Gipdac writes...

1. Did Hyppolyta ever have a mate?
2. Did Hyppolyta lay any eggs?
3. Roughly how many eggs were in Wyvern's 938 rookery?
4. I know you don't have much free time, and I do believe that your time is VERY important, but do you think you'll ever write "Hyppolyta part II"?

J writes...

There's something I've always wondered about Lexington; Was he substantially younger than the others, or was he just short?

Thanks

SpaceWay2007 writes...

Hello, Greg. I enjoy this new series of "The Spectacular Spider-Man." It's very interesting and funny to watch. You wouldn't believe how much I enjoy and look forward to watching this show. It's one of the reason why I wake up early just to watch this show. Great voice acting, great animation, excellent character development, and spectacular storyline. Keep up the good work!
Now, for my question, how come all of a sudden "The Spectacular Spider-Man" shows every other Saturday? Whatever happened to showing new episodes consecutively? And sorry if this question have been asked already, but will there be 13 or 26 episodes for the first season. Thanks for you time.

Philip writes...

Hello Greg.

I'm a long time Spider-Man fan, ever since I was a kid. And when I learned that the man behind Gargoyles would make an animated Spider-Man series, well, I was damn happy. So far, the show really is 'spectacular'.

Now, for my question; when is "The Scorpion" going to appear on Spectacular Spider-Man? And will the character's origin be the same as in the comics? From what I understand, the series is suppose to resemble the Lee/Ditko era, so I'm rather shocked that ol' Scorpie haven't appeared already :P

Chip writes...

It seems silly to ask, because it looks pretty obvious: but are the two stone gargoyles pictured in the shot of the London clan in issue #8 Old Pog and little Lunette?

Blaise writes...

GARGOYLES #8: ROCK AND ROLL

I didn't get my copy of #8 until last Friday (I was working the day it came out and by the time I got to Golden Apple, they were sold out--mostly because they had cut back on their orders). Well, I'm on a list now, so hopefully that won't happen again any time soon.
The extra wait was painful for me, but it was still worth it.

I enjoyed the "previews" of what was to come. "Knight's Spur" is a cool reveal, as is Hudson vs. Coldsteel (and their lines directly follow their initial exchange later in the book). And I was pleasantly surprised when Vinne showed up. I'm still wondering how he enters into this story, but we'll find out eventually.

Ahhh...I recall some people posting about different tales of the Stone's journey to Ireland, and now Shari starts telling them. I like how Thailog (speaking for the audience as well) points out that this contradicts her earlier story, and she is not fazed but subtley reinforces the "..who can say if it be true" bit.

Wow, Arthur and Macbeth share the same coronation day. Maybe they should throw themselves dual coronation day parties.
I don't know who called that Mac and Art would compare notes and then become chummy again, but they were right. I love how they suddenly panic that the gargoyles "will be at each others' throats" when, in fact, they're getting along like a house on fire.

I wonder what Xanatos's little button-thing is for. Like Phil, I'm half suspecting he may have summoned Colstone and Coldfire with it....
-I absolutely LOVED the scene where Mac and Art compare their immortal lives. Who knew Nightstone had coffe shops?
I did not miss that the second half of Mac's line, "Here's to the Immortals--there aren't many like us..." topped a page (and panel) of Shari...telling a tale of Chu Chullain.
I was surprised at how much like Rory young Chu Chullain looked here.

I enjoyed Hudson's objection to being called "yank." And kudos to whoever called the (nick)names.
Constance=Coco
Staghart=Amp
Cute.

Just as Coco says that no one calls Staghart "Amp," We flash forward to the big battle where Lexington calls him by that name. I'm not ready to say there's anything special going on yet, but it certainly seems like Lexington's already pretty close to Amp.
I was surprised that this particular section of the fight scene (very cool, BTW) lasted as long as it did (seriously, how often do we follow a specific time for more than a page?). I, too, noticed the Iron Clan robot alongside the Steel Clan one. I also like how Griff recognizes the resemblance to Goliath, and Macbeth knows the robots are Xanatos's. Just as Mac says the battle might be a diversion, he notices Arthur's gone. I thought I knew why he was missing, intially, but some theories have been flying around that make me wonder....

