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COMEBACKS 2007-01 (Jan)

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Todd Jensen writes...

Thanks for the "Gathering Part Two" ramble, Greg! Some of my thoughts on the episode.

One of my favorite touches in the early stages of the battle was Renard's involvement in the fighting (alongside Vogel and the cybots). I think that one way of giving a battle an epic tone is to bring in familiar supporting characters as well as the major characters; Renard's presence in Fortress-2 gave a real feeling of making the confrontation a really big one.

Oberon put up a truly fierce battle with a lot of great touches, I thought - particularly the animated gargoyles, the growing hair, and the limbo space within his cloak. It made him seem formidable indeed, even with the self-imposed limitation that his arts could no longer directly affect the clan.

I share that little delight in Xanatos's line about saving Broadway. How typical of him to cover up his true thoughts like that!

And the suspicion that I'd begun to develop about Owen and Puck being one and the same was confirmed. It still shocked me a little, but I quickly got used to it. My favorite part of it is still the bit where Puck says "He chose Owen", sounding truly impressed as he did so; you could just feel Puck being so intrigued and delighted that Xanatos would value Owen's non-magical efficiency over Puck's magic. (Mind you, after seeing how Puck granted Demona's wishes in "The Mirror", I'd say that Xanatos showed good judgment in choosing a lifetime of service from Owen!)

I remember a particularly fun remark about the scene where Fox at least unleashed her powers on Oberon; the reviewer commented that that scene was something that alert viewers saw coming - but what made it so fun was that she didn't just unleash her powers, but that she did so with such force as to send Oberon - who had seemed almost unstoppable at this point - through the wall!

In "Future Tense", Puck taught Goliath the hard way about being careful what you wish for. Now Puck gets a taste of that lesson himself; he gets what he was hoping for in "Future Tense" - getting to stay in the mortal world a while longer - but not in a way that he finds appealing! (I've recently found myself wondering, incidentally, whether Goliath, when he suggested Puck for the role of training Alex - though Puck was the obvious choice anyway - might not have been trying to get a little of his own back over that recent nightmare.)

That idea of yours about the gargoyles flying inside Oberon's head was funny - but it's probably just as well that we didn't see it.

And it definitely would be like Puck to say "I'm on a roll" to the audience - it would be perfectly in character for him to break the fourth wall.

Naturally, no ramble about "The Gathering Part Two" would be complete without a mention of the infamous Whisper. I don't want to know what Titania whispered, myself - but I've sometimes wondered if you've ever regretted putting that scene in, in light of how often you've been asked about it!

And we have a great ending with the beginnings of peace between Goliath and Xanatos - though even with the war over, there's still plenty of trouble to come in other directions.

Once again, thanks for the ramble, Greg.

Greg responds...

You're welcome. No regrets. Just no intention of revealing what I'm sure now would be an anti-climactic answer anytime soon.

Response recorded on January 05, 2007

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Jim Sorenson writes...

Greg,

Thank you for taking the time to interact with us fans, and congratulations on the success of the initial DVD releases. I imagine that by the time you read this we'll have new cannononical stories from the comic book and the rest of season 2 out on DVD. It's truly a great time to be a Gargoyles fan.

I enjoyed the world tour tremendously. One thing that always struck me as particularly interesting is that the world tour didn't end because it was finished, but because Goliath et al abandoned it after Avalon sent them to Manhattan. My questions and requests:

Question 1: In Ill Met By Moonlight, did Avalon bring the crew back to Avalon because of Oberon's plan to remove the Gargoyles, or was that an in-between quest?

Question 2: Were there any negative consequences resulting from Goliath choosing not to get back on the skiff following the events of The Gathering?

Question 2a: Do you have any notions of where Avalon might have sent the skiff had our intrepid heroes continued their quest following The Gathering, or who they might have encountered?

Request 1: If the answer to 2a is yes, please share some of those thoughts with us if you care to at this time.

Question 3: Future tense seems to take place during a brief blackout Goliath experiences. Did it take place between Avalon and Manhattan immediately preceding The Gathering?

Question 3a: If the answer to 3 is no, when/where did Future Tense take place?

Question 4: Were there any destinations on the Avalon Quest that took place but were not shown in Gargoyles? In other words, might Goliath & Elisa have had a world tour adventure 'off camera?'

Request 2: If the answer to 4 is yes, please share one or two places that they were sent off camera, if you'd care to at this time.

Thanks very much for your time, and I hope to see you (have seen you by the time you read this) at The Gathering 2006.

Greg responds...

1. Avalon only controlled their destinations upon LEAVING Avalon. But Goliath et al had to return to Avalon between each journey to try again.

