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Clan-Building #7: The Rock

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Greg Bishansky writes...

Thank you so much for the Bad Guys timeline info. Now, if you would please share the dates and descriptions from your timeline of the events of "The Rock," "Rock & Roll," and "Rock of Ages."

I believe this will bring the GargWiki up to date with all things canon.

Greg responds...

Isn't all that stuff in the trade itself?

Response recorded on May 04, 2012

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G2008 Radio Play

G2008 Radio Play (Chapter VII)

XANATOS, COLDSTEEL & COYOTE STAND.

13. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 2, 6:46AM EST. Scarab Corp. Coldsteel looks on, as David Xanatos installs a diamond inside Coyote 5.0.

14. COLDSTEEL
And what would that be?

15. XANATOS
It’s called the Coyote Diamond…

16. NARRATOR
Chapter Seven: The Rock.

17. XANATOS
The stone’s flawless surfaces and clarity increase the speed of--

18. COLDSTEEL
I’m sorry I asked.

19. XANATOS
My apologies. I’m sure you’re much more interested in your own situation.

20. COLDSTEEL
I was under the impression I had free will.

21. XANATOS
And you do. I promise summoning you was a one-time event. On the other hand, your unit does include a built-in tracking device… which I’m happy to deactivate…

22. COLDSTEEL
Permanently?

23. XANATOS
Permanently. All I ask in return is help on one small errand. Are we agreed?

24. COLDSTEEL
We are agreed.

25. COYOTE
Excellent.

XANATOS, COLDSTEEL & COYOTE sit. TALON, SATO, MAGGIE & ELISA STAND.

26. NARRATOR
3:52PM EST. The Labyrinth. Talon cradles Maggie the Cat, as Dr. Jay Sato examines her. Elisa Maza looks on.

27. TALON
How is she, Doc?

28. SATO
Well, her pulse is fine, and her injuries seem to be healing nicely…

29. MAGGIE
See, Derek, I said you were worried over nothing.

30. SATO
But I’m a surgeon. Treating someone in Maggie’s… “condition” is really not my area.

31. ELISA
Not anyone’s, Dr. Sato. Anyone we dare trust anyway.

32. SATO
It’s as if you’ve revealed a new world to me…

33. ELISA
Yep, you’re a medical pioneer.

34. SATO
Pioneer or not, she needs an O.B.

TALON, SATO, MAGGIE & ELISA sit. Macbeth, BROOKLYN, GOLIATH, BROADWAY, OWEN & Xanatos STAND.

35. NARRATOR
4:50PM EST. Eyrie Building. As the sun sets, Owen Burnett and Macbeth wait for Goliath to wake. NOVEMBER 2, 5:12PM EST. Inside the Great Hall, Macbeth addresses Goliath, Brooklyn, Hudson, Angela, Broadway, Bronx and Lexington.

36. MACBETH
It’s called the Stone of Destiny. For centuries the kings of Scotland were crowned upon it at Scone…

37. BROOKLYN
Magic talking stone. We’ve heard of it.

38. MACBETH
Yes, well, the English stole it. Now, after eight hundred years, it’s finally being returned. I’m asking for your help to ensure it gets to Scotland safely.

39. GOLIATH
Don’t you have… minions… for this?

40. MACBETH
We’ve parted ways. Please, Goliath. Many â€" including your landlord â€" would stop at nothing to get the Stone.

41. GOLIATH
I have been wounded twice in one week. I am healed â€" but not whole. But my second, Brooklyn, can lead Broadway, Lexington and Angela to join your quest.

42. BROADWAY
Yeah, we’re goin’ to Scotland!!

43. MACBETH
Well, England to start with--

44. BROOKLYN
I don’t know, Goliath, if you’re recovering, maybe this is the wrong time to send me overseas.

45. GOLIATH
Ah… Yes. You are needed here. Hudson may lead this expedition.

46. NARRATOR
Owen, watching the exchange by closed circuit, talks on the phone to Xanatos, who’s about to board a private plane.

47. OWEN
Yes, Macbeth, Hudson, Broadway, Angela and Lexington… Shall I attempt to stop them?

48. XANATOS
That won’t be necessary. I believe I’ve planned for this contingency.

49. NARRATOR
Back in the Great Hall, Angela whispers in Broadway’s ear.

50. BROADWAY
Uh… yeah… Manhattan’s dangerous right now. Me and Angela’ll stay too. To help Brooklyn.

51. BROOKLYN
That’s great. Thanks.

Macbeth, Brooklyn, Goliath, Broadway, Owen & Xanatos sit. SHARI STANDS.

52. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 3, 5:29AM EST. Nightstone Unlimited. Shari and Thailog are in Dominique Destine’s office.

53. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of two brothers who both loved the same female. And though all strife comes to an end one way or another, some conflicts refuse to stay dead. Xanatos and Demona used science and sorcery to create a monster from fragments of all three gargoyles, their bodies and souls. But in the end, the souls were segregated into Coldstone, Coldfire and Coldsteel. It’s really a timeless love story.

SHARI sits. Macbeth, CUSTOMS OFFICIAL, LEXINGTON & HUDSON STAND.

