Todd Jensen writes...

You mentioned that the London gargoyles (some of whom look like lions) were already in Britain during King Arthur's reign. In the Gargoyles Universe, does this explain the occasional presence of lions in Arthurian romances - i.e., the lions mentioned in Malory et al weren't really lions?

Anonymous writes...

Why would Arthur go to Stonehenge to look for Merlin?

Super-man writes...

Note:
You said that you didn't like Morgan le Fay and Ceasar being Oberon's parents and that it was chronilogically impossible. But the myth probably meant Morgan in her fay, queen of Avalon form and the queen of Avalon is Oberon's mother so the myth isn't entirely impossible in the gargoyles universe

Vasy writes...

Greg I have a question on the three ladies:
Morgana, Nimue and Lady of the Lake are the three ladies which took Arthur to Avalon correct?

Are the three ladies the wired sisters?

Anonymous writes...

Did you ever have plans to introduces figures from major religons such as Hinduism, Islam and Christianity?

Anonymous writes...

Is the Magus actually dead? Couldn't the magic in the hollow cave heal him like it healed King Arthur?

Anonymous writes...

Which one of the four races created the Holy Grail? Why?

Anonymous writes...

Who are the Green Knight's parents?
Who are Morgan le Fay's parents?
Who are Nimue's parents?

Anonymous writes...

Did you ever plan a crossover between the Redemption Squad, Gargoyles, Pendragon and New Olympians?

Anonymous writes...

How similar is Arthur's New Roundtable to the Avengers/JLA?

Anonymous writes...

Did you plan to have any characters that we meet in the mist of avalon episodes get knighted by King Arthur?

Anonymous writes...

Are the resemblances that King Arthur has with Captain America on purpose?

Jim R. writes...

Will King Arthur ever find Gwenivere if he finds Merlin?

Matt "KS" Maybray writes...

Greg,

This is my first time asking a question here, so be gentle...

It's been mentioned that in "Bad Guys", The Director would've been fighting against the Illuminati's Mr. Duval. Since you had planned for Duval to be Sir Percival, was the Director going to be any notable character from history, mythology, or literature? If so, then who?

In closing, I'd just like to thank you for helping create something that I've had much enjoyment from these past 7 years. There hasn't been any show quite like "Gargoyles" since (unfortunately).

Baal writes...

Hey, um. Sorry about Question 2 in my Angela post.
I guess you DID say that you weren't gonna answer in questions about 2198 until the contest was over. (Although SOME people are already asking questions.

Here are some questions of my own.
1. Do Arthur and his comrades go on a quest to retrieve the Holy Grail. (I think I've seen yes in the archive). If so, does this pit the against Percival/Duval, the leader of the Illuminati.

2. Does Macbeth get involved.

Jim R. writes...

Where does King Arthur expect to find Merlin if he does continue to persue him?

(The Guppi) writes...

Does the Holy Grail have anything to do with the Golden Cup Bakery? [*LOL*] :>

Ithica writes...

Would Duval make any attempt to make his identity known to King Arthur? Arthur was Percival's great uncle, and Percy was one of Art's best knights, so would they make contact of any sort?

Todd Jensen writes...

One thought that I had on Duval for a while after you mentioned his parentage in your viewpoint, and finally remembered to post here.

Since in your version of the Arthurian legend, Percival/Duval is Gawain's son, that means that he'd thereby be related to Arthur, as his great-nephew. (I've got to admit, while I knew from the start - since you mentioned it - that Duval had once been one of Arthur's friends, I hadn't suspected that he'd also be family).

matt writes...

Griff was going to be Una's mate but dissappeared before they could and she ended up mating with Leo, correct? if so, isn't that quite wierd for all three of them now that Griff is back, he obviously must've had feelings for Una and now her and his friend are together. would all this have anything to do with the reason Griff decided to stay with Arthur and not return to London?

matt writes...

would Macbeth ever reconsider Arthur's invitation to be one of his knights?

Todd Jensen writes...

What angle do you take (in general) on the imprisonment of Merlin in the Crystal Cave by Nimue? The Malory version where she locks him up because she fears that he will seduce her, or the Roger Lancelyn Green version where it's more Nimue giving an old, exhausted wizard rest from his labors in bringing Arthur to the throne?

