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Jim R. writes...
Some disturbing news came to my attention: That the estimated Gathering population is only 31% of its 500 person goal. Those numbers are bad for LA. Perhaps when they bring it back to VA Beach on the "East Coast" again, more people will attend. Maybe me.
Greg responds...
Jim, the numbers could definitely be better. Though you should keep in mind, that L.A.'s pre-paid membership sales have ALREADY topped attendance (both pre-paid and walk-ins) from each of the previous four gatherings. And we're still four+ months out from the L.A. convention.
Of course, our goal is to top attendance of all four previous gatherings COMBINED. That'll be tough. But with walk-ins, I bet we're darn close.
Now obviously, I'd like to see Virginia Beach do just as well or even better. But there's no doubt in my mind that L.A. is going to be the biggest and best Gathering so far. (Really, you don't want to miss it.)
ANGELA writes...
Hi, Greg. For the Gargoyles "The Gathering Tour" will you be coming to Boston anytime soon? I live in New Hampshire, so anywhere in New England would be great, because it's driveable. Thanks! :)
Greg responds...
As I answered earlier today, I don't decide where the conventions take place. YOU DO! Fans organize these things.
The con is planned for Los Angeles this June.
And for Virginia Beach, Virginia in the summer of 2002.
There are no specific plans beyond that.
Nyrtleka writes...
Any chance the Gathering next year or a year following might end up in
1. Philadelphia?
2. Boston?
3. New York?
Thanks.
Greg responds...
We've had two Gatherings in New York already (1997, 1998). But really it's about local fans wanting the convention and working their butts off to put forward a viable proposal. And then, if they get the con, working their butts off even more to put on a great show.
Every year a tremendous amount of work is done by a small group of people to get the convention up and off the ground. And you know, mostly the thanks they get is a lot of complaining. And it really bothers me.
(I know this wasn't really your question, but I feel like ranting.)
Con staff decisions are made with care. With thought. With awareness of multiple variables. Criticism comes with little care, thought or awareness of multiple variables.
I'm personally very grateful to the staffs of the first four conventions. Nothing's flawless, but I had a great time at each one.
And as I've been more involved than usual in the planning for G2001 in Los Angeles, I know, I KNOW, that the con staff has been working triple time to get stuff done and make it the best Gathering yet. It might be nice for someone to say thank you on occasion. Some of the backbiting I've seen and heard about is very hurtful and patently unfair.
O.K. End of rant. Sorry, Nyrtleka, none of that was directed at you, of course.
Now, to answer your question, I believe that G2002 is scheduled to take place in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Not Philly, NYC or Boston, but it's east coast, if that's what you were looking for. As for 2003, the process to choose that con's location is some time in the distance. But if you want it to be someplace specific, then get your act together and put together a proposal that is just too good to pass on.
Elisa Ann Goliath writes...
Dear Greg,
This is my first time writng to you, so first I would just like to say how much I really enjoy your work on the Gargolyes. (Especially the Elisa/Goliath reltionship. It's a lot of the reason why I watch the show). I wish I could go to the Gathering in 2001, but I'm only 16, and I live in Alabama, and I don't think I could convince my 'rents to let me go all the way across the country just for some "cartoon thing" as my daddy calls my love of the Garg's. Now for my question. How many people, on average, would you say come to the Gatherings?
Greg responds...
I'd say it's hard to pick an "average" number since the con has grown slow but steady every year.
And I'm hoping that this year we'll have a MAJOR growth spurt. Our goal is a minimum of 500 people. In the past, we started just below 100 and climbed above that number.
I understand your predicament, and I know this is presumptuous of me, but have you tried suggesting to your 'rents that they make a family vacation to L.A. in June. The Gathering can be but one of many attractions you visit. The convention is being held twenty yards from Universal Studios and Universal Citywalk. Daytrips to Disneyland and/or Magic Mountain or any other Southern California attraction you can name are easily accomplished. Can't hurt to ask? (Or if it can, ignore me.) :)
Ed writes...
Out-of-universe question: where would you most like to hold a Gathering convention? :)
Greg responds...
Depends on the criteria.
I'm very excited to have one in my home town of Los Angeles this coming summer 2001.
After that, the main criteria is the enthusiasm and organizational skills of the host city and committee. I'll go most anywhere that they hold the thing. And I'll be happy to do it.
But if you're asking about cities that I'd like to visit and/or cities that I think would be particularly appropriate to the series:
London, England
Edinburgh, Scotland
Paris, France
Florence, Italy
Tintagel, England
New Orleans
Vancouver, British Columbia
Bar Harbor, Maine
Flagstaff, Arizona
Prague
Somewhere in Australia
Somewhere in Wales
Ireland
San Francisco
Ohio
Loch Ness, Scotland
Avalon, California
These are all just off the top of my head. I'm not advocating anyplace in particular. Again, the main criteria is the organizing committee, not the location.
Speaking of which, who's bidding on 2002?
G2K DIARY: Chapter VII
WEDNESDAY: We had a late afternoon flight and some time to kill. We asked for a late checkout from our rooms, but that still meant we had to vacate a couple hours before we needed to leave for the airport. We moved to the lobby. The kids got to spend some more time with Siryn, Heather Rice and a bunch of others. I hiked over to McDonalds and brought us back some food. And then Kellie drove us to the airport.
Everything went very smoothly on the way home. Flight was on time, and I even made it to my Wednesday night class only an hour late. (Kevin Hopps, my co-teacher, was there to cover for me.) Heck, Gathering attendee and animation writing student Carol didn't even make it. So I was pretty proud of myself.
And that's it.
G2K DIARY: Chapter VI
TUESDAY:
Again, Kellie drove us to the parks. She dropped us off and we boarded the Mono-Rail to the Magic Kingdom. Rented our strollers and entered. We spent the morning on our own.
PIRATES. SMALL WORLD. Other kid pleasers.
Then we met up with Siryn, Kellie and Sara, who were just terrific with the kids. We went to ToonTown (or whatever it's called in Florida) so that the kids could get some autographs, but Benny fell asleep in the stroller. So we had Minnie and Cinderella sign his book and take pictures with him, while asleep. Erin enjoyed it though.
The weather was just a tad less hot. But it made a big difference. And we did more rides and fewer shows, so it was much more tolerable.
Saw the Morgans again, but they had a fast pass for something, so we couldn't hang.
We did the AUTOPIA equivalent. And a bunch of other stuff, including the new TIKI ROOM. We saw a couple of parades. One where the kids got to participate. And the MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE. We ate in Tomorrowland. We saw FIREWORKS.
And than we took the Ferry back to Kellie's car. She took us home. I went to get Donuts. But Dunkins was all out of Donuts, even though they weren't closed yet. Go figure.
Sorry for the abbreviated version, but my memory is already failing me.
Anyway, to be concluded... on "WEDNESDAY"!
G2K DIARY: Chapter V
MONDAY: We let the kids sleep relatively late, cuz we knew they'd want to stay up to the bitter end.
Then we all packed into Kellie's car for the Journey to Disney/MGM studios. We got our double stroller and lemonade and headed into the Studio. It's a cool looking place, but MAN IS IT HOT AND HUMID. They had those TOY STORY LITTLE GREEN SOLDIERS running around shooting grateful people with water cannons. I spent the entire day literally pouring water on my head to no avail. It was kinda brutal.
The kids spotted Hercules, Aladdin, Minnie, Belle and quite a few others, so we bought them autograph books and did <surprise, surprise> some standing in line.
Then we met up with Sara and a bunch of others at a cool diner (with great food -- much better than at Disneyland) that's themed to look like a sitcom house. Sort of. Still, at this point it was family time, so we sat down and ate without the gang. Then we arranged a meeting time for later and headed out on our own.
Little Mermaid show (using a fast pass). The Movie ride inside the Chinese Theater. The Mu Lan Parade. The Doug Live Show. Muppets 3-D. Etc. Then we met up with everyone and headed over to Fantasmic. The kids loved all of it. I had fun, but man the heat.
On the way out, we spotted the Morgans, and I thought it was too bad that we hadn't spent more time together as families, but I also get the feeling that they're more adventurous than us.
Anyway, Kellie drove us home. I called Thom and said good-bye, and we all crashed.
TO BE CONTINUED... "ON TUESDAY"...
G2K Diary: Chapter IV
SUNDAY - Got up and gave my little panel/Q&A on writing for TV Animation. Like a mini-mini-mini-version of the TWENTY WEEK class I teach through UCLA extension. (How come more of you don't take that, huh?) Anyway, it was kinda fun, and as usual, I would have kept talking forever if we hadn't had to clear the room for the auction and signing.
Thom had the time wrong and was late, but he got there eventually, and he and I and Greg G. and Vic signed stuff, while we marveled at the auction. $805 for the storyboard. $95 for the script. It makes me proud. (And sorta grumbly that I have no financial interest in GARGOYLES. Oh, well.) We raised a lot of money. You guys are all terrific. Later I re-signed the script for Lanny to personalize it. Least I could do, after $95 and four consecutive Gathering attendances.
I attended part of Greg Guler's character design session. It was very interesting. He's a good speaker. Made me sorry I missed Thom's acting session, and Vic's storyboard session. I like this stuff.
