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Weisman, Greg
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Richard writes...
In your resume you mentioned a Robotech Mars Force, how does this fit within the bounds of the Robotech series in relation to the other series (Macross, Southern Cross, New Generation and Sentinels)?
Greg responds...
Well, the short answer is that it doesn't. I developed a new Robotech series for Harmony Gold. We went down the road together a little ways, and then they ultimately passed. (I liked it. So it's too bad, I think.)
I'm afraid I can't say anything else about it, because I signed a N.D.A. (i.e. a Non-Disclosure Agreement).
Siren writes...
I was reading your resume and first may I saw WOW! So many great things you have given to people around the world. And second, I'd like to thank you both for your resume and all your wonderful ideas.
I noticed you mentioned you worked on Ducktales. I remember an episode when Scrooge and the nephews go to Scotland. I forget the exact details, but it had to do with Shakespeare and his play "MacDuck". This particular episodes reminds me of you heavily, for obvious reasons.
1.)Were you involved in writing this particular episode?
2.)If so, was it your idea to bring "MacBeth" into the Ducktales Universe?
3.)Any other thoughts on this episode?
Greg responds...
1. Nope.
2. See above.
3. I honestly can't remember it. Which may mean that I never saw it. Or may mean that I just can't remember it.
Sorry if all that disappoints, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one trying to bring the Bard to the masses.
The thing to remember is that I only worked on the very tail end of that series. A tiny bit of work on one sequence of the feature film. And then the last five episodes, including a Valentine's Special and a two-parter about a golden goose.
Todd Jensen writes...
Just looked over the resume that you included in one of your most recent answers, and thought that I'd tell you that I found it amusing and very appropriate that two projects that you'd worked on were feature-length animated versions (which apparently wound up being scrapped before completed) of "The Tempest" and "Macbeth". I certainly can't say that I'm too surprised that you'd be working on them.
Greg responds...
No, it's not particularly surprising, just a bit depressing. I also spent some time working on a Midsummer Night's Dream animated feature. But that never got off the ground either.
Conventions in October
October Conventions:
Hey gang,
I've been invited to attend two more conventions (my eighth and ninth of the year >whew<) in October.
The first is "CON-Sequential" in Memphis, TN, October 14-15th.
http://www.Con-Sequential.com/
The second is the "Mo-Kan Comics CONspiracy" in Kansas City, MO,
October 28-29th.
http://mo-kancomicsconspiracy.com/
If you're in the neighborhood of either or both, please stop by and say hello.
Greg
Todd Jensen writes...
Thanks for the ramble on "Mark of the Panther". (Boy, we're really coming along well with the rambles now! Isn't it great?) Here are my thoughts on it.
One of the moments that still most stands out to me is the legend of the Panther Queen that was incorporated into the story; the change of animation to set the old tale apart from the present-day action was a particular delight for me. (Although I hadn't even thought until you mentioned it that somebody tuning into "Gargoyles" during this story could have mistakenly believed that they were watching a different television program.)
I've read a little about Anansi before the series came out, though I'm no expert upon him. One thing that I had learned about him, which I think that the episode captures accurately, is that his tricks and schemes had a tendency to backfire upon him - and this is what happens in both the Panther Queen story and the main action. In the Panther Queen story, Anansi, indignant about having to turn the Panther Queen's son into a panther, banishes all the humans from Karadigi - and then realizes too late that he's just sacked his entire hunting force, so who's going to bring him food now? And in the present day, Anansi's getting Fara Maku to hunt for him worked too well - he gorged himself to such an extent that, once out of his web, he was too fat and unwieldy to fight the gargoyles effectively.
Diane's helping to resolve satisfactorally the problem of Goliath's difficulty in acknowledging Angela as his daughter reminds me of something that you once said about why they generally leave mothers out of Disney movies: the mother, if she was there, could have found a solution to the problem so quickly that there'd be barely any story. And once Elisa's mother shows up, she does indeed help solve the Goliath-Angela problem (though without preventing there from being a story).
And I picked up (by the last time that I saw this episode, a few months ago - I regularly watch my "Gargoyles" tapes every summer) on the link between Diane telling Fara Maku about his desire to keep Tea by his side "That's not love; that's selfishness" and her telling Elisa at the end that love is about letting go.