Todd Jensen writes...

Just out of curiosity, where do you imagine the original Camelot (the sixth century one) being located in the Gargoyles Universe? Winchester (as per Malory), South Cadbury in Somerset (the current trend thanks to Leslie Alcock's excavations there in the late 60's), or somewhere else entirely?

Ithica writes...

About Milord Arthur:

Who provided the voice for King Arthur? I loved his performance, and I'd like to know his name.

Also, my favorite thing about him is the way you designed him. It's the best visual embodiment of the Pendragon that I've yet seen. What talented person or persons designed him?

Thanks.

Ithica writes...

A little while ago, I asked you why you thought Gawain filled the bastard role. You answered "It's his behaviour. His ability to be the hero or the villain depending on the situation. His betrayal of family. His defense of family. He's so torn. He's such a bastard."

Now that I think about it, you're assessment of his hero/villain tendencies is rather accurate. But the only instance of that I can think of is at the end, near Logres's fall, when Launcelot slew Agravaine, Gaheris, and Gareth. Is that what you're assessing from? Because then, I understand your thoughts. He's forgives Launcelot for the death of Agravaine because A deserved it; he wants to kill L for the deaths of Gaheris and Gareth because they didn't deserve it, which is understandable but wrong. In the first case he acts nobly and in the second case he acts vindictively and vengefully. So there I see your reasoning.

But is that the only instance from which you drew your conclusion? Because that's the only point in time I can think of that marks Gawain as a bastard. Otherwise, he seems to me the epitome of courty knighthood, and my favorite of Lot and Morgawse's children. Do you have any other instances from which you draw your bastard conclusion?

Also, you indicated that his "betrayal of family" was a factor. If you'll pardon my ignorance, do you mean when he wasn't angry over the death of his brother Agravaine?

Thank you---

Yttrium writes...

Hello, Greg;

I must confess I am not at all well-versed in Arthurian legend, though I am working toward it, so I was immediately curious about your PENDRAGON spin-off. I have an Arthurian-related question or two for you.

1a) I recently finished a version of GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT (great piece of literature, bless the book) which is my current favorite of the adventures I've read. Someone else asked about the current status of the Green Horse already, so I won't ask again. But what about the Green Knight's lady, who by his will tempted Gawain and gave him the green lace? Is she a fairy? I mean, if the Knight's a fae...

1b) Is the aforementioned lady still around? If not, what happened to her?

2) Are you aware of the versions of Arthurian legends that include Phembar, Arillo, Rhayne, etc?

3) Have you read any Geoffrey of Monmouth?

Thanks,

---Ytt

LSZ writes...

Another Camelot-influenced question:

What were the weather conditions of Camelot?

LSZ writes...

A weird question, but I just finished the movie version of Camelot, so: can King Arthur of the Gargoyles universe sing well?

Anonymous writes...

How old is Merlin biologically in 1996?

Oberon writes...

1) Why did Morgana Le Fay and Nimue ever agreed to take Arthur to Avalon?
2)Did someone have to convince them?
3) if so, who?

Todd Jensen writes...

Somebody asked you earlier about Merlin's connection with the "Merlin Wylt" of pre-Geoffrey of Monmouth Welsh legends, and you mentioned that you didn't remember the details too well. I thought that I'd give a little information here (Merlin being a subject that I've always been strong on).

Merlin Wylt (also known as Myrddin or Lailoken) was apparently "the original Merlin", though he lived a few decades after Arthur's time period; he served as a bard and advisor to one King Gwenddolau, who lived in what is now Scotland in the late 6th century. When Gwenddolau was killed at the Battle of Arderydd in 573, Merlin Wylt went mad with grief and fled into the woods nearby, where he began uttering prophecies about Britain's future.

His name became so well-known, and attached to prophecies, that when Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote "The History of the Kings of Britain", he decided to bestow the name "Merlin" upon Ambrosius, the boy prophet who met with Vortigern, and thus created the familiar figure of Merlin, who was afterwards known as "Merlin Ambrosius". (I recall that Mary Stewart mentioned once that the "Merlin Ambrosius" version of Merlin's name was what inspired her with the notion that Ambrosius, Uther Pendragon's older brother and Arthur's uncle, was Merlin's real father, in "The Crystal Cave").