Somewhere in here, Thom and I did another Q&A. I can't remember exactly when. But it was fun. And then we screened the first two episodes of 3x3 EYES, which featured Brigitte Bako and Christian Campbell with guest appearances by Thom, myself and Keith -- in a very startling roll. I think the eps went over very well. We got a lot of roars for the Garg in-jokes I slipped in there. (But I knew that would happen. I was preaching to the converted.)
Then it was dinner time. I went back to collect my family, but Benny had passed out after another hot day of swimming and running around. So I offered to stay with him and let Beth take Erin to dinner. But she let me go so that Erin could spend some time with me. So Erin and I departed with Thom, Jen, Mitch, Kenna, the Morgans, Kathy and Patrick and Alan, I think. (As usual, I'm probably forgetting someone, sorry.) It was a very long hike to RED LOBSTER. Then I thought they'd never be able to seat us, but low and behold they did after not TOO long a wait. Jen and Erin and Kenna taught each other sign language. ERin and Becca played with a kind of sticker puzzle. And the food was great. But then service was very slow, and it soon became clear that we were going to be late to the Closing Ceremonies. We tried cell phones, but no one's worked. Finally, we forced Thom, since it was all his fault to run on ahead, as those of us with kids weren't gonna do much running at all. We hiked the long way back. And finally got there. WAY LATE.
But Closing Ceremonies were a blast. Everyone was so hyped. I made another pitch for G2001. Lots of cheers for G2K's staff. More awards. It was great.
Eventually, things calmed down a bit, and we showed two more episodes of 3x3. Bill F. was in these. They also went over pretty well. "Wu" "Wu".
When it was over, Jen, Thom, Kathy and I tried to go swimming, since we hadn't had time to get in the pool all con long. But predictably, the hotel told us it was too late. So we headed back to Patrick's room for a while. Then I took off to rejoin my family.
It was time to be a dad again. Next stop: DISNEYWORLD
To be continued... on "MONDAY"...
Chris writes...
Dear Greg,
Hello! I couldn't find this in the archieves so I was wondering if you had ever seen the Gargoyles paroday Lawn Gnomes and if so if you had any thoughts on it. It aired as part of one of the Freakazoid episodes (currently being rerun on Cartoon Network). Thanks for your time and for Gargoyles!
Greg responds...
I saw it at a Gathering. I think in '98. I thought it was mildly amusing.
G2K DIARY: Chapter III
SATURDAY - And things were in full swing. It was a day largely dedicated to the radio play for me, Thom and Jen. We held more auditions. Again, with a mediocre turnout. (Hope this isn't the start of a trend. Do you guys still like the radio plays, or has it gotten old hat by now?)
Then Jen, Thom and I grabbed some food at the snack shop and cast the thing. Thom and I agreed that Jen was the best choice for the female lead. I was nervous about conflicts of interest, but what the hell, we just wanted the best possible show.
We posted the list. I went to get the BIG BOX OF SCRIPTS (which had been SUCH a pain to ship to Florida). And then we convened to rehearse. First problem, someone we cast didn't show. Didn't see her again for the entire convention. Wondered what happened. At first we figured she'd be there any minute, so we didn't recast. By the time we realized that she probably wouldn't be showing up at all, we figured it was too late to bring in one of the other people who had auditioned. There wasn't time to bring them up to speed. So we forced Jesse to play two parts. She did great.
Then we took a short break. I went to my room to get some water. Came back and had MORE trouble finding everyone to shove them into our "Green Room". Wanderer and Anne went off to grab a meal. They came back way late. THANKS. :) Anyway, the show got started and it went very well, I think.
Then we had another break, and I finally took some time to walk through the absolutely AMAZING art room. Stopped by the dealer's room too. Played with my kids. (I had been absent dad, so far that weekend.) And we all endured the delays caused by the blackout. Finally, dinner got started by candlelight. I shared a table with my family, Ashlee, A Fan, and a couple of other people (again, I apologize for forgetting.) We held the trivia contest. I was pleased that I knew most of the answers. Ashlee knew some that I didn't quite remember, but she wasn't always confident enough to make the rest of the gang listen. I hope she gets over that fast. Then Greg, Vic, Thom and I got up to do our Q&A, which was fun.
And there was another break, while people got costumed. Erin and Ben came as Fox and Xanatos from the Judo workout scene in "Outfoxed". (They wore their actual karate uniforms. And Jen, I think, helped them by painting a Fox tatoo on Erin and a mustache and goatee on Ben. Ben quickly tired of his facial hair however, and had his mom wash it off before the contest began.) Becca was an amazing Bronx. We sorta rushed the juvenal division of the contest into play, since it was getting pretty late for the kids. Tom, Greg, Vic and I declared it a tie between Becca and Erin&Ben. But I later went up to Christine and admitted that Becca should have won hands down.
Then the four of us sat down to judge the contest. It was terrific. Vic kept turning to me and asking "Was that character in the show?" No. No. No. Oh, wait, yes. No. No. No. Mostly.
Tim Morgan was a terrific Owen. But the freaky thing was, that without his mustache and with his hair died blond, he really looked A LOT like my college roommate from senior year, Cameron Douglas. And Aaron has always looked like a long-haired version of my junior year roommate Tom McMinn. So I had a picture taken with the three of us.
There were a ton of great costumes. We gave the big prize to Dreamie, who had real working wings. (I half expected her to glide off on them any second.) Of course, we just had to give a prize to Patrick "Chavez" Toman. The guys wanted "Most Disturbing", which I was fine with, but I wanted to also call it "The Gorebash Memorial Award". They didn't get that, but I insisted. Both designations got a big laugh.
After the contest, I hung around. Seth grabbed me and stuck me on ICQ for a couple minutes, and I gave some people a hard time for not being at the con. I also talked with a whole bunch of (mostly) new faces who asked a lot of questions, while Jen and Kelly and a few other people were, like, doing backflips on the dance floor.
Eventually, a few of us went back to Patrick and Kathy's room and hung out for a bit. Finally, I called it a night.
To be continued... ON "SUNDAY"...
G2K DIARY: CHAPTER II
FRIDAY - We ordered room service from the hotel, which was good. Then I left the kids with Beth to head over to the con for early auditions. Things were just getting started. Fairly organized chaos. It took awhile for Thom and Jen and I to gather and get started. And when we did....
Well, not too many people auditioned. I think we only had seven or eight that first day. That wasn't TOO surprising. Not everyone was there yet. We were only holding the early auditions to give us a hedge against being flooded with people on Saturday. We needn't have worried. We had a much lower audtion turnout this year than the last two. (I'm not sure why.) Even with me giving a number of the male roles to females, we still had to use EVERY male who auditioned. And nearly every female.
Anyway, with that over, I went to join my family in the pool. But they had spent the morning swimming and were just getting out. Our goal was to attend the ice cream social, but we wanted the kids to eat something vaguely healthy first, so we "repackaged" them and walked to Denny's. It took MUCH, MUCH longer than we thought it would. By the time we got back and located the Ice Cream Social, the Ice Cream had melted and nearly everyone was gone. Oh, well.
We went back to the room to kick back until opening ceremonies.
Opening Ceremonies was fun. Sara intro'd many, many people. Chris and Hudson discussed their very interesting ideas about organizing Gargoyle Fandom. Jen and I talked about G2001. Thom said hello. I introduced my family, though by this time my kids had largely lost interest and were playing with Becca Morgan in the corner.
Then I got up to do my standard schpiel. As I mentioned there, most of the attendees know it so well, they can practically recite it back to me as if it were the Rocky Horror Picture Show or something. But I showed the original GARGOYLES sales pitch. The "Power of One/Glory" Better-Than-Barney Promo. A "new" promo, i.e. one that I hadn't shown before, hosted by Jonathan Frakes. The pitches for New Olympians and Dark Ages. And the Story Reel for Bad Guys. As usual, despite the familiarity, everyone seemed pretty enthused to see this stuff again.
We had a quick G2001 staff meeting after opening ceremonies. It went well. We all got pretty excited about what we have planned for that.
I quickly slipped back to my room to exchange video tapes. Came back with SEVEN episodes of STARSHIP TROOPERS (aka ROUGHNECKS) and showed those, explaining what had gone on in the series leading up to these episodes, between them and after them. It was kinda fun, but we barely made it out of the room before the Hotel was ready to kick us out.
Then another group of twelve or so of us, including Kenna, Jen, Amy, Alison and others headed back to Denny's. We ate a bit. Laughed a lot. And headed back to the hotel...
The con was just getting under way. TO BE CONTINUED... ON "SATURDAY"...
John D (Jack's Dad) writes...
Greg,
I hope you remember me and my son. We were at 1999 Gathering (Jack was the little boy dressed as Goliath in the costume contest). Anyway, we cannot attend the Orlando Gathering this year (despite having airline tickets) as I must go to SE Asia for business. Anyway....some updates for you as well as a question or 2
1 -In Japan, Gargoyles memorabilia is quite popular. I have been in Japan quite a few times and Jack has brought some of his Gargoyle figures etc;. AS we interact with more kids, they cling to the show. Of course, translating this into Japanese is time consuming...some of the references and history is impossible for me to adequately translate. But here is the point. With Pokemon and Dragonball Z very much the norm, the kids were taken by the STORIES, not just random colors flying by the TV. The kids have been asking questions about the Clan, and I am trying my darndest to aid them.