Nice Arthurian story bit, and we finally get our first true glimpse of Merlin. His design surprised me, I must say. I expected something like blue or grey garments with a hood, if not the typical pointy hat. But I really like this design (and the use of the word "clep'd"). Took me a minute to remember who Pelles was, though.

"All things are true...few things are accurate." "Aye. No bloody kidding." I enjoyed that exchange, and that Arthur's trying to catch up on his Arthurian literature.

London Clan 101. A very informative look at just how fricken' HUGE this clan is, along with other interesting tidbits (like "enforced isolation"--ouch!). Good reactions to Lex's question (whether Coco and Amp are mates), and also to Lex's unspoken query about beasts.

Nice bit with Loch Ness, but why is "story time" advancing by one minute each day? It seems too regular to be coincidence.

I liked Coldsteel's "no sign of life" quip. And it's confirmed that the Xanatos-head in Coyote's mouth IS a view screen. Good to know.
Like Demonskrye I recognized the Philip K. Dick reference.
I liked how we jumped from Lexington saying they weren't going anywhere until they figure out what Xanatos *and Fox* are up to (showing how much he still distrusts her) and we jump back to Fox buying her shoes. Now, about those shoes...at this point, they're starting to become a bigger mystery than anything else in this story.

Thailog doesn't like losing (or even getting close to it), but he's like his father (one of them anyway) when it comes to subordinates pretending to lose.
I thought Kenneth Macalpin looked cool.

Seeing Coco's happy reaction to the Iron Clan's "delimbification" coupled with her "Like I need a gun" line led me to believe she was dangerous. This impression lasted until I turned the page and saw that she was REALLY dangerous.

She's topped by Coldsteel, though, who's willing to do it to his own father. But his tentacles are melted before he can (and I am NOT used to seeing anything but a scowl on his robotic face, so his surprised look here caught me by...well, surprise).

Since the fire came, I knew Coldfire was there at least, so Coldstone couldn't have been too far behind. I second Amp's "Anyone order up the kitchen sink?"

All in all, I'm just waiting for the concluding chapter.

raimus writes...

was the child of oberon known as nought designed to resemble the phantom stranger? also what's his story and will he ever make an appearance in the comic? i just think he looked really cool.

Nicole North writes...

Firstly, thx much to all who've contributed to this excellent webpage; the quantity of Gargoyles show information is almost overwhelming (at least to a new fan like myself)! And thx especially to Greg Weisman, for creating such a truly unique and remarkably clever animated series.

I never watched Gargoyles in my younger years and now, thirty years of age, have become a total fan-- originally from just watching The Awakening movie (w/ some kids I was babysitting years ago), then eventually from buying the DVDs of the first season and the first half of the second season.

I've now watched the DVDs repeatedly and have become increasingly impressed with the complex storyline and character development, surprisingly clever dialogue, and cool action/fantasy animation. It truly is an awesome show, extraordinarily entertaining, even for adults.

I've been reading all the threads here and on Amazon about the reasons we haven't seen the release of the second volume of the second season. The situation for a fan like me (who's never watched the show on television) is that there's this utter blankness, after watching the shows on the DVDs-- without even the vaguest remembrance of how the story continues. It's like reading the first half of some very enjoyable book and then having the book cruelly yanked away from my hold! So unfair!

I am one of those people who doesn't have television at my place (just TV sets to watch DVDs) so I cannot even watch any repeats of the show on cable (although I am seriously considering *paying* friends who have TiVo to record any/all episodes of Gargoyles for me, that I might watch them on their TVs).

So my questions to Greg Weisman or anyone else who reads this (apologies for the lengthy background info) is: what might be the best way for a viewer like me to encounter the rest of the Gargoyles story? Do the comic books tell the stories I haven't seen yet . . . and if so, should I read them in a specific order? Or are there detailed episode descriptions somewhere online that you'd recommend?

I really wish it was not an unacceptable violation of creative copyright for me to offer a fan of Gargoyles money for VHS/DVD copies of the second half of the show-- because I so want to view the rest of the series!

