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I would love to come to your gatherings if you do one.
The Gargoyles Universe, Fandom, and Show is just so chill, nice, and very welcoming.
in 2019 I shall be praying to go and be at your Gargoyles Gathering.
I'm afraid the last true Gathering of the Gargoyles was in 2009. We had a reunion for the series 20th anniversary at CONvergence in 2014. I tried to convince a convention to host another reunion for the series' 25th anniversary this year, but I found no takers. :(
Are there still gargoyles fan gatherings? And how do I get involved in it. I know it been along time, and it come out when I was born ., so I never got to be apart of any of it
I'm sorry. The last official Gathering of the Gargoyles was in 2009. Though in 2014 at CONvergence we had a reunion of sorts. Hoping to do something similar in 2019 for the 25th anniversary of the show. Keep an eye on ASK GREG. If we put something together, I'll announce it here.
Hi,
I noticed that you did a radio show that was basically a crossover between Spectacular Spider-Man and Gargoyles, and I was wondering a few things:
1. I've looked all over the website for the final act, but I haven't been able to find it. Is there a way I can read it and find out what happens?
2. Did you write it as a way of considering trying to merge the Gargoyles universe with the Marvel universe, or were you doing it just for fun?
3. Would you be willing to allow the Gargoyles universe to become part of Marvel or DC if they asked you?
Thanks,
DJ
1. The production itself is on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95V2vAFJmKs
But you couldn't have searched ASK GREG too hard. It took me no time to find it: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=846
2. Fun.
3. It would never be up to me. But I'd recommend AGAINST it.
So the #Gargoyles20 U.S. Tour continues. Stop #3 is CONvergence in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Well, actually in Bloomington, Minnesota, but close enough.) http://www.convergence-con.org
This is a big one for us. It includes a number of events that we used to do at the old Gathering of the Gargoyles Conventions, which ran from 1997-2009. And I know a bunch of Gargoyles fans will be attending, so it'll also be a reunion of sorts.
My schedule for the long weekend is quite packed - which is just how I like it!
THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2014
2:00pm - 3:00pm GARGOYLES RADIO PLAY AUDITIONS
Ever wanted to be in a radio play? Now is your chance! We are holding auditions for a live performance at CONvergence! You don't even have to be a fan of Gargoyles to enter. You just have to know how to read! Casting: Myself and Jennifer Anderson (Talent Coordinator on The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice). Casting decisions will be posted by 7:00pm on Friday, July 4th. ATRIUM 7.
3:30pm - 4:30pm BUFFYVERSE TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Okay, so Gargoyles ISN'T the only show celebrating an anniversary. The Buffy/Angel universe has been off the air for ten years. Let's reminisce and talk about the impact these shows have had on TV fantasy since their cancellation. Panelists: Myself, Tim Lieder, Cetius d'Raven, Madeleine Rowe, Mark Goldberg. EDINA.
7:00pm - 8:00pm OPENING CEREMONY
If it's not exactly a magical invocation, it is nonetheless our official kick-off for the convention! Join CONvergence mascot Connie as we welcome our Guests of Honor, give out some awards (including the Mark Time and Ogle winners), and get this party started. Panelists: Myself, Amy Berg, Emma Bull, C. Robert Cargill, Sarah Clemens, Scott Lynch, Marina Sirtis, Frank Paur, Matthew Ebel, Dawn Krosnowski, Greg Guler, Rob Callahan, Windy Bowlsby, Michael Lee. MAIN STAGE.
9:00pm - 10:00pm GREG WEISMAN'S FANCY BASTARD PIE COMPETITION
Geek Partnership Society is excited to host the Greg Weisman Fancy Bastard Pie Competition at CONvergence 2014! It is open to all CONvergence members who wish to participate. The goal is to make a pie that Greg Weisman, herein to be known as "Fancy Bastard", likes best. The winner will be told super-secret Young Justice spoilers. Find out [some of] what would have happened in Season 3! (But winner must swear to secrecy to claim prize.) See below for some helpful hints.* CABANA 110.
FRIDAY, JULY 4th, 2014
11:00am - 12:00pm GARGOYLES RADIO PLAY AUDITIONS
Ever wanted to be in a radio play? Now is your chance! We are holding auditions for a live performance at CONvergence! You don't even have to be a fan of Gargoyles to enter. You just have to know how to read! Last chance to audition! Casting: Myself and Jennifer Anderson (Talent Coordinator on The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice). Casting decisions will be posted by 7:00pm on Friday, July 4th. ATRIUM 7.
12:30pm - 1:30pm FROM TV TO COMICS
We'll discuss the TV shows that expanded into the comicverse, such as Buffy, Smallville, Young Justice and Gargoyles. Did they succeed? Were any of the comics improvements on the shows? How did canon change during the transition? Panelists: Myself (Gargoyles, Young Justice), Shawn van Briesen, Jonathan Palmer, Greg Guler (Gargoyles), Karine Charlebois (Gargoyles, Bad Guys), Christopher Jones (Batman Strikes, Young Justice, Bad Guys). PLAZA 2.
2:00pm - 3:00pm SIGNING
Myself, Christopher Jones (Young Justice, The Batman Strikes, Parallel Man) and Greg Guler (Gargoyles, Phineas and Ferb) will be holding a signing session. Both Chris and Greg always have an array of stuff (books, prints, etc.) to sell and sign. But this time I'm pretty darn prepared as well. First off, I'll be selling and signing copies of my first novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS for $10 cash, which includes the book, a personalized signature and signed copies of the original development character designs by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was. In addition - and by popular demand - I am selling and signing an array of my animation teleplays for $20 cash from such series as Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, DC Showcase (Green Arrow), Men in Black: The Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, W.I.T.C.H., Young Justice and even the 2009 Radio Play "The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles". I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for FREE - especially if you buy my book. ;) CONVERGENCE CENTRAL.
3:30pm - 4:30pm CREATING GARGOYLES
This is what we used to call (at the Gathering) the Rocky Horror Gargoyles Show. The creators of Gargoyles show clips and tell stories of how the show came to be. Lots of visual aids. Panelists: Myself (Creator, Supervising Producer/Story Editor, Writer), Frank Paur ( (Supervising Producer/Director), Greg Guler (Lead Character Designer). ATRIUM 6.
7:00pm - 8:00pm TIME TRAVEL THEORY
Let's assume for a moment that Time Travel is possible. This panel will explore the theories behind such technology. We'll explore quantum realities, temporal anomalies and all other challenges our theoretical time travelers will be face! [Now, I suggested this panel, but then they went and put some actual scientists on the damn thing. So I may quickly be embarrassed into silence.] ;) Panelists: Myself, Nicole Gugliucci, Jim Kakalios, G. David Nordley, Amy Berg. ATRIUM 4.
8:30pm - 9:30pm GARGOYLES Q&A
Join the cast and creators of the "Gargoyles" series and SLG companion comic books to ask and talk about the property. And, as always, Cosplayers are welcome! Panelists: Myself (Creator, Supervising Producer/Story Editor, Writer), Christopher Jones (Bad Guys guest artist), Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona and Margot Yale), Frank Paur (Supervising Producer/Director), Karine Charlebois (Gargoyles Guest Artist, Bad Guys Artist), Greg Guler (Lead Character Designer, Gargoyles Guest Artist). MAIN STAGE.
SATURDAY, JULY 5th, 2014
9:30am - 10:30am GARGOYLES SIGNING
Myself, Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona and Margot Yale) and Frank Paur (Supervising Producer/Director) will be holding a signing session. Again, I'll be selling and signing copies of my first novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS for $10 cash, which includes the book, a personalized signature and signed copies of the original development character designs by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was. In addition - and by popular demand - I am selling and signing an array of my animation teleplays for $20 cash from such series as Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, DC Showcase (Green Arrow), Men in Black: The Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, W.I.T.C.H., The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Young Justice and even the 2009 Radio Play "The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles". I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for FREE. CONVERGENCE CENTRAL.
11:00am - 12:25pm GARGOYLES RADIO PLAY REHEARSAL
This is a closed session - for those who were cast in the Radio Play - led by Myself, Jennifer Anderson (Talent Coordinator on The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice) & Marina Sirtis (voice of Demona, Margot Yale and Queen Bee). ATRIUM 6.
12:30pm - 1:30pm GARGOYLES RADIO PLAY PERFORMANCE
Fans and professionals - including Myself (voice of Donald Menken and Lucas "Snapper" Carr), Jennifer Anderson (Talent Coordinator on The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice), and of course, Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi from Star Trek TNG and the voice of Demona, Margot Yale and Queen Bee) - perform a LIVE, ORIGINAL Gargoyles radio play! ATRIUM 6.
2:00pm - 3:00pm GARGOYLES BIOLOGY AND CULTURE
A "what if" panel about the biology and culture of the Gargoyles universe. Creators and performers speculate about anything and everything going on outside the frames of the TV series. Panelists: Craig A. Finseth moderates Myself (Creator, Producer) and Greg Guler (Lead Character Designer). ATRIUM 7.
3:30pm - 4:30pm RAIN OF THE GHOSTS
I'll be reading from and talking about the world and characters of my novel "Rain of the Ghosts" and its sequel, "Spirits of Ash and Foam," which comes out July 8th, 2014, one week after the convention! ATRIUM 3.
7:00pm - 8:00pm ONE ON ONE WITH GREG WEISMAN
Hal Bichel will moderate a one-on-one panel with Myself. PLAZA 2.
8:30pm - 9:30pm SIGNING
Once again, I'll be selling and signing copies of my first novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS for $10 cash, which includes the book, a personalized signature and signed copies of the original development character designs by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was. In addition - and by popular demand - I am selling and signing an array of my animation teleplays for $20 cash from such series as Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, DC Showcase (Green Arrow), Men in Black: The Series, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, W.I.T.C.H., Young Justice and even the 2009 Radio Play "The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles". I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for FREE. CONVERGENCE CENTRAL.
10:00pm - 11:00pm BLUE MUG
Ever wonder about the sexual habits of Gargoyles? Ever wonder who was sleeping with whom among the Young Justice Team or the cast of Spectacular Spider-Man? Join us for for a late night peek at your favorite animated series. This panel will get blue! (So attendees will be carded!) Panelists: Myself, Christopher Jones, Mara Cordova (Last Tengu in Paris Artist). It is also rumored that Edmund Tsabard (an unfancy bastard and Last Tengu in Paris Writer) may make an appearance. EDINA.
SUNDAY, JULY 6th, 2014
11:00am - 12:00pm PROTOFEMINISTS IN SHAKESPEARE
Shakespeare portrayed several intelligent, independent, and self-aware women--Juliet, Lady Macbeth, Katharine, Beatrice, Viola, Rosalind. We'll discuss the problematic and the remarkably (for the era) fleshed-out aspects of their representation. Panelists: Myself, Elizabeth Bear, Ashley F. Miller, Joseph Erickson, Alexandra Howes. EDINA.
12:30pm - 1:30pm GARGOYLES FAN PANEL
It's the 20th Anniversary of Gargoyles. Come share your favorite moments from the show. As always, Cosplayers are welcome! Panelists: Daniel Mohr moderates Myself, Ryan Alexander, Robert Wagner, Maggie Schultz, Jennifer Anderson, Karine Charlebois. ATRIUM 6.
2:00pm - 3:00pm SIGNING
Myself and Greg Guler (Gargoyles, Phineas and Ferb) will be holding one last signing session. Greg G. always has an array of stuff (books, prints, etc.) to sell and sign. And I'll be selling and signing copies of my first novel RAIN OF THE GHOSTS for $10 cash, which includes the book, a personalized signature and signed copies of the original development character designs by Kuni Tomita for the television version of Rain that never was. In addition - and by popular demand - I am selling and signing an array of my animation teleplays for $20 cash from such series as Gargoyles, Team Atlantis, DC Showcase (Green Arrow), Men in Black: The Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, W.I.T.C.H., Young Justice and even the 2009 Radio Play "The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles". I'll also sign anything else you bring and put in front of me for FREE - especially if you buy my book. CONVERGENCE CENTRAL.
3:30pm - 4:30pm YOUNG JUSTICE
Creative minds behind the Young Justice TV and comic book series will talk about this fan favorite. We're planning some special surprises as well. And, as always, Cosplayers are welcome! Panelists: Myself, Marina Sirtis (voice of Queen Bee), Christopher Jones (Artist YJ Comic). MAIN STAGE.
5:00pm - 6:00pm CLOSING CEREMONY
It's not over 'til the gynoid sings - or something like that. Join CONvergence mascot Connie and our Guests of Honor as we say farewell to another convention. Shenanigans may ensue. Panelists: Myself, Amy Berg, Emma Bull, C. Robert Cargill, Sarah Clemens, Scott Lynch, Marina Sirtis, Matthew Ebel, Frank Paur, Dawn Krosnowski, Greg Guler, Windy Bowlsby, Rob Callahan, Michael Lee. MAIN STAGE
SEE?!! I told you there was a lot. And that's only the stuff that I'm doing. CONvergence is jam-packed with all sorts of pop culture nutritional goodness. So stop by and say hello!!
*In the interest of Full Disclosure, Fancy Bastard would like all to know that he especially likes the following pies:
APPLE
BERRY (pretty much any kind of berry or a mix of same)
PEACH
APRICOT
PUMPKIN
BANANA CREAM (herein to be known as the funniest pie)
Combinations of some of the fruit pies can be great. Contestants are welcome to try other pies at their own risk.
Fancy Bastard does NOT especially like the following pies:
PECAN
Anything with Chocolate or Lemon or Meringue
Raisins in Apple Pie
Almost never Cherry, though he has tasted the rare exception...
In the non-canonical Spectacular Spider-Man/Gargoyles three act radio play crossover, was Mary Jane Watson starting to fall in love with Peter?
By the way, enjoyed reading the script for the radio play. It was amusing.
PETER: That was almost the Look! :D
Not particularly.
Here's hoping you're in a sharing mood. From your timeline, you have revealed the following vague events that line up with a Gathering date and a character played by one of the special guests:
July 19, 1997: Goliath makes a bargain.
August 14, 1998: Vinnie visits family.
June 25, 1999: Lexington goes into business.
June 22, 2001: A crisis brings together representatives of four clans.
June 28, 2002: Vinnie's quest begins.
June 27, 2003: Lexington holds a press conference.
August 6, 2004: Goliath is briefly forced into hiding.
July 29, 2005: Lexington takes a chance and loses.
June 23, 2006: Obsidiana comes to the United States of America.
June 22, 2007: Lexington continues his journey.
We're still missing Gatherings 2000, 2008, and 2009. Any chance that you're in the mood to give us the last three?
August 3, 2000 - Lexington faces an extremely hostile takeover.
June 27, 2008 - Eggs are stolen from the Manhattan rookery.
August 21, 2009 - Thailog attacks.
And, I'm back with another Demona post. Surprise, surprise, surprise. ;)
Anyway, I've watched and re-watched the 2009 Radio Play many times. I know it's not canon, but I also know you kept everyone in character and they reacted to things as they normally would.
What's been leaping out at me was Demona's behavior towards Obsidiana, because it shows a side of Demona we haven't quite seen before.
Allow me to post the line:
"For she wears the mystic Obsidian pendant fashioned by human sorcerers. Even that is enough to put her in my thrall. She has relinquished her gargoyle birthright."
This line, and the way Marina Sirtis delivered it just hit me like a truck. So, now Demona is going around deciding which gargoyles are and aren't pure enough to be "true gargoyles?" But, as far as we know, she doesn't know Obsidiana. She's never met Obsidiana. I can understand her hatred and desire to wipe out the Manhattan Clan, they stand against her and are her enemies. She's completely wrong to do it, but I tactically understand it.
Obsidiana, on the other hand, for all she knows she had a potential ally there and among the Mayans. While the Mayan Clan, as we have seen them, don't harm the human locals, I could easily envision a scenario where she talks them into some kind of anti-human alliance in the interests of protecting the Green.
But then there is this next line:
"Impossible. I am the last true gargoyle left on this world."
I know Demona has a superiority complex wrapped around her guilt complex, but wow. She is this much of a supremacist now? After she wipes out humanity, what happens when the surviving gargoyles refuse to acknowledge her as their divinely appointed empress? Well, I think I have a pretty good idea of that "what next" would be in that completely hypothetical scenario.
Actually, we've seen some of this already in "Reawakening" where she said "We are the true gargoyles, they have been corrupted by the humans!" But the Obsidiana moment felt even more extreme.
This attitude is actually pretty Hitler-esque, what with his witch-hunt against those who weren't German enough, a test which he'd fail also as he didn't have his idealistic blonde hair and blue eyes (and may have had Jewish blood). Actually, reminds me of Demona and her daytime form as well, but the bigot being what they despise is a trope that has always fascinated me.
By no means do I find that line out of character, actually, for me, that was one of the most chilling moments I've ever seen her depicted in. And yes, it does feel like a logical progression based on what we've seen of her. I know she's going to get better in "Gargoyles 2198" but if this is any indicator of where she was heading in your third season, or any comic book continuation, it seems like she's going to get a lot worse before she gets better.
Very cool, and by cool I mean chilling. It will be very interesting to see how her affection for Angela, who was raised by humans and is maybe more of an idealist than even Goliath would play into this.
Just don't take the radio play too seriously. Remember, I wrote it more or less overnight and I had SO MANY characters to fit in, that - beyond the obvious, that it's not canon - some of it is quite forced.
Hey Greg, a couple Spectacular Spidey ?'s that I hope you'll be able to answer:
1.) Someone asked a question on whether you had plans for S.H.I.E.L.D., and you said "No", not "No comment". So I'm curious, where do you see Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. at this point in time? Have the government approved the group, or has there not been a reason to create the group yet?
2.) The Lizard in his first appearance was not seen as talking, but was seen as a mute, savage beast. I'm curious, what was the thought process behind making him that way?
3.) What happened with MOI animation in the second season? Blueprints, Shear Strength, Growing Pains, & Gangland are in my opinion the weakest animated episodes of the series. Their season 2 work just felt alot less fluid than their season 1 work, and compared to Dong Woo and Hanho their animation from season 2 was alot more fluid looking than what MOI was doing. I know there's a camp of people who complained about Hanho going off model, but I always accepted the squash and stretch being used alot more, since that's how Victor Cook intended the animation to be.
These next 2 questions are tricky to ask since I'm not sure if they break the "won't spoil because their better off being revealed in execution" code you've gone by, but I'll give it a shot anyways:
4.) You said that Roderick Kingsley owning a perfume company would be brought up in his next appearance. Does that mean you had plans to introduce Belladonna?
5.) You said you know who the main villains of each arc would be in season 3, but you didn't have everything planned out beyond that. Hobgoblin sounds obvious, Scorpion, Maybe. So are the main villains of each season 3 arc, something you'd be willing to reveal(at the very least), or not?
6.) About the radio play, when Cleatus says to Demona, "I'll have what he's having.", how come Eddie wasn't saying "YES, YES, OH GOD YES" when he became Venom again before that?
Looking forward to Young Justice!
1. I don't have my Spec Spidey research notes with me here at Warner Bros. But as I recall, Nick has not yet been recruited to run SHIELD yet. But in any case, at the time I'm sure I didn't have access to Nick or the SHIELD characters. Spidey Universe only.
2. It seemed right. He seemed more dangerous that way. More Lizardy.
3. I really don't remember.
4. No comment.
5. Not really.
6. For whatever reason, I didn't have quite as firm a grasp on "When Harry Met Sally" as you seem to. I was in a rush.
I wrote this blog entry up a few months back, and I thought I'd share it with you. I'm curious as to your thoughts on the matter:
Ever since Disney bought Marvel, people have been asking Greg Weisman if he has any interest in integrating the "Gargoyles Universe" (which would be the first sixty-five episodes of the series, and the two SLG comic series "Gargoyles" and "Gargoyles: Bad Guys") into the Marvel Universe, and Weisman keeps saying no. Yet people keep asking him.
I love "Gargoyles" and I love the "Marvel Universe." I love "Gargoyles" more, and I'm not afraid to say it. But this is a terrible idea, and I'm going to talk about why it's a terrible idea.
First of all, the two universes are pretty incompatible. Time travel works differently in both universe for one. In "Gargoyles" you cannot alter history, and that series is so much better for it. If it were a part of Marvel, it would be too easy for Goliath to, let's say, go back in time and prevent the massacre of his clan back in 994 Scotland.
I suppose you could retcon away those Marvel time travel stories like "Age of Apocalypse" and "Days of Future Past." While I would not mind that, it wouldn't be fair to the fans and creators of those stories.
Second, while I have no doubt the existence of gargoyles would be shocking to the people of the Marvel Universe, it wouldn't have the same impact it should. Not in a world where mutants, super-beings, Atlanteans, Inhumans, Eternals, Norse gods, and Fin Fang Foom are already known to exist with Galactus stopping by every other Tuesday.
Third, okay, Marvel's Odin is now a Child of Oberon, as are the Asgardians. Okay... how well do you think that's going to go over with the fans of Jack Kirby's Thor who have been reading it for nearly fifty years now? Hell, there are still some people who are uneasy about Odin being subject to Oberon in "Gargoyles." I'm not one of those people, but I understand where they're coming from.
Now, I know some people are bound to mention the NON-CANON Radio Play from the 2009 Gathering, that was a crossover between "Gargoyles" and "The Spectacular Spider-Man," so let's get this out of the way. That wasn't actually the Marvel Universe. It was a re-imagined, and stream-lined version of it. It also helped that both shows were created or developed by Greg Weisman. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it, but I don't think anyone wants this to be a regular, or even a recurring occurrence. I think it worked well as a pandering love letter to fans of both franchises, and the voice actors who brought these characters to life.
Finally, and perhaps most important, the Marvel Universe is not really going anywhere. It is very cyclical. Things come, things go, status quos change and are restored. Spider-Man is married for twenty years, then he is single again. Magneto reforms, then is a villain again, then reforms, etc, etc.
For example, I respect a lot of what Joe Quesada has done for Marvel. However, the notion of him having any kind of creative influence over "Gargoyles" scares me. "Goliath and Elisa were more interesting before they finally declared their love and got together. The core of it was always impossible love, so now we have to split them up." You know it would happen.
"The Gargoyles Universe" is going somewhere, even if we're currently not getting any new fiction, it was always evolving. Never going backwards, but moving forwards. It was an evolving tapestry, and change was constant. Marvel, on the other hand, lives and breathes on the illusion of change, while actual change is non-existent. Death is meaningless. Characters don't age, and the status quo may shake up on occasion, but it is always eventually restored.
The Marvel Universe was built by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Steve Ditko, and maintained by many very talented and creative people acting as custodians of that work. But, for better or worse, it is a soup with hundreds of cooks. Many great chefs, and more than a few fast food fry cooks.
"Gargoyles" was co-created by Greg Weisman, and while he had a lot of help, he was the only co-creator, and the one who never stopped working on it. He was the first author of "Gargoyles" and more than likely he will be the last author of "Gargoyles." For the better. We saw "Gargoyles" without Greg Weisman, and it was nothing good.
Both universes have their place, but you couldn't merge them without one of them being significantly altered in the process. Now, I will admit my bias again and say that I wish the "Marvel Universe" was more like the "Gargoyles Universe" but, there's no real point. It's been around for nearly five decades (over seven if you want to talk about Timely Comics), and it's not going to change. As I've made clear, I think that's kind of the problem, but an understandable one given the nature of Marvel Comics. DC too, for that matter.
Now, I realize a lot of the above makes it look like I'm saying "Gargoyles" is great and Marvel is awful, but I don't feel that way at all. I just don't think such a thing would work without one of the universes suffering for it.
I agree.
The Radio Play was a ... lark, a goof. But even if we were ONLY talking about the Spectacular Universe merging with Gargoyles, I'd be opposed.
During "This Day in Gargoyles Universe History" you posted the following events.
1997: July 19th. Goliath makes a bargain.
1998: August 14th. Vinnie visits family.
1999: June 25th. Lexington goes into business.
2001: June 22nd. A crisis brings together representatives of four clans.
2002: June 28th. Vinnie's quest begins.
2003: June 27th. Lexington holds a press conference.
2004: August 6th. Goliath is briefly forced into hiding.
2005: July 29th. Lexington takes a chance and loses.
2006: June 23rd. Obsidiana comes to the United States of America.
2007: June 22nd. Lexington continues his journey.
Now, obviously these are all Gathering dates (the Fridays of each Gathering), and I've noticed they tend to coincide with who one of the Special Guests was.
So, I'm curious... what happened in the Gargoyles Universe on the following two dates?
June 27, 2008; and August 21st 2009?
Not saying.
Hey Greg, The Gargoyles/Spectacular Spider-Man Crossover You Wrote For The Radio Play At The Gathering is Canon Right? Or it will be once Disney approves to make it right? i mean since Disney now bought marvel comics and that's what you intended for it?
As I've said many times before: NO. Not canon for either series. Just a bit of fun.
Hey Greg, here are some questions:
1. If Season Three is announced upon the ratings for the "Final Curtin" episode that aires on Disney XD, I would think that Bill Fagerbakke would reprise Morris Bench if you plan an episode that brings about the introduction of Hydro-Man. Right?
2. If the series is successful after Season Three and you managed to make it to a season that deals with Peter Parker attending Empire University, what season do you predict that will occur in?
3. I have seen your Rambles of the Spider-Man/Gargoyles crossover that Keith David reprised Goliath and Tombstone in. Now that was humerous in some parts, don't ya think?
4. I was wondering if you have seen "The Super Hero Squad Show" (adapted from the "Marvel Super Hero Squad: toyline) yet? Though Spider-Man doesn't appear in the TV series yet, he will be featured in video game adaption.
1-2. All moot now.
3. I thought so.
4. I haven't seen it.
Monday, August 23
Woke up early with Steph, hoping to score a hearty breakfast at the Saddle Ranch. Only to discover that the information weâd been given the day before was inaccurate. We were told that they were opening at eight. It turns out they were really opening at eleven, due to maintenance issues. So we walked to Subway and got breakfast wraps.
Made it back to the hotel before the comics panel, and even had time to shower. Comics panel was a lot of fun. Greg actually had a good reason for Brooklyn breaking the fourth wall in Issue #11.
After that got out, I managed to get Greg Guler to resign my Gargoyles trade, this time in permanent marker. Then I ran over to the Dealerâs Room, and found out that someone outbid me on my art. Ah, well. One less thing to lug back home with me.
So I went back to Salon 6 to sit in on the Gargoyles Physiology/Culture panel. That one was also a lot of fun, though I left a few minutes early to grab caffeine from the lobby. While waiting for Closing Ceremonies, I saw Thom Adcox slap Greg X, because apparently Gregâs brother told him to by phone.
Closing Ceremonies were after that. Like last year, they were bittersweet, but there was another dimension to it this time, since there wonât be a Gathering next year. Still, it was fun hearing tales from past cons. I might have gotten up to tell one of my own (how the fandom scarred my brother) had we not been evicted from the room. From there, I mingled with people in the hallway as they started to trickle off, and joined a mailing list to get more info on the future of the fandom. Then I was drafted into helping carry some boxes down to Patrickâs van, lending more credence to my theory if I stand in one place long enough, I get pressed into service, and it usually involves carrying things. Ah, well, I donât exercise enough, anyway.
After that, I said goodbyes to a few people (including Greg Weisman, who actually remembered my name), went back up to the room, drank a beer, and updated the journal.
Steph wanted to eat around 5:00, so we went down to the café in the lobby to catch a deal they had: three course dinner for fifteen bucks. Had salad and prime rib, which was cooked just right. Had cheesecake for dessert, which we wrapped and took back up to the room. Then we took a quick trip up to City Walk, and stopped by Ben and Jerryâs for a cone.
About 8:00, I went down to the bar for one more martini, and then back up to the room to catch some Adult Swim. It was in this time that Greg X and Carl both returned (John had left earlier, during Closing Ceremonies). I originally wanted to retire early, but I wound up staying up way too late hanging out with the roomies, talking about the con, and watching videos with Greg on you tube. Finally drifted off around 1:30 or 2 AM.
Tuesday, August 25
â¦And I was awoken after about two hours of sleep by the wake-up call Iâd placed the previous day. I rose, roused my girlfriend (weâd packed the night before), and we dressed and headed down to the lobby. We boarded the shuttle, and from there I had a fun time trying to figure out the seatbelt. There was no traffic this time, but it WAS still dark out.
After some annoying lines at LAX (and me losing my Swiss Army Knife because I stupidly forgot to stick it in my suitcase), we found our gate. I slept right up to the boarding, after we got on the plane, through takeoff, and through the first half of the flight.
After I woke up, I kept busy reading my Dune novel. Landing was a little bumpy, and then we had a few hours to kill before connecting flights. We had lunch at Wendyâs, and then I moseyed down to the bar for a Sam Adams Cream Stout (which I drank slowly, because I can never find it in Virginia).
Flight back to Richmond was also uneventful. We got our bags and got back to the parking lot just as the sun was setting. Almost symbolic, in a way. We drove home, stopping at McDonaldâs for some burgers, and then I began the lengthy ordeal of unpacking/preparing for work the following day.
And thus concludes things. Though my involvement with the Gathering was brief, Iâm still happy to have been a part, in some way. Iâll always have fond memories, and hope to stay in touch with the friends Iâve made. If the Gods are willing, there will be another journal for a different con someday.
I do hope so.
GATHERING JOURNAL, PART TWO
Saturday, August 22
Woke up, went downstairs to Starbucks (which turned out to be cheaper than the frakkinâ continental breakfast), grabbed a chocolate croissant for me, cinnamon roll for my lady, and went back upstairs.
After breakfast, I took a shower, went down to the lobby for coffee, then up to the fourth floor. Had no plans to attend any panels in the morning, so I mingled a bit. Had a very nice chat about the new canon material (and also about fanfic) with Greg X, Vicky, and G-Side. Then I decided to browse some artwork. LOTS of good stuff this year. I was forced into voting again by Shaun (Brooklyn X). Thatâs the second time heâs threatened me with death! I also saw even more Gargs merchandise I didnât know existed, including a shaving kit. Interesting. Bid on a few things in silent auction, including a Demona figure.
Eventually, 11:30 rolled around. Time to get in line to meet Marina Sirtis. Didnât have too much to say to her, except âhi.â Paid twenty bucks to get her to sign my DVD of âStar Trek: First Contact,â and got a picture. Went up to the room after that to find my girlfriend, since sheâs been talking about meeting Marina for the last few weeks. Found her outside the room without a key, so I let her in to get her con badge, and then we went back down to the fourth floor so she could get in line for an autograph, as well.
Had some time to kill after that, so I stopped briefly in the Con Suite, then headed back towards the dealerâs room, and had a chat with Mara about artwork.
At 1:00 or so, Steph and I went to the voice actorâs panel. Keith David dropped more f-bombs than one would expect from a daytime panel, but as Steph pointed out, even when he swears, it sounds elegant. There was also a fun little argument between Greg and Marina about auditions.
After it ended (and it flew by, largely because it was so entertaining), I went upstairs to the room and ate a cold slice of leftover pizza, and then I sat in on the SSM panel for a bit. I left that early to get a good seat at the Star Trek screening, and also to buy a copy of Clan Building: Volume One for autographs later.
The screening was not what I expected, but it was still enjoyable. Amazing what an Elvis impersonator with a dream can achieve. After the screening, Steph and I got seats for the Radio Play.
Fantastic Radio Play this year: a Gargoyles/SSM crossover. Greg would reveal later that evening that it was not canon, but it was a still a lot of fun. A lot of inside jokes for fans of both shows. It was especially fun to see a lot of voice actors do their voices in person. Among the most thrilling were hearing Marina Sirtis do Demona (the âhuman whoreâ line got a lot of cheers), Steve Blum do the Green Goblin, Daran Norris do both Jameson the elder and younger, and Dee Bradley Baker do the Lizard snarl.
After it got out, I managed to get Steve Blum to sign my Cowboy Bebop DVD. Then I went to stand in line at the Dealerâs Room (Steph went to check out the bondage panel). Turns out most of the voice actors in there were Spider-Man (and I forgot to get a DVD before the con!), but I still got Thom Adcox and Wendy Pini to sign my Gargoyles trade.
After the signing was ended, I hung around to wait for Greg X to lock the room up, and then he and I walked up to City Walk, and fought our way through the crowds (which were numerous) to Tommyâs, where we picked up some burgers and fries to bring back to the Blue Mug.
Blue Mug this year started out a little depressing, and then got very good quickly. Greg left to go to the restroom, and was gone a very long time. Guess it was something he ate. He was gone long enough for that miscreant, Edmund Tsabard, to show up and attempt to brainwash the crowd into shelling out money for his pornographic âautobiography.â Then someone began altering the doll Greg W had been presented with the previous evening at Opening Ceremonies.
After Edmund left, Greg finally got out of the restroom, and seemed relieved that heâd missed the guy. The Blue Mug went on for a bit longer, and Greg gave his own sales pitch for the Blue Mug, which was a lot more sensible than Edmundâs.
Mug ended before midnight this year, but I still saw some disturbing porn, this time off Maraâs laptop. Went up to the room after that, updated the journal, and went to bed.
Sunday, August 23
Slept later than I intended. Woke up around ten, ran downstairs to Starbucks to grab more coffee and bread items. Then I ran up to the room to give Steph her cinnamon roll before running back down to the ATM to make a withdrawal.
Then up to the Dealerâs Room, where I bought some prints from David Wong, which he said he would mail to me in about two weeks. After that, I got in line to get autographs from the Gargoyles production crew panel, though I left briefly to see the reel of deleted scenes from Spectacular Spider-Man. Then it was back over to the line to get more signatures in my con booklet.
Steph and I then had some time to kill before one, so we walked up to the Subway, where I got a Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki. Went back down to the hotel with our food, where I ate outside the Dealerâs Room while waiting for the Spidey Production Panel to get out. My girlfriend went on ahead to Project Run-Garg, while I waited in line for more autographs.
I had a nice brief little chat with Kevin Alteiri about Batman: The Animated Series, and how much he missed working with Bruce Timm. After that, I caught up with Steph at Project Run-Garg, and found out that she had been recruited for Team Lexington. The panel turned out to be more fun than I thought it would. Team Demona wound up winning, but all three were very creative.
After that, Steph went on to the Writing for Television panel, while I decided to take a breather and update the journal. Wound up in the Con Suite, where I ate a pretzel while chatting with Greg X and Mara.
Around three, I caught a little bit of the television writing panel, after all. Heard a funny story about the origins of Kim Possible. I would have stayed to the end, but I received a text from a friend whom I used to go to school with, and was now living out in LA.
I told them I was coming out, and gave them my number, but I hadnât heard from them before that afternoon, so I wasnât expecting them to actually show. So I met them outside the Dealerâs Room, and we wound up doing a quick recording for this radio show they stream from the web.
Stood in line for writerâs autographs after that, during which time, Crzydemona stopped by to chat. After getting more autographs, I arrived at the Live Auction a bit late. By the time I got there, theyâd sold the Demona figure Iâd bid on earlier. But I did manage to get some Demona trading cards. Like last year, Seth and Gorebash were very entertaining, though they had to get through the last items pretty quickly due to time constraints.
Fortunately, I managed to get second in line to pay for my loot. Which was good, because I barely had time to change for the Banquet. Met Steph up in the room, threw some nicer clothes on (though nowhere near as nice as herâs), and downstairs we went.
The Banquet was a lot of fun. We sat with Greg Guler and conversed on the state of movies today, and the decline of 2-D animation. Matt sat at out table, as well, but unfortunately, I canât remember anyone elseâs name. Food was also really good: I ate tomato and mozzarella salad, chicken, rolls, garlic mashed potatoes, and cheesecake. Good stuff, though the cheesecake was a little tasteless. The Q and A was also a lot of fun, though I think some people were making up questions to ask on the spot, since the next opportunity for Q and A might be awhile.
They finally ended things around 8:30, so people could prepare for the Masquerade. I managed to stop in the bar for a martini. When I got it, I drank it rather quickly, to get back to the ballroom before the doors opened.
There were a lot of good costumes this year. Was really cool seeing Zehra as Shari. Jade Griffin and her family were also very amusing. Plus, the Gorelisa award finally got a recipient. Sadly, I didnât get too many decent pics due to the lighting.
The dance afterward probably had less dancing than the other Masquerades I attended. Steph and I danced for a few songs, which was actually the first time Iâve ever danced at one of these.
She went upstairs shortly after that, while I stayed downstairs to mingle. Congratulated as many Masquerade winners as I could. Also got served some sort of maple liquor from Karine, which was really good. I swear, I love Canada more and more each day. First they give us Rush, then they give us some great artists, and now some great liquor.
Right before bed, I smoked a cigar outside with Kael, Kat, and some other congoers who I found out live closer to me than I thought. Went back into the ballroom after that, but didnât stay long because I was tired. So I snuck out and went up to the room to crash.
I'm gonna miss not Gathering this year...
GATHERING JOURNAL, PART ONE.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
This was probably the best Gathering I've been to so far. I missed seeing a couple of people at this one, but for the first time, I had someone to bring with me (who wasn't related to me): my girlfriend, Stephanie.
We woke up at 6:30, and actually left on time. The threat level at Richmond International was high, and I got randomly checked by security. And the plane seemed to leave in a hurry. Almost too quickly.
But the flight passed without incident, and we made the connecting flight without a problem. Only noteworthy incident was on the final approach to LAX, when we could see Mexico out the left side of the plane, and the United States out the right side. Also, my girlfriend and I sat next to a girl who was going to a World of Warcraft convention in Anaheim. Naturally, we told her all about where we were going.
Plane landed ahead of schedule, and from there, we had a fun walk to the baggage claim. Another pleasant surprise was that I did not expect it to be only 67 degrees when we stepped out of the airport. Of course, the string of good luck couldnât last.
We found a cab who took us to a Wachovia, so that Steph could make a withdrawal, and from there, we hit traffic as soon as we got on the parkway. I spent most of that ride reading the novel Iâd brought (Frank Herbertâs âChildren of Duneâ) so that Iâd be distracted from watching the meter. Trips can never seem to go without incident.
When we arrived at the hotel and were checking in, we bumped into several con staffers who were walking past the front desk. Said hi to Greg X, but unfortunately, he couldnât chat long, since we needed to get our stuff up to the room, and he was busy with staff duties.