The moment that you mentioned about Diane telling Goliath with a certain indignant dignity "I don't need protection" and Goliath saying "Of course" always amused me - and I found myself also thinking of "mother-in-law" towards Diane at that moment.
The first time that I saw this episode, I thought that Anansi had indeed been slain at the end, though "The Gathering Part One" proved me wrong on that. And, truth to tell, I'm kind of glad that the Children of Oberon are so difficult to kill and that we haven't had any genuine deaths among them as yet in the series. After all, they are (or the bulk of them are) traditional figures in humanity's own myths and legends, part of our cultural heritage. Obviously, a genuine death for Anansi wouldn't result in everyone forgetting the tales about him, but still, his passing, or the passing of any other member of the Third Race, would somehow (to me, at least) diminish the "tapestry of story" that we have gained from them. (When we get to "The Gathering Part Two", I'll mention how Oberon's sentence upon Puck has a similar, if not as strong, impact upon me.)
Thanks also for telling us about how Bronx somehow reminded you and your family of Norman again. (I wonder now how the Cagney scenes in "Gargoyles" would have affected me if I'd seen any of them between the time that my old cat Merlin passed on, two months ago, and the time that I adopted my new kitten Obie.) Norman sounds like he must truly have been quite a dog.
Greg responds...
Norman was indeed quite a dog. I miss him still. We have two new old dogs now, Sammi & Abraham and we still have our cat Bigtime, but we recently lost our cat Iggy during a power outage. And when I say "lost" I mean that literally. Heat wave. Power outage. Open windows. He must have run off. But he hasn't come back.
Kinda know how Hudson felt about Bronx during the World Tour. So I'm hoping Iggy's having fun in his own personal Avalon.
Pheobe writes...
Dear Greg,
What is next for you?
Greg responds...
I'm currently unemployed. Have a few maybes on the horizon, but nothing definite.
However, in January 2006, the second season of WITCH should begin airing. That's what I've been working on most of the last year. I'm very proud of our work on that show. I wasn't involved with the first season at all, but you might want to start checking that out now, so that you're up to speed for what I really think is a kick-ass second season.
I had a great writing staff and a great cast and voice director working under me. Not to mention a terrific boss, Justine Cheynette at SIP Animation. Love her. And I don't often say that about my bosses.
Drew Lung writes...
Hello, I'm a long time fan of the show, 'Gargoyles', and have a few questions.
What inspired 'Gargoyles' in the first place?
How did you get such a unusual idea for a tv series noticed by producers?
Were any of the characters replacements for original concepts you may have had early on?
Do you remember any ideas that didn't soar? (no pun)
And what other tv shows have you taken part in?
Sorry to ask so many questions, but I'm curious.
Greg responds...
1. Actual Gargoyles. Also Hill Street Blues. Gummi Bears. Etc. Check out the Archives here at ASK GREG.
2. You've got it backwards. I was an executive at the time. I hire the producers. This time I hired myself. As for how I sold the idea, that took some effort, three pitches, two years and a lot of help from my development team, my colleagues and my bosses, Bruce Cranston, Gary Krisel and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Michael Eisner finally approved us to series.
3. I'm not sure what you mean. As many fans know, the show was originally pitched as a comedy, and every major character except Goliath and Angela (and maybe Bronx), had an antecedent in the comedy development. Demona was Dakota. Xanatos was Xavier. Brooklyn was Amp. Broadway was Coco. Lexington was Lassie. Owen was Mr. Owen. Hudson was Ralph, etc. In later pitches, we did add addtional characters that went through a few changes before they actually hit the screen. Catscan became Talon. C.Y.O.T.E. (or some such acronym) became Coyote, etc. The New Olympians were added in from their own development. And so on...
4. Yes.
5. Lots. Some much more than others, but an incomplete off-the-top-of-my-head list would include: Gummi Bears, Winnie the Pooh, DuckTales the Movie, DuckTales, Talespin, Rescue Rangers, Marsupilami, Bonkers, Goof Troop, Raw Toonage, Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Return of Jafar, A Goofy Movie, Bionicle Mask of Light, Atlantis: Milo's Return, Men in Black, The Batman, Hercules, Buzz Lightyear, Max Steel, Gargoyles, Alien Racers, W.I.T.C.H., Invasion America, A.T.O.M., Mighty Ducks, Kim Possible, Quack Pack, Goliath Chronicles, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers, 3X3 Eyes, Ikkei Tossen, Jem and the Holograms, etc.
