Anonymous writes...
Thank you for answering my "Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster" questions. As a follow-up, I was wondering if I could get your opinion on this: speaking as both a fan and a notable writer, is there any realistic potential for an animated series based around the Flash? Or does the character require a greater toehold in public consciousness, perhaps through a bigger media event (i.e., a film) before such a series would be likely to succeed?
Greg responds...
I'd tend to think the latter, but that's just a guess...
Andres writes...
I wish you well on Young Justice! I must say while it seems there is so much comic/ superhero material from animation to movies to so many comics that is almost hard to get into anything if your a little bit more than a casual fan but I am excited and anticipating Young Justice and the reboot of Thundercats. I wanted to ask you if you saw and what you thought about The Secret of Kells? if you thought that it deserved to win the Oscar? Lastly what impact you think small indie animation and European animation will have on the larger animation industry?
P.S Loved the inclusion of St.Columcille/ St. Columbia in Secret of the Kells made me re reread the Gargoyles comic
Greg responds...
I haven't seen The Secret of Kells.
CapFan writes...
Is there a taboo against using Nazis in cartoon shows? I know "Gargoyles" featured Nazis in one episode, but most cartoons, even when they have flashbacks set during World War II seem to do everything possible to not address the enemy as Nazis.
Take the new "Avengers" show for instance, they got rid of the Nazis in Captain America's past and replaced them with Hydra. Hydra was now conquering Europe.
Did you have trouble getting Nazis and swastikas onto MIA? And why are so many cartoons scared to say the word Nazi?
Greg responds...
We had no particular problem that I can recall. I wasn't aware that other shows WERE having a problem with this. First I've heard of it.
Anthony Tini writes...
Greg,
From one Dexter fan to another, what did you think of the Season 4 finale? Does being a writer and involved in the creative process of creating entertaining television give you an edge to kind of guess or see events like that coming? Personally, I did NOT see it coming and I very surprised and bothered by it. It took me a long time to finally fall asleep after watching that final scene. It was fantastic and probably one of the best scenes I've ever seen on TV. I'm purposefully not mentioning details for those who have yet to see it.
At the time of this question, the first episode of Season 5 has premiered, but I have yet to watch it. By the time you get to this question I hope to have watched it. If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it, where you think the season will go, and your hopes for future seasons. Speaking of the Dexter premiere, good luck with yours! Take care.
- Tony
Greg responds...
Dexter aside, I often astound my kids by being able to predict what is to come on series. (I always pause the playback and ASK if they want me to tell them my theory. Usually, they say yes.) Often, my guesswork is a combination of story savvy and casting savvy. For an easy example, take the classic Murder, She Wrote template. Only one regular character and a handful of occasional recurring friends of hers. The rest of who you're seeing on screen is guest cast. The guests usually include some great character actors and some newbies in the mix. But there are almost always two stars (of varying degrees of magnitude). That's the eyeroll for me. Because inevitably one star is killed in either the Teaser or the first act. And the other star is always the killer. Because that's the thing with stars. They either want the one great scene that leads to their death -- but also means they don't have to work many scenes for the money. Or they want to be the killer, i.e the most significant character in the episode (not counting Jessica Fletcher). Few series were as casting blatant as Murder She Wrote was, but to some extent casting is still a tremendous indicator of what's to come on nearly every kind of series.
I don't just use casting either, of course. I know story. I know how writers think. Which does NOT mean I can't be surprised. But I think I'm a bit harder to surprise than the average joe or joan. I don't mind, generally. It's the ride for me, and if the ride is good...
Of course, none of that has much to do with Dexter and/or last season's season finale. I think I had a feeling of dread at the very least. Maybe a notion. But I don't remember, and even if I had a clear sense of what was going to happen, it didn't mitigate the horror of what came. My daughter and I needed a palette cleansing episode of The Office afterwards before bed.
I have seen the Dexter season premiere. But I hesitate to make any predictions. Trying just to enjoy the ride.
Clark Cradic writes...
What comic universe would you say you're more knowledgeable about: DC or Marvel?
Greg responds...
I'm pretty equal on both companies.
Fairly knowledgeable (all things considered) on pre-1970s stuff.
More knowledgeable on the 70s.
Extremely knowledgeable on the 80s.
Less knowledgeable on the early and mid 90s.
Almost completely ignorant of the mid 90s through 2006.
Somewhat knowledgeable but with huge gaps on 2006 through the present...