2 - As part of my business, Disney is a client. In June, we were on holiday and met up with a mid-level person from the main digs. We had dinner with our family (2 kids on my side, 1 on his) and our spouses. Anyway, trying to be polite, he asked my kids their thoughts on cartoons and the like. Jack is strange in that he is more retro than anything else. He is into Tetsujin 28 (Gigantor in the US) and Gargoyles. So this gentleman was given the perspective of a 7 year old that likes Gargoyles. As a Dad, the proudest moment was when the guy asked...Why is/was Gargoyles so special. (Actually Jack's answer made me proud, not the question) Jack's answer was a mix of normal 7 year old ramblings ("because I was at the Gathering in 1999 and will (as noted above we now must change 2000) also in 2000", "because I have so many toys from the series"), but the kicker was when he said.....because I could use my imagination....this from a 7-year old!. He gets it....if only Disney would.
3 - As I mentioned to you in Dallas, Carl Johnson lives very close to my US residence. He burned a CD of numerous Gargoyle tunes............ - real cool. Upon our return, we were going to bring down to the Gathering a full set of the Gargoyle music from Carl, but now this must wait until 2001. I promised to give him some Gargoyle items for his studio from Jack's collection.....He has a huge photo of the Gargoyles now.
4- lastly.... when we met you in Dallas, my son was overwhelmed. He is a true Gargoyles fan and he was very happy to attend. You and Thom Adcox were very gracious to him when you had a few minutes to spare. No one was around, just Thom and yourself and you made the day of a little boy. For that I am grateful. The true measure of character is doing something (the right thing) when nobody else is around to see it!
I hope the series comes back soon. I have seen many postings from the ASK GREG archives and my feelings are I would not change any of the 66 episodes you created..... except maybe wish there were at least 66 more.
If there is any additional insight on how we can aid your efforts to get the series back, I/we are open to suggestions. We have written to numerous Disney executives to seeming no avail.
Best of luck to you in the future. Hope to see you in 2001 at LA Gathering.
John D (aka Jack's Dad)
Greg responds...
John & Jack,
I remember you both quite well, and I was sorry you didn't make it to this year's Gathering in Orlando. In addition to Becca Morgan, who was back, I brought my own two kids (ages 6 & 3) and they all had a great time.
Next year in L.A. for sure though -- because in answer to your last question, there isn't a single thing that you could do that would help the cause more than attending that con with Jack and with as many of Jack's friends, parents, etc, as you can. Having KIDS there would be a TREMENDOUS help. But also just having raw numbers is absolutely essential.
Oh, and by the way, Carl has been promising to burn me one of those C.D.'s literally for years. YEARS. He burned me a Winnie the Pooh C.D., but not a gargoyles one. THe bum. :) [Just kidding, Carl.] Anyway, I plan on inviting Carl to be one of our guests at the 2001 convention in L.A.
Roe Tarusi writes...
Hi Greg,
I was obsessivly into Gargoyles when it was in syndication, but kind of got out of it after it was cancelled. Recently, I've been watching old recordings I'd made, and started reading fanfic and I'm getting into it all over again. Anyway, my question is mostly about the gathering. I know that it's in Florida near Disney World every year, but have you(or whoever runs it) ever considered having it at another location? The most logical would be the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim, CA I suppose. Anyway, I would love to attend the gathering one of these days... but it's kind of on the opposite side of the country. I only live about 15 minutes away from Disneyland though. By the way... you were at Anime Expo?!? gah! I wish I knew that last week when I was there. What little I saw of the 3x3 Eyes dub looked pretty cool... but I've always preferred watching anime in Japanese (No offence intended). Oh yeah, and before I forget... thanks for Gargoyles!
Greg responds...
It's not in Florida every year. I'm not sure what gave you that idea.
1997 - New York
1998 - New York
1999 - Dallas
2000 - Orlando
2001 - Los Angeles
2002 - Still up for grabs...
2001 probably will NOT be at the Disneyland Hotel, for a variety of reasons, but it will be in L.A., so I hope to see you there.
Todd Jensen writes...
First off, congratulations at getting so many of the April questions answered in one night! (I have to admit, the dent that you made in the queue impressed me to such an extent that I don't mind the fact that you didn't get to finish April).
Now to my question.
I understand that you were the initial writer for the pilot episode of an animated series called "Roswell Conspiracy: Aliens, Myths, and Legends", but that they later on had somebody else rewrite the pilot. (I saw the rewritten pilot, but nothing else of the series; my local television station dropped the series after that for a wrestling program :( ). At any rate, I thought that I'd ask you a bit about it.
I've heard it claimed among some Gargoyles fans when they were discussing the series that you were the one who originally came up with it but were taken off it afterwards. Is that correct, or were you merely the one assigned to write the pilot?
(While it's hard to judge a series from only one episode, I will admit that the pilot did appeal to me on a certain level, largely because I liked the idea in it of various races of secret alien colonists on Earth being the originals of such mythical beings as banshees and werewolves).
Greg responds...
1. I was removed after writing the bible and pilot. My version of the pilot, which was performed at the Gathering 1999 by "The Greg Weisman Players". The version you saw used much of my material, but was a fairly total rewrite.
GREG'S G2K DIARY, CHAPTER ONE...
THURSDAY - We got lucky in that both Benny & Erin no longer need car seats. They can use these seatbelt adapters, which are a heck of a lot easier to carry around. This may seem like a weird way to start my diary, but let me tell you, it changed the whole tenor of the trip for the better.
We arrived at the airport, checked our bags at the curb and proceeded to our gate, already aware that the flight was going to depart (at least) an hour late. Thom was already there. He had done the same. But we were also flying with Jen Anderson, and she was no where in sight, not even after the time when the flight should have been leaving. We got worried. While Beth took Erin and Ben to McDonalds, Thom and I called Jen on her cell phone. She had brought her bags inside and was attempting to check in at the immense line at the ticket counter downstairs. We told her to go back outside to check her bags and come up to the gate, but she insisted that she was already most of the way through the line. Turns out they wouldn't check her in, and nearly wouldn't check her bags. By the time she got upstairs, the flight was already WAY OVERBOOKED. She couldn't get on. We all felt horrible, but there wasn't anything we could do. We boarded and figured she'd get to Florida some day.
Oh, we of little faith. As I understand it, she claimed to everyone who was in range that Thom was her husband and that they were getting married on Friday. She started to cry. Everyone let her on board. She wasn't able to sit with us, but she was on the plane. Never underestimate that woman.
Anyway, the flight was largely uneventful, which is good when you have kids. They were great. The movie was "Where the Heart Is" or something like that. I was reading "Reinventing Comics" with the earphones on, but not really paying attention. Suddenly, I heard Goliath's voice. I looked up, and sure enough Keith David was on screen. I hadn't even known he was in that movie. I considered it a good omen.
When we arrived in Orlando it was pouring rain. Sara, Kellie and Heather were there to meet us. The Weismans piled into Kellie's car, and she took us to the hotel. O.K., so it was more of a motel than a hotel, and the roof in one of our rooms leaked on occasion. But it didn't spoil my time one bit.
The kids were theoretically still on L.A. time, so we thought we'd take 'em out to dinner, but they didn't want to go, and neither Beth or I saw any point in having two cranky kids along. So Beth, for the first of many times that weekend, stayed with them, so that I could head out with you guys for some dinner.
But first, Thom and I did some grocery and donut shopping for Beth and the kids.
Then about fifteen of us took off for Denny's. But they couldn't seat us in Non-Smoking, so we crossed the street and ate at IHOP. I sat with Becca and Christine and Jen. Tim was there. Thom. Lanny and Derrick. Sara. Heather Rice. Alan? Brooklyn? Oh, hell, I'm forgetting people, which is going to be a curse of this diary. I wasn't taking notes. EVERYONE please accept my apologies in advance. Please.
Anyway, I had an International Passport Breakfast with Swedish Pancakes and hashbrowns. It was great to see everyone again, and I met a couple of knew people. And I was immediately on cloud nine.
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel...
I watched some tv in my underwear. And waited for the festivities to begin...
MORE TO COME ON "FRIDAY"...
Artemis writes...
When will another "Gathering" come to New York City?
Greg responds...
Don't know. It's not up to me. 2002 is still up for grabs. If you're interested, start putting a committee together.
MEANWHILE, START PLANNING NOW TO ATTEND THE FIFTH ANNUAL GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES -- 2001 -- IN LOS ANGELES! THIS IS, I PROMISE, GOING TO BE A REAL DON'T MISS EVENT, WITH OVER TWENTY GUESTS FROM THE CAST AND CREW OF THE SERIES. THIS WILL ALSO BE OUR BIG PUSH TO BRING GARGOYLES BACK.
BE THERE!!
GREG WEISMAN: THE RETURN!
He's baaaacckkkkk!!!!
To quote Greg Weisman: "Gathering 2000 kicked ass."
I really want to thank everyone who attended and helped to make it such a success.
First and foremost my thanks go out to the G2K staff, Kellie, Heather, Syrin and most of all, Sara. You guys were just terrific. Thanks.
Also a special thanks to all those people who were so kind to my kids (who had a terrific time by the way).
I'm bound to leave someone out, but...
Kellie, Heather, Syrin, Sara, Jen, Christine, Tim, Karlyn, Lexy, etc.
and of course, Becca -- who deserved to win the juvenal division of the costume contest hands down, but graciously shared the honors with Erin & Benny.