IKKI TOUSEN
For those of you who have worn out your GARGOYLES first season DVD playing the words "Nice Mask" over and over and over again...
For those of you who have waited and watched for that Panda-La episode of Talespin, just so that you can hear: "Father, the rockets aren't working!"...
For those of you who just can't get enough of the homeless guy in 3x3 Eyes humming the Gargoyles' theme...
I'd recommend you rush out and purchase the four volume DVD set of IKKI TOUSEN (Strength of a Thousand).
Heck, I'd recommend it anyway. I've watched the first three volumes and plan to watch the fourth volume tonight. They're all a lot of fun. The interview with the director is worth the price of admission alone. Loads of action and sexy stuff. (NOT FOR KIDS, BTW! ADULTS ONLY!)
Ikki Tousen.
Chris Robbins writes...
Do you plan on doing a new series for Disney or any other channel like Cartoon Network.
Greg responds...
Well, I do plan to keep working and earning a living. So... Yep.
Right now, as I've mentioned before, I'm working on the second season of W.I.T.C.H.
The first season (which I was not involved with) is currently airing in ABC Family's Jetix Block and ABC (Broadcast) Saturday Morning. There's some really fun stuff there, so I'd recommend it -- particularly if you want to be prepped for the very cool stuff we have planned for Season Two.
Mike Cohen CKayote@worldnet.att.net writes...
Topic: Weisman, Greg
As a result of watching 'too much' TV as a kid, I find myself wanting to work in writng TV and movies. I'm starting my freshman year of college in August, and I have no idea about how to get into my chosen profession. I tried asking my school's advisors and the film department people and looking on the internet,etc. but nobody knows anything about it.
So I figured that ask someone who's been there is doing that.
So how did you end up with a job writing all those Disney shows? Where did you go school? What did you major in? Who did you have to meet to get where you are?
Thank You Very Much,
Mike Cohen
CKayote@worldnet.att.net
Greg responds...
Well, let's see. By now, you must be almost done with your Sophomore year, and I hope you haven't been waiting that long to hear back from me.
My bio in brief:
B.A. Stanford University in English with an emphasis in Fiction Writing.
M.P.W. University of Southern California. M.P.W. stands for Masters of Professional Writing and my emphasis was in playwrighting.
In between, I worked on staff at DC Comics for two years. And I freelanced for them for about eight years -- beginning during my Junior Year at Stanford and ending after I was well-ensconced at Disney.
Before I left USC, I interviewed at numerous places... and hit it off with Gary Krisel, who was putting together Disney's TV Animation unit. A year later I started there as a VERY junior creative executive. It was supposed to be my day job while I wrote at night. But I didn't do much writing over those five years. Instead, I got steadily promoted, eventually rising to Director of Series Development. I developed numerous shows including Gargoyles, and then moved over laterally to produce that show.
Eventually left for some unfulfilling years at DreamWorks, and then went Freelance.
My first recommendation to anyone who's interested in the biz is to find something else to do... unless you just feel like NOTHING ELSE could do it for you. It's a brutal business full of rejection, so unless you have the passion to carry you through, over and/or around all that brutality and rejection, I'd go elsewhere.
Second rec is to move to L.A. That's where all the action is.
Third rec is to write, write, write.
Fourth is to read, read, read.
Fifth is to learn how to proofread, and practice the art religiously.
Billy Kerfoot writes...
1) Oh Greg, one more thing I forgot! I've heard you were an English teacher once before. Who was your most memorable student and why? Where did you teach? And how come I wasn't selected to be in your class?
Greg responds...
I was a Shakespeare T.A. at Stanford. I also taught a literature class there, "The Mythic Hero in Modern Literature".
At U.S.C., I taught Freshmen Composition.
And through U.C.L.A. Extension I've taught a course on Writing for Television Animation.
Gerald Smith writes...
what else have you written? before and after gargoyles.
Greg responds...
My complete resume as of October, 2004:
GREGORY DAVID WEISMAN
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
4/83 - present: Emmy Nominated Freelance Writer / Producer / Story Editor / Voice Director / Development Guy. See credits below.
1/02 - present: Voice Instructor, SPECIAL DATA PROCESSING CORPORATION, Clearwater, Florida. Developed and gave seminars to telemarketers on how to increase sales by using their voice and acting skills as tools.
