Bryan writes...

Hello Greg,

I watched the pilot for Young Justice, and it was phenomenal. I love this original concept you and Brandon are creating by taking inspiration from past shows and comics. This show will certainly be a hit and hope it goes on for many seasons to come. The question I wanted to ask, was whether Keith David would be voicing any of the characters on this show?

ShamarDJ writes...

umm i was wondering was it hard picking the members on your Young Justice team? or did you have a pretty good idea on who you wanted from the start and besides wonder girl were there anyone else you wanted on your team but couldnt get... oh im a big fan of young justice already and gargoyles was 1 of my favorite shows growing up and loved TSS it was a new and fresh start on a classic and i loved every episode

LaLaLa writes...

When Young Justice dvd's get released, is there any footage of the actors doing their voices in the recording rooms for it?

Anonymous writes...

NOO! I just found out that we're not actually going to get a new episode of Young Justice until Jan 21. your going to split the premiere back into episodes for the next 2 weeks. Well at least that explains why you guys never replayed it.

Nick writes...

Kind of a dumb question, but did Mr. Freeze kill a bunch of civilians in the opening of Independence Day, or is it safe to assume those people could be thawed out safely afterward?

Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

I apologize if this is a multiple. My computer is acting a little hicky... The new YJ cartoon aims for older kids, while the upcoming comic book is under the all ages Johnny DC line. Finding stories all ages appropriate is probably not hard, I doubt every episode on tv would be incompatible for the all ages crowd, but it is it somehow odd or difficult to write for an audience that is not necessarily the target of the main product?

Henry writes...

If you dont read comics then I'm not sure you'll be able to anwser these questions.
But how do you feel about the progression of Batman Comics not their quality, but like
Dick becoming Batman?
And in general did you like NightWing as a character?
Do you like Red Robin?
How do you feel about time passing in comics, I noticed the time stamps, but I'm not sure if thats there to keep track with the comics or, because of your future plans.

And what I meant by time passing is do you feel that it should in comics?
Should Batman not appear to have aged since his introduction or even most recent reintroduction?
Should sidekicks one day be allowed to become more?

Paul & Sylvia writes...

Paul: I was wondering, and this may be a stretch, but are you hoping for a similar impact on the greater DCU as "Batman: The Animated Series" of the 1990's had. That show changed the way people looked at Batman and company to such an extent as to shape the re-imagining of the characters in all forms of media. Since you are taking a new stance on previously established characters, do you think "Young Justice" can do the same?

Sylvia: "Incredible bulk"? Take that show stealers! (We are ready to assist with your revenge plot. Just ask.) Hope to see you are NYCC 2011, your panel was packed for good reason. Congratulations on the new project.

Paul: I told her not to say that...

Your fans,
Paul & Sylvia

Gothic-Cowboy writes...

Mr. Weisman, during a Comic-Con interview you identified Batman as being the leader of the Justice League, and the rest of the League clearly deferred to him in the Young Justice pilot. So I started to wonder about leadership in the League:
1. Has Batman been officially designated the leader in some way, or does he lead by more of an informal consensus?
2. Is Batman the only leader the Justice League has ever had?
3. How does Batman feel about leadership? Did he want to be the leader, or did it take him some time to accept that he was the best candidate?
4. How does the rest of the League feel about Batman's leadership? Obviously, it will vary from person to person, but is there anyone on the League who is dissatisfied with the arrangement?
5. Aside from the leader, are the rest of the League theoretically equals (I say theoretically because obviously some have seniority or greater expertise in some matters than others).
6. Was it difficult for you and Brandon Vietti and who ever else had input to narrow down the League's membership? You probably weren't looking for a JLU set-up with dozens and dozens of heroes, and part of being a long-time comic book fan is developing a fondess for B-,C-, and D-list characters that sadly go underutilized. I know if I were called upon to do so, I would have a hard time not including all kinds of wonderful, obscure characters. Was it hard for you?
Thank you for your time.

Sree writes...

1.When coming up with the theme song for spectacular spiderman, how many bands and how many versions of the song did you have to go through? Did you n Victor Cook have much input into selecting the ulimate song?

2.Do you know what Victor Cook is currently working on?

Yojimbo writes...

