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Entity (repost by Aris) writes...

This is (also) in response to Exolexy's commentary on the post-Avalon episodes. First and foremost, while I do not agree with Exolexy, I do not think it in good taste to make him an anti-fan; an object at which to toss glares as we hang on your arms.

With that said, I would like to say that the post-Avalon episodes had a very jarring effect on me, I believe similar to the one it had on Exolexy. I simply found things to be a bit overwhelming. "The Mirror" had been an early taste, but after "Avalon" things just skyrocketed.

Gargoyles had never struck me as that thick of a fantasy series before that point. My interpretation had been that the gargoyles were the sole fantasy elements, and that that was the premise: Fantasy creatures in a real world. But then the viel was brought back... and at first I didn't like it.

I was a sci-fi fan. Fantasy wasn't my thing. I couldn't grasp beings like Oberon, as it appears Exolexy wasn't able to. My science-fiction conditioned mind kept trying to compare him to Star Trek's "Q", like two puzzle pieces that wouldn't go together. 'If he's onmipotent, why isn't he noncorporeal?' I said. 'Omnipotence demands you be noncorporeal!'

After a while, though, I began to thaw. Then I began to re-watch. And with each re-viewing I came to appreciate the rich mythological and fantasy elements more. Now I couldn't imagine a Gargoyles without all of that.

In short, I owe my appreciation for the fantasy genre to Gargoyles. It was responsible for 'bridging' me over.

Greg responds...

Wow. Cool.

I was raised on the bastard genre of super-hero comics. Fantasy and sci-fi always mixed in with reality and heroics, etc.

None of this seemed strange to me.

(Of course, I don't know what Exo-Lexy said. I guess I'm being protected.)

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Aris Katsaris writes...

After a long delay I am now beginning again to repost much of what had been lost in the crash. Sorry for the delay.

Comment: there were a couple high-tensioned posts of Exolex, Lexy and me which I won't repost - my reason for that is that Exolexy made a comment which seemed to imply to me he wouldn't mind their deletion: if however any of you wants their specific lost comments reposted, just say the word and I'll do so: I'm not exercising censorship, just caution.

Greg responds...

Huh?

Uh, thanks.

(What's there to be cautious about?)

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Aaron writes...

The caption. Must've been my imagination then. But thank you for the confirmation.

Of course, I goofed up anyway, since the prison is actually *Ryker's* Island, not Riker's Island. Must've been thinking of something else. ;)

Greg responds...

Huh?

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Laura 'ad astra' Ackerman writes...

Not questions- comments:

I read your Leader of the Pack posting... as usual, I loved it. Thank you again for posting such things.

I think I remember being surprized by "Xanatos" under the helmut. At the time I was still blown away by one of my all time favorite tv lines; "Because Nietzchi is too butch and Kafka reminds me of your friends down there." {AND the close up on enough letters to recognize Sarte!} I know I was shocked to find out the truth. I thought little of Xanatos for going on a revenge binge, but modern tv has lowered my expectations. However I was stunned when Bronx went for "Xanatos' head", just shocked.

Oddly enough I thought the gargoyles flying away was a nice choice. Many other times there has been widespread ignoring of the "glide, not fly" principle. Here they circled around this unusual unexpected heat source. Under normal circumstances there might have been no way to get back in the air. Coming out to a place without sirious updrafts was a choice the gargoyles made because they had to, a ramiphication of Lex's hastiness. Showing them circling, using the fire to get back in the air, was a touoch of realism with interesting implications. Swimming would have taken away the open question whether they all could swim the distance, especially the part of Bronx howling as if he will drown. It would have been a more explicit version of the 'can't just fly' problem, but not an example of the gargoyles clearly using aor currents to glide.

MAybe I'm just rambling- it is late.

One other thought.
Now that the answers are coming in every day, and the recently answered page is actually moving, I find myself afraid I've missed something that came and scrolled off already, but reluctant to search the entire archive. Perhaps another page would be a good idea. A Relatively New Page in which newer messages, irespective of catagory, would sit for a set amount of time. Each message would automatically fall off the list in 30 days or the like. Just a thought.