1/98 - present: Writing Instructor, UCLA EXTENSION PROGRAM. Introduction to Animation Writing, From Script to Cell: The Complete Writer's Guide to Television Animation. Designed and taught course on animation writing. Evaluated exercises and spec teleplays for both format and ability.
6/96 - 9/98: Writer / Developer / Producer, DREAMWORKS SKG TELEVISION ANIMATION. Developing series and video projects including Invasion: America, Steven Spielberg's Cliffhangers, Sword of the Shogun, The Avenger, Blackhawk, Madison & MON-Ro, Rain of the Ghosts, Tai-Fu The Series, Treasure Hunters, Inc., Small Soldiers: The Animated Series.
10/94 - 5/96: Creator / Supervising Producer / Supervising Story Editor, Gargoyles animated television series, WALT DISNEY TELEVISION ANIMATION. Created and developed series and characters. Writer/Producer on 66 half-hour episodes. Came up with overall story arc, and all 66 springboards. Managed four story editors; oversaw all premises, outlines, scripts and voice recordings. Voice directed an episode. Gave notes on storyboards, design work and timing direction. Supervised editing, sound mixes and video on-lines. Nominated for "Golden Reel," "EMA" and "Annie" Awards. Created and developed sequel series, Bad Guys, Pendragon, The New Olympians, TimeDancer, Dark Ages, Gargoyles 2198.
2/93 - 10/94: Director of Series Development, DISNEY TV ANIMATION. Developed new series for afternoon syndication and network Saturday morning. Including Marsupilami (CBS), Bonkers (syn), Aladdin (CBS & syn), Schnookums & Meat (syn), Timon & Pumbaa (CBS & syn), Quack Pack (syn), Mighty Ducks (syn), Gargoyles (syn) and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles (ABC). Developed animated feature length idea, The Tempest.
2/90 - 2/93: Creative Executive, Current Programming and Series Development, DISNEY TV ANIMATION. Current Programming (including Talespin syndicated series, among others): managed staff of over fifty writers, story editors, development artists and script coordinators. Negotiated contracts. Gave notes on scripts, outlines, premises & storyboards. Supervised voice-recording sessions. Story Edited episodes of Duck Tales syndicated series. Series Development: developed new series for afternoon syndication and network Saturday morning, including Darkwing Duck (ABC & syn), Raw Toonage (CBS), Little Mermaid (CBS) and Goof Troop (ABC & syn).
7/89 - 2/90: Staff Assistant, DISNEY TV ANIMATION. Covered outside submissions. Read current programming; gave notes. Worked in development. Acting Creative Executive on New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (ABC), Gummi Bears (NBC, ABC & syn), Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers (syn) and DuckTales the Movie: Secret of the Lost Lamp (feature film).
8/88 - 5/98: Assistant Lecturer, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Taught courses in Composition. Designed curricula and assignments; evaluated papers and examinations.
2/88 - 8/88: Food Server, Cashier & Soda Jerk, JOHNNY ROCKETS, Melrose Avenue, CA. Waited on counter; worked computerized cash register; made great shakes & malts.
3/87 - 7/87: Associate Editor, DC COMICS, New York, NY. Edited and developed new comic book series, including Young All-Stars.
3/86 - 3/87: Assistant Editor, DC COMICS. Trafficked comic art and stories; maintained schedules on over five monthly titles, including Teen Titans.
10/85 - 3/86: Editorial Assistant, DC COMICS, Distributed mail, photocopied, etc.
2/85 - 6/85: Teaching Assistant and Preceptor, STANFORD UNIVERSITY. Led discussions and evaluated student work including fiction, essays and quizzes for two courses. Shakespeare: Organized discussion sections for class of 140 students. Personally responsible for section of 15 students. The Mythic Hero in Modern Literature: Proposed, designed and taught accredited seminar of 11 students.
WRITING / PRODUCING / STORY EDITING / VOICE DIRECTING / DEVELOPMENT CREDITS:
2004 - Present: W.I.T.C.H., SIP Animation/Disney Channel. Supervising Producer & Story Editor of Second Season of Animated Series.
2004 - Present: Robotech: Mars Force, Harmony Gold. Developed new Animated Spin-off Series. Wrote Bible.
2003 - Present: Kidd/Hero, DAG. Developed Animated Series, writing bible and voice directing sales reel.