54. NARRATOR
3:00PM GMT. London. A private jet lands. Customs Officials greet Macbeth, as workers wheel two large crates from the plane’s hold.

55. CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
Lennox Macduff?

56. MACBETH
Yes.

57. CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
Welcome to England, sir. Anything to declare?

58. MACBETH
Works of art for my home in Berkeley Square.

59. CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
Have to have a look in, sir.

60. MACBETH
Of course.

61. NARRATOR
The crates are opened, revealing Lexington and Hudson, frozen in stone. 4:30PM GMT. Macbeth waits on the roof of his Berkeley Square Townhouse for Hudson and Lexington to wake. The sun sets. 5:07PM. It’s past sunset. Hudson and Lex are STILL frozen in stone. 6:15PM. Night. No change. 7:01PM. Macbeth grows concerned. 7:45PM. Hudson and Lex finally wake.

62. LEXINGTON, HUDSON
<awakening roars>

63. LEXINGTON
Whoa, I don’t feel so hot… and look how dark it is? How long have we been asleep?

64. MACBETH
Welcome, lad, to the wonderful world of jetlag. Don’t worry. You’ve got ten days to adjust before they move the Stone.

Macbeth, CUSTOMS OFFICIAL, LEXINGTON & HUDSON sit. Shari, INTERCOM & VINNIE STAND.

65. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 4, 5:30AM EST. Nightstone. Thailog soaks in a jacuzzi. Shari sits nearby.

66. SHARI
The story is told -- though who can say if it be true-- of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham… who fled the wrath of his brother Esau to a place he would call Bethel, where he laid his head upon a stone and had a wondrous vision!

67. NARRATOR
5:35AM EST. J.F.K.

68. INTERCOM
Flight 994, now boarding all rows…

69. VINNIE
Can you believe it? I’m goin’ to Japan!

Shari, Intercom & Vinnie sit. Goliath & Elisa STAND.

70. NARRATOR
9:48PM EST. Goliath’s Tower.

71. GOLIATH
About Halloween… I will not hold you to words spoken when you believed my life hung in the balance.

72. ELISA
Even if I want to be held?

73. GOLIATH
I know you care for me. That is not at issue. But what of the things I cannot give you… picnics… normalcy…?

74. ELISA
We can have a picnic anytime… and normalcy’s so over-rated.

75. NARRATOR
She runs her fingers through his hair. He takes her into his arms and kisses her.

Goliath & Elisa sit. Shari STANDS.

76. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 5, 5:31AM EST. Nightstone. Thailog and Shari look out over the city.

77. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" that Gathelus, a son of the king of Athens, won many victories for the Pharaoh of Egypt, who rewarded the prince with the hand of his beloved: Pharaoh’s own daughter, Scota. But Gathelus had also befriended Moses, the Hebrew, who warned his young friends of the plagues to befall the Kingdom of the Nile. Gathelus and Scota determined to leave Egypt, and Moses entrusted them with Jacob’s Pillow, the Hebrews’ sacred stone…

78. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 6, 5:32AM EST. ST. DAMIEN’S CATHEDRAL. Thailog, Shari and Brentwood search for something.

79. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" that Gathelus fled Egypt with his wife and the Stone of the Hebrews. He sought landfall on the rocky shores of Samothrace, for Scota was heavy with child and could go no farther. Still destiny blessed them with fine twin sons…

80. NARRATOR
6:00AM EST. Thailog flies Shari across the city. Brentwood follows.

81. SHARI
Gathelus and his family would wander the globe for two years before finding a home on the Iberian Peninsula in a place they named the Port of Gathelus, or Portugal. By this time the family had grown: the Athenian prince and Egyptian princess now had four healthy boys in their care not to mention one large Stone.

82. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 7, 5:33AM EST. Thailog and Shari begin a game of chess.

83. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" that after the death of her beloved Gathelus, Scota departed Portugal with her eight sons… only to lose five of the boys at sea… while Scota herself and another son died warrior’s deaths upon landing in Ireland. But her eldest boy, Eremon, and her youngest, Eber Finn, survived, and Eremon was crowned king upon the Stone at Tara.

Shari sits. Xanatos & FOX stand.

84. NARRATOR
2:18PM GMT. Mayfair. Xanatos takes Alexander from Fox.

85. XANATOS
Darling, if you like the shoes, buy them…

86. FOX
The black manolos in the window… do you have them in a size nine? Lovely. Wrap them up, please.

87. NARRATOR
2:45PM GMT. Fox exits the store.

88. FOX
Mission accomplished.

89. NARRATOR
7:19PM GMT. Fox admires her new shoes in the full-length mirror of her hotel room. Xanatos admires the shoebox.

90. XANATOS
Darling? Do you still need this shoebox… or might I dispose of it?

Xanatos & Fox sit. Shari & THAILOG STAND.

91. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 8, 5:34AM EST. Nightstone. Thailog and Shari continue their chess game.

92. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Moses, who led the Hebrews out of Egypt and into the desert… bringing forth water from Jacob’s Pillow to quench their--

93. THAILOG
You said Moses gave the Stone to Gathelus and Scota before leading the Hebrews out of Egypt!

94. SHARI
The story is told…

95. THAILOG
<pause> Though who can say if it be true? Right. Continue.

96. SHARI
The Hebrews passed the Stone down the centuries, until the prophet Jeremiah offered it in dowry to King Eochaid of Ireland when he wed Tamar Tea Tephi, Princess of Judah. Eochaid ensconced the Stone at Tara and dubbed it Lia Fáil.

97. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 9, 5:36AM EST.

98. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Cu Chullain, the Hero of Ulster, who championed Lugaid Red-Stripe for king. But when the Lia Fáil would not cry to confirm Lugaid, Cu Chullain was enraged, striking with Gae Bolga, the Spear of Light, and splitting the Stone of Destiny forever!

99. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 10, 5:37AM EST. Shari captures Thailog’s white knight with her black bishop.

100. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of young Prince Fergus of Ireland, who carried half Cu Chullain’s handiwork to Argyll in what men now call Scotland to found a kingdom called Dalriada. Though a castle called Carbonek found him instead, bringing the Priest-King Pelles and the Archmage Merlin and their request to borrow the Stone of Destiny for a purpose of their own. A purpose fulfilled in Londontown by a sword clep’d Excalibur in a stone clep’d Lia Fáil drawn forth by a boy clep’d Arthur.

101. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 11, 5:38AM EST. Thailog tips over one of Shari’s black rooks with his white bishop.

102. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Saint Columba, he who tamed the monster of Loch Ness, before returning to the island of Iona, where Merlin and Pelles had brought the Stone once it had served their purposes. And where Columba laid down his head upon Jacob’s Pillow and breathed his last.

103. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 12, 5:39AM EST. Shari’s Black Queen is lined up to capture Thailog’s White King.

104. SHARI
Check.

105. THAILOG
<growl>

106. SHARI
Would you prefer I lost on purpose?

107. THAILOG
I’d fire you if you did. Don’t you have a story to tell?

108. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Kenneth MacAlpin, scion of Fergus, who united the Kingdoms of Scotland and was crowned High King upon the Stone at Scone. As would all the Heirs of Scota â€" for the next four hundred years.

COLDFIRE STANDS.

109. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 12, 10:00PM GMT. David Xanatos presses a button on a remote control. NOVEMBER 13, 6:01AM GMT+8. TIBET. Inside the old cave, Coldstone and Coldfire stand over Master Dawa and Sangpo. All react to a noise.

110. COLDFIRE
I believe… I believe I can find him…

Coldfire sits.

111. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 13, 5:40AM EST. NIGHTSTONE.

112. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Edward the First of England, the Hammer of the Scots, who sicced his mighty Warwolf on his neighbors to the north and took as prize the Stone of Scone, which he installed in the Coronation Chair at Westminster Abbey, where it has crowned the kings and queens of England down to this very day…

Shari & Thailog sit. Lexington, Macbeth, Hudson, Arthur, GRIFF, AMP & COCO STAND.

113. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 13, 5:32PM GMT. Hudson and Lex are atop Victoria Tower. Macbeth is below, in front of Westminster Abbey.

114. LEXINGTON
All clear. No sign of trouble.

115. MACBETH
Not expecting trouble tonight. They’re only moving the Stone from the Coronation Chair to the Lantern. It won’t leave the Abbey until tomorrow.

116. HUDSON
Aye, and the human security is tight as a drum. I’m nae convinced you could break in there with a battering ram.

117. MACBETH
You’d be surprised.

118. NARRATOR
11:46PM GMT.

119. LEXINGTON
<yawn> Still nothing to report. Who exactly are we expecting?

120. MACBETH
Anyone. Everyone. Just stay alert…

121. NARRATOR
Macbeth spots a shadowy figure and pursues it down into a London Underground Station…

122. MACBETH
I’m probably on a wild goose chase, lads. But in case I’m not, you’d better head this… way…

123. LEXINGTON
That could be a problem…

124. NARRATOR
Arthur Pendragon puts Excalibur to Macbeth’s throat. Meanwhile, on Victoria Tower, Hudson and Lex are surrounded by gargoyles.

125. ARTHUR
By the blade of Excalibur, what are you up to now, Macbeth?

126. MACBETH
King Arthur?! I’m here to protect the Stone of Destiny!

127. ARTHUR
Then our two quests are one and the same!

128. MACBETH
Aye…

129. ARTHUR, MACBETH (UNISON)
The gargoyles!!

130. MACBETH
They’ll be at each other’s throats!!

131. GRIFF
Hudson! Lexington! Bloody lovely to see you again!

132. LEXINGTON
You too, Griff!

133. HUDSON
Aye, lad. The badduns’ll have no chance at that Stone now!

134. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 14, 5:28AM. Macbeth radios Lex.

135. MACBETH
It’ll soon be dawn. You and Hudson go with Griff. Arthur and I will stand vigil through the day.

Arthur & Macbeth sit.