Greg responds...

I think at times we counted on modern pop culture lowering expectations. That allowed us to defy those expectations on occasion.

Nice point about the gliding. So it couldn't have been that late.

I try to keep the new answers up for at least a week. But keep in mind, if you miss some, you only have to check the top of any archive. I know it's still a pain, but at least you don't have to read everything. And most posts go to multiple archives.

But don't hesitate to make your suggestions to Gore. It's still his site, not mine.

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Demonskrye writes...

Hi Greg,
I'm working on responding to your rambles on the individual episodes while spacing myself enough that you don't have to read a whole slew of them at once. Hopefully, I'll eventually be caught up enough that you'll remember the rambles I'm refering to.
Without further ado...

"The Thrill of the Hunt"

First off, I think the Trio tryptic was a good followup to "Awakening", since it developed the Trio much more fully beyond their comic relief teenager personalities. Though each of them stand alone well enough, they also fit together nicely with an "Innocence Betrayed" theme. Lex believes the TV version of the Pack is the real thing and gets a rude awakening upon actually meeting them. Brooklyn makes an attempt to fit in with modern humanity and is nearly killed. Broadway accepts the media vision of guns and ends up injuring Elisa. The Trio is discovering the modern world and it's not always a pretty picture.

I also appreciated the fact that Lex was right and in spite of the fact that the episode's events seemed to prove him wrong, Goliath acknowledged that Lex was right. Unfortunately, Goliath didn't seem to do much in the way of "seeking out kindred spirits" for the rest of the season. Though unless I remember wrong (which is entirely likely), Brooklyn uses the same term to describe the bikers he approaches in "Temptation". So maybe the task fell to him.

I love continuity. It's one of the reasons I was so addicted to "Gargoyles" when it was still on Disney Afternoon. And I loved seeing ramifications to the characters actions. I can't remember if I had expected Xanatos to be out of jail by this episode, but I know I appreciate that he wasn't.
And on the other end of the spectrum, we have the clashes between Elisa and Goliath over the status of the castle as the gargoyles' home. Kind of a sign of what was to come, slowly setting up the idea that the victory in "Awakening Pt 5" wasn't as final as Goliath would like it to be.
I agree, this was probably Wolf's shining moment. Much like the gargoyles, we weren't sure what he was capable of at this point. He seemed focused, a skilled hunter, and maybe even strong enough to take on Goliath. Later on, he kind of degenerated into more of a bully type; strong and not exactly stupid, but no strategist either. By the time "Vendettas" aired, he just seemed so inept that I could hardly take him seriously.
The Pack hype was fun. I didn't equate it with Power Rangers at the time, but I can see it now. It also adds to the idea of the gargoyles being from a completely different era that Lex would be completely taken in by something any human teenager could easily identify as so much special effects.
If I was going to compare this episode to "Temptations", I'd probably say that Fox is Lex's Demona. As a rule, Lex hates the Pack in general well into season two, but Fox is the one who seems to really get to him. Thinking on her feet, she dupes him into bringing Goliath to meet the Pack. And judging by his face after she stroked his chin, Lex was pretty well under her spell at that point. Having him so enthralled with the pack really sets him up for the fall later on.
Was that A "Beauty and the Beast" nod when the Pack are seeking out Goliath and Lex on a rooful of stone gargoyles? Or just coincidence? That particular film is one of my other great loves and I enjoyed the ocassional reference to it in "Gargoyles", Elisa's Halloween costume being the most obvious.

That should be all for me. Thanks for listening and thanks as always for helping to make such a fine show.

Greg responds...

You're welcome. (But no, I don't think that rooftop was a B&B ref.)

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Greg "Xanatos" Bishansky writes...