1. I've read various interviews where other producers at WBA talk about your office and a certain interesting tidbit. In a future rambling, could you please post a photo of your wall where you keep these Post-It notes on?

2. I always have extra love for an animated series with a well constructed timeline. What's the Young Justice animated series timeline currently up to in page count?

3. In "Independence Day Part One," Zatara asks the rest of the Justice League for help against Wotan. What was the correct spelling for the artifact Wotan was using to blot out the Sun (I thought I heard 'Amulet of Aktan')?

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions and looking forward to seeing new episodes return in January.

Maki P writes...

Hello!
This my first time asking. I have many questions (mostly regarding Owen Burnett and Alexander Xanatos), but right now I'll just ask about Captain Marvel.
So, are Captain Marvel and Billy Batson separated personas or Billy mantains his 10 year-old mind when he becomes Captain Marvel? (I'm hoping for the latter, I think it'd make his interactions with YJ very interesting)
Thanks for the attention, and Good luck with the Gargoyles Comics

Albert writes...

Hey, Greg!

Thanks for answering my first question about the timeline It was something that interested me due to your ardent stance on making Young Justice tight in continuity and grounded.

By the way, good on you addressing the gender "controversy." I sensed no fanboyisms in the pilot. I'm personally always assailed and bemused when someone, regardless of sex, ethnicity, orientation, etc. complains of "inequality." The true sexists and/or racists are the ones who always troll for "problems" like this and complain as such. Genuine equality requires no quotas in my mind. Anyway...

My next question is related to Roy Harper, formerly Speedy.
Despite his cantankerous fiery attitude toward Green Arrow about his rejection from inclusion in the Justice League and a real tour in the Watchtower, he seems like he would be the eldest of the sidekicks. Can you disclose any information about his age in relation to the other sidekicks?

Thanks!

Anonymous writes...

Why didn't Neal McDonough reprised his role as Green Arrow from that DC Showcase onto YJ? Was he unable to?

Henry writes...

Is the whelmed running joke going to keep appearing?

Joseph B. writes...

Well, I'm solidly impressed. A friend just managed to drag me into watching "Independence Day"; if he had mentioned who was behind it, I would have acquiesced alot faster.

Others have already brought up most of the excellently done pieces, such as the group dynamic, the strong characterization, and so forth. In particular, having read the response to the "why no female sidekicks in the initial ep?" and having fond memories of Gargoyles' and Spectacular Spiderman's female characters, I am looking forward to seeing the heroines of Young Justice teach the boys a few things.

However, there is one point that I was particularly impressed by, although I shall have to be a bit delicate in this. At the end: Superman's reaction to Superboy. It was a superbly well executed sequence that managed to communicate Superman's shock and horror at having been cloned without consent--a violation of the highest order--and his struggle to not associate the boy in front of him with that violation. I'll admit, my reaction to his reaction was "Okay, first, we get you to a bar. Then, a psychiatrist." Superbly well done, and I'm curious to see where that dynamic goes. Superman has already more or less dumped the responsibility for his clone onto others, which, while understandable, doesn't bode well for their future relationship. But, still, the scene was superbly executed, and I'm looking forward to where it's going from here.

And on a final note, a question: Level 42? Seriously? Where they find Life, a whole 'nother Universe, and just about Everything on the computer? That was cute, but now I'm racking my brains on what reference/significance 57 has!

Thanks for going the extra mile with this, and I'm looking forward to more.
Joseph B.

Anonymous writes...

1.I notice you have the street level characters like Batman and Black Canary taking charge of the youngsters, with fighting and so on. So what role do the metas play in their mentoring?

2.Will we see more of the Superboy and Aqualad friendship? They seem to have a bond already. It would be more refreshing to see than the same old same super/bat thing...ie Superboy/Robin.

3.I did not really like the Miss Martian intro. She seems a little too sugary and one dimensional batting her eyes off the mark at Superboy. What challenge does she really present to Kon? Or he to her? It felt like you guys telling us. Right. That's your ship. Deal with it. No build up whatsoever. I almost hope the clown Kid Flash wins this one. But then I guess you could surprise me.

4.What's up with Roy and the bitching? That was really unfair to play him off like that. I hope you guys have one episode to make him look less of a little girl.