136. NARRATOR
5:33AM GMT. Griff, Hudson, Lex and the other two gargoyles glide over London.

137. LEXINGTON
Are we headed to Soho? Goliath said you have a store there…

138. GRIFF
We do. But I thought I’d take you home instead. To our clan--

139. AMP
To Knight’s Spur!

140. COCO
You know, Griff, I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced to your Yank friends…

141. HUDSON
<Hmph> Watch who you’re callin’ a Yank, lass…

142. GRIFF
Where are my manners? Hudson, Lexington, this is Constance.

143. COCO
My friends call me Coco.

144. GRIFF
And this is Staghart.

145. AMP
My friends call me Amp!

146. COCO
Nobody calls you Amp, luv.

147. LEXINGTON
I’ll call you Amp.

148. NARRATOR
5:40AM.

149. GRIFF
Welcome to Knight’s Spur…

150. NARRATOR
7:20AM. Atop Knight’s Spur, Old Pog, Hudson, Griff, Lex, Amp, Coco and Lunette sleep as stone.

Hudson, Lexington, Griff, Amp & Coco sit. Arthur & Macbeth STAND.

151. NARRATOR
7:48AM. Macbeth and Arthur sip coffee outside a Nightstone’s café.

152. ARTHUR
…Mortally wounded in 542. So they shipped me off to some magic hill and put me to sleep for a thousand four hundred fifty-three years.

153. MACBETH
Sounds lovely.

154. ARTHUR
And you?

155. MACBETH
Deal with a demon in 1040. Officially died in 1057. Been sleepwalking for nine hundred thirty-nine years.

156. ARTHUR
<pause> Guess I got the better bargain.

157. MACBETH
Ach, I try not to dwell these days. So here’s to the immortals. There aren’t many like us…

Arthur & Macbeth sit. Shari STANDS.

158. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 14, 5:42AM EST. NIGHTSTONE. Shari places her black knight in front of Thailog’s white knight.

159. SHARI
The story is told â€" though who can say if it be true â€" of Robert the Bruce of Scotland, who defeated the English at Bannockburn with the help of an Irish ally, Cormac MacCarthy. With the victory, came a prize: a fragment of the Fatal Stone that England had taken from Scone. This fragment, the Bruce gave to MacCarthy, whose descendents had it installed at Blarney Castle, where it is said to grant the gift of gab. I’ve kissed it myself a time or two…

Shari sits. Hudson, Macbeth & Arthur STAND.

160. NARRATOR
NOVEMBER 14, 6:32PM GMT. Knight’s Spur. Hudson, Macbeth and Arthur confer in a book-lined study.

161. HUDSON
Lex, Griff, Constance and Staghart sent you home to rest then…

162. MACBETH
Aye, Hudson. We’ll catch a few hours sleep then head back out. But you…?

163. HUDSON
I had some questions for the Pendragon. Weren’t you on a quest to find your wizard?

164. ARTHUR
Indeed. And Sir Griff and I searched for Merlin in all the obvious places. But to no gain. So I’ve been “doing research” on Merlin… and on myself.

165. NARRATOR
Hudson examines a copy of Le Morte D’Arthur by Thomas Malory.

166. HUDSON
So many books… are any of them true?

167. ARTHUR
All things are true… few things are accurate.

168. MACBETH
Aye. No bloody kidding.

169. NARRATOR
Hudson contemplates this.

Hudson, Macbeth & Arthur sit.

Tomorrow, Chapter VIII...


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G2008 Radio Play

G2008 Radio Play

No, that's not a misprint. Before I post the G2009 Gargoyles/Spectacular Spider-Man crossover radio play, I'm going to post (over the next few days) the G2008 Radio Play. This was a CHRONOLOGICAL adaptation of issues 7-9 of the Gargoyles comic, i.e. the Stone of Destiny three-parter which makes up the first half of the recently released trade paperback, GARGOYLES: CLAN-BUILDING, VOLUME II. Now that the trade is out, I'm okay with posting this. But there are some caveats...

1. Reading this does NOT replace buying the trade. Because...

2. This version of the story doesn't really work, dramatically or otherwise. The story wasn't designed to be told chronologically. It gets somewhat tiresome told in chronological order and the final dramatic moment with the Stone talking to Macbeth, Xanatos, Arthur and Peredur across four time periods has none of it's power.

Nevertheless, here it is... or at any rate, here is the title page, cast list and teaser. I'll post the three chapters over the next three days...

GARGOYLES

CLAN-BUILDING
Chapter VII: THE ROCK
Chapter VIII: ROCK & ROLL
Chapter IX: ROCK OF AGES

(Radio Play Edition)

A Chronological Adaptation
by
Greg Weisman
(from his SLG comic book scripts)

For
The Twelfth Annual
Gathering of the Gargoyles
in
Chicago, Illinois

Performed June 28, 2008.