Comments on "Leader of the Pack"

When I first saw Coyote scaling the prison wall I immediatly said, "that is SO obviously Xanatos." And when he took off the helmet I honnestly thought you were running out of surprises, I was pleasantly surprised at the end. When Bronx leapt on Coyote and chewed his face off, I literally screamed "WHAT THE F---! THEY KILLED XANATOS!" Then as soon as he got off the ground, for a moment I thought he was still Xanatos and that he would acquire a Dr. Doom esque look to hide his disfigurement. Than he turned out to be a robot, and it all made sense. Than I bust my gut laughing at Hyena's reaction.

Did I think that Xanatos truly loved Fox, well to be honest, no. I thought they were like Boris and Natasha as lovers. But I did like the development in "Eye" and "Vows". Now, I did think that Fox was in love with him after "Brother", just something I knew.

You created two great characters there.

Greg responds...

Thanks. I had help.

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Abigail Thorne writes...

Quick comment on "Leader of the Pack." I had already figured out that Fox loved Xanatos from that scene in "Her Brother's Keeper." But I had no idea that Xanatos returned those feelings or that the two of them were an item--that last scene in the limo was an awesome surprise. I was also totally duped by the Coyote robot--I thought that was Xanatos. I had felt a little uneasy about Coyote's tunnel-vision focus on vengence, but dismissed it because the story was so cool and I was glad the show was back. But when you showed that Coyote was a robot, and that Xanatos clearly didn't care about vengence, it all clicked. Great surprise, great clue, great episode!!

Greg responds...

Thanks. Rather proud of all that switchin' back and forth myself.

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Scott Iskow writes...

Re: "Leader of the Pack"

I have to admit, "Leader" wasn't one of my favorite episodes. In fact, it's near the bottom of the list, right above "Monsters." It did have some great moments, though. I loved the ending with Xanatos and Fox. I liked the scene between Hyena and Fox before they were sprung loose. I also liked the interaction between Brooklyn and Lexington.

But what I liked most of all was something I hadn't noticed until your ramble: The trickery. A lot of clever bits in this show had me fooled. For one thing, I never expected a robot to have to wear a suit of armor, which contributed to my believing it was actually Xanatos. Coyote is the first robot on the show to hide his face under helmet. In a way, it was wearing *two* masks: The helmet, and Xanatos' likeness. The whole show is laced with this kind of trickery.

Too often, I find myself able to predict what is going to happen on a show. It seems that too many of them follow the tired old conventions. Even "Batman," which started out new and fresh, sank into predictable patterns toward the end of its run on the WB Network.

I respect any story that can take me by surprise. Even if it's not my favorite one. In my opinion, that's what separates the talented writers from the ones who merely regurgitate ideas from a preset formula. I think the word for it is... "creativity."

Greg responds...

Uh, thanks. (I think.)

So what didn't you like? (He asks with some trepidation.)

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Puck<40> writes...

O.o; just saw all those clan posts you had to look through. Some people have lots of time on there hands. <like I'm one to talk>. Anycase. 9.9; as so my useless comment won't get kicked. A sincere note of..
Thank you for giving us a show <with a little help from the evil hordes of Disney under the name of Buena Vista cause they didn't have full faith in the show>. And thanks to all the people who helped with it. And you for somehow having the weird mindzap to tap into a universe that is not of our own. :) Thats it. <runs of>

Greg responds...

You are welcome, sir.

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Bråndeewine writes...

Greg, your ramblings on "Leader of the Pack" were great. You are too cool. I may only be 23, but I remember Westworld too. :oP As for Fembots, well, I didn't see any machine guns sticking out of Coyote's "jumblies". :oP
*chuckles then sighs* I would really love to get my hands on all of those episodes. I suppose I'll have to go get a satelite....cable sucks anyway. Hearing you talk about the episodes, sounding like such a kid with the enthusium and vigor of one seeing it for the first time...well, it is truly captivating. I love your rambles. Man! What great eye-openers they are!

Greg responds...

Thanks. Like I said, I'm having fun.

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Bud-Clare writes...

Leader of the Pack comments...