Mr. Weisman: you must have access to all the recorded shows. So if you were offered a large sum (to be distributed among all who have a share of the Gargoyles copyright . . . including Disney, if it must be <g>) for DVD-R copies of the episodes of the second half of the second season of Gargoyles-- and perhaps the third season-- to be purchased by fans for private viewing only . . . that would be legal, right? (All right, I don't personally have a large sum . . . but perhaps fans here on s8.org could create a shared fund for this purpose . . . ?)

Confused Fan [Shocker Question] writes...

So, Montana was the Shocker.
Does this mean that Montana is Herman Schultz? :S
I think Montanas real name has never been told even in the comics?

Gipdac writes...

Seeing "Reckoning" when Demona was explaining to Angela how she survived over a thousand years made me think, how much does anyone really know about her immortality; for example during "City of Stone" she lied to Xanatos about it, so…
1. How much of Demona's true story (about MacBeth, her immortality, the Weird Sisters, her clan after Wyvern, the Hunter(s), etc.) does Angela really know?
2. How much does Thailog know about Demona's true story?
3. How much does Xanatos know about Demona's true story?
4. How much does Puck/Owen know about Demona's true story?
5. How much do Goliath and the rest of the Manhattan clan know about Demona's true story?

Sylvester writes...

Ever since I heard the man behind Gargoyles would be working on a Spider-Man animated show, I knew it would be the best yet. The icing on the cake was learning you were also an avid Spider-Man fan. You've done a really excellent job.

I've got to ask though, where is the super strength and spider-sense reflexes? I've seen plenty of web shooting, wall-crawling, agility and did I say web shooting? I just feel those two traits were lacking in the fights he had with Ox, Fancy Dan, and just recently, Tombstone. I'm all for the hero being challenged and all, but not as a result of his powers being watered down. Will we get to see just how strong someone who possesses the proportionate strength of a Spider can be in future episodes?

Thanks

WolfCypher writes...

Since it never hurts to ask, and if I cross any lines, all you have to do is ignore that question, I'm going to get presumptuous with some of my questions.

1) I gotta know...what will drive Eddie to hate Peter/Spidey to the point of wanting to kill him?

1.1) Okay, that may be too much, so maybe I'll ask if Eddie's hatred will be towards only Peter, or Spider-Man, too...

1.2) Okay, okay, at least can you reveal by what episode will we see their brotherly bond breakdown and Eddie's dark side come out?

2) Will the opening feature the same animation in later seasons, or will the animation change, such as featuring season 2 characters in the opening?

3) Have there been any Gargoyle referrences in this show? Besides Max getting electrocuted by the eels in "Interactions"?

Well, it was an honor wasting your time with these nerdy questions. Seriously, big fan of Gargoyles, and I love your handling of 'Spec SM'!

Webhead2006 writes...

Hey Greg, first off i wanted to say i love the spidey show. Personally i think its the best out of all the past shows, i loved the early 90s one when i was a kid growing up with it. But now i see all the flaws it had back then and all that. So far SSM is great love the characters, the story, and the action all top notch. I wish you the best of luck with the show and i heard your podcast with spiderman crawlspace and i would love to see the show make it to 65 episodes or more and then also would love to see some direct to dvd films which would be great. I just had one question i was wondering if you can give me the answer to and here it is: Are you planning to have any other villains/supporting characters be mergered between two different characters like you did with shocker/montana? I was really just wondering because its something i wouldnt want to see happen alot/ to certain characters. Thanks again for any answer you may give me. Also P.S Could we expect any twists with foswell and the big man identity or is big man just going to be tombstone's alias.

Alex writes...

Hi Greg!

I just wanted to know when is each arc of The Spectacular Spider-Man supposed to be released on DVD?

Thanks Greg! :)

Chimaraz writes...

Is the practice of raising eggs communally based on tradition for Gargoyles, or is it more of an instictual biological imperative? The answer we usually get is that it's the Gargoyle way, but is it the Gargoyle way because they're told they've always done it that way, or is it the Gargoyle way because instinct tells them that if they lay an egg in the rookery, all eggs in the rookery are theirs? It is the most sensible course of action, based on their reproduction, but did the practice arise because of how they reproduce universally as a species, or do they reproduce universally as a species because of how they practice parenting?