Of course, I worked at DC as a freelancer from 1983-1991, and on staff from 1985-1987, so I have more INSIDE knowledge of that company, but during that period I was reading ALL the Marvel books too, so if we're talking CONTINUITY and CHARACTERS, I know both companies pretty darn well. I certainly grew up reading both. And when I was a little kid, I didn't even get that there were different companies that made comics. I'd see Green Lantern team up with Superman in one book. And Spider-Man team up with the Fantastic Four in another. And I didn't know that next month I might not see Captain America team with Batman. It took me a while to get the whole competing companies idea.
lamberto writes...
hi, greg.
thanks for coming out to comic con this year. always nice to see you.
just wondering if you ever caught pirates of dark water, and what you thought of it. i hear that WB's releasing the series DVD "made-on-demand". we need to get Disney to do that with Gargoyles. there probably wouldn't be any bells or whistles added to the release, but i'll take it any way i can!
Greg responds...
I never saw Pirates of Dark Water.
And I'm game for getting Gargoyles out any way we can.
Paul writes...
How much of Teen Titans and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited have you seen? I got the impression that you'd watched a bit of them since you referred to them as great shows in a Comic-con interview.
Greg responds...
When we first began developing Young Justice, I watched the first two seasons each of Teen Titans and Justice League and was halfway through the first season of Justice League Unlimited when production started up . Meant to watch EVERY episode of both (all three) series, but unfortunately I just don't have the time now.
Greg Bishansky writes...
I wrote this blog entry up a few months back, and I thought I'd share it with you. I'm curious as to your thoughts on the matter:
Ever since Disney bought Marvel, people have been asking Greg Weisman if he has any interest in integrating the "Gargoyles Universe" (which would be the first sixty-five episodes of the series, and the two SLG comic series "Gargoyles" and "Gargoyles: Bad Guys") into the Marvel Universe, and Weisman keeps saying no. Yet people keep asking him.
I love "Gargoyles" and I love the "Marvel Universe." I love "Gargoyles" more, and I'm not afraid to say it. But this is a terrible idea, and I'm going to talk about why it's a terrible idea.
First of all, the two universes are pretty incompatible. Time travel works differently in both universe for one. In "Gargoyles" you cannot alter history, and that series is so much better for it. If it were a part of Marvel, it would be too easy for Goliath to, let's say, go back in time and prevent the massacre of his clan back in 994 Scotland.
I suppose you could retcon away those Marvel time travel stories like "Age of Apocalypse" and "Days of Future Past." While I would not mind that, it wouldn't be fair to the fans and creators of those stories.
Second, while I have no doubt the existence of gargoyles would be shocking to the people of the Marvel Universe, it wouldn't have the same impact it should. Not in a world where mutants, super-beings, Atlanteans, Inhumans, Eternals, Norse gods, and Fin Fang Foom are already known to exist with Galactus stopping by every other Tuesday.
Third, okay, Marvel's Odin is now a Child of Oberon, as are the Asgardians. Okay... how well do you think that's going to go over with the fans of Jack Kirby's Thor who have been reading it for nearly fifty years now? Hell, there are still some people who are uneasy about Odin being subject to Oberon in "Gargoyles." I'm not one of those people, but I understand where they're coming from.
Now, I know some people are bound to mention the NON-CANON Radio Play from the 2009 Gathering, that was a crossover between "Gargoyles" and "The Spectacular Spider-Man," so let's get this out of the way. That wasn't actually the Marvel Universe. It was a re-imagined, and stream-lined version of it. It also helped that both shows were created or developed by Greg Weisman. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it, but I don't think anyone wants this to be a regular, or even a recurring occurrence. I think it worked well as a pandering love letter to fans of both franchises, and the voice actors who brought these characters to life.
Finally, and perhaps most important, the Marvel Universe is not really going anywhere. It is very cyclical. Things come, things go, status quos change and are restored. Spider-Man is married for twenty years, then he is single again. Magneto reforms, then is a villain again, then reforms, etc, etc.
For example, I respect a lot of what Joe Quesada has done for Marvel. However, the notion of him having any kind of creative influence over "Gargoyles" scares me. "Goliath and Elisa were more interesting before they finally declared their love and got together. The core of it was always impossible love, so now we have to split them up." You know it would happen.
"The Gargoyles Universe" is going somewhere, even if we're currently not getting any new fiction, it was always evolving. Never going backwards, but moving forwards. It was an evolving tapestry, and change was constant. Marvel, on the other hand, lives and breathes on the illusion of change, while actual change is non-existent. Death is meaningless. Characters don't age, and the status quo may shake up on occasion, but it is always eventually restored.
The Marvel Universe was built by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, and maintained by many very talented and creative people acting as custodians of that work. But, for better or worse, it is a soup with hundreds of cooks. Many great chefs, and more than a few fast food fry cooks.