Once up in the room, I grabbed a shower. And then Steph and I went hunting for sustenance, since they barely fed us anything on either flight, and the last real food I had was an egg sandwich that morning. We wound up at Saddle Ranch, one of the many overly tacky places that made up City Walk. The food was actually really good. I had the pan-seared Ahi tuna steak and a Newcastle Brown Ale.
After dinner, we walked down the hill to a liquor store that Steph saw on the cab ride over. The liquor store itself was misleading: looked ghetto on the outside, but inside they sold real champagne.
We bought some cheap liquor (I love how inexpensive it is out here) and trekked back up the hill to the hotel room. I made a note to myself not to make that hike for the rest of the weekend.
Once back in the hotel room, we cooled off, during which time Greg X showed up briefly before heading down to the staff dinner. But he left me his copy of the Bad Guys trade paperback to read, which had some nice surprises.
Hung out in the room after that, drank a few beers, and tried to find something on TV. Greg came back to the hotel room between 10 and 10:30, and we wound up hanging out and talking about the trade paperbacks and the fandom.
During this time, our fourth roommate, Karl, showed up. Steph was a good sport during all this, attempting to sleep while I continued to chat with the other roommates until we each nodded off a little after midnight.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Woke up around eight, and wanted to go downstairs for some continental breakfast. It was only after I got my food and sat down that I realized that itâs not complimentary. So a bowl of cornflakes, some cantaloupe, coffee, and a croissant wound up costing fifteen bucks. Good canteloupe, though.
Went back up to the room after eating to shower and shave before the registration table opened. After Steph had gotten ready, we went downstairs to the fourth floor to pick up our stuff. We mingled with a few con-goers, and I got the last sign-up spot for the Greg Weisman Mug-a-Guest.
Had some time to kill before the mug, so Steph and I looked over the convention schedule while chatting with Blaise (who I hadnât met before, but knew from Station 8) and a Fan. Fan kept trying to trade me stuff from past Gatherings.
Gregâs mug-a-guest was fun, even though we didnât deviate from talking about âGargoyles.â Although I did learn why the Cantina scene in "Star Wars" doesn't work. When the mug got out, I stopped in the Dealerâs Room to buy some Demona shirts (one for me, one for a friend) and a copy of the Bad Guys TPB. Had to wait a while for someone to bring a cashbox, but while we waited, me and other con-goers swapped retail job stories with Cindy Kinnard. She did a very good job keeping us entertained.
Eventually, I bought the goods and went upstairs to stash them in the room. After that, Steph and I went down to the lobby restaurant for some lunch. We wound up splitting a BBQ chicken pizza, which was very filling (we still had half left over when we were done). They also served rolls with a variety of spreads, one of which appeared to be pureed olives. Fantastic stuff.
After eating, I went up to Thom Adcoxâs panel. Thom still seemed to remember me, for some reason, pointing at me after the panel had started and saying, âHey, you!â As always, the panel itself was entertaining. I never get tired of listening to his anecdotes about the business. This year, he told a very interesting tale involving Ed Asner and a cup.
When the panel got out, I went up to the room to collect Steph, and then we went down to the ground floor for Opening Ceremonies. Which were delayed, so I killed time by chatting with Matt, Greg X, and Blaise about the comics.
Opening Ceremonies had a few bittersweet moments, including a very nice tribute to Gary Sperling, which was presented to his family. Also, Greg W showed all the Gargoyles promo reels because as he said, what the hell? It was the last Gathering. For some reason, the Ceremonies were shorter than they actually felt. After they got out, Steph and I went up to the room to change for dinner.
After we were both ready, we walked up to City Walk, and had a very nice sushi dinner at Wasabiâs. The food was good, but I was disappointed with the hot sake. Even after two rounds, I was barely buzzed. I must have had the wrong kind. Or maybe I should have gotten the large.
We also hit some stores on the way to Wasabiâs and back. We stopped in a comic store, where we were pleased to see that they were showing Gargoyles, S2 V1 on their TV (it was the episode âLeader of the Packâ). Steph checked the stores to see if they had any Deanna Troi figures (for the signing the next day), but sadly they didnât. We also stopped in Hot Topic, where I bought an 8-Bit Nintendo shirt, and Steph bought a GIR notebook.
Greg and our fifth roommate, John, were both in the room when we got back. Had a few more drinks while we hung out, chatted about science fiction shows, and watched stand-up on Comedy Central. Finally nodded off a little after midnight.
Wow, you have a good memory. No way in October I'd still be able to write in this much detail about August. But I'm glad you did!
In your Gargoyles/Spectacular Spider-Man crossover Radio Play, the Spear of Destiny's head was buried beneath Ravencroft Institute. While this obviously suited the needs of the story, was this also intended as an in-joke reference to Trevor Ravencroft, who wrote one of the best-known books about the Spear?
It was a happy accident that I discovered when I started researching the Spear for the Radio Play.
Hey Greg! I loved the Radio Play - thanks for posting it!
Now, I know that it is not canon with either series, but I still have to ask: do the ideas present in the crossover indicate your ideas for either series in any way? Now, I know that it isn't very likely for them to REALLY team up, but, for example, are the reactions of all the Spidey characters to the Peter/Liz break-up indicate of what may actually happen, or did you just invent entirely new material?
Both... up to a point, i.e. I won't be held to anything that appears in that Radio Play. But I tried to characterize the players honestly.
Having, read your 2009 radio play for Gargoyles/SSM, I have to ask, but did Demona briefly become an avatar of Christ like Jackal and the Emir with Anubis and Goliath with Odin?
Uh... I don't think so.
Thanks for the final act of the Radio Play, Greg.
The ending, with the Illuminati getting their hands on the Spear and the Crown of Thorns, surprised me. Well, apart from the fact that a part of me thought that, in light of the Illuminati's links to the Holy Grail, it would be appropriate if they eventually got the Spear of Destiny, which turns up in the medieval Grail romances a number of times (in the role of the spear that crippled the Fisher King). And so Tombstone's an Illuminatus as well - pity that it can't be canon.
I was also surprised at Dominic Dracon's death - killing off a canonical character in a non-canonical script!
A few other highlights: more people telling Margot to "give it a rest", the "Casablanca" quote at the end, and Demona stuck at Ravencroft - though I doubt that she'll be there long.
Thanks for such a delightful piece, Greg.
You're welcome!
Thanks for the second act of "A Handful of Thorns". I enjoyed it, especially all the in-jokes (Brooklyn's spin-off remarks, the Green Goblin thinking of calling up Disney about the gargoyles, Elisa repeating her "street pizza" line from "Awakening Part One", Demona's remark about the stage being crowded enough, etc.). You must really have had a blast writing it.
So how good would a couple of gargoyle beasts be at looking after an egg? (At least nobody is going to try stealing it with Bronx and Fu-Dog on guard duty!)
On the more serious note, I liked your exploring of the impact of Brooklyn's Timedancing adventures upon the trio.
A great cliffhanger ending (I hope it won't offend any of the readers). I'll admit that I would expect the Spear of Destiny to be in a different location in the Gargoyles Universe - I won't say where, because it would break the "no original ideas" - but I've read enough about the medieval legends concerning that same spear to guess.
Looking forward to Act Three (I hope the weekend won't seem too slow).
I'm not sure "blast" is the word I'd use for the writing process. (Too many characters; too little time.) But we definitely had a blast performing it.
I think you asked and answered your own question re: Beasts and egg.
In Act One of "Religious Studies 101: A Handful of Thorns", when Jameson's handing out assignments to everyone at the Daily Bugle, he sends Foswell to investigate the Dominic Dracon part of the story with the words "You know that world!" Now, while I'm not an expert on Spider-Man, I picked up from the discussions of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" in the Station 8 comment room that in the comics, Foswell had apparently lived a double life as a reporter and a crime boss. Was Jameson's line an in-joke about that?
In OUR (Spectacular Spider-Man) continuity, Foswell lead a double life as a reporter and a small-time stooge named Patch. He also had (long ago) a pulitzer for an expose on the gangster Silvermane. That's what that reference refers to. Not an in-joke.
I read Act One of the Radio Play and enjoyed it (it might be second-best to actually hearing the voice actors reprise their roles, but I could still imagine their voices while reading it). I enjoyed the way you wove the two universes together. A few moments that especially stood out to me:
1. Peter's mention of the "Cliff Notes version" of "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
2. Dominique reminiscing about the founder of Ravencroft (these kinds of speeches by spectacularly long-lived characters are generally a lot of fun).
3. The portrayal of Dominic Dracon as still crushed by the denouement of "The Silver Falcon". (I know that this isn't canon, but I think this is exactly the way he'd have gone after the marbles disappointment.)
4. Jonah Jameson getting Travis Marshall on the phone.
5. The meeting between Captain Stacy and Captain Chavez, especially Chavez's "Twilight Zone" remark.
6. The echo of "The Mirror" when Demona's smuggler delivers part of the Spear of Longinus to her home.
7. Demona's meta-reference to the first act at the end.
I look forward to the next instalment tomorrow.
Glad you like it. Tried to make it fun for fans of both shows.
Wow, I just read the first act of the Spectacular Spider-Man Radio Play. And it was very good, I really cant want for act 2. But I was wondering, if season 3 is a yes, will you make this into a stright to dvd movie? I'll buy it, if it come on dvd.
No.
Did you find it spooky that Disney bought Marvel so soon after you wrote and put on the Gargoyles/Spectacular Spider-Man crossover Radio Play for the Gathering? I know that it was just a coincidence, but I still found the timing a bit eerie.
Eh... few things (in this business) truly surprise me these days. Which is NOT to say I saw this coming, because I did not. But hearing about it, I was hardly shocked.
The Gathering 2009 - Con Journal - Part Five...
Woke up on Monday to find one of my roommates was in the shower. I had the staff breakfast to get to, but I wanted a shower. So I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. When I was fifteen minutes late, I took off for breakfast. After waiting forty-five minutes for the shower. Aw well. I got one after breakfast.
Breakfast was short and fun, I forget what I ate, but I remember we called Laurean and sang Happy Birthday to her. I guess we owe someone some royalties for that song ;)
After that, I helped clean up the art room a bit before attending the "Gargoyles" and "Bad Guys" comic book panel. We got some cool question in there. Greg confirmed there was indeed a connection between Duval and Brother Valmont, but wouldn't confirm or deny if they were one and the same. Also, on the subject of Duval, the topic of his identity came up, since the presence of Peredur fab Ragnal seems to have thrown us all for a loop. Still, Greg refused to comment on whether Duval is or isn't Percival. Now, at the moment, I do have a very strong theory on who Duval really is. If Blanchefleur is one of the two people Peredur loves most in the world, who would logically be the other? Chew on that for a while.
Among the topics, Greg said that Dan Vado and SLG are still our best bets. But who knows what will happen with Disney buying Marvel. Speaking of, funny how that happens days after that Radio Play. Guess Greg could make that canon if he wanted to. LOL!
After that, it was the Biology panel, which I've never attended before. To quote Greg, I am a writer, not a biologist. There was a lot of interesting stuff discussed there as well, but I will admit, a lot of it went over my head. Math and science were never my strongest subjects in school. English, history, and art were. I was called out early, but I forget the reason why.
I did get a phone call from my brother, who couldn't make it. So, I briefly put Thom Adcox on the phone with him. While they're talking, Thom motions me to come closer and then he lightly slaps me. My brother asked him to. LOL!
Finally it was time for Closing Ceremonies. And, well... let's just say it was one of the most emotional hours of my life. I'm just glad it managed to be bittersweet and not just bitter. Prizes were handed out. People got up and shared memories. I wanted to, but I was too busy trying to keep it together, I don't think I could have spoken without breaking. There were a lot of tearful good-byes.
Once that was over, we tore down the art room. Karine had a comic book page there, and I told her that if I had the money, I'd take it off her hands. But then she turned around and gave it to me. It was from #5 of "Gargoyles" where Goliath and Elisa kiss and declare their love... thank you Karine. That was awesome.
We eventually retired to the staff suite where Chris bought the entire staff pizza. That was very generous. We all laughed, and enjoyed ourselves. Eventually Greg had to leave, and we all hugged him good-bye. Well for some of us, it was more of a see you later, but I'll get to that in a bit.
So, we partied. Jenn-Bob showed up on her webcam since she couldn't attend the convention. Bra-clad boobs were involved.
Later on, we all took a walk up to City Walk, where Cat and I shared some fries. Flanker and I talked about his time in Afghanistan. Eventually Thom Adcox came to pick Flanker up so they could go hang out, and we all piled into Thom's car... just to mess with him. We all got out, and said our laters to Thom as well.
Then we went back to the suite and just hung out until it was time to say good night.
EPILOGUE
I woke up to all my roommates gone. Grabbed a shower, and then went downstairs to check out. Patrick came down with Karine to take her to the airport, and I hugged Karine in a see you later way.
I refused to say good-bye to anyone. It was all "see you later." Because, as far as I'm concerned, I will. I think a lot of us forged lifelong friendships at these conventions that will continue even if the convention does not.
I then called Revel, because he and Michelle couldn't make it to the con. They had just gotten back from her ultrasound. It's a girl. As I got the news, Jen and Mara came down to drop Mara off at the airport. I briefly handed my phone to Jen so she could congratulate them.
Went upstairs to the suite and hung out with Jen's kids, Fox and Sydney, and we watched a mockumentary on the Weather Channel about a Katrina sized hurricane hitting NYC. I couldn't tell if this was trying to be "The Day After Tomorrow" or not.
Jen came back, and we chilled, finished off the last of the pizza. And when Patrick came back, we all checked out, and loaded up the cars. I hugged Jen and we talked about how if we ever won the lotto we'd have another one. So, she got into her very full car with her kids and took them home. Patrick then dropped me off at the house.
And so the Gathering came to an end... for most. But for me, it continued... because fatigue, stress and friends are a part of it.
Having no time to recover from the convention, I had to pack up my car, and prepare myself for another cross country drive. I had left the hotel at noon on Tuesday. By 4am on Thursday, I was on the road... for a very long drive. But I had twitter and a few texts with Jen on the way to keep me sane. I stopped off to sleep in El Paso.
The next day I hit the road, I had a meeting in San Antonio. Now, I expected to be there at 1:15. But, my GPS didn't account for timezones, so after switching it manually, I had to update the plans. Finally, at 3:15, I arrived at Antarctic Press in San Antonio, and met, for the first time, my last good friend in the fandom I never met in person. Robby Bevard. I got him to sign my copy of Clan Building Vol. 2 and Bad Guys. David Hutchinson, who drew #11 was there, and he signed it too. So, overall, my book is signed by Greg Weisman, Greg Guler, Thom Adcox, Marina Sirtis, Keith David, Robby, and David Hutchinson.
Aaron showed up, he couldn't make the Gathering. But the three of us went for lunch at Chile's. It was fun. A lot of fun. We hung out for five hours before I had to hit the road again. I was off to Conroe, which is forty miles north of Houston.
So, I ended up spending a week at Revel and Michelle's place. They are still working on baby names. We went out and bought a crib with Revel's mom... who threatened to kick Michelle's ass if she doesn't take Revel's last name before the baby is born. LOL, come on, it's the 21st century... wives never take their husband's last names anymore. Look at every married woman in "Gargoyles" ;)
Seriously, it was a lot of fun. We went to this great Tex-Mex place at one point which had, and I kid you not, the best salsa I have ever eaten. I need to get that place's info, and call them for a recipe, or something.
Thursday rolled around, and I left... later than I should have. I drove, and drove, and drove, and then I got caught in terrible traffic in Louisiana. Along the way, I discovered that in Louisiana there is a strip club called "Road Kill."
The traffic was so bad, I stopped to sleep in Mississippi. I didn't cover as much ground as I wanted to. It happened again the next day in Virginia. God... when I drove down to Conroe, two years ago, I did in two days as opposed to three. But then, I had Aaron as my second driver.
So, yesterday, I finally arrived in New York. Only temporarily. I'm heading back to California. My career is out there. A career I would have probably never considered if not for these conventions, and meeting and greeting so many people. And it will happen. This is one of many things that the Gathering has given me, and it will live on in my memories.
And I will say this, if there is ever another one, I will be there. I will staff it. I will help make it happen. Until then... it was a blast. I mean, thirteen conventions... that's not bad for a small fandom dedicated to a series that hasn't had new episodes since Bill Clinton's first term as president.
And out of those thirteen, I attended eleven. After missing 2000, I promised myself I'd never miss another one... and I didn't. I kept that promise. After 2003, I promised myself I'd never staff another one, but that's one promise I am glad I broke.
Never the end...
From your keyboard to God's eyes...
The Gathering 2009 - Con Journal - Part Four...
I woke up on Sunday morning, grabbed a shower and rushed down to the staff breakfast. I have no idea what I ate, but it was good.
This was another day spent, mostly ushering guests to panels. It was good. I remember having lunch in the conference room with Mara and Susan and talking about yesterday's Radio Play.
I remember completely not recognizing Frank Paur, as he had grown his hair out. He and I discussed the show, and the current comics. He still does not like "jalapena!" Then it was time for the "Gargoyles" production panel. Mostly stories I've heard before, but I love listening to these people tell them.
After that, it was the Spidey production panel. That was very cool. I loved seeing the unused footage, especially Shocker being dragged off by Ox and Fancy Dan disguised as cops. I hope all this footage makes it's way onto the second season box set as a special feature.
I had them all sign my Radio Play script and my Spidey DVD.
Finally, it was time for the writer's panel. As a writer myself, I really enjoyed this one. Writers from both "Gargoyles" and "Spidey" were there, including Michael Reaves. Seeing Michael Reaves there with Parkinson's like that was tough. His work has been a part of my life since I was a child, as he has written for almost every cartoon I loved growing up. Not to mention seeing him at the previous California cons in much better health. But, he was still an awesome guest, and he still had stories to share. I'm glad he came.
I had all the writers sign my script, and I chatted for a while with Bob Skir. We talked, especially about a series he story edited called "Beast Machines." A series I admitted that I had some issues with, but I was honest, polite, and we talked because I was interested, and he is a very nice and cool guy. I think I walked away from that making a friend. Good guy, a real pleasure.
Afterwards, it was time for the banquet. Having left my tie at home, I wore a suit with no tie, which I felt weird about at first, but I'm told I still looked good... no, I was not trying to look like David Xanatos. If I was, I'd have never chopped off the ponytail. The ladies on staff looked terrific, especially Jen and Karine who were both dressed to kill. I sat with Susan, Karine, Jade Griffin, her husband, kid, Patrick, and... I'm sorry, it's a blurr. We had a nice, delicious buffet. Having been on the Ramen diet, I had to sample a little of everything, and it was all good.
After that, people left to get ready for the masque. I chatted for a little bit with Ben Diskin... he really got into the whole con, it was awesome having him. Then came the masque. We didn't have many costumes this year, but what we had was awesome. Jade and her family as Fox, Owen, and baby Alex were beyond cute. Zehra gothed up as Shari with Tony and Andrea as random Illuminati members. We had a great King Arthur. I am truly going to miss this.
Finally, the contest was over. I spent the next few hours chatting. Greg told people the story about the drive to LaGuardia airport, which we clearly have two different versions of. I clearly remember him keeping his cool a lot more than how he now tells the story. But it was fun, lots of laughs. Greg and I also discussed recent happenings in the Amazing Spider-Man comic book, and his opinions on the finale of the "American Son" arc, and #600. #600 consisted of Dr. Octopus taking control of all the computers and electronic devices in the city, and I told Greg that I liked it better when he did it in "Shear Strength."
Eventually, we all called it a night... at about 1am.
Ahh, those were the good ol' days...
The Gathering 2009 - Con Journal - Part Three
Saturday, what a day...
Woke up and once again went down for breakfast. I forget what we had today, I know the eggs benedict was on Monday... but, oh, getting ahead of myself.
So, today involved a lot of meeting and greeting and bodyguarding guests. Josh Keaton showed up bright and early for his panel, and as I walked up to introduce myself, he said "Hi, Greg." We've been Facebook friends for a few months, so he already knew me. Actually, he knew me before that, through my message board posts. And when I got into the car accident a month ago, and twittered it, he was the first to ask if I'm okay. Good guy. Very good guy. He is Spider-Man. So, I got him a glass of water and escorted him to his Mug a Guest. I had done the same for Keith David earlier.
After that, Marina Sirtis had finally arrived to do her signing. Rebekah and I decided to stand vigil over her, to keep the line moving. Chatted with her briefly. I've actually met Marina before, a few years back. She didn't remember me, but she does so many conventions and meets so many fans, I'd have been surprised if she did. She was a great guest, and I think she really enjoyed meeting all the Gargoyles fans. Once the line was empty, I had her sign my copy of Clan Building Vol. 2.
After that, I joined some of the staff and guests in our green room for lunch. I wasn't all that hungry... but when am I going to have a chance to eat lunch with Greg Weisman, Thom Adcox, Keith David, and Marina Sirtis again? Well, Greg I know I'll eat with again many times... he's become one of my closest friends over the last few years. Thom, I'm sure too. Keith and Marina... heh, I just had to do it just so I could say I did. All of them an absolute pleasure to be around.
After lunch, I browsed the Art Room, and went into the OtherCon section where I spotted a piece I saw Mara working on yesterday... Demona, Venom, and the Green Goblin engaged in activities that... um... I think I'll save this one for Ask Edmund Tsabard. I wonder who ended up with that piece.
After that, it was time for the Gargoyles voice panel with Greg, Jamie Thomason, Keith, Thom, Marina and Elisa Gabrielli. Greg and Marina both have contradicting stories about how she got cast, which was fun to hear. Also fun that Marina chucks jolly-ranchers at people ;)
Next up was the Spectacular Spider-Man voice panel with Greg, Jamie, Josh, Keith, Elisa, Thom, Steve Blum, Vanessa Marshall, Andrew Kishino, Phil LaMarr, Daran Norris, Dee Bradley Baker, Ben Diskin, Crispin Freeman, Eric Vesbit, Deborah Strang. It was a lot of fun. I had to walk up to Jen and ask her "best job in the world, wasn't it?" A spectacular cast... I hope we see more of them.
After the Spidey panel, it was time for rehearsals for the %*@&ing Radio Play. Greg handed out our parts. The pros each got their respective characters. The fans got cast in some fun parts... and then Greg told me that I'd be playing myself... oh boy, I knew where this was going. LOL. I'll never live that down.
Rehearsals went well, without a hitch. We barely had time for a bathroom break before the Radio Play, oops, I mean the %*@&ing Radio Play started... and it was beautiful. Hearing Steve Blum do the Green Goblin in person was jaw dropping. Eric Vesbit as Kraven... I thought my TV was on and playing his episode. Keith was on as Goliath, of course. Thom was fun as always. Among the fans, I really loved Jen as Sally Avril... and Greg even admitted he wrote the %*@&ing Radio Play like that so Jen could yell at me! LOL! Nice. But hearing Marina voice Demona one more time was such a treat. She seemed to not quite have it during the rehearsal, but by the time the play started, she wasn't just playing Demona, once again, she was Demona. She nailed it. It was like she never left the role. Demona was in the room, and it was awesome. The whole cast was spectacular. And I feel bad for not mentioning some people, because everyone was awesome.
On that note, this Radio Play was a fanboy's dream for me. I've been a HUGE "Gargoyles" fan since October 24th, 1994... the moment it premiered, I've loved it... never stopped loving it. It had such a profound impact on me. And as far as Spider-Man goes, I grew up with Spidey. When I was three years old, I had this gigantic coloring book featuring Spidey battling the Green Goblin... and my first comics were a reprinting of the Stan Lee/Romita story where the Green Goblin first unmasked Spidey. These two franchises meant so much to me, that it was just a dream for me to not only have this Radio Play exist, but to participate in it. Just... wow.
After the Radio Play ended, it was time for the voice actors signing, and once again, I helped to crowd control. When that was done, I got my stuff signed, and Daran Norris asked me why I was playing myself... and so, I told them all the story about that trip to the airport with Greg Weisman after the 2003 Gathering. When I got to the part where the truck tore my mirror off, Deborah Strang's jaw dropped and she asked if I was okay. She really is Aunt May. But it was fun, I actually made a few new friends among the cast.
Once that was over, Rob and I made a run to Tommy's in City Walk for burgers, before heading back for Blue Mug. Blue Mug was, as always, a lot of fun. Raunchy. Plenty of laughs and eye candy. But, it's mostly a blur now because, I was running on so little sleep. But that would change...
After Blue Mug, I took a shower... and fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow... like a stone.
Greg, you were very convincing as yourself. I almost believed it was you there in the room with me.
The Gathering 2009 - Con Journal - Part Two
Woke up early to head downstairs and finally set up the art room. We've had great layouts before, but I have to say, I really liked this layout. lots of panels, and a nice curtained off space for OtherCon.
Afterwards it was time for the staff breakfast. I think it was pancakes this morning. Yummy stuff. Everyone was there, although Greg slept in. Obviously the %*@&ing Radio Play took it's toll on him. The things he puts himself through for his fans. LOL
With breakfast over, it was time to set up registration and begin letting people in. I saw a lot of familiar faces and a lot of new faces. It was a lot of fun. Eventually, Ben Issac Diskin (voice of Venom/Eddie Brock) arrived, and I introduced him to Susan Leonard. Let me say this, Ben is a great guy. It was a real pleasure to meet him and speak to him. Although, as I have said, it's hard to believe Venom comes out of him.
After that, Rebekah and I ran the auditions line for the %*@&ing Radio Play. This year we had audition sides for not only the "Gargoyles" cast, but the "Spectacular Spider-Man" cast as well. A lot of people seemed to be auditioning reading Green Goblin's sides. Gave them an opportunity to do a really crazy voice. I decided to audition, and did so as soon as the line was empty. As soon as I walked in Jen guessed that I chose to read Norman Osborn's sides. God, I hate being that predictable. But, it was either Norman or Xanatos. I've done Xanatos previous years... except for 2008 when I read Angela's in my best drag queen voice, intentionally throwing it, just to amuse them all ;). But, my audition this year went well, but, as I soon would learn, I really didn't need to audition... but we'll get to that tomorrow.
After that, more registration, and then it was time for Opening Ceremonies. I ran the door, and had to keep out the impatient masses, as well as let guests inside. Among them were the family of the late Gary Sperling. I told them that I met and spoke to Gary at 2001, and that he was a very nice man, and I greatly enjoyed talking to him.
Finally we let everyone in, and we had a sweet and emotional Opening Ceremonies. Greg Weisman presented Jennifer L. Anderson and Patrick Toman with their Fan Guest of Honor awards. They didn't know this was coming, but, considering how we wouldn't have gotten this many Gatherings without them, and how much these two have done, I can't think of anyone who's ever deserved it more.
Then Greg Weisman was presented with his gift. A doll made by Vox. Very cute.
Finally, it was time for the same show we had every year, but we never got tired off. The pitch, the media preview, the Dark Ages and New Olympians pitches, the Bad Guys leica reel, and finally the fan-made animatic "The Last." I've seen these all so many times, but I am honestly going to miss them all. Sigh... I'm nostalgic already.
After that, a large group of us went down to Fat Burger for, well, burgers. Matt joined us, and he and I talked the GargWiki, as well as other fandom and comic topics with Susan Leonard. The burgers here were good, and I was kicking myself for never having gone before.
Then came the walk back... up a very steep mountain. By the time I got back, I was completely rank and exhausted. So, after chatting with my roomies... my very tolerant roomies... I took a much needed shower (once I was able to stand up again), and then went to bed.
Saturday was going to be a big day.
Ahhh, nothing like walking up a massive hill with a FatBurger weighing you down, huh?
The Gathering 2009 - Con Journal - Part One
Well, I certainly delayed writing this one. For many reasons, the least of which being that I've been on the road for a couple of days.
For me, this convention started in April, 2008. I think Jen had finally decided she really wanted to do it again in Los Angeles, and while out with her, Greg Weisman, and my brother, for lunch, we toasted the 2009 convention. I never staffed two Gatherings in a row, but I wanted to be on this one. I was the Con Chair for 2003, I worked promotions for 2006, was doing it again for 2008 and Chicago, and I figured, hey... two in a row, why not? I'd take 2010 off, maybe.... but I am about to get ahead of myself.
I volunteered the house I was living in at the time out for boxes to be delivered to. Mountains of boxes from fans donating to our auction; as well as four boxes full of graphic novels from SLG. "Gargoyles, Clan Building: Volume One"; "Gargoyles, Clan Building: Volume Two" and "Gargoyles, Bad Guys: Redemption."
BTW, all three are available here, so buy 'em now, if you haven't already...
http://www.slgcomic.com/Gargoyles-TPB-1_p_609.html
http://www.slgcomic.com/Gargoyles-Clan-Building-Volume-Two_p_1249.html
http://www.slgcomic.com/Gargoyles-Bad-Guys-Volume-One_p_1326.html
Thursday morning, Patrick Toman picked me up, and we loaded this mountain of boxes into the back of the SUV he rented. Then, we headed off to the bank to have some capital in our cash box... they took their sweet time approving of it. Finally we arrived at the hotel and were greeted by Jennifer L. Anderson... big hug, and we got hotel staff to play Tetris with the boxes. We went up to Patrick's room and hung out for a bit, we stalked Karine Charlebois' plane, bringing her to LA from Montreal, on the internet.
Patrick left to go pick up Karine and Kythera, and Jen and I went downstairs to Starbucks, and then to get her checked into the staff suite. And, this suite was... impressive, to say the least. It was the diplomat's suite, and the ceiling was at least twenty feet high. It was on the twenty-fourth floor, so we had a nice view of Universal Studios.
Once that was done, we drove off to the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank to pick up Mara Cordova, and arrived back in time to meet Rebekah, Cindy, and... ugh, I am so blanking out... but we went across to City Walk to Tommy Burger for, well, burgers.
Later on, my roommate, Rob and his girlfriend, Stephanie, arrived. And I went down to the room to drop off my suitcases and take a shower. Went back up to Jen's room, where by now, most of the staff had gathered, and we stuffed envelopes, prepared con badges, and then, upon Greg Weisman's arrival, we went to dinner at Bucco de Beppo's in CityWalk.
We had at least seventeen people at this table. But, it was good. We ordered lots of Italian food, and we shared everything. We all got caught up, traded funny stories... Cindy winning with her story about the obnoxious French tourists at the museum. I got caught up with Tony and Andrea Zucconi, whom I haven't seen in two years. It was good. Karine and I both had a birthday two days before this, so we got a little Happy Birthday song(s) from the rest of the crew.
The rest of the evening is a bit of a blurr, but on our way back to City Walk, we ran into Jade and met her baby for the first time. Cute kid.
Once we got back, I think we continued prepping con packets until we called it a night. We all needed rest.
BTW, the Greg Weisman line of the year is "The %*@&ing Radio Play" ... he arrived after finally finishing his prepping of the %*@&ing Radio Play. But, more on the %*@&ing Radio Play when we get to the %*@&ing Radio Play.
I feel like I should have a funny smart-ass response about the Radio Play. But nothing occurs...
Ok, Greg, here is my Gathering Journal. I'll admit this is the one year I almost didn't make besides the first 3 Gatherings (learned about after the fact). Money ended being rather tight because I needed to get my wisdom teeth out back in July. But I managed to catch a couple breaks, so I was able to come.
Wednesday, August 19th:
My Gathering trip started by driving down to Sunnyvale from Sacramento to meet Tigris for the drive down to convention. I left my house a little later than I wanted and got to her place around 10 pm. We gamed for a little while and decided to leave around 10 am the next morning.
Thursday, August 20th:
I got up around 8 and slowly started to unpack a few items I didn't need to bring on the trip. Around 10, we took off and hit Safeway where I picked up some Gatorade for the trip before we got gas. After those two things, we hit the road for the long drive south.
Around 12:45 we stopped at Harris Ranch for lunch. I got a hamburger with jack cheese and wished they had pepper jack. After eating, I picked up a shot glass to add to my collection. Our next stop was just north of the Grapevine for some more gas.
Traffic was pretty smooth until we hit the 1-5/ CA-14 junction where there was a pretty big slowdown. Speed up for a little bit until we hit Valencia. After got just south of the 405 junction, it was nice and smooth all the way to the hotel.
We managed to arrive around 5:10 and we saw Jennifer Anderson and Karine right we got out of the elevator. On the way to check in, we also ran into Cindy, Patrick and a couple of others. Managed to hi before getting our room keys. Much to our surprise, they didn't work, so we had to go back down to get them recoded. Went back up and got rid of our backpacks.
Our next trip was for the main suitcases and we when we got back, they had put in the mini-fridge that we had requested. The final trip was the drinks and cooler that had come along. Wandered back to the lobby where I ran into Vicky (from the U.K.), Banshee, and Gside. We talked for a while before Jade Griffin and her husband showed up.
Around 8:30 to 9 pm Tigrise, Jade, her husband and kid, Karl, and I all walked over to City Walk to get some dinner. We ended up at a sushi place. I ended up having the Salmon salad, which was actually pretty good. We talked about a variety of things before heading back to the hotel around 10:30 pm.
We said good night to each other before trying to crash for the night. I think I managed to pass out close to midnight.
Friday, August 21st:
I woke up around 8 am. I took a shower and then tried to call Gside to meet up for breakfast around 9. Never did manage to meet up with him, so I went over to City Walk and ended up going to Jamba Juice for breakfast. While it wasn't the greatest choice in the world, it was something.
Went back to the hotel where I ran into Sarah the Great. We chatted for a while before putting her luggage into my room before trying to track the registration desk. I got my stuff and proceeded to help Patrick.
Around 11:45, I helped Greg X move the items for the silent auction and books down to the dealers room. After all of that was taken care of, Susan and I got to work unpacking everything. After a while, it became clear that there wasn't enough room for everything. Once the stuff was labeled and out of the boxes, I helped Karine with the pricing and trying to condense all the auction items.
After that was finished, I sat down with Cindy to take a break. We chatted for a while trying to juggle the sales of the graphic novels and keeping an eye on the art room. I picked up a copy of both Gargoyles novels and the Bad Guys one as well. I spent some time reading through them was happy that we had gotten some additional material since the show got canceled.
I helped Cindy close up the art room around 6 before heading down to the opening ceremonies. I missed part of it, but did get to catch Greg's usual talk and videos. Granted I had seen them nine times before, the tenth time was still a treat.
After that was over, Tony, Andrea, Jade Griffin, Trevor, Cindy, Karine, several others and I headed down to Fat Burger for some dinner. After the guy taking the orders for my name, I spelled it out for him and somehow, it came out it as âAhunâ on the receipt. Usually, most folks mispronounce my last name, but I think this was the first time my first name got mangled.
I decided to take a picture of it since I found it highly amusing after showing the receipt around. Before I got to finish, the second round of folks showed up. Seth, Sammy, Greg Bishansky, Patrick, and several others whose names escape me. And poor Seth's receipt ended up with being named Sith. Most us were highly amused by the misspelling of our names.
After eating, most of us walked back up that blasted hill to hotel before heading to bed.
Saturday, August 22nd:
I got up some time between 7:30 and 8. I decided to check my email, read some web comics and took a look at Station 8 briefly. After a taking a shower, I decided to make a quick run to get some breakfast. I was half way to Jamba Juice when I got a call from Cindy saying Patrick needed help at the registration desk, but by the time I got back, the crowd had cleared up.
I ended up helping at the dealers table once again. At one point, I managed to get away for a few minutes to get Marina Sirtis to sign in Gargoyles Clan Building Volume 1, when I should have had her sign the second one. Oops. I also managed to get my picture taken with her, which was nice.
I joined Guardian at the desk for a bit before she went off to a panel. I decided that while Brianna Garcia was doing some commissions, I asked for her to draw one of my characters. While waiting for that, we tried to get folks to vote in the art show.
And by the time we closed down for the night, I knew how much it was to buy all three of the graphic novels. Or a combination of two of the three. Karine, Cindy, Tony, Andrea, Shing, and I headed over to Universal City Walk for dinner. We stopped at the crepe's place whose name I didn't catch. I had a nice one that was made with ham and cheddar.
After we found a place to sit down to chow down, we wandered into the Lush store for a while before walking back to the hotel. It proved to be a bit interesting since we ended up walking against the crowd that was leaving Universal Studios. After getting back, we chatted for a little before everybody got ready for the Blue Mug panel.
During the middle of the panel, Greg has to leave for a little and Edmund Tsabard showed up. Just in the heck is that guy? I swear, he sort of looks like Greg's evil twin, but I could be wrong. After insulting us and talking about his âLast Tengu in Parisâ project, he left and low and behold Greg came back into the room. Talk about weird.
After a number of questions, none of which I can remember, the panel closed down for the night. I headed back up the room and was going to make an attempt to try and get 8 hours of sleep after checking a couple things on the laptop.
Just before Tigris and I were about to crash, Cindy's husband Max called while trying get in touch with her. After taking a note to have her call him in the morning, we ended up talking for about an hour or so before finally going to bed for the night.
Sunday, August 23rd:
This time I decided to shower a bit earlier before hunting down Cindy to drop off the message. I loaned her my cell phone so she could call Max while I went off to get breakfast. Once again, I ended up at Jamba Juice. Anybody sense a theme?
Once again I ended up back in the art and dealers room to help out since I was able to do the math for making change in my head. Sales of Clan Building Volume 1 and Bad Guys seemed to be fairly brisk, but we did sell some Volume 2 from time to time.
Most of us ended up talking for a while about a variety of random things. At 3, we closed the auction for all of the goodies that got sent to us. After sorting out what was going to live auction, we started selling everything else. Over the next couple of hours, we managed to take almost everything in the back, save for a few items.
At 5:30, we shut down the bidding for the art auction. After taking care of a few folks who were leaving during the night or very early tomorrow morning, we shut down around 5:50. I quickly back to the room and changed for the banquet and left behind the backpack.
I managed to find a seat with Tigris and several other fans whose names I didn't get. Our guest was one of the Spiderman writers, Nicole Dubuc. We ended up chatting about a variety of things, including how she was nervous about working for Greg at first.
The food was pretty good this year. I loaded up on some of the salad, a roll, chicken, mashed potato and roast beef. And decided to get a slice of German chocolate cake to finish it off. There was supposed to be a trivia game during dinner, but that didn't happen. Oh, well. The Q&A went pretty well despite Thom Adcox showing up a bit late.
After that was the masquerade. There was a pretty decent group of folks in costumes this year. I think the most amusing one was Rebeka as a red shirt. After the awards were announced, some folks danced and others circulated around and talked.