2. Who can say? You may in fact be giving Avalon too MUCH credit... at least too much credit for FORETHOUGHT. If they had abandoned their quest in Prague or anywhere else, then some bad stuff might have happened where they DIDN'T show. But Avalon may not have cared WHERE the quartet were from. It might have continued to send them ad infinitum. At some point, I think it's fair to say, "Hey, I've been playing nice. But I'm home now and enough is enough."

2a. I suppose. I had stories in mind for China and Korea at least at the time. But honestly, I long ago readapted them in my head to suit where the World Tour did end.

Request 1: Shared all I'm going to at this time. BUT KEEP BUYING THAT COMIC!! ;)

3. I don't have my timeline with me, but the short answer is yes.

3a. See above.

4. Yes, they definitely did.

R2: I've mentioned the Himalayas in the past. But that's all I'm gonna say at this time.

You're welcome.

Response recorded on January 05, 2007

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Todd Jensen writes...

Thanks for your ramble on "The Gathering Part One", Greg! It's great to have another episode review from you here, and I hope to see at least a few more here soon, even if you don't make it all the way to "The Journey" this time.

I remember that, the first time I saw this episode, it jarred me a little (as I've mentioned before) to see Odin taking orders from Oberon, but since then, I've come to accept it. It certainly did give a sense of resolution from the World Tour to see so many of the mythical beings that Goliath, Elisa, Angela, and Bronx had met showing up in the palace - and in particular, to have the Banshee being subjected to punishment by Oberon for defying his command to return.

(Incidentally, I assume that you chose Odin as the "Child of Oberon" whom the Banshee got into an altercation with because his voice actor was already present in this episode, playing Petros?)

I also had a bit of fun seeing if I could spot any new Oberati in the crowd; I could glimpse a centaur, a winged horse, a Medusa-like figure, and a couple of Norse mythology-type giants in the great hall, as well as the people entering in through the gates carrying torches (one of whom was on horseback, I remember).

I had missed both "Walkabout" and "Ill Met By Moonlight" when they first premiered, so this was the first time that I was meeting Titania under either of her identities. Consequently, the revelation that Anastasia and Titania were the same person didn't have the same impact on me that it would have had on other viewers who had seen those two episodes first.

After such a long absence from New York, it was nice seeing all those familiar background characters (the Jogger, Travis Marshall, Officer Morgan, Brendan and Margot, Cagney) again.

The reunion of the gargoyles at the clock tower was a very moving moment, including the discovery by Hudson and the trio that they weren't the last of their kind after all. I get a particular smile out of Broadway giving Angela the half-eaten box of chocolates. Another bit that I enjoyed was Hudson's delight at being reunited with Bronx (I like the rapport that the two of them have).

Your remark that Avalon hadn't really released Goliath and Co. from their quest, but sent them back to Manhattan to thwart Oberon's attempt to kidnap Alex (apparently Avalon isn't always in harmony with its lord's intentions) reminds me of one thought that I had the first time that I saw this episode; I was wondering briefly if the fact that Avalon had sent Goliath back to Manhattan for a purpose rather than just to release him meant that they'd have to get back on that skiff for more adventures afterwards. Fortunately, they didn't have to (I didn't mind the World Tour as much as many viewers did, but I understood that it would have to come to an end sometime.)

It was when Owen nervously cleared out of the Eyrie Building after giving his security system specs to Xanatos, explaining that he couldn't risk being involved in the fight with Oberon, that I began suspecting for the first time that he might be Puck in disguise (given that Oberon's initial purpose in coming to New York had been to haul Puck back to Avalon). Oddly enough, I'd missed all the other clues earlier in the series (Demona's "You serve the human" line in "The Mirror" and her "You're the tricky one" line in "City of Stone", the striking physical resemblance of Owen and Vogel, and Owen's immediately recognizing the significance of Anastasia having remarried her first husband). Now, however, I began to wonder if Owen and Puck were really the same person, though I had to wait until Part Two to have it confirmed.

The activating of the security system struck me as an especially great scene, one of my favorite moments in "The Gathering". Another, of course, was Goliath and Elisa's parting at her apartment.

As I said, great to have another episode ramble - I'm looking forward to Part Two.

Greg responds...

Re: choosing Odin. Economics was indeed a factor. But I don't recall it being a creative disappointment or anything.

Response recorded on January 05, 2007

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Technogeek writes...

Glad to have you back answering questions, Greg. Even more glad to have the DVDs available. And the comics that continue the story.

Which brings me to my question, actually. How different is the creative process between writing the stories as a television show, and writing them as a comic book? The differences between the mediums are obvious, granted, but how much do those differences impact what you're trying to do with the characters?

Greg responds...

I definitely feel I have a bit more freedom in the comics. (Though frankly I didn't feel all that restricted back in the day. I think I just feel more freedom than I've had on other more recent series.) Otherwise, nothing much has changed. As you noted, different mediums, and I'm going to try to experiment some more in my storytelling techniques. (Issue #7, which I'm scripting now, is non-linear for example.) But from a character standpoint... they are who they are. Not a heck of a lot of differences in my approach.