GARGOYLES
“CLAN-BUILDING:
CHAPTER VII: THE ROCK
CHAPTER VIII: ROCK & ROLL
CHAPTER IX: ROCK OF AGES”
(Radio Play Edition)
CAST LIST
1. NARRATOR 86 lines.
2. MACBETH 34 lines.
3. SHARI 22 lines.
4. COLDSTEEL 22 lines.
5. LEXINGTON 21 lines.
6. STONE OF DESTINY 15 lines.
7. HUDSON 13 lines.
8. DAVID XANATOS 13 lines.
9. ARTHUR PENDRAGON 13 lines.
10. CONSTANCE/COCO 12 lines.
11. STAGHART/AMP 9 lines.
12. GRIFF 9 lines.
13. THAILOG 8 lines.
14. COLDSTONE 6 lines.
15. COLDFIRE 5 lines.
16. GOLIATH 5 lines.
17. COYOTE 5.0 5 lines.
18. PEREDUR 4 lines.
19. COLDSTREAM GUARD 4 lines.
20. ELISA MAZA 4 lines.
21. JAY SATO 4 lines.
22. BLANCHEFLEUR 3 lines.
23. CUSTOMS OFFICIAL 3 lines.
24. BROOKLYN 3 lines.
25. DUVAL 2 lines.
26. FOX 2 lines.
27. BROADWAY 2 lines.
28. HOLY GRAIL 1 line.
29. LUNETTE 1 line.
30. VINNIE 1 line.
31. AIRPORT INTERCOM 1 line.
32. OWEN BURNETT 1 line.
33. MAGGIE THE CAT 1 line.
34. TALON 1 line.
35. SCOTTISH PATRIOT 1 line.

GARGOYLES
“CLAN-BUILDING:
CHAPTER VII: THE ROCK
CHAPTER VIII: ROCK & ROLL
CHAPTER IX: ROCK OF AGES”

ARTHUR, MACBETH, PATRIOT & STONE STAND.

1. NARRATOR
Gargoyles. Clan-Building. SEPTEMBER 29, 500. London.

2. ARTHUR
And as High King, I, Arthur Pendragon, swear by the Stone of Destiny to protect Britain and to serve her people all my days…

3. NARRATOR
SEPTEMBER 29, 1040. Scone.

4. MACBETH
And as High King, I swear by the Stone of Destiny to protect Scotland and to serve her people all my days…

5. NARRATOR
DECEMBER 25, 1950. Westminster Abbey.

6. MACBETH
All right, lads. Now or--

7. PATRIOT
SCOTLAND FOREVER!

8. MACBETH
<SHHHHH!>

9. NARRATOR
APRIL 11, 1951, 1:06AM GMT. ARBROATH ABBEY. Macbeth has just finished repairing the Stone of Destiny with epoxy. There’s a visible crack, but it’s in one piece.

10. MACBETH
There. Good as new. You can barely see the--

11. NARRATOR
The stone glows blue. The crack vanishes.

12. STONE
Thank you, Macbeth mac Findlaech, but the effort was pointless…

ARTHUR, MACBETH, PATRIOT & STONE sit.


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Mara writes...

Not a question so much as comments- REALLY enjoying the hopping in time for issue seven and eight as well as the art gets better and better each issue. (Hedgecock's pencils are strong and improve as he's getting more familiar with the characters and Bevard's colors are beautifully crisp and more in touch with the style the show was done in.)

So, yeah. Keep on keeping on.

Greg responds...

Thanks, Mara.

Response recorded on June 03, 2008

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Charisma82 writes...

Wow, I feel like I am really slacking off by finally posting my 2nd half of Gargoyles #7 review after so long, but at least I finally got it done. I figured I ought to get it done and over with before I get issue #8 (which I have purchased online and should be getting in the near future). So here's the long awaited (well, by me anyways) 2nd half of #7 review.

Gargoyles: Clan-Building
Part 7: The Rock

Part 2 Pages 13-24

Page 13: Goliath finally gets it that not only is Broadway and Angela now a couple, but Brooklyn is feeling down in the dumps because of it. At least the big guy is understanding and tries to help him out by letting him stay in Manhattan, but to no avail. Broadway & Angela decide to stay as well, which kinda bothers me in a way. Goliath tells them to go on this mission, and then they up and tell him they're going to stay behind anyway. It bothers me that Goliath lets this slide, after he's given them a direct order. But I guess he's got other things on his mind, such as recovering still and the whole Elisa/Goliath relationship thing.

Page 14: I LOVE the last scene on this page with Macbeth in 1950. I love the lines, "Scotland Forever!" "SHHHH!" Besides this funny scene, we get to see Lex, Hudson, and Macbeth during a stakeout, but not much is happening for them yet.

Page 15: Another page dedicated to the story of Gathelus and his growing family. The artwork is still incredible. The picture on Thailog and Shari… it was very creepy and cool at the same time. Even before getting online to read people's responses to the picture, I immediately though of the picture looking like Goliath and Elisa, only Shari and Thailog's picture seems much darker. Props on such a great idea to reflect the 2 couples on each other.

Page 16: To answer Hudson's question, "Who exactly are we expecting?" Just about anybody… but especially Xanatos. Again, we get to see Xanatos working with the Coyote Diamond. He's making a deal with someone, and it is pretty easy to guess who when your eye slips to the page next to it. I liked how you had the Scarab Corporation logo in one of Xanatos' backgound shots.