5.Any clue as to which Wondergirl we will see? Can you tell me Wonder Woman's age in this?

6.Will we see Kyle Rayner?

7.I'm kinda hoping Zatanna will be around Robin's age.

8.I am also looking forward to see Kon develop his relationship with Superman. That's interesting you went with "dad"...than say "brother". Any reason for that? Cause it would make things really different in how they see each other. But I must say Superman's reaction was spot on. It's kinda weird to be the last of your race and then this clone crops up.

Logan writes...

Big fan of the idea to ground the show in realism. After watching your previous work I've always left your show's feeling that I've gotten much more than your typical cartoon experience. I was pleased to have similar feelings after watching young justice.

In spirit of the covert and behind the scene missions that batman will assign the young league, and given the show has the appropriate rating, will we be seeing REAL guns and bullets, and not your typical random super villain technology laser gun every other episode?

I love the covert angle and being that the young league is going to be in the shade for now, we'd love to see some realistic shady characters and some shady gat's...

kon-el writes...

1.Is Superboy going to learn to fly?
2.Does Superboy have super speed?
3.What can you tell me about the love triangle between Superboy, Miss Martian and Kid Flash?

Robin writes...

First of all, the Young Justice premier was exquisite, I can't wait for more. However, I do have one question. When the Young Justice team is led by the Justice League members into the decoy base, lounge is show to be in full view of reporters (who are behind a glass window. A few minutes later, the warning happens. Are the reporters still viewing that room when this warning comes? Or was there some sort of off-screen blocking of the windows? Thanks

Anonymous writes...

Hi! First off, great work on the YJ pilot. A few things bugged me (like the faintly ridiculous lack of female characters and the way they were handled) but overall it was excellent and I can't wait for the series to start!

I have absolutely no idea if you can answer this, but was Guardian being called 'brother' at the end of the Young Justice pilot supposed to imply anything?

Lucas writes...

Hi Greg - loved Young Justice! I was curious about Cadmus, though. Are there only saw three humans actually working in the sub-levels? (Guardian, Mark Desmond and the female scientist) Or were there more that we just didn't see?

It seems like there should have been more, since there was a large men's washroom, with a number of stalls in it... I'm assuming they wouldn;t have built that just for Desomnd and the Guardian. If there are more people working there, why didn't they respond to all the craziness going on?

FinalAvalanche writes...

1) Did you expect the fans to react so strongly in response to you not revealing the identity of Artemis in Young Justice?

2) In past interviews you've said who Artemis isn't and that has led to people grasping at straws for who's left. The two most popular theories at the moment are Olivia Queen, and Artemis Crock. Would you be surprised to know that I've even heard Stephanie Brown's name be mentioned?

Logan writes...

I saw a Jan 7th return date online ...

was not expecting it that early. early young justice makes me one happy fanboy.
good looks.

Greg Weisguy writes...

Do you feel like DC's Fifth Dimension characters (such as Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bat-Mite, Qwsp, Jakeem Thunder's Thunderbolt, etc.) would be tonally appropriate for Young Justice? I'm not asking if you have any plans to use them, just whether you think those characters would be able to fit in with your show's relatively serious take on the DCU.

Along the same lines, how do you feel about red kryptonite (the variety that causes random changes in Kryptonians for a roughly 24 hour period)? Would it be too silly for a show like this?

tomi writes...

I saw premiere of Young Justice, and once agains, brilliant job well done!

I was just wondering, who,s voice director on that series?
My two guesses would be either Andrea Romano( since She has directed almost all existing animation adaptations of DC)or Jamie Thomason( since you have together history).
Once again, nice work, and keep it up!

Baron Ultron writes...

Few thing have bugged me since cancelation of Spectacular Spider-Man.

1)Does Marvel hate Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon or not.I ask this because they are making new Ultimate Spider-Man Cartoon and Spectacular Spider-Man was canceled and there was lack of promotion in Marvel.Com(While Avengers or Super Hero Squad have many promotions).Also in one of your answers you said that Marvel are not planning to make comic book based on your show or something like that.So does Marvel hate your show or not?

2)This might be stupid question but worth a shot.Will you ever work for Marvel or Disney again due to cancelation of your show and Disney retooling Gargoyles into Gargoyles Goliath Chronicles.