... Chicken or egg?

p-tri writes...

are there any gargoyles in elkton maryland

Kenneth Chisholm writes...

I've read that you imagine your character on the ideal voice actor for it such as Morgan Freeman for Quincy Hemings.

I was wondering, what are the criteria for the voices you imagine. Do they have to be living? If not, have you ever imagined characters appropriate for major Star Trek actors that did not appear as voice on the series such as James Doohan, DeForest Kelly, George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney and Walter Koenig?

Kenneth Chisholm writes...

How much of Anton Sevarious was inspired by the Nazi scientist, Josef Mengele?

Todd Jensen writes...

I enjoyed the latest episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man" this morning.

Rhino, despite being not all that bright, still proved himself a challenging adversary; points to Spidey for figuring out a clever way of finally taking him down.

The meeting with the Big Man/Tombstone was also a great scene. Not only is Tombstone himself tough, but he's even able to convince the police that Spidey's the bad guy, adding to his menace even more than sheer physical prowess can do. I also liked Spidey's comment that he's not looking the other way again (I assume that's another reference to the same incident as, in the first episode, "...the way I lost Uncle Ben").

Another touch I liked: Norman Osborn making a profit out of incarcerating the super-villains as well as making them, and his altercation with Hammerhead (which Harry overhears - I look forward to seeing how that develops). And it seems that Dr. Octavius is going to be in trouble soon.

And Peter's personal life (Aunt May, Betty Brant, and the introduction of Mary Jane) was well-handled too. Fine work on another fine episode.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Okay, first off... I never thought I would ever enjoy a Rhino episode that much. Rhino is a bug, dumb thug and those are usually not my favorite villains. Far from it. But this had to be the best fight scene they've done yet, even topping the Lizard subway battle. I loved how Spidey used his brain to defeat the Rhino. Steam, that clever.

While I'm on the subject of the Rhino, props to Clancy Brown. He's always been one of my favorite voice actors, whether he's playing Hakon, Wolf, Lex Luthor, Gorrath, or whoever. The man is very talented, and brought a real sense of menace to that Big Dumb Thug.

Big Man's identity was a surprise, but honestly, I am not entirely convinced. First off, Tombstone is a badass. But my eyebrow raised as soon as I heard Osborn refer to him as "Mr. Lincoln." This is not me being a comic book purist, far from it. If it is him, I'll be very happy with the decision. While it was fun in the 60s, a journalist leading a double life as a crime lord just doesn't seem like it would fly today. Why would a crime lord need that cover? That's what money and lawyers are for. But Foswell certainly seemed to know a lot about the Big Man... curious. I am expecting another twist here. But the Spidey/Tombstone scene was terrific, and damn, this series is beginning to get epic.

Norman Osborn is being paid to manufacture supervillains as well as imprison them. He's got quite the racket going on there. Good for him. But now that Hammerhead is threatening him, well... Norman obviously won't take that lying down, which makes a great lead in for the next episode, considering who the villain there is supposed to be.

Now, let's swing back to Peter's personal life.

Aunt May is an evil mastermind. So very manipulative. I loved it. Though I will admit, even knowing who was coming, I was kinda rooting for Peter and Betty. But, that all faded as soon as Peter opened the front door and who do we see? Mary Jane Watson, and we get that famous line... "face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot." As a long time fan, this pleased me. I am definitely in the camp that agrees that Mary Jane is Peter's one true love, but even there it annoys me how in most modern re-tellings, Mary Jane has been Peter's "It Girl" since they were toddlers. The movies did it, "Ultimate Spider-Man" did it, and it's refreshing to see the classic version here on screen.

It does make me wonder if Mary Jane fought with her Aunt Anna about meeting Peter Parker. "Their aunts are setting them up, this can't be good." Then again, in the comics, she knew Peter was Spider-Man before they ever met... she saw Spider-Man crawl out of Peter's window the night Uncle Ben died. Should be interesting to see if "Spectacular Spider-Man" follows this story or not.