2002 - Present: The Bible for the Platinum Megaverse!, PLATINUM STUDIOS. Developed multiple series, characters, movies and stories for comic books, television and features. Writing Bible for their entire comic book universe, including encyclopedia, biographies, mini-bibles and timeline.
1997 - Present: Ask Greg, Maintained website at http://s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/. Designed to keep fan interest in the Gargoyles television series alive.
2004: Alien Racers, MGA Entertainment. Wrote an episode of Animated Series.
2004: Robo-Sapiens, WARNER BROS. Co-created and developed original Animated Series. Wrote bible and pilot treatment.
2004: Mechromancers, DISNEY. Voice directed pilot for Animated Series.
2004: Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, DISNEY. Writer for multiple episodes of Animated Series.
2003 - 2004: The Batman, WARNER BROS. Writer for multiple episodes of Animated Series.
2002: Phoenix Force, HASBRO. Developed animated series based on the Action Man toy property.
2002: Kim Possible, DISNEY. Writer for Animated Series.
2002: Creature Force, DISNEY. Developed Animated Series. Wrote Series Bible.
2002: Spider-Man, SONY. Writer for Animated Series.
2002: Bionicle, LEGO. Story Editor / Consultant for Animated Direct to Video Feature. Shared Story Credit.
2002: The Mummy, UNIVERSAL. Writer for Animated Series.
2000 - 2002: Team Atlantis, DISNEY. Writer / Story Editor / Voice Director for Animated Series and Direct-to-Video Feature.
2000: 3 x 3 Eyes, NEW GENERATION PICTURES / PIONEER. Voice Director for Direct-to-Video Anime Series.
1999 - 2000: Max Steel, SONY. Developed Series. Producer / Story Editor for first season. Writer, multiple episodes.
1999: Macbeth, DREAMWORKS FEATURE ANIMATION. Writer.
1998 - 99: Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles, SONY. Story Editor (10 episodes), writer (2 episodes), assisted on Post-Production (7 episodes). Series and Writer nominated for Best Animated Series Special Class Emmy.
1998: Justice League Giant, DC COMICS. Writer.
1998: Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, DISNEY. Writer (multiple episodes) for Animated Series.
1998: Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, SONY. Writer for Animated Series.
1998: Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and Legends, BKN. Developed Series. Writer / Story Editor on Bible and Pilot.
1998: Disney's Hercules, DISNEY. Writer for Animated Series.
1997 - 1998: Stargate: The Hunted, MGM. Developed Animated Series, wrote Bible.
1997 - 1998: Men In Black: The Series, SONY. Writer for Animated Series, multiple episodes.
1996: Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles, DISNEY. Developed series. Writer / Story Editor of pilot episode.
1994 - 1996: Gargoyles, DISNEY. Creator / Supervising Producer / Supervising Story Editor on 66 half-hour episodes. Nominated for "Golden Reel," "EMA" and "Annie" Awards.
1995: Gargoyles Comic Book, MARVEL COMICS, New York, NY. Writer. Supervised writing on all issues.
1986-1991: Captain Atom, DC COMICS. Reconceived and revamped character of "Captain Atom" with partner. Co-wrote 33 issues of comic book series, plus two annuals. As an individual, wrote 16 issues. Samples available upon request.
1990: Duck Tales, DISNEY. Story Editor on multiple episodes.
1983-1990: Secret Origins, among others, DC COMICS. Proposed, plotted and scripted many comic book stories. Also wrote text pieces published in Who's Who in the DC Universe, among others.
1989: The Artemis Choice, U.S.C. Two-act stage-play.
1988: Valley of the Vampire, INTERVISUAL COMMUNICATIONS, L.A. CA. Writer on Pop-Up Book.
1987: Jem and the Holograms, SUNBOW PRODUCTIONS, NYC, NY. Writer (with partner) for Animated Series.
* Multiple short stories also *
EDUCATION:
9/87-10/89: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Masters of Professional Writing (M.P.W.). Course work included fiction and screenwriting, with emphasis on playwriting. Produced and directed my own play, The Artemis Choice.
9/81-6/85: Stanford University, Stanford, CA. B.A. in English and Creative Writing. Course work included a broad Liberal Arts background specializing in Shakespeare, Faulkner and fiction writing.
9/84-12/84: Stanford-in-Oxford, Oxford, England. Studied Shakespeare and the English Novel. Wrote short story published in New Oxford Magazine.
