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WEISMANSWERS 2009-08 (Aug)

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SUCH BIG NEWS

Okay, in the period of just a few days, I have been rocked by two incredible pieces of news.

1. Last Thursday (8/27/09), Vic Cook and I were informed that in exchange for some concession vis-a-vis the live action Spider-Man features, Sony returned the television rights (including the animated television rights) for Spider-Man to Marvel. This took place the day before ComicCon, I'm told. But I was only informed of it this past week.

2. Today (8/31/09) comes the news that Disney has purchased Marvel outright.

NOW, before you ask -- before you post a thousand duplicate and/or overlapping questions to ASK GREG -- let me be clear: I have NO IDEA what this means for either Gargoyles or The Spectacular Spider-Man. Neither of these developments are by definition good news or bad news. Shocking news, sure. But how it will play out for either or both properties is a complete mystery to me. As soon as I have ANY information on either property, I will post it here at ASK GREG. Until then, don't ask. Seriously. Just don't. There's just no point in bogging down the queue with questions I have no answer to. Thank you for your cooperation.


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GATHERING 2009 - Monday, August 24th

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!


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GATHERING 2009 - Sunday, August 23rd

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!!!!!


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GATHERING 2009 - Saturday, August 22nd

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
“Religious Studies 101: A Handful of Thorns”
(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 O’REILLY - 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 O’NEIL - 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!


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GATHERING 2009 - Thursday, August 20th

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!


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Gathering 2009 - Los Angeles CA

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


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Akeem M. writes...

Hello again sir, I was wondering if in Spectaular Spider-Man if Peter has had tests or anything run on him after he was bit by the genetically modified spider. If I remember correctly, it seems to be common knowledge that Pete was "bit by the science bug", and something like that I would imagine would need to be examined by the doctors. I may be looking too deep into this, but It never hurts to ask... Maybe the bite didn't really affect him for a couple of weeks (when they were testing him) and the doctors thought nothing of it?

Greg responds...

The bite seemed to have no immediate repercussions, so no tests were run.

Response recorded on August 18, 2009

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raymond writes...

hey greg, spectacular spiderman is my favorite show ever!
if you ever make a season 3, will kingpin be in it.cause in season 1 when i got suspiciuos and guessed who the "big man" was i thought it was kingpin(until i really found out)
best of luck for a season 3!

Greg responds...

Check the archives for the five hundred previous times I've answered this question.

Response recorded on August 18, 2009

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Thailog (from Wikia) writes...

Oh, darn it. Two months (and one day) of waiting and I realize I didn't phrase one of my questions clearly enough. I'm apologize. When I <a href="http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=11312">asked</a> how Sandman, Rhino, and Vulture escaped in "Reinforcement", I should have been more specific and added "from Ryker's Island." Although your answer has some great information, so thank you for that.

So now, how did Sandman, Rhino, and Vulture escape from Ryker's Island in the beginning of "Reinforcement"? I'm curious because in "Group Therapy" their escape was nothing short of conspicuous, while in "Reinforcement" three inmates slipped away before anyone realized they were gone. I gather that Beck's duplicate was proving the hologram for Toomes. But how did Toomes slipped out unnoticed? And how could Sandman and Rhino escape their special confinements TWICE? And having said that, how on earth could Norman Osborn get a contract to build the Vault after two super villains had escaped their supposedly special containment cells?

And finally, yes, I would love to know if Mysterio was a robot all along, but I guess I'll have to wait for Season Three. ; )

Thank you for all your answers, btw. They're all great.

Greg responds...

Mostly, I'm content to leave all this to the audience's imaginations.

As for Osborn getting the contract, he could point to the effectiveness of the cells themselves and blame the prison, it's buildings and its policies, thus requiring the construction of an entirely new building to house the growing super-villain population.

Response recorded on August 18, 2009

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Renee writes...

Since you have done The Spectacular Spider-Man, is there any chance that you might do another Marvel super hero or would you like to?
If so which one would like to do?

And I would just like to say that you did an amazing job with Spectacular Spider-Man and hope that Season 3 comes through. Absolutely the best Spider-Man series I've ever watched. I even like it better than the movies. Great job!

Thanks

Greg responds...

There are MANY Marvel (and other) super-heroes, I'd love to do. Too many to list. But mostly I'm hoping for more Spidey right about now.

Response recorded on August 17, 2009

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XenothranHero writes...