Of course, because of the dates, the two Merlins were probably not the same person (and indeed, I doubt that "Merlin Wylt" could have been the same as *the* Merlin in the Gargoyles Universe given that, from what you've said, Arthur's Merlin has been in the Crystal Cave since before Arthur's departure for Avalon, which was about thirty years before the Battle of Arderydd; it would have to have been a different guy with the same name).

Ithica writes...

I was reading through the PENDRAGON archive, and came across a statement of yours that interested me. My question, based on the statement, is why do you think that Gawain fills the "Bastard" Achetype?

Ithica writes...

Now for some silly, irrelevant PENDRAGON questions:

You'll recall that in Gawain's adventure with the Green Knight, the said Knight rode on a courser (whom I affectionately call the Green Horse) that was as green as he was. I liked that horse, for some reason, so I'm going to ask some questions about him.

1. Seeing as normal horses do not occur in the color of green, and I doubt that the Knight would paint a normal bay or chestnut, is the Green Horse a magical creature, like a Odin's horse Sleipnir?

2. We know the Green Knight is a survivor. What about the Green Horse? (A knight can't go about without his horse!)

3. If the Horse isn't around, what does the Knight use instead?

3. Did you know that in Roger Lancelyn Green the Green Knight's name was revealed to be Sir Bernlak?

Okay, no more silly, irrelevant questions.

KW Keller writes...

Pendragon questions:

1. Who created Excalibur?

2. Why was it created?

3. Given that Excalibur was the Sword in the Stone and the one held by the Lady of the Lake:
a. How did Merlin acquire Excalibur?
b. How did the Lady of the Lake acquire Excalibur?

4. Was Ambrosius (Latinized from Emrys), Vortigern's child prophet in Nennius' texts, Merlin, as Geoffrey of Monmouth said, or was he someone different?

5. Was Merlin (or Myrddin) Wylt connected to the Arthurian Merlin?

LSZ writes...

Which of the songs in Camelot do you particularly enjoy?

Todd Jensen writes...

Since Aris recently brought up the part of the Arthurian legend where Arthur attempts to drown Mordred as a baby, I thought that I'd ask you on where you stand on one aspect of the story that often arises here.

Some Arthurian buffs have blamed Merlin for the whole "May Day Decree" business, on the grounds that it was his prophecy about Mordred's future evil and treason that led to Arthur making the attempt to get rid of him. I felt that this was rather harsh on Merlin, and felt that it was Arthur who was responsible for the incident instead. I was wondering what your take on the matter was (by which I mean, not whether Merlin was responsible in the Gargoyles Universe, but whether you consider him to blame for the incident in the original legend).

Aris Katsaris writes...

A really weird question: do Morgana, Nimue and Lady of the Lake (the three ladies which took Arthur to Avalon) form a virgin-mother-crone trio? And if so who is which?

LSZ writes...

In general, is your version of Mordred in the Gargoyles universe the revisionist hero that the Welsh and Scots have in their myths, or the traditional evil scum?

Shihuang and his trusty goat writes...

Do the rejuvination drugs the Illuminati give out to their senior members have any connection to the Holy Grail? I ask because their leader is the Fisher King, the keeper of the grail.

Aris Katsaris writes...

Regarding the May Day Decree you told me:
<<You're forgetting Moses, which I think is a much more direct parallel. >>

No, actually I wasn't forgetting Moses - but unlike you, I considered his case to be a more indirect parallel. The genocide ordered by the Pharaoh was made for reasons of population control. Both Herod's massacre and the May Day Decree ordered a slaughter so as to find and destroy only *one*, who was feared he would destroy the ruler.

Likewise, Moses is placed on the boat by his mother so as to be saved from the killing. Perseus and Mordred are placed in the boat by the *ruler* (who is also their father or grandfather), so as to be drowned...

Btw, it seemed to me you were avoiding the question? Do you feel that the May Day Decree took place in the Gargoyles Universe? I admit it still sounds to me a very non-Arthurian thing to do...

Todd Jensen writes...

Was one of the reasons that you chose Blanchefleur for Arthur's female companion the fact that she is/was Duval's wife? Given that Duval evidently will be the main antagonist for "Pendragon", I can see that having his wife being one of Arthur's companions would open the door to some good story possibilities.

