david writes...

hi greg,i have not read all the questions,but peerhaps the first french who write here!!!
so first of all ,i'm not going to be original,but i wanted to say that all you have done,with this series is amazing .In france the series disapear since 1999 ,and i 'm still a big fan .since march i got all the episodes and how fun it is to see my heroes back .eight years happen and my vision of the series have not changed,i' m now more able to see the detail ,the important details,that i could not see when i was young.that mean for me ,that gargoyles is more an adult series ,the psikology of all the characters are perfest an so deeply worked.i do not remember seing this on any other series.I see the episodes one on one ,and after seing one reading for the first time your rambles.I think it was so fun to see how you create the show ,,your first thoughts,our what would you prefer.and so on .i wwanted to react for all of us ,but it would have bored you (64 e mail ,i think it's a bit hard)
at list i see the evolution in my perception of the series,my favorite character was brooklynn first time i saw the serie,then broadway ,i found him strong an funny.and now at 20,it is hudson i really like,his attitude ,his experience ,his warrior skills,his swords and in the price he is so good ,his dialogue with wanatos on immortality are for me one of the best moment of the series.meanwhile my favorite episodes is shadow of the past ,this is a killing one !!!!the story the animation ,all is nearly perfect ,keith david voice as goliath is wonderful,the atmosfere of hate and shadow is so great ,so spooky and so referated(i' m not sure it exists in english)to the past.I also like long way to mourning ,you know,hudson stuff,a good story ,and the fact hudson trick demona at the end with the sun .
During the multiple revision of the serie ,i discver lot of details ,you could not see when you see the episodes just one ,the last was owen when they received john carter at castle wyvern ,he hide his stony hand in the pockets of his smoking ,i had never figured before ,but what would a man say when you saw a stony arm .and i noticed a lot of scene like this.
i want to add a word on the comics,just as the serie ,great works ,we rally found what made the series a success.i have the hope that the comics will have a long life.
To end this ,i want just add a question,after all we are here to ask question!!i just want to know if you had infos about gargoyles in france for the future,not an original question i know!!!
and are you going one day to make a gathering in paris ? perhaps ,i always wanted to go at one ,but you know ,to young and it cost a lot for going ,but one day i'll come
so greg sorry for all i have written ,but i wnated to write for so long you know!!!!!!good luck for the future ,and long live to the comics (my principal hope)

Blaise writes...

THE ROCK

***SPOILERS!!***

Got the comic...and a flat tire to boot (darn, stupid, jagged and broken curbs next to parking spaces...). Thank heaven there was a Jiffy Lube across the street from the comic shop.

True to the nature of this narrative, I'm probably going to be a little all over the place with this ramble. It is a bit difficult trying to piece together what happened when, but it's also kind of fun for me. I do wonder if this approach will intrigue or repel new readers, though. I sincerely hope it's the former.

I kind of figured Xanatos was putting the Coyote Diamond into the latest version of Coyote, for some reason. And that bit of intuition, added to Coldsteel's reappearance last issue, led me to believe that this story arc would showcase the team up.
I must admit, I am a bit fascinated by Xanatos's eyepiece in these scenes. It actually reminds me of Jackal's cybernetic eye.

Shari has begun to tell even more bedtime stories to Thailog. While we start hearing them with the origins of the Stone of Destiny, her first story to him (before sunrise on the 3rd, while Thailog's on the computer) deals with the Cold Trio. A followup to the previous night's story, perhaps? After that, for every 24 hours, she expands on the history of the Stone of Destiny. I liked the idea of Thailog lounging in a hot tub for one of these story sessions. I'm also wondering right along with everyone else just what he and Brentwood were digging for in the pre-dawn hours of the 6th. And like Todd, I saw the panel on page 15 as a sort of "dark mirror" of a usual Goliath and Elisa image.
I still wonder how Shari knows all this stuff.

Count me as another who was a bit confused by the reprise of Macbeth's coronation taking place outside. It didn't help that the priest (or whoever) had the same beard style as Macbeth.

I like how Macbeth indicates that Xanatos might go after the Stone.

Broadway, Angela and Lexington seem to be ecstatic at the idea of returning to Scotland. Brooklyn, however, is too busy looking at the happy couple.

