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Weisman, Greg
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Brandeewine (Julie Cavignac) writes...
Greg, I just wanted to comment, and say how much I have really enjoyed reading all of your ramblings and tidbits of information given. Many responses you give to questions are so "smart ass" that it is hillarious. I would tell you how cool you are, but if I do, your head will probably swell to some unimaginable size, considering how often you hear it. :-P In case you couldn't tell, I was just kidding. Just the same, I love your work, as well as all of the cool Background info on the shows. I hope everything is going ok for you, your classes, your wife and you kid(s). Keep it cool.
ô¿ô
Greg responds...
My wife and kids are doing great.
I start teaching a new class this week, so ask me how it's doing in a few.
The career's been better (way better if you count Gargoyles) but I am, strangely at peace (at least as of this second) about that. And I'm really enjoying my Voice Directing work on 3X3 Eyes.
Thanks for asking. And thanks for the kind words.
Coldlaser writes...
Hello mr. Weisman.
It was only recently that I saw Frank Welker was one of the voice actor. This guy is amasing when it come make animal sounds or strange voices. But, did you ever thought of giving him a role where he would actually talk, like all the other voice actors?
I first knew Welker as Megatron, Soundwave, Galvatron and other Transformers (well Decepticons actually), he was great!
Greg responds...
I first worked with Frank on DuckTales, where he talked very well. He did the voice of BigTime Beagle (among others) a particular favorite of mine. (Our cat's name is BigTime.)
And Frank did a few "Speaking Parts" for us: Banquo, Kiron, the Stone of Destiny and a bunch of one-liners here and there. We try never to let talent go to waste.
Jessica Brimer (shadowrider@blomand.net) writes...
Hi again!
I just read your Jan 6 comment on seeing Galaxy Quest (which I still haven't seen but want to :) )and just wanted to say it's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks up ideas like that:)
Greg responds...
Welcome to my world.
DougJoe writes...
Greg,
Back in August I asked some questions about Duval, his name, and identity. I wasn't trying to figure out who he was. I already had that figured out... as you said, it's one of your worst-kept secrets. I just noticed that no one ever mentioned his first name, so I thought that it might be a sneaky clue or something to that effect to his identity... I was actually surprised when you responded that you hadn't thought of one. I would have definitely liked to see how that particular revelation would have played out in the series.
No question here, but thanks again for answering all of ours. You mentioned that you had wanted Ask Greg to be something sort of a dialogue... hope this is what you had in mind.
Greg responds...
Yeah. Sure.
You'd be surprised at how many things I HAVEN'T worked out yet. I'm a little amazed I know as much as I do, but I don't pretend to have it wired. For me to really tap into the gargoyles universe requires concerted effort. And I rarely have time to do that these days.
JEB writes...
This question has little to do with Gargoyles, but I was just curious- have you watched any of the series "Beast Machines" on Fox? Several of your former co-workers (Michael Reaves, Brynne Chandler Reaves, Bob Skir) are involved in it, and I could detect some definite Gargoyles traces in some of the characters. If you have seen it, what's your opinion of it?
Thanks in advance!
Greg responds...
I've never seen it.
Todd Jensen writes...
You once gave a list here of Shakespeare plays that you especially liked because you had ideas for using them in your stories: Henry IV Part One, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, The Tempest, Hamlet, and Love's Labor's Lost. Just for the fun of it, I went over that list recently to see how many of these you'd made use of in "Gargoyles", or had indicated making use of in this forum.
HENRY IV PART ONE: You mentioned that Dingo's real name would be Harry Monmouth, an aka of Prince Hal, and I definitely see a parallel between the two.
KING LEAR: Aside from the mention that I once made of the similarities between Edmund and Thailog (which may not count since you indicated in your response that it was subconscious on your part), I noticed that Xanatos quoted this play in "Vows" in his "Reason not the need" line to Petros Xanatos (interesting, since in the play, Lear quoted that line to one of his daughters - either Goneril or Regan; I can't remember which - so that Xanatos had reversed the parent/child roles here).
ROMEO AND JULIET: The quotes in the library scene in "The Journey", Queen Mab, and Terry and Sphinx as a parallel to Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: Oberon, Titania, and Puck. (No prizes there).
MACBETH: Macbeth and the Weird Sisters. (Again, no prizes there).
THE TEMPEST: You mentioned having plans to bring Prospero into "Gargoyles" at some point.
HAMLET: Ophelia's name, Elisa doing the "more things in heaven and earth" quote in "Heritage", and Xanatos's "Alas, poor Yorick" parody in "Future Tense".
That leaves just "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Love's Labor's Lost" on the list. Had you ever planned to use anything from those plays in "Gargoyles", similarly?
Greg responds...
As with everything, given enough time and episodes, it would probably be inevitable.