Dear Greg,
First off, just wanted to say that I love Gargoyles; great show, very inspirational in my own work. That being said, here's my question:

If you recall, Doug Walker of Nostalgia Critic fame added lyrics to the Gargoyles theme a while back. This time, he has released a full fledged review of the series as the Nostalgia Critic (Which, unsurprisingly, is a very positive review).-http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/8726-gargoyles
My question is, does Walker express the kind of things in his review that you had hoped would result from Gargoyles (ie, is his review the kind of review you would have been hoping to hear when Gargoyles first came out)?

Greg responds...

We had many good reviews when Gargoyles first came out. I liked NC's review too.

(I can't believe I'm actually being asked to review the reviews! ;P )

Response recorded on August 17, 2009

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This Is My Screen Name writes...

What did you think of the Nostalgia Critic's review of Gargoyles?

What was your favorite part? Any parts you didnt like?

If you havent seen it, here is the link.

http://nostalgiacritic.blip.tv/file/2278492/

Greg responds...

It's been so long since I watched it, I don't remember too many details. But I liked it. He liked us. We liked him. It was a whole mutual like-fest.

Response recorded on August 17, 2009

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Light writes...

When season 3 of Spectacular Spider-Man will be ordered, will you reveal more villains or will we not know which villains to expect when season 3 will air?

Greg responds...

I'm sure there will be some spoilers and some surprises.

Response recorded on August 17, 2009

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ColdFusion writes...

Yay! SSM season 2 has started! I love how REALISTIC this show continues to be. The attention to detail is so appreciated..
though I must say I was surprised to find out that Pete doesn't stay warm enough from all the activity of superhero-ing, that he actually needs some long undies. I mean, when kids ice skate or build snow forts they tend to overheat and take their coats off.
Then he plunged into the water (is that the East River?) and suddenly I was fearing for Pete's life.. (though having him catch a cold is a bit cartoonish, do people still believe cold gives you a virus?)

Particularly well-executed was Mysterio's whole thing. I mean, after the Chameleon's tricks were revealed to careful viewers, I was surprised that Mysterio's magic looked so... legit! I was SURE you weren't going to fall back on sci-fi "holograms".. and then it turned out they were projected on mist! That totally works with only a little disbelief-suspension.

And then in Kraven's episode, I mean, FINALLY. I've been wondering for YEARS why nobody ever traced Spider-Man's origin, since a spider-themed guy just happened to show up after special spiders were engineered. I can't wait to see what comes of it.

Keep up the awesome work.. in general.. or if the show gets picked up for a third season. :)

Greg responds...

Cold lowers your resistance. I think that's well-established medically.

Response recorded on August 17, 2009

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David B. Jacobs writes...

Why can't the gene-cleanser cure Electro?
His abilities came the electrical shock of genetically altered eels and rays, like how Peter got his powers from a gentically altered spider's bite. So why can't it cure him?

Greg responds...

Neither Curt Connors nor myself can quite figure that out. But we're working on it.

Response recorded on August 17, 2009

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Big Fan writes...

Hey Greg big fan, Awsome work on the Spiderman series it truely is the best. But my question was about the gargoyles series. I recently revistited the show and watched it from beginning to end and i was seriously impressed. I know that disney has the rights and all that, but have you ever tried/considered to re-pitch the series to them? perhaps thats simply not how things work but i find it dificult to see how such a powerful storyline couldnt be profitable.

Greg responds...

I've pitched and repitched Gargoyles to Disney many, many times. No luck beyond the DVDs and the comics we have now. But I haven't given up.

Response recorded on August 17, 2009

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STONE OF DESTINY -- SPOILERS!!!!

STONE OF DESTINY -- CLAN-BUILDING, VOLUME TWO SPOILERS!!!!

GXB sent me a question about the Stone of Destiny in Clan-Building. He wrote:

"Just to be clear... Xanatos has the original Stone of Destiny? Scotland has a fake? That's... kinda cool. :)"

Now, of course, I shouldn't have responded. The book SHOULD either stand and fall on it's own. But of course, if that was my policy, we wouldn't really have ASK GREG at all, would we?

I apologize that I wrote with so little clarity that an explanation is necessary at all, but here's my answer to him, and before the rest of you get a chance, to all of you:

You're missing the point.

Which was the original, the one Moses sent with Gathelus or the one Moses kept and used to bring forth water in the desert?

Which was the original, the half that stayed at Tara or the half that sailed to Dalriada? (Note that both halves are the same size as the so-called "original".)