They're still talking about all of you.
Special thanks go out to Thom, Greg and Vic, who were great guests and had a great time (or so they told me). They have already spread the word around Disney. (Brad Rader was very impressed with the $805 sale of the "Mirror" board.) Making it even easier to gather guests for G2001.
Speaking of which, I had a great time with the G2001 staff: Patrick, Kathy, Kenna and of course Jen. (I know I've left some people out, sorry.) To quote Greg Weisman: "2001 is going to kick some major ass." (I'm getting way too fond of saying that.)
Already, however, I'm seeing people apologizing for not being able to make it next year. HEY! THAT'S THE WRONG ATTITUDE!!! It's too soon to decide you can't make it. You've got ten months to figure out a way. I am personally guaranteeing 20 guests from the cast and crew. Panels on writing, acting, character design and storyboards. Separate Q&A panels on Developing the series, Writing, Recording, Art and Producing. Another radio play. More Q&A at the dinner. Etc. Etc. Etc. Our goal is to get 500 people. Yep, you heard me, FIVE HUNDRED people in attendance. If we look like we're closing in on that number, I will invite every applicaple Disney Exec. We'll show them in a concrete way, the bet they are missing by not doing more with the show. If you want to get the show back on the air, there isn't a single thing that you can do that would better our chances than attending G2001 in Los Angeles. We already have SEVENTY-FIVE people attending. Yep. Pre-paid and everything. Don't be left behind.
A website for the con, will be up soon. Keep an eye out. We have tremendous momentum coming out of Orlando. Let's not let it die.
Ahem, back to the thank yous...
Kudos to the "Greg Weisman Players":
Seth, Jen, Thom, Wanderer, Lanny, Mer, Hudson, Durid, Alan, Michelle, Brian, Sara, Pogo, Jessie, Beth, Heather, Amy, Marie Noire, Sarah, Kelley, Ryan, Slash, Bud-Clare and Ann.
You all did great.
It was also great to see and talk to many fans, some who have been to ALL FOUR CONVENTIONS. WOW. I'm bound to forget some, but Hudson, Heather, Amy, Aaron, Kythera, A Fan, Noel, Scott (sorry, I can't make your Hockfest), Lexy, Lanny, Karine, Aimee, Mitch, Duncan, Denis, etc.
And it was nice to meet some new faces: Ashlee, Kelly, Dreamie, Jessie, etc.
And Carol, it was nice to see you there too.
And the costumes... Another WOW.
Anyway, now I'm back. What's up ahead...
Well, G2001, of course. I'm getting even more involved this year than ever before. (See above.)
I'm still over two months behind on ASK GREG. It could take me awhile to catch up, as I may actually be starting a paying job soon. (I'll keep you posted.) But in the coming weeks, look for:
1. My G2K Diary. (Not that I kept one, but I can always make something up.)
2. A new Archive that will be called something like: "Historical Documents". Jordan Mann has scanned a bunch of recently recovered documents into my computer. I'll soon begin reprinting them (mixed in with stuff you've already seen and other documents I already had in my computer) in chronological order. This stuff covers the entire spectrum of the development of the series in prose.
3. The revamped version of GARGOYLES 2158. Which for starters, will be set in the 23rd century at least.
4. More Ramblings on episodes as my family and I watch them at home.
5. Some info on an exciting new project that I'm working on with Gorebash and Doug Murphy (one of our storyboard artists).
6. More G2001 updates
7. And, yes, I'll even be answering your questions. Bear with me.
But finally, thanks to all of you. You always manage to make MY YEAR with this con, and all your kind words at this site. I could never thank you enough. But I'll continue to try.
Greg Weisman
UPDATE & HIATUS
Whew -- I finally made it through June of 2000. (I thought June 27th would never end.)
I'm still officially over a month behind, but I'm out of time.
Tomorrow I'll be leaving for Orlando for a week. And I won't be answering any more ASK GREG questions until I get back. (And probably not for a couple days after that until I catch up.)
So if you have questions that just can't wait -- come to the GATHERING!!!
dracolich5 writes...
Hello again, Greg! I've decided to start posting questions more frequently, and I've got an interesting assortment of production questions.
During the creation of characters, how were their eventual designs chosen? Did the artists in question work on one design only, or were several designs tried? If so, is there any way we can ever see these unused designs? My interest in unused character designs started when I purchased some Japanese Godzilla books that showed alternate designs for machines and creatures. Just curious to see if similar interesting designs are around.
On a side note, IF any alternate character designs were made, were any of these re-used for later characters? Just checking!
Greg responds...
We had development artists at Disney come up with inspirational designs for all the main characters, which were used in the pitch to sell the show.
Bob Kline: Xanatos, the Eyrie Building
Dave Schwartz: Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway
Greg Guler: Goliath, Demona, Elisa, the Pack
Paul Felix: the Clock Tower (and Hudson, I think)
These designs were then sent to Disney TV Animation Japan, where they sort of had a little competition to see who would be the primary designer on the show. They submitted multiple interpretations of the characters (Goliath in particular), and we chose Mr. Takeuchi, who seemed to capture the feeling of the show the best. Eventually Frank Paur went to Japan to work with Takeuchi and fine tune his designs. Paul Felix did a very early Bronx, but Frank changed it so entirely, it's basically a new design.
I have some of this old stuff, though I wish I had more. For example, I have almost nothing from the early comedy development. If you attend the Gathering, you can see the pitch and some of those early designs.
LSZ writes...
Did Morgana or Nimue attend the Gathering?
Greg responds...
The one in Dallas or one of the ones in New York?
ANGELA writes...
Hi, Greg. I noticed something in "Hunter's Moon: Part 2" that was inaccurate. When Angela wasn't breathing, and Elisa performed CPR on her, she was doing it wrong. Elisa was pushing directly on the breasts, when in reality you are suppossed to push just below the breastbone so that you can move the lung sac to force air into it. Now, if someone were to watch this particular show, and then in reality someone actually imitated what they saw to someone, they could make matters worse or even kill them. I was watching the news one day, and they were talking about how on the kids' show "Rugrats", a character was choking on an eraser and another character performed the hiemlich maneuver to save their life. This happened in real life at a grade school, and the child, remembering what they had seen on the TV show, preformed this procedure and ended up saving the other child's life. I was just concerned that if kids or anyone for that matter were to watch this scene in the Gargoyles show, then someone could die because the CPR procedure was not done correctly. Thanks for your time, Greg. I appreciate it! :)
Greg responds...
I'm embarrassed to admit that though I once knew CPR, I have long forgotten how to do it correctly. When we made the show, I asked everyone involved to make sure we were presenting it correctly. I was told we were, and I didn't double check myself. Obviously, I should have.
I don't love that it's wrong. But at the least, I hope that perhaps we can inspire a few people to learn CPR with the program. That was our main intent. Not to be an instruction manual on a relatively complicated procedure (relative to the Heimlich anyway) but to remind people that knowing CPR is a good thing. Unfortunately, I'm setting a very bad example by not following my own advice.
QUESTION: Do you think there would be any interest in having a CPR class at the L.A. GATHERING next year? Would people take the time to attend that? I would.
APOLOGIES
My Apologies to John Peacock of Chico, CA. I misread one of your questions. I thought you were saying you were from New York and couldn't afford to come to a Gathering in California. Obviously, I reversed it. So maybe I'll see you next year when the Gathering is in L.A. Sorry, for any confusion.
[And thanks to Omar for pointing out my error.]
GATHERING UPDATE
GOT SOME GOOD NEWS & BAD NEWS...
Bad news first, due to a family health crisis, storyboard artist Brad Rader will not be able to attend the Gathering next week.
But, the Good News: Storyboard Artist Victor Cook has stepped up to take his place. Vic worked on a good quarter of the series' second season including:
The Silver Falcon
Eye of the Beholder
Outfoxed
The Price
Avalon, Part Two
Golem
Sanctuary
Mark of the Panther
Bushido
Ill Met By Moonlight
The Reckoning
Possession
Hunter's Moon, Part Three
Specifically -- and among other things -- Vic designed the unique "Tale of the Panther Queen" Sequence in MARK OF THE PANTHER.
I'm sorry Brad won't be able to make it (we'll get him next year in L.A.), but I'm very pleased to announce that Vic Cook will be joining Character Designer Greg Guler, Voice Actor Thom "Lexington" Adcox and myself at the Gathering. Attending the San Diego ComicCon only wet my appetite for "the real thing". I can't wait.
Laura aka 'ad astra' writes...
Glad to see Ask Greg running again! I had downloaded the old archives, (or most of them) sometime last year. I checked periodically and it seemed the page was down. I gave up on the Ask Greg page and only checked it again on a lark. It took me weeks to read through everything!
Oh, a question-
You seem to have a much more optimistic view on the series coming back then when last I checked in. Has something changed? To be more precise- Before you seemed to say "long shot at best for the series in any form, even the live action movie seems dead". Now the movie doesn't sound dead, and the long term revival hopes good, (lost the quote, sorry). I am much heartened, and almost as curious.
I have many more questions to follow, but for now I want to say thank you for doing this, and thanks to Gorebash for running it.
Greg responds...
The movie isn't a lost cause. It hasn't progressed an inch really, but normally after this much time that would result in its death. They'd give up. But they absolutely haven't given up. In fact, they've just hired a NEW writer. Touchstone/Disney REALLY, REALLY wants to make this movie. So that keeps me optimistic. (And the success of X-Men doesn't hurt either.)