I hadn't noticed Owen had replaced Brooklyn with Hudson in his rundown of who's heading for Scotland (if that is what he was giving) until my second read through.

Okay, Fox had a teaser on page 2, and the subject's brought up again on page 7. What the heck is so important about those @#$%&* shoes?!

Panel 2 of page 9 is what had me start thinking Maggie may be pregnant, even before Sato mentioned "Maggie's condition" (with quotation marks!). Just the way she had her hand on her abdomen, I guess. That also led me to conclude that an O.B. (which I had no idea about before tonight) probably had something to do with pregnancy. She sure looks happy, though, doesn't she? Both here, and again on page 20.
I also momentarily got the stone clones and the clan mixed up.

Loved the rather humorous page 10. The cover was an excellent teaser and a great selling gimmick, but it's for a more comedy/trivia element than a major plot point. I actually like the misdirection. It's fascinating to see the effects of "jet lag" on gargoyles.
Of course, by this point I was wondering why I only saw Lex and Hudson with Macbeth.

Then I found out. Brooklyn obviously bowed out so he wouldn't have to be around the "happy couple" during the road trip. But wouldn't you know, they elect to remain behind, too--much to Brooklyn's chagrin, it seems.
However, I notice Angela's whispering to Broadway, and Broadway's emphasis on staying "to help Brooklyn." This leaves me with an idea as to the real reason Broadway and Angela stayed behind.

I actually like seeing the gargoyles working with Macbeth. The flashback to Macbeth being a part of the attempt to steal back the Stone was cool, and it includes one of my favorite bits of dialogue:
MACBETH: (whisper) All right, lads. Now or--
RANDOM IDIOT: *SCOTLAND FOREVER!*
MACBETH: Shhhhh!

Coyote's new design includes the rather creepy idea of the ruined-Xanatos-head image appearing in the mouth of the "dog-head." I just wish I could say that I was as happy with the ruined-head itself--it looks too neat to me. Minor quibble, though. Overall, this comic really does give some of Hedgecock's best work.

Goliath and Elisa have another heart to heart (over 24 hours since Macbeth asked for a favor). Elisa states that "Normalcy's over-rated" (a personal motto of mine for many years). I hadn't noticed that Elisa touched Goliath's hair until someone mentioned it. Now Goliath's elated look makes more sense. And NOW we have a kiss that is more than just a quick peck with both participants in full health. Good.

Thailog and Shari are playing chess. I wonder who's winning.

Count me as another who hadn't expected King Arthur and the London clan to be reintroduced in quite this way. I wonder just what Arthur thinks Macbeth is up to for the latter to earn such a greeting.
As for the new London clanners, it's nice to finally know, one way or the other, just how varied their looks are. I knew the...um, "robust" female would meet with some approval (I like slender, curvaceous female gargoyles as much as the next straight man, but they can't be EVERYWHERE). She definitely has interesting feet, though. And did anyone else notice that there's something she does NOT have...feathered wings. Her wings are the "glider" type with hands.

All in all, even with "Bad Guys" issue 2, it's going to be a hard wait to continue this storyline.

Phil writes...

Okay, let's try this.

What did Angela whisper to Broadway just before he decided no to go to England with Macbeth?

(You'd better tell us now, before the mystery gets all blown out of proportion.)

Greg Bishansky writes...

I thought this was a very interesting issue, and I am definitely intrigued to see where this goes.

First off, I'm glad to see Macbeth is back. He was always one of my favorite characters in the series, and I've been anticipating his return for quite a while now. I liked the little reference to his henchmen, Banquo and Fleance leaving him to join the Quarrymen. I was also amused to learn that Macbeth was involved with the real attempted theft of the Stone of Destiny in 1950.

Xanatos is still up to his old tricks. I'm assuming this is the assignment the Illuminati sent him on, and he seems to be pulling all the stops. Coldsteel and a new Coyote robot. Coyote 5.0 to be precise. I love how just because he's harboring the gargoyles, he isn't their friend. He's obviously going to be working against them in this one, considering their goals are as far as we know, quite different.