I eagerly anticipate seeing Flash Thompson dressed as a cheerleader. BTW, Josh LeBarr as Flash cracks me up.

Aldrius writes...

Ramble on episode 6. (I'll be back with 5 soon)

That "Mr. Lincoln" was kind of a blatant drop. I guess it's to prove he's NOT one of the more popular spider-man characters?

Are these three thugs the... uh... there are no spider-man villains left that I can think of... I guess that must mean next week we're getting a biggie or an encore.

That Peter Parker is persistent.

And now his aunt is showing up to have coffee with her. Peter and Betty are moving so fast.

"She's 20 and hot". That line made me laugh.

And the Rhino is looking for Peter Parker. He really should use an alias for taking those photos, it's kind of an invitation for supervillains to go looking for him.

Now here will be the test if Jonah is actually a good man 'Dante's 9th circle' deep. Or if he's just a big mouth who's willing to do anything for money/his own life. I'm kinda hoping and betting he'll cover for Peter.

And I'm right. That's encouraging.

The Rhino sure is durable in this show. Peter can't even dent him. Makes for a good 'how's he gonna beat this guy' moment. But I think that's because the show has established a rather cool trend of having an interesting way for Peter to beat the bad guy.

I wonder what Peter's gonna do with the Rhino out in the open... furthermore, where is he gonna find an open unpopulated place from the middle of Manhattan? Central Park? I don't know New York's geography very well.

Ah, of course. BENEATH New York. That's a good explanation. And sweating him out of that suit was a cool idea.

Ouch, Peter Parker is a jerk... and apparently he gets off on pretending to be Rhino's mother. That's... interesting...

Aha, so the Big Man is Tombstone. That's really cool too. And now he's bribing Peter. I kinda hope he accepts, just because that'd be really interesting in the long run. I have a feeling he'll end up accepting down the road at least. Maybe when the cops start putting the pressure on him every time he shows up.

What's with Harry's smirk? Is he just happy he's popular, or did he hear something while Norman and Hammerhead were talking?

And now we get Mary Jane. I saw that "Face it Tiger" coming from a ways away. But I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Mary Jane strikes me as coming a little too soon, I was hoping to develop the relationship between him and some of the other 'girlfriends' he's had before that, but just because she's here doesn't mean that can't happen. I have no idea if Mary Jane had been introduced after Gwen had died... I'm assuming she had been.

This was a good episode. I figured it was going to be more of a filler episode rather than anything major, but I learned not to listen to that assumption. Another good one, though I hate it because it was over too soon. :p

When you got the order for more episodes, were you able to re-organize your plans so the finale could be moved, or are we going to get a mid-season-esque "Avalon" soon?

Cody writes...

I just wanted to say thanks Greg for the fantastic story you've created here. I went on a nostalgic kick awhile back and revisited some series from my childhood.. most did not stand up so well, but I actually appreciate what you were doing with Gargoyles more now than I ever did back then and, in hindsight, recognize just how far ahead of its time it actually was.

The world you have crafted here is so vivid and interesting, it got me to thinking, have you ever thought about writing a novel about the Gargoyles? Or do you see Gargoyles always existing in a more visual medium, like animation or comic books?
Just to go a little further afield, what are your thoughts on "opening it up," Stars Wars style, so other authors can write the stories while you maintain tight control over canon? I think I know what your answer will be, but I have quite the appetite for more Gargoyles stories than exist at the moment, so I have to ask.

Thanks again.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Since you're doing Spider-Man and obviously have gone back and studied the mythos intimately while prepping to do the series, I've been meaning to ask. Which writer's run on Spider-Man has been your favorite?

In my case, I'm a big fan of Roger Stern's run on the character, especially his Hobgoblin stories.

CJ writes...

First off, I would just like to say that I am a huge fan of Gargoyles, and I look forward to any news on further DVD releases when it becomes available. With that out of the way, I'm curious as to whether or not Macbeth has any family ties to the Princess of Castle Wivern (I admit, I'm drawing a blank on her name). Are they both of the same royal bloodline, or are they from separate kingdoms within Scotland?