I don't love that Toon Disney is editing episodes and refuses to air "Deadly Force". But they ARE airing the show about twice a day. That gives me hope.
I haven't given up in any way, shape or form. I'm still in there trying to come up with ways to bring the show back in some, well, way, shape or form. In fact, I've got a new nefarious plan in the works now with Doug Murphy, a former GARGOYLES (and BAD GUYS) storyboard artist. Too soon to talk about now, but give me time.
The response here at ASK GREG is overwhelming. That means fan interest still exists. And I'm VERY heartened by the continuing success of the GATHERINGS. That gives me hope.
In fact, people ask me what they can do to help bring the show back, and what has become clear to me is that the best single way a fan can help is by attending one or more GATHERINGS. Aside from the sheer FUN FACTOR of the convention, it is the raw numbers in attendance that will help me prove to the powers that be at Disney that the show is still viable and ready to return. Come to Orlando next month. PLEASE. It's gonna be GREAT. Guests include myself, Thom Adcox, Brad Rader and Greg Guler.
And without doubt, plan to come to next years GATHERING in Los Angeles. I guarantee we will have over twenty members of the cast and crew in attendance. And if the fan attendance numbers are big enough, we will bring Disney Execs and show them first hand the opportunity they are missing out on. Do NOT MISS THAT ONE if you want to see the show back on the air.
GREG GULER to appear!!
Great news about the Gathering 2000.
Sara and I have managed to add TWO more terrific guests (in addition to myself and Thom Adcox). One, who I
first mentioned last week, is Brad Rader, a Disney and Gargoyles Storyboard Artist. The other is GREG
GULER, a former comic book artist (DC's HAWK & DOVE), who is now a character designer for Disney. He
basically designed Goliath, Demona and Elisa when we were in development on the show. And he was the lead
character designer for the entire second season.
Both Brad & Greg will be participating in Q&A's, judging art and costume contests and leading art seminars.
Now with a writer (me), an actor (Thom) and two artists (Brad & Greg), the Gathering really does cover all
your Gargoyle bases. Don't miss it!
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!
I have some really GREAT NEWS! Please help me spread the word! Brad Rader, one of Disney's best storyboard artists will be attending the Gathering in Orlando next month along with Thom "Voice of Lexington" Adcox and myself.
Brad worked on multiple episodes of GARGOYLES, including:
"Legion"
"The Mirror"
"City of Stone, Part One"
"City of Stone, Part Four"
"Revelations"
"Upgrade"
"Protection"
"Kingdom"
"Monsters"
"The Hound of Ulster"
"The New Olympians"
"The Gathering, Part One"
"The Gathering, Part Two"
"Hunter's Moon, Part Two"
Now GATHERING 2000 is truly a can't miss event. Hope to see you there.
Jade writes...
Dear Greg,
Thank you so much for responing to my Q's. It really made me feel a lot better to know that my Q's were going to the right place. I've wacthed a few of your Max Steel shows. I think it'll be a great show. But any way on to the Q's.
1. I've looked along the archives and didn't find this question, so here it goes. Is there any way to get the show back up? I've tryed every thing I could thank of! I wrote tons of letters to Buena Vista, and at first they were nice about it then on my, oh I don't know, my tenth letter? They wrote back telling me NOT TO WRITE THEM AGAIN, can you belive that I can't. I've even called Walt Disney, and what about that they put me on hold forever! Okay that felt good getting that of my chest. Anyway if you lost the question it my "ramblings" here it is:
1. Is there any way to get the show back up?
And please don't tell me to look at the archives again. I did't want that to sound rude but it came out rude, sorry.
Greg responds...
1. Uh, did you look at the archive marked "BRINGING GARGOYLES BACK"? I mean I know you asked me not to send you to the archives, but you couldn't have looked very hard. There's an ENTIRE category where I've answered almost every variation of this question.
THe short answer is ATTEND the next two Gatherings. The one in Orlando next month and the one in Los Angeles in the summer of 2001. The best way to get the show back is to prove to Disney that the fandom is huge, intense and ready to spend money on the show. Attend the Gatherings and get as many of your friends to attend with you as possible.
Todd Jensen writes...
My ramble-reply on "Enter Macbeth".
Well, now we know the reason for the delay on this one. I really liked this episode, particularly on account of the name. I've always been quite fond of Shakespeare's "Macbeth", and so the title grabbed my attention at once. I don't know if I'd even suspected that Macbeth was *the* Macbeth (not until "City of Stone" came out), but I found his name very intriguing, and the character as well. Mac's one of my favorite characters in "Gargoyles", in fact. (And "Macbeth" certainly strikes me as the most appropriate Shakespeare play to get into "Gargoyles", in view of Goliath and his clan being Scottish).
I honestly don't recall how I responded to the gargoyles moving out of the castle, the first time that I saw it. Except that I was a bit sorry, since I liked Castle Wyvern. But at the same time, I understood that it was necessary to do so, and the clock tower made a good home for them.
(Truth to tell, I can understand, and sympathize with, Goliath's reluctance to leave the castle. For one thing, having moved twice in the last five years, I know that it's not an easy thing to just move to a new home; it's difficult to tear oneself away from a place that you've been living in for quite a while. Also, as Goliath pointed out, the castle was the only link that the clan had left (except for themselves) to the 10th century. Take away that, and they'd be feeling entirely stranded in the modern world. Plus, I've always liked castles, which gives me a further bias there).
(I very much liked Macbeth's home as well, with its very medieval atmosphere - particularly the suits of armor and swords - almost like the armory displays in the Tower of London - and thought it a bit of a pity that the place burnt down).
Greg responds...
You've moved twice in the last five years, and I still can't get you to attend a GATHERING. Geez.
Slash writes...
Hi Greg...
I just wanted to a say I was alittle confused as to you are when I wrote my question on april 6th.... (I only had the internet 3 days at that point) now that I have a clue... I just wanted to give you an explanation to why I asked...Well it just makes me somewhat angry that I still haven't had the chance to see many of the goliath cronicles, and our cable provider does not carry toon disney...(and still won't) I can't wait to see you at G2K... (I live like 10 minutes form the place and wouldn't miss it for the world!) Thank you for your time..... Keep on rockn'
Greg responds...
You're welcome. Unfortunately, I don't remember what your question was on the 6th. But don't sweat it. I look forward to seeing you next month at the Gathering. Bring your friends.
Maria Destine writes...
WHEW!!! I like Demona Taina's post about Goliath! She said everything right. But I do agree with her and several others that he does have too strong a temper. But in the troubling times he and his clan are in, I can't really blame him. Still, in the future is it possible to let him learn to control it?
And, when she mentioned that there was a concept picture of Goliath with multiple spikes on his arms and a bony stub at the end of his tail, it made me curious. Where can I see a pic like that? I missed the first two years of the gathering, and in '99 I missed the opening ceremonies. BUAHH!! *Just kidding* ^_^
Anyway, I'm really curious of that. Is there anyway to see some of those concept pics? I'm sure they're not cause it would be considered confidential. But if we could see them, where could I go to see them?
Thanks again. ^_^
Greg responds...
The best way to see them is to attend the opening ceremonies of next month's Gathering in Orlando. We'll have everything we've had in the past and more.
As for Goliath and his temper, well, he's learning...
Ambrosia writes...
Ever since you first mentioned you were going to be teaching a class at UCLA, I've been thinking about it, but I'm just far enough away to make the commute impractical. Also, it overlaps my Spring semester. By the time you get this, you'll have already started, but is it okay if I crash a class or two? I've never been to a Gathering and I'd love to say hi. I'm currently a math major, but I've been seriously considering doing SOMETHING (I know, very vague) with animation. Anyway, I would have loved to attend, but maybe another time.
Greg responds...
I'm sorry, but I can't let you crash the class. I have students who paid for it. It just wouldn't be fair.
However, you're more than welcome to come say hi at Anime Expo this Saturday, July 1st 2000.
Or any Gathering.
Matt writes...
Hello I'm a really big fan of Gargoyles, I watch the show all the time.
Well here's my Q.
Is there anywhere on the web that your spin-offs are in print, or are they only at the gatherings?
Greg responds...
Pretty much only at the Gathering. But you can get a lot of info on them by checking the following ASK GREG archives...
Bad Guys
Dark Ages
Gargoyles 2158
New Olympians
Pendragon
TimeDancer
Lexy writes...
Hey Greg!
Hmm This isn't really a Q so I hope it dosn't get booted. But I just had to say this.
You are working on 3x3 with a nice lil chunk of garg voice actors??? *sighs blissfully* wow..first Nazca now this?
To have my FAVE ppl get together and work on an ANIME just ..well, it brings a tear to my eye. *sniffs* I'm glad you guys are having a good time. ;)
Greg responds...
It was fun. Come see the preview at Anime Expo this week-end or at the Gathering in August. Or buy the tapes or DVD.
(End of commercial.)
Xeennexx writes...
Dear Greg:
First off, I would like to say that Gargoyles is one of my all time favorite shows (and this is coming from a woman that has, for the most part, given up on TV). There is not a thing more I can say about it that has not already been said, other than this: Gargoyles is one of, if not "the", greatest animated shows of all time (heck, the USA Today poll proved that). I very glad that you put so much into Gargoyles, and I'm sad it had to end all too soon. In short, Thank You.