Shari is giving Thailog the history of the world. She works wonderfully well for exposition, but I don't think she's a plot device. I am sure there's a very strong reason for her to know all this, and to be telling Thailog these stories. If my theory on her real identity is correct, anyway. Can't wait to find out. Plus, it looks like Thailog is going to get involved in the fight for the Stone. Hmm, I wonder what he and Brentwood were looking for.

Goliath and Elisa... FINALLY. "Normalcy is overrated" indeed.

I've been waiting a while to see the return of King Arthur. Last time he and Macbeth met, Macbeth promised to be an ally. Let's see how that works out in #8. Also, I am very sure that's Sir Griff standing behind Lexington and Hudson... good to see the London Clan back.

Poor Brooklyn. Are Broadway and Angela trying to rub it in?

The art. Yes, Hedgecock has gotten better. A couple of panels need more work, but I think this time he also lucked out with a great colorist. Robby Bevard's colors are very strong, he's a seasoned veteran in the comic industry, and a long time fan. While I miss Stephanie Lostimolo's colors on the covers, Robby is a worthy replacement, and I doubt he's going to have trouble filling those big shoes.

Heh, two "Gargoyles" books out on time, and within two weeks of each other. If we have one once a month like everyone hopes, I'll be a very happy man.

Good issue, and the start of a very intriguing arc. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, anyway.

Charisma82 writes...

Hey! I just read Bad Guys and have a question about the song "The Will to Love." I watched the Witch TV show (and loved it) and know that Matt wrote this song for Will. In the Gargoyles universe, did Matt actually write this song and was it him singing it on the radio, or was it written and performed by a different singer/group? So I guess the underlined question here is this: do the Witch and Gargoyles universes merge together here like they did for the Team Atlantis show, or not?

Thanks for your time and all that you do.

-Charisma82

cboy305 writes...

Sorry, forgot to include this in my last question.
This past summer, I emailed disney some ideas I had for animated shows. They replied telling me that they can't take unsolicited ideas. So my question is, how do I make my ideas solicited?

Nice Guy Finished First writes...

Hi Greg. This is my first question, though I've read Ask Greg for a while now. Anyway, my question is in regards to the different Gargoyles Spinoffs. Though there will be Gargoyle characters featured in the "New Olympians" and "Bad Guys" spinoffs, Gargoyles are not featured as the primary characters. Only one of the main characters is a Gargoyle in "Bad Guys" Considering that, do you still consider those two spinoffs as being part of the Gargoyles franchise or different franchises that merely take place in the Gargoyles Universe?

Matt writes...

Okay, question about "The Rock", this may be hard to follow so first I'll write this out:

November 2nd.
5:14pm EST - Goliath agrees to send the Trio and Angela with Macbeth.
5:15pm EST - Brooklyn, Broadway and Angela decide to remain in Manhattan. Goliath sends Hudson to lead the expedition.
5:18pm EST - Owen, spying on Macbeth and the gargoyles, informs Xanatos who instructs Owen not to interfere.

Alright, my question is at 5:18 when Owen is on the phone with Xanatos he says, "Yes, Macbeth, Hudson, Broadway, Angela and Lexington... Shall I attempt to stop them?" Why would Owen be including Broadway and Angela if it had already been decided they were not going to go. He knows Brooklyn opted not to go, but Broadway and Angela backed out seconds later, how did he miss that? Did he miss that part when he was dialing up Xanatos or is this an error or is something else going on here?

Todd Jensen writes...

Just bought and read Gargoyles #7 today. I'm especially delighted with it.

I had suspected for a while that this issue would involve the Stone of Destiny (the hints in the descriptions of #7 - #9 fitted that, as did the timing), and so was not surprised. I enjoyed Shari's account of the Stone's past history to Thailog, all the way up to its arrival in Ireland. Some of it (such as Jacob using it as a pillow in Bethel) was familiar to me; some of it was new. (I'd heard of Gathelus and Scota before, but only a little; I certainly want to find out more about them, such as whether they really were associated with an origin-myth concerning Portugal's name.) I liked the touch of Shari telling Thailog part of the story as he's carrying her about - a dark counterpart of Goliath carrying Elisa about, perhaps?