I think around 11:15 or so I headed back to the room to get some sleep.
Monday, August 24th:
I woke up around 7:30 and slowly got to work on packing up things. After I took a shower around 8:15, Tigris took hers. After everything was packed up, we did one run down to the car to drop off the suitcases and drinks. Came back up to get what was left and checked to make sure we didn't leave anything behind.
After checking out, we hung out in the lobby for a little bit before heading out to get some breakfast. I ended up going to Jamba Juice one last time. I had thought about going somewhere else, but decided to go one last time since I very rarely go to the ones up in Sacramento. Probably because the closest one is a good 3 or so miles from my house.
I went back up to the art and dealers room to help out Cindy once again. While she wrote out the receipts and looked up the total including tax, I took the money and gave folks their change. Ah, nothing like doing math in the head. A couple times I tried to calculate the wrong amount of change and she mocked me over it, but hey, it was in good spirit.
Once it started getting closer two, we started to wind things down and started to put some things into boxes to move up to Patrick's room after closing ceremonies. At 2, we walked over to that room and it was a bittersweet moment.
Cindy handed out the art show awards and thanked the few of us who helped make sure she didn't go insane. Quite a few folks were taking this being the last Gathering rather hard. I think a few folks did start crying and I don't blame them. I know Greg, Thom, and quite a few others took it rather hard.
After it was over, we opened up the dealers for a shot time to try and sell a few copies of the trade paperbacks and sell off as many shirts as possible. I decided to pick up another 2009 shirt. After about 20 minutes, the last of the stuff was put into boxes and was hauled upstairs.
A number of us hung out up in Jennifer's room for a bit and chewed down on some pizza. Around 5, Tigris and I said our goodbyes and hit the road for San Jose. I'm going to miss getting to see Jennifer, Patrick, Set, Sammy, Greg X and others year after year.
I felt sad that it came to end, but understand why. Hard to believe that I managed to go to ten Gathering, yes, ten. My first one was the 2000 Gathering in Orlando. I had missed '97 and '98 because I had learned about them after the fact. '99 I learned about 3 months ahead of time, which wasn't enough time for me to save the needed money.
It has been a great ten years. And it's been an honor getting to meet you Greg.
And here are the photos I took this year: http://www.shaunpup2.com/gallery2/v/g2009/
Pardon the red eye. I couldn't find the needed software to fix them up.
Sean, thanks for all your help over the years!
My Con Journal for the Gathering 2009
My friend Kathie and I arrived late Thurs night (8/20) at the hotel. We both met up at LAX airport, she having flown in from Philadelphia, PA and I from Newark, NJ.
Highly recommend Prime Time Shuttle service to and from LAX. We used it and it was very reliable.
The Hilton hotel at Universal Studios: Really nice!!! As was our room.
First day of the Gathering - Friday (8/21):
Waiting for the Registration table to open (which it did @ 10am), Kathie and I met some of our fellow Con goers, including Carol (Guardian) and Gorbash. They were all so nice and welcoming (as I figured my fellow Gargoyles fans would be).
Kathie and I picked up our Gathering t-shirts, badges, and programs at the Registration table, and then I had to go and set up my 3 artwork pieces for the Art Show. As Kathie was helping me out with this, and as we took a peek at everyone elseâs artwork being set up, Greg Weisman showed up to observe the Art Show set-up (it was mine and Kathieâs first time seeing Greg in person, and it was exciting to see him taking a look at my artwork).
Around noon, Kathie and I were lucky enough to attend Gregâs âMug-a-Guestâ session, and it was really great! Gregâs answers to all the questions asked were very interesting, insightful, and sometimes funny. We learned A LOT!
1:30pm â" Kathie and I sat in on the panel âFanfiction in the Post-Canon Marketâ, where many great and new ideas for Gargoyles fanfic were tossed around and discussed. Tigris did a really good job as panel moderator, and she had some very interesting ideas and suggestions for all the fanfic writers in the room.
3pm â" Kathie and I attended Thom Adcoxâs Q&A panel, which was a lot of fun. Thom is such an entertaining and funny guy! Like Greg, Thom has a great sense of humor, and heâs so down-to-earth and easy-going. He told some great stories and shared memories of his career and working on Gargoyles.
A little after 5pm were the Opening Ceremonies (led by Greg Weisman, Patrick and Jennifer), and Kathie and I were there of course. Wow â" it was awesome! Being first-timers, we really enjoyed all that took place, especially getting to watch the videos of the Pitches for Gargoyles and its spin-offs (New Olympians, Bad Guys), and the fan-made âTeam Atlantisâ episode that tied in to the Gargoyles universe. Terrific job to all who worked on it, and itâs still a work-in-progress! Hereâs hoping we get to see it completed one day.
Second day of the Gathering - Saturday (8/22):
11am â" Kathie and I were really lucky enough to attend Keith Davidâs âMug-a-Guestâ session (having been among the last two people to sign up for it), and it was without a doubt one of the highlights of the Gathering for me. Pardon me for gushing just a bit, but Keith is awesome!!! Iâm such a great admirer of his film and stage acting and his voiceover work, and of course Goliath is my favorite Keith David character. To be able to sit in the same room with him (among my fellow fans) and listen to him talk about his career and the work he did on Gargoyles was so wonderful! And man do I LOVE his voice!!! I could listen to him read the phone book. Anyway, it was such an honor to meet him in person, and Kathie felt the same way. I do hope we get to see him again at a future gathering/convention of some kind. And have I mentioned how much I REALLY like those âMug-a-Guestâ sessions!
Right after the session, I got the chance to meet Marina Sirtis and she autographed a Demona poster for me. She has a warm smile and was so nice! Iâm a great admirer of her work on both Star Trek TNG and Gargoyles.
Kathie and I managed to catch the last half hour of Crispin Freemanâs panel on Anime Mythology, and it made us wish we had seen the entire panel because what we did see was fantastic. Crispin is a very engaging and dynamic speaker, and what he spoke about was fascinating! I learned a lot about dragon lore and its influences on certain anime series. Great job, Crispin!
Then around 1pm we attended the panel for âGargoyles: The Voice Acting Processâ
which featured Greg W., Thom, Keith, Marina, Elisa Gabrielli, and Jamie Thomason. This panel was another highlight of the Gathering for meâ¦it was so awesome to see all these Gargoyles voice actors together and the interactions btw them were great! As Greg said in his Con journal, some great stories were told, and a lot of laughs were shared.
Next, Kathie and I sat in on the âAnatomy of Fantasy Creaturesâ art panel, which was really interesting. And then came the final big event of the day â" the Radio Play. Two words: TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!!!!! A Gargoyles and Spider-Man crossover was a wonderful idea for the Radio Play at this Gathering, and I can say for sure that Kathie and I really enjoyed it! All the Players, both pro and non-pro, were terrific! They all totally made it work so well, so congrats to them, and congrats to Greg W. on a very successful Radio Play!!! Afterward, Kathie and I stuck around and got autographs from some of the Radio Play actors.
Third day of the Gathering - Sunday (8/23):
10am â" Kathie and I attended the panel for âGargoyles: The Production Processâ, and it was awesome to see all the Production crew members there and listen to them as they shared their experiences working on Gargoyles. Another wonderful panel at this yearâs Gathering! Afterward we stuck around and got autographs from some of the Production members.
4pm â" The other panel Kathie and I attended that day was Wendy Piniâs âAdapting Stories from Novels to Filmâ. We learned quite a bit about the history of ElfQuest and its journey to becoming a film. Wendy gave a great talk, and I know Iâm definitely going to be seeing the ElfQuest movie whenever itâs released.
6pm till rest of the night:
Good food was had at the Banquet, great conversations with those who sat at our table, and the Guest Q&A afterwards was very entertaining! Then came the Masquerade Costume Contest and Dance. I wore a costume but did not enter the contest, instead choosing to observe it all. It was awesome â" some really terrific costumes! And while the judges took a break to choose the winners, we watched some fabulous music videos paying homage to both Gargoyles and Spider-Man.
Congrats to all the winners of the Costume Contest!
Fourth (and final) day of the Gathering - Monday (8/24):
10am â" Kathie and I attended the panel for âThe Future of the Gargoyles Fandomâ, and some very good ideas were discussed and debated. So hopefully with all the interest there appeared to be in keeping the fandom going, weâll all be able to attend Gargoyles-related events and gatherings of some kind in the future.
11:30am â" Next was the very interesting âGargoyles Biology and Cultureâ panel led by Greg W., Jade and Matt. Now I know why itâs one of Gregâs favorite panels at the Gatheringâ¦it was fascinating with some really great questions being asked.
And finally, after I collected my artwork from the Art Show closing, it was time to attend the Closing Ceremonies of the Gathering. And what emotional and moving Ceremonies they were!!! I think there wasnât a dry eye in the room! I cried along with everyone else, even though this Gathering had been my one and only, but maybe because of that too, I just didnât want it to end. Which really made me wish I had attended all the past 12 Gatherings (believe me, Iâm kicking myself now). Kathie and I were really touched by all the love in that room; we could see how it was like one big family, and no one wanted to say goodbye. But like Greg said, this final Gathering definitely went out with a BANG!
Kathieâs flight back home to Philly left that night, and my flight back to NJ left early Tuesday morning.
To conclude my Con journal, I want to say that for those who couldnât attend, you all missed a fantastic Gathering; a really great weekend was had by all!!! It was both fun and bittersweetâ¦we laughed and cried, and enjoyed every moment. It was an unforgettable Gathering! BIG thank-youâs go to the entire staff for all their hard work and dedication in organizing such a wonderful Con. And of course, special thanks go to Greg W. and all the terrific guests from both Gargoyles and the Spectacular Spider-Man, including fellow Gargoyles fan and ElfQuest creator Wendy Pini. It was an honor and pleasure to meet you all, and hereâs hoping we can all meet up again at a future Gargoyles-related event. Iâm keeping my fingers crossed!
Me too!
Hey Greg!
I am really upset that I couldn't make it to the Gathering (no seriously, I am - and it was THE LAST ONE??? ;_;), but unfortunately, plane tickets ARE kind of expensive.... And I'm somewhat broke.... (No seriously, I really DO wish I could've gone! I don't care that I would've been a newbie there! I ACTUALLY wanted to go!)
What I most regret missing is that Spidey/Gargoyles crossover. I would've LOVED to be able to see that! (In fact, it was when I heard about that that I was convinced I wanted to go.) But then, just last night, I thought of this: Is there any chance that you could post the script here on Ask Greg?
I understand if you can't, but I would REALLY appreciate if you did, and I'm sure a lot of other people would too.
Thanks for your time!
Already done.
This wasn't my first con, but it was my first gathering. I was only 4 or 5 when Gargoyles first aired--so now, at the age of 20, it really felt like I was part of this younger generation just barely getting to the point of shouldering the responsibility of the fandom. There were people twice my age who lived with this show and supported it by attending the con, working with Greg and forming these very close bonds--it was really something to see, how your own love and appreciation is reflected in so many other people, especially when they've had to go farther for it, like maintaining the expense of the Gathering and bringing it back for so many years.
So I was a bit sad going in--my first gathering, and it would be the last one? It was hard not to feel this way at certain times, but mostly everything was so fun and exiting I was on cloud nine all weekend long.
FRIDAY
I'm from Arkansas, and our NATIONAL AIRPORT in our capitol of Little Rock has a total of TWELVE GATES. This meant a connecting flight in Dallas, which meant a long delay due to bad weather, which ultimately meant arriving at the Gathering at 2 instead of 12, despite those handy hours we gained on the trip. Got my badge, and bought a copy of Bad Guys, talked with some people and eventually found my way for Thom's panel. It was so cool! He's such an interesting guy, and really really funny. I wish I had told him how when I was younger my cousin and I would fight over who got to be Lexington when we played Gargoyles, but I only thought of it after...oh well. Opening ceremonies: it was cool to see how many con-virgins their were--myself included. Huzzah for young blood, if I may cheer for myself. Seeing all the promos and clips was great, because I hadn't seen a lot of them. Was very late for supper, but my dad who came with me (I'm old enough to drive and vote and go to school out of state, but alone in LA for one weekend? Forget about it. But I love my dad and he's good company, even though he doesn't get Gargoyles or cartoons in general) was waiting for me and we got dinner at the hotel. Sushi and smoked salmon, like they don't have in Arkansas. So good.
SATURDAY
I wavered and missed out on Keith David's mug-a-guest, so I went to audition for the radio play. Brought back all those delightful feelings I had in high school drama of the nervous audition, the fragile hope, and ultimate rejection. So I called a friend and CHILLED OUT. And I read for Gwen, and gave my best high pitched shriek. Walking away, and I swear I really thought this--I figured if I got any part at all it would be for the screaming bit.
Went to Cripsin Freeman's panel on Dragons for a lark and was really surprised. I hadn't expected it to be so good--it was really thought out, informative, and entertaining. I've been listening to Freeman in my anime for years (he brought be to tears for his work in Wolf's Rain, but I didn't mention that either--shoot!) but I never expected him to have the same passion for myths and folklore I do. I need to check out his site.
Then I stayed for the Gargoyles and the Spectacular Spider-Man voice panels--words cannot describe how hilarious they were. I asked a few questions but mostly listened and laughed, utterly content. After I shook Phil Lamarr's hand, and told him that I loved his work and could always tell when it was him, even though his range is so varied, which is true--that man has acted in probably every cartoon I've loved (and a few that I merely liked) since I was 11. I took a bit of time out to chat with Karine Charlebois, artist of Bad Guys. I want to work in comics or animation one day, so her insight was very useful. Thanks Karine!
After the voice panels I went to check the cast list, certain that I would merely be watching the players tonight and attending David Hedgecock's panel during the hour before the play--but my name was on this list! It felt like magic. And if wasn't magic it was certainly a little weird, as I had been given the role of the Pumpkin Bomb--the shrieking part. Score one for my intuition!
I was elated all night. Hearing all the actors reprise their old roles and work off of all the other actors WAS magic. It made it seem like that show I loved, those stories and those characters were still out there, just waiting to be brought back. It was amazing fun, and I shrieked with all my might! Phil Lamarr who sat in front of me, I'm sorry if I hurt your ears!
And after the play, I met my dad and we both walked and ate in Universal city. I gushed out everything to him, and while I'm certain he was extremely bemused he was also happy for me. A really wonderful night. Thanks Greg (and Mir. Thomason, and Victor Cook who thought up the screaming pumpkin bomb) for allowing me to be a part in that magic. I'll be the pumpkin bomb forever.
SUNDAY
I attended both panels of the production process for both shows--if Saturday was all about fun and play, Sunday was (for me, anyway) all about fun and learning. I learned so much about how it felt to make a show, both from Greg and his comrades and from Victor Cook, whose mug-a-guest session I attended. Mr. Cook even gave me his card--the shining dream of working in animation (and um...the potential scary parts of that shining dream) seemed so much closer! I came in a bit late for the writer's panel, but still learned a lot. After the panel I shook Michael Reeves' hand, and I was really sad to hear that he was ill. He wrote some of my favorite shows on Gargoyles, and I hope he gets better. I also got Greg to sign my script, and told him how glad I was to be the pumpkin bomb. I still am, Greg! I still am!!
At the banquet I sat at Crispin Freeman's table, and had a nice dinner. The Q & A was also great then too--though I felt bad that everyone had to stand on stage like that; their feet must have been killing them, especially Greg. The Masquerade was great too. If there ever is another one, I'm definitely dressing up at least once. I had to leave pretty soon, as my dad and I had an early flight out Monday. So I didn't get to go at all on Monday, but I still felt that twinge of sadness that I'm sure was felt more acutely at closing ceremonies. I had a great time, but I had a long drive waiting to go to school once I got back home, and not enough time to say goodbye properly. I don't think I want to say goodbye.
Instead, I'll just say good night, and thank you. To Greg, to Michael Reeves and Vic Cook, to the con staff, to the guests, to the attendees and to the fans who couldn't go but were there in spirit: thank you. I hope I'll see you again.
Your shriek was stunning!!!
I'm glad you had a great time!
Hey, Greg:
Longtime fan, first-time con-goer here. I attended the 2009 Gathering (sadly, now I'm regretting not going sooner since I had a good time and now it's over) and noticed during the Radio Play that the session's audio was being recorded. Is there an intent to release these recordings or is it for internal use only?
Is there a way to get a hold of the older recordings, if any?
There was an intent to release it. Not sure what happened with that. I know there's at least one old radio play available on YouTube in like three or four parts.
Greg wrote:
"We have a Radio Play (that has nearly killed me to get ready in time) that presents an ORIGINAL Feature-Length crossover between Gargoyles and The Spectacular Spider-Man, with EVERY voice actor guest performing with fans."
Question, is it canonical to either side?
No.
My Con Journal
I never would've gotten to go to Gathering at all if it weren't for Guardian.
Guardian and I met... YEARS ago. And ironically, what brought us together wasn't our mutual love for Gargoyles, but our mutual love for Dinotopia. We met on the Dinotopia Official Messageboard, and our two characters quickly became Dinotopian life partners (NOT what you think - in Dinotopia, that's the term for a very close bond between a dinosaur and a human (I was the dinosaur, and she was the human). When she was attacked on the OMB, I backed her up. And when she left, I left, too.
We hung out at my messageboard, discussing the other fandoms we had in common (Buffy, Gargoyles), and I got introduced to Riftwar (EPIC RP, omg, so sad that it's been wiped from EZ Board), and her main character/self Guardian.
Flash forward to earlier this year when I made the conscious decision to get back in touch with the four old online friends that have meant the most to me, over the years. Two, Guard, and the Chief Rabbit of my old Watership Down forum, I've managed to get into constant contact with. The other two... well, one hasn't answered my email, and the other doesn't have an up to date email address, anywhere I can find... But that's beside the point.
Anyway, while talking to Guard, the subject of Gathering came up. We started talking about how badly Nyx and I wanted to go, but how I couldn't afford it. And Guard commissioned me for enough art to pay my way, essentially, into the whole con.
Now, shortly after that, Nyx's grandmother went into the hospital... and from there into hospice care on a deathwatch. We supported her, and stayed with her, but I wasn't able to finish the commissions on time. When it really began to look like we couldn't go, I talked to Guard again, apologized for the delay, explained it, and asked if there was any way she could get us something, and maybe get the Future Of The fandom panel recorded...
Then she offered to just... pay for me and Nyx to get into the con. After all, I'm already doing the commissions, and she has no doubt I'll finish them... So plans were made, and we met her at the hotel Sunday morning. She bought our con badges after an hour or so of waiting, and then we split up for the day, going to different panels.
The panels the first day were fun. I enjoyed Dynamic Drawing (I think I've finally got a handle (pun intended) on the basic shapes of the hand and foot, now), and also the panel of writers was amazing... I got to meet one of my writer heroes, Greg Weisman, and let him know that he is one of the reasons that I'm a writer today. I got his autograph, as well as the autograph of another writer there who also worked on Transformers: Beast Machines... *geeks out*
Anyway, we hadn't had enough to afford the banquet Sunday night, and we didn't have costumes for the masquerade ball afterwards, so we went home after the second panel. We spent the night at Nyx's mom's house (which lead to me realizing that I don't computer well on a floor), watched all of the first five episodes of Gargoyles (the Awakening saga), and then went to sleep.
Keeping in mind that I'd gotten up at 4am Sunday, after having gone to bed at 1:30 in the morning. I embarrassed myself by falling asleep in the writing panel, but it all worked out eventually - the anxiety of getting the autographs woke me up for awhile. By the time we actually tried to go to bed, I'd gotten my second... or third... wind, and laid awake for awhile. Then, when I DID fall asleep, I jerked awake at 3 am, seeing a light outside and thinking the alarm hadn't gone off. I climbed over Nyx (we were sharing her twin bed at her mom's house), checked my phone, saw that it was 2:59am... thought "That can't be right... Wait!" My phone was plugged into Lona's computer in order to charge. And most of the time, when it's plugged in, it randomly sets it's time zone to something strange... "Enwetok" or something like that, that's -12 hours from where we are. But... it hadn't done that, this time. Yes, it was 3am... And having scared myself awake, I was wide awake. (Keeping in mind, we didn't get to bed until 11:30-midnight.)
So, I sat up for an hour, played my DS, sat in the living room (where it was marginally cooler - it was really hot in that bedroom), then finally came back to bed, sleepy, at almost 4:30am. I woke up again one or two minutes before the alarm would go OFF, so for all my panic about sleeping through the alarm, I was still up on time.
A few slices of leftover pizza, the rest of my starbucks coffee from the previous day, and I was ready to go. On to the last day of the Con!
First was the Future Of The Fandom panel. Essentially a panel moderated by one of the people who runs the con, getting fan ideas for how to keep the con alive. I was proud of myself for speaking up several times. I even gave the idea that the con could be expanded to honor the other Disney Afternoon shows that were with Gargoyles in that block. Everyone seemed to like that.
After that, the Gargoyles: Biology And Culture (I asked a question there, too... and Greg Weisman himself answered it!)... that was the most awesome panel, ever. Gargoyles were tied into paleontology, even. SO incredibly awesome. And I learned that I'm not nuts. :P Lots of people question as if the Gargoyles world is/was real, as I do. That was just...awesome. Totally awesome.
The best part of the day, however, was the Closing Ceremonies... So many people, fan and Guest alike, spoke about past Gatherings, their memories... no one was ready for it to be over. We all just kept filling the silence with stories after stories... Greg Weisman, the creator of Gargoyles, was crying through most of it... I don't even know where to start.
The Con was amazing. I regret never having been to all the Gatherings, previous to this one.
Glad you could make it!
So now that you've released the cast list/title of the Spidey crossover radio play, I have to ask: Is "Religious Studies 101" out of the running for arc titles?
Probably, but not because of the Radio Play.
Consciousness returned to my body. My eyes were stinging and heavy. I cracked open a dried socket and tried to make sense of where I was. The sun was up, enough light was getting through to help me establish I was in a hotel room. My last memories were hazy, involving a military facility and being rushed onto an aircraft. Was I drugged?
I took stock of myself. I was on the floor, still wearing my clothing from yesterday. I sensed I wasn't alone in the room, whoever was keeping me here seemed to not be paying attention. I clawed my way across the floor into the washroom. I quietly used the facilities and showered, not wanting to find out what would happen if my 'hosts' were woken up. I slipped out of the room and found myself in a large and upscale hotel. I stumbled out into the sunlight. The heat and flora told me I was in California. Disoriented, it took me some time to scale down the hill and find a street. The presence of Universal Studios meant I could only be in Los Angeles. My advanced knowledge of American geography dictates that walking in any one direction long enough will bring me to a McDonalds. Like most Canadians I had a useful amount of US currency in my wallet and obtained some vague semblance of nurishment. And coffee.
The only way to figure out why I was brought here was to get back into the hotel. The climb back was further burdened with the fast food rotting away in my stomach. Approaching cautiously, I found a contact had left a dead drop in the form of an envelope with my codename on it. Inside was a T shirt that would help me blend in with the locals and a book full of coded instructions. I could infiltrate this secret society by hiding in the background or in plain sight. I chose plain sight. A number of events seemed to rotate around a 'Radio Play'. This requried an audition so I feigned an accent to make the leaders of this group think I was European. Ironically, after the audition, the group I was trying to infiltrate offered a lecture on voice acting, which would likely be useful should I be cast in the play. This was also an opportunity to examine the leaders of this strange group. After conducting some surveillance and link analysis I had a chance to speak with a British operative who may have been on the same mission as me. I determined this because other people were noting that nobody had seen her there before. We also assessed together that Top Gear is the best show on British Television that isn't Gargoyles. I also conversed briefly with a fellow Canadian. But being both female and French I knew she wasn't to be trusted. Also her badge identified her as ONE OF THEM. Someone responsible for a project called 'Bad Guys' can't be up to anything good.
Soon it was time for the play rehearsal and play itself. I was delighted to find we weren't going to read 'Dianetics' or something. I was able to keep a copy of the script which, as we speak, is being analyzed for subliminal subversion. Also I felt I may have been losing myself in my cover. I was starting to feel the mind control effects of the group's supreme leader.
I made contact with a former US Navy operator and we able to abduct a 'biology research scientist' that belonged to this secret society and we debriefed her at a 'Fatburger'. What would this group need with a biology scientist? Germ warfare? Genetic manipulation? I was in deep, thankfully I wasn't alone.
Back at the hotel I slid into a late night session code named 'Blue Mug'. Nothing I had seen previously had prepared me for this. People were discussing things like how a gargoyle would [CLASSIFIED=========================================================================================================CLASSIFIED]with salad dressing.
Also a cultist presented a ranking member with somekind of magic underwear. It was difficult to see from the back. Exfiltration occurred around 1150 hours GMT -8
More to follow...over.
And we're all very grateful for your service...
GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES
FINAL THOUGHTS
Due to my own limited funds, as well as my young age (17) at the time, I was unable to attend the first Gathering. In fact, I have only been able to attend the Gathering three times: in 2001, 2006, and this most recent one. In short, only the ones in and around Los Angeles. This was because travel and lodging were expenses I could ill afford. And for those last two (2006 and 2009), I didn't know if I would be able to pay the registration fee until (literally) two months before the Gathering. For that reason, I consider myself supremely fortunate to have been able to attend this, the last Gathering.
The Gathering was always something I loved to hear about, even when I wasn't there. And it was something I always felt was worth looking forward to. I looked forward to the day when I would be able to afford a trip beyond LA. Heck, let's be honest: I looked forward to a day when, like Karine, I would cross from "fan" to "professional" (actor, in my case) and be given that nifty "Guest" ribbon! Have my very own Mug-a-Guest, panels and everything! Yeah, yeah, I know--my swelled head makes it difficult to walk through doors. ;-)
And, of course, I regret not being able to go to any of the other Gatherings (especially the one in Montreal that the DVD crew filmed). I also kick myself for not being more proactive and helping out the staff for the LA conventions.
But, I am thankful for what I did have.
-The 2001 Gathering has a special place in my heart, simply for being my first Gathering. And the BIGGEST, I've every been to. Seriously, we had SO MANY panels in that first LA convention. And JEFF BENNETT! One of my favorite actors (I wish I could have gone to his Mug-a-Guest: he seemed like such a cool guy). Plus, we had a panel where fans got to try their hand at reading bits of "Gargoyles" episodes (specifically "Vows" and "M.I.A.") outside of the radio play or its auditions. And alongside Morgan Sheppard and Crispin Freeman, to boot. A couple of folks even got to try dubbing anime (I didn't have a chance to do that, but I did get to read for Goliath in the "M.I.A." scene--which was very intimidating, given how light my voice is in comparison to Keith David's--and Brooklyn's audition side). This was also the only convention I brought a costume for: Nought. I didn't enter the Masquerade contest, but I did thoroughly enjoy myself that night, as I did throughout the entire con. I think I got the most autographs from that one. But one of the biggest things was finally meeting everyone I had known online in person. It was great putting faces to names, learning the real names behind the 'net monikers, and just being able to talk with them face to face.
And for the "Hunter's Moon: Part 3" radio play, I was Matt Bluestone. It was so fun--and my first real chance to perform with professional actors from the show.
-2006 I remember mostly because I was at such a tough point in my finances I couldn't afford to drive the 30 miles back and forth to Valencia for each of the 4 days. So I drove up there once, parked in the hotel's free parking, and slept in my truck (it had a camper shell over the bed so I was comfortable) until the Gathering was over. I couldn't go to the Banquet for this one, unfortunately, but I still had a great time. The first issue of the comic had come out, so there was plenty to talk about. And on the first day, Crispin and Thom held a panel where I finally got to try my hand at dubbing a scene from an anime. Other than a particularly egregious P-pop, I feel I did pretty well for my first attempt. Plus, there was that HUGE room of voice-actors from "W.I.T.C.H." (and I still feel a little guilty about asking a question that caused the panel to go over time). This one wasn't as big as the first LA Gathering, but still a very nice size, with plenty of panels to choose from (and torture me with not being able to go to them all). Since this was my second Gathering, I felt a bit more open and comfortable with other people, especially those I remembered from my first time. In a way, that made this my most..."relaxed" Gathering.
And the radio play was "The Mirror." I'm still surprised that my Broadway managed to sound kind of like the real thing.
-And 2009...well, I've just gone into all the details over the past few days. It was not the biggest of the Gathering's I had been to, no...but in some ways the smaller, more intimate nature of it helped to make it all the more memorable. Not to mention all the voices that participated in the radio play (which was the most fun of the three, just for all the in-jokes and references if nothing else).
God...I count myself fortunate for each of the Gathering's I've gone to, and doubly fortunate for making it to the last one. I don't know what's going to happen next year, or the year after that. I still hold on to hope that, like the series it's based on, the Gathering will return in some form or another (or at least another "Gargoyles" convention like it). Until then, though, I have my memories, my radio play scripts, and the friends I've made (as well as the DVDs and comics the Gathering made possible). Not a bad legacy, all things considered.
Nope. Not bad at all...
Monday
With the last morning, I once again beat my alarm, this time about fifteen minutes short of the buzzer. No Mug-A-Guests today, so we didnât feel the same need to rush to get there . . . nevertheless, I wanted to see these last panels . . . especially one of the first ones. The drive wasnât that bad, considering the fact that it was a new week and we were worried about Traffic. Aside from a little slow up, it turned out to be better than Saturdayâs drive (though not as good as Sundayâs) . . . and anything was better than that first Friday morning drive (I was soooo worried I wasnât going to get there on time, glad that wasnât the case). Songs played during the ride included âAround the Bendâ (a song used by Apple for one of their I-Touch commercials), Ludoâs âLove Me Dead,â REMâs âItâs the end of the world,â and as we finally neared the hotel for the last time, one more sing along of the Spectacular Spider-Man theme. d:
I was torn a bit as to which of the first two panels I wanted to go to â" a Q&A about the recent Trades or a discussion on the Future of the Fandom. Remembering the massive flame war that occurred months ago when it was announced that this would be the last Gathering . . . in which despite all the messed up things that were said, a few legit concerns did arise . . . I felt that going to listen and maybe contribute an idea or two the least that I owed the fandom that already given so much to us.
Goose opted for the Q&A.
Again, Iâve said it on occasion in the CR . . . Iâm a listener more than anything else, thatâs why I donât post often, and its perhaps why I do have a tendency to ACTUALLY read the archives (both the CRâs and Ask Greg). Such was the case at this panel, I just kept my ears and mind open and fans suggested various methods to continue a Gargoyles convention to some degree in the future. While I was there (and I stayed for the bulk of the panel, leaving about a half hour early), I heard everything brought to attention, starting with the basic expenses for a Gathering of âthis caliber.â Bluntly, it is a LOT, something to the extent of $20,000 dollars which includes a TON of things . . . from travel expenses for special guests, the booking and down-payment of the hotel, T-shirts, banquets, Con-badges, as well as other things which I have now forgotten and I guess continue to take for granted. Some suggestions Iâve heard before on the CR, from seeking other conventions to join or to host an online convention of some fashion. A seemingly accepted notion was the understanding that a convention didnât necessarily have to take place every year. Another thing brought into consideration was the roaming nature of the Gathering, and whether or not it was more beneficial than harmful. Positive and negative things could be said about both, from a set city (like Los Angeles) can provide a larger supply of guests at a cheaper cost but it would be a challenge to those on the other side of the country (and vice-versa for the roaming city method). I for one personally enjoyed the âWorld Tourâ aspect of the Gathering, despite the fact that I myself did use the distance of a location to rationalize not going. Before that announcement earlier this year, Jade Griffin told us that she was considering a bid for Reno in 2010, but has since reworked it as a smaller convention, of which I have now forgotten the name. *Sigh* I donât know. I didnât have any ideas myself during that panel. I left my contact information with Jade though â" Iâm graduating within the year, and whatever happens in the next few years, Iâm not sure â" but maybe I can be of some help. Renoâs not terribly far away . . . .
I left the panel early because I had caught wind of people talking about this yearâs anthology (and forgetting it being mentioned earlier in the weekend) and I wanted to know where I could grab a copy. A quick question asked at the Dealerâs Room reminded me that it would be available online as a PDF (a quick read in the CR tells me it is now available, and Iâm curious to read it, feeling itâs going to be one more bit of this Gathering experience to enjoy now that it is over). Question answered, I slowly made my way toward Salon 6, where the Trade Q&A was wrapping up and the Gargoyle Bio & Culture panel would be starting up soon. Before I got there I was once again treated by Chyna with more sweets, this time jelly beans. Yum yum.
I finally caught up with Goose in Salon 6 just minutes before the Bio & Culture panel was to start. Though Iâm hardly the bio expert myself, Iâve been fascinated with a question asked on Ask Greg months and months ago, one concerning Gargates and the extent of their origins in Pangaea. Before the panel, I liked the idea that the Gargoyles Beast and Being, as we know and love them today were already evolved in the time of Pangaea simply because it REALLY gave them a chunk of time on this planet that compared to our own time as modern humans, is HUGE. I liked this because it really seems like a fitting description/explanation as to why they are soooo attuned to the Earthâs biorhythms and such. Greg virtually no idea when I brought it up, though Matt had some thoughts to share, even suggesting just what branch of the animal kingdom they could have belonged to, but ultimately concluding that it had to be a more primitive gargate in the time of Pangaea, but the modern Gargoyle Being and Beast werenât that far away (and Iâm saying âfar awayâ in the context of millions and millions of years, which I just realized how relative and mathematical these discussions tend to all become).
Other questions included the basic nature of the species . . . eating, sleeping, defecating, and mating (oh my!). There were a TON of questions regarding the nature and abilities of Stone Sleep, some pretty gnarly as well . . . whether broken, severed, or even dangling limbs had a chance of surviving if given the chance to turn to stone . . . for the most part . . . a ton of this is severe stuff, so itâs just not likely at all. With luck, a broken bone set back into place properly stood a chance, but thatâs the extent of it. Stone sleep providing thermal energy was key in this healing, often at the cost of energizing the Gargoyle for the next night (Goliathâs âhealed but not wholeâ line from the Trades was brought up). A few questions regarding the Humility Spell and the panel had hit its time limit . . . it was time for the Closing Ceremonies.
âLike a Virginâ
Appropriate enough, since me and Goose were in fact, âCon-Virgins.â As such, we had no idea what closing ceremonies typically were like . . . but I know we were part of the most emotional and touching moments the fandom ever experienced. It was seriously hard to cope in that room . . . the bulk of the beginning was really tear-jerking, yet by the end we were howling in laughter with of the stories told in that room (FINALLY got the Bishansky-worst chauffeur bit from Spectacular Spidey). Aw man, seeing Greg and Thom as well as the rest of the staff break down . . . it was incredibly hard not to join them. Without a doubt, this is a tight knit group, accused of many things during that God-awful flame war â" the least of which was âclique-ishâ . . . and that couldnât be farther from the truth. Despite these folks being busy beyond the notions of sanity, I did not know one person that was unpleasant this weekend. These guys and gals were the most incredibly helpful staff I could ever hope to meet, even when they were juggling a dozen things at once.
If this last Gathering needed anything left, it came right there at these closing ceremonies, where people from behind the tables and in the audience told their favorite stories from cons past. I know those stories mean much more to those who got to live those moments, but for fans like me where this was my first Gathering . . . I really appreciated the chance to get to know these stories, to be able to really become a part of this Gathering family. Like a nephew listening to their uncle telling him a prank he pulled on the kidâs father when they were little, we learned just a little bit of what it was like to be a Gathering attendee in years past . . . from nearly dying on a highway en route to Taco Bell (I seriously vote that as one of the worst ways to go out) to the marathon to (and from) the Red Lobster. From the pitch-in of fans saving all those comic memorabilia after the roof collapsed, to Thom perpetually losing his pants. The tattoos of the Phoenix Gate and the Opening Ceremonies spiel. Thom stranded on the side of the road. Greg trying to talk to an audience wayyyy more âinterestedâ in each other. Marriages. Kids being born. Air Hockey. Karaoke. Late night chats . . . and that ever-miffing question of what Titania whispered into Foxâs ear. Thanks for sharing all those memories to us first timers, Gathering veterans.
At the end of all the story telling when Greg told us to get out for like the fifth time, I had to thank each of these guys in person . . . they put on the meanest and most awesome convention I had ever been to, and I know that will still be the case whenever I finally do go to my second, or third, or tenth. As Greg said more than once in his rambling final speech . . . thirteen years is quite a run, a run that has been influential the lives of hundreds of people, in more ways than one, and responsible in convincing Disney and SLG to produce the DVDs and comics we did get. And after thirteen years they DID go out with a F*CKING bang. It was my first and only Gathering, and I was giddy from day one, but I was never happier of attending than during those Closing Ceremonies. After we asked Thom for a picture together, me and Goose finally left the room.
The drive back to Gooseâs place was funny, as Goose had just realized that totally gushed over when we told Greg thanks . . . he said he had something really thought out but when it came to it he only managed to blurt out, âYouâre a really great writer!â I laughed, thinking of what Grey Wolfâs story when she first met Greg. I told him I was surprised I didnât do the same thing since Iâve been in love with the show sooo much longer than he has (then again, maybe I did, my memory is no doubt biased). We comforted ourselves with the knowledge that Greg is fluent in geekasm (;
After a quick lunch at a Jack in the Box, we got back to his place, and I finished packing all my stuff (meaning, checking to see if I was missing anything). Despite my well-kept camp out, I managed to lose my Hard Rock Café key chain. Grrr . . . hopefully the Goose will find it.
We slowly made our way to LAX, this time listening to Patton Oswaltâs latest album, which no doubt could have inspired a ton of Blue Mug material if it mentioned a gargoyle here or there . . . sadly it didnât, but it still was worth a listen . . . Lord knows that I did laugh quite a bit while on that long ride to the airport. See ya again when school starts, Goose.
Once I was dropped off, I made my way through security and to my Gate. Waiting, I wanted to keep the Gargoyles high going, so I whipped out my heavily autographed Clan Building (shame David Hedgecock wasnât there, I did love his work in his later issues) and decided to read the whole TimeDancer/997 arc once more, now armed with information I had learned from the Gathering, specifically the knowledge of Brooklynâs biological brother and his âBroâ rookery brother . . . the appearance of Hudsonâs daughter True, and the appearance of Bronxâs biological parents.
I had only managed to get mid-way to the second part when I boarded my plane (Group A baby!) and I continued to read as I was taking off. Heading back home.