Response recorded on January 04, 2007

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Raye writes...

Hello again,

I was rewatching 'Lighthouses in the Sea of Time' and noticed that down in the dig-site the archaeologists (Lydia and Arthur, right?) passed a harp that seemed to play music and shine at their passing. Later I noticed that on the seal of the Scrolls of Merlin there was a symbol that seemed to be in the shape of this harp. So...

1. Was the harp pictured on the seal, or was it just a fluke?

2. What *was* this harp?

3. Who put the harp down there in the cavern?

4. Did this harp belong to Merlin?

Thanks you for any reply. I'm really enjoying rewatching all these episodes on DVD (episodes aired in New Zealand with several scenes cut to fit them into a smaller time period, so it's been great seeing all the extra snippets!)

Greg responds...

1. Been a while since I've seen the episode myself, but if you're describing it correctly, it was clearly not a fluke.

2. More of a lyre actually, as I recall.

3. Merlin.

4. Yes.

Response recorded on January 04, 2007

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erin writes...

WILL THERE BE A SHOW COMING IN THE SUMMER?

Greg responds...

Probably. Some show. Somewhere. Did you have something specific in mind?

Response recorded on January 04, 2007

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Tina Y. writes...

Greg,

I'd been eagerly awaiting Season 2, Vol. 1. Last month I finally got it and have been throughly enjoying it. So many of my favorite episodes were on here and to finally get a chance to view them again, cut and without the commericals has just been like a dream to me. I loved the commentary for City of Stone. It's always a treat to hear your thoughts and comments on these episodes. I laughed so much. I can't wait for the next volume.

I also wanted to thank you for another reason. A few months ago my dad was doing some family history and I noticed one of the names he had in the history. Malcolm Canmore. Needless to say I was greatly surprised. I knew that name, but only from Gargoyles. For a while I did a little research on him and now feel a little closer to my roots. I'm extremely grateful to you and your staff for bringing a bit of history into your show. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have looked into my history at all. And never would have known more about the interesting people who have been in my family.

I'm also eagerly waiting for your comic series to be released.

There's nothing I really needed to know, but I just wanted a chance to thank you for all you do and the amazing effort you've poured into releasing this series. It meant a lot to me when I was younger and it still draws me in even now. Thank you so much!

Greg responds...

Your thanks are much appreciated. So you're a Canmore, huh? No masks with three slashes on it in your sock drawer, are there?

Response recorded on January 04, 2007

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Flip Books...

Our good friend Dennis Woodyard, one of the producer-directors on the second season of GARGOYLES, has a website I'd like to plug...

http://dragonflyent.blogspot.com/

Check out his cool flip books!


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Noah writes...

Re: The Season 2, Volume 1 DVD set.

One word: AWESOME! As a long-time Gargoyles fan who never got to see quite a few of the episodes (sigh...stupid Canadian TV) this set was a real treat. I received it as a Christmas gift and finished watching every episode within 3 days.

One of the best things about the DVDs (aside from the episodes themselves) was the episode introductions. This is something I've never seen before, and they were great! It's really interesting to hear, even briefly, about the thought that went into each and every episode. I enjoyed and appreciated them a lot more. Oh, and thanks for the spoiler warnings - I'd forgotten about a few plot twists and it was nice to have them as a surprise again!

For the next DVD release, I would heartily encourage you to do the intros again - make them a bit longer, if possible! The special feature with the cast and crew was also really neat.

Also, from a technical standpoint, I thought the DVDs were very well done - good menus and excellent picture and sound quality.

All in all, a fantastic release! I'm loaning out my Gargoyles DVDs to my friends to get them hooked as well. I'm looking forward to the next set! Thanks Greg for all your effort on the DVDs and here on the website too (which makes an excellent companion for the DVDs - I read your rambles and the memo(s) after each episode). Cheers,

Noah

Greg responds...

You're very welcome!

Response recorded on January 03, 2007

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Raye writes...

Hi, my question concerns Demona and Gruoch, two of my favourite characters (One of my favourite moments in "Gargoyles" is when Demona goes completely against her prejudices and saves Macbeth and Gruoch when they're slipping from the parapet, and Gruoch's nervous little "thank you" to her afterwards). But anyway:

1. During the "Golden Age" of Macbeth's rule, how well did Gruoch and Demona get on? Or to make the question a bit more generalised, what was their relationship?

Obviously they wouldn't have been best friends, but I also can assume that as such close companions to Macbeth they would have spent a reasonable amount of time in each other's company.

2a. Would they have considered each other as a "friend"?

2b. Or was there a little bit of resentment/jealously/competition going on in terms of their separate relationships with Macbeth?

2c. Or did they just stay out of each other's way?