But no, not really. My idea for "Much Ado" is a feature screenplay, which I hope to make myself write someday. My idea for "LLL" is a stageplay, which I also hope to make myself write some day.
And incidentally, my idea for Lear is another stage play, based on a one-act play that I wrote in college (actually when I was living in Oxford). The one-act had three parts for actors: EDMUND, the MEN and the WOMEN. Me, my roommate Cameron Douglas and my then-girlfriend Peggy Gold, performed one reading of the play at Stanford in 1985. I played Edmund. Cameron played the Men. Peggy played the Women. I've always hoped that I could expand this into a full length play. I've had the structure and basic story in my head forever. It's just another one of the long list of projects that I am too enfeebled to pursue.
(I'm much less of a role model than most of you think.)
Ed writes...
Here's a silly one.
You keep referring to various notes or stuff you'd have to research. Do you have a Gargoyles folder or something? Or is it bigger than that? Disks? Is it organised even, or just littering notebooks strewn every which way? How big is it anyway?
Or is it all trapped within the power of your mind? (an evil cackling moment there if ever there was one).
All right, that was a silly several…
Greg responds...
Tons of it is just in my head.
Plus I have journals... and most of my notes are spread out over the journals I've kept between 1991 and now.
Plus I have a big filing cabinet with all sorts of stuff, including my timeline and various pitches, old scripts, etc....
Plus I have over 170 computer files on the work we did and the work I planned.
I have the Gargoyles Encyclopedia (first complete draft) which is in major need of a good editing.
Video tapes...
Just a ton of stuff...
Ed writes...
1. Do you believe intelligent life exists outside of Earth?
2. Did Goliath and Elisa believe it before they met Nokkar?
Greg responds...
1. How could it not?
2. Elisa would probably have responded as I did, which doesn't mean she believed in U.F.O.'s. Honestly, I'm not sure if Goliath ever gave it any thought.
Cid Highwind writes...
Hello..
I was wondering what other Animation shows (If any) Do you like?
Greg responds...
As a kid, I was a big JONNY QUEST, SPEED RACER, SPACE GHOST, HERCULOIDS fan.
I liked almost anything with Marvel or DC Super-Heroes in it. (I had very undeveloped tastes.)
I watched tons of cartoons and liked more than I disliked probably.
When I was at Disney, I liked Gummi Bears, some DuckTales, Talespins, Darkwings and Old Development Bonkers, among other shows.
These days, I watch almost no cartoons. I really love KING OF THE HILL. I like FUTURAMA a lot. SIMPSONS is about as weak as it could be right now, but there's usually something in every episode that makes me laugh.
Blade writes...
I've always though Demona was a very strong Gargoyle. Could you tell me how much she can bench? I know its odd but I've always wondred. Maybe around 500lbs?
Greg responds...
I have no idea how much weight I can press, let alone Demona.
And now a word from...
Seth asked for more words from Benny. He's napping, but my five year old daughter Erin wanted a chance to communicate directly with all of you. Here she is...
"My best friend likes the gargoyles. In fact, I like them too. My name is Erin Weisman."
That's all she had to say right now. Maybe more later.
Seth "IRC Goliath" Jackson writes...
Will we hear anymore words of wisdom from Ben in the near future?
Greg responds...
Probably. But he's napping right now.
IN SUPPORT OF EDUCATION
I don't normally approve of letting people take "cuts". Or of breaking rules I've set myself, like the one about separate topics requiring separate posts.
But Lexy is writing a paper on GARGOYLES for her HONOR'S ENGLISH CLASS, and she needed some questions answered. I'm a big fan or Honor's English classes, so I couldn't resist. But I figured you all might be interested in the answers as well. So with Lexy's permission, I'm answering them here.
Dear Greg,
Thanks SO much for helping me with my paper. I hope
to do you,and the rest of the fandom,proud:) Here are
some questions I whipped up for an interview. But If
you have anything you think would be helpful to add or
to subtract from them, please feel free to do so.
1) What do you think are some reasons ppl find
mythological creatures, such as gargoyles, intriguing
GREG'S RESPONSE: I think people like to let their imaginations run. And why limit those imaginations to what we know exists. If a concept has its own internal logic, something real in its emotions and relationships for an audience to grab a solid hold too, then there's little limit to how far-fetched the fantasy can get.
2) What started your personal fascination with
Gargoyles?
GREG'S RESPONSE: A high school trip to Europe and hearing the tidbit that Gargoyles were placed on castles and cathedrals to scare away evil spirits. The notion that monsters were used against evil was very intriguing. And this was years before we developed the series.
3) Name some of your favorite books or stories you
enjoyed when growing up.