Page 17: Xanatos gets the new and improved Coyote robot working again with the help of the Coyote Diamond and then we get a big shot of Coldsteel and the new robot, ready to do as Xanatos' commands. This should be interesting.

Page 18: Shari tells the story of the Coldstone trio. It was a nice touch to help those who did not watch the TV series understand what went on between the three gargoyle souls. Thailog looks really intense as he looks at his computer screen.

Page 19: A Goliath & Elisa moment. I really like how the scene is set up to look just like the scene from issue #5. Great idea on that.

Page 20: And here we get one of the big revealers: Maggie is officially pregnant. I had to explain this scene to my sister, because she didn't get it at first. Then we see Elisa throwing away normalcy to be with Goliath, after he was graciously trying to let her off the hook. I like how you put the Maggie/Talon scene right above this scene. Elisa sees that Maggie & Talon, who are definitely not normal, are happy together. I think it gave her an extra boost of confidence to go on without normalcy in her life. Besides, her life was never going to be normal anyways. She might as well be with the guy she loves.

Page 21: The close of the story for Gathelus. Shari and Thailog are playing chess. I just realized how this scene reflects on Fox & Xanatos. It's funny, Shari and Thailog might look like a dark version of Goliath and Elisa, but their intellect and trickery is much more like the Xanatos couple. All of these couples being compared to each other… wow, there are a lot of strong couples in this series.

Page 22: Macbeth checking out a mysterious shadow lead. I never noticed King Arthur's shadow at the middle of the page until just now. Huh. And of course, Macbeth can't go anywhere without his famous "lightning" gun.

Page 23: Macbeth is caught off guard by, no other than, King Arthur! The last panel on this page is my 2nd favorite one in the entire comic. My first thought was… "Oh no… Arthur doesn't know that Macbeth is one of the good guys!" I guess I totally blanked out the end of the episode "Pendragon". Then I remembered that they had left on good terms the last time they'd seen each other. So, as many are, and will wonder until #8 is read, why is Arthur being so hostile towards Macbeth?

Page 24: So, this was my favorite scene in the entire comic. New gargoyles! And they look so cool! I love their designs, and I can't wait to learn more about them in the next comic. I didn't notice Griff at the bottom of the page until my 2nd or 3rd read through. Yeah Griff! He's one of my favorites in the Gargoyles universe, and I can't wait to hear more about him in future comics.

There it is. I finally got it done. Hopefully I'll be doing one of these for #8 very soon. I have to mention that this comic was so good, that my sister even came in and started talking to me and asking questions about it, which she doesn't usually do. It has to be a really great comic if it got my sister talking to me about it. Thanks for the great job!

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

And thank you!

Response recorded on April 21, 2008

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Sabina writes...

Ha, I finally got Gargoyles #7. Took long enough, atleast it brought the TPB with it. :)

The new stories are quite interesting and it's nice to see how everything is set up and interwoven.
I hope the comic will be around for a long time.

Goliath looks rather seductive on the TPB's back.

Greetings,
Sabina

Greg responds...

That's a Hedgecock Goliath on the back, I believe. (Going from memory here. Don't have the book in front of me.)

Response recorded on February 07, 2008

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Woods writes...

In the Rock Hudson and Lexington wake up at 7:45 this is accounted to jet lag but in New York it would only be 2:45pm, so wouldn't have made more sense for Hudson and Lex to wake at elevenish in London

Greg responds...

Even after less than one night, they are already starting to adjust to the new timezone. That's how attuned to the biorhythms of the planet the ancient race of gargoyles are.

Response recorded on February 05, 2008

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Charisma82 writes...

Hey! Okay, first off, WOW! I loved The Rock! I had been excited about this comic ever since the teaser on Garg Wiki was put up about the synopsis of the story. I couldn't wait to see how you would incorporate all those characters into this issue. I was very pleased to see how you did it. It all fit great! And another biggie that lets me know that this issue was fantastic is that my sister (likes to read the comics, but really isn't into the whole Gargoyles obsession I'm into) was actually psyched after reading it and came in and talked to me about some parts of the story. All right, enough on that, now it's time to get to my page by page report on issue # 7, The Rock.

Gargoyles: Clan-Building
Part 7: The Rock

Part 1 Pages 1-12

Cover: Before I get to the pages, I have to comment on the cover. I've never commented on the cover before on the other issues because most of them never really tied in with what was really going on in the comic, but this one did. When I first looked at this comic's cover I paused a moment in thought. Why would Greg have the gargoyles asleep at night when that was already done before in the TV series? Then I thought that maybe the rock that was supposed to be in this issue was magical in some way that made gargoyles turn to stone at night. Then I noticed Big Ben in the background. It didn't click right away about the jet lag thing, so I still pondered over this when I started to read the comic. I completely forgot about the cover until the end of the comic when I remembered it and then put 2 and 2 together about them being in a different time zone. Well, better late than never I suppose.

