Wendy Self writes...

To whom it may concern,

My name is Wendy Self and i am a Second Year Student of Animation and Design at the University of Sunderland, UK. I am currently preparing the research for my dissertation, which i want to base on violence and censorship in children's animation. I was keen on looking at how both aspects are applied to 'message' episodes and mature themed story lines.
I was hoping that i would be able to ask Mr Weisman some questions on the writing and content of the Gargoyles series as it is one of the main examples that i am using for mature writing and intelligent subject matter in a children’s TV show.

I understand that this is probably an unusual request but I would greatly appreciate any help you could offer. However I do realise that Mr Weisman is busy with his own work so if it is inconvenient for me to speak to him directly then I fully understand.
My university contact is wendy.self@sunderland.ac.uk

Thank you very much for looking at my question and I hope to hear back from you soon.
Sincerely,
Wendy Self

Nelio Belmont writes...

Hi Greg, this time I have a production question about Gargoyles. Given that Youtube has started putting commercial products such as old TV shows and what not, do you think there is a chance that Gargoyles will be put up on it as well? More specifically, do you think the second half of Season 2 may be put up there? And finally, if those episodes gets lots and lots of views, do you think Disney would consider a DVD release of Vol 2?

David Blyth writes...

Hi Mr. Wiesman

A question related to "The Batman", it was a very different kind of Batman series, fresh off the gridiron and airing alongside the final seasons of JLU, I'm not sure if it had a chance to really "define itself" in light of such a strong legacy, but part of what gave it it's own identity was the hard work of Duane Capizzi, Alan Burnett, a great voice cast (Mitch Pillegi!), and your own scripts.

"The Everywhere Man" featured the voice acting of "Superman Returns" leading man Brandon Rough, who played the main antagonist, his co-star was Allison Mack, aka Chole Sullivan from long-lasting Superman series "Smallville", so all in all, it felt like a big Hollywood atmosphere

1. Do you have any memories of this beyond just the scripting process?

2. Were you told to write characters that "complimented" Brandon and Allison or did you know they were coming in?

David Blyth writes...

Hi Mr. Wiesman

As a folllow-on from something asked of you by "Anonymous" on the issue of growth and evolution in Spider-Man , I would like to, first, argue that the Spider-Man series you have been working on isnt "pinned down" by the problems the comic version of Spidey faces. You have placed Peter, MJ, Gwen, Harry and others into the most innocent kind of "hell" on Earth, High School.

Long before girls fell off bridges, long before clones and long before Peter realized MJ was the love of his life and married her, you don't have to worry about "resetting" there because that only affects the characters outside of High School...where readers expect them to act grown up and responsible for one another, and when they act like rank adolescents as they do in BND (my opinion), or heck, ever since the last ten years worth (Spidey's never recovered since 1999, again, my opinion)

Spider-Girl has now been running for eleven years, with another good few years left in the tank (I don't know how long Tom intends to tell it, right now the word is "indefinatly"), yet Tom recently admited if he so much as fought for an animated series, he'd be shot down. I find this incredibly tragic and disheartening.

And yet...look at what D.C accomplished ten years ago with Batman Beyond.

Terry McGuiness may only have had the golden rule of syndication ("Get 65 and DIE") one movie, and one episode of JLU, but it says a great deal about the higher-ups at WB to risk three years worth on character growth on someone new, whilst balancing that with remarkable doses of growth for Bruce Wayne and Barbera Gordon to that extent than, say, three more years of "The New Batman Adventures"

Hell, let's argue LOONATICS. Done CORRECTLY, this would have made Loony Toon characters DRAMATIC...key word there is "done correctly" of course, but premises like that are ones any writer can eat up with a spoon...again, WB risked it, suceed or fail.

Likewise you have put a lot of risk into Spectacular Spider-Man that has paid off, so maybe it's not a case of marketers being afraid of "growth and change", maybe it's more a case of certain groups being behind the times and just not living in the here and now.

Time will tell. Right now, I like to think those people KNOW that we need something new. Nothing lasts forever.

Not even the relevancy of the "Modern Myth".

My question: Why is it easier for something like Batman Beyond to be favoured over something like Spider-Girl?

Martin writes...

you said that you already have overall plan for season 3. does this mean everything from the begginig to the finale is in your head, including what characters and villains will appear?

Branden Harvey writes...

I'll rephrase my question since I confused you the first time (my fault, of course, not yours):

In The Uncertainty Principle, when Harry was "revealed" as the Goblin, he was switching back and forth between himself and the Goblin persona right in front of Spider-Man and Norman. Since Harry was never the Goblin, what was going on there?

Arthur Jr. writes...

1. To be honest Greg, I may have to agree with Daran Norris doing Man-Wolf if included. I even wonder if Daran can pull of the Man-Wolf vocal effects though.

2. Still, I would recommend Frank Welker and Dee Bradley Baker if another bunch of werewolves (i.e. the Lobo Brothers) were included in a future season. I don't know if you heard of them, but outside of Eduardo Lobo knowing Glory Grant when she worked as a secretary for J. Jonah Jameson, the Lobo Brothers were in a gang war against the Kingpin.

3. I was wondering if you read an earlier comment about Sally Avril later becoming Bluebird in the comics. What is the year that the TV series takes place in since it wasn't specified in the show?

4. As an added bonus, I was wondering if a future season would include the Sinister Syndicate since you already have the Sinister Six and the Enforcers on the show? That which was made up of Beetle (who not only fought the Fantastic Four and Iron Man before becoming a founding member of the Thunderbolts), Hydro-Man, Rhino, Boomerang, Speed Demon, Leila Davis (the getaway vehicle driver before becoming the second Beetle), Blacklash (an Iron Man villain), Constrictor (who was a member of the Serpent Society), Scorpia (she started out as a minion of Silvermane), and Shocker. I don't mind if this is answered as a "No comment."

Jess writes...

Hey Greg! I know you've been mostly dealing with Spidey queries lately, but hopefully you won't mind "kickin' it old school" so-to-speak and answering a Gargoyles question.

I'd been taking a Shakespeare course this semester at school, and I chose to write a paper on Shakespeare's Macbeth's influence on yours. (I got an A by the way). Anywhoozle, obviously this meant re-watching some Of the Mac-centric episodes, including of course the wonderful "City of Stone", which as it alway does, reminded me of how much I love Macbeth's complex backstory and that of the legacy of The Hunter.

Now I did search the archives before asking this, so I know the Canmores in "Hunters Moon" were not aware of Macbeth, but I couldn't find if you had said whether or not HE was aware of THEM.

Was he as of "Hunter's Moon?" And if not, is he aware of them as of "The Rock" in the comics?

Thanks.

SpecSpidey546 writes...

Greg, as much as I love Spectacular Spider-Man, I have a complain. "Reinforcement" is, in my opinion, the weakest episode of all. While it had its moments, it didnt feel like "Group Therapy". Who's idea was Sinister Six to attack Spidey in pairs? and the thing that really annoyed me - Electro shooting electricity from his mouth?!?!? what the hell? Other then this, the series is amazing and I hope it lasts 5 seasons.

Anonymous writes...

Does the real Gisela have that great spirit and did she ever live in Mexico?