The team-up between Coldsteel and the new Coyote didn't entirely surprise me either (I remember you'd hinted at that in your Masterplan document), but I liked seeing its beginning. And I thought it very appropriate that Xanatos would incorporate the Coyote Diamond from "Her Brother's Keeper" into his latest Coyote.

So Macbeth was involved in the 1950 theft of the Stone of Destiny? Another amusing touch.

And now it seems that Maggie's pregnant. I also like the notion of Dr. Sato now becoming better acquainted with the Mutates as well as the gargoyles.

When you gave Macbeth a home at Berkeley Square, did you have the stories about the nasty hauntings at No. 50 there in mind?

I hope you don't mind this, but I spotted a couple of errors (or possible errors) on the fourth page, when Macbeth's explaining to the gargoyles about the Stone of Destiny. The flashback to his coronation shows it taking place in the open air, but it was in indoors in "City of Stone Part Three". And Macbeth claims that the Stone is being returned to Scotland after eight hundred years - it should be seven hundred, since Edward I took it in 1296.

I liked the jet lag scene for Lexington and Hudson. (At least Goliath, Angela, and Bronx didn't seem to suffer from that on the Avalon World Tour. Did Avalon's magic compensate?)

A lovely scene between Goliath and Elisa as well. I particularly liked the allusions to their break-up conversation in #3.

And a great cliff-hanger ending with King Arthur and the London gargoyles suddenly appearing. Apparently they don't all look like lions, unicorns, and griffons after all. I look forward to learning about these two new members - and also more about Lexington's "I'll call you Amp" line. (To anyone who's read about the series' comedy development, it's a wonderful in-joke.)

Looking forward to #8.

JanAlexandra writes...

i clicked some related websites shown on the left, and i saw stats about Xanatos at The Avalon Archives Character Guide, it said that he's 6+ ft. (exact height not given).
but i have a recall of one of your previous answers saying that the heights'd never been measured before..
Anyway,do you plan on revealing more backgrond info(ex.the youth,lovelife etc.) of the major players like Xanatos,Fox in recent?

josh sondergeld writes...

Do you think female dread minions are hot

Matt writes...

My Review For Gargoyles #7, "The Rock"...

- Picked up a couple copies of "The Rock" today. There were only a couple issues left and the store had only been open an hour, which was cool. It was also nice to see that the store apparently had ordered some more issues of "Reunion". When I checked out, the clerk said "Good choice" which led to a long discussion about the series and the comic. She is apparently a huge Elisa fan. Our discussion reminded her to put the DVDs on her x-mas list. We talked a while more and she is really wanting to go to the Gathering, so who knows, she might end up riding there with me (St. Louis to Chicago). Nice to make friends over Gargoyles.

- On to the comic. When I first saw the cover (we didn't have any released previews this time!) I laughed. Reading "Stone... At Night?!" I actually said (under my breath) "What sorcery is this?!" Spotting Big Ben I quickly figured out what was going on. Nice to see Hudson featured better than he has been on covers so far. Lex looks good too. Nice cover.

- Okay, so the book itself. I knew it was going to be non-linear, and I knew Greg could pull that off. I guess I didn't know what to expect, but I loved it. I've read the book twice already and like all the previous chapters it is exciting to read, full of surprises and finishes with a bunch of anticipation and questions. This is the kind of story that I will almost have to wait until Issue #9 to really review. That said, there are a couple things I really enjoyed:

- I know it is a very minor point, but I liked seeing many of the recurring human characters (Macbeth, Fox, Xanatos) in something besides their typical series costume. That is definitely a strength of the comic book. Of course, Elisa is still in her usual jeans, black t-shirt and red jacket. Maybe it helps her keep a sense of "normalcy"!

- One of the neatest traits of the Gargoyles Universe, and Greg's writing abilities, is that nothing ever gets wasted. I'm happy to see the Coyote Diamond again, and surprised to see it planted (for some reason) in the newest Coyote robot. Is this the first time the Diamond has been put into Coyote or has every version of him contained the Diamond? Just another question this chapter leaves us asking.