Well, thatâs it I guess. Thereâs really only one thing left to do and thatâs Thank Yous . . . and I got plenty of them:
Though I found most of the staff and thanked them, I know I missed one: Patrick â" so better late than never . . . Patrick, thanks so much for all the work you put in â" you were the first frequenter of the CR that I met in person, and though I didnât really got a chance to chat with you, when I thought my name wasnât there, and while I was quietly panicking that I wasnât registered, you simply and quietly realized the name snafu on my part and handed me my Gathering packet. If youâre reading this, know that you are awesome.
I know I thanked a bunch in person, but I have to say it just the once more â" Jennifer, it was such a blast sitting at your table . . . so many hilarious stories that I know is just got to be a small sample of many, many more :) Yeah, Mike was hilarious as well at that table, but everyone, from Ben Diskin to Goose, was in stitches thanks to you as well.
To all the CR folk from over the years that I got the chance to meet: Blaise, Lurker, Justin âIâd Rather be Pillaging,â Gorebash, VickyUK, Greg B, Grey Wolf, Matt, Jade Griffin, Karine, Jennifer, and Patrick. Iâm sure there were others in which I didnât make the connection, and if so, it was still nice getting the chance to see you folks in person (and if we didnât meet, then Iâm bummed I missed that chance). I know thereâs a scattershot of places to talk about Gargoyles online, but quite honestly, Iâve only really visited Station 8 and Ask Greg since I first saw the site back in 2003, first commented back in 2006. This is the site that developed my interest in the series well after my initial viewing at six and my first full-series watch on Toon Disney back in 2001. But to meet a chunk of the good folks that always come up with topics to talk, ramble, and wonder each and every week was honestly very fun and exciting, especially with those that I did end up really chatting and hanging out with this weekend.
My sole regret is that if I could, I would have OF COURSE opted to actually stay at the hotel where all the action was. But of course, then the price would have been beyond my own means (it was pretty stretched by the end of it). And that would have been copping out for ANOTHER year, and for the FINAL year . . . and then my liver would be in total and utter pain (*wink wink, nudge nudge*). Besides, Gooseâs parents were such gracious hosts, putting up with our consistent early morning breakfast sprees and late-night returns. All things considered, I am grateful to just being able to come. Thereâs no doubt in my mind that Iâll be remembering this past weekend for many years to come.
So thanks Greg Weisman . . . and thank you con-staff for putting it ALL together. Thank you to the dozens of professionals I got to meet, chat, and take pics with. And thank you fellow fans that also attended â" no doubt we all had one last blast together (not forgetting it was my FIRST blast d: )
But it was a blast nevertheless.
I'd like to thank the amazing constaff as well. It was a terrific send-off!
Sunday
Itâs seriously getting harder and harder to start writing about how each day began, because by the time I write these entries (night of) thereâs just SOOO much that goes on inbetween. For those that only get the chance to do write after the convention, I seriously pity them for having to remember all this stuff . . . especially keeping in mind that their nights didnât likely end BEFORE midnight.
Well, wake up for me this morning was before my alarm set at 8:30 AM . . . I do believe I have so far beat my alarm every single day of this Gathering . . . just simple and perpetual anticipation. After a quick bowl of cereal and a near-dragging of Goose to wake up (he DIDNâT beat his alarm), we made our way back to Universal City and the Hilton. I canât remember what we played in the car, but at one point I told Goose that I actually had the song âRappin Drakkenâ from Kim Possible. He chuckled. As he laughed, I told him to say, âI donât believe you.â The second he said it, I whipped out my cell phone, saying, âwell, Iâll guess Iâll just have to show you then!â Also along the way we looked at the schedule and we tried to figure out just who our last Mug-A-Guest should be . . . we couldnât decide between Sean Galloway and Victor Cook . . . and if it wasnât for the act that weâve had a healthy exposure (pun intended) time with Thom Adcox, weâd probably be considering his Mugging as well. In the end we kinda chose Victor knowing that we wouldnât be there at nine and expected Seanâs to fill up really quickly.
As we parked in the hotel parking, we head toward the elevator which was held open by a guy who noticed our Con-Badges. His quick reaction to say âGargoyles, huh?â made us think was a fellow fan, but he quickly silenced all speculation as he told us he was none other than Frank Paur, which was just crazy-obvious at that point, or anyone remembering his face on the season one DVD . . . his hairâs just longer. As the elevator brought us to the Lobby, he told us heâd see us later after he checked in, much to our excitement.
Anyhoo, we arrive about a half hour after nine (traffic was oddly more-so than Saturday and Goose took FOREVER to eat his breakfast) and were delighted to see that not only Victor Cookâs Mug was still open, but Seanâ as well! Thus, we quickly found ourselves in a dilemma we thought we got through . . . Sean or Victor, Victor or Sean? Oy vey . . . in the end Victor was, well the victor since we both wanted to see the panel with the Gargoyles Production Crew. As we waited for that panel to start, we hanged out in the lobby area, where we were greeted by a few fans . . . finally got the chance to tell Blaise what an awesome Zafiro he was, as well as tell Nikki how great she was at being the Gobby-pumpkin bombs at the Radio Play. I was also treated by Guardian who let me not only see her wicked collection of Gargoyles trading cards, but actually pick a couple of her various extras as well! Again, another small moment in between events, but this is an aspect about Gargoyles I never experienced as a kid . . . I donât remember once talking to a fellow classmate about Gargoyles . . . recesses were almost always about Power Rangers . . . what was a six year old to do then, guys?
So the Gargoyles Production Panel began, and it was great to hear from such talented artists (of various expertises, some even multiple expertises) talk about the creation of the show that I got hooked to nearly fifteen years ago. Discussions regarding the backgrounds of New York City, and making sure the artists overseas actually got a chance to KNOW what NYC was like was truly insightful . . . that and hearing that the team that did âresearchâ on the Big Apple was just Frank Paur and his camera. I donât know where I heard it myself, but I DO remember hearing about a New York City team . . . that was a kick to find out d:
Following the panel, I then started my day-long bout of hounding for autographs, trying to rush out in time to get Frank, Michael Reeves, and the other panelist autographs just in time before the special screening of the Spectacular Spider-Man Comic Con footage was to be seen. A quick text from Goose told me that wasnât going to happen, so I dashed my way back to the room (I think I told Brooklyn X it was starting while in line and he ran with me), finding my seat in the front with Blaise and Greg B sitting in the same row.
The footage was â" you know its coming â" spectacular! Best moment that was cut had to have been Hammerhead watching the Enforcers get duped in some pool bet with Hammyâs chauffeur, even with that error of the eight ball as the cue ball (never played pool myself, but maybe sheâs just THAT good?). The Enforcerâ reactions were priceless. I also enjoyed seeing the interaction of Ned Lee and Betty Brant, something that â" with SO MUCH else we get to see on the show â" has just barely squeezed itself in with Ned asking Betty out in season two. Shockerâs escape in âGroup Therapyâ was definite miss in the sense of continuity . . . as well as the Chameleon bit â" looks like Beck has NEVER been to prison, hee hee.
And of course, after Greg W mentioned it, I would have loved to have seen the Emma giving mouth to mouth to Aunt May in the same ep â" some day, maybe weâll be lucky to see it.
This is where it gets hard to remember . . . I do know I saw the Spidey-Panel . . . thatâs easy to remember because I did notice the difference in guest numbers . . . Spidey-guest doubled Garg-guest there, though a few Garg-guests (Vic, Pamela Long, Greg Gular, and oh yeah, Greg W) were doing double guest duties in these panels. Problem is, Iâm not sure when I left the panel, cause I know I managed to get the Garg crew autographs as well as the Spidey crew following the panel . . . I think maybe I left as the panel ended, cause Frank and Greg G were at the Spidey panel as well, now that I think about it, I remember them watching the special screening . . . so I think I just blitzed them all with Garg and Spidey merchandise after the Spidey Crew ended. *shrug*
Funny bit â" getting Frankâs autograph and telling him a second time (after the elevator this morning), âNice to meet you!â He responded, âNice to meet you . . . again!â hah! Good stuff.
Anyways, this version of events so far makes sense to me, as I do remember walking in late for the Composing panel, which I didnât really get a chance to hear from much anyway (mostly all of their backgrounds and how they got in the business â" that was the gist of what I got to hear), because Vicâs Mug-A-Guest was starting soon. Me and Goose quietly tucked ourselves outta there as we made our way to the outside hallway of Salon 5, where we ran into Nikki again . . . she would be joining us in our second Mug-A-Guest as well. Maybe it was due to the fact that there were so many Mugs on this day, but I noticed the room was not signed up all the way this time as it was for Josh Keaton or Keith David the day before. The more awesome for us, because we all got a chance to pick Vicâs head on various things . . . one mugger (forget his name) worked as an assistant of some extant in animation before, so he wanted to know just how the various animation sent overseas gets sent back, and specifically in what form (answer: digitally, in a way that they can add stuff like snow in scenes where they might not have intended it for). I ask questions more story-related, from favorite action sequence (had to tell him mine was the Tombstone-opera) which happened to be the various Everyday-Thug-Beatings simply because thatâ where Spider-Man can be his most smart-alec self, and just how complex and unique Spidey fights with these non-super-villains . . . a particular favorite . . . using one bad guy as a weapon to attack another. I also asked favorite arc and which villain heâd most like to see next (knowing full well, that it wouldnât be a guarantee for the oh-so-desired season three) â" instead of arcs he gave eps, as that was too hard (Lizard, Sinister Six eps, Hammy vs. Silver Sable, among others) and he decided that his favorites were already in the series . . . Green Goblin, Doc Ock . . . maybe a copout, but it didnât feel that way . . . and it wasnât like I was looking for spoilers like a kid pits his parents against each other when they want something:
(What villains we going to see next season, Mr. Weisman? . . . Greg W: For the gazillion bazillionth time, NO COMMENT!! And donât bug Vic as well!!! / What villains we going to see next season, Mr. Cook? . . . Vic: Did you ask Greg if itâs okay? . . . Yes, we did!! . . . Vic: Well, in the first episode of season three weâll start the scene at Ravencroft . . .)
Yeah, you guys are smarter than that d:
Before the time was over, Vic even got a chance to mug all of us a bit . . . we all mentioned what we were doing, whether we were in school or already trying to find a job out there. Vic also mentioned his involvement with Mecha-Nation, something I do think Iâll check out while Gargoyles comics are on the (hopeful) hiatus.
After a quick picture with Vic (awesome! â" already said so in person, but if your reading, thanks!!), Goose went to the Writers Panel while I took a little trip to the Con Suite, where I properly met A Fan, saw Vicky UK again, and was treated to some vanilla fudge all the way from Boston from the friendly Chyna. I didnât have so much of chance to chat with them, as it was I was just really hungry and thirsty. After a quick thanks for the fudge, I found my way to the Writers Panel where I grabbed a seat just in time for Greg to ramble on things heâs written about on Ask Greg . . . the status of the DVDs and the ever-changing hands of execs at Disney. Except it wasnât just that, it became a full-on rant about âUNIMPRESSIVEâ execs, such as the folks that were desperate to knock KP down. This was news to my ears, especially since KP is in fact a show I very much loved and supported. I knew of the fan campaigns to support the show into an additional 22 episodes after the final 65 aired (movie included), but I never, never, NEVER knew it had such a rocky beginning . . . mad props to McCorkle and Schooley for handling that the best they could so they could actually make a great show. As for the brief talk about W.I.T.C.H. â" the second season I never got a chance to see, though I made an effort to see the first because I heard Greg W was working on the second . . . what I saw I enjoyed, though I wasnât sold . . . if I had ever got the chance to see the second season (as well as the rest of the first, ABC Kids moved it on me I think), no doubt I would be impressed as well. *Sigh*
Following the Writers Panel, I made another gambit for autographs, with all the writers that appeared in the panel and ending with none other than Greg Weisman himself . . . I have to say, I felt sorry for him as he wrote a different witty thing for each thing I handed him (Gargoyles Season One: âWelcome to the Clan!â / Clan Building I: âWe Live Again!â / Clan Building II: âWe Own the Knight!â / Bad Guys: âPheonâ is wanted!â / Spidey Season One: âKeep Swinginâ!â) By the time I gave him Bad Guys, he responded, âIâm running out of witty things to write here, man!â My only excuse was that it was my first and last Gathering, which I then thanked for actually signing all those things. You DO rock, Greg! d:
Following the massive Greg signings, I heard from Goose that he wasnât feeling so hot, and that he wasnât sure if his headache would be okay by the Masquerade. As my only ride and my friend, I told him to take it easy and that he should check out the Con Suite. He opted to stay at a couch nearby the Registration Table, while I took a peak at the Live Auction (a Brooklyn Applause figure went for 100 bucks I think!) before I realized the Silent Auction was coming to a close.
Now, throughout the entire weekend, I had my eye set on getting a key chain. I collect key chains from any chance I can get . . . from any city I visit, to any major (or minor) moment in my life that I can account for . . .it gets a key chain that I hang on my bedroom roof linked to several rings from oter key chains forming one long, long chain. My two trips to Disneyland (1998 & 2009) both got Chains. My two trips to Washington DC (2005 & 2009) both got chains hanging. My high school graduation even has a little tassle key chain among the rest in line. I even got one last night at the Hard Rock Café in City Walk, as it was the first Hard Rock I actually ate at. So it seemed perfectly awesome to try and bid on a certain Phoenix Gate key chain and have it represent my time at the last Gathering.
Well, there was just one problem â" as the last hour of the silent bidding for the various art pieces was coming to a close, I found out one of my newly made friends here â" Abby, or Abigail â" was also set to win that key chain. So then began the struggle of one convincing the other they wanted the key chain more. The conversation between us was civil in the beginning . . . from chit chat about the series and comics to figuring out ways to make the other understand why they should get the keychain Gate. I went with the fact that I actually TOOK Latin at my high school cause of Gargoyles and actually used the Gate in a little project we had in trying to find Latin in todayâs culture (most kids used university mottos, I used the Latin incantations on Gargoyles, including, um, THE PHOENIX GATE). She went with the pity angle, saying how she was leaving Sunday morning and that she also couldnât attend the banquet, unlike me. I reminded her that I lived in, uh, hellooo PHOENIX (Arizona, folks). About seven minutes left in the silent bidding and she was already stomping my feet (steel toes, baby!) and pushing me away from the bidding sheet, as I prepared to poise my pen to make my final bid. At the rate we were going, this chain wasnât going to come cheap. At about three minutes left in the count I realized that she wasnât going to let me have it cheap, even if I tried, and that Iâd get a better deal if I aimed for the Phoenix Gate 2-Piece necklace . . . only problem was the bidding sheet showed a bidder with some serious effort to claim the winning bid. So I made my pact with Abby . . . she help me cover the table to win the necklace (should the other serious bidder show up in these last minutes) and Iâll remove my bid on the key chain. In the last seconds everything flowed smoothly, and we were ecstatic as being winners of our respective Gates. (The third Gate went to Justin âIâd Rather be Pillagingâ to no real last-minute competition and the three of us took a picture with Aaron âHalloweenking,â the maker of all these gorgeous Gates.)
All in all, this was continuing to be an awesome con experience . . . we were all laughing about the last minute silent auction feuding as we saw Greg W. slowly making his way what I believe was the Banquet. A quick, yet polite request for a picture between conversations, and we also made our way to the Banquet separately, glowing in the excitement that weâve been experiencing all day. A quick question to Greg B as to where the Banquet was, and we soon found ourselves waiting for the feast to begin. As our badges were checked for âbanquetâ stickers, we opted to sit next to Ben Diskin (Venom), since neither me nor Goose really got to hear from him outside the Spidey Panel the day before. As our table filled up with Mike and Jennifer âCrzy Demonaâ Anderson herself (the two names I remembered), we discovered that Ben was a really awesome guy. Getting to know him was as cool and natural as getting to know Josh at his Mug-A-Guest, and this was with the challenge of talking over the dinner babbling.
Ben may proclaim himself as the quiet one, but this guy has a definite sense of humor, laughing at my retelling of what just went down at the silent auction (he just spotted my Gate necklace in my hands, which I had no found a way to carefully put it away, there wasnât like a box for it and both chains were small for my neck) as well as virtually anything Mike, Goose, or Jennifer had to say. This was a great table to sit at â" and great view of the stage too, as Greg W. brought up all the guests for a special Q&A.
Aside from asking if Ben did anything as goofy as Crispin being Peter MacNicolâs arms (to which I got a surprised look of âIâm the quiet guy!â and a explanation from Greg of the crazy challenges they put Benâs voice through), I simply enjoyed hearing the other peopleâs questions, though I DID enjoy getting interrupted by the sudden late arrival of Thom Adcox, waving a fresh empty plate like hat from the set of Hello Dolly . . . but thatâs cause I just saw Wall-E recently on DVD . . .if he wasnât as short maybe Iâd think of a different musical d:
A touching moment during the Q&A was hearing Michael Reeves return the credit back to Greg Weisman. The two have been bouncing the credit back and forth all day during the various panels, but it was especially touching here . . . Michael is truly an example of a brilliantly talented person whoâs also such a gentleman. I was so happy to see him at this Gathering.
As the banquet ended we asked and took a picture with Ben and Crispin Freeman . . . both are terribly gifted voice actors and tremendously friendly people . . .along with pretty much the rest of the cast from both shows.
Well, the wait for the Masquerade was on the longer side this time, further accentuated by the fact that despite the awesome time he had at the Banquet, there wasnât much distracting Goose from his headache now, and he wasnât sure if he wanted to stay much longer. I basically asked if it was okay if we got a glimpse of the Masquerade, as I never been to one before (my excuse ALL weekend, and a good one at that. If we do get another convention sometime in the future, Iâll definitely have to provide my own transportation, cause the old excuse just wonât work anymore d: ). While we waited I ran into Nikki again and the two of chatted about the recent Trades, mostly Clan Building Volume II. All three of us were costume-less, but that didnât stop us from enjoying the ones other people were wearing and thinking about costumes we each worn in the past, mostly for Harry Potter release parties d:
As the clock was starting to approach 10 PM I was wondering if the masquerade was ever going to start when the doors opened and we flooded in. A quick look at the panel of judges revealed Keith David and Carl Johnson, two people I havenât yet had a chance to ask for an autograph. But there was no time to ask as the show was already on the road with the Masquerade contest . . . my definite favorite were Justinâs King Arthur, Aaronâs Jackal, and Jadeâs babyâs Alex costume . . . that thing was adorable on paper and it became exponentially cuter in real life. I was particularly jealous of the Illuminati pins worn by Shari and Illuminati members d:
While the judging was being finalized, music video came next, and some real good one at that . . . my two favorites after the special tribute to Greg were the Demona vids . . . âBetween these Hazel Eyesâ and the âPoor Unfortunate Demonaâ â" thereâs no doubt in my head that while both were awesome, the second enjoyed a better atmosphere following the first. After an emotional Demona video, nothing was more fitting than Demona as the Little Mermaid and Puck as Ursulla. Priceless.
**Takes long breath and cracks fingers**
After the Dance âofficiallyâ began, I made my way for the Judgeâs panel and asked for Keith and Carlâs autographs . . . seriously, I must come off as annoying at this point, despite my sincerest Please and Thank yous. Again, these pros (voice actor and otherwise) have been awesome the entire weekend, and I so appreciate their patience and understanding through such a busy weekend where they pulled and tugged every which way.
As I put my DVDs away, I found Goose again and we slowly headed back to the parking lot, knowing that I was going to be up all night writing this latest entry. I of course would have liked to have stayed longer to see the dance, but Iâm not complaining â" I got to see the Masquerade, see the music videos, as well as the presentation of the âThom Adcox Memorialâ Award . . . nothing more touching d:
Gotta say it again: Jadeâs baby stole the show with her down-right cuteness!!!
Oh yeah, tomorrowâs the LAST day . . . man, this flew by quick!
The whole thirteen years flew by for me!
Saturday
Well, hereâs where the crazy fun begins, no doubt about that. After breakfast with Goose and his family, we hightailed it back to the hotel in hopes of signing up for one of the Mug-A-Guests that morning. (Canât really remember what was played on the way there, music-wise, so I guess it couldnât have been too good. I do remember the two of us listening to the Kevin & Bean show, where they talked about OCD . . . odd) We had just barely missed Keith David but we manage to sign up or Josh Keaton with room to spare. While waiting for his arrival, we chatted with some of the fans nearby the Registration and Dealer Room, including, but not limited to Blaise and Abby.
Josh came just as he was supposed to, and after him grabbing some ice water, we headed inside the suite with a group of 9ish, (2 more would come after trying out for the Radio Play, I believe). Everyone sitting at a table, I suddenly understood the difference of intimate setting that I couldnât imagine the day before (hey, Thomâs just a really personal guy I guess). In short (too late!) Josh talked about how he got into the business, how he got involved with Spectacular Spidey, how he was a dork in high school, and how he knew about Spider-Man all his life. One of the questions I asked regarded who he enjoyed villain-wise, from the point of view as a comic-fan that he is, and from a behind-the-scenes who he liked to work with-point-of-view. I was giddy upon hearing him mention his excitement regarding the showâs Tombstone, who he said, âWould kick Kingpinâs a**â . . . hee hee. He also mentioned having a great time working with John DiMaggio. He went on to say that he would love to see the Spot one day on the show, simply because â" given the showâs animation â" it would be awesome. We soon passed the allotted time, which meant we kept on talking till the kicked us out to bring in Keith David and his muggers. d:
After the Mug-A-Guest with Josh, while Goose went to go see Crispin Freemanâs Anime Mythology while I went to go find the audition line for the Radio Play. Having never been to a Gathering, I knew I at least wanted to try out, even though I havenât been in a production of anything since Goldilocks and the Three Bears in Kindergarten (and I was the âBaby Bearâ Bed . . . seriously). As I got in line, I was behind the fellow that would eventually rock as Carnage (I believe he auditioned with a Green Goblin script), while I took a gander at a Harry Osborn bit. Again, no experience of acting AT ALL . . . but itâs my first (and by default, last) Gathering so yippee kai yay, I even attempted a shriek . . . sooo didnât sound pretty.
As I left the audition, feeling (at the least) great for the fact that I at least gave it a shot, I discovered the line for Marina Sirtis. Upon realizing it was for MARINA SIRTIS, I popped right in line, much to the amusement of those already in line. I was soon joined in the line by none other than Gorebash, who was awesome to meet in person. Marina was an absolutely wonderful, signing by Season II, Volume I DVD of Gargoyles (the Demona side). I would later thoroughly enjoy her participation in the Gargoyles Voice Actors Panel (especially her chucking Jolly Ranchers at both Greg Weisman and Jamie Thompson) d:
After getting Marinaâs autograph, I made my way to what was left of Crispinâ presentation . . . and from what I saw, the guy REALLY REALLY knows his stuff. If ever a fan were to think that the pros think we are all dorks . . . itâs almost certain that these pros are dorks, geeks, and gamers as well.
As Crispin ended, I joined the front of the room where the Gargoyles Voice Acting Panel would take place â" oh what fun indeed. Jamie Thompson, Thom, Keith, Marina, and Greg were all a delight and hilarious to see in person . . . though it was one small sample of the original cast, its clear that these folks had fun working on the set. The same thing was obvious as we then saw the Voice Acting Panel for Spectacular Spider-Man . . . but this time with a fair majority of the main cast. Laughter was in no short supply during these panels, and I was happy to see them. Afters, when we were being kicked out for the Radio Play Rehearsals, I asked Steve Blum to sign the glider of my Green Goblin action figure . . . which I think gave him a smile, seeing a toy version of his character d:
As we waited for the Radio Play to begin an hour and a half later, I thought to go outside for a bit while Goose went to see the special screening o Michael Reeveâs special Star Trek screening. Instead, I found myself discovering the Con Suite in the Boarding Room, whereupon I met two fellow fans also from the Phoenix area (we actually donât live that far from each other) and VickyUK again. During this time we talked to fellow fan and how he discovered the fandom and how he had never realized its decent size and longevity. I wasnât a big event, but for me, the chance to actually chat with people who actually KNOW about the show . . . as much as I do . . . this was just so cool.
I soon found my way to the Dealerâs Room, voting on the various pieces . . . and shortly afterward I walked toward to see what was left of the Star Trek screening . I may not have seen one episode of Star Trek, let alone a Trekkie, but there were definitely some fun moments that reminded me of Gargoyles (canât remember any at the moment, but there was this âvibeâ about it, which is a total cop out I guess).
Caught up with Goose and the two of us got in line for the Radio Play, which was just starting to get big . . . we were in a lucky spot . . . we managed to get in the second row :)
The Radio Play was . . . well, as Greg put it . . . a work of three days, which means the manâs a GENIUS. It was awesome to see it pick up right where both series left off, from the last issue of Clan Building for Gargoyles, to the finale of the second season of Spidey. For fans of both shows, this was the Radio Play to see . . . it offered no major conclusion to either series, but it satisified that desperate wish most fans currently have about both . . . which is that they want MORE STORIES. It was absolutely spectacularly epicly awesome . . . what with the various insidejokes, both the on and off screen type, and the huge ensemble from BOTH series really gave any fan something to enjoy, because this monster of a play had something for everyone. Like Goliath/Elisa? Check. Enjoy Demona scheming? Check. Love Spidey/Goblin quips? Check. Enjoy the various incarnations of the Sinister Six? Check. Like the Liz/Pete/MJ/Gwen/Harry hurricane of teen romance? Check. Like the gangster stories . . . be it Big Man/Manfredis or the Brod/Dracons? Check. Love making and hearing grunts, wails, groans, shrieks, and roars? Check. Want to hear iconic lines from either series? Check-a-roo. Enjoy breaking the 4th Wall? Check. Enjoy double entendres AS WELL AS plain-out entendres? A definite Check there, good sirs and ladies. Like hearing characters interact with characters by the SAME voice actor? Check! (Thomâs Lex line of âwhat an annoying voiceâ was flat-out hilarious) Want more Hormunculi? Check to the 5th power! You REALLY want Carnage? CHECK! Enjoy magic? Check Check, and a very almost-sacriligious-but-very-awesome CHECK (Seeing Marina/Demona âlickâ her own oozing blood . . . man, she may not have done Demona in over a decade, but sheâs STILL got it)!!!
And unsurprisingly, thatâs just the tip of the iceberg . . . flat out amazing. The entire Gathering players were awesome . . . special nod to Blaise and his Zafiro (seriously, a freakinâ HUGE cast). It was absolutely wonderful to hear the talent of Marina, Darran, Phil LaMar, Steve Blum, Keith David, and other in person. I canât possibly imagine where Iâll have this opportunity again. So. Definitely. Worth. It.
An inexperienced mind would see a script for this play and think it was a stack of five copies . . . this thing was HUGE, and it went by SO fast. Just. Awesome.
After the Radio Play, I found Josh Keaton and asked him to sign my season one DVD of Spidey. It was soon joined by Crispinâs, Daran Norrisâs, Debra Strangâs, James Arnold Taylorâs, Eric Vesbinâs, Thom Adcoxâs (who also signed by Clan Building Volume II), Ben Diskinâs, and even Greg Bâs . . . oh come on, he was the worst chauffeur! Wendy Pini would sign the first page to Clan Building Volume I, where her introduction rests d:
With the Radio Play over, Goose and I were hungry indeed, so we went out to the City Walk and saw a bit of the sites . . . definitely awesome to do, as Iâve never been near Universal Studios before. We eventually stopped to eat at the Hard Rock Café . . . my first time at a HRC, in fact . . . despite the long wait for TWO people, the food was good enough to say it worthwhile and we then hightailed it back to see if we got back in time for the Blue Mug Session.
Not sure what I can say about it, but it was fun indeed to be there during the time we were there, we just got in right after Thom dropped by with his little pooch, not to mention some snacks in tow . . . I myself gnarked a Ding Dong as I listened to questions regarding to Gargoyles and even some Spidey. Highlight definitely involved . . . well, letâs just say âLexingtonâ and be done with it. d:
Unfortunately, we had to head back to my palâs place . . . he doesnât live really close, and we werenât sure on the traffic sitch, so we left before anything regarding the âLast Tenguâ was brought up. Oh well. It was definitely fun what we saw. I would of course like to have stuck around longer, but hey, I did have to write all this soon after . . . how would it be remembered?? d:
Plus, Sunday looks to be even MORE awesome.
Not to late to check out Last Tengu...
And here be my 2009 Gathering Con-Journal!! It is the first of its kind that I have ever written, and Iâm amazed at just what exactly I remembered! (Though writing entries the night of I do believe makes them easier, I would hope). The one constant in each of these entries (besides the giddyness) is the fact that I DIDNâT stay at the Hilton where all the festivities took place. Despite the obvious awesome reasons why that was preferred choice, if I even tried to consider the cost of the Registration AND the hotel AND the flight . . . then it just wasnât going to happen (and I DIDNâT want that to happen, not when itâs the last year, and when Iâve put off going for years now). So my friend, Goose, and his family graciously hosted me while I dragged him to a 4-day geekasm. Needless to say, we both had a blast, as it is described below in enough detail (I donât describe the color of the chairs used . . . oh all right, RED. Ish).
Thursday
Though we arrived in Sky Harbor International at around 6:20 PM, it was soon revealed to us that our flight at 7:20 PM was delayed till 8:10 PM. *Sigh* whatever, I bought a Coke and we waited at the airport as my roommate, Goose, bought souvenirs for his family back in Los Angeles. When we arrived we were picked up by his family, where we chatted over a real late dinner at Dennyâs. By the time we were exhausted to go to bed it was past one in the morning.
Friday
Okay, sooo wake up for me was at about 9ish, where I enjoyed breakfast with Goose at his place. Soon after, we headed toward the hotel and Gathering, where we started with a Gorillaz song but ended up blasting Gargoyles music and singing the theme to Spectacular Spider-Man. Despite the traffic we hit, we got there just as the first events began. A quick little visit to the Registration table (where upon I discovered I did my badge name âunrightâ . . . it WAS my name, just not my avatar-username as most guests had done . . . oh well, no matter, that would be easily rectifiable) and we headed to one of the first events, the panel on drawing comics by Karine Charlebois. When her panel was over, me and my friend decided to stick around in that room for the next two panels . . . the Bansheeâs âMachiavelli on Gargoylesâ and the âRookery Brothersâ with Thom Adcox and Bill Faggerbake. Except for the fact that Faggerbake wasnât around (no idea why, :( ) Thom was an absolute blast to get to know and hear from. From his various stories on and off the set (one about him goofing around with Ed Asner while recording for Gargoyles still gives me laughs) to the questions he answered regarding the characters he played over the years . . . Lexington and Tinkerer of course, but a guy-fairy in the next Tinkerbell film and a turtle in a somewhat recent Taco Bell commercial . . . the entire group was having a good time and certainly in stitches d: You can really tell he enjoys coming to these conventions.
It was the same room for those three events that afternoon, so it was interesting who stuck around for which ones . . . in between the second and third event, my friend and I met â" Abby was it? â" where we enjoyed having a not-so-short discussion on the comics and Spectacular Spider-Man (gist: comics were spoiler-free, Spectacular Spidey was not!)
Now, I have never attended a Mug-A-Guest -- and having just arrived when we did, we missed our chance at signing up for Greg or Diskin â" but despite the larger group, I felt there was some ample time for most everyone that wanted to ask a question or have a comment to be able to do so. I also have to confess that one event finished and I was still too giddy to show patience with Karine . . . I just had to ask for her autograph for my Bad Guys Trade . . . hey, folks, she did a fantastic job! The giddiness would decrease to a more natural level later in the day, and I stopped myself from bugging Thom and Greg Weisman when I met them (donât take it personally, I have all weekend d: )
By the time we were done hanging out with Thom, it was something of a half-hour before the start of the Opening Ceremonies. So, after a quick look around at the Art Show (crazy good stuff there, by the way), we headed towards the Ballroom, where I noticed a discussion regarding the latest comics nearby . . . a somewhat shy walk towards the group revealed to me to be CR vets Bishansky, Matt, and Blaise, with some others that I wasnât able to catch their names. I also spotted and met VickyUK and I totally had to tell her that it was just awesome to know that she had flown 10 hours to enjoy this last Gathering.
When it comes down to it, my favorite part of the evening was getting to see this group of dedicated fans in person . . . there is no doubt in my mind that that my enthusiasm for the series has lasted this long due to my (somewhat passive) interaction with these folks online in the CR.
Anyways, after a slight delay, we all entered the Ballroom and took our seats as Opening Ceremonies began. Greg W opened up with the icebreaker of pure demographics . . . whoâs new and virgin and whoâs old and veterany. After telling all the 1st time newbies to rise (couldnât really tell from where I was, but it was a lot wasnât it??) he then dwindled the group one year at a time (there seemed to me to be a big drop after six, but whoâs counting ?) until finally all that was left was Patrick, Jennifer, Greg, Karine, and A Fan â" the kids that decided to stick it out for 13 years. Kudos for all the hard work, guys . . . and to everyone else thatâs been vital to the Gathering. Kudos.
So after introductions and general FYI, Greg started his usual spiel . . . which apparently is almost verbatim for over a decade d: Though Iâve never been to one, the story was familiar simply from reading the Ask Greg archives all these years, as well as some of the bonus features on the DVDs. Nevertheless, there was quite a bit of detail that I didnât know or remember (I donât believe I ever read about Faggerbakeâs âItâs better than Barneyâ quip after the preview of the show to the press).
Interesting note . . . its probably well known fact, but I do remember watching what was apparently cropped from the footage shown at the SciFi footage â" the mostly Johnathan Frakes vid â" on a VHS of A Goof Movie (I think thatâs the one) . . . I havenât seen it in over a decade, but the music and animation clips-cutted look familiar to me, as well as the brief interviews from Frakes, Marina Sirits, and Keith David (though I distinctly remember seeing Salli Ricardson as well in that VHS preview). Certaintly reminded me just how much time has passed since I first saw this show when I was WAAAYY little.
So after seeing the original show pitches and the spinoff pitches (including the Bad Guys leica reel . . . I guess Iâm in a special class of fan that got to see the reel AFTER the reading the Trade Paperback) I finally got to see the latest work on âThe Lastâ . . . still incomplete, but there was a ton done in those twenty-odd minutes and while âunofficialâ â" itâs really awesome to see the conglomeration of the professional Voice Acting with all the art that fans have come to put together. Having never seen it before, I really wonder which scenes were completed first and which ones were new additions. All in all, an entertaining episode that made me further appreciate my copy of âBad Guys.â d:
Total random moment when a cell phone sounding just like Kim Possibleâs Kimmunicator started beeping . . . Greg even recognized it, stopping mid-sentence to blurt out while looking at the crowd: âKim? Kim?â Too funny.
With the conclusion of the Opening Ceremonies, I imagine most guests and fans and staff grabbed something to eat somewhere . . . me and my friend made our way back across the city back to his place, where we enjoyed dinner there.
Hey, itâs day one . . . the funâs just getting started.
Glad you could make it.
GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES
CON-JOURNAL
DAY 4
MONDAY AUGUST 24, 2009
And so we come at last to the last day of the last Gathering. There were several reasons why I felt a bit down that morning, but that very fact of finality was a very strong one. Fortunately, both Guardian and Gside were there to offer me sympathetic pats on either shoulder.
I had arrived at 9AM and was surprised to see almost no one by the Mandarin room when the past three days were always fairly poppin' by about that time. At first I was by myself, but then Gside arrived and soon after Guardian. After discussing various subjects, we were slowly joined by A Fan, then Gorebash, Abby and VickyUK arrived pretty much one after the other. I was sad to learn Gore would have to leave before closing ceremonies, as would A Fan. For my part, I was glad I would be able to attend since it felt like something I HAD to take part in.
I attended the "Gargoyles" and "Bad Guys" comic book Q&A panel. I wish I could have gone to both that and the "Future of the 'Gargoyles' fandom" panel, but they were both at the same time, and I hadn't attended the comic panel back in 2006, so I had to go with this one. A number of questions about plot developments and art styles were answered (and a few questions were actually raised). I remember asking Karine and Greg Guler who were there favorite characters to design. Karine felt she had way too many to choose from, but was particularly fond of the new mutate designs she had done. Greg G. didn't think he had designed any real "new" characters (except a few extras, but he liked the Porter) until Greg W. indicated that he designed The Grim (AKA, Kenneth III). Interesting note, they made him blonde in order to contrast him from Findlaech and Maol Chalvim (since they all have pretty much the same general style in beards). Also, Greg admitted that he fairly quickly dispensed with his idea of "nothing in the comic that wouldn't be in the animated series." He's pretty sure they wouldn't have been able to pull off Brooklyn cutting off Valmont's hand on TV (and even in the comic, he specifically instructed that they never show the "stump" of the severed appendage).
After that panel, I took one last look in the Dealer's Room, but they were already packing everything up. I briefly sampled Karine's "Animating with Flash" panel, which looked very well done and informative with excellent visual aids, but I found I had little interest in flash, and went to the "Gargoyles Biology & Culture" panel. I don't know why only the front half of the room had light, but apparently someone fell asleep in the dark half and began to snore. Greg, Jade Griffin and Matt Parker didn't notice (or at least pretended not to) and someone else woke the first person up. I remember asking about how most gargoyles have four digits per appendage, but now we've seen Katana, who has three per appendage. And of course Sora, who had the usual 4 per hand, but only 3 per foot. Apparently, the Ishimura clan (or all Japanese) gargoyles are just unique in that way. Just like how the Mayan clan can have snake-like lower bodies, and the Loch Ness clan can have "dolphinesque" lower bodies. Funny thing...I remember from Crispin Freeman's panel on dragons, that in China, the dragon is usually shown with four toes on each foot, unless it is the Imperial dragon (only for the emperor), which has five toes per foot. But in Japan, the dragon is usually shown with THREE toes per foot. Hmmmmm. Okay maybe I'm over thinking things.
At last, we came to Closing Ceremonies. This was it. The End (at least for the time being). The usual awards for art were given out (and we had some really great ones this year). And then Greg Weisman began making a final speech, and had to constantly fight back tears during it. A lot of jokes came flying just so we had some laughter to try to counteract the water works. Actually, laughter and tears were pretty much the theme of closing ceremonies. Thom Adcox, god, you could tell he loved the Gatherings just as much as anyone. For over an hour, various members of the con staff, as well as Greg W. and Thom, began telling stories about their first Gathering, and how much being a part of this brought joy to their lives. There was a whole lotta hugging going on! Greg W. emphasized how many things (the DVDs, the comics), were directly attributable to the Gathering. We even had a few members of the audience tell their stories (and get handed tissues).