Which was the original, the one that was kept in London or the one that became the Blarney Stone?

There is no original. There is no fake.

But if you're asking where the specific stone that had been at Westminster went, Peredur has it in Carbonek. Look at the timeline. Xanatos switched the stone at the bridge and was about to make a DOUBLE switch at Leith before Blanchfleur came to pick it up. He was planning to keep the one he assumed was the original, when the stone itself told him it was pointless. So he gave Blanchefleur the stone the Illuminati wanted, i.e. the Westminster stone.

Xanatos kept one of the two "fakes" and Edinburgh has the other "fake", except both are still real stones. (It's not like they're paper mache or something.) And ANY stone can be THE stone.


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Phoenician writes...

Well, with Season Two of Spectacular Spider-Man finally in swing in the United States, I thought, what the heck, why not jot some thoughts down?

**TSS-M SPOILERS**

"Blueprints"

What's funny about the Venom nightmare in the very beginning is that the snow didn't register until after the dream was over, when we pull out of Peter's bedroom. Its a small aspect of this great episode, but when a person can rely on this kind of continuity week in and week out (as I witnessed in season one), it just makes it all the easier to actually get absorbed in the universe being created. I'm actually realizing that the season one finale, though a long wait for me, has only been, say, a week ago for Peter Parker and company :)

I was kinda spoiled that there would be Latin spells a bit back, but as a Latin student back in the day, I loved hearing every bit of it, especially with Mysterio's quicker pace . . . at least, compared to what I've heard in Gargoyles and my own translations.

Fun Fact: Gargoyles is what encouraged me to take Latin back in high school. Most people site Shakespeare as their educational dessert from watching Gargoyles, I took on a dead language. Speaking of Gargoyles, I loved the inside joke of "Fulminos Venite", though I must admit it I only realized it later in the episode, as Mysterio DOES say it differently than the Archmage . . . and quicker. I also TOTALLY loved the line that I was able to decipher on the moment: Nullae Satisfactionis Potiri Non Possum! (I can't get no satisfaction!) Hilarious.

Stan Lee cameo! Was it fun having him on the set?

Spidey in the water! . . . "COLD COLD-COLD-COLD!!!" I live in the desert for a reason, and that just felt horrible even for me d:

The whole Liz-Misdirection scene was bugging me I think more than my roommate, if only because I'm rooting for Gwen and my dorm buddy is enjoying the Liz flirts. The 'tutledge' reminds me of early season one when Liz was dreading being tutored by Peter . . . funny how much has changed in three months time.

The Hormunculi Mysterio unleashed had some funny moments, one of my favorites toward the end of scene where the all vanish, including two holding Spider-Man . . . they realize they're being wisked away and with a line totally reminiscent of the 1993 film Hocus Pocus: "Ohh . . . buh-bye!" Had me laughing, even though I'm unsure if the connection was intentional or not.

The Osborne Dinner Party was interesting . . . Norman gets Peter his internship back, we meet Miles Warren, who's mum on any ideas he'll bring to the lab, the Conners have to swallow some pride in giving Peter a third (or fourth, I forget) chance. Plus: another sighting of the odd Emily Osborne. I'm no Spider-Man virtuoso, and I haven't seen her in really any other incarnation, so she's fun to watch . . . to say the least.

"Robots! To think I used to like them as a kid!" Wonderful line, gives us a glimpse into Peter's geekitude.

The last fight's bar scene was hilarious, already had me grinning when the music took on the sound of the piano, and I was laughing hard as a robot decked Spidey with a prop bottle from behind. This great moment was followed by a Monty Python & the Holy Grail reference (and in turn, reminded me of the Gargoyles episode "Future Tense"). Love the banter on this show.

Norman Osborne becoming Pete's mentor . . . creepy (as well as Norm's breakfast 'mannerisms'). I'm reminded of the first Spider-Man movie where Pete turned him down for a job, which impressed Norman nevertheless acknowledging that Peter wanted to get by 'on his own steam' or something similar.

And then at the end we see it's Quentin and Mason from the episode 'Persona' . . . apparently Chameleon was busy with something. Quentin is an absolute ham, and I love Xander Berkeley's performance from the second he found himself in that bubble. Mason as 'Tinkerer' gave me a jolt of "Lexington!" and I'm left with the thought of who the Master Planner is. Again, I'm no Spider-man expert, so I was eager to see the next episode. :)

Which I might as well review now as well d:

"Destructive Testing"

Of the two Spider-Man incarnations I delved in -- the recent movies and the 90's show -- Kraven was a villain I enjoyed. Couldn't really tell ya why . . . he must have been presented in a way I thought was well done. It's been so long since I've seen the 90s series I was curious if Kraven would have the same effect. Well, in short, Kraven is a ton of fun here, and unlike his 90's counterpart, the evidence is overwhelming. From the voice I hear to the lines he says and the way he looks (before and after Miles) and the way he fights (spears and claws): This guy is cool.