Page 1: It starts out well enough. We see Macbeth hanging out, waiting for Goliath to wake up with Owen (who no doubt escorted Macbeth up to the tower). We get a close up on both Macbeth and Goliath. The only thing that really stood out to me on this page was the caption that read "November 2, 4:50PM EST." When I saw that I thought, "Great… we're going to have to do some thinking in this issue if Greg's going to be putting up times and dates."

Page 2: My next thought was, "Even better… the dates and times are out of order!" The first couple of pages with the different dates and times were interesting. I found it to be more fun the second time I went through the comic because then I could flip through and read the scenes in the order they really went in time wise. It was a fun little twist you stuck in there. This second page felt more of a "Next time on Gargoyles…" page. We see that a bomb is involved at some future point as well as Lexington naming something "Amp". I didn't know about the in-joke there until I read about it online. I'd forgotten that Amp was a name that was going to be used for the TV show. I like the picture of Xanatos here. He looks cool with the Coyote Diamond. I was really glad to see the Coyote Diamond. You and Xanatos have a knack for not wasting things.

Page 3: I really liked how these stories that happened a long time ago were incorporated into this comic. I love the art style to it. I already knew about the story of Jacob, but I didn't know how you were going to connect it in with the Gargoyles Universe. Thailog looks like he's enjoying his bath time.

Page 4: Macbeth asks the gargoyles for a favor. Goliath looks like he's asked a very annoying question, Broadway looks scary, Angela looks really angry, Lex looks bored, Brooklyn looks normal, and Hudson looks sad. But Bronx seems happy enough. Besides their weird looks, which really had nothing to do with anything else in the comic, we get to see Macbeth being crowned king from back in 1040. I'm glad you had the coronation held outdoors in the comic book and explained why you did that on Ask Greg. I hadn't known that the TV series had messed up and that it wasn't supposed to be in a castle. I'm glad you got the chance to set things straight.

Page 5: The first time I read this page, I read it so quickly that I thought it was Macbeth asking Goliath if he had minions. I found that odd, and re-read the page to find out that I had gotten their lines mixed up. The thought of Goliath having minions… huh…

Page 6: We jump ahead to see that Macbeth is boarding a plane with some extra cargo. I find it funny that people don't ask Macbeth if his parents really liked Shakespeare and named him after some of his characters, since his cover name is Lennox Macduff. He's got to be teased by some people about it.

Page 7: We go back to see that Owen is reporting to Xanatos about the gargoyles' new travel plans, yet Xanatos is still a couple steps ahead of the game… or he's lying about being prepared because he was too occupied with Fox and her decision to buy new shoes. I'm going with the first idea though. Speaking of shoes, we get to see Fox, Xanatos, and Alex in London, where she is thinking about buying new shoes.

Page 8: Another story done in cool art. I hadn't heard about this story before. I found it interesting how you connected the Gathelus story with that of Moses and Jacob's.

Page 9: It's Claw! And Al! Yet, neither of them says anything. I wasn't even thinking of Maggie being pregnant when I read this page. One thing that threw me were the clones in the background turned to stone. I thought that it was the Manhattan clan. I was trying to figure out why all of them would've gone with Elisa down into the Labyrinth. I finally figured out that it wasn't them, though. It was also cool to see Dr. Sato.

Page 10: A funny page. I wish you had put in the bathroom break. And you want to know the sad part? It didn't even dawn on me about this relating to the front cover. I must've really been into the comic.

Page 11: By this time, I'd kinda figured that Lex and Hudson were the only Manhattan gargoyles with Macbeth, unless the others were secretly being hidden for some twisting story plot… but I have my doubts on that. And you got to love jet lag.

Page 12: Once again, great drawing style for more of the story told by Shari. We see Thailog and Brentwood doing some digging. I wondered if they were looking for the crystal that Demona found in the demolished building, but I'm not so sure. I don't know how that crystal would tie into this story line, plus there's the fact that Demona has it, and I don't think Thailog is the kinda guy to let someone beat him to his prize. And I'm wondering right now, where you came up with Shari's name. Is she named after a person you know/knew, or was it a random name choice?

That's the first half. Hopefully I'll get to the 2nd half sooner than later.

Thank you for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

Greg responds...

You too.

Response recorded on January 31, 2008

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Phil writes...

I didn't get this in before the last cutoff, but here's my ramble/review/response to "The Rock". Many people already commented on it, so I'm going to delve into something that hasn't been gone into in-depth: the non-linear structure. (I posted this a couple of weeks ago in the comment room, but here it is at "Ask Greg", too.)

When I first read the story, I didn't get the point of not telling it chronologically. I enjoyed the issue and thought it might be the best one yet, but the structure was distracting and kept me from fully getting into it. However, having faith in your skills, I analyzed the issue and have come to the conclusion that you're a creative genius. Basically, the story is told in order, not chronologically, but logically, revealing to the readers what they need to know as they need to know it, and not before.

****SPOILERS****

The first few pages serve two purposes: 1) to warn us right up front about the structure of the story, and 2) to hook us like a barbed fishing hook. By the end of page two we can't put the book down even if we wanted to. But by the end of page three, I was starting to wonder how this all fits together. What does Jacob's stone have to do with anything? Macbeth answers on the next page. "It's called the Stone of Destiny."