However, I'm glad that you have moved on and continue to produce quality animated programing (I'm particularly interested in the English adaption of 3x3 Eyes, as that I've been a fan of Japanise animation for years, but I don't speak a word of Japanise). One of your most recent works interests me (and is the reason for my questions, forthcoming). It is Starship Troopers: Roughneck Chronicles. What I would like to know is:
1) How did you like working on SST:RC and are there any intesting stories you have about your experiences working on the show?
2) Did you wish they had covered more of the controversal ideas that were in Heinlein's novel?
3) I know that 4 of the planned episodes for the show were scrapped due to budget and production problems.
a) What are your feelings on this?
b) The last 3 eps that would have ended the Bug War
were, I have learned, written by you. So:
1) Since the possibility of seeing these last eps
produced are remote to nil, is there any info you
can give out about the story line of these eps,
or are you bonded by contract not to reveal any
info on the show?
2) If these eps in question had been produced, would
there have been any room for a second season?
Thank you. And I look forward to seeing you at The Gathering 2000.
Greg responds...
1. Nothing is perfect, but STARSHIP was without doubt the most fun I've had in animation since Gargoyles. Much of the credit for my enjoyment should go to Producer Audu Paden. I was just a lowly story editor on Starship, one of many actually, but Audu included me in almost every stage of the production -- at least as far as my episodes were concerned. I didn't have the kinds of controls I had on Gargoyles. I certainly didn't have final say, but for the first time in years, I felt like my input was valued. And that's cuz Audu made a space for me on his team.
As for stories, yeah, I've probably got a few. But anecdotes aren't the kinda thing I like to put in writing. Could get me in trouble later. Ask me at the Gathering. We have some very special STARSHIP/ROUGHNECK events planned. Really not-to-miss if you love that show. And if you love that show, Gargoyles and anime, then you just have to come.
2. I tried to slide a few in there, particularly in my script "Liquid Dreams". And yeah, I wish we had the time and space for a little more of that kind of thing. But ultimately, what you can get away with in a prose novel of whatever length is different from what can be fit into a twenty-two minute episode, wherein each episode has to tell a complete story from beginning to end.
3. a. It really bothers me. Particularly since three of those four were episodes that I edited. They were the big climactic episodes that ended the war. Part of the final sequence of five set in Colorado and Hawaii. The two that did air were "Funeral for a Friend" (written by Greg Weisman) and "Spirits of the Departed" (written by Jon Weisman). The three that didn't air were "Gates of Hell" (written by Lydia Marano), "Circle of the Damned" (written by Cary Bates) and "Final Inferno" (written by Michael Reaves). As you can imagine it was a pretty kick-ass story. And I'm crushed that it wasn't produced.
3. b. First off they weren't WRITTEN by me. They were edited by me. Important distinction.
3. b. 1. Well, I'm not sure what my contractual obligations are, but I don't know how remote those chances are. Their non-production isn't etched in stone.
3. b. 2. Yes. In fact, Audu, myself and John Skeel had already had multiple discussions about our plans for a second season.
Stephen R. "Coldstone" Sobotka, Jr. writes...
Greetings Greg!
To reply to you answer on my "Max Steel" question on 2-23-200:
Some time ago - around mid-1980's or so - Tonka (or Mattel) released a toy line called "Max Steel's Robo-Force"; basicly a series of cylindrical, claw-armed robots whose major gimick was you could attach them to any flat surface via a suction-cup. They had good guys and bad guys, and I assumed there was to be a show made for them, but the toy line never really took off. (This was during the time when shows like "Transformers", "GoBots" and the like were very popular.)
Now for a question:
If you've ever read the book "Planet X" (a Star Trek:TNG/X-Men crossover novel) then you should understand this query: If you ever got around to writing novels or making a graphic novel with Gargoyles in it, would you ever consider doing a crossover story that pits the Gargoyles with another group of characters from another licensed universe of characters (with the creator's permission of course)?
P.S. - Here's to seeing you in Orlando (if I'm lucky enough to get down there). Maintain and Check Six!
Greg responds...
Hey, Stephen, hope to see you right back.
I've never read Planet X. Frankly, it sounds awful. I can't think of two universes less suitable for crossover than Trek and X-Men. As for whether I'd consider it... the answer is maybe. First, I'd love the chance just to be doing garg stuff sans crossovers. (I've got enough ideas to crossover on my own, including New Olympians, Bad Guys, Pendragon, etc.) Then it would depend on what universe exactly we were trying to cross with. Some might be good fits. Some would not. Then the method of crossover would matter too.
As for Max Steel, it sounds like that's where Mattel got access to the name. Nothing else similar. And I'd never heard of it.
CORRECTION
CORRECTION:
I'll be at ANIME EXPO on SATURDAY, JULY 1ST! At 1pm. Talking about 3x3 Eyes, among other things. Sorry for any confusion.
Chris writes...
Um, hello. In that one episode, I forget the name,(when Golith is in Australlia & meets up with that Pack member in the armor) the pack member in the armor gets his armor suped up by those little nanities guys. My question is what ever happened to him? I don't recall seeing him in any other episodes.
Thanks for your time.
Greg responds...
That was Dingo and Matrix in "Walkabout". They didn't appear in any other episodes, but if you attend one of the "Gathering" conventions, you'd be able to see them in a short story reel as part of the "BAD GUYS" team, which was a proposed spin-off idea. (See the BAD GUYS section of the ASK GREG archive for more info. If you still have questions about them after reading it, then come back here.)
Greg Weisman Update
As promised, here's a little update on what's been going on in my professional life...
The first season (all thirteen episodes) of MAX STEEL have been completed. I've lost track of how many have aired. I think they turned out pretty good. At any rate, the show is a success and will be back for a second season. Unfortunately, I won't be. The WB didn't invite me to produce/edit/write season two. So you can forget about any long term plans/arcs I had for the series. Still, I wish the show well. (After all, it'll still carry my "Developed By" credit.)
In other news, today I finished recording all of the two volume (seven episode) video anime series 3X3 EYES. I think we assembled a terrific cast for the English dub. Here's a complete list:
LEADS
Christian Cambell* as Yakumo Fujii
Brigitte Bako^ as Pai/Sanjiyan/Pabo Ayanokoji/Parvati/Howasho
SUPPORTING
Thom Adcox^* as Monkey
Edward Asner^* as Grandpa Ayanokoji
Earl Boen as Benares
Leslie Boone as Ken-Ken
Susan Chesler as Lee Ling-Ling
Bill Faggerbakke^ as Steve Long
Elisa Gabrielli^ as the Doll Demon
Jean Gilpin* as Mrs. Wong/Xunquai
Taliesin Jaffe as the Frog Demon and Feihong
William Katt as Tinzin
Mia Korf* as Natsuko
Ralph Lister as Choukai
Erin Matthews as Mei-Shin Long
Yuji Okumoto* as Chou and Naparva
Gregg Rainwater^* as Jake MacDonald
Dina Sherman as Dawn and Ran-Pao-Pao
Rick Simone as Tatsuya
Keith Szaribajka* as Professor Fujii and Ryouko
Rosie Taravella as Grandma Ayanokoji
Greg Weisman^ as Hide
and Keith David^ in a roll so rocking, I can't reveal it here. :)
* indicates a Voice Actor I worked with on MAX STEEL.
^ indicates a Voice Actor I worked with on GARGOYLES.
Anyway, the voices are all recorded. I've got three mix sessions left to do. I should be done in a week or so, at which point -- I'm unemployed.
Or nearly. I'm still teaching the animation writing course through UCLA extension. That's been a lot of fun and it keeps me pretty busy. Plus I'm working on writing a spec screenplay with my brother. And I go on the occasional job interview.
All this means is that it looks like I'll soon have plenty of time to dive back into ASK GREG. At one point we were closing in on completely catching up. Now we're over three months behind. But I'll try to make some fast progress. We've now got Todd Jensen helping Gorebash out to keep the site current, so that should help us avoid the "Nothing in queue" problems that were slowing us up before.
And I hope to see most of you at Gathering 2000 this August. It should be a GREAT con this year. I'll be there with Thom Adcox plus my wife and kids. We'll have new and special treats from Gargoyles, 3x3 Eyes and another EXCLUSIVE radio play event -- something that I guarantee you won't want to miss. Plus Disneyworld is a shuttle ride away. Make your reservations now.
Bud-Clare writes...
Okay, this one I _know_ is a separate topic.
I've been meaning to mention this for months. After the last Gathering, you mentioned that you thought that RotG had gone over better than the script you had at G99. I did like RotG better, but I didn't bother to wonder why that was until after you mentioned it. Todd Jenson, for instance, would have liked RotG better (I think), because... that's just the type of story he likes better. (Sorry to drag you into this against your will, Todd.) I, on the other hand, have no preference between the two at all, as far as I can tell. There's nothing about the stories themselves that should have made me like one significantly better than the other. So, I gave a lot of thought to this, and I think that RotG was liked better because it was simpler. With RotG, we were able to easily follow everything that was going on, and even imagine the way it would have looked if it had been made into an episode. But with that script from G99, there were a lot more characters, and lots of action scenes, and it was just generally harder to follow. It's not that we weren't _able_ to follow it, it's just that following what was going on took enough effort that we didn't have any time to just enjoy it. In fact, I liked the beginning the best, which was before it really started to pick up. (Of course, this could be just me. Does anyone else agree with this?) So, I think if you just pick a less complicated script again this year, everything should be okay. But I could be wrong. Who knows?