GREG'S RESPONSE: Wow. Um. How far back to you want to go? GO, DOG, GO was an early favorite. Later, I liked the Hobbit. I liked reading about myths of all kinds. I had the D'Aulaire's GREEK MYTHS and NORSE GODS & GIANTS books and I reread those over and over. I also was always a big fan of detective fiction. I liked Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Later, Conan Doyle, some Christie, but my favorites were Hammett, Chandler and ROSS MacDonald. I loved the LEW ARCHER novels. I liked Heinlein in Science Fiction. "Requiem" is a heartbreakingly beautiful little story. I liked Mary Stewart and especially Mary Renault. I read a lot. I liked a lot of diverse stuff. I could go on for hours.
4) Did anything in particular inspire you to create
'Gargoyles'?
GREG'S RESPONSE: I've spoken to this before. Gummi Bears was an inspiration, as was Hill Street Blues (my all-time favorite tv show). My on-going fascination with stone gargoyles. And the pragmatic need to be constantly feeding the Dragon that was the Disney Afternoon.
5) Do you believe that gargoyles and other statuary
such as grotesques are rooted in evil traditions? Or
are they there for the common good through harsh
example? (explain)
GREG'S RESPONSE: Neither. I think they are symbolic (or rather emblematic) of something primitive and primal. They scare away evil. Not all monsters are against us. We need our dreams and nightmares.
6) (circa) When did you start work on the television
show 'Gargoyles'?
GREG'S RESPONSE: 1991.
7) When and why (circa) were you (and others) forced
to cancel 'Gargoyles'?
GREG'S RESPONSE: The question is phrased in such a way that it's difficult to answer directly. We never planned to do more than 65 episodes. That was a standard run for any show. Now in huge success, a show (like DuckTales for example) made additional episodes, and I won't deny I had hopes that we would to. But the answer came back no. Our ratings were strong. But we were a consistent second place to Power Rangers. So we weren't cancelled. But new episodes would not be made. Then ABC and Disney merged, and ABC wanted some Gargoyles. All my bosses at Disney had left and the new management wanted their own people on the show. So they made me an offer to continue that was designed to make me say no. In hindsight, I should have said yes anyway, but that's spilt milk. I left and they made additional episodes for ABC under the Goliath Chronicles banner. The ratings were not good. Neither, in my opinion, were the episodes. So it wasn't renewed.
8) What did the television show 'Gargoyles'mean to you
as it's creator?
GREG'S RESPONSE: It was and continues to be the highlight of my professional career. Nothing I've done, before or since, let me bring my vision so intact to the screen. It was very collaborative, not every idea was mine, but I still feel like that was the one show that achieved what I hoped it would achieved. I'm ridiculously proud of it, beyond all reason, really.
9) What was the central theme or message of the show ?
GREG'S RESPONSE: There wasn't just one. Among the messages was the obvious DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER moral. Plus plenty about the preciousness of life and hope. Themes of redemption are very important to me. Guilt, fear, love, trust, loyalty. You name it, at some point we through it in. Often episode titles were designed to remind both audience and writer of what the major theme in that story was.
10) How many Gatherings have you attended?
GREG'S RESPONSE: All three. Two in NYC. One in Dallas. And I hope to continue to go as long as you folks want me.
11) What is your opinion of the Gatherings?
GREG'S RESPONSE: It is always one of the true highlights of my year. How could it not be? I'm basically treated like royalty for 72 straight hours. Since that doesn't happen to a guy like me much in real life, it's pretty damn cool.
12) What do you hope ppl who watch 'Gargoyles'will
come away with?
GREG'S RESPONSE: First and foremost, I hope they were entertained. Not a little, but a lot, and on multiple levels. I hope we got the adrenaline going. I hope we touched their hearts. I hope we gave them something to think about. I hope we educated them a bit, or more likely gave them reason to want to be educated about, say SHAKESPEARE or Scottish History or King Arthur or Native American customs or whatever. I'm greedy. I want all of this.
13) What did you like most about the show 'Gargoyles'?
GREG'S RESPONSE: I'm not objective enough to answer this one.
14) What did you like most about working on the show
'Gargoyles'?
GREG'S RESPONSE: Honestly, the autonomy. The freedom. I also had some incredibly talented collaborators and when we were in gear, we really hummed. But for sheer fun, it's hard to beat those voice recording sessions. That was the part of the job that generally was the least like work. It's where all the potentials of the show come to life and few of the problems are revealed. Just fun.
15) Why incorporate so many classic dramas and other
time honored themes within 'Gargoyles'?
GREG'S RESPONSE: Purely for my own amusement. And with the hope that some people will either also be amused or will come to be amused as they discover these things. Plus it made my job easier. The story of Macbeth is so good, that adapting it practically wrote itself.
Thanks so much for all your help:)!
Lexy;)
GREG'S RESPONSE: You are welcome. Let me know if I can be of any more help.
Zeliard writes...
Hi, other than your work, do you watch other cartoons?
Greg responds...
Very rarely, these days.
Partially, this is a free time issue. As in, I don't have any...