3)What do you think about Avengers:Earth's Mightiest Heroes Cartoon.Do you think it is as great as Spectacular Spider-Man or bad.Also in your opinion which show is better:Young Justice or Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

4)Will you watch Ultimate Spider-Man Cartoon?And also is there a chance that you will work on Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes or some Marvel Comic Book?

Good Luck

FinalAvalanche writes...

I read on a Cartoon Network page that Artemis from Young Justice is Green Arrow's niece. Is that info. correct or a misprint?

Anonymous writes...

Do you have a scheduled day for YOung Justice to come back on in January? If you do, when?

Xander writes...

Back in 2005, during the run of Justice League Unlimited, DC Comics imposed an embargo on the creative team of the show â€" the most infamous of which being the Bat-Embargo â€" that disallowed the use of most prominent Batman-related characters. And later Aquaman's. Is there any possibility of that happening to Young Justice? If so, do you have any contingency plan for that? Or does Young Justice have precedence over other DC shows in regards of the use of its characters?

Logan writes...

Loved the pilot, I had EXTREMELY high hopes for Independence day and my expectations were defiantly exceed. Seeing Connor animated for the first time was beyond incredible.

Please do me the favor of confirming weather or not we will see any of the following justice league members out of costume assuming their civilian identies. clark? bruce? barry?

tomi writes...

Neither borrower nor a lender be: For loan loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge og husbandry
-William Shakespere.

Being original is never too easy: as amateur writer myself, and as misunderstood loner, i spend often much of my time crafting my own stories and developing characters of my own, and as certain perfektionist, it is long process.

Of course, i dont think it is a bad thing to be influenced by others and perhaps occasionally paying certain hidden tributes to them, but as any at least somewhat intelligent knows, too much borrowing is bad thing too: it only makes final product to look and feel predictable, facile and empty.

Many writers these days seems to be struggling between two choices:
When maing something original, how to make it to feel on its own and as much unpredictable and enjoyable as possible...
Or, whenever taking upon him/herself to craft from something that,s already been done in some form at least, to make sure not to repeat too much on the past, but still maintaining certain loyalty to its history.

Although i can certainly see many influences which must,ve been crafting on makers minds when gargoyles was crafted, it still manages to maintain it,s own fresh sense and certainly stand on its own. You and your fellows managed to make intresting world which was filled with intresting characters, deep themes and surprising plot-twists, something what is only very rarely seen in tv these days.

Then, you were showrunner on Spectacular Spiderman and have done work in The Batman for example. In The Gargoyles, you were given freedom to make your own characters, places and objects to use, and to use them in almost anyway possible, as long as it would seem to fit in. But whenever working on Spiderman, some things that fans of the franchise had grown to love in the past had to be maintained: Peter Parker/Spider-Man has to be portrayed as outcast whom fights against both city,s evildoers as well his own problems in his personal adolescence, or in Batman,s case, Btsie has to be this dark and tormented warrior of justice, Alfred loyal(and cynically sharp) butler, and Joker to be sick psychopath. And yet, repeating too much on the past, and you get scratched.

Having worked on something original and taking upon something you had been fond of in the past, which one do you consider to be easier/pleasent to do and how often, as a writer, you struggle between all these choices?

Alex writes...

If Superboy is 16 weeks old but is equivalant to a sixteen year old does this mean he will age quicker then the others?

In Teen Titans there was a major issue that you never got to see Robins eyes. Will we in Young Justice?

Is there any discussion about Robin being the most expierenced yet youngest in the show?

Gothic-Cowboy writes...