MEMBERSHIPS:
3/92-present: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
2/95-present: N.A.T.P.E. International.
3/95-present: Museum of Television & Radio.
9/98-present: Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists a.k.a. The Animation Guild
NOMINATIONS:
1994: Golden Reel Award Nomination for Outstanding Achievement in the Motion Picture And Television Industries for GARGOYLES, "Awakening, Part Five".
1995: Annie Award Nomination for Individual Achievement for Creative Supervision in the Field of Animation for GARGOYLES.
1996: Environmental Media Award Nomination for Children's Animated Television Program for GARGOYLES, "The Green".
1996: Annie Award Nomination for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Program for GARGOYLES.
2001: Emmy Award Nomination for Best Animated Series - Special Class for ROUGHNECKS: THE STARSHIP TROOPER CHRONICLES.
10/11/04
Haleigh Costantino writes...
I am a digital imagery student and freelance artist in Arizona. I wanted to know how you got started working and if you can tell me about any companies that accept freelance artists for concept art, etc. And please keep the idea of that Gargoyles movie going!
Greg responds...
All the animation companies go through phases of hiring and not hiring. You posted your question in early 2003, and I'm answering in late 2004, so I assume you haven't been waiting on me to pursue your goals.
My oft-repeated story is elsewhere in the ASK GREG archives under "Weisman, Greg". But the short version is that I've wanted to be a writer since grade school. I eventually got professional work as a freelancer at DC Comics. From DC, I transitioned to graduate school. While at graduate school, I interviewed at Disney and eventually got a junior executive position at Disney TV Animation. I developed and supervised numerous series for TVA, including, finally, GARGOYLES, which I then moved over to produce.
Frank White writes...
i am a great fan of your work. i know that gargoyles finished along time ago, but i was wondering if there was anything you will be working on in 2003 for disney or anybody else. also could you please give a brief description
Greg responds...
Thanks, Frank.
Of course, it's 2004 now. Here's a sample of how I've been keeping busy:
I worked a bit on "Bionicle: Mask of Light"
I wrote a number of episodes for "The Batman" and a couple for "Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!", plus one for "Alien Racers".
Right now, I'm working on the second season of W.I.T.C.H. (But I had nothing to do with the first season.)
Little things...
It's amazing how nothing major has changed in my life.
It's also amazing how many little things have changed.
I'm up VERY late. I generally work until midnight and then try to wind down from 12am to 2am. I try to go to bed around 2, but often I'm up until 3am or later.
All of this was time I used to spend with Norman. Beth and the kids were long asleep. Sure the cats stopped by occasionally, but Norman was my constant companion. He'd be on the floor or on his old recliner chai (the one he commandeered when Beth wouldn't let him on the new couch). I'd pet him some, but mostly it was just his presence.
Now his hair-covered blanket is off the chair. It makes it available for human seatage -- but I'm not that big a fan of humans, and in any case there are none around at those hours. So I'm just alone at my desk. Or alone on the couch. And it's just strange. And very lonely.
Erin and I walked into Larchmont yesterday. (Saw Matt Dillon, by the way.) It was weird not having Norman on the leash, our walking smile-magnet. And every dog we did see on someone else's leash kinda broke our hearts.
Beth said she's been hearing him at the back door, crying to get in. So I open the door occassionally.
We see Bassetts on tv ALL the time. Two just on the "er" episode I recorded the other night. (One on a commercial and one in the actual show.)
We can now leave chalah out on the kitchen table. Cause he's not there to swipe it.
And I can leave the front door open when I bring the groceries in from Beth's car, because he's not there to bolt out into the middle of the street.
And when the doorbell rings, he doesn't bark and howl like a lunatic.
But mostly, he's not waiting in the living room window when we get home anymore.
No. Mostly, he's just not there on his chair at night.
It's the little things. Not the big things. There are no big things, frankly. Our lives haven't changed. (Less pooper-scooping, I suppose, but I'd be lying if I said we missed that.) School, work, etc. Life goes on, of course.
Nothing has changed.
But nothing is quite the same either.
I really miss my dog.
Air Commander Bentley Norman
Our Basset Hound, Norman, died today. Beth and I were with him as he was put to sleep.