Page four begins the meat of the story. Macbeth asks the gargoyles to help protect the Stone. There's a one-panel flashback to illustrate his connection to the Stone. Everything progresses chronologically for a few pages until...

There break in the story for travel time, so page seven introduces the villain of the story. Xanatos is aware of what's going on, but he's unconcerned. We see that he's in London with his family. And speaking of family...

Gathelus and Scota are introduced and the backstory of the Stone progresses. By the end of the page, Scota is obviously pregnant. And speaking of pregnant...

Page nine advances some (not just one, but several) subplots from previous stories. Dr. Sato's presence emphasizes that the mutates are creatures of biology, and not magic. And speaking of biology...

The main story continues. We're reminded that gargoyles are biological creatures; they suffer from jetlag. Macbeth says there are ten days until the Stone is moved, which prompts a flashback to Gathelus and Scota moving the Stone. Then ten days later, Hudson and Lex are on the job.

By this time we're wondering, where are the others? Page thirteen gives us an answer while advancing another subplot and setting up future Clan-Building.

Back to the main story again on page fourteen. Although everything looks secure, Macbeth's not so confident, and we see another one-panel flashback to illustrate why and to reinforce his connection to the Stone.

There's another break in the action of the main story, so it's a good time for Shari to take up another page and provide more backstory. But after that we're back to London. Hudson asks, "Who exactly are we expecting?" And the answer is given.

The villain part of the story is filled in with Xanatos, Coyote, and Coldsteel. At this point, some newbies might ask, who is this "Coldsteel"? Shari is right there to answer on the next page and at the same time set up some more future Clan-Building. "It's really a timeless love story..."

Which leads right into Goliath and Elisa. They've got a beautiful scene, and since Goliath doesn't vocalize everything that's in his heart we're treated to a flashback of a happily expectant couple to say what he left unsaid. He and Elisa give in to true love, but...

Sometimes true love ends in tragedy. Gathelus dies, and Scota's life crumbles. Her sons carry on.

That almost wraps up the story. The only thing left is to return to Macbeth and the main plot to set up the cliffhanger that will bring us all back in two months. Make that "cliffhangers, plural," since Macbeth and Arthur would have been cliffhanger enough. But you double the suspense by bringing in the London Clan, too. Plus there are the teases back on page two that leave us anticipating more.

****END SPOILERS****

The non-linear structure is fascinating to me. Although everything seems to jump around randomly, each panel and page logically connects to the ones around it in thought or theme, if not chronology. That's not to say I'd want every issue to be like this; it takes a lot of thought and study to understand it all. But as an experimental or occasional format, there's a lot to like.

And before I close, a few words about Shari. Somehow I think that if you had worked on season three back in 1996, Shari would not exist as we know her. But with a ten-year gap there's a lot of backstory to exposit, and I have seen too many times when characters awkwardly discuss things they already know just to inform the reader or viewer. So introducing a storyteller like Shari and connecting her to Thailog (who was in a surprisingly few episodes) is such an elegant solution to that problem. And of course you don't just abandon her in her expository role; there's a lot more to her than that.

Anyway, there's my ramble, better late than never.

Greg responds...

Hey Phil, you can call me a "creative genius" anytime you want!!

"That's not to say I'd want every issue to be like this; it takes a lot of thought and study to understand it all. But as an experimental or occasional format, there's a lot to like."

That's not to say I'd want every issue to be like this; it takes a lot of thought and study to WRITE it all.

Anyway, I love your analysis, because among other things... YOU GOT IT! All that thought, study, time, hair-pulling and packages of index cards feel worth it now.

Response recorded on January 25, 2008

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Rachel N. writes...

Season's Greetings, Greg!

I'd just like to share some comments on Gargoyles #7 "The Rock". Another great chapter in the "Clan-Building" series...though I have to say following this particular storyline as it bounced around to different dates and times was a bit confusing at first, but I also think it was effective overall. Great to have Macbeth back in the series, and I liked the origin tale of the Stone of Destiny (incorporating Old Testament Biblical figures Jacob and Moses) - very cool!

Two major plot points that stood out in a great way:
- Dr. Sato examining a pregnant Maggie. I certainly didn't see Maggie's pregnancy coming, but I think it's wonderful! Derek/Talon will be a father, Peter and Diane Maza will be grandparents, and Elisa will be an aunt. Gotta love that! :-)
- Elisa and Goliath getting back together (I loved the dialogue between them in those scenes), and I always love seeing them smooch...it's a beautiful sight!

Also, it'll be interesting to see what develops with the "team-up" of Xanatos, the Coyote robot (now with the Coyote Diamond inside him), and Coldsteel. And I gotta say I really like the design of the two "new" UK clan gargoyles (the female boar gargoyle and the male white stag gargoyle) Can't wait to find out more about them!

Many thanks to all who work on these Gargoyle comics - I love them! Bring on #8! :-)

Greg responds...

Thanks. I'll pass on the kind words to the rest of the team!

Response recorded on January 23, 2008


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