I love the part where Bronx bites Coyote. The first time I watched it, I was sitting there thinking, "Come on, Bronx, bite his head!" I was pretty amused when he actually did it...

(Kind of like in Eye of the Beholder, when Xanatos gave Fox the Eye and I got really grossed out. I thought I was just being silly... until I saw Eye of the Storm.)

As for when I realized that Fox was in love with David, it was in Her Brother's Keeper, since she was getting all gushy. You said that anyone who saw later episodes first is disqualified, but the only episode with Fox in it that I saw prior to the first season was when I saw her at the end of Possession (I missed the beginning), which should have tipped me off big time, except I didn't even notice her. I was too busy boggling over the fact that Owen had turned into a strange blond human. Oh, and I saw CoS before HBK, but I didn't catch on.

I would have loved to have seen the gargoyles swimming back to shore. They glide all the time, where's the fun in that?

I didn't think that Xanatos was lying about being in love with Fox, but I didn't necessarily think he was telling the truth, either. If he didn't care about her at all, he probably wouldn't have bothered getting her out, but "true love" probably seemed a bit excessive.

Greg responds...

I don't think he knew then. Though obviously he liked her company. (You sure saw them in an odd order. I'm lucky the show still worked for you.)

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Blaise writes...

LEADER OF THE PACK
(vrOOM vrOOM! Sorry, couldn't resist!)

I thought this was a pretty good season premiere episode myself. Actually, my brother was watching it with me as well, the first time it aired, and he actually got into it a bit.
I was surprised to hear the narration in the new opening sequence. I do think the dramatic impact was greater when it was purely music, but then again...it's Keith David's voice. It worked.
The prison break had some great imagery and Coyote really steals the show here. Even though the voice was modulated, enough mannerisms were able to pass through (aided by the quips) to make my brother ID Coyote as Xanatos. Me, I wasn't so sure--just didn't seem quite his style. Of course at the end of the act, Coyote takes off his mask and reveals the distinctive Xanatos mug, so I gave my brother a point there. At the end of the episode, however, guess who felt vindicated.
I can't be sure if "Xanatos'" lust for revenge clued me in that he wasn't the REAL Xanatos, but I knew something was up.
Lexington's grudge worked for me. I also liked that it's Brooklyn who relates to him and tries to reach him. It made sense in light of their similar experiences, and coupled with his much sounder "strategic thinking" continued to show him as a growing leader. And I caught his reference to ENTER MACBETH. I always thought it was a nice touch.
But this is Lex's show. And I still LOVE that scene where he blows a hole through Coyote. Violent, but cool (and he does come across more dangerous here than where he's "hopping"--I agree with you there). Of course he gets his "priorities straight" at the end--predictably of course. But I think Thom's reading of Lex's final lines in the episode is some great acting.
Owen--Still knocking 'em dead. Impeccable mannerisms and definitely hints of the Puck.
Random observation: Durning Brook, Bronx, and Lex's fight with the Pack, the three of them are really taken out by only TWO Pack members--Dingo and Coyote. I just find it interesting.
The climactic fight with the Pack does seem to have trouble keeping track of who's fighting who. In fact, between escaping from the hold and the shot of Lex holding the gun and saying "Who's next?" I can't find Brooklyn anywhere. Bias again. Ignore that comment.
Anyway, the scenes with Coyote's head being gnawed on/kicked off/rocketing away are some of my favorite images in the episode (I can be real sick sometimes) and wouldn't you know it, those are the scenes Toon Disney gets rid of.
XANATOS TAG>> I knew Fox had the hots for Xanatos at the end of HER BROTHER'S KEEPER. I DID NOT know that Xanatos reciprocated those feelings. So I was pleasantly surprised, and I liked his line about revenge, robots and true love. I remember my brother voicing his hope that Xanatos was sincere about that part. Me, I don't know why...but I believed he loved her.

OTHER NOTES> You mentioned a "Hudson-game show scenlet" and Lex using "reflective mirrors." Care to elaborate?
Also, I always wondered why Elisa was only in one scene in the season premiere. Now I have a better idea.
Thanks!