He had lymphoma, which came on quickly and was only discovered while he was recuperating (or rather failing to recuperate) from his last ear surgery. He was completely deaf and nearly blind. He couldn't eat, couldn't drink, couldn't walk or even stand. I carried him out to the yard -- which only a few weeks ago would have been impossible, but he's lost so much weight that it was depressingly easy -- but he couldn't even go to the bathroom. His stomach was hard as a rock. He was having a lot of trouble breathing. He had stopped barking and howling completely. He could barely wag his tail.
So it was time. But it was very hard.
He was truly a joy of a dog. And dashingly handsome. I'm really going to miss him.
The Nique writes...
Happy Birthday Greg. Did you get the $1000 check I sent in the mail?
Greg responds...
Uh, no. But it's the thought that counts, darn it.
TakariFreak writes...
Gee, it's already 9/28 AGAIN? well then, Happy B-day Greg!
*Bows down before Greg's greatness*
Greg responds...
Thank you, but please. Get up. Get up!
Lynati writes...
September 28th again already?
Happy Birthday, Greg!
Greg responds...
Hey, it's only September 14th.
Oh, wait, you meant 2002....
I can't believe I'm still TWO YEARS BEHIND.
But thanks for the well-wishes! Much appreciated!
puck 2000 writes...
Dear Mr. Weisman
You said in a ramble that you went to Stanford University. I wanted to know, what kind of high school grades are needed to get accepted. I looked at many internet sites, but couldn't find anything.
Thanks for your time.
Greg responds...
Well, I had an A- average way back in 1980 when I applied. But obviously that was over twenty years ago. I can't possibly be the best source of information on this subject.
Allexander writes...
As the creator of Gargoyles, what exactly did you do, did you write stories? Draw pictures?
Greg responds...
Isn't this old news? Anyway, to toot my own horn yet again:
I headed the development team that created the series and came up with many of the characters and concepts myself.
I came up with all 66 original springboards (i.e. the story ideas for the first two seasons + "The Journey"), though many people contributed nuggets of ideas.
I supervised all the writing. In essence, I story edited the story editors.
I also wrote and story edited one episode myself ("The Journey").
I supervised all the voice recordings. And I voice directed one episode ("Vendettas"), plus a few pick-up and phone patch sessions. I even performed the voice for one of Xanatos' Goon Squad (the guy who says "Nice Mask!").
I had input on all aspects of design and direction
I co-supervised all post-production, except the tele-cine process, which involves aspects of color too subtle for my color-deficient eyes.
I was the one person involved with the show from it's inception through the end of the third season, though my involvement in the third season (after "The Journey" was voice recorded) was limited to consulting work. And much of my consultations were ignored.
I have no credit on the television version of the pilot 5-parter because I was still an executive when those were posted, and at the time executives did not receive credit. I do have a Co-Producer credit on the Movie/VHS version of the pilot, because I supervised the post-production on that.
My official credit on the rest of the first season was "Co-Producer".
My official credit on the second season began as "Producer". Later it became "Supervising Producer" when two of our directors were promoted to Producer.
I'm also the credited "Writer" and "Story Editor" on "The Journey" and the credited "Voice Director" on "Vendettas".
I was supposed to receive a credit on the third season, but I waved it because it seemed dishonest as much of my advice wasn't taken.
Having said ALL THAT, Gargoyles was the work of literally hundreds of talented people, all of whom contributed to making it the success that it was. I think of it as my baby, and I'm often credited as it's creator. But I never lose track of the fact that it was a team effort.
The Cat writes...
Subject Make-A-Wish, Nov. 1999
Hey Greg.
Okay I this isn't exactically the best place to ask this but I'm not going to see you at The Gathering this year and by the time the next Gathering rolls around I'll probably have forgotten the question.
Anyway, my mother was telling me that _you_ asked her whether or not what was said about the road kill in Texas was true when we met ya'll back in November of 1999 through Make-A-Wish. However, I don't seem to remember you asking that. Then again my memory has gotten rather faulty lately.
What I want to know is were you the one that asked that or was it someone else?
Okay, another thing(more like a personal ramble on what was said that day) after we got finished taping the mock episode of Turf ya'll are all signing pictures and my script. Thom says something about his character Lexington and about Sheena Easton(I had no idea who she was then, but not long after that day I saw her on the Home Shopping Channel.)
Thom: Sheena Easton always said "The wee one is playing with his...weewee." I can't think of the word that she used though.(Something to that effect.)