"Gargoyles" was co-created by Greg Weisman, and while he had a lot of help, he was the only co-creator, and the one who never stopped working on it. He was the first author of "Gargoyles" and more than likely he will be the last author of "Gargoyles." For the better. We saw "Gargoyles" without Greg Weisman, and it was nothing good.
Both universes have their place, but you couldn't merge them without one of them being significantly altered in the process. Now, I will admit my bias again and say that I wish the "Marvel Universe" was more like the "Gargoyles Universe" but, there's no real point. It's been around for nearly five decades (over seven if you want to talk about Timely Comics), and it's not going to change. As I've made clear, I think that's kind of the problem, but an understandable one given the nature of Marvel Comics. DC too, for that matter.
Now, I realize a lot of the above makes it look like I'm saying "Gargoyles" is great and Marvel is awful, but I don't feel that way at all. I just don't think such a thing would work without one of the universes suffering for it.
Greg responds...
I agree.
The Radio Play was a ... lark, a goof. But even if we were ONLY talking about the Spectacular Universe merging with Gargoyles, I'd be opposed.
Battle Beast writes...
Greg:
In the 201st epsiode of the show "South Park," Comedy Central censored the final monologue from the character Kyle.
I think some extreamists threatened Comedy Central/Paramount, and they bowed down.
I don't know if you watch "South Park," but "South Park" has always gone way over the line, to disgusting levels at times, but has never been censored save profanity "F" and "Sh" words.
My questions is: From your point of view, do you think Comedy Central/Paramount went too far, or do you think they were justified in their actions? Or, do you think "South Park" finally went too far? (IE, it's creators?)
Thanks!
Greg responds...
My knee-jerk reaction is to be anti-censorship, but since I know none of the particulars of this specific incident, it would be irresponsible to take any stand. (And, no, that's not a veiled request to get me more info.)
Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...
This is touching on the type of theoretical questions you hate, but I’ll attempt it…
Are there any shows you watch that you wish you were involved in? Any shows you are glad you weren’t involved with because you wouldn’t want it any other different than it is? Any shows you didn’t enjoy, but think you could have made the concept shine? I don’t necessarily mean something you worked on and it didn’t work out, (like when you wrote the series bible to Roswell Conspiracies or the like), I mean even seeing a cartoon as an adult that you enjoyed as a child and thinking ‘if I were doing that…’. That creative itch that sometimes hits when watching a show and really wanting to play in that sandbox.
I figure either you'll hate this question or one or two examples will suddenly spring to mind.
Greg responds...
Yeah... I would have loved to work with Joss Whedon on Buffy or Angel or Firefly. Not that I think I would have improved on it, but I would just have loved to play in that world with the master.
There are cartoon series I was really jealous of, like the MTV Spider-Man series. But (no surprise) I'm over that now.
I haven't seen anything but a few clips of the upcoming series, so this isn't a comment on it per se, but I would have loved to do an Avengers series. Frankly, I would have loved to have taken what we did on SpecSpidey and widened it, building an entire Marvel Universe. It's one of the things that's so fun about Young Justice. We're not just adapting YJ or Teen Titans, but the entire DC Universe (or one of them (#16) anyway).
The Highlander TV series was one where I thought it had moments of greatness, but was also a bit of a mess at times. I would have loved the POWER (Bwahaha) to grab the reins of that one.
I'm sure there are plenty of other examples, as I have generally -- and I'm not proud of this -- lived a professional life filled with (and marred by) tremendous ENVY. I just can't think of any others at this time. At least not any others that wouldn't get me in some trouble. ;)
Clark Cradic writes...
What are your thoughts on The Princess and the Frog? I thought it was a wonderful throwback to the days of the Disney Renaissance.
Greg responds...
I enjoyed it. And it's hard not to love Keith's performance -- if anything, I wish he had been in it more -- but it didn't quite send me the way movies like Little Mermaid, Mu Lan and Aladdin did.
Leon 'the wolf' Johnson writes...
Hey man greg,
have you ever seen Steven Spielberg comedy series: Freakazoid? This series came out way back when, during the production of Gargoyles, but if you ever seen the second part to the episode 'And his name is fanboy', you'd probably be laughing in your seat. Steven did a big parody off of your series Gargoyles, staring Lawn Gnomes that change from stone during the day to flesh at night because of a curse. Man it's so funny, during the end of the skit, the Gnomes break of of their stone shells (and the lawn sprinklers come on) and the scream "WE. ARE. LAWN GNOMES!", just like Goliath did during the opening sequence. Man, so funny! If you haven't seen it, you need to check it out on youtube.
Greg responds...
I haven't seen more than a soundbite of it, but I've heard about it.
Jess writes...