Greg responds...
I think you may very well be right. (Though I think the throughline of RC:AM&L was clear, it did pick up a pretty huge cast along the way.)
However, the main purpose of these radio plays (at least to date and at least for me) is to create an audience for something that won't otherwise see the light of day.
I could (and it would certainly make some sense) pull out the script to an old Garg episode and we could perform that. But you don't need me for that.
So I'd rather give those of you who come to the Gathering something of added value. Something you CAN'T GET anywhere else. Like ROTG or my version of RC:AM&L. So that means the priority for this summer is to find something unique. It may or may not be the "Best Choice" if the goal is an ideal radio play. But it will be something special, something you can't find anywhere else.
(Have you made your Gathering reservations yet?)
Ambrosia writes...
One more quick thing... this is probably ridiculous, but there's someone named Jeffrey Bennett running for House of Representatives in California... do I even dare to hope...?
Greg responds...
Greg's response:
I'm fairly certain that's a different Jeff Bennett.
Erin responds:
I think you should say yes, because I am looking forward to meeting the actors that are playing the characters that I like.
Greg's P.S.:
Erin actually HAS met many of the actors already, but she was too young to remember them. But she'll get to see more at the Gatherings, including this summer's Gathering in Orlando, Florida. Daddy's friend Thom will be there, at least.
Robby Bevard writes...
Hey Greg, it's me. The Vinnie fanatic and the guy who voiced the psycho truck driver at G99. This is my first post to ya, and I'm not even asking a question! (Well, I am curious about where you got the name "Nashville", but thats a different matter, I'll ask about that in a bit.) This is in response to your rambles about the series, and you asking about our first impressions of it. Since you're covering Awakenings, I'll cover the first season, since you'll be well past that by the time you read this.
My first impression of the show came during the trailer in "Nightmare before Christmas" actually, and I was totally psyched by that. I could tell it was going to have that sort of feel "Beauty and the Beast" had. The live version, with Linda Hamilton. Mixed in with Batman and nifty looking creatures. Looked good.
My second experiance unfortunatley, was a Disney Adventures mini-comic, so I knew the characters names and that Xanatos and Demona were villains before I ever saw it, which is a real pity. Ah well.
Then came the airing of the first episode. I watched the firs... 5 minutes, mezmerized. Then, my dad told me I had a doctor's appointment, and I had to leave, without a chance to set my VCR. I argued and fought to stay, but had no choice but to leave.
The next day, a couple of kids in my art class were talking about it. I tried to join the conversation based on what I knew from the Disney Adventures comic, only to be told, "But they don't have names. You're making that up." Heh.
Then came the second episode, which I watched, enthralled. I think perhaps having Demona's shadowed hint was a bad move, but I recal watching it with a friend and going "wow" the first time I saw the gargs cape their wings. Strangely enough, that's the part I remember most clearly, them caping their wings and thinking it was cool. Wierd.
The next three episodes flew by in a blur, day after day, that was grand. I was hooked and amazed by this series, and since it came on after I came home, I didn't even need to set the VCR! Yay! All of Awakenings just sort of blurs together as one great experiance with romance, action, and lots of good things. I rather enjoyed the trio's experiances in modern day, including the kitchen and bike riding scenes. (Incidentally, circumstances CONTINUOUSLY made me miss the first episode, so I never saw it until Awakenings was released on video, so I had no idea there was cut footage at first!)
The next episode I saw was the first encounter with the Pack. I liked Lexington at that point and thought perhaps he could be my favorite character. I also enjoyed the concept of a really cheezy TV-show being liked by the gargs, but at the time, didn't like the Pack at all. This I suppose, is just because you brought in the five of them all at once, and it was a lot of new personalities to keep up with.
After that, my schedual made it so that I saw episodes out of order, and both "Temptation" and "Reawakenings" I inintially saw only the last few minutes of.
Temptation however, I loved. It locked Brooklyn into place as my favorite character, and was the first episode I taped on the second run through. The way Brooklyn reacted to Demona was great, and she was also an interesting character as well, particularly in the little hints she dropped. The first time around I totally missed the fact that the bikers had failed to notice Brook was a monster until after he took his helmet off, I just knew it was a cool bike, and a cool attitude.
Long way till Morning- It was just cool to see Hudson kick butt and Demona be totally evil and sadistic. "Fine, I'll just shoot everything in this room." Man, I miss Demona being that nasty.
I suddenly forget the name of the episode where Broadway shoots Elisa, it'll come to me as soon as I post this... The first Dracon, didn't really care for him in that episode, he was much more interesting later. All I remember clearly is, Broadway firing, seeing Elisa on the ground, and then the cut to a commercial break. I stood up, stared at the screen, and went "NO! You can't do this!" Particularly effective since Gargs was so different from every other show on the air, it was actually possible a main character could die right then and there. I was scared for Elisa's life.
Enter Macbeth- All I remember about that one the first time is "Ouch." Vrooo. "Ouch." Vrooo. "Ouch." Hee hee... That's still probably the best bits of the series. In retrospect, I was really impressed with MacBeth at the time. Cool voice, cool outfit, cool sense of honor. I *LIKED* him.
Her Brother's Keeper- Wasn't too thrilled with this one the first time. It was another Pack episode, and I still didn't really care about them. (Later viewings made it out to be a much better episode than the original impression gave.)
ReAwakenings- ANother one I originally saw the last few minutes of first. However, another of the best lines in the series, "It's alive! Aliiiive! I've always wanted to say that." still cracks me up to this day.
Hmm. I've missed an episode, but for the life of me, I can't recall which one it was. It'll come to me... And I've probably rambled on enough already considering I think I'm one of the first to ramble back at you...
Greg responds...
You forgot "The Edge". But that's o.k. Nice to hear from you. You were a great Psycho Truck Driver. Hope to see you again in Orlando.
Regarding the "caping of the wings"... That was Gary Krisel's idea, and initially I was against it because it felt too Batman to me. But at some point, I became a true convert. We sent a bunch of faxes to Japan to make sure they'd cape the wings whenever it was emotionally appropriate. That would give us opportunities to cape and uncape for various dramatic effects. Plus, hell, it looks cool.
Lexy writes...
Dear Greg,
Just thought..while I was here I should write this since it has been nawing at my since I left Texas.
You know when everyone sat down for that tex-mex dinner and we had Q&A time? Well, When I asked you my Q I honestly thought that you had paused to explain something to someone at the table..I _think_ it was Thom who stopped you and wanted to know who Sampson was? Or was that someone else? I wouldnt know..cuz well I didnt wear my glasses. Which was the problem, I _thought_ you were explaining that frist part to someone else..and I couldnt _see_ if you were looking at me per say so I just let you ramble on for a while...by the time I realized you WERE talking to me..I was to shy to interrupt..and so..I sorta ended cutting you off like that with the, "acutally that wasnt my question", thing. *shudders* I AM SO SORRY about that! I _have_ been meaning to appologize..I hope this dosnt get tossed. Thank you for putting up with my question at the Q&A. Sorry if I embarrased you or came off as a brat.
Lexy;)
Greg responds...
You neither embarrassed me nor came off as a brat. I'm sorry if I in any way made you feel bad.
If there weren't a few faux pas in a Q&A it would get very boring. We all got a good laugh out of it.
Lynn writes...
I got to watch "Awakening" for the first time last night(!!), which was broadcast after the final TGC episode "Angels of the Night". Man, could I really see the difference between the two! I mean, there's the sense of the mythological story present in the first episode not found in TGC.
As far as your question on whether we thought Demona might really be dead, I can't really say for myself, since I had seen the series through (for the most part). I probably would have wondered at least a little, considering she wanted to follow Goliath on his hunt for the Vikings.
Anyway, I'm excited about the series running again, and I promise not to miss a single ep...thanks for such a terrific tale! gives me goosebumps ;)
Btw, are there any other Texans in this group? Yes, I'm a CowGoyle (sorry, couldn't resist), actually a HorseGoyle--most texans don't ride cows... :P
Greg responds...
Lynne, I'm not sure this is the right forum to quiz for fellow Texans, though of course I know from last summer's Gathering that there are a few. Spike comes to mind, for one.
I am glad that you were able to enjoy the series, even though you didn't see it in order the first time through. We tried to write and produce it so that seeing the eps in order would give added value. But we also tried to make sure that every episode stood alone enough so that you could join and enjoy the series at any point. Some people have told me that we failed in the latter attempt, so I'm glad it worked with you.
Joe writes...
Hello Greg, first of all, since this is my first time submitting a question to you, I'd like to thank you for creating Gargoyles, and taking the time to answer questions.
Now that that's out of the way....
1) I'm not clear on copyright laws and such, but is there anyway you can have the leica reel of "Bad Guys" published on the web? I'm interested in seeing it, but am unable to attend any Gatherings.
2) I know I should probably watch it and see, but does "Max Steel" contain any Gargoyle references?
Greg responds...
1. Whether or not I'd get in trouble with Disney, isn't the main issue. I DON'T WANT TO PUT IT ON THE WEB. This final mixed version is something special that only I have. I show it at GATHERINGS as a special treat and as a way to encourage people to come. For now, that's how it's going to stay.