But partially, it's a reaction to the horrible things I know about the animation business. I get angry about behind the scenes stuff, and I don't need more reasons to be pissed off.
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.
Jade writes...
Happy Brithday Greg!
All the best wishes!
Have fun and most of all make it a safe Brithday!!!!!
Greg responds...
Thanks, Jade.
Andrea "Elisa Maza" Ivanovs writes...
Hi Greg!
I just wanted to wish you all the best for your birthday!!!
Yepyep, have lots of fun and go on being a, can I admit this, excellent person. ;)
All the best,
Andrea/Elisa
Greg responds...
Thanks Andrea/Elisa!
Seth C. Bagnall writes...
Do you do any professional illustrations yourself, perhaps draw as a hobby, or are stick figures about the best you can do?
Greg responds...
I have one goofy face I can draw. Stick figures, I'm mediocre at. If I really work hard, I can doodle and/or copy something that will only look semi-awful. But no one has ever mistaken me for any kind of artist.
Todd Jensen writes...
You gave a list here once of Arthurian writers that you've read: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sir Thomas Malory, T. H. White, Mary Stewart, Roger Lancelyn Green, John Steinbeck, Thomas Berger, and Norma Lorre Goodrich, as I recall. I was wondering if you might be interested in giving your opinions (in brief, of course) on their Arthurian writings - and Goodrich, in particular. Having read her Arthurian books myself, I'm curious as to what you thought of them. (My own response to them was that the author had an engaging style, but a lot of her notions struck me as improbable - such as her effort to substantially revise Arthurian geography by putting everything up in Scotland - and I even detected a number of factual errors and slip-ups in them).
Greg responds...
Believe it or not, I've never read Malory from cover to cover. I've read huge chunks of it. And I've skimmed the whole thing. But he doesn't really engage me as a writer. I'm not sure why.
Thus, it is Roger Lanelyn Green who almost acts as my so-called primary source. God, I loved that little book.
Geoffrey was endlessly fascinating.
Steinbeck didn't finish, which was frustrating. It wasn't the best read.
Berger was a lot of fun. Though I don't personally "believe" many of his interpretations of the legends, it was a great read.
I loved Stewart's THE CRYSTAL CAVE. But with each successive book, I found less and less to connect with Stewart's interpretations. And her Mordred book really bummed me out. It seemed like she felt a need to turn Mordred into a real hero at the expense of just about anyone else. Bugged me.
T.H. White's ONCE AND FUTURE KING. I love this book. And I love his "Book of Merlyn." Beautiful writing. Human and fanciful. Irresistable to me.
As for Goodrich, well, I don't have the background to argue her facts. I found much of the material unconvincing and flat-out dull. But I thought she had one real insight. Lancelot has always been viewed as a late addition to the mythology. As a character who was probably NOT historical. (Whereas Arthur likely was.) Her linguistic explanation, connecting Malory's Lancelot with Monmouth's Angus was very convincing. I'll try and duplicate it here...
ANGUS latinized becomes something like ANGUSELUS.
But Anguselus was a title that could properly be rendered as THE ANGUSELUS.
Frenchifying this would make it L'ANGUSELOS. With the last letter silent.
Over time, it would not be unlikely for the name to be simplified. If a syllable got dropped it could very easily become L'ANSELOS.
And if the last S is silent (as it likely would be in French) then it could easilty become an equally silent "T". Thus L'ANSELOT.
Or LANCELOT once it was anglicized again.
This may sound like a stretch. And I may not be doing it justice above. But early Celtic accounts include the character of Angus. Lancelot was assumed to be a later and fictional French addition to the legend. (And thus a character from France.) If Lancelot is in fact Angus, then that lends a certain credence to the entire legend. And I just love that idea.
Todd Jensen writes...
A little side-note. I happened to see the episode that you wrote for "Disney's Hercules" - I thought I'd mention it after noticing that somebody else on the list mentioned it. I quite enjoyed it - particularly the portrayal of Theseus as a sort of ancient Greek version of "Batman". I also noticed, as a side-note, that there was a certain thematic echo of "Hunter's Moon" in it (although I don't know if you'd intended it or not) where Hercules got so caught up in his efforts to wreak vengeance upon the Minotaur that he lost sight of what was really important, much the same way as Goliath in his pursuit of the Hunters.
Greg responds...
First off, Todd, thanks for the kind words.
There are certain themes that interest me, and so you'll see them revisited in my work (probably ad nauseum) over and over. The theme of, well, let's call it "What Profit Vengeance?" is one of my favorites. So I wasn't deliberately trying to echo "Hunter's Moon" so much as I was servicing a set of ideas that seemed apropos to both series.