Thank you very much in advance for any reply you give me, I think the time and effort you put into communicating with fans is amazing! My fingers are crossed that the second half of season two will make it to DVD.

Greg responds...

1. I'd like to explore this someday. But generally, I think they got along on the surface, but that each had a healthy suspicion of the other.

2a. Try "ally".

2b. I'm not sure I'd characterize it that way. Demona distrusts humans. Gruoch distrusted Demona.

2c. Largely.

Response recorded on January 03, 2007

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Dr.No writes...

Hi Greg, I just bought the season 1 DVD because I had found a new interest in the show after reading some stuff on the internet. I was a fan of the show when I was younger and like some other animated series now on DVD that I have, I appreciate the show more now then I did back in 94. Ramblings aside, My question is if by some miracle you got the chance to do a continuation to the series, would you approve if someone changed the designs of the characters to be more streamlined so the animators overseas could stay on model more consistantly. I hope to hear back and I'll get season 2 soon(Y).

Greg responds...

Not if I could help it. I think our designs were fairly streamlined. Frank Paur saw to that. We did get off model sometimes, but no more than any show. Generally, I think we rocked. If it ain't broke, etc.

Response recorded on January 03, 2007

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DrNick writes...

Batman

1) Why weren't you allowed to use the Scarecrow in the new animated Batman series?
2) In regards to the Batman cartoon were the plethora of mechanical gadgets such as the jet pack, batman exosuit and the anti-freeze suit for the specific purpose of marketing batman toys towards younger viewers?
3) What did you think of the Batman Begins movie by Goyer and Nolan? Did you think it succeeded in translating and telling the origin story onto the screen?

Greg responds...

1. I gather because of the character's participation in Batman Begins.

2. Largely. We tried to make it work.

3. I've answered this before. I think the movie raised the bar on Batman movies and then didn't quite make it over that bar. The end falls apart for me. (I have other additional minor issues, but they're more nitpicky.) Though it's the best Batman movie ever made, I don't necessarily think that's saying much.

Response recorded on January 03, 2007

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Gabriel writes...

Hey Greg,
You asked for thoughts on the new DVD release. In short it's great to have so many eps on one release.
A few things that really impressed me:
The disk art is stunning- especially the Demona pick on disk one.
I love that while we couldn't get commentaries,Since budget,disk space and your personal time are issues, we still get episode intro's for all the eps.
Thanx for the spoiler alert in your intro to Outfoxed, turns out I knew the spoiler, but I really didn't remember the episode before I watched so that was cool.
The main menu's are also great- so much going on.

A few little things that could make it (or a future release) better
Chapter stops in the episodes
I prefer keep-case style packaging like season 1. All the artwork potential is cool on cardboard-plastic packaging, but I like the durablity of keepcase.
I realise those aren't content related, but the only content comment I would make is that it was a pity that Marina Sirtis or John Ryhs-Davies weren't on the CoS commetary (though I've heard report that Marina was asked but unavailble so you guys tried) Other than that I'm completely satisfied with the disks' content.

Really looking forward to S2 v2. Here's hoping for commentary on both "The Gathering" and "Hunter's Moon" (It's five eps like on the season 1 release) And I'd absolutly love to hear from Jonathan Frakes- Xanatos is still one of my all time favorite characters! Looking forward to seeing MIA, Golem, Future Tenses, and the one ep I've never seen Grief.

Thanx for reading
Keep up the good work
You're an insiration for those of us looking to do great things in the entertainment industry.

Ciao,
Gabriel

Greg responds...

Just to be clear, my "personal time" was never an issue regarding the commentaries. I would have donated as much time as necessary. It was all about budget. (Which also explains the lack of chapter stops.) And the budget was not my call.

Carol Wagner invited Marina and John and Jonathan and Keith and Salli to participate in the commentaries and extras. None, unfortunately, were available.

Response recorded on January 03, 2007

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kool writes...

why does pop go flat

Greg responds...

Cuz his kids won't stop hopping on him, right?

Response recorded on January 02, 2007

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Abbie writes...

Hi Greg! My dad and mom gave me my dream come true! I'm going to the gathering of the Gargoyles and i'm in the Story, Fanart, and te-shirt contests! I'm only 13 but i'm really exited! I wanted to know about what your looking for in a teashirt to give ideas for the contest! I love the show more than any other and own both DVDs! I can't wait to meet you!
See you there! From your number one fan!

Greg responds...

Abbie, if you're the Abbie I'm thinking of, we already met at G2006. You had a lead in the Radio Play and we shared a table at the banquet.

So your questions are a bit moot at this point, but generally, I should point out that I'm not in charge of or involved in any of the contests. For more info on the gathering, especially the 2007 Gathering in Pidgeon Forge, TN, check out www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com

Response recorded on January 02, 2007


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