Greg responds...

I don't remember the Hudson & Lex references. Could you give me more context?

Response recorded on July 30, 2000

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Todd Jensen writes...

Just read your "Leader of the Pack" ramble, and a very good one too. Thank you for it; it was really worth the wait.

Re Xanatos and Fox: I was certainly surprised to see at the end that the two were an item - I doubt that I'd even quite picked up on it in Fox's scene in "Her Brother's Keeper". I'm not certain as to my full response to it the first time that I saw it, but I know that it got my attention.

Hyena and Coyote: I've got to admit, I find that the most disturbing relationship in all of "Gargoyles" (come to think of it, even Jackal finds it disturbing, and this is a guy whose idea of a good time is redoing Goliath's features in his stone sleep). Definite proof that Hyena is strange. (That's probably why I never answered the "Why is Hyena smiling?" contest that you set up after "Her Brother's Keeper" - I'm not certain that I wanted to know the answer :)

I certainly agree with you about the bit where Lexington blasts the hole in Coyote; I also felt that he seemed ready to do the same thing to the human Pack members.

One touch that I like about Coyote, incidentally, is his name. On one level, it fits in with the Pack's habit of using "dog-names" for their members. However, it also fits a robot who starts off by masquerading as Xanatos, and who was designed that way by Xanatos himself, because of the "Coyote the Trickster" element (which you eventually brought into the series in "Cloud Fathers") - not only because Xanatos himself is a trickster, but also because Coyote himself was a trickster in "Leader of the Pack" by duping everyone into believing him Xanatos (everyone but Bronx, that is).

I hadn't given any real thought to Hyena's Santa Claus remark before, but now (in light of your earlier mention that you had a story planned for old St. Nick), I'm wondering if that was a subtle little foreshadowing reference like Elisa's mention of Loch Ness and UFOs in "The Edge".

Oh, and I might add that I also liked the way that Owen was handled in it (it's just like him to deliver the Pack's whereabouts to the gargs in the manner of an invitation to a social event), and Fox's mention of various philosophers that she reads (that's one thing that I like about "Gargoyles"; its very literate quality.

Greg responds...

Thanks. Doing these Ramblings has been horrendously time-consuming -- much moreso than I thought -- but it's been a ton of fun too, revisting these shows that I haven't really watched in a few years. I'm glad you guys have been enjoying them too.

Coyote's always been one of my favorite mythological characters. It's been fun to include him -- in all the myriad ways we have included him.

Response recorded on July 29, 2000

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Bråndeewine writes...

*chuckles* I just ~LOVE~ the answer given to Gside on June 20, 2000. That really made my day! *chuckles again mumbling "sneaky-bastard"* .... *snickers as she walks out*

Greg responds...

O.K. but now it's over a month later, and I don't know what you're talking about. But I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Response recorded on July 29, 2000

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Bråndeewine writes...

Uhh....Sheesh, but you had a lot to go through to get here! LOL, I bet your eyes are red and stinging! Thanks for taking the time to deal with us annoying, curious poeple! :oP

Greg responds...

Um, as I write this it's July 29th, and I have no idea what you're referring to. Sorry. But thanks, I think.

Response recorded on July 29, 2000

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Bråndeewine writes...

This isn't a question, but I had to comment on today. As everyone knows, it is Father's Day. I was reading your answers, that you let Erin and Ben give their input on. As I have said before, you are a great dad! Happy Father's Day!

Greg responds...

Thank you very much. I try anyway.

Response recorded on July 29, 2000

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Demonskrye writes...