Hello, Mr. Weisman. Congratulations on Independence Day, it was all I had hoped for and more. I have a few questions about Earth-16 that I hoped you would be willing to answer.
1. As of Independence Day, roughly how long has the Justice League been operating?
2. If I were to assume that the seven (bronze?) statues at the Hall of Justice were the seven founding members of the Justice League, would I be in error?
3. A)Do the League members' numerical designators represent their order of induction (except for the founders, obviously)? If so, do they also represent the order in which these characters debuted as superheroes?
B)Numbers 02, 04, 06, 07, 08, and 16 were shown in the pilot. Superman is undoubtedly 01. Wonder Woman and Hal Jordan are likely 03 and 05, respectively. That leaves 09-15, for the Hawkfolk, the two Captains, the two Johns (Zatara and Stewart), and Black Canary. In all likelihood, the Thanagarians joined jointly, thus their numerical designators are probably sequential. Could you reveal any of these yet, or will we just have to wait and see?
4. I've always been curious about the DC Martian life cycle, which has, to the best of my knowlede, never really been set before. Then I read your answer to an earlier question where you said that there's a rough 3:1 ratio for Human to Martian years (biologically speaking). Was this something that you and the creative team for Young Justice developed, or was it previously established somewhere?
5. I realize I'm probably asking too much, but does Project Atom exist on Earth-16?
6. Is Mount Justice/the Secret Sanctuary located in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island on Earth-16?
7. Jim Harper (the Guardian/Golden Guardian) and Roy Harper (Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow) were related in the comics. Did this influence the decision to cast Crispin Freeman in both roles, or is he just that good?
8. Is Kaldur'ahm the only person to act as Aqualad (thus far), or was Garth previously Aqualad?
9. Is naming him Kaldur'ahm a nod to Cal Durham from the comics?
10. Why is it that no one is ever just whelmed?
Thank you for everything that you do and for making yourself available to answer all of our often repetetive questions. A lot of people (myself not the least of them) appreciate it.

Filip writes...

Hey, Greg.

Are you writing any of the episodes to Young Justice?

Ian Whitcombe writes...

I'm curious about the philosophy behind recieving episode premise approval for a show from DC (and I'm assuming Marvel too for SSM?). I wonder which would describe it better:

1. You submit the episode premise as a checks and balances procedure working in good faith that the episode will be approved provided there aren't any legal or logistical oversights that would make the episode impossible to produce. What I think I'm asking is if they recognize your desire as producer to make the episode, and they would only veto a premise if there was some sort of hassle.

2. You submit the episode premise in the hope that DC likes it and sees value in the episode's production. This would imply that the episode could be approved or vetoed based on the creative "whims" of DC.

Algernon writes...

Hey again Greg,
When Superboy speaks for the first time in "Independence Day", a surprised Kid Flash responds by blurting out "He can talk?", was this a deliberate nod to Elisa's similar line in "Awakening Part Three" or just a coincidence?

Anne writes...

First off, I just want to say how much I loved the Young Justice pilot. (I haven't been this excited about an animated show since JLU went off the air back in 2006!)

My question, though, is whether you find it frustrating to work on a series based on DC comics, because of their very long and complicated histories. I ask this as a big fan of the comics, and an even bigger fan of Bruce Timm's superb DC Animated Universe. Do you ever feel bogged down by over 70 years of comic history, not to mention countless adaptations? How much difficulty did you and the production team have in pulling out what elements you thought would work for the new series?

On a similar note, have you found it difficult to try to distinguish your work from other adaptations of the comic (most notably Mr. Timm's DCAU)?

Once again, I can't wait for the new series to air in January! Between your work on Gargoyles and the fantastic YJ pilot, you've set some pretty high expectations. :-)

kon-el writes...

1.Where does Superboy live?
2.Are we going to see Cadmus again?
3.If we see Zatanna in Young Justice will she be a teenager?

Jess writes...

Heya Greg! This isn't really a question. Rather a resounding "THANK YOU" for pretty much all of the work you've done over the years. Right now a few of my fandoms that are still on-going have come out with new installments that have, well, been disappointing me. I'm not going to name names because I don't want to put you in the position of having to bash a fellow professional's work and there's no guarantee you're familiar with the specific ones I'm speaking of anyway.

But to me it feels like the writer(s) have been failing, not because they're not talented, but rather because a) When they began their projects they failed to think far-forwardly to where they wanted their stories to go once the initial conflicts they set up have run their course. And B) Instead of letting plot-lines flow from characters that are complex and change over time, they fall back on comfortable clichés, simple black-and-white conflicts, and cookie-cutter romance. To put it simply, when given the opportunity they take the 'easy' dramatic choices.

Seeing this happen over and over has made me much more appreciative of the insane amount of world-building and planning that you must put into the things you undertake, and your skill as a storyteller to dig into the well of timeless archetypes and situations and do things that are new and exciting with them.