Jeff(quickly supplies the word): Willyad!
All the while I'm thinking:'Tippickle men. Obsessed with that part of their anatomy! Well,I'm tired I'm not going to say anything. I just want to get to the hotel and fall into bed.' (That wasn't exactly what I was thinking, but there might be little kids out there that their parents do not wish them to know such things just yet.)
Anyhow, you get the idea. By the way in case you were wondering how I was capable of remembering that little chat between Jeff and Thom. It's because my mother accidently filmed it. If those two were a little more conservitive I might be tempted to use that darn tape as blackmail.
Well as they say down here, Adios Amigo. The Cat.
Hmm, curiousity is suppose to kill The Cat, I wonder how many of my nine lives I've wasted this time around.
Greg responds...
I don't even know what this Road Kill comment is in reference to. It doesn't sound like even the kind of topic I'd raise.
And I doubt you could blackmail Thom with something THAT tame.
Lord Sloth writes...
Do you know what your son Benny meant 2 years ago, when he said:
"I want to say that Mama likes Bigtime and Iggy and I like them, but I shoo them. And I'm sorry about that."
I don't believe this riddle had anything to do with the post it came with, which was asking about a connection between Owen's role as an assistant compared to Robin Goodfellow's role as housekeeper, but you never know. Perhaps you could ask him if he's around at the moment.
And is he perchance, referring to Iggy Pop, or to Iggy the lovable power generating rat?
I'm sure there's some profound meaning here, but I just can't comprehend it.
Greg responds...
He's referring to our two cats, Iggy and Bigtime. When you have that piece of information, I think his comments make more sense. I don't know how profound they are, but they do speak to a profound (or at least momentary) sense of regret.
Jacob writes...
Hi all. Hello Greg.
Nice to see you doing all these rambles, they make some forgotten memories come up to my mind again. I would do some, too, if I got a chance to watch the episodes again. But neither are their re-runs here (I've asked my way through: they want to spend the money on new things, though I always see "Doug", "Darkwing Duck" and so on), nor is my internet connection fast enough to download the episodes (if there are any to download) and a faster connection is by now too expensive. But after all the years without Gargoyles I do still remember some things that I liked or liked not that much.
First the things that I did not like: though there was a continuing plot, sometimes it was all too much the same. In short and very sarcastic: "It was a nice evening. The birds were singing and everyone liked each other. Then suddenly a dark cloud brought evil to our main characters. But after a short and hard fight the evil was defeated and everything got back to normal." That's why I like the "Awakening", "Avalon" or "City of stone" parts. These eps were so interesting because there was enough time to create a very interesting story and a really cool atmosphere - BTW City of stone was my first touch with Gargoyles. I saw the scene where the weird sisters speak as statues of children with Goliath and later crush as Brooklyn touches one of them (I hope I'm not mixing something up). My brother thought it was stupid and switched it off and I pretended that I thought it was stupid, too (Hey, I was just a child which did not want to argue). But I guess I liked the characters and the whole atmosphere. - Of course I don't want to say that the whole series should be one continuing show, but I had liked to see more five-parters.
But of course there are things that I liked very much. Most characters do change during the show and keeps being surprising. Everyone is part of a complex story (sometimes it was too complex for me, but after seeing it the second time I knew what was going on. But unfortunately some eps were mixed up so that suddenly we saw Angela, though the world tour was not even started). One of the things I like most are the fantasy elements (BTW Was the dragon we saw in "Pendragon"(?) a real dragon or just brought to life by magic??) Time travel, magicians, fae and of course the Gargoyles (clear why Fang said "I love this body"!!)
I just hope the new episodes will go on air someday. Maybe until then I can watch a few re-runs.
p.s.: some things might sound meaner than they are meant. I'm not good in being polite when I am writing in a language that I don't use often enough.
And sorry about any mistakes:)
p.p.s. Anything new about the real life movie?
What are you by now working on?
Greg responds...
The dragon in "Pendragon" was animated by magic.
The live-action movie has been shelved for the time being.
Right now, I'm working on "The Batman" for Warner Bros.
FEELING CHATTY...
Hey gang,
Just letting everybody know that I'll be stopping by the Station 8 Chat Room (http://s8.org/chat/gargs/) on Thursday, February 5th, 2004 from 4pm-6pm PST (that's 7-9pm Eastern).
Hope to see you all then.
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