I think...no, I know nobody wanted this (the ceremonies, the Gathering, anything) to end. But it had to eventually, and it did.
We all said our good-byes (and I discovered that Guardian actually lives within the LA area as well). I hung around for a bit, but there was really not much left to help pack, and I was getting hungry. So I made my way out of the Gathering and back to the real world.
That's my con-journal, but I do have a few final thoughts of my own that I'll post later on.
It was VERY emotional...
The last Gathering of the Gargoyles.
I can't help feeling the kind of rending melancholy that comes with KNOWING beyond all hope of doubt and denial that an important element of your life is past.
I honestly don't think I would be alive today if not for the Gathering, and the wonderful friends I made there. I attended my first Gathering in 1999, at a very pivotal time in my life, when I felt very alone and afraid and freakish in the world. The Gathering and the people there showed me that I wasn't alone, that there wasn't so much to be afraid of, and that even if I AM strange, the people who really matter in life will love me in part because of my strangeness, not in spite of it. To a very young and frightened me, I do think that this meant the difference between life and death, which I had seriously contemplated more than once at that time.
I also owe the first great love of my life to the Gathering. Even though it didn't have the happy ending I wanted, I still wouldn't trade having loved and lost for anything at all.
Many stories of how Gargoyles and the Gathering touched all of us were shared during closing ceremonies. I chose to share one of my favourite happy memories--of my first Gathering, when an acquaintance and I had put on our costumes before the banquet. We were riding down in the elevator in all of our makeup when the elevator slowed to a stop, and we decided we would roar at whoever was on the other side of the doors. As the doors opened, we struck fierce poses and bellowed at the top of our lungs...at THOM ADCOX. We were VERY embarrassed, but after startling poor Thom, all three of us had a good laugh.
There was as much laughter as there were tears, because at its end, the taste of the day was bittersweet, indeed.
I know that all of these wonderful people that I call friends will find ways to meet up and spend time together, and we will without a doubt stay in touch, but there is a deep sting in knowing that this one event about something that we all have in common and that brought us all together is no longer there. At least, not in the form that we know it.
From what I hear, there was a lot of talk about what the future holds. While I hold the foundations upon which the present is built very dear and feel a sharp sense of loss, I remind myself of what may still yet come. I don't think this will be the last convention dedicated to Gargoyles. I do think that the future holds more, because I know that this group of people is nothing if not dedicated and passionate and fierce in our loyalty to each other and to what we love.
I'm not sure I have the words, but I will say that I'm glad the Gathering has a positive influence on your life. And I'm glad to have you as a friend, Kyt.
GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES
CON-JOURNAL
DAY 3
SUNDAY AUGUST 23, 2009
Got up at 7:30, still a bit groggy, and got to the Hilton by 9AM. I spent the next hour wandering around and talking to a few attendees and friends (I apologize to you all, but I can't remember who right now).
At 10AM, I attended the panel on "'Gargoyles': the Production Process." I wish I had taken notes, because now I find I can barely remember much about that panel (maybe that's because I'm writing this fairly late in the day and coming down from my "Gathering High" as it were). I do remember a great deal of credit for how "Gargoyles" turned out was given to Jay Fukuto. I remember Greg W. and Frank Paur talking about how much they argued during the run of the show. Frank mentioning that the "team" Disney's marketing people said went to New York City for reference shots consisted solely of him and his camera. And Greg W. remarking yet again about the unreliability of focus testing. I think it was THIS panel (and if not, then it was the Writers' one) where Greg told the story of how the guys behind "Kim Possible" had to do focus testing THREE TIMES (each one about 6 weeks apart) before Disney TV would green light their show.
Next was the Production Process panel for "The Spectacular Spider-Man." And yes, right away we got to see some of the scenes that had to be cut for time. Apparently, the Chameleon DID try to break Beck and Mason out, but they were already gone. One thing that was highlighted was that an episode of SS-M had a much smaller budget than an episode of "Gargoyles." That was why the part of the Big Man/Tombstone had to be recast rather than having Keith David phone patched like on "Gargoyles." Also, a very large reason they were able to get away with so much was because they technically didn't have a network to deal with until the script and most of the animation was finished.
Next, I made the decision to go get lunch (a six-inch seafood sandwich from Subway) and take a look at some of the items in the Dealer's Room, then catch the last 45 minutes of the Composers' panel. I loved some of the artwork, especially the Disney Princesses as gargoyles, Wendy Pini's drawing of the clan, Jade Griffin's Gummi Goyles, and so many others. I also finally caught a look at all the merchandise on the back table. Damn. If I had just a *little* more disposable income...*sigh*.
Anyway, sat in on the last part of the Composers' panel, and kind of wished I could have seen the whole thing (especially after hearing other people talk about it). I at least made it in time to see the examples of clips from the SS-M, first with no music or sound effects (just voices), and then with the whole sound track. I will admit, I did not know how huge of an influence Shirley Walker was on music in the animation industry. Carl Johnson regrets not being able to personally score the scene in which Elisa is turned into a gargoyle (it was edited by Marc Perlman--whose name I hope I spelled right).
"Writing in Television Animation" was up next, with even more guests, including Michael Reaves who, due to his Parkinson's disease, had to speak through first Bob Skir, and then his daughter Mallory (who arrived a bit after him). Somehow, his wit and humor managed to still make it through. I remember asking if the panelists thought that animated action shows in recent years were moving more towards continuity between episodes (can't quite recall the full answer, though). There was some discussion of how Story Editors and/or Supervising Producers interact with writers of individual episodes. Someone brought up the rather small ratio of women writers to men writers for animated action shows (and how there seems to be more women writers for comedy and preschool shows). And...unfortunately I'm blanking on the rest right now.
I attended Wendy Pini's panel on "Adapting Stories From Novels to Film." In her case it was more about graphic novels, and she talked about the "ElfQuest" film that's in development right now. She had a great deal to say about the process of adaptation, and how different mediums call for different styles, especially in regards to pacing. I brought up the "CBS debacle," mostly because I never get tired of hearing the strange way TV executives think. Crispin Freeman and his wife were also there, largely as audience and support. I recall the subject of voice acting coming up, and Crispin saying that if he were to cast himself in it, he would *want* to be Cutter, but feels he would be a better fit for Rayak or Strongbow.
At the end of the panel, which was mostly about "ElfQuest" and other comic/graphic novel to film adaptations, Wendy mentioned that she had wanted to talk more about "Gargoyles."
A little while later was the Banquet. There was a lot of good food there (I particularly liked the garlic mashed potatoes, the salmon, and the cheese cake). For the guests at my table we had Crispin Freeman, his wife (no, unfortunately, I didn't catch her name) and Wendy Pini. They were great, and I felt I had some great conversations with both Crispin and Wendy. Among other things, I complimented Wendy on her drawing of the clan. I mentioned to Crispin that one of his characters has inspired an Internet meme (kind of a popular repeated phrase), which led to a fun story about how the sound engineer for that show had left a clip of Crispin's voice work (when his character was acting particularly crazy) on Crispin's answering machine!
After the meal, instead of a trivia contest, we did a final Q&A with all the guests. Strangely enough, most of the questions were directed at Greg Weisman. It was at about this time that Thom Adcox FINALLY arrived and helped himself to some dinner (I forgot to mention, he was also late to the Blue Mug on Saturday...and he brought one of his dogs, practically derailing the whole thing with its cuteness).
After that, everyone left to prepare for the Masquerade and Dance. On his way out, Crispin Freeman mentioned his voice acting workshops and that one is next month. If I can gather enough funds, I intend to attend.
While waiting for the Masquerade to begin, I spoke at length with Greg Bishansky, and eventually Landon, Matt, Harvester of Eyes, Ben Diskin, and Lucas McLain (not all at the same time, of course). Mostly we just talked about the developments of the comic, aspects of the con, and how cool the guests were.
This year's Masquerade was small, but there were some very nice costumes. I really liked Aaron's Jackal (I especially loved his "cyber-eye"), and...that blue thing (AARRGH, what was his name!). King Arthur gave a great Shakespearean style speech (AWAY from the judges, unfortunately), and Zehra looked INCREDIBLE as Shari. Of course the "AWWW" cute moment was Jade Griffin (as Fox) carrying out her baby, who was dressed in Alexander's Halloween costume (and man, that kid loved to crawl!).
We also got to see some music videos, including one by Greg Bishansky which made a medley of the themes to SS-M and "Gargoyles." The funniest one was "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from "Little Mermaid"...with Puck singing Ursula and (of all people) DEMONA as Ariel!
Well, the awards were given out, and people began dancing (well, some anyway, the rest of us just talked or went to bed). I asked Greg who he felt should voice Peredur (Jude Law) and who he wanted to voice Falstaff (John Goodman, initially, but maybe more British...). I shook hands with Keith David and mentioned how sad I was that this was the last Gathering. "You never know," he said. And he's right. Who can say what the future holds? I, for example, hope to act alongside him someday.
At 11PM I made my way back home and tried to get a decent 7 hours of sleep.
My fourth and final con-journal...will be posted tomorrow. Right now, I'm too close to sleep to make a truly coherent entry.
I'm feeling all nostalgic...
So, a multi-part question!
Having done the final Gathering on a seriously tight budget, I was unable to get the 3 comic volumes (Clan Building vol 1 and 2, and Bad Guys) which I really wanted copies of to have you sign. Now, as far as my limited knowledge goes, I feel I've lost my opportunity.
My questions are: Is there a way I can purchase signed copies directly from you? If not, is there a way to get you to sign the copies I do purchase?
I don't sell this stuff -- except at the rare convention appearance, like CONvergence.
But you can read my response to the previous question or come see me at Comic-Con. (I'm at the SLG booth most every year.)
GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES
CON-JOURNAL
DAY 2
SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2009
I'm glad I don't have to get up at 4:50AM every day. I wanted to give the dog a fairly long walk that morning because I knew I wouldn't have time that evening.
I got to the Hilton at a little after 9AM and signed up for Josh Keaton's Mug-A-Guest (I had considered Keith David's, but that was already full). Josh was cool, and I'm not just saying that because we share the same first name (and I finally learned how they avoided confusion when both he and Josh Lebar are working on the same day). One thing both he and Ben Diskin had in common, they both started acting at a very young age (3 for one, 6 for another), largely because they already had some family member in the business. I mention this only because I'm around the same age as them and I'm still trying to break into the darn business.
After another bagel for lunch, I attended Crispin Freeman's "Anime Mythology" panel on "Knights and Dragons." Being a dragon fanboy, this one was a joy. I had already known about the differences between so-called Western and Eastern dragons, but this was the first time I heard somebody actually analyze what these creatures say about the cultures they sprang from, and how they influence their respective media. I was surprised when he pointed out how a difference in dialogue between the Japanese script and the English dub of "Spirited Away" showcased this difference. I was also pleasantly surprised when he brought up "Vision of Escaflowne" as one of his favorite animes (it's one of mine, too!).
After this, I attended BOTH voice acting panels. The "Gargoyles" one was special not for the number of guests it had, but because it was the first one attended by Marina Sirtis, the voice of Demona herself. Of course, there were also Greg Weisman, Jamie Thomason, Thom Adcox (naturally), Keith David (with his GREAT laugh) and, a little later on, Elisa Gabrielli. I got to ask a question (or rather series of questions) that I usually put to all the voice actors at these things: "What episode/scene was the most challenging/fun/fulfilling?" Greg W. reminded me that the series was 15 YEARS AGO, so that might be a difficult question to answer. But Marina had no trouble stating what annoyed her the most: "The effing impact grunts." I learned something very important in that panel: if you do something she does not like, she will throw Jolly Ranchers at you. And Thom stated, yet again, his reasons for why he did not care for the Avalon world tour arc: largely, that he wasn't in most of those episodes (in his own words, "Avalon SUCKS!"). Well, that'll teach him to go out and buy a new car. Keith got to say a couple of his favorite lines ("I've been denied everything..."), though not with as much volume as I'm sure he would have liked. Also, Marina and Greg have two different versions of how she was cast as Demona (she maintains she came in on two separate days, he says it was just the one). There was also the story of how Jonathan Frakes was briefly fired by Greg's bosses because the cast recorded at a hell-hole of a studio. It was great fun.
So was the "Spectacular Spider-Man" panel. There were...a LOT of voice actors for this one, including a few who overlapped from the "Gargoyles" panel. In fact, there were so many that I couldn't help but feel that there weren't enough questions to properly involve all of them. I thought the revelation that Daran Norris needed two microphones when he was recording both the Jamesons (because J. Jonah is SO LOUD) was fascinating. I asked those who did multiple voices what their process was for differentiating them. Phil Lamarr talked about the difficulty of making two voices (those of the Robertsons) sound distinct and yet related (something Daran Norris had to figure out, too), while Steve Blum mentioned that he just had so many voices in his head that he needed the work to get them out.
I forgot to mention that, in between the panels, I went to check on the cast for the radio play. Since EVERY ONE of the voice guests said yes, there were only a handful of roles for the fans. I was quite happy to get one of them, and after the panels, the rehearsal began.
It was a Gathering-Original script. A crossover between "Gargoyles" and the "Spectacular Spider-Man" written to take full advantage of ALL 16 GUESTS who said they would do it. I was quite surprised to find that I was cast as Zaphiro (a character with a Spanish accent!). We only had enough time to run through the 78-page script (that's FEATURE LENGTH) once, and then a quick break before the beginning of the radio play.
It was a BLAST! The script was full of in-jokes (a lot of them breaking the fourth wall), but even managed to pack in an excellent bit of drama. But no where else will you hear Lexington mention porn on the internet, or hear Demona refer to Elisa as Goliath's "human whore." Steve Blum talked to himself, as did Thom Adcox (I hoped people picked up on the slight difference between Lexington and Tinkerer--and I loved when Lex mentioned Homunculus #5's annoying voice--said Homunculus ALSO voiced by Thom). For my part, aparantly I managed to pull off the Spanish accent well enough. Elisa Gabrielli was kind enough to offer me some pointers on a particular line of Spanish (yeah, I also had a few words and lines entirely in Spanish).
At the end I got kudos from many fans, and even a few of the pros.
I had really wanted to attend the panel on "Rope Bondage 101" but I needed to hurry back to my canine charge to feed him his evening meal if I wanted to make it back in time for the Blue Mug. I just barely managed to make it, and got to ask one question that I felt was appropriate given that this was the last Blue Mug: how it all got started. The short answer is it grew out of the regular Mug-A-Guest when they wanted to keep that family-friendly. Anyway, about an hour in, Greg had to hit the bathroom, and that bastard Edmund Tsabard seized the opportunity to come in and make the Blue Mug about "Blue Mug Productions." The one thing I got from his section of the panel was that if you want the smut, you have to "SPEND THE MONEY!" All I can say about the third page of "Last Tengu in Paris" is, "GREAT GOOGLEY MOOGLEY!" Anyway, about an hour later, after the questions dried up, Edmund left and Greg FINALLY came back. Unfortunately, it was about 11PM and I had to get back to my friend's house to be there to greet him and give over care of the dog. He came in at 1AM, and I was back in my own home and asleep by about 2AM.
Joshua, I just want to thank you again. We cast you as Zafiro cuz we knew you could handle it (accent and all). And you totally pulled it off.
CON-JOURNAL
OF A SORT
Never having truly posted to this site before (or any other for that matter) I thought that now would be an appropriate time to speak of the Gathering. I wonât bore you with memories like the look and grief I gave my brother (a PhD in Bio-chem.) who told me about a really well written Disney cartoon and the humble pie I ate after watching the first show. Or the joy my oldest daughter experienced after asking a question of Keith David at the 2001 con and he responded by giving his famous line âIâve been denied everything, even my REVENGE.â Caiti was 8 at the time. Or of how my youngest daughter, Ally, started watching Gargoyles when she was 2 and became instantly enraptured with Lexington. Then heard his voice 2 years later in the dealerâs room, shouted out âItâs Lexingtonâ and ran over to hug a complete and somewhat startled stranger (Thanks for being so understanding, both then and now, Thom). Orâ¦but I digress.
And so, as per Gregâs request, and with apologies to W.S.:
Why so sad, coz?
This is the time call'd the Gathering of Gargoyles.
And he or she that shares this meet, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this time is nam'd,
And rouse at the name of Gargoyles.
He that shares this time, and sees old episodes,
Will yearly on the vigil recount to his clan,
And say âTis the time of the Gathering.'
Then will he bring out his memories and show his photos,
And say 'These friends I met and these moments I had on this day.'
The old forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What adventures he had that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Greg the Creator, Keith, Salli and Thom,
Michael and Marina, Bill, Ed and Jeff-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his clan;
And the time of Gathering shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we clan of brothers;
For he or she to-day that shares this time with me
Shall be my brother; be he or she ne'er so far,
This day shall bring them near;
And those who stayed away
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold themselves cheap whiles any speaks
That Gathered on this final meet.
Thanks for the memoriesâ"may there be many more to follow.
(Hey, Greg's not the only one who can borrow from Shakespeare)
I LOVE THAT!!! Thanks...
GATHERING OF THE GARGOYLES
CON-JOURNAL
DAY 1
FRIDAY AUGUST 21, 2009
Well, Greg, you asked for the con-journals to be posted. And here I am at home with the evening ahead of me, so I may as well oblige. I will be writing largely from memory, so I apologize in advance to anyone whom I may forget.
My day started fairly early--about 5AM. This was because I was house/dog-sitting for a friend. This overlapped with the first two days of the Gathering, so I had to juggle my responsibilities with the convention. That meant getting up early enough to give the dog a good, long walk and feed him before heading off to the Gathering (and this is a BIG dog, with a LOT of energy, who does NOT like being left alone).
At any rate, I managed to make it to the registration desk at a little before 10AM, and apparently became the first attendee to receive my badge! I spent the first 2 or so hours just wandering around and meeting both old friends (like Greg Bishansky) and folk I had only met online (like Harvester of Eyes).
At 12PM (after munching a bagel with cream cheese for lunch), I attended the "Drawing Comics" panel hosted by Karine Charlebois. It was an informative look at translating Greg's comic scripts to a page in a comic book. This included:
-having to turn a one-panel scene with TWO actions in the script into two separate panels.
-the importance of character positioning during dialogue.
-keeping track of where everyone is during a battle sequence (even to the point of having a map of the area so you will know where the "camera" is facing at any given time).
-the differences in layout between American comics and European comics.
After that, I really wanted to attend the "Machiavelli on 'Gargoyles'" panel, but I had too many other things to do. For starters, I had to audition for the Radio Play. True to the nature of the radio play itself, the audition sides contained BOTH "Gargoyles" and "Spectacular Spider-Man" sides. I had considered reading Brooklyn (my favorite garg), but I decided that others could do the "heroic-snarker" role better than myself, so I chose a more extreme character: the Green Goblin. The audition sheet also asked if one was capable of imitating a Spanish/Hispanic accent (I marked "No"), and if one was capable of emitting a "Ghoul Shriek" (I marked "Yes").
One fun audition and shriek later, I ducked into the Dealer's Room to pick up a copy of "Clan-Building: Vol. II." I read the darn thing until 3PM when it was time for Ben Diskin's Mug-A-Guest, which I had signed up for.
Ben Diskin is a great guy; very approachable, easy going, with a great sense of humor. He had a number of funny stories, including a voice session for "Kids Next Door" where Tom Kenny played Santa Claus (and went a *little* off book while the director and engineers weren't listening). I have to agree with Greg B., though--it's amazing that Venom's voice comes from such a skinny guy!
After heading out to Rubio's on CityWalk for a little dinner (and finishing CB:V2), I returned to the hotel and waited for Opening Ceremonies, which were running a little late. Thus, I spent the time talking with several people, such as Greg B., Phoenician, Lucas McLain (I'm sorry, I can't remember your net name!), Guardian, Matt, and others I'm forgetting, I'm sure.
Opening ceremonies were great. There was, of course, a bit of sadness that this would be the last one. On the plus side, since this WAS the last one, Greg Weisman and the members of the staff (OTHER THAN Jen Anderson and Patrick Toman), decided to break the rule that staff members could not be "Fan Guest of Honor" and gave that distinction to both Jen and Patrick for their YEARS of work to keep the Gathering going and "Gargoyles" alive.
Greg did his usual spiel about how "Gargoyles" came to be, and showed the videos he had shown for Opening Ceremonies over the years. Now, as I understand it, for the past few Gatherings, Greg would show one video one year (one version of the pitch, one version of the promo), and would show its counterpart the next year (for variety). This year, being the last, he showed them ALL! So I got to see at least one video I had not seen before: a version of the pitch read by Jim Cummings, and with some artwork not seen in the other version (the one on the first season DVD set). After these, the reconstructed "Dark Ages" and "New Olympians" pitches, and the "Bad Guys" leica reel, we saw the fan constructed animatic for the "Team Atlantis" episode, "The Last." A great deal of progress has been made since 2006 (my previous Gathering), with only a few blank spots left to fill (and it sounds like work will continue on it, with or without the Gathering). Watching the videos was kind of bittersweet, since I don't know when I'll be able to see them again.
Inevitably, Opening Ceremonies ended, and I made my way back to my friend's house to walk and feed the dog and try to get a few hours of sleep.
Wow, it seems so long ago already...
Hi Greg!
I'm a big fan of Spectacular Spidey, and just like everyone else here, I really hope the show gets renewed and lasts for a really long time.
My question is, IF the show is not renewed, or IF the show ends earlier than you anticipate - will you continue the show in comic book form (similar to how you did with Gargoyles)? Or maybe continue the show with a series of straight to DVD movies?
Thank You!!! Best of luck with the show!!
Oh yeah - I was at the Spidey panel for Comic Con - great stuff.
Unfortunately I couldn't make it to The Gathering - is this a yearly convention also, or is it just a one time thing?
Thanks again!!!
The Gathering WAS an annual convention, but it's over now... at least for the foreseeable future.
As for continuing Spec Spidey, it's not up to me. But I'd love to.
This is not a question, but nevertheless:
I'm sitting here in Michigan, really disappointed that I'm not at the Gathering. Lame.
Sorry we missed you.
I've heard that the radio play at the Gathering this year will be (or was, by the time you read this) a crossover between "Gargoyles" and "The Spectacular Spider-Man", which apparently you wrote. If this is true and you did indeed write it, I wonder how you felt about writing that encounter between two sets of characters you've worked on. (I do suspect that it wasn't hard to get them to meet, since both series are set in Manhattan!)
It was fun, but, frankly, a brutal chore as I did not have nearly enough time to write the script.
G2009 Radio Play - Act Three
672. NARRATOR
Act Three.
673. DEMONA
Norman Osborn was a fool. So obsessed with the power of science, he kept the Crown of Thorns in this vault as if it was just another souvenir â" albeit an expensive one â" to hang upon his wall. But with the Crown and the Spear of Destiny together, I now have the power to force all of humanity to its knees.
674. GOLIATH
These are Christian icons, Demona. Not every human being is a Christian.
675. DEMONA
Not every human being speaks Latin, but that didnât stop me from using a Latin spell to turn a city-full of humans to stone. The magic I wield is potent beyond measure. Mine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory. No human may resist. No human will be spared. None will be spared who oppose me. Just look at this foolâ¦
676. GOLIATH
Her name is Obsidiana.
677. DEMONA
Of course it is. For she wears the mystic Obsidian pendant fashioned by human sorcerers. Even that is enough to put her in my thrall. She has relinquished her gargoyle birthright.
678. GOLIATH
I have relinquished nothing.
679. NARRATOR
Demona waves the Spear of Destiny, and Electro rises and blasts Goliath back into the wall.
680. GOLIATH
<impact>
681. DEMONA
Yes, Iâm surprised youâre unaffected⦠since you reek of humanity. The stink of your human whore is in your hair, on your lips, everywhere. And nothing in this world will give me more pleasure, Goliath, than watching your detective on her knees to me, as she draws her service revolver and thanks me with tears of joy in her eyes⦠before gratefully blowing out her own brains.
682. GOLIATH
(coldly furious)
That will never be.
683. DEMONA
No? My power expands with every second. I doubt sheâs far away.
684. GOLIATH
You will not harm Elisa.
685. NARRATOR
Goliath advances on Demona. Electro blasts away, but Goliath will not be stoppedâ¦
686. DEMONA
No one ever said you werenât persistent, Goliath. But what do you hope to gain?
687. GOLIATH
(through gritted teeth)
I will turn these forces back upon you.
688. DEMONA
Impossible. I am the last true gargoyle left on this world. The Crownâs magicks cannot touch me.
689. GOLIATH
So you believe. But I am not the only one who reeks of humanity. Am I⦠Dominique?!
690. NARRATOR
Goliath grasps the crown. The thorns bite into his hands, drawing blood. They struggle for control of the immense powerâ¦
691. GOLIATH, DEMONA
<roaring to the heavens>
692. SPIDER-MAN
<moan>
693. NARRATOR
Goliathâs intervention â" and his complete immunity to the Crownâs effects â" creates the smallest of fluctuation in Demonaâs control. In a haze, Spider-Man lifts his armâ¦
694. SPIDER-MAN
Thwip.
695. NARRATOR
He shoots off a web, yanking the bloody crown from Demonaâs head.
696. DEMONA
Noooooo!!!!
697. NARRATOR
There is a massive explosion of mystic energy and light! Demona, Goliath and Electro collapse.
698. GOLIATH
<moan>
699. SPIDER-MAN
Goliathâ¦
700. GOLIATH
The Spear⦠the Crownâ¦
701. SPIDER-MAN
Gone. I think they⦠blew up. Calypsoâs gone too. But Iâm betting thatâs just a talent of hers. And Iâd guess sheâs taken Kraven and the pussycat with her.
702. DEMONA
<unconscious moan>
703. SPIDER-MAN
But the Big Badâs still hereâ¦
704. GOLIATH
(sadly)
Leaving behind, as always, nothing but a handful of thornsâ¦
Goliath, Spider-Man and Demona sit. Jonah, Elisa, Matt and George STAND.
705. NARRATOR
While Goliath helps Obsidiana, Spidey webs up Demona, Electro and Ock. In the outer vault, Zafiro and the Trio recover, finding only an unconscious and de-venomed Eddie Brock. Outside, the bad guys have all been beaten. Goblin and Vulture, their tech badly damaged, barely manage to fly away. Carnage and Jupiter are once again Cletus and John.
706. JONAH
Iâm here, Johnny. Your old Popâs hereâ¦
707. ELISA
Mattâ¦
708. MATT
Call an ambulance, Elisa. Old Man Dracon said something about seeing a light. Then he collapsed. A stroke or something. Iâve been giving him C.P.R.
709. ELISA
Matt⦠Matt! You can stop. Stop. Heâs gone.
710. GEORGE
Youâre gargoyles are flying off, Detective.
711. MATT
(breathing hard)
Really? Not sure I see âem myself. But is that Spidey web-slinging away?
712. GEORGE
You think? I must have missed him?
Margot STANDS.
713. MARGOT
Are you all blind?! Theyâre right over there!
714. GEORGE, MATT, ELISA (UNISON)
Oh, give it a rest, Margotâ¦
Elisa, Matt, George, Margot and Jonah sit. Peter, May, Harry and Gwen STAND.
715. NARRATOR
Back at the busâ¦
716. PETER
Iâm back. And not a single decent picture to show for my efforts.
717. MAY
Well, you tried your best, Peter. Iâm sure Mr. Jameson will appreciate that.
718. PETER
Oh, yeah. Heâs a sweetheart that way.
719. NARRATOR
Emily Osborn watches as her son finally emerges from the bathroom.
720. GWEN
Harry?
721. HARRY
Hey, Gwen. I feel much better.
Harry, Gwen, Peter and May sit. Jonah and Robbie STAND.
722. NARRATOR
Later that night, at The Bugleâ¦
723. JONAH
Whaddayou mean I canât publish it?! How else can I make them all pay for what they did to Johnny!
724. ROBBIE
You canât publish because the authorities refuse to comment. We have no pictures or statements to corroborate a story that includes gargoyles, a dead Green Goblin and everything except the kitchen sink. No one will believe it. I was there, and I donât believe it! Print this, Jonah, and The Bugle becomes the next Daily Tattler.
725. JONAH
Ms. Brant, call the bomb squad. BECAUSE IâM ABOUT TO EXPLODE!!
Jonah and Robbie sit. Gwen, Peter, Kong, Curt, Harry, EMILY OSBORN and Mary Jane STAND.
726. NARRATOR
Later still, aboard OsCorpâs private jet en route to Miamiâ¦
727. GWEN
I still canât believe we ran into you in the airport parking lot, Doctor Connors.
728. PETER
Yeah, and weâre so sorry you got mugged.
729. KONG
Dude, they took your shoes?! Thatâs hilarious! <laughs>
730. CURT
Yes, well, I just really appreciate the ride back to Floridaâ¦
731. HARRY
Anytime, Doctor C. Anytime.
732. EMILY
Harry, could I have a moment⦠in your fatherâs office?
733. HARRY
Uh, sure, Mom.
Curt, Kong and Gwen sit.
734. MARY JANE
Pete, help.
735. PETER
Whatâs wrong?
736. MARY JANE
Tiny. Cute enough, but itâs like talking to a tree stump.
737. PETER
Tried to warn you.
738. MARY JANE
Just say weâll spend the week as a threesome, okay, Tiger.
739. PETER
Sure!
740. MARY JANE
Not that kind of threesome.
Mary Jane and Peter sit.
741. NARRATOR
Meanwhile, Harry follows his mother Emily into the jetâs private office.
742. EMILY
I know you were playing at being the Goblin, Harry.
743. HARRY
What?! Mom, thatâs crazy! I was in the bathroomâ¦
744. EMILY
Donât lie to me, baby. You hired the worst chauffer in the city to delay our progress. You had a secret hatch installed in the bus bathroom, so you could slip in and out undetected. And you left a pre-recorded âvomit tapeâ with voice recognition software. All very impressive for a sixteen-year-old. But you need to understand⦠the Green Goblin is not what your father wanted for you.
745. HARRY
I have no idea what Dad wanted for meâ¦
746. EMILY
Then let him tell youâ¦
747. NARRATOR
She slips a DVD into the computer and Norman Osborn appears on screenâ¦
NORMAN OSBORN STANDS.
748. NORMAN
Harry, my son. If you are watching this, then I am dead. And I have instructionsâ¦
Norman, Emily and Harry sit. Big Man, Blackie and SHARI STAND.
749. NARRATOR
Meanwhile at the Big Manâs office, he and Blackie Gaxton are visited by Shari, a young woman wearing a pendant depicting an eye atop a pyramidâ¦
750. BIG MAN
Thirty-six.
751. BLACKIE
Thirty-five.
752. SHARI
Nine. Any problems?
753. BIG MAN
Not particularly. Ms. Destine was ready to believe I could find Dracon and the others useful.
754. BLACKIE
And that faux Goblin was happy to believe Iâd been fooled into thinking he was the real thing.
755. NARRATOR
Blackie removes his false face, revealing that he is actually the Chameleon in disguise.
756. CHAMELEON
Just as he was happy to believe I was the real Blackie Gaxton. But Iâm still not sure why the Society wanted all thisâ¦?
757. SHARI
Isnât it enough to know the Illuminati appreciates your efforts?
CHAMELEON and Big Man sit. THAILOG, BRENTWOOD, Homunculus #1, Homunculus #2 And Homunculus #3 STAND.
758. NARRATOR
Shari leaves Lincolnâs office and pulls out her cellphoneâ¦
759. SHARI
Dial Nightstone Unlimited.
760. THAILOG
Alexander Thailog.
761. SHARI
The Spear? The Crown?
762. THAILOG
Waiting for you to send to Duval.
763. BRENTWOOD
Brentwood capture little robot. Use it to control other little robots. When bright light shine, robots take spear and crown.
764. SHARI
Lovely.
765. THAILOG
What should we do with the Homunculi?
766. SHARI
Set them free. Maybe theyâll get their own series some day.
767. HOMUNCULUS #1
Free, free, set them freeâ¦
768. HOMUNCULUS #2
On basic cable and DVDâ¦
769. HOMUNCULUS #3
Jazz hands!
Homunculus #3, Homunculus #2, Homunculus #1, Shari, Thailog and Brentwood sit. Elisa and Goliath STAND.
770. NARRATOR
At the castle, Elisaâs cell rings.
771. ELISA
Maza⦠Yeah, Captain Stacy said you might call. Sure, heâs right here.
772. NARRATOR
She hands the phone to Goliath, who doesnât quite know how to hold it. She takes it back and puts the call on speaker.
773. GOLIATH
Hello�
Spider-Man STANDS.
774. SPIDER-MAN
Hey, Goliath. Itâs your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
775. GOLIATH
You protect your⦠neighborhood.
776. SPIDER-MAN
Just like you do the super-hero thing without the tights.
777. GOLIATH
Spider-Man, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
778. SPIDER-MAN
Hey, I was just gonna say that. You saw that movie too?
779. GOLIATH
Movie?
780. ELISA
God, I love you⦠<kiss>
Elisa, Goliath and Spider-Man sit. Kafka STANDS.
781. NARRATOR
And finally â" yes, finally â" we end where we began. In the offices of Dr. Ashley Kafka at Ravencroft. Sheâs on the phone to her Board of Directors.
782. KAFKA
After all that tsuris, little has changed. Otto and Eddie are still disassociative. Max still needs a cure, and John still wants power. Cletus? He just keeps repeating, âI got a taste now,â over and over. Yes, we lost Dominic, Iâm afraid. But we do have a new patientâ¦
Dominique STANDS.
783. KAFKA (CONT)
â¦Dominique Destine.
784. DOMINIQUE
Just wait until the sun goes downâ¦
Dominique and Kafka sit.
785. NARRATOR
The End.
THE END
NEXT: I finally get back to answering questions...
G2009 Radio Play - Act Two
BIG MAN STANDS.
247. NARRATOR
Act Two. The Big Man of Crime enters his offices, but finds heâs not aloneâ¦
248. BIG MAN
You spend so much time here, Iâll need to buy you your own chair. So youâll stay out of mine.
Green Goblin STANDS.
249. GREEN GOBLIN
Surprised to see me?
250. BIG MAN
Not particularly.
251. GREEN GOBLIN
Then you wonât be surprised to learn Iâm still running thingsâ¦
252. BIG MAN
If you can run them from a hospital bedâ¦
253. NARRATOR
Catching Gobby off guard, Lincoln punches him right through the windowâ¦
254. GREEN GOBLIN
<impact grunt>
255. NARRATOR
The goblin-glider swoops in and catches the Goblin, who pulls out a Pumpkin Bomb.
PUMPKIN BOMB STANDS.
256. GREEN GOBLIN
Ever the gracious host. And ever the gracious guest, the Goblin must show his appreciation. Here. I brought a gift.
257. NARRATOR
Gobby throws his âgiftâ, but Goliath swoops in, catches it and throws it back.
Goliath and Spider-Man STAND.
258. PUMPKIN BOMB
<shriek>
259. GREEN GOBLIN
<impact>
260. NARRATOR
Not far awayâ¦
261. SPIDER-MAN
No, no, no, no, no⦠I was hoping Iâd never hear that trademark Pumpkin Bomb shriek againâ¦
262. NARRATOR
Spidey swings in to find Goliath and a recovering Gobby togetherâ¦
263. SPIDER-MAN
So thatâs what these gargoyles are⦠more of the Goblinâs Halloween creationsâ¦
264. NARRATOR
Spidey swings into action against Goliath.
265. GOLIATH, SPIDER-MAN
<ad-lib battle sounds>
266. GOLIATH
The Bugle was right about you: you are a threat and a menace!
267. SPIDER-MAN
Wait, you can talk? And read?! And what you read is the Jolly Oneâs editorials?!
268. GREEN GOBLIN
I know I should assassinate Mr. Lincoln. But Iâm so enjoying the show. Really, someone should make more Gargoyles. I know: Iâll call Walt Disney.
Green Goblin, Spider-Man, Goliath, Pumpkin Bomb and Big Man sit. ANGELA, BROOKLYN, BROADWAY and LEXINGTON STAND.
269. NARRATOR
Meanwhile, atop the Eyrie Building, Brooklyn, Lexington and Broadway watch Angela playing with Brooklynâs son Nashvilleâ¦
270. ANGELA
Thatâs great, Nashville. This time try the axeâ¦
271. BROADWAY
Wow, Angela looks so adorable playing with Gnash. I mean, Gnash is cute tooâ¦
272. BROOKLYN
Thanks. I know he hatched in another decade, but Katana and I discussed it, and we want the whole clan to be Gnash and Egwardoâs Rookery parentsâ¦
273. BROADWAY
Weâd be honoredâ¦
274. LEXINGTON
I still canât quite take it all in. I go to Britain for a few weeks, and everything changesâ¦
275. BROADWAY
At least you were gone for weeks. Try adjusting in forty seconds.
276. BROOKLYN
Hey, I had forty years to get ready for this, and itâs still strangeâ¦
277. LEXINGTON
But, dude. Youâre so⦠old.
278. BROOKLYN
Thanks.
279. LEXINGTON
Older than Goliath.
280. BROOKLYN
Yeah.
281. LEXINGTON
Almost Hudsonâs age.
282. BROOKLYN
I get it. Iâm old.
283. LEXINGTON
Itâs not that. Everything about you is different.
284. BROOKLYN
Oh, come onâ¦
285. BROADWAY
No, heâs right. The way you talk. The way you move. All those weapons you carry now. Itâs like youâve outgrown us.
286. BROOKLYN
Thatâs not fair. I canât tell you how much I missed you both.
287. LEXINGTON
We get that. And weâre not mad. Butâ¦
288. BROOKLYN
Look, this isnât all on me. As I recall, things were already changing. Broadway spent all his time with Angela.
289. BROADWAY
Not all my time.
290. LEXINGTON
Uh⦠pretty much.
291. BROADWAY
Yeah, well, youâre practically on the internet non-stop.
292. LEXINGTON
Itâs addictive! Do you know they have porn on that thing? Thereâs this one website, Blue Mug Prodâ"
293. BROOKLYN
I donât wanna know. The point is weâve all gone through some changes. Thatâs just life.