Hey Greg! I was wondering if you'd seen any of the recent BBC series Merlin, where Merlin is roughly the same age as Arthur, and if so, what did you think of it?
Thanks for your time!
Greg responds...
Haven't seen it.
Bazell writes...
Do you like musicals?
Have you seen Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog?
Greg responds...
Yes.
Yes.
And, yes, I thought it was great.
Todd Jensen writes...
I recently bought a copy of Dan Rosa's "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck". The first chapter had the young Scrooge, as a boy in Scotland, learn about many of the deeds of his McDuck ancestors in Scottish history; one of them, Sir Quackly McDuck, fought for Macbeth in the "civil war of 1057" and was rewarded for his services with a large treasure chest (unfortunately, while walling it up in his castle to keep it safe, he accidentally walled himself in with it).
I thought you'd like to know that someone else at Disney's been working on early Scottish history (other MacDucks were connected to Hadrian's Wall, Kenneth mac Alpin, Malcolm II, and the Battle of Hastings).
Greg responds...
Very cool.
Balron writes...
Are you a MARVEL or a DC?
And even if you aren't one or the other, did you like the movie "Watchmen?"
Was that particular comic book any good inspiration on the works you have done in this decade? And if so, who was a favorite character of yours from that particular story?
Greg responds...
I'm both. I've worked for both companies, and even before that I was a fan of both sets of characters. When I was very young, I didn't even understand that they were too separate companies. I saw Superman team with Batman and Spider-Man team with Daredevil, and figured next issue I might see Daredevil team with Batman. Of course, I soon realized the truth, but it doesn't change the fact that I have an abiding affection for characters from both companies.
There were things I admired about the movie "Watchmen". But I thought Ozymandias was massively miscast, and that spoiled a lot of the film for me.
Watchmen's influence is probably in the mix somewhere, but I can't think of any specific way it has inspired me. As to my favorite character... I'm tempted to say Rorshach, but just because I donated his thumb prints to the original book.
Gareth T writes...
Given that you've done work for DC comics (I.e captain atom),
1) Do you still keep in touch with current DC comics continuity, like recent developments such as Final Crisis and Blackest Night?
2) If so, what do you think of them?
3) also, have you been approached to work on any of their more recent straight-to-DVD movies like Superman: doomsday or Green Lantern: first flight?
thanks for answering, if you do.
Greg responds...
1. Just a little.
2. I'm not up to speed enough to comment, one way or the other.
3. Yes. We'll see.
Pete writes...
back again, just want to rephrase some of my questions and ask a few more, hope its not to much...
1.) If you could use any one else in the marvel universe for his or her own show who would it be?
2.) Same as question 1 but DC?
3.) Have you ever read Amazing Spiderman To Die a Hero, when F. Fosswell dies? I just want to know what you think of it, I personally think it's one of the better comics from the Lee/Romita stories right next to Spiderman No More.
4.) Which issue was the Kraven mutation I've read a few Ultimate comics. I just ordered Issues 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8. I already have 1,2 and 6.
Greg responds...
1 & 2. The list is nearly endless for both Marvel and DC. I've been reading those comics since I was a kid. Not every character has as rich a history as Spidey, but even the ones with less canon... leave me free to develop them more.
3. Yes. I like it.
4. I don't remember off the top of my head, and I don't have my Ultimates with me at this moment. Besides, that's research you can do on your own.
Todd Jensen writes...
I was rereading "Quidditch Through the Ages" (a small book put out by J. K. Rowling a few years ago as part of a support to a British charity group) last night, and came upon a passage that mentioned a Quidditch match between the Toyohashi Tengu (a Quidditch team from Japan) and the Gorodok Gargoyles (a Quidditch team from Lithuania) in 1994. Now, this is probably just a coincidence (I don't know if Rowling's even ever been that aware of "Gargoyles"), but I thought that you might be amused at the notion of two teams with those names having a match in the very year that "Gargoyles" premiered.
Greg responds...
That is very cool. Thanks.
abnormalpixarfan writes...
if you could would do a revamped of johnny quest with you at the helm?
Greg responds...
I'm a big fan of Jonny Quest, so if anyone asked me...
Bazell writes...
Will you/did you participate in Free Comic Book Day and pick up the offerings? If so, what did you think?
Greg responds...
I don't know about this.
CL writes...
Did you see James Cameron's Titanic, and if so, how did you like it?
Greg responds...
I have not seen it.
Antiyonder writes...
Since you mentioned having not seen The Incredible Hulk tv series for quite a while, I thought you might want to check the page: http://www.hulu.com/the-incredible-hulk
Has the first 3 seasons of the show as of now for viewing.
Greg responds...
Thanks, but I just don't have the time right now.
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