- I love how Shari's tales are told to us in sepia tones and scrolls. One has to ask where she is learning all this (particularly the Coldtrio stuff), but I like the way it is shown and told. Which leads me to the art of the book. I always liked Hedgecock's work from Issue #1, and I think he is getting better and better. Hedgecock maybe hasn't been drawing Gargoyles characters for the past eleven years, but he is catching up fast, IMHO. This is absolutely his best issue so far, and I'm glad to see him back on the book regularly. Great stuff.

- Who would've thought we'd be seeing Gruoch this soon in the comic, and who would've thought we'd EVER see the little green gargoyle from Demona's Clan (a fan favorite, I think) in the comic! Cool cameos.

- Ah, the never ending drama of Brooklyn, Broadway and Angela. This slow boiling plot is getting awfully fun to watch. I think I've said it in nearly every review so far, so I can't leave out a "Poor Brooklyn"... Seems Goliath is starting to get wise to the situation as well. And since when can Broadway just say he and Angela are gonna stay in Manhattan when Goliath has more or less ordered them to accompany Macbeth? Ah well. Speaking of Goliath, we get a nice follow-up to the Elisa-Goliath Halloween story. Well done. It really says something when fictional characters cause such an emotional reaction for the reader/viewer. And not to leave out Talon and Maggie the Cat, who may be expecting a Mutate-ling in a few months. When Sato mentioned Maggie's "condition" I wondered if maybe she was preggers, though I though maybe we are just talking about the Mutate thing in general. Then with the mention of "O.B." I got excited. Cool stuff. Nice to see that Elisa is taking advantage of Dr. Sato's expertise after the revelation to him in "Bash". Ya know, it's refreshing to think that years ago when I wrote a review for "Deadly Force" I mentioned something about how I'd love to see Dr. Sato become a friend of the Clan. Sort of the antithesis of Sevarius. Very fun.

- Still have no idea what is up with Fox's shoes. Guess I'll wait til Issue #9 to talk about that. But seriously, Xanatos is a multi-billionaire, just buy the damn shoes, hell, buy the STORE! No biggie.

- I like that gargoyles "jetlag" and I like that that is canon-ized now. I also think it's fun that Hudson and Lex can feel it. Macbeth is fun here too. It's like he keeps waiting for them to wake up and is thinking the are a bit late and a bit more late and a bit more late and finally he gets his look like "Ummm... you guys gonna wake up or not?" Long time to stand there drinking coffee.

- I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see the London Clan once we ended up in London, but I was a bit. Arthur was a bit of a surprise as well. I guess the most surprising thing was the APPEARENCE of the two London Clan members we could see clearly (it looks to me like the third in the foreground is Griff, we'll see). All these years Greg has said that Unicorns, Lions and Griffons were all we'd get. Now we see a stag-like dude and a (very cool) boar-like female. I dunno if Greg's comments were simply along the lines of "I don't want to tie the hands of the artists" or if he was just being totally elusive and deceitful, but either way it led to a great and fun ending to the book. Very very cool.

- So, overall a great book. Great writing, great reveals, great mysteries, great art. There were no errors I could find save one, in "Etched in Stone" Greg writes "Clan Building, Chapter Five: Reunion" when of course he means Chapter Six. That is one error I can live with. Looking to the trade paperback, Bad Guys #2 and Gargoyles #8. What a great time to be a Gargoyles-fan!!!

Georry writes...

Georry writes...

I am looking forward to seeing the new Spider-Man series you are working on.

I read somewhere that the series first season order has been extended from 13 to 26 episodes, is this true?
Greg responds...

Yes.

Thanks for your response! Thats great news!

Without going into details, how does that affect your plans for the first season?

Will you stretch out the already planned arc to span 26 episodes rather than 13?

Or will you do the first 13 episodes exactly the way you planned, and continue from there?

Also, will the writers strike have any affect on the series?

Thanks again!

Anonymous writes...

1. Does Goliath's hair grow naturally spiky in front and long in back?
2. Does Goliath have facial hair and shave or is he naturally beardless?
3. Did you know that the Greeks wore their hair in a similar fashion as Goliath's hair. They would cut it short in front so that their enemies couldn't grab their hair while they were fighting but they let it grow long in back because they never planned on turning their back towards their enemy as that would mean they were running away.