But not cool enough. Spidey owns him easy. "You're out of your league." A great line in that Spidey doesn't seem to JUST be goading him, like he does with other villains we've seen.

Other thoughts:

Was that the Rhino in the photos that Kraven was holding? AFTER Kraven tackled the rhino into a nap? Now that's good storytelling . . . :)

Freakin' Kenny Kong . . . must you make the Peter/Gwen interaction harder than it is? And Pete gets his first "look" of the season. Ouch.

Gwen, Liz, Black Cat . . . rub it in, Pete. Rub it in d:

Other great lines . . . mostly Spidey:

"Two moms and still so ill-behaved?"

"Prey? Silent? Dignity? Oh, you don't know me at all..."

"Now you got me talking in the 3rd person!"

"Okay, the thermals with hearts were half-priced and they do not reflect my very high macho-quotient!"

Hmmm . . . Only the hunt may restore my lost honor? What was Calypso offering exactly? d:

Loved the brief Jameson bit . . . shame we didn't get to hear him chew off Kraven. Here's hoping we see some JJJ soon.

Miles Warren: Wow.

Oh, that Sally Avril . . . poor Rand.

"You can smell him?" a great line from Miles.

The banter in their second fight is just as good as the previous, if not better:

"I could call you a lot of things..."

"All I smell is fear."

"I so prefer my felines female" (focus Peter! Or I'll start calling YOU 'Randy')

Its the return of the Itsy Bitsy Spider! And for once, its not Aunt May d:

And despite the upgrade, Kraven gets decked by all of Spidey's limbs . . . "Excuse me? Who's the prey?" I remember a discussion a while back that had people wonder if Peter was always going to find a geek-solution to every supervillain . . . well, if the many episodes of season one didn't answer it, this one sure did. Spidey swept the floor with Kravenoff. XD

"Courtesy of the original and number one genetic misfit"

"The Hunt is not over" . . . is it wrong of me to think of Gargoyles here? d:

And as we get a frozen Spidey mask in the skyline, we're given the hint that Kraven might not be gone just yet, not to mention we could see some old favorites soon. :)

***END OF SPOILERS***

If you couldn't tell by now, I loved these two episodes. There's ton more I could say, I imagine, but no worries. What I do believe is that these two eps are start of another spectacular season!!

Greg responds...

We had fun with the Latin this time, though it is ALWAYS a pain.

Stan was great. A geek-out moment for all of us.

Response recorded on August 14, 2009

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David B. Jacobs writes...

Oh, wow. I just realized that I never asked this. Which is weird 'cause I thought I had, like, two months ago.

So anyway, you've said in the past that, out of the guest heroes, you would like to use Human Torch and Hulk if you were able to get the chance. Well, what about guest villains? I don't mean Kingpin - you've already said that you'd use him if you could and plus it's ridiculous that you can't use him anyway (who comes up with those lists?) If you could guest-star villains, which would you most want to use? Doctor Doom? Juggernaut?
I want to make this very clear: I'm NOT asking if there will be guest villains/crossovers. You already answered that a million times. I'm asking which you would like to use.
Also - seriously, who does come up with that list?

Greg responds...

Lawyers make lists... I assume.

I don't have a lot of interest in guest villains, frankly. But since that's the least of my worries, I haven't given it much thought. If and when guest heroes become available, then maybe I'll give guest villains a shot.

Response recorded on August 14, 2009

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Joe Anonymous writes...

As you can see from my name I watched "Persona" quite a few times. Just bought all the DVD's this past weekend and just got done watching "Blueprints" and "Destructive Testing" and everything you're doing with this series is briliant. I hope a season 3 gets commisioned, the wait is killing me. Plus, can't wait to see what you do with Hobgoblin and Scorpion, just hope Scorpion isn't a clone...that will make me angry, and you won't like me when I'm angry..aughrghagh...getting off focus.
I do have a few questions and well, here they are.