Todd Jensen writes...

In one of the "Pendragon"-related questions that you answered just now, you mentioned that Excalibur had magic in its scabbard as well as the hilt and blade. Is this scabbard the same one from Malory which kept the wearer from bleeding?

Ithica writes...

Another PENDRAGON question:

The version of Arthurian legend I am most familiar with is that of the great RL Green, but my copy never satisfactorily explained where Mordred came from. I'd always believed he was the child of Morgana le Fay and King Urience, and the brother of Uwaine. Other versions I've read (Malory for one) say that he's the son of Arthur and Morgawse. I've heard elsewhere that he was Arthur's and Morgana's. What do you view his origins as?

Aris Katsaris writes...

Greg, what do you think about the place that the "May Day's Decree" has in the Gargoyle Universe? (the murder of a great number of infants so as to destroy Mordred)

I always felt that unlike most other parts of the Arthurian legend (which didn't have so obvious sources) , the "May Day Decree" seemed a complete copycat of Herod's massacre with a bit of Perseus thrown in. As such I felt it was perhaps the part which rung by far the most untrue...

Anyway, others in the comment room have disagreed ofcourse. Do you think it happened in the Gargoyles universe or not?

(And I really hope for something more clear than "All things are true" :-)

Todd Jensen writes...

1. What is the legal status of Percival/Duval and Blanchefleur's marriage at present? Are they still legally married (although clearly estranged)?

2. Do the marital problems that Percival and Blanchefleur are having at present have anything to do with the Illuminati's activities (particularly the less ethical ones such as the Hotel Cabal and the Quarrymen)?

Kayless writes...

Okay, I've crawled back out from under my rock to ask you these questions. (*HISS* Natural sunlight! It burns!)They're Arthurian related. Oh joy!

1. Is Morgana more powerful than Merlin? Given that she is a full blooded Fae it stands to reason that she is, but Merlin's father is a great deal more powerful than any other fae out there (baring Mab, of course). And I tend to think of Merlin more in terms of cunning and guile (like his Stepmother Titania) rather than unsubtle displays of raw might (like dear old dad). But in a knockdown drag out Wizard's Duel who has the edge in sheer power?

2. What can Excalibur do? (I'd better make this more specific lest I get a response like: 'what can't it do?') I doubt it is simply a really sharp blade, so what other abilities does it possess?

3. What does Arthur think of 21st century footwear? Today's sneakers have got to be much more comfortable than the boots he wore back in the day. Will he acquire some nice hush puppies or some more practical hiking boots for his long journey? =p

4. How is it that Alexander is considered one of Oberon's Children when Merlin, who is literally a child of Oberon, is not? Not to malign the kid's potential or anything, but given that Oberon is a helluva lot more powerful than Alex's grandmother Titania (as far as raw energy goes) I find it hard to believe that the ¼ fae Alex can hold a candle to Merlin. And if he isn't more powerful, why is considered one of Oberon's Children? I'm probably missing some factor here so enlighten, please.

5. How old is Merlin, both biologically and chronologically? (assuming there's a difference)

6. Where did I put the remote for my T.V.? (Oh wait! This should be on another post. Sorry)

I'll stop annoying you, now. (Why linger here when there are so many other ersatz celebrities to aggravate?)

Ed writes...

Hoping for a third-time-lucky: how old is Arthur Pendragon, biologically and chronologically?

Todd Jensen writes...

When did Oberon pass his non-intervention edict? And in particular, was it extant during Arthur's original time period in the 5th century? (To be even more particular, was it extant at the time that Morgana got placed in the cradle in exchange for Gorlois and Igraine's biological daughter?)

Anonymous writes...

Is the reason Arthur was put on Avalon the same reason all these heroes have started appearing?

Todd Jensen writes...

We know that Griff, Arthur's first companion, is a knight, since we see him getting knighted by Arthur at the end of "Pendragon" (the episode). We also know (at present) that Arthur will have Blanchefleur and Merlin for his next two companions to be gained.

Now, I doubt that Merlin will count as a knight, given that his function in Arthur's service was entirely different. But do you see Blanchefleur filling the role of a knight?