294. BROADWAY
I guess our Three Musketeer days are overâ¦
295. LEXINGTON
Yeahâ¦
Zafiro and Obsidiana STAND.
296. ZAFIRO
Gargoyles of Manhattan!
297. OBSIDIANA
We need youâre help!
298. NARRATOR
At just that moment, the sun rises, turning Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway, Angela and Gnash to stone. Obsidiana and Zafiro are unaffected, thanks to their mystic Mayan pendants.
299. ZAFIRO
Mierda.
300. OBSIDIANA
Nuestro cronometraje apesta hoy.
Obsidiana, Zafiro, Lexington, Broadway, Brooklyn and Angela sit. Spider-Man, Green Goblin and Pumpkin Bomb STAND.
301. NARRATOR
Across town, Goliath also turns to stone.
302. SPIDER-MAN
What the heck?!
303. GREEN GOBLIN
Well, that was⦠unexpected.
304. SPIDER-MAN
All right, thatâs enough. I know youâre not the real Gobby.
305. GREEN GOBLIN
Yes, yes, âItâs not the voice; itâs the words. Not the tech, but the moves.â Iâve heard it all beforeâ¦
306. SPIDER-MAN
Then I know exactly who you really are: Chameleon!
307. GREEN GOBLIN
That would ease your conscience, wouldnât it? To think Iâm Chameleon â" and not the ghost of the man you killed!
308. SPIDER-MAN
I donât believe in ghosts.
309. GREEN GOBLIN
Then maybe youâd prefer I was the Spawn of Goblin.
310. SPIDER-MAN
Oh, youâd just love to shift the blame to Harry. Sorry, Gobby â" I mean, Chammy â" but weâve been there, done that. Besides, no matter who you are, there hasnât been time for the Globulin Green to kick in and truly Goblify you. So Iâm gonna take you down now while youâre still just a cheap imitation.
311. GREEN GOBLIN
You could do that⦠or you could save stoneface over there.
312. NARRATOR
Gobby throws a pumpkin bomb at Goliath. Instinctively, Spidey webs it awayâ¦
313. PUMPKIN BOMB
<shriek>
Pumpkin Bomb and Green Goblin sit.
314. NARRATOR
By which time, the Goblin is gone, leaving a confused Spidey perched on Goliathâs headâ¦
315. SPIDER-MAN
So in hindsight, Iâm thinking maybe you werenât part of the Gob-Squad, right?
(beat)
Fine. Stonewall me.
May STANDS.
316. NARRATOR
That morning in Forest Hills, Spidey sneaks in through his bedroom window, hoping to catch a few Zs.
317. MAY
Peter, are you awake.
318. PETER
Uh, sure Aunt May. Just getting dressed.
319. MAY
Well, hurry up. Iâm⦠âconferencingâ with all the other parents.
Robbie, ROSIE THOMPSON and George STAND.
320. ROBBIE
Are you sure you donât mind, Mrs. Parker? Cuz I gotta say, what youâre proposing would be my worst nightmare.
321. MAY
<laughs> Oh, I donât believe that for a minute, Mr. Robertson. Itâs a joy to be around Peter and his friends. And I wonât be alone. Anna Watson and Mrs. Osborn will be with me.
322. ROSIE
Emily? Sheâs so⦠odd. I donât think sheâs ever said one word to meâ¦
323. MAY
Well, I donât know her very well, Rosie, but Harry is Peterâs best friend â" no offense to your Eugene â" so she must be doing something right.
324. ROSIE
May, you never change. Always seeing the best in people.
325. MAY
Iâll take that as a compliment, dear girl.
326. GEORGE
In any case, Iâm glad to get Gwen out of Manhattan for a few days. The streets are looking pretty grim right about now.
327. MAY
Oh, Iâm sure your officers will have things under control in no time.
328. PETER
Aunt May, whatâs going on?
329. MAY
Oh, didnât I tell you, Peter. Iâm chaperoning your trip to Miami Beach!
330. PETER
Wow. Great.
Peter, May, George, Rosie and Robbie sit. Big Man and Dominique STAND.
331. NARRATOR
Meanwhile, back at L. Thompson Lincolnâs officeâ¦
332. BIG MAN
And how can I be of help, Ms. Destine.
333. DOMINIQUE
I think I can help you, Mr. Lincoln.
334. BIG MAN
What makes you think I need any help?
335. DOMINIQUE
Oh, little things. The shattered window, that unusual statue on the ledge outsideâ¦
336. BIG MAN
Point taken. How about you cut to the chase?
337. DOMINIQUE
Fine. Tony Dracon. Tomas Brod. Silvio Manfredi. All in jail. Hammerhead. Sable Manfredi. On the run. This gives you a unique opportunity to reclaim what was lost.
338. BIG MAN
Iâm sure L. Thompson Lincoln has no idea what youâre talking about. But go onâ¦
339. DOMINIQUE
You have three problems. Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus and the government watching your every move.
340. BIG MAN
And you have the solutionâ¦
341. DOMINIQUE
I have the manpower. Three⦠âsuper-villainsâ to take down the competition and Dominic Dracon to use as a figurehead.
342. BIG MAN
The old man? I heard he was shy a few brain cells.
343. DOMINIQUE
Itâs easy enough to spread the word he was faking insanity to avoid prosecution. And easy enough to assign him a keeper. Meanwhile, heâs a Dracon. And that name still carries weight, I believe.
344. BIG MAN
It does. But what would you want in exchange?
345. DOMINIQUE
Nothing extraordinary. Just the services of the Tinkerer.
346. BIG MAN
I believe that can be arranged.
347. DOMINIQUE
Lovely. But letâs not allow the moss to gather. Youâll want to move fast. Before the Octopus retrieves his armsâ¦
Dominique and Big Man sit. SILVER SPOON MANAGER, Vulture, DOCTOR OCTOPUS and Electro STAND.
348. NARRATOR
The weather has turned cold. At the Silver Spoon, three men in trench coats and hats wait for their coffee.
349. SILVER SPOON MANAGER
Sixty-nine!
350. VULTURE
Yes. Here.
351. NARRATOR
Vulture sits down with Electro and Doctor Octopus.
352. DOCTOR OCTOPUS
Thank you, Adrian. Now. My arms?
353. VULTURE
In an OsCorp vault.
354. ELECTRO
At Rykers?!
355. VULTURE
<shhhhh> Not THE Vault. A vault. Still very high security, and the police are bound to expect our arrival, butâ¦
356. DOCTOR OCTOPUS
Indeed. <sigh> OsCorp. Even in death, Norman Osborn torments me. But it cannot be helped. I must have my arms. We go in under cover of darkness tonight.
Doctor Octopus, Vulture and Electro sit. Silver Spoon Manager remains standing. Peter and Mary Jane STAND.
357. NARRATOR
The three men exit through one door. Two teenagers enter through another.
358. SILVER SPOON MANAGER
Seventy!
359. MARY JANE
Try to understand, Tiger. I just canât do that to Gwen. Sheâs really become my best friend at Midtown.
360. PETER
But itâs not like weâd be making out or anything, right? Uh, right?
361. MARY JANE
Right.
362. PETER
Right, right. Weâd be going as friends. Hanging out when the couples were ⦠you know, coupling.
363. MARY JANE
And that would be great. But look at it from her point of view. She took all the risks, and you still wound up with Liz. Thereâs no way, sheâd see me as anything but a threat. Wait, that sounded really conceited.
364. PETER
Have you looked in a mirror? Not conceited. Just fact.
365. MARY JANE
Ooh, nice one. Such a player.
366. PETER
Yeah, right. The worldâs loneliest player.
367. MARY JANE
Stop it. I know you donât want to hurt Gwen either. Not after all the two of you have been through.
368. PETER
Yeah⦠I wonder if Ms. Brant likes Miami. Kidding, kidding⦠Wow, pretty good. That was practically the Look.
369. SILVER SPOON MANAGER
Seventy-One!
SEYMOUR OâREILLY stands.
370. PETER
So youâre just not going?
371. MARY JANE
Oh, Iâm going. Itâs 48 degrees outside and 82 in Miami. I asked Tiny to be my plus one.
372. PETER
Tiny?! Tiny McKeever?! The guyâs got the brain of an amoeba. He makes King Kong look like a genius. Hell, he makes Flash look like Stephen Hawking!
373. MARY JANE
(shrugs)
Heâs cute.
374. PETER
<argggh> I just wish I could skip the whole thing. But Aunt Mayâs going, and after her heart attack, I really think she could use some fun in the sun--
375. SEYMOUR
Sorry to interrupt. Couldnât help overhearing.
376. PETER
Oh, hey, Seymour.
377. SEYMOUR
Just wanted to let you know Harry invited me too. And Iâm totally going stag. I mean who wants a ball and chain when Miami Beach is full of hotties, right?
378. PETER
Uhâ¦
379. SEYMOUR
Just donât expect to hang out, okay. Youâd fully cramp my style.
380. PETER
Of course I wouldâ¦
381. SILVER SPOON MANAGER
Seventy-two!!
Silver Spoon Manager, Peter, Seymour and Mary Jane sit. Dominique and TINKERER STAND.
382. NARRATOR
Meanwhile, the Tinkerer arrives at the Destine Mansionâ¦
383. DOMINIQUE
You have the devices?
384. TINKERER
Five was all I could put together on short notice. Unless you want to bring Mysterio in�
385. DOMINIQUE
Our stage is crowded enough. And five should do quite nicely.
Dominique and Tinkerer sit. May, Mary Jane, GREG BISHANSKY, Sally, Gwen, Harry, Kong, Rand, Flash, Liz, Jason, Peter and Seymour STAND.
386. NARRATOR
Later that afternoon, Harryâs rented a party bus, and the gang is en route to the airport, stuck in heavy traffic on the expressway. A very prepared May Parker has a clipboardâ¦
387. MAY
All right, we have three adults and sixteen children â" sorry, sixteen teenagers. Thatâs nineteen sojourners bound for Florida. So why did my headcount come to twenty?
388. MARY JANE
I think you counted the bus driver, Mrs. Parker.
389. MAY
Oh, that I did.
390. BISHANSKY
Hey, twist my arm! Iâll go to Miami with you guys!!
391. SALLY
Was anyone talking to you?
392. BISHANSKY
Uh⦠no.
393. SALLY
Then eyes front.
394. BISHANSKY
Eyes front.
395. GWEN
Harry, are you all right?
396. HARRY
I dunno. All this stopping and starting. My stomachâs a little queasyâ¦
397. KONG
Dude. Does this bus rock or what?!
398. RAND
âScool.
399. FLASH
Damn right itâs cool. Wouldnât mind taking this baby all the way to Florida.
400. SALLY
Excuse me?! Itâs a bus.
401. LIZ
Sallyâs right. Weâre not ditching the private jet for a bus. Right, Jason?
402. JASON
Uhâ¦
403. SALLY
Right.
404. PETER
It really is a very nice bus though.
405. BISHANSKY
Hey, Iâm not offended. I still canât believe the Osborns hired me again. The last time, I got in two-- <impact grunt>
406. SEYMOUR
Dude, you totally rear-ended that guy at the tollbooth!
407. BISHANSKY
Not againâ¦
408. SALLY
Wonderful. Now, weâll be stuck here forever!
409. MAY
Everybody stay calm.
410. HARRY
Ah, man, gotta use the johnâ¦
411. KONG
<laughs> I think Osbornâs gonna hurl!
412. SALLY
Oh. My. God! If my hair starts smelling like vomit, Iâll sue you for bus-driver malpractice!!
413. BISHANSKY
Sorry, sorryâ¦
Bishansky, Sally, Kong, Harry, May, Seymour, Peter, Jason, Liz, Flash, Rand, Gwen and Mary Jane sit. Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway, Zafiro and Obsidiana STAND.
414. NARRATOR
The sun sets. At the castle, the gargoyles awakenâ¦
415. BROOKLYN, BROADWAY, LEXINGTON
<awakening roars>
416. BROOKLYN
You must be Zafiro.
417. ZAFIRO
How did you know?
418. BROOKLYN
Strong family resemblance.
419. ZAFIRO
¿Perdón?
420. BROOKLYN
Long story. Time travel. The future. A whole other spin-off. Two actuallyâ¦
421. OBSIDIANA
We donât have time for your âspin-offsâ. ¿Donde esta Goliath?
422. BROADWAY
He didnât sleep here.
423. LEXINGTON
But Iâm sure heâll be back soon.
Elisa STANDS.
424. ELISA
Heâd better. We have trouble. Demona trouble.
425. OBSIDIANA
Elisa!
426. ELISA
Hi, Obsidiana. Iâm betting you have trouble tooâ¦
Elisa, Obsidiana, Lexington, Broadway, Brooklyn and Zafiro sit. Kraven, Calypso, Curt and Gulyadkin STAND.
427. NARRATOR
And while the clan awaits Goliathâs returnâ¦
428. KRAVEN
It is time, Calypso.
429. CALYPSO
Yes. The forces gather. We can make this one our own.
430. CURT
I demand you let me go!
431. KRAVEN
Hold your tongue, American dog. Or Gulyadkin will hold it for you.
432. GULYADKIN
<low lion growl>
433. CALYPSO
Calm yourself⦠This change will not be difficult. The primitive bound within is barely skin-deepâ¦
434. CURT
I-- I donât know what youâre talking about.
435. CALYPSO
I think you do. You see my companion. The details may have been created in a laboratoryâ¦
436. KRAVEN
But the soul of the Hunter â" the beast inside â" was always my own.
437. CURT
What are doing with that doll?
438. CALYPSO
Turning it inside out.
439. CURT
Listen to me, please. Even if you can release the âbeast insideâ, you donât want to! It canât be controlled.
440. KRAVEN
<laughs> Nyet. Not by you perhaps. But my Calypso is not so easily trifled with.
441. CALYPSO
It is timeâ¦
442. CURT
Noooo!!!! <transformation scream>
443. NARRATOR
Curt Connors is transformed by Calypsoâs magic into the Lizard.
444. LIZARD
<roar>
445. KRAVEN
Now⦠to the Hunt!
Kraven, LIZARD, Calypso and Gulyadkin sit. Obsidiana, Zafiro, Angela, Elisa, Goliath, Broadway and Brooklyn STAND.
446. NARRATOR
Back at the Castle, Goliath has returned, and the entire clan has gathered. Elisaâs revealed what she knows about Demona. Now, itâs Obsidianaâs turnâ¦
447. OBSIDIANA
It came from somewhere further south. Two human smugglers carrying an object of great power through the Greenâ¦
448. ZAFIRO
My mate is sensitive to these things. We tracked them, but they boarded a jet airplane and were soon out of our reach.
449. OBSIDIANA
Pero still I could sense great forces gathering. I asked Jade and Turquesa to teach us the way to Avalonâ¦
450. ZAFIRO
Gabriel says hello, by the way.
451. ANGELA
Oh, I miss him. How is he?
452. ELISA
Angela, honey, letâs stay on point. I take it Avalon sent you here.
453. OBSIDIANA
Yes. We nearly achieved the totem, but a ridiculous human dressed in red and blueâ"
454. ELISA, GOLIATH (UNISON)
Spider-Manâ¦
455. OBSIDIANA
He did spin webs like a spider. Though from his hands, not hisâ"
456. ZAFIRO
Focus, mi amor.
457. OBSIDIANA
Lo siento. This Man-Spider, he interfered. The smugglers escaped again. Now, power builds on power, rising to a crescendo.
458. BROADWAY
And thatâs bad, right?
459. NARRATOR
Elisaâs cellphone rings.
Matt STANDS.
460. ELISA
Maza.
461. MATT
Itâs Matt. Somethingâs going down at the OsCorp vault off the Expressway. Most of the Taskforce is already here. Stacy and his men too. But Iâm thinking we might need⦠âback-upâ. Lots and lots of back-up.
462. ELISA
Weâre on our way. Brooklyn, can Bronx and Fu-Dog baby-sit Egwardo?
463. BROOKLYN
Of course.
464. ELISA
Good. Because otherwise itâs all hands on deck.
Elisa, Brooklyn, Broadway, Obsidiana, Zafiro, Goliath and Angela sit. George, Morgan and OâNeil STAND.
465. MATT
Okay, Captain. The rest of the Taskforce is on its way.
466. GEORGE
My men are deployed.
467. OâNEIL
And just in time! Cuz we got Gobby and his Pumpkin-Heads at 12 oâclock!
Green Goblin and Pumpkin Bomb STAND.
468. GREEN GOBLIN
Playtime!
469. PUMPKIN BOMB
<shriek>
470. MORGAN
And a gargoyle at 3 oâclock!
471. GEORGE
Thatâs not a gargoyle. Thatâs the Vulture!
Vulture STANDS.
472. VULTURE
You were right, Otto. The police were waiting. And the Goblin is here too. You donât think it could actually be Osborn, still alive, do you?
Doctor Octopus and Electro STAND.
473. DOCTOR OCTOPUS
Do not get distracted by old grudges, Adrian. It hardly matters who wears the Green. His intent is still to prevent me from regaining my arms. You must keep the Goblin and the authorities occupied.
474. VULTURE
Of course.
475. DOCTOR OCTOPUS
Now, Electro. Open the vault.
476. ELECTRO
Roger that, Doc!
477. NARRATOR
Electro, already inside, short-circuits the vaultâs electro-magnetic lock.
Tinkerer and Demona STAND.
478. TINKERER
Electroâs breached the vault.
479. DEMONA
So predictable. Send in your operatives.
480. NARRATOR
Tinkerer opens a burlap sack, releasing his five âoperativesâ.
HOMUNCULUS #1, HOMUNCULUS #2, HOMUNCULUS #3, HOMUNCULUS #4 and HOMUNCULUS #5 STAND.
481. HOMUNCULUS #1
Homunculi to the rescue!
482. HOMUNCULUS #2
Dirty work to be done!
483. HOMUNCULUS #3
Peach Cobbler!
484. HOMUNCULUS #4
Uh oh, somebodyâs language systemâs off-line again.
485. HOMUNCULUS #5
You know it, girlfriend!
Calypso, Kraven and Lizard STAND.
486. NARRATOR
And down in the sewerâ¦
487. CALYPSO
It is right above us, my love. The Power and the Glory. The very keys to the Kingdom.
488. KRAVEN
And Kraven will lay them all at your feet.
489. LIZARD
<lizard roar>
490. NARRATOR
Up top, a stretch limo skids to a stop outside the vault. Dominic Dracon and Fancy Dan emerge.
Dracon and FANCY DAN STAND.
491. DRACON
All right, boys. Get me those jewels!
492. FANCY DAN
I think what the boss means is⦠Destroy the competition!
Carnage, Colonel Jupiter and Venom STAND.
493. CARNAGE
<evil chuckle> Carnage time?
494. FANCY DAN
Yeah. Go. Kill. Whatever.
495. COLONEL JUPITER
Colonel Jupiter will stop the Green Goblin and Vulture in their tracks!
496. FANCY DAN
Knock yourself out. But what are you waiting for?
497. VENOM
Someone worthy of our hate. But we have faith⦠Heâll comeâ¦
498. GREEN GOBLIN
My, my, the fieldâs getting crowded. Letâs thin the herd. Pumpkin-Heads, release the hounds! <ahem> That was a metaphor. Throw your pumpkin bombs already!
499. PUMPKIN BOMB
<multiple shrieks>
Pumpkin Bomb, Green Goblin, Venom, Fancy Dan, Colonel Jupiter, Carnage, Dracon, Lizard, Kraven, Calypso, Homunculus #5, Homunculus #4, Homunculus #3, Homunculus #2, Homunculus #1, Demona, Tinkerer, Electro, Doctor Octopus, Vulture, George, Morgan, OâNeil and Matt SIT. May, Peter, Bishansky, Flash, Kong, Sally, Mary Jane, Gwen and Harry STAND.
500. MAY
Goodness, what was that?
501. PETER
Something The Bugle will want pictures of. Open the door.
502. BISHANSKY
Uhâ¦
503. MAY
Peter Parker, I am not letting you off this bus in the middle of the expressway.
504. PETER
Aunt May weâre at a complete standstill. And you donât have to worry. Iâll use my telephoto lens. I wonât be anywhere near the action.
505. MAY
I suppose it is your job⦠Open the door.
506. BISHANSKY
Yes, maâam.
507. PETER
Thanks, Aunt May. You rock!
508. FLASH
If Puny Parkerâs going, Iâm going too!
509. MAY
Eugene Thompson, you sit your backside down in that seat right this minute.
510. FLASH
Yes, maâam.
511. KONG
<laughs>
512. SALLY
Whatâs he going to take pictures with? I saw his camera get blown up two months ago.
513. MARY JANE
Peteâs a professional photographer, Sally. Iâm sure he has more than one camera.
514. GWEN
Harry⦠Are you all right in there?
515. HARRY
<vomit noise> Ugh, donât come in. It really isnât pretty.
Harry, Gwen, Mary Jane, Sally, Kong, Flash, May, Peter and Bishansky sit. Broadway, Goliath, Brooklyn, Angela, Elisa, Zafiro and Obsidiana STAND.
516. NARRATOR
The clan alights on a rise overlooking the battlefield.
517. BROADWAY
Whoa, what a messâ¦
518. GOLIATH
We will split our forces. Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway, Obsidiana, Zafiro with me.
519. BROOKLYN
Shouldnât I lead the other contingent?
520. GOLIATH
I need your experience and your weapons at my side.
521. ANGELA
Donât worry, Brooklyn, weâve got it covered.
522. NARRATOR
Angela, Hudson, Katana, Gnash, Coldstone and Coldfire glide toward the battle.
523. BROOKLYN, BROADWAY (UNISON)
Be careful!
Angela sits.
524. ELISA
You know Iâm going with you.
525. GOLIATH
Not this time, Elisa. You must join your fellow officersâ¦
526. ELISA
Butâ"
527. GOLIATH
When all is settled, we shall need your help to cover our retreat from this conflagration⦠You know this is true.
528. ELISA
(defeated)
Yes.
Elisa sits. Spider-Man STANDS.
529. NARRATOR
Elisa makes her way down the hill. Goliath and the others glide to the Vaultâs roof. Spider-Man lands there at the same time.
530. SPIDER-MAN, ZAFIRO (UNISON)
You again!
531. GOLIATH
Hold, Spider-Man. I have a friend who knows your Captain Stacy.
532. SPIDER-MAN
Really?
533. GOLIATH
This policeman believes in you. So I choose to believe in you as well.
534. SPIDER-MAN
Says the eight-foot tall medieval monster. But I get it. Weâre on the same side. So letâs go kick some Pumpkin-Butt!
535. ZAFIRO
¡Idiota! That battle is a mere distraction.
536. OBSIDIANA
The true danger lies withinâ¦
537. SPIDER-MAN
All right, all right, you had me at âIdiotaâ.
538. NARRATOR
The gargoyles rip open the rooftop. The seven heroes descend, but someone watchesâ¦
Spider-Man, Obsidiana, Zafiro, Goliath, Broadway and Brooklyn sit. Venom and Fancy Dan STAND.
539. VENOM
And there goes our Broâ¦
540. FANCY DAN
You going in? That wasnât the plan!
541. VENOM
And how do intend to stop us?
542. FANCY DAN
Fine, go. But if you see my Ricochet suit, bring it out!
Fancy Dan and Venom sit. Foswell, Jonah and Robbie STAND.
543. FOSWELL
See, J.J. The tip from Draconâs old chauffer was right on the money.
544. JONAH
Whaddaya want, a fershlugginer medal?! Letâs get in there!
545. ROBBIE
Slow down, Jonah. I promised Joan I wouldnât let you lose your head, figuratively or literally.
546. JONAH
Forget my head! Who cares about my head?! My boy needs me!
Ned and Colonel Jupiter STAND.
547. NED
Looks to me like your boyâs doing pretty well, Chief!
548. COLONEL JUPITER
Take that, miscreants!
549. ROBBIE
Ned, how did youâ"
550. NED
Tip from one of the pumpkin-heads. Foswellâs not the only one with sources.
551. JONAH
You two can naked mud-wrestle over whoâs the biggest brown-noser later. For now, Robbie, if you donât let go of me in zero-point-zero seconds, Iâll dropkick you to next Season! And thereâs no guarantee thereâll be a next Season!
552. NARRATOR
Jonah breaks away from Robbie, but his path is blockedâ¦
Elisa STANDS.
553. ELISA
Get back! You want to wind up street pizza!
554. JONAH
But thatâs my son up there.
555. ELISA
Yeah, well, at least heâs fighting on the right side.
556. COLONEL JUPITER
Nothing stands against the might of Colonel Jupiter!
557. ELISA
Does he always talk like that?
558. ROBBIE
Bombasticism runs in the family.
Robbie, Elisa, Colonel Jupiter, Jonah, Ned and Foswell sit. Vulture, Carnage, Green Goblin, Angela, Fancy Dan, Matt and Dracon STAND.
559. NARRATOR
Jupiter takes down Pumpkin-Heads right and left. Hudson squares off against Vulture.
560. VULTURE
Why do I get the old guy?
561. NARRATOR
Youâre old. Heâs old. Itâs parallelism. Get over it.
(beat)
Coldstone and Coldfire isolate Carnage.
562. CARNAGE
No fair! These two donât spatter at all!
563. NARRATOR
Angela and Katana take on the Goblin.
564. GREEN GOBLIN
Oh, goody. Gobby likes getting down and dirty with the hotties.
565. ANGELA
Oh, you did not just say that.
566. NARRATOR
And little Gnash goes after Fancy Dan.
567. FANCY DAN
Admit it, you gave me the kid because Iâm short?
568. NARRATOR
Even Detective Bluestone gets into the act.
569. MATT
Freeze, Dracon!
570. DRACON
Youâre confused. Iâm G.F. Benton, a certified public accountant. I think Iâll be going nowâ¦
571. MATT
Yeah. Back to Ravencroft, you old nutter!
572. NARRATOR
But inside, things are a bit more seriousâ¦
Matt, Dracon, Fancy Dan, Angela, Green Goblin, Carnage and Vulture sit. Electro and Doctor Octopus STAND.
573. ELECTRO
Got your arms, Doc!
574. DOCTOR OCTOPUS
And my Megalo-Pack?
575. ELECTRO
Youâre Mega-what now?
576. DOCTOR OCTOPUS
My power-source, Maxwell.
577. ELECTRO
Right, right. No. Thatâs not here.
578. DOCTOR OCTOPUS
What?!
Homunculus #1, Homunculus #2 and Homunculus #3 STAND.
579. HOMUNCULUS #1
Gotta get the true treasure!
580. HOMUNCULUS #2
Bring it back to the big Smurfette!
581. HOMUNCULUS #3
Blunk hates getting wet!
582. NARRATOR
Three Homunculi fly deeper into the vault to retrieve Demonaâs prize.
Homunculus #3, Homunculus #2 and Homunculus #1 sit. Zafiro, Spider-Man, Lexington, Homunculus #5, Goliath, Brooklyn, Broadway and Obsidiana STAND.
583. ZAFIRO
What are those things?!
584. SPIDER-MAN, LEXINGTON (UNISON)
Robots!
585. LEXINGTON
And I got one!
586. HOMUNCULUS #5
Leggo, you big bully!
587. LEXINGTON
<ugh> What an annoying voiceâ¦
588. HOMUNCULUS #5
(aside to audience)
Look whoâs talking.
589. LEXINGTON
â¦But I might be able to use it to take control of the others.
590. SPIDER-MAN
I think I can help.
Venom STANDS.
591. VENOM
Youâll be a little too busy for that, Bro.
592. GOLIATH
Friend of yours?
593. SPIDER-MAN
Once upon a time. Not so much now.
594. VENOM
Die, Spider-Man!
595. VENOM, SPIDER-MAN
<add-lib battle sounds>
596. SPIDER-MAN
A little help?
597. NARRATOR
Brooklyn blasts Venom, who collapses.
598. VENOM
<vibrating scream>
Venom sits.
599. BROOKLYN
Sonic Cannon. Circa 2198. Guess my weapons do come in handy.
600. LEXINGTON
Just cover me until I can get this workingâ¦
Demona and Tinkerer STAND.
601. DEMONA
Whatâs wrong, Tinkerer? Why havenât they returned?
602. TINKERER
Someoneâs trying to counter their programming. He wonât succeed.
603. DEMONA
He had better not.
604. LEXINGTON
My hackâs being hacked!
605. TINKERER
Heâs overriding my override!
Homunculus #4 STANDS.
606. HOMUNCULUS #4
Go right. Go left. Go right. Go left. Blow up!
607. NARRATOR
Homunculus #4 blows up. But so does Homunculus #5 in Lexingtonâs hands!
608. LEXINGTON
<pain cry>
609. BROADWAY
Lexington!
Homunculus #4 and Homunculus #5 sit.
610. DOCTOR OCTOPUS
This is madness! Grab my arms and get me out of here!
611. ELECTRO
Workinâ on it!
612. NARRATOR
Electro blasts away, until he and Doc Ock are blindsided byâ¦
Kraven, Gulyadkin, Lizard and Calypso STAND.
613. ELECTRO, DOCTOR OCTOPUS
<impacts>
614. BROADWAY
Look, itâs Claw.
615. KRAVEN
<roar>
616. BROOKLYN
Thatâs not Claw.
617. BROADWAY
Well, itâs sure not Maggie.
618. GULYADKIN
<lion roar>
619. LEXINGTON
(recovering)
Is that an actual lion?
620. LIZARD
<lizard roar>
621. SPIDER-MAN
Lizard, too? Seriously, this is way over the top.
Homunculus #1 and Homunculus #2 STAND.
622. HOMUNCULUS #1
Got the gizmo!
623. HOMUNCULUS #2
Homunculi never fail!
624. NARRATOR
Two homunculi fly past, carrying a sealed container down a dark corridor.
625. CALYPSO, OBSIDIANA (UNISON)
The totem!
(pointing at each other)
Donât let her near it!
626. KRAVEN
Go, Calypso! Leave them to us!
627. ZAFIRO
¡Vaya, mi amor!
628. BROOKLYN
We got your back, Goliath! Go!
629. SPIDER-MAN
Think Iâll tag along tooâ¦
Spider-Man, Obsidiana, Calypso, Homunculus #2, Homunculus #1, Goliath, Tinkerer and Demona sit.
630. NARRATOR
Calypso, Obsidiana, Goliath and Spider-Man race down the corridor.
631. KRAVEN
Lizard, take the reptile!
632. ZAFIRO
¡No soy ningún reptil! ¡Soy un Gárgolo!
633. ZAFIRO, LIZARD
<ad-lib battle sounds>
634. KRAVEN
Gulyadkin attack!
635. GULYADKIN
<pounce roar>
636. NARRATOR
Gulyadkin and Kraven attack Lex and Broadway!
637. LEXINGTON
Hey, get him off me!
638. BROADWAY
Kinda busy at the moment!
639. GULYADKIN, LEXINGTON, KRAVEN, BROADWAY
<ad-lib struggles>
640. NARRATOR
Brooklyn steps in and pulls both cats off his rookery brothers. They turn on him.
641. BROOKLYN
Uh oh.
642. BROADWAY, LEXINGTON (UNISON)
All for one!
643. NARRATOR
The two gargoyles return the favor, knocking Kraven and Gulyadkin aside. Then Brooklyn blasts them both.
644. BROOKLYN
And one for all!
645. KRAVEN, GULYADKIN
<blast impacts>
646. LEXINGTON
Some things never change.
647. NARRATOR
Zafiro throws Lizardâs unconscious body on top of Kravenâ¦
648. KRAVEN, LIZARD
<oofs>
649. ZAFIRO
We should follow Obsidianaâ¦
650. ZAFIRO, BROOKLYN, LEXINGTON, BROADWAY
<electrocution scream>
651. NARRATOR
The four gargoyles are dropped by Electroâs blast.
652. ELECTRO
Still want out?
653. DOCTOR OCTOPUS
Indeed not. My curiosity is piqued. Letâs see where this leadsâ¦
Doctor Octopus, Electro, Broadway, Lexington, Brooklyn, Zafiro, Gulyadkin, Kraven and Lizard sit. Demona, Homunculus #1 and Homunculus #2 STAND.
654. NARRATOR
Electro and Octopus head down the corridor⦠In a dimly lit room, Demona holds the Spear of Destiny and watches as the two homunculi open the container. Inside⦠is a crown of thorns.
655. DEMONA
The Crown of Thorns!
656. NARRATOR
Demona removes her tiara.
657. DEMONA
Place it on my headâ¦
658. HOMUNCULUS #1
Placing, placingâ¦
659. HOMUNCULUS #2
Homunculi aim to please!
660. NARRATOR
The Homunculi gently lower the crown onto Demonaâs head before disappearing back into the darkness. The thorns bite into her brow, drawing blood. Calypso, Obsidiana, Goliath and Spidey come rushing in.
Homunculus #2 and Homunculus #1 sit. Spider-Man, Goliath, Calypso and Obsidiana STAND.
661. DEMONA
My Kingdom come. My Will be doneâ¦
662. SPIDER-MAN
Friend of yours?
663. GOLIATH
Once upon a time. Not so much now.
664. DEMONA
On Earth as it is in Heavenâ¦
665. CALYPSO
Too lateâ¦
666. OBSIDIANA
Too lateâ¦
667. DEMONA
For MINE is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and everâ¦
668. CALYPSO, OBSIDIANA, SPIDER-MAN (UNISON)
Amenâ¦
669. NARRATOR
Light radiates outward from the Spear. Goliath watches in confusion as Calypso, Obsidiana and Spider-Man drop to their knees before Demona. Octopus and Electro enter and likewise fall to their knees. The light reaches the outer vault. Though still unconscious, Venom, Lizard, Zafiro and Kraven lurch to their feet, then drop to their knees. And still the light advancesâ¦
Obsidiana and Calypso sit.
670. GOLIATH
What sorcery is this?!
671. DEMONA
The most powerful human sorcery ever created, Goliath. This is humanityâs Armageddon. Their entire raceâs final act.
END ACT TWO
NEXT: ACT THREE...
G2009 Radio Play - Act One
4. NARRATOR
The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles. RELIGIOUS STUDIES 101: A HANDFUL OF THORNS. Act One. Late that night atop the Eyrie Buildingâ¦
Dominique and Kafka sit. GOLIATH and ELISA MAZA STAND and KISS.
5. GOLIATH, ELISA
<kiss>
6. GOLIATH
There are some human customs I will never get used to Elisa. <kisses her again> This is not one of them.
7. ELISA
Youâre in a good mood.
8. GOLIATH
I am. Hudson and Lexington are back from Europe, bringing Coldstone and Coldfire with them.
9. ELISA
<chuckle> Not to mention Brooklyn returning from forty years of TimeDancing with a mate, a son, a beast and an egg.
10. GOLIATH
The clan has doubled in size. What challenge can the Fates throw at us now that we cannotâ"
11. NARRATOR
The sun rises. Goliath turns to stone.
12. ELISA
<groan> You just had to say that out loud, didnât you?
Elisa and Goliath sit. MAY PARKER and PETER PARKER STAND.
13. NARRATOR
Meanwhile, in Forest Hillsâ¦
14. MAY
Peter, what are you doing up?
15. PETER
Studying for todayâs English final. Itâs on Midsummer Nightâs Dream. And I missed seeing the Cliff Notes version.
16. MAY
Which may explain why you and Miss Allan are no longer a couple.
17. PETER
Aunt May, you know we didnât break up because I missed her play.
18. MAY
Youâre right; I shouldnât be glib. I suppose thereâs no chance that you and Gwenâ¦
19. PETER
I donât know. Not now anyway. Not when Harryâs hurting so much from the death of his father.
20. MAY
It hardly seems possible that Norman Osborn is gone. The Bugle says he was the Green Goblin, but Iâm not sure I can believe that.
21. PETER
Sometimes, Aunt May⦠itâs, okay, to believe everything you readâ¦
May and Peter sit. GREEN GOBLIN and BLACKIE GAXTON STAND.
22. NARRATOR
At a dive bar downtown, the Green Goblin BURSTS in on his gliderâ¦
23. GREEN GOBLIN
<tsk, tsk, tsk> Blackie. This place is scummy even by your pond-scum standards. Quite a comedown from your last gigâ¦
24. BLACKIE
Tell that to the whacko who set a flaming super-villain loose in The Big Sky. Oh, wait. That was you.
25. GREEN GOBLIN
Yes. Yes, it was. <maniacal laugh>
26. BLACKIE
Werenât you supposed to be dead?
27. GREEN GOBLIN
I was also supposed to be Osborn, but you didnât buy that, did you? Just one of the many little tricks I keep up my sleeve. Nothingâs changed, Blackie. The Goblinâs still in charge.
28. BLACKIE
You hear me arguing?
29. GREEN GOBLIN
No. Now, gather my Pumpkin-Headsâ¦
Blackie and Goblin sit. Kafka and Dominique STAND.
30. NARRATOR
At Ravencroft, Dominique Destine and Dr. Kafka supervises six inmates who work to excavate a sub-basement.
31. KAFKA
I still donât understand what you expect to find down here.
32. DOMINIQUE
Vertros Ravencroft, the founder of this Institute, was a quirky soul. An intimate friend of Freud and Conan Doyle, he was a true believer in both psychotherapy and spiritualism.
33. KAFKA
You speak as if you knew him.
34. DOMINIQUE
Now how would that be possible?
35. KAFKA
It couldnât, of course⦠But the dig?
36. DOMINIQUE
Yes. Ravencroft was also a collector. I have reason to believe he buried certain items of his collection here. Now, Doctor, didnât you say you had meetings scheduledâ¦
37. KAFKA
Youâll be all right down here alone?
38. DOMINIQUE
Your orderlies are in the hallway. And Iâm quite self-sufficient. So run along.
Kafka sits. OTTO OCTAVIUS STANDS.
39. DOMINIQUE
Excellent work, Doctor Octavius. Very precise.
40. OTTO
Thank you. I appreciate having something to occupy my handsâ¦
41. DOMINIQUE
Your hands? Not⦠your arms?
42. OTTO
Arms? I⦠I hope youâre not referring to my unfortunate⦠b-b-breakdown.
43. DOMINIQUE
What would be the point? Believe me, Doctor, no one better understands the advantage of creating a false front.
ELECTRO STANDS.
44. ELECTRO
Iâve blasted away another section of cement.
45. DOMINIQUE
Thank you, Maxwell.
46. ELECTRO
Donât. Call. Me. That.