2. I'm sorry, Joe, but questions on separate topics must be posted separately.
Oberons Child writes...
Hi Greg,
Well hopefully , you're fairly close to catching up with all the posts by the time you read this!! I just want to (again) say thanks for helping keep Gargoyles alive and kicking (or at least twitching!!)
Anyway, I just have to know: Being from Ireland, I can't go to the Gathering in the USA, so I was wondering if you could put the leica reel of BAD GUYS or some other things from the gathering on the 'net somewhere. Maybe on s8.org!!
Or if you have another suggestion, I'd be glad to listen ( oberons.child@oceanfree.net ) . Please help me out somebody!!
Thanks in advance,
Stephen. (The only irish garg-fan, according to the fan registery!!)
Greg responds...
No. Sorry. I don't WANT to do this. Disney owns BAD GUYS. But I possess the only copy of the final mixed and edited version of the Leica Reel. That's because Disney refused to pay the last $250 bucks to get the thing mixed and I did it out of my own pocket. I need to control this unique item for that reason, on principle. Showing it at each GATHERING is specifically designed to be incentive for people to make the Gathering a destination. It's a little thing, but the exclusivity is important to me, and I'm sure, to Gathering organizers.
Hopefully, someday, you'll either host the convention yourself, or you'll make the trip.
Jodi A. writes...
Dear Greg~
This isn't so much a question as it is a kudos. i'd been watching Starship Troopers from the beginning, (and yes it stinks that they aren't in order *sigh but such is how the universe works)and was thoughly impressed with the CGI animation. It also helped realizing that Bill Fag...( I can never spell his last name) was doing a charcter voice also added to the attraction. Anyways, to make a long post shorter, a few weeks ago I was watching on a mini tv while brushing my teeth and nearly choked on my toothbrush when I noticed your name on the credits. Of course as I was rushing to get ready for work, I had to wait all day in order to ask Jennifer if it was really your name I'd seen. I've been very impressed with the entire show and knowing of your involvement with the show makes it that much more enjoyable. I look forward to seeing more of your works and hopefully getting the chance to meet you at G2K in Orlando this summer.
Greg responds...
I'm looking forward to Orlando and hope to meet you (all of you) there as well.
Troopers has been a very rewarding experience for me. Next to GARGOYLES, nothing I've done on television makes me prouder.
I wasn't the mastermind behind this one, but I did story edit ten episodes.
I did the entire five episode TESCA NEMEROSA jungle planet arc, all of which have aired at this point. I wrote one of those. It was the one where Rico was in a coma and flashbacked to high school and basic training, while the Roughnecks battled a monsoon in the real world. I think it came out great.
And I also edited the final five episode arc set on Earth. I wrote the first of these five, set in the Colorado Rockies. I'm very proud of it. The second was set in Hawaii. My brother wrote it, and it also came out great. Neither of these have aired yet, but they're both completed, so any day now...
Unfortunately, the last three episodes I edited, also set on Hawaii, the ones that end the war, were never produced for economic reasons. These were great scripts by Lydia Marano, Cary Bates and Michael Reaves. I hope some day they make them as a home video or something.
AWAKENING, PART TWO
Watched the episode again last night.
Little things....
My two year old son is fascinated with Tom. And misses him in the second act after he's gone. Misses him in other episodes too. Kinda puts the lie to the strongly held belief I've always had that contrary to Network Executive Dogma, kids don't need animated shows to be about kids. Of course, my son is just two. My five year old has no problem with their being no "little girl" in the show.
Goliath says "What sorcery is this?" for the first time. We wound up using it over and over in the series, til it became something of an in-joke. But the truth is, we could never come up with a better line that said the same thing.
Goliath's "suicide" at the end of Act One, is still one of the most startling things I've ever seen in a cartoon. That was Gary Krisel's idea (my boss Bruce Cranston's boss). And I've always admired him for it. It's also the reminder I use to keep me humble when I'm listening to notes from the higher ups. Michael Reaves and I were just going to have the Magus offer to cast his spell on Goliath as something of a consolation prize. "Best I can do" kinda thing.
Love that Chernabog moment where Goliath says "I've been denied everything, even my revenge!" Man, Keith David is great.
The way it's edited you'd never know the problem the last fight in the Viking's camp caused me vis-a-vis Broadway. As you may recall from Part One, during the Viking's initial attack, Broadway stopped for a snack, and then opportunistically used the turkey leg to bonk a Viking. A nice little comedic beat. Well, in Part Two, we wanted to contrast that by having Broadway land in front of the roasting spit by the fire -- so that the audience again thinks he's just thinking about his stomach. But that after the massacre, the much more serious Broadway immediatlely starts using it as a weapon. That's pretty much what you see. But that's not what we received in Animation. What we got was a virtual replay of the scene from Part One. Broadway lands with a big grin and starts to eat. Then he gets attacked and uses the spit as a weapon. It took judicious editing to keep Broadway from feeling too one-dimensional. And even then as the series progressed, we started to downplay Broadway's appetite (another good Gary Krisel suggestion). We brought it up again in Hunter's Moon, Part Three to show how far the character had come. Yeah, great kitchen, but an even better library. That kind of thing.
We had a similar problem with Hudson's sword. We were supposed to make a big deal of him using it for the first time in the battle at the Viking camp. But some of the animation in both Parts One and Part Two showed him using the sword and/or having it by his side before that. That's what retakes are for, I guess.
Xanatos' first appearance... I'm really curious to know how many people, seeing this for the first time knew that Xanatos was the bad guy. I thought it was a little too obvious myself. There's a look he gives Goliath when he's taking the gargs' questions in the Great Hall that I thought absolutely tipped his hand to the audience. But we did try to create a guy who looked like he should be the hero of the show. Handsome athletic Bruce Wayne type up against scary monsters. And Jonathan Frakes is terrific.
(There was a while when Gary Krisel thought maybe we should have Xanatos -- or another rich guy, a pre-Renard if you will -- actually be the gargoyles modern benefactor. I'm glad that's one bit of advice I didn't take from Gary.)
We also get the first look at Owen. Jeff Bennett. Man. What a great cast we had. Wasn't Owen just fascinating from moment one? I didn't know he was Puck way back then, but I sure did know there was a story behind him.
Love that moment when they all Shatter out of stone near the top of Act Two. The sky spinning behind Goliath. The rotating camera for the others. Bronx leaning into the foreground. Still gives me a little thrill. Don't disappoint me Xanatos said. Well, it worked for me.
The first time we got the animation back on that sequence, their stone skins didn't really EXPLODE off them. In fact the first version of the footage had no stone at all. Those of you who have been to the GATHERING have seen that footage. We really had to push to make that concept of them exploding to life every night play visually.
There's an intentional this-ain't-Batman moment during the fight with the Commandos. Goliath gets tossed off the building. He's falling and he grabs for a flagpole, just like Batman would. But Goliath is so heavy, he rips the flagpole right off the building, and he has to use his claws to save himself. Back in those days, everyone was terrified that GARGOYLES was going to be perceived as a BATMAN rip-off. I actually had to write up a memo for the Marketing Department, listing all the significant ways the shows were different. This flagpole bit was our (me, Frank, Michael's) conscious reaction to the constant comparisons.
There's a moment during the fight where Goliath is facing a Commando, and from off-stage Xanatos rescues Goliath by firing his laser at the wall and dumping the masonry on the commando. But that scene gave us nightmares, because it looked like the laser beam was coming from Goliath's eyes. Like he was Cyclops of the X-Men. This made us nervous, because the concept was so new, we were afraid that the audience would think that maybe Gargoyles have all sorts of "cool" super-powers like that.
One line got cut from Part One that would have helped a bit in understanding Lex's character. In Part One, during the initial battle with the Vikings, we had Lex investigating a catapult, fascinated with how it works. That little scenelet got cut from the script for time. But I still miss it.
Anyway, please feel free to post your own responses here on the episode. Both how you felt when you first saw it, and what strikes you now looking at it again.
Steven writes...
Hay Greg,
I read you've been working on a few projects lately like Starship Troopers and Max Steel.But,would creating a new series from scratch be totally out of the question?
e.g. new plot, characters etc of your own....
Greg responds...
No. I've created many new series, as anyone who's attended the Gatherings and our Radio Plays can attest to. But selling those is another matter. I haven't (as yet) had any luck selling another new series.
David writes...
Hey there Greg,
I just want to say first that the show Gargoyles is the best cartoon show ever and it´s also so much more than a cartoon show, thank you for making these shows!
Now for my quiestion: I don´t now much about the movie that is being made but I´ve been wanting to ask you, is it a cartoon or not? And also is about the Gargoyles story that is in all the shows about the Gargoyles or something else?
Thank you for your time.
P.S. Hey did you now that The Gargoyles have got fans here in my country(Iceland)? It´s a little island in Europe. Anyway it shows that the shows are great and will hopefully come some time again!(We can only hope!)
Greg responds...
I'm greatful for all our fans all over the world. Thanks for the kind words.
I really have nothing new to say about the movie, so you should check the "Live-Action Movie" archive for all my old responses.
But briefly, it's live action with CGI. And I can't tell you how closely they're sticking to our stories. I don't know if they have an approved script. But if they do, they have not shown it to me.
I'll try to get some more information in time for G2000 in Orlando.
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