1. Was Green Goblin at all insspired by the Joker?

2. Where did you come up with Electro's Look?

3. Who rescued Kraven at the end of "Destructive Testing"...I'm thinking he either jumped out or we just got a glimpse of Calypso's powers.

4. If you do get permision to use other heroes and villains who wouuld interest you?

5. You do like Carnage...thank God, nasty rumors. So the question is are you aloud to use him in his serial killing form (without showing it you know, hahaha...I need a life.)

6. Can you name any villains you can't use other than Kingpin and Beetle?

7. Why did Harry go to Europe and not just go to ravencroft or something?

8. When is the latest season 3 could be finished and ready for TV, if it gets commisioned...and hoping it does:)

Keep up the good work, and one more time...Please God, let there be a season 3. Thank You!

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!!

1. You'll have to ask Stan and Steve. Our Goblin was inspired by their Goblin, not by Joker. I won't deny the two villains have certain traits in common -- both utilize the Trickster archetype -- but most of what they have in common is fairly superficial.

2. I described it to Vic and Cheeks. I wanted something that was reminiscent of Electro's Silver Age costume, but less cheezy. So the idea that the electricity flying off his head would resemble -- but hopefully be cooler than -- the fake lightning bolt starfish thing on his mask was intentional. Also, instead of just putting him in tights, we put him in a suit designed to restrain his power, that would again be reminiscent of the original costume, but feel a bit more real.

3. No comment.

4. I've answered this before. Check the archives.

5. No comment.

6. Uh... Joker, Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage, Ocean-Master, Ra's al Ghul, Darth Vader. Oh, wait, you meant Marvel villains? Seriously, what do you expect me to do here? List all the Marvel villains I can't use? If they're not Spidey villains, the answer is no. So for example, Doctor Doom would clearly be a no. (Not that I even bothered asking about him.) One last character I did ask about and got a no answer on was Owl. Otherwise, you can use common sense to do the research yourself.

7. Ravencroft isn't for teenagers in need of detox. Getting him away from the influences that caused him to take the drugs in the first place was an important part of treatment. Getting him out of the country, given what he was accused of wasn't a bad idea either.

8. I don't understand the question. If and when we get the pick-up, we'll start work. Then it'll be ready between eight and twelve months after that.

Response recorded on August 14, 2009

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Jason R. Carter writes...

I think I'll rephrase one of my previous questions: why does Rand put up with Sally?

Greg responds...

And I'll more or less repeat what I said before... "Dude, why do you think?"

Response recorded on August 14, 2009

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Clark Cradic writes...

I'm rewatching the second season of Spectacular Spider-Man (Premiere on Disney XD) and two questions crossed my mine: When Kraven was first introduced, at first the only pictures in the newspaper clips were of the Rhino, was that an attempt to mislead the viewers for a few seconds or perhaps a hint at a future plotline? Also I've noticed that Kraven is a lot more sane (and likeable) in this show than in his previous incarnations, especially with what his 'day job' is. So I was wondering, when he attempted to hunt Spider-Man, was he actually trying to kill him or just capture him? Once again thanks again for answering all my questions, I hope they weren't too much of a bother to answer or all "no comment" answers.

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!

There were pictures of Spidey fighting Rhino, but yes, we were trying to mislead the audience. He struggles with a Rhino on the veldt, and now it would seem he's going to fight Rhino in Manhattan.

"Bag him".

Response recorded on August 14, 2009

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nacnud writes...

Dear Greg,

The season Two finale of The Spectacular spiderman reported that norman was the green goblin. at one point in production, was harry ever suggusted for the role ? or was it always Norman from the start?

Will there be any direct to DVD movies or episodes that continue the Spectacular spiderman continuity?

How did you get the idea for the episode "Opening Night"? was that story ever in the comics or did you come up with the idea? if you or the team came up with the idea, then it was pure genius!

Greg responds...

SPIDEY SPOILERS!!!!!

We always knew it was Norman, but we worked very hard to make the audience think it was Harry. (And later Menken and even Emily.)

I hope so.

"Opening Night" was inspired by an early issue of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN when Spidey was trapped in a prison with a bunch of convicts.

Response recorded on August 14, 2009

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Brian writes...

Is the reception of The Spectacular Spiderman season 2 on Disney XD going to implement on season 3?

Greg responds...

Did you mean "impact"? If so, then, yeah.

Response recorded on August 14, 2009

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Drake writes...

How is Professor Smythe is going to be used? Is his son-Alistair-will also appear?

Greg responds...

No comment.

Response recorded on August 14, 2009


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