As for the Theseus-as-Batman stuff. Well, that's a no-brainer. The Superman/Batman dynamic -- that is the teaming of a hero possessing superhuman abilities with a hero who merely makes the best possible use of his human abilities -- originated with Herakles and Theseus. (Or at any rate, it goes back that far.) So the notion of flipping that, and playing Herc/Theseus as Superman/Batman seemed wonderfully ironic and a fertile place to find comedy.
In high school, I acted in a play called THE WARRIOR'S HUSBAND. I played Theseus, and I've had a real affinity for the character ever since. In that play, Hercules was kind of a mope. (Very strong, but a mope.) The Greeks were waging war against the Amazons. Hercules was in charge, but Theseus was the real brains of the operation. Yet he's also the guy who really falls hard in love for Antiope, sister to Queen Hyppolyta. So instead of conquering -- as he had originally intended -- Theseus winds up manipulating everyone into a compromise. I like that in a hero.
Theseus is part of a sub-genre of archetypes, (an off-shoot of Trickster figures like Puck, Coyote or Odysseus/Ulysses). He's the primary example of the Archetype of "THE BASTARD", which includes such diverse characters as Shakespeare's Edmund from KING LEAR, Joan of Arc's ally Dunois and multiple characters from Arthurian legend (including Merlin, Arthur, Percival, Galahad and Mordred). There are so many parallels between Arthur and Theseus that reading Mary Stewart and Mary Renault seemed almost redundant. (Not really.)
In fact, Luach (or Lulach) is also a prime candidate for that archetype. When he was born, Gruoch was still married to Gillecomgain. But gossip around the castle hinted that the babe's true father was Macbeth. After Macbeth and Gruoch married, Macbeth adopted the boy as his own. At which point the gossip shifted to insist that Gillecomgain was the boy's father. (You can't win.) Pre-DNA testing, there would be no way for Luach to ever be certain of the truth. Maybe Macbeth didn't even know. Hell, Gruoch might not know.
Life's a bitch when you're a bastard.
Aris Katsaris writes...
Well... I could ask in the comment rooms for this one, but here goes: How is it pronounced anyway? Your name I mean. Is it pronounced WISE-man or WAYS-man or WIZ-man or what? Thanks. :)
Greg responds...
It's a hard "I". But the S is pronounced S not Z. So it rhymes with RICE-man. But, you know, with a W.
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...
I recently saw the "Hercules" episode you wrote, "Grim Avenger"
I laughed my butt off during it. Great job. I particularly liked the bits where Theseus/Grim Avenger kept narrating outloud without realizing it.
I also liked the bits you wrote with Cassandra falling in love with Theseus. She's usually such a cynic, it was fun to see this other side of her.
On the whole, great job. You are great at everything you write.
Greg responds...
Thanks. I liked writing that one. I've always loved the Superman/Batman relationship. And Herakles/Theseus is the original. I just pointed it up a bit more.
Though I should say that the wordless stuff where Cass is running across the beach toward Theseus wasn't mine. I guess the board artist added it.
It was also fun to have Michael Dorn playing another Minotaur.
Galaxy Quest
I saw Galaxy Quest this past Saturday. Not a perfect film by any means, but I enjoyed it.
But mostly it got me thinking. The Star Trek parallels were obvious, and it's hard to apply the same kind of scenario to, say, a Gathering.
But I wondered how I'd respond this summer in Orlando if Thom Adcox and I (for example) were confronted by a woman who looked sort of like Salli Richardson but with blue jeans, black shirt and a red jacket. She tells us she really's Elisa Maza and she need our help.
I wound up coming up with this whole scenario in my head about Alexander accidentally using his magic to send Elisa, Fox and Lexington to our universe. I finally find out definitively what I've suspected all along, which is that I'm not inventing these stories, I'm simply tapping into another universe. Turns out I got a lot right and a little bit wrong here and there. (See previous comments about how I missed beats on "Hero of Ulster" and "Grief" as examples.)
Trapped in our universe, the unlikely trio happen to see an episode of the show. They get on the net and find out about me. And with no other idea how to get home they track me down at the Gathering, hoping I'd know how they are SUPPOSED TO GET HOME.
Then I got stuck. The whole idea got very messy. (This story is really up Cary Bates' alley. I still have that old issue of JUSTICE LEAGUE where Cary travels to EARTH-TWO, turns evil and tricks the JLA into killing the JSA. In that story, the Spectre personally intercedes with God to fix things.)
Anyway, I think this is what Todd calls a 'creativity demon'. I've been trying to "crack" open this story since Saturday night, with little success. But I'll keep working on it, and if I come up with anything good, I'll ramble further.
Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...
What is it like for you to have so many people worshiping the ground you walk on?
Greg responds...
Pretty cool most of the time.
And then I get an embarrassing question like this one...
Airwalker writes...
Do you currently read any comic books?
Have you done any comic book work recently?
Greg responds...