47. DOMINIQUE
Donât. Tell. Me. What to do⦠Electro.
48. ELECTRO
Uh⦠okay.
(asides to Otto)
Sheâs a little scary.
49. OTTO
Indeed.
Otto and Electro sit. DOMINIC DRACON, JOHN JAMESON, EDDIE BROCK and CLETUS KASSADY STAND.
50. DRACON
I blame Mace. When that crook cheated me, I lost face. But when I get the jewels back, theyâll respect me again. Did Mace bury the jewels here?
51. DOMINIQUE
Maybe he did, Dominic. Keep working.
52. JOHN
Whatâs the point? How is tearing up a basement supposed to bring me Colonel Jupiterâs power?!
53. EDDIE
Shut up and dig.
54. JOHN
You like doing this?!
55. EDDIE
I hate it. But I need that hate. I need to keep the hate alive.
56. DOMINIQUE
Such an interesting crew. And what do you want out of life, Cletusâ¦
57. CLETUS
Nothing too fancy. <chuckles> Just a little carnage.
Cletus, Dominique, Eddie, John and Dracon sit. GWEN STACY and Peter STAND.
58. NARRATOR
That afternoon, at Midtown Highâ¦
59. GWEN
Hey, Pete. Howâd you do?
60. PETER
Ugh, horrible, probably. I mean you know English is like my worst subject. Itâs all so subjective andâ"
61. GWEN
Peter.
62. PETER
Okay, okay⦠not the look! I probably aced it. Happy?
63. GWEN
That you did well. Always.
64. PETER
Thanks. Look, Gwen, I--
HARRY OSBORN STANDS.
65. HARRY
Well, what have we here? My best friend and girlfriend conferring in a corner. Planning a surprise party for me?
66. PETER
Uh, itâs not your birthday, Harr.
67. HARRY
I thought maybe it was a thank you bash. For giving you both theseâ¦
68. GWEN
(reading)
âYou are cordially invited to spend Spring Break traveling by private jet to Miami, where youâll stay, all-expenses-paid, at the Osborn Winter Compound on the Beachâ¦"
69. PETER
Youâre inviting the three of us to spend a week together in Florida?
70. HARRY
Not just the three of usâ¦
KENNY KONG, FLASH THOMPSON and MARY JANE WATSON stand.
71. KONG
Osborn, dude! You rock!
72. FLASH
Seven days in the sun and surf.
73. KONG
All you can eat!
74. FLASH
Girls in bikinis!
75. FLASH, KONG (UNISON)
Score! <laughter>
76. MARY JANE
Hi, Sha Shan. Hi, Glory.
77. FLASH
Sha Shan⦠uh⦠So⦠how much of that did you hear?
78. KONG
Look, Glory, you know I meant you, right? I mean who else would I want to see in a bikini. Uh, youâre not gonna break up with me again, are you?
Kong and Flash sit. SALLY AVRIL, RAND ROBERTSON, LIZ ALLAN and JASON IONELLO STAND.
79. SALLY
Oh. My. God. Harry, I just found the invitation in my locker. And all I have to say is that you can be my super-dweeb sugar-daddy anytime you want!
80. HARRY
You okay with that Rand?
81. RAND
âScool. You can be my super-dweeb sugar-daddy too.
82. PETER
Exactly how many people did you invite to this thing?
83. HARRY
A handful. Kenny and Glory. Flash and Sha Shan. Rand and Sally. Hobie and Mindy. M.J. Gwen. Oh, and you and Liz, of course.
84. GWEN
Harry⦠Liz and Peter broke up.
85. HARRY
You did?! Wow. I had no idea. Guess Iâve just been so focused on my own problems. My Dad dying and everything. Thatâs why I need this trip. Gotta clear my head, you know? But maybe you two could reconcileâ¦
86. SALLY
I donât think so!
87. LIZ
Itâs too late for that Harry. Iâm with Jason now. We totally fell in love doing the play together.
88. JASON
We did?
89. SALLY / LIZ (UNISON)
Yes, you did. / Yes, we did.
90. LIZ
You donât mind if I bring Jason instead of Petey, do you.
91. HARRY
The more the merrier.
92. LIZ
Thanks, Harry. Youâre a doll. Kisses!
Liz, Sally, Jason and Rand sit.
93. HARRY
Pete, youâre still invited too. Course, itâs more of a coupleâs thing. But M.J.âs guy is in prisonâ¦
94. MARY JANE
Thank you, Harry. Hadnât been reminded of that in the last five minutes.
95. HARRY
Sorry, sorry. Itâs just that I canât help remembering the Fall Formal. You two made such a great pair! Donât you think so, Gwen?
96. GWEN
Great.
97. PETER
I⦠suppose we could go⦠as friends. Just as friends.
98. MARY JANE
Weâll talk later, Tiger.
Mary Jane, Peter, Gwen and Harry sit. Kafka and CURT CONNORS STAND.
99. NARRATOR
Late that afternoon in Dr. Kafkaâs officeâ¦
100. KAFKA
Doctor Connors, itâs good to see you. Iâd heard you moved to Florida.
101. CURT
I did. But I never stopped working on a cure for Max Dillon. I think Iâve made some real progress.
102. KAFKA
Thatâs wonderful news. Max is downstairs⦠doing âwork-therapyâ. Iâll take you to himâ¦
Kafka and Curt sit. Otto, Dominique, Electro, Dracon, John, Eddie and Cletus STAND.
103. ELECTRO
Ms. Destine. I think I found something.
104. DRACON
Is it my jewels?
105. OTTO
It⦠it appears to be a spearhead. It looks quite old.
106. DOMINIQUE
Give it to me.
107. ELECTRO
Sure, sure.
108. DOMINIQUE
Yes. This is it. I think weâre done, boys.
109. OTTO
Indeed. And just as the dig brought us right up against Ravencroftâs outer wall.
110. ELECTRO
You mean this wall?!
111. NARRATOR
Electro blasts a huge hole in the wall. When the smoke clears, the Vulture is waiting. He grabs Octavius.
VULTURE STANDS.
112. VULTURE
Youâre coming with me, Otto.
113. OTTO
No, no, stop. I donât want this life anymore⦠Iâm trying to get better!! Let me go!!
114. ELECTRO
Shut it, Doc! Itâs for your own good!
115. OTTO
Nooooooo!!!!
Otto, Electro and Vulture sit.
116. NARRATOR
Vulture and Electro leave with Octavius. Dominique watches them go.
117. DOMINIQUE
Well, that was diverting. And such excellent timing as well: itâs sunset. <transformation scream>
118. NARRATOR
With the setting of the sun, Dominique Destine transforms into a gargoyle⦠just as Kafka and Connors enterâ¦
Kafka and Curt STAND.
119. KAFKA / CURT
Oh my god⦠/ What in the world?!
120. NARRATOR
Demona effortlessly slams them both against a wall and turns to the remaining inmatesâ¦
121. CURT, KAFKA
<impacts, moans>
122. DEMONA
Listen carefully, humans. For I have listened to you. I can make all your petty little dreams come true. Dominic demands respect.
123. DRACON
Yes.
124. DEMONA
John craves power.
125. JOHN
Yes!
126. DEMONA
Eddie needs hate.
127. EDDIE
YES!
128. DEMONA
And all Cletus desires is a little carnage.
129. CLETUS
Or a lot. Iâm not picky.
130. DEMONA
Then stick with me, boys. Respect, power, hatred, carnage. These are things I knowâ¦
DEMONA, Cletus, Eddie, John and Dracon sit. ALAN OâNEIL and GEORGE STACY STAND.
131. NARRATOR
Later, the police arrive to investigateâ¦
132. OâNEIL
And you never met this broad before in your lifeâ¦
133. KAFKA
She had excellent references, Officer OâNeil. Itâs not like I grant just anyone access to my patientsâ¦
134. OâNEIL
And you wonder why people think they belong at Rykers.
135. GEORGE
Thereâs nothing else you can tell me, Doctor?
136. CURT
Iâm sorry, Captain Stacy, but no. It was a creature.
137. GEORGE
Like that Lizard-thing from last fall?
138. CURT
No! No. Nothing like that. More like⦠like those things on the news that blew up the clock tower.
139. GEORGE
You mean the 23rd Precinct.
140. CURT
Yes.
141. GEORGE
Youâre saying a gargoyle kidnapped those men.
142. CURT
Yes. No. I donât know. Can I leave now?
George, OâNeil and Kafka sit. DILBERT TRILBY and NED LEE stand.
143. NARRATOR
But outsideâ¦
144. TRILBY
Doctor Connors! Dilbert Trilby, Action News. What can you tell our audience about the escape?
145. CURT
Nothing. No comment.
146. NED
Hey, Doc. Remember me? Ned Lee from The Bugle. Can you just tell me who escaped? Doc Ock? Electro? Colonel Jupiter â" I mean, Colonel Jameson?
147. CURT
Iâm sure the police will issue a statement. Now, I have to go.
Trilby sits. CALYPSO EZILI, KRAVEN THE HUNTER and GULYADKIN STAND.
148. NARRATOR
Connors hurries away down the street, as a limousine with dark-tinted windows pulls up in front of Ravencroft.
149. CALYPSO
We are too late, my love. The Christian Totem is gone.
150. KRAVEN
Gulyadkin and I will track it for you.
151. GULYADKIN
<low lion growl>
152. CALYPSO
Iâm afraid that is beyond even your impressive abilities, Sergei, my love. But I have my own ways, as you well knowâ¦
153. KRAVEN
Of course, Calypso.
154. CALYPSO
Who is that? That man trying to hail a cab?
155. KRAVEN
He is a stranger to my eyes. Yet his scent is familiar.
156. CALYPSO
His aura glows with primal energies and may be of use to us.
(to Curt)
You need a ride.
157. CURT
What? No. No, thank you. Iâll get a cab.
158. KRAVEN
She wasnât asking.
159. CURT
<scream>
160. NARRATOR
Kraven drags Connors into the limo, which quickly drives awayâ¦
Curt, Kraven, Calypso and Gulyadkin sit.
161. NED
Hello, Robbie? Iâve got something.
J. JONAH JAMESON, JOE âROBBIEâ ROBERTSON and FREDERICK FOSWELL STAND.
162. JONAH
Is that Lee? Put him on speaker.
163. ROBBIE
Now, Jonah, stay calmâ¦
164. JONAH
Donât you tell me to stay calm, Joe Robertson. Itâs not your son at risk. Lee, you there?! Iâll give you exactly three-point-seven seconds to tell me Johnâs all right!
165. NED
Wish I could, Chief. But he disappeared with the rest. There are six inmaâ" uh, patients missing. Itâs not clear if they busted out or were kidnapped.
166. JONAH
Well, of course John was kidnapped. You think my son would--
167. ROBBIE
Ned, give me the whole list.
168. JONAH
Who cares about the listâ"
169. ROBBIE
It could provide a lead to John.
170. NED
Doc Ock. Electro. John. Uh⦠letâs see. Edward Brock Jr., Cletus Kasady and Dominic Dracon.
171. FOSWELL
Dominic Dracon? The old mob boss? Thereâs a name I havenât heard in a while.
172. JONAH
Foswell, you know that world! Find out where Dracon might have gone!
173. FOSWELL
You got it, J.J.
174. JONAH
Lee, you stick to the damn super-villain angle! Ock, Electro. Whatâs their next move?!
175. NED
Right, boss!
176. JONAH
Robbie, I want every available man on this. No, damnit, I want every man, woman and child on this, available or not. Call Parker. Put Benny the copyboy on it. But Ms. Brant on it. I want John Jameson safely back in his motherâs arms in six-point⦠six-pointâ¦
177. ROBBIE
Itâs okay, Jonah. Weâre on it.
178. JONAH
Good. Good. Iâll⦠Iâll hit the streets myself. Iâm still the best damn reporter in New York City! Just have to make a call first. Well, what are you all waiting for, get out! Out!
Robbie, Ned and Foswell sit.
179. JONAH (CONT)
Hello, is this WVRN? Travis Marshall, please. Travis? Itâs Jonah. I got a lead for you on the Ravencroft thing.
(pauses, listening)
Whaddayou care why Iâm helping the competition?! I know I hate television! You donât have to tell me that! Iâm not trying to sandbag you, damnit, I⦠Iâm just trying to find my son⦠any way I can.
Jonah sits. SPIDER-MAN STANDS.
180. NARRATOR
That night finds Spider-Man swinging through the cityâ¦
181. PETER (VO)
If I didnât know better, Iâd think Harry was trying to torture me and Gwen. Then again, M.J. is quite the consolation prize. Ah, man, what am I saying? Iâm in love with Gwen. Gwen. Gwendolyn Stacy. Just have to get through the next few weeks and then Harryâll be in a better place, and she and I--
182. NARRATOR
Peteâs ringtone plays Itsy-Bitsy Spider.
183. SPIDER-MAN
Hello?
Robbie STANDS.
184. ROBBIE
Pete. Joe Robertson. Thereâs been an incident at Ravencroft.
Robbie sits.
185. SPIDER-MAN
Uh huh⦠uh huh⦠Wait, whoâs missing? Uh oh. Him too? Oh, crap. Sorry, I mean-- What?! Seriously?! Uh, right. Yeah, Iâll keep my eyes open. Camera lens at the ready. Thanks for the heads up. Bye.
(to himself)
Whoa. At least this day canât get any worse!
SMUGGLER #1 stands.
186. SMUGGLER #1
What the hell are those things?!
187. SPIDER-MAN
When am I gonna learn not to say that out loud?
188. NARRATOR
Spidey swings down to find two men in a van being attacked by two gargoyles, Obsidiana and Zafiroâ¦
ZAFIRO and OBSIDIANA STAND.
189. SPIDER-MAN
Hi there. Hate to interrupt, but this lady-esque-blue-creature-thing matches the description of another lady-esque-blue-creature-thing who just busted some folks out of Ravenâ"
190. ZAFIRO
What is he babbling about?
191. OBSIDIANA
I have no idea. I sense no connection between him and the source of the disturbance. But these twoâ¦
192. SMUGGLER #1
Keep her away from us!!
193. SPIDER-MAN
You see, now Iâm on the horns of a dilemma⦠Uh, no offense. Itâs just an expression; I wasnât referring to your rather striking⦠Never mind. See in this particular Spider-Manâs experience, when genetic misfits attack ordinary human beings, Iâm gonna have to side with the humans.
194. ZAFIRO
Qué sorpresa. A human with no knowledge of the situation leaping to defend one of his own.
195. NARRATOR
Zafiro attacks Spidey.
196. ZAFIRO, SPIDER-MAN
<ad lib battle efforts, impacts>
197. NARRATOR
Obsidiana rips open the top of the van.
198. OBSIDIANA
<rip effort>
199. SMUGGLER #1
Stay back!
200. NARRATOR
The two humans open fire on her, forcing her to leap away⦠The van peels out. Obsidiana tries to follow, but Spidey webs her wings together.
Smuggler #1 sits.
201. OBSIDIANA
Por favor! You donât understand the powers that are gathering!!
202. SPIDER-MAN
And youâre the one doing the Gathering, I take it!
203. OBSIDIANA
No!
204. ZAFIRO
Enough!
205. SPIDER-MAN
<impact grunt>
206. NARRATOR
Zafiro slams Spidey into a wall. By the time the web-slinger recovers, the gargoyles are goneâ¦
Zafiro and Obsidiana sit.
207. SPIDER-MAN
<groan> For a guy with no legs, that snake-thing can moveâ¦
Spider-Man sits. George and MARIA CHAVEZ STAND.
208. NARRATOR
Not far awayâ¦
209. GEORGE
Captain Chavez.
210. CHAVEZ
Captain Stacy. What brings you to whatâs left of the 23rd?
211. GEORGE
Itâs the Ravencroft thing. Iâve got corroborating witnesses telling me a gargoyle was involved.
212. CHAVEZ
<sigh> I miss the days when being a cop didnât involve a working knowledge of The Twilight Zone.
213. GEORGE
Welcome to the Freak Show.
214. CHAVEZ
Anyway, as it happens, the Gargoyle Taskforce is meeting right now. First trailer on the right. Ask for Bluestone.
Chavez sits. MATT BLUESTONE, MORGAN MORGAN, MARGOT YALE and Elisa STAND.
215. NARRATOR
Minutes laterâ¦
216. GEORGE
And thatâs all I knowâ¦
217. MATT
Well, that is interesting, or, you know⦠really, really scary.
218. MORGAN
Iâll say, Detective. With or without a gargoyle, Iâve heard Ock and Electro are bad news. And that Cletus Kasady: he killed five people before--
219. MARGOT
Forget Kasady. Any idiot can bring a serial killer down. Itâs the gargoyle we should be concerned with. Itâs what Iâve been saying all along! Those monsters are dangerous!
220. MATT
I think what A.D.A. Yale is saying, Captain, is that the Taskforce is on it. Weâll let you know if we hear anything. And weâll be checking in with all our sources, wonât we, Detective?
221. ELISA
And fast.
Elisa, Matt, Margot, Morgan and George sit. Smuggler #1 and Demona STAND.
222. NARRATOR
Meanwhile, a van with a torn up roof pulls up to a Gramercy Park Mansion⦠The driver speaks into the intercomâ¦
223. SMUGGLER #1
Longinus sent me.
224. DEMONA
Leave the package. Then take your money and go. While you still can.
225. SMUGGLER #1
Geez, who lives here? Draculaâs daughter?
Smuggler #1 sits. Eddie, John and Cletus STAND.
226. NARRATOR
Demona collects her package.
227. EDDIE
The old guyâs asleep. Whatâs that?
228. DEMONA
A simple wooden shaft. The prize of Adolph Hitlerâs personal collection. After his⦠demise, his remaining followers smuggled it to Brazil. I paid handsomely to have it smuggled to me.
229. EDDIE
Why? I mean sure, itâs the shaft of a spear. Completes the set with that arrowhead you took from Ravencroft. But why do we care?
230. DEMONA
Hereâs why.
231. NARRATOR
Demona joins the spear and spearhead together. Instantly, it radiates incredible power.
232. DEMONA
The Holy Lance. The Spear of Destiny. The weapon that pierced the side of the Christ. Do you still want power, John? This is power.
233. JOHN
Give it to me. Give it!
234. DEMONA
No. This power is mine. But I will use it to give you back your ownâ¦
235. NARRATOR
She points the Spear at John Jameson. The magic surrounds him and transforms him into Colonel Jupiter!
236. COLONEL JUPITER
<transformation scream> Yes! The power is mine! I am Colonel Jupiter!
237. DEMONA
For what thatâs worth⦠Now for Eddie.
238. VENOM
<transformation scream>
239. DEMONA
Happy now?
240. VENOM
Extremely. We are Venom again.
241. DEMONA
And what about you, Cletus?
242. CLETUS
(pointing at Venom)
Iâll have what heâs havingâ¦
243. DEMONA
As you wish⦠Carnage.
244. CARNAGE
<transformation scream>
245. VENOM
All right, Demona. Youâre the Mirror Universe Wizard of Oz. But what now?
246. DEMONA
Mine is the Power. But I still require the Kingdom and the Glory. This is only the first act, humans⦠or whatever you are now. The main event is still to comeâ¦
Demona, VENOM, CARNAGE and COLONEL JUPITER sit.
END ACT ONE
TOMORROW: ACT TWO...
Okay, gang, here's the Title Page, Cast List and Teaser for the G2009 Radio Play. As I've mentioned before this is NOT canon for either GARGOYLES or THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN. It's just a goof, which I wrote in three days. As anyone who was at the Gathering knows, it was a tremendous success. ALL credit for that should go to (a) my amazing cast of professional voice actors and talented fans and (b) my ability to pander mercilessly to my audience. So READING it, as opposed to seeing it, may be quite the let down. If you dislike it, well, what do you expect from a script written in three days? And if you like it, I guess I am a genius. ;)
THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN
MEETS
GARGOYLES
Religious Studies 101:
A Handful of Thorns
A Radio Play Crossover Event
Written by
Greg Weisman
For
The Thirteenth Annual
Gathering of the Gargoyles
in
Los Angeles, California
Performed August 22, 2009.
THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN MEETS GARGOYLES
âReligious Studies 101: A Handful of Thornsâ
(Radio Play)
CAST LIST
NARRATOR 104 lines. (Greg Weisman)
SPIDER-MAN/PETER PARKER 76 lines. (Josh Keaton)
DEMONA/DOMINIQUE DESTINE 60 lines. (Marina Sirtis)
GOLIATH 32 lines. (Keith David)
LEXINGTON 24 lines. (Thom Adcox)
ELISA MAZA 23 lines. (Zehra Fazal)
BROOKLYN 22 lines. (John Clemens)
CURT CONNORS/LIZARD 22 lines. (Dee Bradley Baker)
BROADWAY 19 lines. (Crispin Freeman)
ZAFIRO 19 lines. (Joshua Poole)
MAY PARKER 19 lines. (Deborah Strang)
GREEN GOBLIN 18 lines. (Steve Blum)
OBSIDIANA 17 lines. (Elisa Gabrielli)
KRAVEN THE HUNTER 17 lines. (Eric Vesbit)
HARRY OSBORN 17 lines. (James Arnold Taylor)
DOCTOR OCTOPUS/OTTO OCTAVIUS 17 lines. (Michael McAdam)
J. JONAH JAMESON 16 lines. (Daran Norris)
MARY JANE WATSON 16 lines. (Vanessa Marshall)
ELECTRO 15 lines. (Crispin Freeman)
VENOM/EDDIE BROCK 15 lines. (Ben Isaac Diskin)
GEORGE STACY 14 lines. (Lucas McClain)
BIG MAN 13 lines. (Keith David)
CALYPSO EZILI 13 lines. (Jennifer L. Anderson)
ASHLEY KAFKA 12 lines. (Elisa Gabrielli)
ROBBIE ROBERTSON 10 lines. (Phil LaMarr)
LIZ ALLAN 10 lines. (Kaitlyn Robrock)
SALLY AVRIL 10 lines. (Jennifer L. Anderson)
GWEN STACY 10 lines. (Sarah Williams)
MATT BLUESTONE 9 lines. (Eric Tribou)
GREG BISHANSKY 8 lines. (Greg Bishansky)
KENNY KONG 8 lines. (Andrew Kishino)
COLONEL JUPITER/JOHN JAMESON 8 lines. (Daran Norris)
NED LEE 7 lines. (Andrew Kishino)
VULTURE 7 lines. (Seth Jackson)
FLASH THOMPSON 7 lines. (Ian Bassett)
SHARI 6 lines. (Zehra Fazal)
FANCY DAN 6 lines. (Phil LaMarr)
GULYADKIN 6 lines. (Dee Bradley Baker)
CARNAGE/CLETUS KASADY 6 lines. (Ian Bassett)
HOMUNCULUS #1 5 lines. (Dee Bradley Baker)
HOMUNCULUS #2 5 lines. (Phil LaMarr)
SMUGGLER #1 5 lines. (Andrew Kishino)
DOMINIC DRACON 5 lines. (Seth Jackson)
BLACKIE GAXTON 5 lines. (Steve Blum)
EMILY OSBORN 4 lines. (Kaitlyn Robrock)
TINKERER 4 lines. (Thom Adcox)
SEYMOUR OâREILLY 4 lines. (Steve Blum)
SILVER SPOON MANAGER 4 lines. (Crispin Freeman)
ANGELA 4 lines. (Sarah Williams)
PUMPKIN BOMB 4 lines. (Nicki France)
THAILOG 3 lines. (Keith David)
HOMUNCULUS #3 3 lines. (Steve Blum)
HOMUNCULUS #5 3 lines. (Thom Adcox)
MARIA CHAVEZ 3 lines. (Elisa Gabrielli)
FREDERICK FOSWELL 3 lines. (James Arnold Taylor)
ALAN OâNEIL 3 lines. (James Arnold Taylor)
HOMUNCULUS #4 2 lines. (James Arnold Taylor)
ROSIE THOMPSON 2 lines. (Vanessa Marshall)
MARGOT YALE 2 lines. (Marina Sirtis)
MORGAN MORGAN 2 lines. (Keith David)
JASON IONELLO 2 lines. (Ben Isaac Diskin)
RAND ROBERTSON 2 lines. (Phil LaMarr)
BRENTWOOD 1 line. (Fox Anderson)
CHAMELEON 1 line. (Steve Blum)
NORMAN OSBORN 1 line. (Eric Vesbit)
DILBERT TRILBY 1 line. (Steve Blum)
THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN MEETS GARGOYLES
âReligious Studies 101: A Handful of Thornsâ
Radio Play
1. NARRATOR
Manhattan. The Ravencroft Institute. Office of Institute Director, Dr. Ashley Kafka.
ASHLEY KAFKA STANDS.
2. KAFKA
A⦠âdigâ beneath the buildingâs foundation canât help but disturb our residents. And this list of patients youâve requested for the excavation: Edward Brock Jr., Maxwell Dillon, John Jameson, Cletus Kasady, Otto Octavius, Dominic Dracon⦠These are some of the most disturbed â" perhaps even dangerous inmates we have here at Ravencroft. Thereâs even been some suggestion a few of them belong in the OsCorp Vault at Rykers. I know you have connections on our Board of Directors, Ms. DâSTYNE, but--
DOMINIQUE DESTINE STANDS.
3. DOMINIQUE
Itâs pronounced Des-STEEN. Dominique Destine. And youâll find weâll get along better, Doctor⦠if you give me what I want.
4. NARRATOR
The Spectacular Spider-Man Meets Gargoyles. RELIGIOUS STUDIES 101: A HANDFUL OF THORNS.
TOMORROW: ACT ONE...
GATHERING 2009 - Monday, August 24th
Midnight - The goodbyes begin for folks who are leaving first thing Monday morning or right now. Said goodbye to Marina, Zehra, Sarah, Michael McAdam and probably quite a few others...
1:30am - The party downstairs finally breaks up and I head up to my room.
4am - Went to bed. But I just couldn't sleep at all.
8am - Finally gave up and got up.
9am - Brought my luggage to my car and then went to the staff breakfast: crepe, ham, potatoes, OJ.
10am - Comic book panel with Karine Charlebois and Greg Guler. I'll just repeat the main message I gave. I have no info on the future of Gargoyles comics beyond this: SLG's Dan Vado is sincerely interested in doing more. His ability to make an offer for the license to Disney will depend on the sales of the three trade paperbacks. Beyond that, we had some really interesting discussions about the books.
11:30am - Gargoyles Biology and Culture panel with Jade Griffin and Matt Parker. I love this panel. Always full of interesting discussions, that influence how I handle things in the Gargoyles Universe.
1pm - Closing Ceremonies. Okay, I admit it. I pretty much lost it more than once. It was VERY emotional. A number of us told stories of past Gatherings and how they changed our lives. It was warm and all too fuzzy, but wonderful. I love all you guys. Thank you.
2:30pm - We finally closed the Closing Ceremonies. I helped Patrick and a bunch of other volunteers carry things down to Patrick's rented van. Then we headed up to the Constaff Suite for a dead dog party. Christopher bought pizza for everyone, which was very generous. I had a coke and a virgin jello shot. And we just hung out.
5:45pm - Time to go, to return to real life. I hugged EVERYONE. Jennifer Anderson walked me to the elevator. I was pretty wrecked. It felt a bit like it felt to end a long job. You walk away. What else can you do? You take your memories with you, but you also know you're leaving a piece behind.
But it's been a FANTASTIC THIRTEEN YEARS. Thanks to everyone who ever attended a Gathering. You really changed my life!
GATHERING 2009 - Sunday, August 23rd
1am - Got back to my room.
2am - Went to bed.
9am - I woke up. Wow, a real night's sleep. I showered and dressed quickly, attempting to make the tail end of the staff breakfast, but got waylaid along the way by arriving guests, like Bob Kline. Managed to snag one croissant, but that's it.
10am - Gargoyles Production panel with Frank Paur, Bob Kline, Brad Rader, Pamela Long, Vic Cook, Greg Guler and Doug Murphy. More fun old stories.
11:30am - Spidey Production panel with Bob, Pamela, Vic, Greg, Kevin Altieri, Jennifer Coyle, Sean "Cheeks" Galloway, Joey Mason and Phil Weinstein. We showed the unaired scenes clip from ComicCon and the animatic for the main title. And again, more fun stories.
1pm - I finally had a break, but I couldn't resist sitting in on the Composer's panel with Carl Johnson, Gargoyles Composer, and Dynamic Music Partners (Lolita Ritmanis, Kris Carter and Michael McCuistion) the Spider-Man composers. They were WELL-prepared. Way more well-prepared than I was for any of my panels. Brought a bunch of clips and talked process. It was fascinating.
2:30pm - Writers Panel. From Spidey: Andrew Robinson, Kevin Hopps, Nicole Dubuc and Matt Wayne. From Gargoyles: Bob Skir and Michael Reaves. Michael has Parkinsons, so first Bob and later Michael's daughter Mallory Reaves served as interpreters for him. It was great having everyone there.
4pm - The writers (and Karine) had a signing.
5pm - My wife dropped my son Benny off at the con. So we hung out a bit.
6pm - Benny and I went to the Banquet. We sat with Gayle, Lauren, Ryan, Grey Wolf, Read and Abbie. Real sweet spread at the buffet. But I've forgotten exactly what. I guess I'm just not that into the food this time. Is that progress?
7:30pm - Another Q&A. This time with myself, Bob Skir, Vic Cook, Greg Guler, Nicole Dubuc, Kevin Altieri, Jennifer Coyle, Ben Diskin, Crispin Freeman, Karine Charlebois and Wendy Pini. Michael Reaves kibbitzed a bit from the sidelines too.
8:30pm - By this time, Beth had picked Benny up again. I went to the bar and hung out with Vic, Guler, Kevin, Jennifer, Wendy and Karine. Just had a coke.
9:30pm - Masquerade time. The judges were myself, Wendy Pini, Keith David, Thom Adcox, Ben Diskin, Carl Johnson and Karine Charlebois. I will attempt to remember all the awards we handed out, but I forgot to save my award sheet...
Best Junior - Ryan & Lauren as Owen & Banshee
Best Performance - Abbie as the Lady in the Lake
Best Original Character - Rika as Venus
Cutest Trio - Jade, Eric and Kyari as Fox, Owen and Alex
If I give you this, I'll have to kill you award - Zehra, Tony & Andrea as Shari & the Illuminati
Best Canon - Aaron as Upgraded Jackal
Excalibur Award - Justin as King Arthur
Gorelisa Award - Charlie as Kalia Sartre
Thom Adcox Memorial Award - Rebecca as a Star Trek Dispensable Red
Best in Show - Esopus as ... okay, this was best in show and it was really great, but I just can't remember the name of the character! SORRY!!!!
10:30pm - We all just hung out in the Ballroom for awhile. I chatted with GXB, Carl Johnson, Zehra & Sarah and many, many others...
MORE NEXT WEEK!!!!!
GATHERING 2009 - Saturday, August 22nd
3am - Went to bed.
8am - Woke up, with five hours sleep being the most I'd had in any one night in over a week.
9am - Staff Breakfast. Usually, I'm all about telling you what I ate at every meal, but I just don't remember. Orange Juice and a croissant, I think. But also... uh... not sure.
10am - Jennifer and I were joined by Gargoyles/Spidey Voice Director Extraordinaire Jamie Thomason for our second round of auditions.
11:30am - Casting session. We only had thirteen slots for fans to participate in the play because of the LARGE pro "turnout". You see, most years I ask the pros to participate and we get one or two saying yes. But this year SIXTEEN said yes. So from a fan standpoint, we had an embarrassment of riches. Over forty people auditioned and most of those did great, so we decided to cast the thirteen slots, plus STEAL a role from Thom Adcox and give that to another fan, PLUS cast a couple of fans as understudies in case someone didn't show. (But everyone did.) We posted the cast list...
12pm - Lunch in the staff room with Marina Sirtis, Keith David, Karine Charlebois, Greg Bishansky, Thom Adcox and Keith's son Owen. It's always great to see Keith, but it was very cool to see Marina again, whom I haven't seen in years. And, man, has Owen grown!! Broccoli soup, salad, and... see, can't remember!
1pm - Gargoyles Voice Acting Panel with Jamie, Keith, Thom, Marina and Elisa Gabrielli. Fun stories told. Marina and I have very different memories about how she was cast. (I'm right, but I'd never say that.)
2:30pm - Spidey Voice Acting Panel with (again) Jamie, Keith and Elisa. Plus Dee Bradley Baker, James Arnold Taylor, Ben Isaac Diskin (what's with all these three name guys?), Steve Blum, Daran Norris, Deborah Strang, Vanessa Marshall, Josh Keaton, Andrew Kishino, Phil LaMarr, Crispin Freeman and Eric Vesbit. More fun stories. Jamie and I disagreed about how many characters we auditioned. And once again, I'm right. It's a blessing and a curse, as Monk would say.
4pm - Radio Play Rehearsal. We barely had time to do one full read through of the ridiculously long and over-stuffed radio play. There was really no time to direct the actors at all, beyond telling them to project louder, though Jamie and I tried to give an occasional pointer.
5:30pm - Radio Play. Gotta say, thanks to my shameless pandering in the script and the amazing talent of my cast, we really had a phenomenal success with the three night mess of a bloated script I wrote. Got lots of laughs, even a few gasps. Pros were spot on, of course, including some Gargoyles folks who hadn't played their characters in years. But our fan cast was great too.
Here's the cast list:
THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN MEETS GARGOYLES
âReligious Studies 101: A Handful of Thornsâ
(Radio Play)
CAST LIST
NARRATOR - Greg Weisman
DEMONA/DOMINIQUE DESTINE - Marina Sirtis
SPIDER-MAN/PETER PARKER - Josh Keaton
GOLIATH - Keith David
LEXINGTON - Thom Adcox
ELISA MAZA - Zehra Fazal
BROOKLYN - John Clemens
CURT CONNORS/LIZARD - Dee Bradley Baker
BROADWAY - Crispin Freeman
ZAFIRO - Joshua Poole
MAY PARKER - Deborah Strang
GREEN GOBLIN - Steve Blum
OBSIDIANA - Elisa Gabrielli
KRAVEN THE HUNTER - Eric Vesbit
HARRY OSBORN - James Arnold Taylor
DOCTOR OCTOPUS/OTTO OCTAVIUS - Michael McAdam
J. JONAH JAMESON - Daran Norris
MARY JANE WATSON - Vanessa Marshall
ELECTRO - Crispin Freeman
VENOM/EDDIE BROCK - Ben Isaac Diskin
GEORGE STACY - Lucas McClain
BIG MAN - Keith David
CALYPSO EZILI - Jennifer L. Anderson
ASHLEY KAFKA - Elisa Gabrielli
ROBBIE ROBERTSON - Phil LaMarr
LIZ ALLAN - Kaitlyn Robrock
SALLY AVRIL - Jennifer L. Anderson
GWEN STACY - Sarah Williams
MATT BLUESTONE - Eric Tribou
GREG BISHANSKY - Greg Bishansky
KENNY KONG - Andrew Kishino
COLONEL JUPITER/JOHN JAMESON - Daran Norris
NED LEE - Andrew Kishino
VULTURE - Seth Jackson
FLASH THOMPSON - Ian Bassett
SHARI - Zehra Fazal
FANCY DAN - Phil LaMarr
GULYADKIN - Dee Bradley Baker
CARNAGE/CLETUS KASADY - Ian Bassett
HOMUNCULUS #1 - Dee Bradley Baker
HOMUNCULUS #2 - Phil LaMarr
HOMUNCULUS #3 - Steve Blum
HOMUNCULUS #4 - James Arnold Taylor
HOMUNCULUS #5 - Thom Adcox
SMUGGLER #1 - Andrew Kishino
DOMINIC DRACON - Seth Jackson
BLACKIE GAXTON - Steve Blum
EMILY OSBORN - Kaitlyn Robrock
TINKERER - Thom Adcox
SEYMOUR OâREILLY - Steve Blum
SILVER SPOON MANAGER - Crispin Freeman
ANGELA - Sarah Williams
PUMPKIN BOMB - Nicki France
THAILOG - Keith David
MARIA CHAVEZ - Elisa Gabrielli
FREDERICK FOSWELL - James Arnold Taylor
ALAN OâNEIL - James Arnold Taylor
ROSIE THOMPSON - Vanessa Marshall
MARGOT YALE - Marina Sirtis
MORGAN MORGAN - Keith David
JASON IONELLO - Ben Isaac Diskin
RAND ROBERTSON - Phil LaMarr
BRENTWOOD - Fox Anderson
CHAMELEON - Steve Blum
NORMAN OSBORN - Eric Vesbit
DILBERT TRILBY - Steve Blum
Thanks to the entire cast. You guys were amazing, and totally saved my butt.
7pm - Once the play was over, all the tension and adrenaline that it had generated over the last week or so melted away, leaving me nearly comotose. I went to dinner in the hotel with my wife Beth and my son Benny. I didn't eat much. Clam Chowder, a roll, a coke and a shrimp cocktail. I was all but passing out. Fortunately, I got a second wind... and I'd need it.
9pm - Blue Mug w/Thom Adcox and the staff of Blue Mug Productions: Mara Cordova, Kalia Sartre, Jennifer L. Anderson and Boswell Bosley. I had to duck out for awhile, and I hear Edmund Tsabard showed up and pretty much insulted everyone in the room. (So what else is new?) I came back, by which time Edmund was gone. I picked up my water glass to take a drink, and someone told me that Thom's chihuahua had sipped from my glass. Someone else pointed at another glass and said that was the one the dog had lapped from. I shrugged it off and sipped from my glass. Then Jen told me Edmund had used that glass. I did a spit-take. I mean do you know where Edmund's mouth has been?!!! I hate to do anything to promote anything that reprobate is working on, but the work of the rest of the Blue Mug staff is so good that I'll ignore his contribution and recommend BlueMugProductions.com to all of you (who are 18 or over). I've seen the work, and it's really good!!! By the way, whomever took my Vox-made macrame Greg doll and put an eyepatch on it to turn it into an Edmund doll: UNCOOL!!! I don't even see the resemblance anyway!
11:30pm - After the mug, a few of us -- Jennifer, Mara, Eric and Tony -- went upstairs to the staff room. I had a virgin jello shot. Black Cherry!
More tomorrow!
GATHERING 2009 - Friday, August 21st
12am - Went to bed. I was completely exhausted from the last few nights of working on the Radio Play instead of sleeping...