Hi Greg!
Before I go into my comments proper, I just wanted to mention that I picked up the JLA Showcase for the sole purpose of reading your story. (Though, being a pretty well cerifiable comics fan, I did read the rest of it and enjoyed the majority of it.) I read in the archives that you had originally expected someone else to be penciling it. But judging from the appearance of "Le Trio", Seine, and Left Bank, I'm guessing somebody gave Mr. Jones some sort of reference. Anyways, it was a fun read and it's nice to see you finding a way to do some "Gargoyles" related stuff. Sort of.
Now the real post.
First off, I started watching "Gargoyles" during season 1. I got interested when I saw the trailer that preceded the "Nightmare Before Christmas" video and the various ads that ran in comic books. (It was a nice touch when Brooklyn repeated the "Stopping evil...stone cold!" catch phrase as well as every other one associated with the show in...."Gathering, Part One, I think.) But I actually ran across the show by accident. So the first episode I saw was actually "Awakening, Part Two". I think I caught on to what was going on pretty quickly in spite of missing part one. But after that, my sister and I both became loyal viewers. I only missed a few episodes - usually due to piano lessons - and I caught all of them on a later airing.

I think one things I noticed early on that might have clued me in to the fact that this show was going to be a bit different was Xanatos's line "Pay a man enough, and he'll walk barefoot through Hell." (Forgive me if I'm misquoting; I don't have my tapes with me.) Even though this was pretty much an isolated case, I think the fact that Xanatos was able to say that did strike me.

Thinking back now, I find it rather touching that Tom considered the gargoyles his friends after a single short conversation with them. Though he may just be picking up on their way of refering to one another.

Ah Demona. Definitely one of my top five favorite characters. As I missed Part One the first time around, I can't say if Demona's return was predictable or not. I did kind of figure she was going to be a villain, though I can't remember if I saw the D.A. preview comic before or after "Awakening". I do recall being a little saddened by the fact that the only female gargoyle (at the time) turned out to be a villain. Little did I know.
I admit that I'm biased due to my personal fondness for Demona, but I can't believe that there was nothing but schemeing in her head when she was reunited with Goliath. Yes, she does lie to him about how she survived the Wyvern massacre. But she's had a good thousand years to think about a plausable story to explain that. And granted she does want to win him over to her way of thinking. But I'm not sure that she had really considered the possibility that Goliath would turn her away. She probably thought that she had him just about on her side, since he would be seeing her alive again and still have the memory of the Wyvern betrayal pretty fresh in his mind. And after all those years of solitude, some part of Demona must have felt genuine joy at seeing Goliath again. And in this case, I think she would much more freely acknowledge that part of her than she would after "Awakening".

I got a hint at the fact that "Gargoyles" would be heavy on continuity when Elisa starts telling Goliath about the bright side of Manhattan and mentions "moms who sings their kids to sleep, like my mom used to sing to me". This implied that, in spite of her limited wardrobe, Elisa was not a standard cartoon character. She had not always been a twentysomething and she did have a family. Even though I didn't see them until "Deadly Games", it set me up for their appearance.

At this early stage, the Trio did seem a bit like typical cartoon teenagers with wings and tails. Within the context of the whole season, it does fit and the "Trio trilogy" defines them as individuals. But at the time, I was pretty much expecting the Ninja Turtles minus one.

I can't remember if I recognized Xanatos as the villain at that point. Demona either. Incidently, I'm sure you hear from Star Trek fans who watched the show and thought of Xanatos as Commander Riker. My experience was the opposite; I didn't start watching Star Trek much until after I was well into "Gargoyles". Consequently, I spent the first few episodes calling Riker "Mr. Xanatos"!

And I did appreciate the nice animation on the first awakening in Manhattan and the final fight scene. I love good characterization, but really cool action scenes certainly have their uses too.

And no, I didn't think Demona was dead. She had wings. She'd survived for a thousand years somehow. She was just too darn COOL to die.

That's all I can think of for now. I'll probably post what I thought about the rest of season one some other time. (In easily digested, one episode per post chunks) Thanks as always for your time.

And incidently, I expect nothing less than excellence from the "Bone" movie. Jeff Smith's got control of the project and he used to be an animator. So he has no excuse.

That's all. Really.

Greg responds...

Thanks for all the kind words. I agree that Demona was hoping for a complete reunion with Goliath -- she just assumed it would be on her terms.