No. I gave them up cold turkey in 1996. I was already down to very few books. Bone. Cerebus. Maybe a couple of others. But it was getting too hard to find the books I liked. And many had been cancelled, discontinued or rendered unreadable.
As I'm sure you know by now, I did write a JUSTICE LEAGUE/CAPTAIN ATOM/GARGOYLES story that was just published. But that's it.
I'd love to write comics again, but no one's busting down my door, and I don't have the energy to initiate a hard sell of my own.
Raza_Paro writes...
Dear Greg Weisman,
I have currently seen 2 episodes of Gargoyles, in GERMAN, and I think that it is the best animation-serie ever.
I understand rarely a entire sentence, usually two words in a sentence, and oftenly nothing.
Yet, it is pure quality from A-Z.
It doesn't get transmitted in my country, I am still trying to convince them, but they just don't get it.
When are you born?
I'd like to add you to my Celebrity Birthday Book.
I feature all the creator s of Sitcoms and general comedies and dramas.
But, you are missing cus I don't know ehn you're born.www.geocities.com/hollywood/chateau/6004/ActorArea/birth.html
Greg responds...
I was born on September 28th, 1963.
My social security number is ...
Wait a minute. Maybe I should keep a few things to myself.
Airwalker writes...
Would you ever consider reprising your role as Xanatos Goon #3 if the show ever returned?
Greg responds...
Actually, I was the 2nd Commando.
But I'm not in the Union. So theoretically I never said "Nice mask!" Never. Understand.
traveler writes...
okay, stay calm. Mr.weisman,um greg.Alright I'm okay. First of all I would like to say that I've been wanting to talk to you for sometime, but since before I got my computer [webtv] I never had access to the web,and the location in which I live it is hard for me to get to a gathering. I have been with the show scince it first came out and am very sad that it is gone .
1.Are you currently working on a movie script? I was sort of hoping for a PG rated film , I mean most of us fans are over 12 now and we love it even more than we did when it first came out, because now we can appreciate it more.
2. would you rather have the movie be live action or animated?
3.If the movie does at least okay,would you have plans to recreate the series ? Do you think Disney would give you another chance?
4.What future plans did you have for Eliza and Goliaths relationship? Will they one day become mates.
5.If gargoyle children are raised by the whole clan, would that mean that goliath is the trios parent.
6.Did you create Sata [Timedancer] or did someone else.
7.Are the new olympians oberons children.
8.Alot of names came from the bible[David Gabriel, Eliza, just to name a few] . Is this coincidence or does gargoyles have biblical ties.
9.Is gargoyles a creationism based story or were they created by evolution.
Thamks for listening, I look forward to the day when gargoyles will be shown again.
Greg responds...
1. No.
2. I have no preference, but if you're talking about Gargoyles, they are planning it to be live action with CGI.
3. I hope so. I like to think so.
4 - 9. Sorry. Questions on separate topics, must be posted separately.
UPDATE
Hi Gang,
I'm back. And determined to pour through these questions. I can't believe I'm still backlogged until JULY!!!
But first, let me give you a quick update on what I've been up to recently.
STARSHIP TROOPERS
Post-Production has been completed on my first arc of stories. They are all set on the jungle moon TESCA NEMEROSA. I think they turned out wonderfully. I'm still very proud of the writing, but I'm wildly impressed with the CGI. (And yes, there are a few small things that bother me, but...) Overall, I think it's a very powerful set of stories.
MAX STEEL
We've completed writing and recording all 13 episodes for the first season. Post-production should begin after the first of the year. The CGI series should premeire in February on the WB's Saturday Morning. And now that the heavy lifting is done, I'm all but unemployed, which means I should have plenty of time for ASK GREG.
NAZCA
A good friend of mine did the English dub for this Japanese Anime series. Thom Adcox does the voice for one of the leads, and I do a few incidental voices here and there. (Yes, the man who brought you "Nice Mask!" and "Father, the rockets aren't working!" is back behind the microphone. God help us all.) It's available on home video in stores starting mid-January.
JUSTICE LEAGUE GIANT
As many of you already know, I did a CAPTAIN ATOM/JLE/GARGOYLES parody team-up for this comic book. I wrote it a year ago and I still haven't seen the final result, but I'm told it turned out all right. And every copy you buy puts about a tenth of a penny into my pocket... Seriously, it wouldn't hurt if this issue sold out and was followed by a letter writing campaign asking DC to do an actual Gargoyles comic. Don't know if it would work, but it wouldn't hurt.
UCLA EXTENSION
For those of you living in the L.A. Area, Kevin Hopps and I are teaching a twenty week course on writing for Television Animation through UCLA Extension's Writer's Program at Universal CityWalk starting this Spring and running through the Summer. Hope to see some of you there.
Now, back to your questions...
Heather "Hudson" writes...
HEYYA!!!
1)Can I call you "Uncle Greg"?