2am - So of course I wake up two hours later.
6:30am - Finally fell asleep again.
10:30am - Woke up, having missed staff breakfast.
11:30am - I went downstairs to check out the Art Room-in progress. Aaron gave me a very cool Phoenix Gate pin. (Thanks, Aaron!)
Noon - Had my mug-a-guest with Leah, Fan, Abbie, Eva, Kathie and others. I'm embarrassed over how little I can remember already, I'm afraid.
1:30pm - Jennifer Anderson and I held the first batch of auditions. Some real good people.
2:30pm - Back to the art room. I also bought two copies of the Bad Guy Trade, one for myself and one for the Sperlings.
3pm - By this time, I was pretty hungry, so although they had JUST eaten, Tony and Andrea Zucconi accompanied me up to CityWalk so I could get a Tommy Burger, fries and a coke/Root Beer semi-suicide mix. I ate; we chatted.
4pm - We headed back down to the hotel/con.
4:50pm - My wife Beth arrived at the con. We hung out, waiting for Opening Ceremonies to start.
5:40pm - Opening Ceremonies. I got the ball rolling. We had a bunch of con virgins -- for whom this was their first Gathering. And of course we had four people who had attended ALL thirteen Gatherings: myself, Gathering Co-Chair Patrick Toman, Bad Guys artist Karine Charlebois and a Fan. Gathering Co-chair introduced her staff and then they presented me with a very cool macrame doll of me, commissioned by the staff and created by the talented Vox. I then stood up again and talked about the great programming we had in store for the weekend. Then I presented Patrick and Jennifer with the Fan Guest of Honor, represented by great prints of Puck and Demona by Karine and Kythera of Anevern. Next, I spoke a brief tribute to the late Gary Sperling, and we presented his wife and kids with a copy of the Bad Guys Trade and another fantabulous print by Karine. After that came the Rocky Horror Gargoyles Show, i.e. the same old schpiel I always do. Showed the Pitch, the Jim Cummings version of the pitch, the promo, the Frakes presentation piece, the New Olympian and Dark Ages pitch, the Bad Guys animatic and "The Last" animatic -- nearly finished and almost entirely done by fans.
8pm - Having eaten a late lunch, I decided to skip dinner. But I hear Edmund Tsabard and the staff of Blue Mug Productions (Mara Cordova, Kalia Sartre, Jennifer L. Anderson and Boswell Bosley) had a dinner business meeting at Versaille up at CityWalk. Edmund had Ropa Vieja, Plantains, Beans, Rice and a coke.
9:30pm - A few of us hung out in the staff suite upstairs on the hotel's top floor. Liz, Patrick, Mara, Jen, Nikki, Eric, Seth, Sammy, Rebecca, Fox, Sydney, Steph, Scott and Marina all stopped by at one point or another.
11:59pm - I went back to my room...
More tomorrow...
Well, gang, I'm back from the final Gathering. Had an amazing time. Truly. I'll start my conjournal now. One day at a time...
As always, all times and quotations are approximate. Please forgive any mistakes or omissions.
GATHERING 2009 - Thursday, August 20th
I was up all Wednesday night, prepping the scripts for the Radio Play, which I had written over the three (largely sleepless) nights previous.
7:30am - Finally went to bed.
11:30am - Got up. Drove to my office in Beverly Hills to finish prepping for the Gathering.
6pm - Finally finished prepping. Drove home to pack.
7pm - Left for the Universal Hilton. Parked and checked in and unpacked in my seventh floor room. The staff then gathered to go to dinner at Bucco de Beppo's in CityWalk. It was a big table. I think a complete list of those present would include me, Liz Chesterman, Mara Cordova, Joe, Susan Leonard, Sammy Behr, Seth Jackson, Eric Tribou, Jennifer L. Anderson, Kythera of Anevern, Rebecca Bochner, Patrick Toman, Tony Zucconi, Andrea Zucconi, Cindy Kinnard and Karine Charlebois. I had garlic bread, calamari, spaghetti and meatballs, apple gorgonzola salad, two kinds of fettucini, green beans and manicotti. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel to check out the rooms for the con.
10:30pm - I went back to my room to continue prepping my script for the radio play.
More tomorrow... please post YOUR ConJournal here at ASK GREG! Thanks!
Gathering 2009 - Los Angeles CA
Okay, gang, I leave tomorrow for the Gathering. This is our last one for the foreseeable future, so I plan to make the most of it. We've got a TON of programming (including panels on both Gargoyles and The Spectacular Spider-Man and ElfQuest, production panels, voice panels, writing panels, comic book panels), a TON of professional guests (Comic book pros, animation pros, actors, artists, writers, sculptors, directors, etc.) These guests include Frank Paur, Victor Cook, Sean "Cheeks" Galloway, Greg Guler, Thom Adcox, Keith David, Josh Keaton, Steve Blum, Crispin Freeman, Wendy Pini and Demona herself: Marina Sirtis.
We have screenings of exclusive Gathering footage, like the Bad Guys reel and the pro/fan Team Atlantis collaboration. I'm bringing the only once-before seen footage clip from Spectacular Spider-Man ONLY shown at ComicCon last month. And Michael Reaves, Gargoyles writer and story editor, is bringing his STAR TREK webisode, professionally produced and starring George Takei himself as Sulu.
We have a Radio Play (that has nearly killed me to get ready in time) that presents an ORIGINAL Feature-Length crossover between Gargoyles and The Spectacular Spider-Man, with EVERY voice actor guest performing with fans.
We have a Banquet with a pro/guest at every table. We have our "Mug-A-Guests", i.e. a chance for a small group of fans to chat with individual pro/guests. We have the Masquerade and Dance.
We have fan/pro discussion panels on Gargoyles Biology and Culture, mythology, ABJD, Fanfiction, etc. We have Mature Content programming -- including Edmund Tsabard and his Angels at the Blue Mug.
We have Universal Studios and Universal CityWalk right next door.
And we have the opportunity to purchase all three Gargoyles Trade Paperbacks, both volumes of Clan-Building and Bad Guys: Redemption. Plus the auction features more gargoyle merchandise than you could possibly carry home. Great art at the art show.
And a few surprises...
Anyway, if you're anywhere near the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles, we hope you stop by. Let's make this last Gathering the best one yet!
And I'll see you back here at Ask Greg next week...
Oh, and as always, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE post Gathering journals here at ASK GREG!!!!!
Thanks,
gdw
I saw a promo for the "Bad Guys" trade paperback on YouTube this morning (an official one, done by Slave Labor Graphics), and was delighted by it. Especially the meeting between Dingo and a new (as in, introduced to us in this story) member of the Illuminati (we don't know his name yet - but I have my suspicions, which I can't reveal here because of the "no ideas" rule) - I enjoyed the Illuminatus's statement that the Illuminati are the "good guys" as an echo of the series title. And also the scene with Yama and Matrix at the end of the promo; it was great to see Yama, so solemn up until now, beginning to develop a sense of humor.
I'm looking forward to this book all the more now.
Me too, believe me. It should be arriving in stores any week now. And I've been promised we'll have some copies available at the Gathering.
Do gargoyles posess a written/spoken language all there own or do they just adopt ones similar to the local humans?
Check the ASK GREG archives under "Gargoyle Customs" or come to the 2009 Gathering's "Gargoyles Biology & Culture" panel.
where can I watch the crossover "team atlantis-gargoyles"?
if i live in mexico...can i watch it on any site on the net?
(i'm so very bad in english lenguage)
please,answered my question...
thanks!!!^^
gai-kun@hotmail.com
Currently, the only place to see this is at the Gathering: http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/g2009/
It's not too late to sign up!
I just got the following e-mail from a buddy on the staff of CONvergence (http://www.convergence-con.org/), which is taking place NOW:
Hi Greg!
I'm at CONvergence, and I am seeing flyers all over the hotel
advertising for the Gathering. They are having over 40 guests? Wow!
So thanks to those posting our flyers at ConVergence (my second all-time favorite convention). Have a great con!
But don't miss the Gathering, which as of yesterday actually has OVER FIFTY GUESTS attending! Fifty and counting. Soon the guests will outnumber the fans. ( And, dude, I wish I was kidding.) You will NEVER find a better fan to pro ratio at any convention ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!!!! Sign up now at http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/g2009/ !!!!!
hi greg...
i was reading about the team atlantis and Gargoyles
What happened to that episode?
I knew that many fans have agreed to end the episode
if so, when and where we can see them?
send me the answer by e-mail
please...
thanks for you attention ....
diane barret
gai-kun@hotmail.com
I'm sorry, but I don't send any answers by e-mail, as that would mean giving out my e-mail address, which I'm not inclined to do for people I don't know personally.
Assuming, however, you check back here, to get your answer, the one and ONLY place to see this is at the Opening Ceremony of the GATHERING. For more information, check out: http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/g2009/ .
The announcement has been made that the current Gathering of the Gargoyles (the thirteenth annual) will be the last in this form. I'm saddened by this of course, but even more saddened by some of the vitriol I've seen toward the constaff. So I posted this at Station 8:
Hey folks,
Thought I should speak up. In part to defend my friends, I suppose, but also just to make my position on all this clear.
I'm the person who suggested we end the thing. Me. Frankly, I was simply horrified to discover how much of their own MONEY the con staff was putting toward the convention year after year... with it costing them increasingly more with each succeeding convention and with attendance falling at a steady clip. And that's on top of the incredible amount of hard work that these people put in. There have been other individuals and groups who have run individual Gatherings here and there, but most burn out after one year and don't do it again. This group volunteered their time year after year. Stuck with it when others wouldn't. They deserve praise, not scorn.
Are they my friends? Of course. Are they loyal to me? I think so. I like to think I'm just as loyal to them. Are they cliquish at times. Yeah. I've noticed that too. It happens with any group of people who work very hard together to do something and, frankly, feel largely unappreciated for their efforts. They get tight.
But I don't buy the notion that this is an impenetrable clique -- especially since new members join the group all the time. I've known some of these folks for over a decade. Others, just for a couple years. And even if you aren't admitted to this so-called "Inner Circle", what difference should that make? The Gathering is big enough for multiple cliques. Big enough for you to bring your own clique. The Gathering has interesting and informative events whether or not you're in ANY clique.
When someone asks "Why would I want to give any money to hang out with people who have no interest in including me?" I think the question itself is off point. They're throwing you a convention! They're including you! Does that mean they have to personally enjoy your company? Personally, spend time with you? That's unreasonable. You may be great. You may be annoying. I don't know. But they don't have an obligation to coddle you. Just to put on a great show, which I think they've done year after year.
And you're not paying to spend time with them anyway, you're paying to attend the con. Or not. No one's holding a gun to your head, but then don't complain if the thing isn't somehow able to continue indefinitely on SOMEONE ELSE'S DIME.
Don't get me wrong. No one is going to miss the Gathering more than I. I think there's some real truth to the accusation that the thing became Greg Weisman's annual ego boost. Because without a doubt it is a HUGE ego boost for me personally. Year in and year out, I have a blast. I'm treated VERY well, and I enjoy that treatment. I'd be lying if I said otherwise.
But it's not as simple as that. For starters, the reason that the con has consistently featured me and the various series that I've worked on is because I'm willing to do the work to help put the convention together. Frank Paur, just as an example, is ALWAYS welcome, but he doesn't always choose to come. I ALWAYS want to be there. So it's something of a not-so-vicious circle. I provide the convention with contacts -- and the convention uses those contacts to hold panels on Starship Troopers or WITCH or, this year, The Spectacular Spider-Man. All of which is an attempt to INCREASE the attendance by bringing in other fandoms and exposing them to Gargoyles. It's worked to some degree, but not enough.
I've also provided contacts for shows like Darkwing Duck and TaleSpin and Kim Possible, and we've had panels on those that I wasn't a part of because my involvement on those series was nearly non-existent. But I knew those guys, so I got 'em to come. I'm sure everyone would have loved it if I had gotten, uh, say, the Avatar/Last Air Bender guys to do a panel on that show. Trouble is, I don't know those guys. So no luck.
And, hey, I did create the show that we're theoretically celebrating. I am the guy who's fought to get the DVDs and the comics, etc. It's because of the fandom that I never gave up. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm the guy who never gave up. So maybe it's not SUCH a bad thing that I've been the primary beneficiary of the con. Or maybe it is. I'm not going to worry about it.
What I am going to do is enjoy the last convention. I really think we'll be going out with a bang with a ton of special guests. And, ironically, because of the low attendance the BEST FAN-TO-PRO RATIO you'll find at any convention EVER!!! If you can't afford to come this year, we're very sorry. We'll miss you. Really. But if you can, you should try, because once again, I think it'll be a great show.
But of course I'm biased. ;)
And as Jennifer pointed out, if anyone else wants to have a Gargoyles convention in 2010 or 2011 or 2198, no one's stopping you. I'm still willing to attend, still willing to help. Or willing to stay away, if that would be best. But I'd advise thinking long and hard about both the time commitment and the financial aspect of it before jumping in. Cuz it's tough. Not for me. It's easy for me. But for whomever happens to be the constaff in any given year, it's a lot of work and not cheap.
Now, I suppose for some people, all I've done in this post is prove their point. I'm tight with the constaff. They're tight with me. All true. But they've still put out an open invitation year after year to friends and so-called-foes alike. All they're really saying is that they're done. You think you can do better? Go for it!
Greg Weisman
Hey gang,
Today's my last day at Sony. I'm packing boxes. (Well, actually, I'm doing this and procrastinating on the packing, but you get the idea.) The last of the Spidey crew is laid off tomorrow, when we deliver the last episode of Season Two. The fact that we're all leaving does not preclude us all from coming back to do a third season, of course. But we've been told that the EARLIEST we could get a pick-up is March, when the series premieres on Disney XD. If I'm available, believe me, I'll be back. But I'm hustling up work now, so we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, the second season has already premiered in Canada. Hope you Canadian fans are enjoying it. We're really proud of the work done on all 26 episodes.
Meanwhile, on the TRADE PAPERBACK front... As of today, ALL OF THE CREATIVE WORK on the GARGOYLES: BAD GUYS REDEMPTION trade is completed. Totally done. As for the Gargoyles trade, there is ONE lettering error that still needs to get corrected, and THEN ALL OF THE CREATIVE WORK on GARGOYLES CLAN-BUILDING VOLUME II will be done. I do NOT yet know when either trade will be released. That's a Dan Vado question. But I'll post info here as soon as I have it. I will NOT be responding to every rumor or speculation. I'm only going to post when I know something definitive. But believe me, I have no interest in keeping this info from you. When I know, you'll know.
It's been brought to my attention that there's a Goliath sculpt out there that looks pretty darn cool...
http://www.toyark.com/news/attachment.php?do=fullview&attachmentid=3072
http://www.toyark.com/news/disney-toy-news-38/bowen-releasing-new-gargoyles-goliath-statue-722/
As usual, I would never ask fans to spend money they need for necessities, but if you do have disposable income, then nothing helps the property more than dollars spent on products based on it.
Also, IGN's recently presented us with a few nice little honors. Spidey won Best Hero of 2008 (Spidey beats Jack Bauer!) and Best Animated series of 2008... plus we were nominated for Best New Series too. Also in their top 100 animated shows of all time, Gargoyles received #45 and Spectacular Spider-Man was #30. I might quibble about some of the included shows and some of the rankings (Jonny Quest was ROBBED!!!!), but it's nice to have both shows in the top 50.
Check out:
http://bestof.ign.com/2008/tv/15.html
http://bestof.ign.com/2008/tv/5.html
http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/45.html
http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/30.html
Finally, preparations are well under way for the Thirteenth Annual Gathering of the Gargoyles in Los Angeles (G2009). This year, it's Goliath meets the Spectacular Spider-Man, as we'll be having panels and guests from BOTH shows! Confirmed guests include myself, Vic Cook, Thom Adcox, Keith David, Josh Keaton (voice of Spidey/Pete) and Phil LaMarr (voice of Rand Robertson, Joe Robertson and Fancy Dan). And that's just the tip of the guest iceberg. Expect a metric ton of pros (writers, artists, voice directors, actors, production people) to sign on over the next few months. The ratio of fan to pro at this convention will top anything you can find anywhere. Don't miss it!
http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/
And that's it for now. We'll reopen ASK GREG for questions and comments when Spidey premieres in the U.S. in March or when one or both of the trades are released, whichever comes first.
Take care,
Greg Weisman
With the recent comic book release, with Maggie's 'announcement' (yay for them!), has it been considered to possibly throw a baby shower for her at the next gathering, with any 'presents' being donated to local charities? It could be a pretty fun bash... I won't ask if it might be a double-baby shower, but at the least it could be fun for fans of Maggie and Talon. :)
Sounds great to me. You should suggest it to the organizers of the Gathering.
My Gathering Journal. Part of this was written in the hotel on Thursday night. Part of it at the airport before heading home, and the rest from home. So if it seems a little disjointed, that's why.
My Gathering Journal, Day One.
So, I'm here in Chicago. Operating on no hours of sleep.
At 4am, my roommate, Dustin, drops me off at LAX so I can catch my flight to Chicago. American Airlines. I hate American Airlines. Been spoiled by JetBlue, and honestly, I've never before been nervous about flying. I had a window seat, and the wing looked like it was about to fall off. I couldn't sleep (and already I was up for twenty four hours). The guy behind me was sleeping well... everyone on board heard him. I tried to read, but couldn't concentrate, was just too exhausted.
After a four hour flight that felt more like twelve, we landed. My day began getting much better, my suitcase was one of the first off the plane. That never, ever happened to me before. I caught a car service from O'Hare airport to the Hotel Orrington. My driver took the back roads, because the traffic on the freeway was murder, as the rest of the con staff would soon find out (Feel free to insert a joke about my driving here, Greg ;)). On the way, the driver and I discuss International oil politics and Barack Obama. We also drive through the town where, as he pointed out, Hillary Clinton was born.
Finally, I am dropped off at the hotel, and I immediately run into my fellow staffers, Susan Leonard and Patrick Toman. I check in, bump into Rob, and we catch up. It was fun. I shower, shave and change, because I'm rank from the flight, and greet Jennifer, Seth and Sammy. They check in and we take their bags up stairs. I get to hear all about how their plane was late taking off, and when they landed, they spent half an hour on the tarmac. I was glad I came on a different flight. And then, of course, they got stuck in traffic. Naturally, they were starved when they arrived.
Everyone kept trickling in. Karine Charlebois showed up, and Jen's roommate, Rebok. Eventually, everyone except Nikki was present.
So, we go to dinner. Sushi. There were about fourteen of us. Let's see: Greg Weisman, Jen, Karine, Thom Adcox, Seth, Sammy, Patrick, Rebok, Josh Silver (Hollywood producer and Keith David's agent) and eventually Keith David showed up with his wife and kids. We sat down, ate sushi, had a lot of laughs. Toasted to a wonderful weekend. Hey, any weekend that begins with booze and raw fish is incapable of sucking.
Except for one minor annoyance, this con looks like it's off to a great start. Now... well, we're all off to bed because, well, we're old... and tired. And have a long day tomorrow.
My Gathering Journal, Day Two
Writing from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.
So, I woke up, showered, shaved and joined the staff for breakfast. An apple, coffee and pastries. The staff breakfast meeting is a tradition. Though we're mostly laughing while discussing business. With that over, the art show is set up, and, that minor annoyance from the previous night... got a short but stern talking to.
I'm mostly blanking out about the day, but I saw a lot of people. My roommates, Revel and Spacie arrived. I saw Aaron, Mara, Lynati, Emambu, CKayote, Matt, Mandi, damn... a lot of people.
At 5pm, Opening Ceremonies started. The staff sat in front of the room this year, which has happened previous years, but never when I was on. So, that was kind of cool. Susan introduced us, and the guests. Greg Weisman, Keith David, Josh Silver, Thom Adcox and Karine Charlebois. Then, Jennifer got up and introduced next year's victims... er, I mean, con staff, yeah. I am one of them, so, yeah... staffing another Gathering. I am a masochist.
As usual, Opening Ceremonies consisted of Greg's videos. The original Gargoyles pitch. The press release tape. The New Olympians and Dark Ages pitches. The Bad Guys animatic. And "The Last"... which the fandom is finishing for Greg.
Afterwards, I was starving. So, Aaron, Emambu, Lynati, and... er, two newbies whose names I don't recall went searching for pizza. I wanted to try the Chicago Pizza. I did, and it was good. I liked it. But, I like New York pizza better. I've actually gotten into the pizza debate before with my classmate and director, Bill Castanzo. He never tried NY pizza. I never tried Chicago pizza. But, like Harlan Ellison says, "you're not entitled to an opinion. You are entitled to an informed opinion." Well, now my opinion is informed. ;)
We returned to the hotel room, and were joined by Revel and Spacie. We chatted, chilled, watched Cookie Monster's appearance on "The Colbert Report" and, eventually I plead exhaustion and we kicked everyone out and went to bed.
Heh, reading that last paragraph... the real exhaustion will come on Sunday night/Monday morning. But, not getting ahead of myself ;)
My Gathering Journal, Day Three.
Again, got up early and I want to profess my undying love to something very important to me. Something which, without, I would not have had the same joy working on this con as I have. I am of course referring to coffee. The Con Staffer's best friend. The filmmakers' best friend to, for that matter.
So, after the staff breakfast was over, I spent the beginning of the day doing crowd control for the Radio Play auditions. Which meant getting to converse with people, and meet some new people... with one glaring exception, everyone was cool. Finally, I decided to audition, myself. Not seriously though, considering that I already knew what this year's Radio Play was, I knew I had no chance in hell. So... I decided that I would just have fun, and provide a laugh for Greg, Thom, Keith and Jen. I auditioned for Angela... and sucked... but we all laughed.
Next, I went to Karine's panel on Comic Page Layout. As a long time comic book reader, who has mostly paid attention to the writing aspect, this was very informative. She's a talented artist, and while at one point she got quite envious of Greg Guler's "powers," I am confident that she will get there. Her comic art is getting better with each issue she does, and I say this as someone who has always been a fan of her art.
There was a brief incident during the panel, where someone tried to steal the comics she had on the table. I watched him slowly, and subtly stuff them into his bag. I wasn't going to interrupt Karine's panel to call him out on it, but I had full intention of making him give them back the second the panel was over. But, Karine noticed they were gone, asked who had them, everyone pointed at him, and he gave them back.
Afterwards, I spent time helping out in the Art/Dealers Room. A lot of great art. I bid on pieces Karine brought. An awesome shot of Hunter, and page 3 of "Bash," Thailog and the clones standing over a fallen Goliath trying to hold his guts in, and blood dripping off Thailog's blade. Or, as it was later known... "Keith on Keith right after penetration." ;)
I went to the men's room somewhere around here. Normally, I would not report on this, but, this will be funny at the end of this entry. Trust me. The urinals made this creepy scream that could be heard as the urinals flushed. Again, bear with me.
Finally, it was time for the Radio Play. Issues 7, 8 and 9. Chronological order. The play was terrific. Keith was Goliath and Thailog. Phoenix Talon reprised her role as Elisa from last year. Jen was terrific as Shari. Thom as Lex. Seth did a great job as Amp. Emambu turned on his Scottish as Macbeth. Laurean as Constance... awesome.
The play itself, I liked. But, now I understand why Greg chose to tell the story in the comics the way he did. It just did not work in chronological order. We had several Shari stories in a row. Good thing Jen is great at monologuing. And every time she got up to tell one of Shari's stories... the wind and the rain could be heard. Something supernatural was going on there ;)
Issue 9... wow. Just... wow. I'm not saying another word until it hits the stands.
Once the Radio Play was over, it was time for the staff dinner. Susan bought the staff dinner at Pete Miller's steak house. Damn... best meal I've had in ages. I had a lobster bisque to start. And a medium well Fillet Mignon. The mashed potatoes were awesome, garlic was mashed into them. The scotch was great. It was a good time.
Greg left early to get back to the Blue Mug. Eventually, the rest of us got back, a little drunk, but hey, the Blue Mug is always better when you're drunk. I say we have an open bar at it next time, get everyone to lower their inhibitions. Let's see how naughty the questions are then ;)
Greg left to use the men's room and came back and reported the same thing about the urinals but was able to place that scream. The urinals sound like that scream the Green Goblin's pumpkin bombs make when they explode. Creepy.
Eventually, we went to bed.
My Gathering Journal, Day Four.
You know the drill. Woke up, had breakfast. Talked about the previous night and the day's itinerary.
First up was the "Gargoyles & Bad Guys" Comic Book panel with Greg and Karine. Some news was divulged.
- The future of the comic is uncertain. SLG wants to renew. But, Disney is now starting their own comic book company and might no longer want to license their properties out. Also, if Disney raises the licensing fee, SLG will have to decline. Greg is cautiously optimistic.
- Issue 9 will probably be David Hedgecock's last issue. For no other reason than he has problems meeting deadlines.
- The next spin-off is no longer "Pendragon." Greg has this "Dark Ages" story he needs to tell.
- There was another revelation, but... gotta wait for #9 to come out, folks ;)
Personally, if I had my pick, I'd make "Bad Guys" an on-going book. I am loving everything about it.
Next was the "Spectacular Spider-Man" panel. Greg told the story of Norman Osborn's chauffeur. The worst chauffeur ever. I'll admit, I cringed at first, because he's been making fun of me over this for five years now. But, then I realized, you know what, I am a moron. It's the good kind of poking fun, and it was in an episode of Spider-Man. Laughing with me, not at me. So, I got up, and took a bow...
... later on I told Greg that I received a phone call saying my house blew up, pieces of pumpkin debris were all over the place, and the neighbors reported the sound of a gigantic urinal. ;)
After that was over, I learned that Susan won the bidding war. Thailog and the clones standing over a bleeding Goliath was hers. I did end up going home with the beauty shot of the Eyrie Building from #5. And the page with Thailog's "moi".
After that, I was starving and needed lunch. A large group of us, Aaron, Mara, Revel Spacie, Lynati, Mandi, CKoyote, and Kimberly went to Paneira's for lunch. I then hurried back for the end of the auction and got my comics signed.
My favorite autographs:
"Worst chauffeur ever!"
- Greg Weisman
"But best reference finder ever!
- Karine Charlebois
Finally, it was down to my room to get ready for the banquet. Suit and tie, as always. The food was good, the company was great, and the trivia contest was fun to watch. By the time the thing ended, we were writing up new questions just to get it over with. Greg and I both wrote up the last question which ended the contest. I can't disclose that question here because it ties in with #9.
Afterwards, it was time for the masquerade. Mara, Aaron and Lynati came back to my room with Revel, Spacie and I to change. And then it was back down. We didn't have many costumes this year, but what we had was terrific. D.Taina was the spitting image of Shari; Odin had a fun skit; the Tourist Garg was great; but, my favorite had to be Karine as Hunter. If she were allowed to participate, she would have taken Best in Show in a heartbeat.
After that, it was dancing time. You know it's a nerd con when half the people are dancing, and the other half are in the corner playing video games. Guess which I did? I tried dancing. I have never danced before in my life. But, I figured I'd give it a try. I sucked at it, but I am thankful to Mara, Karine and Spacie for the quick dance lessons. I will do it again, of course.
Aaron did lure me over to the Mugen JEB brought with a challenge. Megatron vs Galvatron. We'd finally settle it. I was Galvatron... and I kicked his ass. Galvatron wins! ;)
Things wound down, people started going to bed. But a very small group of us ended up in Susan Leonard's room where we talked, laughed, drank a little and just enjoyed each other's company until 4am.
Gathering Jounal - The Conclusion
Wow, I was so overdue in finishing this.
So, after staying up till 4am the previous night, once again I was up at 8am. Grabbed a shower, and packed. Today was the last day of the con, and there was much to do.
First I raced upstairs and met up with Jen, Karine, Nikki and Patrick, and we went off in search of breakfast. I had bagels and lox. It was a good breakfast. While eating, the waiter over heard us talking about "Spectacular Spider-Man" and we pointed at Jen and said she worked on the show. After breakfast, it was up the art room to collect the art pieces I won. Two original pages from the comic, and an awesome piece of Hunter. All by Karine. Good stuff.
With all that out of the way, Revel and I searched for a non-existent Fed-Ex Kinkos. When we discovered that it was indeed non-existent, we ran for UPS so I could send a package home and get myself some big envelopes to protect the art I bought. As a result, we were late for the Blue Mug Productions panel.
The Blue Mug Productions panel was a lot of fun. On that panel were, as they've been dubbed, the three angels: Jen, Karine, and Mara. Also, we met Edmund Tsabard. Very fun panel.
Finally, it was time for Closing Ceremonies, which are always bitter sweet. Edmund ducked out, and Greg Weisman returned. Awards were given out. Revel, Karine and Mara cleaned up at the art awards. I won three awards for the two music videos I entered. "Gargoyles Comic Intro" won third place in action, and "Kill David" won both second place in action and third place in comedy. Susan Scoggins' "Demona - 1985" won a well-deserved Best In Show award. Now, I am plotting for the next music video contest. I have two ideas.
Finally, we talked about Gathering 2009, which will be back in my newly adopted city of Los Angeles: http://www.gatheringofthegargoyles.com/g2009/ so everyone register. After that, I made my way around the room saying my good byes. Lots of hugs. But, I had to run. My cab was waiting out front to take me to the airport.
And so, another Gathering come and gone. Well, until next year, anyway.
FYI, Josh is Keith's manager, not his agent.
CON-ODYSSEY: CopperCon - Thursday, August 28, 2008
The hotel was playing some unfriendly games. I was semi-awakened by a phone call from the hotel staff asking if I knew where to find "Mr. Sweeney", a member of "my party". I should have taken them to task, but I was too sleepy, so I just mumbled that I didn't know any "Mr. Sweeney".
I was then awakened again by a call from the hotel staff telling me that my room and taxes were not paid for. This is a pretty serious thing to tell a guest of the con. And in near-immediate hindsight, I realized it was a ploy on the part of the hotel to try to use me to force the hand of the Convention Staff to pay them for my room (and other guest rooms) in advance as opposed to at the end of the convention (which is typical). Anyway, this statement woke me up pretty quickly. The guy tried to tell me that the hotel needed my credit card number by 1pm. I had been prepared to go downstairs that morning to give them my credit card number for extras like in-room movies and room service, but not for room and tax which is supposed to be covered by the con. I made it clear that if the hotel insisted on this, I would simply check out. I could hear the guy back-pedaling on the phone, as he realized that his ploy might backfire. He'd lose out on five nights of registration, including the one night I had already spent there. He tried to fumfer, telling me I should talk to "Mark" on the constaff to get it straightened out. I told him I didn't know any "Mark" and that this wasn't an issue I was going to "deal" with at all. If the hotel wanted me to leave, I'd leave.
Of course, there was an element of bluff on my part as well. I didn't really want to leave. So I called my guest liason Shane, who told me not to worry about it. Half-an-hour later he called me back and said it was dealt with. But I determined that I wouldn't give my credit card to the hotel for ANYthing including room service. I'd pay cash for those charges at the end of my stay. And I also determined not to have any charges at the end of my stay. It was somewhat petty, but I didn't want to give any money to this hotel.
12:30pm - Jennifer L. Anderson and Patrick Toman (chairpersons of the Gathering 2009) arrived and we hung out for a bit.
1pm - David Hedgecock joined us, and we went to IHOP for lunch. I had the International Passport Breakfast with Eggs overeasy, bacon, sausage, hash browns, Swedish Pancakes and Tomato Juice.
4pm - Jen, Patrick and I went to see Pineapple Express. Not a great movie, but I have to admit I laughed a lot. So I'd give it a thumbs up.
6pm - Dinner at the Macaroni Grill with Jen, Patrick, David and Lanny Fields (multiple Gathering attendee). I had a Caesar Salad, coke and lasagna.
8pm - David and I had our first Gargoyles panel. Middling attendance, but we had fun.
9:30pm - Returned to my room.
11:30pm - A pretty impressive storm with impressive lightning displays, 100mph winds and HAIL! I was watching television, when the entire hotel blacked out. I watched the storm for awhile and then tried to read by the light of my cellphone...
MORE TO COME...
Hey! The past 2 years I have given a day by day report of what's gone on during the Gathering of the Gargoyles from a non-Gathering point of view. I'm not going to do that this year, seeing as nothing really happened and I don't want to bore anyone. I will say that I did get to do the same exact thing I did during last year's convention, and that was going to Disneyland. So I guess if you can't be at the Gathering, it's the next best thing, right? So, here's my best wishes to all who did go and here's hoping I will get to go next year (I really am going to make an effort to go this time). I'm glad you all had a good time.
Thank you for your time and all that you do.
-Charisma82
Hey, if you're going to be in the L.A. area next summer, you have no excuse not to come to the Gathering -- beats Disneyland, I swear.
I live in Ottawa. I would LOVE to go the Gathering at some point, but I can;t go because of the distance. I know the Gathering was held in Montreal, but I wasn't aware of that at the time. Will the Gathering be held in Ottawa or somewhere (Toronto would be good) anytime soon? I love Gargoyles and will like to interact with people who sare my intrest.
Gatherings are only planned -- at most -- 18 months in advance. G2009 is being held in Los Angeles. We don't yet know where 2010 will be, but if you want it in Ottawa, your best bet is to organize a group of fans there and put in a bid for the con. It's fans who organize each convention, usually local fans.
CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Sunday, June 29, 2009
1am - Returned to my room and ate an apple.
2am - Went to sleep, which for me is early.
8:30am - Wake up call.
10am - Had the Gargoyles and Bad Guys panel with Karine. Fewer questions about Gargoyles #9 then I would have thought, but it was fun.
11:30am - Gargoyles Biology and Culture panel w/Lynati & Kimberly. A perrenial favorite of mine. Not sure anything quite as revelatory as last year in Tennessee, but it was fun.
1pm - Spidey panel w/Keith, Thom and Jennifer. Again, no major revelations, but I like talking Spidey. Next year we're probably going to do a series of Spidey panels at the L.A. Gathering 2009.
2:30pm - Went for stir fry lunch with Sammy, Jennifer, Thom, Adam and Laurean. Good stuff. Afterwards, a couple of us went to Jamba Juice.
4pm - Though we were told we didn't need to get back to judge the Iron Artist competition until 4pm, by the time we arrived it was all over. The medium was macaroni and the theme was the Ultra-Pack.
4:30pm - Sat down to watch the end of the auction, and then we had our signing.
6pm - Banquet: Salad, roll, Chicken, potatoes, carrots, asparagus, tart. I sat with constaff mostly: Nikki, Seth, Sammy, Susan, Jennifer, Karine, Patrick, Greg, Rebekkah. During the Trivia Contest, Matt led his table to victory.
9pm - Masquerade. Fewer entries every year. I hope we can reverse that trend. But what was there was pretty cherce:
Best Canon:
1st: Hunter/Aaron
2nd: Shari/DTaina
3rd: Archmage+/Chip
Best Original:
1st: J.W./Jennifer Rynmoor
2nd: Gypsey/Noel Leas
Cutest Couple: Ranmaru & Arazia
Thom Adcox Memorial Award: Justin as Odin
No Gorelisa award this year.
Best in Show: Patrick Fisher as the Tourist Gargoyle
Also, Karine had a kick-ass Hunter costume.
There was dancing next. I even swing-danced Jenn-Bob right off a table.
MORE TO COME...
CON-ODYSSEY: GATHERING & CONvergence - Friday, June 27, 2009
10:30am - Wake-up call gets me up. I slept for nearly twelve hours. Guess I was tired.
11:30am - I head up to the con to collect my box of RadioPlay scripts. Say hi to some people. Tour the dealer's/art room, which is a work in progress at this point.
12:00pm - My first panel of the con(s). Thom and I hold the Voice Acting Seminar that we've done in previous years. Phoenix gets up to play Demona and does a great job. We also do the Griff, Leo, Una, Goliath scene and a couple different runs at a Peter Parker, Spider-Man, Symbiote, Uncle Ben scene. Everyone does pretty darn well.
1:30pm - First round of auditions for the Radio Play, w/Keith, Thom, Josh and Jennifer helping with the casting and Sammy manning the door. Vox stops by to give me the crochet'd Goliath she made for me. It's pretty amazing, as is the Hunter she's made for Karine and all the rest. Tthe one that makes me laugh the most is the Owen... which was the last to sell. No accounting for taste.
3:00pm - Mug-A-Guest. I remember having fun, though none of the questions stand out in my memory at the moment.
5:00pm - Opening Ceremony. (It's been pointed out to me that it's a Ceremony not multiple Ceremonies.) We opened with a full hour plus of music videos. Susan then stepped up to offer opening remarks and intros. Jen pitched G2009 in Los Angeles (check out gatheringofthegargoyles.com). Susan thanked her staff, including Nikki, Jennifer, Greg and Patrick (who am I forgetting?). Then I went up to do my schpiel and show the now-familiar pieces: the pitch, the promo, the New Olympian and Dark Ages pitches, the Bad Guys reel (much of which is now canon thanks to the comic) and "The Last". The fans have made great progress on "The Last" - but there's still more work to be done. If you're interested in helping, contact Vashkoda.
After opening ceremony, it was time for a Blue Mug Productions Dinner. Edmund Tsabard, was out whoring, so I sat in with Jennifer, Mara and Karine (who has since had to bow out of the project, much to our sorrow). We got a lot done/decided in preparation for the Monday panel. Plus the food was great: Edimame, Rangoon, Dumplings, Miso soup, Shrimp Pad Thai. Then a stop at Ben & Jerry's after dinner for a Banana/fudge/Cherry Garcia sundae.
I stopped by my room to call home, then came back downstairs to the bar (Indigo... I think the restaurant I mentioned yesterday was called Blue or something). Later a small group of us (Susan, Jen, Mara, Karine, Seth, Sammy, Rebecca, Gore, BrooklynX, Patrick, Thom & John) went up to Susan's room to hang out and laugh.
MORE TO COME...
Hey Greg, I Might not be able to Attend The Gathering Of The Gargoyles this year because I'm going to Israel, but if it's allright can i attend and meet you in the 2009 gathering of the gargoyles, and can it again, just for once, be in Chicago, i really, really do want to be there and see you. Can we come to an arrangement? Please?
Daniel,
I don't know what to tell you, Daniel. The Gathering IS in Chicago for once... THIS YEAR, THIS SUMMER, JUNE, 2008. In 2009, it's in L.A. But we'd love to see you at either or both.