I have every confidence that Jeff Smith will do a great job on the Bone movie.

Response recorded on July 29, 2000

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Warrioress writes...

I noticed something interesting about "Reawakenings". There's a scene where Brooklyn says "We live above a police station! What could happen?" And at the end of the next season, lo, the tower gets blown up by a missle from the Hunter's airship! What could happen, indeed.....! ;-)

Greg responds...

Well, see, police stations aren't as safe as they used to be.

Response recorded on July 29, 2000

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Fanatic writes...

Greg, if you want to revive Gargoyles, you should probably stop quit with stuff that could offend the worlds major religions. Like for instance:
1)You said humans were using a variation of the gargoyle "Ashes to ashes or dust to dust" at their funerals.
This was a biblical reference to humans being created from the dust of the Earth, and a lot of people take everything the Bible says at face value. (I don't but I know people who do.
2)You once said the the Gargoyles Universe is ruled by fate, and God knows everything that will happen. This is a common religious mistake, God knows everything that COULD happen, not what WILL happen. Or at least thats what most ministers would say if you asked them.

Greg responds...

1. I stand by what I wrote.

2. I don't think I ever said that exactly. But I also disagree with your assessment of what "ministers would say". God knowing the future doesn't negate free will. God knows everything. The way you now know how, say, the X-Men movie ends. Doesn't mean that the creators of that movie didn't have free will, just because at some point in the future it would already be a done deal. The fact that God isn't bound by time the way we are, doesn't mean he hasn't granted us the gift of free will. I think most ministers would agree with me on this topic. Nearly all, in fact.

And generally, I doubt I've "offended the world's major religions" ever, let alone often. I'm certainly not worried about ministers preventing me from making the show again.

Response recorded on July 26, 2000

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Steve Soldwedel writes...

I realize that my composition is a little horrendous at points and, with you having been a teacher and editor, I apologize for the shoddiness of grammar in my post.

Greg responds...

Don't sweat it.

Response recorded on July 26, 2000

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Steve Soldwedel writes...

Greg, this is in response to a rambling of yours from a while back that I just read in the archive; the one in which you spoke of vindication in a lawsuit over who'd created Gargoyles. You closed the post saying that you might seem petty. I just wanted to assure you that I don't think you're response to the situation is petty at all. As for him besmirching your honor, I think he did. As for you feeling vindicated, I think you're wholly justified. I write and draw, I've got my own little worlds with their own intricate characters. They're like my children, I know all about them, what makes them tick, who they are in more than just a face value sense; I also appreciate their predilection to define themselves as I write... Being a creator of things, of giving my ideas substance, I can empathize with the feeling of having been slighted by someone who claims that something of yours is actually theirs. The only thing we really have to call our own is the unquantifiable stuff in our minds. Alas when that stuff gets made into a tangible medium, it becomes quantifiable to many. Granted, you know that it will always be the ethereal stuff of your ideas, but having not created it themselves, the rank and file look at it as a commodity; unfortunately, people see commodities fit to be stolen. So, I guess the risk of quantifying and distributing your ideas to the masses is the potentiality to have some dishonorable charlatan try to steal it. I really respect that you pursued your vision and manifested it in a series as spectacular as Gargoyles. It still stands as my favorite show of all time. I hope that I'll be able to find the gumption to get my ideas out to the public; you're a bit of a hero to me in that aspect. And while my feeling that you're justifiable in feeling vindicated could be perceived as hero worship, I don't deify anyone. My empathy is just that, understanding. I wish you luck on all your future endeavors.

Greg responds...

Thanks for the support.

To clarify, I'm NOT claiming I created (let alone produced) Gargoyles by myself. It wasn't only my honor that was being besmirched, it was the honor of every member of the team that I led.

And I'm also not claiming that this guy STOLE my ideas. For all I know he independently came up with an idea for a gargoyles show. After all, gargoyles exist. They're out there. He could have had a similar idea.

What bothered me was his assumption, without any evidence that I had ever even SEEN his materials, that I had stolen my ideas from him. If I can grant that he came up with it independently, why can't he grant the same.