2)Between Jackal and Hyena, who is the oldest?
2a)By how long?
2b)Are they only children? as in no other siblings?
3)Would Hudsn have ever acknowledged Broadway, as being his
"biological" son?
4)When is Thom Adcox' birthday? month and day will do...
Greg responds...
1. I'd prefer "Greg".
Separate topics must post separately. Otherwise, I'll never get through the backlog of questions.
Where have I been...
I can't believe I'm still answering questions from back in July.
Please have patience with me. I have been completely swamped working on a new series for SONY (makers of MIB & Starship Troopers) and the WB (the network of BATMAN BEYOND). It's called "MX1: MAX STEEL", and if I survive the production process it should be a pretty cool show.
Here's a little info:
I'm the story editor and one of the producers.
It's not the same job/responsibility/freedom that I had on Gargoyles, but it is the closest I've come to it since way back then.
The Executive Producers are Richard Raynis and Jeff Kline.
The other Producer (on the art side) is Bob Richardson.
Sue Blue is our voice director.
We've got an order for 13 episodes. Each stands alone, hopefully, but as usual with my stuff they'll play better in sequence. I hope they air in order someday.
As of today, the writing breaks down as follows:
1. "Strangers" by Greg Weisman.
2. "Sacrifices" by Greg Weisman.
3. "Shadows" by Lydia Marano.
4. "Sportsmen" by Jon Weisman.
5. "Seraphim" by Michael Reaves.
6. "Spear-Carriers" by Kevin Hopps.
7. "Snow-Blind" by Mike Ryan.
8. "Sharks" by Katherine Fugate.
9. "Sabres" by Cary Bates.
10. "Sphinxes" by Gary Sperling.
11. "Swashbucklers" by Jon Weisman.
12. "Scions" by Cary Bates.
13. "Shattered" by Kevin Hopps.
The voice cast is pretty impressive to, with quite a few names familiar to Gargoyles fandom...
Our five regulars...
Christian Campbell
Jacob Vargas
Shannon Kenny
Chi McBride
Lauren Tom
Recurring & Guest Cast includes (in order of appearance):
John de Lancie
Keith Szarabajka
Jean Gilpin
Martin Jarvis
Thomas Wilson (aka Matt Bluestone)
Edward Asner (aka Hudson)
Jason Marsden
Jeff Bennett (aka Brooklyn, Owen, etc.)
Julia Kato
Obba Babbatunde
Cam Clarke (aka Young Gillecomgain & Eric Sturlesson)
Thom Adcox Hernandez (aka Lexington)
Greg Rainwater (aka Natsilane & Coyote Trickster)
August Paro
Robert Cait
And that's just after having recorded five episodes.
The show is 100% CGI. We have high hopes.
In other news, I just attended what could be called my first GARGOYLE wedding. Marc Perlman (our music editor) and Laurel Whitcomb (our publicist) met at the Gargoyle Premiere Party in 1994. They've been an item ever since, and finally made it official yesterday. The wedding was great fun, and I was singled out as being responsible for bringing them together.
Geez, talk about pressure.
I loved it.
I will get back to answering questions as soon as I can. Hope this little update tides you over a bit.
Ceira writes...
Dear Mr. Weisman,
This may sound like a stupid question to you, but I figured that if anyone could answer my question, it'd be you. A friend of mine and I are kinda having and arguement about eyes. Mainly Puck and Demona's. She says Puck's are blue and Demona's gray. I say Puck's are grey and Demona's black. What color are Puck's and Demona's eyes?
Sincerely,
Ceira
Greg responds...
Ceira, for once I'm not trying to give a smart-ass response. Here's the thing. I don't remember and I'm color-blind. So even if I pulled out the videos and looked, the odds are about fifty-fifty as to whether I'd be able to tell.
Sorry.
Airwalker writes...
In HUNTER'S MOON 3, the date (September 28) that you picked for the confrontation between Charles Canmore and Demona in Paris, did you have a specific reason for picking that date or was it just chosen at random?
(I wonder because September 28 1980 was my 2nd birthday and when I saw the date on the screen, I immediately sat up.)
Greg responds...
My birthday is September 28th too. Although I wasn't two in 1980.
Airwalker writes...
I know that you were only involved with THE JOURNEY in TGC. But in the episode GENERATIONS, the story had Demona completely alienating Angela, with the ending of the episode indicating that Angela had completely given up on her mother. If you got the show back, how would deal with this, how would you fix this?
Greg responds...
I have and will continue to resist addressing these questions at this time.
Understand, GOLIATH CHRONICLES was very, very PAINFUL for me. Besides "The Journey" I watched each episode exactly once -- a bitter experience each time. (And note: This is not the fault of the people who produced those episodes.)
I have no desire to put myself through additional needless pain.