For me it's a relief to know that when Young Justice premieres as a series (I did see the pilot movie and loved it) I'll have something where I can sit down and be entertained, and trust that the people behind it are doing everything they can to ensure that it's the best it can possibly be. And even if at the end it hasn't matched my vision for what it could have been, I know it will definitely be just as good, and most likely a whole lot better. So, in conclusion: Thanks for being awesome! Please keep it up. :)

Javier BC writes...

Hi Greg, first of all congratulations for all the team behind young justice. I read a lot of reviews and the premier was a huge success , everyone woking in the show really deserve the prise they are reciving. I have a couple of questions , hope you have the time to answer them:

1) Why does Superman react the way he did when he met Conner?. He left him in care of the other members of the league , Shouldn't he be more responsiable of his son?
2) Are all the members of the Light famous DC villans?. If the Oranization created Superboy to take Supermans place in case he perish , wouldnt that help the league?
3) Is there any chance you could cast Keith David as Black Manta? I think he would be perfect for the role

thank again for your time Greg, and i really looking foward to the whole season

Cal writes...

Hi Greg, I have two questions to ask regarding my favourite male voice actors.

1.Is Will Friedle going to reprise his role as the Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) from B:TBTB onto YJ and in future DC cartoons & movies or do I have to wait & see? I asked because I'm a HUGE Jaime Reyes fan & Will did do a very perfect job at voicing him, therefore he really deserves to voice him longer. Plus I really couldn't imagine someone else voicing Jaime.

2.Do you know if John DiMaggio is going to voice the Joker again? He did a great job at voicing him in B:URH & he would be a really good replacement for Mark Hamill since he said he's going to retire from the role soon. Plus Bruce Greenwood gets to voice Batman again.

Thanks and I hope you'll with those two guys again.

Hugo writes...

Hi Greg,

I was totally blown away by the first episode(s) of Young Justice. I knew the show was gonna be good, but... wow. The story was very well-crafted, and the quality of the animation was like nothing I've seen on American television. I can hardly wait until the show continues in January!

A few questions:

1. I'm a big Hawkman fan. I know he and Hawkwoman aren't main characters, but will we eventually learn which versions you're using?

2. I love the new Aqualad, and appreciate your efforts to diversify the cast. Can you comment on why you chose Aqualad in particular to re-imagine as a minority character, as opposed to, say, Artemis or Kid Flash?

3. Would you be willing/allowed to include any openly gay or lesbian characters on an all-ages show like this?

Thanks for your time, and for producing such a great show!

Pumpkin Bomb writes...

Wow, the number of questions since the premiere of Young Justice has really exploded upward. I tried to read through all of them to see if any made reference to my question, and I didn't find any, but apologies if I missed it and this has been asked before you get to my question.

One thing I've always found a little frustrating in DC comics is that the fictional cities of specific heroes (Gotham, Star City, Central City, Metropolis) are never definitively placed anywhere in the United States, even when they use actual cities as locations (using Washington DC as Justice League headquarters, for example). It's not like I expect there to be a giant, meticulously drawn map of the US with all the fictional cities marked, but it would be nice to know what region of the country they're in, but it's never really confirmed in the comics. But knowing how specific your planning can be when taking real world matters in account, I was wondering if you had decided where these major cities were in the country.

If so, would you tell us which states/regions of the country the cities of our main heroes (Robin, Kid Flash, Speedy, etc) are? As we probably won't know where Superboy or Miss Martian are staying until you decide to show us, would you touch on some of the other fictional cities and their locations if that information isn't something that will be revealed in the show (Bludhaven, Metropolis, Gateway City, Opal City, Fawcett...?)

Thanks!

Quentin Beck writes...

Hey Greg. I was just wondering if you were a Blockbuster fan? Not of the rental store, but of the DC Comics villain. I ask this because the episodes you wrote featured him in it. For example, in the Batman episode Meltdown, which you wrote, I noticed Mark Desmond was the chief scientist working on trying to cure Ethan Bennett. Blockbuster also appeared on Batman: Brave and the Bold. He was in the teaser for Death Race to Oblivion, which you wrote. FInally, he appeared on Young Justice, great premier by the way, which you wrote and produced. I'm a bit of a Blockbuster fan to so I just wanted to know if you were? Thanks for taking the time to read this and keep up the good work.