Response recorded on July 26, 2000

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Todd Jensen writes...

I enjoyed your "Gargoyles vs. Batman" memo that you reprinted and sent to the list. It's nice to be able to read it at last.

While, as you admitted, some of the differences cited were probably not all that serious (as in the butler one you mentioned), I do think that it gives an effective explanation of the thematic differences between the two series, not only in the head one (the difference between how Bruce Wayne and Goliath have been affected by their tragedies), but also in your mentioning of how Gotham City and the gargoyles' New York differ from each other - which clearly reflects the nature of the leads as well (Gotham City's darkness reflecting Batman's own internal darkness, while New York's more upbeat tone reflecting Goliath's belief that, with a good amount of work, he and his clan can make things better).

(One other difference I might add: time period. The Gotham City of "Batman:TAS" is a surrealistic blend of different time periods - its technology is advanced enough to have computer disks and videotapes, but the clothing, architecture, and styles of the cars and airplanes all suggests something more 1930's to 1950's and color television hasn't even been introduced yet, apparently - while the New York of "Gargoyles" is more definitely set in the 1990's).

At any rate, thanks for posting it.

Greg responds...

True, though one might argue that our time period -- though more grounded in the present -- in fact intentionally merged the present with the distant past and the far-flung future. We loved juxtaposing the ancient with the modern with the futuristic. It was one of our signature motifs, e.g. gargs in modern Manhattan.

Response recorded on July 26, 2000

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Alvaro writes...

Hello Greg:
My name is Alvaro, I am from Spain and I warn you that this message will be quite bad written even so I hope you answer.I am a I authenticate fanatic of your series and you are an it schemes.I almost have all the recorded chapters that have been emitted in españa but I doubt that they have been emitted all alone one to tell you that that you are a genius and that you continue with the series although that sees it difficult.Another thing Brooklyn is my favorite one although all are brilliant.I hope you are able to read the message well and that you answer me if you can.
my e-mail: zoom-alvaro@teleline.es

Greg responds...

Alvaro, thanks for writing. I hope you still check this site, because I don't have the time to personally e-mail all the people who post here.

I appreciate that we have fans all over the world. It's very gratifying. Maybe we can meet at a Gathering some day?

Response recorded on July 26, 2000

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Ray Kremer writes...

My parents just took a trip to Ireland, and were surprised by the daylight hours. It's June, and the sun is up from 4:30 am to 10:00 pm. Scotland's even farther north than Ireland. I guess the Wyvern nights got pretty short in the summer, while being very long in the winter. Good thing Gargoyles don't mind the cold so much. Must've been nice for Goliath and crew to move to New York where the daylight periods don't vary quite as much.

Greg responds...

Yep.

Response recorded on July 26, 2000

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Karen writes...

Dear Mr. Wiseman:
I find myself in a strange situation, but one perhaps you've heard about a hundred times before. I'm going on 37 years old and I LOVE Gargoyles! How I started watching I won't bore you with, suffice it to say I now MAKE my husband tape it on Toon Disney for me every night (to his credit, he rolls his eyes but does it - what a good boy!). Problem is, I don't even have any children so I can't say "Oh, you know, the kids like to watch it, and I sort of follow along to see what they're watching..." Nope. No excuses. I just plain love the show.
So, after all that, here's the question. I think the show was marketed towards the a 'young adults' market, but how many of the fans you accrued actually turned out to be my age? Did that surprise you, or were you hoping/expecting it? (I know, strictly speaking that's two questions, but I hope since they're variations on a theme...).
Thank you for your consideration.

Greg responds...

Not so strange. I'm going on 37 and I love Gargoyles too. The show was marketed to our primary target, which was kids ages six to eleven. But we wrote the show to work on multiple levels, to appeal to all age groups. Hell, primarily, I wrote the show to appeal to me. And we're the same age. So, no, I'm not shocked. But I'm glad it worked.

Response recorded on July 26, 2000


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