Now if the show were to come back, the pain wouldn't be needless. It would be worthwhile, and I would gladly watch, even study, each episode again, looking for loopholes, for what I could ignore, etc. etc. etc.
It may sound arrogant, but I have no doubt I could salvage my continuity in its entirety.
But for now...
The only Chronicle that exists for me is "The Journey."
Hope you understand.
Vanessa writes...
Ok, My question is not related to the content of the show, but the production.
1. How closely did you work with each of the departments (ie. writers, artists, actors, etc.) while you were making the show?
2. Who had the final say about what actually aired and what got cut?
Greg responds...
1. The writers and story editors worked for me directly.
The actors worked for our Voice Director Jamie Thomason, but I sat right next to Jamie at every recording, so I knew them very well.
The pre-production artists worked under Frank Paur, Dennis Woodyard and Bob Kline, and I largely dealt with those three Director/Producers as opposed to having direct contact with the artists. BUT -- there were tons of exceptions and I got to know many of the storyboard artists fairly well. Plus I had brought our (2nd season) lead character designer Greg Guler onto the show in its development phase. So I worked fairly closely with him.
I also had one on one meetings with our timing directors.
As for the actual overseas production artists. People like Roy, I had no real contact with them. Mostly I left that to Frank, though I occasionally communicated with the head of Walt Disney Japan via FAX.
In post, I worked directly with everyone. Editors, Sound folk, music, etc.
2. There isn't one answer to this. I had a tremendous amount of authority on the first two seasons, but I did have people I answered to. Largely, they gave me pretty free reign. Frank had equal authority. We generally agreed or at least could reach a solution together. Occasionally, whether we agreed on something or not, a decision would go up the ladder.
My son Ben wanted to ramble. He's two years old.
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ben
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OnyxStar writes...
Well, I'm so glad that this forum is back that I've completely forgotten all the questions I've been saving. So I guess the only one I have is kind of general.
I know you've stated before (though not in so many words) that you believe in God. (I do, too). I'm going to be as vague as possible, but in a novel I have started I have a magic-user who is also a religious person. A friend of mine seems to think that this is a paradox, that all magic is inherently contradictory with God. My friend is a very religious person and I'm sure she knows better than I do (her father is a minister, for goodness' sake!), but to me there's no contradiction. Have you ever met with that problem? How do you view magic in relation to religion?
I realize that that's kind of a 'loaded question,' so you don't have to answer if you don't want to do so. But I'm curious what your opinion is. Thanks! ;-)
Greg responds...
Hmmm....
"All things are true..." as Luna would say.
I believe in magic up to a point, and I see no conflict in that with my belief in God.
But, and this is important, I don't believe in a petty god. Or, despite the Bible, a jealous one.
I can see how those who do would find conflict where I see none.
Trey Palmer writes...
What are you up to these days, and aside from convention appearances and this, how has it affected your professional life?
Greg responds...
Currently, I'm writing, story editing and producing a new television series for SONY, the WB and Mattel. This is AFTER having finished my stint on STARSHIP TROOPERS which will premier in syndication this month. On the latter, I story edited ten out of the forty episodes (#16-20 & #36-40). The writers on my two arcs were myself, Jon Weisman, Lydia Marano, Cary Bates and Michael Reaves.
On my current series I'm using all of the above plus Gary Sperling, Kevin Hopps, Mike Ryan and Katherine Fugate.
The current series will premier in January, 2000.
As for you're second question, I'm unclear on the antecedent of "it". You mean my current work? Or Gargoyles?
Ethan Webb Long writes...
Are you a gargoil. wich one if so. I'm your bigest fan in the world.
Greg responds...
No. And thanks.
kathy writes...
Hi Greg,
It sounds like this year is treating you pretty well (except for the back. Ouch, done that. Does your chiropractor have you exercising along with those adjustments?)
Anyway, here are some change of pace questions (just in case you can't remember when Fox got her pilot's licence. j/k)
1. You've got all afternoon and a full tank of gas. Do you head for the beach, the mountains or the desert?
2. What part of the newspaper do you read first?
3A. Which fad or trend have you seriously considered trying out?
3B Which one do you wish would go away?
4. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
5. What person, place or landmark sums up Southern California for you. Why?
6. If someone else hadn't beaten you to it, which fictional character do you wish you could have created?
Best wishes,
Greg responds...
Hey, Kathy. Doubt this will be very interesting, but:
My chiropractor has given me exercises. But I'm a slug most of time.
1. That question just doesn't work for me. My mind doesn't function that way.
2. Generally, the front section.
3 a & b. I can't think of any at this moment.
4. Carney's.
5. Nothing sums up So Cal. Nothing's that simple.
6. Again, my mind doesn't quite work that way. But I do remember a tv show called STRANGE LUCK, or something like that, starring D.B. Sweeney. I thought that concept was brilliant, and I was extremely jealous of it. Unfortunately, it only lasted one season.
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